The Dead Saint Speaking to Saints and Sinners Living, Treatise 3 · Royalty 18
Eighteenth Royalty. 18. Faith is an Heart-eſtabliſhing-Grace.18. Royalty. Faith is an Heart-eſtabliſhing-Grace.
It ſettles a man upon ſuch a Foundation, as nothing can unſettle him, Pſal. 125.1. — They who truſt in the Lord ſhall bee as Mount Sion, which cannot bee removed, but abideth for ever. Such a man is Homo quadratus. Fall hee which way hee will, hee lights upon his ſquare, Pſal. 112.— His heart is fixed, truſting in the Lord; his heart is eſtabliſhed; hee will not fear.
Whereas, Unbeleef doth unſettle the ſoul; fills a man with unſufferable perplexities; ſets a man upon the rack of fears. It is that which keeps a man in fears, and that which cauſeth a freſh return of doubts and fears. — If you do not beleeve, yee ſhall not bee eſtabliſhed. And Unbeleeving man is an houſe without a foundation; a man without a bottom, like a ſhip unballaſſed in a Tempeſt, toſſed hither and thither.
Faith on the contrary doth make a man a rock in a ſtorm, doth ſtabliſh and ſettle the heart in the greateſt Tempeſt.
The leſſe Faith, the more Fear, the more Unſettledneſs. The more Faith, the leſſe Fear, the more Stability.
Faith doth unburden our hearts of all our fears, and all our cares. When a man beleeves not, all the burden lies upon a mans ſelf. But when wee beleeve, wee caſt all the burden upon the Lord.
Wee are troubled, and affraid what ſhall become of our ſouls, what of our bodies, what of our Children. But Faith doth unburden the ſoul of theſe cares and thoughts: it doth quit and diſcharge the ſoul of theſe fears. Faith caſts the whole burden upon the Lord: makes God to bear all the burden: not only the burden of ſins, but the burden of cares and fears; comming to him weary and heavy laden, and by Faith caſting our burden upon him, hee bears all, Pro. 16.2. —Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts ſhall bee eſtabliſhed, Pſal. 55.22. — Caſt thy burden upon the Lord, and hee ſhall ſuſtain thee.
There are two things Faith eſtabliſhes the ſoul againſt,
1. Againſt Fears.
2. Againſt Falling.
1. Faith eſtabliſheth the heart againſt fears. When a man beleeves not, hee is nothing but fears and ſcruples: But, when once Faith comes, it doth anſwer all caſes; ſilences all doubts; ſtabliſheth the heart againſt all fears.
There are five Fears which Faith doth eſtabliſh the heart againſt,
1. The Fear of Men.
2. The Fear of Want.
3. The Fear of Death.
4. The Fear of Hell.
5. The Fear of Judgement.
1. Faith establiſheth the heart againſt humane Fears, the fear of men. Faith will baniſh theſe unlawful and tyrannical fears. It will not ſuffer them to enter the Throne, and take poſſeſſion of the heart, Pſal. 27.1.3.—The Lord is my light and my Salvation. There was his Faith — Whom then ſhall I fear? The Lord is the ſtrength of my life, Of whom then ſhall I bee affraid? Though an host ſhould incamp againſt mee, my heart ſhall not fear: in another Pſalm. — God is our hope and ſtrength, a help in trouble ready to bee found. Therefore will not wee fear, though the Earth bee moved, though the Mountains bee hurled into the midſt of the Sea, Pſal. 46.1, 2.
2. Faith doth eſtabliſh us againſt the Fear of Want. Many there are that fear to out-live their labours, to out-live their Riches, their Comforts. Oh! ſay they, I ſhall one day want, and bee in miſery.
