Moses Self-Denial, Treatise · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
SECT. 3.
Faith is the principle that muſt carry through, and make honorable all a Chriſtins ſufferings.
NOw followes the third thing, which is the principle by which Moſes did all this: he is willing to part with all the glory of the world, and rather to bee in an afflicted eſtate: and this he is enabled to doe by faith; for ſo ſaies the text, by faith Moſes refuſed, &c. It was not out of any ſullen vexing humour, as it is reported of Diocleſian and Maximian Herculius, they ſuddenly gave over their Empires, and caſt off their honours, and betooke themſelves to a private life.Euſeb. lib. 8. cap. 13. Euſebius makes the cauſe thereof to be a phrenzie: And Nicephorus ſaies it was rage and madneſſe, ariſing from hence, becauſe they ſaw themſelves labour ſo much in vaine, for the rooting out of the Chriſtians. Maſter Brightman in his commentary upon the Revelation, the ſixt chapter and the fifteenth verſe, ſayes it was the feare and the horrour of the Lambe that was ſtruck into their hearts, by the power of Ieſus Chriſt; as the fulfilling of that place, where it is ſaid, the Kings of the earth, and the great men, and the mighty men hid themſelves, for the feare of the Lambe. Whatſoever their principle was, Moſes his principle here was of another nature, a divine principle of faith, from whence the point is, Faith is the grace that enables to deny the glory and delights of the world, and to endure afflictions in the cauſe of God. Every grace workes to take off the heart from the things of the world, and gives ſtrength to beare afflictions; but faith hath the principall worke in this, and in this faith manifeſts much of her glory and excellency.
In this chapter we have many excellent fruits of faith, enabling the worthies of the Lord to doe great things; but ſcarce any ſo great as this, to enable to that ſelfe-denyall that here is recorded of Moſes. It was faith that carried Abraham and all the Patriarkes through their troubles. David in all his troubles exerciſes his faith, and findes helpe by it; hence wee have a moſt remarkable place in the 18. Pſal. v. 2. where he bleſſeth God for deliverance from all his enemies: hee ſhewes what it was carried him through all the troubles hee had by them, namely his faith pitched upon God: for in that one verſe hee hath nine ſeverall expreſſions, to ſhew God to be the full object of his faith, in the times of all his diſtreſſes; as, Firſt he is Jehovah. Secondly, he is my rocke. Thirdly, he is my fortreſſe. Fourthly, he is my deliverer. Fifthly, hee is my God. Sixthly, hee is my ſtrength. Seventhly, he is my buckler. Eighthly, hee is the horne of my ſalvation. Laſtly, he is my high tower. And as hee hath truſted in him, ſo in the ſame verſe, he reſolves to truſt in him ſtill: for ſo he ſaith, my God, my ſtrength, in whom I will truſt.
The time of Habakuk his prophecy, was a time of much trouble to the Church of God, and then that which upheld the ſpirits of godly men, and enabled them to ſuffer hard things, it was their faith, chap. 2. 4. The juſt by faith ſhall live, when other mens ſpirits ſhall faile, and ſinke, and dye in them, then they ſhall live, faith making juſt, ſhall uphold them. Faith in this caſe is like corke, that is upon the nett, though the leade on the one ſide ſinkes it downe, yet the corke on the other keepes it up in the water. David profeſſeth in the 27 Pſalme v. 13. that hee had fainted unleſse he had beleeved. Beleeving keepes from fainting in the times of trouble. Saint Paul tells the Corinthians in the ſecond Epiſtle and the firſt chapter, verſe. 24. that by faith they ſtood: it is faith that makes a man ſtand in the greateſt trialls. And therefore when Chriſt ſaw how Peter ſhould bee tempted, hee tells him that he had prayed, that his faith ſhould not faile: noting that while his faith held, all would bee ſure; when hee began to ſinck in the waters, as he was comming to Chriſt, it was becauſe his faith began to faile him: So when our hearts beginne to ſinke in afflictions, it is becauſe our faith begins to faile us. We reade, Acts 14. 22. that Saint Paul and Barnabas exhorted the diſciples at Iconium and Antioch, to continue in the faith; and preſently they adde, that wee muſt through much tribulation enter into the kingdome of God: noting what uſe they ſhould have of their faith, to carry them through all. Saint Paul ſaies of himſelfe, together with the reſt of beleevers, in the firſt epiſtle of Tim. 4. 10. Therefore wee labour and ſuffer reproach, becauſe wee truſt in the living God. Truſting in the living God, is that which will carry a man through ſervice, and ſuffering, whatſoever it bee.
But wherein lies the power of faith to take off the heart from the world,Queſt. and carry it through ſufferings?
