The life of faith in three parts, the first is a sermon on Heb.…

2. And hence you may observe, that most true Believers are weak in Faith. Alas, how far do we all fall short of the love, and zeal, and care, and diligence, which we should have if we had but once beheld the things which we do believe? Alas, how dead are our affections? how flat are our duties? how cold, and how slow are our endeavours? how unprofitable are our lives, in comparison of what one hours sight of Heaven and Hell would make them be? O what a comfortable converse would it be, if I might but join in prayer, praise, and holy conference one day or hour, with a person that had seen the Lord, and been in Heaven, and born a part in the Angelical Praises! Were our Congregations composed of such persons, what manner of worship would they perform to God? How unlike would their heavenly ravishing expressions be to these our sleepy heartless duties? Were Heaven open to the view of all this Congregation while I am speaking to you, or when we are speaking in prayer and praise to God, imagine your selves what a change it would make upon the best of us in our services! What apprehensions, what affections, what resolutions it would raise! and what a posture it would cast us all into! And do we not all profess to believe these things, as revealed from Heaven by the infallible God? Do we not say, that such a Divine Revelation is as sure as if the things were in themselves laid open to our sight? Why then are we no more affected with them? Why are we no more transported by them? Why do they no more command ⟨p. 18⟩our souls, and stir up our faculties to the most vigorous and lively exercise? and call them off from things that are not to us considerable, nor fit to have one glance of the eye of our observation, nor a regardful thought, nor the least affection, unless as they subserve these greater things? When you observe how much, in your selves and others, the frame of your souls in holy duty, and the tenor of your lives towards God and man, do differ from what they would be, if you had seen the things that you believe, let it mind you of the great imperfection of faith, and humble us all in the sense of our imbecility. For though I know that the most perfect Faith, is not apt to raise such high affections in degree, as shall be raised by the beatifical vision in the glorified, and as present intuition now would raise, if we could attain it;

2. And hence you may observe, that most true Believers are weak in Faith. Alas, how far do we all fall short of the love, and zeal, and care, and diligence, which we should have if we had but once beheld the things which we do believe? Alas, how dead are our affections? how flat are our duties? how cold, and how slow are our endeavours? how unprofitable are our lives, in comparison of what one hours sight of Heaven and Hell would make them be? O what a comfortable converse would it be, if I might but joyn in prayer, praise, and holy conference one day or hour, with a person that had seen the Lord, and been in Heaven, and born a part in the Angelical Praises! Were our Congregations composed of such persons, what manner of worship would they perform to God? How unlike would their heavenly ravishing expressions be to these our sleepy heartless duties? Were Heaven open to the view of all this Congregation while I am speaking to you, or when we are speaking in prayer and praise to God, imagine your selves what a change it would make upon the best of us in our services! What apprehensions, what affections, what resolutions it would raise! and what a posture it would cast us all into! And do we not all profess to believe these things, as revealed from Heaven by the infallible God? Do we not say, that such a Divine Revelation is as sure as if the things were in themselves laid open to our sight? Why then are we no more affected with them? Why are we no more transported by them? Why do they no more command