The Souls Conflict With Itself, Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII.
Other grounds of trusting in God: namely the Promises. And twelve directions about the same.
§ 1.
BUt for the better setling of our trust There must be a discovery of the mind of God, as well as of his nature.in God, a further discovery is necessary then of the nature and providence of God; for though the nature of God be written in the book of the Creatures in so great letters, as hee that runs may reade; and though the providence of God appeares in the order and use of things; yet there is another booke whereby to know the will of God towards us, and our duty towards him: We must therefore have a knowledge of the promises of God, as well as of his providence; for though God hath discovered himselfe most graciously in Christ unto us, yet had we not a word of promise, wee could not have the boldnesse to build upon Christ himselfe; therefore from the same grounds (that there is a God) there must be a revealing of the will of God, for else we can never have any firme trust in him further then hee offers himselfe to be trusted; Therefore hath God opened his heart to us in his word, and reached out so many sweet promises for us to lay hold on, and stooped so low, (by gracious condescending mixed with authority) as to enter into a covenant with us to perform all things for our good: for Promises are (as it were) the stay of the soule in an imperfect condition, and so is faith in them, untill all promises shall end in performance, and faith in sight, and hope in possession.
Now these promises are 1. for their 1.spring from whence they proceed, fre… ing agements of God; for if hee had not bound himselfe, who could? and 2. they are for their value pretious, and 3. for 2.their extent large, even of all things that conduce to happinesse; and 4. for their 3.vertue quickning and strengthning the 4.soule, as comming from the love of God, and conveying that love unto us by his Spirit in the best fruits thereof: and 5. for their certainty, they are as sure as the Love of God in Christ is, upon 5.which they are founded, and from which nothing can separate us. For all promises are either Christ himselfe, Rom 8. 39.(the promised seed) or else they are of good things made to us in him and for him, and accomplished for his sake; they are all made first to him as heire of the promise, as Angell of the covenant, as head of his body, and as our Elder brother, &c. for promises being the fruits of Gods love, and Gods love being founded first on Christ, it must needs follow that all the promises are both made, and made good to us in and through him, who is yesterday and to day, and for ever the same.Heb. 13. 8.
That wee should not call Gods love into question, he not onelyonly gives us his word, but a binding word his promise, 1.and not only a naked promise, but hath 2.entred into Covenant with us, founded upon full satisfaction by the blood of 3.Christ, and unto this Covenant sealed by the blood of the Lord JESUS, he hath added the seales of Sacraments, and unto this he hath added his oath, that there 4.might be no place left of doubting to 5.the distrustfull heart of man; there is no way of securing promises amongst men, but God hath taken the same to himselfe, and all to this end, that we might not onelyonly know his mind towards us, but be fully perswaded of it, that as verily as he lives, he will make good what ever he hath promised for the comfort of his Children. What greater assurance can there be, then for Being it selfe …o lay his being to pawne? and for life it selfe to lay life to pawne, and all to comfort a poore soule?
The boundlesse and restlesse desire of mans spirit will never bee stayed without some discovery of the chiefe good, and the way to attaine the same: men would have beene in darknesse about their finall condition, and the way to please God and to pacifie and purge their consciences, had not the word of God set downe the spring and cause of all evill, together with the cure of it, and directed us how to have communion with God, and to raise our selves above all the evill which wee meet withall betwixt us and happines, and to make us every way wise to salvation. Hence it is that the Psalmist preferres the manifestation of God by his …d, before the manifestation of him, Psal. 19. 7.in his most glorious works.
And thus wee see the necessity of a double principle for faith to rely on, 1. God, and 2. the word of God revealing his will unto us, and directing us to make use of all his Attributes, Relations, and providence for our good; and this …rd hath its strength from him who gives a being and an accomplishment unto it; for words are as the authority of him that uttereth them is; When wee looke upon a Grant in the word of a King, it stayes our mindes, because wee know he is able to make it good; and why should it not satisfie our soules to looke upon promises in the word of a God? whose words, as they come from his truth and expresse his goodnesse, so they are all made good by his power and wisedome.
By the bare word of God it is that the heavens continue, and the earth (without any other foundation) hangs in the mids of the world; therefore well may the soule stay it selfe on that, even when it hath nothing else in sight to relye upon; By his word it is that the covenant of day and night, and the preservation of the world from any further overflowing of waters continueth; which if it should fayle, yet his covenant with his people shall abide firme for ever, though the whole frame of nature were dissolved.
When we have thus gotten a fit foundation for the soule to lay it selfe upon, Trust must answer the truth of God.Our next care must be (by Trusting) to build on the same; All our misery's either in having a false foundation, or else in loose building upon a true; therefore having so strong a ground as Gods Nature, his providence, his promise, &c. to build upon, the only way for establishing our soules is (by trust) to rely firmly on him.
