My business mainly is to discourse of the object, ' Things not seen.' But in my way, —
First, Concerning the act. Faith is said to be eke^/xo^, ' the evidence.' The word is by some rendered the argument of things not seen ; by others the demonstration ; by us the evidence, and that not altogether unfitly. For though the original word hath a s})ecial emphasis, which I shall open by and by ; yet this word ' evidence ' is of great significancy. Evidence is most proper to objects of sight, and notes clear, distinct, and full apprehension of objects present ; there-
346 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL [SeR. III.
fore the testimony of ej^e-witnesses in matters of fact, "we call it tlie evidence ; and hence it is translated to signifj'' the clear sight of the mind ; the clear and satisfactory apprehension is called an evidence, when the object is represented so as the desire of knowledge is fully satisfied concerning the truth and worth of it ; for this end doth faith serve in the soul, to give us a satisfactory knowledge of truths delivered in the word. This doth somewhat clear the text.
But we must a little examine the original word: €\6'y)(o<; is a term of art, and implies a conviction by way of argument and dis- putation, Aristotle saith, it is c7vW6'yia-fjio<; t?}? avn^dcrew'^, a con- vincing argument or dispute, which infers conclusions contradictory to those which we held before. And in this sense it is said in scrip- ture : John xvi. 8, ' The Spirit eke<y^ei shall convince,' or reprove ; so that eke'yxp'^ is a confutation of an opinion which men were l^ossessed of before. So it is used Titus 1. 9, where, speaking of the ofiice of a minister, e\<^<y)(eLVTov^ avriXejovra';, to convince gain- savers, that is, confute their cavils and prejudices against the truth. Again, the philosopher describes this conviction to be such an arguing by which we prove to /a?) hvva-rov aX\io<; eve^z/ a.'yy outco? &>? r]/xel<; Xejo/xev — the thing is impossible to be otherwise than we represent. Therefore this was a fit and chosen word by the apostle, to show it was a clear or infallible demonstration of eternal verities delivered in scripture, that the man to whom it is made cannot think otherwise than as it is represented to him. Out of all which we may gather that there is in conviction —
1. A representation of clear grounds.
2. These drawn forth in argument and discourse. 2. A confutation of prejudices.
4. A sweet constraint of the mind to assent and subscribe to the truths delivered. All these are in faith —
[1.] A clearness and perspicuity of light.
[2.] A seriousness of arguing and dispute.
[3.] Confuting of prejudices.
[4.] A sweet consent, or rational enforcement of the mind, a com- pulsion of the soul by reasons," an answerable assent to the truth of religion as certain and worthy ; as I shall declare in this following discourse.
I shall wind up all in this doctrine,
Docf. That true faith is an evidence or convincing light concerning eternal verities. Or take it thus : — It is a grace that representeth the things of religion with such clearness and perspicuity of argument, that a believer is compelled to subscribe to the truth and worth of them; as a man yieldeth, when he seeth clear evidence to the contrary.
There are in faith four things : —
1. A clear light and apprehension. As soon as God converteth the soul, he puts light into it. In the old world you know the first thing that God made was light ; so in the new creation, when he comes to convert sinners he infuseth light, brings in a stock and frame of knowledge into the soul ; therefore it is said, Heb. viii. 10, 'I will put my laws into their minds, and write them in their hearts' — the first
VeR. 1.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 347
and great privilege of tlie covenant. Tliere is a double allusion. ' I will put my law into their minds ; ' that alludes to the ark, as the tables were kept in the ark ; ' I will write it upon their hearts ; ' as the law was written upon the tables, so God writes it upon their hearts ; so doth God do at first conversion ; and therefore wherever there is faith, there must be light. It is true, this change is not so sensible ; light enters, like a sunbeam, gently and without violence ; God opens the window, and draws the curtain. This is a most neces- sary act. Yet there is a sensible difference afterwards : Eph. v. 8, ' Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord.' The devil carrieth on his kingdom by blindness and darkness, and Christ governs by light. The devil keeps men in bondage and captivity by blinding their eyes, by casting a veil of prejudices before their eyes : 2 Cor. iv. 4, ' The God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.' And God recovers them out of this captivity by opening their eyes: Acts xsvi. 18, ' To open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.' There cannot be any act of a rational soul about an object without knowledge or light. And therefore when God would draw our consent to his covenant, he begins with the understanding, and the light of the glorious go.'jpel shines in upon us. That which is unknown is neither believed, nor hoped for, nor desired, nor laboured after. AVhen Christ saith to the blind man, John is. 35, 36, 'Dost thou believe in the Son of God ? ' he answered, ' Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him ? ' Certainly that which we believe we must have a thorough sight of. I say, a man must understand things before he will close with them, and receive them. And therefore the first thing that God doth is to give us a mind to know him : 1 John v, 20, ' And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true : ' and the new creature is created in knowledge, Col. iii. 10, that so it may be able to act with reason and judgment towards objects proper for it : for, according as things are known, so they powerfully draw and attract the heart. The understanding is the great wheel of the soul, and guide of the whole man ; therefore there must be something done to satisfy that ; grace will begin there, and there the Lord sets up the light of faith. As sense is the light of beasts, and reason the light of men, so faith is the light of christians. And as there is a distinct light, so there is much argument and dis- course. God lays up principles, and faith lays them out ; it is a prudent stewai'd and dispenser of the knowledge which God hath treasured up in the heart ; therefore when unbelief makes opposition, and when the heart is careless, then faith fetcheth the law out of the ark, and pleadeth and argueth with the soul. As upon the approach of an enemy against a country they draw out their forces ; so doth faith bring forth the force of the soul, use reason and discourse, and draw conclusions out of the principles of the word, that it may beat its enemy. Eeason is the great enemy of faith ; and when it is sancti- fied it is the great servant of faith ; by discourse and disputing it doth convince the soul : Eom, vi. 11, ' Eeckoning yourselves,' or reason yourselves by argument, 'that yon are dead to sin, and alive to God ;' Piom. viii. 18, ' I reckon that the suiterings of this present time are