A41536:305
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.
so how doth it shame him, and humble him? Thus Hezekiah, though he was much humbled by a sickness to death, but because he was not humbled enough, and so far as God meant to bring him: therefore God let loose Pride on him, and then he further humbleth himself and all Israel, as it is 2 Chron. 32. 26. Upon some men God shows his free grace in keeping them from sin; upon others he spends it in pardoning ⟨p. 94⟩them: These are but two several ways he hath of laying it out: And so sometimes he shows his grace in keeping those of less grace, and again in letting those of more to struggle with their lusts: and such sicknesses are not to death, or to weaken them, but for the glory of God, and their further growth; for this will be the effect and consequent of such stirrings in grown Christians, that as their fits of corruptions stirring are great, so their humblings will be greater: Grace being much in them, will show it self that way; great fits of sinning have intermingled with them great exercises of repentings; and the growth of their grace will show it self in them, and appear in them; even as in men that are cheerful naturally, but sometimes oppressed with melancholy; when those pressures are over, they are most merry, their spirits breaking forth being at liberty, they show themselves as much on the contrary in mirth: so is it here, when grace gets above again. As it is in the body, when the spirits are not weak, but only are kept under by humours, when they do once get up, they then show their strength in causing the body to grow the more: as in many young men, after a sickness where strength of nature is; and so thereby they become after often the better, and more lively; but if the natural spirits be weak, it is not so.
so how doth it shame him, and humble him? Thus Hezekiah, though he was much humbled by a sicknesse to death, but because he was not humbled enough, and so far as God meant to bring him: therefore God let loose Pride on him, and then he further humbleth himselfe and all Israel, as it is 2 Chron. 32. 26. Upon some men God shews his free grace in keeping them from sinne; upon others he spends it in pardoning ⟨p. 94⟩