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tion among men, are the chief things they de fire and hope for; and the contrary to these are what they principally fear. They "walk in the fight of their eyes," as is faid of fenfual youth, Eccl.. xi. 9, But the thoughts of a true christian have another turn: he hath obtained the notice of other things, beyond the reach of fenfe, and which relate to interests beyond this feen world; and thefe appear to him of fuch reality and weight, as to command his principal attention. Prefent fenfible things have in themselves no farther reference than to our well or ill being in the prefent life :: but the things of which a chriftian is perfuaded, and by the belief of which he walks, are either the external ftate itself, or fuch things as in their tendency and confequence have an afpect on his everlasting well or ill being.

The things which are feen, are temporal; but the things which are not feen, are eternal, 2 Cor. iv. 18.

(2.) They are juftly defcribed in their true and proper nature, by this character, that they are things not feen. There is fcarce a morecomprehensive account to be given of them in: a few words, than this character contains.

Many of them are in themselves of a fpiritual nature, and so not capable of being objects of fenfe. God himself is fo: "no man hath feen him at any time" with his bodily eyes; and yet Mofes is faid " by faith to have feen him that is invifible," Heb. xi. 27. And. it is the concern of a good man to "fet the Lord always before him," Pfal. xvi. 8. that is, to confider him as a near and conftant specta

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tor of his actions, and therefore to live and aft as in his prefence. The providence of God is out of fight, while outward events themselves are obvious to fenfe; and therefore most people have little regard to the one, while they have their heads and hearts full of the other but a faint principally attends to the invifible hand of providence in all events, whether profperous or afflictive. The bleffings which are of principal account with a shristian, come not within the verge of fenfe; fuch as, an intereft in the favour of God, the privilege of being admitted among his child ren, the pardon of fin, the graces and comforts of the Holy Spirit. And his most formidable enemies are invifible too; in-dwelling corruption, and the power and policy of the evil fpirits yet these are objects of faith, which excite his daily vigilance..

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Several things which the shriftian believes, are above his comprehenfion; not only not to be perceived by fenfe, but not to be feen thro' with the clofeft application of the eye of the mind which are attended with many dif ficul ties he cannot folve, as to the manner of their being, and yet he firmly believes them. This is the cafe of many of the divine perfections the doctrine of the refurrection of the bo ; and the diftinction of the bleffed three, Father, Son and Spirit, which plainly runs through the economy of our falvation.

Some of the objects of faith are things paft and gone. Though they were once feen by fome, yet they are only offered to the faith of after-generations, and yet of the utmott im

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portance to be believed. Such are, the crea tion of the world, the difpenfations of providence in former ages; and, above all, the Son of God manifefted in flefh; his life, and death, and refurrection and afcenfion into heaven ;. and the divine teftimonies borne to the Gofpel-revelation. Only a few in one age and part of the world, had opportunity to fee thefe things; they are matters of faith to fuch as come after them.

Other things are at a distance from us, beyond our world, too far for us to have any immediate perception of them. Of this kind is the prefent ftate of the invifible world; the happiness of holy angels, and of departed faints with Chrift in paradife; and the mifery and

torments of thofe dead in fin..

And lastly, many of them are future. They are now only to be difcerned by faith, but hereafter will be feen. Such are, the fecond. coming of Chrift, the refurrection of the dead, the final judgment, and the rewards and punifhments which will enfue upon it. Every eye fhall fee the Redeemer, when he comes in the glory of his Father, even those who must wail becaufe of him. And the great tranfactions, for which he comes, fhall be managed upon the public ftage in the view of all. But now we fee them only through a glass darkly

and at a distance.

2. The kind of perfuafion which a Chrif tian hath concerning these things, is expreffed. by faith, in oppofition to fight. Now,

(1.) In a larger fenfe; this may fignify a perfuafion upon any other ground beside the evidence

évidence of fenfe; fo as to take in reafon and teftimony too. So it is fometimes taken in. Scripture. Some of the inftances of faith given by the apostle, Heb. xi.. are to be known by reafon as well as revelation. Thus the creation of the world may be demonftrated by reason, and yet we are faid to understand it by faith, ver. 3. God's being and bounty are capable of the fame proof, and yet the apoftle mentions them as objects of faith, ver. 6.. "Without faith it is impoffible to please God; for he that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently feek him." The perfections of God may be proved from the nature and reafon of things, Rom. i. 20. The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly feen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead." Indeed if thefe could not be known antece-dent to faith, there could be no foundation of faith, no means of proving the credibility and. authority of revelation..

Now a Chriftian, in many articles of his. perfuafion, walks by faith in this larger meaning of the word, in diftinction from fenfe. He is far from renouncing the evidence of reafon, as far as that will go.. For truths within its province, he is glad of all the affistance and. light that he can have this way and for truths which he finds in Scripture, he endeavours to ftrengthen his faith by arguments from reafon, as far as that can help him. But,

(2.) More ftri&ly and eminently, faith in Scripture fignifies a perfuafion founded upon

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the teftimony of God; upon a conviction that "the teftimony of the Lord is fure," Pf. xix. 7. That God's declaring a thing to be true or good, is a fufficient proof of its being so, feparate from any other argument. Now for thofe truths, of which reason can make fome difcovery, a Chriftian believes them alfo in the proper fenfe, if he finds them in the word of God. Yea he mainly walks by faith for most of these ; because he finds them fet in a fuller and more fatisfying light in Scripture, than they could be by bare unaffisted reafon. And other truths, of which he could know no thing but by Scripture, he believes upon the fole teftimony of God, as far as he hath made them known; as well as thofe truths to which reafon gives concurring evidence. Upon this foundation, fpiritual objects appear real and fubftantial, though they come not within the notice of fense an affent is given to the most fublime and mysterious doctrines, as far as he ean difcern God's teftimony, though reason cannot account for them: paft tranfactions, which God hath recorded for our ufe, are made prefent to the mind, and influential ac cording to their nature and end: the molt diftant objects are brought down. to the heart and affections and the things which are to be hereafter, are confidently expected. "Faith is the fubftance, or the confident expectation, of things hoped for," Heb. xi. 1.

II. I am to fhew the fitnefs of faith to have a most powerful and commanding influence upon the whole of the christian temper and life: to be the principal of our walk.

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