86 Trne Signs dfGrace. S á é T. I I; ing the foundationofgodlineffe in the peoples hearts, but for fuperflru &ion ; and oh that the Miniftersof God could fee this glorious effe&. What hall thou been more in(ttufted in i wherein haft thou been more quickned up to god lrne fe Croce thou haft enjoyedthe Miniflery? Oh (beloved ) if Chrifl fhould come and lookup. on our perfons, families; may he not curieus with the figtrees curfe,never fruitgrw on you ? KnowGod is not only angry with thee in the flareof fin and love thereof; but alío with the coldneffe, Iukewarmneffe, that thou hall not thriven and . crealed more inevery grace. Hence are thofe manifold exhortations to this duty, 2 Pet.3, t8, t Pet.2,2. fo that the bleffing which God gave at Eft to the creatùres, encreafeand multiply, is efpecially to befeen in the new creature. 2. As growth is thus neceffary, fo it caz onlybe wh:re there is.sn inward princi. ple oflift pre.exiïbcnt. Nothing growech but what hatheither a vegetative, fend. clue, or rationall life in it. Rowl a foow-ball up and down, though you make it much bigger, yet it doth not grow, becaufe it is by extra- addition, not by intra. reception. An houfe made larger and bigger, yet do (hootgrow, becaufe here is no vital) principle within. By this means a civill man, a formals man, a temporary beleever, he cannot grow fptritually, becaufe he doth not live fpirirsalty. There may be indeeda growth in knowledge, parts, inlargements, and duties, but this doth not prove a true growth. Theftfproutings are not from internal! union with Chrifi, but ale outwardly ina common way bellowed by Chrift upon them. As in a field of corn, the weeds have a better flourifhing then in a barren wilder neffe, yet the husbandman was not at all that coiland charges tohave weeds come up, butcorn ; fo Chriil diednot, or let his Officers in the Church to furnifh the wicked with anyabilities, but yetliving inhis Church, they partakeof feveralpsi- viledgesbyhim, which yet werenot the chief intent of his death t fo then, there only is a fupernaturall growth, where there is a fupernaturall life, and as you fee the pi&ureof a childe, it will nevercome up to be a man, becaufe it is a picture only, there is no life; fo inany man, thatbath only a formof godlinelfe, not feel- ing the power ofit ; heis !till upon the fame hinges wh:: re he was, he goeth on in the circleof duties, prayeth ashe did, cometh to Church as he ; but if you en- quire for encreafe, Haft thou more faith? more communion and fellowfhip with God ? doll thoupartake of more vertue and efficacy from him ? herein they are wholly ignorant. Oh that we who delire better times, better trading, better feeling, did altodeliire, betterbeleeving, better mortification ; but this caunor be unleffe there be tome great work of God within firtt. As he Paid to his picture which he would fain have had flood, and it would nor, éeler si Ai, there wants fomerhing within, life within; foclay we fay,thou praieft, thouheareft, thou pro- felicfì, but there wants fomethíag within; till grace be infufed, is cannot in Eby converfacion bediffuted, It mull be flied in thy heart before it can be Usedabroad in thy life. 3. As growth is alwayes upon a fuppofed principle within,fo it ieuuiformand aptly proportionable: as the Apatite ícnptycch inthat compaeifon, every part bath its proportionable nourifhmene, fo that in true growth ofgrace, every particular grace hath itsCurable encreafe, and herein the people of God are very negligent; if they grow inbeleeving, they do not the fame time grow in repentance and hu- miliation, if they grow in joy, they do not encreafe in fear and trembling. Thisis their weakrefleand corruption, for all true encreafe of grace is uniform. As in naturali bodies, every part growech, one as well as the other, the little finger as well as the great, whereas now if one parr prove bigger then in proportion it fhould to the other parts, we cali it not growth bur a difeale : a tympany, awen, arenot growth in the body, but turnouts, neither doe they come from a naturals life, but from tome accidentali deft& : fo then, if thou groweft in knowledge, in abilities, andnot in a pradlicall conformity to them, this is not properly growth, but Cwellings. And is not this the fad calamity of this age, men growing out into fuckers not intofruit, intoopinions, parts, not holineffe, howmanymonftera are there-
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