One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 105
SERMON CX. Of Juſtifying Faith, That it is a fiducial Recumbency on Chriſt.
JOH. 17.20.
But for thoſe alſo that ſhall beleeve in me.
I ſhall now conclude this part which containeth the Qualification of the ſubject of Chriſts Praier, That beleeve in Chriſt; And whereas Faith hath a twofold Object, either general, of which v. 21. or ſpecial; This laſt is meant here, of which much hath been ſaid to clear the nature of it; I ſhall end at this time: And 1. I ſhall prove, that it's the duty of an humbled ſinner to have ſuch a fiducial recumbency on Chriſt, and that for the pardon of his ſins in particular; It's not enough to believe that Chriſt will ſave ſinners that repent and convert unto him, but they are to appropriate him to their own particular: To ſay with Thomas, My Lord, My God: Now that Faith is ſuch a particular application of Chriſt, (whatſoever Papiſts and others gainſay) may appear from theſe Arguments amongſt others.
1. From the names and Titles that beleeving in Chriſt hath, which do evidently denote more then a meer intellectual aſſent unto the promiſes, as true; They imply ſome cordial motions of the ſoul; The Names are theſe foreign, which doth ſignifie a confidence of the heart, and that which doth imbolden the ſoul in the preſence of God, yea, to this beleeving there is attributed foreign, Rom. 5.1. Phil 3.3. This boaſting muſt need be more then a bare apprehenſion in the minde; It's like Aarons oyle that deſcends from the head to other places alſo, foreign Rom. 4 21. This is alſo emphatical, ſome make the word to be from the Sails of Ships when filled with the Winde, which carry the Ship away ſpeedily; Thus the heart of man that lay groveled, and could not move, when beleeving is mightily carried on in all duties; It is called foreign often, Heb. 11.1. Heb. 3.14. that denoteth the things we beleeve to have ſuch a ſubſiſtence in our ſouls as if we were no longer our ſelves, but the thing believed, as Paul ſaid, I no longer live but Chriſt within me, Gal. 2.20. So this Faith in Chriſt doth as it were incarnate the Promiſes, and tranſubſtantiate them into the believer; Another word is foreign Heb 4.16. Let us come with confidence; Indeed Epheſ. 3. Confidence or boldneſſe is made an effect of faith, but confidence could not be an effect of faith if faith had not this in its nature; As the Soul could not produce rational acts if it were not eſſentially rational, ſo neither could faith put a man upon fiducial acts, if it ſelf were not fiducial; Again this believing is called foreign boldneſſe or confidence, Mat. 9.2. and ſo Varinus makes foreign, to be bold on a man: By theſe Titles then which the Scripture giveth, Faith in Chriſt we ſee what a powerful operation it hath upon the heart, What a Faith of ſpiritual miracles (as I may ſay) juſtifying Faith is, and therefore know that thy doubts, fears, dejections, and tormenting diſtractions are oppoſite to believing, as darkneſſe is to light, if God do above all graces thus approve faith, then he doth above all ſins abhor this dejecting unbelief.
2. That ſuch a ſpecial faith is required, appeareth, in that the Scripture limits this faith unto Chriſt as the peculiar and proper object; Hence the Evangeliſt John cals it ſo often believing in him that brings Eternal Life, and it's Rom. 8. By Faith in his bloud that we are purged and have pardon of ſinne, and generally when it ſpeaks of faith as juſtifying, it relateth to Chriſt as the Object of it; Not but that it believeth other Truths, only in believing of this we are juſtified, as the Iſraelite might look upon other Objects, but beholding of the brazen Serpent only made him whole; yea, as we told you, when the believing of other things is reduced to juſtifying Faith, all other Truths are ſweetned and qualified by that, as if a man had the Philoſophers ſtone, it would turn all other materials into Gold.
3. That Faith muſt be in a ſpecial manner fiducial and applying, appeareth in the effects that commonly follow it; For to this believing is attributed peace and unſpeakable joy, yea, a triumphing over all oppoſitions and difficulties, a boaſting and glorying in tribulation; Now this could never be without a particular intereſt in Chriſt, for what peace and joy doth it bring to hear, that Chriſt in the general came to ſave ſinners; Do not thouſands go to hell for all that? It's therefore neceſſary to true ſolid peace, that he become my Chriſt and my Saviour; Hence it is, that believing is the uniting of the ſoul to Chriſt as an husband which is an appropriate Intereſt, as the Church expreſſed it, I am my Well-beloveds, and my well-beloved is mine, Cant. 2.16. And hence alſo are thoſe compariſons of an head and a body, of a Vine and branches, all which argue, that the good we have by Chriſt comes becauſe of our intimate union with him, So that if we do reſpect thoſe glorious effects which uſually accompany believing, they will neceſſarily ſuppoſe a fiducial appropriation of Chriſt in a ſpecial manner.
