Seven Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 7
CHAP. 7. What deſire breedes faith.
BVt ſeeing it were both long to ſtand in preſcribing remedie againſt all theſe lets, and the way for all, hath been ſet downe to come by faith alreadie: I will therefore briefly ſtirre vp and aduiſe ſuch as are in good way, and hauehave made ſome good entrance, that they may ſee what to take heede of, and what to imbrace, and to ſeeke faith by the meanes, and in the manner which before I hauehave ſet downe, and a little to ſtrengthen them after they hauehave attained to any true meaſure of it. Wherein it is to be marked (becauſe I before highly commended a good deſire) that a naked and bare deſire of ſaluation, now and then ſtirred vp in men, is not to beleeue, as many thinke, although without any ground: But ſeeing ſuch as hauehave a deſire ſometime, are they for the moſt part, whom God doth make beleeuers (for while men are voide of that, there is little hope to be conceiued of them) I will therefore ſhew (for the helpe of them who doe anything looke after true happines) what deſire it ought to be, and whereto it groweth if it be true and ſincere, that it may not deceiue them. For we may finde many, who hauehave ſometime deſired it earneſtly, and yet neuer obtained it, as Balaam, that a man could hardly hauehave ſhewed any difference betwixt their deſiring of it, and the deſire of ſuch as hauehave attained to it indeede, for that inſtant. But in time it hath appeared, that it was but ſudden, or of ſhort continuance, and failed before it obtained that which it ſought: as by them who in the Goſpell are ſaid to hauehave ioyed in that which they deſired to heare, Mat. 13.20.21 True deſire giues not ouer.but it vaniſhed; whereas the deſire of the other cannot be ſatisfied without it: but mourneth, and longeth for it, and pineth for ſorrow when any thing commeth in the way, to weaken the hope, which was conceiued of it, till that bee remoued, which hindred them from that benefit. Therfore ſuch muſt know that their deſire, which is ſometime fleeting and ſomtime faint, muſt become both feruent and conſtant: as in the parable of the pearle may be ſeene:Matth. 13.45. That as ſoone as it was found, the value of it being knowne of the skilfull Merchant, he neuer reſted till he had gotten it for his owne: for wee muſt know that he, who thus deſireth it, is forcibly drawne hereunto by God, who hath ſhewed him his great neede of it, and what he ſhall gaine by it, and thereby hath prepared and made him fit to receiue it: for otherwiſe,High account of it. if God draw not men to the valuing of it, it is of no account with them.
Now further, this deſire, if it be the worke of Gods ſpirit, is ſtrengthened hereby: namely, while hee prizeth, and valueth it according to the worthines of it, as farre as he is able: that is to ſay, thus, that in his account it farre ſurmounteth, and excelleth all the world, with whatſoeuer is of account in it: he eſteemeth of it, as a moſt pretious treaſure to beleeue: becauſe hee knoweth that he which beleeueth is deare vntounto God, and ſhall be ſaued.Luk. 7.50.
And ſo muſt faith and aſſurance of eternall life be valued indeed,2. Pet. 1.1. of him who ſhall finde the bleſſing of it: for which cauſe S. Peter calleth it pretious faith. Now who can eſteeme thus of it, as that it is better then all profit, pleaſure and preferment, but he muſt needes thinke, all his praying for it, hearing the word which worketh it, his queſtioning about it, and his trauaile and labour in meditating of the promiſes, whereby the ſpirit of God writeth it in the heart: but he (I ſay) muſt needes thinke all his paines well beſtowed in ſeeking it, yea and infinitly recompenced, though he hath long waited the Lords leiſure for the enioying of it? Al which meanes another man thinketh very needleſſe, and that it is meere follie to make all this adoe to come by it; and yet he will ſay it is better then the world alſo: but he can content himſelfe (when he hath heard the promiſe) without any ſetting of his deſire in it, to waſh away all with a word of courſe, that he hopeth to be ſaued by Ieſus Chriſt, as well as other: Which ſlight eſteeming of it, is too cleere a token,Difference betwixt ſound and vaine deſire. how farre hee is from it. Now who ſeeth not the difference betwixt theſe two, to be this, that the one is led by the ſpirit of God, whereby the father of heauen doth reueale this ſecret myſterie of faith to him, and doth wonderfully draw his heart vntounto it: the other is led by fleſhly reaſon, as his guide: which is the greateſt enemie to this worke? For our reaſon thinketh it vnneceſſarie to ſet more by that which we cannot ſee with carnal eyes, then by that which we hauehave in preſent poſſeſſion, and ſee it, handle it, enioy, and vſe it: therefore no man doing thus, is led by the ſpirit of God, which aſſureth him, who is led by it, that God hauing promiſed glorie greater then the world (though hee ſeeth it not) he ſhall finde no leſſe, then is promiſed: therefore he ſetteth more by it, then by all things here before his eyes.
