grace, and yet not know it, and yet not perceive it. The child is heir to a crown, to a great estate, but knows it not. The face of Moses did shine, and others saw it; but he perceived it not. So many a precious soul is rich in grace, and others see it, and know it, and bless God for it, and yet the poor soul perceives it not.

Now because a right understanding of this may be of much use to some saddened, dejected souls, I will shew you how this comes to pass.

Sometimes it arises from the soul's strong desires of spiritual riches. The strength of the soul's desires after spiritual riches often takes away the very sense of growing spiritually rich. Many covetous men's desires are so strongly carried forth after earthly riches, that though they grow rich, yet they cannot perceive it, they cannot believe it. It is just so with many a precious Christian; his desires after spiritual riches are so strong, that they take away the very sense of his growing rich in spirituals. Many Christians have much worth within them, but they see it not. It was a good man who said, The Lord was in this place, and I knew it not.

Again; this ariseth sometimes from men's neglecting the casting up of their accounts. Many men thrive and grow rich, and yet by neglecting the casting up of their accounts, they cannot tell whether they go backward or forward. It is so with many precious souls; they grow in grace, and are spiritually rich, and yet by neglecting the casting up of their accounts, they do not know it, they do not perceive it.

Again; sometimes it arises from the soul's too frequently casting up its accounts. If a man cast up his accounts once a week, or once a month, he may not be able to discern that he grows rich, and yet he may grow rich; but let him compare one year with another, and he shall clearly see that he does grow rich. Though most men are to blame for neglecting the casting up of their accounts, yet some are to blame for casting up their accounts too often; for by this means they are not able to perceive their spiritual growth, and so can neither be so thankful, nor so cheerful, as otherwise they might. Let there be some con

siderable time between your casting up of your accounts, and you will find that your souls are grown rich, though for the present you perceive it not.

But then again, sometimes it arises from the soul's mistake in casting up its accounts. The soul many times mistakes; it is in a hurry, and there the soul puts down. ten for a hundred, and a hundred for a thousand; as sometimes men in hurrying over their books, slip and make mistakes, and so they think there is nothing got, whereas indeed there is much got, and in the close they find it so. Many a gracious soul many times takes a great deal of grace for a little, and a little grace for no grace. Look, as hypocrites put down their counters for gold, their pence for pounds, and always prize themselves above the market; so sincere souls do often put down their pounds for pence, their thousands for hundreds, and still prize themselves below the market.

(4.) The fourth proposition is this, that saints must endeavour to grow rich in every grace. It is the duty and the glory of saints, to endeavour to grow rich in every grace. So the apostle says, in 2 Pet. i. 5-12. It is the work, the duty, the glory of a Christian, to be still adding one grace to another. So in 2 Pet. iii. 18; Grow in grace; that is, in every grace, but more particularly and specially in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Grow in grace; that is, grow in love, in faith, in humility, in meekness, but especially in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, because that was a special remedy against the errors of those times. All the graces that are in you, are weak, and therefore you have need to strengthen them all.

Again; you have the seeds of all corruptions in you, and is there any way to be rid of every sin, but by thriving in every grace?

Again; you have opportunities to thrive as well in one grace, as in another.

Again; will not Satan labour might and main to keep your graces low and poor? You never hurt him less, you never honour Christ less, you never mind your work less, than when grace is weak and low. This he knows, and therefore he labours to keep your graces down.

Again; are not you liable to several changes in this world? as to be rich and poor; exalted and abased; now to relieve and anon to be relieved; now well and anon sick; now strong and anon weak; now in storms and anon in calms; now tempted and anon delivered; now in one condition and anon in another condition; now up, now down; now forward, now backward? Now pray tell me, do not the several changes and variety of providences that we meet with in this world, bespeak us to be rich, not in some, but in every grace? Does not a state of prosperity bespeak a man to be rich in wisdom, rich in humility, rich in love, and rich in compassion, that his heart may be kept close to God in that state, and that he may do nothing unworthy of God, who has done so much for him? And now when God shall change the manner of his administrations toward such a man, when God shall put out his candle, pull off his robes, and clothe him with rags, and set him, with Job, upon the dunghill, does not this condition bespeak much patience, much contentation, much self-denial, much faith? How else will the man bravely bear up, when God shall write such bitter things against him, and pass the sentence of death upon his nearest and his dearest comforts? If a man be not rich in one grace, as well as in another, when God shall bring changes upon, him and pour him from vessel to vessel, his

life will be a burden, a hell to him.

