The New Covenant, Book 3 · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. Of faith in Chriſt, the ſecond part of Examination.
HItherto we hauehave ſpoken of knowledge which is the firſt part of this examination. Now a man may hauehave knowledge, and yet want faith. Wherefore theaThe ſecond part of examination, is to proue whether we hauehave faith or not. next point which we are to try and proue, is our faith in Chriſt. For eueryevery man receiueth ſo much as he beleeueth he receiueth, according as our Sauiour ſpeaketh to the woman of Canaan, Mat. 15, O woman, great is thy faith, be it vntounto thee bMat. 15, 23. and 9, 29.as thou deſireſt. And the Apoſtle ſaith to the ſame effect,cHeb. 4, 2. VntoUnto vsus was the Goſpell preached, as alſo vntounto them, but the word that they heard, profitted thē not, becauſe it was not mixed with faith in thoſe that heard it. All thoſe are worthy receiuers, that ground thēſelues on the free fauour of God in Chriſt Ieſus, beleeue thēſelues to be deliuered by him from eternall dā nation, and deſire daily to go forward in godlines. Hereunto commeth the exhortation of Paul, 2 Cor. 13. Prooue your ſelues, d2 Cor. 13, 5.whether ye be in the faith: examine your ſelues: know ye not your own ſelues, how that Ieſus Chriſt is in you, except ye be refuſed? This true faith is the mouth of the ſoule, whereby we receiue Chriſt crucified to our ſaluation. Wherefore, it is required of vsus, not onelyonly to hauehave knowledge and vnderſtanding in the myſtery of our redemption: but likewiſe a iuſtifying faith,eWhat a true faith is. which is a wonderfull gift of God, whereby the elect doe apply Chriſt and the ſauing promiſes of the Goſpell to themſelues particularly. We muſt knowfGal. 1, 4. the purpoſe and ordinance of God, appointing and ſetting apart Ieſus Chriſt to be the perſon ingThe hand… of faith what they are. whom and by whom he hath decreed & determined the ſaluation of al the elect. Againe, we muſt hauehave a perſwaſion of Gods true meaning toward vsus, in offering ſaluation through Chriſt, and that all ſufficiency and ability is in him to ſaue vsus, whereupon we ſhall feel a ſweet and comfortable reſting vponupon him in whom God meaneth to ſaue vsus. Theſe are the handes whereby we apply Chriſt to our ſelues, both by knowing that he gaue himſelfe for our ſinnes according to the will of GOD euen our Father, and by relying on his all-ſufficiency to performe that high worke of redemption whereunto he was ſealed and ordained,
This faith is not borne and bred with vsus, but is vvrought in vsus by the Holy-ghoſt,h2 Theſ. 3, 2. who is therefore called The Spirit of Faith. Except he giuegive it, no man can hauehave it: it is natural to vsus to preſume on the one ſide, and to deſpaire on the other ſide: but to beleeue (which is ſeated in the middeſt) is ſupernaturall. To hauehave a dead faith commeth of our ſelues, but to hauehave a liuely faith proceedeth from God, to whome we aſcribe all glory and praiſe. Now the proper office and function of this iuſtifying faith ſtandeth in apprehending, receiuing, and laying hold vppon Chriſt and all his benefites. Euen as the hand ſtretched foorth layeth hold vponupon a thing, and pulleth the ſame vntounto it, ſo dooth faith apply the ſauing promiſes of the Goſpell to the ſoule, as the Apoſtle teacheth Gal. 3. That the bleſsing of Abraham might come vntounto the Gentiles through Ieſus Chriſt, iGal 3, 14that we might receiue the promiſe of the Spirit through Faith.
Where he teacheth that we embrace and receiue the precious promiſes of ſaluation and forgiueneſſe of our ſinnes by faith, beleeuing the ſame to belong vntounto our ſelues. The Scripture calleth Chriſt a redeemer indefinitely; Iob calleth him his redeemer particularly, Iob, 19, 25. I know that my Redeemer liueth. The Scripture ſetteth out the Lord as the God of his Church. Thomas vponupon a ſpeciall feeling of Chriſtes ſauour toward him,lIoh 22.28. acknowledgeth him to be his Lorde and God. Iohn 20. Thou art my Lord and my God. The Scripture propoundeth Chriſt as the Sauiour of his people, the bleſſed virgin taketh this as ſpoken vntounto her ſelfe,mLuke 1, …. and accounteth him her Sauiour, My ſpirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour. The Scripture maketh Chriſt the Lord & Protector of his church: Elizabeth maketh a ſpeciall Luk. 11, 43.application thereof, calling him her Lord. Luk. 1 Whence commeth this to me, that the mother of my Lord ſhould come vntounto mee. It is an Article of our holy and Chriſtian faith to beleeue the forgiuenes of ſins: this muſt eueryevery one beleeue, this muſt eueryevery one hold, this muſt eueryevery one apply,oMath. 5, 2. as Chriſt did to the ſick man of the Palſey, Mathew. 9. Sonne be of good comfort, thy ſinnes are forgiuen thee.
