Commentary on Habakkuk, Commentary · Chapter 2 · Verse 4
Verſ. 4. Behold his ſoule which is lifted up is not upright in him: But the just ſhall live by his faith.
GOd having directed the Prophet concerning the Viſion in the two former verſes, 1. For the Publication, and then for the expectation thereof; He cometh now to the Viſion it ſelfe, which containeth A Declaration of his holy Will in his general Adminiſtration of Juſtice, and ſo doth not only ſerve thoſe times and perſons preſent, but may be extended to all times and perſons ſo long as the world endureth.
And Gods ſhewing hereof maketh it a Viſion to his Prophet, and ſo to his Church, and ſo it begins at Behold.
Now the anſwer of God doth firſt prevent an objection which might ariſe out of Gods former words; for when he ſaith of the viſion, that the time is appointed for it, and though it tarry, the Church muſt wait: as implying that it might be long before it were fullfilled; the Prophet might enquire; but what ſhall the People do in the mean time? how ſhall the afflicted hold out till that time appointed?
Therefore in the reſt of the chapter,
1. He cleareth that objection, verſ. 4.
2. He revealeth the Proceedings of his Juſtice, againſt ſundry ſins in all the reſt of the chapter.
For the firſt let us examine the words.
Behold. Here he openeth the eyes and cleareth the ſight of the Prophet, and of the Church to ſee the Viſion, requiring us to take the matter into ſerious conſideration, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Conſider what I ſay. Let him that hath ears to heare, hear what the Spirit ſpeaketh unto the Churches; ſo is this word often uſed in Scripture to move attention.
His ſoule which is liſted up in him is not upright.
Interpreters do two ways underſtand theſe words, either thus, He that is not upright, his ſoul is lifted up; or by Converſion.
He that is lifted up is not upright. This laſt we follow, and this I take to be Gods meaning.
It is true in the firſt ſenſe that the ungodly man ſeeketh truſt elſewhere then in God, and doth ſtrengthen himſelfe in the malice or pride of his heart.
But God would ſhew here that whoſoever is thus big-ſwoln in the pride of his heart, hath not rectam animam, ſome read quietam or tranquillam animam, a right or a quiet ſoule.
It agreeth well with the Prophets complaint of the inſolenty of the Chaldaeans, that they being now lifted up with the glory of their many victories, their ſouls are not upright; wherein he declareth them horrible offenders, and therefore obnoxious to his high diſpleaſure.
Mr. Calv. doth underſtand this place thus, that God declareth his juſt judgment againſt the Chaldaeans, that becauſe they have truſted in themſelves, they ſhall have no peace in their ſouls, but ſome new ſuſpicions ſhall ſtill ariſe to diſquiet them, or new hopes to put them on upon freſh adventures, or ſome new fears to diſcrefiate them, ſo that they ſhall never reſt in their ſouls.
Arias Montanus and Ribera a Jeſuit do both follow a corrupt Tranſlation.
Ecce qui incredulus eſt non erit recta anima ejus. Whereas he ſpeaketh not of unbelief, but of pride of heart which yet doth include infidelity, becauſe ſuch do tranſlate the truſt that they ought to place in God alone unto themſelves, and their owne means of accompliſhing their intendments: but our reading doth much better agree with our copy.
It followeth in the ſecond part of the Antitheſis, But the juſt ſhall live by his faith.
And here let me firſt tell you that this ſentence is cited in the New Teſtament often.
1. Rom. 2.17. As it is written, the juſt ſhall live by faith.
2. Galat. 3.11. But that no man is juſtified by the law in the ſight of God, it is evident; for the juſt ſhall live by faith.
3. Heb. 10.37. For yet a little while, and he yet ſhall come, will come and will not tarry.
38. Now the juſt ſhall live by faith, and if any man ſhall draw back, my ſoule ſhall have no pleaſure in him.
In all theſe foure places the words have one and the ſame ſenſe.
The juſt man, that is, he who is juſtified by a ſaving faith, ſhall be ſupported by that faith; ſo as whatſoever either outward or inward calamities ſhall aſſault him, his faith ſhall carry him through all: becauſe putting his truſt only in God, in the confidence of the Mediation of Jeſus Chriſt, he ſhal have peace of conſcience, and ſhall take all that befals him in good part. So then, 1. By the juſt, we do underſtand not any legal righteouſneſſe, ſuch as ſtandeth in the performance of obedience to the whole law; which no man but Chriſt, God and man could perform: but an Evangelical righteouſneſſe, which doth conſiſt in a godly zeal, and holy endeavour of obedience to the law, according to the meaſure of that grace which God hath given to men, and whereunto is joyned both repentance of all ſins, and an holy ſorrow that we do come ſo ſhort of that full obedience, which in duty we do owe to God.
