"The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon," Psal. xcii. 12. Grace is of a growing nature: in the way to Zion, they go from strength to strength. Though the holy man be at first a little child in grace, yet at length he becomes a young man, a father, 1 John ii. 13. Though he do but creep in the way to heaven sometimes, yet afterwards, "he walks, he runs, he mounts up with wings as eagles," Isa. xl. 31. If a branch grafted into a stock never grows, it it is a plain evidence of its not having knit with the stock.

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But some may perhaps say, "If all true Christians be growing ones, what shall be said of these who, instead of growing, are going back ?" I answer, first, There is a great difference between the Christian's growing simply, and his growing at all times. All true Christians do grow, but I do not say they grow at all times. A tree that has life and nourishment, grows to its perfection, yet it is not always growing: it grows not in the winter. Christians also have their winters, wherein the influences of grace, necessary for growth, are ceased, Cant. v. 2, "I sleep." It is by faith the believer derives gracious influence from Jesus Christ, as each lamp in the candlestick received oil from the bowl, by the pipe going betwixt them, Zech. iv. 2. Now, if that pipe be stopped, if the saints faith lie dormant and inactive, then all the rest of the graces will become dim, and seem ready to be extinguished. In consequence whereof, depraved nature will gather strength, and become active. What then will become of the soul? Why, there is still one sure ground of hope: the saint's faith is not as the hypocrite's, like a pipe laid short of the fountain, whereby there can be no conveyance, it still remains a bond of union betwixt Christ and the soul; and therefore, "because Christ lives, the believer shall live also," John xiv. 19. The Lord Jesus puts in his hand by the hole of the door, and clears the means of conveyance; and then influences for growth flow, and the believer's graces look fresh and green again, Hos. xiv. 7, "They that dwell under his shadow, shall return, they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine." In the worst of times, the saints have a principle of growth in them, 1 John iii. 9, "His seed remaineth in him." And therefore after decays, they revive again: namely, when the winter is over, and the Sun of righteousness returns to them with his warm influences. Mud thrown into a pool, may lie there at ease, but if it be cast into a fountain, the spring will at length work it out, and run clear as formerly. Secondly, Christians may mistake their growth, and that two ways. (1.) By judging of their case according to their present feeling. They observe themselves, and cannot perceive them

selves to be growing; but there is no reason thence to conclude they are not growing, Mark iv. 27, "The seed springs and grows up, he knoweth not how." Should one fix his eyes ever so steadfastly on the sun running his race, or on a growing tree, he would not perceive the sun moving, or the tree growing; but, if he compare the tree as it now is, with what it was some years ago, and consider the place in the heavens, where the sun was in the morning; he will certainly perceive the tree has grown, and the sun has moved. In like manner may the Christian know, whether he be in a growing or declining state, by comparing his present with his former condition. (3.) Christians may mistake their case, by measuring their growth by the advances of the top only, not of the root. Though a man be not growing taller, he may be growing stronger. If a tree be taking with the ground, fixing itself in the earth, and spreading out its roots, it is certainly growing, although it be nothing taller than formerly. So, albeit a Christian may want the sweet consolation and flashes of affection, which sometimes he has had; yet if he be growing in humility, self-denial, and a sense of needy dependence on Jesus Christ, he is a growing Christian. Hos. xiv. 5, "I will be as the dew unto Israel, he shall cast forth his roots as Lebanon."

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Quest. But do hypocrites grow at all? And if so, how shall we distinguish betwixt their growth and true Christian growth?" Ans. To the first part of the question, hypocrites do grow. The tares have their growth, as well as the wheat: and the seed that fell among thorns did spring up, Luke viii. 7, only it did bring no fruit to perfection, ver. 14. Yea, a true Christian may have a false growth. James and John seemed to grow in the grace of holy zeal, when their spirits grew so hot in the cause of Christ, that they would have fired whole villages, for not receiving their Lord and Master, Luke ix. 54, 66 They said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven to consume them, even as Elias did?" But it was indeed no such thing: and therefore he turned and rebuked them, ver. 55, and said, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." To the second part of the question, it is answered, that there is a peculiar beauty in true Christian growth, distinguishing it from all false growth: it is universal, regular, proportionable. It is a "growing up to him in all things, which is the head," Eph. iv. 15. The growing Christian grows proportionably in all the parts of the new man. Under the kindly influences of the Sun of righteousness, believers 66 grow up as calves in the stall," Mal. iv. 2. Ye would think it a monstrous growth, in these creatures, if ye saw their heads

grow, and not their bodies; or if ye saw one leg grow, and another not; if all the parts do not grow proportionably. Ay, but such is the growth of many in religion. They grow like rickety children, who have a big head, but a slender body: they get more knowledge in their heads; but no more holiness in their hearts and lives: they grow very hot outwardly, but very cold inwardly; like men in a fit of the ague. They are more taken up about the externals of religion, than formerly; yet as great strangers to the power of godliness as ever. If a garden is watered with the hand, some of the plants will readily get much, some little, and some no water at all; and therefore some wither, while others are coming forward: but after a shower from the clouds, all come forward together. In like manner, all the graces of the Spirit, grow proportionably, by the special influence of divine grace. The branches ingrafted in Christ, growing aright, do grow in all the several ways of growth at once. They grow inward, growing into Christ, Eph. iv. 15, uniting more closely with him, and cleaving more firmly to him, as the head of influences, which is the spring of all other true Christian growth. They grow outward, in good works, in their life and conversation: they not only, with Naphtali," give goodly words;" but, like Joseph, "they are fruitful boughs." They grow upwards in heavenly mindedness, and contempt of the world: for their "conversation is in heaven," Philip. iii. 20. And finally, they grow downward in humility and self-loathing. The branches of the largest growth in Christ, are in their own eyes, "less than the least of all saints, Eph. iii. 8. "The chief of all sinners," 1 Tim. i. 15. "More brutish than any man," Prov. xxx. 2. They see they can do nothing, no, not so much as "to think any thing, as of themselves, 2 Cor. iii. 5, that they deserve nothing, being 'not worthy of the least of all the mercies' showed unto them, Gen. xxxii. 10, and that they are nothing,' 2 Cor. xii. 2.