Now the reason why Trust is so much required, is because 1. it emptyeth Why saith so requisite in Christians.the soule, and 2. by emptying enlargeth it, and 3. seasoneth and fitteth the soule to joyne with so gracious an object, and 1.4. filleth it by carrying it out of it selfe 2.unto God, who presently (so soone as 3.he is trusted in) conveyes himselfe and 4.his goodnesse to the soule; and thus we come to have the comfort, and God the glory of all his excellencies. Thus salvation comes to be sure unto us, whilest faith looking to the promises (and to God freely offering grace therein) resigns up it selfe to God, making no further question from any unworthinesse of its owne.
And thus wee returne to God by cleaving to him, from whom we fell by distrust, living under a new covenant Iere. 31. 3.meerely of grace; And no grace fitter then that which gives all to Christ, considering the fountaine of all our good is (out of our selves) in him, it being safest for us (who were so ill husbands at the first) that it should be so, therefore it is fit we should have use of such a grace that will carry us out of our selves to the spring head.
The way then whereby faith quieteth the soule, is, by raising it above all discontentments and stormes here below, and pitching it upon God, thereby uniting it to him, whence it drawes vertue to oppose and bring under whatsoever troubles its peace. For the soule is made for God, and never findes rest till, it returns to him againe; when God and the soule meet, there will follow contentment; God (simply considered) is not all our happynesse, but God as trusted in; and Christ as wee are made one with him; The soule cannot so much as touch the hemme of Christs garment, Mat. 9. 20.but it shall finde vertue comming from him to sanctifie and settle it; God in Christ is full of all that is good; when the soule is emptyed, inlarged and opened by faith to receive goodnesse offered, there must needs follow sweet satisfaction.
§. 2.
For the better strengthning of our Directiōs about trusting.trust, it is not sufficient that we trust in God and his truth revealed, but we must doe it by light and strength from him: Many beleeve in the truth by humane 1. It must be by divine light.arguments, but no arguments will convince the soule but such as are fetched from the inward nature, and powerfull worke of truth it selfe; No man can know God, but by God; None can know the Sunne, but by its owne light; None can know the truth of God (so as to build upon it) but by the truth it self and the Spirit revealing it by its owne light to the soule; that soule which hath felt the power of truth in casting it downe, and raising it up againe, will easily be brought to rest upon it; It is neither education, nor the authority of others that professe the same truth, or that we have been so taught by men of great parts, &c. will settle the heart, untill we finde an inward power and authority in the truth it selfe shining in our hearts by its owne beames; hence comes unsetlednesse in time of troubles, because we have not a spirituall discerning of spiritual things. Supernaturall truths must have a supernaturall power to apprehend them, therefore God createth a spirituall eye and hand of the soule which is faith.
In those that are truely converted, all saving truths are transcribed out of the Scripture into their hearts, they are Esa. 54. 13taught of God; So as they finde all truths both concerning the sinfull estate, and the gracious and happy estate of man in themselves; they cary a divinity in them and about them, so as from a saving feeling they can speake of conversion, of sin, of grace, and the comforts of the spirit, &c. and from this acquaintance are ready to yeeld and give up themselves to truth revealed and to God speaking by it. Trust is never sound but upon a spirituall conviction of the truth and goodnesse we rely upon, for the effecting of which the Spirit of God must likewise subdue the rebellion and ma…e of our will, that so it may be sutable and levell to divine things, and rellish them 2. By subduing and changing the will.as they are; wee must apprehend the love of God and the fruits of it as better then life it selfe, and then choosing and cleaving to the same will soone follow; for as there is a fitnesse in divine truths to all the necessities of the soule, so the Soule must be fitted by them to savour and apply them to it selfe; and then from an harmony between the soule and that which it applyes it selfe unto, there will follow not onelyonly peace in the soule, but joy and delight surpassing any contentment in the world besides.
As there is in God to satisfie the 3. By carying the whole soule to God.whole soule, so trust caries the whole soule to God; this makes trust not so easie a matter, because there must bee an exercise of every faculty of the soule or else our trust is imperfect and lame; there must be a knowledge of him whom we trust, and why we trust, an affiance and love, &c. OnelyOnly they that know God will trust in him; not that knowledge alone is sufficient, but because the sweetnesse of Gods love is let into the soule thereby, which draweth the whole soule to him; Wee are bidden to trust perfectly in God; therefore seeing wee have a God so full of perfection to trust in; we should labour to trust perfectly in him.
And it is good for the exercise of trust to put cases to our selves of things 4. By putting cases to our selves.that probably may fall out, and then returne to our soules to search what strength we have if such things should come to passe; thus David puts cases; Psal. 3. 6. Psal. 46. 3. Psal. 27. 3.perfect faith dares put the hardest cases to its soule, and then set God against all that may befall it.
