The Scripture Directory for Church Officers and People, Exposition 2 · Part 2 · Section 5
How the vigorous Actings of Faith do quiet the Heart.
Theſe things premiſed, Let us conſider, How theſe vigorous actings of faith, do thus quiet and appeaſe the heart. And
Firſt, In that faith doth in the firſt place carry us out to rely on Chriſt as a Mediatour, whereby all our iniquities and ſinnes are done away: If then ſinne and guilt be removed out of the way, there cannot be any trouble. For as if there had not been ſinne, the earth would not have brought forth briars and thornes: So neither were it not for iniquity eating into the conſcience, there would not be the leaſt fear and trouble upon the heart. This is the wind that makes ſo dreadfull an earthquake at laſt. Wonder not then, if Davids faith did compoſe his ſoul in reſpect of that outward danger, for it had before removed a greater evil; the guilt of ſinne was now blotted out, David is not in that caſe, as when he cryed out, that his bones were broken, and that God ſets his ſinnes before him. Oh that is a wofull condition, when the guilt of ſinne and afflictions both meet together, when outwardly we have no hope, and inwardly no hope! But this faith doth in the firſt place. It obtaineth reconciliation with God, it ſeeth Pharaoh and his great hoſt drowned in the ſea; and then it doth eaſily over-look other afflictions, for the favour of God is able to ſweeten all calamities. Thus it was with Paul, he tryumphs over all imaginable adverſaries; but why is he thus confident? Becauſe there is no condemnation to ſuch as are in Chriſt Jeſus. If then the Sunne ariſe, the dark night will be quickly diſpelled; and ſo if the light of Gods favour doth ariſe, the feares and troubles which ariſe from outward exerciſes are quickly diſſipated. If then thou complaineſt thy ſtrength is ſo ſmall, every temptation is ready to blow thee down; as certainly the leaſt puff will hurl a man down, if faith be not lively, the Damſels charging of Peter to be of Chriſts company, made him curſe and ſwear, and fearfully apoſtatize; here was no ſuch great cauſe, he was not arraigned, impriſoned, ſentenced to die; but this temptation blew down a ſtrong Oak: which teacheth us, that a little calamity may throw us to the ground, if faith be not lively; and a great one cannot, if faith be vigorous. If (I ſay) thou complaineſt of thy weakneſs, thy feares; Let faith in Chriſt as a Mediatour be more powerfully put forth.
Secondly, Faith doth quiet and compoſe the ſpirit by impetration, or obtaining of God ſuch a ſpirit. For as you heard, ſeeing it lyeth not in the power of man, to give himſelf ſuch a ſweet bleſſed frame: No, he would give a world for it, if it lay in his power; it can only be obtained by application unto God: Now that which moſt prevaileth with God is faith, Whatſoever you ask believing, you ſhall have it: It's faith only that makes the omnipotent God work for thee and in thee; ſo that when we ſay faith makes the heart thus ſtill and quiet, you muſt not think it comes from faith as a natural cauſe, as the fire burneth; but morally by prevailing with God. This is the grace that God doth ſo honour; if we truſt on him, if we reſt on him, then God promiſeth to give reſt and peace to our ſoules: Inſomuch that it's a Chriſtians duty above all things to keep up the grace of faith, to attend to that, leſt the whole kingdome be loſt, when that is loſt; for God is to us as we believe, ſo God works for us as we truſt in him; ſo that our diſtruſt makes God to be as no God, or as an Idol-god, having eies not to ſee us, or hands not to help us. Gods power will not communicate it ſelf but upon believing; as Chriſt told Mary, Said I not unto thee, if thou wouldſt believe thou ſhouldſt ſee the glory of the Lord? That glory was to make Lazarus, dead your dayes, and ſtinking in the grave to live again: Now no leſs glorious alterations, and changes will God work upon thee if thou truſt in him; for hereby Gods fidelity, goodneſs, and power is engaged, and he will never deceive thoſe, that wholly rely upon him. You ſee then, why faith put forth in a lively manner, can thus quiet the ſoul: Becauſe it's the condition to which God doth make glorious promiſes.
Thirdly, Faith doth inſtrumentally compoſe the ſoul, becauſe by it other graces are alſo ſet a work, and ſo the more purified and cleanſed the ſoul is from all corruption, the clearer the heart is: As the clearer the ſpring is, then though it be moved and ſtirred, yet for all that the ſtreames will be pure. Thus it is with a godly man, when his heart is ſanctified, cleanſed, and adorned with grace; then though he is plunged into tribulations, inſtead of diſcontent, impatience, grudgings and murmurings, inſtead of dejections and diſquietneſs there is joy▪ thankfulneſs, and heavenly mindedneſs; as if Juniper or ſweet herbs be thrown into the fire, the fi…e draweth out their ſweet ſmel; or as the wind blowing upon the ſweet flower, makes it ſmell more fragrantly. Thus alſo when afflictions fall upon the godly, faith having purified their hearts, there do runne forth admirable and ſweet breathings of the ſoul. That faith exciteth other graces, appeareth Heb. 11. Where all thoſe glorious acts of grace, which thoſe Worthies abounded in, are attributed unto their faith.
