The Morning exercise [at] Cri[ppleg]ate, or, Several cases of conscience practically resolved

4. Direction.

4. Press after the highest degrees of Grace, and be much in the exercise thereof, if thou wouldest clearly discern thy spiritual condition. The weakness of thy grace makes thee doubt of the truth of grace. The Christian must be like the Crocodile,^* that grows as long as it lives, and ceaseth to be, when it ceaseth to grow. The body of a man is continually growing, till he come to his perfect age, and then ceaseth to grow, for then, though he may wax fat, and broader, yet he riseth not higher, and his bones have no increase: So when we come to our full stature in Christ, to our perfect age in glory, we shall grow no more, because then we shall be perfect, but in our minority we must be always growing, and a growing person is easily discerned to be a living person. A Dwarf cannot see so far as a taller man, nor be seen so far: So a little grace cannot be so easily perceived amongst a crowd of sins and corruption.

4. Presse after the highest degrees of Grace, and be much in the exercise thereof, if thou wouldest clearly discern thy spiritual condition. The weakness of thy grace makes thee doubt of the truth of grace. The Christian must be like the Crocodile,^* that grows as long as it lives, and ceaseth to be, when it ceaseth to grow. The body of a man is continually growing, till hee come to his perfect age, and then ceaseth to grow, for then, though hee may wax fat, and broader, yet hee riseth not higher, and his bones have no increase: So when wee come to our full stature in Christ, to our perfect age in glory, wee shall grow no more, because then wee shall be perfect, but in our minority wee must be alwaies growing, and a growing person is easily discerned to be a living person. A Dwarf cannot see so far as a taller man, nor be seen so far: So a little grace cannot be so easily perceived amongst a croud of sins and corruption.

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