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Show pofition of <II vine 'I' ruth could be demonflrated to us Immediate· ly by principles of Reafon ; yet our taking them upon that evi· deuce were not Faith. But I have been large enough in this firft thing: giving you the character and notes of wtak., Chriftiatu, felt· tlrr grapes: I come to the fecond. 2. To !hew you the reafon of this different {ize and ~Jill!'< a· mongll Chrillians-, I !ball reduce all my difcourfe upon this to five or fix Heads. 1, Tht firfl !ball be difference of time. All Chrillians are not of the fame llanding in the ways of God. It is not to be expected that the grapes ofthofe branches which have but newly call their flowers, !bould be as ripe and forward as thofe that have had a longer time fince they firll appeared : nor that a Scholar of two or three years flanding, {bould be either fo full of Notions or fo con· firmed and fettled in the truth of thofe Notions as he who bath been .; his bufinels, feven, ten, twenty years. In natural things, Time gives perfection; ln moral things, T.rne and practice give perfection. Now in fpiritual things, both .thefe mull '?~c~r too : for though rhe Habit be fupernatural, and 1nfu!ed, yet 11 1~ Improved by Exercife. This is eminently true, as to weaknefs tn "-HOIII· ledg, which is got by degre~s, and in 1Hdgm~nl which co~es, or at leali is in great meafure Improved by pract1ce and expenence ; yea and as to that third Jpeciet of weaknefs too, the Senfitive ap· petlte is not fubdued and mortified in a moment ; a Chrillian this month,this year gets a vi6fory over one luft,the next over another. In regard that Chrift calls into his Vineyard, fome at the ninth, fame at the eleventh hour; it is not to be expelled thofe called in at the eleventh !bould be as ftrong as thofe that have been work· ing all the day. Indeed, rhe.reis a great deal ofdi.fferenee here, fome muchcaufed from the d'1fference of Gods workmg on Souls: In fome he makes his way from the bead to the heart. They hav~ been well educated in the knowl~dg of the Scriptum, and the things of God there revealed, God in ~is own :ime qtiickneth this feed reflects their knowlcdg upon thttr Confc1ence, and by advan; age ofit inflameth their affections. Thefe Chrillians prefent· ly upon the change of their hearts appear more ftrong than others but in others God makes his way to their head! by the heart: He fi;fl affed:s their hearts, makes them fee their loft condirid~, the danger of fin their nml QfCbrift, &c~ This done, they begtn to enquire after God, .and It mufi be fome time before they can be perfectly lteaj'ou1 of the. difftr~nt jlature ofa~rijli.tfu. perfectly inftructed in the way of God and can come to a good judgment in the things of God. Thefe ~re tender grapes and mull be fo till time and induftry hath ripened them. ' 2• A d•fferencealfo of natural parrs is a great caufe of this dilfe· renee in the. fize ~nd jlat1<re of Chrlflians, every one knows thac rhc fame ''me wtll not make every child an Arti!f or a Scholar, Tiroc.and induftry will do f91neshing con!iderably' with all qut not the fame th.ing. S?me ar~ naturally of wea~er appreh~~f,.•u, harder .to co?cetvc a thin~, and of wea~r judgments1{e[s able to dctermt~e thm~s,and to. dtfcer.n and Judg of things that differ: and as the clung ev1denceth It felf 1n all perfons bred but in the lmowle~ g of Arts, Trades aud Sciences; fo it ,is alfo true as to the dungs of God. God rio more conde.fc~ndiog to wru{f.jpg Mi. racles ordinarily in that cafe· th.a11 uilict ~~fes i I rake it to be true what one faith, Spiritus Dei •peratur fec~ndum quod ljaJJ;ri, rft Or· ga~on, t.he Spirit of God working in gracious Souls, efpedally as · to tts g1fts and endC?'vments pf f;,n~rr>ltdg_and judgment, according lo the natu~alcapaolty of the Soult11 wh1ch he js plea(ed to work. So as the difference of natural LE.ndowroents is .oft a ·great ca1.1fe of {piritual r:-eak,.nrfi.. . 'I,, 3: !hudly, :ne d1ffhet1ce of tho mea II~ of graee 'i'hi>h fe)leral Chnlltans have,1s undoub.teCIY anqther caufe of this di.tferenrfize. .:rhe Spirit of God worke.th)w meanS': J'he Apo!lle <;.O!Jlltlandeth Lhriftians to de!tre ~he fi11~rr~mi.l~.6/ theJf{prd, ibat 111~} m~y grow ~b~rtby. Preachtn~ t~:GQ~s Ordtna~dor: tht perfe@ing .qf the Sa1nts• ~orne C?pflt,ans hv.e under, g•ejliaclnntag4SJ:,,I!.ld(ed ,be -God the _\Mnr? ~s rtMr,lo ,,,.u; Chrill. .:lsc ,pre~alied eMHY .L9r~s day, the ~tb/e IS tn•every hpufe,bl!t ~very .one cannot r~J.(fhatls .a great d1fadvantage, and almoft no@'· a-days inexcuia{)\e til CIHilllans in our days w~en they may. !tarn if they wlli.J futt (~pp<iw they can read,they• cannot.updtr!larlll:;. folnt.,c;:b.lifii"<11$iba:l!e. Eie.e11 bred up in Familid,apd :iroih Fanilll<!s ~ ; iWher.llibl:lNVd~· M:§l(lCm read, they,. are ofr~n Cated)ifed: and p:amine& , l ( (t1)5Sd9 .• , great help) It IS no won de~ 1f the('e Chriftians be f\.cbngemChriflians both tn kn.owledg. and :Jud-gme.n~ tJu~ ot~er Ch(iftiaq51tre. So for more publtclt meanS{fome:Chtiilrans.hvertrr places wher~ tbev,c~n he~r the Word of qod pr~ach'd plainly, IIW<erfulfv\v4fi>hYi~~i,l)gi! 1y.; (?lhets nv~ wlmll ottbnlfJbotrhave:no;ptleOGjiingf,f:or i w.bere tbe l'(e~li(,r•~ds-~o·~ll<lh .th~n'S\1· M.\1. fairblill ~ ~>•uliil.\lJiutl lh<! Souls uooer htichalgC'Ill?.ti'fGtl\.itdi9 e>li><ii~<f.,,·openiJlg,id:u: ~ip- . D d d ~ cures |