on earth that he shall never more conflict and combate with it for so long as he lives he shall be less or more troubled with its inherency turbulency and Tyranny though it shall have in him no regency no Soveraignty no conquest to cause him to serve sin The Apostle knew that the old man was crucified that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth he and others in Christ should not serve Rom. 6. 6. Râ—m 7 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 sin yet he complaines of the Inbeing of his corruption and of its powerfull working presence In crossing him the motions of the spirit unto good and in haling him to be a captive unto evill though he acknowledgeth with thankfulness that it shall not have any totall and finall conquering prevalency over him 7. I believe according to the holy Scripture that there is no living man upon the earth who is free from sin a personall sinlesse perfection is not to be found among any mortall men on earth because the Scripture telleth us Their 1. King 8. 46. Prov. 20. 9. Eccl. 7. 20. is no man that sinneth not and againe who can say I have made my heart cleane I am pure from my sin and againe there is not a just man on the earth that doth good and sinneth not The meaning is he sinneth in doing good for so the Prophet acknowledgeth all our riâ—hteousnesses are as filthy rags Againe one 〈◊〉 64. 6. â—â—m 3. 2. Iohn 1. 8. Apostle saith in many things we offend all he includes himself other Apostles as great as he in holiness and both of them were very holy men excludes not himself saying If we say that we have no sin we deceive ourâ—elves and the truth is not in us I believe the tâ—uth of all these scriptures and therefore I do not believe that any mortal man while he is on the earth is free from sin 7. Quest Dost thou owne that salvation that is wrought out with fear and trembling Answ That Salvation the working out of which with fear Phil. 2. 12 13 an trembling the Apostle exhorts to because God worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure is properly the worke of obedience and Piety which one works who is in the State and course of Salvation This is called salvation because it conduceth to and will end in salvation for a man who continueth to the end in the course of true Obedience and Mat. 29 13 piety is sure to obtaine felicity he who endureth to the end shall be saved I say then that 1. I own that salvation which is to be wrought out I own that their should be a finishing the work of obedience and graciousness which tends to salvation even of all such good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in and Eph. 2. 10. 2. I own that this obedient and pious working which tends to further us toward the end of our faith the perfect salvation of the soule should be wrought with fear and trembling that is as these words as here conjoyned do genuinely signify with an awfull reverentiall humble carfulness neither to offend God on whom their must be a dependency or ability to worke nor to deserve his Judgment by any proud arrogancy in presuming on the worke which we do though it be good seeing it is of his pure grace of his good pleasure that the very working out the very doing and finishing of any good is effected by us I do own this holy fear and trembling commended in Scripture which is an holy dread in the soule whereby it stands in awe of God having a great carefulnesse to walke humbly with God and fiducialâ—y to depend on him in all holy working And I do verily beleive that this fear and holy awe of the soul in its endeavouring to observe Gods commandments and to depart from evil is a surer evidence of one that works out his salvation in fear and trembling then are the quakings shakings wrestings and wringings of any body whatsoever for it is well known that in some men bodily quakings have been the effects of their Dâ—ut 28. 65 Psa 69. 23 bodily diseases in others they have been the fruites of Satanicall possessions and in some they are from divine curse and infliction 8. Quest Dost thou owne the same Revelation and Inspiration that the Apostles and Prophets had now in this age yea or no Answ I own all those selfe same revelations which were revealed to the Apostles and Prophets by the inspiration of the Spirit when they indited the holy scripture for in the writings of these his holy Pen-men Christ hath now fully and finally recorded the whole will and counsel of God concerning the way of his service and concerning all things necessary for mans salvation these are able to make wise unto salvation and seeing that God now only in these last dayes speakes unto us 1. Tim. 3. 15. Heb. 1. 1. Iuk 10. 6. Math. 28. 