[2.] More solid and judicious : Phil. i. 9, ' I pray God your love may abound more and more in all judgment.' There is a childishness in religion as well as nature, 1 Cor. xiii. 11, when we are led altogether by fancy and affection ; but afterward we grow more prudent, sober, and solid. Growth, then, is not to be measured by intenseness and
••■ See Plutarch in his treatise vepl ttjs wpoKOTrTJs i-r dper-g.
92 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 2.
vigour of affection that goeth and comcth, and in the infancy of grace our affections are most warm and pregnant, A young tree may have more leaves and blossoms, but an old tree is more deeply rooted, and young Christians seem altogether to be made up of will and affections, and fervorous motions, but have less of judgment and solidity, many times of sincerity.^ As men in a deep thirst take down what is offered to them to drink before they discern the taste of it, so acts of will out- start the understanding ; but in old men, nature being spent, and through long acquaintance with religion there are not such quick and lively motions ; the one are sick of love, have more quahns and agonies ; the other are more rooted in love, and grow more firm, con- stant, solid, rational, and %vise, in ordering the spiritual life.
[3.] More humble ; as it is a good progress in learning to know our ignorance ; they that have but a smattering are most conceited. Plu- tarch, in the fore-mentioned treatise, tells us of the saying of Mene- demus, that those that went to study at Athens at first seemed to themselves to be wise, afterwards only lovers of wisdom, then orators such as could speak of wisdom, and last of all, knowing nothing, with the increase of learning still laying aside their pride and arrogancy.''^ So it is with those that grow in grace by acquaintance with God : light is increased and made more reflective, and they are more sensible of their obligations to God, and so are more tender, and by long ex- perience are better acqilainted with their own hearts ; and that is the reason why we have such humble acknowledgments from them. Paul, a sanctified vessel, yet calleth himself 'chiefest of sinners,' 1 Tim, i. 15, and ' less than the least of the saints,' Eph. iii. 8. And Agur, Prov. XXX. 2, 3, ' Surely I am more brutish than any man ; I have not the understanding of a man, I have neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy/ So if you did overhear the secret con- fessions of the saints to God, you would think them the vilest persons in the world, for so they are in their own sense and representations to God.
9. The lowest evidences of growth in grace are longing for food, and being humble for want of growth. For the first, longing for food, see 1 Peter ii. 2. Life hath a nutritive appetite joined with it, when that is strong it is a sign the soul is healtln^, it will grow. As we say of children that take the dug kindly, they will thrive and do well enough. For the second, humble for want of growth, see Mark ix. 24, ' Help my unbelief.' It is a sign you mind the work, and are sensible of spiritual defects, which is a great advantage.
10. Growth is the special fruit of the divine grace. God giveth the inciease, 1 Cor. iii. 6. Plants thrive better by tiie dew of heaven than when they are watered by hand. Grace, that is necessary to every action, is much more necessary to every degree. In the text, the apostle doih not exhort, but pray, 'mercy, peace, and love be multiplied.' Our endeavours are necessaiy, as plougliing and digging are necessary,
1 ' Young men, if thev know their hearts, have cause to complain of hypocrisy, as old men of deadness.' — Mr Thomas Gcodwinfj in a Treatise of Growth in Grace.
' ' KarairXeTv yap i<prj toi)s ttoWous eiri cxoXV ' Ad-qva^e aocpous to irpCrov, elra y^veaOai 4>i\oa6(povs, elra prjTopas, rou 5i xpovov irpoioyros IdiuTas, ocij ixaXkou aitTomai rod \byov, p^aXKov TO otr]p.a Kal Toy Tixpov KarariOe/xivovs.' — Plutarchus uhl supra.
VeR. 3.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 93
but the blessinc: cometh from above. These are the observations ; let us now apply all.
Use 1. Let us be earnest with God for this increase. He hatli *lhe riches of glory,' Eph. iii. 16, which we cannot exhaust. You honour God when you go for more ; you want more, and he can give more ; when men are contented with a little, it is a sign either of hard- ness of heart, they are not sensible of their wants ; or of unbelief, as if God had no higher and better things to give us.
Use 2. First, It showeth us how far they are from being Christians that care not for the least degree of grace, that do not spend a thought that wny ; these are far from the kingdom of God.
Secondly, That are fallen back and have lost the savouriness of their spirits, and their delight in communion with God. Time was when they could not let a day pass without a duty, nor a duty pass without some sensible experience of God, but now can spend whole days and weeks and never give God a visit ; time was when there could not a carnal motion arise, but they were up in arms against it, but now their hearts swarm with vain thoughts, and they can swallow gross sins witho'ut remorse ; improvident mis-spence of time was once a great burden, but they have lost their tenderness, and can spend a Sabbath unprofitably and find no regret; their vain thoughts were wont to trouble them, but now not their carnal practices ; duty was once sweet, but now their greatest bondage. Certainly, ' the candle of the Lord doth not shiue upon them as it did in the months that are past.'