Grace: the truth and growth and different degrees thereof. The sum and substance of…Grace: the truth and growth and different degrees thereof. The summe and substance of…

Grown Christians are such as understand¹ the great and profound mysteries of Religion; they are not only such as use milk, ²and understand only the first and plain Principles,³ such as the Apostle calls Babes and unskilful in the Word of Righteousness:—but they are such as are able to digest strong meat, i.e. the deep mysteries of the Gospel, they do in some measure understand, and have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil, that is, to judge between true doctrines and false. Strong and grown Christians have such an ear, as is able to try words, (as it is in Job) even as the mouth trieth meats. —It is an observation of the learned Mercer, ⁴that the same word in Hebrew which signifies⁵ an Ear, ⁶in the dual number signifies a pair of balances,—to note thus much, that an experienced and judicious Christian will weigh whatsoever he heareth, before he believeth it. For as the tongue of the balance standeth as a Judge between the two scales, so should the heart of every man weigh what he hears, and so will every grown and judicious Christian. He will not take up truth upon trust, but he considereth first, and believeth afterwards.—Nor will a grown Christian take up with inferior knowledge but will like a grown Scholar,⁷ be searching after the deep things of God.⁸

Grown Christians are such as understand¹ the great and profound mysteries of Religion; they are not only such as use milk, ²and understand only the first and plain Principles,