18. The Scriptures plainly tell us, that there are several ages of men in Christ, some babes, some young men, and some fathers; (1 John ii. 12, 13; 1 Cor. iii. 1 ;) and that they are to grow by degrees, according to their time and standing in the church, from one age to another, and from lesser knowledge unto more. "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again, which be the first principles of the oracles of God, and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe; but strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use, have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." (Heb. v. 12-14.) Note here, First, That there are some truths hard, and some easier; some called strong meat, and some called milk. Secondly, That many may understand the easy principles, and feed on the milk, who yet understand not the harder truths; and yet both these sorts have the same Spirit: and therefore all that have the Spirit, understand not hard truths. Thirdly, Nay, these babes that have the Spirit, are said to be dull of hearing, and to have been long hearing from their teachers, and yet understand not; so hardly did they learn, though they had both Spirit, word, and teachers. Fourthly, Note, that these young Christians, though they had the Spirit, must still live under men's teaching, for further knowledge. Fifthly, Specially note, that it was expected that they should have grown in knowledge, according to, first, their time, and standing in the church; secondly, and according to their use and exercise of their senses to discern. So that for all men have the Spirit, yet God expecteth not that they should be strong men in knowledge the first day; nor understand hard truths, till they had time, teaching, and exercise; yea, and oft they come short after all this, for want of their own use and exercise with diligence.

Hence it is, that when Paul giveth direction, what kind of persons should be ordained bishops, he saith, "Not a novice, (that is, a late convert, or young Christian) lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil.” (1 Tim. iii. 6.) It is here a matter well worthy your observation, 1. That young converts are not expected to have that measure of grace, as old, exercised Christians. 2. That young converts or novices, are far more apt and more likely to fall into the condemnation of the devil, by being lifted up with pride, than old, ex

perienced Christians are. These things are not spoken in vain by the Spirit; and these times have sadly manifested the truth of them, among us. The Lord teach young Christians to lay them seasonably to heart.

Nay, further, note this, if it were the work of the Spirit to give so full a measure of knowledge at the first to every one that hath it, as these think, then how could any of those Scripture passages be true, that tell us the saints do grow and increase, and that it is the nature of grace so to do; that at first it is as a grain of mustard seed: and we are commanded "To grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Pet. iii. 18.) Doth not all this plainly show, that grace is usually least at first, and must be still on the thriving hand; and so must our knowledge. How, then, can young, inexperienced Christians think, that because they have the Spirit, they must know as much as their teachers, who have had longer time, and greater helps and studies.

19. Consider, also, that so great is the deceitfulness of the heart of man, and so cunningly doth the devil transform himself into an angel of light, to deceive men, that it is the easiest matter in the world for a man to be confident that he hath the Spirit of God, when it is only his own proud imagination, or a spirit of delusion. The multitudes of heretics in the first ages of the church, did seem to have much of an extraordinary spirit, but it proved a wicked spirit, by their wicked doctrines and lives, even from Simon Magus, their leader, to many generations after him. Those men have not most of the Spirit that boast most of it; nor are they ever the more likely to have it, for quick concluding that other men are without it, whose hearts they know not. It is the easiest matter in the world to boast of the Spirit, and reproach another as carnal; but it is those that have the Spirit indeed, who have the fruits of the Spirit, and those have the greatest measure of it, that abound most in these; they that have the most effectual apprehensions of the. greatness, and goodness, and wisdom of God; of their own sin, and the need of Christ and grace; of the truth and excellency of the life to come, and the vanity of this life: they that are most conformed to Christ in humility, meekness, and lowliness of mind, esteeming others above themselves, and serving one another in love; that have most hatred to sin, and care to subdue it, and victory over it, and can most deny the flesh its unjust desires; that are mean in their own eyes, and seem fitter

to themselves to learn than to teach, in honour preferring one another; that are most sensible of the excellency of the unity of the church, and Christ's order therein; and therefore most abhor division and unjust separations; and that most willingly obey their overseers in the Lord, and submit to their just guidance, and love one another; that have the sweetest and most serious use of God's ordinances, and the greatest delight in God himself, and readiness to die; these are they that have most of the Spirit: but, alas! most that now boast of it, to the contempt of their guides, how far are they from this state! What railing accusations do they fill their writings and speeches with, most unlike to the language of the Spirit of Christ. What impotent slaves are they to their passions; and what proud boasters, and what despisers of government, unruly and disobedient.

