The Life of Faith, Part 2 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. The Image of Gods Power.
III. THE third part of Gods Image and ſuperſcription on the Chriſtian Religion, is his POWER: And as mans own corruption lyeth more in the want of Wiſdom and Goodneſs, than of Power; therefore he is leſs capable of diſcerning God, in the impreſſions of his Wiſdom and Goodneſs, than of his Power: ſeeing therefore he is here moſt capable of conviction, and acknowledging the hand of God, I ſhall open this alſo in the ſeveral parts, in ſome degree.
1. In the hiſtory of the Creation, the Omnipotency of God is abundantly ſet forth; which is proved true, both by the agreeableneſs of the hiſtory to the effects, and by much ſubſequent evidence of the Writers Veracity.
2. The ſame may be ſaid of Gods drowning the old world, and the preſerving of Noah and his family in the Ark.
3. And of the deſtruction of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire from Heaven.
4. The many miracles done by Moſes upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and in the opening of the Red Sea, and in the feeding of the Iſraelites in the wilderneſs, and keeping their cloths from wearing for forty years; and the pillar which went before them as a fire by night, and a cloud by day, for ſo long time; and the darkneſs, and thunder, and trembling of the Mount at the giving of the Law; with the reſt of the Miracles then done, not in a corner, or before a few, but before all the people; who were perſwaded to receive and obey the Law, by the reaſon of theſe motives which their eyes had ſeen: And if all this had been falſe; if no plagues had been ſhewed on Egypt; if no Red Sea had opened; if no Pillar had gone before them; if no ſuch terrible ſights and ſounds at Mount Sinai had prepared them for the Law; ſuch reaſons would have been ſo unfit to have perſwaded them to obedience, that they would rather with any reaſonable creatures, have procured ſcorn.
And to ſhew poſterity, that the hiſtory of all this was not forged, or to be ſuſpected; 1. They had the Law it ſelf then delivered in two Tables of ſtone to be ſtill ſeen. 2. They had a pot of Manna ſtill preſerved. 3. They had the miracle-working Rod of Moſes and Aaron kept likewiſe as a monument. 4. They had an Ark of purpoſe to keep theſe in, and that in the moſt inviolable place of worſhip. 5. They had the braz…n Serpent (till Hezekiah broke it) ſtill to be ſeen. 6. They had the ſong of their deliverance at the Red Sea for their continued uſe. 7. They had ſet feaſts to keep the chief of all theſe things in remembrance. They had the feaſt of unleavened bread, which all Iſrael was to obſerve for ſeven daies, to keep the remembrance of their paſſing out of Egypt in ſo great haſte, that they could not ſtay to knead up, and make their bread, but took it as in meal or unready dough. They had the feaſt of the Paſſeover, when every family was to eat of the Paſchal Lamb, and the door poſts to be ſprinkled with the blood, to keep in remembrance the night when the Egyptians firſt born were deſtroyed, and the Iſraelites all preſerved. And if theſe had been inſtituted at that time, upon a pretended occaſion which they knew to be untrue, they would rather have derided than obſerved them. If they had been afterwards inſtituted in another generation which knew not the ſtory, the beginning would have been known, and the fiction of the name and inſtitution of Moſes would have been apparent to all; and the inſtitution would not have been found in the ſame Law, which was given by Moſes: And it could not have been ſo expreſly ſaid, that the Iſraelites did all obſerve theſe feaſts and ſolemnities from the very time of their deliverance, but in thoſe times when the forgery began, all would have known it to be falſe. 8. And they had many other words and ceremonies among them, and even in Gods Publick Worſhip, which were all uſed to keep up the memory of theſe things. 9. And they had an office of Prieſthood conſtantly among them, which ſaw to the execution and preſervation of all theſe. 10. And they had a form of civil Policy then eſtabliſhed, and and the Rulers were to preſerve the memory of theſe things, and the practice of this Law, and to learn it themſelves, and govern by it: ſo that the very form of the Common-wealth, and the order of it, was a commemoration hereof: And the Parents were to teach and tell their children all theſe things, and to expound all theſe Solemnities, Laws and Ceremonies to them: ſo that the frame of Church, and State, and Families, was a preſervative hereof.
