The Christians Apparelling, Part 3 · Section 66
Par. 3. §. 66
Now are they like children newly borne, perfect men, for the integritie of parts; as theſe want no limbe which belongs to an intire man, though as yet not any one limbe or part of the body hath attained its ful bignes, neither the whole body came to its ſtature, ful bulk and taleneſſe, vntounto which yet by degrees it is growing, and in time ſhall attaine, if it continue a liuing body. Euen thus whoſoeuer, being truely regenerate, puts on whole Chriſt and his graces, he puts him on wholly in all parts and powers of ſoule and body, vnderſtāding, memory, wil, conſcience, affections of louelove, deſire, ioy, &c. and in the outward man, & body, the mēbers wherof are become all of them inſtruments of righteouſnes; each of theſe parts are renued in ſome degree or other, though not any one of them as yet bee come to his due and full growth vntounto which the godly Chriſtian,Epheſ. 4.13.15. in the vſe of all good meanes, is euer ſtriuing to attaine, ſo that he increaſeth in ſpirituall ſtrength and ſtature, in all theſe proportionably: Perfect then he is,A threefold perfection of Chriſtians in this life. and wholly puts on Chriſt in theſe regards (to name no moe) 1. In regard of perfection of parts, as is ſaid: vntounto which our Sauiour exhorts in that place (ſo much vrged by thoſe that will hauehave men in this life attaine to ſuch a perfection as Adam had in his innocency,Mat. 5.48. 1 Of parts. namely Familiſts and Libertines, who are furtheſt of any from it) be ye perfect, euen as your Father which is in heauen is perfect, whereby hee would not hauehave vsus to reſt in the graces before commended, but to ioyne hereunto the louelove of our enemies.2 Of ſincerity. 2. In regard of perfection of Sincerity, each child of God hauing grace in each part truely and in ſinceritie, though in weake meaſure. 3. In regard of ſtriuing to the perfection of his eſtate in Chriſt, 3 Of their eſtate in Chriſt. Epheſ. 4.13.and vntounto the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulneſſe of Chriſt. Thus a man is perfect that aimes at and ſtriues to ſuch perfection, in the ſight and feeling of his daily imperfections; yea, perfect as God is perfect, not in regard of any equality, (which were horrible blaſphemous to think, or ſay with the Familiſt, that a man muſt bee Godded with God, or co-deified) but only of qualitie and ſimilitude, when hee aymes at the ſame marke, as in his liberalitie, not reſpecting worldly gaine; in goodneſſe, ſtriuing with the malice of wicked men, that are his enemies; the ſame exhortation therefore being made elſewhere, it is, Be ye mercifull as your Father is mercifull, &c. Mat. 5.44.For as God doth good euen to his enemies, ſo hee would hauehave vsus do to our enemies, and that in heart, word, and deed.
