Use 1. Eeproof.
1. It reproves those that live as if they should never die, and then they die as if they should never live ; they fill up the measure of their sins, and so do but provide matter for despair, and horror, and agonies on their deathbeds ; for at their latter end they shall taste the fruit of their own doings. There is not such a quick passage as the world imagines — a cceno ad ccelum, from Delilah's lap to Abraham's bosom ; there must be a sitting and preparing time to get up the heart to heaven.
292 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL [SeR. XLVT.
2. It reproves such as please themselves with the hopes of a death- bed repentance. It is very hazardous whether we shall then have grace to repent ; for it is just with God — ut qui vivens ohlitus est Dei, mor- iens obliviscatur, he that hath forgotten God all his life, that he should not be remembered by God when he comes to die. It is very unseason- able, for then we need cordials, not work. Is it a time to have our oil to buy when we should use it ? And it is suspicious. The scripture containeth an history of near about four thousand years, and there is but one instance of it — viz., of the good thief upon the cross , and there are special reasons for that. It was the first-fruits of Christ's merits, when the great oblation was actually made ; the taste and handsel of his drawing power, John xii. 22 , as princes will do extraordinary acts of grace on the day of their coronation. Never was such a season : Christ was now actually redeeming the world by his death, and he owneth Christ in the day of his highest abasement, when all others scorned him.
Use 2. Exhortation ; it presseth us to live by faith. If you would have faith ready to die by, you must have faith ready to live by ; otherwise, you will be either as a stone, or under horror, or at least in the dark — doubtful and anxious, and will not know what will become of you.
1. Disarm death beforehand by plucking out its sting, seeking reconciliation witii God through tfesus Christ. The great business you have to do upon earth is to make and keep peace with God. Seek reconciliation with God through the merits of Jesus Christ, and keep up your friendship with him by following the guidance of the Spirit, and then you will pluck out the sting of death ; otherwise sin will stare you in the face, and then death will be terrible.
2. Get your title to eternal life evidenced by holiness. Your right and title to eternal life is founded on the merits of Christ, who paid a price, and therefore heaven is called ' the purchased possession,' Eph. i. 14 ; but your evidence that you have to show for your interest in it is holiness — that is the first-i'ruits ; and when we come to die, we come to have our fill. God qualifies all those whom he appoints to happiness, and prepares them for it ; no unclean thing shall enter into heaven ; swine, that wallow in the puddle and mire of the world, who would have profit and pleasure rather than grace, are not fit for this happi- ness. Your end should be to be safe in another world, to enjoy ever- lasting communion with God ; and therefore the evidence of this is the •weaning of your heart from the world, and getting it up to heaven, and making holiness the great business of your lives. This is your evidence, though the title comes by Christ.
VeR. 13.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL 293
SERMON XLVI.
TJiese all died in faith, not having received the promises, hut having^ seen them afar off, and luere 'persuaded of them, and embraced them and confessed that they ivere strangers and pilgrims on the earth. — Heb. xi. 13.
The next thing I shall observe in the text is the nature of faith, how it works in and upon the promises. Here are several properties of it : it eyes blessings promised, is firmly persuaded of them, and embraceth and huggeth them ; and all this was observable in these patriarchs, though they went to the grave without any experience of the fulfilling of them. Here I shall observe something from the general view of the text, and then from the several actings of faith.
First, From the whole, observe this doctrine —
Doct. Faith is contented with the promise, though it cannot have actual possession. It is enough to faith to see things at a distance, as these patriarchs did: it constantly adhereth to God, though it findeth not what it believeth ; yea, though it see no probability and reason for it. For this also was the case of these partriarchs. Canaan was pro- mised to them, which was now possessed by the Canaanites ; and God hath told them of the calamity that should befal their posterity in Egypt, and yet that they should be a glorious nation, and have a temple and a city. These were very unlikely things, yet they went to the grave, and saw these blessings afar off, and embraced them. Usually God exerciseth his people in this kind ; so it was in the first believer — the Lord had made a promise of a blessed seed to Adam. Now for a great while there was no likelihood of the accomplishment of it — Abel was slain, Cain was a wicked man, and Adam was an hundred and thirty years old before Seth was born, Gen. v, 3, who was appointed instead of Abel, in whom God would continue the blessed line and race. And so it has been all along, there has been a time between the promise and the accomplishment ; therefore the apostle saith, Heb. vi. 12, ' Be ye followers of them, who though faith and patience inherit the promises.' Never any came to possess the things promised, but there was something to exercise their faith and patience ; there was some disiance of time for the exercise of their faith, and the inconveniences of the present life to exercise their jiatience. But yet faith constantly adheres to God, notwithstanding all this. Now faith worketh thus partly because of the advantages it hath in the promises, and partly because of the work it putteth forth upon the heart of a believer.