Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	christian_a	faith_n	life_n	1,074	5	4.4282	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41536	The tryall of a Christians growth in mortification, purging out corruption, or vivification, bringing forth more fruit a treatise handling this case, how to discerne our growth in grace : affording some helps rightly to judge thereof by resolving some tentations, clearing some mistakes, answering some questions, about spiritual growth : together with other observations upon the Parable of the vine, John 15. 1, 2 verses / by Tho. Goodwin.	Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.	1650 (1650)	Wing G1262; ESTC R10593	96,023	122

cannot be supposed that in every act a man hath such a distinct thought of recourse to Christ but at the beginning and entrance of greater actions he still hath such actings and exercise of faith And also often in the progresse he reneweth them and in the conclusion when he hath performed them he doth sanctifie Christ in his heart by ascribing the praise of all unto him If in the second place the question be Whether every true beleever doth from his first conversion thus distinctly and knowingly to himself fetch thus all power from Christ and doe all in him The answer is 1. That to all beleevers this principle of having recourse to Christ for acting their Sanctification may haply not presently be so distinctly revealed as it hath been to some this indeed is common and absolutely necessary to all beleevers to constitute and make them such namely that their faith should have recourse to Christ and to take him for their Salvation in the large and generall notion of it as it infolds all under it that is to be done to save them and thus many more ignorant doe when yet they have not learnt explicitely in every particular that concerneth their salvation to have frequently a distinct recourse unto him it is probable that these very Disciples of Christ who yet savingly beleeved had not this particular principle of bringing forth all their fruit of holinesse in Christ as their root untill this very time and Sermon whereby Christ enformed them in it so clearly revealed to them nor till then so clearly apprehended by them for ignorant they were of and negligent in having recourse to Christ in many other particulars and making use of him therein which are of as much concernment as this They had not so distinctly and explicitely as would seem put their prayers up in Christs name Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name John 16. 24. Neither had they so frequently exercised faith on Christ in all things as they had upon God Therefore John 14. 1. he calls upon them Ye beleeve in God beleeve also in me 2. Many sorts of principles beleevers hearts may secretly have been taught which also habitually they practice and yet they may be exceeding hidden and latent in them in respect of their own discerning them as was the case also of these Disciples John 14. 4. sayes Christ The way namely to heaven ye know and yet ver 5. Thomas sayes How can we know the way and then ver 7. Christ sayes of them againe that They knew him and the Father and yet ver 8. Philip again saith to him Lord shew us the Father speaking as if they were ignorant of him for Christ rebukes him ver 9. and tels him he had both seen him and his Father Those principles of Atheisme and unbelief as those sayings in the heart that there is no God c. of which the Scriptures speak so much they are the principles that act and work all in men that are wicked and carnall and are the encouragers and counsellers to all the sins committed by them and yet they are least of all discerned by them of all other corruptions for they are seldome or never drawn forth into distinct propositions or actually thought upon but doe lie as common principles taken for granted and so do guide men in their wayes And thus it is and may be long with some of the contrary principles of faith they may act all secretly in the heart and yet not be discerned untill called forth by the ministery of the Word or some distinct information when it comes more distinctly to clear such a practice to them Neither 3. is union with Christ presently cleared up to all beleevers which whilst it is darkly and doubtfully apprehended by them Christs communication of his grace and strength to them in every action remains doubtfull also and is not discerned by them Of these Disciples Christ sayes John 14. 20. That in that day namely when they received the Comforter more fully of the promise of whom he there speaks they should know that they were in him and he in them But not so clearly was this as yet apprehended by them and so likewise that intercourse betwixt Christ and them both for grace and comfort c. was not so clearly discerned by them though continually maintained by him in dispensing all grace and power to them And yet 4. in the mean while take the lowest and poorest beleever and he doth these five things which put together is really and interpretatively a bringing forth their fruit in Christ though not in their apprehensions 1. In that their hearts are trained up in a continuall sensiblenes of their own insufficiencie and inability for any good thought or word as of themselves for poverty of spirit to see their own nothingnesse in this respect is the first Evangell grace Mat. 5. 