Iesus Christ to him be glorie both now and for ever Amen CHAP. XXX What perfection of inherent righteousnesse is attainable in this life MOst absolute and infinite perfection of righteousnesse is onely in God who is that light in whom there is no darknesse at all of whom the sweet singer of Israel could say Psal 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his workes But that righteousnesse which is in man is finite and limited and such is all the perfection he can attaine in it and both accrew unto him by participation from him who is the fountaine of righteousnesse and perfection Now that perfection compatible to man Aquin. in Phil. cap. 3. lect 2. is two-fold first Viae secondly Patriae the first incident to man in the state of grace whilst he is as yet a way-faring pilgrim and stranger on earth the second belonging to man when he comes into his heavenly Country and is a member of the triumphant Church in the state of glorie What perfection of righteousnesse wee may attaine in the way of this life wee are now to enquire of and in searching it out wee shall finde all our perfection attended with much imperfection Haec hominibus sola perfectio si imperfectos esse se noverint Heron. adv Peti li. 1o. This is the onely perfection in men if they acknowledge themselues imperfect But how shall we know and acknowledge our selues imperfect but by finding out in our selues the defect and want of those things whereby we should be perfected and by what other meanes can wee possibly be perfected than by knowing God and beleeving in God and loving God and obeying God For by such knowledge faith charitie and obedience Christian perfection is attained But alas as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13.9 wee know in part and so wee beleeue in part and loue God in part and obey him in part St. Gregorie therefore knits the foure linkes of this chaine by the first and the last with a tantò quantò saying tantò quis operatur quantò Deum noverit Greg. in Ezek. hom 22. so much as wee know God so much wee obey him in our workes such as our knowledge is of him such is our obedience to him such is our righteousnesse and hereupon St. Iohn saith Hereby wee know 1 Iohn 2.3 that wee know him if wee keepe his Commandements Now wee cannot keepe his Commandements unlesse wee loue him for this is the loue of God 1 Ioh. 5. v. 3. that wee keepe his Commandements and wee cannot loue him unlesse we beleeue in Him Gal. 5.6 for faith worketh by loue and we cannot beleeue in Him unlesse wee know him and can say with the Apostle Scio cui credidi 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I haue beleeved That wee may be perfect wee must haue perfection two wayes Aquin. in Heb cap. 5. lect 2. saith Aquinas First secundùm intellectum in our understanding by being able to discerne and judge aright of things secondly secundùm affectum in our affection by charitie cleaving wholy to God For charitie is in a sort of as large extent as inherent righteousnesse being the fulfilling of the Law the mother of obedience and every good worke We are perfect in that wee haue faith hope and other vertues truely in some measure but in that we haue them not in full measure we are imperfect and so our perfection though true is still imperfect St. Paul said of himselfe he was not perfected Phil. 3.12 after in the fifteenth verse he calles himselfe perfect Fulg. de praedestin ad Monimum li. 10. Whereupon Fulgentius saith of him He was perfect by expectation of reward imperfect through wearisomenesse of the combat Hee was perfect in that with his minde he served the Law of God he was imperfect in that with his flesh he served the Law of sinne Thus it was in the chosen vessell of mercy much more in us in whom all our perfection is ever attended with many imperfections CHAP. XXXI Of perfect righteousnesse in this life more punctually and plainly AS all the lines in a Circle passing from the Circumference through the mediate meete in the Center So all the righteous workes of the Saints proceeding from grace through faith are terminated and meeâ—e in the Center of Gods glorie 1 Cor. 10.31 according to that precept of the Apostle Doe all to theglorie of God and surely to doe so is true perfection Now every thing is perfect saith Aquinas Aquin. in Philip cap. 3. lect 2. in such sort as it doth adhere to the perfection thereof but our ultimate perfection is God and his glory now to referre all our actions totally and actually to God and his glorie is perfectio patriae the perfection of our heavenly Countrie and not to be found in any man on earth saue in Christ onely who in the dayes of his flesh was both Viator and Comprehensor both in the state of grace and state of glory But Aquin. â—bâ— supra as Aquinas saith againe to apply our hearts in nothing unto that which is against God and referre our whole life habitually unto God is perfectio viae that perfection of us way-faring pilgrims ☞ ad quam omnes tenentur ex necessitate salutis whereunto all are bound upon necessitie of salvation No man doth actually referre his whole life unto God and his glorie Eccles 7.20 James 3.2 for there is noman just an earth which doth good and sinneth not and in many things wee all offend David and St. Peter and other holy men of God had their faults and errors and yet were