Eo Fut on the whole Armour ofGod. and all other Ordinances, as firings for thole babes in grace, to be carried by, who are not arrived to their high attainments. 0 what fooles does pride make men! Truly Heaven were no Inch defirable place, if we fhould beno more perfect, then thus: a fort of people that are too highkir this world, and too low for another. The way by which God cures this phrenfie of pride, we have in tildedays feen to be fomething like that ofNebrichad- , xezzovr, To give them a heart of a beaft,(1 mean)for a time, fuf- fer them to fall into heaftly prattices, by which he fhewes them bow far they are from that perfection they dreamed of fo vainly. Thirdly, others who have true grace, and ckfire theadvance- ment of it, yet are difcouraged in their endeavour for morefrora too deep a knfe of their prefent penury. Bid fome Inch labour to get more power of corruption, more faith on, and love to God, that they may be able to do the Will of God chearfully, and fuffer it in the greateft afflidtions patiently, ye a,thankfully ; and they will never believe, that they whole faith is fo weak, love fo chill, and flock fo little inhand, fhouldever attain to any thing like fuch a pitch : You may as well perfwade a beggar with one poor penny in his purfe, that if he will go and trade with that, he fhall come to be Lord Major of London before he die : But why, poor hearts, fhould you thus defpife theday of fmall things?Do you not fee a little grainof muflard feed fpread into a tree, and weak grace compar'd to itifor its growth at Taft as well as littleneffeat firft ? Dareft thou fay thou haft no graceat all ? If thou haft but any, (though the !call that ever any had to beginwith) I dare tell thee, that fie bath done more for thee in that, then he fhould inmaking that which is now fo weak, as perfect as the Saints grace is now in heaven. Firft, he bath done more, confidering it as anati ofPower. There is a great- er guile between no grace & grace, thenbetween weak grace and fir ong, between a Chaos and nothing,then between a Chaos and this beautiful frame of heaven and earth. The fill days work of both Creations is the greateft, Secondly, confider it asan at ofgrace, it is greater mercy togive the firff grace of converfion, then to crown that with glory. It is more grace and condefcent in a Prince to marry a poor Damofel, thenhaving married her to cloth her like a Prince ; he was free to do the &ft or not, but his relation to her pleads firongly for the other. God might have
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