1. Keep the eye clear, the world is a very blinding thing : 2 Cor. iv, 4, ' In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.' Satan hath that title of ' the god of this world ' because the world is the means that he useth to blind men withal ; the profits of the world are as dust cast into the eyes. So 2 Peter i. 9, * He that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off,' these things, that is, temperance and sobriety in the pursuit and use of out- ward comforts. Brutish and carnal affections send up the fumes and steams of lust, and then the eye is clouded, and you cannot have a clear sight of heaven, and of the blessings to come. A carnal man may discourse of heaven, but he hath not such a lively affective sight of it.
2. Keep the heart tender. An hard heart, that is settled in the guilt and love of sin, cannot rejoice in the hope of glory, nor hug the bless- ings promised, nor behave itself as if it were already come to enjoyment. Take heed of benumbing the affections, of soaking and steeping the soul in carnal pleasures ; these take away the heart, that is the tender- ness of the heart. Carnal profits darken the eye, and carnal pleasures bring a brawn upon the heart, that we have no affections for Christ and "things above. They that were given to uncleanness were past feel- ing : Eph. iv. 19, ' Who being past feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.' There will be no hugging nor embracing the promises as long as we allow a car- nal liberty in fleshly pleasures, for they will bring a deadness on the heart.
Secondly. Something must be done as to the promises, 1. You must understand the nature of them; and the tenure of them.
[1.] The nature of them ; it is good to know our portion. Abraham walked through the land of promise ; so it is good now and then to survey the land of promise, to see what God hatli made over to us in Christ. In every bargain we look to the conditions, and what advan- tage we shall have. God's covenant-notion is God all-sufficient ; there is nothing wanting in the covenant , the plaster is as broad as the sore.
VeR. 13.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 313
In the covenant you may find protection, maintenance, peace, strenc:!!], deliverance, comfort, meat, drink, everlasting happiness. Look, as tlie psalmist bids us, Ps. xlviii. 12, 13, ' Walk about Sion, and go round about her ; tell the towers thereof, mark ye w^ell her bulwarks, consider her palaces,' there is nothing wanting necessary for use or ornament • so go to the covenant, there is every blessing for body, soul, goods, and good name; every blessing is adopted and taken into the covenant: 1 Cor. iii. 23, ' All things are yours, for you are Christ's, and Christ is < rod's.' Ordinances, providences, things present, things to come, life, death, afilictions, mercies, all things are yours. There is no scantines.s- in the covenant, but an overflow of mercy : Ps. xxiii. 5, ' My cnp runneth over.' There are privative mercies and positive mercies : Ps. Ixxxiv. 11, ' The Lord God is a sun and a shield. The Lord will give grace and glory ; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.' He will give all kind of mercies for your persons, for your- relations. For your persons : man is made up of a body and soul, and thej-e are promises for both. For the body : not only for hereafter, that God will raise it up to be a glorious body like to Christ's body ; but for the present, to give it health, strength, supply, meat, and drink, and' clothing. Then for the soul there are promises of pardon, life, light, grace, quickening, all things that are necessary for the soul. It is good' to fetch every mercy out of the covenant both for soul and body, our bread and clothing, for ' man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God,' Mark iv. 4. For your relations, and those that you care for in the world, your posterity, the- grace of the covenant runneth over. God cannot satisfy himself in do- ing good to our persons, but he will do good to our children : Dent. v. 29, ' That it may be well with them, and with their children for ever.' God takes notice of the chridren of his old friends, when they are dead and gone. So for the church of God, those that mind the affairs of Sion have promises to bear them up, as promises for the conversion of the world, that nations shall come in to Christ, and the like. It is good to have store of promises by us ; collect them in your reading and hear- ing ; happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them.
[2.] Know the tenure of them as well as the nature. God hath promised nothing absolutely but eternal life, and necessary grace to bi'ing us thither ; all other things are promised with a limitation, as- the Lord shall see them good for us ; and there the work of faith is to calm the heart to submit to God's pleasure, and refer all to him. A man that is ignorant of the tenure of the covenant cannot fix his faith aright. Now the promises are either temporal, spiritual, or eternal.