The Whole Armor of God, Exegesis · Treatise 2 · Part 6 · Section 8 – Section 11
§. 8. Of the good which Faith bringeth vntounto man.
IN regard of mans good, Faith of all other graces is the moſt neceſſary, profitable, and comfortable.
It is the firſt of all ſauing graces wrought in the ſoule of a Chriſtian, as the heart is the firſt member framed in the body. Yea, it is a mother-grace, which breedeth and bringeth forth other graces, as the heart being quickned, ſendeth forth life into all the other parts.Faith the firſt grace.
That it is the firſt,Fides eſt prima quae ſubiugat animam Deo. Aug. de agon. Chr. cap. 12. is euident: for Chriſt is that fountaine in whom all fulneſſe dwelleth, (Col. 1. 19.) of whoſe fulneſſe al… receiue, (Ioh. 1. 16.) without whom we can doe nothing, (Ioh. 15. 5.) Now it is Faith whereby wee touch Chriſt: By Faith, Chriſt dwelleth in our hearts, (Epheſ. 3. 17.) The ſpirituall life which we liue, we liue by Faith in the Sonne of God, (Gal. 2. 20.) therefore till by Faith we be ingraffed into Chriſt, no true, ſauing grace can be in a man. Without Faith, it is impoſsible to pleaſe God, (Heb. 11. 1.)
That alſo it is a mother grace is cleare,Faith a Mother grace. for from Faith ſpringeth repentance, louelove, new obedience, &c. Repentance is a change of the heart, as thegforeign notation of the Greeke word implyeth. Now what is it that changeth the heart of a ſinner? Is it not the apprehenſion of Gods infinite louelove and rich mercy? a perſwaſion that a mans ſinnes are pardoned? The apprehenſion of Gods wrath, and feare of hell fire, may worke ſome ſorrow for ſinne committed; yea alſo it may reſtraine a man from committing many ſinnes, at leaſt for a time: but that which altereth the naturall diſpoſition of the heart, which changeth and reformeth it, is Faith in the remiſſion of ſinne: hAct. 15. 9. LoueLove a fruit of Faith.By Faith God purifieth the hearts of men.
True Chriſtian louelove alſo is a reflection of Gods louelove to man: till a man feele Gods louelove to warme his heart, and to ſet it on fire, he can louelove neither God nor man. He that loueth his brother aright, muſt louelove him in and for the Lord, and ſo muſt louelove God before: but it is not poſſible for any to louelove God, except he beleeue that God loueth him. Can a peece of yron giuegive heat and burne, except it be firſt heated by the fire? But our hearts are naturally more deſtitute of louelove to God, then any yron of heat: they muſt therefore be ſet on fire by Gods louelove, and a ſweet apprehenſion thereof, before they can louelove God:h1 Ioh. 4. 19. We louelove God, becauſe he loued vsus firſt: It isiGal. 5. 6. Faith which worketh by louelove. Thus I might further ſhew how all other ſanctifying graces ſpring from Faith. But what followeth from thence? ſurely this, that if any ſanctifying and ſauing grace be needfull, then is Faith eſpecially, which is the Mother of all; without it, no grace at all, no life at all: for the iuſt ſhall liue by his Faith, Fides eſt vitis, virtus palmes: ſiquidem nec palmes abſ que vite, nec virtus. ſine fide aliquid eſt. Ber…. ſup. Cant. ſerm. 30.(Hab. 2. 4.) From faith commeth the ſpirituall life of a Chriſtian in this world. (Gal. 2. 20.) and eternall life in the world to come (Ioh. 3. 16, &c.) Yea, no benefit from Chriſt without Faith: though ChriſtnIoh. 3. 34. receiued the ſpirit without meaſure, andoCol. 1. 19. it pleaſed the Father that in him ſhould all fulneſſe dwel: yet to ſuch as hauehave no faith, he is aspIoh. 4 11. Faith profitable. a deepe well, out of which no water of life can be had.
But when a man hath faith, what is the profit and benefit thereof? Much eueryevery way.qEpheſ. 3. 17. By faith Chriſt dwelleth in our hearts, and ſo we are vnited to him.rRom. 1. 17. By Faith wee liue: by Faith we areſ& 3 25. reconciled,t& 28. iuſtified,uAct. 15. 9. ſanctified, *Epheſ. 2. 8.ſaued. It were infinite to reckon vp all the benefits of Faith. In regard of profit and benefit to ourſelues, it far ſurpaſſeth all other graces. By other graces, as louelove, mercy, kindneſſe, wiſedome, and the like, we may be profitable to others: but Faith is it which draweth and bringeth in to our ſelues, bodies and ſoules, all the profit.
It is alſo a grace of admirable comfort:Faith comfortable. this is it which bringethxRom. 5. 1. peace of conſcience,yPhil. 4…7. That peace of God which paſſeth all vnderſtanding: this vpholdeth in all troubles, and that many times aboue and againſt ſence and reaſon. All comfort without Faith is in vaine: when all other comforts faile, then may faith vphold vsus. Thus faith vpheldzIob 13. 15. Iob, a1 Sam 30. 6.Dauid, b2 Chr. 20. 12Iehoſaphat. When other graces, and the teſtimony of our conſcience faile, Faith may ſupport vsus: for the conſcience hath reſpect to the man himſelfe, to his diſpoſition and carriage, which is ſubiect to many temptations, and many alterations: but Faith hath reſpect to GOD and his promiſes, to Chriſt and his ſacrifice, which are props, or rather rockes that neuer faile. In this reſpect is Faith fitly compared to a ſhield: for as a ſouldier who hath a good ſhield, and is able well to vſe it, will not vtterly be diſcouraged, but ſtand out in the battell, though his head-peece bee crackt, his breſt-plate battered, his girdle looſe, &c: So when verity, righteouſneſſe, patience, and other like graces ſeeme to faile, he that hath ſound faith will not vtterly be quailed and confounded.
