Seasonable truths in evil-times in several sermons / lately preached in and about London

And besides, they look upon grace, and growth and increase in grace, as their greatest excellencies. What a man looks upon as his excellency, that he doth much desire. Some place an excellency in fine Gardens; and if they see a dainty flower in another's Garden, they will never be at quiet till they have the like in their own Garden, because therein they place an excellency. Now there are many increases in the world, wherein men place great excellency, and therein they labour to abound more and more. And now saith a godly creature, A rich man looks upon riches as his excellency, and therefore would yet have more: an honourable man looks upon credit as his excellency, and therefore he would have more: So do I look upon grace as my excellency, and therefore I must yet have more. A godly man having once tasted of the sweetness that is in the ways of God, Oh, saith he, 'tis so sweet, I must yet have more: give me more of this; though I die for it, yet give me more of this. He doth grow, and he cannot but grow and abound yet more and more.

And besides, they look upon grace, and growth and increase in grace, as their greatest excellencies. What a man looks upon as his excellency, that he doth much desire. Some place an excellencie in fine Gardens; and if they see a dainty flower in anothers Garden, they will never be at quiet till they have the like in their own Garden, because therein they place an excellencie. Now there are many increases in the world, wherein men place great excellencie, and therein they labour to abound more and more. And now saith a godly creature, A rich man looks upon riches as his excellencie, and therefore would yet have more: an honourable man looks upon cred•t as his excellencie, and therefore he would have more: So do I look upon grace as my excellencie, and therefore I must yet have more. A godly man having once tasted of the sweetness that is in the ways of God, Oh, saith he, 'tis so sweet, I must yet have more: give me more of this; though I die for it, yet give me more of this. He doth grow, and he cannot but grow and abound yet more and more.

Object. I but you will say to me, Then am I afraid that I never had any truth of grace, because I do not find that I do grow in grace: where there is truth, there will be growth, and there will be increasing: but as for me, I do not find any such growth and increase, and therefore I fear that I never had grace at all.