5. But, to paſs by all the reſt in the Old Teſtament, the Incarnation of Chriſt was ſuch a work of Omnipotent Love, as ca…not by us be comprehended. That God ſhould be united to humanity in perſon! that humanity ſhould thus be advanced into union with the Deity! and Man be ſet above the Angels! that a Virgin ſhould conceive! that men from the Eaſt ſhould be led thither to worſhip an Infant by the conduct of a Star (which Caeſarius thinketh was one of thoſe Angels or Spirits which are called a flame of fire, Pſal. 104.4.) That Angels from Heaven ſhould declare his nativity to the Shepherds, and celebrate it with their praiſes: that John Baptiſt ſhould be ſo called to be his forerunner, and Elizabeth, Zachary, Simeon, and Anna, ſhould ſo propheſie of him: That the Spirit ſhould be ſeen deſcending on him at his Baptiſm, and the voice be heard from Heaven, which owned him: that he ſhould faſt forty daies and nights; and that he ſhould be tranſfigured before his three Diſciples on the Mount, and Moſes and Elias ſeen with him in that glory; and the voice from Heaven again bear witneſs to him: Theſe, and many ſuch like were the atteſtations of Divine Omnipotency to the truth of Chriſt.
6. To theſe may be next joyned, the whole courſe of miracles performed by Chriſt, in healing the ſick, and raiſing the dead; and in many other miraculous acts, which are moſt of the ſubſtance of the Goſpel-hiſtory, and which I have recited together in my Reaſons of the Chriſtian Religion; ſee Heb. 2.2, 3, 4.
7. And to theſe may be added, the Power which was given over all the creatures, to Chriſt our Mediatour. All power in Heaven and Earth was given him, Joh. 17.2. & 13.3. Mat. 28.19. Rom. 14.9. Epheſ. 1.22, 23. He was made Head over all things to the Church, and all principalities and powers were put under him! And this was not barely aſſerted by him, but demonſtrated. He ſhewed his power over the Devils in caſting them out: and his power over Angels by their attendance: and his power of life and death, by raiſing the dead: and his power over all diſeaſes, by healing them: and his power over the winds and waters, by appeaſing them: and his power over our food and natures, by turning water into wine, and by feeding many thouſands miraculouſly: yea and his power over them into whoſe hands he was reſolved to yield himſelf, by reſtraining them till his hour was come, and by making them all fall to the ground at his name: and his power over Sun, and Heaven, and Earth, by the darkening of the Sun, and the trembling of the Earth, and the rending of the Rocks, and of the Vail of the Temple, Mat. 27.45, 51. And his power over the dead, by the riſing of the bodies of many, Mat. 27.52. And his power over the Saints in Heaven, by the attendance of Moſes and Elias: and his power to forgive ſins, by taking away the penal maladies; and his power to change hearts, and ſave ſouls, by cauſing his Diſciples to leave all and follow him at a word; and Zacheus to receive him, and believe; and the thief on the croſs to be converted, and to enter that day into Paradiſe.
8. And his own Reſurrection is an undoubted atteſtation of Divine Omnipotency. If God gave him ſuch a victory over death, and raiſed him to life when men had killed him, and rolled a ſtone upon his Sepulchre, and ſealed and guarded it, there needeth no further evidence of the Power of God impreſſing and atteſting the Chriſtian Religion, than that which aſcertaineth to us the truth of Chriſts Reſurrection. For he was declared to be the Son of God by POWER, by reſurrection from the dead, Rom. 1.4.
9. And his bodily appearance to his congregated Diſciples when the doors were ſhut; his miracle at their fiſhing, his walking on the Sea, his vaniſhing out of their ſight, Luke 24. when he had diſcourſed with the two Diſciples, his opening their hearts to underſtand his Word, &c. do all ſhew this part of Gods Image on our Religion, even his Power.
