Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

before the great Dooms-day dashes down the world actually, faith doth it mentally, making it as inconsiderable a nothing to mans happiness, as it will sensibly appear at last, when the whole shall be wrapped up in a winding-sheet of flames. Again, though the carnal man dote more on creature-comforts then the believer, yet the believer pries more curiously about them then he; the carnal man is all for the bulk, but the believer not so much for that, searches into ⟨p. 184⟩the title, he would very fain have what he hath in Jesus Christ, and in the good will of God. Since sin blasted and forfeited the world, he dares not claim any thing upon mere creation, but all in and through Christ and free-grace, all are yours, and you are Christs, and Christ is Gods, 1 Cor. 3.22. there's his title; the carnal man looks on the world as a mountain of prey, and scrambles for as much of it as he can, but the believer would have every grain come through Josephs hands, and all his bread and wine set forth by the true Melchizedek, the King of righteousness; nay, such is his holy curiosity, that he is jealous of the least adherent guilt, which others never mind; the oppressing Merchant boasts and smooths up himself, yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance, in all my labours there is no iniquity, Hos. 12.7, 8. but let faith come in, and then the stone cries out of the wall, and the rust of the gold and silver witnesses against him. There were in Saxony (as Thuanus relates) two sordid inhumane wretches, who for filthy lucre engrossed a great quantity of corn, and afterwards opening their barn-doors to transport it, the corn flew up into their eyes, driving them into horrid astonishment and desperation: should the believer oppress, it would fly in the face of conscience, and the curse of God would seize upon him; upon which account he is very curious about his ⟨p. 185⟩estate, to keep the moth of guilt from it. As to the evil things of the world, such as crosses and afflictions, whilst others pore only on the outward evil lying before the senses, the believer looks upward to God the supreme Moderator, being richly content with crosses, as long as God governs the world.