The Excellency of Holy Courage in Evil Times, Chapter 20
CHAP. 20.
Shewing the power of Faith to carry through the moſt difficult work. Queſtion, What is there in Faith which helps the Soul? Anſwered, in four Particulars. 1. It ſetles the Heart on the ſureſt ground, which is Gods call, and Promiſes. 2. It fetcheth in the greateſt ſtrength. 3. It aſſiſts with the higheſt encouragements. 5. Faith of its own Nature is a mighty ſtrong principle. The moſt illuſtrious work of Faith. Thirteen remarkable things concerning Faith, and the difficulties which it breaks through.
NOw there is one point more out of theſe words, we have ſeen the Faith of Moſes in taking away of the impediment of Moſes in his work, the great impediment was the fear of the wrath of the King, but by Faith that was taken a way.
Now he goes upon the work: and went out of Egypt, with a high hand; from whence the Point is this,
Doct. That Faith will carry the Hearts of Gods People through difficult works and Services.
Though the work be difficult, and they have many hinderances to let them, Faith will carry them through it.
I remember in the beginning of this argument, I handled that Point of Faith in carrying through ſufferings, now the argument is, that faith will carry through difficult ſervice, as this work of forſaking Egyyt was a difficult work for Moſes to undertake difficult; in many regards.
Firſt, In forſaking his own country. Egypt was Moſes own country, and he himſelf might have ſhifted well enough, and have enjoyed abundance of proſperity, the Egyptians would have made enough of him; for him to forſake Egypt his own country was ſomething.
Secondly, For him to carry ſo many thouſand poor people with him, unarmed into a Wilderneſs without proviſion, and knew not what ſhould become of them, Fleſh and Blood would reaſon, what ſhal I carry this people into the Wilderneſs; what proviſion ſhal they have? they have but a little dough at their backs, and if that be ſpent what ſhal become of them?
Thirdly, Then Moſes might think, Pharoah is ſuch a man that there is no hold of him, how if he follow us with his army and cut us off? again, if we go to the Wilderneſs al the Nations round about us may come and cut us off. Not withſtanding al theſe difficulties Moſes went on.
Faith will carry a Chriſtian through works that have much difficulty in them, faith hath done mighty things in the world, and ſtil it mightily prevails where it comes, no difficulty is able to ſtand before it, faith breaks through all, it caſts down all oppoſition, it overcomes all reſiſtances, whatſoever it doth undertake, it does conquer, and al ſtrength is but as weakneſs before it, we need no further teſtimony of the great things that faith hath done in carrying through difficult ſervices then this 11. Chapter of the Hebrews, and therefore we will look no further to other ſcriptures.
Quſtion, But you will ſay, what is there in faith that helps the ſoul, and carries a Chriſtian through the moſt difficult works and ſervices?
Anſw. There are many things.
Firſt, Faith doth it by ſetling the heart upon the ſureſt ground; if a man be ſet faſt upon a ground that is ſure, and unmovable, it may do great things: as one thought, if he could but have a ſure ground, he might make ſuch an Engine as to ſhake the Earth. Now faith ſets the heart upon a ſure ground, Gods Call; Faith doth not only ſhew a Chriſtian his duty, and tell him what God doth call him to (that may be done by bare knowledg) but Faith ſettles the heart upon Gods Promiſes, it doth bring unto the heart the Authority, Majeſty, and Soveraignty of God in this his Call, and that hath a great deal of ſtrength upon the heart to make it go through difficulty.
Secondly, Faith doth fetch in the greateſt ſtrength, and doth bring it into the ſoul, it doth not only make the ſtrength of God to be his, but the glorious ſtrength of God, the chief of Gods ſtrength (to ſpeak after the manner of men) if there be any thing more glorious in the ſtrength of God than other, Faith doth fetch in that for the ſtrengthening of the ſoul in the ſervice of God. For that we have two or three notable Scriptures, Epheſ. 1.19. which doth not only ſpeak of the power of God in working of Faith, but of the power of God in the ſould after Faith is wrought.
Firſt, It is the Power of God.
Secondly, It is the mighty Power of God.
