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

Their senses and reason are not yet perfected, or exercised to partake of the pleasures of life. And when they do come to know what a laughter is, they will laugh and cry almost in a breath: And those weak Christians that do come to taste of joy and pleasure in their religious state, it is commonly but as a flash of lightning, which leaveth them as dark as they were before. Sometimes in the beginning, upon their first apprehensions ⟨p. 64⟩of the love of God in Christ, and of the pardon of their sins, and the privileges of their new condition, and the hopes of everlasting joy, their hearts are transported with unspeakable delight; which is partly from the newness of the thing, and partly because God will let them have some encouraging taste, to draw them further, and to convince them of the difference between the pleasures of sin, and the comforts of believing: But these first rejoicings soon abate, and turn into a life of doubts, and fears, and griefs, and care, till they are grown to greater understanding, experience, and settledness in the things of God: The root must grow greater and deeper, before it will bear a greater top. Those Christians that in the weakness of grace have frequent joys, are usually persons whose weak and passionate nature doth occasion it: (some women especially) that have strong phantasies and passions are always passionately affected with whatsoever they apprehend: And these are like a ship that is tossed in a tempest; that is one while lifted up as to the clouds, and presently cast down as into an infernal gulf: There one day in great joy, and quickly after in as great perplexity and sorrow. Because their comforts or sorrows do follow their present feeling, or mutable apprehensions. But when they come to be confirmed Christians, they will keep a more constant judgement of themselves, and their own condition, and constantly see their grounds of comfort; and when they cannot raise their souls to any high and passionate joys, they yet walk in a settled peace of soul, and in such competent comforts, as make their lives to be easy and delightful; being well pleased ⟨p. 65⟩and contented with the happy condition that Christ hath brought them to, and thankful that he left them not in those foolish vain pernicious pleasures, which were the way to endless sorrows.

Their senses and reason are not yet perfected, or exercised to partake of the pleasures of life. And when they do come to know what a laughter is, they will laugh and cry almost in a breath: And those weak Christians that do come to taste of joy and pleasure in their religious state, it is commonly but as a flash of lightning, which leaveth them as dark as they were before. Sometimes in the beginning, upon their first apprehensions