A Golden Chain, Conclusion 3 – Conclusion 5
III. Conclusion.
A constant and earnest desire to be reconciled to God, to beleeue and to repent, if it be in a touched heart, is in acceptation with God, as reconciliation, faith, repentance it selfe.
The Exposition.
LVst or desire is twofold, naturall and supernaturall. Naturall is that, whose beginning and obiect is in nature, that is, which ariseth of the naturall will of man; and anecteth such things as are thought to be good according to the light of nature. And this kind of desire hath his degrees, yet so as they are all limited within the compasse of nature. Some desire riches, honours, pleasures, some learning and knowledge: because it is the light and perfection of the minde: some goe further and seeke after the vertues of iustice, temperance, liberalitie, &c. and thus many heathen men hauehave excelled. Some againe desire true happinesse, as Balaam did, who wished to die the death of the righteous: because it is the propertie of nature to seeke the preseruation of it selfe. But here nature staies it selfe: for where the minde reueales not, the will affects not. Supernaturall desires are such as both for their beginning and obiect, are aboue nature, for their beginning is from the holy Ghost, and the obiect or matter about which they are conuersant, are things diuine and spirituall, which concerne the kingdome of heauen: and of this kind are the desires of which I speake in this place. Againe, that we may not be deceiued in our desires, but may the better discerne them from flittering & fleeting motions, I adde three restraints. First of all, the desire of reconciliation, the desire to beleeue, or the desire to repent, &c. must be constant and hauehave continuance, otherwise it may iustly be suspected. Secondly, it must be earnest and serious, though not alwaies, yet at sometimes, that we may be able to say with Dauid, My soule desireth after thee, O Lord, as the thirstie lād. And, as the heart braieth after the riuers of water, so panteth my soule after thee, O God: my soule thirsteth for God, euen the liuing god. Thirdly, it must be in a touched heart: for when a man is touched in conscience, the heart is cast down, and (as much as it can) it withdrawes it selfe from God. For this cause, if then there be any spirituall motions whereby the heart is lift vp vntounto God, they are without doubt from the spirit of God. Thus then I auouch, that the desire of reconciliation with God in Christ, is reconciliation it selfe: the desire to beleeue, is faith indeede, and the desire to repent, repentance it selfe. But marke how: A desire to be reconciled is not reconciliation in nature (for the desire is one thing and reconciliation is an other) but in Gods acceptation: for if we being touched throughly for our sinnes, doe desire to hauehave them pardoned, and to be at one with God, God accepts vsus as reconciled. Againe desire to beleeue, it is not faith in nature, but onelyonly in Gods acception, God accepting the will for the deede. That this doctrine is the will and word of God, it appeares by these reasons. First of all, God hath annexed a promise of blessednes, and of life euerlasting, to the desire of grace. Math. 5. Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousnes, for they shall be satisfied. Ioh. 7.38. If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke. Reu. 21. I will giuegive vntounto him which is a thirst of the well of the water of life freely.
Now what is this, to thirst? properly it is, when we are in a drought or drinesse, and want drinke to refresh vsus, to desire it. And therefore by a resemblance, they are saide to thirst after righteousnesse, that want it and would hauehave it, and they thirst after Christ that feele themselues out of Christ, and desire, yea, long after the blood of Christ, that they might bee refreshed with it in their consciences. Here then we see that the desire of merciemercy, in the want of merciemercy, is the obtaining of merciemercy, and the desire to beleeue in the want of faith, is faith. Though as yet thou want firme and liuely grace, yet art thou not altogether void of grace, if thou canst desire it, thy desire is the seed, conception, or budde of that which thou wantest: nowe is the spring time of the ingrafted worde or the immortall seede cast into the furrowes of thy heart: waite but a while, vsing good meanes, and thou shalt see that leaues, blossoms, and fruites will shortly followe after: Secondly, the desire of any good thing is accepted of God, as the liuely inuocation of his holy name, Psal. 10. God heareth the desires of the poore. Psal. 145. Hee will fulfill the desire of them that feare him. When Moses said nothing, but onelyonly desired in heart the helpe and protection of God at the red sea, the Lord said vntounto him: why criest thou vntounto me? Exod. 14. And when wee knowe not to pray as wee ought… Paul saith, that the spirit maketh request by the inward groanes of the heart. Rom. 8.26… Hence I gather, when a man in his weakenes praies with …ighes and groanes, for the gift of liuely faith, the want whereof he finds in himselfe; his very praier on this manner made, is as truely in acceptation with God, as the praier made in liuely faith. Thirdly to the testimonie of Scripture, I adde the testimonies of Godly and learned men, not to prooue the doctrine in hand, but to shewe a consent, and to prooue thus much that the thing which I auouch is no priuat phantasie of any man:aPsal. 