The Christians Apparelling, Part 3 · Section 73
Par. 3. §. 73
3 The true Chriſtian ſeekes to come by faith, by law full & right meanes.Now thirdly, for Faith: howſoeuer it be the meanes or Inſtrument on our part, by which wee obtaine the former benefits of our vnion with Chriſt, and the couering and pardon of our ſinnes; yet it (being moſt needfull in this worke of putting on Chriſt) is not attained without meanes, ſuch as God himſelfe hath appointed; namely the preaching and hearing of Gods word; being increaſed and further ſtrengthned from the ſame Word,Rom. 10.17 as alſo from the Sacraments and Prayer. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. So that it is the word of God preached and heard, which in a ſetled Church and gouernement, is of God appointed to bee the meanes of faith. And Gods children (if we ſpeake,How faith is wrought in him. not not of Children or Infants, Fooles and others, who are incapable of knowledge) come to true and ſauing faith in this order and manner. Firſt, Gods Word being faithfully taught, expouded and applied (for elſe mans word profits not) is of them heard and attended vntounto, Ier. 23.22. & 32. Act. 16.14.both the Law and Goſpell; as in Lydia, whoſe heart the Lord opened that ſhee attended to Pauls preaching. Thus they come to knowledge and conſideration of their owne wretched eſtate by nature through their ſinne Originall and Actuall, and the iuſt puniſhment due vntounto their ſinne; as alſo of Chriſt and the Goſpell.Iſa. 53.11. Epheſ. 1.18 Hereupon both Law and Goſpell are generally beleeued, and aſſented vntounto as true: whereupon the heart comes ſomewhat to melt, and to bee mollified, being firſt pricked with a ſence of Gods wrath due to ſinne;Act. 2.37.38 and then despairing of its owne ſtrength, and at a ſtand not knowing well what to doe; conſidering the promiſes of the Goſpell and mercies of God in Chriſt (who now in his Natures and Offices is knowne) there is begot a hope of the poſsibility of pardon by Chriſt,Par. 3. §. 72 Luk. 15.18.19.which is accompanied with an affection, Mat. 5.8. and 6.33.an hungring and thirſting after the grace of the Goſpell offered in Chriſt; whence followes an approach or comming to the throne of grace; Heb. 4.16.where is firſt an humble confeſsion of ſinne,Luk. 15.21. with a iudgeing of a mans ſelfe: and then prayer and earneſt deſire of pardon; Rom. 8.26.after which follwes a ſpeciall application of the promiſe of ſaluation by Chriſt vntounto repentant ſinners and beleeuers,Hoſ. 14.2.3 Mat. 15.27.28. Gal. 2.20 with a reliance and dependance thereon for ſaluation. Faith thus being begotten, is continually increaſed by the exerciſe of Hearing, Reading, Meditation, Prayer. This is the ordinary courſe by which the Elect come to beleeue, and he that finds in himſelfe Faith thus wrought, and the fruites of it in the change and reformation of his life, as effects of the Miniſterie of the Word, may be aſſured his faith is ſound and good.
But now on the contrary,The faith of many diſcouered to be in hypocryſi. how many plainely ſhew themſelues to hauehave no true faith, and ſo conſequently to be but Chriſtians in name only, as not putting on Chriſt by faith?
Aske ſome concerning their Faith,As being had 1 By nature or without the word. how or when they came by it, how and when it was wrought, they will very preſently and confidently anſwer, they thanke God, they hauehave beleeued in Chriſt and had a good faith to God euer ſince they could skill or remember; as if indeede they had their Faith by Nature, and ſo brought it with them into the world, & not by the gift of grace, whereby, in the vſe of meanes & Miniſtry of the Word,Ioh. 1.12. they receiue Chriſt and beleeue in his name (which two are all one) and ſo receiue the priuiledge and power to become the ſonnes of God. For,1 Pet. 23-25 wee are borne againe,— by the word of God, — which by the Goſpel is preached: euen of his owne will, Par. 3. §. 73doeth hee beget vsus by the word of trueth, whileſt we beleeue, or receiue with meekeneſſe the ingrafted word, which is able to ſaue our ſoules.
