Head If. Gro·wt,; in Grac~•. t!JingJ, which ~ iJ the head, Eph. iv. tr. 1"' he ·growing Chtiftian ,g-rows propottionably in all the parts of the new– man. / tfnder the kindly influences of the fui'J of rig·h.teonf mj.f, .believers grq,;w up a/_cah'n ~f the flail, .· M~l. iv. 2. 'Et: \V\)llld think if a monHrous growth, in thefe creatures~ if ye faw theiir heads grow, and not their bodies, or i( ye ·faw one Ieg g.ro w~ and anot9er net; if all the parts do l'lot grow propnrtionably. Ay, but fuch ·i!i the growt-h of many in religion._ They grow like ricketty child r~n, wha have a big head, br;t a !1enderbody ·: they get moreknoW'- 1edge into their heads, but no more hoiinefs into their he arts and lives. They grow very hot outwardly, but very c'Oid inwardly; li~e men in a fit of the ague. They are ruore taken up abont the ex ternaLs of religion, rhan fhrmer* ly ; yet as great fl:rangers to the power of godlinefs as e– ver' . If a garden is watered with the hand. fome of the pJ'antswill re-adily 9,et much, fome little, and fame no \Jarer 1 • a,t ·aB; and therefore fome wither, while others are corn· ing forward; l ut after a fhower from 'the clouds, aiJ (.'ome for\vard to,gether. In like manr:Jer ail the graces of the s·pirit)grow proportionably, by the fpecial influences of di– vine grace. The brandtes ingrafted in ChriH, growing a- • ~right, d'o grow in all the· feveral ' ways of-growth at once. 1.""hey growin.ward, growing intoChrift, (Eph.iv.t5 uoi· red nrore clofely with him; and cleaving more firmly to ,him· as the head ' of influences which is the lpring of all other ttue Chrif11an growth. 'they grow outward. in good w~ · ~ k's ih their life and ,corwerfation rt.ey not on!y,with Nap.hta!i, g~vegood/ywordJ ·; but like J~(eph, they are fruitful houghJ; · They grow upward in heavenly-mindedne(o;, a'nd contemp~ of the.. world ; fon t.lYei-r •converfation iJ iiz h'eawn, Phiiip. iii. 20. And 'final!y, th,ey grow do'Vmward , in humility and · f'elf·lotbing. The branches of 'the largell g'rowth in Chrift, are., in th'eir own eye~. 'ie/i th(n~ tf.e leajlof/aitJtJ. Eoh. i1'i. 8 'The chifr of jinnen, 1 Tim i . . J 5. .More hru;ij/; . tha'lz anj man Prov xxx . 2 They fee, .they can do nu– th ipg; n:. not fo much <is to think cin_r thing, ar of thc1112-: Jelt•eJ, 2 Cor. iii. ) . tha·t they deferve nothing, bt:"ng not·:_. <1JJ?rthy fff the leall of a!! .the mercin fhewtcl untr f.;~m, GeP · \Xxi · . ) 0. an~-i the~ an nothing . 2 Cor . xii' !2. fiji~th benefit is fruitfulnejJ, The branch iografted in-: X: 3 to
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