The four last things viz. death, judgment, heaven, hell, practically considered and applied in…

1. For this end the Holy Spirit convinces Men thoroughly of the Reality and Greatness of an invisible Happiness. In the Light of the Gospel, how many of eminent intellectual Faculties are stupid as to their great Interest, and spend themselves about Trifles, and are equally tractable to Eternal Ruin, as the Ox to the Slaughter? He that is destitute of the illuminating Grace of the Spirit, is blind, and cannot see afar ⟨p. 484⟩off. Now by the Analogy between the corporal and intellectual Faculties, we may understand, in some measure, how the Mind is illuminated by the Spirit of God. For as to the Act of Seeing, two things are requisite; 1. External Light in the Air, without which the Colours, Figures and Beauties of Objects are not visible to the sharpest Eye, but lie obscured under impenetrable Darkness. 2. Internal Light in the Eye, in which the visive Power consists: if this be extinguished, the clearest Light of Heaven is of no use for the discovery of Things. Thus the Understanding is enabled to see Spiritual things. 1. By the Revelation of the Object: In this respect Life and Immortality are brought to Light by the Gospel. Till that bright Discovery was made of Eternal Blessedness, it was above the desires and hopes of sinful Man. Coelum, homo nec optare poterat ex ignorantia, nec sperare ex propriae miseriae conscientia. 2. By the inward enlightening from the Spirit of Wisdom, that removes the Ignorance, Prejudice, and Inadvertency of the Mind, which as Scales darkened its Sight, and disposes it to perceive the Verity and Excellency of spiritual and ⟨p. 485⟩future Things, tho not with comprehensive Evidence, yet with that assurance, that no doubtfulness or suspense remains concerning them. 'Tis observable that Faith is expressed in Scripture, by Prudence, Wisdom, and Knowledge, whereby a Man knows the Grounds and Motives of his Judgment and Actions. And Sin is called Folly. For as when the understanding Faculty, either from the indisposedness of the Organs, as in Idiots, or from the disorder of Fancy by inflammation of the Humours, as in distracted Persons, cannot weigh and compare, and therefore makes a perverse judgment of things; so the carnal Mind, by not due measuring and pondering, judges falsely of spiritual Things. If something no bigger than the Hand were put before the Eye, it would intercept the sight of the Heavens;