S e c a. I I. True Signs of Gratc). 87 theretobe feen, whofe heads are biggerthen alltheir bodies? and fothe by pocrite with h.is partialobedience Phu with his feverall as of reformation, Herod withhis many thingshe did,yet engreafednot ingrace, becaufe here wasnot an a- niforni proportion inall. 3. In growth thoughevery part dogrow aswell as theother, yet net equall to the other ; ague' but noteequalitérr. This isthat anifirmiterdifformiter, as the Phi- lofophers fpeakof fo much, and Eph.4. The Apoflle fpeaks of the particular mea- lure of grace futeable to.everypart, (o that theeye groweth with the nourifhment peculiarto theeye ; the hand with nourifhment peculiar to the hand, and fo one part needethnot fo much nourifhment asanother, hecaufe it is not togrow fo big asanother : and this is diligently tobe noted, for where there is true grace, there is a pecaliar encreafeofgrace, according to the relation thou art in: If a Magi- (lrate, in the graces of a Magillrate, if a Minifler,in the graces of a Minißet, If a husband, a childe, a fervent, in the graces fumble to thofè relations : and again, this is alto for comfort, becaufe many of Gods fervants are troubled, as if they bad nograce, becaufe they havenot fo much as others ; They have not fachan ex- cellent temperas Paul and Davidhad, they cannot finde themfelves able to doe fuch things as they did, and therefore they doubt of their grace, but this is as if the littlefinger should think it doch not grow, becaufe it is not as big as the arm or leg. Every member in Chrills bodybath not the fame occultons, is nor under fomany obligations, funds not in fach particularrelations as others do r and there- fore theperfonall gracesof the one do farce tranfcend the other, infomuch that Mate are dwarfs, and others gyants, force are babes and others are thong men. ., Whereas in natural! growth there is a terminus prefixedboth for the time, and dimenfions, infomuch that when there is an arrival) to !uch a Mature and age, they grow no more; there is nutrition alwaies but not augmentation ; Nature bathher maximumquedfc, beyond which the movech not : but now it is not fo in the wayofgrace; For there we cannot attain to any fesch degree of grace, but fiat there isalarge roomfir more ; and it is ourlinneifwepreffenotforwardtoac- tain it, Phil.3. Paul didjrget all that was behinde, and did kola,,,, andóuac+e.P ear- nefilyparse and endeavour after that belrehim. leis true indeed, God bath ap- pointedto every man that meafure of grace he !hall receive in this life ; yet not fo,bat that it is his duty todo more, even as much as rhoperfeft Lawof God re- quireth, fothat here is no time to thud [till. Thy faith, ought to be greater and flronger, there is'ao grace in thee but it might be better i Thou canti never fay of thyfprrituall good things, as Dives of histemporal! ; Soul, mks thy eafe, thou haft enough laidup inFiorefor thee. y. In naturall growth, the progrelfe is carried on by naturali ffrength, with the generall concourfe of Gods providence. But in this fpirituall progreffe, the en- creafe is ofGod. At our fill converfionwe being wholly dead infinne, God puts intous fupernaturallprinciples ofgrace, wherein man is not cooperany but meet- ly a fabledrecipient, but afterwards theheart of man being enlivened and healed thusby grace, hedoth cooperatewith the graceof God, yet fo as that a further degreeof any grace is wrought by God : Hence he is laid in thofe that are alrea. dyconvertedsoworhjhe well and thedeed, and that good man praied'to God to encreafe his grace, andGods promifes are alto frequent in the Scripture, to com- pleat andperf itthat gracealready began is us. God doth not beleeve or repent in us, thefe flow immediatly and formally from a man regenerated, but Gods grace doth efficiently excite and flitup thewill to do there good aftions: hence it is that when the peopleof God have through negligence or any corruption grieved the (pair, thatdoch forfake him, and fo his Saonegoeth many degrees backward; for that atfertion is nowaies ju[lifiable, that a godly man cannot fallfromanydegree ofhis grace ; for its plainDavid did, who therefore praieth to have it new heart ereatedinhim; widths Cbarshis blamedfirpilausfrom herfrß love, and fo is com- manded
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