The Badges of Christianity, Book 3 · Chapter 17
Chap. 17. 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. Wherfore the aThe 2 part of examination.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, Math. 15, O woman, great is thy faith, be it vntounto thee bMat. 15, 28as thou desirest. And the Apostle saith, to the same effect, cHebr. 4, 2VntoUnto vsus was the Gospell preached as also vntounto them, but the worde that they heard, prositted them not, because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it. Al those are worthy receiuers, that ground themselues on the free fauor of God in christ Iesus, beleeue themselues to be deliuered by him from eternall damnation, and desire daily to go forward in godlinesse. Heereunto commeth the exhortation of Paule, 2 Cor, 13, Proue your selues, d2 cor. 13, 5whether ye be in the faith: examine your selues: know ye … your owne selues, how that Iesus Christ is in you, except ye be refused? This true faith is the mouth of the soule, wherby we receiue christ crucified to our saluation. Wherefore, it is required of vsus, not onelyonly to hauehave knowledge and vnderstandding in the mistery of our redemption: but likewise a iustifieng faith, eWhat a true faith iswhich is a wonderfull gift of God, whereby the elect doe apply Christ and the sauing promises of the Gospell to themselues particularly. We must know fGal. 1. 4the purpose and ordinance of God, appointing and setting apart Iesus Christ to be the person in gThe hands of faith what they are.whom and by whom he hath decreed and 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, whereuppon we shall feele 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 knowinge himselfe for our sins according to the will of God euen our father, and by relying on his al-sufficiency to perform that high worke of redemption, whereunto he was sealed and ordained.
This faith is not borne and bred with vsus, but is wrought in vsus by the Holy-ghost, h2 Thes. 3. 2who 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 dispaire 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 whom we ascribe all praise and glory. Now the proper office and function of this iustifying faith standeth in apprehending, receiuing, and laying hold vppon Christ and all his benefits. Euen as the hand stretched forth, layeth hold vponupon a thing, and pulleth the same vntounto it: so doth saith apply the sauing promises of the Gospell to the soule, as the Apostle teacheth, Gal. 3. That the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Iesus Christ, iGal. 3, 14that wee 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, beleeuinge the same to belong vntounto our selues. The scripture calleth Christ a redeemer indefinitely? Iob calleth him his redeemer kIob. 19, 25particularly, Iob, 19. I knowe that my redeemer lyueth. The Scriptur setteth out the lord as the god of his church: Thomas vponupon a special feeling of Christs fauor toward him, lIohn. 20, 28acknowledgeth him to be his Lord and his 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 to her selfe, mLuk. 1, 47an accounteth him her sauiour. Luke 1. My spirit reioyceth in god my sauiour. The Scriptur maketh Christ the L. and protector of his church: Elizabeth maketh a speciall nLuke 1, 43application thereof, calling him her lord Luk. 1, Whence commeth this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come vntounto me. It is an Article of our holy and christian faith to beleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes: this must eueryevery one beleeue, this must eueryevery one hold, this must eueryevery one apply, oMatth. 9, 2as 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 worlde thus to beleeue, whether we respect Christ or our selues. 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 mercy: but when Satan shall fift him, when his owne hart shall accuse him, when sinne shall he heauy 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 moisture pPsal. 32, 4into the drought of Summer: if then he can stand vpright, and build himselfe qMath. 7, 24vponupon the rock, when the floods come, when the winds blow and beat vponupon his house, and when the ground shaketh vnderunder his feet, this man with boldnesse and confidence may truely say, and seale it vppe for an euerlasting truth, My sinnes are forgiuen me. For if then he can comfort himselfe in his God, and apply his gratious mercies to his owne fainting hart, and cry out rIob. 13, 15Though the Lorde would kill me, yet still I wil trust in him: this is the property of a sounde faith, against which the strongest gates of hel shal not preuaile.
