To make good this descri])tion to you, let me observe: —
1. That faith looketh mainly to heaven, or the saving of the soul, as the prime benefit offered to us by Jesus Christ. For all attend to this: 1 Tim. i. IG, 'For a pattern to them who should hereafter be-
HeB. X. 39.'] THE EXCELLENCY OF SAVING FAITH. 1-13
lievc on him to life everlasting.' This was that they chiefly aimed at, and therefore called ' the end of our faith,' 1 Peter i. 9. For this end were the scriptm-es written: John xx. 31, ' These things are written that ye might helieve that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life tlu'ough his name.' Tlie scriptures are written to direct us to know Christ aright, who is the kernel and marrow of all the scriptures, who is the great subject of the gospel ; and that the chief benefit we have by him is eternal life, by wliich all our pains and losses for Christ are recompensed, and from whence we fetch our comfort all along during the course of our pilgrimage, and upon the hopes of which the life of grace is carried on, and the temptations of sense are defeated, so that this is the main blessing which faith aimeth at.
2. That the sure grounds which faith goeth upon is God's promise through Jesus Christ ; and so it implieth : —
[1.] That there is a God, who is ' a rewarder of them that diligently seek him;' for the apostle, pursuing this discourse, telleth us, Heb. xi. 6, that a man must believe God's being and bounty before he can do anything to the purpose for him.
[2.] That this God hath revealed himself in Jesus Christ as willing to accept poor creatures who refuse not his new covenant and remedy- ing grace, to pardon and life ; for the guilty creature would stand at a distance, and not receive his offers with any comfort and satis- faction, had not God been ' in Christ reconciling the world to him- self,' 2 Cor. V. 19. But now they may be invited to come to him with hope, ver. 20. And his gracious jiromises, standing upon such a bot- tom and foundation, are the sooner believed : 2 Cor. i. 20, ' For the promises of God are in him,' yea, and in him, amen, to the glory of God by us ; ' that is, the promises of God propounded in Christ's name are undoubtedly true ; they are not yea and nay, but yea and amen. They do not say yea to-day, and nay to-morrow ; but always yea, so it is, and amen, so it shall be, because they stand upon an immutable foundation, the everlasting merit and redemption of Christ.
[3.] It implieth that the scriptures which contain these offers and promises are the word of God. For though God's veracity be unques- tionable, how shall we know that we have his word ? It is laid at pledge with us in the scriptures, which are the declaration of the mind of the eternal God. The promises are a part of those sacred scriptures which were written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and sealed with a multitude of miracles, and bear the very image and superscription of God (as everything which hath passed his hand hath his signature upon it, even to a gnat or pile of grass), and have been received and preserved by the church as the certain oracles of God, and blessed by him throughout all generations and successions of ages, to the convincing, converting, sanctifying, and comforting of many souls, and carry their own light, evidence, and recommendation to the consciences of all those who are not strangely perverted by their brutish lusts, and blinded by their worldly affections. For the apostle saith, ' By the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience. For if our gospel be hid, it is hid to those who are lost : the god of this world having blinded their eyes, lest
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the light of the glorious gospel should shine unto them,' 2 Cor. iv. 2-4. Upon these grounds doth faith proceed, which I have men- tioned the more distinctly that you might know how to excite faith ; for besides praying for the Spirit of wisdom and illumination to open our eyes, we must use the means both as rational creatures and new creatures. And what means are more effectual than those mentioned ?
Is there not a God ? If there be not a God, how did we come to be ? Thou wert not made by chance ; and when thou wert not, thou couldst not make thyself. Look upon thy body, so curiously framed, whose workmanship could this be but of a wise God ? 'U'pon thy soul, whose image and superscription doth it bear ? ' Give unto Caesar the things which are C;esar's, and unto God the things which are God's.' Nay, look upward, downward, within thee, without thee, what dost thou see, hear, and feel, but the products and effects of an eternal power, wisdom, and goodness ? Thou canst not open thine eyes, but the heavens are ready to say to thy conscience, Man, there is a God, an infinite eternal being, who made us and all things else.