16 SERMONS apan the Serm.IId. would find more confiderable {fittings of joy and thankfulnefswhen we hear of there pro - mifes, or read of them, or think of them. Ifapoor man did underfland of fome great inheritance bequeathed to him, he would often think ofit, rejoice therein, long to go and fèeit,and take poffeffion ofit. There is a plbmife of Eternal Life left with us in the Gol- pel, of being Heirs with God, and joint Heirs with Chrift ; who putteth in for a fhare, thinketh of it, rejoyceth in the hopes ofit ? Longeth for it, is earneftly ftirred up to put in his claim ? idly. Becaufe we do fo little labour after it.Negligence is the fruit of unbelief. That's evi- dent: Becaufe when the Holy -Ghoft would cure our negle&s, itdoth not fomuch difcourfe of the worthìnefs of our hopes as of the certainty of them, Heb. z. 3, 4. And when it would provoke us to diligence, it thinketh it is enough to fay the Gofpel is no Fable, Pet. 1.5. & to. with the 16. There is the Argument. For outward advantages, be they certain or uncertain, men will endure great pains. Certain. A man toilerh hard all day for a fmall piece of money, for a Milling or fo ;do we feek Heaven with a like earneft- nefs, do we ferve God inftantly day and night, that we may come to the Bleffed hope ? Certainly if we were more perfwaded of it we would think all pains too little, nothing more than needeth : Nay, for uncertaingains, as Merchants, how many hazards do they run, to increafe their fubftance by Traffique? We are not uncertain, as we pretend, why do not we more abound in the work of the Lord ? Why do not we feek Heaven in the firft place 4thly. Becaufe we are contented with fo flight affurance as to our Title and Interefl. In matters of weight. men would be upon fare terms, and labour to bind the bargain as firong as they can by Earneft, by Covenants, by Witneffes. Do we labour to make all fo fure and clear as to Heavenly things, togettheearneftof the Spirit, to have certain evi- dences to thew, z Pet. a. Io. Heb.4.. 1. Let us therefore fear, left a promife being left us of entring into his rell, any of you fhould feem to come !bore of it. We fhould put it out of all queftion, as not come fhort, fo not feeds to come fhòrr, or give any appea- rance of coming fhort. Alas! Any fond prefumption, or flighthope ferveth the turn, or we leave things at fix and feverii at a meet hazard. If our belief were more ftrong, this could not be. Sthly. The pretendedfirength of our Faith about` the future recompenfes, Both in fame meafare /hew the weaknefs of it And that it is but a flight and overly apprehenfion. I demonfirate it thus. Molt men will pretend, to be able to truft God for their Heavenly Inheritance, and yet cannot traft God for their daily maintenance, they find it difficult to believe in temporals, and yet very eafy in Spirituals or Eternals. What fhould be the reafon of this ? Heaven, and things to come are greater mercies, and the way of bring - ing them about is more difficult, and they are not fo commonly difpenfed by God as temporals are. There lye more natural prejudices againft them, when men are ferious. what ? Can you eafily believe that you fhall live though you dye? Soh. t t. 26. That your fcattered duff fhall be recollefted, and railed up intoabeautiful and Glorious Body, that a clod of Earth !hall thine as the Stars? What! more eafily believe this than that God will give you daily bread ? The whole Earth is full of his goodnefs, and God feed - eth all his Creatures, openeth his hand and fupplieth the delire of every living thing; not a wormbut is fuftained by his providence; he pardoneth, buta few, faveth buta few, bleffeth but a few with Spiritual and Eternal Bleffings ; And in difpenfing them God requireth qualifications. But here is the miftake, bodily wants are more preffing, and Faith about them is put to a prefent exercife; ufually men are carelefs of their Souls, and contentthemfelves with fome general delires ofeafe, and hopes of Eternal welfare, and therefore is it they fay, they find no difficulty in believing Salvation and Eternal Life. Eternal Life is fought in jeft, and talked of as a plaufiblefancy, but worldly things are defired in good earneft. It fareth with them as with Martha, rob. I a. 24. I know that he (hall rife again in the refurrellion at the lall day. Compare, verfe 39. Lord, by this time heftinketh, for he bath been dead four, days. It is not ftrange things that are afar off, and about which they have no prefent exercife, when yet their Faith is weak in the matter of the prefent tryal, though lets difficult then that which they profefs to be- lieve ; Martha can profefs to believe the refurreétion of all men, yet ftaggereth at his being. railed prefently. But.tis but a pretence, the ftrength of our Faith about Eternity is not feen in health fo much as in ficknefs, and in a ficknefs unto death. 6thly. Becaufe we willventure fo little upon our everlafting hopes. Where men have a great expe&ation, there they will make great adventures, becaufe they know it will turn to a good account. God bath made us many great and precious promifes, he bath told
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