An Offer of Farther Help to Suffering Saints, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Diſcovering the neceſſity of an improved faith for the right management of ſufferings, and directing to ſome ſpecial means for the improvement thereof.
THe next thing conducing to our actual readineſs for ſufferings, is the improvement of Faith to ſome conſiderable degree of ſtrength. This is the Grace that muſt do the main ſervice in ſuch an hour, and hath the principal hand in ſupporting the Chriſtian under every burden. This is the Grace that crowns our heads with victory in the day of battel, Epheſ. 6.16. Above all taking the ſhield of Faith. It's true every Grace is of uſe, and contributes aſſiſtance: ſuffering Saints have been beholding to them all. But of this we may ſay, as Solomon of the vertuous woman. Though many Graces have done excellently, yet this excels them all. In this Grace ready Paul was eminent. It was the life he daily lived, Gal. 2.20. Oh it is a precious grace, 2 Pet. 1.1. ſo precious that Chriſt, who ſeldome admired at any thing, yet wondred at this, Mat. 8.10. A victorious Grace it is that overcomes all difficulties, Mark 9.23. By this Sword it was that all thoſe famous Heroes, Heb. 11. atchieved all thoſe glorious conqueſts: and in every diſtreſs it may ſay to the Soul, as Chriſt to the Diſciples, John 15.5. Without me ye can do nothing. This is that Sword that hath obtained ſo many Victories over the world, 1 John 5.4. and that truſty Shield that hath quenched ſo many deadly Darts of temptation, as have been levell'd at the very heart of the Chriſtian in the day of battel. By it a Chriſtian lives, when all outward ſenſible comforts die, Hab. 2.4. It's the ground upon which the Chriſtian fixes his foot, and never fails under him, 2 Con. 1.24. The neceſſity of it will more clearly appear, by conſidering how many wayes it relieves the ſoul in trouble, and diſburthens the heart of all its ſinking loads and preſſures, there are two things that ſink a mans Spirit when under ſufferings; viz. The greatneſs of the troubles, and the weakneſs of the ſoul to bear them; againſt both which Faith relieves the ſoul; viz. by making a weak ſoul ſtrong, and heavy troubles light.
Firſt, It makes a weak Soul ſtrong and able to bear; and this it doth divers ways.
1. By purging out of the Soul thoſe enfeebling and weakning Diſtempers; not onelyonly guilt in general, which is to the Soul, as a Wound upon the bearing ſhoulder, Rom. 5.1. The removal, when it enables the Soul to bear any other Burden, Iſa. 33.24. But it alſo removes Fear, the Tyrant Paſſion that cuts the Nerves of the Soul. For, as Faith comes in, ſo Fear goes out: Look in what degree the Fear of God is aſcendant in the Soul, proportionably the ſinful fear of the Creature declines and vaniſheth, Eſa. 8.12, 13. This fear extinguiſhes that, as the Sun-ſhine puts out fire: The Righteous i… bold as a Lion, Prov. 28.1. The word foreign ſignifies a young Lion in his hot bloud, that knows no ſuch thing as fear: And look how much of the Soul is empty of Faith, ſo much its filled with fear: Why are ye fearful, O ye of little Faith? Mat. 8.26. Certainly, it's a rare advantage, to be freed from the common diſtraction, in times of common deſtruction: and this advantage the Soul hath by Faith.
