A30241:2206
CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…
CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St. John, or, Christs prayer before his passion explicated, and both practically and polemically improved by Anthony Burgess ...
London: printed by Abraham Miller for Thomas Underhill, 1656
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Sermon 90: The Contraries to Growth in Grace. A Comfortable Advertisement to such as mourn under t…
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.
1. Art thou thus exercised, Despise not this Chastisement of God, yea, make an advantage of it; To feel the disease is the way to be cured; Bless God that hath done thus for thee, that though thou dost not grow in grace, or increase, yet thou seest this decay, and bewailest it; A man that sees he goes behind in his Estate, and layeth it to his heart, he will be careful to prevent it betimes.
1. Art thou thus exercised, Despise not this Chastisement of God, yea, make an advantage of it; To feel the disease is the way to be cured; Blesse God that hath done thus for thee, that though thou dost not grow in grace, or encrease, yet thou seest this decay, and bewailest it; A man that sees he goes behinde in his Estate, and layeth it to his heart, he will be careful to prevent it betimes.
2. Know these humiliations and bewailings are a kind of further Sanctification in thee, For to grow in Grace is to discern more and more our Imperfections, to be acquainted with all the need and wants that we are in; As he that groweth in Learning seeth how much he is ignorant of, and thus he that groweth in holiness, he seeth himself more unholy then ever, he thinketh he hath less Grace then ever, because he is more tender and discerning then he was before; As a man recovering out of a disease is more sensible of pain and his weakness then he was in the height of his sickness.
2. Know these humiliations and bewailings are a kinde of further Sanctification in thee, For to grow in Grace is to discern more and more our Imperfections, to be acquainted with all the need and wants that we are in; As he that groweth in Learning seeth how much he is ignorant of, and thus he that groweth in holinesse, he seeth himself more unholy then ever, he thinketh he hath lesse Grace then ever, because he is more tender and discerning then he was before; As a man recovering out of a disease is more sensible of pain and his weaknesse then he was in the height of his sicknesse.