habitually righteous therefore remarkeable is that excellent observation of St. Ambrose Divina justicia Denitune justi ☞ Ambr. in Luc. cap. 1. ex mantir habitu non aliquo factor 〈…〉 God 〈…〉 measare the 〈◊〉 of the righteous by 〈…〉 minde not by some event of workes 〈…〉 none could be righteous none would 〈…〉 none could expect the reward of glory it is the triumphant Church which is all faire and there is no â—â—â—â—â—ish in hen There fore howsoever the perfectists conâ—â—â—iue of it it is most true which St. Augustine writeth Aug. de eccl dogm cap. 85. Nullus sanctus justus caret peceato thee tamen hoc desinit esse sanctus justus 〈…〉 no just and holy man is 〈…〉 sildae never the lesse he doth nick cease to be holy and just seting in affection he retaines sanctitis So that still a man may be habitually righteous who is not without all error and actuall prevarication To loue and affect holinesse is a degree of holinesse as to desire and endeavour to be perfect is a degree of perfection according to that in St. Bernard Bern. ad Garin Abb. ep 254. Studere perfectioni perfectio est to study to be perfect is perfection Luther writes of one Staupitius a godly learned man that he vowed a
the Eagle soaring upon high could say Iohn 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Word was made flesh And the trumpet of grace proclaiming the great mysterie of godlinesse beginnes with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God was manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 Thus the Sonne of God by nature voluntarily and graciously became the sonne of man that the sonnes of men might in him become the sons of God by grace In this most mysterious worke of Christs in carnation St. Bernard observeth Bern. de consid li. 5. c. 9. that as in GOD there are three persons and one essence so by a most convenient contrarietie there be in Christ three essences and one person Which three essences are his reasonable soule his humane flesh his Deitie Now the two former essences make up the humane nature in Christ for although there be three essences yet are there but two natures And though there be two natures yet is there but one person and not two as Nestorius the hereticke taught Now although the humane nature in Christ be not a person yet is it individually and numerically distinguished from the particular humane nature in Moses and Peter and each other man But it is individnum extraordinarium it is an extraordinarie individuall humane nature which never had any subsistence in it selfe or for it selfe but in divino supposito 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Word in the Sonne of God And it is an extraordinary individuall humane nature because altogether without sinne First without originall sinne which is propagated from Adam by the Father but our Saviour had no such earthly Father and consequently no originall sinne Secondly without actuall sinne in that the humane nature in the first moment of conception was by Hypostaticall union of the Deitie perfectly sanctified made impeccabilis free from any power or possibilitie of sinning Hence by way of excellency he is that sonne of man 2 Cor. 3.28 who knew no sinne Now our blessed Saviour in regard of his two natures was medius inter Deum hominem a meane betwixt God and man as participating of both but a Mediatour in respect of his office of reconciliation and redemption For there is one God and one Mediatour betwixt God and men 1 Tim. 2.5 the man Christ Iesus And it is to be observed that the Apostle saith not God but the man Christ Iesus For God could not die unlesse he had been man But God was made man that he might die for man and so reconcile man unto God Hereupon Fulgent serm de dupl nativ Domini Fulgentius saith Conceptus in utero factus est particeps mortis nostrae being conceived in the wombe he was made partaker of death with us And Saint Augustine to the same purpose saith Aug. in Psal 148. Accepit exte unde moreretur prote He tooke that of thee wherein he might die for thee CHAP. XI Christs Passion SINNE according to St. Iohns description is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Iohn 3.4 a transgression of the Law a privation of righteousnesse commanded therein Now a privation is minimae entitatis sed maximae efficaciae of the least entitie but of the greatest efficacie Which is most true in sinne For what was there in the whole world in heaven or earth that could cause the death of the Son of God or as St. Augustine speakes Vt aeternus moreretur that he who is eternall should die but onely sinne And that not his owne but ours our prophanenesse our crueltie pride luxurie covetousnesse intemperance our lies our oaths our innumerable sinnes All which were made his not by inherence but by imputation And he tooke them all upon him not subjectivè but expiativè not subjectiuely but by way of expiation to satisfie the justice and appease the wrath of his Father for them For by shedding his bloud on the Crosse for our sinnes he cancelled the fearefull bond and put out the hand-writing against us And so as the Apostle testifieth in him haue we redemption through his bloud even the forgiuenesse of our sinnes Ephes 1.7 according to the riches of his grace Our most gracious Saviour in that bitter agonie of his most dolorous passion upon the