2. It ſtrengthens the Soul to bear afflictions and hardſhips, not onelyonly by purging out its weakning Diſtempers, but by turning it ſelf to Chriſt, in whom all its ſtrength lyes; and that ſuitably to the ſeveral Exigencies of the Soul, in all its Diſtreſſes. Doth Darkneſs, like the ſhadow of Death, overſpread the Earth, and all the Lights of Earthly Comforts diſappear, then Faith ſupports the Heart, by looking to the Lord, Mic. 7.7. and this look of Faith exceedingly revives the Heart, Pſal. 34.5. and enlightens the Soul. Doth God pluck away all Earthly Props from under your Feet, and leave you nothing viſible to reſt upon, in that Exigence Faith puts forth a ſuitable act, viz. Reſting or ſtaying upon God, Eſa. 26.3. and by this the Soul comes to be quieted and eſtabliſhed, Pſal. 125.1, Do Temptations ſtrive to put off the Soul from Chriſt, and difcourage it from leaning upon the Promiſe? Then it puts forth an act of Reſolution, Job 13.15. and ſo breaks its way through that diſcouragement. Or hath the Soul been long ſeeking God for deliverance out of trouble, and ſtill there is ſilence in Heaven, no anſwer comes; but inſtead of an Anſwer, comes a Temptation, to throw up the Duty, and ſeek to deliver it ſelf? Then Faith puts forth another act upon Chriſt, ſuitable to this diſtreſs, viz. An act of waiting, Iſa. 49.23. which waiting is oppoſed to that ſinful haſte which the Soul is tempted to, Iſa. 28.16. Or doth God at any time call the Soul forth to ſome difficult ſervice, againſt which the Fleſh and Carnal Reaſon diſpute and plead? now Faith helps the Soul, by putting forth an act of obedience, and that whilſt Carnal Reaſon ſtands by diſ-ſatisfied, Gal. 1.16. And hence it is, that Obedience carryes the name of Faith upon it, to ſhew its deſcent, Rom. 16.26. Faith encourages the Soul to obey, not onelyonly by urging Gods Command, but by giving it Gods Warrant for its Indempnity, Heb. 11.24, 25, 26. Or doth a poor Believer find himſelf over-match'd by Troubles and Temptations, and his own inherent ſtrength begin to fail under the burden? then Faith leads him to an Omnipotent God, and ſo ſecures him from fainting under his Trouble, Pſal. 61.2. in the Lord is everlaſting ſtrength. El Shaddai, is a name of encouragement to a feeble Soul, Iſa. 40.29, 30, 31. And thus you ſee the firſt particular made good, viz. What a ſtrengthning influence it hath into a weak Soul.
Secondly, In the next place, let us ſee how it lightens the Chriſtians Burden, as well as ſtrengthens his back to bear.
And certainly, this Grace of Faith doth ſtrangely alter the very Nature of Sufferings, taking away both the heavineſs and horrour of them; and this it doth divers ways:
1. By committing the buſineſs to Chriſt, and leaving the matter with him; and ſo quitting the Soul of all thoſe anxieties and perturbations, which are …e very burden and weight of Affliction, Pſal. 37.…5. For certainly, that which ſinks us in dayes of Trouble, is rather from within, from our unruly, ſeditious and clamorous Thoughts, then from the Troubles themſelves with which we conflict: But by committing the matter to God, the Soul is quickly brought to reſt.
2. By diſcovering much preſent good in our Troubles; the more good Faith diſcovers in a Trouble, the more ſupportable and eaſie it makes it to the Soul. Now Faith brings in a comfortable Report, that they are not onelyonly evils, as the Troubles of the wicked are, Ezek. 7.5. but have an allay and mixture of much good, Heb. 12.10. Iſa. 27.9.
3. By fore-ſeeing the end and final removal of them, and that near at hand, 2 Cor. 4.17. That which daunts and amazes men in times of trouble, is, that they can ſee no end of them. Hence the heart ſaints, and hands hang down through diſcouragement: But now Faith brings the joyful Tidings of the end of Troubles, and ſaith to the Soul, Why art thou caſt down O my Soul? and why ſo diſquieted and diſcouraged within me? as if thy Travails were like the Sufferings of the Damned, endleſs and everlaſting, whereas they are but for a moment. Yet a little, a very little while, and he that ſhall come will come, and will not tarry, Heb. 10.37. Yet a little while, and then the days of thy mourning ſhall be over.
