The Life of Faith, Part 2 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. General Directions for exerciſing the Life of Faith.
HAving told you how Faith muſt be confirmed, I am next to tell you how it muſt be uſed. And in this I ſhall begin with ſome General Directions, and then proceed to ſuch particular caſes, in which we have the greateſt uſe for Faith.
Direct. 1. Remember the neceſſity of Faith in all the buſineſs of your hearts and lives, that nothing can be done well without it. There is no ſin to be conquered, no grace to be exerciſed, no worſhip to be performed, nor no acts of mercy, or juſtice, or worldly buſineſs, to be well done without it, in any manner acceptable to God. Without Faith it is impoſſible to pleaſe God, Heb. 11.6. You may as well go about your bodily work without your eye-ſight, as about your ſpiritual work without Faith.
Direct. 2. Make it therefore your care and work to get Faith, and to uſe it; and think not that God muſt reveal his mind to you, as in viſions, while you idly neglect your proper work. Believing is the firſt part of your trade of life; and the practice of it muſt be your conſtant buſineſs. It is not living ordinarily by ſenſe, and looking when God will caſt in the light of Faith extraordinarily, which is indeed the life of Faith: Nor is it ſeeming to ſtir up Faith in a Prayer or Sermon, and looking no more after it all the day: This is but to give God a ſalutation, and not to dwell and walk with him: And to give Heaven a complemental viſit ſometimes, but not to have your converſation there, 2 Cor. 5.7, 8.
Direct. 3. Be not too ſeldom in ſolitary meditation. Though it be a duty which melancholy perſons are diſabled to perform, in any ſet, and long, and orderly manner; yet it is ſo needful to thoſe who are able, that the greateſt works of Faith are to be managed by it. How ſhould things unſeen be apprehended ſo as to affect our hearts, without any ſerious exerciſe of our thoughts? How ſhould we ſearch into myſteries of the Goſpel, or converſe with God, or walk in Heaven, or fetch either joyes or motives thence, without any retired ſtudious contemplation? If you cannot meditate or think, you cannot believe. Meditation abſtracteth the mind from vanity, and lifteth it up above the world, and ſetteth it about the work of Faith; which by a mindleſs, thoughtleſs, or worldly ſoul, can never be performed, 2 Cor. 4.16, 17, 18. Phil. 3.20. Mat. 6.21. Col. 3.1, 3.
Direct. 4. Let the Image of the Life of Chriſt, and his Martyrs, and holieſt ſervants, be deeply printed on your minds. That you may know what the way is which you have to go, and what patterns they be which you have to imitate; think how much they were above things ſenſitive, and how light they ſet by all the pleaſures, wealth and glory of this world. Therefore the Holy Ghoſt doth ſet before us that cloud of witneſſes, and catalogue of Martyrs, in Heb. 11. that example may help us, and we may ſee with how good company we go, in the life of Faith, Paul had well ſtudied the example of Chriſt, when he took pleaſure in infirmities, and gloryed only in the Croſs, to be baſe and afflicted in this world, for the hopes of endleſs glory, 2 Cor. 11.30. & 12.5 9, 10. And when he could ſay, I count all things but loſs for the excellency of the knowledge of Chriſt Jeſus my Lord; for whom I have ſuffered the loſs of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Chriſt — that I may know him, and the power of his reſurrection, and the fellowſhip of his ſufferings, being made conformable to his death, Phil. 3.8, 9, 10. No man will well militate in the life of Faith, but he that followeth the Captain of his ſalvation, Heb. 2.10. who for the bringing of many Sons to glory (even thoſe whom he is not aſhamed to call his Brethren) was made perfect, (as to perfection of action or performance) by ſuffering: thereby to ſhew us, how little the beſt of theſe viſible and ſenſible corporeal things, are to be valued in compariſon of the things inviſible: and therefore as the General and the ſouldiers make up one army, and militate in one militia; ſo he that ſanctifieth, and they who are ſanctified, are all of one, Heb. 2.10, 11, 12. Though that which is called the life of Faith in us, deſerved a higher title in Chriſt, and his faith in his Father, and ours, do much differ, and he had not many of the objects, acts and uſes of Faith, as we have who are ſinners; yet in this we muſt follow him as our great example, in valuing things inviſible, and vilifying things viſible in compariſon of them. And therefore Paul ſaith [I am crucified with Chriſt: Nevertheleſs I live, yet not I, but Chriſt liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the fleſh, I live by the Faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himſelf for me, Gal. 2.20.
Direct. 5. Remember therefore that God and Heaven, the unſeen things are the final object of true Faith: and that the final object is the nobleſt; and that the principal uſe of Faith, is to carry up the whole heart and life from things viſible and temporal, to things inviſible and eternal; and not only to comfort us in the aſſurance of our own forgiveneſs and ſalvation.
