Grace.
GRace flowing from the Spirit of God, makes the Soul like a Fountain, whose Waters are pure and wholesome; for Grace Beautifyeth, Cleanseth, and Saveth the whole Man. Ignatius.
An essay to promote virtue by example in a collection of excellent sayings (divine and moral) of devout & learned men, in all ages, from the apostles time, to this present year, 1689 / By William Whitcombe, gent.
About this Item
- Title
- An essay to promote virtue by example in a collection of excellent sayings (divine and moral) of devout & learned men, in all ages, from the apostles time, to this present year, 1689 / By William Whitcombe, gent.
- Author
- Whitcombe, William.
- Publication
- London:: Printed for the author: and are to be sold by Edw. Evets ...,
- 1689.
- Rights/Permissions
-
This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this text, in whole or in part. Please contact project staff at eebotcp-info@umich.edu for further information or permissions.
- Subject terms
- Maxims.
- Conduct of life -- Early works to 1800.
- Cite this Item
-
"An essay to promote virtue by example in a collection of excellent sayings (divine and moral) of devout & learned men, in all ages, from the apostles time, to this present year, 1689 / By William Whitcombe, gent." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A96335.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 8, 2024.
Pages
Page 78
When a Man desires Grace from a right sence of his natural State, when he sees the vileness of Sin, and the woful, defiled, and loathsome condi∣tion he is in by reason of Sin, and there∣fore desires the Grace of Christ with uncessant earnestness, to renue and change him, this is Grace. Mead 68.
Grace is a comprehensive Word, and includes in it not only favour and acceptance with God, but also those other accessaries of the Gifts of Boun∣ty and Goodness, which comes from the great Giver of every good and perfect Gift, as Wisdom, Righteous∣ness, Purity of Heart, and the like. Hales.
Grace is precious, it suffereth not it self to be mingled with External things, nor with Earthly Comforts; thou oughtest therefore to cast away all hindrances of Grace, if thou de∣sire the Infusion thereof. De Kempis.
The least Grace gives a full Interest in the Blood of Christ, whereby we
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are fully and throughly Purged; and it gives a full Interest in the strength and power of Christ, whereby we shall be perfectly preserved. Mead.
To quicken your Graces, you must first quicken your Humility, by con∣sidering your many Sins repeated. Secondly, you must quicken your Faith, by Meditating on the Promi∣ses to all Penitent Sinners. Thirdly, by quickening your Love to God, by considering his Mercies, especially those remembred in the Sacrament; his giving Christ to Die for us, and your Love to your Neighbour, nay, to your very Enemies, by considering that great Example of his Suffering for us, when we were Enemies to him.
You must know, that it is not gifts but Grace that makes a Man a Chri∣stian; a Man may Preach like an A∣postle, and Pray like an Angel, and yet have the Heart of a Devil: It is Grace only that can change the heart, a graceless Professor may have more
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gifts than the most sound Believer; he may out-Pray, out Preach, and out-do them; but they in Sincerity, and Integrity, out-do him.