A49244:512
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 12: XII. Sermon At Lawrence Jury, London. April 20, 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.
1. As grace strengthens, corruption weakens.1 It is with grace and lusts as it was with the house of Saul and the house of David. As Davids house grew stronger and stronger, so Sauls house grew weaker and weaker. As the Ark was set up, Dagon was thrown down; the Dagon of corruption will be thrown down before the Ark of grace, and ⟨p. 154⟩the Ark of the Covenant; But gifts may strengthen, and yet corruptions never the weaker. Indeed gifts discover corruption, but we are not able to mortify and subdue it. Gifts discover many corruptions, but mortify none. Gifts take a cognizance of many a sin, but never put a period to any. Men that have gifts are resembled to the Moon, and men that have grace are resembled to the Sun; the Moon hath an influence upon the water to make that move; to ebb and flow: the Moon sheds light upon all creatures, but no heat, to make those creatures grow and spring: So a man of gifts may have light, but no heat to those gifts to make grace to grow, and make sin to fade and wither. Gracious men are like the Sun, that doth not only give light but heat, by the influence thereof things spring and grow out of the earth;2 the great parts of a gifted man, often occasionally strengthen his corruptions, but do not weaken them, Augustine could say, Ignorant and illiterate man, they take heaven; when others with all their Scholarship go to hell.
1. As grace strengthens, corruption weakens.1 It is with grace and lusts as it was with the house of Saul and the house of David. As Davids house grew stronger and stronger, so Sauls house grew weaker and weaker. As the Ark was set up, Dagon was throwne down; the Dagon of corruption will be thrown down before the Ark of grace, and ⟨p. 154⟩the Ark of the Covenant; But gifts may strengthen, and yet corruptions never the weaker. Indeed gifts discover corruption, but we are not able to mortifie and subdue it. Gifts discover many corruptions, but mortifie none. Gifts take a cognizance of many a sin, but never put a period to any. Men that have gifts are resembled to the Moon, and men that have grace are resembled to the Sun; the Moon hath an influence upon the water to make that move; to ebbe and flow: the Moon sheds light upon all creatures, but no heat, to make those creatures grow and spring: So a man of gifts may have light, but no heat to those gifts to make grace to grow, and make sin to fade and wither. Gracious men are like the Sun, that doth not only give light but heat, by the influence thereof things spring and grow out of the earth;