Miscellanea philo-theologica, or, God, & man A treatise compendiously describing the nature of God in his attributes, with a lively pourtraiture of his wisedome in ordering, and disposing of the celestiall, and terrestriall bodies. Containing much variety of matter ... and apt applications singular for brevity, and perspicuity. By Henry Church.

Of Perfection.

1. What Perfection is.

2. That God is perfect.

3. Questions about perfection.

4. Applications to edifie.

[Sect. 1] First, What Perfection is.

* 1.1TO be perfect, is to lacke nothing, to be absolute, and intire; to be all, whole, full, without the least defect: to have all excellency in the superlative de∣gree in every good, to the utmost, so that there can be no want, nor addition: This is Perfection.

[Sect. 2] Secondly, God is perfect.

GOD is perfect in the superlative degree, to the ut∣most; to whom can be no addition, hee is so com∣pleatly perfect in his Essence, Attributes, and all his Workes.

1. In his Essence, having a perfect, blessed, absolute, and independant being; richly, gloriously, joyfully, im∣mutably.

2. His Attributes which demonstrate him, are all per∣fect: He is perfectly eternall, without beginning, or end: perfectly Almighty, working without materials; perfectly wise, knowing all secrets; perfectly mercifull, in forgiving fully, giving freely, liberally, aboundant∣ly, &c.

3. Perfect in his workes: Perfection is to accomplish and finish, so is he perfect: He finisht the worke of Cre∣ation. Gen. 2.1. Hee then beheld his worke as compleate and* 1.2 perfect. He finisht, that is, he perfected; Ains∣worth on Genesis. So Moses saith, Perfect is the work of the Lord, Deut. 32.4. That is, without blame, or ble∣mish.

[Sect. 3] Thirdly, Questions and Answers.

[Quest. 1] WHy did God make the World, having all perfe∣ction in himselfe before?

[Answ.] 1. To manifest his glory to the Creatures: We onely acknowledge that that is in him, which we cannot adde to him.

2. For his Wills sake all was created: It was his plea∣sure, that is answer sufficient. Rev. 4.11.

[Quest. 2] How is Christ perfect, seeing many of his mysticall body are not yet gathered to him, and many are un∣borne?

[Answ.] 1. He hath a Divine perfection being God.

2. He is perfect in his Humane Nature in glory.

3. He is perfect relatively, as hee is a Head, ha∣ving perfect Wisedome, Glory, and Holinesse; so that of his fulnesse we receive our measure: Iohn 1.16. from him which hath not the Spirit of measure. Iohn 3.24.

4. Hee is perfect in his body in regard of Decree, growth, certainty; and the accomplishment dayly drawes on. 'Tis decreed, growing dayly, and increa∣sing, certaine, as good as done. God calls things that are not, as though they were, &c.

[Quest. 3] How are Gods workes all perfect, when some are borne blinde, or lame, or naturall fooles?

[Answ.] 1.God in the beginning made all his workes good and perfect.

2. All imperfections in Nature are from sinne and pu∣nishments.

3. There may be a perfect worke in the wombe, yet some secondary cause may hinder perfection in the birth.

4. Wee are to conclude, that the workes of God are perfect, though we cannot finde out a Reason of his do∣ings: He is not to accompt to us.

Concerning defects of understanding in naturall fooles.

1. The Creator may give wisedome, and deprive of knowledge as he pleases, and measure to every one af∣ter his owne Will.

2. It is just that we should be all borne fooles, having lost our wisedome by Adams fall.

3. The Parents may be punishe with foolish children for divers Causes.

1. Having over-eagerly desired children, they may have a childe, but a foole.

2. For neglect of God and his service, and the hea∣ping up of wealth as the chiefe good, they may be pu∣nisht with a foole for the Heire.

3. Some children are fooles to teach us wisedome; that as we mislike their naturall folly, so we should de∣test our owne spirituall folly; and to teach us thankful∣nesse, by seeing his Iudgement on others, and well to use our Wit and Reason which he hath given us, and exercise our mercy; as to helpe them that are defective.

[Quest. 4] Are not the regenerate perfect in this life?

[Answ.] No; for grace and peace must be multiplied to them: Gods grace towards them, and his pe••ce in them is ca∣pable of augmentation† 1.3, and they are to ••••••rease more and more. 1. Thes 4 1. And the best had need to grow in grace. 2. Pet. 3.18.

[Quest. 5] Why then is perfe••••ion named in the Scripture? Mat. 5.48. Philip. 3 15. Heb. 6.1.

[Answ.] 1. Precepts shew not what we are, but what wee should be.

2. These precepts should put us in minde of our ori∣ginall perfection, and humble us: God calls for what he gave us, but we have lost it.

3. These precepts are for excitation, to stirre us up to be better, and to presse forward.

[Quest. 6] May we not strive to be like God in perfection? Mat. 5.48. We are bid to be perfect as God is.

