Mans Active Obedience, Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII.
The Euangelicall Commandement, with the Christians practice and vſe made thereof; wherein there is the definition of faith, with the proper obiect and ſpeciall operations thereof.
Queſtion.
YOu mentioned other commandements which are enioyned by God vntounto vsus to obſerue, beſide theſe Legall precepts, which doe reſpect the fulfilling of the righteouſneſſe of the law: namely euangelicall, whereby we are commanded to beleeue on the name of Ieſus Chriſt the ſonne of God (promiſe being made to all that beleeue in him that they ſhall hauehave life euerlaſting); ſhew what may be the good vſe and practice that wee are to make of the knowledge hereof.
A. Before we come to that, it will not be amiſſe, firſt briefly to conſider, what faith in Chriſt is, and what properly is the obiect of it; what is the ſpeciall operation of faith by which it may be diſcerned, and the worke about which it is principally imployed, and the ſubject wherein it is placed. What things are needfull to the making it vp, what to the being, and what to the well being and perfecting of it. Then will we conſider what vſes may be made of the knowledge of this, that God hath thus commanded vsus to beleeue.
Q. Shew then firſt of all, what is true faith in Chriſt?
A. Faith is a true and ſauing knowledge of Chriſt,Faith. which cauſeth vsus to lay hold and relie vponupon him alone for ſaluation, with a comfortable perſwaſion of the fauour and louelove of God towards vsus in and through him.
Q. What is the proper obiect of true faith, and what is the operation of it, and worke about which this faith is ſpecially imployed?
A. Faith hath for her obiect the moſt pure and alwaies1. Pet. 1. 21. being truth, which is God himſelfe and Chriſt our Sauiour, who is the way, the truth, and the life: the holieIoh. 14. 1. 16. Scriptures alſo and promiſes of the Goſpell, which is the word of truth, are the proper obiects which faith hathAct. 24. 14. Mark 1. 15. reſpect to, and is the ground it ſetleth vponupon. Therefore is the word called the word of faith: the ſpeciall operationRom. 10 8. and working of it is to let the ſoules and hearts of thoſe men, in whom it is placed, to know and to feele that they are now brought neere vntounto God, and hauehave fellowſhipEph. 2. 12. 13. with him, who were but ſtrangers before and farre off by reaſon of their ſinne; that is, to ſettle and ſtabliſh our mindes in a comfortable perſwaſion of Gods fauour and towards vsus in and through Chriſt Ieſus: and that by him, Gods heart for euer is ſo wonne vntounto vsus, as nothing ſhall be able more to ſeparate vsus from his louelove. It quietethRom. 8. 38. and cheareth the heart with vndoubted aſſurance, that whatſoeuer was the oddes and enmitie that was betweene God and vsus before, by meanes of our ſinnes; yetColoſſ. 1. 21. ſo are wee now receiued into fauour, and ſo is all agreed and ſet thorough betweene God and vsus, that we are at Rom. 5. 1. Luke 2. 14.peace with God, and God with vsus. They that hauehave great ventures abroad are alwaies thinking of them, how they may be got ſafely home, they giuegive much for aſſurance, they cannot ſleepe till that be done, their mindes are euer ſo running vponupon them. Of all aduentures there are none like to the aduenture that wee beare of our ſelues, our ſoules and our bodies, while we liue in this moſt perilous and dangerous world, that they be got well home, and be brought to eternall ſafetie in the end. Now faith ſecureth our hearts herein, and giueth vsus good aſſurance that we ſhall neuer periſh, but hauehave in the end euerlaſting Iohn 3. 16.life with God in Chriſt Ieſus. Faith ſetteth the heart at peace, and ſecureth the conſcience: it giueth better and more ſtrong aſſurance then any bond of the beſt Merchant, though made in Statute-merchant: nay, then can doe the bond or aſſurance of any Prince, though they ſhould lay their Crownes in pawne, or be bound in the forfeiture of their kingdomes. For faith hath Gods truth laid in pawne for the making good the aſſurance: and God hath bound himſelfe in the forfeiture of his truth (which he will not loſe for the whole world, and is vntounto Gods maieſtie of greater weight and regard, then is the ſtate of a kingdome to any Prince), that he will be accounted no more a God of truth if hee faile in his promiſe. This giueth vsus boldneſſe for the preſent to enter in before God, euen into the holieſt of holy places; and toHeb. 10. 19. Heb. 4. 16. come boldly to the throne of grace, that wee may obtaine merciemercy, and finde grace to helpe in time of need. But for ſo much as all this could neuer hauehave been effected or brought to paſſe for vsus, otherwiſe then that by the hand of ſome meete Mediatour this attonement might bee made, and peace might be wrought for vsus thus to reconcile vsus vntounto God. And ſeeing that neither in heauen nor in earth there could any other be heard of or found, that euer could be fit and able to vndertake, and thoroughly and perfectly to goe through with this ſo great a worke of reconciling the world vntounto God; but he alone whom the Father had ſealed, who is Chriſt the Lord, who is ourEph. 