Thirdly, The working of his mighty Power.
Fourthly, The greatneſs of the working of his mighty Power.
Fifthly, The exceeding greatneſs of the working of his mighty Power.
Sixthly, The ſame Power that raiſed Chriſt from the dead.
This is in be getting Faith in the ſoul.
Now it is that Power which a Beleever being once a Beleever, hath the uſe of afterwards.
Another Text which is remarkable for this purpoſe, is Eph. 3.16. That he would grant unto you according to the riches of his glory, to be ſtrengthened with might by his Spirit, in the inner man: that which the Apoſtle praies for, is that which a Beleever by Faith may fetch in, and make his own.
Firſt, There is ſtrength in the inner man, and that is more than in the outward.
Secondly, It is ſtrength by the Spirit (now Spirit is a word that is uſed to expreſs ſtrength) and that by Gods Spirit.
Thirdly, It is ſtrength by the Spirit with might; one would think it were enough if he had ſaid, Strengthened by the Spirit of God, that doth bring in might; but it is, with might by the Spirit in the inner man.
Fourthly, This is according to his Glory; it is ſuch a ſtrength, ſuch a might of Gods Spirit as God is glorious in it; it is the glory of the might of the Spirit of God in the inner man. And yet there is one higher expreſſion.
Fifthly, It is according to the Riches of his Glory; Whoſe Glory? The Riches of the Glory, of the Might, of the Spirit of God: Of what God? That God that is the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, of whom the whol Family of Heaven and Earth is named.
Surely this ſtrength muſt enable to do mighty things, and this ſtrength is a Beleevers own, to work for him, and aſſiſt him in any ſervice. What a ſhameful thing is it for any Chriſtian to complain of the want of ſtrength in the performance of Duty, when ſuch a ſtrength as this is made over to him, and he by Faith may fetch it in, imploy it, and make uſe of it as his own?
Another place to ſhew what ſtrength it is that Faith doth bring in, it is that in Col. 1.11. Strengthened with all might according to his glorious Power, unto all patience and long-ſuffering with joyfulneſs. Now if in your lives you would ſhew that which is proper to a Chriſtian, you muſt do that which muſt manifeſt a glorious power of God. Now what is it that you do, or have done in all your lives, that doth manifeſt a glorious power of God? This ſhews the glory of a Chriſtian, that al that ſee him may ſay, the power of Nature could not do this, the power of Grace could not do this, and the power of all Creatures in Heaven and Earth could not do this, yea, it is more than an ordinary power of God, it is a glorious power of God that muſt enable him to do this. But though the power of God be glorious, it is not alwaies put forth in enabling men to do duties; but it is ſomtimes put forth in enabling of them with patience to undergo that which is laid upon them as wel as to do great things: may be you do not find the glorious power of God for to enable you to do great works; God would ſomtimes have his glorious power work to make you patient; therefore you muſt not only be patient, as an ordinary man or woman, but be ſo patient as to ſhew you have a glorious power of God to make you patient. Somtimes you have been croſt, and have had afflictions upon you, that have been ſore afflictions, and have been long upon you, and may be you have been patient, but you muſt be ſo patient as to manifeſt the glorious power of God in your patience; and therefore though I have been ſomwhat patient, yet, have I been ſo patient as to manifeſt the glorious power of God in it? and have I been ſo long ſuffering towards thoſe that have croſt me, as to manifeſt the glorious power of God in it? Faith doth fetch in ſtrength to enable to do that. And that is the ſecond thing that Faith doth to carry through difficult ſervices, it doth fetch in the greateſt ſtrength.
Thirdly, That which Faith doth in enabling the ſoul to any difficult work, is the aſſiſting of the ſoul with the higheſt encouragements that poſſibly can be; the encouraging Promiſes of God, and the encouraging Expreſſions that are in the Word, that might put life into the deadeſt ſpirit in the world: the encouragements that are in the Scripture, lay as it were dead to the heart, no but that there is life in them, but becauſe of the deadneſs of the heart; now Faith comes and puts life into them. In this 11. chapter of the Hebrews, Faith i… commended by raiſing dead to life; here is as great a commendation of Faith, when Faith ſhal raiſe a dead Promiſe, and dead encouragement, and put life into it. We read a Promiſe or an encouragement may be twenty times before, but it was as dead; but now Faith doth come and put life into it, and the ſoul can come and lay face upon its face, and mouth upon its mouth, and eyes upon its eyes, and it comes to be a mighty quickning thing to enable it to any ſervice.