1. and and if the contrary would arise in them to think through habituall grace alone received they were able of themselves to doe good it is checked soone and confuted by their owne experience both of their owne weaknesse being sure to be left to themselves as Peter was when confident in his own strength as also by those various blowings of the Spirit in them as he pleaseth with which when their sailes are filled they are able to doe any thing but when withdrawn they lay wind-bound though all habits of grace be hoyst up and ready and not able to move of themselves Now this principle of self emptinesse habitually to live by it no carnall heart in the world hath it or doth live by it And 2. for this assistance they are trained likewise up from the first to have a continuall dependance from a power from above without which they find they are able to do nothing to come from God and from the Spirit of Christ with a renunciation of themselves which implicitely is the same with this immediate intercourse with Christ and is really equivalent thereunto though they hit not at first haply on the right explicite notion thereof as having not been taught it by the Ministery of the Word or other wayes in that distinct manner that others doe and yet in honouring the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them they honour Christ who sends that Spirit into their hearts even as in honouring the Sonne Christ sayes that we honour the Father also although our thoughts may sometimes more distinctly be exercised towards one of the three Persons more then to another And thirdly when they are once taught from the Word that it is the duty of a Christian and part of the life of faith to live thus in Christ and to bring forth all in him and so come distinctly to apprehend this as requisite to a right bringing forth of fruit then their hearts instantly doe use to close with the truth of it as being most suitable and agreeable to that holy frame of their own spirits which

the first leaps more but goes as fast afterward Fifthly it is not increasing in outward professing and a seeming forward but especially in inward and substantiall godlinesse the other is but as increasing in leaves but in growth there must be a bringing forth more fruit When the root strikes not deeper downward and farther into the earth but spreads much upward in the branches this is not a true growth though look where there is more rooting there will be more spreading also above ground Growth it lies not in this That men should thinke of me above what I am indeed 2 Cor. 12. 6. Many at first grow into so great a profession as they cannot fill up and grow up to all their dayes make bigger cloathes then they can grow to fill As they say of Elephants that the skinne is as big at first as ever after and all their life time their flesh growes but up to fill their skinne up True growth begins at the vitalls the heart the liver the bloud gets soundnesse and vigour and so the whole man outwardly this heart Godlinesse is the thing you must judge by And yet sixtly even in inward affections many be deceived even there the party for Christ in appearance may be greater then in truth So often in a young Christian there is a greater army of affections mustered but most of them but mercenaries his affections are then larger his joyes greater his sorrowes violenter then afterwards More of his heart joynes in duties at first but afterwards though lesse yet more spiritually and truly The objects being then new draw all after them not onely Spirit or that new principle of grace is stirred then but flesh also The unregenerate part becomes a Temporary Beleever for a time hath a work upon it per redundantiam as an unregenerate man hath who is a Temporary which work on the unregenerate part doth decay as in Temporaries it doth and grows lesse not onely godly sorrow is stirred to mourne for sinne but carnall sorrow being awakned by Gods wrath joynes also and so makes the streame bigger Infidelity it selfe like Simon Magus for a while beleeves Whilst the things of grace are a wonder to a man as at first they are presumption joynes and eekes out faith a great party in the heart cleaves by flattery as the phrase is in Daniel and for by-ends which after some progresse fall off and faint in the way and those lusts that over and above their true mortification were further cast into a swoune begin againe to revive All this was resembled to us by the comming of the Children of Israel out of Egypt when by those plagues in Egypt and Moses his call not onely the Israelites but even many of the Egyptians were wrought upon and began out of self-love to feare the Lord Exod. 9. 20. and so a mixed multitude it is said went out with the Israelites Exod. 20. 38. to sacrifice to the Lord but ere long as Numb 11. 