56 SERMON X. 2 Cor. 5. 7. For we walk by jaith, andnot by fight. IN this verfe a reafon is given why we are faid to be abfent froth the Lord while we are at home in the body ; becaufe all things are tranfa&ted between him and us by faith, and not by fightor Immediate vifion, for we walk, &c. Thefe wordsdo notably fet forth to us both the nature offaith,and the condition of be. hovers here in the World. I. They fetforth the nature of faith, which mainly goeth upon things unfeen, or not ob. vious to prefent fenfe. z. The Condition of a believer in theWorld; hedoth not now fee God face to face; he bath only the promife ofbleffednefs, not the injoyment. But that I may drawforth the full Scope and fenfe ofthe words, I (hall give you fix obfer- vations or propofitions. I. That faith andfight are oppofed and contradiflinguilhed the one from the other. z. That faith is,{or earth,and fight is for Heaven;the one is ofufe to us in this world, the other is referved for the World to cotne. 3. That till we havefight 'eis fomeadvantage that we have faith. 4. Thefe that have faith are not fatisfted and contented till they havefight. For there- fore the Apoftle groaneth and defireth. S. That if we have faith we may be fore that hereafter we (hall have light, or hereafter injoy thebeatifical vifion: 6. That thofe that have faith mull walk by it. ' I. That Faith and fight areoppofed andcontradiflinguilhedthe onefrom the other. Faith is a grace that is converfant about things unfeen,or adependance upon God for fomething that lyeth out of fight. That this is the Effential-property and nature of Faith appeareth, by the definition of it, Heh. t t. t.'Tis the Subliance of things hoped for,and the evidence of things not feen. The Obje&s of Faith are things invtfible and future; the Lord is abfent from us who maketh the promife, and Heaven, which is the great promife which he hath promifed us, is yet to come. The nature ofFaith, and Hope, is defiroyed if the objea be feen and prefent, or ready at hand to be enjoyed, Rom. t;. 24. For hope that is feen is not Hope; for what a man feeth why dash he hope for it? Vifion and pofieffìon excludeFaith and Hope; there is a confiant oppofition, you fee between Faith and fight, fo that wemay know that we have Faith, when we can believe thofe things which are promifed, though we have little probability in Senfe or Reafon to expe& them; and hereby we may know the meafure as well as the nature of our Faith, for the excellency and ftrength ofit is in be- lieving things upon Gods word, to which fenfe giveth little incouragement, as appeareth by thofe words of Chrift to Thomas, 5tohn20. 29. Thomas, becaufe thou haft feen,thouhafl believed but . lefed are they that have not feen and yet believed. Thomas mutt have the ob- jolt of Faith under the view of his fenfes, which though it did not Argue a nullity in his Faith ,yet a very great weaknefs and Imbecillity; weak Chriflians mutt be carryed in Arms, dandled upon knees, fed with fenfible Pledges and ocular demonftrations, or elfe they are ready to faint, but flrong Chrifians can believe above fenfe and againft fenfe. As 'tis faid of the Father of the Faithful, that he believed in Hoppe, and againft hope, Rom. ç. 18, I q. And confiderednot his own Body, being dead, being al hundred years old, nor the dead - nefs of Sarahs, womb, he flaggered not at the promife ofGod, but was thong in Faith, giving glory to God The MoreFaith can live upon theWord ofGod,the better, though the things be- lieved be neither felt nor feen,and the lets of fenfible Demonftration we require the itron- gee the Faith ever. This is true in all the objets, that Faith is converfant about ; I (hall in- fiance infome. The perfonofChrill. Many believed on him though they- had never teen him
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