DISÇOtTItSE II. 419 holiness, then they are always defective and eternally imperfect which is veryhard to suppose concerning the saints in glory, and contrary to the very expression and letter of my text.. The answer to this is very easy to all that will give their rea- son leave to exercise itselfupon justideas, and to think and argue beyond the chime of words: 14/44 Perfection, as I told you before, is notto be taken here in an cos absolute, but in a comparative sense : Nothing is absolutely per- fect but God ; and in comparison of God, the highest and most exalted of all çreatures is, and will be eternally imperfect and defective : Theieavens are not pure in his sight, and he charges his angels withfolly ; Job iv. 18. Even the man Christ Jesus shall for ever fall short of the perfection of the divine nature to which he is united, and in this sense will be imperfect for ever. But where any creature has attained to such exalted degrees of excellency as are far superior towhat others have attained, it is the ncG custom ofthe scripture to call them perfect, and that with a design to dohonour to theircharacter : So Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generation ; Gen. vi. 9. Job also has this honour h._ /4r alone him, he was perfect and upright ; Job i. 1. And the saints L7 Affil.. on earth are called perfect in many parts of the word of God, even while they are here on earth, and have many de+ ^'`" fects. and imperfections. . So though it be literally true, that the of saints in heaven are coirtinually imperfect in comparison of God h. /,r and Christ, and of what they themselves shall further attain ; yet r / the scripture, which delights to de honour to them, chuses ra- ther to call them perfect, because of the sublime degree of excel- lencies they possess 'above their fellow- saints on earth : And it is 1-,-,-71.. not fit for us to degrade them in our common language by the _ -- diminishing and abasing names of defect and imperfection, though their present perfection and excellency admits of everlasting in- crease. If any man has read this treatise thus far, and has duly weighed all the former arguments, can see force enough in this last objection to baffle or destroy them all, or can find terror enough in the mere sound of the word imperfect, to forbid his as- sent; I desire he may not be disturbed in the possession of his own sentiments, till the sweet and surprising sensations of ever- growing felicity convince him, that heaven is a place of glori- ous improvement. This shall suffice for the third general head ofmy discourse, whereinI have shewn, thatthe perfection ofthe spirits of the just is such a perfection as admits of a rich variety of employments and pleasures, according to the various taste and inclination of the blessed ; it allows of their different degrees of felicity, according to tàiejr different capacitiesand preparations : It furnishes eachbless. n 42
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