4. this mixt multitude began to murmur and to fall off So at a mans first setting out at his first conversion mixt carnall affections the unregenerate part through the newnesse of the objects and impression of Gods wrath and heavenly ravishments are wrought upon and goe out with the new Israel to sacrifice but after a while these fall away and then the number is lesse but the true Israelites may be encreased Hence it is that young Christians if they know their hearts complain more of hypocrysie and old Christians of deadnesse So in times of peace presumption eeks out faith and makes it seeme a great deale which in times of desertion and tryal falls off and then though the beleeving partie be lesse yet more sincere When the fire is first kindled there is more smoke even as much as fils the house but after the flame comes that contracts all into a narrow compasse and hath more heat in it So it is in young Christians their affections which Christ compares to the smoaking flax their joy in duties their sorrow for sinne their love of God is more but exceeding carnal the flame after though lesse growes purer and lesse mixt with vapours of corrupt self-love Seventhly we must not measure our bringing forth more fruit by one some kind or sort of duties but by our growth in godlinesse in the universall extent and latitude of it as it takes in and comprehendeth the duties of both callings generall and particular and all the duties of a Christian Thus it may be when grown up we are lesse in some sort of duties then we were when we were young Christians Haply we were more then in praying in fasting and reading and meditating yea spent the most if not the whole of our time in these But because now we spend lesse time in these we must not say therefore that we are fallen or decayed for there are many other duties to be done besides these which haply then we neglected but now make conscience of So that take all sorts of duties in the latitude of them and we may be growne more and do bring forth more fruit Perhaps we bring forth lesse fruit of some one kind then afore but if we be filled with all variety of fruits of the first and second table of our generall and particular callings this is to bring forth more fruit Men at their first conversion are necessitated often for to spend their whole time in such duties wherein they immediately draw nigh to God Paul then spent three whole dayes in fasting and prayer And then we allow them to doe it because their estates require it they want assurance and establishment they see grace to be that one thing necessary and therefore we give them leave to neglect all things for it they are new married to Christ and therefore they are not to be pressed to war the first yeare as I may so allude as for young marryed persons it was provided in Leviticus and parents and masters are to give allowance to such then in their travell of their new birth to lye in and not to be cruell to them in denying them more time then ordinary So also when they are in desertion which is a time of sicknesse and in sicknesse you allow your servants time from their work as the Church when she wanted her Beloved Cant. 3. 2. no wonder if she leaves all to seek him As your selves when you want a child or a servant you cry him in every street and leave all to find him as he left ninety nine to find one lost sheep And they then come new out of prison out of their naturall estate and out of the fresh apprehension of the wrath of God and therefore no wonder if they run so fast to haste out of it and salute none by the way stay to doe no businesse but when once they are gotten to the City of refuge then they fall about their businesse and callings againe Hence young Christians are

upon the heart much alter the taste but yet much of that alteration is adventitious and not wholly radicall or altering the sinfull faculty it selfe though it doth adde much that way yet not so much as they seeme to doe at that present the sense of that sweetnesse is fresh in his heart Now therefore to give an help or two to difference what is reall and true Mortification from this seeming listlesnesse and deadnesse to it First true mortification makes a man not onely listlesse to sinne but to have a quick hatred against it a hatred aiming at the destruction of it but false listlesnesse takes but the heart off it doth not set it against it how often are these yoaked together in Psal 119. I hate sinne and every false way with this Thy law doe I love the heart being quickned with love to God and to his Law is carried out against sinne and not onely taken off from it to have no mind to it but to have a mind against it to destroy it There is the same difference betweene mortification and listlesnesse that there is between true patience and senslesnesse senselesnesse is a dull sullen stupid bearing pains but patience is joyned mith a quick sense of them which ariseth from strength of spirits that being quick and vigorous are the more sensible of paine or pleasure so true mortification is joyned with an active hatred that flyes out against sin which come from livelinesse of affection to the contrary Secondly true mortification is joyned with activenesse and life in the contrary duties Rom. 6. 