men. Polybius, speaking of Horatius keeping of the field against his enemies' forces, says, that his enemies were more afraid of his faith than of his warlike strength. And truly there is nothing that renders men more dreadful to an understanding enemy, than their faith. O it is brave for men to believe down the powers of darkness, to believe down those that war against the Lamb. No way to get an enemy down, like this; and no way to keep an enemy down, like this. No way to save a kingdom, like this; and no way to keep a kingdom, like this. The nation is beholden to none so much, as to believing souls. O England, England, thou hadst long before this been a prey to men that delight in blood, had it not been for the faith of the worm Jacob. Christians, as you would have Christ go on, and do more and more glorious things for England, as you would be crowned with the choicest and the chiefest blessings, and as you would have vengeance executed upon all that hate, that wage war against, and persecute Christ and the saints, be mighty in believing.

Ninthly; faith is a root grace; and will the branches flourish, if the root wither? O therefore water this root; have an eye to this root. If f you have a choice root in any of your gardens, O how careful are you of it! You will mind it, and water it, and look to it. Well, of all graces faith is the root grace, and if this die, you will find your graces languish. Your hope, love, fear, patience, humility, joy, can never out-live your faith; these live together, and they die together. Therefore above all labour to be rich in faith, for this is a root grace; and if this flourish, all other graces will flourish; but if this decay, all other graces will lose their strength, beauty, and glory. And thus much for the fifth proposition.

6. We come now to the sixth proposition, and that is this, that no gracious souls do at all times alike grow and thrive in spiritual riches. A child sometimes shoots up more in a month, than he does at other times in many months; and sometimes more in a year, than he does afterwards in many years. So many a Christian thrives more, and gets more spiritual riches in one month, than in many; in one year, than in many. I appeal to your experience, Christians; do not you find it so? I know you do. To cite scripture

to prove this, would be to cast water into the sea, and to light candles to see the sun at noon. Sin and Satan do sometimes work more violently and more strongly in the souls of Saints, than at other times. Now when sin and Satan work most and prevail most, then grace thrives least. As the life of grace is the death of sin, and the growth of grace the decay of sin, so the increase of sin is the decay of grace, and the strengthing of sin is the weakening of grace.

Again; no saints have at all times the like gales of the Spirit of God, and therefore they do not grow in spiritual riches at all times alike. A man thrives in spiritual riches as the gales of the Spirit of God are upon him, and no otherwise. When the Spirit of the Lord blows most sweetly and strongly upon his heart, then his graces thrive and flourish most, then those beds of spices do yield the most fragrant smell; but when the Spirit of the Lord withdraws and withholds his influences, how does the strength and glory of grace wither and decay. The herb Heliotropium turns about, and opens and shuts, according to the motion of the sun; so do the graces of the saints according to the internal gales, motions, and operations of the Spirit.

Again; no saints have at all times the like external advantages and opportunities of growing rich in spirituals. They have not the word, it may be, in that power and life, as formerly; or, it may be, they enjoy not the communion of saints, as formerly; or if they do, yet perhaps those who have formerly been as fire to warm and inflame them, are now become water to cool them and deaden them; or, it may be, they have not those advantages for closet duties, as formerly; or, it may be, the course of nature is changed; and if so, it is no wonder that they thrive not in spirituals as formerly. When children have not as good food, and as good lodging, and as good looking after, as at other times, no wonder if they thrive not, as at other times. When men have not the same advantages and opportunities to grow rich in the world as formerly, do we wonder that they thrive not as before? Surely not.

And sometimes this arises from the breaking of some bone by sin. David found it so. Many a man by breaking a bone is much hindered from thriving in the world. O

this broken arm, this broken leg, has cost me many a fair pound, which otherwise I might have got. O friends, sin is the breaking of the bones, the breaking of a man's peace and communion with God; it is the breaking of his hope and confidence in God; it is the disjoining of a man from God; and so it hinders a man's spiritual growth. Believe it, Christians, if you play and dally with sin, if you fall in with sin, if you make one with sin, you will never grow rich in spirituals. Sin will cause such a breaking of bones, as will undoubtedly hinder the prosperity of your souls.

