YeR. 7.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 19
Our spiritual life is a principle that enableth us to live unto God, to act towards liim, to make his glory our chief scope, his favour as our felicity and happiness. These two lives are governed by sense and faith — the animal by sense, the spiritual by faith ; so that reason is either debased by sense, or sublimated and raised by faith. Sense carrieth and inclineth the soul to the pleasures, honours, profits of the 23resent world, faith directeth it to the concernments of the world to come ; hereunto all cometh, the distinction of the outward man and inward man. The animal life is cherished by the comforts of this life, the other by the life to come ; see 1 Cor. ii. 14 ; ' But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God ; ' so 2 Cor. iv. 16, ' For which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day,' Well then, it is faith that breedeth a heavenly spirit ; so that a man is made heavenly in his walkings, heavenly in his thoughts, heavenly in his supports, heavenly in his discourse, heavenly in his expectations. Faith doth not a little tincture a man, but he is deeply drenched by it, and baptized into a heavenly spirit,
2. It is faith that prepareth us for sight ; for it is a kind of antici- pation of blessedness, or fore-enjoyment of our everlasting estate. Therefore called, Heb, xi. 1, ' The substance of things hoped for.' God by faith traineth us up for sight ; first we live by faith, and then by sight. Faith now serveth instead of vision, and hope of fruition ; it maketh our happiness in a manner present ; though it doth not affect us in the same degree that the life of glory or vision will do, yet somewhat answerable it worketh. The life of glory is inconsistent with any misery : but the life of faith enableth us to rest quietly upon God and his gracious promises as if there were no misery. Where it hath any efficacy and vigour, no allurement and terror can turn us aside, but we follow the Lord in all conditions with delight and cheer- fulness. The expectation cannot affect us as the enjoyment doth, but in some measure it doth : Eom. v. 3, ' We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.' The beatifical vision transformeth us : 1 John iii. 2, ' We shall see him as he is, and be like him.' So doth the sight of faith : 2 Cor. iii. 18, ' Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we are changed into his image and likeness.' The one nullifieth sin, the other mortifieth sin.
3. It is faith giveth a right and title to the things expressed by sight ; there is a charter, or certain grant of eternal life, written with Christ's blood, sealed by the Spirit, offered by God, accepted by faith. Sealing, offered and accepted, standeth valid and ratified. The heirs of promise are described to be those who run for refuge to take hold of the hope that is before them, Heb. vi. 18, all that take sanctuary at his grace, and are resolved to pursue it in God's way ; that is, to continue patiently in well-doing, Kom. ii. 7. Faith giveth the first consent, which is after verified by a constant and unwearied pursuit after this happiness. Those who entertain a king make reckoning of his train. The winning of the field is ascribed to the general under whose conduct the battle was fought ; so the promises run upon faith, which beginneth and governeth the whole business. Well then, many catch at it by a fond presumption, but have no title till faith,
20 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. [SeR. X.
and that faith no cold speculation and dead opinion about heaven, but a livel}', working faith. Certainly we do but talk of eternal life, we do not believe it, if our most industrious care, and serious thoughts, and constant and active endeavours be not turned into this channel, or if we do not believe it so as to prize it, and prize it so as to seek after it, and seek after it in the first place, Mat. vi. 33. This must be our great scope — do all things to eternal ends : 2 Cor. iv. 18, ' While we look not to 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.'
Doct. 6. Those who have faith must walk by it ; for faith is here considered as working and putting forth itself. We walk, that is, we live, for in the dialect of the Hebrews this life is a walk ; vitam noslram componimus, we must govern and direct our lives by the power and influence of faith. It is not enough to have faith, but we must walk by it ; our whole conversation is carried on and influenced by faith, and by the Spirit of God on Christ's part : Gal. ii. 20, ' I live by the faith of the Son of God ; ' a lively faith. There living by faith is spoken of as it respecteth the principle of the spiritual life ; here walking by faith as the scope and end of it : there, as we derive virtue from Christ ; here, as we press on to heaven, in the practice of holiness. In short, walking noteth a progress, and passing on from one place to another, through a straight and beaten way which lieth between both. So we pass on from the earthly state to the heavenly by the power and influence of our way ; our way is through all condi- tions we are appointed unto, and througli all duties required of us.