It is an exceeding common and dangerous deceit, to overlook both this principal object and principal uſe of the Chriſtian Faith. 1. Many think of no other object of it, but the death and righteouſneſs of Chriſt, and the pardon of ſin, and the promiſe of that pardon: And God and Heaven they look at as the objects of ſome other common kind of Faith. 2. And they think of little other uſe of it, than to comfort them againſt the guilt of ſin, with the aſſurance of their Juſtification. But the great and principal work of Faith is, that which is about its final object; to carry up the ſoul to God and Heaven, where the world, and things ſenſible, are the terminus à quo, and God, and things inviſible, the terminus ad quem: And thus it is put in contradiſtinction to living by fight, in 2 Cor. 5.6, 7. And thus mortification is made one part of this great effect, in Rom. 6. throughout, and many other places: and thus it is that Heb. 11. doth ſet before us thoſe numerous examples of a life of Faith, as it was expreſſed in valuing things unſeen, upon the belief of the Word of God, and the vilifying of things ſeen which ſtand againſt them. And thus Chriſt tryed the Rich man, Luke 18.22. whether he would be his Diſciple, by calling him to ſell all, and give to the po…r, for the hopes of a treaſure in Heaven. And thus Chriſt maketh bearing the Croſs, and denying our ſelves, and forſaking all for him, to be neceſſary in all that are his Diſciples. And thus Paul deſcribeth the life of Faith, 2 Cor. 4.17, 18. by the contempt of the world, and ſuffering afflictions for the hopes of Heaven: [For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are ſeen, but at the things which are not ſeen: for the things which are ſeen are temporal, but the things which are not ſeen are eternal.] Our Faith is our victory over the world, even in the very nature of it, and not only in the remote effect; for its aſpect and believing approaches to God and the things unſeen, and a proportionable receſs from the things which are ſeen, is one and the ſame motion of the ſoul, denominated variouſly from its various reſpects to the terminus ad quem, and à quo.
Direct. 6. Remember, that as God to be believed in, is the principal and final object of Faith; ſo the kindling of love to God in the ſoul, is the principal uſe and effect of Faith: And to live by Faith, is but to love (obey and ſuffer) by Faith. Faith working by Love, is the deſcription of our Chriſtianity, Gal. 5.6. As Chriſt is the Way to the Father, Joh. 14.6. and came into the world to recover Apoſtate man to God, to love him, and be beloved by him; ſo the true uſe of Faith in Jeſus Chriſt, is to be as it were the bellows to kindle love; or the burning-glaſs as it were of the ſoul, to receive the beams of the Love of God, as they ſhine upon us in Jeſus Chriſt, and thereby to enflame our hearts in love to God again. Therefore if you would live by Faith indeed, begin here, and firſt receive the deepeſt apprehenſions of that Love of the Father; Who ſo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoſoever believeth in him, ſhould not periſh, but have everlaſting life: And by theſe apprehenſi…ns, ſtir up your hearts to the Love of God; and make this very endeavour the work and buſineſs of your lives.
Oh that miſtaken Chriſtians would be rectified in this point! how much would it tend to their holineſs and their peace? You think of almoſt nothing of the life of Faith; but how to believe that you have a ſpecial intereſt in Chriſt, and ſhall be ſaved by him: But you have firſt another work to do: You muſt firſt believe that common Love and Grace before mentioned, John 3.16. 2 Cor. 5.19, 20.14, 15. 1 Tim. 2.6. Heb. 2.9. And you muſt believe your own intereſt in this; that is, that God hath by Chriſt, made to all, and therefore unto you, an act of oblivion, and free deed of gift, that you ſhall have Chriſt, and pardon, and eternal life, if you will believingly accept the gift, and will not finally reject it. And the belief of this, even of this common Love and Grace, muſt firſt perſwade your hearts accordingly to accept the offer, (and then you have a ſpecial intereſt) and withall, at the ſame time, muſt kindle in your ſouls a thankful love to the Lord and fountain of this grace: and if you were ſo ingenuous as to begin here, and firſt uſe your Faith upon the foreſaid common gift of Chriſt, for the kindling of love to God within you, and would account this the work which Faith hath every day to do; you would then find that in the very exciting and exerciſe of this holy Love, your aſſurance of your own ſpecial intereſt in Chriſt, would be ſooner and more comfortably brought about, than by ſearching to find either evidence of pardon before you find your love to God; or to find your love to God, before you have laboured to get and exerciſe it.
I tell you, they are dangerous deceivers of your ſouls, that ſhall contradict this obvious truth; that the true method and motive of mans firſt ſpecial love to God, muſt not be by believing firſt Gods ſpecial love to us; but by believing his more common love and mercy in the general act and offer of grace before mentioned. For he that believeth Gods ſpecial love to him, and his ſpecial intereſt in Chriſt, before he hath any ſpecial love to God, doth ſinfully preſume, and not believe. For if by Gods ſpecial love, you mean his love of complacency to you, as a living member of Chriſt; to believe this before you love God truly, is to believe a dangerous lie: and if you mean only, Gods love of benevolence, by which he decreeth to make you the objects of his foreſaid complacency, and to ſanctifie and ſave you; to believe this before you truly love God, is to believe that which is utterly unknown to you, and may be falſe for ought you know, but is not at all revealed by God, and therefore is not the object of Faith.
Therefore if you cannot have true aſſurance or perſwaſion of your ſpecial intereſt in Chriſt, and of your juſtification, before you have a ſpecial love to God, then this ſpecial love muſt be kindled (I ſay not by a common Faith, but) by a true Faith in the General Love and Promiſe mentioned before.
