Seven Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 12
CHAP. 12. The ſweete fruite and benefit of the preſeruing and confirming of our faith.
NOw if any thinke the looking to theſe meanes, and this daily diligence for the preſeruing of faith to be ouermuch, let them vnderſtand, that the benefit is moſt great which it bringeth. And if this anſwereth them not, let them heare the Apoſtle,1. Cor. 2.4. who ſaith, that our faith conſiſteth not in the wiſedome of men, but in the power of God: as if he ſhould ſay, that it is not a matter ſo ſoone wrought, as it is ſaid to be in vsus, but a gift wrought by God, and therefore (by ſeeking it, as he hath appointed) and to be nouriſhed, and continued, as hee hath preſcribed, which is by ofte recourſe to God, and much ſearching out of our hearts for and about the ſame. And therefore (as I hauehave ſaid) if men make it not the chiefeſt of all other things, as it is in it ſelfe,No outvvard meanes confirme faith, if we prize it not the beſt of all things. and hold it faſt, as the firſt and principall: it is not their hearing▪ and reading about it, nor their talking of it, that ſhall be able to profit them. I will rehearſe a ſpeech of a godly Chriſtian preacher, and one that deſerued to be heard, whom I hauehave oft been preſent with, when he vttered the ſame.
Whiles I thought verely (ſaid he) that I had faith,A pithie ſpeech of a vvorthie perſon. but yet held it not by the ſureſt grounds, I thought of it ſometimes, and was glad to thinke that I had it: holding my perſwaſion thereof, by ſuch euidences as I had before inioyed, rather then I could tell what ſure warrant I had then of it: but I tooke no great paine to cōfirme it by daily meditating on the promiſes, neither beſtowed any more diligence in and about that, then vppon other duties. But when I ſaw more cleerely how gainfull and beautifull a grace it is, and how I muſt liue by it, hauing no leſſe neede of it, then of the ayre to breathe in: I ſought more certaine ground of it, and that with greater care then I had before: and ſince I knew that I had it by more, and thoſe infallible arguments and teſtimonies, I could neuer be wearie of looking to and increaſing it (as I had learned how) but for ſome yeeres ſpace hauehave done, and do eueryevery day nouriſh and ſtrengthen it, and I recreate my ſelfe in thinking what benefit I hauehave by it, vntill my gaine thereby, and pleaſure therein, doe keepe me there with delight, more then in all paſtime; and the labour which I beſtow about it, is ſo farre from toyle or weariſomnes, that it is my greateſt ſolace: neither doe I thinke or feele my ſelfe to be armed to the well going through the affaires of the day, before I hauehave prepared my ſelfe thereto,Pſal. 9.14. by refreſhing my ſoule, with conſidering Gods aboundant louelove and fauour towards me, and reſt vppon it as mine owne. But when I hauehave done it, I am (by good heede taking) cheerefull, and in good eſtate, all the day after: and ſo I am (in reuerence be it ſpoken) ſaid he, perſwaded, that I ſhall continue to doe.
Now to make vſe of this Chriſtian ſpeech, becauſe it is according to knowledge, and I hauehave ſaid nothing of him, which is not as needfull for vsus; and his practiſe agreeth with the doctrine of the Scriptures: if wee will ſpeake eueryevery man the truth, what comfort, or well ordered eſtate can be in our liues any day without it? And when that true and liuely beholding of Gods gracious kindnes is not preſent with vsus to begin the day, what going forward in it, is to be looked for? but in vnſauourie lightnes, and ſo be deceiued:The chiefeſt thing eueryevery morning is to remember Gods louelove. or in care and ſorrow, and ſo bee diſquieted? Therefore if men were wiſe, they would ſee that they could not well want this any day; eſpecially ſeeing God hath giuen libertie to them to inioy ſuch ſweet communion with him by meanes of this pretious faith: but they would conſider their end, how vncertaine it is, as all other things which they inioy, and therfore be readie for it, at one time as well as another, which they might doe, if they held faſt their confidence, that bringeth with it ſo great reward. And how ſhall wee leade our whole life by faith, in our particular parts thereof, beleeuing that God will guide and bleſſe vsus, as we ſhall heare in the next Treatiſe, if wee be not firſt well ſeaſoned and acquainted with this iuſtifying faith?
But, alas, we verifie the ſaying of our Sauiour,Gods children not ſo wiſe for their good, as the bad for theirs. though to our great ſhame it may bee ſpoken: that the children of this world are wiſer in their kinde then we: who if they bee diſappointed of their deſire one way, hauehave twentie ſhifts to ſeeke it another. But it is too manifeſt, that the moſt part, euen of the better ſort, and thoſe who hauehave taſted of this faith and aſſurance alreadie, doe not thinke this poſſible to keepe, yea and increaſe it from day to day: and therefore go not about it, but are content to hold it by ſtarts, now and then, when it is reuiued in them by ſome ſpeciall helpe of preaching.Many good Chriſtians hauehave not halfe the comfort they might hauehave. Epheſ. 5.18. Deut. 33.12. Pſal. 90. And thus doing, they ſee not the twentith part of Gods bountie and fatherly affection towards them, who giueth them not ſome taſte now and then of his abundant louelove, but would hauehave them filled with it, and that continually; yea and thereby to be in ſafetie all the day long: which if many of Gods ſeruants did beleeue, as they doe any article of their faith, that it is true; how greatly ſhould their heauie hearts bee made ioyfull, and their heads lifted vp with cheerefulnes, whereas now deceiueable mirth, or vnprofitable ſorrow holdeth them downe, either at their labour, or from it, ſeeing they hauehave not this boldnes to reioyce in the Lord alwaies, and that becauſe they beleeue not alwaies, neither thinke that they may, or can poſſibly attaine to it.
