Píal. xcii. 13. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of our God. The word edifies them, If. lv. 10. 11. The facraments strengthen and confirm them, as they did the eunuch, who went on his way rejoicing, Acts viii. 39. Prayer and other holy exercises profit them, to their spiritual increase. But all by the influences of his Spirit in them, If. xliv. 3. 4.

(2.) In providences. Mercies are blofsed to them for this end, If. Ixvi. 11. 12. Croffes, John xv. 2. E. very branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. And often have the people of God grown most under the weights of afflictions. But this also is by communion with Christ in them, Phil. i. 19. I know that this shall turn to my falvation through the fupply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

FOURTHLY, I proceed to thew the difference betwixt true and false growth. As hypocrites may have seeming grace, though not real, fo that feeming grace may grow, Matth. xiii. 5. There is a twofold difference.

1. True Christian growth is universal, Eph. iv. 15. False growth is only in some particular things. Thetrue Chriftian grows in all the parts of spiritual life proportionably; for all the graces of the Spirit are link. ed together, so that when one grows, they all grow. Such a difference there is betwixt them as betwixt a well-thriving child and a ricketty one. The former grows proportionably in all the parts, the body, legs, arms, &c. The other grows too, but grows not fo; the head grows big, but the body grows not. So the hypocrite may get more knowledge, but no more tenderness, holiness, &c. He is not outwardly, but inwardly cold as to the life of religion.

2. The hypocrite foon comes to a sland, the Chri. stian goes on to perfection, Luke viii. 14. Phil. iii. 13 14. They have their measure; and when they have come to that, they stand like the door on the hinges: but the true Christian is going on going on, labouring to be ho

ly as God is holy, 1 John iii. 3. Every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

FIFTHLY, I am to shew whether true grace grows always.

1. It does not always grow, nor at every particular season. It has its winters and decays, as well as its spring and growing times, Rev. ii. 4. I have fomewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Yet,

2. It never decays utterly, I John iii. 9. Whosoever is born of God, his feed remaineth in him. The flame of it may go out, but there is always a live coal left, though under the ashes, which the influences of the Spirit will blow up again. It will not always be win. ter; Hof. xiv. 7. They that dwell under his shadow shall return, they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine.

3. A Christian may be growing, and yet not be senfible of it. If one judge of his cafe by present feel. ing, he may be mistaken, Mark iv. 27. If one fix his eyes on the fun or a tree, he cannot perceive the one moving or the other growing. But compare the tree with what it was fome years ago, the place where the fun now is, with where it was in the morning; fo shall ye know the remarkable difference. And the very fame difference may be observed in the growth of a Chriftian.

Again, the growth is not to be measured only by the top, but by the root too. If a tree be taking with the ground, and spreading its roots there, it is furely growing. And though Christians may want the con folations and flashes of affections they sometimes had; yet if they be growing in tenderness, humility, felfdenial, &c. it is true Christian growth.

Inf. 1. This may cause fear and trembling to,

1. Apostates, who instead of growing are gone back to their former courses of profaneness and impiety. Fallen stars were never stars but in appearance, and fearful will be their doom, Heb. x. 38. If any màn draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

2. Those who are at a stand in the way of religion. They have come up to a form of godliness, and they are like the door on the hinges. They are not striving to be forward in mortification.

3. Those who are growing worse instead of growing better. They are like dead trees; fummer and winter is alike to them; they are never the better for all the warnings from the Lord's word or providence : but whatever God says by providences or ordinances, they go on their own way, adding one finful step to another.

Inf. 2. Improve ordinances for spiritual growth. O, it is sad to be fitting under means of grace, but never growing. This is the ready way to provoke the Lord to remove ordinances.

Inf. 3. Let the least spark of true grace be nourished, for it will grow, If. xlii. 3. Inf. 4. Lastly, Labour to be growing Christians.

II. Of Perfeverance in Grace.

PERSEVERANCE in grace is another benefit flowing from, or accompanying justification.

Here I shall shew,

1. What this perseverance is. 2. How it is to be understood.

3. That the faints shall perfevere to the end.

4. What are those things which make hypocrites

fall away, but over the belly of which saints perse

vere.

5. The grounds of the perfeverance of the faints. 6. The means of perfeverance.

7. Lastly, Apply.

FIRST, I shall shew what this perfeverance is. To perfevere, is to continue and abide in a state into which one is brought. And this perfeverance is a firm and constant continuance in the state of grace, even to the end of one's life, Matth. x. 22. Col. i. 2 3. It is opposed to total apostasy, and utter falling away from grace. It is continuing and holding on, joined to a good beginning.

SECONDLY, I am to shew how this perseverance is to be understood.

1. It is not to be understood of all who profess Christ. Hypocrites may be seeming saints, and may have feeming grace, which may blaze for a while, and afterwards be quite extinguished, totally and finally loft, John vi. 66. There are temporary believers, who continue for a while, but having no root, do wither quite away, Matth. xiii. 21. Mere outside Christians, and Christians in the letter, may so apostatize, as to lose all and never recover.

2. It is to be understood of all real faints, those who are endowed with faving grace. Those who, by virtue of regeneration, may call God their Father, as well as the church their mother, shall abide in his family, and never fall out of it, John viii. 35. Though the counterfeit of grace may be utterly loft, yet real grace cannot. We own,

(1.) Saints may lose the evidence of grace, so that they cannot difcern it in themselves. Thus it may fuffer an eclipse, If. 1. 10. Sometimes a child of God

not only believes, loves, &c. but knows he does so: but at other times it may be out of his fight, so as he may apprehend he has none. The jewel may fall by, though it cannot fall away; and the spiritual husband may lock up himself in his chamber from his spoufe, though he never quite leaves the house.

2.

(2.) Saints may lose the exercise of grace, Cant. v. Though the holy fire be not quite put out, yet it may cease to flame for a while; though they have spi. ritual armour lying by them, they may be fo benumbed with the prevailing of corruption, that they cannot wield it. Wife virgins may slumber and fleep, as well as the foolish.

(3.) They may lose much of the measure of grace they have had. True grace, though it cannot die out, yet is fubject to languishing and decays in the strength thereof, Rev. iii. 2. They may lose much of their love to God and one another, Rev. ii. 4.; much of their former tenderness, as David's heart smote him when he cut off the lap of Saul's garinent, but afterwards was guilty of murder and adultery; much of their liveliness in duties, Rev. iii. 2. and fo of other graces. But,

[1.] Saints can never lose grace finally, so as never to recover it, I Pet. i. 5. John vi. 39. No doubt a child of God may stray away from the Lord, as well as another: but though a fervant may go, and never return to the house, yet a fon will be fought out and brought back again, Pfal. cxix. ult. John xiii. 356 And the fervant abideth not in the house for ever; but the Son abideth ever. So however far the faints may go wrong, the Lord will recover them.

[2.] Saints never lose grace totally neither; they never lose it altogether, though for ever so short a while, I John iii. 9. Their lamp may burn dim, but it is never quite put out; they may fall back, fall very low, fo as themselves and others may have little hopes of their recovery, but they never fall off, never fall away, Pfal. xxxvii. 24. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly caft down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hands

Both these hold true of relative grace; that is, there is no falling out of the state of justification, adoption, union with Christ, peace with God, the love of God, &c. and of inherent grace, faith, love, the fear of God, &c

THIRDLY, I proceed to shew that the faints shall persevere to the end. This is evident from,

1. The Lord's own promises. He has said it, and will he not do it? John x. 28. 29. Pfal. cxxv. 1. They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. It is true, they have many enemies that watch to do them mischief,

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