A41536:272
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.
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. He speaks it in the present tense, [Greek or Hebrew], I am offered, it was done in his heart already: As in like phrase of speech it is said, Heb. 11. that Abraham offered up his son, because in his heart he fully purposed it. When men must be forced by terrors of conscience, as ⟨p. 81⟩Pharaoh with plagues, to let their credits or estates go by restitution, or for God and good uses, &c. it is a sign of want of purging. The more loosened a man is from the world, and the things of it, the more prepared that man is for all works of self-denial, and the more purged. So when a man parts with all without sticking or higgling, as Abraham is said to believe without staggering, it is a sign he hath attained to a good degree: even as that argued a strong faith, Rom. 3. When a man hath an open and a large heart to God, (as a liberal man hath an open hand to men) as Abraham had when he was willing to let God have his only son, it was a sign he was much weaned; when God can command any thing thou hast at an hours warning, as we say; Abraham stood not long deliberating, Shall I, Shall I, but went early in the morning, even the next morning, God having called for his son that very night, as it is likely by that in the 22.