Jer. xxxi. 33, says God, in the covenant of grace. That look as the heathen, having the law of nature written in their hearts, are naturally inclined unto the works of nature. So will I write my law of grace in your hearts, and you shall be naturally inclined unto the works of grace, and unto the works of the gospel. He that hath least of Christ, he hath all Christ; all Christ imputed unto all the saints. Beloved! we have not so much of Christ in our lives as Peter, and Paul, and John had: but we have as much of Christ's righteousness imputed to us for our justification as any of all the apostles had: and if our faith be right it is like precious with theirs.

IV. Is it not a great matter, for a man to be in heaven before he comes there? To have eternal life in the world? "This is eternal life, to know thee, and whom thou hast sent, Jesus Christ," John xvii. 3. And that day that any soul begins to know Jesus Christ; that day is the day-break of his eternity: the saints that are in heaven, they count from that day; there began our eternity; this is eternal life, here it begins. All the saints and people of God, they do know God in Jesus Christ. And therefore surely, there is an abundance of grace, grace for grace, an abundance of grace communicated, and given out unto all the saints under the New Testament.

But you will say unto me: We do not find this in experience, do not see such an abundance of grace in the lives of those ye count godly; those that are in Christ indeed, we do not find that they have such an abundance of grace?

I answer, Aye, but do you consider the opposition of grace: the retinue of grace: and the mystery of grace.

I. For the opposition of grace. A little grace may be much opposed: and when the opposition is great, though grace be small in the bulk, it may be great in the work: though little in the quantity, yet it may be be much in quality. There is no true gospel-grace, but it is much opposed. When Jesus Christ came into the world, you know Herod raised all the country upon him: and so when Christ comes. into the heart, the whole soul it is raised against him, because he comes as an enemy unto the soul. As when an enemy lands, the beacons are all fired, and the country all rises;

what do you say? An enemy is landed, an enemy is landed, and all the country rises. So when Christ lands upon a soul, at the first, he lands as an enemy unto the sin and soul; and all the soul, the region, the continent, it rises up against him.

Then also, as the dragon stood before the woman, which you read of in that of the Revelations, to cut off the child as soon as it was born: so the devil stands before the soul, to cut of the soul's birth.

Then also comes in the power of all relations; and the power of all engagements; and the power of all former customs; and the power of an evil nature: nay, if you will go this way to work, then farewell all friends; and farewell all your former pleasures; and farewell all preferment. Was it not a great matter for Job to be upright in the Land of Uz? why? because there was much opposition in it. Is it not a great matter for a little poor bark or vessel to live at sea in the time of a storm? for a little spark of fire to live in much water? for a little light to live in a great wind? You look upon such a poor gracious soul, and you do not consider the wind that blows upon it, the storms that beat upon it; and you say, It is not much grace he hath, or much good he does. Oh, but consider, if you would consider the great opposition the soul meets withal, then you will say, Oh, it is much indeed, there is abundance of grace there.

II. Consider the retinue of grace: grace hath a great retinue, though it be very mean, it hath a rich retinue. If a man hath but a poor cottage, an acre of land, an half acre of land, a rood: yet if it be an earnest of a great inheritance, it is much. Look upon the little cottage in itself, or the rood of land in itself, it is not much, but consider it as an earnest of a great inheritance, so it is much. Beloved! whatsoever grace the saints have, they have it but as an earnest. Ye read of the testimony of the Spirit! the earnest of the Spirit; all the grace that the saints have on this side heaven, it is all but the earnest of what they shall have. And the apostle he blesses God for this, as ye read in Colossians i. 12. "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:" Mark, here are three things especially considerable in these words; all the children of God have an inheritance. You have but one

heir to your estate, all are not heirs: but all God's children have an inheritance. And the inheritance called an inheritance of light: it does not lie in a dark, foggy, and fenny, and moorish place, it is a comfortable inheritance, it is an inheritance of light. And the apostle, he does here give thanks unto God, that had made them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. He does not here give thanks unto God for the inheritance; but that they were meet to be partakers of the inheritance; that they had an earnest: till the inheritance came. I say, all the grace which a godly man hath on this side heaven, it is but an earnest: you look upon it as it is in itself, and you say; it is not much: Aye, but look upon it as an earnest, but as an earnest, and then you will say, it is much indeed, Oh, it is much indeed.

III. But then especially; consider the mystery of grace: grace is a mystery, Ye read in Scripture of the mystery of iniquity, and the mystery of godliness; godliness is not only a mystery in the general, but all the parts of godliness are mysterious; there is a mystery in every part; and if you would but a little consider the mystery of grace, dare say, you would lift up your hands and say then, O! what abundance of grace is here, even in the weakest saint!

