Mans Active Obedience, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
What remedie there is for the weake in faith, and withall the excellency of faith is declared, with the practice or vſe to be made thereon.
Queſtion.
WHat courſe is then to be taken for help and remedy in this caſe, that ſuch may be ſuccoured and ſupported in this their great weaknes, & not ſeene to faint & giuegive ouer for altogether? A. They to whom God hath giuenIſa. 50. 4. tongue of the learned, ſo as they know how to ſpeake aComforts to weake faith. word in ſeaſon to them that are wearie: had need to ſtrengthen ſuch with their mouth, and tempering their words with a certaine ſweetneſſe of ſpeaking; by the comfort of their lippes, to aſſwage their griefes. Theſe,Iob 16. 5. whoſe hearts are thus diſmayed and diſcomforted; languiſhing and fearing, and ready to faint within them, hadCant. 2. 4. 5. need to be carried into the Lords wine cellers of the holy Scriptures, that they may bee refreſhed and ſtayed withIſa. 66. 11. his flagons, and comforted with his apples; that thence they may ſucke, and be ſatisfied with the conſolations of God, to get ſtrength in the inner man againe: that ſo they faint not in theſe their fearings, through the enemies tentations. Such are to bee directed to got and liſten how graciouſly the Lord himſelfe (who is the father of mercies, and God of all conſolation) vouchſafeth euen in that place to ſpeake comfortably to the heart of her thatIere. 31. 13. 15. 16. 17. would not bee comforted (in a caſe not much vnlike to that which theirs now is): promiſing that hee would turne their mourning into ioy, that hee would comfort them, and make them reioyce from their ſorrow; willing Rachel to refraine her voyce from weeping, and her eyes from teares, for her children (which ſhee thought were not) ſhould come againe from the land of the enemy, and there was hope left for her that in the end the ſame her children (whom ſhe ſo mourned for) ſhould come again to their own border. Thus did ye Lord create the fruite of the lips to be peace to ſorrowfull Rachel in her vncomfortable mourning, ſpeaking ſuch words as were the beſt and moſt eaſing lenitiues that could poſſibly be deſired or wiſhed for, to be applied for the eaſing the ſmart of her grieued heart, in the caſe about which ſhe was ſo much diſquieted and perplexed. They were words ſpoken to Rachel no better fitting her turne, to lift vp her heart in comfort againe that was before ſo much caſt down; then being applied as a moſt ſoueraigne medicine (then the which there cannot be a more fitter prepared for the cure of ſuch a wound) vntounto theſe mournfull and ſorrowfull ſoules, whoſe hearts are ſo much caſt downe within them, as they are ready to faint and giuegive ouer their hope, for feare that all ſauing grace in them is quite extinct and gone: they being (I ſay) applied and fitted to the caſe and ſtate they now are in; they wil be able ſo to reuiue them in comfort againe, as their hearts ſhall be made to reioyce, and their very bones to flouriſh like an hearbe (as the Prophet ſpeaketh), and they themſeluesIſai. 66. 14. to laugh and ſing: yea they will bring them beautie for aſhes, the oyle of ioy for mourning, and the garmentIſai. 61. 3. of gladneſſe for the ſpirit of heauineſſe: that they may crie out with that ioyfull acclamation, how good is a word ſpoken in due ſeaſon? they are euen like apples of gold in pictures of ſiluer: for doubtleſſe if theſe ſauingProu. 25. 11. graces of faith vnfained, of true conuerſion, and beginning of the worke of regeneration; could euer be found to hauehave been wrought in their hearts by the finger of Gods ſpirit, and manifeſted in their liues by any kindly and naturall working, any way diſcernable to a ſpirituall eye; that it may be knowne they had once a ſound beginning and a true being in them; howſoeuer by meanes of the weakeneſſe of ſuch graces, and ſtrength of ſome grieuous tentation, the courſe of their effectuall working may ſeeme to be interrupted too ſoone: yet may they be willed (and that warrantably too) with Rachel, to refraine their voyce from weeping, and their eyes from teares; for theſe graces which they thinke are not, but to be quite periſhed and gone, are ſurely liuing and remaine faſt rooted within them; and in due time will ſpring forth and ſhew out their effectuall working. Againe, grace in time of ſome grieuous tentation, may be driuen into ſome narrow corner of the heart; as they that are in a Caſtle beſieged, may for ſauing their liues flie into ſome corner, ſome inward and ſecret place, and yet after come foorth and ſhew themſelues againe. There is hope therefore for ſuch in the end (whatſoeuer they either feare or feele to be for the preſent) that theſe gifts of God whichFidem nemo vnquam perdidit, niſi qui non babuit. are without repentance, and graces which are indeleble, and neuer faile the hauers of them, ſince they are begotten of ſeede that is immortall, and neuer can dye; howſoeuer by the force of tentation they now are ſo nipped, and bitten, as hearbes and plants are with the ycie teeth of the winter, ſo as they are faine to keepe their ſappe cloſe in the roote, out of which they doe grow; yet when the winter ſhall be paſt, the ſtorme of tentations be ouer and gone; and the ioyfull ſpring time of conſolation be once come, that it is as when the ſinging of the birds be come,Cant. 2. 