11. Reckon your selves dead unto sinne and alive unto God That false listlesnesse is but a dead palsey that doth take these members of sinne but true mortification is with a new life a resurrection strengthning a man to walke so much the more nimbly in the wayes of God Rom. 6. 4 5. Young Christians and such as have a false listlesnesse and deadnesse you shall find them complaine that their mortification is more then vivification they will finde they are more dead to the world then quickned to God True mortification doth not dull the spirits but sets them at liberty as purging the humours out doth it makes the body more light and nimble whereas false listlesnesse causeth a deadnesse a dulnesse to every thing else Those false causes of listlesnesse contract the mind as a bladder that is clung and dryed and hung up in the smoake as David compared his condition in terrors of conscience but mortification empties it of the sinne and fils it with grace so as the mind is as full and wide as before onely filled with grace now in stead of sinne Seventhly a man is not to judge of his growth in mortification simply by the keennesse of his affection against sinne though that is good and blessed but by his strength against it As there is a fond love which is not so strong and solid which will not doe so much for one or hold if it come to the tryall and be put to it that yet hath a more seeming edge in it so there is a keennesse of hatred that hath not so much strength A man that is angry seemes to have more keennesse of affection against him he falls out with and in his rage vows never to be reconciled and could eat him up when as yet a malicious man hates more strongly So doe young Christians their sins having lately felt the bitternesse of them and then many other inconveniences besid●s the cont●arietie of them to God doe egge on and provoke their spirits against them but like as a sharpe knife that is weak the edge is soone turned and blunted so in a temptation they are for all their edge soone overcome for all those concurring inconveniences and apprehensions of their hurt by them makes their spleen indeed greater but it adds not to their strength and courage to resist them like a stomachfull boy that cryes he cannot have the victory yet is weak and easily laid on his back his stomach is more then his strength The hurt that comes by sin to us at first lately felt helps to sharpen the edge but adds no metall and so our weapons are beaten to our heads againe when we use them What an edge of spirit had Peter raised up against denying Christ he would die rather he spake then as he thought and he would have dyed in the quarrell for he draws his sword but afterwards he wanted strength to his stomach how easily was he overcome being yet but weak in grace therefore judge of your growth herein by your strength to resist Hence the Apostle prayes they may have strength in the inward man Eph. 3. and in Chap. 6. 13. he speaks of ability to stand in the evill day Although this let me adde that every man should keep up his heart in this continuall keennesse and edge of spirit against sin and whet his heart against it For that will cause a man to use his strength the more against it and to put it forth A man that keeps his heart in a revengefull vext spleenfull spirit against sin he will easier cut through a temptation and though if a Christian want metall though he hath an edge he may be foiled yet when edge and metall both meete a man walks above his lusts if either be wanting a man may be foiled THE TRYALL OF A CHRISTIANS GROWTH THE THIRD PART Resolving some Questions concerning Growth in MORTIFICATION VIVIFICATION CHAP. I. Two Questions resolved concerning Growth in Mortification I Will now conclude this Discourse about Growth in Grace with answering some Questions which may be made concerning this our growth both about Mortification and about increase in positive Graces which I did reserve to this last place that I might handle them together The first Question concerning the purging out of sinne is Whether every new degree of Mortification and purging out of sinne be alwayes universall extending it selfe to every sinne So as the meaning of this that God goes on to purge should be not onely that he goes on first to purge forth one sinne then another but that he goes on to purge out by every new degree of mortification every sinne together so as when any one sinne is more weakned all the rest in a proportion grow weak also To this I answer affirmatively that every new degree of mortification is universall First because when the Scripture speaks of our growth therein he speaks of it as extending it selfe to every sinne So Ephes 4. 22. when he exhorts the Ephesians who were mortified already to a farther progresse in it he exhorts them to put off the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts It is not one lust that is the object of mortification and the growth of it although he mentions particular lusts afterwards but the whole man that is corrupt and all its lusts and this he there speaks of daily growth therein For