The Life of Faith, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. The first vse of Faith to newborne Babes.
AND first, let me beginne with thee that art beginning to liue this life, thou Embryo that art in hatching, that hast so much life, as to know thy selfe dead in sinne, and to desire to liue in Christ, (for what should I cast away speech vponupon scelets and skulles, carnall men I meane meere Strangers to this life of Faith, I expect not reading should put life and spirit into them, onelyonly I pray for such that they may heare Gods voyce in the Ministerie, and liue:) but as for thee whom the Law hath wounded, and the Gospell is healing, who art euen at the byrth, and stickest betweene the knees, onelyonly wantest power to come into the light; who liuest but feelest not thy life, holdest Christ but with benummed hands; beleeuest, but canst not yet beleeue thou hast Faith: What is the matter thou art still ensnarled in the cords of death? Why loosest thou not thy handkerchiefes and commest out of thy Graue, and walkest chearefully in the Land of the liuing? Suffer Faith to doe her perfect worke in thee, to forme Christ in thee, suffer not thy selfe alwaies to bee detained in the throwes and throbs of feare and doubt.
The Common causes of this slownesse of beleefe and snares of Death, I obserue in most to be one of these three.
First, Immoderate aggrauation of sinne.
Secondly, Foolish and proud humilitie.
Thirdly, Preposterous desire of Sanctification before Iustification.
First, Thou wouldest beleeue, but thou hast beene a sinner. Whom came Christ to saue but sinners? And whom doth hee iustifie but the vngodly? Oh! but thy sinnes are Scarlet, crying, scandalous sinnes. Said I not all things are possible to Faith, onelyonly if thou canst beleeue. Are not all faults easily pardonable to an infinite mercy, which exceedes Mans, as Heauen doth Earth; which can redilier forgiue seuenfie, then Man seuen offences. Well did Mar…s answere the Diuell, himselfe obiecting his former life to him, that euen his might bee pardoned if hee could beleeue. Did not Christ take the flesh of Rahab and Bathsheba, and did hee refuse to take their sinnes vponupon him? Did not his blood wash Dauids bloody sinne as white as snow? Doth not he delight to forgiue much, that hee may binde to louelove much? Shall not his fauour abound to the sense of thy Faith, where sinne hath abounded to the wounding of thy heart? But thou art an olde habituate sinner. As if Christ came from Heauen to cure onelyonly small fearres, greene cuttes, and not deepe inuetorate woundes, diseases of eight, of twelue, of eight and thirty yeares olde: to cast out single Diuels, and not Legions also? Oh then take heede thou adde not to thy great and many sinnes, a greater then all: Cains sinne, which was greater in infidelitie then in fratricide. All thy help is to looke of thy selfe an obiect of confusion, and to looke vponupon Christ an obiect of consolation: And then how fiery and deadly so euer thy sting bee, by meere looking (a strange cure I confesse, yet most approued) that is, by sole beleeuing thou shalt be cured and liue.
Secondly, But forsooth thou wilt be more mannerly then so with Peter thou wilt not suffer Christs precious hands to wash thy foule feete. Take heede thy modesty turne not into pertinacy, lest he swear in his anger thou shalt hauehave no part in him, if thou stubbornly refuse his gratious offer: he liked well the humility of that Cananitish that bore the terme of dogge, but better her confidence, that would not be said nay of the crums of his table. And shalt thou not tenne times, more honour him and please him, in trusting his mercy and sealing to his truth, then in fearing his iustice and dreading his power? Take heede of pride in the clothes of humilitie. Bee not deceiued, It is pride and high pride, not to come when thou art called. Faith is obedience, and obedience is more acceptable then curtesie & complement. The sooner thou commest the better welcome. It is rudenesse and not good manners not to do as thou art bidden to doe, yea, so often and earnestly charged to doe. To doe the worke of God is to beleeue in him whom he hath fealed and sent to be thy Sauiour.Ioh. 6.
Thirdly, Oh! but thou wouldest faine first repent, amend and doe some good workes, and then thou wouldest bee bold to come. That is, thou thinkest thou shalt not be welcome vnlesse thou come with thy cost. Thou wouldest accept of a pardon if thou mightst pay for it: but his are free, and he bids thee come and buy without siluer, or else he saies, thou and thy money perish. Thou wouldest goe the old and naturall way to worke. What shall I doe to inherit euerlasting life, but that is now farre-done and impassable through our infirmity: Besides, before thou canst walke or worke, thou must be aliue. Did Christ indent with Zacheus for Restitution and almes? or Paul bid the Iaylour first repent, become a new man, and then beleeue? No they knew that the one would voluntarily, necessarily, together, & immediately follow or rather accompany the other. Wherefore swim out of these weedes, lay hold on the Rocke, and to facilitate thy birth by the Act of beleeuing, set beefore thy eyes Christs freedome to all suitors in the time of his flesh, repelling none that truely desired the price of his blood: And especially, Gods esteeme of Faith aboue all other Graces, Deeds, or Acts of thine.
Study, striue, endeauor to beleeue, as thou doest in a difficult point to conceiue. Pray for a faculty and for the act of beleeuing. Be not euer beleeuing, and neuer a beleeuer; euer beginning to liue, and neuer liuing. Liue to day, to day is Saluation offered, steppe from death to life, and write this day thy birth day, and number from hence the dayes of thy life, in which of a Childe of perdition, thou are made the sonne of GOD through Faith, and so made foreuer. Doest thou beleeue this with thy whole heart? Driue on the Charriot of thy life with ioy and reioycing till thou come to the marke.
But what signe shall I hauehave of the truth of my Faith? May it not bee presumption if without repentance and sanctitie? How shall I be sure it is not that vaine and dead Faith Saint Iames speaketh of?
At the first, it shall suffice to finde and feele a change of the minde, an vnfained purpose, desire, and resolution of new vniuersall obedience, which is contemporary with Faith, though the younger and a second brother in order of Nature: which where it is, sufficeth to warrant Faith, and to embolden the confidence in the first act of conuersion. Zacheus, the Iaylor, and all new Conuerts had not any more, could hauehave no experience of amendment of life, and yet relyed vponupon the word Beleeue, and thou shalt bee saued.