Nay, you muſt not only have firſt this ſpecial love; but alſo muſt have ſo much knowledge, that indeed you have it, as you will have knowledge of your ſpecial intereſt in Chriſt, and the love of God: for no act of Faith will truly evidence ſpecial grace, which is not immediately and intimately accompanied with true love to God our Father and Redeemer, and the ultimate object of our Faith: Nor can you any further perceive or prove, the ſincerity of your Faith it ſelf, than you diſcern in or with it, the Love here mentioned. For Faith is not only an act of the Intellect, but of the Will alſo: And there is no volition or conſent to this or any offered good, which hath not in it the true nature of Love: and the intention of the end, being in order of nature, before our choice or uſe of means; the intending of God as our end, cannot come behind that act of Faith, which is about Chriſt as the choſen means or way to God.
Therefore make this your great and principal uſe of your Faith, to receive all the expreſſions of Gods Love in Chriſt, and thereby to kindle in you a love to God; that firſt the ſpecial true belief of Gods more common love and grace, may kindle in you a ſpecial love, and then the ſenſe of this may aſſure you of your ſpecial intereſt in Chriſt; and then the aſſurance of that ſpecial intereſt, may increaſe your love to a much higher degree: And thus live by Faith in the work of Love.
Direct. 7. That you may underſtand what that Faith is which you muſt live by, take in all the parts (at leaſt that are eſſential to it) in your deſcription; and take not ſome parcels of it for the Chriſtian Faith; nor think no… that it muſt needs be ſeveral ſorts of Faith, if it have ſeveral objects; and hearken not to that dull Philoſophical ſubtilty, which would perſwade you that Faith is but ſome ſingle phyſical act of the ſoul.
1. If you know not what Faith is, it muſt needs be a great hinderance to you, in the ſeeking of it, the trying it, and the uſing it. For though one may uſe his natural faculties, which work by natural inclination and neceſſity, without knowing what they are; yet it is not ſo where the choice of the rational appetite is neceſſary; for it muſt be guided by the reaſoning faculty. And though unlearned perſons may have and uſe Repentance, Faith, and other graces, who cannot define them; yet they do truly (though not perfectly) know the thing it ſelf, though they know not the terms of a juſt definition: and all defect of knowing the true nature of Faith, will be ſome hinderance to us in uſing it.
2. It is a moral ſubject which we are ſpeaking of; and terms are to be underſtood according to the nature of the ſubject: therefore Faith is to be taken for a moral act, which comprehendeth many phyſical acts: Such as is the act of believing in, or taking ſuch a man for my Phyſician, or my Maſter, or my Tutor, or my King. Even our Philoſophers themſelves know not what doth individuate a phyſical act of the ſoul ▪ (Nay, they are not agreed whether its acts ſhould be called phyſical properly, or not.) Nay, they cannot tell what doth individuate an act of ſenſe; whether when my eye doth at once ſee many words and letters of my Book, every word or letter doth make as many individual acts, by being ſo many objects? And if ſo, whether the parts of every letter alſo do not conſtitute an individual act; and where we ſhall here ſtop. And muſt all theſe trifles be conſidered in our Faith? Aſſenting to the truths is not one Faith (unleſs when ſeparated from the reſt) and conſenting to the good, another act: Nor is it one Faith to believe the promiſe, and another to believe the pardon of ſin, and another to believe ſalvation, and another to believe in God, and another to believe in Jeſus Chriſt; nor one to believe in Chriſt as our Ranſom, and another as our Interceſſor, and another as our Teacher, and another as our King, and another to believe in the Holy Ghoſt, &c. I deny not but ſome one of theſe may be ſeparated from the reſt, and being ſo ſeparated may be called Faith; but not the Chriſtian Faith, but only a material parcel of it, which is like the limb of a man, or of a tree, which cut off from the reſt, is dead, and ceaſeth when ſeparated to be a part, any otherwiſe than Logical (a part of the deſcription.)
The Faith which hath the promiſe of ſalvation, and which you muſt live by, hath 1. God for the Principal Revealer, and his Veracity for its formal object. 2. It hath Chriſt, and Angels, and Prophets, and Apoſtles, for the ſub-revealers. 3. It hath the Holy Ghoſt by the divine atteſting operations before deſcribed, to be the ſeal and the confirmer. 4. It hath the ſame Holy Ghoſt for the internal exciter of it. 5. It hath all truths of known divine revelation, and all good of known divine donation by his Covenant, to be the material general object. 6. It hath the Covenant of Grace, and the holy Scriptures, (and formerly the voice of Chriſt and his Apoſtles) or any ſuch ſign of the mind of God, for the inſtrumental efficient cauſe of the object in eſſe cognito: And alſo the inſtrumental efficient of the act. 7. It hath the pure Deity, God himſelf, as he is to be known and loved, inceptively here, and perfectly in Heaven, for the final and moſt neceſſary material object. 8. It hath the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, entirely in all eſſential to him, as God and Man, and as our Redeemer or Saviour, as our Ranſome, Interceſſor, Teacher and Ruler, for the moſt neceſſary, mediate, material object. 9. It hath the gifts of Pardon, Juſtification, the Spirit of Sanctification or Love, and all the neceſſary gifts of the Covenant, for the material, never-final objects. And all this is eſſential to the Chriſtian Faith, even to that Fath which hath the promiſe of pardon and ſalvation: And no one of theſe muſt be totally left out in the definition of it, if you would not be deceived. It is Hereſie, and not the Chriſtian Faith, if it exclude any one eſſential part: And if it include it not, it is Infidelity: And indeed there is ſuch a connexion of the objects, that there is no part (in truth) where there is not the whole. And it is impiety if any one part of the offered good that is neceſſary, be refuſed. It is no true Faith, if it be not a true compoſition of all theſe.
