A89503:1135
A Practical Commentary on the Epistle of Jude
A practical commentary, or An exposition with notes on the Epistle of Jude. Delivered (for the most part) in sundry weekly lectures at Stoke-Newington in Middlesex. By Thomas Manton, B.D. and minister of Covent-Garden.
London: printed by J.M. for Luke Fawn, 1658
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
But now the decay of love is seen in two things. 1. The remission of the degrees of love. 2. The intermission of the acts of love.
1. A remission of the degrees when the heart groweth cold, listless, and loose; when there is not such a strong tendency and bent of soul towards God as formerly, not such ⟨p. 520⟩a sense of unkindness, such an awful respect to God, a care to please him, and desire to enjoy him; nor such complacency and delight in the thoughts of God; but now every loss or abatement of degree doth not mount to a leaving of our first love, there are certain ravishments and transports of soul, which we feel upon the first evidence of our being reconciled to God, or are stirred up upon there special occasions; these are accidental overflowings, which may come and go, we cannot always bear up under them, new things strangely affect us, love is afterward more settled and d•ffused in the channels of obedience, and therefore no wonder if it do not run with so full a•yd• and current; this remission of degrees then must be understood with respect to these constant dispositions of love, as care to please, fear to offend, desire of, and delight in God, when these fail as to any degree, love is a chilling or growing cold.
1. A remission of the degrees when the heart groweth cold, listless, and loose; when there is not such a strong tendency and bent of soul towards God as formerly, not such ⟨p. 520⟩a sense of unkindness, such an awful respect to God, a care to please him, and desire to enjoy him; nor such complacency and delight in the thoughts of God; but now every loss or abatement of degree doth not mount to a leaving of our first love, there are certain ravishments and transports of soul, which we feel upon the first evidence of our being reconciled to God, or are stirred up upon ther special occasions; these are accidental overflowings, which may come and go, we cannot always bear up under them, new things strangely affect us, love is afterward more settled and dffused in the channels of obedience, and therefore no wonder if it do not run with so full ayd and current; this remission of degrees then must be understood with respect to these constant dispositions of love, as care to please, fear to offend, desire of, and delight in God, when these fail as to any degree, love is a chilling or growing cold.