Lectures Upon Psalm 51, Part 4 · Lecture 53
Lecture LIII. On Psal. 51.4. April 3. 1627.
FIftly, He that would attaine unto this grace of true patience, and be able to cleare the Lord (as David doth heere) when he shall judge him, to beare patiently and comfortably whatsoever troubles, and afflictions God shall bee pleased to exercise him withall, must (before that time commeth) get a true, and a lively faith, even a comfortable assurance of his reconciliation with God through Iesus Christ. This power that there is in faith, to make a man able patiently, and comfortably to beare afflictions, of what kind or degree soever they be; is plentifully taught in the holy Scriptures, and confirmed to us by the experience of the Saints of God. The holy Apostle speaking of all the parts of the Christian armour, and among the rest of that whereby the feet and legs are to be defended, he calleth it Ephes. 6.15. The preparation of the Gospell of peace. His meaning is, that when once we are assured of our peace and reconciliation with God, which is wrought by the Gospell, then are we prepared to follow Christ through thicke and thin, through the most hard and stony, the most sharp and thorny way, of any persecution, and trouble whatsoever. Being justified by faith (saith the same Apostle, Rom. 5.1.) we have peace with God, through our Lord Iesus. And what followeth upon that? Why when once we are justified from our sinnes, and have peace with God, then verse 3. We glory in tribulations. And so doth the Apostle make this the ground of the strange patience of the Saints in the daies of the Maccabees, when they were tortured, and were tried with mockings, and scourgings, with bonds and imprisonment, when they were some stoned, and some sawne in sunder. What made them able to endure such things, and not to accept of deliverance when it was offered unto them if they would have yeelded a little? Surely their faith as you shall find Heb. 11. 33.37. by faith they attained to this strength, to this measure of patience. I shewed you in the handling of the Doctrine, that Gods servants and Martyrs could not be overcome, nor made to yeeld unto adversaries, when they endured such torments as were impossible for flesh and bloud to endure, but became conquerours yea, more then conquerours in them all, as the Apostle speaketh Rom 8.37. But would you know how they came to this valour, to this admirable strength to heare, and to overcome such intollerable torments? Surely it was their faith, whereby they were assured of their peace with God, that made them able to doe it, as the Apostle speaketh in the same place, and in the very next words. For I am perswaded (saith he verse 38, 39.) that neither death nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities—nor any other creature, shall bee able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. He that is so confidently perswaded of Gods unchangeable, and everlasting love towards him in Christ, no marvell though no affliction be ever able to overcome him, though he become more then a conquerour in the greatest tribulations that can befall him, So when it is said of the holy Martyrs, Rev. 12.11. that they overcame the great Dragon, in all the bloudy, and extreame persecutions that he raised up against them, under the cruell Emperours, and Popes of Rome, the meanes is also mentioned whereby they got such strength, and patience to endure, and overcome him. They overcame him (saith the holy Ghost) by the bloud of the Lambe. The faith they had in the bloud of Christ, which was sprinkled upon their hearts, made them able to beare, and overcome so bitter torments as they did endure; and so will it certainely doe any of us in the like case. This is the victory that overcommeth the world, even our faith, saith the Apostle, 1 Iohn 5.4. And this is the promise of God, wee shall find Psal. 91.9. Because thou hast made the Lord which is my refuge, thy habitation, marke what followeth ver. 13. thou shalt tread upon the Lyon, and adder, the yong Lyon, and the Dragon thou shalt trample under thy feete.
You see what testimony the holy Scripture giveth to this fift meanes, that is to say, that faith will worke patience, and make a man able to endure any thing; consider also three effects of it, and you will easily discerne it must needs …ee so.
For first. Faith worketh in the heart that hath it, a light esteeme of all worldly things, and he that is brought to that once, will be easily able to suffer, yea, even to dye, it is the over-much love we beare to these earthly things, that maketh us so unwilling to dye, or to endure any trouble. By Christ (saith the Apostle, Galat. 6.14.) the world is crucified unto mee. They in whose hearts Christ dwelleth by faith, the World becommeth base and contemptible unto them, they feele the love, and high esteeme of worldly things, decayed in them.