Firſt,Anſw. It is the primary worke of this grace, wherein the very beeing of it conſiſts: for the ſoule to caſt it ſelfe upon God in Chriſt, for all the good and happineſſe it ever expects; to relye here for all, to roule it ſelfe upon God, as an al-ſufficient good, to make an abſolute reſignation of all unto him, ſo as to betruſt him with all, and to commit all unto him for ever. Now this implies the taking off the heart from the things of the world, for faith takes off the heart from its ſelfe, therefore much more from any thing in the world; and where this is, ſufferings cannot be very grievous, becauſe the whole good of the ſoule is now in God, Pſal. 37. 7. Reſt in the Lord, and waite patiently; where the ſoule pitches upon God, as the reſt, and the al-ſufficient good of it, it will waite patiently, whatſoever hard thing befalles it.
Secondly,2. by faith the ſoule comes to have a higher principle to enable it to ſee God in his glory and majeſty, his greatneſſe, and infiniteneſſe, his holineſſe, his juſtice, and goodneſſe, then ever it had before. It is true that by the uſe of reaſon we may come to underſtand much of God, but certainely faith preſents God to the ſoule after another manner then ever it formerly ſaw him, or then any other man can ſee him; untill faith comes into the ſoule, it may well ſay it never knew God, but now it ſees him infinitely glorious and high above all; It ſees the infinite fountaine of all good, and what an infinite dreadfull thing it were to be ſeparated from this God, or to have the wrath of ſuch an infinite Diety to bee provoked againſt his creature. We know by reaſon, that the world was made by God: but Saint Paul ſaith in the third verſe of this chapter, that by faith wee underſtand, that the world was made: ſo that the ſame thing may be knowne by reaſon, and by faith too, but faith being a higher principle, diſcovers it to the ſoule in a higher way then reaſon can.
It is made one of the ſpeciall fruits of Moſes faith, that enabled him to endure in all his ſufferings, in the 27. v. of this chapter, that he ſaw him who was viſible (of which hereafter) onelyonly obſerve for the preſent, that God is inviſible to any eye, but to the eye of Faith; now where God is ſeene ſo, as Faith preſents him to the ſoule, t is impoſſible but the feare of ſuch a Deity muſt needes take mighty impreſſion in that ſoule; and all the glory of the world muſt needes be darkned to it; and the leaſt diſpleaſure of the great God more troubled at, then all the miſeries that all creatures under Heaven are able to bring upon it. How eaſie is it for a man to deſpiſe the World, when faith gives him a cleare ſight of God? Iſai. 40. 5, 6. The Text ſaith, The glory of the Lord ſhall be revealed; and then the voyce ſaid, Cry, all fleſh is graſſe, and all the goodlineſſe thereof is as the flower of the field; and verſ. 7. the latter end, Surely the people is graſſe. When the glory of God appeares, then all fleſh, and all worldly glory, is but as graſſe, as the flower of the field, as a contemptible thing.
Thirdly,3. faith diſcovers the reality of the beauty and excellencie of ſpirituall, ſupernaturall, and eternall things revealed in the Word, which before were looked upon as notions, conceits, and imaginary things. In the firſt verſe of this chapter, faith is ſaid to be the evidence of things not ſeene: the word there tranſlated evidence, foreign.ſignifies the demonſtration that convinces the ſoule throughly of the certainty and truth of ſuch things, as by reaſon and naturall parts are not ſeene.foreign. And againe, it is the ſubſtance of things hoped for: Tantam in nobis fidei ſtabilitatem dominus eſſe deſiderat, ut certius eſſe quod credimus quam quod patimur judicemus, & verius habeamus ſperanda quam ſenſibilia.the word is very ſignificant in the Originall; it is that which gives a ſubſtantiall being to the things of eternall life: now when faith comes in, the glorious myſteries of the Goſpel, the high priviledges of the godly, the excellencie and beauty of grace, the great things that God hath prepared for his ſervants are manifeſtly diſcerned.
It is a notable expreſſion of Jerome, God would have ſuch ſtability of faith in us,Hieronym. ep. ad virginem in exilium miſſam. Tom. 9. that the things which we beleeve ſhould be more certaine to us, then the things wee ſuffer; and the things hoped for, ſhould be in more reality with us then things ſenſible to us: theſe things are now apprehended as reall and certaine things, although they bee ſuch things,1 Cor. 2. 9, 10. as the Apoſtle ſaith, Eye hath not ſeene, nor eare heard, neither have they entered into the heart of man to conceive, yet God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit, even that Spirit that ſearcheth the deepe things of God: Spiritus ſanctus non eſt ſcepticus nec dubia, aut opiniones in cordibus noſtris ſcripſit, ſed aſſertiones ipſa vita, & omni experientia certiores & firmiores. Luth. T. 3.now there muſt be ſomething in us to take this revelation of the ſpirit, and that is faith. The Spirit reveales them not as notions, not as uncertain things, and ſo faith takes them. The Spirit of God, ſayes Luther, does not write opinions, but aſſertions in our hearts, more certaine then life it ſelfe, and all experiences whatſoever. Faith can ſee into thoſe things, that no naturall eye ever ſaw, it can apprehend that which never entred into the heart of man to conceive.
