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'they care not for reading such a book, or hearing such a minister; because he tells them no more than they know already;' and, on that account, some of them stay from church, because they hear nothing but what they know already. It is a certain sign that they do not know already, the blessed nature of God, and the riches of Christ, which they say they know. For if they did, they could not hear or think too much of them. They would long to know more, and therefore to hear more of the same things. It is a sign the minister takes the course that tends to your edification and enriching in knowledge, when he is most upon the great and most necessary truths. All saints do make it their study to comprehend the height, and breadth, and length, and depth, and know the love of God in Christ;' but, when they have done, they confess that it 'passeth knowledge.' It is a graceless wicked soul, in a state of damnation, that conceits that he knows so much of God and Jesus Christ, and the essentials of Christianity, that he cares not for hearing these things any more; but had rather have novelties, and let these alone; and feeleth not need of knowing much more, and more of the same truths; and of using and living upon these vital principles which he knows. You have eaten bread, and drank beer, an hundred times, but perhaps, you never did eat of sturgeon or whale, of a bear or a leopard, of chesnuts or pig-nuts, or many strange and dangerous fruits, in all your life and yet I hope you will not seek after these, because they are novelties; and give over eating bread, because you

have eaten of it already: nor will you churlishly refuse to go to a feast because there is no meat but what you have eaten of before. We have not a new God to preach to you, nor a new Christ, nor a new Spirit, nor a new gospel, nor a new church, nor a new faith, nor a new baptismal covenant, nor a new heaven, or hope, or happiness, to propound. Your growth in methods, and definitions, and distinctions, and in additional points of knowledge, is principally to be valued as it cleareth your understandings in the foresaid great essential points, and brings you up to God himself. Some wretches think they have quickly learned past the essential articles of faith; and ere long, they are past the higher points; and shortly, they are past the Scripture itself; and, throw it by as a scholar that hath learnt one book, and must be entered into another. They understand not that the ministry and Spirit are but to teach them the word of the gospel; but they think they must outgrow the word and ministry, and the Spirit must teach them some other doctrine, or gospel, which the written word doth not contain. I pray mark the Apostle's warning, Heb. xiii. 9. 'Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines; for it is a good thing that the heart be stablished with grace.' And Eph. iv. 14. That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of man and cunning craftiness.'

II. Having shewed you wherein your growth consisteth in the understanding, I shall be short in the rest; and next, I must tell you wherein it consisteth

in the will. And that is, 1. When, upon good understanding and deep consideration, you are more fixedly, habitually, absolutely, and practically, resolved for God and glory than before. So that you are grown more beyond all shaking doubtfulness or wavering of mind, and beyond all unevenness, mutability, and inconstancy. When a man is thus satisfied, that none but God hath title to him, or can make him happy, and that none but Christ can reconcile him to God, and that it were a madness to make any other choice; and, thereupon, is settled and firm as Mount Zion, and says, Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none on earth that I desire besides thee:' when you are firmly resolved, that let God do with. you what he will, and come of it what will, you will never choose another master, or saviour, or rule, or happiness, or way, or body, than you are in; and will never forsake the path of holiness; this is the fixed stability of the will, and the more of this, the more you grow. 2. And when you have the lowest esteem of the creatures, and greatest and most resolved averseness to all that would draw you from God; and can meet the greatest worldly or fleshly allurements with a holy contempt; this shews a settled confirmed will. 3. And also, when you are speedy in holy resolutions, and see nothing in a temptation, how great soever, that can make you demur upon it, or make a stop in a Christian course; but, go on to do as if the tempter had said nothing to you, and the flesh and the world had no interest in you; and you do not so much as stand to think on it, whether you should yield to sin or not, as

abhorring to call such a matter into question; this shows a confirmed fixed will: and the more of this, the more of holiness.

III. The strength and growth of holy affections consist principally in these particulars: 1. When the affections are lively and not dull; so that we make out after God and heaven with vigour and alacrity. 2. When they are ready at hand, and not to seek, and need not a great deal ado to quicken them, or call them in. 3. When they are most pure and unmixed, having least of the creature and most of God in them. 4. But principally (and the surest point to try them by) when they contain in them, or accompany, the foresaid confirmation and resolvedness of the will. For it is more the willingness that is in or with our affections, than the heat of them, that we must judge them by. 5. And lastly, when they follow the best guidance of the understanding when they are hottest about the greatest matters, and not about the smaller, or more doubtful things: when they are obedient and yielding to faith and holy reason, and not too ready to hearken to sense, and be moved about fleshly sensible things. In these things lieth the growth of your affections.

IV. And then, lastly, for your conversations, your stability and growth consist: 1. In the readiness of your obedience. 2. In the fulness and universal exactness of it. 3. In the resolved conquest of all temptations that would prevent you. 4. In the diligent use of all those means that may farther confirm and strengthen you. 5. In the evenness of it, that it be constant and not mixed with scandals,

and stops in the way, or stepping out into by-paths. 6. In your fruitfulness and profitableness to others, according to the proportion of your talents; that you study to do good, and do it with all the care, and wisdom, and diligence, you can. 7. In the spirituality of it, that God be the principal and the end of all; and that all be animated from the believing consideration of his attributes, and the views of everlasting blessedness. So that you have such lively fixed intentions towards God, that you can perceive that you do all, even common things, of purpose for his pleasure, will, and glory: and, that the love of God doth carry you about from duty to duty; and constrain you to it. 8. And lastly, in the measure of your present attainment of the end and fruits of your obedience. For a taste of these ends is here to be attained. When your inward graces are more confirmed and increase, and your talents are doubled; and when you bring God a great deal of honour in the world; so, that his graces shining in your works, your Father is glorified; and when yourselves are readier to go to God, and meet your Redeemer, and long more for his appearing; in all these, consisteth the stability, growth, and excellency of your conversations.

And now, by all that I have said, you may see wherein your stability, strength, and growth, doth not consist. 1. It doth not most, or much, consist in speculations or less useful truths. 2. It doth not consist in the mere heat of affections: for zeal may be misguided, and do hurt; and may prove sometimes, but a mere natural or sinful passion.