Tiiiicily, The life of faith, as it respects glorification, or the promises of eternal lit'e. And here I shall show you —
1. That this is a neces.sary part of the life of faith.
2. What are the acts of faith with respect to this life.
3. How we may bring oui" hearts so to live.
1 We cannot exclude this from being a branch of the life of faith ; and that for these reasons —
[1.1 Because eternal life is one of the principal objects of faith; and it is the first motive that inviielh us to hearken after the things of (iod. The apostle telleth us, Heb. xi. 6, He that cometh to God iiiu.st believe that God is. and that he is a rewarder of them that dili- U-ently seek him.' He that would have anything to do with God must be persuaded of liis being and of his bounty. In the choosing of a religion, we look after a right object, whom to worship, and a fit re- ward ; for that induceth us, and maketh up the match between our hearts and that object. Now God, that knoweth the heart of man, and what wards will tit the lock, doth accordingly deal with us ; as he ])ro])Ounds liim.^elf as the first cause, and highest being, to be rever- enced and worshipped by us, so also as the chiefest good, to be enjoyed by us in an everlasting state of blessedness. All the doctrines of the christian faith tend to establish this hope in us ; and therefore the salvation of our souls is called ' the end of our faith,' 1 Peter i. 9. This is the main blessing that faith waiteth for, all our believing, waiting, working, striving, is to this end : so John xx. 31, 'These things are written, that ye miglit believe that Jesus is the Chri,<the Son of God, and that believing, ye might have life through his name.' All that is written in the gospel is to establish faith in Christ the Messiah, and that in order to eternal life. This is the upshot of all, that we might hnve a true and well-grounded hope of eternal li-'e.
76 THE LIFE OF FAITH.
[2.] Becriuse tins is always matter of faith, never of sense, in this ■world : 2 Cor. v. 7, ' For we walk b}' faith, and not by sight.' Other privile<z:es propounded in the promises are sometimes matter of sense ;. as sanctification and the comforts of this world ; but this life and blessedness which is to come, and is hid with Christ in God, is always matter of faith, and never of sense, unless it be of spiritual sense, which is nothing but the result of faith, or some foretastes of blessedness to come, when we are iirmly persuaded of the certainty of it.
[3.] 1 his is that which indeed puts life and strength into us, and that which mainly constitutes the difference between us and others ; and therefore, if there be such a thing as life spiritual, as certainly there is, it is fed and maintained by reflecting u])on everlasting happiness, and the interests of the world to come: 2 Cor. iv. 16-18, 'For which cause Ave taint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of gloiy. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen ; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the thmgs which are not seen are eternal.' There is an outward man and an inward man, or the animal life and the spiiitual and divine liie. The animal life is that which is supported, cherished, and maintained by the comforts and delights of the ])resent world ; as lands, lionours, and pleasures ; and when they are out of sight, they are in darkness that have nothing else to live u])on, and are at a loss^ and dead while they seem to live ; but now the spiritual and divine life is su{)ported by the comforts and delights of the world to come, and they that live by faith, they live in heaven, and have an anciior within the vail. And therefore, when we believe this, another spirit cometh upon us, and there is such a life and strength derived into our heart, tliat we bear up with joy and coui-age, when the outward and animal life is exposed to the greatest difiticulties and decays; for we are for another world. And therefore we are said to live by faith, be- cause it ap[)rehends those great and glorious things which are kept for us in heaven. Yea, as soon as the spiritual life is begun in us, it pre- sently woi'keth this way : 1 Peter i. 3, ' Who hath begotten us to a lively hope.' It is the immediate effect of the new life, which is given in regenei'ation ; and by this the heart is kept up, till all that God hath promised be brought about. This is the staff and stay of the s})ii-it.
[4.] We need press this part of living l)y faith, because, whatever men pretend, eternal life is little believed in the world. The most part, even of tho.se that live in the common light of Christianity, are purblind, and 'cannot see afar off,' 2 Peter i. 9, or look beyond the grave. God's own children have many doubtful thoughts, not such a clear and firm persuasion of things to come, but that it needeth to be increased moi'e and more. The apostle i)rayeth for the converted Ephesians, ' That the eyes of their undei'standings may be enlightened, that they may know what is the hope of their calling, and tlie riclies of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,' Eph. i. 18 ; that is, that they might more clearly see and firmly believe those good things which they should enjoy in heaven. Alas! we are so taken up with trifles and childish toys, that our faith is very weak about those excellent bless-