470 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XV.
bounty; he hath clolhed thee, fed thee, and opened the treasures of tlie sea and land to give thee provisions ; what liast thou done for God ? Natui'e abhors nnthankfulness. Holy David, 2 Sam. vii. 2, his heart reasons within iiim, ' I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains ; ' as if he had said, Here the Loitl hath built me a stately house, but what have I done for the aik of God ? When you survey the great plenty and bounty of God, it is a wonder you have not such inward discourses in your souls. Carnal men are the more secure and careless of the worship of God for their outward enjoyments ; as the sun moveth slowest when it is highest in the zodiac ; but the zeal of God's children is heightened, and their thankfulness is quickened.
[2] Faith reasons from the promises of God, which are the common- places and topics of faith from which it gathei's arguments. Now the promises that faith urgeth are promises of assistance, acceptance, and reward. Faith seeth assistance in the j)Ower of God, acceptance in the grace of God, reward in the bounty and kindness of God.
(1.) It reasons from the promises of assistance. We hate that which, we cannot perform. Men love an easy religion, and such as is within the compass of their own strength and power ; therefore the apostle shows one of the reasons why carnal men are so prejudiced against the law of God, because they have no power to fulfil it : Rom. viii. 7, ' The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.' Wickedness takes the advantage of weakness, and so the soul is prejudiced. Help engageth to actions; when we know we have no strength, and the burden is heavy, we let it alone. The great excuse of the creature is for want of power. Now faith reasons fiom the promi.ses of divine assistance, Alas! thou art a weak creature, it is true, but God will enable thee : 2 Cor. iii. 5, ' Our sufficiency is of God ; ' thou mayest be strong in God when thou art weak in thy.self: 2 Cor. xii. 10, 'For when I am weak, then am I strong.' An empty bucket may be the sooner filled. To what end hath God laid help upon Christ ? The soul saith, I can do nothing ; but faith replies, ' In the strength of Christ I can do all things,' Pliil. iv. IB. Did you ever know a command that i-equires grace without a promise that God would give grace ? Do not enteitain jealousies of God without cause. God doth not require work and deny assistance ; he doth not desire brick and deny straw. Wait on God, and he will strengthen tliee : Ps. xxvii. 14, ' Wait on the Lord ; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thy heart.' Faith eucourageth the soul to wait u{)on God.
(2.) It reasons from the promises of acceptance. Doubts weaken the sold, and jealousy makes the heart faint and the hands feeble, and the sold is binxlened in holy duties, and drives on heavily. Distrust will say, Will the Lord regard such a sinner as I am ? accept such green figs ? regard such weak and spiritless services of such an unworthy creature ? Now faith argues, Do you endeavour, God will accept you: 2 Cor. viii. 12, 'If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted accord- ing to what a man hath, and not according to what he hath cot.' Faith shows how willing Jesus Christ is to accept the service and par- don the defects of his people : Cant. v. 1, 'I have eaten my honey-
VeR. 4.] SEEMOKS UPON HEBREWS XI. 471
comb with ray honey.' Faith reasons, Thou art afraid to come to God, but to what end serves a mediator? Eph. iii. 12, 'In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.' Faith shows the mediator to the soul and thus argues — Upon whom do you pilch your hopes of success and acce])tance ? on the worthiness of your own work, or on the worthiness of Christ the mediator? Faith pointeth at Christ, Look, soul, there is an angel with a golden censer stands at the altar; he is ready to perfuu^e the sacrifice. Though your prayers, as they come fi-om you, are unsavouiy breath in the nostrils of God, yet there is a mediator to perfume those services ; they do not go immedi- ately to God, but pass through a mediator into the hands of God: Rev. viii. 3, 4, ' And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer ; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the praj'ers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came up with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.'
(3.j Faith argues from the promises of reward. When the soul is backward, you do not work for nothing, or for that which is nothing worlh ; there is a reward : 2 Cor. vii. 1, 'Having these pionii.ses, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.' And they are called, 2 Peter i. 4, ' Exceeding great and precious promises.' In the original it is, ra ixe'yiaTa — the gieatest things. Now faith saith. If the world can bid more than thy Saviour hath done, choose it. Look, here is the greatest things; if you suffer loss, if your carnal interest be endamaged, it will be abundantly made up in Christ. Faith brings all to the balance, and weighs every discouragement. As the apostle seems to stand with a pair of scales, and cast in present inconveniences and future recompenses: Eom. viii. 18, 'I reckon, that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.' I reckon and find this is too light to be com- pared to my joy. Faith shows there is no recompense to the joys of heaven, and no inconveniences to the torments of hell. Thus you see the reasonings of faith upon all these grounds, that it is impossible but there should be a difl:erence between the service of believers and of carnal men.