Fourthly, Faith carries the ſoul through works that God cals to, becauſe faith in it ſelf (beſides that it brings in) is a mighty ſtrong principle: it is the moſt glorious work that ever creature was enabled to do in this world; the Angels in Heaven were never able to put forth a more glorious work for the kind of it, than a beleeving ſoul doth put forth in the proper eſſential work of Faith; and if Faith in the proper eſſential act of it be the moſt glorious difficult work that ever creature in Heaven or Earth did; then ſurely it muſt have a mighty deal of power to enable the ſoul to do the moſt difficult, and glorious Services.
Queſt. You wil ſay, What is that proper eſſential work of faith, that is the moſt glorious difficult work that ever was performed?
Anſw. For a Creature that doth apprehend it ſelf by Nature an enemy to God, a poor wretched defiled creature by ſin, ſtanding guilty in the preſence of God, having the wrath of God incenſed againſt it, the Juſtice of God crying for ſatisfaction, and the Law of God pronouncing an eternal Curſe upon it, for a ſoul to ſee this, and be ſenſible of it, and yet in this condition to raiſe up its ſelf, to lay hold upon the perfect righteouſneſs of a Mediator, God and Man, and to venture its eternal eſtate upon that righteouſneſs, and to tender up to God by Faith that righteouſneſs as a ful ſatisfaction to his Juſtice, and as ſufficient to bear off the the wrath of God from it; and notwithſtanding al the pollution of its nature, yet to unite it ſelf to the Deity, in the neereſt union that ever creature was united to the Deity, except the perſonal Union of Chriſt to the Divine Nature: this is a glorious work; and no marvel though ſuch glorious power of God be in Faith; and a Faith that can do this, may do any thing, as Chriſt ſaid, If you can beleeve, all things are poſſible: ſo ſay I to every one that hath low thoughts of Faith, and think it a mean work, If you can beleeve, al things are poſſible; it is a greater thing to beleeve truly, than for to work miracles; a man may work miracles, and yet be damned; but juſtifying Faith doth ſo unite the ſoul to God that it is impoſſible the ſoul ſhould be damned, and therefore it is a greater miracle than ever any was enabled to do; though God enables Angels to do great things, yet he never enables them to do ſuch a glorious work as this. Beſides, though people think Faith is an eaſie matter, yet it is the moſt difficult work in the world.
Firſt, Difficult in regard of the impediments, no work hath ſuch great impediments as this. The ſoul ſeeing an enmity between God and it, and ſeeing it ſelf a polluted Creature, and ſeeing the Law of God in its ſtrictneſs, and the Juſtice of God muſt be ſatisfied, and ſees the wrath of God burning againſt it, and having nothing in its ſelf to ſatisfie God, yet Faith doth break through al theſe, and if it can break through theſe, then certainly it wil break through any thing; for there can be no greater impediment to any ſervice that God calls to, than there was to this one work of beleeving: Let us not therefore be feared by any difficulty and mountain that lies in our way to any work, becauſe there can never be any mountain laid in our way to hinder us in any work, as did lie in our way to hinder us from beleeving, and if Faith did burſt through thoſe impediments, it ſhal be able to break through al other impediments.
Secondly, It is difficult, not only becauſe of the impediments, but becauſe it is the higheſt duty of all; to reach high is painful to the Body; ſo the high actions of the ſoul are difficult to the ſoul: now Faith is high; the object is high, the act is high, and the end is high: the object is the higheſt object, it is the perfect righteouſneſs of a Mediator, God-man; and the act is of the higheſt nature, it is an act of uniting the ſoul with the Deity: as by ſin the ſoul departed from God, ſo by faith the ſoul comes to be made one, and for the end that is high, it is for the ſatisfaction of infinite Juſtice, and for appeaſing of infinite wrath, and for acceptation from infinite holineſs: let God be never ſo holy, infinitely more than we can conceive of him, yet faith does procure acceptance; for ſuch a polluted filthy creature as man is, from the infinite holineſs of God.
