The Sovereign and Final Happiness of Man with Means to Obtain it, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
The stedfast belief of Eternal Things requisite to direct our Choice. The power of Faith illustrated. Infidelity, total or partial, the cause of Mens neglecting Eternal Salvation.
I Shall proceed to shew further what is necessary to direct us in our choice, that we may not fall into the double Misery, of being deceived with a false Happiness for a little time, and deprived of true Happiness for ever. Three things are requisite for this.
1. A sound and stedfast belief of unseen Eternal Things.
2. Serious Consideration of the vast difference between things that are the objects of Sight, and that are the objects of Faith.
3. Humble and ardent Prayer to God, that he would turn away our Eyes and Hearts from Vanity, to the solid durable Good.
First, The sound and stedfast belief of Eternal Things is requisite to direct our choice aright.Heb. 11. … Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. It assures us of their reality and worth as if they were before our Eyes, and in our actual Possession. This Divine Light governs and conducts the Will to choose wisely, and excites all the practick Powers for the prevening the greatest Evils, and the obtaining perfect Felicity. When the Devil, the deadly Flatterer, by inviting representations of the World intices the Heart, the serious belief of the future reward so glorious and eternal, disgraces the most splendid Temptations, and makes them ineffectual. This is the Victory that overcomes the World, even our Faith. If tempted to Lasciviousness by the allurements of an earthly Beauty, Faith represents the angelical lustre of the Saints, when they shall come with the unspotted Lamb in his glorious appearance, and this unbinds the Charm, and makes the tempting Person an object not of Desire, but Aversation. If tempted with Honour to a sinful compliance, Faith represents so convincingly the Glory which all those who preserve their Conscience and Integrity inviolable, shall receive at the universal Judgment, in the presence of God, and the holy Angels, (as our Saviour has promis'd, He that serves me, him will my Father honour) and the confusion wherein the most honourable Sinners shall then be cover'd, that with a generous disdain all secular honours will be despised. And it is as powerful to enervate the Temptation of temporal Profit. We read of Moses, that by Faith, when he was come to Years, (and therefore more capable to understand and enjoy what Felicity the brightest Honours and greatest Riches could afford) refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter; chusing rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God, than to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt: for he had respect to the recompence of Reward. And all the Evils which a wicked World, inspir'd with rage from Satan, can threaten to fright us from our Duty, Poverty, Disgrace, Banishment, nay Torments and Death, those terribles visu formae, so heightned by the carnal Fancy, are easily overcome by a sincere and strong Believer. Thus some who were urged by such motives to renounce their Religion, told the Persecutors, that Life was not sweet to them if they might not live Christians, nor Death bitter if they must die for Christ. A lively firm persuasion of the excellence and eternity of the Reward,Nec vereamu occidi, quos constat, quando occidim… coronari. Cyp. what miraculous effects would it produce? Nothing would be impossible within the compass of our Duty, either to do or suffer in order to a glorious Immortality. Faith has a celestial Power, a magnetick Virtue to draw up the Heart from the Earth, and fastens it to things above. It is not imaginable that a clear sighted Soul, that sees a Good infinitely great, should reject it for mean things to please the lower Desires. We may as probably imagine, that a skilful Jeweller would part with the richest Oriental Pearls, for Cherry Stones to play with Children.
From hence we may discover the true cause of the neglect of the great Salvation offered in the Gospel, the Word preached does not profit, not being mixt with Faith in them that hear it. It is astonishing to consider that Earth should contend with Heaven for our Affections, and prevail against it; that Vanity should turn the Scale against the exceeding and eternal weight of Glory; that Men should pursue fleeting Shadows, and neglect the most excellent Realities, as if they could be happy here, and continue for ever, and hereafter there were neither Happiness nor Eternity. But this releases the wonder, that all Men have not Faith. Eternal Things are not of conspicuous moment in the carnal Ballance. Some are Infidels in Profession, openly declaring themselves to be without Religion, without God, and have the same credit of the Heaven and Hell discovered in the Gospel, as of the Elysian Fields, and Stygian Lake, the Fables of the Poets. These live as if they should never die, and die as if they should never live in the other World, as if Death caused so deep a sleep, that the Voice of the Son of God could not awaken them at the last day. Their unbelief is not from reason, but vicious opposite Affections; for the truth of the Eternal State is so clearly revealed, and strongly establisht in the Gospel, that the sincere Mind must readily assent to it. But the Wicked cannot delight in the discovery of that for which they are unprepared, and therefore try all ways to elude the force of the most satisfying Arguments. They do not fear Hell, but are afraid they should be fearful of it. This is such a piece of Folly as that of the West Indians, who at the first Invasion by the Spaniards, were so terrified with the glittering of their Swords that they presently fled, and very advisedly