I

Ye say it is no great matter, before the word, it is more

1. For example, to instance. for a man or woman to tremble than many a one does; many come and sit out sermons, and never tremble before the word. Well, but you say, it is no great matter to tremble before the word, to tremble at the word. Aye, but for a man to tremble at the word, and yet to count it as honey, and the honey-comb; to tremble at the word, and yet to love it and prize it then, and look upon it as the honey and the honey-comb; this is much: now ye shall have a poor soul, a poor Christian, come and tremble before the word, and yet look upon the word as the honey, even as honey, and the honey-comb, for sweetness. This is much.

2. Again. You count it no great matter for one to love the ordinances, so to love the ordinances above all the world, as to be willing to part with all the world, rather than to part with them; this is a great matter. But may be, you will say, this is no great matter. Well, but for a man or a woman to think so; so to love the ordinances, and yet notwithstanding at the same time to think that he does not profit, that he is

barren, and gets little or no good thereby: this is much. Now thus you shall have it with a poor Christian; love, and prize the ordinances, and would not part with the ordinances for all the world, and yet at the same time complain, and say, Oh! I get little good thereby. Here is a mystery. Put all together; you take things asunder, and therefore you think it is not much.

3. Again. You think it is no great matter for a man to comfort himself in this, That the Lord knows his heart. Aye, but for a man to comfort himself in that, and yet say, there is much hypocrisy there; and the same day, it may be, say; Oh! I am an hypocrite. Thus you shall have it with many a poor, gracious, drooping soul. All is naught; O my heart, it is full of hypocrisy; and I am but an hypocrite; and yet now, let him be charged or accused by men of the world, for such and such designs; he comforts himself in this: Oh, but blessed be the Lord, the Lord knows my heart. Put these things together.

4. Again. You will say, it is no great matter for a man to look into his own heart; so to look into his own heart, and so to be sensible of his sin, as to think he shall perish for ever. Aye, but, for the same person, to profess he would not change his condition with another for all the world; this is much. Take many a poor drooping soul, and thus it is: I am afraid I shall go to hell, and perish to all eternity. But now come and lay his condition to a drunkard, to an adulterer; says he, I profess I would not change my condition with. that man for all the world, at the same time. Here is a mystery! it is strange but there is a mystery in every piece of godliness and if you would but consider, it would appear that there is much grace in those that have least.

5. Again. You say it is no great matter for a man to work out his salvation with fear and trembling. Aye, but for the same person to rely upon Jesus Christ only for salvation. This is much. Now thus it is, you shall have a godly man work, work with fear and trembling, as if he would earn heaven with his fingers' ends, and yet he relies upon Jesus Christ only for his salvation.

6. Further. You say it is no great matter for a man to walk closely with God. But it is a great matter. It may be you will say it is not. Aye, but for a man to walk closely

with God, and yet to be in the dark; to walk exactly, and yet to be in a crowd, and throng of business. Who can walk exactly in the dark? and who can walk exactly in a crowd, when he is carried to and fro in a crowd? Thus now, you shall have a godly, gracious man, walk exactly with God, closely with God, and yet may be in the dark; a child of light, and yet in the dark; and in a crowd of occasions and business, and yet walk exactly: this is much.

7. Again. You will say, it is no great matter for a man to be diligent in his particular calling. Aye, but for the same person, for to take no thought, no dividing thought, what he shall eat, or drink, or put on; and yet be diligent in his particular calling, this is much. Now so it is, you shall have a godly, gracious soul, taking no care, no dividing care what he shall eat, or drink, or what he shall put on: and yet diligent in his particular calling.

8. Again. You will say, it is no great matter for a man to grieve for sin past, and to strive against sin for the time to come. Aye, but for the same person to know that his sin past is pardoned; and to know that if he fall into a sin for the time to come, God will work good out of it, it shall be for his gain, God will over-rule it so; and yet strive against it as the greatest evil in the world; this is much. Now thus it is, a gracious soul knows his sin is pardoned, yet he grieves for it : and he knows that if he shall fall into a sin, the Lord will over-rule things so, as he shall be the better for it; and yet he strives against his sin, as the greatest evil in the world. Here is a mystery! this is much.

9. Again. You will say, it is no great matter for a man to be quiet under his affliction, because it does come from God; for that reason: aye, but for the same person to be more sensible, and to be the more afflicted, because it does come from God; this is much. Beloved, you shall have these two meet together: a godly, gracious soul, he is therefore quiet under affliction, because it does come from God; and he is therefore the more sensible of his affliction, because it does come from God. Here is a mystery! put these together, and you will say, Things rise high.

10. I will instance but in one more, and that is a tenth. You will say, it is no great matter for a man to be contented with his condition: to be contented with his condition when