20. Lastly, consider whether it be not a most vile abuse of the Spirit of God, to make it a patron and shelter of idleness; besides the other fore-mentioned evils. God sets men to search the Scriptures, to seek, and cry, and dig for knowledge; to inquire of teachers and one another; to meditate and study the Scripture day and night, that their profiting may be known to all and these wretched souls will not only disobey God, and indulge their flesh by ease and idleness, thinking these laborious studies too dear a price to pay for knowledge, or too hard a means to use in subserviency to the Spirit; but besides this carnal contempt of the light, they will reproach those that are more diligent and studious than themselves, and most impudently lay their own fault on their teachers; calling them, 'Lazy drones and idle;' because they spend their life and strength in most laborious studies, and searching of the Scripture, and because they do not leave this work to go to thresh or plough, as if that were the harder and more needful work for them that have set their hands to the plough of Christ: and, yet, which is the very top of their wickedness, they dare father all this upon the Spirit; as if labour and study were needless, because they have the Spirit. Is it not enough for you to despise God and his word by your fleshly ease and idleness, refusing to study and meditate on Scripture day and night, but you must also blame them that are at more pains than yourselves; yea, impudently blame them for your fault of idleness; yea, and pretend the Spirit for all this wickedness. No wonder if God be avenged on such dealings, by giving you up to a spirit, that

In the first

indeed doth befriend and own your own course. part, you imitate the ungodly world, who will not only refuse godliness themselves, as too grievous to their flesh, but also reproach them that will not do so too; and so you will not only refuse the pains of studying the word and works of God, but reproach those that refuse it not as you do; but then you doubly exceed other ungodly ones, for they are not so shameless as to charge the godly, just with their own crime of profaneness, much less to father their wickedness on God's Spirit.

I know you use to allege that of Christ to his disciples, "Take no thought what to answer, for in that hour it shall be given you." But consider, 1. This was part of the extraordinary gift of the Spirit, proper to those times for the sealing up of Scripture. Those apostles had the use of languages without study; must not we, therefore, study for them? who then should have translated you the Bible? 2. What, if God encourage us yet, to take no thought what to answer a persecutor, or (as Dan. iii.,) "not to be careful to answer them in that matter, as trusting Christ with our cause and lives;" doth it follow, that, therefore, we must take no thought what to preach or pray, or how to understand the word aright; when Scripture hath expressly commanded the contrary: "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them, (what time then shall we have to thresh?) that thy profiting may appear to all: take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine, and continue therein; for in doing this (in this painful way of study, and not in idleness) thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee." (1 Tim. iv. 15; 2 Tim. ii. 15; Josh. i. 8, Psalms i., ii., cxix. 97, 99; 148, and cxliii. 5.)

I have said more than at first I intended on this point, because of our sad experience of the common abuse of such conceits of the spirit, and because of the lamentable success which the deceiving spirit now hath through this nation; such as I scarce ever heard, or read of in any credible history.

Yet again I will say, that there is no reason in all this, why any should deny the Spirit in the saints, or think that all do falsely pretend to it because some do, or that there is no such thing because some falsely boast of it: the best things may be abused, and the abuse of them is most dangerous. The Spirit saveth some, but is falsely pretended to by others; even as the name of God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, is made by wicked men the common cloak for their sins, and they pretend them

selves to be Christians and God's servants, as confidently as those that are so. But it doth not thence follow, that God hath no servants on carth, or that there are no true Christians. What, if the devil, who is an enemy to God, will say he is God, and engage witches and wicked men to worship him as God, (as in the heathen idols he did,) will you, therefore, say that there is no God, because of the devil's false pretences? So what if the same devil transform himself into a spirit of light and righteousness, and so go forth, and be a lying spirit in the mouths of deluded ones, and say that he is the Spirit of God, will you, therefore, conclude that there is no Spirit of God? Then you let the devil have his will, if he can so far wrong the Spirit, and blind you to your destruction.

Sect. XXIV.

I should add here yet one other use of the point in hand. If the Spirit of holiness be such a witness to Christ, and such an advantage to the soul, against all temptations to infidelity, then you may see that all quenching and grieving the Spirit of grace, hath a tendency to infidelity itself, and doth obscure Christ's testimony that is within us, and so weaken our faith. And, therefore, what wonder if loose and careless professors of Christianity do stagger at the truth of God's word, or be weak in the belief of it? And what apparent need is there that all Christians should be very obedient to the Spirit, and take heed of the frame of their hearts and lives, lest they roll themselves into infidelity before they think of it, or know where they are. By these several ways, doth wilful sinning, and neglect of our hearts and lives, lead men towards infidelity itself.

1. By blotting out that evidence which was within them, of the truth of Christ, and so leaving it so dark, that they can hardly discern it. When they have weakened, and blurred their own graces, and too much defaced the image of Christ within them, then it is easier than before to bring them to doubt whether the Gospel have such noble effects: whether grace be so real a prevailing power: whether it be any more than the fruit of men's education or industry, or some melancholy disposition, or accidental and common alteration on the mind? They can judge of it sensibly no otherwise than as they find it themselves, and weak grace is next to none. And thus they lose their precious advantages, and lay open their souls to the vilest of temptations. . 2. A careless life and wilful sinning do tend to infidelity,