11. 12. and when the voyce of the Turtle be heard in the land; (as Chriſt ſpeaketh to the Spouſe) then ſhall theſe ſauing graces with freſh vigour reuiue and get ſtrength againe; then ſhall they ſprout and flouriſh goodly, and ſhooting out their buds, and bearing out their bloſſomes, and yeelding foorth their fruite in all abundance; euen the fruit of ſure and laſting ioy, which ſhall ſatiate the ſoules of thoſe heauie mourners as with fatnes, and make them becomeIere. 31. 14. ſatisfied with goodneſſe; then ſhall the light of comfort breake foorth vponupon theſe cloudy and darke hearts, euen as the morning; and the health of theſe languiſhing and fainting ſoules ſhall grow ſpeedily: light ſhall ariſe vntounto them out of all their obſcuritie, and their darkneſſe ſhall be as the noone day, their ſoules ſhall be ſatisfied in all this drought of theirs; and their bones be made fat; their hearts Iſai. 58. 8. 10. 11ſhall be like gardens that are watered, and their comforts like ſprings of water, whoſe waters faile not.
Q. But if theſe graces may hauehave but their working only interrupted and letted for a time, and their being not wholly deſtroyed, nor they at any time ſo extinguiſhed, as to be made to faile for altogether (as you ſeeme to affirme): why is it that many of Gods worthie ſeruants, whom God hath giuen great meaſure of ſuch ſauing grace vntounto; hauehave yet at times complained of the want of ſuch grace, as if they had wholly loſt them; and al were ſo quenched, as if there were no one ſparkle of them remaining any more. As looke vponupon Dauids faith, who for a while beleeued, and then he ſpake confidently; but within a little time after that, that faith of his ſeemed ſo to faile him; as if Gods promiſes had had little certaintie in him, and the Prophets themſelues that brought them, and publiſhed them vntounto him, were no better then lyars: I ſaid in my haſte (ſaith he) that all men are lyars. Againe, ſee the Pſal. 116. 10. 11.failing of his comfort, and the hope hee had in God when hee ſaid in his haſte; I am cut off, or caſt out of the ſight of thine Pſal. 31. 22.eyes: and how doth he pray to God elſewhere that hee would not caſt him away from out of his preſence, nor take his holie Pſal. 51. 11.ſpirit from him. As though theſe were but looſeable graces, gifts and fauours; which God for ſome time had beſtowed vponupon him, ſo as they might when he pleaſed be yet taken from him againe.
A. I would inſtance in no other example to make good my former aſſertion, then in that, and the like vntountoFaith neuer loſt. it which you hauehave now produced, to make it be doubted of and called into queſtion whether it ſhould be ſo or not. For that thoſe in whom pretious faith and repentance vntounto life hauehave been euer ſoundly wrought, and the worke of regeneration in any meaſure hath once been truly begun: that ſuch (I ſay) being ſo in the ſtate of grace, are ſure neuer quite to fall from God, for any thing that afterwards can happen; and that ſuch ſauing graces can neither totally nor finally be loſt of them that hauehave once receiued them. Wee may ſee it true by the examples of thoſe againſt whom Satan hath bent all his force, and laid as it were his cannon ſhot; endeuouring (if it had bin poſſible) to hauehave ouerthrowne them: as of Dauid, Salomon, Peter, and ſuch other men, who hauehave been in the greateſt danger that way, in whom their faith and life of grace hauehave ſeemed in a manner to hauehave been quite extinguiſhed: partly by ſecuritie, partly by the ſtrength of tentation, wherewith they were ſorely aſſailed: and yet wee know theſe were the Lords Worthies, whom no power of the enemie was euer able to preuaile againſt, or finally to ouercome, and their graces, though much eclipſed for a time, yet gloriouſly recouering themſelues againe, and ſhining out with a more perfect brightneſſe in ſome of them, then euer before was ſeene. The reaſon of it is, forCertaintie. that God is the Lord and changeth not, his gifts and calling Mal. 3. 6. Rom. 11. 29.to his children are without repentance, he will not take his ſauing mercies and graces from them for euermore, but whom he loueth he loueth to the end. And becauſe Gods ſeruantsIohn 13. 1. ſtand not by their owne ſtrength, but by the power of God (as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh): they are kept by the1. Pet. 1. 