20. by his son and his son speakes to us teachingly from his word written by his Ministeriall servants with whom he hath promised to be untill the end of the world Therefore I disowne all those immediate Revelations which some in this age pretend to have knowing that these cannot reveale any saving truth which is not already revealed in the writings of the Prophets Apostles knowing that they all are accursed who seek to add to the Propheticall and Apostolicall Revelations any new Revelations or to preaâ—h unto men any other Gospel then Rev. 22. 28. 19. Gal. 1. 8. that which is received My faith is grounded as all good Christians faith ought to be upon the divine Revelations which the Prophets and Apostles received and have recorded in holy Scripture but not upon any other revelations which either in former ages or now in this age any other learned or holy persons have received 9. Quest Dost thou own the Prophesying sons and daughters in this age and that the Lord will poure his spirit upon all flesh Answ 1. I do believe that the Lord did poure of his spirit in plentiful measure of extraordinary gifts in an unusual manner so as they who received it in that manner did speak on a sudden in various and sundry languages the wonderfull works of God Ioel. 2. 28. Act. 2. 7. 18. 19. Act. 2. 1. this I believe because the Prophet Joel said that it should come to pass and the Apostle Peter said that it was come to pass and the Evangelist Luke hath told when it came to passe on the day of Pentecost when the Disciples were all with one accord in one place then was Ioels prophecy fully fulfilled in respect of the extraordinary effusion of the spirit But I do not believe that such an extraordinary pâ—uring out of the spirit in such a visible manner with such an apparent abundance of gifts and donations was ever known in the world either
before that time or since or that there shall be the like in any of the succeeding ages This I do not believe because I have no ground from holy Scripture on which I can establish a belief that their shall be such a thing And therefore as I disowne any of the Sons of men in this age who pretend that they are Prophets by an extraordinary mission and 2. Cor. 14. 34. 25. 1. Tâ—m 4. 2. 11 12. inabling inspiration unlesse they confirm both these by ungainsayable proofes and evidences or by true and reall miraculous operations as they in the old and new Testament did who had extraordinary mission and commission to prophecy or preach so also because the holy Scriptures hath plainly prohibited women to preach therefore I disowne all preaching Daughters of men which are in this age both the Jesuitisses among the Papists and the Prophetesses in imitation of them late sprung up among deluded Protestants notwithstanding their great pretentions to extraordinary abilities and their extraordinary immodest impudency in delivering as they prate messages from the Lord. I disowne these because the Scripture disowne Isâ— 27. 11. them an hath told us that God will neither have mercy on them nor shew them any favour who are the fiery zealous auditors and followers of these feminine predicants 2. I do not owne or acknowledge that their is or will be in this or succeeâ—ing ages of the Church any such pouring out of the Spirit on the sonnes and daughters of men who are the Eph. 4. 8. 11. servants and hâ—ndmaides also of God or the children of the Church to make them all Prophets or Preachers because the Apostle saith that when Christ ascended he gave gifts unto men He gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and teachers He gave some therefore not all to bâ— teachers yet I do owne or acknowledge that there is now and in other ages of the Church such a pouring out of the Spirit which will make men holy and heavenly disposed wherefore though sonnes and daughters cannot in truth be said to Prophecy as Prophecying signifies the publick expounding 1 Cor. 14. 1 1 Cor. 13. 9 2 Thes 5. 20 1 Cor. 11. 5 the writings of the Prophets because they only do thus lawfully prophecy who are thereunto peculiarly called to waite on that service yet they may be said to prophecy according to such significations of the word Prophecy which the Scriptures allowes to any Professour though he be no Preacher of the gospell As namely they Prophecy when they attend diligently with their presence on the Ministeriall teaching which is the publick unfolding and applying of the Scriptures called the sure word of Prophecy whereby they are 1 Per. 1 19. Joh. 6. 45. taught of God And they are said to prophecy when from a clear understanding of holy Mysteryes which they have heard and learned they magnify and praise God either by singing or by holy discoursing for his wonderfull workes and saving mercyes And thus both men and women sonnes and daughters can bear a part in prophecying But God 1 Chro. 25 1 Psâ— 66. 