of light and grace. Holy Paul is all along in a different strain," I, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." I told you before what a fair and honourable character the Holy Ghost hath given, of holy David, a man after God's own heart; now you may also find a description of these men, too, in Scripture, not much differing from the other in phrase, but very much in sense; it is the same that is given of the proud prince of Tyrus, “ They set their heart as the heart of God." But we, if we do indeed partake of the divine nature, shall not dare to take any part of the divine glory; if we conform to God's image, we shall not set up our own. This self-glorifying, in the predominancy of it, is utterly inconsistent with true religion, as fire is with water; for religion is nothing else but the shinings forth of God into the soul, the reflection of a beauty and glory which God hath put upon it. Give all therefore unto God; for whatsoever is kept back, is sacrilegiously purloined from him: glory we in the fulness of God alone, and in self-penury and nothingness. The whole of religion is of God. Do we see and discern the great things of God? that light that God hath set up in us; according to that of the Apostle, "The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." That love whereby we love him, he first shed abroad in our hearts. our souls be beautiful, it is with his brightness, the beauty and glory of essential holiness, according to that of the Apostle, "Partakers of his holiness." If we be really and truly full, we receive it of his fulness, according to that of the Apostle, "Filled with all the fulness of God." In a word, if we be

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in any godlike dispositions, like unto him, it is by his spreading of his image in us, and over us. all this, it appears to be a thing not only wicked and unwarrantable, but utterly impossible for a godly soul to exalt himself against God, for grace to advance itself against divine glory; for grace is nothing else but a communication of divine glory; and God is then glorified, when the soul, in holy and gracious dispositions, becomes like unto him. How is it possible that grace should be a shadow to obscure divine glory, when itself is nothing else, as it comes from God, but a beam of glory? and as it is found in the creature, may properly be called a reflection of it. To conclude then, be ye persuaded, that a man hath so much of God, as he hath of humility, and self-denial, and self-nothingness, and no more; he is so far of God, as he loves him, honours him, imitates him, and lives to him, and no further.

3. By this discovery of the original of religion, we come to understand the original of sin and wickedness. And here, according to the method wherein I spoke of the original of religion, I might show you how the original of sin from without, is of the devil, that first ushered it into the world, and ceaseth not to tempt men to it continually; as also of men, who are his instruments; and that it does, in a sense, spring from many occasions without. But these things are more improperly said to be the causes of sin. The inward cause is the corrupt heart of man, that unclean spirit, that devilish nature, which is indeed the worst and most pernicious devil in the world to man. It is an old saying, "One man is a

devil to another;" which, though it be, in some sense, true, yet it is more proper to say, "Man is a devil to himself,” taking the spirit and principle of apostacy, that rebellious nature, for the devil, which indeed doth best deserve that name. But yet, if

we inquire more strictly into the original and nature of this monster, we shall best know what to say of it, and how to describe it, by what we have heard of religion. Sin, then, to speak properly, is nothing else but a degeneration from a holy state, an apostacy from a holy God. Religion is a participation of God, and sin is a straggling off from him. Therefore it is wont to be defined by negatives, a departure from God, a forsaking of him, a living in the world without him, &c. The soul's falling off from God, does describe the general nature of sin; but then, as it sinks into itself, or settles upon the world, and fastens upon the creature, or any thing therein; so it becomes specified, and is called pride, covetousness, ambition, and by many other names. All souls are the offspring of God, were originally formed in his image and likeness; and when they express the purity and holiness of the divine nature, in being perfect as God is perfect, they are then called the children of God: but those impure spirits that do lapse and slide from God, may be said, to implant themselves into another stock, by their own low and earthly lives, and are no more owned for the children of God, but " are of their father the devil." By which you may understand the low and base original of sin: nothing can be so vile as that which, to speak properly, is nothing else but a perfect falling off from glory itself. By this you may