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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78180	The regenerate mans growth in grace. Shewing, that regeneration of necessitie requireth augmentation in grace. With the motives to move us to grow, signes to know whether we have grown; the lets that hinder our growth; and helps to further our growth. / Preached at a sermon at Lancaster, upon a day of humiliation, by N.B. minister thereof.	Barnett, Nehemiah, b. 1614 or 15.	1646 (1646)	Wing B875; Thomason E1165_1; ESTC R210099	23,846	95

better to be unborne then to die without grace and he that growes not in grace never obtaines a blessing of God in this life nor let him looke to dwell with him in the life of glory Then grow in grace IN this Chapter our Apostle Peter seemes to have met with some in his time Coherence that doubted of the day of Judgement saying Where is the promise of his comming To vers 4. Therefore he produceth arguments to assure us of the certainty of Christs comming to Judgement To vers 8. Proclaiming the perdition of ungodly men at that day and therefore warnes us to hasten our repentance and that because the day of the Lord will come as a thiefe in the night vers 10. In which day we must looke for the heavens to be dissolved the elements consumed and the earth burned seeing we are in expectation of these things he exhorts to be diligent that we may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse vers 14. Now to prevent us from falling away he warnes us that we be not led by the errours of the wicked and so fall from our owne stedfastnesse vers 17. And to this end prescribes us a preservative from falling into Apostacy in these words But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to him be glory both now and for ever Let us first enquire 1 What is meant by grace here 2 What it is to grow in grace 3 Who is a subject fit for growth Of these in their order 1 Grace is either taken for the love and favour of God Grace is twofold either active or pasive whereby we are accepted of him in Christ and so it 's Active 2 Or for the gifts wrought in us by Gods spirit so it 's Passive The former is gratia acta grace begun The later is gratia aucta grace increased which is the grace here commended The several acceptations of grace in Scripture for brevities sake I omit but if it be the grace that hath reference to God it should note the grace of Election which St. Paul saith was according to his purpose and grace 2 Tim. 1.9 If it hath reference to us it implies the gifts of the Holy Spirit bestowed upon us by God in this sense See John 1.16 of his fulnesse we receive grace for grace Or that which hath reference to the future estate of glory in which sense See 1 Pet. 1.13 Now our Apostle looks not at the first acceptation of grace which is of Election because it is without life and cannot grow nor at the last because we cannot get to glory unlesse we have grown for the life of glory is past growth but it hath reference to the middle which is the gifts of the Spirit as renovation by his Spirit redemption by his Sonne in sending him out of his bosome to disclose his secrets unto us which are of two sorts 1. Such as have respect to the esse and bene esse of a Christian as those cardinall graces faith and repentance love and obedience 2. Such as have respect ad ornatum to the decking of a Christian as good wit memory and good invention questionlesse the Apostle meanes we should grow in all grace but especiall in the best 2. What it is to grow in grace As the body may grow in stature till it be taller So the soule may grow in grace till it become holier For there is a quickning life of the soule whereby it grows in goodnesse as well as there is a naturall life of the body whereby it growes in talnesse You know what it is for a childe to grow when his foode is well disgested his members thereby nourished his spirits augmented his strength increased and his whole proportion of body enlarged you 'le say that childe growes So it is with the soule when Gods word which is the soules foode is well disgested so that the soule thereby is nourished his desires more enlarged his affections more quickned the life of grace more augmented you may call this a growing Christian When his faith is more and more strengthned his charitie more and more enflamed When his conscience is more obedient and his obedience more conscionable When he labours for more holinesse here that he might have more happinesse hereafter and strives to get more grace that he might have more glory This is to grow in grace 3. Who is a subject fit for growth He must be such a one as is neither in the state of unregeneracy nor yet in the state of glory 1. Not an unregenerate man because he hath no spirituall life in him whereby he may be said to grow 2. Not a glorified man for he is come to the perfection of his growth and cannot be said to grow 3. It must be one in a middle estate A regenerate man such a one that hath shaken off his corruption Such a one as is ascending higher to some perfection increasing both the multitude and measure of his grace Such a one as is travelling in the way of glory yet not got to glory So that when the Apostle bids us grow in grace I conceive the subject fit for growth must be a regenerate man such as to whom Saint Paul writes Eph. 3.