10 hath excluded all women and the most of men from being his officers in prophecying as it signifiys the Preaching of his word officially 3. Though I do own and acknowledge that the Lord hath poured out his spirit on all flesh yet I cannot own or acknowledge that he doth in all times of his Church and upon all persons perteining to the Church power out such extraordinary gifts of his Spirit as he once did visibly miraculously and plentifully poure on his Disciples in the day of Pentecost Act. 2. 4. whereby they were filled with the Spirit and fitted for plantting the Church and for confirming at first the Gospell in all Nations For these extraordinary inspirations and donations of the Holy-Ghost have already obteined those ends in the primitive times of the Christian Church and are not further usefull seing Churches every wheâ—e are planted and Pastors are set over them and the Holy spirit is pleased now by the ordinary meanes only of reading meditâ—ting praying studying sifting searching finding out and setting in order Scriptural truth to blesse his servants with the treasures of that wisdom and truth comely order and free utterance whereby his Church is best benefited I do therefore account such men highly presumptuous who dare pretend in these dayes that such forerecited extraordinary effusions of the Spirit rests on them and in them yea and I am confident that they who beleive it of themselves are given up to a strong delusion 4. I own or acknowledge that in all and severall ages of the Church the Lord hath ordinarily poured out of his spirit on all â—oly good Christians men and women young and old sons 1 Pet. 4. 14 and dauâ—hters for their sanctification to make them Holy and fit them for glory But I do not own or acknowledg that the Lord doth ordinarily poure from his spirit the gift of interpreting Scripture on every one whom he sanctifyes by his Spirit neither do I own or acknowledge that any are therefore authorised to preach to others or are made vessells in the Pastorall function because by the gift of Sanctification they are made Holy vessells to receive full salvation in their glorification 10. Quest When Christ saith to his disciples Be ye not called Masters for ye have one Master and ye are all brethren Where dost thou read Mr. Paul Mr. Mathew Mr. Mark Mr. Luke Mr. John Mr. Peter Mr. James Mr. Timothy Mr. Titus that these transgressed the command of Christ Answ I have already in answering the second head of thy demands answered this There I proved that one of these here mentioned was named Master and I shewed in what respects Paul and Philip was named so and likewise how a Minister of the Gospel and any other Christian professing subjection to the Gospell many lawfully be called Master and yet none of these formerly did nor now doe therfore transgresse Christs command I shall not need to repeate my answer there given reade and ponder on it for it may give thee satisfacton if thou art not resolved against being satisfied 11. Quest Is not he Antichrist that transgresseth and the Deceiver and hath not God nor the Sonne and is not to bebid God speed read Johns second epistle and answer me Answ I have read both the second and also the first Epistle of John in which he speakes of an Antichrist who in his dayes was to come and who in our dayes is already to come He speakes also of many Antichrists who were in the world in his time And doubtlesse both the one and the other were transgressors and deceivers and neither had communion with God nor with the Son of God and Gods people are charged to shew unto them no tokens of communion or familiarity Surely they have most uncharitably transgressed and are grosly deceived who apply what the
paid and he is a God who will not command neither can do any unrighteous act he hath given them unto us his Ministers as an assured comfortable provision for us here on earth that we may attend on his peculiar service without distraction reserving for us out of his free mercy the full recompence of our labours in the life to come We are not therefore in Balaams way of loving the wages of unrighteousness and of having our hearts bent to curse the people of the Lord. But I will tell thee who in these our dayes are in Balaams way of cursing Gods people for the wages of unrighteousness Romish Emissaries are in that way their mouths and pens vent enough of the gall and vinegar of railing and tart speeches against the Protestant Religion and its Ministers they hope in time to crush and crucifie it and them utterly and these for their thus acting have pensions the wages of unrighteousnesse allotted unto them from some Balacks or Rulers in Romish Babylon The Emissaries likewise from some Sects are in this way of Balaam they have their tongues set on fire of hell their mouths Iam. 3. 