[Answ.] We are to be like him in resemblance, not equality: There is (as he is) in equality that which is impossible; there is (as he is) in resemblance: so the drop resembles the vaste Ocean.

[Quest. 7] What is the Christians perfection?

[Answ.] 1. To bewayle his imperfection from the heart.

2. There is perfection of parts, and perfection of de∣grees: A childe hath perfection of parts, a man or* 1.4 growth.

3. His perfection is in desire and endeavour; a man may aime at the Sunne, though his Arrow ascend but forty Ells upwards.

4. He is perfect comparatively, as Noah was a perfect man in his generation. Gen. 6.9.

5. He is perfect in Gods account being justified, and Christs perfection imputed.

[Quest. 8] Who are the most perfect men on earth?

[Answ.] Those that come the nearest to the rule of perfection: such are they

1. Which have sound experimentall knowledge.

2. That with most freedome of Spirit, and the least distractions doe performe holy duties.

3. That are most conversant with God in their inner man, and are most heavenly minded.

4. That are most patient, and ready to forgive an ac∣knowledgment of a wrong, yea,* 1.5 without acknowledg∣ment, and pray for persecutors; and are sorry when e∣vill befalls their particular enemies, and are ready to helpe them.

5. That are most in charity, doing the workes of their callings, with love to others, that are least cen∣sorious, because of the largenesse and soundnesse of their charity.

[Object. 2] We must not call evill good. Isai. 5.

[Answ.] Then we must not cal their rashnes wisdome, nor their prejudice zeale; nor are they to be justified that speake so much of oth•••• errors, that they are in danger to forget their owne their perfection is more devotion in the closet, lesse talke at the table: the want of perfections in the world, begets great imperfections in them, and they are delivered without a midwife: it were good if they did herein miscarry.

[Quest. 9] Are not those most perfect that are united to Christ?

[Answ.] They are, and doe draw vertue from him, whereby they shine in the aforesaid,* 1.6 and in other vertues to the example of others.

[Quest. 10] What course may wee take to draw nearer to perfe∣ction?

[Answ.] 1. We must set before us the best patterne.

2. Keepe close to the rule of the word.

3. Minde our particular duties in our places, as soul∣diers in the army keepe ranke, and letters in the line are of an evennesse.

4. Forget thats behinde, endeavour to goe forward a∣gainst corruptions, temptations, persecutions.

5. Use the holy meanes with holy preparations and affections.

6. To doe all good better than before, with more heedfulnesse reverence, and better aimes.

7. Examined daily the temper of the heart, and be e∣ver weeding that garden.

8. The more we bridle our tongues, the more wee grow towards perfection Iames 3.2. Therefore we are to have a speciall care that our words,

• 1. Be fewer for number of them.

• 2. Better for the nature of them.

1. That we speake of God with more reverence.

2. Of men with more charity, of our selves with modesty.

3. Of the World for necessity.

4. Of Religion with alacrity: Wee must labour for more salt of grace to season our words, and for more Rules of Wisedome to order them; then joy shall come to us from our Answers, and piety and sanctified reason will issue out of our mouthes, and it will appeare we are proficients in the schoole of Perfection.

[Sect. 4] Fourthly, Applications to edifie.

1. IT is an approved way to humble our selves to looke on Gods Perfections, and our owne manifold imperfections: God is light, we darknesse; he is Almigh∣ty, we impotent; he is eternall, we but a moment, in the condition of mortall life; he is good, we evill; he is ho∣ly, we are polluted; he is most wise, we are foolish and ignorant, and as beasts before him; he hath all perfection, we have all imperfection.

2. To serve God who is ••••rfect, and alsufficient; he hath sufficiency, selfe-sufficiencie, sufficiency for others, and sufficiency for all things; he can enrich his servants; he is a perfect and alsufficient God, Gen. 17.1.

3. To admire and wonder at the perfection of the Lord, who is

1. Perfect without comparison in the superlative de∣gree; none is like to him.

2. He is without imperfection: light without dark∣nesse, strength without weaknesse, wisedome without ignorance.

3. God cannot lose his perfection, not in the least degree.

4. He is a perfect Essence, not having best and worst, he cannot have addition.

5. Hee needes nothing to keepe him as he is, or to aug∣ment his perfection: but our perfection admits of com∣parison, it is accompanyed with imperfection: we are ca∣pable of ecliples, desire addition, and meanes to support us: therefore admire Gods Perfection, that so farre doth excell us.

4. Desire and long for that place where all imperfe∣ctions shall be abolished, and such perfection as we are capable of shall be obteined.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Perfect••••.
• * 1.2

  Willet on Gen. 2.1. page 15. Ainsworth.
• † 1.3

  Grace in their appre∣hension.
• * 1.4

  In his body.
• * 1.5

  Iames 1.4.
• * 1.6

  Iustification.