7. The seventh and last proposition I shall propound, is this a man may grow rich in those graces that are more remote from Christ, that are less conversant about Christ, when he does not grow rich in those graces, that, as special favourites, stand always at the elbow of Christ, and are most busied and conversant about Christ. Let me open it thus to you. You know at court there are some who have the honour to attend always at the prince's elbow; and there are others who appertain to the same prince, but are more remote in their employments for him. So, in the soul, there are some graces that are more remote, and not so conversant about the person of Christ, as humility, self-denial, patience, meekness, temperance, sobriety, and the like. Now though these graces do appertain to the same prince, though they are all servants of the Lord Jesus, yet notwithstanding they are more remote, and busied about other objects, and things. O but now faith and love are choice favourites, that always stand at the elbow of Christ. Faith and love are Christ's greatest favourites in heaven. Now, I say, a Christian may grow rich in those graces that are more remote from Christ, that are less conversant about the person of Christ, when he does not grow rich in those particular graces that are most active about the person of Christ. He may grow rich in humility, in self-denial, in meekness, in temperance, when he does not grow up in joy and delight, and comfort. The tree grows downward, when it does not grow upward; so a soul may grow rich in some particular graces, when it does not grow rich in other graces. It may grow rich in those graces that are more remote from Christ, when it does not grow rich in those graces that are more conversant about the person of Christ.

And so I have done with these propositions, the serious minding of them may prevent many objections, and to many give satisfaction in several cases.

IV. The fourth and last thing propounded, was to give you some notes or marks of a person who is spiritually rich. As there are few worldly rich men in comparison with those that are poor, so there are few in this professing age, who will be found to be spiritually rich, compared with the multitude of Laodiceans that swarm in these times.

We have many that say they are rich, and that think they are rich, when the truth is, they have either no grace, or but a very little grace: and these five following things do clearly evidence it.

(1.) Rich men have a greater variety of objects to delight themselves with, than poor men have. They have houses, and gardens, and lands, and cattle, and silver, and gold, and jewels, and pearls, and what not, to delight themselves with: but poor men have not such a variety of objects to delight themselves with, as rich men have. It is just thus in spiritual riches. A man that is rich in grace, has more variety of spiritual objects about which his soul is most conversant, than a man that is poor in grace. He has more objects of love, of joy, of delight, of content, to busy and exercise his soul about, than others who are weak in grace. Having nothing, and yet possessing all things. A soul rich in grace, possesses and enjoys all things in Christ, and Christ in all things. It enjoys all good in him who is the chief good, who is the spring and fountain of good.

I have spoken largely to this already, and therefore shall content myself with giving you this hint. It stands upon you to enquire what variety of objects you have to delight your souls in.

(2.) Rich men can reach to those things that poor men cannot reach to. 'I would have such and such things,' says the poor man, as the rich man has. I would fare as he fares, and wear as he wears, and do as he does; but my stock will not reach it.' So a soul that is spiritually rich, can reach to those things which one that is poor in grace cannot reach unto. He can reach to those joys, to those comforts, and to those contents, to those heights

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of communion with God, and to those visions and apprehensions of God, which a soul that is not rich in grace cannot reach to. ·O, I would fain have that comfort, and that joy, and that peace, and that communion with God, and those visions of God, that such and such souls have,' says a poor Christian, but I cannot; my stock will not reach to it.' It is a proof that a man is grown higher, when he can reach higher than he could before, whether it be a beam, or a pin; so it is an argument that a soul is grown rich in grace, when it can reach beyond what formerly it could reach unto; when it can reach beyond its enlargements, beyond its incomes, beyond its comforts, to Christ; when in duty, it can reach above duty; when in an ordinance, it can reach to Christ above the ordinance; when under enlargements, it can reach above enlargements to Jesus Christ. O but now a man who has but a little grace, he can rarely reach above his duties, above ordinances, above enlargements, to Christ; he is very apt to sit down, and warm himself with the sparks of his own fire, and to feed upon ashes, as the prophet speaks. But now a soul that is rich in grace, says, Well, these ordinances are not Christ, these refreshings are not Christ, these meltings are not Christ, these enlargements are not Christ; these are sweet, but he is more sweet; these are very precious, but he is most precious.' And thus those that are spiritually rich, do out-reach all others.

(3.) Rich men can with more ease und pleasure bear burdens, than poor men can. When taxes and burdens are laid upon poor men, they sigh and complain that they are not able to bear them, when rich men make nothing of them. So souls that are rich in grace, can bear burdens without a burden; they can bear crosses, afflictions, and persecutions, with abundance of ease, cheerfulness, and contentedness of spirit; they do not sigh nor grumble, but bear the greatest trials with the greatest sweetness, as you may see in Acts v. 41; They departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus. So Paul in 2 Cor. xii. 10; I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's