A41536:271
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.
You young men are strong, and have overcome that evil one: they have attained so much strength as to overcome the grosser evils, those evils. So as to allude to what the Apostle says in another case, they then come to conflict not so much with flesh and blood, and outward evils, as with spiritual wickednesses within, (that is) with affections and dispositions contrary to the work of grace, and therein lies their chiefest exercise, which is not till they have some freedom and victory over the other, and so are at leisure to view these.
You young men are strong, and have overcome that evill one: they have attained so much strength as to overcome the grosser evils, those evills. So as to allude to what the Apostle sayes in another case, they then come to conflict not so much with flesh and blood, and outward evils, as with spirituall wickednesses within, (that is) with affections and dispositions contrary to the worke of grace, and therein lies their chiefest exercise, which is not till they have some freedome and victory over the other, and so are at leasure to view these.
Secondly, we may discern our victory over our lusts, by our ability more or less to deny our selves; the more we grow up to a readiness, willingness, and freeness, and cheerfulness of heart to deny our selves when we are called and put upon doing of it, the more are lusts purged out: for the reason that our hearts consult so much with carnal ends in businesses, that we have so much ado with them ere we can bring them off to part with such and such things, as God and our own consciences do call us unto, is through want of purging: For all want of self-denial is from an adhesion to outward things. Were we free and unmarried men to the world, were our hearts loosened from all; and were all the secret fibrae, those stings of lusts that shoot into things, cut, it would be nothing to us to part with them: this was in that great Apostle, how ready was he to lay down his life? My life is not dear to me, so I may fulfil my ministration with joy; and so when the time of his departure was at hand, says he, I am ready to be offered, 2 Tim. 4. 6