What faith then can ſuch men hauehave, who can ſhew no deed, no euidence, how, or by what meanes they came to it? How ſoone and eaſily, may Satan lay claime to it, and in the day of triall, bereaue them of it, (which indeede they neuer had more, then in conceit and preſumption.) Yet my meaning is not to put this triall, vponupon ſuch ſtrict tearmes, as ſome doe, who require a man ſhould be able, (if hee would hauehave comfort from his faith) to name the time when, the Sermon by which, the man and Miniſter, by whom hee was firſt wrought vponupon, and brought to faith.
Whether it be required a mā ſhould be able to name the time &c. of his conuerſion?I deny not but very many hauehave this euidence, and are able ſo to doe. And doubtleſſe, it is a point of great comfort for them to remember it, and, where poſsibly it may bee called to minde, there it is often to bee thought on, and neuer to bee forgotten. For wee know few or none, euer forget the day, yeere, place, perſon, or Miniſter, when, where, and by whom they were Married; or yet the day and place of their natiuitie. And euen ſuch is our eſtate by Faith, it is a new Birth, and Marrying of vsus, at leaſt the eſpouſing of vsus, to our husband Ieſus Chriſt. Yet becauſe the Lord holds not the ſame courſe with all, for the manner of application of his mercy and grace in Chriſt, as this worke is not alike diſcerneable in all, ſo is it not ſo ſtrictly to bee vrged, or required of all, to name the aforeſaid particulars preciſely. Gods worke of grace is often apparant in ſome, who hauehave long liued diſſolutely, or without the power of ſauing grace, or in a courſe of oppoſition, wherein he hath met with them by his word, as hee did with Paul. Par. 3. §. 72Others he… either ſanctifies in the wombe,Acts. 2, 3.4. (and that not onelyonly to ſome ſpeciall function, but it may be, ſauingly alſo) or in younger age hee ſtils and drops his word by littles into them, who liue, and are trained vp in godly families, vnderunder a godly Miniſtery, whereby they hauehave knowne the holy Scriptures, as did Timothy, euen from a childe. As therefore, we on the one hand, are not to ſuffer the faith & trueth we profeſſe,2 Tim. 3.14 15. to goe vponupon that triall, which Papiſts would put vsus to, whileſt they require vsus to ſhew them, when iuſt, and at what time, their errours of Popery beganne, by whom they were firſt broached; or elſe we muſt bee in errour, not they: So on the other ſide, wee muſt not ſimply deny the worke of ſauing grace in vsus, though we cannot alwayes name preciſely the time when, and the man by whom wee were conuerted: for doubtleſſe, many are deliuered from the guilt & power of ſin in a word, conuerted, as St. Peter was deliuered out of priſō; the thing is done, and for the preſent, they wot not that it is true which is done, till afterwardes. As therefore we muſt not deny an aged hoare-headed mās haire to be gray or white, becauſe neither hee nor any elſe can tell, when iuſt it begā ſo to be, or which haire grew white firſt; ſeeing the difference is apparant enough, to ſuch as can iudge of colours; euen ſo, in neither of the former inſtances, may we deny ſimply, either the one to bee a falſe faith and beleife, or the other to bee a true and ſauing faith, for want (if ſuch want ſometimes bee) of knowledge, of the exact time, place, and perſon, when, and by whom they firſt began, if, and ſo long, as either of them can bee otherwiſe ſufficiently euidenced by the word of truth, by the diſſonancy of the one from it, or by the conſonancy, and agreement duplicate page duplicate page of the other with it, and by experience. But, the hypocriſie of many Chriſtians, plainely hence appeares, becauſe, they cannot ſhew, and euidence either the one, or the other.