4. This ſpecial faith is ſeen by the oppoſites and contrarieties unto it, for he that doth not believe is ſaid foreign, Luk 12.29. to be carried up and down as a meteor that hath no fixed place; Thus while the ſoul is not fixed on Chriſt it's like a reed toſſed up and down with every winde, as one in a journey, and at a ſtand, ſeeing two waies, and not knowing which way to go, or as a man that is uncertain between two arguments, like the ballance with equal weights, that doth not incline to one ſide more then another; Theſe diſpoſitions of the Soul oppoſe faith, and it's a reſting and a determining of the ſoul upon Chriſt.
And Laſtly, Diffidence and fear, theſe are made contrary to Faith, Fear not, but beleeve, Luk. 8.50. ſaid Chriſt to his Diſciples, which ſuppoſeth that faith hath boldneſſe and confidence in it; We then may judge of the nature of faith, by the oppoſite ſinfulneſs to it, and when we ſee fears, wandrings, uncertain toſſings up and down of the ſoul, in no waies ſtable and fixed, then we may conclude that faith it ſelf is a powerful, compoſing, and firm fixing of the ſoul upon the Lord Chriſt.
5. That faith is thus in a ſpecial manner applying Chriſt appeareth alſo, becauſe otherwiſe it would be little better then the faith of devils, and of ſuch who have only a bare dogmaticall aſſent, for the devils made a Confeſſion of faith, That Chriſt was the Son of the living God, and therefore are ſaid to believe, yet they tremble, and are in unſpeakable horrour becauſe they know he is not a Saviour to them, and thus many believe, that Chriſt is the Meſſias, but becauſe there is no fiducial adheſion and appropriation of him, therefore he is not ſo to them; Even as many ſaw Chriſt, yet if they did not in particular apply themſelves to him, they were not healed of their diſeaſes; The hungry man may ſtarve though he ſee a Table furniſhed with plentiful food, if he do not put into his own mouth; It's particular Intereſt that enricheth, that ſaveth, and therefore it's ſaid, The Juſt ſhall live by his faith, Hab. 2.
Laſtly, This truth may appear, From the abſurdity of that Poſition, to ſay, faith juſtifieth as it believeth the Word of God in general only, or any Truth aſſerted in general, for then my Faith would juſtifie me as well in believing, Judas hanged himſelf, as that Chriſt was crucified for me; Or that Paul had a Cloak and Parchments, as in the bloud of Chriſt; Certainly forgiveneſſe of ſinne is attributed to Chriſt only, and ſeeing (as you heard) the object of faith juſtifying is bonum as well as verum; That which is beloved muſt have the chiefeſt good in it, as well as Truth, and this may ſuffice to inſtruct you in this main Point, that a Chriſtian humbled for ſin is not to reſt or to be ſatisfied in this, that Chriſt in generall came to ſave ſinners, or that he is able to ſave thee though an hainous offender, but to apply him for thy own particular; that thou maiſt ſay of all the glory of the Goſpel, which the devil did falſly of the glory of the world, All this is mine.
Obj. But to this it's Objected, This is to preach Security, Queſt.and to imbolden men in a carnall preſumption; And therefore it's a Doctrine to be abhorred as pleaſing the Fleſh; Thus it's branded as if it were one of Epicurus his Opinions that were called the Syrens of the carnall part of a man; But to anſwer this,
Anſw. 1 1. That there cannot any doctrine of comfort and grace be preached, but a carnal heart will turn it into the occaſion of wickedneſſe; When Paul preached the grace of the Goſpel, did not ſome infer from thence, Let us ſin, that grace may abound, and did not others turn the grace of God into wantoneſſe? It's one thing therefore to ſpeak of the proper genius of the doctrine, and another thing, of the abuſe of it through mans corruption, If therefore any man living and walking in prophaneſſe do yet comfort and encourage himſelf, ſaying, I lay hold on Chriſt, I bel…eve in Chriſt· This man as he deceiveth himſelf, ſo he doth groſly abuſe the grace of God, No, Chriſt doth not call to men that ſin, yet laugh and make merry, but that are weary and loaden, to come unto him, and then he will eaſe them.