Crosse might well complaine with Ieremie the sonne of Hilkiah Behold and see Lam. 1.12 if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow And may not all that by faith embrace him crucified on the Crosse most truely say behold and see if there be any loue like unto his loue who so loved us that he laid downe his life for us who so loved us that he gaue himselfe for us Here is loue without measure unparalleled charitie without any example Iohn 15.13 Greater loue hath no man than this that a man lay downe his life for his friends Yea but the loue of Iesus exceeded the loue of men it passed the loue of Damon and Pythias of David and Ionathan it surpassed the loue of women For as the chosen vessell of mercy noteth God commendeth his loue towards us in that while wee were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Rom. 5.8 and in the tenth verse following more emphatically he intimateth that when wee were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled wee shall be saved by his life O most wonderfull death O most meritorious work of supenerogation wherein stands our righteousnesse and everlasting salvation O most happie death bringing to man eternall life Mors Christi mors est meae mortis quoniam ille mortuus est ut ego viverem Bernard ad Milit. rempl cap. 11. saith holy Bernard The death of Christ is the death of my death for he dyed that I might live CHAP. XII Christs Resurrection LEt us now passe from the Crosse of our Lord Iesus and walke unto his sepulcher in the garden of Iosseph of Arimathea and see whether his most sacred body be there But loe we haue the voice of an Angell telling us He is not here Math. 28.6 for he is risen Here our blessed Saviours resurrection is proclaimed by an Herald from Heaven by an Angell Whereby we know that he is a perfect Mediatour betwixt God and us tam merito quà m efficaciâ as well by the merit of his passion as by the power and efficacy of his resurrection Satan the Serpent thought he had strangled the fruit of our redemption by procuring that ignominious and shamefull death of Christ on the Crosse supposing to haue kept him under the chaines of darknesse Aug. serm 1. in fest ascens But as St. Augustine writeth Muscipula Diaboli crux Christi esca quâ caperetur mors Christi the Crosse of Christ was the Devills trap the baite whereby he was taken was the death of Christ So the deceiver was deceived the subtile Serpent was beguiled for it was not possible that he should keepe him under death who is the Lord of life John 11.25
there the same Father speaking of the just and righteous saith Bernard ub◠suprà Iustus nunquam arbitratur se comprehendisse nunquam dicitsatis est sed semper esurit sititque justitiam The just man never supposeth that he hath comprehended never saith it is enough but alwayes hungreth and thirsteth after righteousnesse So that if he might liue alwayes he would alwayes as much as in him lieth striue to be more righteous But as the emptiest bladders are most filled with winde so the poorest Christians haue many times the greatest conceit and opinion of their own sufficiency they thinke they haue enough when as in truth they haue a great deale too little Omnia illi desunt Bern. de consid l. 2. ca. 7. qui nil sibi deesse putat he wants all things who thinketh he wanteth nothing saith holy Bernard When our Saviour rehearsed the precepts of the second Table to the young man he answered presently All these things haue I kept from my youth up Mat. 19. v. 20 21. what lacke I yet but the wisedome of GOD threw downe his pride and stopped his mouth with a Si vis esse perfectus c. If thou wilt be perfect goe and sell all that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heaven This was a corrosiue to his stomach a pill which he could not well digest And yet there ought to be in every one of us such a measure of perfection as that through effectuall charitie and loue of God we should be readie and willing upon just occasion actually to relinquish father and mother wife and children our goods our lands our liues and all things for the asserting of GODS glorie and for the testimony of Iesus This historie of that young man in the Gospell teacheth us how forcible a remora the loue of the world and worldly things is to stay the shippe of the Christian soule saying on in her voyage unto perfection and felicitie Whereupon the Apostle St. Iohn cryes amaine unto us 1 Iohn 2.15 Loue not the world nor the things of the world for if any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him CHAP. XXIX Of three evill qualities in spirituall sloath ACarelesse negligence of our estate in pietie is attended with three evill properties First it is cold and remisse in proficiency secondly it is heavie and dull in going on to perfection thirdly it is a waster and destroyer of grace and so a maine enemie to perfection Wherefore this spirituall sluggishnesse is by Iohannes de sancto Geminiano aptly compared to Saturne the highest planet for three things First He is infrigidativus of a cold qualitie Ioan. de Sanct. Gem. de exempl Simili◠rerum lib. 1. cap. 2. secondly He is tardè incessivus of slow motion thirdly He is faetuum mortificativus a destroyer of young ones First as Saturne is of a cold cooling qualitie causing coldnesse in the inferior bodies and exciting