Head II. Growth in Grace.. ¥3 grafted -into a flock never gr'Ows, i-t is a p!ain evidence of · its nol having knit _with the frock. , -..... But fome m·ay,perhaps fay, lfall trueChrifiia1J_.J begt a.:w .. ing onet, what /hall be faid of theft, who in/lead ofgrow– i ng, aregoing back? I anfwer, tfl, There is a great dif· feren ce between the Chrifiian 's growing firoply, ~ and his growin g at all times. £\I! t rue Chrifiians do grow, but I do not fay, t hey grow at all times. A tree that has life and nourilbment, grows to its pe.rfeaion, yet it is not always gro.wing; it grows not in the winter. Chrifiians, a\fo have – their ·:~r ioters, wherein the intluences of grace, neceiT.try for gr.ow th are ceafed, Cant . v. 2. I jleep. It is by faith, the believer d.erives gracious influences from Jefus Chrifl:; likeas each lamp in the candlefhck received oil from the bowl ' by the pipe g.oing betwixt them, Zech. iv. 2. -Now, if that pipe be fiopt, if the faints faith iie dormant and unaCl:ive; then all the refl: of -the graces wi~l become dim ; an,d feem - ready to be _extinguifued. _In confequence whereof; depra– ved nature will gat her fheng th, and become aCl:i11e·. What then will become of the fou:l ?, Why, the?e is fii!I one fure ground of hope . The faint's faith is not as the hypoc.rite's, like a·pipe laiq fhryrt of the fourltain ; wbereb"y there·can be rto conveyance: it fl:ill remains a bond of union betwixt Chri!l: and the foul; and therefore, becaufe ChriflliveJ, the believer }hall live alfo, John xiv 19• The Lord . Jefus f4..tts in hi! ha1_1d'bfthe h>;/e ofthe door, and clears the means of conveyance : and then influences for growth flow, and t-he believer's gra-ces look fre!h and green again, Hof xiv. 7. They that dwd/ under his jhado·vJfh ,:dl return; they jha/1 r-evive as the corn, and grow aJ ·the v /ne. In the wor!l of times, the faints have aprin~-·iple ofgrowth in them, 1 Joha iii :'"· His /Nd remaineth"in him. i\od therefore afte•r de– cays they rev rve again; namely, when the winter is over,and the fun of righteoufize(rreturos to th em with his warm infhl· ences . Ylud thrown into a pool may lie the1e a. eafe; but if it be cafl im:o a' fOUt'ltain, the fpring will at length work it out, and run ciear as formerly . 2dly, ChriHians may· mif~ t«ke their grovtth ; and that two ways. ( 1.) By judging of their cafe according to their pre(ent feeling They ob t..erv-e - themfelve~, and cannot perceive t~ f mfelves to be grow·fng :.. b~t there is .no reafon the11ce to conclude they ·are not g ow-• X 2 ing,
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