Having showed that faith is an evidence, and such an evidence as falls upon things that are not seen, I shall show now what is the advantage of this in the spiritual life ; for to that end doth the apostle bring this description, that they may live by faith. The use of it is exceeding great.
(1.) To embolden us against the difficulties and inconveniences of our pilgrimage. When we look to things seen, we may descry as many enemies as creatures, and are ready to cry out, as the pi-ophet's man, ' Alas, Master, what shall we do ? ' 1 Kings vi. 15. Now faith presents invisible supplies in visible dangers. If Satan be at our left hand ready to resist us, God is at our right hand ready to strengthen us. If men pursue us with their hatred and displeasure, faith represents God fol- lowing us with his love and kindness. It is said of Moses : Heb. xi. 27, ' By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king ; for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.' Moses would run the hazard of Pharaoh's wrath ,would turn his back upon such a fertile land as Egypt was, to go with the people of God into the wilderness, and all because he saw invisible things. Faith sees God assisting in a spiritual manner, and then all difficulties are reconciled and all terrors that arise from visible things are mitigated and made more comportable by invisible supplies.
(2.) To help us to bear afflictions, out of a hope of a comfortable
YeR. 1.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 357
issue. Faith can see fruit budding out of tlie dry rod of affliction. Ask sense, and it will tell you of nothing but aches and smart : Heb. xii. 11, 'No affliction for the present seemeth joyous, but grievous.' For the present it is a grievous thing to lie under the strokes of God's providence. If we should consult with present feeling, we should be like children, nothing but howl ; but now faith can prophesy glad tidings at midnight, and see quietness and pleasantness in the midst of smart, and rich incomes of grace and purposes of love, when God seems to deal roughly Avith us.
(3.) It is of use to unfold the riddles of providence. The dispensa- tions of God are full of mysteries ; the way is shame when the end is glory. There is a handwriting of providence which is like Belshazzar's, we cannot read it ; usually like the Hebrew tongue, it must be read quite backwards. Christ brews the water of life out of gall, wormwood, and blood. Joseph must be sold, then honoured ; first a slave, then a favourite ; cast into the dungeon, that he may be preferred at court. When God meant to bless Jacob, he makes him halt and lame, for he breaketh his thigh. The empty bucket goes down into the pit that it may come up full. Now nothing is out of order to providence, there- fore nothing is out of order to faith. In the saddest providences, faith expects a good issue: Ps. Ixxiii. 1, 'Truly God is good to Israel.' At the end of the six days God saw all that he had made, and behold it was very good ; so for the.se six thousand years all his works of providence are good, very good. Faith, ploughing with God's heifer, comes to learn his designs : Job xi. 6, ' And that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom, that it is double to that which is ; know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.' Divine providence hath two faces ; that which is visible and outward is full of rigour, and God seems to be against us. Ay, but there is that which is not seen, and there is love, and sweetness, and clemency , like a picture, here the face of a virgin, there the form of a serpent. That which is not seen to sense is a thousand times more comely than the surface. Common light can discern nothing of this mixture : Eccles. viii. 14, ' In the day of adversity con.'^ider.' Some lessons are easy to sense, but others are hard enough to faith. Sense judges only of the outside, and bark, and rind of God's dispensations, and therefore we are perplexed and at a stand : but faith goes into the sanctuary, Ps. Ixxiii. 17, and consults with God".^ word, and looks within the veil, and engageth us to wait, and teacheth us how to solve the dark riddles of |)rovidence. There are secret and invisible things which God maketh known to waiting souls.
(4.) To help us in duties of charity, that Ave may be rich in good works. The loss and detriment that cometh to our estates by large distributions, in doing worthily for God in our generation, by helping the poor, relieving the needy, promoting the ordinances of God ; the loss is visible ; ay, but faith sees it made up again, and that there is no such usury as lending to God. This is a duty where faith is most sensibly acted ; here God proveth faith, and here we prove God. 1. We prove God — 'Prove me, saith the Lord, by riches and offerings ;' Mai. iii. 10. ' If I will not open you the window of heaven, and pour you out a blessing.' Here faith maketh sensible experiments, and adven- tureth upon God's word. God giveth us a bill of exchange ; we have