6. Rom. 3. 13 14 are full of bitternesse their throats are an open Sepulchre breathing out against all people and Ministers who dislike their way and humour the odious stench of unsavoury railing reviling language they censure they condemne they curse them they damne them to the pit of hell It is probably conjectured that the ring-leaders or principal managers of these ill manners towards the Ministers and others are secretly incouraged thereunto by stipends the right wages of unrigheousness which they receive from some Romish Balacks or principal ones who love to see a cursed Babel or confusion to be wrought in the reformed Churches among the people of God There is a report concerning a chief one among this railing Sect that he in Scotland distributed money to gaine G. F. 1657 Proselites to his way if it were so his money sure was the wages of unrighteousnesse and whosoever took his money with a resolution therefore to desert the holy truth may well be reputed to be in the number of those who have forsaken the right way and are gone astray following the way of Balaam 2 Pet. 2. 15 the sonne of Bosom who loved the wages of unrighteousness 2. I and other faithful Ministers of Christ are no Counsellors of others to sin or to draw others into sinne for such an one was Balaam who taught Balack to cast stumbling blocks before Rev. 2. 14 the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed to Idols and commit fornication We who are faithful Ministers do preach Act. 14. 15 to turne people from their idolatries superstitions and vanities 1 Thes 4. 3 4 unto the living God we preach unto them the Will of God even their Sanctification that they should absteine from fornication and that every one of them should know how to possesse his vessel in sanctification and honour our preaching unto people these and other holy truths of God and we preach nothing but his truths doth not teach people to sin nor to become other mens agents and instruments to encrease sinners Our Preaching and answerable holy practising doth lâ—y no stumbling blocks to cause any to fall into sinful practices and offences If any be scandalized at our preaching at our dispensing Gods holy Ordinances according to his institution it is either from their ignorance of the truth or from mistakes of truth or from their splenetick malicious spirit against the truth but our preaching Gods truths and dispensing Gods Ordinances ought not to offend seeing it is our duty to do so and it is all good peoples duty to attend unto the reaping of good by these holy preachings and dispensations and though some causelesly will be offended and pervert all to their own perdition yet good hearers and holy livers will learn hereby both to avoid these stumbling blocks which Satan and his instruments casts in their way to make them sinfully to fall and also they will thereby learn to live and to do all to the glory of God and to give no offence to the Jews nor to the Gentiles nor to the 1 Cor. 10. 31 32. Church of God I and other faithful Ministers are not in Balaams way of teaching to cast stumbling blocks to make others to sin but I will tell thee who in these our days are in that way of Balaam Without all controversie the Church of Rome casts stumbling blocks to defile mens consciences in dispensing with uncleanness in allowing for money all kindes of filthinesse in casting reproach upon the Clergies Matrimony in speaking contemptibly of a married state and as Balaam received the wages of unrighteousnesse so the Pope the hire of an whore a yearly pension for permitting stews The Jesuites the sonnes of that Church are of the right straine of Balaam in stirring up Princes where they are entertained to disturb and offend people by casting stumbling blocks to overthrow their liberties and livelihoods and to ensnare them under Antichristian tyranny Moreover I need not relate seeing it is well known that there are at this day many Sectarians who walk in Balaams way of teaching to cast stumbling blocks to make others sin Such are they who decrie the holy Scripture who reject Christs Ordinances who will have nothing to do with the worship which God appointed who deny the seals of the Covenant who contemptuously speak of the foundations of piety equity and civility who are oft belching out blasphemies and hatching heresies who magnifie a Christ which they have phancied but reject and deny the true Jesus Christ who is the Sonne of God who is the Lord By these and other meanes they have laid stumbling blocks to cause people fall into Schismes Atheisme and all prophanesse they have by these and such like doctrines and practises emboldned people to commit the sins of injuriousnesse of licentiousnesse and of high presumptuousness The falfe teachers of our times with their Disciples who follow their pernicious wayes are in the way of Cain and Balaam but I and other faithful Ministers are in neither of their wayes Thy tenth Head of Demands hath now a full and cleare Answer CHAP. XI The â—leventh Head of Demands is thus expressed WEre not these wells without water and clouds carried about with tempests which the Apostle saw coming in before his departure Answ They who were wells without water and clouds carried about with tempests are plainly described by the Apostle 2 Pet. 2. 