The Christian Warfare Part 1, Book 2 · Chapter 46
CHAP. XLVI. Sathans tentations concerning ſmalneſſe, and weakneſſe of faith anſwered.
§. Sect. 1 ANd ſo much for anſwering thoſe tētations,There is no ſuch perfect faith, which is not aſſaulted with doubting. wherby Sathan laboureth to perſwade the afflicted Chriſtians that they hauehave no faith, wherewith if he cannot preuaile, in the next place hee will tell them that their faith is ſo ſmall if it be any at all, ſo ouerwhelmed with doubting, ſo vnfruitfull, and ſo mixt with imperfections, that it will not bee effectuall and ſufficient for their ſaluation. Which tentation if we would withſtand, we muſt not dreame or imagine that to hauehave a true faith, is to hauehave a perfect faith which is neuer aſſaulted with doubting nor ſhaken with any tentations, for there is no ſuch faith to be found in any of Gods childrē, ſeing the moſt perfect are partly fleſh and partly ſpirit, and as the fruite of the ſpirit is faith and affiance in God, ſo the fruit of the fleſh is doubting and infidelitie, & theſe continually aſſault & fight one againſt another.
That there are diuers degrees of faith in Gods children.Againe wee are to know that there are diuers degrees of true faith, and that all the children of God hauehave it not in the like meaſure: for ſome hauehave attained to a ſtrong and great meaſure of faith, as thoſe who are indued with much knowledge, and firmely aſſent vntounto that which they know, and are moſt certainely perſwaded of their ſaluation in Chriſt, and that all the gratious promiſes of the goſpell doe belong vntounto them, ſo as nothing in the world ſhalbe able to ſeperate them from the louelove of God which is in Chriſt Ieſus our Lord; others are weake and indued with a ſmall meaſure of faith, as thoſe who hauehave little knowledge, weake aſſent and perſwaſion, being yet but babes in Chriſt, and growing vp from faith to faith,Rom. 1.17. as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh Rom. 1.17. till at length they attaine to that fulneſſe of perſwaſion, of which mention is made,Heb. 10.22. Heb. 10.22. Now wee are to hould firſt that this ſmall and weake meaſure of faith is notwithſtanding a true faith, and therefore ſufficient for the ſaluation of thoſe who are indued therewith, neither are the promiſes of the goſpell made to thoſe onelyonly who hauehave a ſtrong faith, but to thoſe who hauehave a true faith; Ioh. 1.12. As many as receiued him hee gaue to them prerogatiue to be the ſonnes of God, Ioh. 1.12.euen to them that beleeue in his name. And Iohn 3.18. He that beleeueth ſhalbe ſaued, Ioh. 3.18.in which and ſuch like places there is no meaſure of faith propounded, but the promiſes are made indefinitely to all that beleeue, how ſmall and weake ſoeuer their faith be in reſpect of the quātitie and apprehenſion, ſo that in regard of the qualitie it be true and liuely.
§. Sect. 2 That a weake and ſmall meaſure of faith is true and liuely faith,That a weake & ſmal faith may be a true and liuely faith. it is manifeſt both by reaſon and alſo plaine teſtimonies of the Scripture; for the firſt: diuerſitie of degrees in quantitie of a thing doth not take away and annihilate the exiſtence & true being thereof; for example a ſmal drop of water is as well and truely water as the whole Ocean, a little ſparke is true fire both in reſpect of ſubſtance & qualitie, as well as a mighty flame, a little man is as truly a man as a great Giant: and ſo a little faith is as well a true faith as a full perſwaſion; neither doth the ſmall quantitie take away the being, nature, and truth thereof. Secondly, this alſo manifeſtly appeareth by the Scriptures, whereas many are ſaid to hauehave faith and to beleeue, who hearing the doctrine of Chriſt & ſeing his miracles beleeued, & acknowledged him to be the true Meſſias & their Sauiour, though at the ſame time they had attained to an exceeding ſmall meaſure of knowledge, and were ignorant of many of the chiefe principles of Chriſtian religion, becauſe they nouriſhed not this their ignorance, but reſolued to vſe all thoſe good meanes of increaſing in knowledge which God hath ordayned for this purpoſe. And thus many of the Samaritanes are ſayd to hauehave beleeued for the ſaying of the woman