world's empire, with all bowing before thee, this would not add to thy stature one cubit in the eye of God. But thy sin which thou paycst for the piu'chase, blots thy name in his thcnights, yea, makes thee odious in his sight ; God must first be out of love with himself, before he can love a sinner as such. Now wilt thou incur this for that? Is it wisdom to lose a prize to draw a blank? Secondly, says faith, the world's pomj) and glory cannot satisfy thee; it may kindle thirst- ings in thy soul, but quench none ; it will beget a thousand cares and fears, but quiet none. But thy sin that procures these, hath a power to torment and torture thy soul. Tliirdly, when thou hast the world's crown on thy head, how long shalt thou wear it? They are sick at Rome, and die in ])rinces' courts, as well as at the Spittle ; yea, kings themselves are put as naked to their beds of dust as others. In that day all thy thoughts will perish with thee ; but the guilt of thy sin, which was the ladder by wliich thou didst climb up the hill of honour, will dog thee into another world. These and such like are the considerations by wliich faith breaks off the bargain.
Fourthly, Faith presents the Christian with the exploits of former saints, who have renounced the world's honoiu- and applause, rather than defile their consciences, aiul prostitute their souls to be deflowered by the least sin. Great Tamerlane carried the lives of his ancestors into the field with him, in which he used to read before he gave battle, that he might be stirred up, not to stain the blood of his family by cowardice, or any unworthy behaviour in fight. Thus faith peruses the roll of Scripture-saints, and the exploits of their faith over the world, that the Christian may be excited to the same gallantry of spirit. This was plainly the apostle's design in recording those worthies, with the trophies of their faith, Heb. xi., that some of their nobleness might steal into our hearts while we arc reading of them, as appears chapter xii. 1 : ' Seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that does so easily beset us.' Oh, what courage does it put into the soldier, to see some before him to run upon the face of death ! Elisha having seen the miracles God wrought by Elijah, smites the waters of Jordan with his mantle, saying, ' Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and they parted,' 2 Kings ii. 14. Thus faith makes use of the exploits of former saints, and turns them into prayer. O where is the Lord God of Abraham, Moses, Sanuiel, and those other worthies, who by their faith have trampled on the world's pomp and glory, subdued temptations, stopped the mouths of lion-like lusts ? Art not thou, O God, the God of the valleys, the meanest saints, as well as of the mountains, more eminent heroes? Do not the same blood and spirits run in the veins of all believers ? Were they victorious, and shall I be the only slave, and of so prostrate a spirit, like Issachar, to crouch under my burden of cor- ruption without shaking it off? Help me, O my God, that I may be avenged of these mine enemies. And when it hath been with God, it will also plead with the Christian himself. Awake, saith faith, O my soul, and prove thyself akin to these holy men, that thou art born of God as they were, l)y thy victory over the world.
CHAPTER XV.
SHF.VVETH THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAITIi's CONQUEST OVER TUE WORLD BY QUENCHING THE FIERY DARTS SHOT FROM IT, AND THAT VICTORY WHICH SOME OF THE BETTER HEATHENS ATTAINED TO ; AS ALSO A TRIAL OF OUR FAITH PROPOUNDED BY THIS POWER TO QUENCH SATAn's ENTICING TEMPT- ATIONS MORE OR LESS.
Object. But some may say, If this be all faith enables to, this is no more than some heathens have done. They have trampled on the profits and pleasures of this world, who never knew what faith meant, yiiis. Indeed, many of them have done so much by their moral principles as may make some, who would willingly pass for believers, ashamed to be outdone by them who shot with so weak a bow. Yet it will appear that there is a victory of faith which, in the true believer, outshoots them more than their moral conquest doth the debauched conversations of looser Cliristians. First, Faith quenches the lust of the heart ; /'. e., those very embers of corruption which are so secretly raked up in the inclination of the soul, find the force and power of faith to quench them,
2x2
484 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.