Anſw. 2 But 2. This Doctrine of special and particular Faith doth not encourage to preſumption, becauſe it cals not upon ſinn…rs abiding and wickedly perſevering ſo, to rest on him, but mourning over and abhorring their ſins, Therefore no man is commanded to believe this firſt, that Chriſt died for him, but to believe the word of God threatning and diſcovering the horrid pollution that is upon us, as alſo the generall contagion in every part, the inſufficiency and inability to help himſelf, the neceſſity of hungring, thirſting, and ſeeking out after a Saviour, So that in this order and method he muſt by Faith lay hold on Chriſt,
Anſw. 3 3. This ſpecial Faith cannot be preſumption, or encourage thereunto, becauſe the object of it is whole Chriſt, a Lord and Soveraign as well as a Saviour; The preſumer he divides Chriſt, looketh upon him as a Saviour, not as a Lord and Law-giver, and therefore takes Chriſt but upon his own terms, not in the Scripture-way, and ſo indeed he takes not Chriſt but an Idol of his own making; and by this it is diſcovered that he doth not truly believe but preſume: It's true, Chriſt as the Object of our juſtifying faith is to be conſidered as our Surety and Mediatour, as a Gift of the Father to us, yet he cannot truly be received as a Saviour, but as a Lord and King alſo, So that God having inſeparably joyned theſe two together, Faith dare not, Faith will not divide, So that this will prove Jealouſie-water to the Hypocrite, he profeſſeth a belief on Chriſt, but it is Chriſt divided, or a part of Chriſt, he looks upon the Atonement he made as a Saviour, but not on the Obedience he owes to Chriſt as a King, Chriſt doth not only promiſe but command, he doth not only offer precious Gifts, but enjoyneth ſtrict and exact duties, and faith taketh in all theſe.
Anſw. 4 4. Faith cannot be preſumption, becauſe it doth not only receive Chriſt, but this particular doth alſo cleanſe and purifie the heart, Act. 15. When Peters Faith was kept up, then all his other graces were enlivened, therefore Heb. 11. all thoſe notable acts of high Righteouſneſſe and Obedience are attributed to faith, ſo that the ſame Faith hath two hands, one inward whereby it receiveth and embraceth Chriſt, the other outward, whereby it ſtirreth up and quickeneth to other Graces; Juſtifying faith though it only juſtifyeth as it embraceth Chriſt, yet at the ſame time alſo it worketh by love, by patience, by zeal, by heavenly-mindedneſſe. So that the exerciſe of all other graces is imperately from Faith, though not elicitely; It's true, there is a dead Faith, and (as Luther called it) an incarnate faith, a dead faith, The Apoſtle James ſpeaketh againſt c. 2. which is a bare aſſent and profeſſion without any lively operation, and ſuch a kinde of believer is placed by Sebaſtian Franco in the Catalogue of Heretiques, a lukewarm believer, but that faith which doth juſtifie, carrieth a man not only to Chriſt, but is a general exciter and promoter to all holy duties and obedience.
5. Faith ſpecial cannot comply with preſumption, becauſe it doth not only believe in Chriſt as the special object, but includeth an aſſent to the whole Word, ſo that it's as general as the Word is, if therefore the Word of God doth not beget ſecurity, and carnal encouragements to ſin, neither can Faith; For preſumption properly conſiſteth in this, to divide the means from the end, to think of obtaining one without the performance of the other, can never be admitted by faith, which in the ſpecial application of Chriſt is guided by the univerſal direction of the Scripture.
Ʋſe of Inſtruction to humbled ſinners, Be well informed in this, that you are not to ſtand in generals which are accompanied with great fears and dejections of ſpirit, but in a particular manner to lay hold on Chriſt; Oh let thy neceſſities drive thee, that eaſeleſſe and reſtleſſe condition thou art in, be like a ſtone from the center, like a bone out of joint, till thou art fully united to the Lord Chriſt; Know it is a duty, That thou ſinneſt in an high manner, while thou doſt thus frowardly keep off from him.
Ʋſe 2. There is the happineſs of believers, They receive Chriſt, and ſo in him all things; He that hath the Sun hath all the Stars, He that hath the Fountain, hath the ſtreams, if he hath given us Chriſt, with him he will give all things: Now God looks on thee in Chriſt, The devil that ſeeks to devour thee muſt devour Chriſt firſt; And O what a poor weak thing is it to doubt about earthly proviſion, when thou haſt received Chriſt for all things!