Now Faith ſettles the ſoul againſt theſe fears. Why, will Faith ſay, hath not God ſaid, — The Lions ſhall hunger and ſuffer want. (That is, as the Septuagint read it) the mighty Nimrods, the great ones of the World, who have their baggs full: They ſhall ſooner want, than they that fear the Lord, ſhall want any thing that's good. Why will Faith ſay, — Doth God cloathe the Lillies, feed the Ravens; and will hee not take care for thee? Mat. 6.24. to the 34. — what? hath not God ingaged himſelf to bear thy charges to Heaven? Hath hee not promiſed to give thee all things neceſſary both for life and godlineſs? not only for Godlineſs, for Spirituals: but for Life too, for Temporals?
Hath not Godlineſs the promiſe of this Life, that now is, and of that, that is to come?
Doth God take care for Ravens, for the Beaſts of the field? Doth hee feed his Enemies? and will hee forget his friends? Hath hee given thee a Chriſt? and doubteſt thou hee will give thee a crumb? will hee not give us all things, who hath not withheld himſelf from us? Thus the Apoſtle doth reaſon,Nonnè dabit ſua, qui non d…tinuit ſe? Rom. 8.32. — Hee that ſpared not his own Son, but freely gave him for us: how ſhall hee not with him, freely alſo give us all things?
Sure hee, who truſts God for his ſoul, will truſt God for his Body. Faith doth not ſingle and chuſe out its Object; to beleeve this, not that, but all comming from the ſame Truth,Fides non eligit Objectum. the ſame God; it beleeves one as well as another. Hee who depends on God for the many, will depend on him for the leſs: Hee who truſts God for pounds, will truſt him alſo for pence. — If I tell you earthly things (ſaith Chriſt to Nicodemus) and you beleeve not: how will you beleeve, if I tell you heavenly things? So, if you will not beleeve God for earthly things; how can you beleeve him for heavenly things? If not for ſuſtentation: how then for ſalvation?
3. Faith doth stabliſh the heart againſt the Fear of Death; the King of Fears, as Job calls it: And of all terribles, the moſt terrible, as the Philoſopher ſpeaks. Unbeleef doth ſlay the heart with fears. A man, that knows not what ſhall become of his ſoul to all eternity: no marvel if hee bee afraid to dye.
When a man ſhall lye upon his death bed, and knows not whither hee ſhall go. Quo vadam neſcio. As it was ſaid of Ariſtotle. I go I know not whither: Or, when a man ſhall look upon death, and Hell behinde it: upon the Pale Horſe, and Hell behinde, as wee have it, Rev. 6. no marvel if hee bee afraid to dye.
But when by Faith wee can look upon God a Father: Christ a Saviour; and can ſay, — God is my God; Chriſt is my Chriſt; Heaven is my Inheritance; Glory is my portion: no marvel then, if death bee not terrible, no marvel then if hee bee ready to meet death, and ſay with Simeon — Lord, now letteſt thou thy Servant depart in Peace. Or with Paul, ſigh out, Cupio diſsolvi: I deſire to bee diſſolved, and to bee with Chriſt.
Men that have not aſſurance of a better life, it is no wonder if they bee loath to leave this: they know not where to mend themſelves. Earth in Poſſeſsion, is better than Heaven in Reverſion.
But when God hath given a man the aſſurance of a better life; when a man hath his hope in his hand, his evidences ſealed; Oh! then death is not terrible: There will bee a willing Reſignation of the ſoul into Gods hands.
I'ts true, in ſome caſe, Hee that beleeves maketh not haſte, but here, the more wee beleeve, the more haſte wee make to bee with God.
4. Faith Stabliſheth the heart againſt the Fear of Hell. Faith knows who was in pretium, as well as in premium, and beholds Chriſt not only in Premium, to intitle us to Heaven; but in pretium, as the price of our Redemption, to free us from Hel. As by his Active Obedience hee anſwered Gods commanding and remunerative Juſtice: So by his Paſſive Obedience hee anſwered Gods condemning and vindictive Juſtice, freeing us from that wrath and miſery, which otherwiſe wee ſhould unavoidably have fallen into.
