[23.] deavoured to tread in the same steps. And in doctrine, which is the chiefest point, I dare affirm even the same which the holy apostle doth, I have delivered no other unto 1 Cor. xi. you than that which I have received of the Lord: yea, safely in the sight of the most high God, I may say with him, you have received of us "not the word of men, but, as it was 1 Thess. ii. [13.] indeed, the word of God." In distribution whereof, neither have I used flattery, as you know; neither coloured covetousness, the Lord will testify; neither have I sought mine. own praise, my heart is witness. And this testimony of conscience that I have dealt sincerely in the house of God, as touching doctrine, hath been my great relief and comfort in all the stormy troubles which by the mighty assistance of almighty God I have waded through. Concerning diligence in the execution of mine office, although I have had a ready will, yet my weak body being not answerable to my desire, as all flesh herein is faulty, so for my part I must plead guilty. One debt and duty with St Paul I protest I have truly paid you; for with a tender affection I have loved you. The nurse was never more willing to give the breast unto her child, than I have been that you should suck, not only milk, but also blood from me, if it might stand you in stead, or serve to your safety. God he knoweth that with this love I have loved you. rection I have sought reformation, and not revenge: to punish hath been a punishment to myself: I never did it but with great grief: I have always laboured rather by persuasion to reclaim transgressors, than by correction : with which kind of dealing because stubborn minds will not be bowed, my softness, I grant, hath rather deserved reproof than praise. My life and conversation amongst you I leave wholly to your secret judgments. I cannot say (for who can?) that my heart is clear. If "in many James iii. things we offend all," how can any man say he is no sinner, except he say also that God is a liar? Howbeit, this the God of my righteousness knoweth, that wittingly and willingly I have wronged no man: if I have, reddam quadruplum, "I will render four times" so much good. If any have wronged me, I heartily forgive, and will forget it for While I live, I will acknowledge that I have received more good liking, favour, and friendship at your hands, than ever. In using cor [2.] An exhortation to I could either look for or deserve. God no doubt hath his people, he hath many a dear child in this city. But now that by his providence, not by my procurement, I am called from hence, to serve elsewhere in the church of Christ, I will with St Paul take my leave of you; and that the more willingly, as well because it is God's good will and appointment, as also for that I trust the change shall be good and profitable unto you. My hope is, that the Lord hath provided one of choice to be placed over you; a man to undertake this great charge so well enabled for strength, courage, gravity, wisdom, skill in government, knowledge, as in many other things, so especially in the heavenly mysteries of God, that I doubt not but my departure shall turn very much to your advantage: amongst whom sith a great part of my life is now spent, and a few evil days do remain otherwhere to be bestowed, I must use the words of the blessed apostle: "For that which remaineth, my brethren, fare ye well :" my dear and faithful flock, farewell: my crown and my joy, farewell: again (with grief I speak it) farewell. I must in body go from you, yet in heart and good will I shall ever be with you: you shall ever be most dear unto me, and I shall not cease (God forbid I should!) to pour out my prayers before the Almighty in your behalf, that the great Shepherd of the sheep of the Lord Jesus Christ may take charge of you, and by his Holy Spirit direct and govern you in all your ways. In like sort, I most heartily crave at your hands, that ye be not unmindful to pray also for me, that I may walk worthily in my calling, and fulfil the ministry which I have received; that God may open unto me the door of utterance, to speak the mysteries of Christ as becometh me to speak; that I may in faith and boldness do his message; that he may deliver me from the disobedient, and that my service may be accepted of the saints; that the word of the Lord may have his free passage, and that I may finish the residue of my course in the gospel of Christ to the glory of God and profit of the church. And now, brethren, for my last and long farewell, perfection. I can use no fitter words of exhortation than these are: "Be perfect, have consolation, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of charity and peace shall be with you." second, and the second likewise of the last. For perfec- But let us particularly consider of every branch of the exhortation. "Be perfect." in God. [48.] 4. Integrity or perfection is of two sorts: the one Perfection is divine, the other human. That which pertaineth unto God is absolute: that which is of men is not without defect. In God there is full and absolute perfection. "Your Matt. v. heavenly Father is perfect," saith our Saviour: so perfect, that there is not so much as any shadow of imperfection. at all in him. "He is light," perfect light, "there is no 1 John i. [5.] darkness in him." He is the fountain from whence all perfection floweth: "every perfect gift is from above." "He James i. [17.] which planted the ear, shall not he hear? he that formed Psal. xciv. the eye, shall not he see? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he understand?" saith the prophet. "Shall Isai. Ixvi. I cause to bring forth, and shall I be barren?" saith the Lord. He cannot but be perfect in himself, which is the cause of all perfection in others. [9, 10.] [9.] [12.] 