The Excellency of Holy Courage in Evil Times, Chapter 22
CHAP. 22.
Queſt, How to know whether Faith wil carry us through difficult works, Anſwered in ſeveral particulars, 1. Faith Goes upon ſpiritual grounds, motives, and ends. 2. Makes men ſollicitous and careful for the enjoyment of Gods preſence with them. 3. Cauſes men to carry themſelves in a Gracious manner. 4. To have an high eſteem of the name of God. 5. Makes them careful, that they may not be fruſtrated of their end. 6. It makes men ſatisfied with God Alone. 7. Faith is a continued work. That Faith, Which brought you out, will carry you through.
QƲEST. It is true faith doth carry through difficult works, and amongſt other difficult works the forſaking of ones own country: it is much that we forſake in forſaking our country, and we had need of Faith to carry one through this, indeed a Chriſtian ſhould look upon all the world as his country, he treads upon no ground but that which is his Fathers ground. Socrates uſed to call himſelf a Citizen of the world when he was baniſhed he counted it no baniſhment for the world was his country, and he being a man was a Citizen of it, certainly God hath given the Saints the World: The promiſe was to Abraham and to his ſeed that he ſhould be heire of the World, Rom. 4.13. And as it was ſaid of the children of Iſrael, Deut. 11.24. So it may be ſaid of the Saints, Whatever ground you tread upon, it is your own for uſe: And further though the world be theirs yet they live above the world and therefore they care not in what part of the world they are: Thus Tertullian writing to Martyrs to encourage them being driven from their own country it is no matter ſaies he in what part of the world you are who are ſeparated from the world: Yet there is much difficulty in le…ing of a mans country, and he had need of faith to carry him through who doth leave it, But how ſhall we know that faith carries us through, there may be many other principles.
Anſw. Firſt, Faith goes upon ſpiritual grounds, motives and ends, Faith is a ſpiritual grace and it works exceeding ſpiritually, and the reaſonings of Faith are above the reaſonings of Fleſh and Blood, what were your motives and grounds and ends by that you might know whether out of faith you forſook your country, it may be it was from vexation or diſcontent that you left your country; or from the example of others, or from engagement unto others, or out of novelty or out of carnal fears or out of vaine hopes, or for further providing for your ſelves, a great many things there may be that may put people on ſuch a way, eſpecially thoſe three, novelty, example, and diſcontent: but if it be by faith the ground and the end wil be ſpiritual, for God and out of obedience unto God. It is obſervable of Moſes (for I will go no further for notes of tryal then from the worke of Moſes) Moſes when he pleads with Pharoah to go out of his country, he did not plead the peoples bondage, you do ſo abuſe the people here, and we are in ſuch grievous bondage, that we cannot bear it, but ſaies he In Exod. 4.23. The Lord hath commanded, we muſt go into the wilderneſs to worſhip him, that was his plea and ground and end rather then the bondage that the people did ſuffer: ſo when men forſake their country, outward things may come in, in ſubordination to higher things: and there may be faith in ordering the heart about them, but faith muſt go above them: now can your conſciences witneſs, as in the preſence of God, it was your longing deſire, for to enjoy God in his ordinances and to keep your ſouls from defilement, this was the argument of Moſes, they could not ſet up the worſhip of God there, but they muſt go where God called them.
2. If Faith be the thing that brings any from their country, above all things they will be very ſollicitous, and careful, for the enjoyment of Gods preſence with them; though they are in a ſubordinate way to provide for their families and to look how to live yet the great care of their ſouls is that they may enjoy the preſence of God: this was Moſes argument: Exod. 33.15. Except thy preſence go with us Lord carrie us not hence: now if ſo be it was thy care in departing to carry God, and his gracious preſence with thee, let me ſtay here and ſuffer any thing, lie in priſon and rot, rather then go without the preſence of God, this is an argument it was of Faith.
3. Moſes in forſaking his own country and going from Egypt he carries it in a very gratious manner, when he came to Pharoah though the people were vext and troubled, becauſe their bondage did increaſe, he did not fall exclaiming againſt him, but rather yeilding to him in a way of ſubmiſſion as far as he could: he did not go on raſhly, headily, fooliſhly, and ſelf-confidently, as many do, which manifeſt a great deal of pride, and ſtoutneſs of ſpirit rather then any thing elſe, but he carries on the buſineſs with a great deal of ſobriety and gravity, with much humility, and meekneſs of ſpirit, in a way of wiſdom; and ſo it is in every action of faith ſo far as faith is in it, now what was the maner of your forſaking your country, was it in a way of ſeeking of God, knowing the mind of God, with quietneſs of ſpirit, and humility, and wiſdom that you were brought away, that is another note that it is of faith.
