3tl)t JLotil.S ~upper. SECT. I 3· Examinatiun ofthe growth ufgrace. :-· ' T He truth of Graces thus found out; In the lafl: place examine we the grum/, uj M,.,!:_, 4· 27,.' Graces: Tme qrace is *growing grace, and if a man grow, it will appear by * 1k_now,a r f h r fi ."' Clmfli•n may 10me o t e.e . 1gns ~ . . . . . . haw hu wmta cfafflt!fto,, temptatloll, jptmual d~fr:~uon ' af!dtn rhu ~tnt:·r ht• tn") rar.hcr drc!ine l/ut11 !!row; bur if he do not for the prefent a~tullVJ grow,yt:t he I( epab tJprwClple of germtn!ltlo-n m Inm, a d'frofirur, 1md rndm,mon •o ,row ; wiJ{cfl upon the return of the Spirit p1tts jorrh Jl /elf : ''Veil .1.t the t:4c; though in wimer ~r d' 1111 'row;}..:t it h.,tb il g:rmin111i 11 gp1 in~ cipfe in ir; n:hrcbupoo t!Je ret~rn of tlu Su11; mrd the rijing ojtiJt: fap; jh::ws fmh 11 j 4 ·1f. 2 Pet. 2.1,2. ]l.om.q.f E.pb. ~. 12 . r. By his outward appearance; not that he can fee himfelf grow, b.ut that he may d1fcern 1t (as the corn that fpnngs & grows up) after fomenme, when he 1sgrown irr Knowledge &·Faith, &c•. or if he cannot finde a gro:vth up:vard in joy, pe1ce,tri~mph of fpmt; yet !~t h1m fee 1fhe grow not downward mhun:uiJty, hungrmg, mourning, zeal : and let hm1 fee 1fall grace be not more and more radJcated,and c~mfirmed in him. 2. By his appetite to hts fpiritual food: You ngmen have better llomacks then old men, bccaufe they arc growing; and a gracious fpirit hath ever an appetite or defire after fpiritual dainties. 3. By his growth of aimes; what poth he propofe to himfclf? will not fmall things content him? then his appetite is grown; the more manlywe grow,thc more manly our aih1s are . See how the Apoll:le calls this growth of aimes perfeC/iu.n, Phi!. 3. r 5. 4· By his fpiritnalllrength; a Chrillian is at firll,•eak., but if he grow,he is llrongcr and ftronger,till at lafl: he can wrellle with a fpiritual enemy,with lutfs and cqrruptions, . Puwers and Principalities, and get the maftery over them. 5. By the reality, and conllancy of his affections, and cndcavoors ; a Chrillian is not always to judge of himfelfby his prefcnt proficiency,but by his dcfires,and cudeavours after it; thus God judgeth, not according to what he is, but would be ' defires after growth, if real, aud con!l:ant, putting forth.themfelves in anfwerable endeavours, may yet evidence to the foul the truth of growth, in want of better performances. To this duty of Examint<tion, others adde Excitatiun, as thus, There mull be a new exciting of Faith, and Repentance, and Luve, and uf defires afur the Ordinances; but of that more fully in the Ordinance itfclf. SE C T. I+. Ofthe duties i11 Sacrament; ufthe e,•w·tifc of Repentance. 1 Hus far of the duties btfore Sacr,.mmt : now follow the duties in the time ufthe Sacrament ; viz.. The exercife of our Graces, I mean fuch graces as are futable to the quailty and nature of the Sacrament, as Repentance,and Faith, andThanft..!giving, and Luve, and Charity. The firfl: of thefe Graces, which mufl: be fl:irred up or cxercifcd, is Repentance: Aqd this will be actuated, if we confider Gods love in Chrill, and Chrills farrows and fuf– feri9gs for fin : There are many things in the Ordinance, 'which if but looked uport \i,ith the eye of faith, will open all the fprings of true fpiritual forrow, or Repentance in thefoul, but we name only thefe two particulars: I. Here is a difcovery of the love and fweetnefs of God in giving his Son to dye for us: So Uod luved the wurld, that he gave his unely begutten Son, c>-c. enough to caufe us to 010\Hn that ever we offende1:1: 0 that Gudjhuuld be mure tender tu m, than to his Son, mtJParing his Sun, that he might ff"re m ; give him to dp, that we might live, pour the cu~je upun him, that the bleJ!ing tmght be puured upun t#: Whu can thmk_on thu, and withhuldfrom rears! . . . • 2. Hereis prefented to us the fuffermgs and breakmgs ef Chnll, enough to break our hardell: hearts: ----- Confider them----- . I. In themfelves: What breakings, woundings, fcourges, crownings, piercings, did he endure in his body? what conflicts, ll:rtiglings with the wrath of God, tcrrours ofhell? what wcight,burden,wrath,did he undergo,. wh;n his foul was heavy untu death, when he drank that bitter cup, that cup mmgled With cu.rfcs, w~1ch 1f man or Angel had but fipt of, it would have funk them into Hell?. nay, 1t m~de h1m who was God as well as man, fanctified with the Spirit, fupportcd w1th the Deity,comforted by Angels, fweat fuch ~ fwcat, as neve/r Illan fwet,drups, very cluds.ufbluud t 2. In
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