10. And ſo doth his bodily aſcending into Heaven before the face of his Diſciples, Acts 1.
11. But eſpecially the ſending down the Holy Ghoſt upon his Diſciples according as he promiſed: To cauſe them that were before ſo low in knowledge, to be ſuddenly inſpired with languages, and with the full underſtanding of his own will, and with unanimity and concord herein; this made his Diſciples the living monuments and effects of his own Omnipotency, Acts 2.
12. And accordingly all the miracles which they did by this power, recorded partly in the Acts of the Apoſtles, (or rather, the Acts of Paul, by Luke who was his companion;) which you may there read (and no doubt but other Apoſtles in their meaſures did the like as Paul, though they are not recorded; for they had all the ſame Promiſe and Spirit.) This is another impreſſion of POWER.
13. Whereto muſt be added the great and wonderful gifts of communicating the ſame Spirit (or doing that upon which God would give it) to thoſe converted Believers on whom they laid their hands (which Simon Magus would fain have bought with money, Acts 8.) To enable them to ſpeak with tongues, to heal diſeaſes, to propheſie, &c. as they themſelves had done, which is a great atteſtation of Omnipotency.
14. And the lamentable deſtruction of Jeruſalem by the Romans, foretold by Chriſt, was an atteſtation of Gods POWER in the revenge or puniſhment of their unbelief, and putting Chriſt to death.
15. And ſo was the great fortitude and conſtancy of Believers, who underwent all perſecutions ſo joyfully as they did for the ſake of Chriſt; which was the effect of the corroborating Power of the Almighty.
16. And ſo was the Power which the Apoſtles had to execute preſent judgements upon the enemies of the Goſpel, (as Elimas and Simon Magus) and on the abuſers of Religion (as Ananias and Saphyra) and on many whom they excommunicated and delivered up to Satan.
17. The ſame evidence is found in Chriſts Legiſlation, as an univerſal Soveraign making Laws for heart and life, for all the world: Taking down the Laws of the Jewiſh Polity and Ceremonies, which God by Moſes had for a time ſet up: Commanding his Miniſters to proclaim his Laws to all the world, and Princes and people to obey them: And by theſe Laws, conferring on Believers no leſs than forgiveneſs and ſalvation, and binding over the impenitent to everlaſting puniſhment.
18. But the great and continued impreſs of Gods Power, is that which together with his Wiſdom and Love, is made and ſhewed in the conve…ſion of mens ſouls to God by Chriſt. You may here firſt conſider the numbers which were ſuddenly converted by the preaching of the Apoſtles at the firſt. And in how little time there were Churches planted abroad the world: And then, how the Roman Empire was brought in, and ſubdued to Chriſt, and Crowns and Scepters reſigned to him; and all this according to his own prediction, that when he was lifted up, he would draw all men to him; and according to the predictions of his Prophets. But that which I would eſpecially open, is, the POWER which is manifeſted in the work of the Spirit on the ſouls of men, both then and to this day.
Hitherto what I have mentioned belonging to the Scripture it ſelf; it is to be taken as part of our Religion objectively conſidered: But that which followeth is the effect of that, even our Religion ſubjectively conſidered: To obſerve how God maketh men Believers, and by believing ſanctifieth their hearts and lives, is a great motive to further our own believing. Conſider the work, 1. As it is in it ſelf, 2. As it is oppoſed by all its enemies, and you may ſee that it is the work of God.
