I,IFE OF FAITt. 403 gree as shall be raised by the beatifical vision in the glorified, and as present intuition now would raise ifwe could attain it ; ryet see- ing faith hath as sure an object and revelation as sight itself; though the manner of apprehension be less affecting, it should do much more with us than'it doth, and bring us nearer to such affections and resolutions as sight would cause. Use 2. If faith be given us to make things to come as if they were at hand, and things unseen as if we saw them, you may see from hence, 1. The reason of that holy seriousness of believers, which the ungodly want. 2. And the reason why the ungodly want it. 3. And why they wonder at,and distaste and deride this serious diligence of the saints. 1. Would you make it any matter ofwonder, formen to be more careful of their souls, more fervent in their requests toGod, more fearful ofoffending him, and more laborious in all holy preparation for eternal life, than the holiest and most precise person that you know in all the world, if so be that heaven and hell were seen to them ? Would you not rather wonder at the dullnessand cold- ness, and negligence of the best, and that they arenot far more holy and diligent than they are, if you and they did see these things ? Why, then, do yqu not cease your wondering at their dil- igence ? Do you not know that they are men that have seen the Lord whom they daily serve ; and seen the glory which they daily seek; and seen the place of torments which they fly from? By faith in the glass of divine revelation they have seen them. 2. And the reason why the,careless world are not as diligent and holy as believers, is, because they have not this eye of faith, and never saw, those powerful, objects that believers see. Had you their eyes, you would have their hearts and lives. O that the Lord would but illuminate you, and give you such a sight of the things unseen as every true believer bath! What a happy change would it make upon you! Then, instead of your deriding or opposing it, we should have your company in the holy path. You would then, be such yourselves as you now deride. 1f you sawwhat they see, you would do as theydp. When the heavenly light had appeared unto Saul, he ceaseth persecuting, and inquires what Christ would have him to do, that he might be such an one as he had persecuted. And when the scales fell from his eyes, he falls to prayer, and gets among.the believers whom he had perse- cuted, and laboreth and suffereth more than they. But till this light appear to your darkened souls, you cannot see the reasons of a holy, heavenly life. And therefore you will think it hypocrisy, or pride, or fancy, and imagination, or the foolishness of crack-brained, self-conceited men. If you see a man do rev- erence to .a prince, and the prince himself were invisible to you,
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