First, The sound and steadfast belief of Eternal Things is requisite to direct our choice aright.1 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 practic Powers for the prevening the greatest Evils, and the obtaining perfect Felicity. When the Devil, the deadly Flatterer, by inviting representations of the World entices 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 ⟨p. 182⟩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 promised, He that serves me, him will my Father honour) and the confusion wherein the most honourable Sinners shall then be covered, 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; choosing 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 recompense of Reward. And all the Evils which a ⟨p. 183⟩wicked World, inspired with rage from Satan, can threaten to fright us from our Duty, Poverty, Disgrace, Banishment, nay Torments and Death, those terribles visu formae, so heightened by the carnal Fancy, are easily overcome by a sincere and strong Believer.
First, The sound and stedfast belief of Eternal Things is requisite to direct our choice aright.1 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 ⟨p. 182⟩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 ⟨p. 183⟩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.
- 1Heb. 11. •
