The sight of faith may be considered either — (1.) As to its certainty and clearness ; (2.) As to its power and efficacy.
[1.] As to its certainty and clearness. We do so see God, heaven, Christ, that we are affected in some measure as if we saw them with our bodily eyes. God, whilst we walk before him : Acts ii. 25, ' I fore- saw the Lord always before my face.' Christ: Gal. iii. 1, 'Before whose eyes Jesus Christ had been evidently set forth, crucified among you.' Christ was set forth before their eyes, as if they had seen him lianging and dying upon the cross. Heaven ; they have it in their eye, and are affected in some measure, as if they were in the midst of the glory of the world to come. I say, only in some measure ; for compare the light of faith and tlie light of glory, and there is a difference in the degree. The light of glory nullitieth sin, the light of faith only morti- fieth it ; but yet really it maketh us do those things whicli we would
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^0 if we saw the glory of heaven, shun those things which are to be avoided as if we saw the flames of hell. There is a certainty and firm belief which hath a great influence upon us, so compare it with the light of sense. Those things which we are to see and feel move the more passionately, for while the soul dwelleth in flesh, and looketh out by the senses, the objects of sense are more apt to move the passions, but yet faith doth efiectually move us, though not so passionately.
[2.] As to efficacy and prevalency, this sight prevails over those things which we see and feel. A christian hath senses as well as others, and knoweth that he dwelleth in a world full of sensible objects, which are pleasing to that flesh which he still carrieth about with him ; but God hath opened the eyes of his mind, by which he seeth better ^nd more glorious things, which take up his heart and mind, life and love, care and time, and so is weaned from sense-pleasing vanities, and can deny them, and trample upon them, for the enjoyment of these better things ; and neither life, nor anything comfortable to life, is counted so dear as that, for their sake, he should hazard the favour of God, his Redeemer's blessing, and the happiness of the world to come. If sight and sense invite and entice him to sin, and forsake his God and Christ, the objects of faith prevail against the amusements of sense, and sway his choice, and incline his heart, and govern his resolutions in the whole course of his life. He looketh not to things as they seem for the present, or relish to the flesh, or as they appear to short-sighted men who are governed by sense, but as they will appear at last, and will prove to all eternity, and so can leave things which he seeth and feeleth for things which he never saw, but expecteth shortly to enjoy.
AVell, then, this is the essential property of faith, to look to things not seen by sense, but revealed by God in his word ; and this property showeth itself in all the acts of faith, elicit and imperate. Elicit acts are those which are proper to this grace ; imperate are such as belong to other graces, but faith hath an influence upon them by virtue of which they are produced. We may more plainly call them acts and efiects.
(1.) As the acts of faith, which are assent, consent, trust, or depend- ence.
{1st.) For assent to such truths as God hath revealed in his word. When we have sufficient evidence of this revelation, the less sensible helps we need to underprop our assent, the stronger is our faith. Let me instance in the great article of the christian faith, Christ's person and office. I shall produce that place of the apostle, 1 Peter i. 8, ' Whom having not seen ye love, in whom though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory.' Though they had never seen Christ in the flesh, and he was now absent from them in regard of his bodily presence, being withdrawn into the heavenly sacrary, yet this did not hinder their faith ; they loved him and rejoiced in him as if they had seen him and conversed with him bodily. It was an advantage certainly to have seen Christ in the flesh, and to converse with him personally here upon earth, to see his miracles and hear his gracious words ; but faith can embrace him as offered in the promise though it never saw him in the flesh ; and the fewer sensible helps faith hath besides the word, it is the more highly esteemed by Jesus
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Christ. The same appearelb by Christ's words to Thomas : John xx. 29, ' Thomas, because thou hast seen, thou hast believed ; but blessed are they that have not seen, yet have believed.' Thomas must have the object of faith under the view of his senses, which argued a great weakness and imbecility : ' Unless I see in his hand the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, I will not believe.' What if Christ would not give him that satisfaction, but other sufficient evidence ? This was his infirmity, therefore Christ telleth us they have the stronger and more acceptable faith that do not give laws to heaven, or prescribe to God upon what terms they will believe, but accept of the assurance Grod ofFereth, without satisfaction to sense.