1. to be those false teachers who bring in damnable heresies whom he mentioned in the beginning of the Chapter and afterward calls them the unjust whom the Lord knew to reserve to 2 Pet. 2. 9 the day of judgement to be punished and chiefly he names them 1. Who were Epicures who walked after the flesh in the lust of uncleannesse they were men who framed themselves ver 10.
be left inexcusable and our Ministerial labours continued among them shall however be acceptable to God for we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in 2 Cor. 2. 15 them that are saved and in them that perish and God is not unrighteous to forget our work and labour of love which we have shewed toward his name our work or reward is with Isa â—9 4. our God It is not therefore for us to cease from speaking to our people though they should continue to be wilde mockers and scoffers as thou stiles them 7. Thou asks Doth not the Apostle say their fruit shall wither and shall not their fruit wither thinks thou Answ The Apostle speaking of Seducers whom he calls men crept in unawares ungodly men who turn the grace of Jude v. 4. v. 10 God into lasciviousnesse and deny the onely Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ who speak evil of the things they know not and corrupt themselves in things which they know he v. 12 calls them clouds without water carried about with windes and also he calls them trees whose fruit withereth though themselves are trees without any fruit namely without any fruit of Gods Spirit which is in all goodnesse and righteousnesse and truth yet their own proper fruit withereth so saith Eph. 5. 9 the Apostle and so I do both think and say that their fruit shall wither The false doctrines which are properly the fruit which seducing teachers brings forth shall wither For 1. Their false doctrines have not in them any sappy taste of the seed of Gods Word which endureth for ever though they 1 Pet. 1. 25 pretend Scripture yet upon a thorough scrutiny and seâ—rching examination they will be found to have in them no inward juyce of any saving truths which the holy Scripture containes and for this reason it is that all the venemous and poysonous infusion which these false doctrines have had from the hearts and heads of those earthly minded men who devised them and countenanced them will not alwayes last but will wither as soon as their leaves and coverings fâ—lls off and they are laid open to the view of all to see that they are indeed no other then soure unsavoury unwholesome and pernicious fruit 2. The trees themselves I mean these seducing teachers are not by God planted in the House of God They who are by him planted in the orderly way of an upright faithful standing Ministry do flourish and bring forth fruit in old age to shew Psal 91 13 14 15. that the Lord is upright but seducers are no plants of the Lord. They are either sprigs springing up of their own accord among the trees of â—od undertaking the work to which they have no warrant being as the Apostle saith men crept in unawares or they are brought in by some Machivilian Politicians for their better bringing about some earthly designes and therefore God will root them out and blast the fruit which they beare that it shall not grow as it did at first nor be so desired as conteining according as many supposed falsely some hidden wisdome for it is said every plant which the heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up and they who creep into Maâ— 15. 13 houses and who resist the truth who are men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith shall proceed no further for their folly shall be manifest unto all men 2 Tim. 3. v. 6 8 9. Thus thou may perceive that I both think and say as the Apostle doth that the fruits of false doctrines which are properly the fruits which seducers bring forth shall wither But know also that the holy doctrines and truths which I and other faithful Ministers do constantly deliver to our people are fruits of the Spirit of God gathered by us clearly from the holy Scriptures which is the written Word of God and they are by our preaching delivered to them and these fruits will never wither but will continue to be still gathered and communicated unto people even after we are dead and gone by a like holy order of faithful men as we are whom God in 2 Tim. 2. 