Faith being ſo excellent a grace, as that whereby God is moſt honoured, ſo neceſſary, profitable, and comfortable a grace as hath beene ſhewed; what point of Chriſtian Religion is rather to be made knowne, is more to be preſſed, oftner to be inculcated? about what can a Miniſter of Gods word better ſpend his time, ſtudy, and paines? For Faith is the moſt proper and principall obiect of the Goſpell, which is therefore called,aRom. 10. 8. The Word of Faith, bGal. 3. 2.The preaching of Faith, yea,c1 Tim. 1. 19. Faith it ſelfe.
§. 9. Of the high account which wee ought to make of Faith.
AS Miniſters are moſt to preach this Doctrine, ſo are people to learne it aboue all, to be very well inſtructed in it, that they may know what true faith is: yea, to examine themſelues whether they hauehave in them this grace or no: if not, to enquire how it may be gotten, how diſcerned and proued: if they hauehave it, to labour well to preſerue, increaſe, and vſe it: for Faith is a capitall grace. We muſt therefore in this reſpect learne wiſdome of the Serpent, who hath an eſpeciall care of his head: if hee be aſſaulted and cannot flie, hee will couer his head with the reſt of his body, and ſuffer it to be ſtrucken and wounded rather then his head. Wee ought to bee the more carefull of this Head Vertue, becauſe Satan (who well knoweth the worth of it) ſeeketh moſt to aſſault it. Is it not good wiſdome to looke to that moſt of all, which hee moſt of all ſi…teth? Of theſe points I ſhall more diſtinctly ſpeake afterwards. This I thought good to premiſe by way of preparation vntounto the diſcourſe following, taking occaſion from the Apoſtles Preface, aboue all.
§. 10. Of the Papiſts c…uill againſt Faith.
IF any popiſhly minded ſhall thinke,Obiect. or ſay, that ſo much preaching and learning of Faith, is an hinderance to good workes, and maketh men careleſſe of all piety and charity.
I anſwer,Anſwer. The doctrine of Faith no hinderance to good workes. that if any be ſo minded, they ared2 Cor. 4▪ 3. Opera ſunt exfide, non ex operibus fides. Aug. de gr. & lib. …rb. cap. 7. blinded by the god of this world, that the light of the glorious Goſpell ſhould not ſhine vntounto them. The truth is, that no other doctrine can make men more conſcionable in performing all duty to God and man, then the doctrine of faith. From Faith proceed all good workes: For it is faith in Gods louelove which moueth a man to louelove God againe, and louelove to God is it which moueth a man to louelove his brother, which is made after Gods Image, and ſtandeth in Gods roome and ſteed. Now there can be no ſtronger motiue to ſtirre vp a man to any duty then louelove: A louing childe will much more ſeeke to pleaſe his father, then a ſeruile bond-ſlaue: and a louing friend will doe much more kindneſſe for a friend, then a ſtranger, though he be hired thereunto. He that indeed beleeueth that God ſo loued him, as he ſpared not his onelyonly begotten Sonne, but gaue him a price of redemption; that in his Sonne God hath vouchſafed to bee reconciled to him, to giuegive him pardon of all his ſinnes, freedome from hell and damnation, and to beſtow on him all things pertaining to life and happineſſe▪ hee that is thus perſwaded of GODS louelove to him, cannot but hauehave his hearten arged to doe what may be pleaſing and acceptable to God: no hope of reward, no feare of reuenge can ſo prouoke a man to all good workes, as louelove which Faith worketh. Beſides, cRom. 13. 3. Heb. 11. 6.whatſoeuer is performed without Faith and louelove, is no whit acceptable to God: God accepteth a cup of cold water giuen in Faith and louelove, infinitly much more then thouſands of rammes, or ten thouſand Riuers of Oyle giuen in way of preſumptuous merit, or elſe of ſlauiſh feare.
The obiection therefore of our aduerſaries againſt the Doctrine of Faith, Quid fides cō feret emolumeti ſi vita ſincera non fuerit, & pura… Chryſ. aduer. vit. mon. lib. 1.is a meere cauill and ſlander. They who take liberty thereby, either to commit any euill, or to omit any good, turne the grace of our God into wanton…eſſe, (Iude 4.) and peruert it to their owne deſtruction. (2. Pet, 3. 16.)
§. 11. Of Faith in generall.
THus much concerning the Tranſition. The Exhortation followeth: wherein we are firſt to conſider the thing ſimply ſet downe, and to ſhew what faith is.
Point 2 Faith in generall is a beleeuing of a thing to be true. ; what faith is.Our Engliſh word Faith ſeemeth to be taken from the Lattin fides, which according to the notation thereof is as much asaCic. offic. lib. 1 fi…t dictum, be it ſo as is ſpoken. bforeignThe notation of the Greeke word implyeth as much: ſo alſo of the … Hebrew, in which language one and the ſame word ſignifieth Truth & Faith, from whence is deriued that common Hebrew word which is vſually vttered at the end of our prayers, Amen; which ſignifieth an aſſent of the mind to that which is ſpoken, as to truth.