Gods husbandry

Reason 1 First, they are short of perfection, ¹so long as they live in this world, and therefore must strive forward to perfection. Paul himself tells the Philippians, that he pressed hard towards the mark, because he not yet reached it, and wisheth as many as are perfect, to be so minded. In a race, a man must never cease running till he touch the goal; we shall never touch the goal of perfection, till we have delivered up our souls into the hands of God by death, (for here we know but in part, and therefore can do nothing in whole:) hence it follows, that till death we must be still going onward. When a man hath attained his full stature he must grow, then indeed he needeth only nutrition, but till then, augmentation is requisite: (for these two motions are very different, as you know) and his limbs must become greater, and stronger, (yea and will do so, unless diseases hinder) Now we be but striplings ⟨p. 134⟩or rather infants in goodness. In truth we are but in the womb of the Church; all the while we walk in this world, our death-day will be our birth day, and then we shall at once be made full and complete: wherefore till then there must be a continual addition of grace, to that we have already received. Indeed some Christians, in comparison of others, are called strong men, (as even of infants in the womb, some are perfecter then other) but simply there is none a full grown man, brought to the measure of the fullness of the stature of Christ, till he be fully united to Christ, and walk no longer by faith, but by sight, seeing as he is seen, and knowing as he is known. We must conclude then to be walking forwards, till we lye down in graves, for never are we at our journeys end till then.

Reason 1 First, they are short of perfection, ¹so long as they liue in this world, and therefore must striue forward to perfection. Paul himselfe tels the Philippians, that he pressed hard towards the marke, because he not yet reached it, and wisheth as many as are perfect, to be so minded. In a race, a man must neuer cease running till hee touch the goale; wee shall neuer touch the goale of perfection, till wee haue deliuered vp our soules into the hands of God by death, (for heere we know but in part, and therefore can doe nothing in whole:) hence it followes, that till death we must be still going onward. When a man hath attained his full stature he must grow, then indeed hee needeth onely nutrition, but till then, augmentation is requisite: (for these two motions are very different, as you know) and his limmes must become greater, and stronger, (yea and will doe so, vnlesse diseases hinder) Now we be but striplings