Saint Paul in the 2 Cor. 4. 18. ſayes, that the things that are eternall, are things not ſeene; and yet ſayes, that wee looke at things that are not ſeene; though they be things that are not ſeene, yet Saint Paul, and other beleevers, by the eye of faith could ſee them, as certaine and reall things. The things of Chriſt, of grace, of Heaven, what poore empty notions were they to the ſoule? what uncertaine things before faith came in? but faith makes them to bee glorious things; faith diſcovers ſuch reall certaine excellencie in them, and is ſo ſure, that it is not deceived, that it will venture ſoule and body, the loſſe of all, that it will beare any hardſhip, yea it will venture the infinite loſſe of eternity upon them; faith diſcovers ſuch reality and certainty in theſe things, that now the things of the World, that were before onelyonly reall, ſure excellencies in the eyes of a man, now are as fancies, and ſhadowes, empty imaginary contentments, that have no being, no foundation, no certainty in them (as formerly hath beene ſhewed.)
Fourthly,4. faith gives the ſoule an intereſt in God, in Chriſt, in all thoſe glorious things in the Goſpel, and in the things of eternall life. Faith is an appropriating, an applying, and uniting grace. It is a bleſſed thing to have the ſight of God, there is much power in it, but to ſee God in his glory, as my God, to ſee all the Majeſty, greatneſſe, and goodneſſe of God, as thoſe things that my ſoule hath an intereſt in, to ſee how the eternall Counſels of God wrought for mee to make mee happy, to ſee Chriſt in whom all fulneſſe dwels, in whom the treaſures of all Gods riches are, and all thoſe are mine; to ſee Chriſt comming from the Father for mee, to be my Redeemer, all this is the worke of faith by the union of it with God in Jeſus Chriſt. Faith unites the ſoule to Chriſt, after another manner then any other grace.
Love cauſeth a morall and ſpirituall union, but this cauſeth a myſticall union; other graces cauſe us to be like to Chriſt, but this makes us be one with Chriſt, and ſo have intereſt in what Chriſt hath intereſt in. What is all the world now to ſuch a ſoule? where is all the bravery of it, or the malice and oppoſition of it? The loſſe of outward things, or the enduring of afflictions, are great evills to thoſe who have not intereſt in better; but to ſuch as have intereſt in higher things, there is no great matter, though they loſe lower.
Fifthly, faith diſcharges the ſoule of the guilt of ſinne,5. and that dreadfull evill that followes upon it; It gets a generall acquittance from God, a pardon of all ſinne, and remiſſion of all puniſhment thereof, ſealed in the blood of his Sonne: The ſoule being made juſt by faith, is able to live in the middeſt of many troubles. The juſt by faith ſhall live, ſo it is to be read, not the juſt ſhall live by faith, but being made juſt by faith, ſo as to ſtand juſt and righteous in the Court of Heaven, it now is able to live: Faith cleares all betweene God and the ſoule; it may bee there was long humiliation before, many prayers made in ſeeking of this, many teares ſhed, many duties performed; yet all this could not doe, but the guilt lay on ſtill; but as ſoon as faith comes, then all is gone, and the ſoule ſtands righteous in the preſence of God, and all the breach betweene God and it is made up.
Being juſtified by faith, wee have peace with God (ſayes Saint Paul) Rom. 5. 1. Now the breach being made up, and peace made, marke what followes a little after in that Scripture; there is not onelyonly ability to beare trouble, but to rejoyce in tribulations, yea not onelyonly to rejoyce, but to glory in tribulations. Strike Lord, Feri Domine, feri, nam à peccatis abſolutus ſum.ſtrike (ſayes Luther) for I am abſolved from my ſinnes. Now the ſoule hath got a greater good then the world can afford, and is freed from greater evils then the world can inflict. A man that hath beene with the King, and gotten his pardon for his life, is not troubled though hee loſe his glove or handkerchiefe as hee comes out, nor though it ſhould prove a rainy day as he returnes home: truely the loſſe of all things in the world to ſuch a ſoule, if it hath faith acting, is but as the one, and the enduring of all evils is but as the other.
And beſides, by this the ſoule ſees it ſelfe ſo infinitely engaged to God, as it is willing to doe or ſuffer whatſoever God will have it: How readily doth Iſaiah offer himſelfe to God in ſervice to which much ſuffering was annexed, after God had taken away his ſinne? When God asked whom hee ſhall ſend, Iſai. 6. 8.hee preſently anſwers, Here am I Lord, ſend mee: It is enough that my ſinne is pardoned, my ſoule is ſaved, let mee bee caſt into any condition in the World, let mee bee imployed in any ſervice, I have merciemercy and happineſſe enough.