this last duty seems to be required in order to the former and both in respect of the promises For the second particular the act here required 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies not onely to go about a thing Luke 13.32 and to execute it 2 Cor. 8.6,11 but to finish and to adde the end to the beginning Phil. 1.6 And so here the Participle here used signifieth a profection with a tendency to a perfection As for the word perfection it is variously used and there is a manifold perfection spoken of among men one of profession and outward state among the Papists and so they will have their religious men especially those in orders to be termed perfect men if any will indulge them that honor and dignity and another of the inward state which we are here to understand that again is manifold one of sincerity and uprightness So King Hezekiah pleads for himself That he had walked before the Lord in truth and with a perfect heart Isai 38.3 But this perfection is not sufficient or always to be rested in 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned or sincere love of the Brethren See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently See 1 Thes 3.12 A second perfection there is of parts when all the several graces of Gods sanctifying spirit are found in a man This is conceived to be in every Convert or Believer But the truth thereof may be justly questioned for some want humility some meekness some patience and the like And why doth St. Peter command us to adde to our Faith Vertue to Vertue Knowledge to Knowledge Temperance to Temperance Patience to Patience Godliness to Godliness Brotherly kindness to Brotherly kindness Love If we have all these at our first conversion 2 Pet. 1.5,6,7 A third is the perfection of degrees when holiness in a full degree is by us attained answerable to the Law of God And this is threefold according to a threefold estate or dispensation The first is of love to God above all and to our Neighbor as to our selves which is the sum and fulfilling of the Law and the Prophets to the putting down of all contrary dispositions This is a perfection enjoyned by the Apostle Col 3.14 and above all put on Love which is the Bond of perfection 1 Pet. 4.8 This is called perfectio viae and allowed of by all the Schoolmen The second is a greater perfection and power in all love and goodness when Christ in the power of his Resurrection ariseth in the Saints after they are wholly dead with him to sin Rom. 6.5 For if we have been planted into Christ with the likeness of his death we shall also in the likeness of his Resurrection This is that which Paul saith he had not attained unto when he wrote to the Philippiane Chap. 3.11,12 And yet even then he was able to do all things viz. that were commanded through Christ which strengthens him Chap. 4.12,13 Howbeit he hoped for the other even while he was viator or in the body The third is perfectio patriae the highest perfection of the Saints of which the Apostle speaketh Heb. 12.23 And to the spirits of just men made perfect Here in the Text we understand the first of these three last named which is an imperfect estate gradually in comparison of the second as the second is being parallel'd with the third yet some there be who in this Text understand the second also which without doubt we should both hope for and pray for preparing our selves thereunto By the first perfection and by both the former we should seek after the third in all which the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled through Christ but according to several dispensations and degrees For in the first we have communion with Christ according to the flesh or in a lower and weaker way In the second with Christ according to the Spirit in a more lively and powerful way in the similitude of his Resurrection wherein he walked with his Disciples forty days upon Earth And in the third with Christ after his Ascension and Glorification yet the least of these is an holy Perfection For the persons to be engaged they are all those that have not yet attained to that state for he that made us without our selves will not save us without our best endeavors and concurrences we have also had a hand in fulfilling the measure of our disobedience and depravation and the Lord may justly engage us in the work of new obedience and the renewing of his Image and Kingdom in us as he doth here and elswhere frequently The whole Proposition or Doctrine then is this That those who would be made heirs and partakers of the Divine Promises must perfect the race of holy Obedience set before them and the holy Image of God which is to be renewed in them or they must put on that love which is the Bond of perfection and the fulfilling of the Law as hath been said Nor is our Apostle herein singular and precise above other his Fellow-ministers the Messengers of God nor goeth he higher then Christ himself did in his express Commands For as Moses witnesseth the Lord required this of Abraham the Father of the Believers Gen. 17.1 And when Abraham was ninety years old and nine the Lord appeared unto Abraham and said unto him I am the Almighty God walk thou before me and be persect And Deut. 10.12 Moses himself requireth as much of all Israel And now O Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God and to walk in all his ways and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul And Levit 19.18 Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self I am the Lord. And Deut. 18.13 Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God So our Apostle 2 Cor. 13.9 And this we wish even your perfection Yea he injoyneth perfection unto them in his farewel Verse 11. Finally Brethren farewel Be perfect be of good comfort be of one minde live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you So Heb. 6.1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ let us go on to perfection Jam. 1.4 But let patience have her perfect work in you that ye may be perfect and intire wanting nothing Chap. 2.8 If ye shall fulfil the Royal Law according to the Scripture Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self you do well Yea Christ himself doth not onely commend love to God and men unto us as the fulfilling of the Law and the Prophets Matth. 22.36,37,38,39 but he expresly commands us to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect Matth. 5.48 Nor is there less reason or equity for this part of the Charge and Condition then there was for the former For first God who is holy and love it self and perfect in