This appeareth euidently vntounto vsus in the example of Abraham, sRoma 4, 17 &c.who beleeued that of his old, weake, withered, and as it were dead body, should spring children tGenes. 15, 5like the sande on the sea-shore, and like the starres of heauen for multitude, and that he should hauehave a seede in whom himselfe and all the nations of the world should be blessed. If hee had consulted with flesh and blood, what discourses might a naturall man alledge to … the crediting of this promise? yet hee doubted not, hee disputeth not the matter, but beleeued that the weake shoulde bee made strong, that the barren should be made fruitfull and a ioyfull mother of children, that the dead should be made aliue 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, bear, and bring foorth plentifull …. So, what can bee more difficult and hard then for vsus to beleeue and be perswaded, that by the death of Christ, we shall hauehave euerlastinge life? by his shame and dishonour we shall hauehave glory and praise? that by his wounds and reproaches we shall hauehave the curing and healing of our …? that by his agonies and bloody sweate, wee shall hauehave peace and rest? by his condemnation we shall hauehave saluation? Is not this after a sort, in hell to see heauen? in cursing, to see blessing? in humiliation, to see exaltation? in death, to see life? in condemnation, to lay holde of saluation? in feeling of sin, to beleeue the pardon of sinnes? lastly in out vnrighteousnes and misery, to bee both righteous and accepted to eternall life: and in the breach of the lawe, to beleeue the fulfilling of the law?
This is indeede to hauehave the sauing faith uTitus. 1, …of Gods elect. And to say that this is an easie matter, or a small thinge, is plainely to betray and difcouer, that wee never knew what true faith meaneth.
For this faith, let eueryevery one of vsus labour, that we may aGal. 2, 20specially and particularly apprehend the promises, as the Apostle declareth. Galatians 2, I am crucified with Christ, but I liue; yet not I any more, but christdiueth in me: and in that that I nowe liue in the flesh, I liue by the faith in the sonne of God, who hath loued mee, and giuen himselfe for me. And againe, b2 Tim. 4, 7I hauehave fought a good fight, I hauehave finished my course, I hauehave kept the faith, hencefoorth is … vppe for me a crowne of righteousnesse, which the Lorde the righteous iudge, shall giuegive vntounto me at that day.
Where wee 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 general faith, this is the faith of the reprobates, yea the Deuils know it, and hauehave as great a part and portion therein as we, yet they tremble at the remembrance of their iudgement to come, as Iames sheweth, cIam. 2, 19Thou beleeuest there is 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 be 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 shal be verified in the members of the church: we must, besides this generall and confused faith, apply and appropriate vntounto our selues the promises of saluation: We must not onelyonly see them a farre off, but feele them in our harts: We must beleeue, not onelyonly that christ is a sauior, but that he is our sauior and our redeemer. Thus we must eueryevery one of vsus for his owne part make proper to himselfe all the riches and graces that are in chist Iesus, because in giuing himselfe to vsus, he giueth al his benefits: in that he is God, he maketh vsus after a sort d2 Pet. 1, 4partakers of the diuine nature: being heir of al things, in heauen and earth, and Lord of the world, he maketh al things ours, whether 1 Cor. 3, 22life or death, whether things present or things to come, recouering in him the possession of those thinges which wee lost in Adam: being the beloued sonne of the father, hee maketh vsus acceptable and wel pleasing vntounto him: leading captiuity captiue and giuing gifts fEph. 4, 8to men, hauing Dominion ouer the Deuil, sin, hell, the world, the flesh, and all our enemies, hee protecteth vsus that they cannot ouerthrow vsus, and hath gReuel. 1, 6made vsus kings and Priests to god euen his father: in that he is happy and immortal, he maketh vsus partakers of his blessednes and immortality. When we shall seuerally and particularly apply al the actions and benefits of Christ our lorde vntounto our selues, we may boldely come to the lordes table, where wee shall fiude christ, and enioy him to our endlesse comfort.
Neither are we to abstaine and hang backe from comming to the Supper, nor to dispaire of our selues, nor to be to much cast downe, when wee feele sundry defectes and wantes in our faith. For hThere are 2 degrees of true faith.there is a weake and feeble faith, which is yet a true faith as well as the stronge faith. There are two degrees offaith profitable to be knowne, and comfortable to be considered. The weake faith, iwhat a weak faith isis an earnest and vnfained desire to be reconciled vntounto GOD in christ, which willing desire in vsus GOD accepteth as the deede it selfe: hee accounteth the defire 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 stronge faith is a full perswasion and assurance kWhat a strōg faith is.of the mercyes of GOD, when the faithful can truely say with the Apostle. lRoma. 8, 38Rom. 8 38. 39. I am perswaded that neither life nor death, nor thinges present nor thinges to come, neither Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, neither height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall separate vsus from the louelove of GOD which is in Christ Iesus our Lord.
