1JireE1ions for young Chriftimll. Covenant of God and h 1 s Judgement, and Rewards and Puni(hments, with the parts and method Of the Lord~ Prayer,' wh1ch mufi be the d1tly exercife of our defires, and Love, this is the Wifdom of a Chnfban and in rhefe muft he be contmually exerC!fed. You'! fa~ perh>ps that the Apofilc faith,. Heb. 6. I· Leaving ~be PrincipiCi of the do[Jrine of Chrijf, let ltf go on to perfdlion , not laymg agam the fonnd.Jtum of repentance from dead work.f, &c. . An[rv. I . By [leaving J he meaneth not paffing over the pracbce of them as men that have done with rhem and are pan them : But his leaving at that time to difcour{e of them, or h1s fuppofing them caught already : Though he lay not the foundatim again, yet he dot_h not pluc~ it up. 2· By [ Principlu J he J?Cancth the firft poin!I to be tatlght, an~ learnt, a~d. pradt_fcd : And md~cd Regem· ration and Bt~ptifm ts not to be done agazn ; But the Elfent.tals of Rehgwn whtch I am fpeakmg of, con– tain much more: efpecially to live i1t the love ofGod, whtch Paul calls the _mort excellent way, r Cor: 12 . & 1 .... 3· Going un to per[dlio11, is not by ccafing tobelieve and Love God, but by a more diftinct knowledge ot the myfieries of falvation, to perfect our Faith, an? ~avt, and Obedience: The points that Opinionifis call Hi_'[.her, and think to be the prmc1pal matrer of .rhe1r growth, ancl advancement in underftanding, arc u{ually but fome fmaller lefs necelfary truths, 1fnot feme uncer· tain doubtfnl queflions, Mark well I Tim. I. 4· & 6. 4· 2 Tim. 2· 23• Tit. 3· 9· compared with Jobn I 7 • 3· R 0 m. 13· 8, 9, 10· I Cor. I3• I Jobn 3· I Cor. I· 23• & I5· I, 2, 3• & 2• 2· GJI. 6. 14• Jamfl 2· & 3· I• DireCt. 5· BE very thankful for the great mercy of your Conv'erfion : brtt yet overvalue not your Direct. 5• )rft drgreu of k._nowlulge or holin.tjj: hut remember thatyou are yet but in your infancy, ond muft txpetl yom· growtb and ripemfi as tbe confequent of1ime andDiligence. 9· I. You have great reafon to be more glad and thankful, for the leaf! meafure oftrue Grace,than if you had been made theRulers of the Earth: it being ofa far more excellent nature, and entitling you to more, than all the Kingdoms of the world. ( See my Sermon called Rigbt R•joycing, on tho[e words Qf Chrift Re.i!Jce not that the Spirits are {ubjell to you : but rather rejoyce becaufe your namuare written in Heaven, Luke 1 o. 20· ) Chrift will warrant you to Rejoyce, though enemies envy you, and repine both at your victory and triumph. Ifthere be joy in He•ven in the prefence ofthe Angels at your Converfion, the1:e i.s great re~fon you Ch.ou1d he glad your {elves. If the Prodigals Father will needs have the beft .Robe and Ring brought forth, and the fat Calf kj1led, and the Mufick.. to attend the Feafl, that they may tMt and be merry, Luke I5· 23· there is great reafon that the Prodigal Son him{elf lhould not have the fmallefllhare of joy : ( though his Brother repine. ) 9· 2 • But yet take heed lefi you think the meafure of your firft endowments, to be greater than it Ft"r is 3c 2 u:; is. Grace irnitateth Nature, in beginning ( ufually ! with frnall Degrees, and growing up to matu- te!ous preferv– rity by leifurcly proceeding. We are not new bmn m a fiate of manhood, as Adam was created: ing grac~. Though thofc Texts that _lik~n the Kingdom of God to ~ gr.ain of Mufiard.feed, and to a little leaven, ~Z:;b;;'c:: Mattb. I3· 31, 33. be prmc1pally meant of the fmall begmmngs, and great encreafe of the Church or or u dopro– Kingdom ot Chrifi in the world ; yet it is true alfo of his Grace, or Kingdom in the foul. Our firfi b: 1 :f i~~i dare– Sta~ure is but to be [ Ntwborn ba~tl defi:ing tht fincere mill{ of the word, ~hat we maygrow by it,] t~r)·:toJ. etfet 1 Pet.2.2.Note here that the new b1rth bnngeth forth but bahes,but growth JS by degrees, by feeding on ~~m' ~s, ~t the Word. The Word is received by the heart, as feed into the ground, Matth. I3· And feed ufeth ~a~~~~n~~~~o. not to bring forth the blade and fruir to ripenefs in a day. 9· 3· Yet I deny not but that forne men (as Paul) may have more Grace at their firfi Converfion, than many others have"at their full growth. For God is free in the giving of his Own, and may give more or lefs, as pleafeth hirnfclf. But yet in Paul himfelf that greater meaJure is but hi<./inali<jt m<a· [urt, and he him{df is capable of increafe to the lafl. And fo great a meafure at firft is as rare as _hil greater meafure at Jajf in his full growth, is rare, and fcarce to be expeCttd now. _, 9 4· And if God lhould give a great meafure ofHolineji at firfl, to any now (as poffibly he may) yet their meafure of gifts is never great at firfi, unlefs they had acquired or received them before con– verfion. IfGrace find a man ofgreat parts and underflanding, which by fludy and other helps, he had attained before, no wonder if that man, when his parts are fanClified, be able in knowledge the firfl day. for he had it before, though he had not a heart to ufe it. But if Grace find a man ig– norant, unlearned, and of mean abilities, he muf\: not expect to be fuddenly lifted up to great un· derflanding, and high degrm of knowledge by Grace. For this knowledge is not given (now) by fudden infution, as Gifts were extraordinarily in the Primitive Church. You need no other proof of this but experience, to fiop the mout~ ofany gain-fayer. Look about you, and obferve whether thofe that are men of knowledge, did obtain it by infufion in a moment? Or whether they did not obtain it by diligent fludy by flow degrees ? (Though I know God blelf"h fome mens fludies more than others. ) Name one man that ever was brought to great underfianding, but by Means, and Labour, and flow degrees ; Or that knoweth any Truth in Nature or Divinity, but what he read or heard, or flu– died for, as the rt[ult ofwhat he read or heard. The perfon that is proudcfl of his knowledge, fllU!l con[efS that he came to it in this way himfelf. G 2 9· 5· But
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