grows on a rock. As a weak christian is very apt to rest upon his own doings, so he is much in doing, and in the work of humiliation most.

It works according to the proportion of its own weakness; it staggers at the promise, yet it goes to the promise; it doubts of Christ's love, yet it doth run to Christ; it stumbles, yet it doth keep its way; it is ignorant of Christ, and not so forward in the knowledge of Christ as it should be, yet it is laying of the foundation, Heb. vi. 1. It is the fault of a weak christian, that he is always laying the foundation, yet he is laying of the foundation; though it works weakly, yet it works according to the proportion of its weakness; but the common, false grace doth not so.

It is willing to learn of others; for, says a weak christian, I am but a babe in Christ, and therefore why should not I be willing to be carried in others arms? The less I can do, the more I will receive: as the strong christian is much in doing, so must I be much in receiving: it is not thus with that false and common, counterfeit grace. But as the naturalists do report and write of the lion, that he will not eat of any prey, but what he hath hunted down himself;* other beasts will, they will prey upon what is killed by others; but the lion, king of the beasts, is so proud, that he will not eat of that which is killed by another. So, men that are strong in parts and gifts, and have no grace withal, will not eat of that which they do not hunt down themselves; if they hunt it down, then they will close therewith, else not. A stronggraced christian will, and a weak-faithed christian will, but he that hath parts and gifts alone, cannot relish that so well, which is brought to hand by another.

It is very sensible of its own weakness: a weak christian is weak, and he doth feel his weakness, and is very sensible of it; not a man in all the world, saith he, that is more weak than I. Now ye know, that if a lady or queen come to an house, she hath a great train attending upon her, and though ye see her not, yet if you see her train, you say, she is there still. Such a great queen is grace; though a man have never so little of it, yet it brings a great train with it; and

*Elian de animal.

+ Deo placet fides infirma modo, nobis non placet fidei infirmitas.—Austin. VOL. II.

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though ye see it not, yet if you see the train, will ye not say, surely the grace of God is here? Thus now it is with you that are weak in grace; these seven things, and a far greater train than these, you may see in your lives, and therefore certainly, you have no just cause and reason for your discouragements in this respect.

Oh, but yet, this is not the thing that doth pinch with me: I hope, through mercy, the root of the matter is in my soul, that this great queen of grace hath taken up her lodging in my heart; but yet I am exceeding weak in grace, and very feeble still some are weak in grace because they are but new plants, new converts, lately brought home to Christ, and are yet babes in Christ, and so they have excuse for their weakness; but I profess that I have been converted a great while, yet I am weak; I am an old man or woman, yet I am weak in grace; I am an old professor, and yet am weak in grace: therefore I am thus disquieted, have I not just cause and reason now?

No; for though it is a shame for an old man to go in coats, or to be carried in the arms like a babe, as every weak christian is; and though Christ will upbraid men of their slowness and dulness, that have long sat under the means, yet you have no just cause and reason for discouragement; for though you may be weak in regard of others, yet you may be strong in regard of your former self, and be more strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, than you have been heretofore. And to clear that, consider

1. The more extensive a man's obedience is unto God's commandments, the more he is grown in grace. Weak christians are much in some duties, and therein they are most intense: but little or nothing in others: and as they grow in grace, so their hearts are dilated, and extended unto other duties.

2. The more exact and accurate a man is in duty, the more he doth grow in grace; and the more he grows in grace, the more exact and accurate he doth grow in his duty. He that writes better than he did before, doth not write more paper, or make more letters, only he doth write more exactly and accurately: so, the grown christian doth not perform more duties than he did before, but the same more exactly.

3. The more a man sees and understands his christian liberty, and yet doth walk more strictly, the more he doth grow in grace: some think they grow in grace, because they have more understanding in their christian liberty, though they do walk more loosely; these are deceived in their spiritual growth; but if I know my christian liberty more fully, and now do walk more strictly in my life, then do I grow in grace indeed. Now is it not thus with you? Yes! through grace I am able to say, that I see my christian liberty more than I did heretofore; and yet I am more strict in my life: though I cannot yet pray as I would, and hear as I would, and perform duty as I would, yet I do perform my duties with more exactness than formerly; and though I have not so much affection as I had in this or that work of God, yet now I find, that I am more dilated, and my obedience is more extended and extensive unto God's ways and commandments than before. Then though you are still weak in regard of others, yet you are grown stronger in regard of your former self, and therefore certainly, you have no just cause or reason to be discouraged in this regard.

