power and wisdom and
goodness of God appearing in it, that is the gift of God, only given to
them that shall be saved. If I should say, that you believe not the most
common principles of religion, you will think it hard, and yet there is no
doubt of it, that the most common truths are least believed. And the
reason is plain, because men have learned them by tongue, and there is
none that question them, and therefore, very few ever, in sadness and in
earnest, consider of them. You say that God made heaven and earth, but how
often do ye think on that God? And how often do you think on him with
admiration? Do ye at all wonder at the glory of God when ye gaze on his
works? Is not this volume always obversant before your eyes--every thing
showing and declaring this glorious Maker? Yet who is it that taketh more
notice of him than if he were not at all? Such is the general stupidity of
men, that they never ponder and digest these things in their heart, till
their soul receive the stamp of the glory and greatness of the invisible
God, which shines most brightly in those things that are visible, and be
in some measure transformed in their minds, and conformed to those
glorious appearances of him, which are engraven in great characters in all
that do at all appear. There is another mistake peculiar to some,
especially the Lord's people, that they think faith is limited to some few
particular and more unknown and hidden truths and mysteries of the gospel.
Ye think that it is only true believing, to embrace some special gospel
truths, which the multitude of people know nothing of, as the tenor of the
covenants of grace and works, &c. And for other common principles of God's
making and ruling the world, you think that a common thing to believe
them. But, saith the apostle, "through faith we understand that the worlds
were framed." It is that same faith spoken of in the end of the 10th
chapter, by which the "just shall live." So then, here is a point of
saving faith, to believe with the heart in God, the Creator and Father
Almighty, to take a view of God's almighty power, and sufficient goodness
and infinite wisdom, shining in the fabric of the world, and that with
delight and admiration at such a glorious fountain being; to rise up to
his majesty by the degrees of his creatures. This is the climbing and
aspiring nature of faith. You see how much those saints in the Old
Testament were in this and certainly they had more excellent and