One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 108
SERMON CVIII. Of Juſtifying Faith, Shewing what things are neceſſary thereunto; And how or in what method the Spirit of God enableth the humbled ſoul to beleeve.
JOH. 17.20.
But for them alſo who ſhall beleeve on me,
SEveral particulars have been given in to the clearing of the nature of juſtifying Faith; The laſt we were upon, was to inform what goeth to the being of it, and two Ingredients have been diſpatched, viz. Knowledge and aſſent; Proceed we therefore to a third thing, and that is,
3. A deep ſence and feeling of the burthen of ſinne, with ſome ſorrow and humiliation thereupon; The Law muſt work in the diſcovery of the diſeaſe, before the Goſpel doth in manifeſtation of the Remedy; There muſt be the pain and ſmart of a ſting felt ere there be any earneſt beholding of the brazen Serpent; Our Saviour ſaid, The ſick needed the Phyſician; When Paul by the light of the Law found himſelf out of meaſure ſinfull, then he began to ſeek after the unſearchable Riches of Gods grace, Come unto me all ye that are heavy loaden, and I will eaſe you, ſaith Chriſt, Mat. 11.28. Faith, that is the eaſing and repoſing of the troubled Spirit: It is diſputed whether Repentance go before Faith, and indeed there is an Evangelical Repentance whereby the heart is melted with grief for ſinne, becauſe God is ſo gracious a Father in Chriſt, and this muſt neceſſarily follow Faith, but then there is a Legal ſorrow for ſinne ariſing from Gods juſt hatred againſt it, which breeds great trouble and confuſion in the ſoul before it hath laid hold on Chriſt, and this precedeth Faith; Of this our Saviour ſpeaks, Mat. 21.32. Ye repented not that ye might beleeve; And ſo Peters hearers, Act. 2. were pricked at the heart, before they were directed into Evangelicall Repentance and Faith; There is then a fence of our undone eſtate going before this juſtifying Faith, whereby a man findes himſelf utterly loſt, all his deſirable things periſh, ſinne that was once ſo beloved by him, is as Tamar to Amnon, hated more then ever he loved it; Now he would throw it out of doors, the ſight and memory of it is grievous to him, I preſſe not ſuch a meaſure or degree of ſorrow, it worketh ſo much in all that there is a diſplacency and abhorrency in ſinne, as that which is the cauſe of all miſery.
Hence in the 4th place followeth a conviction and perſwaſion of minde, that there is no Creature in Heaven or Earth, no nor nothing that he can do, is able to juſtifie him, or bring Reconciliation with God; The Spirit of God Joh. 14. that doth convince of ſinne in the firſt place, doth afterward of a Righteouſneſſe; That there is no Righteouſneſſe to be had but in Chriſt only; If ſo be a man be no further convinced then of his ſinne and diſeaſe, thinking to make medicines and plaiſters of his own, thereby to heal himſelf. This man will alwaies be kept in a wandring Wilderneſſe, What was it that made ſo many run into Monaſteries, undertake ſtrict waies of Diſcipline and mortification? They had but an half Conviction, They felt wofull troubles and agonies in their Souls for ſinne, They could not tell what to do, as Luther profeſſed of himſelf while a Papiſt, but not being convinced of true Righteouſneſſe, They ran to miſerable Comforters, and ſo skinned the Soar, when the putrifying humour was ſtill within, but that Soul which the grace of God will carry on to Juſtification, doth not only finde ſinne manifeſted but the inſufficiency of all Creature Righteouſneſſe, he ſeeth with Noah, that unleſſe he get into an Ark, there is nothing but overflowing waters every where; While then this ſtone is ſquaring for an Heavenly building, he is inſtructed in his own loſt and undone Condition; Being therefore thus fully perſwaded that in himſelf he is a dead and a damned man.
