224 The CofpelMfftezy Dire}. XIÌ of God, all miferies, and death itfelf, while they are in this world : yea, all the guilt, pollution, and pu- tifhments of fin, and all evils whatever which they are fubje 1 to, according to their natural ftate, do them no harm according to this new ftate, but work for their good : and are no evils, but rather advan- tages to them, tending to the deftructiononly of the flefh, and to the perfection of the newman in Chrift; Yet it holdeth true alfo, that our reception and en- joyment of Chrift himfelf, and all his perfections, is but an imperfect meafure and degree, until faith be turned into heavenly vifion and fruition of him; and therefore our old finful ftate, with the evils thereof, is not perfectly abolifhed during this life. The kingdom of heaven, or the grace of Chrift within us, is like leaven in meal, which doth not unite it- felf perfectly to the meal in an inftant, but by de- grees, until the whole be leavened, Matth. xiii. 33. or like the morning light, that expelleth darknefs by degrees, fhining more and more unto the perfect day, Prov. iv. 18. This cannot be juftly accounted any derogation from the merits of-Chrift's death,or from the power of his Spirit, feeing he never intended to bring to pafs, by his death, or by the power of his Spirit, that we fhould enjoy his fpiritual bleffings any further than we are in him, and enjoy him by faith; or that we fhould be made holy or happy ac- cording to the fiefh, by a reformationof our natural ftate;. as hath been fhewed. Neither doth this di- minifh the confolation of believers in Chrift; for thereby they may know, that they have the perfec- tion of grace and happinefs in him, and that they en- joy it in this world, as far as they enjoy Chrift him- [elf by faith ; and that they fhall enjoy it in a perfect meafure, andbe fully freed from their finful and mi- ferable ftate, when that frame of nature, which they received from the.firft Adam is dilfolved bydeath. This inftructicn is veil ufeful to frame our fouls aright for the practifing holinefs onlyby thcfe gofpef
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