\ . My Vndepled. 191 lfeetlyholy, undefiledandpure, wearenotcho- SsR.. VII. fen to weake beginnings. Inchoofing us, what did Godaimeat ~ Did he aime at thefe imperfed beginnings to reil: there-: No, we were eletted and chofento per– feCtion : For :ts it is in this nacuralllife,Godpur– pofed that we fbould not only have all the limbs ofmen,but grow from infancy to acHveneffeand perfetti~n: As God ~t firfi i_ncended fo much for our bod1es, no qudhon he mtends as-mucha)fo fort he foule, that we fhould not onely have the ·lineaments of Chriflianity, a fand:ified judge– ment with :dfedions in part renewed ; but he bath chofen us to perfectionby degrees. As the feed firfi lyes rotting in theground, thengrowes to a-ll:alke, and then to an eare : So Godswife– dome iliines hereby bringing thingsbydegrees to perfeCtion an.. ~ undefiledneife. His wifedome will have it thus, or dfe his power might have it otherwaies, becaufe hewill haveus to liveby Faith, to tru!l: his mercy in Chrill:, and not to the undefiledndfe that is begun in us, but to admire that which we have in Chrift himfdfe. . And indeed it is the chareCler of a judicious bdeevirigChrift!an foul, that hecan fet aprier, and valuG the Rtghteowfneife of Chrifi out of himfelfe,labouring, livingand dying,to appeare in that, andyet to comfort and fufiaine himfelfe during this conflict and fight between the fldh and the Spirit, that in time this inherent Gr11u flnll be brought toperfettion. And '-------------------------------------------- ~ .... "-.
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