36.Augustine saieth, Let thy desire be before him, and thy father which seeth in secret shall rewarde thee openly: for thy de…ire is thy praier, and if thy desire be continuall, thy praier is continuall. Hee addes further in the same place, that the desire is a continuall voice, and the crie of the heart, and the inward inuocation of God, which may bee made without intermission. Againe,bExposit. Epist. Ioh. tract. 4. de cap. 3. The whole life of a good christian, is an holy will and desire. And that which thou desirest thou seest not: but by desiring art, as it were, inlarged and made capable, that when it shall come which thou shalt see, thou maiest be filled. cSuper can. Serm. 84.Bernard saith, What, is not desire a voice? Yea a very strong voice. God heareth the desire of the poore, and a continuall desire, though we speake nothing, is a voice continued. dTom. 4. p. 124.Luther saith, Christ is then truely omnipotent, and then truely raignes in vsus, when we are so weak that we can scarce giuegive any groane. For Paul saith, that one such groane is a strong crie in the eares of God, filling both heauen and earth. eIb. fol. 156.Againe, very fewe knowe howe weake and small faith and hope is vnderunder the crosse and in temptation. For it appeares then, to be as smoaking flaxe, which a good blast of winde would presently put out: but such as beleeue in these combates, and terrours against hope, vnderunder hope, that is, opposing themselues by faith in the promises of Christ against the feeling of sinne, and the wrath of God, doe finde afterward, that this little sparke of faith (as it appeares to reason, which hardly perceiueth it) is peraduenture as the whole element of fire which filleth all heauen, and swalloweth vp all terrours and sinnes. fIb. fol. 300.Again, the more we finde our vnworthinesse and the lesse we finde the promises to belong vntounto vsus, the more we must desire them, be…ing assured that this desire doeth greatly please God, who desireth and willeth that his grace should be earnes…ly desired: This doeth faith, which iudgeth it a pretious thing, and therefore greatly hungereth and …hirs…eth after it, and so obtaines it. For God is delighted to fill the hungrie with good things, and to send the rich emptie away. hResp. ad Acta Col. loq. Monpel.Theodore Beza saith, If thou finde not thine heart inwardly touched, pray that it may be touched: for then must thou knowe that this desire is a pledge of the fathers good will to thee. iLocor. cō par. 1.Kimnitius saith, When I hauehave a good desire, though it doe scarcely shewe it selfe in some little and slender sigh, I must bee assured that the spirit of God is present, and worketh his good work. kCatech.Vrsinus saith, Faith in the most holy men in this life is vnperfect and weake. Yet neuerthelesse, whosoeuer feeles in his heart an earnest desire to beleeue, and a striuing against his naturall doubtings, both can and m…st assure himselfe that he is indued with true faith. Againe, Wicked men doe not desire the grace of the holy spirit, whereby they may resist sinne. And therefore they are iustly depriued of it: for hee that earnestly desireth the holy Ghost, hath it alreadie: because this desire of the spirit cannot be but from the spirit: as it is saide, Blessed are they that hunger & thirst after righteousnesse, for they shall be satisfied. lEpistle to Carelesse.Bradford saith, Thy sinnes are vndoubtedly pardoned, &c. for god hath giuen thee a penitent and beleeuing heart: that is, an heart which desireth to repent and beleeue: for such an one is taken of him (hee accepting the will for the deede) for a penitent and beleeuing heart indeede. mBooke of the markes of Gods children.Taffine saith, Our faith may be so small and weake, as it doth not yet bring forth fruits, that may be liuely felt of vsus, but if they which feele themselues in such estate, desire to hauehave these feelings (namely of Gods fauour and louelove) if th…y aske them at Gods hand by praier; this desire and praier are testimonies that the spirit of God is in thē, and that …ey hauehave faith alreadie: for is such a desire, a fruite of the flesh, or of the spirit? It is of the holy spirit, who bringeth it forth onelyonly in such as he dwells in, &c. Then these holy desires and praiers beeing the motions of the holy Ghost in vsus, are testimonies of our faith, although they seeme to vsus small and weake. As the woman that feeleth the mooning of a childe in her body, though very weak, assureth her selfe that shee hath conceiued, and that shee goeth with a liue childe: so if we hauehave these motions, these holy affections, and desires before mentioned, let vsus not doubt but that we hauehave the holy Ghost (who is the author of them) dwelling in vsus, and consequently that we hauehave also faith. Againe he saith, If thou hast begun to hate and flee sinne, if thou feelest that thou art displeased at thine infirmities, corruptions: if hauing offended God, thou feelest a griefe and a sorrow for it: if thou desire to abstaine: if thou thou auoidest the occasions: if thou trauailest to doe thy endeauour: if thou praiest to God to giuegive thee grace: all these holy affections proceeding from none other then from the spirit of God, ought to be so many pledges, and testimonies that hee is in thee.