2 Without knowledge.The like may be ſaid of all ignorant perſons, who yet will talke of their faith. Alas, what faith without knowledge? they beleeue in Chriſt, and hope to bee ſaued by him, as well as any, and yet they know him not, neither his will reuealed in his word, being ſuch as vſually neglect to heare his word (whether by Popiſh, or profaine Recuſancy) or ſuch as heare it negligently ſleepily, drouzily, ſuch as for want of calling it to minde, let it ſlip, and quite forget it: theſe men may as well beleeue, & perſwade themſelues that the King, or ſome great rich man, will at the yeeres end, giuegive them a thouſand pounds, or lands, and liuing, whom yet, they neuer either ſaw, or receiued any meſſage, or word of promiſe from. How came theſe by their faith then? Not by hearing, knowing, and remembring, but by ignorance, arrogancy, and preſumption. They are borne, and liue in the Church, and amongſt beleeuers, and therefore preſume to face as they doe, and to ſpeede as well as the beſt. Or it may bee, they in their ignorance, preſume much of their wealth honours, and worldly happineſſe, to thinke themſelues as deere to God, as any.
Or hence may they be diſcouered; they ſay they hauehave Faith,3 Without preparatory repentance yet were they neuer truly prepared for faith, by being truly humbled in a ſight of their ſin and miſery, to ſee and feele their neede of Chriſt, to cry out vnderunder the burthen and preaſure of their ſinnes, to cry mightily to God for his mercy, to turne, in ſome purpoſe of heart, at leaſt, from their former courſe of life, and ſo, heauy laden and labouring to come to Chriſt.
The like is to bee thought of all ſuch as hauing ſome good knowledge of Gods Word,4 Without aſſent, louelove and obedience to the Word. ſhew no louelove to it, aſſent not to it, neither receiue it with application either of the threatnings or promiſes to themſelues, and put nothing in practiſe according to the direction of that word: which if they did, then would they diligently ſift and ſearch themſelues, feare and tremble at his word, and cry out, men and brethren, what ſhal we doe to be ſaued? they would flye from wrath to come, and as the Chickens vnderunder the Hen for feare of the Kite, ſo would they betake them to Chriſt, and ſhroud themſelues vnderunder the wings of his merciemercy, that they might bee hid from the wrath of the Lord; then would they, as good conuerts doe, clothe themſelues with Chriſt, whereby their ſinnes might bee couered from his ſight, and put him on by faith, that their filthy nakedneſſe doe not appeare.
And thus much alſo for this laſt point of triall,The concluſion of this Treatiſe. from the meanes of our putting on Chriſt, which was the fourth in order.
From all which differences wee may obſerue, that eueryevery one that beares the name of Chriſt, doeth not truely put on Chriſt;Shewing how needfull it is we truely put on Chriſt. and that in vaine wee glory in outward Baptiſme, or that ſimply wee are borne in the Church, and partake of the Sacraments of the ſame, vnleſſe alſo, as good and ſound Chriſtians, wee partake of the grace of the Sacraments, and of Chriſt the ſubſtance of them, and of all profeſsion, not looking for grace or ſaluation from the bare ſignes, but from Chriſt, who by faith wee truely put on. Which conſideration, to wit, that there are ſo many counterfet, and vnſound Chriſtians, ſhould helpe to re-inforce the former Motiues, mentioned in the beginning, and ſtir vsus vp in the vſe of all good meanes, truely to clothe our ſelues with Chriſt, and moreouer, (that wee may not deceiue our ſelues herein) to vndertake, (vponupon iuſt ſuſpition, and iealouſie of our ſelues, and of the deceitfulneſſe of our owne wicked hearts) this triall by the former notes and ſignes particularly of true Chriſtianitie. To which end I hauehave beſtowed my paines this way, both for the good of my hearers, and for the better ſecuring of mine owne ſpirituall eſtate, and keeping of mee from ſecuritie. I doe not ſay, I my ſelfe am, as I hauehave here deſcribed the ſound Chriſtian to bee: onelyonly this I ſay; either I am ſo, or I would very gladly bee ſo. The Lord bleſſe this my indeauour, to the vſe of his Church. Amen. (*⁎*)
FINIS.
End of the text · Robert Jenison, The Christians Apparelling (1625)