A41536:95
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.
Obser. 6. That branches that have brought forth true fruit, God takes them not away.
The 6. Doctrine is, That those who are true branches, and bring forth any true fruit pleasing to God, though they have many corruptions in them, yet God takes them not away, cuts them not off: The opposition implies this, he speaks of Taking away the other, not so of these, But purgeth them. It is an elegant Paronomasia, [Greek or Hebrew], which the holy Ghost here useth.
The 6. Doctrine is, That those who are true branches, and bring forth any true fruit pleasing to God, though they have many corruptions in them, yet God takes them not away, cuts them not off: The opposition implies this, he speakes of Taking away the other, not so of these, But purgeth them. It is an elegant Paranomasia, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, which the holy Ghost here useth.
For an instance to prove this, (wherein I will also keep to the Metaphor here used) I take that place. Isaiah 27. where this his care of fruitful branches, with the very same difference put between his dealing with them, and the unfruitful that is here, is elegantly ⟨p. 29⟩expressed to us. God professeth himself the Keeper of a Vineyard his Church, ver. 2, 3. I the Lord do keep it, and ver. 6. He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root, Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the earth with fruit. But Israel having corruption in him which would hinder his growth, he must be lopped and cut. And so in the next verses, God is said to deal with him; but not so as to cut them off, as he doth others that are both his and their enemies. Hath he smitten them as he smote those that smote him? No. For in measure when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it. When Israel is but a tender plant, and first shooteth forth, he doth but in measure debate with it, that is, in such a proportion as not to destroy it, or cause it to wither, but that it may blossom more, he measures out, as it were, afflictions to them, but stays his rough wind, as it follows; that is, such afflictions as would shake that his plant too much, or quite blow it down; but such a wind as shall make it fruitful, and blow away its unkindly blossoms and leaves: so much and no more will He let out of his Treasury, even he who holds the winds in his fists, and can moderate them as he pleaseth. For his scope and purpose is nothing less then to cut off Jacob, both root and branch, because of corruptions and sins that do cleave to him. But this is all the fruit to take away the sin, says he, ver. 9. that is, this is the fruit of that wind, and of all these his dealings with them: and it is [All] the fruit, that is, all that he intends thereby, even to purge them.