Advice to an Only Child, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Of Living the Life of Faith.
1. LIve the Life of Faith in a continual dependence upon God in Chriſt, for all things neceſſary, eſpecially for the Soul. Six hundred and Thirteen precepts have been obſerved to be in the Law of Moſes, by ſome of the Hebrew Doctors, who had the leiſure to number them, and they tell us that they are all wrapt up by the Prophet Habakkuk in that one ſhort ſentence; The juſt ſhall live by Faith. Sure it is a very pregnant and comprehenſive duty, for Faith is an Obediential Affiance, and ſo is a pair of Compaſſes, one foot whereof, viz. Affiance, being pitch'd upon the Center, which is God, the other goes round in a perfect Circle of all holy Duties. Faith ſurveys the whole Land of promiſe, ſearches it out throughly, ſpies out all the rich Treaſures that lye in the golden mines of the promiſes, and finds ſuitable proviſion in every caſe, both for Soul and for Body, which in it can fetch in time of need: and ſo it hath work enough daily for a conſtant and continued employment, becauſe every moment we are under ſome ſpiritual want.
2. As for temporal good things, live by Faith in a holy dependency and indifferency, reſting contented with the will of God, whatſoever it be. A believer though the Bill of fare be ſhort, lives on the wiſe powerful and gracious providence of God, not doubting but he ſhall have enough to pay for his paſſage, thorugh the Sea of this World to Heaven. How many live on the Trencher of Gods Providence in their maintenance, who never live on that providence in a gracious dependance, or by actings of Faith in a promiſe? Do not moſt Perſons live wholly by their Friends, by their Credit and Intereſt in the World? but where is the Man or Woman that Lives by Faith?
3 Fetch in proviſion for your Soul daily by actings of Faith. Let Faith make out to Chriſt for new ſupplies of ſpiritual ſtrength, grace and comfort in all your need: Faith is our Purveyor, till we come to the Mount of God, and goes a Catering for us, till we come to that Land, that flows with Milk and Hony. God is a rich Mine of Wiſdom and Grace, which can never be digged to the bottom, and hath inexhauſtible Treaſures lock'd up in Chriſt, continually lying ready by him, only ſtays for Faith to come and fetch them. He is not pleaſed to give us in a full ſupply of all at once, but crumbles out his mercies, and gives his bleſſings by retail, to teach us by Faith to live upon him daily. Manna fell every morning. God could if he had pleaſed, have given them as much at once, as ſhould have ſerved them all the time, that they were to be in the Wilderneſs, but he would teach them by his daily gift, to depend upon his Providence for it daily. Thus God is pleaſed to deliver out to his dear Children every day, a ſet allowance, it may be but a Crum of hidden Manna, a taſt of his ſpecial Love, when he could fill an Omer of it if he pleaſed, it may be he reaches forth to a believer, only ſome Grapes of the Heavenly Canaan, when he could throw cluſters thereof into his Lap. He could have ſo form'd the new-born Babe in Chriſt, and have caſt it into ſuch a Mould in the New-birth, as that it ſhould have been perfect in that inſtant, as Adam was in the moment of Creation; but he will have this Babe of grace to go by degrees, from Faith to Faith, from Strength to Strength, till it come to full perfection. The king appointed a daily Proviſion of his meat, and of the Wine which he drank to certain of the Children of Iſrael Dan. 1.5. Thus doth the King of Heaven, he will not give all grace at once out of his Store-houſe, nor let the Pot of hidden Manna be in our keeping; he doth not think fit we ſhould have his Royal Wine of ſpiritual Joy and Comfort in our own Cellars, to go to when we pleaſe, leſt we ſhould drink and forget our ſelves, yea and him too, leſt it ſhould fume up and make our Heads giddy, or our Blood too rank our Spirits too high & proud: for it is no eaſie matter to carry the brim-full Cup of Conſolation ſteddily and equally; though the Soul have rich joy to day, yet it may have none to morrow, unleſs he pleaſe to ſend a draught of this Cordial Wine from his own Table. And why is all this, but to teach us to live by Faith and wait continually upon him for new Influences? The wiſe Father keeps the ſtock in his own hands, and gives not all at once, to keep his Son in a dependence.