[2.] There are none but sometimes sin : 1 Kings viii. 46, ' For there is no man that sinneth not ;' and Eccles. vii. 20, ' There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not ;' and James iii. 2, ' In many things we offend all ; ' 1 John i. 8, ' If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us/ Therefore, no man so perfect as to be without all sin.
[3.] There is none but need the mercy of God, and ought to pray for this mercy for the pardon of their daily sins, Mat. vi. 13, as we pray for daily bread. This petition our Lord directeth us to put up, not for the sins of others, but our own. Now these arguments prove that no man hath a righteousness that is perfect, without defects. The best of God's children have innumerable frailties, which may humble them, and which should be seriously laid to heart, and watched over, every step of our vv^ay to heaven.
2. There is a comparative perfection, and that is twofold : —
[1.] When those who live under the law of Christianity are com- pared with other institutions.
[2.] When the professors of Christianity are compared among them- selves.
[1.] When the professors of Christianity are compared with those that live under other institutions. They that submit to Christ's terms are said to be perfect, because Christianity itself is a perfection. For instance, take that one plaoe (and the rather, that I may wrest it out of the hands of the Papists, who distinguish between evangelical pre- cepts of necessary duty, and counsels of perfection, to establish monkery and voluntary poverty, as a more perfect state of life than that which the common sort of Christians live). Their most colourable place is Mat. xix. 21, ' Jesus said unto him. If thou wilt be perfect, go sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in
GO "WHAT KIND OF PERFECTION IS [PhIL. III. 15.
lieavcn, and come and follow me.' Is not this a counsel of perfection ? Doth not Christ call it so ? Or is every one hound to fi^ive all his ^i^oods to the ])Oor, and turn monks or anchorites ? No ; the meaning of the word, //' thou icilt he perfect, is no more but this, if thou wilt ascend to that higher pitch and rule of living, to which 1 come to raise men, if thou wilt be a Christian. The perfection here spoken of is Christi- anity itself, not a heroic eminent degree of it; and the condition here required is matter of command, not counsel; only such as if we will not submit to, we are not Christians ; for a man that would have the privileges of the gospel, he nmst submit to the duties of the gospel, or the conditions required by Christ, that is to be a pin-fect, thorough Christian. You will say. Must we sell all and give to the poor, in con- templation of the heavenly reward ?
Ans. 1. Every man is bound to bestow goods, land, and life as God shall direct, ancl part with all the wealth in the world whensoever it is required of him. Now, it may be required of us directly or by con- sequence. Directly, by an expressed ct>mmand, such as this young man had from Christ ; and actually to sell our estates, and give to the poor, obligeth none, unless we have such a like command from Christ himself as this young rich man had. By consequence, when we caimot obey any particular precept of Christ without danger of being undone by it. And so it obligeth all Christ's disci])k'S to part with all, rather than to break with Christ ; for no man is a Christian unless he selleth all for the ])earl of price, Mat. xiii. 4G. And our Lord telleth us, that he that loveth anything more than him, is not worthy of him, Mat. X. 37 ; that is, is no Christian ; so that if it be impossible to pre- serve our fidelity and obedience without ]iarting with our wealth, we must impartially ])erf()rm it, though it be with loss of estate and life itself; and if we do not resolve and undertake to do so, we are no Christians, and cannot be saved. In baptism, we vow to forsake the world and follow Christ, when the world cometh in competition with him. If, in a time of trial, we do not perform it, we forfeit the privi- leges of Christianity, and all title to blessedness. Therefore this per- fection is necessary for all Christians. You esteem, prefer, choose Christ above all, resolving, whatever it cost you, to be faithful to him ; it is not a high and arbitrary point in Christianity, but a necessary duty. You will say, What can the strongest Christian do more than sell all, than part with all ? — Anmccr, They can do it with far greater love, readiness, and joy, than the weak Christian can do. The differ- ence between Christians is not in the thing done, but the manner of doing. Well, then, this is to be j)erfect, thus nnistyou all be i)erfect ; for this perfection is necessarily constitutive of sincerity ; you are not true Christians without it.