God. Carnal riches, with liim they are the only substance, whereas spiritual and heavenly things are but as a notion. Whereas the scripture is quite otherwise ; it speaks of outward things as hut a fancy : Prov. xxiii. 5, ' Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not ? ' and of spiritual things, as those which only may he called substance : Prov. viii. 21, 'That I may cause those that love me to inherit sub- stance, and I will fill their treasures.' Now which dost thou esteem, thy treasure and thy substance, the world or heaven ? things present, or the great things God hath promised? which are the things most take with thy heart, and draw forth thy esteem ? So examine his care and industry. We toil for matters of the world, and are never weary; rise up early, go to bed late, eat the bread of sorrow, and all for a little j-jclf ; we make nothing of the hardest labours to accomplish our w^orldly delights. But now, to pray, read, meditate, perform acts of worship to God, how difficult are these P and how soon do we cry •out, what a weariness is it ? A little time spent in duty is with a great deal of murmuring ; doth not this bewray too much unbelief ? ' So is he that layeth up treasui-es for himself, and is not rich towards God,' Jjuke xii. '21 ; that is, so earnest and diligent to grow great in the world, but cares not to furnish himself with grace. When there is such n disproportion in his care, is he persuaded of these things ? There is ■a wide and sensible difference hetween things temporal and eternal, so should there be in our pursuit after them. Now when it is not only a nice debate that prevails most with men, but a plain clear case, it shows we are not fully persuaded of them. So examine a man by his hopes, and see whether he hath this evidence of things not seen. Compare your hopes in God's promises with your hopes in a temporal case ; it is good to put things in a temporal case and instance : Mai. i. 8, ' Offer it to thy governor, will he accept of it ? ' If a prince or potentate of the world should make you a promise of a temporal inheri- tance, or pass over the reversion of an earthly estate for thee and thy heirs, how wouldst thou rest contented, and be satisfied with such a conveyance ? so hath God done in the covenant ; by a formal compact he hath demised and made over to us the great blessings of the gospel ; tmd yet how little are our hearts satisfied with it, how full of doubt- ings ! what unstable thoughts have we about these things ! If I had such great promi.^es from an able and faithful man, would I not be more cheerful and bear up upon these hopes ? I have these promises from God, that cannot lie. So examine his fears : when a man threatens a little danger, we are careful to abstain from what may dis- please him, yet we can swallow lust without remorse. Adultery is punished with death in some countries ; but God says : Mat. v. 28, * That whosoever looketh on a w^oman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.' And God threatens again and •again, not only with temporal but eternal death, torments that shall be without end and ease ; yet these things do not work upon us. God saith, Eom. viii. 13, 'If you live after the flesh, you shall die;' that the delicacies of the fleshly life, if indulged, will be mortal to us. Alas ! who fears this death ? it is a thing to come and unseen ; God ■doth not presently execute his sentence upon evildoers, therefore we are
VeR. 1.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL 369
not moved witli it. It argues either unbelief or very great incogi- tancy about things of such great concernment.
8. You may know whether you have this faith by your thoughts of the ways of God, when they are despised or opposed. Faith, which is the evidence of things not seen, can see a great deal of beauty in a de- spised way of God, and glory in a crucified Christ ; as the good thiei: upon the cross could see Christ as a kiug, when he hung dying on the cross in disgrace : Luke xxiii. 42, ' Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.' Religion is often veiled under obscurity, slightings, disgraces, and contradictions of the w^orld. God trieth us, as it were in a disguise. jSTow if we can spy out this inward beauty and inward glory in his w^ays when they are divested of all outward glory, here is an act of faith — ' Christ came to his own, and his own received him not.' A carnal heart sees no worth in anything but what is full of pomp and outward splendour, it knows all things after the flesh ; but a gracious heart sees a great deal of worth and beauty in the despised ways of Christ. It is said of Moses, that by faith he ' esteemed the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt,' Heb. xi. 26 ; that is, w^hen it was a reproachful thing for him, who was so great and high in favour, to own an afflicted people, who were so burdened as they were in Egypt. Thus you have seen how you may find out whether this faith be wrought in your souls.