And where he ſaith vivet he ſhall live, he doth mean both a natural, a ſpiritual and an eternal life.
1. A natural life; for faith doth make that to be a life which elſe were a death; for the wicked are dead in treſpaſſes and ſins; ſo Chriſt ſaith, let the dead bury their dead, and the wanton widdows are ſaid to be dead even whileſt they live. But by faith our natural life hath life put into it, as the Apoſtle ſaith,
And the life which I now live in the fleſh, Gal. 2.20.I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himſelf for me.
And ſurely this comfort muſt be applied in my text, ſo, though not ſo only, to cheer the natural life of the diſtreſſed Jews, againſt the many oppreſſions of the Chaldaeans, that their faith in the promiſe of God muſt be their life, as David ſaith, I had verily fainted, but that I believed to ſee the goodneſſe of God in the land of the living.
There faith preſerved the natural life of David.
2. This includeth alſo a ſpiritual life, which is the conjunction of our ſoule with God by Jeſus Chriſt; for what doth quicken us but our faith? for by faith Chriſt dwelleth in us, and by faith we are rooted and grounded in him.Eph. 3.17 Col. 2, 7.
3. This includeth an eternal life: for how do we come to be where Chriſt is, but by faith? Chriſt firſt teſtifieth of the faith of his Church, then he prayeth: Father, I will that they which thou haſt given me, may be with me, that they may behold the glory that I had with thee, &c.
They that overcome this world do overcome it by faith, and ſuch as have this faith do grow boyſterous and violent, They take the Kingdome of God perforce.
And this perchance gave occaſion to the various lection, ſome reading in the preſent vivit doth live, ſome in the future vivet, ſhall live; ſome underſtanding the natural and ſpiritual only, others only the eternal life.
But I underſtand the promiſe extended as the Apoſtle ſaith, to both; for godlineſſe hath the promiſes of this life, and that which is to come.
This ſheweth what is meant here by faith, not the hiſtorical faith, by which we underſtand what the Will of God is.
Not a temporary faith, which truſteth in God for a time, and after falleth off from him.
Not the faith of miracles which even ſome wicked Perſons whom Chriſt will not know at the day of judgement had.
Not the faith of hypocrites which ſeemeth and is not; but a juſtifying and ſaving faith. For we muſt live by the ſame faith here by which we muſt be ſaved hereafter.
And this faith is called the ground of things hoped for.
Cicero defineth the Latine word fides of fiat; for it implieth performance.
Saint Auguſtine of the word fides ſaith, Duae ſyllabae ſonant: Fides, prima à facto, ſecunda à dicto, which may have a double conſtruction.
1. With reference to God: for his dictum doth aſſure factum; and that is our fides.
2. With reference to us; for as Auguſtine ſaith, fac quod dicis & credis, do what thou ſayſt and thou beleeveſt.
I will not conceal from you the diſſection of this word Fides, as a witty Ancient hath anatomized it into five ſeveral letters, by which he collecteth the ingredients which muſt meet in a ſaving faith.
1. F implyeth facere, to do, as the Apoſtle ſaith,Rom. 2. Not the hearers, but the doers of the law ſhall be juſtified And Chriſt ſaith,
Not every one that ſaith unto me Lord, Lord, Mat. 7.ſhall enter into the Kingdome of heaven, but he that doth the Will of my father which it in heaven. For a man muſt not be of the number of them who confeſſe God with their mouths and deny him in their works.
2. I, this importeth Integritatem, Integrity, which doth expreſſe it ſelfe in believing all the Articles of Chriſtian faith, for that faith which is not entire doth not hold faſt, and there is no truſting to it.
3. D, that implyeth Dilectionem, love;Gal. 5. for our faith must work through love; And Saint Bernard ſaith, Mors fidei eſt ſeparatio charitatis, faith without love is dead. And again he ſaith, ut vivat fides tua, fidem tuam dilectio animet.
And in the ſchoole, that faith which is not joyned with love, is called fides informis, an unformed faith.
