A41536:12
The trial of a Christians growth in mortification, purging out corruption, or vivification, bringing…The tryall of a Christians growth in mortification, purging out corruption, or vivification, bringing…
The trial of a Christians growth in mortification, purging out corruption, or vivification, bringing forth more fruit a treatise handling this case, how to discern our growth in grace : affording some helps rightly to judge thereof by resolving some tentations, clearing some mistakes, answering some questions, about spiritual growth : together with other observations upon the Parable of the vine, John 15. 1, 2 verses / by Tho. Goodwin.The tryall of a Christians growth in mortification, purging out corruption, or vivification, bringing forth more fruit a treatise handling this case, how to discerne our growth in grace : affording some helps rightly to judge thereof by resolving some tentations, clearing some mistakes, answering some questions, about spiritual growth : together with other observations upon the Parable of the vine, John 15. 1, 2 verses / by Tho. Goodwin.
London: printed by J.G. for R. Dawlman, 1650
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.
The scope and way of handling this subject [Growth] is not Doctrinal so much, nor yet Hortatory, as either persuading to, or discoursing of a Christians growth in general, (concerning which much hath been already written by others) But the more proper aim of this is to resolve A Case of Conscience, (like as those two other preceding Tractates of mine have done) namely this, How to discern our growth, and to answer more usual temptations about it: And so these three Treatises being of like sort and kind, and properly belonging to that part of Theology which we call Case Divinity; I have therefore in this new Edition of the whole ordered to put them together, (which is all the alteration I have made) although in their first and single publishing some other came between.
The scope and way of handling this subject [Growth] is not Doctrinall so much, nor yet Hortatory, as either perswading to, or discoursing of a Christians growth in generall, (concerning which much hath been already written by others) But the more proper aime of this is to resolve A Case of Conscience, (like as those two other preceding Tractates of mine have done) namely this, How to discern our growth, and to answer more usuall temptations about it: And so these three Treatises being of like sort and kinde, and properly belonging to that part of Theologie which we call Case Divinity; I have therefore in this new Edition of the whole ordered to put them together, (which is all the alteration I have made) although in their first and single publishing some other came between.
If in the performance this falls short of many more ⟨image 3⟩raised experiments of Growth which are found in such as the Apostle John calls Fathers, elderly Christians, who with Enoch have walked long with God; yet I have hoped that you that are young men (as he also styles the middle sort of Christians) that you may find many things helpful to your right understanding and judging of your growth, and which may free you from many mistakes in mis-judging thereof, and so consequently of many tentations about it, which that Age of Believers are more peculiarly incident unto. I dare not say, I write these things to you Fathers, I never presumed it in my thoughts; I my self wrote and preached it when I was but young in years, and for the time far younger in grace and experience. And I dare not (if the great Apostle would not) stretch my self beyond that measure which God hath distributed to me.