418 LIFE OF FAITH. your esteem! It would quicken your desires, and make you fly to Christ for life, as a drowning man to that which may support him. How sweetly, then, would you relish the name, the word, the ways of Christ, which now seem dry and common things! Quest. 9. Could you live as merrily and sleep as quietly in a negligent uncertainty of your salvation, if you had seen these things, as now you do? Could you live at heart's ease, while you know not where you shall be to-morrow, or must live forever? O no! were heaven and bell but seen before you, your consciences would be more busy in putting such questions, ' Am I regenerate, sanctified, reconciled, justified, or not than any the most zealous minister is now. Quest. 10. I will put to you but one question. more. If we sawGod, and heaven, and hell before us, do you think it would not effectually reconcile our differences, and heal our unbrotherly exasperations and divisions? Would it not hold the hands that itch to be using violence against those that are not in all thingsof their minds? What abundance ofvain controversies would it rec- oncile! As the corning in of the master doth part the fray among the schoolboys, so the sight of God would frighten us from contentious or uncharitable violence. This would teach us how to preach and pray better than a storm at sea can do, which yet doth it better than some in prosperity will learn. Did we see what we preach of, it would drive us out ofour man-pleasing, self- seeking, sleepy strain, as the cudgel drives the beggar from his canting, and'the breaking loose of the bear did teach the affected cripple to find his legs and cast away his crutches. I would de- sire no better outward help to end mir controversies about indiffer- ent modesof worship than a sight of the things of which we speak. This would excite such a serious frameof soul as would not suffer religion to evaporate into formality, nor dwindle into affectation, compliment and ceremony. Nor should we dare to beat our fel- low-servants, and thrust them out of the vineyard,, and say, You shall not preach, or pray, or live, but upon these or those unneces- sary terms, But the sense of our own frailty, and fear of a severe disquisition of our failings, would make us compassionate to others, and content that necessaries be the matter of our unity, necessa- ries of our liberty, and both of charity. If sight, . in all these ten particulars, would dp so much, should not faith do much, if you verily believe the things you see not? Alas ! corrupted reason is asleep, (with men that seem wise in other things,) till It be awakened by faith or sight. And sleeping reason is unserviceable as folly. It doth no work, it avoids no dan- ger. A doctor that is asleep can defend the truth nobetter than a waking child. But reason will be reason, and conscience will
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