Direct. 8. There is no nearer way to know what true Faith is, than truly to underſtand what your Baptiſmal Covenanting did contain.
In Scripture phraſe, to be a Diſciple, a Believer, and a Chriſtian, is all one, Acts 11.26. Acts 5.14. 1 Tim. 4.12. Matth. 10.42. & 27.57. Luke 14.26, 27, 33. Acts 21.16. Joh. 9.28. And to be a Believer, and to have Belief or Faith, is all one: and therefore to be a Chriſtian, and to have Faith, is all one. Chriſtianity ſignifieth either our firſt entrance into the Chriſtian State, or our progreſs in it. (As Marriage ſignifieth either Matrimony, or the Conjugal State continued in.) In the latter ſenſe Chriſtianity ſignifieth more than Faith; for more than Faith is neceſſary to a Chriſtian. But in the former ſenſe, as Chriſtianity ſignifieth but our becoming Chriſtians, by our covenanting with God; ſo to have Faith, or to be a Believer, and internally to become a Chriſtian in Scripture ſenſe, is all one; and the outward covenanting is but the profeſſion of Faith or Chriſtianity: Not that the word Faith is never taken in a narrower ſenſe, or that Chriſtianity, as it is our heart-covenant or conſent, containeth nothing but Faith, as Faith is ſo taken in the narroweſt ſenſe: But when Faith is taken (as ordinarily in Scripture) for that which is made the condition of Juſtification and Salvation, and oppoſed to Heatheniſm, Infidelity, Judaiſm, or the works of the Law, it is commonly taken in this larger ſenſe.
Faith is well enough deſcribed to them, that underſtand what is implyed, by the uſual ſhorter deſcription; as, that it is a believing acceptance of Chriſt, and relying on him as our Saviour, or for ſalvation: Or, a belief of pardon, and the heavenly Glory as procured by the Redemption wrought by Chriſt, and given by God in the Covenant of Grace: But the reaſon is, becauſe all the reſt is connoted, and ſo to be underſtood by us, as if it were expreſt in words: But the true and full definition of it is this.
The Chriſtian Faith which is required at Baptiſm, and then profeſſed, and hath the promiſe of Juſtification and Glorification, is a true Belief of the Goſpel, and an acceptance of, and conſent unto the Covenant of Grace: Particularly, a believing that God is our Creatour, our Owner, our Ruler, and our Chief Good; and that Jeſus Chriſt is God and man, our Saviour, our Ranſoms, our Teacher, and our King; and that the Holy Ghoſt is the Sanctifier of the Church of Chriſt: And it is an underſtanding, ſerious conſent, that this God the Father, Son and Holy Ghoſt, be my God and reconciled Father in Chriſt, my Saviour, and my Sanctifier; to juſtifie me, ſanctifie me, and glorifie me, in the perfect knowledge of God, and mutual complacence in Heaven; which belief and conſent wrought in me by the Word and Spirit of Chriſt, is grounded upon the Veracity of God as the chief Revealer, and upon his Love and Mercy as the Donor; and upon Chriſt and his Apoſtles as the Meſſengers of God; and upon the Goſpel, and ſpecially the Covenant of Grace, as the inſtrumental Revelation and Donation it ſelf: And upon the many ſignal operations of the Holy Ghoſt, as the divine infallible atteſtation of their truth.
Learn this definition, and underſtand it throughly, and it may prove a more ſolid uſeful knowledge (to have the true nature of Faith or Chriſtianity thus methodically printed on your minds) than to read over a thouſand volumes in a rambling and confuſed way of knowledge.
If any quarrel at this definition, becauſe the foundation is not firſt ſet down, I only tell him that no Logicians do judge of the Logical order of words by the meer priority and poſteriority of place. And if any think that here is more than every true Chriſtian doth underſtand and remember, I anſwer, that here is no more than every true Chriſtian hath a true knowledge of; though perhaps every one have not a knowledge ſo methodical, explicite and diſtinct, as to define Faith thus, or to think ſo diſtinctly and clearly of it, as others do, or to be able by words to expreſs to another, what he hath a real conception of in himſelf. There is firſt in the mind of man a conception of the Object or Matter (by thoſe words or means which introduce it) and next that verbum mentis, or inward word, which is a diſtincter conception of the matter in the mould of ſuch notions as may be expreſt; and next the verbum oris, the word of mouth expreſſeth it. Now many have the conception of the matter, long before they have the verbum mentis, or logical notions of it: And many have the verbum mentis, who by a heſitant tongue are hindered from oral expreſſions; and in both, there are divers degrees of diſtinctneſs and clearneſs.
Direct. 9. Turn not plain Goſpel Doctrine into the Philoſophical fooleries of wrangling and ill-moulded wits; nor feign to your ſelves any new notions, or offices of Faith, or any new terms as neceſſary, which are not in the holy Scriptures.
