Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

Now that you may know the better what this strength is, you must first inquire what weakness is, now by weakness we do not mean weakness before a man be converted, for that cannot so properly be called weakness as wickedness, and therefore know that this weakness which the Apostle speaks of here, which is proper unto Christians is of two sorts.

Now that you may know the better what this strength is, you must first inquire what weakness is, now by weakness we doe not mean weakness before a man be converted, for that cannot so properly be called weakness as wickedness, and therefore know that this weakness which the Apostle speaks of here, which is proper unto Christians is of two sorts.

The First is weakness or a small measure of grace, as in 1 Cor. 3. 1. That is those that are weak in knowledge and habes in Christ.

The Second kind of weakness is this, when one that ¹hath been strong is now fallen sick and weak, that is, he is fallen into a consumption of grace, so that he cannot use his strength and his grace as formerly he could. Now those that are weak in the first kind they grow stronger and stronger, but they that are weak in the second way they grow weaker and weaker, therefore if there be any here that are such that have made profession of Christ, but now are fallen unto the love of the world, that were once lively and quickly to good duties, but are now backward and cool, my counsel to them shall be the ⟨p. 42⟩same which Christ gives to the Church of Ephesus in the