2. And the reason why the careless world are not as diligent, and holy as Believers, is because they have not this eye of Faith, and never faw thofe powerful objects, that Believers fee. Had you their eyes, you would have their hearts and lives. O that the Lord would but illuminate you, and give you fuch a fight of the things unfeen, as every true Believer hath! What a happy change would it make upon you? Then inftead of your deriding or oppofing it, we should have your company in the holy path: You would then be fuch your felves, as you now deride. If you few what they fee, you would do as they do. When the heavenly light had appeared unto Saul, he ceafeth perfecuting, and er quires what Chrift would have him to do, that he might be fuch a one as he had perfecuted: And when the fcales fell from his eyes, he falls to prayer, and gets among the Believers whom he had perfecuted, and laboureth and fuffereth more than they.

3. But till this light appear to your darkned fouls, you cannot fee the reasons of a holy heavenly life: and therefore you will think it hypocrifie, or pride, or fancy, and imagination, or the foolishness of crackt brain'd felf-conceited men. If you fee a man do reverence to a Prince, and the Prince himself were invifible to you, would you not take him for a mad man; and fay that he cringed to the ftools or chairs, or bowed to a poft, or complemented with his fhadow? If you faw a mans action in cating and drinking, and see not the meat and drink it felf, would you not think him mad? If you heard men laugh, and hear not fo much as the voice of him that gives the jeast, would you not imagine them to be brain-fick? If you fee men dance, and hear not the mufick; if you fee a Labourer threshing, or reaping, or mowing, and fee no corn or grafs before him; if you fee a Souldier fighting for his life, and fee no enemy that he fpends his ftroaks upon, will you not take all thefe for men diftracted? Why this is the cafe between you and the true Believers. You fee them reverently worthip God, but you fee not the Majefty which they worship, as they do: You fee them as bufic for the faving of their fouls, as if an hundred lives lay on it; but you fee not the Hell from which they fly, nor the Heaven they feek and therefore you marvel why they make fo

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much ado about the matters of their falvation; and why they cannot do as others, and make as light of Chrift and Heaven, as they that defire to be excufed, and think they have more needful things to mind. But did you fee with the eyes of a true Believer, and were the amazing things that God hath revealed to us, but open to your fight, how quickly would you be satisfied, and fooner mock at the diligence of a drowning man, that is ftriving for his life, or at the labour of the City, when they are bufily quenching the flames in their habitations, than mock at them that are ftriving for the everlafting life, and praying and labouring against the everburning flames?

How foon would you turn your admiration, against the ftupidity of the careless world, and wonder more that ever men that hear the Scriptures, and fee with their eyes the works of God, can make fo light of matters of fuch unfpeakable eternal confequence? Did you but fee Heaven and Hell, it would amaze you to think that ever many, yea fo many, and fo feeming wife, fhould wilfully run into everlasting fire, and fell their fouls at fo low a rate, as if it were as cafie to be in Hell as in an Ale-house, and Heaven were no better than a beaftly luft? O then with what aftonishment would you think! [Is this the fire that finners do fo little fear? Is this the glory that is fo neglected?] You would then fee that, the madness of the ungodly is the wonder.

Use 3. By this time I fhould think that fome of your own Confciences have prevented me, in the Ufe of Examination, which I am next to call you to. I hope while I have been holding you the glass, you have not turned away your faces, nor fhut your eyes: But that you have been judging your felves by the light which hath been fet up before you. Have

not fome of your confciences faid by this time [If this be the nature and ufe of Faith, to make things unseen, as if we saw them, what a defolate cafe then is my foul in? how void of Faith? how full of Infidelity? how far from the truth and power of Chriftianity? How dangerously have I long deceived my felf in calling my felf a true Chriftian, and pretending to be a true Believer? When I never knew the life of Faith but took a dead opinion, bred only by education, and

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the custom of the Countrey instead of it; little did I think that I had been an Infidel at the heart, while I fo confidently laid claim to the name of a Belicver! Alas, how far have I been from living, as one that feeth the things that he profeffeth to B-lieve? If fome of your confciences be not thus convinced, and perceive not yet your want of faith, I fear it is becaufe they are feared, or asleep.

But if yet confcience have not begun to plead this caufe against you, let we begin to plead it with your confciences: Are you Believers? Do you live the life of Faith, or not? Do you live upon things that are unfeen, or upon the prefent vifible baits of fenfuality? That you may not turn away your cars, or hear me with a fluggish sensless mind, let me tell you first, how nearly it concerneth you, to get this Question foundly answered; and then, that you may not be deceived, let me help you toward the true refolution.

1. And for the firft, you may perceive by what is faid, that faving Faith is not fo common, as thofe that know not the nature of it, do imagine. [All men have not faith,]2 Thef.3.2. O what abundance do deceive themselves with Names, and Shews, and a dead Opinion, and cuftomary Religion, and take thefe for the life of faith!