2. 14. Iſai 9. 6. peace, euen the Prince of peace. Therefore the worke of faith is, before it can thus iuſtifie vsus and ſet vsus at peace with God, to ſeeke and finde out Chriſt for vsus, and to get the true and ſauing knowledge of him: yea to ſeaze and lay ſuch hold vponupon him, as wee may apprehend him, and embrance him for our owne; appropriating and after a ſort ingroſſing him for our ſelues, that ſo cauſing vsus to reioyce with the ioy of Gods people in his fruition, and toPſal. 106. 5. glorie with Gods inheritance. And with the Spouſe in the Canticles (wee once truly beleeuing with the heart) imboldening vsus in moſt ioyfull and gladſome manner to profeſſe with the mouth, as doth ſhe in that place, My Cantic. 2. 16. & 7. 10.beloued is mine, and I am his, and his deſire is vntounto me. That thus hauing found and apprehended Chriſt, embracing and holding him in the armes of our faith, as our bleſſed Aduocate and attonement-maker vntounto God; we may ſo come before the Lord and treate with him for our peace, as did old Simeon (when he had Chriſt in his armes, andLuk. 2. 28. 29. 30. his eyes did ſee his ſaluation) deſire the Lord then to let him depart in peace. Yea we may then with leſſe feare and much more comfortable boldneſſe ſhew our ſelues in Gods preſence, and appeare in his ſight; then could Heſter (though neuer ſo well beloued of the King) aduentureHeſt. 5. 2. to goe in before Ahaſhueroſh, who did kindly accept of her, when hee held out the golden ſcepter vntounto her. Yea farre more warrantably and ſafely may we (bearing Chriſt with vsus in the armes of our faith) approch and come neere to the throne of the greateſt maieſtie of him that is the higheſt Lord and Soueraigne ruler of the world (who hath prepared his throne for iudgement, and ſhall iudge the world in righteouſneſſe), reckoning vponuponPſal. 97. 8. 9. a more kinde welcome and gratious acceptation at his hands, then euer durſt the Patriarchs Iacobs ſonnes, ſhew themſelues before Ioſeph then Lord of Egypt, though they did carrie their younger brother Beniamin in theirGen 43. 15. 16. 30. hands; at the ſight of whom the heart of Ioſeph yearned within him, and his eyes burſt out a weeping, that hee could not forbeare any longer, but manifeſt himſelfe and ſhew his brotherly affection vntounto them, and falling vponupon their neckes, kiſſed and embraced them, forgetting andGen. 45. 2. 3. 14 15. forgiuing all the iniu…ie and wrong that euer before they had done vntounto him. Thus, yea farre more then thus, yea farre aboue all that can be vttered, conceiued or comprehended, is that louelove of God in Chriſt, which he beareth toEph. 3. 19. all the faithfull; and wherewith he ſtandeth moſt kindly and fatherly affected to his redeemed, in and through Chriſt Ieſus: as to accept of their perſons, and be delightedEph. 1. 6. Cantic. 2. 14. Iſai. 63. 7. 9. Ierem. 31. 20. Hoſea 11. 8. 9. Iohn 16. 23. with their preſence; ſo to be moſt affectionatly moued towards them in all fatherly kindneſſe and compaſſion that he hath of them; as alſo to heare al their prayers; and to deny them nothing which they ſhall aske, when they come to the Father in the name of his Sonne. Yea ſo is the heart of God the Father wonne to al, that truly do beleeue in Ieſus Chriſt his Sonne, as though Chriſt IeſusIoh 16. 26. 27. himſelfe ſhould ſeeme not to pray for them, yet would he deny thē nothing. Nay ſo doth it pleaſe him to vnbowel himſelfe, and to open and manifeſt the louelove of his heart which he beareth to his children, that as touching their good and concerning them, he ſaith after a ſort, they mayIſai. 45, 10. command him. By all which it may appeare, before wee can warrantably beleeue in God, as reckoning vponupon his fauour and louelove to finde merciemercy at his hands, for the pardon of our ſinnes, and our owne gratious acceptation with him: or for the receiuing any bleſſing from him, or any righteouſneſſe as from the God of our ſaluation; weePſal. 24▪ 5. muſt firſt get the knowledge of Chriſt Ieſus, and by faith ſeeke to apprehend him: that being firſt ingrafted into Chriſt Ieſus by faith, and admitted to a holy vnion and communion …ith the Sonne, wee may hauehave fellowſhip with the Father, and ſo be brought to God by him: accordingIoh. 14▪ 6. as he is ſaid to be perfectly able to ſaue all that doe Heb. 7. 25.come to God by him. And this is that which Peter ſpeaketh of, when hee ſaith, that the faithfull doe by Chriſt beleeue in God; who raiſed him vp from the dead, and1. Pet. 1. 21. gaue him glorie, that their faith and hope might be in God.