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king, yea more, than if at ten years' end, double power and glory should be conferred on him.

Thirdly, God for special causes is peculiarly tender of his scholars, when they first enter into Christ's school: in like manner does he deal with his babes in Christ, before they can go alone, Isa. lxvi. 12.

Do not wise schoolmasters, the better to encourage their young and fearful scholars, show more outward expressions of affection and kindness towards them the first week that they come to school, yea, it may be, show more countenance and familiarity towards them their first week than ever after, until the time that they send them to the University? And has not a young child more attendance, and fewer falls in his or her infancy, while carried in the arms, or led in the hands of his father or mother, than when it goes alone? But when it goes alone, it receives many a fall, and many a knock; yet this does not argue less love in the parents, or less strength in the child now, than when it was but one or two years old.

Fourthly, Although God's trees, planted in his courts, Psa. xcii. 14, always should, and usually do in their advanced years, bear more and better fruit, than they did or could do in their youth; yet these, through a false apprehension of things, may judge themselves to be more barren in their age, than they were in their youth. It may be, you feel not in you that vigour, heat, and ability to perform good duties now in age, as you did in your younger days; but may not this arise from natural defects, as from want of memory, quickness of thought, or of natural heat and vigour of your spirits, all which are excellent handmaids to grace? You may observe this in older Christians, who have long walked with God, that in their age, they have these natural defects recompensed with better and more lasting fruit; as with more fixedness and soundness of judgment, more humility, more patience and experience, wherewith their grey hairs are crowned in the way of righteousness, 1 John ii. 12, 13. Look for these, and labour to improve yourselves in them in your age, and they will prove more bene-