Christ's school consisting of four classes of Christians

4. They shall not depart from me. That is, wholly and finally: as God will not leave them totally, so nor they God: which is the fourth Head.

Now this is clear as the Sun, that the new Covenant Promises and frames are found accomplished in all Saints, and in none but Saints: that is, the end of all and none but redeemed ones, which is the end of the Redeemer, and that is to be holy, &c. Tit. 2.14. and that becomes the aim and end of Elected ones, which is Gods in Electing, and that you may read, Ephes. 1.4. God the Father, Son and Spirit are one and agree in one. Election, Redemption, Sanctification to Salvation have one and the same subjects; and all these have one and the same desire as to the things designed, they all agree in breathing after the effects of God the Father, Son and Spirits design, which no other persons do.

'Tis true, these things may not be acted alike powerfully and discernably at all times, but they are rooted and riveted in them, and do more or less appear in their effects upon occasion. Take the best of Saints, and they are not acted always alike; some of them are eminent for a particular grace which hath appeared most evidently, and run most evenly through the whole course of their lives; as Abraham for Faith; Isaac for fear, and therefore God is called the fear of Isaac, viz. the God whom ⟨p. 218⟩he feared; Jacob for Prayer, and therefore the Seekers and praying people are called his seed; Moses for meekness; Job for patience, &c. not but that these met with some interruptions and breaks, of which weighty reasons might be given, were it seasonable here. So take any Classis of Saints, and they have variety of lessons to take out, several Books to read, and several exercises to perform; now when they are about any-one of these, the rest seem not to be or to lie dormant for that time, though it be not so, but they administer a secret contribution to one another in their turns. Sometimes Saints are most exercised about their own emptiness and insufficiency; sometimes about the riches and freeness of grace; sometimes about the beauty of holiness and usefulness of good works; sometimes sorrow and fear, at another time love and joy take hold of them; by reason of this variety and turning some are prone to think that they were never converted till they came to act so and so, which is but grace putting it self forth in another way of growth; as the sap of a tree doth first in buds, then in leaves and blossoms, and then in fruit, which fruit also hath its time to ripen, and its form and colour is very various till it come to its maturity and be perfectly ripe. I take occasion to speak of these things out of tenderness to poor Babes, who are too apt to mistake and mis-judge, and to let them know that if they will judge aright of their state, they must not judge by what is proper and peculiar to an higher Classis and size of Saints, but by what