But suppose that I am yet but weak in grace, and temptations or discouragements press in upon me, in regard of the weakness of my grace; what shall I do that I may be able to bear up my heart against those discouragements?

Then consider what a great charge God the Father hath given to Christ of those that are weak, Isa. xlii. 1, “Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him." &c.: but why? verse 3, "A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench." This is my charge, saith the Father, which I give to my Son: and upon this account he came into the world, that those who have life might have it in abundance: and for this cause he did die for us, Rom. v. 6, "For when we were yet without strength, in due time (or according to the time, that is, the time appointed by the Father), Christ died for the ungodly.”

Consider also, what charge our Saviour Christ did give unto his apostles, and in them, to all the ministers of the gospel, concerning those that are weak in grace. "Peter, Peter, (said our Saviour) lovest thou me? (then) feed my sheep." And again, And again, "Lovest thou me? (then) feed my

lambs." And again, thirdly, "Lovest thou me? feed my lambs." Have a care of those that are weak in grace. All the time that Christ lived upon earth, he went about doing good, healing all sicknesses and diseases, and condescending to the weaknesses of men. One comes to him, and thought

to have stolen her cure, yet Christ did bear with her. Another comes, and puts an if upon his will, "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean;" and he did bear with him. Another comes, and puts an if upon his power, "Lord, if thou canst do any thing," &c. Yet Christ did yield to him. And when he left the world, then he charges his apostles with the weak saints, "Feed my lambs ;" and again, "Feed my lambs."

Consider also, what a great mercy it is to have a little grace,. though it be but a little; for though you have never so little grace, yet if you have grace in truth, you have union with Christ, you have communion with the Father, you have your own nature taken away, and are partakers of the divine nature; you have a right and title unto all the promises; yea, unto all the ordinances; yea, unto all the creatures. Your afflictions are not curses, the curse is taken out of every cross, you have an interest in all that Christ hath done and suffered, you are made partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, an inheritance uncorruptible, undefiled, that fadeth not away: you have God for your portion, Christ for your Saviour, the Spirit for your Comforter, heaven for your inheritance, the angels for your guard, and all the creatures in the earth under your feet; this, and all this you have, though you have never so little grace; and can you read over all this inventory of mercies, and sit discouraged in the midst of them?

Yet if all this will not prevail in the time of your temptation, think with yourself, and consider seriously, How much you shall weaken yourself, yet more and more, by your discouragements in this kind. All discouragements weaken; humiliation weakens not, the greatest humiliation doth not weaken, but the least discouragement doth, upon what account soever. Now if all discouragements do weaken, then what an unreasonable thing is it for me to be discouraged at the sight of my weakness? But so it is, that discouragements, even from the sight of our own weakness, do yet

more and more weaken; surely, therefore, it is an unreasonable thing for a man to be discouraged at the sight of his own weakness: wherefore, lift up your hands, oh ye saints, and be ye lift up, oh ye drooping souls. We are commanded, ye may read our commission, Isa. xxxv. 3, "to strengthen the weak hands, and to confirm the feeble knees, and to say to them that are of a fearful spirit, Be strong, fear not.' And if it be our duty to say and speak thus, then it is your duty to encourage yourself in the Lord, and to say to yourself, Be strong, oh my soul, and fear not. Be thankful for your little, and in due time you shall have much: labour also for much, yet be content with little, even with little grace, if God will have it so.

And thus I have done with the second instance.

SERMON VI.

A LIFTING UP IN CASE OF MISCARRIAGE OF DUTIES.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul ? and why art thou disquieted within me, &c."-Psalm xlii. 11.

III. Sometimes the discouragements of the saints and people of God, are drawn from their duties, the failings and successlessness of their duties.

For they reason thus: through the Lord's grace and mercy, I have been kept from great and gross sins, yet if the Lord loved me indeed, he would draw my heart near unto himself; but when I come to prayer, or duty, I find so much deadness, dulness and awkness of heart and spirit, that I fear the Lord will never accept such an one as I am, nor such duties as mine are: when I go to prayer, either praver is altogether absent from me, or I have no life therein; if I go to hear the word, I am not attentive, but filled with distractions; and whatever duty I perform, I want life and love in it. Oh, my heart is like a rock or stone, and therefore I fear the Lord will not accept my duty, and the rather, be