I do not ſay, uſe no terms which are not in the Scriptures: for the Scriptures were not written in Engliſh: Nor do I perſwade you to uſe no other notions than the Scriptures uſe; but only that you uſe them not as neceſſary, and lay not too great a ſtreſs upon them. I confeſs new Hereſies may give occaſion for new words (as the Biſhops in the firſt Councel of Nice thought:) And yet as Hilary vehemently enveigheth againſt making new Creeds on ſuch pretences, and wiſheth no ſuch practice had been known (not excepting theirs at Nice) becauſe it taught the Hereticks and contenders to imitate them: and they that made the third Creed, might have the like arguments for it as thoſe that made the ſecond; and he knew not when there would be any end; ſo I could wiſh that there had been no new notions in the Doctrine of Faith, ſo much as uſed; for the ſame reaſons: And eſpecially becauſe that while the firſt inventers do but uſe them, the next Age which followeth them, will hold them neceſſary, and lay the Churches communion and peace upon them.
For inſtance, I think the word [ſatisfaction] as uſed by the Orthodox, is of a very ſound ſenſe in our Controverſies againſt the Socinians: And yet I will never account it neceſſary, as long as it is not in the Scriptures, and as long as the words [Sacrifice, Ranſome, Price, Propitiation, Attonement, &c.] which the Scripture uſeth, are full as good.
So I think that [imputing Chriſts Righteouſneſs to us] is a phraſe which the Orthodox uſe in a very ſound ſenſe: And yet as long as it is not uſed by the Spirit of God in the Scriptures; and there are other phraſes enough, which as well, or better, expreſs the true ſenſe, I will never hold it neceſſary.
So alſo the notions and phraſes of [Faith being the inſtrument of our Juſtification] and [Faith juſtifieth only obj…ctively] and [that Faith juſtifieth only as it receiveth Chriſts blood, or Chriſts Righteouſneſs, or Chriſt as a Prieſt] [that Faith is only one phyſical act: that it is only in the underſtanding; or only in the will; that its only Juſtifying act is Recumbency, or reſting on Chriſt for Juſtification; that it is not an action, but a paſſion, that all acts of Faith ſave one, and that one as an act, are the works which Paul excludeth from our Juſtification; and that to expect Juſtification, by believing in Chriſt for Sanctification, or Glorification, or by believing in him as our Teacher, or King, or Juſtifying Judge, or by Repenting, or Loving God, or Chriſt, as our Redeemer, or by confeſſing our ſins, and praying for Pardon and Juſtification, &c. is to exp…ct Juſtification by Works, and ſo to fall from Grace or true Juſtification; that he that will eſcape this pernicious expectance of Juſtification by Works, muſt know what that one act of Faith is by which only we are juſtified, and muſt expect Juſtification by it only relatively (that is, not by it at all, but by Chriſt, ſay ſome) or as an Inſtrument (ſay others) &c.
Many of theſe Aſſertions are pernicious errours; moſt of them falſe; and the beſt of them are the unnec…ſſary inventions of mens dark, yet buſie wits, who condemn their own Doctrine by their practice, and their practice by their Doctrine; whilſt they cry up the ſufficiency of the Scriptures, and cry down other mens additions, and yet ſo largely add themſelves.
Direct. 10. Take heed leſt parties and contendings tempt you to lay ſo much upon the right notion or doctrines of Faith, as to take up with theſe alone as true Chriſtianity; and to take a dead Opinion, inſtead of the life of Faith.
This dogmatical Chriſtianity cheateth many thouſands into Hell, who would ſcarce be led ſo quietly thither, if they knew that they are indeed no Chriſtians. It is ordinary, by the advantages of education, and converſe, and teachers, and books, and ſtudies, and the cuſtome of the times, and the countenance of Chriſtian Rulers, and for reputation, and worldly advantage, &c. to fall into right opinions about Chriſt, and Faith, and Godlineſs, and Heaven; and tenaciouſly to defend theſe in diſputings; and perhaps to make a trade of preaching of it: And what is all this to the ſaving of the ſoul, if there be no more? And yet the caſe of many Learned Orthodox men, is greatly to be pittied, who make that a means to cheat and undo themſelves, which ſhould be the only wiſdom and way to life; and know but little more of Chriſtianity, than to hold, and defend, and teach ſound Doctrine, and to practiſe it ſo far as the intereſt of the fleſh will give them leave; I had almoſt ſaid, ſo far as the fleſh it ſelf will command them to do well, and ſin it ſelf forbiddeth ſin; that it may not diſgrace them in the world, nor bring ſome hurt or puniſhment upon them.
Direct. 11. Set not any other Graces againſt Faith; as raiſing a jealouſie left the honouring of one, be a diminution of the honour of the other: But labour to ſee the neceſſary and harmonious conſent of all, and how all contribute to the common end.
Though other graces are not Faith, and have not the office proper to Faith; yet every one is conjunct in the work of our ſalvation, and in our pleaſing and glorifying God: Some of them being the concomitants of Faith, and ſome of them its end, to which it is a means: Yea, oft-times the words [Faith and Repentance] are uſed as ſignifying much of the ſame works, the latter named from the reſpect to the term from which, and the former from the reſpect to part of the term to which the ſoul is moving: And Faith is oft taken as containing ſomewhat of Love and Deſire in it; and he that will without any prejudice and partiality ſtudy Paul where he oppoſeth Faith and Works, as to our Juſtification, ſhall find by his almoſt conſtant naming [the Works of the Law] or by the context and analyſis, that indeed his chief meaning is to prove, that we are juſtified by the Chriſtian Religion, and muſt be ſ…ved by it, and not by the Jewiſh ▪ which the adverſaries of Chriſtianity then pleaded for, and truſted to.
