Jonathan Edwards and "the Perfect"

 Interesting, just came across this while reading one of Edwards' sermons on Heaven... As he preaches from 1 Corinthians 13 on love, he gives the following statement on what "that which is perfect" means.  I have bolded the two components to his view:

There is a twofold imperfect, and so a twofold perfect state of the Christian church. The church in its beginning, or in its first stage, before it was strongly established in the world, and settled in its New Testament state, and before the canon of Scripture was completed, was in an imperfect state - a state, as it were, of childhood, in comparison with what it was to be in its elder and later ages, when it should have reached its state of manhood, or of comparative earthly perfection. And so, again, this comparatively perfect church of Christ, so long as it remains in its militant state, that is, down to the end of time, will still be in an imperfect, and, as it were, in a childish state, in comparison with what it will be in its heavenly state, in which latter it is comparatively in its state of manhood or perfection.

  In other words, Edwards considered both the completion of the canon AND the eternal state to be included in the the "Perfect."  An interesting stance given the raging dorm-room debate of my college days...

(He gives more detailed thoughts as the sermon continues.)