Directions for weak distempered Christians, to grow up to a confirmed state of grace…

7. Moreover, you must labour to grow in a higher estimation of the same truths which you knew before. And this will be a consequent of the forementioned acts. A child that findeth a jewel may set by it, for the shining beauty; when yet he may value it many thousand pounds below its worth. You see so much wisdom and goodness in God, the first hour of your new life, as causeth you to prefer him before the world! and you see so much necessity of a Saviour, so much love and mercy in Jesus Christ, as draweth up your hearts to him; and you see so much certainty and glorious excellency of the life to come, that makes you ⟨p. 102⟩value it even more than your lives. But yet there is in all these such an unsearchable treasure, that you can never value them near their worth; for all that thou hast seen of God, and Christ, and Glory, there is a thousand times more excellency in them yet to be discerned. For all the beauty thou hast seen in holiness, it is a thousand fold more beautiful than ever thou didst apprehend it: for all the evil thou hast seen in sin, it is a thousand fold worse than ever thou didst perceive it to be. So that if you should live a thousand years, you might still be growing in your estimation of those things which you knew the first day of your true conversion. For the deeper you dig into this precious Mine, the greater riches will still appear to you. There is an Ocean of excellency in one Article of your belief, and you will never find the banks or bottom, till you come to heaven, and then you will find that it had neither banks nor bottom.

7. Moreover, you must labor to grow in a higher estimation of the same truths which you knew before. And this will be a consequent of the forementioned acts. A child that findeth a jewel may set by it, for the shining beauty; when yet he may value it many thousand pounds below its worth. You see so much wisdom and goodness in God, the first hour of your new life, as causeth you to prefer him before the world! and you see so much necessity of a Saviour, so much love and mercy in Jesus Christ, as draweth up your hearts to him; and you see so much certainty and glorious excellency of the life to come, that makes you ⟨p. 102⟩value it even more than your lives. But yet there is in all these such an unsearchable treasure, that you can never value them neer their worth; for all that thou hast seen of God, and Christ, and Glory, there is a thousand times more excellency in them yet to be discerned. For all the beauty thou hast seen in holiness, it is a thousand fold more beautiful than ever thou didst apprehend it: for all the evil thou hast seen in sin, it is a thousand fold worse than ever thou didst perceive it to be. So that if you should live a thousand years, you might still be growing in your estimation of those things which you knew the first day of your true conversion. For the deeper you dig into this precious Mine, the greater riches will still appear to you. There is an Ocean of excellency in one Article of your belief, and you will never find the banks or bottom, till you come to heaven, and then you will find that it had neither banks nor bottom.