1. As the Goodneſs, ſo alſo the Greatneſs of it, is Gods own Image. It is the raiſing up of our ſtupid faculties to be lively and active to thoſe holy uſes, to which they were become as dead by ſin. To cauſe in an unlearned perſon, a firmer and more diſtinct belief of the unſeen world, than the moſt learned Philoſophers can attain to by all their natural contemplations: To bring up a ſoul to place its happineſs on things ſo high, and far from ſenſe! To cauſe him who naturally is impriſoned in ſelfiſhneſs, to deny himſelf, and devote himſelf entirely to God; to love him, to truſt him, and to live to him! To raiſe an earthly mind to Heaven, that our buſineſs and hope may be daily there! To overcome our pride, and ſenſuality, and bring our ſenſes in ſubjection unto reaſon, and to keep a holy government in our thoughts, and over our paſſions, words and deeds; And to live in continual preparation for death, as the only time of our true felicity: And to ſuffer any loſs or pain for the ſafe accompliſhment of this! All this is the work of the POWER of God.
2. Which will the more appear when we conſider, what is done againſt it within us and without us! what privative and poſitive averſeneſs we have to it, till God do ſend down that Life, and Light, and Love into our ſouls, which is indeed his Image! How violently our fleſhly ſenſe and appetite, ſtrive againſt the reſtraints of God, and would hurry us contrary to the motions of grace! How importunately Satan joyneth with his ſuggeſtions! What baits the world doth ſtill ſet before us, to divert us, and pervert us! And how many inſtruments of its flattery, or its cruelty, are ſtill at work, to ſtop us, or to turn us back! to invite our affections down to Earth, and enſnare them to ſome deluding vainty, or to diſtract us in our heavenly deſign, and to a…right or diſcourage us from the holy way.
And if we think this an eaſie work, becauſe it is alſo reaſonable, do but obſerve how hardly it goeth on, till the POWER of God by grace accompliſh it! what a deal of pains may the beſt and wiſeſt Parents take with a graceleſs child, and all in vain! what labours the worthieſt Miniſters loſe on graceleſs people! and how blind, and dead, and ſenſeleſs a thing, the graceleſs heart is, to any thing that is holy, even when reaſon it ſelf cannot gainſay it! And God is pleaſed oft-times to weary out Parents, and Maſters, and Miniſters, with ſuch unteachable and ſtony hearts, to make them know what naturally they are themſelves, to bring them to the more lively acknowledgement of the POWER which is neceſſary to renew and ſave a ſoul. But having ſpoken at large of this in the formentioned Treatiſe, I ſhall take up with theſe brief intimations.
19. And the preſervation of that Grace in the ſoul which is once given us, is alſo an effect of the POWER of God. Our ſtrength is in the Lord, and in the power of his might, Eph. 6.10. It is our Lord himſelf, who is the Lord of life, and whoſe Prieſthood was made after the power of an endleſs life, Heb. 7.16. who giveth us the Spirit of Power and of Love, and of a ſound mind, 2 Tim. 1.7. (or of received wiſdom, for foreign is ſound underſtanding received by inſtruction: And this text expreſſeth the three parts of Gods Image in the new Creature, foreign. And as Power is given us with Love and Wiſdom; ſo Power with Love and Wiſdom do give it us; and Power alſo muſt preſerve it, 1 Pet. 1.5. We are kept by the power of God through faith unto ſalvation, 2 Tim. 1.8. According to the power of God who hath ſaved us. The Goſpel is the Power of God (that is, the inſtrument of his Power) to our ſalvation. Rom. 1.16. So 1 Cor. 1.18, To us that are ſaved it is the power of God; becauſe Chriſt whom it revealeth, is the power and wiſdom of God, v. 24. And thus our faith ſtandeth in the power of God, 1 Cor. 2.5. 2 Cor. 6.7. And the Kingdom of God in us doth conſiſt in power, 1 Cor. 4.20. The mind of man is very mutable; and he that is poſſeſſed once with the deſires of things ſpiritual and eternal, would quickly loſe thoſe deſires, and turn to preſent things again, (which are ſtill before him, while higher things are beyond our ſenſe) if the Power and Activity of the divine life, did not preſerve the ſpark which is kindled in us. Though the doctrine of Perſeverance be controverted in the Chriſtian Church, yet experience aſſureth us of that which all parties are agreed in: Some hold that all true Chriſtians perſevere; and ſome hold that all confirmed Chriſtians perſevere (that is, thoſe who come to a ſtrong degree of grace) but thoſe that think otherwiſe do yet all grant, that if any fall away, it is comparatively but a very few, of thoſe who are ſincere. When none would perſevere if Omnipotency did not preſerve them.
