of Chrifi in all Belavers. grows into Chrift ; and fo, the more he grows off from Himfelf, and hisown Righteoufnefs. Secondly. Do ye not find, that ye are leffe fiibje& to be a. offended now than heretoforeye were ? When a man is in the Rate ofNature, and in Spiritual death , then he is apt to be offended againtt all aEtionS3-again it the good way of God,and the peopleofGod ; This is your Godlinefs,thefe are your Profefiors, and they are all fo : very apt to be of- fended. When a man is converted and turn'd toGod ; while he is weak in grace,he is apt to fturnble,and to be of- fended; but the stronger he grows in grace, the leffe he will be offended. Thirdly. Whether do ye notgrowmoreoff from the 3. youthfull things that godly men do look unto ? I fay, the things that the youthfulnefs of godlinefs is taken much with Ye know, that Youth is taken with manythings that the nate ofman isnot. A child, a little child is ta- ken withBabies, and with Rattles, and with Gales ; and when it grows bigger to eight,nine, or ten years old, 'tis to ken with other things; and as the childgrowes into a man, fo he grows offfrom thofe childifh, and youthfull things. There are fome things,that the youth of godlines is taken withall; as, taken muchwith expreffions in Prayer, and Duty, and Hearing the Word ; and taken muchwith the Sence & feeling ofGods love; (this is good) & theycannot live without it. But when a man grows intomore ftrength ofgrace,then he growsoff from thefe things that the youth of godlinefs is taken withal, and he is more able to live without them ; heretofore hecould, not live without fuch an expreffion in Duty,and he could not live by faith alone: but now, when oncehe grows to a man in grace, he is more grown offfrom that which theyouthof godlines is taken withall. Now upon all thefe things, I appeal to ye, who ever ye are that makes this Objettion,and fay, Ye cannot grow in grace,ancl therfore affraid that ye arebut the pain- ted child ofGod, and not the livingchild of God : the,r do ye not find,that ye are moregrown off from thofe things;:
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