5. Faith doth eſtabliſh the heart against the Fear of Judgement.— There ſhall bee no condemnation to ſuch as are in Chriſt Jeſus; ſuch as are Beleevers. The Judge is our Advocate, our Saviour; Hee, to whom wee are to anſwer, hath anſwered for us: Hee, to whom wee are to give ſatisfaction, hath ſatisfied for us: Hee is our Redeemer, who hath laid down his life for us. Faith knows Chriſt will bee All, in All to the ſoul, not only in life to preſerve it, but in death to comfort, and in Judgement to abſolve thee, and ſave thee.
2. Faith doth eſtabliſh the heart againſt falling,
1. Againſt Total Apoſtacy.
2. Againſt Final Apoſtacy.
1. Againſt Total. There is not a Total Apoſtacy. Though the Saints fall ſadly, yet not Totally.
1. A Child of God may loſe all the comforts of ſpiritual life: yet not ſpiritual life it ſelf. Hee may bring himſelf into ſuch a ſad condition by ſin, that hee may ſin away all the comforts of this life. Thus David, Pſal. 51.— Restore to mee the joy of thy Salvation. Hee had not loſt life, but the comforts of it; and deſires they may bee reſtored. A man may out-live the comforts of life: this is a ſad thing to out-live comforts here, but Faith, at leaſt, layeth the grounds of thoſe comforts that are endleſs.
2. A man may loſe all the Vigorous and Powerful Operations of Grace, and Life: yet not life it ſelf. It may bee with a Child of God, as with a man in a dead Swoon; though there bee life in him; yet the operations of life are but little diſcerned. It's not with him, as it was wont to bee. Hee thinks to go out (as ſometimes Sampſon) in prayer, &c. but his ſtrength is gone from him, as his was. But his life is hid with Chriſt in God, as the Apoſtle hath it, Col. 3.3.
3. A man may loſe ſome meaſures and degrees of ſpiritual life: yet not life it ſelf. Hee may ſuffer a great decay in his Faith, a great abatement in his Love, and Zeal, &c. and yet life is not loſt. Thus it was with the Church of Epheſus, Rev. 2.5. — Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy firſt Works. — Wee are not to think that the Church was fallen from Grace: but only from ſome meaſures and degrees of Grace. And concerning the ſame Church Rev. 2.4. when it is ſaid, — Shee had loſt her firſt love: it is not meant, that ſhee had loſt the Grace of Charity: you ſee the fruits of it in the ſecond and third verſes:
But ſhee had loſt the degrees. It was not extinguiſhed, but cooled only. The word is [foreign.] which ſignifies, not that ſhee did altogether [Amittere] loſe it: but ſomewhat [Remittere] remit and abate of the fervency of it. As one ſaith of Peter.Motum fuit i… co ſpiritualis vitae robu…; non amotum; con cuſſum, non excuſſum. Gratiam fidei remiſit, Actum intermiſit; Habitum non amiſit. —The ſtrength of ſpiritual life was moved in him; but not removed; ſhaken 'twas, but not ſhaken off. Hee remitted the Grace of Faith, intermitted the act of Faith, but loſt not the Habit.
Iſa. 6.13. — Hee ſhall bee like an Oak, whoſe ſubſtance is in him, when it caſts its leaves: ſo the Holy ſeed ſhall bee the ſubstance thereof. Like to that, is that of 1 Joh. 3.9. — Whoſoever is born of God ſinneth not; for his ſeed remaineth in him: neither can hee ſin; becauſe hee is born of God. It may bee with him, as 'twas with Nebuchadnezzar. The Tree may bee hewn down, but the ſtump is bound with a bond of Iron.
2 Faith establiſheth the heart againſt final Apoſtacy. Though they fall foulely, yet not finally. They have the Prayer and Interceſſion of Chriſt; the Power of Chriſt; the Merit of Chriſt; the Promiſe of Chriſt. Faith produceth all theſe.