nPsal. 6.Master Knokes saith, Albeit your paines sometimes bee so horrible, that you finde no release nor comfort, neither in spirit nor bodie, yet if thy heart can onelyonly sob vntounto God, despaire not, you shall obtaine your hearts desire. And destitute you are not of faith: for at such time as the flesh, naturall reason, the lawe of God, the present torment, the deuill at one doe crie, God is angrie, and therefore there is neither helpe nor remedie to be hoped for at his handes: at such time I say, to sob vntounto God, is the demonstration of the secret seede of God which is hidde in Gods elect children: and that onelyonly sob is vntounto God a more acceptable sacrifice, then without this crosse, to giuegive our bodies to be burnt euen for the truthes sake. More testimonies might be alleadged, but these shall su…fice.
Against this point of doctrine it may bee alleadged: that, if desire to beleeue in our weakenesse bee faith indeede; then some are iustified and may be saued wanting a liuely apprehension and full perswasion of Gods merciemercy in Christ. Answere. Iustifying faith in regard of his nature is alwaies one and the same, and the essentiall propertie thereof is to apprehend Christ with his benefits, and to assure the very conscience thereof. And therefore without some apprehension and assuranee there can be no iustification or saluation in them that for age are able to beleeue. Yet there be certaine degrees, and measures of true faith. There is a strong faith, which causeth a full apprehension and perswasion of Gods mercy in Christ. This measure of faith the Lord vouchsafed Abraham, Dauid, Paul, the Prophets, and Apostles, and Martyrs of God. It were a blessed thing, if all beleeuers might attaine to this height of liuely faith, to say with Paul, I am perswaded, that neither life, nor death, nor any thing else, shall be able to separate vsus from the louelove of God in Christ: but all cannot; therefore there is another degree of faith lower then the former, and yet true faith, called a little or weake faith, and it also hath a power to apprehend and apply the promise of saluation, but as yet by reason of weakenesse, it is infolded (as it were) and wrapt vp in the heart, as the leafe and blossome in the budde. For such persons as hauehave this weake faith, can say indeede that they beleeue their sinnes to bee pardonable, and that they desire to hauehave them pardoned: but as yet they cannot say, that they are without all doubt pardoned. And yet the merciemercy of God is not wanting vntounto them… …or in that they doe, and can desire, and indeauour to apprehend, they doe indeede apprehend; God accepting the desire to doe the thing, for the thing done. This which I say, will the better appeare if the groundes thereof bee considered. Faith doeth not iustifie in respect of it selfe, because it is an action, or vertue: or because it is strong, liuely, and perfect: but in respect of the obiect thereof, namely, Christ crucified, whome faith apprehendeth as hee is set forth vntounto vsus in the word and sacraments. It is Christ that is the author, & matter of our iustice, and it is he that applieth the same vntounto vsus: as for faith in vsus, it is but an instrument to apprehend and receiue that which Christ for his part offereth and giueth. Therefore, if faith erre not in his proper obiect, but followe the promise of God, though it doe weakly apprehend, or at the least cause a man onelyonly to endeauour and desire to apprehend, it is true faith, and iustifieth. Though our apprehension be necessarie, yet our saluation standes rather in this, that God apprehendes vsus for his owne, then that we apprehend him. Phil. 3.12.
