The Plain Mans Spiritual Plow, Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI. The thirteenth part of the Soole, is the Key.
IN the twelfth place it is required,12. Faith wholſome. that wee conſider of the Keye or Pinne, whereby the Beame is faſtened to the Tawe, and the Soole ſet eyther higher or lower, deeper or ſhallower, as occaſion requireth, according to the nature of the ground, and diſcretion of the Plough-man.
By this Keye, is ſignified that true faith in Chriſt (before ſpoken of) whereby Righteouſneſſe is apprehended, and wee iuſtified and approoued before God. For after the proportion of our faith, and quality of our beliefe, all thoſe excellent graces and vertues are eyther lifted vp or letten downe, ſtrengthened or weakened; neither is it poſsible that thoſe former parts of true repentance ſhall be profitable to the ſinner without this, by the which, whatſoeuer is done is acceptable to the Lord: and whatſoeuer is wrought without it, is ſinful and vile: for whatſoeuer is done without faith, is ſinne (by the teſtimonie of the Apoſtle) therefore it is impoſſible without faith to pleaſe God. He that beleeueth in the Sonne of God hath life: Aug. de verbis apoſtoli petr. ſerm. 27. Et lib. 1. de pecca. iuait. & remiſſ. c. …0. de Ciuit. Dei li. 13. ca. 4.becauſe that faith is the beginning of a good life, to the which alſo belongeth eternall life. As this is that foundation of things hoped for, and the aſſurance of that which is not ſeene, (tunc eſt fides, quando expectatur in ſpe, quod in renondum videtur) ſo is it made the very hand of the ſoule, wherby we take hold on Ieſus Chriſt▪ and apply vntounto our ſelues by his grace, all his iuſtice, merits, and vertues, whereof we be ſaid to be iuſtified by faith, becauſe it pleaſeth the Lorde to impute his proper Righteouſneſſe and vertues, to ſuch as apprehend the ſame by faith. By this, Abel offered vppe vntounto God a more acceptable ſacrifice then Caine: Heb. 11.by this, Henoch was reported of that hee pleaſed God: by this, Noah moued with reuerence, prepared the Ark: by this, Abraham being called of God, gladly obeyed him: by this, Sarah being well nigh a hundred yeares of age, had ſtrength to conceiue ſeed: by this, Iſaac bleſſed Iacob and Eſau, concerning things to come: to be briefe, by this, Moſes and Ioſuah, and Rahab, and Gideon, and Barach, and Iepthe, and Sampſon, and Samuel, and Dauid, and the Prophets, obtained a good report, ſubdued kingdomes, wrought righteouſnes, obeyed the promiſes, ſtopped Lions mouthes, quenched the violence of fire, eſcaped the edge of the ſword, of weake were made ſtrong, waxed valiant in battaile, turned to flight the armie of the enemies, &c. For this is the very key, euen the key of the ſonne of Dauid, which openeth, and no man ſhutteth: and which ſhutteth, & no man openeth. And as without this no man pleaſeth God, but being iudged ſinners, are ſhut out from his fauour and abandoned: ſo by this vertue of the Spirit, and power of grace, are offered and performed vntounto vsus that eternall happineſſe and peace, and all thoſe heauenly treaſures which our faithfull hope expecteth. Worthily therefore ſaid our Lord to ſuch whom he was willing to helpe and preſerue, HaueHave faith in God. For he that beleeueth is made holy (by the diuine grace) to remoue mountaines, yea all things are made poſsible vntounto him. Finally, this is the fai…hfull promiſe of him that is the very truth, & cannot lie, that God louing the world, Ioh. 3.16.hath giuen his only begotten Sonne to this end, that all they which beleeue in him, ſhould not periſh, but hauehave euerlaſting life: and that the righteous man ſhall liue, not by any his owne workes, wiſedome, ability or merits, but by his ſaith. Hab. … 4.This is that faith which commeth to a man, by hearing of gods word, which is brought vntounto vsus by his ſeruants the Preachers,Ioh. 20. who are ſent vntounto vsus from the Lord, to preach the ſame. To this end, that men might beleeue, & that in beleeuing they might hauehave life throgh the name of Ieſus. And as the Pinne in the Soole, is fitly placed in the very middeſt of the ſame: ſo is faith mightily peazed betweene all other vertues, as the very ſtrength, by the which they are fortified and tied together.