Wee are ſaid to bee eſtabliſhed by Faith; to live by Faith, to ſtand by Faith; to bee preſerved by Faith as with a guard, 1 Pet. 1.5. — Wee are kept by the Power of God, through Faith unto ſalvation. By Faith wee are ſaid to ſubdue the fleſh; to have victory over the World; to quench the fiery darts of Satan; to bee ſaved by Faith, &c.
Indeed all ages give reports to us of many, who have been eminent in Profeſſion, and yet have come to nought. Some fallen from Grace to baſeneſſe; ſome fallen from Grace to bitterneſſe; ſome from Grace to vitiouſneſs; ſome from Grace to malitiouſneſs: But theſe were never true Beleevers. A Star fallen is not a Star.Stella caden… non eſt Stella. —They went out from us, becauſe they were not of us: for had they been of us, they would have continued with us, 1 Joh. 2.19. It is the evil heart of Unbelief that cauſeth them to depart from the living God, Heb 3.12.
Where there is true Faith, there is ſtability. Faith doth eſtabliſh the heart from falling.
1. Faith ſets a man upon a Soul-eſtabliſhing-bottome, upon a ſure Foundation, upon Chriſt: and hee is ſure who is built there: as the houſe on the Rock; ſo the ſoul on Chriſt is ſafe. Time was, a man was his own Foundation, but it was a ſandy one: but now his Foundation is Chriſt, a Rock of ages.
2. Faith doth intereſt a man in a Soul-eſtabliſhing-Covenant: not a Covenant of Works, but of Grace, Jer. 32.40. — I will make an everlaſting Covenant with them, that I will never turn from them to do them good: But I will put my fear in their hearts, that they ſhall not depart from mee, Iſa. 54.9, 10. — This is as the Waters of Noah unto mee; for as I have ſworn, that the Waters of Noah ſhall no more go over the Earth: ſo have I ſworn that I will not bee angry with thee, nor rebuke thee.
3. Faith doth beget in a man Soul-eſtabliſhing-Principles. The Principles of Grace and Holineſs: The Graces of God, which are (foreign) Without Repentance: i. e. God doth never behave himſelf to thoſe upon whom hee hath beſtowed theſe Graces,Sine mutatione ſtabiliter fixa. So Aug. renders it, and hence he ſaith on that place. Nec quae illuminavit obcaecat, nec quae aedificavit deſtruit, nec quae plantavit avellit. as though hee repented of the beſtowing of them. Whom hee hath inlightened, hee doth not blinde; whom hee builds, hee doth not deſtroy; and whom hee plants, hee doth not pull up.
And Faith hath a great influence into this, to preſerve and eſtabliſh the heart from falling. It is ſaid, — Wee are kept by the Power of God, through Faith to Salvation, 1 Pet. 1.5.
1. Faith doth ingraft us, and unite us to Chriſt, makes us Members of Chriſt, the Spouſe of Chriſt; and Chriſt will not loſe either his Spouſe, or the leaſt of his Members.
2. Faith doth keep out the grand Enemy to this, ſtanding thus ſtedfaſtly, and that's Hypocriſie. If a mans heart bee unſound, let his ſhew and appearance be what it will bee, all will come to nought▪ as in Herod, Judas, &c. If an Apple bee corrupt and rotten at heart, though the rind, and outſide bee never ſo lovely and ſpecious, 'twill not long laſt: the corrupt inſide will mar the fine outſide in the end.
An Hypocrite is but an Apoſtata caſed; and an Apoſtata is but an Hypocrite uncaſed.
3. Faith eſtabliſhes the heart againſt fears of men; the frowns and menaces of men.
4. Faith will keep the heart conſtant to duty, to the uſe of the Ordinances, which are ſtrong means to hold up the ſoul in Gods way.
