A41536:93
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.
And 4. God would have us not only humbled by such our dependence on him, but by a sense of our continual obnoxiousness to him, and of being in his lurch; and therefore leaves corruption still, that we might ever acknowledge that our necks do even lie on the block, and that he may chop them off, and to see that in him, we should not only live, and move as creatures; but further, that by him we might justly be destroyed every moment, this humbles the creature indeed, Ezek. 36. 31, 32.
And 4. God would have us not onely humbled by such our dependance on him, but by a sense of our continuall obnoxiousnesse to him, and of being in his lurch; and therefore leaves corruption still, that we might ever acknowledge that our necks doe even lie on the block, and that he may chop them off, and to see that in him, we should not onely live, and move as creatures; but further, that by him we might justly be destroyed every moment, this humbles the creature indeed, Ezek. 36. 31, 32.
3. As thus to humble them, so that they might have occasion to deny themselves: Which to do is more acceptable to God, then much more service without it; and therefore the great promise of having an hundred fold, is made to that grace. It was the great grace, which of all other Christ exercised. Now if we had no corruption to entice and seduce us, what opportunities ⟨p. 27⟩were there for us, thus of denying our selves? Christ indeed had an infinite deal of glory to lay down, not so we: unless there be a self in us, to solicit us, and another self to deny those solicitations, we should have no occasions of self-denial, or the exercise of any such grace. Therefore Adam was not capable of any such grace, because he had no corruption to seduce him. And therefore a little grace in us, denying a great deal of corruption, is in that respect, (for so much as is of it) more acceptable then his obedience. Though we have less grace, yet in this respect of a higher kind in the exercises of it.