408 LIFE OF FAITH. and make the thingsof God your business, And the labor and industry of your lives will show whether you soundly believe the things unseen. 4. Ifyou savingly believe the invisible things, you will purchase them at any rate, and hold them faster than your worldly accom modations; and will suffer the loss of all things visible, rather than youwill cast away your hopes of the glory, which you never saw. A human faith and'bare opinionwill not hold fast when trial comes. For such men take heaven but for a reserve, because they must leave earth against their wills, and arp loath to go to hell. But they- are resolved to hold the, worldas long as they can, because their faith apprehendeth no such satisfying certainty ofthe things unseen as will encourage them to let go all that they see, and have in sensibliipossession. But the weakest faith that is true and saving, dciTh habitually dispose the soul to let go all the hopes and happiness of. this world, when they are inconsistent with our spir- itual hopes and happiness ; Luke xiv. 33. And now I have gonebefore you with the light, andshowed you what a believer is, will you presently consider how far your hearts and lives agree to this description? To know whether you live by faith or not, is consequently to know whether God or the world be your portion and felicity, and so whether you are the heirs of heaven or hell. And is not, this a questiónethat you are most nearly concerned in ? O, therefore, for your souls' sakes, and as ever you love your everlasting peace, " Examineyourselves, wheth- er you are in the faith or not. Know you not that Christ is in you, (by faith,) exceptyou be reprobates ?" 2 Cor. xüi. 5. Will you hearken now as long to your consciences as you have done to me? As you have heard me telling you .what is the nature of a living, saving faith, will you hearken to your consciences, while they impartially tell you, whether you have this life of faith or not? It may be known, if you are willing,, and diligent, and im- partial ; ifyou search on purpose, as men that would know wheth- er they are alive or dead, and whether they shall live or die for- ever; and not as men that would be flattered and deceived, and are resolved to think well of their state, be it true or false. Let conscience tell you. What eyes do you see by, for the conduct of the chief employment of your lives ?, Is it by the eye of sense or faith? I take it for granted that it is lly the eye of reason. But, is it by' reason corrupted and biased by sense,. or, is it by reasonelevated by faith"; What country is it that your hearts converse in? Is it in heaven or earth ?' What company is it that you solace yourselves with? Is it with angels and saints?' Do you walk with them in the Spirit, and join your echoes to their triumphant praises, and say, Amen, -when by faith you hear them
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