It is St. Augustines, ſaying. Cum dilectione fides eſt Chriſtiani, ſine dilectione fides eſt daemonis.
For we find that the devils confeſt Chriſt. Confitebantur (ſaith Saint Auguſtine) Daemones Chriſtum credendo, non diligendo; fidem habebant, charitatem non habebant.
4. E, implyeth Expreſſè, expreſſedly; for it is not ſufficient to retain faith in the heart, but we muſt alſo ſtrive to expreſſe it two wayes.
1. In the fruits of faith, good life.
2. In the outward profeſſion, as the Apoſtle doth joyne them together, With the heart man beleeveth unto righteouſneſſe, and with the tongue he confeſſeth to ſalvation:Rom. 10.
Againſt thoſe Nicodemites which come to Chriſt by night, and all thoſe who think it enough to reſerve the heart for God, though their outward deportment be faſhioned to the time and place and perſons, where, when, and with whom they do live.
5. S. which ſtandeth for Semper, alwayes, which doth expreſs perſeverance; for it is no true faith if it do not hold out to the end.
Let us now put all together; a true faith muſt be entire, working alwayes by love, ſo that men may ſee our good works, and glorifie God which is in heaven.
In a word, the faith here mentioned is an holy apprehenſion, and a bold application of the favour of God to his Church, in the mediation and merits of Jeſus Chriſt, by whom we do beleeve that God is in Chriſt reconciling us to himſelf, and the juſt man doth live by this faith. De verbis hactenus.
The words thus cleared, we come now to the diviſion of this text.
It containeth an Antitheſis, wherein two contraries are ſet in oppoſition one againſt the other.
1. The man that is lifted up;
2. The juſt man.
1. Of the firſt he ſaith, non recta eſt anima ejus, his ſoule is not upright.
2. Of the ſecond he ſaith, ex fide vivet, he ſhall live by faith.
In the firſt I note two things.
1. His notation, Elevatus, lifted up.
2. His cenſure, Non recta eſt anima, his ſoule is not upright.
1. His notation: Elevatus.
This is a thing that God loves not; for it it ſaid, God reſiſteth the proud; that is the point of doctrine in this place.
God taketh offence at ſuch as are lifted up. Doct.
It was the fall of the Angels that kept not their firſt eſtate, ero ſimilis altiſſimo.
It was the fall of man: Behold man is become like one of us, knowing good and evill.
Some think this part of the text meant of Nebuchadnezzar, the proud King, whoſe heart was ſo big ſwolne with his great victories, that in the ruffe of ſelf opinion he aſcribed all to himſelf, and therefore was turned to graze, as in the ſtory of Daniels prophecie we read.
Remember the fearful quarrel of Chriſt with Capernaum, And thou Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, Luk. 10.15ſhalt be thruſt downe to hell.
It is one of the works of the preaching of the Goſpel, I may call it one of the miracles of the power of our miniſtry.
Every mountain and hill ſhall be brought low. Chryſoſt. Elatos & ſuperbos nomine montis denunciat, Luk. 3.5.he cals the proud by the name of a mountain; the early and the later rain that falleth on them doth ſlip off and fall into the under vallies, and the vallies (as the Pſalmiſt ſaith) do abound with corne.
The power of the Word extendeth to the humiliation of many that are lifted up; for it revealeth unto us Chriſt, without whom we can do nothing, without whom no man cometh to the Father. And this leaves us nothing to lift us up.
I have ſpoken of this ſin out of the former chapter, where the Chaldeans proud of their victories, do rejoyce and aſcribe the glory thereof to themſelves. And from the mouth of an heathen man, Artabanus the Uncle of King Xerxes I take it,Herodit. Polymnia gaudet Deus eminentiſſima quaeque deprimere, his reaſon,
Quia Deus neminem alium quàm ſeipſum ſinit magnifice de ſe ſentire.
Yea ſometimes we finde when God doth owe a man a ſhrewd turn, he will lift him up himſelf that he may throw him downe; as David complaineth, Thou haſt lifted me up and caſt me downe. But the lifting up here underſtood, is the pride of heart which maketh men to eſteem of themſelves above all that is in them; ſuch are their own Paraſites; and the Wiſeman ſaith, there is more hope of a foole then one of theſe.
