Works, Part 4 · Religious instruction · Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVII. Of faith, iustification by faith, of iustice, and iust men, and of feeling.
THere is a generall faith, that is common to the godly with the wicked, and a particular faith: the generall faith beleeuing that God is, and that he is such a God as he is manifested to be in his word: the particular faith more neerely applieth the things spoken of God to our selues. This particular, is either of the Lawe or of the Gospell: of the Lawe as an actiue faith, of the Gospell as a passiue faith. That I call actiue, which apprehendeth that which the Law promiseth, that is, if we keepe eueryevery iot of the Law, and continue in it, we shall liue by it. That I call a passiue faith which apprehendeth that, which the Gospell offereth, that is righteousnesse done by another, and imputatiue, not done by vsus as inherent, as when we seeke the doing of the Law not within our selues, but without our selues, beleeuing it to be done by another, which we so through faith doe attaine as if we should fulfill the Law in our owne persons. The actiue faith was in Adam; and it may be in the diuellFaith actiue and passiue. and most wicked; and yet none of them hauing the iustifying faith: for Adam knew, that so long as he kept the will of God, he should liue, who at that time had not passiue nor iustifying faith, because as it was needlesse, so it was vnknowne to him, no sinne as yet being committed: and therefore no obedience of any other Mediatour for the forgiuenesse of sinne required. The diuels may hauehave this, to beleeue that had they not broken the law of God, they should hauehave liued and not hauehave seene damnation: so may also the wicked beleeue; and yet because neither of these doe beleeue, that they shall be iustified before God by the righteousnesse of another, couering their vnrighteousnesse, they hauehave not the true iustifying faith. The actiue faith is either of the iustice of God, or of his iudgements: of his iustice either in bidding good things, or in forbidding euill things: of his iudgements either in promising life to the obedient, or in threatning death to the disobedient. The passiue faith respecteth both the end, which is saluation it selfe, and the meanes which bring vntounto the end: the end as to beleeue, that Christ Iesus is made of God to vsus wisedome, righteousnesse, sanctification and redemption: the meanes, as the right vse of the word, prayer, and Sacraments, &c.
2 They which beleeue not Gods word and holy promises, cannot perceiue when he fulfilleth them: Moses beleeuing the promises of the Manna before, did behold and consider of the trueth of all Gods promises when he saw them performed: but the IsraelitesCause of vnthankefulnes. not beholding it before, now when God performed it, they knew not what it meant This we see in the threatnings of God, which when they are not beleeued, then if the Lord strike such with sickenes, &c. they thinke it is fortune, or some other chance, and so profit nothing by it. And so when the Lord helpeth out of any danger, and we beleeue not his promise, made to vsus before; then we attribute it to physicke, or some other meanes, and so are neuer thankefull.
3 If we cannot rest by faith in the fauour of God, though we want outward things, itContentation. is certaine that we neuer truely esteemed the fauour of God: and those neuer felt truly the forgiuenes of their sinnes, which hauing it, cannot be content to forgoe other things: we must then learne to rest in the fauour of God whatsoeuer it bringeth with it.
4 This is true faith when we yeeld to the word and beleeue it, though we feele not theExperimenall faith. effect: for when we beleeue after experience, this is experimentall and hath not such commendations. And this is so also in the threatnings, when we measure them not by our senses: but when we heare him threaten vsus for some sinne which is in vsus, then we certainly beleeue that he will punish, and therefore we tremble and studie to preuent that wrath. And as we preuent the threatnings, by giuing credit to the bare word: so that is true faithFaith and feeling. in the promises when we beleeue them, though we feele not the effect: for feeling is the effect of faith. Therefore when we are in miserie, euen then hearing and recording Gods promises, we must beleeue them and rest in them, though we feele not present comfort. And this is the cause why we cannot see God when he accomplisheth his promise, because at the first we did not beleeue his word when we heard it. And this is the cause that sinners cannot yeeld when they are punished, but doe make a stumbling blocke of that which should leade them to repentance. And this is the cause that any of Gods children doe profit in humilitie before God by afflictions, because they first gaue some credit to the word, though in much weakenes & dulnes. But the wicked are so by the diuel bewitched, that they can profit nothing by their afflictions, because they first hardened their hearts against the word.