5. power of God, as in a caſtle ſtrongly fenced: this ſecond being a benefit equall to the firſt, to keepe vsus in a happie ſtate after we once are brought into it. For what benefit were it to a man to hauehave poſſeſſion giuen him of a rich Citie, or ſtrong Tower or Hold, and the enemie to beate him him out againe the next day? Touching thoſe inſtances you brought in of the failing of Dauids graces, there was neuer any totall abolition of ſuch graces in Dauid when hee was ſo fallen, but a ſoporation onelyonly, and a ſpirituall ſlumber that came vponupon them (as one of the FathersBernard. ſpeaketh): his faith indeed ſeemed to faile him for a time, and the comfort of his hope for a while to hauehave bin gone: but this was neither conceiued nor vttered of him out of any mature deliberation, or ſtaied and ſetled iudgment, when hee was well aduiſed with himſelfe what to determine; but out of a haſtie infirmitie, when ſtrength of tentation had ouerſet him; for hee profeſſed, hee ſpeakingPſal. 31. 22. and 116. 11. thus, did but ſpeake it in his haſte. And that Dauid being a worthy Prophet, and a man of great and heauenly knowledge, and of a ſound iudgement in the truth; yet in his heauineſſe did pray that God would not caſt him out of his preſence, nor take his holy ſpirit from him: this ſhewed a diſeaſed minde to be then in him, and a heart much diſtempered through his great diſtreſſe. So hard a thing is it for a man to keep himſelfe ſound, no not in the chiefe points and principles of religion, in times of ſore affliction and ſtrong tentation. For trouble and griefe will ſorely ſhatter a man: when a mans eyes are full of teares, it is no marueile if hee be found to miſſe euen in reading his owne pardon. Wee know the Lord had ſworne by his holineſſe, that hee would neuer faile Dauid; and his mercies beſtowed vponupon him were called the ſure mercies of Dauid: and though Dauid might feare in his weakneſſe, yet God had made a faithfull promiſe that he would not take his ſpirit from Dauid, as hee had taken him away from him that was before him. To conclude then this point, as wine failed euen in that banquetIohn 2. 3. at which Chriſt himſelfe was preſent; ſo comfort is ſometimes interrupted in that heart in which Chriſt himſelfe dwelleth: and as in the one he turned water into wine in the end; ſo in the other he will turne all ſorrow into endleſſe ioy and peace at the laſt. The comforts then of the godly are euerlaſting, the ſtate of grace they ſtand in is ſure and wil neuer faile them. Faith is an euer-abiding and vnconquerable grace; which al the force of the enemy can neuer deſtroy, nor cauſe to miſcarrie; which once being planted in the hart, can neuer be quite plucked vp againe, till that ſoule be ſaued, in which it euer did firſt take root.
Q. If all this be ſo which you hauehave ſpoken and ſet downe touching true faith, which is the faith of Gods Elect (according as for mine owne part I ſee no great reaſon to make any further doubt therein): namely, that true faith, whenſoeuer it is wrought and planted in a mans heart, it neuer faileth to ſaue eueryevery ſoule that hath it: and that the leaſt meaſure of ſauing faith, is as true faith as is the greateſt. And that true faith being once had, howſoeuer it may be winnowed and aſſailed, yet can it neuer be afterward loſt; till that ſoule be ſaued that euer truly had it, and was poſſeſſed thereof. I ſee that Excellency of faith.this grace of faith is moſt excellent, that thus bringeth ſaluation to eueryevery ſoule that ſo hath it; and that worthily it is called precious for it? how well may all that bee ſaid of it which Iob ſpeaketh of wiſedome, in the praiſing and extolling Iob 28. 13. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19.of the ſame, that man knoweth not the price therof: Gold ſhall not be giuen for it, neither ſhall ſiluer be waighed for the price therof. It ſhall not be valued with the wedge of the gold of Ophir; nor with the precious Onix, nor the Saphire: no mentiō is to be made of Corrall, nor of the Gabiſh; for faith is more precious then all theſe: the Topaze of Ethiopia ſhall not be equall vntounto it; neither ſhall it bee valued with the wedge of the moſt puregold. And (to conclude with that which you made the beginning, for exhorting all to labour about getting faith), I ſee the ſpeech may well be applied and ſpoken in particular for Prou. 4. 5. 7.the getting of faith, which you ſo remembred Salomon in his Prouerbs ſpake in generall of wiſedome for getting of vnderſtanding, viz. fully, iuſtly, and truly may it be ſaid to all; get faith, get the power of beleeuing, forget it not; faith is the principall thing, therefore get faith, and with all thy gettings get the grace of true beleeuing. According as the Apoſtle himſelfe putteth alſo this taske vponupon eueryevery Chriſtian diligently 2. Cor. 13. 5.to examine himſelfe; to ſift, trie, and prooue himſelfe whether he be in the faith or no: ſetting eueryevery one a worke about ſearching and finding out the true being of faith in them, vnderunder no leſſe penalty and damage, then is the loſſe of all their comfort of their being in Chriſt, and of the whole claime they doe make vntounto ſaluation by him; and of their abiding otherwiſe in no better eſtate then in the ſtate of plaine reprobates, that are ſure to be damned.
