A29372:22
Seasonable truths in evil-times in several sermons / lately preached in and about London
Seasonable truths in evil-times in several sermons / lately preached in and about London by William Bridge, late preacher of the word of God at Yarmouth.Seasonable truths in evil-times in several sermons / lately preached in and about London by Willam Bridge, late preacher of the word of God at Yarmouth.
London: printed for Nath. Crouch, 1668
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
God hath a hand upon all the hands of opposition against his children; and it is so far from ⟨p. 6⟩putting out their light, that it makes their light to grow brighter and brighter.
In the next place, the Saints do not only increase and abound more and more, but they can do •o other, they cannot but grow in grace; for so the promise is, To him that hath shall be given, and he shall have it in more abundance. Now the Godly they have grace, an• therefore upon that account of the promise, they shall have it in more abundance. And so in that place of Isaiah, He that waiteth upon the Lord shall renew his strength, he shall mount up as with eagles wings: there shall be an addition of strength unto him, he shall increase and abound yet more and more. In Scripture-phrase, grace it is called life: indeed it is our spiritual life. Now you find that all your sublunary lives, where they are there is growth: the plant or the tree it grows, because it hath life; and the beast grows, because he hath life. The Sun, Moon and Stars, though they move apace, they do not grow; why? because they have no life: they have light, but no life, and so they grow not: but all the people of God they have a spiritual life, and so they will, and do, and must, and cannot but grow. They make God himself their uttermost and their last end. What a man makes his last and his uttermost end, that he labours to grow up unto more and more; he never hath enough of it. Some men make riches their last and their uttermost end; and they never have enough. Some make God their end, and riches a means to serve God; they can have enough: but when a man makes riches his last and his uttermost end, and never stints himself, he never thinks he hath enough. Now the children of ⟨p. 7⟩God they make God himself their last and their uttermost end, his service and grace; and therefore they never have enough: they cannot have enough, but must labour to grow and increase, and abound more and more.