melancholy So spirituall sloath makes a carelesse Christian become cold and remisse in charitie in the loue of God and man for he neither so loveth GOD objectivè as to will more good to Him than to any creature neither doth he so loue Him appretiativè as to value Him at a higher rate or price than the whole world or his owne life Nedum intensivè much lesse doth he loue God with a greater and more ardent degree of loue than his owne life or any other creature And seeing the love of our neighbour is the reflection of Gods loue in out hearts this being so remisse that other of necessitie must be very coole and so coole as that he neither loveth his neighbour as himselfe after the rule of the Law nor as Christ loved us which is the rule of the Gospell So that whereas inward perfection consists in the loue of God and our Neighbour saith Aquinas Aquin. in Heb. cap. 6. lect 1. the spirituall sluggard must needs come short of perfection being so cold and defectiue in this golden vertue of Charitie which is Vinculum perfectionis Col. 3.14 the very bond of perfection Againe as Saturne is of a slow motion finishing his course through the Zodiacke in no lesse than thirtie yeares so the spirituall sluggard is very slow in the use of grace and exercise of good workes going so slowly on unto perfection as that he doth scarce formicinum gradum movere mooue as fast as the pismire and stands in neede to be brobd with Salomons goade and set on his way with a Vade ad formicam piger c. Goe to the Ant thou sluggard Prov. 6.6 consider her wayes and be wise which having no guide over-seer or ruler provideth her meate in the summer and gathereth her food in the harvest Lastly as Saturne is destructiue to young ones lately brought forth so spirituall drowsinesse and remissenesse even slay the fruits of grace and vertue when they begin to spring up If any pious motions to good be lately engendred in the heart either by reading the word of life or hearing it read preached or expounded or by private admonition or any good meanes by and by this pestilent vice is readie to strangle them in the birth Children borne under the dominion of Saturne are not vitall many times die within a few dayes as the Astrologers say so good motions begunne in the spirituall sluggard oft die as soone as they be borne and so never come to perfection So that whereas Fulgentius saith of Saturne Filios verò suos comedisse fertur Fulg. Myth ad Catum l. 1. in Fab. Sat. quòd quodcunque tempus gignit consumit He is said to devoure his sonnes because whatsoever time begetteth it consumeth this spirituall sloath doth it not in a long tract of time but in the nativitie or soone after for this common pernicious vice is like the red Dragon in the Apocalyps Apoc. 12.4 which stands before the woman readie to be delivered for to devoure her childe as soone as it is borne But wee must shake off this pestiferous Viper wee must be vigilant and stand upon our watch every houre least whilst wee sleepe the enemie come and sow tares amongst the good seeds of grace sowen in our hearts When the fire of the Spirit is begun to be enkindled in us let us not quench it and put it out againe with the cold water of carelesse remissenesse and negligence but as the Trumpet of grace exhorteth let us with all diligence and holy endeavour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1.6 blow up the sparkes of grace already sparkling in our soules let us by all meanes nourish them but not extinguish them that so we may grow up into Christ our head unto a perfect man following the most wholesome counsell of the great Apostle St. Peter concluding his last Epistle with this heavenly exhortation Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour
had temperamentum absolutè temperatissimum a temperament absolutely most temperate such as none but he and the Second Adam are supposed to haue yet that was not sufficient to immortalitie And therefore by Gods gracious indulgence he might freely feede on the tree of life by meanes whereof he might be preserved from decaying by age or any other cause and that through some naturall vertue in the tree or rather Gods blessing or both And thus Adam was mortall Aug. ubi suprd conditione corporis animalis by the condition of a naturall body but immortall beneficie conditoris by the benefit of his creator as St. Augustine excellently explaineth it If so be that Adam had not sinned yet fuisset mortalis he should haue beene mortall neverthelesse if he had not sinned Valles sacra Philos c. 6. fuisset nunquam moriturus he should never haue died as Vallesius aptly noteth So then no sinne Rom. 5.12 no death By one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne Contrary to the heresie of Pelagius and Augustinus Steuchus a Pontifician of later times Whitak de not eccl ca. 7. If Adam then had not sinned he had not died but should haue beene immortall Immortalitateminori in qua posset mori Aug. Ench. cap. 105. with a lesser immortalitie wherein he had a power to die saith St Augustine-Quamvis major futura sit in qua non possit mori although a greater immortalitie be to come wherein he cannot die And this must be in Heaven in the state of glory where is no disobedience or sinne and consequently no death Rom. 6.23 for as the Apostle saith the wages of sinne is death