The Life ofFaith. imployments) in the world, for whom there are two con- trary ends hereafter. One fort fubj:ef their reafan to their fenfual or carnal intere(f. The other fu'ijc6t their tent, s to their reafon, cleared, conducted and elevated by faith. Thm.gs prefent or poffeffed, are the riches of the fenfual, and the byas of their hearts and lives : Things abfcnt but hoped for, are the riches of Believers, which a,tuatc their chief en- deavours. This is the fenfe of the text which 3 have read to you; which letting things hoped for, in oppofition to things prefent, and things unfcen, to thole that fenfe dothapprehend, affure,h us that faith (which fixeth on the ftrft) doth give to its ob- jed a fubfiffence, sre{ence and evidence, that is, it feeth that whichfupplicth the want ofprefence andviftbility. The úvóseaes, is that which qusad effebtum is equal to a prefent fuif(fence. And the VAsyxos, the evidence is fomewhat which quoad effecsuns isequal to vifibility. As if he had faid, [Though theglorypro- wired to Believers, and expeíiedby them, be yet to come, and on- ly hopedfor, and be yet unfern and only relieved, yet is thefound believer as truly affeiied with it, and afied by its attratlive force, as if it were prefent andbefore his eyes] as a man is by an inheritance, or ettate in rcvcrfion, or out of fight, dwell fccurcd, and not only by that which is prefent to his view: The Syriacklnterpreter inffead of a 7ranflation, gives us a true e_xpofítion of the words, viz, [Faith is a certainty of thofe : things that are in hope, as if they did already a5luaffyexist, and the revelation of thofe things that are not teen. Or you may take the fenfe in this Propofition, which I am next to open further, and apply, viz, [That the nature and ufe offaith is to be as it were inffead of prefence, poffeffion and fight : or to make the things that willbe, as if they were already loo exiffence ; and the things unfern which God revealeth, as if our bodily eyes beheld them. r. Not that faithdoth reallychange its obje&. 2. Nor Both it give the fame degree of al/rebellions and aftzliio;rs, as the fight of prefentthings would do. But a. Things iuvifible are the objects ofour faith. 2. And Faith is effeaual inffead of fight to all there ufes: z. The apprebenffon is as infallible, becaufe of the objet ivc B 2 ,certainty,
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