Again, in spiritual distresses, though you feel no comfort aud quick- ening, yet you have his word. Men cast anchor in the dark, and a child takes his father by the hand in the dark ; can you stick to God in the dark ? Though you see nothing, yet can you clea\e close to him, and wait and stay upon his name ? In the absence of the blessing there is room for faith ; can you take your father by the hand when
YeR. 13], SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 297
you cannot see bim ? And when there is nothing appears to sense, can you stay upon the name of God ? Christ may be out of sight, and yet you may not be out of mind. Sense makes lies of God : Ps. xxxi. 22, ' I said in my heart I am cut oS from before thine eyes ; nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplication when I cried unto thee.' When to sense and feeling all is gone, God may be very nigh, if we had but an eye of faith to see hitu In the midst of the miseries of the present world canst thou comfort thyself with thy right ill the promises of the world to come ? Though thou hast not posses- sion, thou hast the grant, and the deed is sealed ; a man may buy lands that he never saw, if he be well informed about them. Thus heaven and earth dififer ; heaven is all performance, and here is very little per- formance ; here we have the first-fruits and the earnest, enough to bind the bargain ; thou hast the conveyances to show, and it is not nudum pactum, a naked bargain, there is earnest given in lieu of a greater sum ; now can you wait ?
Use 2 It informs us how much the happiness of a believer excels that of a worldlini:. A worldling hath much in hand, but he hath nothing in hope ; he hath fair revenues and ample possessions, but he hath no promises ; here they have their portion : Ps. xvii. 14, ' From men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure ; they are full of childi-en, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes ; ' and when they come to die^ there is an end of all ; Luke xvi. 25, ' Son, remember, that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things.' But now look upon a believer: Ps. cxix. Ill, ' Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage forever.' His portion lies in God's promises, and God's promises concern the present life, as well as that which is to come : 1 Tim. iv. 8, ' Godliness is profitable for all things, having the promi.se of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.' For the pre.^ent life all that he has comes with a blessing out of the womb of the promise, and as a fruit of the covenant ; and a share he shall have as long as the Lord wiU use them and employ them ; he will give them maintenance and pro- tection as long as he expects service from them : and in the life to come he enters upon his heritage. Oh, it is a sad thing to have our portion here, and to look for no more ; to have all in hand and nothing in hope. A christian is not to be valued by his enjoyments, but by his hopes. Do not look upon the children of God as miserable, because they do not shine in outward pomp and splendour, for they have meat and drink which the world knows not of — estate, lands and honours which lie in another world. It is better to be trained up in a way of faith, than to have our whole portion here. A worldly man hath his present payment, that is all he cares for ; but a christian hath an ample portion — all the testimonies of God, and all his promises con- cerning this life and a better. And therefore he is a rich man, though stripped of all ; his estate iieth in a country where there is no pluncW- ing, no sequestration, no alienation of inheritances. So that if he be stripped of all that the world can take hold of, he is a happier man than the greatest monarch of the world, that hath nothing but present things ; because he is rich in biUs and bonds, such as lie out of the reach of the world. Turn him where you will, yet still he is happy ; turn
298 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XL VI.
him into prison, the promises bear him company, and revive and cheer him ihctre ; turn him into the grave, still God goes along with him, and will revive and raise him up again ; his riches stand him in stead at death ; then is the time to put his bonds in suit. When God comes to demand his soul, he gives it up cheerfully ; for then he comes to enjoyment, and to possess that which he expected ; the best is behind. So much for the general view of the text.