Chap. XII. Of HEAVEN. cHAP. XII. A fted{ajl belief of rmfeen eternal things is nece/Jarj to direR our h~i~e. Paitl; realizes t/,ings frttrtre, mlil controuls the effic~cy of prefent Temptatwns; TJ,: rug/eEl of the great Salvation proceeds from Infidelity. . The mo[l that are 'Belie• l!ers ill Title, are · Infidels 111 their Hearts. Conjideratwn IS nece}fary 111 order to a wife Choice. It rnufl be feriowand delrberate; frequent, and rPith application to tbe Sor<l. MotiVes to Confideration. 'TiS tf,e >loblejl exercife of the Mind, and mojl profitable; Flrft, A found and lledfufl belief of unfeen Eternal Things. . . . Secondly, Serious Confideranon of the vall diirerence between tlungs that are the objetls of Sight, and that are the/bjetls of Faith, . " . . Firft, The found and lledfafl belief of Eternal Things is rc~uifite t.o diretl our Choice aright. Faitb is the/ttbjlance of tlungs hoped for, the evsrknce o tbmgs pot (ien, Heb. It , r. It affures us of their reality and worth, as 1f they w.ere efore our Eyes, and in our atlualPoffeffion. ThisDivineLightgoverns .and condutls the Will to .choofe. wifely; ~~~feact~i~i;;:le w~~c~l~0;:~:1;0~~!'~~~~~;n~~a~t~~~na;e~~~~~s, ~~gr~t:~~;;~~:nJt the World, intices the Heart, the ferious belief of the future Rewa.rd fo glorious and ererml, difgraces the mofl fplendtd Temptations, and makes them melfetlual. Thts is th• Viffory ihat overcomes the World, even our Fdtth. If tempted to Lafctvtoufnefs by the allurements of an Earthly Beauty, Faith reprefents the Angclicalluflre of the Saints, when they fhall come with the unfpotted Lamb in his glorious appearance ; and this unbinds the Charm, and makes the tempting Perfon an ObJetl not of Defire, bur Averfarion. If tempted with Honour to a finful compliance, Faith reprefents _fo _convincingly the Glory which all thofe who preferve thetr Confetence and Inregnty mv10lable, Jball receive at the univerfal Judgment, in the prefence of God, and the holy Angels, (as our Saviour has promis"d, He tllat ferves me, him will my F~ttlur hono_ur) and the confufion wherein the mofl hdnourable Sinners fhall then be cover'd, that with a generous difdain all fecular Honours will be defpifed. And it is as .powerful to enervate the Temptation of temporal Profit. We read of Mofls, thAt by Fatth, w/Jtm hewascometoTears, (and therefore more capable to undcrlland and enjoy what Felicity the brighrefl Honours and grearefl Rich~s could alford) rejit{ed to be called the Son of: Pharaoh's Daughter; chujing rather to frtjfer .Af/liffton wttb the People of God, than to m;oy the Pleafrtres of Sin for aSea{on; efteemmg the reproach of Chrijl greater Rtches than the Trea[rms of Egypt: for he had reffec1 to the recompence of Rew.rd. And all the Evils which a wicked World, infpir'd \Vith rage from Satan, can threaten to frighrusfrom_our Duty, Poverty, Difgracc, Banill1mem, nay Torments and Death, thofe Terribles-vi{rt form£, fd heightened by the carnal Fancy, are eafily overcome by a fincere and lhong Believer. Thus feme who were urged by fudt motives to renounce their Religion, told the Pcrfecutors, that Life \Vas not fweet to them Nee vercarri\ir l~ ~~%;:r,~~R~~ 1~r·tf~~~~~~~r:~c~~~r:::,1~~~~~r' t::e ~~~v~t ~~h~~~~~~~~~~~~us~~.a; ~~~\~~-. would it produce? Nothing would be impoffible within the compafs of our Dury, e1ther c~i=;i.11~};: . t~do ~r fuffer in order to a glorious}mmortality. Fa ith has a c~Jeftial ~ewer, a magn~- tlck V~ttue to draw up the Heart tram the Earth, and faflens tt to rhmgs above; It is not imaginable that a clear-fighted Soul, that fees a Good infinitely great; fl1ould rejeB: 1t for mean thmgs to pleafe the lower Defircs.. We may as probably imagine, that .a sktlful Jeweller would part wtth the nchell: Onemal l'earJs, for Cherry Stones ro play wi~~~~t~r~~ we may difcover the true caufe Of the negktlof ti1egreat Salvation offe.red in theGofpel; the Wordpreachtddoesnot pro_ft, not bemg mrxt wrth Fauh m them that hear it. It is all:onifhing to confider that Earth fhould coprend with Heaven for our A: f. feEl ions, and prevail againfl it; that Vanity fhould turn the Scale againfl the exceedi"" and eternaiJVetgbt of Glory;, that Men fhould pUt{ue fleeting Shadows, ancj neglecl rh~ moft excellent Rcahttes1 as 1f they could be happy here, and continue here for eyer, and hereafter
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