leave a bare notion of them in the understanding, but give them a spiritual subsistence in the heart; as Christ himself dwells in our hearts by faith. And there are two things that will discover this subsistence of them in us. 1. When we find them in a continual readiness to rise up in our minds, on all occasions wherein the thoughts and remembrance of them are needful and useful to us. There are many seasons, some of which shall be immediately spoken to, and many duties wherein the faith and thoughts of invisible and eternal things are needful to us, so that we cannot fill up those seasons, nor perform those duties in a due manner without them. If on all such occasions they do, from the inward frame of our minds, present themselves to us, or through our acquaintance and familiarity with them, we recur in our thoughts to them, they seem to have a real subsistence given to them in our souls. But if on such occasions, tn which alone they will yield us help and relief, we aecustom ourselves to other thoughts, if those concerning them are, as it were, out of the way, and arise not in our minds of their own accord, we are yet strangers to this effect of faith. 2. They are realized to us, they have a subsistence in us, when the soul continu ally longs to be in them. When they have given such a relish to our hearts, as the first fruits of glory, that we cannot but desire, on all opportune considerations, to be in the full enjoyment of them, faith seems to have had its effectual work upon us. For want of these things many among us walk in disconsolation all their days.

2d, It will gradually give the heart an acquaintance with the special nature and use of these things. General thoughts and notions of heaven and glory do but fluctuate up and down in the mind, and very little influence it to other duties. But assiduous contemplation will give the mind such distinct apprehensions of heavenly things, as shall duly affect it with the glory of them. The more we discern of the glory and excellency of them in their own nature-of their suitableness to ours, as our only proper rest and blessed

ness, as the perfection and compliment of what is already begun in us by grace-of the restless tendency of all gracious dispositions and inclinations of our hearts towards their enjoyment, the more will faith be established in its cleaving to them; so, in the contemplation of these things, consists the principal food of faith, whereby it is nourished and strengthened. And we are not to expect much work, where there is not provision of proper food for them that labour. No wonder if we find faith faint and weak in the work it hath to do, which ofttimes is great and weighty, if we neglect to guide it daily unto that which should administer strength to it.

(2.) It will give life and exercise to the grace of hope. Hope is a glorious grace, to which blessed effects are ascribed in the Scriptures, and an effectual operation, to the support and consolation of believers. By it we are purified, sanctified, saved. And, to sum up the whole of its excellency and efficacy, it is a principal way of the working of Christ as inhabiting in us: "Christ in you, the hope of glory.' Where Christ evidences his presence with us, he gives us an infallible hope of glory; he gives us an assured pledge of it, and worketh our souls unto an expecta tion of it. Hope in general is but an uncertain expectation of a future good which we desire. But, as it is a gospel grace, all uncertainty is removed from it, which would hinder us of the advantage intended in it. It is an earnest expectation, proceeding from faith, trust, and confidence, accompanied with longing desires of enjoyment. It is from a mistake of its nature, that few Christiaus labour after it, exercise themselves unto, or have the benefit of it. For to live by hope, they suppose, infers a state not only beneath the life of faith, and all assurance in believing, but also exclusive of them. They think, to hope to be saved, is & condition of men who have no grounds of faith or assurance. But this is to turn a blessed fruit of the Spirit into a common affection of nature. Gospel hope is a fruit of faith, trust, and confidence. Yea, the height of the actings of all grace issues in a well

grounded hope, nor can it rise any higher: ." By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Now, the reason why men have no more use of, no more benefit by, this excellent grace, is because they do not abide in thoughts and contemplation of the things hoped for. The special object of hope, is eternal glory. The peculiar use of it is, to support, comfort, and refresh the soul, in all trials, under all weariness and despondencies, with a firm expectation of a speedy entrance into that glory, with an earnest desire after it. Wherefore, unless we acquaint ourselves, by continual meditation, with the reality and nature of this glory, it is impossible it should be the object of a vigorous active hope, such as whereby the apostle says we are saved. Without this we can neither have that evidence of eternal things, nor that value of them, nor that preparedness in our minds for them, as should keep us in the exercise of gracious hope about them.

Suppose several persons engaged in a voyage to a most remote country, in which all of them have an apprehension that there is a place of rest, and an inheritance provided for them. Under this apprehension, they all set out on their voyage, to possess what is so prepared. Howbeit, some of them have only a general notion of these things, they know nothing distinctly concerning them, and are so busied about other affairs, that they have no leisure to inquire into them, or suppose that they cannot come to any satisfactory knowledge of them in particular, and so are content to go on with general hopes and expectations. Others there are, who, by all possible means, acquaint themselves particularly with the nature of the climate whither they are going, with the excellency of the inheritance and provision that is made for them. Their voyage proves long and wearisome, their difficulties many, and their dangers great, and they have nothing to relieve and encourage themselves, but the hope and expectation of the country whither they are going. Those of the first sort will be very apt to despond and

faint; their general hopes will not be able to relieve them. But those who have a distinct notion and apprehension of the state of things whither they are going, and of their incomparable excellency, have always in readiness wherewith to cheer their minds and support themselves.

In that journey or pilgrimage wherein we are engaged towards a heavenly country, we are sure to meet with all kinds of dangers, difficulties, and perils. It is not a general notion of blessedness that will excite and work in us a spiritual refreshing hope. But when we think and meditate on future glory as we ought, that grace which is neglected for the most part as to it benefit, and dead as to its exercise, will of all others be most vigorous and active, putting itself forth on all occasions. This, therefore, is an inestimable benefit of the duty exhorted to, and which they find the advantage of who are really spiritually minded.

(3.) This alone will make us ready for the cross, for all sorts of sufferings to which we may be exposed.

There is nothing more necessary to believers at this season, than to have their minds furnished with provision of such things as may prepare them for the cross and sufferings. Various intimations of the mind of God, circumstances of providence, the present state of things in the world, with the instant peril of the latter days, do all call them to this. If it be otherwise with them, they will at one time or other be wofully surprised, and think strange of their trials, as if some strange thing did befal them. Nothing is more useful to this end, than constant thoughts and contemplations of eternal things and future glory. From thence alone can the soul have in readiness what to lay in the balance against sufferings. When a storm begins to arise at sea, the mariners bestir themselves in the management of the tackling of the ship, and other applications of their art for their safety; but if the storm increase, and come to extremity, they are forced to forego all other means, and betake themselves to a sheet anchor, to hold their ship steady against its vio

lence. So, when a storm of persecution and troubles begins to arise, men have various ways and considerations for their relief; but if it once comes to extremity, if sword, nakedness, famine, and death, are inevitably coming upon them, they have nothing to betake themselves to that will yield them solid relief, but the consideration and faith of things invisible and eternal.

So the apostle declares this state of things: “For which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are no seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." He lays all sorts of afflictions in one scale, and on the consideration of them, declares them to be light and but for a moment. Then he lays glory in the other scale, and finds it to be ponderous, weighty, and eternal; "an exceeding weight of glory.' In the one is sorrow for a little while; in the other eternal joy: in the one pain for a few moments; in the other everlasting rest: in the one is the loss of some few temporary things; in the other, the full fruition of God in Christ, who is all in all.

Hence the same apostle casts up the account of these things, and gives us his judgment concerning them: "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us;" there is no comparison between them, as if one had as much evil and misery in them as the other hath of good and blessedness; as though his state was any way to be complained of, who must undergo the one whilst he hath an interest in the other; or as though to escape the one, he hazard the enjoyment of the other.

It is inseparable from our nature, to have a fear and aversion of great distressing sufferings, that are above the power of nature to bear. Even our Lord Jesus himself, having taken on him all the sinless properties