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

16. Nay more than so, you have the addition of much experience, which should be an exceeding help to quicken your affections. When you first Repented and came into Christ, you had never had any experience in your selves of his saving special Grace before; but you came in upon the bare hearing and believing of it: But now you have tasted that the Lord is gracious! and you have received at his hands the pardon of sin, the Spirit of adoption, the hope of glory, which before you had not! You have had many a Prayer answered, and many a deliverance granted; and will you make a stand when all these experiences do call you forward? Should not new Motives and helps thus added to the old, be the means of adding to your zeal and holiness? Surely more wages and encouragement, doth be speak more work and diligence. And therefore see that you increase.

17. And most or many of you have cause to consider how long you have been already in the Family and School of Christ. If you are but newly entered, I may well exhort you to increase, but I cannot reprove you for not increasing. But alas, what a multitude of dwarfs hath Christ, that are like Infants at twenty or forty or threescore years of age. What! be so many years in his School, and yet be in the lowest Form. [For when for the time ye ought to be Teachers, you have need that one teach you again which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God, and are become such as have need of Milk, and not of strong meat: For every one that ⟨p. 40⟩useth milk is unskilful in the word of Righteousness: for he is a Babe: but strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, that by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil, Heb. 5.12, 13, 14.] O poor weak diseased Christian! hast thou been so many years beholding the face of God by Faith! and yet art thou no more in love with him than at the first! Hast thou been so long making trial of his goodness! and dost thou see it and savour it no more than in the beginning! Hast thou been so long under his cure; and art thou no more healed than the first year or day! Hast thou been hearing and talking of Heaven so long; and yet art thou no more heavenly nor ready for Heaven! Hast thou heard and talked so much against the World and the Flesh; and yet is the World as high in thee as at first, and the Flesh as strong as in the beginning of thy Profession! O what a sin and shame is this? and what a wrong to God and thee?