A30241:2208
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.
3. There may be a growing in gifts and parts, and a growing in Grace; This distinction is greatly to be marked, for a Christian through bodily distempers ⟨p. 466⟩and old Age may decay in parts, not have the memory, nor the activity, or the hot affections he had once, and yet be a more mortified and solid Christian, for Grace will not cure a man of bodily Diseases or of Old Age, and because the Soul doth work dependently upon the body, as the body it's Instrument doth decay, so are the Souls Operations impaired thereby; But be not discouraged, this is not a decay in Grace, it's only in parts and gifts, or a bodily constitution, which though comfortable mercies, yet are not Essentials to grace; On the other side there are too many that increase in Knowledge, that are enlarged in parts, but decay in grace, yea, their corruptions and lusts grow with them.
3. There may be a growing in gifts and parts, and a growing in Graece; This distinction is greatly to be marked, for a Christian through bodily distempers ⟨p. 466⟩and old Age may decay in parts, not have the memory, nor the activity, or the hot affections he had once, and yet be a more mortified and solid Christian, for Grace will not cure a man of bodily Diseases or of Old Age, and because the Soul doth work dependantly upon the body, as the body it's Instrument doth decay, so are the Souls Operations impaired thereby; But be not discouraged, this is not a decay in Grace, it's only in parts and gifts, or a bodily constitution, which though comfortable mercies, yet are not Essentials to grace; On the other side there are too many that encrease in Knowledge, that are enlarged in parts, but decay in grace, yea, their corruptions and lusts grow with them.
4. Distinguish between a further Sanctification in respect of the solidity of it, and the affectionateness of it; Every decay in affection is not presently an abating in grace, for godliness lieth chiefly in the mind and will, If these be solidly established and really bent for God, Though affections be not passionately and sensibly put forth, yet thou mayest grow a more sound and firm Christian.