5 Noah, Iob, Zacharie, Cornelius were iust men, but we must know the two Courts ofIus cēsorium. Ius praetoriū. Iustice: The first is the Kings Bench, where yee hauehave strict iustice, the other is the Chancerie,Two courts of iustice. where there is a mittigation of that strict course of iustice. In the first court there is none found iust; in the second court of acceptation, some are accepted for iust men By his strict iustice God requireth that we keepe all the commandements, that we hauehave but one ende, that we neuer swarue from God. In his court of acceptation he requireth first, that we hauehave an endeuour to keepe all, a full purpose to hauehave respect to all; to flatter our selues in no sinne, but being tolde of it, to be readie to lament: this God for his Christ accepteth for obedience to all his commaundements. Secondly, for our end if we hauehave a generall intent, though we faile in some, God iudgeth the lesse by the greater. Thirdly, if we be willing to lose in sundrie cases our goods, and all we hauehave, rather than displease God. Fourthly, God accepteth for continuance, if we striue to continue, if we fall yet seldome, and rise quickly, and runne more swiftly. In respect of our neighbour, God accepteth vsus, if we keepe our vocation, till for the further benefit of the Church we be called for. Secondly, if we be readie to commend good things in others as well as in our selues: and for that no man can be wholy loued, eueryevery one hauing many euill things in himselfe, if when and where sinne ceaseth, our hatred also cease, and that we be readie also to giuegive him our helping hand to pull him out. In the courts of men we may say boldly some men are iust, of whom the Scripture saith, they were iust in their generation, when they with whom they liued had nothing to lay to their charge, and if they write a booke against them, they might (as Iob saith) carie it on their foreheads. And God iudgeth now by Christ, and he is the Mediatour.
6 Faith teacheth vsus to iudge of things not according to the shew, but according to the end: for it seeth what kinde of pleasure bringeth sorrow, and what kinde of sorrow bringeth ioy in the end. If Moses hauing the word in Aegypt but by traditions, yet had a cleere iudgement of things by faith, how much more ought we to striue to this end, which hauehave the word cleerely reuealed vntounto vsus?
7 In persecution it is the chiefest grace of faith, to suffer death for the truth, if neede require: but if we cannot attaine to this, yet to forsake all that we hauehave: and to flie rather than to communicate with the wicked Idolaters, and to dwell with false worshippers, yeeldes a good testimonie of a true faith. For so Christ and his Apostles did, yet some may better flie than others.
8 EueryEvery faith is not a iustifying faith, but that which continueth in temptation, andPersecution▪ bringeth fruite in patience. Wherefore let none presume on his faith till he see it tried by temptation.
9 Moses had a weake faith, yet was he carefull to be strengthened, and therefore fled to the Lord for succour: So must we in all our doings and troubles repayre vntounto the Lord by prayers, so that we come in reuerence, keeping measure, willing to be satisfied, and trusting in the grace which the Lord giueth vsus.
10 By faith we hauehave the right vse of Gods blessings, and by vnbeleefe we are depriued of the benefite of them, yea they are often turned to our hurt, if wee obserue not the rules that God hath giuen. Desire we then to hauehave the pure vse of Gods blessings? let vsus by …aith receiue them, set our hearts vponupon God that gaue them, not seeking our owne praise, applying them to the benefit of our brethren. If we hauehave this testimonie when we want them, we shall hauehave ioy, because we vsed them well whiles we had them. But if we be in want, and then remember we had them before, and our consciences tell vsus, that we hauehave abused them, this will depriue vsus of all comfort, and increase our sorrow.
11 The more familiarly God commeth neere vsus, the more we goe from him. It is theTo see by faith the secret blessings and curses of God on man in this life. great merciemercy of God, to see by faith the inward and spirituall blessings of Gods elect, and by faith to see the secret curse of God in the wicked.
12 The forgetting of the worke of God, either in our selues or in others, is the decay of faith.
13 If God watch ouer vsus when we sleepe in vnbeleefe, much more will he doe it when we wake in faith.Decay of fath.
14 He that beleeueth in many meanes, will also beleeue without *In aduersitie.meanes: Gods benefits are as vailes betweene him and vsus.Note.
15 The children of God may aske of the Lord their doubts, so that they obserue: first, that we hold our selues within the compasse of Gods truth, which we must doe generally, though we cannot see a particular thing by reason. Secondly, that we come to aske withDoubts. reuerence and feare. Thirdly, that we doe not so much dispute with God, as powre out our supplications before him. Fourthly, that we be willing to be resolued, and not willing to continue in, nor nourish a doubt in vsus. Fiftly, neither must we looke for miracles, but be content that the Lord will giuegive vsus by his word the certaintie of his most holy will.
