t I fl 194 I The Spiritual-atlings ofFaith ( and feene the glory there. So long as Rost went on in his Pharafaicall way, he met with no oppofition : and fo long as a man goes on in the way of theworld, or in fome ?ha. rafaicall Devotionall-way, that is not the way of the Gofpell, meetes with no oppofition :but when once the Lord takes him ( as it were ) into the third heavens, and thews him the glory of Chrift, then Satan begins to buffet him. Nature within us, that ftands and faies, Will you go to Chrift ? 'tis impoffible that ever you fhould get him. And the world without : Will you go to Chrift ? you will lofe all your friends : Will you become a foole too ? What with the World, and what with the flelh, and what with the Devill, the way to jefiis Chrift is clogged withmany difficulties. And this will appeare yet further, if you confider the Nature of Faith, and the worthof it. 'Tis a grace, a Go- fpel grace, a precious grace, whereby we do come to Chrift. I fay, 'Tisagrace; Nada Virttts fine lapide. When our Lord Jefus Chrift was crucified , they rould a ftone over his fepulcher, and when the Difciples came, they laid , Who Mark 16 Ball roule away the ftone? And as our Lord himfelfe had a ftone roul'dupon him, fo the more of Ch rift is in anyvertue, the greater ftone, andthe greater difficulty is rould upon it ; every vertue, and every grace, hath one ftone or other that is roul'd uponit:but the more ofChrift in any thing,the more, the greater is the ftone that is.rour'd upon it. Faith is an ex- r.7° cellent grace. The trial/ ofyourFaithU moreprecious thengold, fayes the Apoftle;vvhat is Faith it felfe then ? It is the gencer of the Soule, the direHrix or 9:kzeene-regent ofall the graces , it fits at the fterne , and guides the whole Veffel. 'Tis that grace that gives a Being unto a Chriftian , other graces the well-being. It is that grace that bringsChrift and the Soule together: It is that grace, that covers thedefects Ephef 6. of all other graces ; 'Tis called the Add; a fhteld does.not 16. only cover the body, but the reft of the armour ; Faith does not onely cover the Soule, but the defeds of all other graces. There is an excellency in grace : excellent things and jewels they are hardto come by. Therefore by it we. come unto Chrift..
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