A49244:187
Grace: the truth and growth and different degrees thereof. The sum and substance of…Grace: the truth and growth and different degrees thereof. The summe and substance of…
Grace: the truth and growth and different degrees thereof. The sum and substance of XV. sermons. Preached by that faithful and painful servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. Christopher Love, late minister of Lawrence Jury, London. They being his last sermons. To which is added a funeral sermon, being the very last sermon he ever preached.Grace: the truth and growth and different degrees thereof. The summe and substance of XV. sermons. Preached by that faithful and painful servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. Christopher Love, late minister of Lawrence Jury, London. They being his last sermons. To which is added a funerall sermon, being the very last sermon he ever preached.
London: printed by E.G. for J. Rothwell, 1652
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Do not conclude you have small measures of grace,1 because you have but small measures of comfort; this is the fault of young converts, they take measure of their grace by their comfort, which is a false and deceitful rule; growth of grace is not to be measured by the working of joy: the sweet blossom of joy may fall off, when the fruit of grace may come on; yea sometimes Christians of the greatest measure of grace, may have the least measure of comfort; and all to let us know, that as the being and exercise, so the comforts of our graces comes from free grace. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who was anointed above his fellows, and was full of grace and truth, yet in the time of his desertion was without comfort, when by reason of the suspension of the favour of God his Father, he cried out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me. And so sometimes Christians that have but little measures of grace, may have much comfort; and this is the reason of that flash of joy that young converts have; it is Gods indulgence towards them, to give them great joy at their first conversion: and indeed their joy at that time is the ⟨p. 50⟩more taken notice of, because usually such have much trouble of mind when they pass through the pangs of the new birth, the change is then specific, which afterwards is but gradual: and so though they have afterwards more grace, more settled joys and comforts, yet at their first conversion they may have more sense of their joys, though afterwards they may find an increase of grace, when joy may be as real, though not so sensible; and therefore do not judge thy grace by thy comfort.
Do not conclude you have small measures of grace,1 because you have but smal measures of comfort; this is the fault of young converts, they take measure of their grace by their comfort, which is a false and deceitful rule; growth of grace is not to be measured by the working of joy: the sweet blossome of joy may fall off, when the fruit of grace may come on; yea sometimes Christians of the greatest measure of grace, may have the least measure of comfort; and all to let us know, that as the being and exercise, so the comforts of our graces comes from free grace. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who was annointed above his fellows, and was full of grace and truth, yet in the time of his desertion was without comfort, when by reason of the suspension of the favour of God his Father, he cryed out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me. And so sometimes Christians that have but little measures of grace, may have much comfort; and this is the reason of that flash of joy that young converts have; it is Gods indulgence towards them, to give them great joy at their first conversion: and indeed their joy at that time is the