Christ Iesus is our life Col. 3.4 both here in the kingdome of grace and there in the kingdome of glorie For He as head and fountaine of life communicateth life to all the members of his mysticall body He being the last Adam who was made a quickening Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 enlivening us not onely with naturall sensitiue and rationall life as our Creator but also with spirituall life as our Redeemer and eternall life as our Glorifier Augustus the Emperour in Romani nominis aeternitatem natus borne to eternize the Roman name Onuph de imperat Com. cap. 4. according to Onnphrius was wont many times as Suetonius writes in his life to pray for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sueton. in vita Augusti cap. 99. for his friends and himselfe not immortalitie but aneasie death without paine But our blessed Saviour did not onely pray for but doth also giue unto his friends his my sticall members 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immortalitie for speaking of them his Sheepe Iohn 10.28 he saith I giue unto them eternall life and they shall never perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hands Our life consists in the knowledge and loue of Christ saith Aquinas we know Him Aquin. in Colost cap. 3. lect 1. and loue Him in this world in part and it is our spirituall life we shall know him and loue him in the other world perfectly and that will be eternall life As the first Adam brought death into the world so the second Adam abolishing death 2 Tim. 1.10 hath brought life and immortalitie to light Aug. in Ioan. tract 22. Who according to St. Augustine speaketh on this wise to thee Wouldst thou not erre I am the way Wouldst thou not be deceived I am the truth Wouldst thou not die I am the life Iohn 14.6 I am the way the truth and the life So may I say unto thee Wouldst thou not haue thy body perpetually detained under the power of darknesse and dominion of the graue Iohn 11.25 Loe He saith I am the resurrection and the life Beleeue on me let me be thy spirituall foode feede on me by faith for He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud bath eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day If Christ dwell in us now by faith spiritually Ephel 3.17 he will surely dwell in us hereafter by glory eternally and that after an admirable manner which now we know not 1 Iohn 3.2 For now we are sonnes of God saith St. Iohn but it doth not yet appeare what we shall be It is not here revealed unto us we are unworthy to know it we are unable to comprehend it Onely thus much we are taught out of the divine Oracles that in the stole of glorie we shall see God clearely face to face wee shall with unspeakeable joy and delight ever behold Him who is the blessed life of man saith St. Augustine Aug de civit Dei lib. 19. cap. 26. whom to behold is life and the life is eternall CHAP. XXXV Of different perfection in glorie SPirituall gifts and graces are diversly dispensed by Christ and given to the Saints on earth after a different manner For to every one is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ Ephes 4.7 Thus much the Apostle instancing in some particular graces insinuateth touching faith the prime cardinall vertue he saith Rom. 12.3 6. God dealeth to every man the measure of faith and a proportion of faith and entreating of chastitie and continency he said Every man hath his proper gift of God 1 Cor. 7.7 one after this manner and another after that When as the Apostles said to our Saviour if the case was such it was not good to marry He answered them all men cannot receiue this saying Math. 19.11 Ambr. de voc gent. li. 2. c. 3. saue they to whom it is given Hereupon St. Ambrose saith Multis modis innumer abilibus differentijs gratia opera dona variantur inque ipsis singulis generibus muneruns dissimiles sunt gradus impares quantitates The gifts and workes of grace are varied after many manners and innumerable differences and in the severall kindes of gifts there be unlike degrees and unequall quantities Now as there are many different degrees of grace in the militant Church so there be also many different degrees of glorie in the triumphant Church Ambr. de bon mort cap. 11. according to that of St. Ambrose Erit or do diversus claritatis gloria sicut erit meritorum There shall be a different order of excellency and glory as there shall be of merits Hence it was that St. Augustine upon those words of Christ Aug. in Ioan. cap. 14. v. 2. in my Fathers house are many mansions saith they are diversae meritorum in una vita aterna dignitates diverse dignities of merits in one eternall life And St. Hierome saith Multae sunt mansiones apud patrem Hieren advers Pelag. li. 1. quia merita diversa there are many mansions with the Father because there are diverse merits Here note by the way that St. Ambrose St. Augustine St. Hierome and other of the ancient Fathers by merits so frequētly