Thirdly, It is difficult, becauſe it hath the leaſt furtherance from any principle of Nature: ſome other Graces, as Patience, and Juſtice, and Sobriety, they have ſome help from the principles in Reaſon and Nature; but Faith hath no help from any principles in Reaſon or Nature; and therefore ſurely it is difficult, and if it be the moſt glorious, and difficult thing, ſurely it wil enable the ſoul to do moſt glorious and difficult works.
Fifthly, Faith appears to be a moſt ſtrong thing to carry the Soul through any ſervice, becauſe it enables a ſoul to go on in any way of ſervice that God calls to in a gracious manner, and this doth facillitate a work, a main thing that makes our ſervices difficult is our blundering about them, and going about them in a confuſed untoward manner, we do not carry things graciouſly, and ſweetly, In an outward work, to carry it on in a right manner doth mightily further the work; ſo in any work that Godſets us about if we went on in the right way that God ſet us about, it would help us againſt difficulty, we may thank our ſelves, becauſe we go about our work unto wardly: As an apprentice that handles his tool untowardly, he works with as much ſtrength as another, but not going in the right manner to work, he does but hack & ſpoil his work, wheras a Maſon, or Carpenter that workes, by rule and goes to it in the right manner he goes through his work with eaſe, and if there be a knotty peice in the timber he knows how to order it, becauſe he hath skil: when as others would throw away the work, and could not tell what to do. So many not having the grace of faith to guide them by the right rule, when they ſet upon any work in religion, they cry out of the difficultneſs, and how it tires them no marvel if you be tired when you do not know the right rule: but the principle of Faith being begotten by the word, and being fed and nouriſhed by the word, it will keep the heart cloſe to the word, and give skill to the ſoul to apply it ſelfe to the rule, and therefore though the work be hard, yet to ſuch a one in compariſon it is Eaſy, and ſo carries through abundance of difficulties which otherwiſe would hinder him.
Sixthly, Faith carries through difficult works, things that are hard to be done, becauſe by faith it is that the ſoul of a beleever hath much to do with God, with the ſupream Cauſe, with the higheſt cauſe of all, and by reaſon of Faith the great things that he undertakes are tranſacted between God and him; the cheif difficulty of buſineſs lies moſt in ſecond cauſes, in under cauſes, now if ſo be the thing be cleare between the ſupreame cauſe, and the agent that undertakes the work, it may go on and that with eaſe. As many times in the buſineſs and affaires of a country, if a man have to do with many under Officers he may have a great deal of difficulty in his work, in paſſing through them, but if the buſineſs be tranſacted between him and the King and all be cleare there, he may carry his buſineſs with eaſe; ſo all the buſineſs of a beleever is tranſacted between God and him, and faith keeps the ſoul to the ſupreame cauſe and works it that way, and this muſt needs procure much eaſe to a ſervice, becauſe the ſupream cauſe depends on no inferior, but all inferior depends upon it and the ſupream cauſe is enough to work without any inferior cauſes, and no inferior can any way reſiſt the working of the ſupream; yea it is a great particular of the glory of the ſupream cauſe, to work above and beyond all inferior cauſes, and faith having to deal with that, it is not ſo much ſcared with difficulties as others are
Seventhly, Yet further Faith helps through great difficulties, becauſe it doth remove and cure the difficulties that are within the ſpirits of men and women, and if theſe be taken away, external difficulties have little in them, we complain of many difficulties in a work without, whenas indeed the greateſt difficulties are within in our hearts, and faith hath a ſpeciall efficacy for removing and curing of them; As now unruly paſſions are great hinderances to any worke that we undertake, faith hath a mighty power in curing of them. And likewiſe diſtracting fears, (but of that before) And the reaſoning of fleſh and blood have a mighty deal of power to make a work difficult, and great care is to be had in curing of them: And the lumpiſh deadneſs of our ſpirits, And the baſe ſluggiſhneſs of our hearts, And the baſe ends that a man hath: faith cures them, and cleanſes the heart of them, And ſo fooliſh preſumptions that people have and their falſe confidences, and reſting upon rotten props, theſe and divers others may be named which are inward difficulties that faith helps againſt, and by removing of them doth eaſily overcome any difficulty that is without, therefore when you have any work which is hard, look not ſo much for the removing the difficulties that are without as the difficulties that are within.