Direct. 12. Set not the helps of Faith as if they were againſt Faith; but underſtand their ſeveral places and offices, and uſe them accordingly.
Do not like thoſe ignorant ſelf-conceited Hereticks, who cry out, [It is by Believing, and not by Repenting, or Reading, or Hearing Sermons, or by Praying, or by forbearing ſin, or by doing good, that we are juſtified; and therefore it is by Faith only that we are ſaved; the ſame which is ſufficient for our Juſtification, being ſufficient for our ſalvation; ſeeing the Juſtified cannot be condemned; and Juſtification and Salvation are both equally aſcribed to Faith without the works of the Law by the Apoſtle.] For we are juſtified only by ſuch a Faith, as is cauſed by Gods Word, and maintained and actuated by Hearing, Reading, Meditation, Prayer and Sacraments; and as is accompanied by Repentance, and worketh by Love, and is indeed the beholding of thoſe inviſible and glorious motives, which may incite our Love, and ſet us on good works, and obedience to our Redeemer. And he that by negligence omitteth, or by errour excludeth any one of theſe, in the Life of Faith, will find that he hath erred againſt his own intereſt, peace and comfort, if not againſt his own ſalvation. And that he might as wiſely have diſputed that it is his eyes only that muſt ſee his way, and therefore he may travel without his legs.
Direct. 13. Take heed left a miſconceit of the certainty of ſome common Philoſophical Opinions, ſhould make you ſtagger in thoſe Articles of Faith which ſeem to contradict them.
Not that indeed any truths can be contrary one to another: For that which is true in Philoſophy, is contrary to no one truth in Theology: But Philoſophers have deceived themſelves and the world, with a multitude of uncertainties and falſities; and by ſtraining them to ſubtil niceties, and locking them up in uncouth terms, have kept the common people from trying them, and underſtanding them; and thereby have made it their own prerogative explicitely to erre, and the peoples duty not to contradict them; but to admire that errour as profound parts of learning, which they cannot underſtand. And then their concluſions oft go for principles which muſt not be gainſayed, when they are perhaps either falſe, or nonſenſe. And then when they meet with any thing in Scripture, which croſſeth their opinions, the reputation of humane folly maketh them deſpiſe the wiſdom of God. I have given you elſewhere ſome inſtances about the immortality of the ſoul: They know not what Generation is; they do not know it: nor what are the true principles and elements of mixt bodies; nor what is the true d…fference between immaterial and material ſubſtances; with an hundred ſuch like: And yet ſome expect, that we ſhould ſacrifice the moſt certain uſeful truths, to their falſe or uncertain uſeleſs ſuppoſitions, which is the true reaſon why Paul ſaith, Col. 2.8, 9, 10. Beware leſt any man ſpoil you through Philoſophy, and vain deceit (not true Philoſophy, which is the true knowledge of the works of God, but the vain models which every Sect of them cryed up) after the tradition of men (that is, the opinions of the Maſters of their Sects) after the rudiments of the world, and not after Chriſt: For in him dwelleth all the fulneſs of the Godhead bodily; and ye are compleat in him. See Act. 17.18. It is Chriſt who is the kernel and ſummary of the Chriſtian Philoſophy; who is therefore called The Wiſdom of God, 1 Cor. 1.24, 30. both becauſe he is the heavenly Teacher of true Wiſdom, and becauſe that true Wiſdom conſiſteth in knowing him. And indeed even in thoſe times, the ſeveral Sects of Philoſophers accounted much of each others principles to be erroneous; and the Philoſophers of theſe times, begin to vilifie them all; and withall to confeſs that they have yet little of certainty to ſubſtitute in the room of the demoliſhed Idols; but they are about their experiments, to try if any thing in time may be found out.
Direct. 14. Eſpecially take heed leſt you be cheated into Infidelity, by the Dominicans Metaphyſical Doctrine, of the neceſſity of Gods Phyſical predetermining promotion as the firſt total cauſe, to the being of every action natural and free, not only in genere actionis, but alſo as reſpectively and comparatively exerciſed on this object rather than on that.
I add this only for the learned, who are as much in danger of Infidelity as others; and will uſe it to the greater injury of the truth. I will meddle now with no other reaſons of my advice, but what the ſubject in hand requireth. If God can, and do thus premove and predetermine the mind, will and tongue of every lyar in the world to every lye (or material falſhood) which ever they did conceive or ſpeak, there will be no certainty of the Goſpel, nor of any Divine Revelation at all: Seeing all ſuch certainty is reſolved into Gods Veracity: that God cannot lye. And God ſpeaketh not to us, by any but a created voice: and if he can thus predetermine others to thoſe words which are a lye, rather than to the contrary which are true, there would be no certainty, but he may do ſo by Prophets and Apoſtles: and let them tell you what they will of the greater certainty of Inſpirations and Miracles, than of Predeterminations, it will be found upon tryal, that no man can prove, or make it ſo much as probable, that any inſpiration hath more of a Divine Cauſation, than ſuch a premoving predetermination as aforeſaid doth amount to; much leſs ſo much more, as will prove that one is more certain than the other.
