Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/91

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when it is committed, Jam. 1. 15. and every sound, solid, operative grace, is called a perfect gift, Jam. 1. 17. and sincere, unfained love, is said to be perfect love, 1 Joh. 4. 18. Christ was made perfect through sufferings, Heb. 2. 10. as he learned obedience by the things which he suffered, Heb. 5. 8. for there is an experimentall learning. And to this purpose belongs that speech of our Saviours upon the crosse, It is finished: for hereby was signified, that he had fulfilled all things, which he was to doe upon earth, Luk. 13. 32. and they that shed their bloud for Christs sake and for the Gospels are said to be perfected. Thus the patient are called perfect, because patience is a document of a mind most exercised in piety and godlinesse. So the power of God is perfected in our weakenesse, 2 Cor. 12. 9. for the vertue of Christ is not perfected in weakenesse as in the subject, not by infirmity as by the effect: but when it sheweth it selfe in the greatest and principall things. The power of God is not encreased, nor diminished: but then it is said to be perfected, when in the judgement of man it doth that which is most hard and difficult. For we live and die in God, and this is of the power of God: but when in the greatest streights, and even in death it selfe we live and breathe, the power of God doth after a speciall manner shew forth it selfe, and is perfected in us, that is, doth shew it selfe to be exceeding great, which cannot be conquered or overcome. In the same manner as the Apostle saith, Fath is perfected by works, Jam. 2. 21. not that works doe perfect faith, but that faith whilest it brings forth good works, doth manifest how perfect it is: it borroweth not force from workes, but in works doth declare what force it hath. Thus the graces of the Spirit are perfected, whilest by the effects it is made manifest how perfect they are.

3. That is perfect, which is every way absolute and compleate, to which nothing is wanting, nothing superfluous: and so the soules of the just are made perfect in Heaven. In the first degree perfection is necessary to salvation, without which we cannot be partakers of the eternall inheritance: in the second and third degree it is to be striven after, though the latter cannot be obtained in this life. The greatest measure of perfection attaineable in this present life, is an imperfect perfection: but that imperfection is sin; and therefore though we come short, we must strive forward towards perfection, that we might be perfect hereafter.