Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…

In the first place, hence we see the excellency of grace, what an excellent and glorious thing it is, ¹wheresoever it is, that it does conduce so far to increase riches out of any thing: great must needs be the gain of godliness, when it gains from their sufferings and reproaches; grace is such a thing, as can turn dust into gold: The Philosophers stone is counted a rich thing, because it turns dust into gold, grace will do it, the dirt that the world casts upon Gods people, is turned into gold: well may it be called the Divine nature; for as God brings light out of darkness, and comfort out of sorrow, and riches out of poverty, and glory out of shame, so ⟨p. 457⟩does grace. How does grace conduce to the comfortable life of Gods people? as for the service that God employs them in, they count that honourable; and the sufferings that God calls them to, they count them comfortable; we need not therefore be so afraid of sufferings; indeed, if we have not a principle to change the nature of them, we may be afraid, but if God do put a principle into us, to turn our shame into glory, and sufferings into riches, we need not be afraid: If any did see Moses his Serpent, he would be afraid; but if he had Moses hand, he would not be afraid, because Moses hand had a divine virtue with it to turn the Serpent into a rod; and so if we look upon sufferings as a Serpent ready to devour us, we may be afraid, but when we consider the excellency of grace, that it hath a divine power to turn the Serpent into a rod, you need not be afraid; labour to prize this jewel of grace, that can do such great things: It was the curse upon the wicked, that God would turn their glory into shame; It is the blessing of grace, that it will turn shame into glory.

In the first place, hence we see the excellency of grace, what an excellent and glorious thing it is, ¹wheresoever it is, that it does conduce so far to encrease riches out of any thing: great must needs be the gain of godliness, when it gains from their sufferings and reproaches; grace is such a thing, as can turn dust into gold: The Philosophers stone is counted a rich thing, because it turns dust into gold, grace will do it, the dirt that the world casts upon Gods people, is turned into gold: well may it be called the Divine nature; for as God brings light out of darkness, and comfort out of sorrow, and riches out of poverty, and glory out of shame, so