In the 5th, He proceedeth to an actual renouncing of every thing but Chriſt; He ſeeth there is no remedy in the world for him but by Chriſt; He abhor…eth all thoſe Doctrines and practiſes in Religion which he did put confidence in as if they could ſave him, Phil. 3. You ſee this method in Paul, when once his eyes were opened, then all the priviledges that were formerly counted gain, he looked upon them as loſſe, yea, as dung in compariſon of the Knowledge of Christ: Now certainly this is a great work of Gods Spirit, not only to make a man renounce his ſinnes but his works of Righteouſneſſe alſo, for this undid the Jews, Rom. 10. They ſought to eſtabliſh their own Righteouſneſſe, and ſo would not ſubmit themſelves to that of Chriſt: In Popery what is the reigning errour but that men are not taught to go out of the works they do, and believe in Chriſt only, Do they not expreſly pleade for ſome co-partnerſhip in the work of Mediation, and is not alſo this poiſon ſucked down every where in all mens hearts, who is there till God hath humbled him over and over again, that flieth wholly to Chriſt? Nay, even in a godly man what is that that keeps the ſoar ſo raw, and the heart ſo unquiet? Is is not becauſe he would not be beholding to Chriſt only? Therefore when a man is thus fitted by the Spirit of God as to ſee every thing is a ruſh, a reed to lean upon but Chriſt; Though I could weep a Sea of tears, and thoſe tears turn into bloud, though I had all the grace of Men and Angels, yet it would not reconcile me to God. Then is he upon the Confines of Juſtification. Therefore
6. When a man is thus driven out of all hopes, and like the people of Iſrael ſeeing his Enemy of ſinne following behinde, and a Sea before, then the Spirit of God ſtirreth up deſires and hungrings after Chriſt, then are his out-cries; Oh that I could believe, Oh that I had an Arm to embrace Chriſt! For we ſee Judas coming thus far to bewail and confeſs his ſins, to throw away that ſilver he had ſo unjuſtly got, to cry out of himſelf; But then there were no deſires, no groans after Chriſt, ſo that while the Soul is in this poſture, many times it's ground between hope and deſpair; It is in great agonies, like the woman that is to be delivered, ſometimes throbs come, and there is an hope of deliverance, but then all goeth back again, ſometimes they are ready to lay hold on Chriſt, then comes a violent guſt and puts all back again: It's true, deſires of faith if reall and ſincere are faith initiall, and Mat. 5. there is a promiſe of full ſatisfaction to thoſe that hunger and thirst after Righteouſneſſe, and that is implied when our Saviour ſaith, a bruiſed reed he will not break, and ſmoaking flax he will not quench, that is, where there are the leaſt motions and tendencies of ſouls towards grace, there ſhall be the greateſt encouragement.
7. God leaveth not the afflicted Soul in theſe deſires and agonies, but doth ſo ſtrengthen and enable the heart, that now he doth not only deſire but actually receiveth and embraceth Chriſt; His deſire is put forth into actings, ſo that it's no longer, Oh that I could reſt upon Chriſt! But he doth reſt his ſoul on him with a lively recumbency; Therefore Joh. 6. believing is called coming unto Chriſt; Thoſe tormenting ſlaviſh fears which affrighted him▪ Shall ſuch a ſinner as I, one that hath more offended God then many thouſands approach near to him? May I not only touch the hem of his garment, but take him alſo in my arms? Theſe and the like Queſtions he can now anſwer, and therefore cals upon his ſoul, and chideth it, Why art thou thus caſt down, and why art thou thus troubled within thee? Beleeve on Chriſt; So that now he doth with Simeon take Chriſt in his arms, He can now ſay, Lord, let whatever come I ſhall bear it patiently, now I have ſeen thy Salvation, as it was with the poor Criple that could not ſtir or move, when healed, he can take up his bed and walk, ſo the poor tempted ſinner that before lay trembling, afraid to pray, afraid to come to the Ordinances, can now ariſe and walk performing all duties with comfort and zeal: You muſt know that this reſting on Chriſt when thus humbled for ſin, is not an effect of mans power; It's not in mans ſtrength to make this Iron to ſwim, to walk thus upon the waters, when every thing within and without is againſt man and yet for all this to depend upon the Lord Chriſt; No, it muſt be a divine and ſupernatural power from above, and therefore the work of Gods grace in Faith juſtifying is as great, though not as wonderfull, as in miraculous Faith; when any were enabled by beleeving to remove Mountains; this was not by any greater power of God then when a poor humbled ſinner, by reſting on Chriſt, doth remove thoſe mountains of ſins, and that great gulf which is between God and the ſoul, We may well call juſtifying faith miraculous faith; For is not this a miracle, and a wonder of wonders? That the ſoul thus in darkneſſe, and plunged into the deeps, yet ſhould cleave unto Chriſt, and ſay, Though he kill me, yet I will truſt in him; Oh we ſee if there were nothing but mans power, and the troubled ſinner were left to himſelf, he would immediatly deſpair, as we ſee in Cain and Judas; Even as the ſtone naturally deſcends downwards when you take away the pillar it leaned upon, ſo when you take away all the carnal props and hopes of a ſinner, and his ſins do every way environ him, he preſently fals into the mouth of deſpair; It's therefore the great work of Gods grace to enable to beleeve, To you it's given to beleeve, Phil. 1.29. And ſome are ſaid to beleeve through the grace of God, Act. 18.27. and faith is called the work of God, not only becauſe it's that ſpecial grace which he doth ſo eminently require, but becauſe he is the immediate efficient of it; Know then that the mighty work of God goeth to make the ſoul reſt on Chriſt, it would of it ſelf deſpair a thouſand times over, and fall into hell before it would come to Chriſt, and Experience confirms this in many ſad and tempted Chriſtians, who though they goe from Miniſter to Miniſter, and reade the good promiſes of the Goſpel, yet cannot beleeve till the Sprit of God enable them; Now God enableth the humbled Soul to believe two waies, directive and effective, by direction and inſtruction, and that in theſe particulars.