mentioned by them understand good workes done of faith as we doe generally take them So as Bucer professed in the conference at Ratisbon Bucer apud Cassand Coufut art 6. saying If by to merit the Fathers and others understand to doe through faith of the grace of God good workes to which God hath promised and will render a reward To use the word in this sense wee will not condemne Wherein we wholly agree with St. Bernard who explaineth the matter thus Bern. de Gra. lib. Arb. Those which wee call our merits if they be properly called are certaine seminaries of hope incentiues to charitie signes of secret predestination presages of future felicitie the way to the kingdome not the cause of raigning there Now correspondent to our good workes in this life shall our eternall reward be in the other life Math. 16.27 For the Sonne of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels and then shall he reward every man according to his workes This our blessed Saviour the truth hath taught us and after him his chosen vessell of mercy and trumpet of grace hath delivered unto us the same infallible veritie namely Rom. 2.6 that God will render to every man according to his deeds So that such as our measure of grace is in this life such shall our measure of glory be in the other world such as our vertues and good workes be here such shall our happinesse and felicitie be there Let us then not be weary of well doing knowing that in due season we shall reape if we faint not All that shall be judged worthy in Christ to enter into the heavenly Paradise shall haue perfection of all parts and essentialls of glory aquè non aequaliper one as well as another not equally in degree one with weather All who haue faithfully laboured in Christ Vineyard shall at the end of the day receiue their penie aqualem mercedem vita non glaâ—ia Ambr. in Lus. cap. 15. an equall reward of life not of glory according to St. Ambrose for suppose faith he there is not grace one reward diversum tanâ—â—n braâ—iuâ—â— violeriâ—â— est yet the prize of victory is diverse It is true that in respect of the object participated one is not more blessed than another all beholding one God the fountaine of life But in regard of the disposition of the subjects participating one shall be more happie than another because one shall see God more clearely than another one shall loue God more perfectly and ardently than another and that in so large and ample latitude as we are not now able to comprehend The Apostleteacheth us 1 Cor. 15. ve 41 42. that there is one glory of the Sonne another of the Moone and another of the â—â—ines for one starre differeth from another starre in glory So is the resurrection of the dead They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firâ—â—â—â— at Dam. 12.3 and they that turne many unto rightenasnesse as the starres for ever and ever Now although every starre be perfect in it selfe yet in comparison of a greater it may want perfection Hieron advers Pelag. lib. 1. as St. Hierome notes So although every glorified Saint shall be perfect in it selfe yet may such compared to others more glorious want perfection not of parts or essentialls but of degrere of glorie But all shall be perfect all according to their proper measure and capacitie shall bâ—fully fâ—â—led with glorie none shall want all 〈◊〉 enough Prosp de vita 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. cap. 4. all shall haue sufficient Quia singulie prampia suasufficientia erunt capere amplâ—◠〈…〉 am perfecti non pâ—terint Every 〈…〉 shall be sufficient for them and being 〈◊〉 perfect they shall not be able to receiue any more saith St. Prosper As many vessels of diverse quantities dipt into the Ocean will all be filled but every one according to their proper quantitie Or as divers guests at a feast are fully satiated and filled yet all doe not eat alike and receiue the same quantitie but every one according to the strength and measure of their stomacke So shall it be with the Elect in the kingdome of God in the day of the Sonne of man that day of glorie all shall haue satietie of heavenly delights and pleasures but every one according to their capacitie and measure During their pilgrimage on earth they walked on patiently in the way of good workes they hungred and thirsted after righteousnesse but then shall they be satisfied with life righteousnesse and glory How 〈◊〉 redeemed them with his sacred bloud will now satiate them with the bread of life and inebriate them with the wine of his loue And as the sweet singer of Israel speaketh Psal 36.8 9. He will abundantly satisfie them with the fatnesse of his house and will make them drinke of the â—â—â—er of his pleasures for with him is the fountaine of life and in his light shall they see light They shall see the light which shall never decay enjoy the life which shall never haue an end For they shall ever behold Him who is the light and the life who is all perfection all glory all felicitie all eternitie who is all in all To that all sufficient being who is his owne eternall being and the being of all other 〈…〉 who is Alpha and Oâ—â—ega the beginning and the ending the first and the last To the Creator of the world the glory of the Angels the light and life of men To that infinite fountaine of loue which hath loved us with an ever lasting loue in Christ the sonne of his loue To the Father of mercies the God of all grace peace and consolation be ascribed of us all goodnesse wisedome power prayse honour glorie adoration thankesgiving for all his blessings in Iesus Christ now and in all ages for ever Amen FINIS Perlegi Librum hâ—nc dignumque judico qui typis mandetur Tho. Weekes R. P. Epo Lond. Capel domest