The Dead Saint Speaking to Saints and Sinners Living, Treatise 3 · Royalty 11
Eleventh Royalty. 11. Faith is an Heart-in-nobling-Grace.
That which ſets one man above another:11. Royalty of Faith. Its a Soul-in-nobling-Grace. That which doth raiſe up and exalt one man above another, in Gods eſteem, is Faith. that which doth put a difference between man and man, is Faith or nothing, Acts. 15.9.
1. Faith is ſuch a Grace as ſets us above others, our Perſons above others. A Grace which makes us Kings, and Prieſts unto God: which raiſes us, and ſets us out of the croud. They are noble, whom God doth in-noble: honourable, whom God doth honour. God is the King of Kings, the Fountain of all Honour, who can exalt whom hee pleaſeth, and throw down whom hee pleaſeth: who can in-noble whom hee pleaſeth, and abaſe whom hee will. And this honour have all his Saints.
This hath God thrown upon the pooreſt Beleever, hee hath made him a King, and a Prieſt, Rev. 1.6. 1 Pet. 2.5.9.
2. Faith ſets our performances above others. Our prayers, our duties, our obedience. Faith raiſes them above others, Heb. 11.4. — By Faith Abel offered to God a more excellent Sacrifice than Cain. Cain offered Sacrifice as well as Abel: but Faith put the difference betwixt them. — By Faith hee offered a more excellent, a more noble Sacrifice than Cain.
Faith puts a difference betwixt the works of Chriſtians, and the works of Heathens. Though there were no difference for the matter, yet Faith puts a vaſt difference for the manner.
Faith puts a difference betwixt the Abba-Fathers of a Childe, of a Saint: and the Ave-Maries, of a ſuperſtitious Papiſt: betwixt the Prayers of a Saint, and the Devotions of a ſinner: betwixt the cryes of a Saint, and the howlings of an Hypocrite. But to return.
Faith is an Heart-in-nobling-Grace.
1. It begets in us Soul-in-nobling-Principles. Principles like our ſelves. It is ſuch a Grace as doth ſublimate a man, begets high, glorious, and heavenly Principles in the ſoul. By this wee are — made partakers of the divine nature. It is an Heart-ſpiritualizing-Grace.
Whereas Unbeleef doth ſenſuallize a man, beaſts a man, as Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 5.20.21. Hence wee read, An Unbeleeving heart is called a groſs heart, — make their heart groſs: ſo Faith doth raiſe up a man, ſpiritualizes a man. A Beleeving heart is a fine heart, a ſpiritual heart, It refines the ſoul.
Faith doth raiſe up a man as high above reaſon, as reaſon doth raiſe a man above meer ſenſe. It ſets a man as high above a man, as Reaſon doth a man above a Beaſt.
Faith is the Spirit of Grace. Not only a ſpiritual Grace: but the Spirit of all our ſpiritual Graces. It hath nothing but ſpirituality in it; and hath to do with nothing but ſpiritual things; with God, with Chriſt, with Heaven, with Juſtification, pardon of ſin. All which are ſpiritual things, far above ſenſe; nay, and Reaſon too: their objects reach not ſo high, which things though they bee Real, and none more Real, yet they are ſpiritually Real, not ſenſually; Real to Faith, not to ſenſe, nor to Reaſon neither. And therefore unbeleeving men do eſteem theſe things either meer-nothings, or they are next door to nothing in their thoughts; Imaginary things: Notiones ſecundae: which have no foundation in Being, no exiſtence in the World.
2. Faith doth implant us into Soul-in-nobling-Relations.
1 It makes us Servants to the great God of Heaven and Earth, who (though it were Hyperbollically ſaid of Tyrus Merchants, yet may it truly bee ſaid of God) makes all his ſervants Kings. Gods ſervice is an honourable, a noble ſervice. Nay, it makes us not only Servants, but
2. It makes us friends of God. Abraham a Beleever, was call'd Gods Friend: nay, not only Friends, but
3. It makes us Sons and Daughters of God. — Gal. 3.26. — You are the Children of God by Faith. Wee may glory in our Pedegree. A Beleever is beſt born, nobly born, Jam. 1.18. — Of his own Will begat hee us, by the Word of Truth, Joh. 1.13. — Born of God. Nay
4. It makes us the Spouſe of Chriſt, who is ſuch as Husband as doth en-noble his Wife. Wee know among men; The Wife is honoured with her Husbands honour. The Lawyers have a ſpeech, — Mulier fulget Radiis Mariti: The Wife ſhines with the Husbands Rayes: ſhee ſhines with his brightneſs. If hee bee honourable, whatever ſhee was before, yet now ſhee cannot bee baſe: If hee bee noble, ſhee cannot bee ignoble, becauſe hee confers and throws all his honours upon his Wife.
