A49244:318
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.
Sermon 7: VII. Sermon at Lawrence Jury London. March 30. 1651.
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.
2. Caution is,1 to prevent mistakes of those who are apt to judge themselves weak in grace, when indeed they are strong in grace.
- 12. Caution.
1. Because thou hast not perfection of grace, do not therefore conclude thou hast not strength of grace. Truth of grace is one thing, and strength of grace is another; so strength of grace is one thing, and perfection of grace is another. You must stay for perfection till you come to heaven; it is there only, where the spirits of just men are made perfect. 1It is a witty observation that one hath; In Grammar (saith he) the Present tense is accompanied with the Preter-imperfect tense, but the Future with the Preter-pluperfect tense. Even such is our present state of grace, it's accompanied with imperfections;—but our future shall be more then perfect;2 There is no Perfection here. There is not a just man on earth that doth good, 3and sinneth not, (saith Solomon) Who can say, I have made my heart clean? If I wash my hands with snow-water, (saith Job) and make my self never so clean; yet shalt thou ⟨p. 89⟩plunge me in the ditch, and my own clothes shall abhor me. i.e. Though I have by Regeneration some grace, yet all my defilements shall never in this life be put away. In the Prophecy of Zechariah we have the Lord speaking thus: I will refine them as silver, and well try them as gold is tried; and yet in the Prophet Isaiah God saith,4 I have refined thee, but not with silver;