and becauſe of his owne word. Ioh. 4.39.41. Thus a certaine ruler and all his houſhould are ſaide to hauehave beleeued,Ioh. 4.39.41 ver. 52. when they ſawe the miracle which our Sauiour wrought in curing the rulers ſonne of his feauer only with his word, ver. 52. Yea the apoſtles themſelues whoſe faith our ſauiour Chriſt cōpareth to a firme rocke againſt which the gates of hell ſhould neuer preuaile, were notwithſtanding indued with weake and ſmall meaſure of faith, before the aſcenſion of our Sauiour, and ſending of the holy ghoſt. For they were ignorant euen of the maine principles of chriſtian religion, and of diuers articles of faith, and conſequently could not beleeue, aſſent, or be perſwaded of thoſe things which they did not vnderſtand. For example howſoever they knew and acknowledged that our Sauiour Chriſt was the promiſed Meſſias,Mat. 16.18. yet they were ignorant that he ſhould redeeme mankind by his death; for when he foretold that he ſhould be deliuered into the hands of the Gentiles to bee crucified, it is ſaide that they vnderſtood none of thoſe things.Mat. 20.18. Luk. 9.45. Mat. 20.18. Luk. 9.45.. So alſo they knew not that beeing dead he ſhould riſe againe the third day as the Euangeliſt ſheweth Mar. 9.32.Mar. 9.32. And when they heard thereof by the women they thought it a fained thinge as it is Luk. 24.11.Luk. 24.11. Ioh. 13.38. and 14.5. Actes 1.6. Mar. 10.37. They were ignorant alſo of his aſcenſion as appeareth. Ioh. 13.36. and 14.5. and of his kingdome, for they dreamed of an earthly kingdome, and of worldly preferments which they were to hauehave by him, as we may ſee. Act. 1.6. Mar. 10.37. By all which it plainely appeareth that though the Apoſtles were indued with a true faith, yet their faith was exceeding weake and ſmall, as alſo it is moſt euident in that reprehention vſed by our ſauiour when they were in ſome appearance of danger.Mat. 8.26. Matth. 8.26. wherefore are yee fearefull o yee of little faith.
§ Sect. 3 And therefore though wee find our faith to be weake and ſmall yet let not Sathan perſwade vsus that for this cauſe it is falſe and counterfaite,That all power of hell cannot preuaile againſt the ſmalleſt meaſure of true faith. Phil. 3.12. or that wee ſhall eaſily bee ouercome of eueryevery tentation and neuer perſeuer vntounto the end that wee may bee ſaued; ſeeing a weake and ſmall faith may bee a true faith, againſt which how weake in it ſelfe ſoeuer it be, yet the gates of hell ſhall neuer preuaile againſt it, for the weaker our faith is, the ſtronger ſhall wee find Gods power in ſuſtayning and preſeruing vsus, the more that Sathan laboureth to winnow vsus in the ſiue of his tentations, the more effectually will our Sauiour Chriſt make interceſſion for vsus that our faith faile not; the feebler our faith is in apprehending Chriſt, the more powerfull will his ſpirit bee in apprehending vsus and in ioyning vsus inſeparably in a holy communion with him. But yet wee muſt not content our ſelues with a ſmall and weake meaſure of faith, but earneſtly labour after more perfection, and to grow from faith to faith, till we attaine vntounto fulneſſe of perſwaſion,That we muſt not content our ſelues with a ſmall meaſure of faith Otherwiſe we ſhall make it manifeſt that we deceiue our ſelues with a ſhew and ſhadow of faith, and that as yet we hauehave no true faith indeede, which as it reſembleth the graine of muſtard ſeed in reſpect of the ſmalnes at the beginning thereof, ſo alſo in the growth & increaſe, & therefore if euer we would attaine vntounto peace of conſcience, and aſſurance that wee are indued with a true and liuely faith, we muſt earneſtly labour in the vſe of thoſe meanes ordayned of God for the increaſe of faith, and feruently pray vntounto God that he will not onelyonly ſowe the ſeede of faith in our harts, but alſo that he will ſo water it with the dew of his grace and holy ſpirite that it may grow from a ſmall ſeede to a greate tree, and that he will neuer ceaſe blowing this ſmoking flaxe with the breath of the ſame his holy ſpirit, till it increaſe from a little ſparke to a mightie flame, whereby our hartes being warmed with true comfort, may with feruent zeale ſeeke to glorifie his holy name by our chriſtian and holy conuerſation.