Thus it is with a true Chriſtian, he wholy from head to foot clothes himſelfe with Chriſt, and with his graces in imitation of his vertues,This compleat armour needfull. being ſound and intire in each, and not onelyonly deſiring and endeauoring, but indeed growing in each part to the foreſaid perfection: as knowing that vnleſſe hee clothes and armes himſelfe fully at all poynts, all is as good as nothing, ſeeing he hath vigilant enemies, who goe about him, and narrowly view him on eueryevery ſide where they may find him naked. He therefore takes to him the whoſe armour of God (this armour of light) and putting it on,Epheſ. 6.11. Rom. 13.12 armes and clothes himſelfe wholly in all parts therwith, as knowing that though hee hauehave an helmet on his head, yet that is no fence for his heart, and therfore hee alſo armes himſelfe with a Breſtplate, and with all thoſe other parts of Chriſtian armour deſcribed by the Apoſtle. Whereas,Epheſ. 6.10.11. &c. & 2 Pet. 1.5.6. &c. on the contrary, wee ſhall find many counterfet Chriſtians, who in regard of this integritie of parts, and ſincerity of each, are eyther maymed, Hypocrites are either,or monſtrous. They will put on Chriſ, but how? As if Chriſt were only for the head, 1 Maymed being couered on the head, not on the heart.not heart, they are well fenced with knowledge, that heretiks and cunning Sophiſters cannot deceiue them; but their hearts are in them as cold as lead, in regard of any true louelove to that truth which they know, (theſe two truth and goodneſſe, And contrary wiſe.being for ſubject the ſame) and themſelues without the power of godlineſſe. The heads of many now are better then their hearts, ſo that they may crie out with Ieremy in an other & different caſe, My belly, my belly, my heart, my heart. As in former times of ignorance, many mens hearts were better then their heads, 2 Kin. 4.19.(if good at all) full of louelove and deuotion, but as empty of true knowledge, who therefore might cry with the Shunamites ſonne, My head, my head, who not long after died. Now the head and heart being principall parts,Par. 3. §. 65 if either bee left naked and vnarmed, how ſoone is the whole body deſtroyed? Some againe put on Chriſt at the tip of their tongues, and from the teeth outward are Chriſtians good enough;In their tongues not in their hands, or feete: but their hands, feet, & other parts are naked, deformed and vnarmed, for want of good workes, and of being ſho… with the preparation of the Goſpell of peace; they are white only in the teeth as the Aethiopian, elſe blacke all ouer. Their tongues can talke of good things, & their braines ſwim with knowledge,by Patience to indure croſſes & ſcandales. but they either want feet to carry them on in Gods wayes, according to the direction of the head and eyes (which may bee inlightned) or elſe they are vnarmed and vnſhod, and ſo cannot walke vponupon thorny and hard places, vponupon Aſpes and Dragons, that is, cannot indure or ſuffer hardneſſe and perſecution for Chriſt, and ſo, by ſuch thornes are diſcouraged and giuen ouer:Par. 3. §. 66 their head is too heauy for their feet, and their feet, that is, their affections of louelove, ioy, deſire, hope, feare, &c. are too weake to ſuſtaine them: and therefore it befals them which befell Nebuchad-nezzars Image,Dan. 2.32.33.34. the head whereof was of fine golde, breaſt and armes of ſiluer, his belly and thighs of braſſe, his legs of yron, his feet, part of yron, part of clay; when the ſtone of offence ſmites it vponupon the feet, it falls and breakes all to pieces. Euen ſuch is the end of ſuch vnſound Chriſtians. Thus defectiue they are for want of ſome principall grace to arme ſome principall member;Or monſtrous. yea withal monſtrous, whiles they grow not on proportionably in al parts,Being either al head no feete. being either all heads, ſwolne and puffed vp with knowledge, without legs and feet, that is, without obedience, or without obedience to anſwere ſuch knowledge; or all feet, without head; that is all for a blind obedience, like the Sciopodes, whoſe one foot is ſo big & broad, that the ſhadow of it couers the whole body from the heate of the Sun: ſo theſe men are couered and fenced more with ſhadow, thē with ſubſtance.Or al hands no heart. Or they are all hands & feet, by works, nothing in heart, for faith: with the mouth, Rom. 10.10 &c.for outward profeſsion and confeſsion exceeding large; but for the heart, with which they ſhould beleeue vntounto righteouſnes, very narrow: or perhaps their faith is wonderful large, extending it ſelfe, through too much credulitie, to beleeue lies, & lying wonders & miracles, whiles their knowledge is either none, or very little in Gods word. Thus monſtrous are they, through this diſproportion of members, whether in the being, or in the growth of them; whereas true and ſound Chriſtians grow vp into Chriſt in all things, which is the head, Epheſ 4.15.16.(and that vniformly and proportionably in all parts) for from him the whole body fitly ioyned together, and compacted by that which eueryevery ioynt ſupplyeth, Par. 3. §. 67according to the effectuall working in the meaſure of eueryevery part, maketh increaſe of the body vntounto the edifying of it ſelfe in louelove.