16 There are three things whereby we may knowe whether we be in the right way or no, and they bee precious and deere in the sight of them that hauehave a care to please God. The first is their grosse temptations: for many trusting to good talke, good ed…cation,1 good companie, and thinking themselues well setled, are content to rest in these meanes,Three notes of Gods fauour. and trauell not to see their inward corruptions, and priuie temptations, which if they be burthensome vntounto vsus, and make vsus (as it were) sicke to carrie them, it is a good token. The second thing is by marking our affections, if we louelove nothing so much as the fauour2 of God, feare nothing so much as the losse of it, hauing found it, if we carefully keepe it; and hauing lost it, if wee bee neuer quiet till wee recouer it, being content to want allNote. things to hauehave it, not staying in the possession of all things if we want it, this is a good signe: for it is good to knowe the state of our affections, because, looke where willinglyAffection. they rise and rest, there is our state to be seene. Thirdly, we may comfort our selues (if we3 feare God) in prosperitie, as well as in aduersitie, and louelove God in aduersitie, as well as in prosperitie. For euerie man can feare him vnderunder the crosse, as Pharaoh, Saul, and Balaam, and euerie man can praise God in abundance, as who praised him more than Iobs wife in prosperitie?
17 As a mans desire to any thing groweth or decreaseth; so doth his endeuour and labourDesire. for the meanes. If thy desire be strong, then shall not light occasions withdraw thee from the meanes, but it must be a violent occasion and let, that shall stop the passage of thine endeuour and seeking after the meanes. This may be a rule to measure thy selfe by, and to examine thy proceeding in Christianitie. If thy desire to the word of God be but weake, then is thy care and trauaile but small: but if thy desire be doubled, then it becomes louelove, which putteth out of vsus a vehement and carefull trauaile, and seeking after it,LoueLove. and of auoyding the contrarie meanes that may withdraw thee from it, or quench thy desire. None can hunger but hee that feeleth himselfe emptie: no maruaile then if hee hauehave no hunger, which feeleth not his owne wants, seeing that feeling is the fountaine of hunger, as if our feeling be of sinne, then our hunger is after righteousnes and holines. For the feeling of sinne, is the mother of hunger after righteousnes. So that where hunger afterThe hunger after righteousnes. Mat. righteousnes is, there must be also feeling of sinne, and where there is exceeding hunger, there must be needs an exceeding feeling: and on the other side, where there is a5. small and feeble hunger, there is a small and feeble …eeling, and it is vnpossible to be otherwise. For he that feeleth his owne deadnes, wants, and impuritie in eueryevery commandement, it is vnpossible, but this touch of glorie and dread of the bondage of sinne, should breed, and as it were ingender in his minde an extreame hunger and desire of vprightnesse, and obedience in eueryevery commaundement. The children of God hauehave then to comfort themselues,Comfort to Gods children in feeling their secret corruptions. in that they feele their impurenes of heart, and want of vprightnes in eueryevery commandement, and deadnes to goodnes For this feare of bondage to sinne and Sathan, and this feeling of our owne wants and impuritie is quicknes, and liuing; and this quicknes and life is by the spirit of Christ, and where the spirit of Christ is, there is life or liuing, and this is called regeneration and life euerlasting. So that if we weigh the difference of the quickning that is proper to the elect, that is to say, to hunger after righteousnes, and doe examine deepely and weigh that more than we doe the feeling of our confused estate, it is impossible but that we should find great comfort in sorrow, great light in darknes. I know indeed the reprobate or wicked are quickned in some sort by the spirit of Christ, But yet Note.they tast not of this worke of his spirit, to wit, of merciemercy by louelove of righteousnes: but by the power of it doe liue so, euen in feeling of Gods eternall iudgement without mercy, liuing continually in hatred of righteousnes, and in bondage of sinne and Sathan.
18 He that feareth hardnes of heart if he can but sigh and groane, because he feelethHardnes of heart. his hardnes of heart, it is so much comfort vntounto him, as it is a testimonie that his heart is not altogether hardened: so that if thou feelest sorrow indeed, although thou weepest not, yet thou maist gather comfort, considering that that sorrow is for sin, with a louelove and hunger after God: if thy assaults be distrust, pride, arrogancie, ambition, enuie, concupiscence as hot as the fire of the furnace all the day long: and though Sathan layeth on oyle in great measure, and out of all measure, that it is of the wonderfull strength & goodnesA sweete consolation for a troubled spirit. of the Lord that thou standest; and though thy prayers be dull and full of wearisomnes, so that strife and waies also to all goodnes be so hard to thee, that thou canst not tell whether thou striuest for feare of punishment or louelove of so good a father: yet if thou feelest this in thy selfe, that thou wantest feare, and yet desirest to louelove the Lord and to be better, being wearied and tired with sinne, and desirest to please God in a simple obedience of faith, then comfort thy selfe.