§ Sect. 4 Secondly we are to know that how weak & ſmal ſoeuer our faith be ſo it be true the Lord wil not reiect it,That the leaſt faith is acceptable to God. Mat. 12.20. nor vsus in regard of it, for he wil not breake the bruiſed reed nor quench the ſmoking flax till he bring forth iudgment vntounto victorie, as himſelfe hath ſpoken. Mat. 12.20. He wil not contemne the leaſt meaſure of his own grace which he hath beſtowed vponupon vsus; for though it be in neuer ſo ſmall a quantitie yet if it be true it is his owne gift, and his gifts are without repentance, neither doth he euer contemne that which himſelfe hath giuen, nor take it away after it is once beſtowed; nay rather to him that hath ſhall bee giuen vntill hee hauehave abundance, Mat. 25.29.he that hath receiued 5. talents ſhall receaue 5. more, yea and hee that hath but one if hee doe not hide it, but vſe it to his maiſters glorie ſhall be accepted and hauehave his talent doubled. We reade in the ſcriptures that Chriſt reproued ſome for their ſmall faith, but yet we neuer read nor heard that he reiected and caſt of any, though their faith were neuer ſo weake if it were true, no not him who cried out in the ſenſe of his owne weakneſſe; Lorde I beleeue, helpe thou my vnbeliefe. Mar. 9.24.And therefore if with him wee find a true faith in vsus, at leaſt in ſome meaſure, and though it be exceedingly mingled with doubting and aſſaulted with infidelitie, yet if wee can with this man earneſtly pray the Lorde to helpe our vnbeliefe, and with the Apoſtles hartily crie out: O Lord increaſe my faith, the Lord will accept of our hartie deſire, and graunt our requeſt which is made by his owne ſpirite in vsus, and that according vntounto his owne wil.
§ Sect. 5 Thirdly we muſt vnderſtand that faith doth not iuſtifie and ſaue vsus by it ſelfe as it is a vertue or facultie of the mind and hart, or in reſpect of it owne excellencie, quantitie,That faith doth not iuſtifie vsus as it is a worke or facultie in vsus, but as an inſtrument which applieth Chriſt vntounto vsus. and worthineſſe, (for what were this but to embrace againe the doctrine of the papiſts which we hauehave reiected, and to ſeeke for iuſtification in our ſelues, and for our owne merites and worthineſſe?) but as an inſtrument whereby we lay hold of, and apply vntounto our ſelues Chriſt Ieſus with his righteouſneſſe and merites, by which onelyonly wee appeare iuſt before God; now a weake faith as truly though not ſo powerfully doth apprehend and apply Chriſt Ieſus and all his merites and obedience as a ſtronger faith, euen as a ſmall and weake hand if it be able to reach vp the meate to the mouth, doth as well performe its dutie for the nouriſhment of the body as one of greater ſtrength; becauſe it is not the ſtrength of the hand but the goodneſſe of the meate which nouriſheth the bodie: So a weake faith laying hould of Chriſt and applying him and his benefites, to the beleeuer, is ſufficient to nouriſh him to euerlaſting life as well as a ſtronger, becauſe it is not the worthines or excellencie of the inſtrument, but of Chriſt which it apprehendeth that is effectual for our iuſtification & eternal ſaluatiō. So in like maner as a ſmal & weak hād is able to receiue an almes as a ſtronger and greater, and as a little eye doth ſee the whole body of ſunne, or ſome great mountaine as well as a bigger: ſo our faith though weake and ſmall, doth apprehend Chriſt as truely and effectually for the ſaluation of the beleeuer, as the greateſt and moſt ſtrong, our Sauiour Chriſt compareth himſelfe to the braſen Serpent, and the beleeuing Chriſtian ſtong with the ſtinge of ſin to the Iſraelites which did behold it to the end they might be cured:Ioh. 3.14. now we know that all of them were not a like ſharpe ſighted, but ſome were poreblind, ſome bleare eyed, ſome ſawe it but exceeding weakely and dimly, but yet notwithſtanding as many as looked on it were cured and healed, though they were neuer ſo weake ſighted; ſo whoſoeuer being ſtong with ſinne do looke vponupon Chriſt with the eye of faith, reſting vponupon him alone for their ſaluation, though they bee neuer ſo weake ſighted, yet they ſhalbe reſtored to health and be eternally ſaued, becauſe it is not in their ſight but in the obiect thereof Chriſt Ieſus to iuſtifie before God, and to purchaſe for them eternall ſaluation.