Again; consider this-growing rich in every grace renders a Christian most lovely and beautiful in grace; as a growing in all the members of the body, renders the body most lovely and beautiful. The perfect beauty and comeliness of the body arises from the symmetry and fitness of the parts unto one another. Rare and excellent beauty arises from the comeliness of all parts; if one part be comely, and another deformed, then there is no perfect beauty. Well, remember this, there are no such beautiful Christians, as those who grow rich in every grace. they are the beauty of Christ, the honour of the gospel, and the glory of Christianity.

And so much for the fourth proposition, that we must labour to be rich in every grace.

5. The fifth proposition that I shall lay down, is this—

Saints should labour more particularly, and more especially to be rich in faith. Though it is of concernment to believers to be rich in every grace, yet it is of special concernment to them to labour to be rich in this particular grace of faith. Building up yourselves in your most holy faith, Jude 20. It is not enough to have faith, but they must build up themselves, and build up one another in their most holy faith.

There are three things that the scripture calls precious. -First, the blood of Christ. Ye were not redeemed with silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot, 1 Pet. i. 19. Secondly, the promises are called precious promises. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, 2 Pet. i. 4. Thirdly, faith is called precious faith. Unto them that have obtained like precious faith with us, 2 Pet. i. 1.

Now though it is of concernment for every saint to labour to be rich in every grace, yet more especially and more particularly to be rich in this grace of faith, and that upon the following accounts.-First; because that faith is the soul's greatest and choicest defence against her worst enemies. Above all, take the shield of faith, whereby ye may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, Ephes. vi. 16. Above all, take the shield of faith. Neglect no part of your armour, but above all look to the shield of faith. Look, what the shield is to the body, that is faith to a believer's soul, to secure him against all the fierce and fiery darts of Satan. It is reported of Satan, that he should say of a learned man, Thou dost always overcome me. When I would exalt and promote thee, thou keepest thyself in humility; and when I would throw thee down, thou liftest thyself up in assurance of faith.' Faith makes the soul invincible; it makes the soul victorious; it leads captivity captive; it binds Satan in chains; it foils him at every weapon; and therefore above all labour to be rich in faith.

Secondly; growth in faith will advance the growth of all other graces. All other graces thrive in the soul as faith thrives, and no otherwise. Be rich in this, and be rich in all; be weak in this, and be weak in all. Faith

has an influence upon all other graces; it is like a silver thread, that runs through a chain of pearls; it puts strength and vivacity into all other graces. You never knew a man rich in any grace, who had not been rich in faith. Every man's hope, joy, fear, love, humility, patience, is as his faith is. Faith is the evidence of things not seen, and the substance of things hoped for; or as the Greek has it, the subsistence of things hoped for. All other graces live upon faith's cost and charge. Look, what the breast is to the child, wings to the bird, oil to the wheels, and the soul to the body, that is faith to all other graces in the soul of man. It is reported of the chrystal, that it has such a virtue in it, that the very touching of it quickens other stones, and puts a lustre and a beauty upon them. I am sure it is true of faith. There is such a divine virtue and power in faith, that it will quicken and cast a lustre and a beauty upon all other graces in the soul of man; and therefore you should labour as for life, to be rich in this particular grace of faith.

Thirdly; consider this-of all graces that be in the soul of man, faith is the most useful grace, and therefore you should above all labour to be rich in faith. It is a Christian's right eye, without which he cannot see for Christ; it is his right hand, without which he cannot do for Christ; it is his tongue, without which he cannot speak for Christ; it is his vital spirits, without which he cannot act for Christ. Some say that king Midas had obtained of the gods, that whatsoever he touched should be turned into gold. I am sure that whatever faith touches, it turns into gold, that is, into our good. If our faith touch the promises, it turns them to our good. Whatsoever faith lays its hand upon, it appropriates to itself, and turns it to the soul's good. If faith looks upon God, it says, This God is my God for ever and ever, and he shall be my guide unto death. When it looks upon Christ, it says with Thomas, My Lord and my God. When it looks upon the crown of righteousness, it says, This crown is laid up for me.' Faith is bread to nourish us, and wine to cheer us, and a cordial to strengthen us.. Faith is a sword to defend us, a guide to direct us, a staff.