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being rooted and grounded in love Now the Apostles injunction being cleared hence this proposition may be raised That Regeneration requires an augmentation of grace The Proposition Or more briefly A Regenerate man must needs be a growing man A Christian newly Regenerate is like a child newly borne that desires to sucke the breasts of his mother and receives that wholesome nourishment that thereby he may increase in strength and stature therefore Saint Peter wisheth us as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that we may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 And the Prophet David Psal 92.13 14. Tels us that the trees that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God They shall still bring forth fruit in old age and shall be fat and flourishing Where there is no fruit to be found there is no growth to be expected and there is no Symptome of a Christian growth without fruits The tree is for the fruit and but for the fruit there had beene no tree When there is no hope of fruit we cut it downe and make it serve for fewell Men doe delight to plant trees in their orchards for delight as for shade in hot summer seasons But God delights to see no such trees in his Orchard such that beare nothing but greene leaves or glorious blossomes I meane such as satisfie themselves with Hypocriticall shewes and fruitlesse formallities But if we be growing trees we be fruitfull let us shew our Faith by our fruits and let the grapes of piety clusters of equity and fruitfull branches of sobriety testifie eternally internally externally to God to our own conscience

backward Still there must be a plus ultra what Saint Paul saith Pray continually rejoyce evermore 1 Thes 5.17 is true of a spirituall growth grow continually increase evermore never stop nor stay in grace This growth must not be by fits a little to day and lesse to morrow and afterwards give over But we must proceede in a continuall growth never declining or desisting If the streame of the water course stand still it will corrupt So of grace In rowing up a River if we rest our oares we fall downe the streame We know the Arke would not stay with the Philistians neither will the grace of God tarry with sinners 2 Cor. 6 14. Light would never have Communion with darknesse they will never keepe company together let us then like Christians follow grace as a Scholler doth his study he is at it to day and to morrow and the next day and all the daies of his life he is labouring to encrease his learning and grow in knowledge Though sometime he meetes with a play day and be taken off from his study yet if ye seeke him you know where to finde him he is or should be in his study So a Christian should every day be growing in grace and in knowledge especially of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ though sometimes some dulnesse may creep upon him yet he quickens himselfe and sets to it again never ceasing till he lie down in his grave for never till then is he at his journeis end If we would credit Christ our Schoole-master If we would attain to perfection If we would strengthen the weake and comfort the afflicted If we would be able to keepe our stedfastnesse and standing in grace If we would not decline Then let us grow in grace Reas 6 We should grow in grace because a growth in grace will procure a growth in glory the more holinesse we attaine to here the more happinesse hereafter nay every dram of grace shall be rewarded with a pound of glory If we be steadfast 1 Cor. 15.58 unmoveable alwaies abounding in the worke of the Lord for as much as we know that our labour is not in vaine in the Lord. We know this life is our seede time that to come our Harvest let us then sow liberally that we may reape plentifully Hoc momento unde pendet eternitas This life is a moment of time whereof all eternity of life or death dependeth Then it behoves us to grow in grace here that we might augment our happinesse hereafter Rev. 2 10. He who can give thee a crowne of life if thou be faithfull unto the death is faithfull to performe he will not faile to give thee a Crown a Crown of life that giveth life that keepeth life life everlasting a life of immortality a life of eternall felicitie The heads of all 1 If thou wouldest credit Christ thy Schoole-master 2. If thou wouldest attaine to perfection 3. If thou wouldest strengthen the weake and comfort the afflicted 4. If thou wouldest be able to keepe thy steadfastnesse and standing in grace 5. If thou wouldest not decline 6. And if thou wouldest win a Crown of glory Grow then in grace c. We will now apply it and we shall finde that all sorts of people of what state and condition soever comes in the first use to be reproved The meditation of this reclining age wherein men were colder in Christianity and deader in all spirituall duties caused this subject first to be the object of my meditations wherefore this reprehension shall be directed 1. Ad Populum To the people 2. Ad Clerum To the minister 3. Ad Magistratum To the magistrate First Ad Populum unto the people wherein there is no growth found but rather a decaying and you shall finde this decaying to be amongst too many once they were constant commers to Church and diligent hearers of the Word but now slow paced to Gods house and are become carelesse and negligent hearers once they were often in prayer and frequent in reading but now they are strangers to the Throne of grace and seldome reade once they were lively in the service of God but now more is the pitty little lesse then dead The grapes of good words and fruit of good workes decayes in them So that it is to be feared a consumption hath taken all their vertues or what should be the reason that there should be such a change and alteration in them Doe they thinke the Word lesse powerfull to worke Faith in them that they lesse frequent it doe they thinke prayer lesse prevalent with God that they are lesse exercised in it Doe they think reading the Scriptures lesse profitable to increase their knowledge because now they have laid it aside O that they would but consider how extreamely they dishonour God discourage others and endanger their owne soules by this declining in grace We may complain as Paul Heb. 5.12 For when for the time yee ought to be teachers yee have need that one teach you againe which be the first principles of the Oracles of God and are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meate Though the Lord hath sent forth many painefull labourers in his Vineyard Though the Word of God be preached plentifully in most places yet in many of these places where the