A12190:471
The returning backslider, or, A commentary upon the whole XIIII. chapter of the prophecy…The returning backslider, or, A commentarie upon the whole XIIII. chapter of the prophecy…
The returning backslider, or, A commentary upon the whole XIIII. chapter of the prophecy of the prophet Hosea Wherein is showed the large extent of Gods free mercy, even unto the most miserable forlorn and wretched sinners that may be, upon their humiliation and repentance. Preached by that learned and judicious divine, Dr. Sibbs, late preacher to the honourable society of Gray's Inn, and master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge. Published by his own permission before his death.The returning backslider, or, A commentarie upon the whole XIIII. chapter of the prophecy of the prophet Hosea Wherein is shewed the large extent of Gods free mercy, even unto the most miserable forlorne and wretched sinners that may be, upon their humiliation and repentance. Preached by that learned and judicious divine, Dr. Sibbs, late preacher to the honourable society of Grayes Inne, and master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge. Published by his owne permission before his death.
London: printed by George for George Edwards, 1639
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1Thirdly, The Dew doth fall Insensibly and Invisibly. So the Grace of God, we feel the comfort, sweetness and operation of it, but it falls insensibly without observation. Inferior things here feel the sweet and comfortable influence of the Heavens, but who sees the active influence upon them, which how it is derived from superior bodies to the inferior is not observable? as our Saviour speaks of the beginnings of grace and workings of it.2 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, or whether it goeth: so is every one that is borne of the Spirit. It works we know not how: we feel the work, but the manner of working is unknown to us. Grace therefore is wrought ⟨p. 209⟩undiscernably. No man can see the conversion of another, nay no man almost can discern his own conversion at first; Therefore this Question should not much trouble you; show us the first hour, the first time of your conversion and entrance into the state of grace. Grace (to many) falls like the dew, by little and little, drop and drop, line upon line, it falls sweetly and undiscernably upon them at the first. Therefore, it is hard to set down the first time, seeing (as our blessed Saviour speaks) grace at the first is wondrous little, likened to a grain of Mustard-seed. But though it be small at first,3 yet nothing is more glorious and beautiful afterwards, for from a small seed, it grows to over-spread and be great, shooting out branches. And as the root of Jesse was a despised stock and in show a dead root, yet thence Christ rose, a branch as high as Heaven. So the beginning of a Christian, is despised and little, like a dead stock as it were,4 but they grow upward and upward still, till they come to Heaven it self. Thus we see there is nothing in the world more undiscernible in the beginning then the work of grace, which must make us not over-curious to examine exactly the first beginnings thereof, because it is as the falling of the Dew or the blowing of the wind.