L111,: 01 FAITH. 409 ascribing honor, and praise, and glory to the Ancient of Days, the Omnipotent Jehovah, that is, and, that was, and is to come? Do you fetch your joys from heaven or earth? From things un- seen or seen ? Things future or present ? Things hoped for or things possessed ? What,garden yieldeth you your sweetestflowers ? Whence is the food that your hopes and comforts live upon? Whence are the spirits and cordials that revive you, when a frown- ing world doth cast you into a fainting fit or swoon? Where is it that you repose your souls for rest, when sin or suffering have made you weary? Deal truly is it in heavenor earth? Which world do you take for your pilgrimage, and which for your home ? I do not ask you where you are, but where you dwell ? Not where are your persons, but where are your hearts? In a word, are you in good earnest, when you say, you believe a heaven and hell? And do you think, and speak, and pray, and live, as those that do indeed believe it? Do you spend your time, and choose your condition of life, and dispose of your affairs, and answer temptations to worldly things, as those that are serious in their be- lief? Speak out: do you live the life of faith upon things unseen? or the life of sense on the things that you behold? Deal truly; for your endless joy or sorrow doth much depend on it. The life of faith is the certainpassage to the life of glory. The fleshly life on things here seen, is the certain way to endless misery.:"If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die,; but if ye, by the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live;" Rom. viii. 13. " Be not deceived ; God is not mocked ; for whatsoever a man sow- eth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to the flesh shall . of the flesh reap corruption ; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap everlasting life ; " Gal. vi. 7, S. If you would know where you must live forever, know how, and forwhat, and upon what it is that you live here. Use 4. Having inquired whether you are believers, I am next to ask you what you will be for the time to come. Will you live upon things seen or unseen? Will you arrogate the name and honor of being .Christians ? Will you bethink youwhat Christianity is ?. And will you be indeed what you say you are, and would be thought fobe ?. O, that you would give credit to the, word of God! that the God of heaven might the but heartily believed by you! and that you 'would but take his word to be as sure as sense! and what he bath told you is, or will be, to be as certain as if you saw it with your eyes ! O, what manner of persons would you then be ! How carefully and fruitfullywould you speak and live! How impossible were it then that you should be careless and profane! And here, that 1 may, by .seriousness, bring you to be serious, in so serious a business, Í shall first put a few suppositions to you, VOL. H. 52
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