3. Though thou canst not lose the being of thy grace,1 yet thou wilt lose the comfort of it, and thou mayest be in as much trouble and perplexity as if thou hadst no grace at all. Its true, weak grace will bring thy soul to heaven, but its only strong grace which will bring heaven into thy soul. Little grace is like a little mote, which is not seen because it is little. Little grace is as it were no grace, as that man in the Gospel, he calls his faith unbelief;2 Lord (says he) help my unbelief. Weakness of grace makes mens persuasions of Gods love to be presumption, their zeal to be lukewarmness, their grace to be but gifts, and (as here) their faith to be but unbelief. It is strong grace which gives gladness of heart, and hope in God; therefore says Jeremiah, My strength, 3and my hope is perished from the Lord. When strength in grace decays, there hope & comfort decays also. It is the Apostles prayer in the Inscription ⟨p. 79⟩of many of his Epistles, that grace and peace may be multiplied: If therefore you do not increase your graces, you will neither increase nor keep your comforts. He that lacketh these things is blind (says the Apostle Peter) and he cannot see afar off; 4it is not meant of a total lack of grace, (as hath been shown) for as after is expressed, he is purged from his old sins, though he forgets it, having lost the sense of pardon for want of adding grace to grace.—
3. Though thou canst not lose the being of thy grace,1 yet thou wilt lose the comfort of it, and thou mayest be in as much trouble and perplexity as if thou hadst no grace at all. Its true, weak grace will bring thy soul to heaven, but its onely strong grace which will bring heaven into thy soule. Little grace is like a little mote, which is not seen because it is little. Little grace is as it were no grace, as that man in the Gospel, he cals his faith unbeliefe;2 Lord (sayes he) help my unbeliefe. Weaknesse of grace makes mens perswasions of Gods love to be presumption, their zeale to be lukewarmnesse, their grace to be but gifts, and (as here) their faith to be but unbeliefe. It is strong grace which gives gladnesse of heart, and hope in God; therefore saies Jeremy, My strength, 3and my hope is perished from the Lord. When strength in grace decayes, there hope & comfort decayes also. It is the Apostles prayer in the Inscription ⟨p. 79⟩of many of his Epistles, that grace and peace may be multiplied: If therefore you doe not increase your graces, you wil neither increase nor keep your comforts. He that lacketh these things is blind (sayes the Apostle Peter) and he cannot see afar off; 4it is not meant of a total lack of grace, (as hath been shewn) for as after is expressed, he is purged from his old sins, though he forgets it, having lost the sense of pardon for want of adding grace to grace.—
- 13
- 2Mar. 9. 24.
- 3Lam. 3. 18.
- 42 Pet. 1. 9.
