an advantage above other men, and can more easily do and suffer great things for God.
First, Let us open this looking.
First, It implieth faith, or a believing the reality of these invisible things, that there are eternal and glorious things to be enjoyed after this life. Certainly an object, though never so glorious, cannot be seen without eyes. Now faith is the eye of the soul, without which we can have no prospect of the world to come. Therefore faith is defined to be, Heb. xi. 1, ' The substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.' Without faith, reason is shortsighted, and there is a deep mist upon eternity, 2 Peter i. 9. Eeason is acute enough in discerning what is noxious and comfortable to the present life, good for back and belly; but it seeth little of anything beyond this present world, so as to quicken us to make any preparation for death and eternity. The mind hath no eyes to look beyond the mists and clouds of this lower world, but such as the Spirit of wisdom and revelation is pleased to give us, and cannot believe the reality of the unseen glory until in his light we see light, Eph. i. 17, 18. Alas I the wisest part of mankind are taken up with toys and childish trifles in comparison of these invisible things. The sweetness of honour, wealth, and pleasure is known easily by feeling, and therefore known easily, and known by all ; but few can see the reality and worth of these unseen things. Though heaven and glory be talked of in thoir hearing, yet they know it not. It is quite another thing when it is represented to us in the light of the Spirit. None discern the worth of these things but those that have the eagle eye of faith, that can pierce above the clouds to the seat of the blessed. Faith is like a prospective-glass, by which we see things at a distance. Others only mind things at hand, things that may be seen and felt. Compare lumen fdei, the light of faith, with the light of sense. That one degree of light, the light of sense, can only discern things near us, present with us, and before our eyes. Those things which lie out of the view of sense make no impression upon them. They see nothing but these corporal things, which even dogs and horses see as well as they ; as, for instance, that it is good to eat well, and drink well, and sleep well, to be at liberty and enjoy our pleasure, or mind our busi- ness here in the world, and thrive and prosper, and do well according to heart's desire ; but the light of faith will discover that there is no such danger as perishing for ever, no such worth in anything as there is in salvation by Christ, no such business of importance as seeking after eternal life ; that all the gay things of sense are but as so many May-games to this happiness, all tlie terrible things in the world but as a flea-biting, all the business of the world but a.s a little childish sport at push-pin in comparison of working out our salvation with fear and trembling. Much of Christianity lieth in opening the eye of faith and shutting that of sense. Faith can look through all the clouds and changes of this world to those eternal, perpetual, solid good things which God hath prepared for them that love him, and so can the better contemn all those perishing vanities which the world doteth upon. This is that which is called in the text looking and not looking, &c. The next degree of light is lumen rationis. Reason can only guess
BERMON UPON 2 CORINTHIANS IV. 18. 277
at future contingencies, or at best see things in their causes, and that it is probable, if nothing letteth, that such and such things will fall out; but faith can look through all distance both of time and place, and the mist of contrary appearances, to things promised, with such certainty and sure persuasion as if the things we are persuaded of were at hand: Heb, xi. 13, 'These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth ; ' John viii. 56, ' Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.' Still it can believe in hope against hope, and see sunshine at the back of the storm, and heaven and happiness in the midst of deep afflictions. Compare the lumen fidei with the lumen propheiice, Eev. xx. 12. They agree in the common object, such things as are revealed by God ; they agree in the same common nature, tliat they see things future and to come with such clearness and certainty as if they were in being ; they differ, because faith goeth upon the common revelation which God hath made to all the saints in scripture ; the other, some special revelation, made to certain chosen persons. The light of faith affects the heart with great joy and comfort; the other is usually accompanied with rap- ture and ecstasy. Yea, let us compare it with lumen gloria', the beati- fical vision, that worketh a change in body and soul, 1 John iii. 2. This in soul, 2 Cor. iii. 18. There we see him face to face, 1 Cor. xiii. 12 ; here as in a glass. Though we are not so highly affected with the light of faith, yet as truly: that nuUifieth all sin and misery; this exaspera- teth the heart against sin, and fortifieth it against misery. Though the light of faith givetli not as full an enjoyment of God, yet as sure, and proportionably affecteth the heart, as if we saw Christ in the midst of his holy ones, and Paul with his crown of righteousness. It puts the believer's head above the clouds, in the midst of the glory of the world to come. Once more, this lumen fidei is somewhat like that sight which God hath of things — scientia visionis et simplicis intellig entice. God seeth all things that may be in his own all-sufficiency, all things that shall be in his own decree. Faith acts proportionably ; it showeth all things that may be in the all-sufficiency of God, and though it be not sure of the event, yet ' our God is able,' Dan. iii. 17, 18. It seeth all things that shall be in the promises of the gospel, wherein his decree is manifested ; it realiseth them as if they were already ; they have a pledge of the blessing when they have the promise. Now, if we had such a faith, could thus look to things unseen, it would produce notable effects; a man would be another manner of christian.