Secondly. Faith certifieth the heart that hath it, of Gods love, and he that is sure of that will bee able to endure any thing with patience, from Gods hand. Thus doth Iob stop the mouth of his impatient and foolish wife. Iob. 2.10. What (saith he) shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evill? Shall we that have enjoyed so many moneths, and yeeres, of great prosperity and comfort, thinke much to endure affliction, and trouble for a few dayes? We that have received so many demonstrations of Gods fatherly and unchangeable love, shall we thinke much to receive correction from him? Thus did our blessed Saviour confirme his owne heart in patience, against those intollerable sufferings he was to endure for us, Iohn 18.11. The cup which my father hath given me, shall I not drinke? When we are once assured God is our father, wee shall be made well content to take the bitterest potion from his hand. And thus doth the holy Apostle reason, Rom. 5. for when he had said, that being justified by saith, wee are able even to glory in tribulations, hee giveth this for the reason of it verse 5. Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, by the holy Ghost that is given unto us. As if hee had said; When once the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, and soaketh into them, so as we have a comfortable sense and feeling of it, how can we choose but beare tribulations patiently, and even glory in them?
Thirdly and lastly. Faith maketh the heart that hath it, undoubtedly certaine of those promises God hath made to his people in their afflictions (of which we heard when I spake of the motives unto this duty) as namely. 1. That they shall tend to our good in the end, Heb. 12.10 Hee correcteth us for our profit. And 2. that in the meane time, he will not forsake us in them, but assist and support us, Psal. 91.15. I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver and honour him. These promises (I say) faith maketh the heart certaine of, Heb. 11.1. Faith is the evidence of things not seene. And he that is sure of these promises, how can he choose but beare affliction patiently? And say with David. Psal. 56.4. In God will I praise his word (as if he should say, I will praise God for his word and promise) And what followeth in the same verse? In God have I put my trust, I will not feare what flesh can doe unto me.
Let me apply this briefly, 1. By way of exhortation. 2. By way of comfort.
Applic. 1First. Seeing faith will stand us in that stead in the evill day, and yeeld us that strength and comfort in all afflictions, it standeth us upon, to get it in time, and to looke well to our selves, that that faith we thinke we have, be such as will abide the tryall in the fornace of affliction, such as will not deceive us in the evill day. It is the exhortation of the Apostle, 2 Cor. 13.5. Examine your selves whether you be in the faith: prove your owne selves. For, alas, if we have no true faith, no sound assurance that we are in Christ, when death shall come, when the troublesome time of persecution, when the sword of the bloody enemy shall come, what shall we doe? How shall we be able to beare it? What patience, what comfort can wee looke to have in that day? 1. Extreame affliction is wont to awaken the conscience, and set it on worke, to bring a mans sins to his remembrance, that he never thought of, nor was troubled with before. As you have heard from the example of Iosephs brethren. Gen. 42.21. And what will quiet the conscience when it falleth on brawling, and exclaiming upon a man? Certainly nothing but faith that sprinkleth the bloud of Christ upon it, as the Apostle teacheth us, Heb 9.13, 14. 2. In the evill day, Satan will be apt to cast into mens soules, his darts of desperation, his fiery darts, as the Apostle calleth them. And what is it that will quench these darts? Surely nothing but faith, as the Apostle teacheth, Ephe. 6.16. Above all, take the shield of faith, whereby yee shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of that wicked one. Let us therfore looke well to our faith, sith our patience and comfort in affliction dependeth so much upon it. Two notes I will give you to try it by.
First. By the meanes and manner how it was wrought in thee. How camest thou by it? Did the Lord worke it in thee by the ministery of his word? Did thy saith come by hearing. Rom. 10.17. Canst thou say, that before ever Christ came into thy heart, Iohn Baptist came before him to prepare his way? Mark. 1.2. That the ministery of the law, that effectually discovered thy sins and miserable condition unto thee, was thy schoolemaster to bring thee to Christ? Gal. 3.24. That before the Lord spake peace to thy heart, by the still soft and sweete voice of his Gospel, he prepared thy heart to receive it, as he did Eliahs, 1 Kin. 19.11, 12. by great terrour? This is certainly the ordinary way, whereby God bringeth his elect to faith; If thou came not to thy faith this way, but in some other more extraordinary manner (as I doe not deny but it is possible thou mightest, for who can limit the holy one of Israel, Psal. 78 41. or tye him to certaine rules?) thou hast the more cause to suspect it, and to try it the more diligently by the second note, and that is this.