1. By informing him that when the Soul is truly humbled for ſin, that it is a duty to beleeve in Chriſt; That ſuch are threatned with damnation who ſhall refuſe to come unto Chriſt, and this is a bleſſed leſſon to learn, when the Soul ſhall be thus perſwaded, that if in this caſe I receive not Chriſt, I commit a worſe ſin then ever yet I was guilty of; What a madneſſe is it in me to damn my ſelf for fear I ſhould be damned? I fear my other ſins may deſtroy my Soul, and not fear my unbelief; This is the great crying ſin of all others, He that believeth not, the anger of God abideth on him, yea, he is ſaid to be condemned already, and to make God a lyar; Oh then how happy is that ſoul when the Spirit of God doth thus enlighten and perſwade thee! Once it was a Queſtion and a doubt to thee, Whether thou mightſt lay hold on Chriſt? Once thy thoughts were, That to beleeve though it might be matter of comfort and priviledge, yet it was not of duty; But O how graciouſly hath God taught thee otherwiſe? Now thou ar… as much afraid not to lay hold on Chriſt as to commit any other ſin; Thou art as conſciencious in believing every promiſe, as in conforming to every command; Thou dareſt no longer liſten to doubts and fears, to Satans Temptations in this matter, then thou dareſt to the luſts and pleaſures of ſin.
2. The Spirit of God doth inſtruct us in this, That thus to beleeve and reſt on Chriſt is to perform or to do that to which Juſtification is promiſed; He that believeth is paſſed from death to life, and ſtill Remiſſion of ſins is ſaid to be received by Faith, and we are juſtified by Faith, Rom. 5. So that when the Soul doth reſt on Chriſt he performeth that to which Chriſt with all his benefits are promiſed, Joh. 3.16. God ſo loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoſoever beleeveth in him ſhould not periſh but have eternnl Life; So that the humbled ſinner having his eyes thus opened, he ſeeth it the greateſt madneſſe and folly that can be not to receive Chriſt, and to reſt on him; Why thus he argueth, I cannot he juſtified, I cannot partake of Chriſt till I do believe, ſo that to believe is as neceſſary in an inſtrumental way, as Chriſt in a meritorious way; Shall the diſeaſed Patient queſtion whether he ſhall take that medicine which will certainly heal him? Shall the hungry man doubt whether he may receive that alms which will preſerve his Life? Thus the humbled ſinner is convinced, that as he muſt not murther his own body wilfully by refuſing to eat meat, ſo he muſt not his own ſoul by a wilful rejecting of the promiſe.
3. The Spirit of God inſtructs him in this alſo, That by beleeving he doth not only bring comfort and ſalvation to his ſoul, but in a most eminent manner doth alſo glorifie God; As Abraham by that remarkable act of Faith is ſaid to give Glory to God, Rom. 4.20. The tempted Soul is apt to think, Why ſhould I believe? this is but to ſeek my ſelf, This is becauſe I would have comfort whatever becometh of Gods Glory; Oh but ſaith the believer when thus awakened, if I could perform all the Commandments of God, if I could love God ſo as to give my body to be burnt for his Name, yet I could not glorifie God ſo much as by believing, for this acknowledgeth God in Chriſt, wherein God is more to be admired then in the creation and government of the world.
Laſtly, He is enabled to ſee the folly and unprofitableneſſe of Ʋnbelief; If he go not to Chriſt, where can Salvation be had? he is ſure to be damned by keeping from Chriſt; Therefore with thoſe Lepers he is reſolved not to periſh, but to go to God, though he ſeem an Enemy to him.
And then 2. God worketh faith in us effectively, as you heard, by ſtrengthening the heart of a man fiducially to repoſe on Chriſt, if other graces as love and patience do not grow of themſelves in mans heart, much leſſe doth Faith which is ſo ſupernatural every way.