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

THE CHARACTER OF 1 A Sound Confirmed Christian, 2 And of the Weak Christian, 3 And of the Seeming Christian.

IN the Explication of the Text, which I made the ground of the foregoing discourse, I have showed you that there is a Degree of Grace to be expected and sought after by all true Christians, which putteth the Soul into a sound, confirmed, radicated state, in comparison of that weak, diseased, tottering condition, which most Christians now continue in. And I have showed you how desirable a state that is, and what calamities follow the languishing unhealthful state even of such as may be saved. And indeed did we but rightly understand, how deeply the errors and sins ⟨p. 2⟩of many well-meaning Christians, have wounded the interest of Religion in this age; and how heinously they have dishonoured God, and caused the enemies of holiness to blaspheme, and hardened thousands in Popery and Ungodliness, in probability to their perdition: Had we well observed when Gods Judgements have begun, and understood what sins have caused our Wars, and Plagues and Flames, and worse than all these, our great heart-divisions, and Church-distractions and convulsions; we should ere this have given over the flattering of our selves and one another, in such a Heaven-provoking state; and the ostentation of that little goodness, which hath been eclipsed by such lamentable evils. And instead of these, we should have betaken our selves to the exercise of such a serious deep Repentance as the quality of our sins, and the greatness of Gods Chastisements do require. It is a doleful case to see how light many make of all the rest of their distempers, when once they think that they have so much Grace and Mortification, as is absolutely necessary to save their souls: And expect that Preachers should say little to weak Christians, but words of comfort, setting forth their happiness: And yet if one of them, when he hath the Gout, or Stone, or Colic, or Dropsy, doth send for a Physician, he would think himself derided or abused, if his Physician instead of curing his disease, should only comfort him by telling him that he is not dead. What excellent disputations have Cicero and Seneca, the Platonists and Stoics, to prove that Virtue is of it self sufficient to make Man happy? And yet many Christians live as if Holiness were but the way and means to their felicity, or