22 theCofpel-Myfiery Direct. XII. :txiufi grow fill, till we come to the perfeft man, Eph. iv. i 3. and forne are weaker babes than others, and have received him in fo fmall a rneafure, that theymay be accounted carnal rather than fpiritual, i Cor. iii. r. And, becaufe all the blefl'ings and per, feelions of our newRate, as juttification, the gift of the Spirit, and of the holy nature, and the adoption of children, are feared and treafured up in Chrift, and joined with` him infeparably, we can receive them no farther than we receive Chrift himfelf by faith; which we do in an imperfe&meafure and . degree in this life. The apoille Paul propofeth him- fed as a pattern for all thofe that are pe.rfea in the truth of grace to imitate a and yet'he profetfeth that he was not yet made fo perfeEt in the degree or meafure of faving endowments, but that he did ftill preis forward towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Chrift Jefus, labouring ftill to apprehend and win him more perfet ly, and to be found in him, not havinghis own righteoufnefs, but that which is of God by faith f' and to gain more experimental knowledge of hint, and of the fellow- fhip of his fufferings, and the power of his refurrec. tion, being made conformable thereunto, Phil. iii. 8, 30, 14. Believers are juftified already; yet wait for the hope of righteoufnefs by faith, i. e. for the full enjoyment of the righteoufnefs of Chrift, Gal. v. g. They have received but the firft fruits of the Spirit, and muft wait for a more full enjoyment of it. The Spirit witneffeth now to them, that they are the chil- dren of God;, and yet they groan within therpfelves, waiting for more full enjoyment of adoption, Rom. viii. 23. Now, Peeing the degree and meafure of our reception and enjoiment of Chrift, with all the bid- ings of our new state in him, in this life, is imper- fed, it followeth clearly, that our contrary natural mate; with it's properties, remaineth ftill in us in fume degree, and is not perfealy abolifhed; fo that all believers in this world cio, in Come degree, par-
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