350 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL [SeR. III.
lieaveu, and have some cold opinions about things to come ; they may deliver this to others, but still their evil scent remaineth with them, and their evil principles taint their hearts, and sv/ay their practices all this while ; ' and they do not know the grace of God in truth,' Col. i. 6, and have not any sense of that they seem to know. No, a natural man cannot be brought to look upon the things of religion as every way certain, and above all contradiction, and to say with the apostle : Phil, i, 9, 'That, their love abounds yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment.' As cooks may dress meat for the master of the family, and his friends and children, but themselves taste not of it ; so carnal men may learn things in a disciplinary way ; they may know the literal meaning and sense of the promises, but are not convinced of the truth, and of the spiritual real worth of them ; that is, they have not a thorough sound persuasion and solid apprehension of the sinfulness of sin, of the beauty of holiness, of the excellency of Christ, of the preciousness of the covenant, of the rich treasures of grace; Hccc audiunt quasi somniantes. Carnal men hear them as if they were in a dream ; they look upon and entertain these things as fancies, or dreams of golden mountains, or showers of pearl falling out of the clouds in a night dream.
4. It is a practical conviction. He that believeth is so convinced
of the truth and worth of these things, that he is resolved to pursue
after them, to make prej^aration for his eternal condition. Answerable
to the discovery of good and evil in the understanding, there is a
prosecution or an aversation in the will ; for the will necessarily
follows the ultimate resolution of the judgment. Now many men have
a partial conviction, but they are not thoroughly possessed of the truth
and worth of heavenly things ; there is a simple approbation, but not
a comparative approbation, so as to draw off the heart from other
things, and ultimately to incline and bend the heart to look after
them ; that is, by a simple approbation they may apprehend that it is
good to be in covenant with God, but they do not like the terms. But
now the last and practical conviction is, when it draweth the soul to
an actual choice, when it begets not only a simple a})probation, but a
practical decree, when the soul saith, ' It is good for me to draw nigli
to God,' Ps. Ixxiii. 28 ; when, all things considered, a man is convinced
that he ouglit to look after heaven upon God's terms. It is one thing
to desire a commodity simply, another thing to accept of it at such a
rate and price. Many men like pardon of sin, and eternal life, and
come and cheapen the great things of the gospel, but they do not go
through with the bargain. This is the conviction of faith when it
makes us sell all to buy the pearl of great price, and sways the whole
man to pursue and look after those things God hath propounded.
Thus faith brings the soul to a consent ; it convinceth not only of the
truth, but the worth of religion, and proposeth it as fit for choice.
This is the end of all knowledge and understanding: Ps. cxi. 10, 'A
good understanding have all they that keep his commandments.'
Those that know God aright, they love him also ; they know him as
they are known of him. Now God knows us to love us, and to choose
us, and to assume us to himself in Christ ; so we know him, when we
love him, and choose him for our iwrtion. There cnnnot be a greater
VeR. 1.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL 351
despite done to God, than to know God and choose the world ; saith Christ, John xv. 24, " You have hoth seen, and liated both me and my Father.' This is a hatred of God, when we have known God and yet turned aside to the world. Faith draweth altogether unto choice ; doth not merely fill the head, but enters into the heart ; it is a prudent and full consent. And that is the reason why faith is not only opposed to ignorance but to folly : Luke xxiv. 25, ' 0 fools, and slow of heart to believe,' &c, for there may be folly where there is not ignorance. Every wicked man in Solomon's sense is a fool. Then do we believe matters of salvation indeed, when we consent to them as good and worthy to be embraced : Eom. vii. 16, 'I consent to the law, that it is good.' They see the ways of God are best and most satisfactory, then the practical judgment is gained.
Use. To put us upon examination and trial, whether we have such a faith or no, as is an evidence or convincing light ; you may try it by the parts of it. There is the assent of faith and the consent of faith ; a clear light and firm assent, and a free consent to the worth of the things of God.