A treatise of the divine promises in five bookes : in the first, a generall description of their nature, kinds, excellency, right use, properties, and the persons to whom they belong : in the foure last, a declaration of the covenant it selfe .../ by Edvvard Legh ...

CHAP. XI. 2. The Degrees of Graces.

Promises. Of growth and increase in Grace.

GOD hath promised to give grace abundantly, not onely to drop it, but to powre it.

I will powre water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the drie ground: I will powre my Spi∣rit upon thy seed, &c. Esay 44.3, 4.

Their soule shall be as a wate∣red garden, Esay 58.11. and Jer. 31.12.

GOD promiseth to make his people fruitfull; He is compared to a Husbandman, the Church to an Orchard, the faithfull to young plants, whose nature is to spread, and shoot out their branches

and bring forth fruit, Iohn 15.2.

The godly man shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of wa∣ter, that bringeth forth fruit in his season, Psal. 1.3. Jer. 17.8.

Those that be planted in the house of the LORD, shall flourish in the courts of our GOD. They shall bring forth fruit in old age: they shall be fat and flourishing, Psal. 92.13, 14. An old man be∣ing once asked if hee grew in goodnesse, said, yea doubtlesse, I beleeve it to be so, for GOD hath said it.

The righteous shall flourish as the branch, Pro. 11.28. Yee shall goe forth and grow up as the calves of the stall, Mal. 4.2.

The LORD likewise as a good Shepheard saith, Hee will feede his people, that they may be fat, that is, abounding in grace, as Psal. 23. Ezek. 34.13, 14, 15. Psal. 36.8. Pro. 13.4.

He saith, Hee will give strength

to his people, to walke in the waies of the LORD, Esay 45.24. Esay 40.29, 31. Psal. 29.11. Esay 26.4, 12. Esay 41.10. Zach. 10.12. Phil. 4.13.

They go from strength to strength, Psal. 84.7.

The righteous shall hold on his way, and he that hath cleane hands shall be stronger and stronger, Job 17.9.

But the path of the iust is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day, Pro. 4.18.

Whosoever hath (that is, useth well what he hath received) to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance, Matth. 13.12. Luke 19.26. Mar. 4 24.

Nathaniel beleeved at the first, yet he is promised that hee shall see greater things.

See Hos 14.5, 6, 7.

Promises to severall degrees of true grace or growth in grace. 2 Pet. 1.5, 6, 8, 10, 11.

Growth in grace will procure growth in glory; the more ho∣linesse we have here, the more happinesse wee shall have hereaf∣ter. If we be rich in the worke of the LORD, our labour shall not be in vaine in the LORD, 1 Cor. 15.58. Hee that sowes li∣berally, shall reape liberally, wee shall receive a full reward, Iohn Epist. 2.8.

Notes

• The righteous shall flourish like the Palme-tree, ver. 12.

  The Palme-tree never, looseth his leafe or fruit saith Plinie. Quentumun veveres non v••terascent. ••unius.
• Ezek. 47.••2
• The Apostle proveth that the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and migh•• 〈…〉〈…〉 and p••a••s••d God 〈◊〉〈◊〉

  T••ess••loni¦ans, that the•• d••d gr••w. 2 ••hess. ••
• The more we proceed in holinesse, our salvati∣on is still the nearer to us. Rom 13.11.