aforetime they were written for our instruction 1. Then by way of Information it is consequent from hence That as nothing is so offensive and contrary to God and his Divine Nature as sin is so there is no greater bar and obstruction then iniquity and unrighteousness is to keep us from the benefit of all his promises 1 Sam. 2.30 Isa 59.23 2. That in this point some of our Modern writers in Europe are much degenerated from the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles 3. That what Paul speaketh Rom. 7.14,15,16 is to be understood onely of Babes in Christ Secondly this Doctrine serves to confute many common errors and mistakes and first that opinion or assertion That sin cannot be wholly subdued in the Saints by the Grace and Truth of Christ while they live in the Mortal Body for if that cannot be attained the design of the Father who gave his Son that he might destroy the workmanship of the Devil 1 John 3.8 is disappointed and Christs love towards men is made of none effect who loved us and gave himself for us that he might sanctifie and wash us with the washing of water by the Word and present us unto himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrincle or any such thing Ephes 5.24,25,26,27 Yea the condition of the promises being impossible to be performed should be unjust and the promises made of none effect but whereas many places in the Old Testament are brought to plead for the continuance in sin as 1 King 8.46 Prov. 20.9 Eccle. 7.20 To those we may answer with the words of the Apostle Heb. 7.19 That the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did by which we draw nigh unto God And for the Scriptures alleadged out of the New Testament that of Rom. 7.24,25 cannot be understood of Pauls present estate for the second Verse of Chapter eight contradicts it as doth also 1 Cor. 4.4 2 Cor. 5.16,17 Phil. 4.13 but must onely be understood as was said before of the Babes and Yonglings in Christ so must that also be understood Gal. 5.17 and that 1 John 1.8 as is evident if it be compared with Verse the thirteenth and fourteenth of the second Chapter or with Verse third of the third Chapter and with Verse the seventeenth of the fourth Chapter lastly That of Jam. 3.2 can in reason be no more understood of him and his Fellow-Apostles where he saith That in many things we offend all then that which he speaks plurally also Verse 9. Therewith bless we God even the Father to wit with the tongue and therewith curse we men which are made after the similitude of God Secondly This giveth a check to their Error who say That in death when we put off the Body of Clay all sin shall be put off and mortified and not before For first it is by the Spirit that the deeds of the body or flesh must be mortified and not the sinful deeds of the spirit by the flesh Rom. 8.13 Secondly If the natural death healed all sins none would die in their sins as our Saviour threatens that the unbelieving Jews should do John 8.21,24 Lastly We are commanded to cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit and this is to be done in our life time and not to be done in our days of our death And by this opinion Corporal death should effect more then the Spirit of Grace could do all our life long in the final mortification of our sins Thirdly This may confute them who affirm That Christ came to take away the guilt of our sins by his death and suffering before the act or corruption is taken away for the cause must be taken away before the effect as we said before and proved out of Isai 1.16,17,18 Jere. 33.8 to which you may adde Chap. 31 32 33 34. Acts 26.18 Heb. 10.14 For through the Blood of his Cross in due time he taketh away the guilt of sins repented of left and put away yet the Spirit of Grace which is the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant must first sanctifie us and cleanse us therefrom Heb. 9.14 also Chap. 10.29 13.20,21 Revel 7.14 Fourthly This may stop the mouths of them which say we do not read That ever any man yet was cleansed wholly from sin to which we Reply That if this were not men themselves and not the Grace of God were in default but there is an Israel who are of a clean heart Psal 73.1 Who are crucified to the world and the world to them Gal. 6.14,15,16 In whose Spirit there is no guile and consequently no sin for all sin is deceitful so Psal 32.2 Ephes 4.22 Yea John saw a numberless number of those Rev. 7.9,10,14 So also Revel 14.4 These are the Israel of which we read Num. 23.21 and Zeph. 3.14,15 Lastly It meets with that distinction more common then commendable that though sin must not reign in us yet it must remain in us while we are here For first as long as it remains in us it will oppose the work of God and get the victory at times if not with our will yet against our will Secondly If all filthiness of flesh and spirit must be purged out of us how can it remain do the spots or filth remain in clothes when they are cleansed there from did not Christ come to sanctifie and wash us that he might present us without spot or wrincle or any such thing unto himself Surely this and other distinctions that plead for the necessary continuance of sin in us cannot come from above but since they hinder the work of the Lord must needs originally come from Hell and the Devil though some persons otherwise zealous and vertuously minded have at unawares received and used the same without considering the hurt and mischief that followeth thereupon See Jere. 50.20 In those days and in that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will spare them which are left Mic. 7.19 Sheweth how God will deal with the sins and iniquities of his people as he did with the Egyptians he will first subdue and then drown them Also Zeph. 3.13 he promises That the remnant of Israel shall not utter iniquity nor speak lies And Mal. 3.3 That Christ shall sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto him an offering in righteousness But thus much of the Use of Confutation now by way of Correction This Proposition or Doctrine serves to reprove four sorts of men among others First Those who have cleansed themselves from many outward sins of the flesh but are not purified from the sins of the spirit as spiritual pride wrath uncharitable censuring envy and the like Prov. 30.12 There is a generation that is pure in their own