Out of this conclusion springes another, not to bee omitted, that God accepts the indeauour of the whole man to obey, for perfect obedience it selfe.
THat is, if men indeauour to please God in all things, God will not iudge their doings by the rigour of the lawe: but will accept their little and weake indeauour, to doe that which they can doe by his grace, as if they had perfectly fulfilled the lawe. But here remember I put this caueat, that this indeauour must be in and by the whole man; the very minde, conscience, wil, & affections, doing that which they can in their kinds: and thus this indeauour, which is a fruite of the spirit, shall be distinguished from ciuill righteousnes, which may bee in heathen men. The trueth of this conclusion appeares by that which the Prophet Malachi saith, that God will spare them that feare him, as a father spares his childe: who accepts the thing done, as well done, if the child shewe his good will, to please his father, and to doe what he can.
IV. Conclusion.
To see and feele in our selues the want of any grace, and to be grieued therefore, is the grace it selfe.
The Exposition.
VNderstand this conclusion as the former, namely, that griefe of heart for the want of any grace necessarie to saluation, is as much with God as the grace it selfe. When being in distresse, wee cannot pray as we ought, God accepts the very groanes, sobbes, and sighes of the perplexed heart, as the praier it selfe. Rom. 8. 26. When we are grieued, because we cannot bee grieued for our sinnes, it is a degree and measure of godly sorrowe before God.Con. 4. lib. 1. ad Simplic. in fine. Augustine saith well: Sometimes our praier is luke-warme, or rather colde and almost no praier: nay sometime it is altogither no praier at all, and yet we cannot with griefe perceiue this in our selues: for if we can but grieue, because we cannot pray, we nowe pray indeede. Hierome saith,Lib. 1. contract. Pelagium. Then we are iust when wee acknowledge our selues to be sinners: Againe, this is the true wisdome of man, to knowe himselfe to be imperfect: And (that I may so speake) the perfection of all iust men in the flesh is imperfect: Augustine againe saith, That the vertue which is now in a iust man is thus far forth perfect, that vntounto the perfection thereof there belongs a true acknowledgemēt and an humble confession of the imperfection thereof. A broken and a contrite heart after an offence, is as much with God, as if there had beene no offence at all, and therefore so soone as Dauid after his grieuous fall, in heauinesse of heart confessed his sinne, saying in effect but th…s much: I hauehave sinned, the prophet in the name of the Lord, pronounceth t… pardon of his sinne in heauē, and that presently.
V. Conclusion.
He that hath begun to subiect himselfe to Christ and his word, though as yet he be ignorant in most points of religion: yet if he hauehave a care to increase in knowledge, & to practise that which he knoweth, he is accepted of God as a true beleeuer.
The Exposition.
SVndrie persons by the Euangelists are said to beleeue, which had onelyonly seene the miracles of Christ, and as yet had made no further proceedings but to acknowledge Christ to be the Messias, & to submit themselues to him and his doctrine, which afterward should be taught. On this maner the woman of Samaria beleeued, and many of the Samaritans vponupon her report: & a certaine ruler, by reason of a miracle, wrought vponupon his son, is said to beleeue, & all his houshould, Ioh. 4.42.52. when our Sauiour Christ commendeth the faith of the Apostles, tearming it a rock against which the gates of hel should not preuaile, it was not for the plētiful knowledge of the doctrine of saluatiō: for they were ignorant of many articles of faith, as namely, of the death, resurrection, ascension, and kingdome of Christ: but because they beleeued him to be the sonne of God, and the Sauiour of mankind, and they had withall resolued themselues to cleaue vntounto him, and the blessed doctrine of saluation which he taught, though as yet they were ignorant in many points. The holy Ghost commendeth the faith of Rahab when shee receiued the spies. Now this her faith was indeede but a seede and beginning of liuely faith: for then shee had onelyonly heard of the miracles done in Egypt, and of the deliuerance of the Israelites, and was thereupon smitten with a feare, and had conceiued a resolution with her selfe, to ioyne her selfe to the Israelites, and to worship the true God. Now these and the like are tearmed beleeuers, vponupon iust cause: for though they be ignorant as yet, yet their ignorance, shall be no continuing or lasting ignorance: and they hauehave excellent seedes of grace, namely, a purpose of heart to cleaue to Christ, and a care to profit in the doctrine of saluation.