This Doctrine therefore which undeniably (whatever may be wrangled) taketh down Chriſtianity, and all belief of God or man, is not to be believed meerly upon ſuch a Philoſophical conceit, that every Action is a Being, and therefore muſt in all its circumſtances be cauſed by God. As if God were not able to make a faculty, which can determine its own comparative act to this rather than to that, by his ſuſtentation, and univerſal precauſation and concourſe, without the ſaid predetermining premotion: When as an Action as ſuch is but a modus entis; and the comparative exerciſe of it, on this rather than on that, is but a modus vel circumſtantia modi. And they leave no work, for gracious determination, becauſe that natural determination doth all the ſame thing (equally to duty and ſin) without it.
Direct. 15. Conſider well how much all humane converſe is maintained by the neceſſary belief of one another, and what the world would be without it; and how much you expect your ſelves to be believed: And then think how much more belief is due to God.
Though ſin hath made the world ſo bad, that we may ſay, that all men are lyars, that is, deceitful vanity, and little to be truſted; yet the honeſty of thoſe that are more vertuous, doth help ſo far to keep up the honour of veracity, and the ſhamefulneſs of lying, that throughout the world, a lye is in diſgrace, and truth in ſpeech and dealing is well ſpoken of. And the remnants of natural honeſty in the worſt, do ſo far ſecond the true honeſty of the beſt, that no man is ſo well ſpoken of commonly in the world, as a man of truth and truſtineſs, whoſe Word is his Law and Maſter, and never ſpeaketh deceitfully to any: Nor no man is ſo commonly ill ſpoken of as a knave, as he that will lye, and is not to be truſted: In ſo much, that even thoſe debauched Ruffians, who live as if they ſaid in their hearts, There is no God, will yet venture their lives in revenge againſt him that ſhall give them the lye. Perhaps you will ſay, that this is not from any vertue, or natural Law, or honeſty, but from common intereſt, there being nothing more the intereſt of mankind, than that men be truſty to each other. To which I anſwer, that you oppoſe things which are conjunct: It is both: For all Gods natural Laws are for the intereſt of mankind, and that which is truly moſt for our good, is made moſt our duty; and that which is moſt our duty, is moſt for our good. And that which is ſo much for the intereſt of mankind, muſt needs be good: If it were not for credibility and truſtineſs in men, there were no living in families; but Maſters and Servants, Parents and Children, Husbands and Wives, would live together as enemies: And neigbours would be as ſo many thieves to one another: There could be no Society or Common-wealth, when Prince and people could put no truſt in one another: Nay, thieves themſelves, that are not to be truſted by any others, do yet ſtrengthen themſelves by confederacies, and oaths of ſecrecy, and gather into troops and armies, and there put truſt in one another. And can we think that GOD is not much more to be truſted, and is not a greater hater of a lye? and is not the fountain of all fidelity? and hath not a greater care of the intereſt of his creatures? Surely he that thinketh that God is a lyar, and not to be truſted, will think no better of any mortal man or Angel (and therefore truſteth no one, and is very cenſorious) and would be thought no better of himſelf, and therefore would have none believe or truſt him: For who would be better than his God?
Direct. 16. Conſider alſo that Veracity in God is his nature or eſſence; and cannot be denyed without denying him to be God.
For it is nothing but his three Eſſentialities, or Principles, Power, Wiſdom and Goodneſs, as they are expreſſed in his Word or Revelations, as congruous to his mind, and to the matter expreſſed. He that neither wanteth knowledge (to know what to ſay and do) nor Goodneſs (to love truth, and hate all evil) nor Power to do what he pleaſe, and to make good his word, cannot poſſibly lye; becauſe every lye is for want of one, or more of theſe, Heb. 6.18. Titus 1.12. And there as it is ſaid, that he cannot lye, and that it is impoſſible; ſo it is called, a denying of himſelf, if he could be unfaithfull, 2 Tim. 2.13. If we believe not, yet be abideth faithful, and cannot deny himſelf.
Direct. 17. Exerciſe Faith much in thoſe proper works, in which ſelf and ſenſe are moſt denyed and overcome.
Bodily motions and labours which we are not uſed to, are done both unskilfully, and with pain. If Faith be not much exerciſed in its warfare, and victorious acts, you will neither know its ſtrength, nor find it to be ſtrong, when you come to uſe it. It is not the eaſie and common acts of Faith, which will ſerve turn, to try and ſtrengthen it. As the life of ſenſe is the adverſary which Faith muſt conquer; ſo uſe it much in ſuch conflicts and conqueſts, if you would find it ſtrong and uſefull: Uſe it in ſuch acts of mortification and ſelf-denyal, as will plainly ſhew, that it over ruleth ſenſe: Uſe it in patience and rejoycing in ſuch ſufferings, and in contentment in ſo low and croſs a ſtate, where you are ſure that ſight and ſenſe do not contribute to your peace and joy: Uſe it not only in giving ſome little of your ſuperfluities, but in giving your whole two mites, even all your ſubſtance, and ſelling all and giving to the poor, when indeed God maketh it your duty: At leaſt in forſaking all for his ſake in a day of tryal. Faith never doth work ſo like it ſelf, ſo clearly, ſo powerfully, and ſo comfortably, as in theſe ſelf-denying and overcoming acts, when it doth not work alone, without the help of ſenſe to comfort us; but alſo againſt ſenſe, which would diſcourage us, Luke 18.22, 23. & 14.26, 33. 2 Cor. 5.7.
