(1.) To forsake all things in this world. As soon as we address ourselves seriously to believe, we turn our backs upon them — namely, upon the pleasures, and honours, and profits of this world. We for- sake them in vow and resolution when we are converted and begin to believe, for conversion is a turning from the creature to God. As soon as we firmly believe, and hope for the fruition of God in glory, as pur- chased and promised by Christ, our hearts are weaned and withdrawn from the false happiness, not perfectly, but yet sincerely. And we actually renounce and forsake them at the call of God's providence, when they are inconsistent with our fidelity to Christ, and the hopes of that happiness which his promises offer to us. Now that our faith must be expressed by forsaking all, yea, that it is essential to faith, and nothing else is saving faith but this, as appeareth —
First, By the doctrinal descriptions of it in the gospel (which I shall describe to you according to my usual method). Our Lord hath told us. Mat. xiii. 45, 46, that ' the kingdom of heaven is like a mer- chantman seeking goodly pearls ; who, when he had found one pearl of o-reat price, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.' And surely he knew the nature of faith better than we do. Many cheapen the pearl of price, but they do not go through with the bargain, be- cause they do not sell all to purchase it. Faith implieth such a sense of the excellency and truth of salvation by Christ that you must choose it, and let go all which is inconsistent with this choice and trust. All your sinful pleasures, profit, reputation, and life itself, rather than forfeit these hopes : Luke xiv. 26, ' If any man come to me, and hate not father and mother, and brother and sisters, yea, and his own life, he cannot be my disciple ;' and ver. 33, ' Whosoever he be that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.' After such express declarations of the will of Christ, why should we think of going to heaven at a cheaper rate? Christ must be preferred above all that is nearest or dearest, or else he will not be for our turn, nor we for his. The same is inferred out of the doc- trine of self-denial : Mat. xvi. 24, * If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.' For self-denial hatha greater relation to faith, and is nearer of kin to faith, than the world imagineth ; it is the immediate fruit of our trust. If God be trusted as our supreme felicity, he must be loved above all things, and all things must give way to God. If Christ be trusted as the way to the Father, all things nuist be counted dung and loss that we may gain Christ, Phil. iii. 8. The same is inferred out of the bap- tismal covenant, which is a renouncing the devil, the world, and the flesh, and a choosing Father, Son, and Holy Ghost for our God. If there be a choosing, there must be a renouncing. The devil by the world tempts our flesh from the Christian hoj)e ; therefore idols must be renounced before we can have the true God for our God : Josh, xxiv. 23, ' Put away the strange gods which are among you, and in- cline your heart lo the Lord God of Israel.' Naturally our god is our
1 Pet. I. 9.] the excellency of saving faith. 159
belly while carnal, Pliil. iii. 19. Mammon is our god, ]\Iat. vi. 24. The devil is our god, Col. i. 13 ; and Eph. ii. 2, 3, ' AVherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience : among whom also we all had our conversa- tion in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind ; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.' Besides the nature of the thing, baptism implieth this re- nunciation, 1 Peter iii. 21 ; and this renunciation is nothing else but a forsaking all that we may have eternal life by Christ.
Secondly, It appeareth by reasons : —
First, For faith cannot be without this forsaking.
Secondly, Nor this forsaking without faith.
First, Faith cannot be without this forsaking ; for faith implieth a sight of the' truth and worth of those blessed things which are to come, and so to take the thing promised for our happiness, and the promise for our security. (1.) There is no true sound faith till we take the ever- lasting fruition of God in glory for our whole felicity ; till our hearts be set upon it, and we do desire it, intend it, wait for it, as the chief good and blessedness. The upright heart is known by its treasm'e : Mat. vi. 20, 21, ' Lay up treasure in heaven ; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.' Now, if this be so, other things will be lessened ; all other hopes and happiness is nothing worth, and will appear so if compared with this better part, with what we account our treasure ; you will see all this world is vanity, and hath nothing in it worthy to be compared with the salvation of our souls. (2.) There is no true faith where the word and promise of God is not taken for our security, so as our trust in his word may quiet and embolden us against temptations, and give us stronger consolation than all the visible things on earth, Ps. cxix. Ill, and Heb. vi. 18. We should do more and go farther upon such a promise, than for all that man can give unto us. Earthly pleasures and possessions should be small things in regard to the promise of God. This should make us row against the stream of the flesh, and cross its desires and appetites, and deny the conveni- ences of the world, and all because we have God's promise of better things.