19 The feeling of sinne with wearisomenes, as it were a sicknes in the body, is an earnest of our regeneration. Gods children are often diseased, and sore troubled, In that they cannot make a difference when they are in the skirmish and agony betweene the motion to any euill, and the consent to the same: For oftentimes euill motions doe so possesse the mind of Gods children, and doe as it were set downe so strongly in them, that, though they weepe, pray, meditate (which be the best remedies to cure them) yea though they feele them with irkesomnes and wearisomenes as we feele sicknes in our bodies: yet they lie there continually without diminishing, excepting delight, &c. let vsus not therefore so vex and martyr our selues with disquietnes of minde, because we are so pestered and stinged with wicked motions & assaults, but let vsus quiet our selues, and not suffer our selues to be hindred with sicknes of bōdie and mind, by meanes whereof we are made so much the more vnprofitable to our selues & others, and to Gods Church. For the godly shall not be freed from sin so, but that they shall be snared with euill motions, delusions, vaine fantasies and imaginations.The godly are not free from euill motions. The body of sinne and wicked motions and affections shall neuer be out of vsus as long as we liue, for they are almost continually boyling and walloping in vsus, foming out such filthie froth and stinking sauour into our mindes, and so full of poison, it is not only most detestable to the minde regenerate, and that part of the minde which is renewed by the spirit of Christ, but also so loathsome that it maketh it as it were ashamed and abashed to see into so filthie a stie and sinke, and so greatly discourageth and astonisheth vsus, as it makes vsus oftentimes to quaile, and if it were possible would corrupt and defile the part regenerate: for mightie is the power, and raging is the strength of sinne.
20 Martin Luther saith, that as a man may trie and know, whether he be effectually called and grafted into Christs body or not by this, that he feeleth his heart cheared and sweetned by the feeling of Gods promises and fauour written in his heart, so such a man hath forthwith regard of his neighbour, and helpeth him as his brother, careth for him,The feeling of Gods promises and fauour written in our heart. lendeth him, giueth him, comforteth and counselleth him, yea and briefly he is grieued if there be none, towards whom he may be seruiceable, he is patient, tractable, and truly friends to all men, he doth not esteeme the temporall pleasure and pride of this life, he iudgeth no man, he defameth no man, he interpreteth all things to the best part. Finally, when as he seeth not the matter goe well with his neighbour, as that he fainteth in faith, waxeth cold in louelove, he prayeth for him, he reprooueth him according to his calling, he is sore grieued if any commit any thing against God or his neighbour, & all this proceedeth from the roote & sap of Gods grace, for that the bountifulnes, louelove and goodnes of Christ hath sprinckled and replenished his heart with sweetnes and louelove, that it is pleasure and ioy for him to doe good to his neighbour, and is grieued for his sinnes as Samuel for Saul.
21 Whosoeuer is ioyned to Christ for his iustification, must also be ioyned to him for hisChrist freeing vsus from the condemnation of sin, will also free vsus from the corruption and power of sinne. sanctification. For if we be redeemed vntounto holines, and not to vncleannes, why should we take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot? or why should we make the temple of the Spirit a stie for Sathan? Shall we do such iniurie to the members of Christ? shall we doe such violence to the temple of God his spirit? shall we rather be rotten impes, and grow in our sinnes, than remaine in the roote, and spring in Christ? If Christ his crosse be as a Chariot of triumph, if Christ his passion to free vsus from condemnation, was in the entrance so grieuous, in the end so lamentable, what is our vnthankfulnes by remaining still in our corruption, to let him loose his labour in all his sufferings, wherein as we hauehave no care of our saluation; so we manifest an open contempt of his most pretious Passion, well worthie are we to die, and vnworthie are we to liue, in that the choise being set before vsus, we chuse rather to be murdered with our sinnes, than to be rescued to life by Iesus Christ. For iustly is the reward promised to such as ouercome▪ Reuel. 3. 15. 12. 22. thatThe death of sinnne in vsus. is, to such as will not onelyonly strangle & presse out the breath of sin, and close vp the eyes of it at the fall and death of it, but also follow it to the graue, and couer it with moules, so as it neuer rise againe. Not that we thinke that sinne in this life is so wholy martyred, but that the life of sinne may well be weakened, counting it a rebell to regeneration, not a Prince ouer the spirit of sanctification. And as a Serpent cut in diuers peeces hath but certaine relicksSimile. of poyson and remnants of fiercenes in the maimed members, and mangled parts thereof, and is not able to exercise the like violence to a man, as when it was whole and perfectly membred: so howsoeuer some relicks of sins remaine in our old, but in our martyred Adam, yet it hath no such force or fiercenes to preuaile against vsus, as when it was in it perfect age, like rather a mightie Monarch than a poore prisoner.
22 It is vsuall either in deliuering or hearing doctrine, to seuer & disioyne those things which in their owne nature are conioyned by the holy Ghost. Thus some deale in the doctrine of faith. For when it is said, The iust shall liue by faith, they forget the former proposition, that is, the iust shall liue. For here are two doctrines: first, he that is iust must liue by faith; then that he must not liue by faith, except he be iust. Here must be no seuering of things, because they may well be coupled together.