Againe, labour to fit the promise to 5. By fitting the promise to every condition of our lives.every condition thou art in; there is no condition but hath a promise sutable, therefore no condition but wherein God may bee trusted, because his truth and goodnesse is alwayes the same; And in the promise, looke both to the good promised, and to the faithfulnesse and love of the promiser; It is not good to looke upon the difficulty of the thing wee have a promise against, but who promiseth it, and for whose sake, and so see all good things in Christ made over to us.
We should labour likewise for a single heart to trust in God onelyonly; there is 6. By trusting in God alone.no readier way to fall then to trust equally to two stayes, whereof one is rotten, and the other sound; therefore as in point of doctrine wee are to relie upon Christ onelyonly, and to make the Scriptures our rule onelyonly; So in life and conversation, what ever wee make use of, yet we should enjoy and relye upon God onelyonly; for either God is trusted alone or not at all, those that trust to other things with God, trust not him but upon pretence to cary their double mindes with lesse check.
Againe, labour that thy soule may answer all the Relations wherein it 7.stands to God, by eleaving to him 1. as 1.a Father by trusting on his care, 2. as a 2.teacher, by following his direction, 3. as 3.a Creator by dependance on him, 4. as a husband by inseparable affection of love 4.to him, 5. as a Lord by obedience, &c. And then we may with comfort expect 5.whatsoever good these Relations can yeeld: All which, God regarding more our wants, and weaknesses, then his owne greatnesse, hath taken upon him. Shall these Relations yeeld comfort 8. By trusting God for all things in all times.from the creature, and not from God himselfe, in whom they are in their highest perfection? Shall God make other fathers and husbands faithfull, and not be faithfull Himselfe? All our comfort depends upon labouring to make these Relations good to our soules.
And as we must wholly and only trust in God, so likewise we must trust him in all conditions and times, for all things that we stand in need of, untill that time comes, wherein wee shall stand in need of nothing: for as the same care of God moved him to save us, and to preserve us in the world till we be put in possession of salvation; So the same faith relyes upon God for heaven and all necessary provision till wee come thither; It is the office of Faith to quiet our soules in all the necessities of this life, and we have continuall use of trusting while wee are here: For even when we have things, yet God still keepes the blessing of them in his own hands, to hold us in a continuall dependance upon him: God traines us up this way, by exercising our trust in lesser matters, to fit us for greater; thus it pleaseth God to keepe us in a depending condition, untill he see his owne …me; but so good is God that as he intends to give us what wee wait for, so will he give us the grace and spirit of faith, to sustaine our soules in waiting till we enjoy the same. The unrulinesse of a naturall spirit is never discovered more, then when God deferres, therefore we should labour the more not to withdraw our attendance from God.
Further we must know that the condition of a Christian in this life, is not 9. By trusting God when it sees no helpe.to see what he trusts God for, (hee lives by faith and not by sight) and yet that there is such a vertue in faith, which makes evident and present things to 2 Cor. 5. 7.come and unseene: Because God where he gives an eye of faith, gives also a glasse of the word to see things in, and by seeing of them in the truth and power of him that promiseth, they become present, not only to the understāding to apprehēd thē, but to the will to rest upō thē, & to the affections to joy in thē: It is the nature of faith to work, whēit seethnothing, and oftentimes best of all then, because God shewes himself more clearly in his power, wisdome, & goodness, at such times; and so his glory shines most, and faith hath nothing else to looke upon then, whereupon it gathers all the forces of the soule together, to fasten upon God.
It should therefore be the chiefe care of a Christian to strengthen his faith, Why God suffers his children to fall into great extremities.that so it may answer Gods maner of dealing with him in the worst times; for God usually (1. that he might perfectly mortifie our confidence in the 1.creature, and 2. that he might the more indeere his favours and make them fres… 2.and new unto us, and 3. that the glory of deliverance may bee entirely hi…, 3.without the creatures sharing with him; and 4. that our faith and obedience may be tryed to the uttermost, and discovered) 4.suffers his children to fall into great extremities before he will reach forth his hand to help them, as in Iobs case, &c. Therefore Christians should much labour their hearts to trust in God in the deepest extremities that may be fall Christians should trust God most in the worst times.them, even when no light of comfort appeares either from within, or without, yea, then (especially) when all other comforts faile; despaire is oft the ground of hope; when the darknesse of the Esa. 50. 10night is thickest, then the morning begins to dawne; that which (to a man unacquainted with Gods dealings) is a ground of utter despaire, the same (to a mā acquainted with the waies of God) is a rise of exceeding comfort; for infinite power, & goodnes can never be at a loss, neither can faith which looks to that ever be at a stand, whence it is that both God and Faith worke best alone; In a hopelesse estate a Christiā will see some doore of hope opened, 1. because God 1.shewes himself neerest to us, when we stand most in need of him; help Lord, for vain is the help of man: God is never more seen then in the Mount; He knowes Psal. 31. 7.our soules best, & our souls know him best in adversity; thē heis most wōderful in his Saints. 2 because our praiers thē are (strōg 2.cryes) fervent and frequent; God is sure to heare of us at such a time, which pleaseth him well, as delighting to heare the voice of his Beloved.