resolved to hide themselves in the day, and assault their Enemies in the night. They were fearful to see their Danger, and rash to encounter it, and fighting in the dark were killed in the dark. The Threatnings of Eternal Death are the brandishings of God's glittering Sword before he strikes, and sensual Infidels are afraid lest the belief of those terrible Truths should enter into their Breasts; therefore are utterly careless of what may convince them of their danger, and will not foresee what they shall certainly suffer. This is obstinate, and the most incurable Infidelity. An instance whereof we have in the Pharisees, who rejected our Saviour. Though all the Characters of the Messiah were conspicuous in his Person, though his Doctrines were confirmed by Miracles, yet they would not yeild up themselves to that omnipotent conviction, so strong were their carnal prejudices against his humble State, and holy Doctrines. That reproach is more justly due to Infidels under the Gospel, than to Israel in the Prophet: Who is blind as my Servant? The Heathens who are blind from their Birth, and have only some glimmering apprehensions that Eternity succeeds Time, are less culpable than those who have infinitely more reason to believe it, and yet believe it less. The Plea for them will be a terrible Accusation against such Unbelievers. If a blind Person falls, it moves compassion; but if one voluntarily shuts his Eyes against the Sun, and refuses the direction of the Light, and falls from a Precipice, his Ruin is the just consequence of his Folly. Simple Ignorance excuses as to the degrees of the Fault, but affected wilful Ignorance, now Reason and Revelation with united Beams give so clear a prospect into the Eternal World, aggravates the Guilt, and Sentence of such Unbelievers. 'Tis in vain to offer Arguments to convince them; for they are as deaf as Adders to the wisest Instructions, till Sense extort a belief from them. They have hardned their Hearts and Faces against all Reproofs, and by an open contempt of Scripture-Threatnings, are past reclaiming. There are many degrees of Sins, many steps in the descent to Hell, but the lowest and nearest the Gates of that infernal Prison, is the scornful derision of God's terrible preparations for the Wicked hereafter.
Besides, the most who are Believers in Title, are Infidels in Heart. Our Saviour tells the Jews, who pretended the highest Veneration to the Writings of Moses, That if they had believed Moses, they would have believed him; for Moses wrote of him. If Men did seriously believe such an excellent Reward, as the Gospel propounds, would it be a cold unpersuasive motive to them? The depravation of the Will argues a correspondent defect in the Mind, though not absolute total Infidelity, yet such a weakness and wavering in the Assent, that when Temptations are present and urgent, and it comes to actual choice, Sense prevails over Faith. This will be clear by Universal Experience in temporal things. The probable hope of Gain, will make those who are greedy of Gold, prodigal of their Lives, and venture through tempestuous Seas to accomplish their Desires. And if the belief were equal, would not Men do or suffer as much for obtaining what is infinitely more valuable? A firm Assent would produce adherence, and Faith in the Promises, Fidelity in obeying the Commands of Christ. Tertullian proprounds it as a powerful incentive to the Martyrs, Quis ergo non libentissimè tantum pro vero habeat erogare, quantum alii pro falso? Who would not joyfully sacrifice Life and all it sindearments, to obtain true Blessedness, which others do for the vain Appearance of it? On the contrary, the fear of a present destructive Evil will controul the most eager Appetites. 'Tis recorded that when the Army of Israel were in pursuit of the Philistins, 1 Sam. 14. 24, 25, 26.Saul to compleat his Victory, forbad upon pain of Death that any should taste Food till the Sun was down. In the chase of their Enemies, they past through a Wood abounding with Honey, yet notwithstanding their Hunger and Faintness, and the easy Provision before them, no Man so much as tasted it; for the People feared the King's Oath. And did Men truly believe and fear the Law of God threatning Hell for Sin, would they dare to commit it, though invited by pleasant Temptations? Nay not only a strong fear, but the meer suspicion of great danger will restrain the most vehement desires of Nature. What Person though inflamed with Thirst, would drink a Glass of cool Liquor if he suspected that deadly Poison were mixt with it? And if Men were persuaded that Sin is attended with Death, would they drink in Iniquity like Water? The Devils themselves are not able to conquer the Fear of Judgment to come, they believe and tremble. Therefore when it is not active upon the Conscience, it is either because Men do not believe the thing it self, or that Holiness is necessary to prepare for it. Indeed even in true Believers the apprehension of Eternal Things has such great allays, that temporal things are over-valued and over-feared. A strong Faith in the Truth and Power of God, would make the glorious World so sure and near in our Thoughts, that with indifferent Affections we should receive good or evil things here, rejoice as if we rejoiced not, and mourn as if we mourned not. Our Lives would be so regular and pure, as if the Judg were to come the next hour, as if the Sun did now begin to be darkned, and the Trumpet of the Arch-angel were sounding, and the noise of the dissolving World were universally heard. Infidelity deads the Impression, and suppresses the reigning Power of Eternal Things in our Hearts. In short, Men are heavenly or earthly in their Choice and Conversation, as they are directed by the sincere Light of Faith, or misled by the false beams of Sense.