So here, by Faith, being made the Spouſe of Chriſt, Chriſt doth en-noble his Spouſe: Chriſt doth adorn, and beautifie his Spouſe, Ezek. 16.10, 11, 12, 13. — I cloathed thee with broidred work, and ſhed thee, and covered thee with ſilk. I decked thee with Ornaments, &c. Wee ſhine with the beams of his Juſtice. Holineſs, Riches, Graces. — Chriſt is made to us Wiſdome, Juſtification, Sanctification, and Redemption, 1 Cor. 1.30. — Of his fulneſs wee all have received, and Grace for Grace, Joh. 1.16. — Nay
5. Faith makes us the Members of Chriſt, who is ſuch an Head as doth en-noble his Members. Chriſt throws more Glory and Honour upon the meaneſt Member of his Body, than all the World is able to make us heirs of. It were better to bee the meaneſt Member of Chriſt, than to have all the Glory of the World, out of Chriſt; better to bee the meaneſt twig in this Vine,Meliùs non … ſe, quàm ſine Chriſto eſſe. than to bee the moſt glorious branch in the World, out of Chriſt. Better it is not to bee at all, than not to bee in Chriſt.
3. Faith puts us upon Soul-in-nobling imployments.
It puts a man upon Prayer, Holy exerciſes, Communion with God; which are noble Imployments, above the World. Faith makes the ſoul live high, above the World, above the Earth. Faith carries the ſoul to Heaven, makes it live were it had its Firſt breath, and being, makes our way to lye above, our Converſation to bee in Heaven, our joyes to bee there, our affections there, our hearts there. — By Faith Enoch walked with God; hee converſed with God, had to do with God daily, the great God of Heaven and Earth daily in ſupplications and meditations, and holy converſation. All which are noble imployments. The higher the perſon wee have to do withall, the more noble are the imployments.
And they are ſuch as do in-noble the Soul. No man hath to do with God in any way, but hee is in-nobled by it. — Moſes face ſhone, when hee had been converſing with God. God doth ſhed Glory upon all thoſe, who have to do with him. None have to do with a glorious God, but are made glorious. None with an Holy God, but are made holy. If you have to do with him in Prayer, or any of his Ordinances, hee ſends you ſtill better away.
4. Faith doth intitle us unto a Soul-in-nobling Inheritance: unto Heaven, unto Glory. It makes us not only Sons of God, but Heirs. Every Son is an Heir, nay, and a Joint-Heir with Chriſt, unto that eternal inheritance of Glory. Rom. 8.17. Hence the Apoſtle, 1 Joh. 3.2. — Now wee are the Sons of God: but it doth not yet appear what wee ſhall bee, but wee know when hee ſhall appear, wee ſhall bee like him, for wee ſhall ſee him as hee is. — Then when Chriſt who is our life ſhall appear, wee ſhall alſo appear with him in Glory, Col. 3.4.
Wee ſhall bee Citizens of Heaven. Faith doth intitle us to Crowns of Glory. — To that Houſe not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens, 2 Cor. 5.1. To an inheritance, incorruptible. and that fadeth not, reſerved in Heaven for us, 1 Pet. 1.5. — To a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory, 1 Cor. 4.17.
Which Inheritance is ſo certain, by Faith to Beleevers, that the Apoſtle ſaith, — Wee ſit together with him in heavenly places, Epheſ. 2.6. wee ſit now with him in reſpect of our Union by Faith; and ſhall ſit with him hereafter, in our Communion with his Glory, when wee ſhall bee inveſted with thoſe Royal Robes of Glory.
Thus you ſee Faith is a Soul-in-nobling-Grace. It makes God a Father, Chriſt a Brother, Angels fellow-ſervants, Heaven our Inheritance. It brings a man into a noble kindred, a noble family, the family of Heaven, and makes all the family of Heaven our kindred. It brings a man unto noble acquaintance; puts a man upon noble imployments; intitles a man unto a noble inheritance: inveſts us with in-nobling Priviledges; and begets us a noble ſpirit, a ſpirit ſuitable to all theſe; ſuitable to our Father, our Kindred, our Acquaintance, our Imployments, our Inheritance.
The whole frame of Chriſtianity turns upon the hinge of Faith. As the Bloud through the veins, ſo Faith runs through every vein of the whole body of Religion. It is the ſtaff of our ſtrength, the ſupport of all our comfort, and the life of our ſoul.
In my diſcourſe, of which I have (though indeed the Priviledges of Faith requires an Angel rather than a Man, to make relation of it; yet I ſay, I have) adventured to lay down diverſe Royalties and Priviledges of this Grace: wherein all that I have ſaid, or can ſay, falls ſhort of the excellency of it. When I have told you what I can, you may ſay (as the Queen of Sheba, when ſhee found the Truth to exceed the Relation) that the one half hath not been told you. Coelum & Deus: ſo Coelum & fides non patiuntur Hyperbolen. I cannot here Hyperbolize. I cannot play the Mountebank; to ſet down more in the Bill than is in the Phyſick: more in the Relation than is in the Balſome. All I can ſay will fall ſhort of the preciouſneſs of Faith.
Yet miſtake mee not; whatever I have ſaid, or ſhall ſay of Faith, I ſpeak not of Faith abſolutely, but of Faith relatively: The Act with its Object. Wee will not make a Christ of Faith, nor raiſe up Faith any higher, than wee may ſet up Chriſt with it, by it, above it. Well then, to proceed, wee have laid down diverſe glorious Priviledges, or Royalties of Faith: wee have yet more remaining ſuch as theſe.