For our better incouragement in these sad times, and to helpe our trust 10. By calling to minde former experiences of Gods love.in God the more, we should often call to minde the former experiences, which either our selves or others have had of Gods goodnesse, and make use of the same for our spirituall good; Our Fathers trusted in thee, (saith the head of Psal. 22. 4.the Church) and were not confounded; Gods truth and goodnesse is unchangeable, he never leaves those that trust in him; so likewise in our owne experiences, Psal. 9. 10.we should take notice of Gods dealing… with us in sundry kindes, how many wayes he hath refreshed us, and how good we have found him in our worst times; After wee have once tryed him and his truth, we may safely trust him; God will stand upon his credit, he never failed any yet, and he will not begin to breake with us; If his nature and his word, and his former dealing hath beene sure and square, why should our hearts be wavering? thy word (saith the Psalmist) is very pure (or tryed) therefore Psal. 119. 140. Psal. 12. 6.thy servant loveth it; the word of God is as silver tryed in the furnace, purified seven times; It is good therefore to observe and lay up Gods dealings; Experience is nothing else, but a multiplyed remembrance of former blessings, which will help to multiply our faith; tryed truth and tryed faith unto it, sweetly agree and answer one another; It were a course much tending to the quickning of the faith of Christians, if they would communicate one to Christians should cō municate their experiences.another their mutuall experiences; this hath formerly beene the custome of Gods people. Come and heare all ye that Psal. 66. 19…re God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soule; And David urgeth this as a reason to God for deliverance, Ps. 142. 7.that then the righteous would compasse him about, as rejoycing in the experience of Gods goodnesse to him; The want of this makes us upon any new tryall to call Gods care and love into question, as if hee had never formerly beene good unto us; whereas every experiment of Gods love should refresh our faith upon any fresh onset; God is so good to his children even in this world, that he traines them up by daily renewed experiences of his fatherly care; for besides those many promises of good things to come, he gives us some evidence and taste of what wee beleeve here; that by that which wee feele wee might be strengthned in that wee looke for, that so in both (1. sense of what we feele, and 2. certainty of what we looke for) we might have full support.
But yet we must trust God, as he will be trusted, (namely, in doing good;) o… 11. By walking in the wayes of God.else we do not trust him but tempt him; Our commanding of our soules to trust in God, is but an Eccho of what God commands us first; and therefore in the same maner he commands us, we should command our selves. As God commands us to trust him in doing good, so should wee commit our soules to him in well doing, and trust him when wee are about his owne workes, and not in the workes of darknesse; we may safely expect God in his wayes of mercy, when we are in his wayes of obedience; For Religion as it is a doctrine of what is to be beleeved, so it is a doctrine according to godlinesse; and the mysteries of faith are mysteries of godlinesse; because they cannot be beleeved, but they will inforce a godly conversation; where my true impression of them is, there is holinesse alwayes bred in that soule; therefore a study of holinesse must goe joyntly together with a study of trusting in God; faith lookes not onelyonly to promises, but to directions to duty, and …eds in the soule a liking of whatsoever pleaseth God; There is a mutuall strengthning in things that are good; trusting stirres to duty, and duty strengthens trusting, by increasing our liberty and boldnesse with God.
Againe, wee must maintaine in our soules, a high esteeme of the grace of 12. By setting a high price upon Faith.…aith; the very try all whereof is more …ious then gold, what then is the grace of faith it selfe, and the promises 1 Pet. 1. 7.which it layeth hold on? certainely they transcend in worth whatever may draw us from God; whence it is that the soule sets a high price upon them, and on faith that beleeves them; It is impossible that any thing in the world should come betwixt the heart and those things (if once we truly lay hold on them) to undermine faith or the comfort we have by it; the heart is never drawne to any sinfull vanity, … frighted with any terrour of trouble, till faith first loseth the sight and estimation of divine things, and forgets the necessity and excellency of them. Our Saviour Christ when hee would stirre up a desire of faith in his Disciples, shewed Luke 17. 6them the power and excellency of the same; great things stirre up faith and keepe it above, and faith keepes the soule that nothing else can take place of abode in it; when the great things of Hos. 8. 12.God are brought into the heart by faith, what is there in the whole world th… can out bid them? Assurance of these things upon spirituall grounds, overrules both sense and reason, or what ever else prevailes with carnall hearts.