A41536:315
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 is grace fain to take in fleshly dislikes and discontents against sin, to help it in a pinch, till it hath got the victory. For instance, it was not Judahs grace so much kept him from killing Joseph, for then he would not have consented to sell him; but nature wrought in him, and made him abhor the killing him: Is it not our brother, and our flesh, and what profit is it to kill him? Gen. 37. 26. So God prevented David in his murdering Nabals family by an external ⟨p. 99⟩means, when as his grace else had not kept him from revenging himself causelessly upon his family, (for they were in no fault) his grace alone had not done it, for his passion was up, and he in a rage, and fully resolved to do it; but God used another means, and sent Abigail submissively to meet him; and her lowly submission, and elegant oration, won him, and cooled him; though this David acknowledgeth Gods hand in it, and was glad he was so kept (as a godly man will, and hath cause, when he is hindered of his purpose in sinning, as he says, I rejoice that Christ is preached, though out of envy; so if sin be abstained from, though by any means) yet God did rather by his means restrain him, then by his fear of God, or the grace in his heart; but God kept him by her coming: 1 Sam. 25. 34. For in very deed, says David, as the Lord liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and met me, surely there had not been left a man unto Nabal. So shame moved Judah; fear of being destroyed moved Jacob to reprove the sin of his sons, and is all the argument he useth, Gen. 34. 30. So that in an evening, when thou castest up thy abstinences of that day, think not how much thou hast abstained from sin, or denied thy self, but how much out of hatred of it, and the spirit of mortification; how much of that there is in thy abstinence, and accordingly measure thy growth in it.
so is grace faine to take in fleshly dislikes and discontents against sin, to help it in a pinch, till it hath got the victory. For instance, it was not Judahs grace so much kept him from killing Joseph, for then he would not have consented to sell him; but nature wrought in him, and made him abhor the killing him: Is it not our brother, and our flesh, and what profit is it to kill him?