Secondly. Try it by the effects of it in thy selfe. How hath thy faith thou sayest thou hast in Iesus Christ, wrought with thee? What change hath it made in thee? Wee have all of us very lately renewed our faith, and made solemne profession of it, and confirmed it in the holy Sacrament; In it we have by faith, fed upon the Lord Iesus, or els that bread we did eate at the Lords Table, will be as gravell betweene our teeth one day, as Solomon speaketh in another case. Prov. 20.17. that cup we drunke of there, will be as a cup of deadly poison unto us. As therefore I exhorted you the last day to examine your selves well before you went to the Lords table, so do I now exhort you to an after examination of your selves. Hast thou Indeed by faith fed upon the Lord Iesus so lately? Then certainly 1. Thou shalt find some abatement of the strength of thy corruptions, and lusts. Where Christ is by faith received, he will purifie the heart, Act. 15.9. The woman that had the bloody issue, when she had by faith touched but the border of his garment, she felt such vertue comming from him, as dryed up & stanched the issue of blood, as you shall find, Luke 8.44. And is it possible that wee should have by faith, not only touched his garment, but eaten and drunke his very body and bloud, and yet feele no vertue at all come from him to dry up the fountaine of our corruption, but it runneth as fresh and freely, as ever it did? 2. If thou hast by faith fed upon the Lord Iesus, some increase of spirituall strength to resist tentation, and to walke in Gods wayes, is wrought in thy foule by it. Didst thou ever with a good appetite eate thy corporall food, but thou receivedst some refreshing, and strength by it? Arise and eate (saith God to Eliah the second time, 1 Kin. 19.7, 8.) for thou hast a great journey to goe, and he arose, and did eate, and drinke, and went in the strength of that meat, fourty dayes, and forty nights. And is there not as much vertue in the body & blood of Christ being fed upon by faith, to give, and increase strength in the soule, as ever there was in any corporall food to strengthen the body? My flesh is meat indeed (saith our Saviour, Ioh. 6.55, 57) and my bloud is drink indeed; he that eateth me, even be shall live by me. Wilt thou say then thou hast fed on Christ, that hast received no strength by this food to resist tentation, that hast not bin able to go in the strength of that meat forty dayes, nor forty houres? No, no, trust not to such a faith as this, this will never abide the fornace of affliction, nor beare thee up in it.
Secondly, Let me apply this to the comfort of the weakest soule among you; even to thy comfort, that because of the weaknesse of thy faith, tremblest when thou hearest of the troublesome times we are to looke for, tremblest when thou thinkest of death; ô sayest thou, I shall never be able to endure in the evill day Yet hast thou truth of faith in thee, though in great weaknes, For 1. thou mournest unfeinedly for the weakenes of thy faith, and desirest to beleeve all the promises of God, and neglectest no meanes, wherby thy faith may grow, like to that poore man, Mar. 9.24. 2. This weake faith of thine hath drawne vertue from Christ, whereby the issue and fountaine of thy corruption beginneth to be dryed up, and is not so strong as once it was; and wherby also thou hast received some strength even to resist tentation, as Ioseph did, Gen. 39.9. Be thou of good comfort, certainly if thou hast the least measure and degree of true faith in thee, thou shalt be able to beare troubles when they come, much more patiently, and comfortably then thou thinkest. For be thou assured. 1. That Christ will not so overcharge thee with tryals, and afflictions, as to smother and put out those weak beginnings of grace, that he hath wrought in thee, but will tender & nourish them, Mat. 12.20. 2. The strength wherby any of Gods people are enabled to stand in the day of tryal, is not their own, but the Lords only. Be strong in the Lord, & in the power of his might, Ephe. 6.10. In the deepest sense of thine own weaknes, learn to flie out of thy selfe, & to rely wholly upon the Lord, & on the power of his might. Know his grace is sufficient for thee, 2 Cor. 12.9. Yea, thou shalt be holden up, for God is able to make thee to stand. Rom. 14.3.3. Remēber the promises God hath made unto his people in this case, Ps. 29.11. The Lord will give strength to his people. The Lord delighteth to shew his might most in them that are weakest in their owne sense, 2 Cor. 12.9. Gods power is made perfect in weaknes. So it is said of the holy Martyrs, in the dayes of the Maccabees, Heb. 11.34. that by faith out of weaknes they were made strong. And that made the Apostle say from his owne experience, 2 Cor. 12.10. When I am weake, then am I strong. And if Peter had bin weaker in his owne sense before-hand, he had had more strength in the day of triall, then he had, Mar. 14.31.