494 How all yet are imperfeet. How wc (hall be perfeft. a TheÇ.3 . Dcii. We are here but children, and in our minority. Vfr. We moltex- pedtcorreftib. 2. And to receive but foute (mall portionof our inheritance. Ephe /amt, Chap. 4. V L R. 13 r. Ifevery member benot prefent in ir, it is not perfect. 2. Ifevcry member bee not come to the perfcdt growth ofit. Sowe who are the members of Chrift, are not yet a perfedt man, becaufe manyof our fellow-members are ungathered. Againe,all of us that are brought home, whetherthe triumphant or militant , wee have not our perfedt growth : The fpirirs ofthe jut} (though in corn- parifon ofthat they were) they are freed from all iinperfedtion , yet compared with that they Thai be, theyare not all out perfedted ; for theywalke now partly by fight, partly by faithand hope in regard of things not accomplifhed : Whennow perfedtion Thal come, faithand hope fhal ceafe. Againe, for their bodies theyare unglorified , their perlons there- fore arenot come to the ful growthofglory. Now filch members as aremilitant, they know imperfedtly, they have theold leaven in part with them : their bodies fubjeet toweakneffes, fzcknefiq death, &c. Thisthen wil lead us to feethe frate ofa perfedt man towhich weThal come. For itftandeth in thefe 2. things. z. That all beleevers Thal then be brought together , who are the feveral members ofthis body. a. Upon every beleever Thal beeput in it the ful meafure of glory in fouk andbody. In Soule, perfedtknowledge, righteoufneffe, holineffe,joy,&c. In body,perfedt ftrength, immortality, fpirituality, glory, &c. For as a candle in a lanthorne, doth make the home (dine : So the foule glori- fied, Mall by redundance affcdt the bodywich brightneffe andglory. Thusyou fee what it is to come to be apetfeft man. This ferveth to let us fee how true it is that it dash not yet appease what weThal be, and to frirre us up to get our felves more and more builded by the Gofpel, that we may attaine this perfedtion and to long till we meet Jefus Chrift in theclouds , which fhall have going with it foglorious a condition : The Lordguide you to love God,andwai- tingfir the appearance ofJefes Chrìff. To the meafureoftbe age of ehe fulneffe ofChriff.] Obf. What is our eflate ,as yet, wee are but like children inminority: we need no great proofes ofit;for while the Miniftcry continueth ro thisbody, it is anargument that it is not of full age, as here he fpeaketh : for the fchoolemafter, tutor, guardian, when one commethofyeeres, they then give over : So fhould this tutorfhip oftheMinifterie furceafe, if we were perfedt. This therefore may give us to confider for infrrudrion, ifwe weigh what is done in them, or by them : For firft we fee that while we are not adulti, we are fubjt&to corref ion ; and fo ir is with us, wee are fubjedt to the corredting handofthe Fatherof fpirits, to many tribu- lations. We fee that though they are heires offairehopes, yet they are kept ftraitand made goe neere the winde in the yeeres oftheir nonage, as the
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