20. Laſtly, The POWER of God alſo doth conſequently own the Chriſtian Religion, by the Preſervation of the Church, in this malicious and oppoſing world (as well as by the preſervation of grace in the ſoul) which will be the more apparent if you obſerve, 1. That the number of true Chriſtians is ſtill very ſmall in compariſon of the wicked. 2. That all wicked men are naturally (by the corruption of nature) their enemies; becauſe the precepts and practice of Chriſtianity are utterly againſt their carnal minds and intereſts. 3. That the doctrine and practice of Chriſtianity is ſtill galling them, and exciting and ſublimating this enmity into rage: And God doth by perſecutions ordinarily tell us to our ſmart, that all this is true. 4. That all carnal men are exceeding hardly moved from their own way. 5. That the Government of the Earth is commonly in their hand, becauſe of their numbers, and their wealth. For it is commonly the rich that rule; and the rich are uſually bad; ſo that the godly Chriſtians are in their power. 6. That all the Hypocrites that are among our ſelves, have the ſame ſinful nature and enmity againſt holineſs, and are uſually as bitter againſt the power and practice of their own profeſſion, as open Infidels are. 7. That Chriſtianity is not a fruit of nature; Non nati ſed facti ſumus Chriſtiani, ſaid Tertullian. And therefore if Gods Power preſerved not Religion, the degenerating of the Chriſtians children from their Parents mind and way, would haſten its extinction in the world. 8. And as it is a Religion which muſt be taught us; ſo it requireth or conſiſteth in ſo much wiſdom, and willingneſs, and fortitude of mind, that few are naturally apt to receive it▪ becauſe folly, and badneſs, and feebleneſs of mind are ſo common in the world. And as we ſee that Learning will never be common but in the poſſeſſion of a very few, becauſe a natural ingenuity is neceſſary thereto, which few are born with; ſo would it be with Chriſtianity, if Divine Power maintained it not. 9. And it is a Religion which requireth much time and contemplation, in the learning and in the practiſing of it: whereas the world are taken up with ſo much buſineſs for the body, and are ſo ſlothful to thoſe exerciſes of the mind, which bring them no preſent ſenſible commodity, that this alſo would quickly wear it out. 10. And then the terms of it being ſo contrary to all mens fleſhly intereſt and ſenſe, in ſelf-denyal, and forſaking all for Chriſt; and in mortifying the moſt beloved ſins, and the world putting us to it ſo ordinarily by perſecution; this alſo would deter the moſt, and weary out the reſt, if the Power of God did not uphold them. That which is done by exceeding induſtry, againſt the inclinations and intereſt of nature, will have no conſiderable number of practiſers. As we ſee in horſes and dogs which are capable with great labour, of being taught extraordinary things in the ſemblance of reaſon: And yet becauſe it muſt coſt ſo much labour, there is but one in a Country that is brought to it. But (though the truly religious are but few in compariſon of the wicked, yet) godly perſons are not ſo few as they would be, if it were the work of induſtry alone. God maketh it as a new nature to them; and (which is very much to be obſerved) the main change is oft-times wrought in an hour, and that after all exhortations, and the labours of Parents and Teachers have failed, and left the ſinner as ſeemingly hopeleſs.
And thus I have ſhewed you 1. That our Religion objectively taken, is the Image of Gods WISDOM, GOODNESS and POWER, and thereby fully proved to be from GOD. 2. And that our Religion ſubjectively taken, is anſwerably the Spirit or impreſs of POWER, and of LOVE, and of SOƲND ƲNDERSTANDING, and is in us a conſtant ſeal and witneſs to the truth of Chriſt.