(6.) Because we will venture so little upon our everlasting hopes. Where men have an expectation they will make adventures, for they know it will turn to a good account. God hath madi^ many great and precious promises ; he hath told us, ' Give alms, and you shall have treasure in heaven,' Luke xii. 33. Leave anything tor his sake, you shall have ' in the world to come eternal life,' Maik x. 30 ; ' Mortify the deeds of the body, and you shall live,' Rom. viii. 13. Now, when we will not venture anything u})on God's bond, it is a sign we do not count him a good paymaster, and so make him a liar in all his promises.
2. What is the work of faith with respect to this life of glory.
[1.] To assent firmly to the promises, that offer this eteinal blessed- ness, and to convince the soul of ihe truth of what they ofi"er. Assent needs to be strengthned, that we may believe more firmly. Founda- tion-stones can never be laid with care and exactness enough. Many
THE LIFE Ob' FAITH. 79
hang between believing and unbelieving neither assent to the truth of the promise, nor directly deny it. Though you do believe, believe it again, with more certainty and assurance of understanding. As when a pictuie waxeth old, we refresh the colours ; so work up your hearts to a full assurance of" the truth and certainty of these things. What is the great work ot" the gospel, hut to establish our faith of" eternal life ? Here it is revealed to us : 2 Tim. i. 10, * And hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." Here it is promised to us : 1 John ii. 25, ' This is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.' Why hath God made so many promises ? What need had he to flatter and deceive us, to promise more than he will perform ? He can strike us dead if we do not please him, and crush us easier than we can crush a moth or a worm. In all other parts of scripture God standeth to his }n-omises, even those of a present accomplishment, etin ultimo non dejiciet ; surely he will not fail you at last, he is so faithful and punctual. The same God that gave the commands, which you find so powerful on your consciences, this same God gav-e the pro- mises. And God is willing to give us a pawn and pledge of these bless- ings promised in the joys of the S{)iiit : 2 Cor. i. 22, ' Who hath also sealed us, and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.' It is not domim, a gift, but pignus, a pledge; and not ouXy pignus, but arrha, an earnest : therefore work up faith to this assent. It is a notable assent tiiat is described Heb. xi. 1, ' Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen ; ' it is ' the substance of things ho{)ed for.' Faith openeth a light into the other world ; it is the perspective of the soul, by which we look within the vail. Faith hath an eagle-eye ; it c<in see things at a distance, and pierce through all the mists and fogs that intercept the eyes of others. 'Abraham rejoiced lo see Christ's day, and he saw it, and was glad,' John viii. ^^. And yet there were many successions of ages between Christ and Abrahiim ; but he saw Christ with the eyes of faith. So the patriarchs saw things afar off by faith : Heb. xi. 13, ' These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off.' As the devil showeil Christ the glory of the present world in a map and repre- sentation, so doth faith, wiiich is the evidence of things not seen, repre- sent to the soul the glory of the world to come in a map ; they have a Pisgah-sight and view of heaven, so as they apprehend it as a real thing. Other men have but a general guess and tradition about heaven, a dream of elysian fields, or a surmise of happiness ; but a believer has a sight of it by faith. As Stephen's eyes were opened, so are their eyes by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. Others have an empty notion ; they a real prospect. The other expression is, that ' faith is the evi- dence of things not seen ; ' that is, it bringeth in the comfort of it to the soul. There is an intromission of the object, as well as an extramis- sion of thoughts. How is it the substance ? Things absent and to come, by the real persuasion and expectation of the believer, are made real and present with the soul, as if already enjoyed ; and so faith defeateth sense, which prevaileth with us because of present temptations, dangers, and delights. Faith is an anticipation of our blessedness, or a prc-cccu- pation of our everlasting estate ; as the air and winds carry the odours and sweet smells of Ai'abia into the neighbouring provinces, so fidth,
80 THE LIFE OF FAITH.
l^elieving the promises canseth lis to feel something of heaven in our own hearts. It is not a naked sight, but some foretaste and beginning- of lieaven