Laſtly, Faith lively exerciſed muſt thus ſerene the heart of a man, The Arguments by which Faith quieteth the Soul.becauſe it doth ſuggeſt many noble and excellent arguments, which do abundantly quiet and eſtabliſh the ſoul. Faith is argumentative, it is very ingenious to find out all thoſe Conſiderations, which the Scripture affoards. Now the Scripture is like the Apothecaries ſhop, that can furniſh with all cordials. As
Firſt, Faith argueth from Gods giving of Chriſt, every thing elſe that is as neceſſary for us as Chriſt is. Thus the Apoſtle, Rom. 8. If he hath given us Chriſt, how ſhall he not with him give all things elſe? He doth not ſay ſome things, but all things; and then the expreſſion how ſhall he not? implyeth that it is a moſt abſurd and irrational thing to think otherwiſe. Now then faith doth thus quiet the ſoul. Be not afraid or troubled; the God that afflicts thee, is he that hath given Chriſt to thee. Now if ever God would have refuſed thee, it would have been in this: Know then, that theſe afflictions, theſe troubles, they are good for thee, they are neceſſary to humble thee, to make ſinne bitter, they are as neceſſary in their kind, as Chriſt was in his kind. It cannot be want of love, that theſe exerciſes are upon thee, for is not Chriſt the great pledge of Gods love to thee? Therefore faith turneth the heart of a man from that which is grievous and vexing, to that which is pleaſing and comfortable. Though God giveth not this or that outward mercy, yet he giveth Chriſt, the fountain and original of all.
Secondly, Faith repreſents God out of his word in ſome Attributes chiefly above others, inſomuch that the heart of a man being thereby lifted up to heaven to God himſelf, it cannot be diſturbed by things below. As the Bird while ſoaring aloft in the heavens, is not skared with this fear and that noiſe; ſo while faith beareth up the heart to God, and makes abode with him, it's not diſquieted: It's the looking upon the waters that make giddy; if we look up to the heavens, they cannot diſturb the brain. Now theſe things in God doth faith powerfully improve.
Firſt, The wiſdome of God; that whatſoever the Lord doth, it cannot be done wiſer: Therefore he is called the only wiſe God. Now what wonderfull comfort may be ſuggeſted from hence? That there is no affliction, no temptation, though never ſo heavy, but it cometh and is ordered by infinite wiſdome. If thou hadſt the diſpoſing and ordering of all things, it could not be done more wiſely then it is; nay thy own love to thy ſelf, if wiſe, would order this affliction to come upon thee. For do not you ſee a man, whoſe parts of body are gangreend; yet becauſe he is wiſe, though he loveth his eaſe, yet willingly reſigning himſelf to have thoſe parts cut off, for the good of the whole: So that is one of the moſt comfortable conſiderations which faith ſupplies the heart with, that whatſoever temptation is fallen upon thee, the wiſe God hath ordered it; ſo that to repine or to be diſcouraged, is to ſay in effect, Why is not God wiſer? Why doth he not order things with more perfect knowledge? Oh but as long as faith worketh, as long as that puts forth it ſelf, ſo long it beholds matter of wiſdome and admiration in all Gods proceedings.
Secondly, It repreſents the tender love and bowels of God as a Father, ſo that all thoſe ſtrokes they come from love. It's his very pity for a while to break and bruiſe them, that they may be healed more effectually. Is the Artificer angry with his plate when he breakes it, and throweth it into the fire? No, it's for to make it more compleat: If ſo be that we were wholly without corruption, if we could walk without ſinne, then God would no more afflict us here on earth, then he doth the glorified Saints and Angels in heaven; but our corruption is ſuch, that God did not love us or regard us, if he did not chaſtiſe us.
Thirdly, Faith repreſents the ſoveraignty and ſupream dominion, which God hath over the hearts of his children; therefore he is called the Father of Spirits. Now neither man himſelf, nor all the Angels of heaven, are able to give ſuch a compoſed frame. As God only knoweth the hearts of men, ſo he only faſhioneth and frameth them. If you ask, How is it poſſible that David ſhould be thus immoveable? What could keep in his corruption and fleſh from repining and diſturbing? I anſwer, it's God with whom all things are poſſible: It is this that faith ſuggeſts, though thy heart be impatient, though thou canſt not command the waves thereof to be ſtill, yet God in heaven can. Oh it's eaſily confeſſed, that it is not fleſh and blood that can make ſuch quiet calmneſs of ſoul! No, it muſt be an omnipotent work of the great God. Did not God put terrour into Cain's heart, that though he had built Cities, though he did all he could to allay his ſpirit, yet ſtill he trembleth, and cannot but tremble? Thus on th… contrary, God he puts joy into the heart of a believer, he bids it lye down and be content; and although never ſo many Hornets come buzzing to ſting him, yet faith keepeth them off: …o that that very frame of heart, which even a godly man thinketh it impoſſible for himſelf ever to have, that he finds ſometimes, and wonders how it ſhould be ſo▪ it's God that either layes load on, or takes burdens off from the ſpirit: So that the very ſame ſinnes and temptations which formerly they could not apprehend without even faintings and ſwoundings of the ſoul, now they can remember, and bleſs God with joy for the pardoning of them.
Ʋſe 1. of Inſtruction, to diſtinguiſh between carnal ſecurity and godly confidence. You have many a prophane man will ſay the words in my Text, I will lye down and ſleep; it may be at the very Sermon time, howſoever under the apprehenſion of their pleaſures and profits, they will with Dives, bid their ſoul, take its eaſe. But can they ſay, for the Lord taketh care of thee? No, but it may be, this night the Devils will fetch thy ſoul: It may be this night, thou muſt be arraigned at Gods Tribunal. Oh how many are ſick of this ſpiritual lethargy? How many men lye down ſecurely to ſleep, that may awake in hell? But the godly mans confidence ariſeth from ſpiritual Motives; inſomuch that though death and the day of Judgement appear, yet he may and ought to be thus affected.