A41536:267
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.
CHAP. IV.
Positive signs of Growth in Mortification, and Gods purging of us.
Positive signes of Growth in Mortification, and Gods purging of us.
AND so now I come to the second sort of signs, namely, Positive signs of growth in Mortification, and of Gods purging of us.
AND so now I come to the second sort of signes, namely, Positive signes of growth in Mortification, and of Gods purging of us.
First, the more insight a man hath into spiritual corruptions, together with a conflict against them, the more growth he hath attained unto in purging out corruptions: So as that now the chiefest of his conflict is come to be with spiritual lusts, not worldly lusts and gross evils; it is an evidence of his progress in this work. These ordinarily are sure rules, that whilst a mans conflict is with more outward gross evils, as uncleanness, worldly mindnesse, &c. so long and so much he is kept from the sight of those inward, hidden, close corruptions, which sit nighest to the heart: As also on the contrary, the more a man is freed from, and hath got victory over such more outward evils, the more his thoughts and intentions are bent inward to the discovery of the other more spiritual wickednesses. And the reason is, for these spiritual lusts, as pride, carnal confidence in a mans own graces, self-flattery, presumption, and the like, these corruptions lie (as I may so express it,) more up in the heart of the country; but those other of worldly lusts, lye as it were in the Frontiers, and skirts of it; and therefore, until such time as a man hath in some good measure overcome those that encounter him at the Borders, he comes not to have so through a discovery, and constant conflict with those that lie higher up in the heart; Let us cleanse our selves from all pollution both of flesh and spirit, says the Apostle, Cor. 7. Which implies, that there are two sorts of corruptions, one of the flesh, or body; the other, of the spirit, or soul: for so the opposition there is to be taken, for else all lusts are lusts of the flesh, that is, of corrupt nature. Again, such corruptions cause a blindness that a man cannot see afar off, as 2 Pet. Chap. 1. Whilst a scholar that learns a Tongue, hath not learned to escape all grosser faults in Grammatical construction,