but neither rules nor prevails; in some measure it is rooted out, but not quite expelled; caft down, but not entirely caft out, as Bernard elegantly speaks in Pf. 90, Serm. 10. According to the law of Mofes, when an earthen veffel was once ceremonially unclean, it remained impure, till it was broken. Lev. 11. 33. Such earthen veffels are we, 2 Cor. 4. 7; for after we are defiled with fin, we do not attain to perfect purity, till the earthen veffel of our body is broken by the ftroke of death.

flesh con

tions of

CXX. When the Apoftle fpeaks of the conflict The con between the spirit and the flesh, in a fanctified perfon, flict of the we are not to think, that the conflict arifes only Spirit and from this, that the glandula pinealis can be impelled fifts not in on one fide by the foul, on the other by the animal the oppofpirits, and that these two impulfions are often con- fite motrary; fo that the fiefh may be then judged to pre- the glanvail, when the animals fpirits prove the ftronger; dula pibut the ípirit to predominate, when the foul, by a nealis. determinate judgment, proves more powerful in the impulfions of that pineal gland. For tho' it is a very great truth, that the inordinate motions of the animal fpirits excite very many vicious thoughts and appetites in the foul, yet the conflict of the fpirit with the flesh does not confift in that of the foul with the body. As new habits are put into the foul by the fanctifying spirit; fo there are likewife in the foul itself the remains of the old man: these are two diftinct principles of action. But fometimes when the man is left to himself, he may think, reason, desite, from that vicious principle; at other times, he is `excited by the Spirit of God, he acts from a new principle of grace, which has not yet expelled all the power of fin; from thefe oppofite principles, and their reciprocal actings, arifes that warfare we are fpeaking of, which is principally carried on in the foul itfelf; according as it is either depreffed to earth by inherent corruption, or raised to heaven by a principle of a more noble life, produced by the 15 VOL. II. S

Spirit.

Spirit. And when the Scripture fpeaks of flesh, it does not mean the body of man, but all the remaining corruption, which in its measure doth really abide in part in the body and its members, while it still has its principal feat in the foul itself, which is the proper immediate fubject both of virtue and vice. The enemies therefore in this combat, are not foul and body, but the grace of the fanctifying Spirit, and the ret mains of natural corruption. at a for bo CXXI. But known, to God are the reasons of his conduct, in difpenfing the operations of the spirit of pel entire- grace in believers, fo that the remains of the flesh are ly the re- not entirely expelled in this life, For, 1ft. He would mains of by this, fhew the difference between earth and heaven, fin in this the time of warfare and of triumph, the place of toil 1. To dif- and of reft, that we may the more earnestly long for tinguish our tranflation out of this valley of fin and mifery into earth from the heavenly country, where every thing fhall be

God is pleased

not to ex

life.

heaven.

made perfect; and may, with open arms, embrace death, which will bring us to that perfection; cry ing out with the apostle; O! wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Rom. 7. 24. one e stising bob to 2. For the CXXII. 2dly. He is willing to exercife and accufexercife of tom his people to patience, humility and sympathy or his peo fellow-feeling. As in old time, he suffered the Amorites ple.

and Philistines to remain in the land of Canaan, for the exercise of the Ifraelites; to prevent their growing indolent thro' a flothful ease, and difolved in too much profperity and quiet: fo in like manner, he exercises his faints by the remains of the flesh. For, nothing teaches them to think more lowly of themselves, than a daily fenfe of fo many infirmities: nothing is more effectual to bring them to patience, than the conftant affaults of thofe moft wicked enemies, from whom, to their confiderable grief, they have often experienced blows and wounds. Nothing, in fine, is more adapted to render them more fympathifing, with refpect to the failings of others, both in judging concerning

1

concerning their ftate, and their general converfation, than the consciousness of their own defects. Gal. 6. I.

that falva

*. CXXIII. 3dly. By this means he ftrongly con- 3.Tofhew vinces all, that the falvation of his people is owing tion is only to his most free grace. For who, that is con- owing to fcious of his own infirmities and daily failings, but muft his grace. be obliged to acknowledge, that he obtains life from God, not as the judge of merit, but as the bestower of pardon? The rigour of the law excluded from the priesthood the blind, the lame, the disjointed in any member, or thofe, who had any fuch blemish, Lev, 21. 18. What then can we infer, but that the grace of the Gospel is unmerited, which admits to the heavenly priesthood, and does not refufe access, to the holy of holies made without hands, to those, who have far worse diforders of mind? If, notwithstanding fuch imperfection, it be scarce if at all poffible to banish the arrogance of merits out of the church; what would it be, fhould we teach the poffibility of perfection? birote