2. Till you have this faith, you have no fpecial intereft in Chrift. It is only Believers that are united to him, and are his living Members: and it is by faith that be dwelleth in our bearts, and that we live in him, Ephef. 3. 17. Gal. 2. 20. In vain do you boaft of Chrift, if you are not true Believers. You have no part or portion in him: None of his special Benefits are yours, till you have this living working Faith.

3. You are fill in the fate of enmity to God, and unreconciled to him, while you are unbelievers. For you can have no peace with God, nor acceßunto bi favour, but by Chrift, Rom. 5. 1, 2, 3, 4. Ephef. 2. 14, 15, 17. And therefore you muft come by faith to Chrift, before you can come by Chrift unto the Father, as those that have a special intereft in his love.

4. Till you have this Faith, you are under the guilt and load of all your fins, and under the curfe and condemnation of the Law; For there is no Juftification or forgiveness, but by Faith, A&t. 26. 18. Rom. 4, & 5, &c.

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Till you have this found Belief of things unseen, you will be carnal minded, and have a carnal end to all your actions, which will make those to be evil, that materially are good, and thofe to be fleshly that materially are boly: Without Faith it is impoffible to pleafe Ged, Rom. 8. 5, 8, 9. Prov. 28, 9. Heb. 11.6.

6. Laftly, Till you have this living Faith, you have no right to Heaven, nor could be faved if you die this hour. [Whoever believeth fhall not perish, but have everlasting life: He that believeth on him, is not condemned: but be that believeth not, is condemned already: He that believeth on the Son, bath ever lasting life: and be that believeth not the Son, shall not fee life; but the wrath of God abideth on bim, Joh. 3. 16, 18, 36.

You fee, if you love your felves, it concerneth you, to try whether you are true Believers: Unless you take it for an indifferent thing, whether you live for ever in Heaven or Hell ;. it's beft for you to put the queftion clofe to your consciences betimes. Have you that Faith that serves instead of fight? Do you carry within you the evidence of things unseen, and the fubftance of the things which you fay you hope for? Did you know in what manner this queftion must be put and determined at judgement, and how all your comfort will then depend upon the answer, and how near that day is, when you must all be sentenced to Heaven or Hell, as you are found to be Believers or Unbelievers, it would make you hearken to my counsel, and presently try whether you have a faving Faith.

2. But left you be deceived in your trial, and left you miftake me as if I tryed the weak by the measure of the strong, and laid all your comfort upon fuch Arong affections, and high degrees, as fight it felf would work within you, I fhall briefly -tell you, how you may know whether you have any faith that's true and faving, though in the leaft degree. Though none of us are affected to that height as we fhould be, if we had the fight of all that we do believe, yet all that have any faving belief of invifible things, will have these four figns of faith within them.

1. A found belief of things unfeen, will caufe a practical efti mation of them, and that above all earthly things. A glimpse of

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the heavenly glory as in a glafs, will cause the foul deliberately to fay, [This is the chief defirable felicity; this is the Crown, the Pearl, the Treafure; nothing but this can ferve my turn. It will debafe the greateft pleafures, or riches, or honours of the world in your efteam. How contemptible will they seem, while you fee God ftand by, and Heaven as it were fet open to your view, you'l fee there's little caufe to envy the profperous fervants of the world; you will pitty them, as miferable in their mirth, and bound in the fetters of their folly and concupifcence; and as ftrangers to all folid joy and honour. You will be moved with fome compaffion to them in their mifery, when they are braving it among men, and domineering for a little while; and you will think, alas poor man! Is this all thy glory! Haft thou no better wealth, no higher honour, no fweeter pleafures than these husks? With fuch a practical judgement as you value gold above dirt, and jewels above common ftones; you will value Heaven above all the riches and pleasures of this world,if you have indeed a living. faving faith, Pbil. 3. 7, 8, 9.

2. A found belief of the things unseen will babitually incline your wills to embrace them, with confent and complacence, and refolution, above and against those worldly things, that would be fet above them, and preferred before them. If you are truc believers, you have made your choice, you have fix your hopes, you have taken up your refolutions, that God muft be your portion, or you can have none that's worth the baving: that Christ muti be your Saviour, or you cannot be faved: and therefore you are at a point with all things elfe: they may be your Helps, but not your Happiness: you are refolved on what Rock to build, and where to caft anchor, and at what port and prize your life fhall aim. You are refolved what to feek, and truft to God or none: Heaven or nothing: Chrift or none; is the voice of your rooted, ftable refolutions. Though you are full of fears fometimes whether you fhall be accepted, and have a part in Chrift, or no? and whether ever you fhall attain the Glory which you aim at; yet you are off all other hopes; having feen an end of all perfections, and read vanity and vexation written upon all creatures, even on the moft flattering ftate on earth, and are unchangeably re

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