meanes of grace is plentifull are not there many found as ignorant I had almost said as Pagans in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I pray God there be not many amongsts us that are dwarfes in grace and dunces in knowledge our growth is like that of the oake slow and insensible so that we may sooner finde it crevisse then crescere Although we of all others have enjoyed better meanes for growth greater helpes for knowledge we have had the word of grace powerfully and painfully preached a long time unto us therefore more will be required of us it will be expected that we be growne strong men in grace men of knowledge Let us not be like Hezekiahs sunne that went backward but Davids sunne that rejoyced to run his race Let us no longer decline and decay in grace no longer be fruitlesse no longer stand at a stay But let us grow in grace Secondly Ad Clerum To the clergy All of us come under this roofe to be reproved I as well as you yea all of us are justly to be reprehended of non-proficiencie that we have not grown according to that education and meanes God was pleas'd to afford us O that I had nothing to accuse my selfe and my brethren off We that should be teachers of others had need to be taught our selves in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ We that should be watchmen over other mens soules had more neede of others to watch over our soules We that should be the salt of the earth to season others have little salt in our own hearts We that should be dispensers

honey such as never came out of any earthly hive he is both Victor and Victus Conquerer for us and food to us and who gives this food to us but he that gave himselfe for us and dranke to us the cup of the New-Testament in his owne blood his blood and wounds doth nourish our soules like the Pelican rather then her yong-ones shall perish feedes them with her owne blood so that in the Sacrament we eate not onely Panem Domini but Panem Dominum not onely the bread of the Lord but the bread the Lord. Hence it may be called Viaticum animae the food that nourishes our soules in it's voyage to heaven God grant that we may never want this food to nourish our hunger starved soules It may be deare in regard of the preciousnesse of it but not deare in regard of the price wee pay nothing for it but faith and love * John 6.34 Let us all pray with the Disciples Lord evermore give us this bread Why should our soules be starved while there is bread enough in our fathers house * Luk. 15.17 Why should we fast while we may feast why should wee stand at a stay while we have plenty of growing food Let us Christians be like travellers that passe from towne to towne till they come to their home so we from grace to grace till we come to Heaven Help 4 The last is a good disgestion when the naturall food is conveied into the stomacke and there well concocted by naturall heate and is made fit to be dispersed into the other members and parts of the body for the strengthening of them so the Word of God must be disgested in the soule must be shewed by meditation and pondring the word in our hearts suffering our thoughts to dwell on it some good while then it proves wholsome nourishment to our weake and hungry soules Your comming to heare doth manifest a desire to have your soules fed Now you know a childe that receiveth food in his mouth and also in his stomack and doth not retaine it there but casts it up speedily againe doth not disgest it and that childs strength cannot be augmented nor growth increased So if you receive the Word into your eares and let it fall againe speedily and not retaine it in your hearts and there disgest it by meditation your soules cannot be strengthened and cannot grow at all We must remember that God doth not require our bare bodily presence at the Church or at any of his ordinances but we must bring our soules to Church as well as our bodies wee may be present with body but absent in minde our minde must be set on what is delivered we must heare as it is the Word of God and not of man as it is the onely meanes appointed for the planting of grace in our hearts as it is a powerfull meanes to beate downe sinne in us and build us up in the new man and to change our barrennesse into fruitfulnesse Thus if we would disgest the Word of God the God of Heavens would not faile to give his blessing to it To make it powerfull to Salvation to every one of our soules causing us daily to bring foorth more fruit of good living to the honour and praise of his holy name We must know that the Word of God is full of spirituall sap and heavenly moisture which is of a fruitfull and growing nature now we might bee growing Christians if we were not slothfull let us be no longer sluggards to our owne soules But practise the policy of the painfull Bee to lodge the sweet honey of Gods Word in the hive of our hearts against the day of dissolution If we had any love to grace we would labour after the meanes of grace we see what paines the voluptuous man takes to pursue his pleasures we see what labour the ambitious man takes to attain to more honours we see what care the coveteous man takes to obtaine riches and why should not we that are Christians and somewhat illuminated with Gods word use the like paines care and diligence to increase the goods of our soules and labour to get a higher degree of this spirituall promotion and strive to enjoy a fuller fruition of heavenly pleasures There is no commodity so profitable no dignity so honourable no felicity so delightfull as to be fruitfull in good works and to abound more and more in the vertues of the inward man and the grace of Gods blessed Spirit Therefore good Christians if ever you desire to be accounted good Scholers in Christs Schoole if ever you will visit the universitie of glory if ever you purpose to be placed in the Paradice of God himselfe Grow then in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to him be glory both now and for evermore Amen FINIS Imprimatur CHARLES HERLE