And by this meanes, that they are ſo ofte caſt from their hold, of faith, and ſo of peace, and conſtancie therein, the diuell weakneth and holdeth backe ſundrie (which are comming on) by their example: thinking themſelues well in the caſe they are in, rather then in following them, except they ſaw ſome beautie and excellencie in their liues, more then is in themſelues.
Vnſetling of our ſelues from nouriſhing faith, is full of dangers.Beſides this, they not holding their perſwaſion for continuance, as well as for ſome ſpeciall time, doe bring much vnprofitablenes into their liues, and ſometimes daungerous outſtrayings, and giuegive many offences, which otherwiſe they ſhould not: by al which, their heauines is increaſed, and ſomtimes long lien in. And that which is hardeſt of all the reſt, they either dare not riſe vp againe out of their ſorrow, or know not how they ſhould: and ſo they make the moſt part of their life to bee very bondage, which through beleeuing ſhould be moſt ſweet libertie: & thereby inioy not many comfortable fruits of faith in their liues, which other Chriſtians doe. And whiles all this commeth to paſſe, we muſt needs ſay, that God is not honoured of them, nor his praiſes ſo in their hearts, as they ſhould, and might be; if they from time to time did nouriſh and liue by this their faith and confidence. But though I would hauehave it receiued, that much ſweetnes accompanieth this faith, yet I meane not here to ſet downe the priuiledges, which accompany it and a godly life; that is done in another place.
This ſpirit of bondage therefore, which holdeth them oft in feare, I earneſtly wiſh were abandoned: and that this wauering and needles doubting, which poſſeſſeth ſo great part of their life (eſpecially when any great affliction arreſteth them, or lieth long vponupon them) were as farre from them, as the Eaſt is from the Weſt: ſo that they might ſee the aboundant fauour of God farre greater towards them, then euer they did: and that by how much they may inioy it more vſually, then euer they thought it poſſible. And as for them that count their aduice and direction for the preſeruing of faith, they ſhall goe without the fruite of it; till they ſee that they loſt not their labour, who were thought to doe too much, ſeeing they did more then themſelues could be perſwaded to doe. Therfore (as I hauehave ſaid) let all ſuch, as to whom God hath ſealed vp their ſaluation by his ſpirit, by the which he hath giuen them an earneſt of it, be diligent to heare and marke the promiſes daily: ſo ſhall they waxe familiar, and well acquainted with the mind and purpoſe of God, howſoeuer the prophane worldlings make them common things, and are ſoone wearie of hearing thē. Let thē weigh thē alſo, and applie them to their owne ſoules daily by priuate meditation: let them learne of other the faithfull ſeruants of God, how they doe moſt eſpecially preſerue their faith. And let them be throughly perſwaded, that how croſſely ſoeuer things come to paſſe, yet the Lord ſeeketh their good by them, and doth not delight in their ſorrow and troubles: for if hee did, he could a thouſand waies make a riddance of them, but ſendeth them ſpecially for their benefit and good; ſo ſhall they grow rooted, and eſtabliſhed in their faith, as the graine of Muſtard ſeede, which after rooting becommeth a ſtalke,The longer we liue, the better we ſhould be. and hath branches and boughes: and as that groweth, ſo ſhall ſound peace and ſafetie, and ſtrength againſt their corruptions; yea and theſe meanes whereby it is preſerued, how weariſome ſoeuer they hauehave been ſometime, ſhall become eaſie and pleaſant, and from time to time more and more, ſo that they may be aſſured that they hauehave cauſe in all things to be thankfull. Many hauehave found ſmall cōfort through their life.And that ſhould be thought a rare and ſpeciall benefit, if wee conſider how many thouſands hauehave not an houre of this comfort through the yeere, no not through their whole life. And thus much to ſhew who is the Lords, and how the weake beleeuer is to be vpholden: and how he differeth from him who is not, and what graces accompanie them who beleeue; and how hee who hath faith ſhould grow till hee be ſetled; and what eaſe and gaine is found thereby. And by that which hath been ſaid in this treatiſe, it may bee gathered: that although this faith bee in ſubſtance one, and the ſame: yet that there are three degrees of it.2. Pet. 1.1. The firſt is the weakeſt and leaſt meaſure: when there is yet no aſſurance in the beleeuer; and yet inſeparable fruits, and infallible tokens of it: as I hauehave ſet down. The ſecond degree is, when ſome aſſurance is wrought in the beleeuer at ſome time, but very weake: and is often to ſeeke and wanting, and recouered againe by entring into due conſideration of his eſtate, and of the truth of God, who hath promiſed it. The third is the higheſt degree of it, though more ſtrong and better ſetled in ſome then in other: and this hath aſſurance accompanying it for the moſt part vſually, vnleſſe the beleeuer doe quench the ſpirit in himſelfe; or the Lord (to ſhew him that he ſtandeth by grace) do leaue him to himſelfe, for his owne glorie, and the better eſtabliſhing of him afterwards.
This I hauehave ſaid for their cauſe, who being tender and weake in faith, would deſire ſome helpe herein: the larger handling of the helpes is to bee ſought in the third part of this treatiſe, where the helps to preſerue the whole heart, and conſequently faith, and all godlines in the beleeuer, is ſet downe. Now I thinke it conuenient to leade forward this beleeuer to ſet this faith of his a worke by a godly life, and teach him what manner of courſe and eſtate that is: which is the ſecond treatiſe of this booke.
The end of the firſt part of this Treatiſe.