148 THE EXCELLENCY OF SAVING FAITH. [HeB. X. 39.
Heb. xi. 20, ' By faith they passed througli the Ecd Sea, as by dry land.' God coinniands Moses, when in straits, to strike the sea with his rod, and Israel to pass forward, and expect the salvation of God. promising to deliver thcni. They did so, and the sea was divided, and the waters stood like walls and mountains, as if they had been con- gealed and turned to ice, and the bottom, which never saw sun before, is made like firm ground, without mud and quicksands. Thus en- tirely will God be trusted by his people, and they must put tlieir all into his hands. If God will have it so, faith must find a way through the great deep. No dangers so great that we must decline. Come we now to the New Testament ; Christ's trial of the young man : ' Jesus said unto him. Go thy way, sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven,' Mark x. 21. But he could not venture on Christ's command, and went away sad. The promise of eternal life and treasure in heaven could not part the young man and his great estate, and therefore he continued incapable of eternal bliss. This young man is set forth in the Gospel as a warning to others. So in Peter's trial. Mat. xiv. 29, 30. If Christ bid Peter come to him upon the waters, Peter must come, though the storm continueth, and lie be ready to sink at every step.
[3.] By all the instances of faith in the ordinary and common case of salvation. Moses had faith, therefore he forsook all honours, pleasures, and treasures, for he trusted God, and waited for the recompense of reward, Heb. xi. 24-26. It is endless in instancing in all : take these, Heb. x. 34, ' Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, know- ing in yourselves that ye have a better and more enduring substance.' They were not discouraged, but took this rapine joyfully, which argued a lively faith in Christ, and a sincere love to him. It goeth near to the hearts of worldlings to part with tliese things ; but they valued Christ as infinitely more precious than all the wealth of the world. If they lost tlieir goods, yet if they lost not Christ, they were happy enough ; for then they still kept the title to the enduring sub- stance. Thus you see what is faith ; such a trusting in God for eternal life as maketh us willing to forsake all. rather than be unfaith- ful to Christ. Others may delude you, enchant your souls asleep with fine strains of ill -understood and abused grace. But if you would not be deceived, take the faith and Christianity of Christ's recommenda- tion, which is the faith now described. Are we in the place of God, that we can make heaven narrower or broader for you ? Surely it is grace, rich grace, that God will pardon us, and call us to et<.'rnal life by Jesus Christ. Now, if you will have it, you must believe to the salvation of the soul, so believe, as to quit all other things to obtain it.
Use 2. Is for examination. Let us examine our spiritual condition, whether it be good or bad, whetJjer our faith be sincere, our profession real, whether we tend to perdition or to salvation, whether we believe to the saving of the soul ; that is, if we care not what we lose, so we may obtain the heavenly inheritance. Have you such a trust as that you can venture the loss of something which is dear to you for this trust ; yea, not only something, but all things ? Certainly we have not a true belief of the promise of eternal life if we can venture no-
HeB. X. 39.] THE EXCELLENCY OF SAVING FAITH. 149
thing upon it, hazard nothing for it. Now we venture things upon the account of God's promise four ways : —
1.1 In a way of mortification.
'2.] In a way of self-denial.
3.^ In a way of charity.
4. In a way of submission to providence.
1.] In a way of mortification. Denying ourselves the sinful plea- sures of the senses. Our sins were never worth the keeping ; these must always be parted with, other things but at times; therefore I can venture but little upon the security of eternal life, if I cannot deny my fleshly and worldly lusts, and a little vain pleasure, for that fulness of joy which is at Grod's right hand for evermore. I have God's word for it, that if I mortify the deeds of the body I shall live, Eom. viii. 13. It is yet hard to abjure accustomed delights ; and to hearts pleasantly set, the strictness of a holy life seemeth grim and severe ; but a be- liever, that hath a prospect into eternity, knoweth that it is better to deny the flesh than to displease God — to take a little pains in rectify- ing our disordered hearts and distempered souls, than to endure pains for evermore ; and that a little momentary delight is bought too dear, if it be bought with the loss of eternal joys. No ; let me lose my lusts rather than lose my soul, saith he. Every man's heart cleaveth to those things which he judge th best, and the more it cleaveth to better things, the more it is withdrawn from other things. Therefore faith, showing us the truth and worth of heavenly things, and taking God's word for its security, it mastereth our desires and carnal affections. It is the ' stranger and pilgrim ' (whose mind is persuaded of things to come, and whose heart is set upon them) that ' abstaineth from fl!eshly lusts,' 1 Peter ii. 11. Upon the assurance of God's word he is taking his journey into another world. Though the flesh will rebel, yet he counterbalanceth the good and evil which the flesh proposeth, with the good and evil of the other world which the word of God proposeth, and so learneth more and more to contemn the pleasures of sin and curb his unruly passions. ' Mortify your members upon earth, for your life is hid with Christ in God,' Col. iii. 3-5. And they that look for a life of glory hereafter will choose a life of purity here upon earth. It is the unbeliever findeth such an impotency in resisting present tempta- tions ; he hath not any sense, or not a deep sense, of the world to come. [2.] In a way of self-denial. What ! can you venture and forego that way upon the security of God's promise ? Mortification concerneth our lusts, and self-denial our interests. What interest can you venture upon the warrant of the promise ? Christ saith, ' He that denieth me before men, I will deny him before my Father in heaven,' Luke xii. 9 ; and again, * Whosoever will save his life shall lose it,' &c., Luke ix. 24 ; and once more, ver. 26, ' Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in his glory.' Now urge the soul with the promises. Am I willing to hazard my temporal conveniences for the enduring sub- stance ? to incur shame and blame with men, that I may be faithful with God, and own his interest in the world ? and do I so when it actually cometh to a trial ? The heart is deceitful, and a temptation in conceit and imngination is nothing to a temptation in act and deed.