5. Faith makes a man jealous and watchful over his own heart, of Declinings either in Action, or in Affection. It will not ſuffer a man to give way to the leaſt coldneſs in love, lukewarmneſſe in zeal, remiſneſs in duty. If any ſteal upon his heart, hee is never quiet till hee have recovered his former heat.
6. Faith doth maintain in the heart an holy fear of falling; which is a great means to preſerve from falling, Jer. 32. I will put my fear in their hearts, that they ſhall not depart from mee. Such a Fear it keeps as may curb and keep under the fleſh: but not diſcourage and weaken the Spirit. An induſtrious fear, not a diſcouraging fear: a faithful fear, not a deſpairing fear. A fear joyned with Faith, and a Faith mingled with fear. A man may bee fearful, and faithful. Fearful in himſelf, faithful in Chriſt: weak in himſelf, ſtrong in Chriſt.
There are four fears which Faith caſts out,
1. A ſervile, and legal Fear.
2. A diſtruſtful Fear.
3. A deſpairing and diſcouraging Fear.
4. A careleſs Fear.
As ſecurity is fearleſs, ſo ſometimes Fear is careleſs, if it bee exceſſive.
There are alſo four Fears which Faith retains.
1. An aweful Fear. Such a Fear as reſtrains from adventuring on occaſions of ſinning. It is as bad Divinity to grant the occaſion, and deny the ſin, as it is Logick, to grant the Premiſes, and deny the concluſion.
The Nazarite was forbidden Wine; and withal that hee muſt not taſte the Kernel of the Grape, leaſt that might bee an occaſion to draw on the other. Wee have a ſad example in Monicha, Augustines Mother. Shee looked on the Wine in the Cup; from looking, ſhee fell to liking; from liking, to taſting; from taſting, to ſipping; from that to drinking, and ſo to Exceſſe. Sins in Divinity are like abſurdities in Philoſophy.Uno abſurdo dato multa ſequuntur. One abſurdity granted, multitudes follow.
2. Such a Fear as makes us to go out of our ſelves, and lean and rely wholly on Chriſt. A Fear of our ſelves, of our own ſtrength, &c.
Alas! What are wee to Adam? to David? to Solomon? to Hezekiah? Peter? men of ſweet and familiar acquaintance with God. Yet ſee what Teſtimonies of mens frailties they left behind them. And all this to teach us to maintain an holy Fear and Jelouſy over our own ſelves; that wee might go out of our ſelves, and lean all upon Chriſt, without whom wee cannot bee ſure.
3. An Induſtrious Fear. Such a Fear as puts us upon all holy duties, and means for our eſtabliſhment to preſerve us. God promiſed to adde fifteen years to Hezekiahs life; yet hee was to preſerve this life, and uphold it, with food and dyet, and other neceſſaries for life: ſo God promiſed wee ſhall not fall: yet wee muſt bee conſcionable in the uſe of all good means, whereby wee may ſtand; otherwiſe wee tempt God: and juſt it is with God to let us fall, if wee neglect Prayer, and the reſt of his Ordinances appointed by him for our perſeverane.
4. A Jealous Fear over our own hearts. They are deceitful, and wee had need to bee jealous over them, and watch. Think not thy ſelf ſo far at diſtance from any ſin, but thou mayeſt fall into it, if God keep thee not.
Who could bee further from Drunkenneſs than Noah? who was the only ſober man, in the drunken old World. Who from Inceſt than Lot? the only chaſte man in Sodom. Who from Murder, than David? Whoſe heart ſmote him for but cutting off the lap of Sauls garment. Who from denying of Chriſt, than was Peter? who had rather dye with him, than forſake him. And therefore wee had need to bee jealous, and watch over our own hearts.
There is no place ſo good, but wee may offend in it. As the Angels in Heaven, Adam in Paradiſe. There is no company ſo good, but wee may ſin in it. As did Sarah in the Angels company, Judas in Chriſts.
Thus let us maintain theſe holy Fears in our hearts, and by that bee kept from falling.