It is the hardeſt thing in the world thus to beleeue, whether we reſpect Chriſt or our ſelues.An hardthing to beleeue. It is an eaſie matter for a man, when he neither knoweth nor feeleth the burden of ſin, to ſay he hath faith, and beleeueth in Gods merciemercy: but when Sathan ſhall ſiſt him, when his owne heart ſhall accuſe him, when ſinne ſhall lye heauie vponupon his ſoule, when the vnſupportable and vnſufferable anger of God ſhall preſſe his conſcience to the nethermoſt hell, and the flame thereof conſume his bones, and turne his moyſturepPſalm 32, 4. into the drought of Summer: if then he can ſtand vpright, and build himſelfeqMath, 7, 24. vponupon the rocke, when the floods come, when the winds blow and beat vponupon his houſe, and when the ground ſhaketh vnderunder his ſeete, this man with boldneſſe and confidence may truely ſay, and ſeale it vppe for an euerlaſting truth, My ſinnes are forgiuen mee. For if then he can comfort himſelfe in his God, and apply his gracious mercies to his owne faint heart, and cry out:rIob. 13, 15. Though the Lorde woulde kill me, yet ſtill will I truſt in him: this is the propertie of a ſound faith, againſt which the ſtrongeſt gates of hell ſhall not preuaile.
This appeareth euidently vntounto vsus in the example of Abraham,ſRo. 4, 17, &c who beleeued that of his olde, weake, withered, and as it were deade body, ſhould ſpring childrentGeneſ▪ 1…, 5 like to the ſande on the Sea ſhore, and like the Starres of Heauen for multitude, and that hee ſhould hauehave a ſeede in whome himſelfe and all the nations of the world ſhould bee bleſſed. If hee had conſulted with fleſh and bloode, what Diſcourſes might a naturall man alleadge to hinder the crediting of this promiſe? yet he doubted not, he diſputeth not the matter, but beleeued that the weake ſhould bee made ſtrong, that the barren ſhould be made fruitfull, and a ioyfull mother of children, that the dead ſhould be made a liue to dwell with a family, ſpringing out of his owne body, which was to reaſon as vnlikely and vnpoſsible, as for a dry and dead tree pulled vp by the rootes, to bud, beare, and bring foorth plentifull fruit. So what can be more difficult and hard then for vsus to beleeue and be perſwaded, that by the death of Chriſt, we ſhall hauehave euerlaſting life? By his ſhame and diſhonour we ſhall hauehave glory and praiſe? That by his wounds and reproches we ſhal hauehave the curing and healing of our ſores? That by his agonies and bloody ſweate, we ſhall hauehave peace and reſt? By his condemnation we ſhall hauehave ſaluation? Is not this after a ſort, in hel to ſee heauen? In curſing, to ſee bleſsing? In humiliation, to ſee exaltation? In death, to ſee life? In condemnation, to lay hold of ſaluation? In feeling of ſinne, to beleeue the pardon of ſinnes? Laſtly, in our vnrighteouſneſſe and miſery, to be both righteous and accepted to eternall life: and in the breach of the law, to beleeue the fulfilling of the law?
This is indeed to hauehave the ſauing faithuTit. 1, 1. of Gods elect. And to ſay that this is an eaſie matter, or a ſmall thing is plainely to betray and diſcouer, that we neuer knew what true faith meaneth.
For this faith, let eueryevery one of vsus labour that we mayaGal. 2, 20. ſpecially and particularly apprehend the promiſes, as the Apoſtle declareth, Galathians 2. I am crucified w th Chriſt, but I liue; yet not I any more, but Chrict liueth in me: and in that that I now liue in the fleſh, I liue by the faith in the Sonne of God, who hath loued me, and giuen himſelfe for me. And againe,b2 Tim, 4, …. I hauehave fought a good fight, I hauehave finiſhed my courſe, I hauehave kept the faith, hence forth is la…d vp for me a Crowne of righteouſneſſe, which the Lord the righteous Iudge, ſhall giuegive vntounto me at that day.