A. It is moſt true that you ſay this grace of faith is of an inualuable worth; it is the very hindge, vponupon which the gate of heauen turnes, which openeth it ſelfe to giuegive entrance to eueryevery one that hath it; but alwayes ſtands ſhut, keeping them out that come without it. Worthily therefore did the Apoſtle enioyne this vntounto vsus, to giuegive all diligence to make ſure worke about our faith, proouing and examining our ſelues how the caſe ſtandeth with vsus, touching the matter of our faith and true beleeuing; for he knew full well, that faith (of all other the graces of Gods ſpirit) is a grace moſt neceſſary to bee had of eueryevery one that deſireth to be ſaued, and that it is well worth the looking after, and labouring for, if happily with all our labour, our looking, and our ſeeking, it may be found and light vponupon: for it is a pearle of that price that who ſo is a wiſe Merchant, will ſell all that euer he hath to purchaſe and to get it. It is a find-all, and a Iewell of that worth and value, as who ſo knoweth it, will neuer giuegive ouer ſeeking till he hath found it; for he that findeth it, is made for euer by it: in finding it, he findeth life, and is ſure for euer to be ſaued by it. Such may reioyce indeede with the ioy of Gods people, and glory with Gods inheritance; yea, they may reioyce and triumph for euermore: and not onelyonly themfelues, but call in others of Gods ſeruants to reioyce together with them, and praiſe God hartily for his mercy this way ſhewed vntounto them, vponupon more waighty and iuſt occaſion, then did that woman mentioned in the parable in the Goſpell; who lighting aLuk. 15. 8. 9. candle, and ſweeping her houſe, and finding her Groat, called in her neighbours to reioyce▪ with her, becauſe that her Groat that was loſt before, was now found againe. Neither is it more comfortable then it is poſſible to hauehave this effected; that by prouing we may finde that we hauehave true faith, and ſo by conſequent come to hauehave aſſurance of being ſaued; otherwiſe ſhould we neuer beFaith may be knowne. commanded thus to endeauour to goe about to doe it; for howſoeuer vnderunder the law precepts were giuen of things that were impoſſible, that wee might know our owne weakneſſe: yet vnderunder the Goſpell precepts are giuen of things though hard to be done, yet of things that poſſibly may be done, and well may bee attained vntounto, that the power of Chriſt his grace may thereby be made the more manifeſt, and the better to appeare: as when we are commanded to beleue and to prooue and to try our ſelues whither wee truly doe beleeue. But though it be true that faith by ſearching may be felt, and found out; being once vndoubtedly had, that it cannot finally and for euer be loſt againe: yet it is as true that through the default of the hauer, neglecting to vſe the meanes to hauehave it goe well with his faith, whereby the vigour of it, and liuely operation and working of the ſame may be ſhewed forth: the comfortable feeling of the preſence of faith may be ſo loſt to ſuch a man: and through his no betterFeeling may be loſt. looking to it, nor looking after it; ſo may faith it ſelfe be to ſeeke, as if neither were at all, nor neuer had been before in ſuch a heart; neither will the comfort of it be had againe, nor faith it ſelfe be euer light vponupon and diſcerned to hauehave any reſidence or certaine being there, tillby a long labour of ſeeking, looking, ranſacking, and ſearching all the roomes and corners of the heart, all the courſes and carriages of the life, hauing alſo the light of beſt direction out of the word of God lighted vp vntounto vsus for our furtherance herein; the ſame may happily at length be diſcerned where it is remaining, and to hauehave (though in weake manner) yet ſtill a true being; which may ſeeme in ſome ſort to be exemplified by this phraſe and manner of ſpeaking thus vſed by the Apoſtle, willing vsus to proue our ſelues whether we be in the faith; and againe, to examine our ſelues, and to know our ſelues; doubling and re-doubling the charge vponupon vsus. Which may giuegive vsus to vnderſtand, that as falſe faith may eaſily, without good examination and triall, be taken for true faith; ſo that true faith it ſelfe is not ſo readily to be diſcerned, vnleſſe there bee ſome narrow ſearch and triall made about it, and proofe to finde it out: for otherwiſe, what need ſhould there be of all this prouing, examining, and trying whether we be in the faith or not; which the Apoſtle heere ſo earneſtly doth enioyne, if it were obuious, and a thing alwaies ready to be found out and receiued by vsus?