2 the succeeding Generations will raise up to his Ministerial service who shall be able to teach others the things which we teach are the everlasting truths of God which perhaps may be supprest for a while by the prevailing of heresies schisms and persecutions but they will at last triumph over all those and continue conquering and to conquer the errours and corruptions of sinful mortals As for that mocking and scoffing of honest people with which thou dost charge the whole Congregation which is committed to my charge and doth say that is my fruit I again tell thee as I have told thee and proved it too that these doings are neither mine nor the fruits of the whole Congregation but they are the fruits only of such who are guilty thereof unto whom I hope God will in his due time give grace to repent of these their misdemeanours and then these evill fruits will be withered and be no more and these sinnes will be pardoned But if such continue in these and die not repenting of these and of their other sins then they shall in the day of rendring an account bear their own burden but the burden Gal. 6. 5. of their sinne will not be laid either on me or the Congregation who have been no wayes accessary to their transgression I suppose thou now hast a compleat Answer to thy twelfth Head of Demands CHAP. XIII Thy thirteenth Head of Demands is thus exprest WHere did the Apostle give Davids quakings prophecies reproaches fastings in meeter to sing to the world Answ In Davids Psalmes there is mention made of Davids fear and trembling to offend God and to provoke him to Psal 119. 120 judgements this thou calls Davids quakings whereas David did not cast his body as I heare some Quakers do into trembling fits and quaking shaking postures Moreover there is in Davids Psalmes a Record of Davids Prophecies and a Narrative of some reproaches which he suffered and of some fasting which he used Now in those very places where charge is given by the Apostles to be filled with the Spirit speaking to our selves in Eph. 5. 18 19 Psalmes Hymnes and spiritual Songs and to let the VVord dwell in us richly in all wisdome teaching and admonishing one another in Psalmes and Hymns and spiritual Songs and if any Col. 3. 16. man be merry let him sing Psalmes The Apostles in all these places points us to the book of Psalmes for the New Testament I am 5. 13. doth speak of no other Psalmes in which Book the Psalmes which David Asaph and other holy men of God indited by assistance from the holy and unerring Spirit of God are conteined And the Apostles recommending these Psalms to be sung doth plainly intimate that they thought that these Psalmes did comprehend fit
wayes and now he speakes to his people by his Sonne People are therefore said to be all taught of God because they Joh. 6. 45 have the doctrine or teaching of Christ who is God whose doctrine is the Gospel or the the spell or speech of God Now Christ the son of God from his word written by the mouth of all his holy Ministers in their interprating and applying his whole revealed will or voyce touching the wayes of his service and their salvation doth preach and speake Eph. 2. 20 that his people might be built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ being the corner stone And this his preaching by his Ministers from and out of his word written 2 Pet. 1. 19. is called a more sure word of Prophecy It is a word more sure for the benefit of the Church then any immediate voyce whatsoever 6. Quest Dost thou believe that a man shall come to that which is perfect while he is up on the earth and have the body of sinne put off and be free from sin Answ I believe all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets and in the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles and therfore I believe no otherwise touching those things whereof thou askes here what is my belief then according as I finde what is conteined in these holy writings Take then this distinct account of my beliefe concerning what thou demaunds 1. I believe that in some places the holy scriptures speakes of that which is perfect to which they only have come who are in heaven but thereunto they who are on 1 Cor. 13. 10 Heb. 12. 23 Phil. 3. 12. earth have not come though while they abide on earth they must be still striving that they may come to celestiall perfection 2. I believe that the holy scriptures saith that believers are perfect or compleat in Christ their head by reason of their union with him and justification by him who supplyes Col. 2. 