VeR. 13.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 311
bieak out into irregular thoughts and words. If you have not this faith, you will never be able to hold out till the crown come. This bore up Paul, that he looked beyond the present life : Kom. viii, 18, * I reckon that the sulferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us.' Without this faith you cannot abound in charity, nor do anything for God in that kind, for the reward comes after many days : Eccles. xi. 1, ' Cast thy bread upon the waters, for after many clays thou shalt find it.' You cannot mortify lusts, that is irksome and tedious to present sense : 1 Cor. ix. 27, ' 1 keep under my body, and bring it in subjection ; ' he had a crown in his eye, he alludes to those in the Isthmic games, that dieted themselves to run ; now saith he, ' They do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible,' ver. 25. How will you neglect the honours, pleasures, and profits of the present world, when you are put to a sore trial ? you will surely faint if you have not such a faith as is here described.
3. It is the gloiy of faith to see things to come, and delight in them as if they were present. It cometh near to the vision of God, to that manner of sight that God hath of things. We say of God that he seeth all things that may be in his own all-sufficiency, and all things that shall be in his own degree, and it is all one to him, as if they were actually existing. This is somewhat like to the vision that God had of the world before it was : Prov. viii. 31, ' Eejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth,' before hill or mountain were created. So doth faith see all thiags in the all-sufiiciency and truth of God long before they come to pass, as if they were already in being, and were already brought to pass. The sight of faith is a glorious sight, like God's before things appear.
4. As it is for the honour of faith, so it is for the honour of God. He gave out a promise for this end and purpose to exercise our faith, and try how far we would trust him, for else he might have kept us in the dark , and therefore such a kind of trust gives God the glory of his power, mercy, and truth — ' Abraham was strong in faith, giving glory to God,' Kom. iv. 20. Faith is called ' a justifying God,' Luke vii. 29. Faith not only justifies a believer, but it justifies God. To justify is a relative word, and implies to clear another from accusations brought against him. Now faith clears God from the calumnies and slander of the world and our ow^n hearts. God is not honoured by anything so much as faith ; it is not your dead service, pompous worship, cere- monious duties, that honour God ; but it is faith that gives him the glory of his mercy, faithfulness, and all-sufiiciency. So much for the arguments.
Now for the means, what shall we do to have such a faith as is here described ? Here is something supposed, and something to be done.
[1.] There is something supposed, and that is, that you get an interest in the promises, otherwise your faith is but a fancy and delusion : Job. viii. 13, ' The hypocrite's hope shall perish.' There must be an accept- ing of the general covenant before we can make use of the particular promises ; if you have not an interest, you_ do but embrace a cloud, and not the promises. Did you ever choose God to be your God, and give up yourselves to be his ? then may you come and sue out the
312 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XLVII.
promises, and look for the blessings promised ; Ps. cxix. 34, ' I am thine, save me/ ' I am thine,' that is, bound to thee in covenant ; so Ps. xxiii, 1, ' The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.' There must be a good ground and foundation laid. Now is God yom's ? have you chosen him ? then may you draw a conclusion, and comfort yourselves ; though as to sense you want all things, yet you lack nothing, for the Lord is your shepherd. AVhen Christ prayed for his disciples, he pleads this argument : John xvii. 6, ' Thine they were, and thou gavest them me.' Then may we expect salvation temporal and eternal when we can say, Lord ! I am thine. A covenant supposeth both parties engaged ; it doth not leave one party bound and the other at large. Can you say then, Lord, I would not be mine own, but thine ? Then you may plead God's promises.
[2.] 'There is something required to be done by us ; something on the heart, and something on the promises.
First. Tliere is something required to be done upon the heart : the eye must be kept clear and the affections tender ; they saw the promises aftir off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them.