And this is the way to beleeue in God indeede, though wee ſee him not, that by this our confidence in him, wee may hauehave ioy and peace. And becauſe this faith is counted farre more pretious then all worldly wealth: therefore he who thus accounteth of it, will ſet himſelfe to ſeeke it willingly and readily,Heart vponupon Gods promiſes. as I ſaid before. And therfore as the word teacheth him, he will hauehave his heart vponupon the promiſes of God, becauſe they are his treaſure, muſing on them, vntill he hath al difficulties and doubts of any moment, remoued from him,Gods will we ſhould beleeue. which God for his part will not be vnwilling to graunt. And in his meditation he ſhall ſee that he is not more deſirous to beleeue, then God is that hee ſhould ſo doe: hee ſeeth that God, for his greater aſſurance of it, doth through louelove intreate him:2. Cor. 5.19. 1. Tim. 1.15. 1. Ioh. 3.13. of friendſhip counſelleth him, and of his authoritie being able to performe, commandeth him to beleeue: as if hee would hereby ſhew that none hath authoritie to hinder or forbid the ſame: He ſeeth further, that as hee may receiue this promiſe, hauing ſo ſtrong incouragement, ſo he can no otherwiſe be ſaued, nor happie. All this hee ſeeing, and weighing deeply, beginneth to ſtay himſelfe, and to lay faſter and ſurer hold on eternall life: and ſeeth that it cannot otherwiſe be, but that he ſhould be ſaued, how farre ſoeuer he was from this perſwaſion before. And now he beginneth to conclude with himſelfe, that he is deliuered indeed from all feare of hell, and the diuell: for hereby his heart is more humbled and meekened to be ſubiect to the will and gouenment of God, without which, this faith is not attained. To whom this counſell yet is to be giuen (though he be come to ſuch great preferment) that after hee hath by the forementioned meanes gotten this faith and confidence, that he beware of all occaſions which may darkē or put out the light of it: As that he be not too bold to reaſon and queſtion againſt himſelfe for yeelding to this truth lately receiued, and beleeued of him, before he be well grounded, and hauehave gotten ſome experience, but follow his rule that guideth him:Jf any doubting ariſe. for example, If any doubting ſhould ariſe, any lying ſpirit ſhould ſuggeſt, and trouble him with feare of falling away hereafter, or that he cannot tell whether he be predeſtinate or no, or that many hauehave been as forward as hee, and yet hauehave in the end fallen from God, or any ſuch like: he is to be counſelled to hold them all for ſpirits of errour, and Sathans inſtruments to delude and terrifie him. And becauſe they ſpeak otherwiſe then Gods voyce, which ſaith, Beleeue, lay hold of eternall life, cast not away thy confidence, Iohn 3. 1. Tim. 6. Matth. 13. Coloſſ. 2.5. Ioh. 10.27.who alſo ſaith: The plants of the Lord ſhall flouriſh and grow vp as the graine of muſtard ſeede, till it hauehave branches and bowes: And againe, Be ye eſtabliſhed, confirmed, and abound in faith. Therefore he is to lend no eare to thē; remembring that which is written: My ſheepe heare my voyce, and the voyce of a ſtranger they will not heare. It was the firſt degree to the vtter vndoing of her ſelfe,Not to hearken to any contrary voyce. Gen. 3. and her poſteritie, in our grandmother Eue; that when God had giuen libertie to eate of all the trees, excepting one; that ſhe reſted not in this word, but opened her eare to a falſe and lying ſpirit, in the mouth of the ſerpent, which vnderunder a faire colour, perſwaded, or rather couertly inticed, & drew her (contrarie to the word of God) to eate of that one tree alſo, which was forbidden: whereas ſhe ſhould hauehave been aſtoniſhed to hauehave heard the Serpent ſpeake at all, eſpecially in that manner. It is a dangerous thing to ſet ſo light by the word which God ſpeaketh, that wee dare ſo much as hearken to any voyce which ſpeaketh the contrarie. For ſhe by giuing eare to the Serpent went further, and gaue him ſpeech alſo: and yet neither ſuch ſpeech, as wherby ſhe cut him off by holding her ſelfe to Gods word; neither (if ſhe would needes anſwere) referring him to her husband (as ſhe ſhould hauehave done) who heard God ſpeake, and receiued the charge of not eating of eueryevery tree, from himſelfe.
We muſt learne ſome wiſedome of the Adder,Pſal. 58.5. who ſtoppeth both her eares that ſhe may not heare the voyce of the charmer, charme he neuer ſo wiſely. And if any doubt doe ſo trouble him, who hath attained through Gods grace to this weake faith, let him aske of them who hauehave inſtructed him,Act. 2.38. the men and brethren, who if they hauehave kindly pricked, can as well skill to heale: and therefore alſo remoue ſuch doubts, as for want of ſure laying hold on the promiſe, hauehave troubled any.
And further, if he which is weake in faith, after laying ſure hold,Remedie againſt feare of continuance. ſhall yet be diſmaied thus, that hee cannot keepe (for any continuance) his faith ſtrong and ſtedfaſt; but feeleth it flitting: he is to be anſwered, that a childe which beginneth to go by a ſtoole or forme, is not ſtrengthened, as he which is by long vſe and cuſtome ſetled in his ioynts: in like manner it fareth with weake beleeuers: and yet, after that ſuch ſhall hauehave experience of their own ſinceritie, and care,Matth. 11.29. to keepe a good conſcience in longer continuance of time, they ſhall be well and fully ſetled in their faith, to their great contentment and comfort.
And thus I conclude, that what lets ſoeuer there be,Concluſion of the former. which hinder men from beleeuing (as that they be vnworthie: they ſhall fall againe to their old courſe: they ſhall neuer be able to attaine to it: or if they hauehave not like certaintie of it alwaies, therefore they conclude, that they neuer had any at all, or any ſuch like) yet he who earneſtly deſireth it, will not vtterly faint, except in temptation, when hee muſt bee well plied, and helped; and when hee is not his owne to guide himſelfe aright: nor ceaſe or giuegive ouer till he be perſwaded that all teares are wiped away: and therfore will refuſe no meanes to attaine to it, by attending on God, and waiting his leiſure, & reuerently conſidering the incouragements and perſwaſions which hauehave been ſet downe,Luk. 22.31. Luk. 12.32. Ioh. 13.1. & 10 27. & 17. that ſo he may lay ſure and ſtrong hold of Gods promiſes and Chriſts prayer for him, I hauehave prayed that thy faith faile not (as one in his caſe may doe) and ſo by little and little ſhall ſee himſelfe to be in the number of true beleeuers, no more to be caſt out from them.