Eighthly, The Eighth particular wherein the power of Faith is, That Faith makes the work that God ſets a Chriſtian about, to be ſuitable to his ſpirit; let the work be what it wil be, if it be a work of God, any way of Godlineſs, Faith hath a power to work the heart to be ſuitable to that work, that there ſhal be an agreement between the frame and temper of heart, and the work that God ſets it to, and then a work wil go on. If you ſet one to a work that does but bungle, the work does not go off hand, becauſe it is a work that is not ſuitable to his principles: but if a man hath a work that is ſuitable to him, he can go to it with ſinging, and it goes off readily: as in Nehem. 4.6. The work went on, becauſe the people had a mind to work; though indeed it was a hard work.
Ninthly, Again, Another power of Faith is this: Faith hath power to make uſe of difficulties for the furtherance of the work, and therefore much more power for to carry through difficulties: Faith can bring water out of the Rock, it can make the mountains that lie in the way to be advantages to raiſe the heart upon: We have a notable place for this in Hebr. 11.3, 4. where it is ſaid, Out of weakneſs they were made ſtrong: not that they were made ſtrong being weak, that they were brought out of their weakneſs, and had ſtrength conveyed to them (that is not al) but it is made a fruit of their Faith, that they were made ſtrong out of weakneſs: Faith did make uſe of their very weakneſs to ſtrengthen them by; ſo that Faith is not only able to ſtrengthen thoſe that are weak, but to take advantage by weakneſs for to ſtrengthen, to turn al hindrances into furtherances: for ſo God having promiſed all ſhal turn to good, Faith can take hold of that Promiſe, and ſo turn all hindrances that can be into furtherances: Faith hath a Chymical Art; thoſe that have that Art wil get Gold cut of Stones or Iron: So Faith wil draw Gold out of Iron and ſtones, out of things that ſeem to be never ſo croſs and contrary, it wil draw help.
Tenthly, Faith helps againſt difficulty, becauſe it works by love, and that hath a great deal of power to carry through difficulties; Much water cannot quench Love: it is a ſpeech of Bernard. Cant. 8.7. The force of Love is violent. Saies the Apoſtle in 1 Theſſ. 1.3. Remembring without ceaſing your work of Faith, and labor of Love: Love is very laborious, it will force through difficulty; therefore that which makes ſo much uſe of Love, and inflames that, that hath much power againſt difficulty.
11ly, Another thing wherein the power of Faith conſiſts, is, Before we enter on the work it aſſures of a certain good ſucceſs: Now when we know the ſucceſs ſhal be good and certain before we begin, this wil help againſt any difficulty though the work be never ſo hard; it is want of the hope of the ſucceſs that deadens the heart: But this muſt not be miſtaken; Faith doth not alwaies aſſure of a particular ſucceſs, if we wil aſſure our ſelves of a particular ſucceſs, which is more than the Promiſe wil bear, this wil hinder Faith: but faith wil aſſure of ſucceſs in the general.
12ly, Again, Faith aſſures of the reward, 2 Chron. 75.7. Be ye ſtrong therefore, and let not your hands be weak, for your work ſhall be rewarded: Faith aſſuring of this wil make one ſtrong, though God cal to never ſuch hard things. Marriners in hope of a good reward they wil venture themſelves in ſtorms & tempeſts, and in dangers on the Sea. And ſo a Soldier, if his Captain wil give him a months, or two months pay, over and above, he wil venture his life.
13ly, Laſtly, Faith quickens and ſtirs up al Graces, cals in the help of every Grace. Now many hands will do great works: and ſo, where al Graces do work together, much wil be done. And thus much for the explication of the work of faith in carrying through ſervices that have ſo much difficulty: For Uſe,