5. And as he is perfect, so all things are perfect In his word. which are his. His law is perfect, and maketh them perfect which fulfil it. "O that my ways were directed ac- Psal. cxix. [5, 6.] cording to thy statutes: then should I not be confounded," saith the prophet. His commandments are "holy, and just, Rom. vii. and good." Scimus quia bona est lex: the goodness and perfection of it is apparent, clear, and manifest: "We 1 Tim. i. [8.] know the law is good." But St Paul seemeth to charge the law with imperfections. "The law," saith he, "brought Heb. vii. nothing unto perfection." It is true that the law in itself is perfect, able to save and make perfit all such as are able perfitly to observe it. For what saith the law? "Do this, and thou shalt live." Yet no man liveth by [Lev. xviii. the law why so? Because the law is unperfit? God for- 28.1 bid. The cause then, why being perfit it bringeth nothing to perfection, is the weakness and infirmity of our flesh. [19.] 5. Luke x. Rom. viii. [3, 4.] In all his works. "Wherefore that which was impossible to the law, inasmuch as it was weak because of the flesh, God sending his own Son in the similitude of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled." Although no man therefore be brought to perfection by the law, yet the law remaineth perfit; even as he is perfit which gave the law. 6. Every work of the mighty God is perfit. When he had made heaven and earth, sea and land, fish, fowl, man, beast, and whatsoever is contained within the compass of the whole world, having finished all, he beheld the [Gen. i. 31.] works of his own hands, and saw they were all "exceeding good." If there be this perfection in the works of God, then whatsoever he do in heaven or in earth, seem it unto us never so much out of order, yea, although it be even against all reason in our eyes, yet must we always set our hands unto this: it is of God, therefore perfit. For, "Wo be to him that saith to his father, What hast thou begotten? or to his mother, What hast thou brought forth?” Shall the clay say to the workman, What makest thou? dust and ashes to the Creator of heaven and earth, It is not good and perfit which thou doest? Isai. xlv. [10.] Perfection in us by imputation. 7. As God is perfit in himself, in his word, and in all his works; so we are exhorted to fashion ourselves according to that similitude and likeness which is in him, and to become perfit as our Father in heaven is perfit. There is a perfection which all believers have by imputation; whereof although St Paul do not speak directly in this place, yet, because it is the root of that perfection whereof he speaketh, it is not besides the purpose for me to put you in mind of it. Unto every son of Adam it Ezek. xxviii. may justly be said, "Thou wast perfit in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." But our sanctification being once defiled and polluted with sin, he which liketh no unclean or unperfect thing, if he look upon us as we are in ourselves, cannot but loathe us. Wherefore, except the perfection of righteousness which is in Christ be imputed unto us and accounted as ours, except in him we be made the righteousness of God, how should we ever hope to appear without spot and wrinkle in the sight of God? He therefore is perfect, whose [15.] imperfections Christ with his perfection hath covered. This is a secret, which because the Jews were not able to comprehend, therefore they stumbled. Israel sought perfection, and found it not. Wherefore? Because they sought it by the works of the law, and not by faith: they thought perfection by imputation to be a mere fancy. Contrariwise the gentiles, not following that perfection which is by the law, attained unto that which is by faith which St Paul did so esteem, that although he were, concerning the righteousness which is in the law, unreprovable, yet he thought all the labour and travail lost which he had spent about attaining perfection that way, and desired nothing more than to be found, not having his own perfection which was of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ. 66 to be sought dustry and 8. But the perfection, whereof St Paul here speaketh, Perfection is nothing else but the finishing of that which the grace for by inof Christ hath already begun to work in our hearts, our labour. growing and increasing in true godliness, our proceeding and going forward from virtue to virtue, from strength to strength, till we come unto that whereunto we strive. Brethren," saith the apostle, "I count not myself as Phil. iii. if I had attained it, or were already perfect but one thing, I forget that which is behind, and endeavour myself unto that which is before, and follow hard towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded:" let as many as have attained the former perfection, strive unto this which is the latter. [12-15.] Inward perfection. 15.] 9. For this cause apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers at the first were given: unto this all doctrine and exhortation doth tend, that, being "builded [Eph. ii. 22.] together to be the habitation of God by the Spirit," we might "rise to a perfect man unto the measure of the Eph. iv. [13, age of the fulness of Christ," and "in all things grow up into him which is the head;" in all things, whether they be inward virtues, or outward duties, which God requireth at the hands of men. Touching inward virtues, although we have knowledge, and be established in the present truth; although our faith be such, that it be known and spoken of throughout the world; although we abound in |