it becomes

to perfec

CXXIV. 4thly and laftly. It becomes the wifdom 4. Becaufe of God to raise his people by degrees to the higheft his wif pitch of holiness. As in the creation of the first dom graworld, he began with a rude chaos and indigested mafs dually to which, in fix fucceffive days, he fashioned into this lead on his people beautiful frame, till, having given the finishing hand, he rested on the Sabbath, Gen. 2. 2: fo, in the cre- tion. ation of the new world of grace, beginning with nothing, he gradually leads his people higher and higher, till, on the expiration of this earthly week, on the dawn of the heavenly fabbath, he crowns them at once with holiness and glory.

in differ

5. CXXV. It cannot, indeed, be denied, that fome- Perfection times the scripture makes mention of fome, who are is inScripfaid to be perfect even in this life. But it is to be ob- ture taken ferved, that the term perfection, is not always used in the fame fenfe. For, 1ft there is a perfection of SINCERITY confifting in this, that a man ferves God

S 2

with

ent fenfes,

with an unfeigned heart, without any reigning hypocrify. In this fenfe it is faid of Job, that he was Ton, perfect and upright, and one that feared God and efchewed evil, Job 1. 1. In the fame fenfe, Hezekiab protests that he had walked before God in truth and with a perfect heart, and done what was good in his eyes, Ifa. 38. 3. 2dly. There is a perfection of PARTS, and that both fubjective with respect to the whole man, in fo far as he is fanctified wholly, in fpirit, foul and body, 1 Thefs. 5. 23. And objective, with refpect to the whole law, when all and every one of the duties prescribed by God are obferved without exception. Of this David was fpeaking Pf. 119. 128, Iefteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every falfe way. And it is faid of Zacharias and Elizabeth, Luke 1. 6, that they walked in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless, 3dly. There is a COMPARATIVE perfection, afcribed to those, who are advanced in knowledge, faith and fanctification, in comparison of thofe, who are still infants and untaught in this manner John diftinguishes little children, young men and fathers, 1 John 2. 12, 13, In that fenfe Paul fpeaks of the perfect 1 Cor. 2. 6, and Phil. 3. 15. 4thly. There is also an EVANGELICAL perfection, or with a vail or covering of grace, according to which, these perfons are looked upon as perfect, who fincerely endeavour after perfection, God, for the fake of Chrift, graciously accepting the attempts of a ready mind, and accounting every thing to be done, because what is not done is forgiven. The Apostle fpeaks of this 2 Cor. 8. 12; for if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man bath, and not according to that he hath not. Thus we are compleat in Chrift, Cal. 2. 10, his moft perfect righteousness covering all our defects. However this is to be understood in a proper manner: for the judgment of God is always according to truth: he fo judges of us and our actions, as they are: and feeing we ourselves and our actions are imperfect, he cannot

but

but judge us to be fo. This is what we would fay agreeable to scripture, that God, on account of the most perfect obedience of Chrift, gracioufly accepts the fincerity of his people, nor lefs bountifully rewards them, than if their holiness was in every refpect compleat. 5thly, and laftly. There is alfo a perfection of DEGREES, by which a perfon performs all the commands of God, with the full exertion of all his powers, without the leaft defect, having rooted up every depraved luft. This is what the law of God requires. And this is that perfection, which we deny the faints to have in this life, tho' we willingly allow them all the other kinds above mentioned.

God with

it.

CXXVI. It is certainly true, that, when God To love enjoins us, by his law, to love him with our whole the whole beart, foul, and strength, thefe expreffions denote an heart, &c. abfolute perfection, both of degrees and parts. Nor what decan he require any thing lefs, than the moft perfect noted by obedience of man, even of finful man, as we fhewed Book 1. Chap. IX Sect. XII. &c.. But when it is faid of Jofiah, 2 Kings 23. 25; and like unto him there was no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all bis foul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Mofes, this is to be understood in a certain diminitive fenfe; fo as to denote his fincerity, and the beginnings of, and endeavours after, a due perfection, and to fignify God's gracious efteem of him in the Meffiab. In the fame fenfe, the Jews, in the time of Afa, bound themfelves by an oath, to feek the God of their fathers, with all their heart, and with all their foul, 2 Chron. 15. 12. All which are faid to have done verfe 15. But yet none will fay, that the jewish people compleatly fulfilled all the holiness, that the law required, feeing the high places were not taken away out of Ifrael, verse 17. And then who will imagine, that the condition of an entirely perfect obedience was exacted of the defcendants of David, before they could come to be partakers of the promises, that were given them;