This is the greatest measure and highest degree of faith: this is the top, strength, and full ripenesse of faith: heereunto wee are to striue and indeuour, and neuer to giuegive rest vntounto our soules, vntill wee bee resouled and setled in our consciences, that all our sinnes are assuredly pardoned, and wee accepted to euerlasting life. This greatenesse of faith was in Abraham, mRoma. 4, 20who was not weak, but strengthened in faith, being fully perswaded He that had promised was also able to doe 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 we come to be men of ripe yeares, first we be weake before we be strong, n1 cor 3, 1, 2first we are fed with milke before we can digest strong meat. We see oMar. 4, 28corne first is in the grasse then in the blade, before it come to the stalke, and to hauehave ripe corne in the eare. There must be in all thinges a beginning, before there can be a proceeding to perfection. The tree sendeth forth his tender braunches, and putteth forth his leaues, before the fruit commeth. So is it with eueryevery christian Man and Woman, first they are babes in Christ, and hauehave certaine seedes 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, pRom 1, 17and from faith to faith, vntill they come to a full perswasion and assurance without wauering, qPsal. 23, 6which ariseth after many experiences of Gods' manifold mercies and fauours in the course of our liues, as we see Psal. 23. Doubtlesse kindnesse and mercy 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 … ed and discouraged when our faith is feeble, for a feeble faith wil apply Christ as well as a strong faith: it wil draw Christ home to dwell in our hartes, rEphe. 3, 17through whom we shall not perish, but hauehave euerlasting life. Hee that had but a weake eie and a dimme sight, to behold the brasen Serpent in the wildernesse, sNum. 21, 8was healed from the deadly stinging of the fiery Serpents, as wel as he that saw cleerly and perfectly a farre off. He that hath but a Leprous and sickly hand is able to hold that which is offered vntounto it, as well as a sound and strong hand. So hee that hath a little faith in the Sonne of God, shall neuer hauehave his saluation denied, nor forgiuenesse of his sinnes kept from him, if with an humble heart he pray to God to hauehave them pardoned. The Apostles beleeued, that Christ was the Sauiour of the world: yet they were ignorant tLuk. 24, 25of 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 the uLuke. 17, 5, 6Disciples had asked increase of their faith, declareth that if our faith be in quantity but as a graine of mustard-seede, it should be powerfull and effectuall, seeing he will not aMark 2, 23quench the smooking flaxe, nor breake the bruised reede, but cherish the least sparke and measure of grace giuen vntounto vsus from aboue. This likewise was the faith of that father, whose child was possessed with a dumbe and deafe spirit, when christ said to him, bMath. 7, 7, 8If thou canst beleau, all things are possible to him that beleeueth: straight way he cryed with teares, saying. Lord, I beleeue, help mine vnbeleefe. Christ doth not reiect him for his weaknes of knowledge and faith, to teach that we should not dispaire, or be dismaid, 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 increased. For, whosoeuer vnfainedly desireth any grace of God tending to saluation, shal receiue it: if he continue cReuel. 21, 6 &.cknocking at the gate of his mercy, it shall bee opened, and his prayer shalbe granted, as Christ hath promised, dPhil. 1. 6I wilgiue to him that is a thirst of the wel of the water of life. Thus, if wee long after the graces wanting vntounto vsus, as the earth after a great drouth for the comfortable shewers of refreshing rain, vsing the meanes appointed of God to attaine them, as, earnest praier, reuerent attending on the continuall hearing of his word, diligent receiung of the sacraments, being carefull to giuegive honor and glory to him for his gifts we hauehave already of his onelyonly mercy obtained and enioyed, wee shall be satisfied and replenished: for then cReuel. 21, 6 &.cHe that hath … his good worke in vsus, will perfect the same in our harts vntill the day of Iesus Christ. Thus much of faith, the sec. part of true examination, which is the instrument whereby wee lay hold vponupon Christ, and are made liuely members of him: withont which whosoeuer come to the Lords Supper, depart away without fruit and comfort.