(3.) And then for the Spirit : his graces are life begun. Faith seeth it, love desireth it, hope looks for it : Kom. viii. 23, ' We, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan within ourselves,' &c. The first-fruits show a harvest to come. And 2 Cor. i. 22, ' Who hath sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.' Would God give us earnest, and not make good the whole bargain ? give us a taste to mock us, and no more ? Is the whole scripture false, and a very fable ? God's covenant a mockery ? Christ's miracles a dream ? and were the wisest men in the world fools ?
[3.] Clear upyour interest, otherwise yourhopeis butafancy. Themad- man at Athens, was he ever the richer for saying all the ships were his that came into the harbour ? ' The hope of the hypocrite shall perish,* Job xxvii. 8. There must be an acceptance of the general covenant before there can be of particular promises. Did you ever choose God for yours, and give up yourselves to serve him ? tiiat you might be able to say, as David, Ps. cxix. 94, ' I am thine, save me ; ' and Ps. Ixxxvi. 2, ' Save
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thy servant, tliat pnttetli his trust in thee.' A covenant supposeth both parties engaged ; it doth not leave one bound and the other at large.
[4.] E.Kercise meditation, raind it more seriously, think of it oftener — ' Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,' Mat. vi. 21. Thoughts of heaven should be more familiar and sweet to us, and not lie by as neglected or forgotten. But alas ! most are of the earth, and think ot tiie earth and siteak of the earth. Thouglits are the first-bora of the soul, and if we did observe them, we should soon discover the icniper of our souls. If they be set upon getting gain, carnal projects discover a carnal heart ; as they, James iv. 13. ' Gro to now, ye that say, to-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain.' Or the rich fool in the gospel r Luke xii. 18. This 1 will do, I will pull down my barn^ and build bigger, and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.' These thoughts will engross all our time. But we should do as Abiaham was bidden, Gen. xiii. 14, lift up our eyes, and take a view of the good land aforehand, and solace our souls with the contemplation of it.
[5.] Improve the Lords supper. When we are assembled there, and sit down at his table, it is a pledge of our ' sitting down with Abra- ham, Isiiac, and Jacob, and drinking of the new wine in our Father's kingdom,' Mat. x.wi. 29. When Christ instituted the Lord's supper, lie discoursed to them of a kingdom : Luke xxii. 30, ' That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom.' Here we come to think of that kingdom that cannot be moved, the purchase of Christ's blood, nnd to raise our affections to heaven and heavenly things, that we may be more confirmed in our hope. Here we come to taste of the cup of blessing wdiich Christ hath prepared for us, even his own precious blood.
Fourthly, I now come to tieat of living by faith, as to the promises and blessings of the present life. Here I shall,
1. Show you the necessity of pressing this branch.
2. Give you some maxims and principles of faith, that have an in- fluence upon this life.
3. 81iow what are the acts of faith, with reference hereunto.
4. How we shall bring our heaits thus to live.
1. There is a necessity of pressing this part of the life of faith.
[1.] Because there are promises of this kind of ble.ssing.s, as well as of eternal blessings : 1 Tim. iv. 8, ' Godliness is profitable to all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.' It is not only profitable at the end of the journey, but by the way ; when we come to die, it will be no grief of heart to us that we have been godly ; for when we are about to set sail for eternity, then we shall receive the fruit of all our labours. Ay, but now where it seem- eth to expose us to so many troubles, now when godliness is upon its trial and exercise, it is not left destitute and shiftless, it hath the pro- mise of the life that now is, that is, of this life and the comforts of it, as health, wealth, favour, peace, and safety. Why hath God multiplied so many promises of this kind, but that we should trust him with our secular as well as our eternal concernments ? Mat. vi. 33, ' First seek the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof, and all these things shall be added to you; ' that ivS, given in by way of overplus, cast into the bargain. He doth not say, Seek the world as hard as you can, and