2. That nothing will make us hazard all things for the purchas- ing or acquiring the salvation of the soul, but only faith. The flesh is importunate to be pleased. Sense saith to us, Favour thyself, that is, spare the flesh ; but faith saith, Save thy soul. Faith, which apprehendeth things future and invisible, will teach us to value all things according to their worth, and to lose some present satisfaction for that future and eternal gain which the promises of God do offer to us. Now faith doth this two ways: by convincing us of the worth and of the truth of things promised by God through Christ. The apostle, when he bloweth his trumpet, and summoneth our reverence and attentive regard to the gospel, in that preface, 1 Tim. i. 15, he saith, ' This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.' Salvation by Christ is worthy to be regarded above all things ; and if it be true, all things should give place unto it. Now faith convinceth us of the worth and truth, and maketh us to take the thing promised for all our treasure and happiness, and the promise itself, or the word of God, for our whole security.
(1.) It maketh us to take the thing promised for all our treasure and happiness : Mat. vi. 19-21, ' Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, nor thieves break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.' It highly coneerneth us to consider what we make our trea- sure. Worldly things are subject to many accidents, and deserve not
142 THE EXCELLENCY OF SWING FAITH. [HeB. X. 39.
our love nor esteem. Only heavenly things deserve to be our trea- sure. It" our hearts be set upon these things, it is a sign we value what Christ hath otfered. So 2 Cor. iv. 18, ' While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen : for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.' We make these things our end, and scope, and happiness. It is easy to prove the worth of these things in the gene- ral, as it is easy to prove that eternity is better than time ; that things incorruptible are better than those which are subject to corruption ; that things exempted from casualty are better than those things which are liable to casualty, and are not out of the reach of robbery and violence. But to creatures wedded to sense and present enjoy- ment, it is difficult and hard to cause them to set their hearts on another world, and to lay up their hopes in heaven, and to part with all things which they see and love and find comfortable to their senses, for that God and glory which they never saw. This is the business of faith, or the work of the Spirit of illumination changing their hearts and minds. This general truth all will determine, as that things eternal are better than things temporal. But we under- value these gracious promises, whose accomplishment must with patience be expected, whilst their future goodness cometli in actual competition with these bodily delights which we must forego, and those grievous bodily afflictions which we must endure, out of sincere respect to Christ and his ways. Therefore, before there can be any true self-denial, faith must incline us to this offered benefit, as our true treasure and happiness, whatever we forego or undergo to attain it.
(2.) For the truth of it the word of God must be our whole secu- rity, as being enough to support our hearts in waiting for it, however God cover himself with frowns and an appearance of anger in those afflictions which befal us in the way thither. The word of God is all in all to his people : ' Thy testimonies have I taken as my heritage for ever; they are the rejoicing of my soul,' Ps. cxix. 111. If a man hath little ready money, yet if he have a heritage to live upon, or sure bonds, he is well paid. So is a believer rich in promises, Avhich being the promises of tlie almighty and immutable God, and built upon the everlasting merit of Christ, are as good to him as perform- ances, and therefore cause juy in some proportion as if the things wei-e in hand : Heb. xi. 13, ' These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them;' and Ps. Ivi. 4, 'In God will I praise his word, in God have I put my trust ; I will not fear what man can do unto me.' Faith resteth u])on God's word, who is able to save to the uttermost all that come to him by Christ.
Use 1. Is information concerning a weighty truth, namely, what the faith is by which the just do live. It is such a trust or confidence in God's promises of eternal life through Jesus Christ as that we for- sake all other hopes and hapj)iness whatsoever that we may obtain it.