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

For these miscarriages of many well-meaning zealous persons, the Land mourneth, the Churches groan; Kingdoms are disturbed by them; Families are disquieted by them; Godliness is hindered, and much dishonoured by them; the Wicked are hardened by them, and encouraged to hate and blaspheme and oppose Religion; the glory of the Christian Faith is obscured by them; and the Infidel, Mahometan and Heathen World, are kept from Faith in Jesus Christ, and many millions of Souls destroyed by them. I mean, by the miscarriages of the weaker sort of Christians, and by the wicked lives of those carnal Hypocrites, who for custom or worldly interest do profess that Christianity which was never received by their hearts.

For these miscarriages of many well-meaning zealous persons, the Land mourneth, the Churches groan; Kingdoms are disturbed by them; Families are disquieted by them; Godliness is hindered, and much dishonoured by them; the Wicked are hardened by them, and encouraged to hate and blaspheme and oppose Religion; the glory of the Christian Faith is obscured by them; and the Infidel, Mahometan and Heathen World, are kept from Faith in Jesus Christ, and many millions of Souls destroyed by them. I mean, by the miscarriages of the weaker sort of Christians, and by the wicked lives of those carnal Hypocrites, who for custome or worldly interest do profess that Christianity which was never received by their hearts.

And all this is much promoted by their indiscretion, who are so intent upon the consolatory opening of the safety and happiness of Believers, ⟨p. 4⟩that they omit the due explication of their Description, their Dangers and their Duties.

One part of this too much neglected work I have endeavoured to perform in the foregoing Treatise; Another I shall attempt in this second Part: There are five Degrees or ranks of true Christians, observable: 1. The Weakest Christians, who have only the Essentials of Christianity, or very little more: As Infants that are alive, but of little strength or use to others. 2. Those that are lapsed into some wounding sin, though not into a state of damnation; Like men at age, who have lost the use of some one member, for the present, though they are strong in other parts. 3. Those that having the Integral parts of Christianity in a considerable measure, are in a sound and healthful state; though neither perfect, nor of the highest form or rank of Christians in this life, nor without such infirmities, as are the matter of their daily Watchfulness and Humiliation. 4. Those that are so strong as to attain extraordinary degrees of grace, who are therefore comparatively called Perfect, as