I. A noble elevated fpirit, aiming at high things, and is not fatisfied with these with which the common herd of mankind are satisfied. Thus Caleb aimed at Canaan, Numb. xiii. 30. while the reft were for Egypt again, chap. xiv. 4. Such another fpirit have the faints, Phil. iii. 14. "They prefs forward toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Chrift Jefus." Were a beggar's child adopted by a prince, he would change his fpirit with his lot, and aim at things. fuitable to his new quality. Thus the children of God rife in their aims and defigns, will not be content with the creatures, but with God himself; not with earth, but heaven, not the favour of men, but of God, not with gold, but grace; for they have another fpirit, which can be content with nothing lefs. They have high projects, not bounded within the limits of this narrow world, but aiming at a greater conqueft. Now, fuch a fpirit they must have that would follow the Lord fully.-For, if lefs can satisfy, they will be content to take their portion on this fide Jordan; they will exchange heaven for earth, and keep their grand prospect within the bounds of this world: Phil. iii. 19. "Their God is their belly, and they mind earthly things ;" and fo. will never follow the Lord fully, nay, they will leave him where they cannot get their carnal intereft along with them, as Demas did.-Again, if they have not such a spirit, they will continue creeping on the earth, to get their food, as the beafts among their feet, and never follow the Lord in the way to true happiness. They will fall down before these three that are in the world: "The luft of the flesh, the luft of the eye, and the pride of life," 1 John, ii. 16. They will wrap themselves up in the world's profits, or drench themselves in its pleasures, and, like beggars, I 2 take take care of their cottages, having no eye to a palace. Finally, if they have not fuch a fpirit, they will never ufe means and endeavours fuitable to fuch high aims. Noble fpirits will proportion their endeavours to their high designs, while the mean fpirit will go heartlessly about them. Gold is not got, like ftones, befide every brook; nor is grace and glory got, but in the way of hearty exertions : Prov. ii. 3.-5. "Yea, if thou crieft after knowledge, and lifteft up thy voice for understanding, if thou feekeft for her as filver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures, then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. 2. It is a fpirit of faith, as the apostle speaks, 2 Cor. iv. 13. "We having the same spirit of faith." Such a spirit had Caleb, another than that of the reft, who could not enter because of unbelief. Such another fpirit have the faints, while the reft of the world remain under the power of unbelief, and if they had it not, could never follow the Lord fully; for unbelief will foon trip up a man's heels in following the Lord: Heb. iii. 12. "Take heed, brethren, left there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God." Now, Caleb's other spirit of faith thus difcovered itself. (1.) It took part with the promife, and hung by it, while the unbelieving fpirits of the reft fided with fense in oppofition to it. Thus, while the unbelieving world, whatever they pretend, do never folidly venture their happiness on the promife, but feek it rather among those things which are the objects of fenfe. The faints have another fpirit, which rejects these, and by faith rolls the weight of its eternal happiness on the promise; which spirit of faith realises to them the things which are not seen, Heb. xi. 1. affords a view of them, as matters of the greatest realities, and of the word of promife as fufficient fecurity. Without this, none will ever follow the Lord fully; -For, if that which is held out in the promise be not realised unto men, it will never make fenfible things, the reality of which men certainly know, to yield and give place to it; for men will not quit certainty for hope. Were men as much perfuaded of the reality of the things contained in the promise, as they are of gold, and other metals in the earth, think ye, they would flight the promise and take up with the objects of their fenses as their happiness? No. The truth is, all the glorious promises are to the world but fair words about fancies.-Again, if men cannot trust the promise as fufficient fecurity, they will never venture their all upon it, but our all must be ventured upon it, if we follow the Lord fully: 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. "This is all my falvation, and all my defire." We must glorify him by faith, hanging by his bare word. All for another, world muft belaid upon it, and often it comes to this, that alli for this world must also be laid upon it.. (2.) This fpirit of faith took up the land of promise, as a land well worth all the pains, toil, and hardships, which the conquering itwould incur: Numb. xiv. 7." It is an exceeding good land." Thus, while unbelievers cannot see heaven worth the pains and toil that must be at the work, like the falfe fpies, chap. xiii. 32.. "they bring up an evil report of it." But the faints have another fpirit of faith, which makes them fee the glory of that land to be such as to deserve their utmost efforts and endeavours. "Let us therefore labour," say they, Heb. iv. II." to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the fame example of unbelief." Now, without 1.3 without such a spirit, men can never follow the Lord fully; because to work for nothing makes us extremely averse to engage. If the recompenfe of reward be not feen as fufficient to counterbalance all the pains, perfons will never ftrive to enter into God's reft, nor take heaven by force, Heb. xi. 26. Whence do we fee, that men will train every nerve for a little of the world, which they think worth the pains, who will not bow a knee to God for heaven? They will work eagerly, who pray very heavily and carelessly, because they think the one worth their pains, the other not. Again, men are naturally very averse to fpiritual endeavours, and if they fee not fomething that will provoke the fluggard to run, they will not follow the Lord fully. There must be a glory feen by an eye of faith, to overcome this averfion. Thus Chrift propofed the treasure to the man, Mark, x. 21. but he faw it not, therefore he went away. Farther, no man can reach heaven with ease, the way to it lies up-hill. It will cost ftriving, wrestling, ufing violence, and the like. There are right eyes to be plucked out, that is hard; there are giant-like lufts to be mortified, who will adventure upon that? there is a combat, a fight to be maintained, in which the perfon must be a conqueror. Will ever men, then, follow the Lord fully, without fuch a fpirit as by faith difcerns hea ven as worth all that pains? Moft men fee it not; they think lefs may ferve, for they want that other fpirit, which accounts nothing too much here; and fo, with Judas, they fay, Why all this waste ? (3.) This faith penetrates through all the difficulties which the unfaithful fpies could not fee through. Caleb's other spirit took the glass of the word of promife, and faw thereby how their numerous armies might be beat, their high walls thrown thrown down, the Anakims laid as low as ever they were high: Numb. xiv. 9. "Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land, for they are bread for us; their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us; fear them not." Such another spirit have all the faints in a greater or lefs measure. The carnal profeffor, like the fluggard, cries, "There is a lion in the way, I fhall be flain in the streets." There is no meddling with fuch a duty, no mortifying fuch a luft; thus he gives over the attempt. But the faints have another fpirit, which by faith dif covers how impoffibilities may be furmounted, how hills may be made to skip like lambs; and therefore falls a blowing his ram's horns, in hopes that the walls of Jericho fhall fall down; and, like another David, with his fling, he sets upon Goliah, and attacks even the children of Anak. I do not say but this faith fometimes may be very weak, it may be very low; but it is fuch as makes them venture on duty and difficulty, though trembling. Now, without fuch a spirit none will follow the Lord fully. For, the want of it cuts the finews of refolute endeavours after univerfal holiness. It is the hope of victory that makes the foldier to fight; and when he lofes, he turns his back: 1 Theff. v. 8. "But let us, who are of the day, be fober, putting on the breaft-plate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of falvation." Faith must go before and fee through difficulties, ere a perfon can come up and break through them. Again, the want of it makes men, like Iffachar, to couch under the burden, or as one who is upon an unruly horfe, and finding there is no mastering of him, he lays the reins on his neck. This is the reason why people, after fome ftruggle against fin, turn worfe than ever. They find difficulties in the way of duty, |