A sixth benefit is Fruitfulness. The branch ingrafted into Christ, is not barren, but brings forth fruit, John xv. 5, "He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit." For that very end are souls married to Christ, that they may bring forth fruit unto God,' Rom. vii. 4. They may be branches in Christ, by profession, but not by real implantation, that are barren branches. Whatsoever are united to Christ, bring forth the fruits of gospel-obedience and true holiness. Faith is always followed with good works. The believer is not only come out of the grave of his natural state, but he has put off his grave-clothes, namely, reigning lusts, in the which he walked sometime, like a ghost; being dead, while

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he lived in them, Col. iii. 7, 8. For Christ has said of him, as of Lazarus, "Loose him and let him go.' And now that he has put on Christ, he personates him, (so to speak) as a beggar in borrowed robes, represents a king on the stage, walking as he also walked. Now the fruit of the Spirit, in him, is in all goodness, Eph. v. 9. The fruits of holiness will be found in the hearts, lips, and lives of those who are united to Christ. The hidden man of the heart, is not only a temple built for God, and consecrated to him, but used and employed for him; where love, fear, trust, and all the other parts of unseen religion are exercised, Phil. iii. 3, "For we are of the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit." The heart is no more the devil's common, where thoughts go free; for there even vain thoughts are hated, Psal. cxix. 113. But it is God's inclosure hedged about as a garden, for him, Cant. iv. 16. It is true, there are weeds of corruption there, because the ground is not yet perfectly healed; but the man, in the day of his new creation is set to dress it, and keep it. A live coal from the altar has touched his lips, and they are purified, Psal. xv. 1, 2, 3, Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour." There may be indeed a smooth tongue, where there is a false heart. The voice may be Jacob's, while the hands are Esau's. But "if any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, that man's religion is vain," James i. 26. The power of godliness will rule over the tongue, though a world of iniquity. If one be a Galilean, his speech will betray him; he will not speak the language of Ashdod, but the language of Canaan. He will neither be dumb in religion, nor will his tongue walk at random; seeing to the double guard nature hath given the tongue, grace hath added a third: the fruits of holiness will be found in his outward conversation, for he hath clean hands, as well as a pure heart, Psal. xxiv. 4. He is a godly man, and religiously discharges the duties of the first table of the law: he is a righteous man, and honestly performs the duties of the second table. In his conversation he is a good Christain and a good neighbour too. He carries it towards God, as if men's eyes were upon him; and towards men, as believing God's eye to be upon him. These things which God hath joined, in his law, he dare not in his practice put asunder.

Thus the branches of Christ are full of Good fruits. And those fruits are a cluster of vital actions, whereof Jesus Christ is the principle and end; the principle, for he lives in them, and

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"the life they live, is by the faith of the Son of God," Gal. i. 20. The end; for they live to him: and " to them to live is Christ," Philip. i. 21. The duties of religion are in the world, like fatherless children in rags; some will not take them in, because they never loved them nor their Father; some take them in, because they may be serviceable to them: but the saints take them in for their Father's sake; that is, for Christ's sake: and they are lovely in their eyes, because they are like him! O whence is the new life of the saints! surely it could never have been hammered out of the natural powers of their souls, by the united force of all created power. In eternal barrenness should their womb have been shut up; but that being married to Christ, they bring forth "fruit unto God," Rom. vii. 4.

If you ask me, how your nourishment, growth, and fruitfulness may be forwarded? I offer these few advices: (1.) Make sure work to your knitting with the stock by faith unfeigned; and beware of hypocrisy: a branch that is not sound at the heart, will certainly wither. The trees of the Lord's planting are trees of righteousness, Isa. lxi. 3, so when others fade, they bring forth fruit. Hypocrisy is a disease in the vitals of religion, which will consume all at length. It is a leak in the ship, that will certainly sink it. Sincerity of grace will make it lasting, be it never so weak; as the smallest twig, that is sound at the heart, will draw nourishment from the stock, and grow, while the greatest bough that is rotten, can never recover, because it receives no nourishment. (2.) Labour to be steadfast in the truths and way of God. An unsettled and wavering judgment is a great enemy to Christian growth and fruitfulness, as the Apostle teaches, Eph. iv. 14, 15, "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine. But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." A rolling stone gathers no fog, and a wavering judgment makes a fruitless life. Though a tree be never so sound, yet how can it grow, or be fruitful, if ye be still removing it out of one soil into another? (3.) Endeavour to cut off the suckers, as gardeners do, that their trees may thrive. These are unmortified lusts. Therefore, "mortify your members that are upon the earth," Col. iii. 5. When the Israelites got meat to their lusts, they got leanness to their souls. She that has many hungry children about her hand, and must be still putting into their mouths, will have much ado to get a bit put into her own. They must refuse the craving of inordinate affections, who would have their souls to prosper. Lastly, Improve, for these ends, the ordinances