and read and meditate, we can but die ; l)ut there is some common hope ; it may be we may Kve. All God's children are thus brought in ; the soul is willing to acts of obedience, though it knows not what will come of it ; as Abraham obeyed God, not knowing whither he went. I am to do what God commands, let God do what he will ; it may be there may be life; I cannot do worse, I may do better. All saints are at first carried on by such a common hope ; the first essay of their faith is but dark resolution; but blind peradventure, Who knows what God may do ?
[7.] It is God's usual way to meet those that seek him, and to give the Spirit to them that ask him : we do not know what importunity will do. This is the usual practice of God's free grace ; sometimes he doth, sometimes he doth not ; but it is good to wait at wisdom's gate. God is not bound, but it is his ordinary practice. Obey the Lord, and sue out the blessings upon common hope ; when there is no absolute assurance, those things will prosper. Why should we fall a disputing ? we are in great danger, and this is God's usual way. We are to do what we can ; God is wont to meet his people in this way. Though he hath nowhere said. Do this by the power of nature, and thou shalt have grace ; yet it is good to wait upon God, for he usually meets with them that seek him in his way, and blesseth them that are followers in all christian endeavours.
[8.] The neglect of means out of a carnal principle, either out of an averseness to grace, or an ill-conceit of God, proves very pernicious. Nature is backward and shy, and then we would justify it by wrong thoughts and groundless jealousies of God : Mat. xxv. 24, ' I knew that thou wert a hard master, and therefore I hid my talent.' We think that God hath shut us up under a fatal impossibility, so we pretend we can do nothing ; as they that heard Christ say — ' No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him,' John vi. 44 — murmured and drew back at that saying ; so we have wrong thoughts of God, and are jealous without cause. We are loath to use the means, and then blame God for not giving the power. It is a jealous fancy of God without warrant ; you are under an obligation, and that must be regarded.
[9.] This is no small encouragement, that Jesus Christ, that hath the grant of the elect, is to see the promises to be made good to them. The new heart, and the infusion of converting grace is a thing promised to natural men that are elect before they are in Christ, and Christ will see to the accomplishment. Whatever Christ's intent is towards you, certainly his will will be no hindrance to our duty ; therefore upon all these grounds we might press men to wait upon God in the use of means, that so, if it be his gracious will, they might receive mercy for their souls.
Fourthly, We may infer hence the necessity and excellency of faith.
1. We may gather from hence the excellency of faith ; he nameth no other graces. Whatever glorious virtues are found in God's children, none of them can make them acceptable with God but faith ; how ? not for any excellency that is in faith itself, because of all graces it hath least of worth, but in regard of its object. Though faith in itself be a needy grace, yet it hath a worthy object ; it receiveth Christ and all the blessings of the covenant. Therefore the apostle calls it ' precious '
102 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XXVII.
faith, 2 Peter i. 4, because it is conversant about a precious Christ, and precious promises, and precious righteousness.
Obj. But you will say, Charity or love is elsewhere preferred before faith, therefore how can faith be accounted the most excellent grace ? 1 Cor. xiii. 13, 'Now abideth faith, hope, and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity/ It is true, before he compares gifts and graces, but here he compares grace and grace, and he judge th the crown and pre-eminence to charity. When extraordinary gifts cease in the church, these shall be perpetually had in esteem ; these three abide, and that which is greatest is charity.
Ans. It is true, in some kind of operations other graces may have the pre-eminence, but in the matter of pleasing of God the pre-eminence is put upon faith. Love seems to have an advantage of faith in this, that we give by love, and we receive by faith ; now, it is more blessed to give than to receive. The chiefest answer is, when extraordinary gifts cease, these three abide, and the chiefest of these three is charity, which is most abiding ; for when faith and hope are turned into frui- tion, love then abideth, it is the grace of heaven ; but for matter of acceptance, it is faith that is the chief grace.