4. By comparing our ſufferings with the ſufferings of others, which exceedingly diminiſheth and ſhrinks them up: Sometimes the Believer compares his ſufferings with Chriſts, and then he is aſhamed that ever he ſhould complain and droop under them. Oh! ſaith he, What is this to that which the Lord Jeſus ſuffered for me? he ſuffered in all his Members, Head, Hands, Side, Feet, from all hands, Friends and Enemies, in all his Offices: Yea, in his Soul as well as Body: And indeed the ſufferings of his Soul, were the very ſoul of his ſufferings: ſometimes he compares them with the ſufferings of others, of the Saints in former Ages: When he reads in Faith, the Hiſtory of their Perſecutions, he is ſhamed out of his Complaints, and Faith. Am I better then my Fathers? Sometimes he compares them with the ſufferings of the Damned: Oh what is this to the everlaſting Burnings! What is a Priſon to Hell? How light and eaſie is it to ſuffer for Chriſt, in compariſon of thoſe ſufferings which are from Chriſt? And thus the Soul is quieted, and the terrour of ſufferings abated.
5. Faith intitles Chriſt to the Believers ſufferings, and puts them upon his ſcore; and ſo it exceedingly transforms and alters them: Ah! it's no ſmall relief, when a man can hold up the Bible, as that Martyr did at the ſtake, and ſay, Here is that which hath brought me hither: Or, as the Pſalmiſt, For thy ſake we are killed all the day long: Or, as the Apoſtle, Col. 1.24. I fill up that which is behind of the ſufferings of Chriſt in my fleſh.
6. Laſtly, Faith engages the preſence of God, to be and abide with the Soul, in all its ſolitudes and ſufferings: It layes hold upon the Promiſes made to that purpoſe, Pſal. 23.2. Iſa. 43.2. Heb. 13.5. John 14.18. and whileſt a poor Soul enjoys this, the very ſenſe of Troubles is ſwallowed up.
And thus I have given ſome brief hints, how Faith relieves and ſtrengthens the Soul in a ſuffering hour: The next thing is to direct you, how to improve this excellent Grace, that it may do you ſuch ſervice as this in a time of need: And, in order thereunto, I ſhall give you theſe ſeven Directions.
1. Attend diligently upon the Miniſtration of the Goſpel, which is not onelyonly the procreant, but alſo the conſerving cauſe of Faith, 1 Pet. 2.2. the Doctrine of Faith, is the Food and Nutriment of the Grace of Faith: There are its Rules, its Encouragements, its Cordials: Thence Faith takes and treaſures up its Michtams, to which it hath recourſe in times of need: Every Attribute, Command, or Promiſe, that ſhines forth there, is a Diſh for Faith to feed on, all together are a Royal Feaſt, Pſal. 63.5.5. Some ſay the Land of Judea is called the Land of the Living, in Pſal. 27.13. in reſpect of the Ordinances of God which that people enjoyed: Certain it is, they are the great Inſtruments of quickning Souls at firſt, and preſerving that life it ſo begat in them: But then be ſure they have Chriſts ſtamp upon them, and that they be miniſtred by his own Officers, and in his own way: And ſo you may reaſonably expect more Fruits and Influences from them, than from all private gifts and helps in the World: For the Lord loveth the Gates of Zion, more then all the dwellings of Jacob, Pſal. 87.2. and all private helps may ſay, in compariſon of Chriſts publique Ordinances, as Gideon ſaid to the men of Ephraim, Judg. 8.2. What have we done in compariſon of you?
2. Improve well your Sacrament-ſeaſons, thoſe Harveſt-days of Faith: This Ordinance hath a direct and peculiar tendency to the improvement and ſtrengthning of Faith: It is a Pledge ſuperadded to the Promiſe for Faiths ſake: Heavenly and ſublime Myſteries do therein ſtoop down to your Senſes, that you may have the clearer apprehenſions of them; and the clearer the apprehenſions are, the ſtronger the aſſent of Faith muſt needs be: By this Seal alſo the Promiſe comes to be more ratified to us; and the firmer the Promiſe appears to the Soul, the more bold and adventurous Faith is in caſting it ſelf upon it: Oh! how many poor doubting trembling Souls have in ſuch a Seaſon, gathered the full ripe Fruits of Aſſurance, from the Top-boughs of that Ordinance!
