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 venturing on the mountains themselves. He must have the blessing, and must be forwarded whatever mountains be in the way. I proceed to

The second thing to be considered, namely, the mystery of grace carried on in them by Jesus Christ, we may take it up in these two.

I. An apparently hopeless encounter they are led to by him: Worm Jacob threshing the mountains. What a hopeless-like encounter is a worm threshing a mountain! So hopeless-like are the encounters that the people of God have to make in their way to the eternal rest. These threshers are certainly threshers in hope, I Cor. ix. 10. But the naked eye cannot discover the true ground of hope in it; it is faith only that shews it hopeful, when sight represents it as a hopeless case; and therefore they must close their eyes, and thresh in faith, as Abraham did, Rom. iv. 19. We take up this hopeless-like encounter in five things.

First, The Lord lays in his people's way mountains of difficulties, quite above their strength; difficulties which they look to, as a worm to a mountain before it, 2 Cor. i. 8. "For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble, which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life?" However plain the way to hell be, the way to heaven will be a