Where we ſee a ſpeciall application to himſelfe of the benefits of CHRIST, and therefore it is not ſufficient to beleeue that Chriſt came into the world, that he was crucified, died, was buried, roſe againe from the dead, and aſcended into heauen: for this is a generall faith, this is the faith of the reprobates, yea the Deuils know it, and hauehave as great a part and portion therein as wee, yet they tremble at the remembrance of their iudgement to come, as Iames ſheweth,cIames 2, 19 Thou beleeueſt there it one God, thou doeſt well: the deuils alſo beleeue and tremble. There is more required of vsus, then to beleeue the hiſtories and doctrine of the Scriptures to bee true, and to make an outward profession of it, to vnderſtand and aſſent vntounto the couenant of grace made by Chriſt, that it is certain and ſhalbe verified in the members of the church: we muſt beſides this generall and confuſed faith, applie and appropriate vntounto our ſelues the promiſes of ſaluation. Wee muſt not onelyonly ſee them a farre off, but feele them in our hearts. Wee muſt beleeue not onelyonly that Chriſt is a Sauiour, but that he is our Sauiour and Redeemer.
Thus wee muſt euerie one of vsus for his owne part make prop…r to himſelfe all the riches and graces that are in Chriſt Ieſu…, becauſe in giuing himſelfe to vsus, hee giueth all his benefi…s: in that he is God, he maketh vsus after a ſortd2 Peter 1, 4… partakers of the diuine nature, being heire of all things in heauen and earth,e1 Cor 3, 22. and Lord of the world, hee maketh all thinges ours, whether life or death, whether things preſent or thinges to com, recouering in him the poſſeſsion of thoſe things which we loſt …n Adam, being the beloued ſonne of the father, hee maketh vsus acceptable and well-pleaſing vntounto him: leading captiuity captiue, and giuing giftesfEph. 4, 8. to men, hauing Dominion ouer the diuell, ſinne, hell, the world, the fleſh, and all our enemies, he protecteth vsus that they cannot ouerthrowe vsus, and hathgReuelat. 1, 6 made vsus Kings and Prieſts to God euen his father: in that he is happie and immortall, he maketh vsus partakers of his bleſſedneſſe and immortality.
When we ſhall ſeuerally and particularly apply all the actions and benefits of Chriſt our Lorde vntounto our ſelues, wee may boldly come to the Lords Table, where we ſhall finde Chriſt, and enioy him to our endleſſe comfort, knowing that we liue alwaies by faith, but not alwaies by feeling.
Neither are we to abſtaine and hang back from comming to the Supper, nor to diſpaire of our ſelues, nor to bee too much caſt downe, when we feele ſundry defectes and wants in our faith, ForhThere are 2. degrees of true faith. there is a weake and feeble ſaith, which is yet a true faith as well as the ſtrong faith. There are two degrees of faith profitable to be knowne, and comfortable to be conſidered.
The weake faith,iwhat a weak Faith is. is an earneſt and vnſaigned deſire to bee reconciled vntounto God in Chriſt, which willing deſire in vsus God accepteth as the deede it ſelfe, he accounteth the deſire of faith as faith it ſelfe: the deſire of reconciliation and forgiueneſſe of ſinnes by the death of Chriſt, ſhall be auaileable to worke out our attonement and redemption. The ſtrong faith is a full perſwaſion & aſſurancekWhat a ſtrong faith is of the mercies of God when the faithfull can truly ſay with the Apoſtle, Rom. 8, 38,lRoma. 8, 38. 39. I am perſwaded that neither life nor death, nor things preſent nor things to come, neither Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, neither het…hth nor depth, nor any other creature ſhall ſeparate vsus from the louelove of God which is in Chriſt Ieſus our Lorde. To this aſſurance we labour to come, and in this aſſurance we endeuour to grow and to go on from ſaith to faith, and from ſtrength to ſtrength, vntill we learne to ſtand faſt as it were vponupon the battlements of heauen, and to ſet the world at defiance, and to treade the earth vnderunder our feete, ſaying with the Apoſtle, Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? Or who ſhall ſeparate vsus from the louelove of Chriſt?
