(2>d.) To support us against the greatest dangers and terrors : Heb. xi. 27, 'By faith Moses forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him that is invisible.' To depend upon God s aid and succour in a time of great extremity and danger needeth a strong faith. As to appearance, he was ready to be swallowed up, being
122 SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS T. 3.
pursued by a wrathful and puiosant king ; the sea was before him, the Egyptians behind him, and the craggy and inaccessible mountains on each side ; but the terrors of sense may be easily vanquished by those invisible succours which faith relieth upon ; an invisible God can bear us out against visible dangers.
(4.) To teach us how to carry an equal mind in prosperity and ad- versity. In prosperity, when we are borne up by the chin, we have but too much confidence, and when we are lessened and cut short in the world, we are full of diffidence and distrustful fears: Ps. xxx. 6, ' In my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.' When a child of CJod hath gotten a carnal pillow under his head, he lieth down, and sleepeth sweetly, dreaming many a pleasant dream of uninterrupted felicity in the world, but if God taketh away his pillow from under his head, then he is as diffident as formerly confident, then ' God will be favourable no more.' God is the same, his promises the same, the covenant the same, the Mediator the same, but our condition is changed, because we look to things seen, live upon things seen, and still imagine of things according to what we see and feel. So for supplies of main- tenance and provision ; if we have them not in view and sight, how little can we depend upon God I If sense be against the promises, the promises do us but little good. How few can comfort themselves in God when all faileth, Hab. iii. 18, or make his all-sufficiency their storehouse ! Gen. xvii. 1. No ; they must have a full heap in their own keeping. How few can take his promises for their heritage ! Ps. cxix. 11. No ; they must have lands and fixed revenues, or else they know not where to have food and raiment for themselves and children. How few can be contented to trust the purse in God's hands, and be contented to take their daily allowance from him ! which yet is a necessary point of faith, of continual practice. How few can see all things in God when they have nothing in the creature ! 2 Cor. vi. 10. Many talk of living by faith, but it is when they have enough in the world to live upon ; they eat their own bread ; wear their own apparel, only call it by God's name. The life of sense is more evident than the life of faith. Well, now, this being the nature of faith, thereby we may know the measure of it ; for the excellency and degree of every- thing is known by the essential properties.
2. The second property of faith is self-denial, or a venturing of all in Christ's hands, or a foregoing all for Christ. That this is included in the nature of faith, yea, essential to it, I must prove to you —
[1.] By the description of faith in scripture : Heb. x. 39, ' We are not of the number of them that draw back to perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul ; ' e'/c 7rtcrTe&)? 649 7repiTro[riaiv^v)(j)'i, the purchasing of the soul ; not purchasing in the way of merit, but means. A true and sound faith will cause us to save the soul, though with the loss of other things. The flesh is for sparing or saving the body, but faith is for saving the soul whatever it costs us. The flesh saith. Favour thyself ; faith saith. Hazard all for Christ.
[2.] By reason. I will prove that it not only necessarily results from the nature of faith, but is included in it ; for faith builds upon the promise of salvation by Christ. Now this promise is not only true but good, 1 Tim. i. 1. It is certainly true, and requireth the firmest be-
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lief ; it is eminently good, and worthy to be regarded above all other things; the happiness is most desirable, and the assurance of enjoy- ing it as strong as can be given us. Now we do not close with this promise rightly unless we assent and embrace, take the thing promised for our whole happiness, and the promise itself for our whole security. The thing promised we do not take for our whole happiness unless we forsake all other hopes and happiness, and can let go all pleasures, profits, worldly reputation, and honour ; yea, life itself, when it is in- consistent with our fidelity to Christ, or the way we should take to enjoy the blessedness that he offereth. Not only wilful sin, and all carnal pleasures, but anything, though never so near and dear to us. No ; we will not take up with any other portion and felicity for all the temptations in the world. And also there must be a confidence of God's promise in Jesus Christ, that we may venture our all upon this security, and, if God call us to it, actually forsake all ; so that without self-denial we can neither trust God nor be true to him.