[1.] Tliere are some gross sensualists that examine all things by experience, and will not take God's word for truth, unless they feel it ; whereas feeling is left for the life to come ; here God will try us by faith. There are atheists in the church, but none in hell. The devils and damned spirits tremble at that which you doubt of. Here we have the light of conscience, reason and faith ; but there men are left to feeling and experience ; and therefore those that measure all things by present sense, and so disbelieve the world to come, they are hence to be reproved. Foolish men may go to school and learn of the ant. Since they will not learn of God, they may learn of the creature : Prov. vi. 6-8, ' Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise : whicii having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.' There is a natural providence and instinct in these creatures to provide for tlieir future state. Oh then, what a sot is he that will not think of his state to come, nor of any condition beyond that which he now enjoys? they are worse than the ant — than the meanest and the lowest creature, that because they see not God or Christ, or heaven or hell, therefore question whether there be indeed any such thing, yea or no : I say many such there are in the world that say, as Thomas did out of weakness, John XX. 25, ' Unless I see in his hand the print of the nails,' &c., ' I will not believe;' they will not believe that Gotl hath ]n-ovided such a deplorable and miserable estate, where the wicked shall be tormented for ever and ever, and cast out from the presence of the Lord to the devil and his angels, because they see not these things.
[2.] It reproves those that cannot wait upon God without present satisfaction, that faint if the appearance of things stiit not with their mind and expectation. We are all apt to be led by sense, and to plead natural improbabilities; and when any difhctilty ariseth that checketli our hopes, we cpiestion the promises of God, and say with Mary, Luke i. 34, ' How can these things be ? '
(1.) This is a great dishonour to God, to trust him no further than we see him. You trust the ground with your corn, and can expeci as crop out of the diy clods, though you do not see how it grows, nor which way it thrives in order to the harvest. It is a great iblly to distrust the Lord, becanse the mercies we expect do not presently grow up and flower in our sight and apprehension. Abraham gave glory to God ' by believing in hope against hope,' Rom. iv. 18. That is an honottr to God indeed, when in defiance of sense, and all outward probabilities,, we can depend upon him for the accomplishment of his promise ; whereas otherwise, when we confine God to present likelihoods, and must have satisfaction to our senses, or else we will not believe nor take things upon God's bare word ; nor stay ourselves upon the name of God — ' Except we see signs and wonders we will not believe,' John iv. 48. It is a great dishonour to God ; ' we limit the holy one of Israel/ Ps. Ixxviii. 41, confining him to our circle of means.
(2.) It is contrary to all the dispensations of God's providence. Before he gives in any mercy there are usually some trials. Abraham had the promise of a numerous issue, but first Sarah's womb was long- barren. Nay, after that God tried him again when he hath a chikb he must sacrifice Isaac, the child of the promise. It was a hard thing
3G2 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. IV.
for faith to interpret how he should offer Isaac, and yet beheve that ' in Isaac all nations should be blessed.' Their obedience was to con- flict not only with reason but with faith, and to find out an expedient to reconcile the precept with the promise ; but yet he had a faith to believe it : Gen. xxii. 5, ' He said to his young men, abide you here with the ass ; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.' It was neither a lie nor equivocation, but words pro- ceeding from the assurance of faith ; for though Abraham knew not how, yet he tells Isaac, ver. 8, ' God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-otfering.' And as he used Abraham the father of the faithful, so he doth all his children. Christ's kingdom is described thus : first he comes as a root out of a dry ground, Isa. liii. 2. When the tree of Jesse was withered and dried up, when it was worn down to its root and stumps, God makes it to scent and bud again ; then comes Jeho- vah the branch ; then afterwards, Luke xvii. 20, ' The kingdom of God comes notwith observation.' When the kingdom of Christwas to be set up, what api)earance was there ? a crucified man, and a few fisher- men to begin this glorious empire ! What should we have done if wo had lived in Chri.st's time, and seen the despicable beginnings of his kingdom — we that are so amazed at every difficulty and cross provid- ence ? David was first hunted- like a partridge upon the mountains, that he might be settled upon a throne. Thus God is still wont to try our faith before he satisfy our sense, and to leave some weakness upon the means that the mercy may be more glorious. Consult the whole course of God's providence, and all the experiences of the saints, and you will find it to be so : Isa. xlviii. 7, ' They are created now, and not from the beginning, even before the day, when thou heardest them not, lest thou shouldst say, Behold I knew them.' Things raised out of the earth, a man could not have thought there had been any such means and instruments in the whole creation. ' He hath chosen ' — Ta fjL}] ovra — ' things that are not,' 1 Cor, i. 27 ; that is, things that seemed to have no such use and efficacy, ' to confound things that are.' Micah V. 7, 'And they shall be as the dew from the Lord, as showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.' The herbs of the garden have visible means of supply, they are watered by hand, they tarry for man, and depend upon man's industry and pro- vidence ; but they shall be as the grass in the wilderness, which thriveth by dews and showers from heaven, that come without man's thinking and care. Those that are acquainted with the usual traverses and ways of providence cannot but trust God. Usually wo look on God's works by halves and pieces, and so distrust. There is a great deadness upon the means, when God will employ them to the highest uses and purposes. A painter draweth half a man, and then there is no beauty. When we look into the fiery furnace, and see nothing but devouring flames, who would think God could bring forth a vessel of honour from thence ? God's dispensations have not left their wonted course, he tries us with such unlikelihoods,