A. G. What need have we to grow in grace. There is still something lacking in our faith, 1 Thess. iii. 10. (irace is but in its infancy and minority, and we must still be adding a ciil)it to onr sjiiritiial stature; the apostles said, " Lord increase our faith," Luke xvii. 5. (irace is but weak, 2 Sam. iii. 39., " I am this day weak, thoufih a- nointed king." So, though we arc anoint- ed with grace, yet we are but weak, and had need arrive at further degrees of sanc- tity.
//. 7. The growth of grace will hinder the growth of corrujjtion. The more health grows, the more the distempers of the body abate; so it is in spiritnals, — the more Im- mility grows, the more tlie swrllii:g of i)rido is assuaged, — the more purity of heart grows, tlie more the fire of lust is abated.
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OF GROWTH IN GRACE.
Tlie ^rowtfi of flowers in the garden cloth not liinder tlie growing of weeds, hut tlie growing of this flower of grace liinders the Bproiiting of corruption. As some plants have an antipatliy, and will not thrive if they grow near together, as the vine and the hay tree : so, where grace gi'ows, sin will not thrive so fast.
A. 8. We cannot grow too much in grace : there is no nimium, — no excess there. The hody may gi-ow too great, as in the dropsy ; but faitli cannot grow too great, 2 Tliess. i. 3., " Your faith groweth ex- ceedingly ;" here was exceeding, yet not excess. As a man cannot have too much health, so not too much grace. Grace is the heauty of holiness, Ps. ex. 3. We can- not have too much sjnritual beauty ; it will be the only trouble at death, that we have grown no more in grace.
A. 9. Such as do not grow in grace, de- cay in grace. Non progredi in via est re- gredi, Bern. There is no standing at a stay in religion, either we go forward or backward ; if faith doth not grow, unbe- lief will ; if heavenly mindedness doth not grow, covetousncss will. A man that doth not increase his stock, diminisheth it; if you do not improve your stock of grace, your stock will decay. The angels on Ja- cob's ladder were either ascending or de- scending ; if you do not ascend in religion, you descend.
A. 10. The more we grow in grace, the more we shall flourish in glory. Though every vessel of glory shall be full, yet some vessels hold more ; he whose pound gained ten, was made ruler over ten cities, Luke XIX. 17. Such as do not grow much, though they do not lose their glory, yet they lessen their glory. If any shall follow tlie Lamb in whiter and larger robes of glory than others, thc^y shall be such as have shone most in grace here.
Use. Lament we may the want of growth : religion in many is grown only into a form and profession : this is to grow in leaves, not in fruit. Many Christians aw) like a body in an atrophy, which doth not thrive; thev are not nourished bv the scm-ukuis tliev hear; like the angels who assumed Ijodics, tlicy did eat, but did not grow It is very suspicious where there is no growth, there
wants a vital principle. Some instead of growing better, grow worse : they grow more earthly, more profane, 2 Tim. iii. 13. Evil men proficient iv pejus,- ' shall wax worse and worse.' Many grow hell ward, — they grow past shame, Eph. ii. 3, 5,- — they are like some watered stuff's, which grow more rotten.
Quest. 5. How shall ice knoiv xvhether we grow in grace ?
Ans. For the deciding of this question, I shall, First, Shew the signs of our not growing; Secondly, Of our growing.
\st, The signs of our not growing in grace, but rather falling into a spiritual consumption.
Sign 1. Wlien Ave have lost our spiritual appetite. A consumptive person hath not that stomach to his medt as formerly. Per- haps, Christian, thou canst remember the time when thou didst hunger and thirst af- ter righteousness, thou didst come to the ordinances with such a stomach as to a feast, but now it is otherwise, Christ is not so prized, nor his ordinances so loved: a sad presage, grace is on the declining hand, — thou art in a deep consumption. A sign David was near his grave, when he covered him with clothes, and got no heat, 1 Kings i. 1.: so, when a person is plied with hot clothes, I mean ordinances, yet he hath no heat of afi'ection to spiritual things, this is a sign he is declining in grace.
Sign 2. When Ave groAV more Avorldly. Perhaps once Ave AA^ere mounted into higher orbs, — AA'e did set our liearts on things aboA'c, and speak the language of Canaan, — but noAV our minds are taken oft' heaven, Ave dig our comfort out of these lower mines, and Avith Satan comjiass the earth t a sign Ave are going down the hill apace, and our grace is in a consumption. It is observable AA-hen nature decays, and people are near dying, they groAV more stooping; and truly, Avhen men's hearts ^row more stooping to the earth, and they can hardly lift up themselA'es to an heavenly thought, if grace be not dead, yet it is ready to die, ReA'. iii. 2.