Senn. X. The Chriftian Life, a Life of Faith. And not by Sight. The word is, st ss, which lignifies the Thing it felf in pre- fent view and pofl'efíìon, inoppofition to a firm Parfwafiún of 'Things future and invifible. Sight is the Thing inHand, and Faith, the Thing only in Hope and Ex- pe&ation. Sight is a clear View and Apprehenfion of Things prefent and near to us ;, Faith an obfcure Difcovery and Apprehenfion of Things at a diflance : So the Apoftle tells us, 2 Cor. i3. 12. Now we fee through a Glafr darkly ; this is Faith ; but then face to face;. this is prefent fight, as one Man fees another face to face ; and thus likewife the fameApofile diftinguifheth betwixt Hope and Sight, Rom. 8. 24. 25, Hope that is feen, is not Hope; for .what a Man fees, why doth he yet hope for it ? but if we hope for that which we fee not, then do we withpatience waitfor it. Sight is Poffeflion and Enjoyment; Faith is the firm Perfwafion and Expe&ation of a Thing ; and this the Apoflie tells us was the governing Principle of a Chriftian's Life ; For we walk by Faith, and not by Sight ; fromwhich Words I shall obferve thefe Three things. I. That Faith is the Governing Principle, and that which bears the great foray in. the Life and A&ions of a Chriftian ; we walk by Faith ; that is, we order and govern our Lives in the Power and Virtue of this Principle. II. Faith is adegree of abfent inferiour to that of Senfe. This is fufficiently intimated in the oppofition betwixt Faith and Sight. He had faid before, that Wbilfl we are at home in the Body, eve are abfent from the Lord; and gives this as a Reafon and. Proof of our abfence from the Lord, for we walk by Faith, and not by Sight ; that is, whilft we are in the Body, we do not fee and enjoy, but believe and expè& ; if we ,were prefent with the Lord, then Faith would ceafe, and be turned into Sight ; but tho' we have not that alfurance of another World, which we dhall have when we come to fee and enjoy thefe things, yet we are firmly perfwáded of them. III. Notwithftanding Faith be an inferiour degree of Affurance, yet'tis a Prin- ciple offüf$cient Power to govern our Lives ; we walk by Faith ; it is fuch an Affurance as hath an influence upon our Lives. I. That Faith is the Governing Principle; and that which bears the great Twar ih the Life and Actions of a Chriffiari. We walk by Faith; that is we order and govern our Lives in the Power and Virtue of this Principle. A Chriftian's Life confifts inObedience to the will of God ; that is in a readinefs to do what he commands, and in a willingnefs to fuller what he calls us to ; and the great Arguments and Encouragement hereto, are fuch things as are the Obje&s of Faith and not of Sente; fuch things as are abfent and future, and not prefent, arid in poffeffiori. For Inffance, the Beliefof an invifible God, of a fecret Power and Providence that orders and governs all 'things, that can blefs ór .blaft us, and all our Delight and Uridertákings; according al we demean our felves towards him, arid erideavotir to improve our felves to him ; the Perfwafion of a fecret Aid and Influence always ready at hand, to. keep us from Evil, and to ftrengthen and afift ìs to that which is good,; more efpecially the firm Belief; and Expe&ation of the Happinefs of Heaven', and the glorious Rewards of another World which tho'. they be now at a diftanee ; and inviable to us, yet being grounded opón the Pronife of God that can of lie, íB311 certainly be made good. And this Faith, this firm Perfivafioíi of abfent and invifible things, the A- poftle to the Hebrews tells us, was the great Principle of the Piety and Vir- tue of good Men from the beginning of the World: he calls, Ch. z r. vere t. the Ó7róçctmt, or the confident expeflation of things hoped fir, and the proof or evidence of things not Peen, viz, a firm perfwafion of the Being and Providence of God, and of the Truth and Faithfulnefs of his Promifes. Such was the Faith of Abel, he believed that there was a God, and that he was a re= warder of thofe that faithfully ferve him. Such was the Faith of Noah, who being warned of God, of things at a great diftance, and not feen as yet, not- withftanding believed the Divine Predi&ion concerning the Flood, and prepared an Ark : Such alto was the Faith of Abraham, concerning a numerous Pofteri- ty by Ifear, Arid the Inheritance of the Land of Canaan 5. and fuck likewife L 3 was 75
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=