A49244:522
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 13: XIII. 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. It is your wisdom to look more after the truth of your grace, then after the measure of it. It is an error in many Christians, especially young Converts, that they bring their graces rather to the balance then to the touch-stone,1 they weigh them when they should try them. Peter being asked by Christ, Simon, l•v•st thou me more then these? he answers not about the measure of his love, but about the truth of his love, Lord, I love thee, and thou knowest that I love thee. It is not the quantity or measure, but the nature and essence ⟨p. 158⟩of grace, which is mainly considerable. If thou hast grace in truth and reality, it will increase; be sure thy grace be right, and as the light shineth more and more to the perfect day, and as the nature of the leaven is, that it doth spread through the whole lump, so is grace, it is of a spreading and increasing nature; and therefore be careful thy grace for nature and for essence be true, and for the measure of it, it will then increase.
1. It is your wisdom to looke more after the truth of your grace, then after the measure of it. It is an errour in many Christians, especially young Converts, that they bring their graces rather to the ballance then to the touch-stone,1 they weigh them when they should try them. Peter being asked by Christ, Simon, l•v•st thou me more then these? he answers not about the measure of his love, but about the truth of his love, Lord, I love thee, and thou knowest that I love thee. It is not the quantity or measure, but the nature and essence ⟨p. 158⟩of grace, which is mainly considerable. If thou hast grace in truth and reality, it will encrease; be sure thy grace be right, and as the light shineth more and more to the perfect day, and as the nature of the leaven is, that it doth spread through the whole lump, so is grace, it is of a spreading and encreasing nature; and therefore be carefull thy grace for nature and for essence be true, and for the measure of it, it wil then encrease.