3. Frequent actings of Faith, are rare and ſpeciall means of improving it: To him that hath (i.e.) that improves and uſes what he hath, ſhall be given, Mat. 25.29. This was the way by which Paul thrived in Faith, and every other Grace ſo exceedingly, that he out-grew them that were in Chriſt before him, 1 Cor. 15.10. It's true, that its beginning in the Soul, is not after the manner of other Habits, either Moral or Natural: This is not of Natural acquiſition, but by Divine Infuſion; but yet its improvement is in the ſame manner. Oh then! if ever you would have a flouriſhing Faith, rouze it up out of the dull Habit, and live in the daily exerciſe of it.
4. Go to Jeſus Chriſt, who is the Author and Finiſher of Faith, and cry to him, as Mark 9.24. Lord increaſe my Faith: Yea, beg the aſſiſtance of others Prayers in this behalf, as the Apoſtle did, 1 Theſ. 3.10. 2 Theſ. 1.11. Faith animates Prayer, and Prayer increaſes Faith.
5. Improve times of affliction for the increaſe of Faith: For certainly, ſanctified afflictions do notably exerciſe and increaſe this Grace, 1 Pet. 1.7. In times of Proſperity, we ſee not what ſtock of Faith we have: We live ſo much upon things ſeen, that we cannot many times tell whether we have Faith or no: But when difficult days come, then we muſt let out our whole ſubſiſtence and livelyhood by Faith, Hab. 2.4. Yea, then we have many Proofs and Experiments of Gods fidelity in the Promiſes, which is a choice help to Faith, 2 Cor. 1.10.
6. Keep Catalogues of all your remarkable Experiences; treaſure them up as food for your Faith in time to come: Oh! it is a ſingular encouragement and heartning to Faith, when it can turn over the Records of Gods dealing with you in years paſt, and ſay as Joſuah, Not one thing hath failed, Joſuah 23.14. When it can ſay ſo of Promiſes, that have already had their accompliſhments, then they will be apt to ſay concerning thoſe yet to be accompliſhed, as Elizabeth ſaid to Mary, Luke 1.45. Bleſſed is the Soul that believeth, for there ſhall be a performance of thoſe things which are told it by the Lord.
Theſe Experiments are the Food of Faith. Pſal. 74.14. Thou brakeſt the Heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gaveſt him to be meat to thy People inhabiting the Wilderneſs, (i.e.) That famous Experience of the Power and Love of God in their Red-Sea Deliverance, where he deſtroyed that Sea-Monſter Pharaoh, and his Hoaſt, was meat to the Faith of Gods Iſrael in the Wilderneſs afterwards. We often find Chriſt charging the Peoples unbelief on a bad Memory, Mat. 16.8, 9. And hence it was, that the Lord commanded the Iſraelites to keep Journals of every Days Occurrences, Numb. 13.1, 2. It's a thouſand pities, ſuch choice helps ſhould be loſt. Oh! if you could but remember, how the Lord hath appeared for you in former Exigencies, and how often he hath ſhamed you for your unbelief, it would exceedingly animate your Faith, both in preſent and future Diſtreſſes, Mic. 6.5.
7. Laſtly, Beware of ſenſe, which is the ſupplanter of Faith. O if you live upon things earthly, you put Faith out of its Office: things earthly have an enmity to Faith. This is the victory by which we overcome the world, even our Faith, 1 John 5.4. Overcoming notes a conflict, and conflicts infer oppoſitions. Oh you that liveſ o much by ſight and ſenſe on things viſible, what will you do when in Davit's or Pau's caſe, Pſal. 142.4. 2 Tim. 4.16. when all outward encouragements and ſtayes ſhall utterly fail. What had Abraham done, if he had not been able to believe againſt hope, (i. e.) ſuch an hope as is founded in ſenſe and reaſon.
Reader, I adviſe and charge thee in the Name of the Lord; and as thou hopeſt to live when viſible comforts die, that thou be diligent in the improvement and preparation of this excellent Grace of Faith: if it fail, thou faileſt with it; and as thy Faith is, ſo art thou. Conſult all this Cloud of Witneſſes, and ſee if thou canſt find a man among them, that did not atchieve this Victory by his Faith. Had they not all been run down by the furious aſſaults of temptation, and inſtead of a Cloud of Witneſſes, been ſo many Pillars of Salt, and Monuments of reproach and ſhame to Religion, if their Faith had failed in its trial.