1. Work it up in a way of meditation. Let your minds be exercised in the contemplation of your hopes : Mat. vi. 21, 'Where your treasure is, there will your heart be.^ There is nothing that you prize but your minds will run upon it. How, freely and frequently can we think of other things, our lusts, our pleasures, our ordinary occasions ! and shall we have never a thought of that place where our treasure is ? Our God, our Christ, our happiness is there ; should not our hearts be there too ? Oh ! take a turn now and then in the land of promise ; see what is made over to you in Christ, think of the beauty and glory of that hap- piness ; surely if we did believe and esteem it, we would have freer thoughts of that heaven, and that happiness God hath made over to us.
2. Work it up in a way of argumentation. Faith is a reasoning grace : Heb. xi. 19, \ojL(Td/u,evo<i, ' Accounting that God was able to raise him even from the dead.' Keason with yourselves thus : Is there not a blessed estate reserved in heaven for all that come to God in Christ? and so for me if come to Christ ? Others have the possession, and thou hast the grant ; the deed is sealed, and thou hast the convey- ances to show ; hast thou it not under God's hand and seal ? hast thou not a promise made to all that believe and repent of their sins, and are willing to walk with God, and are fruitful in good works? Is not heaven made over to such ? and God's promises were ever made good : 2 Cor. i. 20, ' All the promises of God in him are yea, and in him amen.' Nay, hatli not Christ seized upon heaven in the name of all such as
VeR. 1.] SERMONS UPOX HEBREWS XL 343
come to God by him ? And hast thou not had some first-fruits, 0 my soul, some foretastes, some earnests of the Spirit ? Hath not God given thee a little comfort, a little grace, as an earnest to assure thee of the greater sum ?
3. Work it up in a way of expectation. Look for it, long for it, wait for it : Tit. ii. 13, ' Looking for the blessed hope : ' and Jude, ver. 21, ' Looking for the mercy of God unto eternal life.' I have a gracious God, and a tender-hearted Saviour in heaven ; I am therefore looking and longing till I am called up to the enjoyment of them.
4. Work it up in a way of supplication. Put in thy claim — Lord ! I take hold of the grace offered in the gospel ; and desire the Lord to secure thy claim : Ps. Ixxiii. 24, ' Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterwards receive me to glory ; ' and Ps. xliii. 3, ' 0 send out thy light, and thy truth , let them lead me, let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacle.'
5. Work it up in a way of close and solemn application. In the Lord's supper, there thou comest by some solemn rites to take possession of the privileges of the covenant, and by these rites and ceremonies which God hath appointed, to enter ourselves heirs to all the benefits purchased by Christ, and conveyed in the covenant, especially to the glory of heaven : there you come to take the cup of blessing as a pledge of the ' New wine in your Father's kingdom,' Mat. xxvi. 29. God here reacheth out to us by deed, or instrument, what was by promise due to every believing sinner before.
6. Work it up in your conversations by constant spiritual diligence. Is heaven sure, so sure as if we had it already, and shall I be idle ? Oh what contriving, carking, striving, fighting, warring is there to get a step higher in the world ! How insatiable are men in the prosecution of their lusts ! and shall I do nothing for heaven, and show no diligence in pursuing my great happiness? Oh, let me ' work out my salvation with fear and trembling,' Phil. ii. 12. Shall men rise early, and go to bed late, and all for a little maintenance to support a frail tabernacle that is ever dropping into the grave, and crumbling to dust ? and shall I do nothing for my God and everlasting hopes ? Certainly if we did believe these things, we should be more industrious.
Use 3. To press you to get this faith. There are some means and duties that have a tendency hereunto.
1. There must be a serious consideration of God's truth, as it is backed with his absolute power : ' I change not, therefore you are not consumed,' Mai. iii. 6. If either the counsel or the being of God change, it must be out of forgetfulness or weakness. It cannot be out of forget- f ulness, for all things past and to come are present to God , it cannot be out of weakness, for his truth is backed with an absolute power ; therefore a hope founded upon his promise is not liable to distrust. Truth cannot deceive, nor be deceived. Princes and potentates may often break their word out of weakness, lightness, or imprudence, they cannot foresee inconveniences ; their light is bounded as well as their power ; but in God there is no error or mistake ; no weakness and therefore no change : 2 Tim. i. 12, ' I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.' I know I have given up my soul to an