This is the greateſt meaſure and higheſt degree of faith▪ this is the top, ſtrength, and full ripeneſſe of faith: heere vntounto wee are to ſtriue and endeuour, and neuer to giuegive reſt vntounto our ſoules, vntill we be reſolued and ſetled in our conſciences, that all our ſinnes are aſſurredly pardoned, and we accepted to euerlaſting life. This greatneſſe of faith was in Abraham, mRom. 4, 20who was not weake but ſtrengthened in faith, being fully perſwaded, Hee that had promiſed was able alſo to do it. All that liue in the boſome of the Church doe not attaine to this full meaſure of a perfect faith: but euen as it is in the eſtate of the body, we are Babes before wee come to be men of ripe yeares, firſt we be weake before we be ſtrong,n1 cor▪ 3, 1▪ …. firſt we are fedde with milke before wee can digeſt ſtrong meate. We ſeeoMar. 4 2…. Corne firſt in the graſſe, then in the blade, before it come to the ſtalke, and hauehave ripe corne in the eare. There muſt bee in all things a beginning before there can be a proceeding to perfection. The tree ſendeth foorth his tender branches, and putteth foorth his leaues before his fruite commeth. So is it with eueryevery Chriſtian man and woman, firſt they are babes in Chriſt, and hauehave certaine ſeeds and beginnings of faith ſpringing in them to eternall life: afterward they grow from ſtrength to ſtrength, from grace to grace, from degree to degree,pRoma 1, 17. and from faith to fayth vntill they come to a full perſwaſion and aſſurance vvithout wauering,qPſalme 23, 6 which ariſeth after many experiences of Gods manifolde mercies and fauours in the courſe of our liues, as we ſee Pſal. 23. Doubtleſſe kindneſſe and merciemercy ſhall follow me all the daies of my life, and I ſhall remaine a long ſeaſon in the houſe of the Lord. Wherefore let vsus not be diſmayed & diſcouraged when our faith is feeble, for a feeble faith wil apply Chriſt as well as a ſtrong faith: it will drawe Chriſt home to dwell in our hearts,rEpheſ. 3, 17. through whom we ſhall not periſh but hauehave euerlaſting life. He that had but a weak eie and a dim ſight to behold the brazen Serpent in the wilderneſſe,ſNumb, … 1, …. was healed from the deadly ſtinging of the fiery ſerpents, as well as he that ſaw clearly and perfectly afarre off. He that hath but a leprous and ſickly hand is able to holde that which is offered vntounto it, as well as a ſound and ſtrong hand. So he that hath a little faith in the ſon of God, ſhall neuer hauehave his ſaluation denied, nor forgiueneſſe of his ſins kept from him, if with an humble heart hee pray to God to hauehave them pardoned.
The Apoſtles beleeued, that Chriſt was the Sauior of the world:tLuke 24, …5 yet they were ignorant of his death and reſurrection, which are the chiefe meanes of ſaluation, and they are ſaide to be men of little faith. So our Sauiour, when theuLuke 17, 5, 6 Diſciples had asked encreaſe of their faith, declareth that if our faith be in quantity but as a graine of Muſtard-ſeed, it ſhould be powerfull and effectuall, ſeeing hee will notaMarke 2, 23 quench the ſmoaking flaxe, nor breake the bruiſed Reede, but cheriſh the loſt ſparke and meaſure of grace giuen vntounto vsus from aboue. This likewiſe was the faith of that Father, whoſe childe was poſſeſſed with a dumbe and deafe ſpirit, when Chriſt ſaid to him,bMath. 7, 7, 8 If thou canſt beleeue, all things are poſsible to him that beleeueth: ſtraight way he cried with tears ſaying, Lord I beleeue, helpe mine vnbeleefe. Chriſt doth not reiect him for his weakneſſe of knoledge and faith, to teach that we ſhould not deſpaire, or be diſmaide, when we finde wauering, wantes, diſtruſt, and imperfection in our ſelues, but rather confeſsing our frailty with that Father in this place, pray to be ſtrengthned, and to hauehave our Faith encreaſed. For, whoſoeuer vnfainedly deſireth any grace of God tending to ſaluation, ſhal receiue it: if he continuecReu 21, 6. knocking at the gate of his MercieMercy, it ſhall bee opened, and his prayer ſhall be granted, as Chriſt hath promiſed,dPhil 1, 6. I wil giuegive to him that is a thirſt of the Well of the water of life. Thus, if wee long after the graces wanting vntounto vsus, as the earth after a great drowth for the comfortable ſhowers of refreſhing raine, vſing the meanes appointed of God to attaine them, as earneſt prayer, reuerent attending on the continual hearing of his word, diligent receiuing of the Sacraments, being careful to giuegive honor and glory to him for his gifts we hauehave already of his onelyonly merciemercy obtained and enioyed, we ſhalbe ſatisfied and repleniſhed: for then He that hath begun his good worke in vsus, will perfect the ſame in our hearts vntill the day of Ieſus Chriſt. Thus much of faith the ſecond part of true examination, which is the inſtrument whereby we lay hold vponupon Chriſt, and are made liuely members of him: without which whoſoeuer come to the Lords Supper, depart awaie without fruite and comfort: becauſe of an action without faith, commeth an end without fruite.