A49244:382
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 9: IX. Sermon at Lawrence Jury London. April 6. 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.
4. Strong Christians are apt to put too much duty and task upon the weak.— Johns disciples failed in this towards the disciples of Christ about fasting.1 Strong Christians should deal tenderly with the weak, they should excuse their failings, conceal their weaknesses, commend their performances, cherish their forwardness, resolve their doubts, bear their burdens, and hereby make the way of Religion to be ⟨p. 110⟩lovely and amiable to them, whereas by their too much austerity the weak are disheartened at their first entrance.
4. Strong Christians are apt to put too much duty and task upon the weak.— Johns disciples failed in this towards the disciples of Christ about fasting.1 Strong Christians should deal tenderly with the weak, they should excuse their failings, conceale their weaknesses, commend their performances, cherish their forwardnesse, resolve their doubts, bear their burdens, and hereby make the way of Religion to be ⟨p. 110⟩lovely and amiable to them, whereas by their too much austerity the weak are disheartned at their first entrance.
5. To be content with measures of grace. How apt are they that have grace to say in one sense, as he said in another, Soul, take thine ease, 1thou hast goods laid up for many years; and hereupon many grow slack and careless in holy duties, and do not improve ordinances for the increase of their graces. The best of Christians are apt to fall into this satiety, then which nothing can be more prejudicial to the soul. The devil tempts those that have but a little grace to think they have none, and those that have more grace to think they have enough. The best are apt to mistake themselves in this, to think that there is a just dimension and full growth of grace attainable in this life: Whereas indeed the best improvement of having much grace, is to desire more, and not to be satisfied with any measure of grace till we come to a perfect man,