10 Heb. 12. 14. 1 Thes 3. 10 Col. 1. 28 Eph. 4 12 Gen 6. 9. 1 Cor. 2. 6 Phil. 3. 15. Eph 5. 14. Heb. 6. 1 2 Cor. 13. them with all things necessary for their salvation and yet though these believers have from Christ supereminent prerogatives and surpassing spirituall influences they are neverthelesse not perfect in themselves for as much as they need perfecting that which is lacking in their faith however they are men to be esteemed in the way of perfecting or compleating 3. I believe that the Holy scriptures speakes of some who are comparatively perfect that is perfect in comparison of others so was Noah a man perfect in comparison of the wicked who live in his generation Thus strong Christians who out strippt weake ones in the knowledge of Christ in grace and piety and in the practise thereof are called perfect in comparison of such who adhere to Mosaicall ordinances and priviledges and who were rude and raw even babes in the knowledge and practise of Christianity yet such who were called commparatively â—erfect were not so perfect but that the Apostle exhorts them to a proceedure unto further perfection and he wishes the absolut perfection of those who yet were strong or in some measure perfect 4. I believe that the holy scripture in some places speakes of some who were evangelically perfect that is whose 1 Kings 15 14 2 King 20. 3 Job 1. 1. Luk. 1. 9 Obedience was not hypocriticall but sincere and upriâ—ht such were Asa Hezâ—kiah Job Zachariah and Elizabeth and others and yet the holy Scripture shewes that these were not legally perfect that is they were not such whose obedience 2. Chro. 15. 10 2. Chrâ— 32. 25. 26. Iob. 7. 20. Iob. 9. 20. Luk. 1. 20. had so exactly conformed to the Law of Righteousness as that from it they had not at all swerved for it records their particular defaultings however God was pleased to account them evangelically perfect because he accepted the uprightnes of their intention instead of perfection justly requirable in their obedient actions pardoning all what was amisse and their falling short of exact perfection in their performances 5. I believe that though holy men on earth may be called perfect because they have grace which is the good work begun in them for perfecting them yet they are not perfect by their bare haveing Grace because the holy scripture exhorts all gracious ones to abound in grace and to strive to be perfect in the 2. Cor. 8. 7. 2. Cor. 13. 11. Jaâ— 1. 4. Psal 84. 7. Râ—m 1. 17. Phil. 3. 15. highest degree or pitch of grace and to let their grace have its perfect work and it tels us of gracious mens progressions in grace they going from strength to strength according as the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith Yea the Apostle who counted himselfe perfect in respect of his Grcace in Christianity yet acknowledgeth that he was not perfect namely in respect of the supereminencyes of those graces after which he Phil. 3. 12 pressed hard From all thess assertions of the holy scripture it is that I do believe that a man while he is on eaâ—th may come to have that perfect proportion or measure of grace given to him which God sees convenient for his state standing and service in Christianity while he lives yet seeinâ— the fullest Eph. 4. 7. measure of the most eminâ—nt in grace on earth is far short of that hiâ—hest pitch to which Grace may be extended and which shall be heâ—eafter attained to in heaven therefore I believe that though a gracious man is and may be called perfect in respect of that stinted measure of grace which is allotted to him on earth yet he is not absolutely perfect on earth because he hath not as yet attained to that ultimate consummate heavenly perfection which he is to presse after on earth and which shall be by him possessed in heaven when he shall their be gloryfied 6. I believe that a man on earth may have the body of sin put off that is he â—ay have it mortified or so destroyed as that sin shall not raiâ—n in him and that he shall not serve sin But I have no ground to believe that while a man is on earth he can have the body of sin put off that is so mortified or utterly destroyed in him that no Relicks of his corruption should remaine in him This I cannot believe because it is contrary to holy Scripture which describes a regenerate man to be one who is not altogether spirit but in whom there is both flesh and spirit and these in him lusts one against the other and it is certaine Gal. 6. 17. the warre between them will not cease untill he himselfe hath fought the good fight of faith and hath finished his 2. Tim. 6. 12. 2. Tim. 4. 7. course sin therefore will not be so mortified and destroyed in any holy man while he is