Direct. 18. Keep a conſtant obſervation of Gods converſe with your hearts, and workings on them.
For as I ſaid before, there are within us ſuch demonſtrations duplicate page duplicate page of a Kingdom of God, in precepts, mercies, rewards and puniſhments, that he which well worketh them, will have much help in the maintaining and exerciſing his belief, of the everlaſting Kingdom: Eſpecially the godly, who have that Spirit there working, which is indeed the very ſeal, and pledge, and earneſt of life eternal, 2 Cor. 1.22. & 5.5. Epheſ. 1.13, 14. Gal. 4.5, 6. Rom. 8.16, 17. There is ſo much of God and Heaven in a true Believers heart, that (as we ſee the Moon and Stars when we look down into the water, ſo) we may ſee much of God and Heaven within us, if the heart it ſelf be throughly ſtudied.
And I muſt add; that Experiences here muſt be carefully recorded: and when God fulfilleth promiſes to us, it muſt not be forgotten.
Direct. 19. Converſe much with them that live by Faith, and fetch their motives and comforts from the things unſeen.
Converſe hath a transforming power. To converſe with them that live all by ſenſe, and ſhew no other deſires, or joyes, or ſorrows, but what are fetched from fleſhly ſenſible things, is a great means to draw us downwards with them. And to converſe with them who converſe in Heaven; and ſpeak of nothing elſe ſo comfortably or ſo ſeriouſly; who ſhew us that Heaven is the place they travel to, and the ſtate that all their life doth aim; and who make little of all the wants or plenty, pains or pleaſures of the fleſh; this much conduceth to make us heavenly. As men are apt to learn and uſe the language, the motives, and the employments of the Country and people where they live; ſo he that is moſt familiar with ſuch as live by Faith, upon things unſeen, and take Gods promiſe for full ſecurity, hath a very great help to learn and live that life himſelf, Heb. 10.24, 25. 1 Theſ. 4.17, 18. Phil. 3.20, 21.
Direct. 20. Forget not the nearneſs of the things unſeen, and think not of a long continuance in this world; but live in continual expectation of your change.
Diſtant things, be they never ſo great, do hardly move us: As in bodily motion, the mover muſt be contiguous: And as our ſenſes are not fit to apprehend beyond a certain diſtance; ſo our minds alſo are finite, and have their bounds and meaſure: And ſin hath made them much narrower, fooliſh and …-ſighted than they would have been. A certainty of dying … laſt, ſhould do much with us: But yet he that looketh to live long on earth, will the more hardly live by Faith in Heaven; when he that daily waiteth for his change, will have eaſily the more ſerious and effectual thoughts of the world in which he muſt live next, and of all the preparations neceſſary thereunto; and will the more eaſily deſpiſe the things on earth, which are the employment and felicity of the ſenſual, Col. 3.1, 2, 3. Phil. 1.20, 21, 22, 23. 1 Cor. 15.31. As we ſee it in conſtant experience in men, when they ſee that they muſt preſently die indeed, how light then ſet they by the world? how little are they moved with the talk of honour, with the voice of mirth, with the ſight of meat, or drink, or beauty, or any thing which before they had not power to deny? and how ſeriouſly they will then talk of ſin and grace, of God and Heaven, which before they could not be awakened to regard? If therefore you would live by faith indeed, ſet your ſelves as at the entrance of that world which faith foreſeeth, and live as men that know they may die to morrow, and certainly muſt be gone ere long. Dream not of I know not how many years more on earth, which God never promiſed you; unl…ſs you make it your buſineſs to vanquiſh faith by ſetting its objects at a greater diſtance than God hath ſet them. Learn Chriſts warning to one and all, To watch, and to be alwaies ready, Mark 13.33, 35, 37. 1 Pet. 4▪ 7. Mat. 24.44. Luke 12.40. He that thinketh he hath yet time enough, and day-light before him, will be the apter to loiter in his work or Journey: When every man will make haſte when the Sun is ſetting, if he have much to do, or far to go. Delaies which are the great preventers of Repentance, and undoers of the world, do take their greateſt advantage from this ungrounded expectation of long life. When they hear the Phyſician ſay, He is a dead man, and there is no hope, then they would fain begin to live, and then how religious and reformed would they be? whereas if this fooliſh errour did not hinder them, they might be of the ſame mind all their lives, and might have then done their work, and waited with deſire for the Crown; and ſaid with Paul, For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand: I have fought a good fight, I have finiſhed my courſe, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteouſneſs, which the Lord the Righteous Judge ſhall give me at that day; and not to me only, but to them alſo that love his appearing, 2 Tim. 4.6, 7, 8.
And ſo much for the General Directions to be obſerved by them that will live by Faith: I only add, that as the well doing of all our particular duties, dependeth moſt on the common health and ſoundneſs of the ſoul, in its ſtate of grace; ſo our living by Faith in all the particular caſes after inſtanced, doth depend more upon theſe General Directions, than on the particular ones which are next to be adjoyned.