4. Moſes when he came from his country, above al things the name of God was dear to him after he was come away and eſpecially upon this becauſe their very departing from Egypt held out the name of God much, and therefore he was very careful that that name of God, that was held out in their departing from Egypt might not be polluted, when he was in any danger, preſently he flees to this, Lord what will become of thy great name: he does not ſo much plead in the behalf of the people, as in the name of God, ſo if faith hath brought you from your country, the name of God is much in it: you take a profeſſion that you come from your country for the ordinances of God, and the further purity of his worſhip, now for one to leave friends, and eſtate, and country, and all upon this ground, if it were out of faith, how dear would the name of God be to ſuch a one, leaſt the name of God that is held out in his profeſſion ſhould be polluted; when you come here and there ſhould be diviſions, and nothing but tearing, and rending of one another; conſider what ſhall become of the great name of God, thus Moſes reaſoned what will the heathen ſay, that thou haſt brought the people hither to deſtroy them? ſo will others ſay, they are come out of their own country to tear and rend, and fight with one another. Let that name that is held out …n your profeſſion be dear to you, and make that an argument to curb paſſion, and to order you in your dealings one with another.
5. Moſes was mightily careful that he might not be fruſtrat of his end: he went out of Egypt that he might come to Canaan: and when there was any danger that he was like to be fruſtrated in this, how it troubled him it went to his heart; and he cried to God that God would let him ſee that good land: ſo if it be out of faith that you come from your country, great care will be had that you be not fruſtrate of your end, wherefore came you? came you not to enjoy God? to have further communion with God? to walk with God in a more cloſe way then you could do before? are you careful to attaine your end? doth it trouble your ſouls when at any time you ſee any danger to be fruſtrate of your end? doth it come near to you that you find for the preſent you have attained ſo little of your end? thoſe that come out of other ends, let this go: but if you come out of Faith, you will be mightily careful to attaine the end for which you came, that work that is done out of faith will work mightily to the end, and never leave working till it come at its end.
6. If ſo be you came out of your country by Faith your ſouls will be ſatisfied with God alone and the cal and promiſe of God is that which your ſouls will have recourſe unto continually for the ſatisfaction of your ſouls, ſo Moſes when he was in ſtraight he preſently had recourſe to the call and promiſe of God, to bring his people out of Egypt, and that ſatisfied him.
7. As it will quiet, and ſatisfie the ſoul, ſo that Faith that brought you out will carry you through all difficulties, now you meet with many difficulties, and ſome you thought not of, if it were out of faith that you came, and that faith were a continued work it will carry you through the difficulties you meet withall, do you find that upon the difficulties you meet withall your hearts ſink? you may fear it was not Faith that firſt brought you out. I would not have any gather any ſiniſter concluſion from this which hath been ſaid, to think that we make compariſons between our country and Egypt: no but we bleſs God for the good we received in our own country, and do deſire the good of it as far as we can, but only to ſhew the work of Moſes in forſaking Egypt. But in thoſe that came from Egypt there was a mixt company; and thoſe mixt company were a continual trouble and diſturbance to thoſe that were the Iſrael of God. Numb. 11.4. And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a luſting, and the children of Iſrael alſo wept again and ſayd who ſhal give us fleſh to eate? the mixt multitude they began the ſin, and the children of Iſrael fell with them: And ſo into theſe countries there are come many of the people of God that were gracious out of faith; but there are a great many that are the mixt multitude, that were of broken eſtates, they knew not how to live, and coming upon thoſe ends, the people of God are troubled with ſuch, and they are the grateſt contemners of the waies of Godlineſs, they have kindneſs from the people of the country, but they meet with trouble from this mixt company, eſpecially when any of thoſe do creep into the Church, and come to be members of it, but for thoſe that come from their country by faith, we hope we ſhal enjoy comfortable communion with all ſuch, and thus much for this fourth uſe.