In this Argument I went ſo farre in the former chapter, as to teach you two things,
1. To decline this as a diſeaſe.
2. To embrace the remedies againſt it.
8. Reaſons I gave againſt it to perſwade declining of it.
1. It treſpaſſeth primum & magnum mandatum legis, the firſt and great Commandment of the Law, &c.
2. Connumerat nos filiis Sathanae, patri fil. ſuperb.
3. Exterminat charitatem, voluntas Dominium exercet,
4. Subjicit nos oppoſicioni divinae, Deus reſistit ſuperbis.
5. Tollit à nobis talentum dum noſtra quaerimus.
6. Male nos decet, poore and proud.
7. Nullum vitium Sathanae magis placet.
8. Superbus ingratus, and ſo omnia dixeris.
The remedies,
1. Serious conſideration of our ſelves.
2. Studious ſearching in the word of God.
3. Putting our ſelves often in the ſight of God.
4. Frequent caſting up the favours of God to us.
5. Earneſt and devout prayer.
This is a ſlie and cunning inſinuation of Satan, to lift us up in our own opinion; there is a tang of our hereditary corruption that runnes in the ſame channel with our blood; we are all apt enough to value our ſelves above the lone price.
Few of the mind of Agur the ſon of Jakeh, I am more brutiſh then any man.
Few of the mind of Saint Paul, Of whom I am cheif.
It is a great victory that a man hath gotten of himſelf, if he be once able to keep himſelf under; for whether we do encreaſe in outward goods or ſpiritual graces, we ſhall have much ado to avoid this ſin.
2. The cenſure, Non eſt recta anima ejus.
This Phyſitian doth ſearch the diſeaſe to the bottome, he finds where the fault is; the ſoule is naught, the inward man is corrupt.
And if the light that is in us be darkneſſe, how great is that darkneſſe? It is the ſearcher of hearts and reines, that findeth this fault; who but he can examine and try the inward man?
We ſee what bodie, what complexion, what ſtature man hath; we may ſee what honours he attaineth in the world, how he encreaſeth goods, what delights a man uſeth for recreation; we cannet ſee what ſouls men have, rectas an obliquas.
But if we ſee and obſerve men proud and lifted up high in their own opinion, we ſee there is cauſe of fear, that they have not rectas animas, right ſouls.
And though the judgment of our brethren belong not to us, yet let us judge our ſelves by this; for if we do finde in our ſelves an elevation above our pitch, Doctr. that either the opinion of our wiſdome and ſtrength, or riches, or honours, or friends do ſwell us, it is a certain Symptome of a diſeaſed ſoul.
1. Becauſe this lifting up doth diſlodge God from the ſoul, he will not dwell with a proud man, he hath ſo declared himſelf. Reaſ. 1
For thus ſaith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whoſe name is holy: I dwell in the hight and holy place, Iſa. 57.15.with him alſo that is of a contrite and humble ſpirit, to revive the spirit of the humble: to revive the spirit of the contrite ones.
Now as Auguſtine ſaith, Vita corporis anima, vita animae Deus. If he ſay to our ſoul, I have no delight in thee, we may complain in pace mea amaritudo, our ſoul is ſick even to the death.
2. Becauſe this pride of life which lifteth us up, Reaſ. 2 is not able to keep us up; for the elevation of our ſouls is like the violent caſting up of an heavy body into the aire, which will fall down againe with its own weight;Jam. 1.14. it is a mans own luſt that draweth and driveth and forceth him up.
And if Satan do put his help to it to lift us up, he will be the firſt that will put hand to the caſting of us down again.
When he had lifted up Chriſt to the pinnacle of the Temple, the next temptation was, Caſt thy ſelf down.
3. Becauſe this pride of life filleth the ſoul ſo full of it ſelf, that there is no roome for the ſpiritual graces of God to dwell there; Reaſ. 3 Chriſt lodged in a ſtable, quia non erat locus in diverſorio.
4. Becauſe as the eating of ſomethings doth put the mouth out of taſte, that it cannot reliſh wholeſome food; Reaſ. 4 ſo the pleaſing of the ſouls palate with the luſhious ſweetneſſe of temporal vanities, doth make the ſoul out of taſte with the bread of life, that wholeſome dyet which ſhould keep our ſouls in health.
Let us make profit of this Doctrine. Ʋſe.
1. Let it be the main and cheif care and ſtudy and endevour of our whole life to get and keep animam rectam, an upright ſoule.
To keep your accompts ſtrait, to keep your eſtate upright; to keep your body in health by a regular obſervation thereof, to keep your intereſt in the love of your freinds: all thoſe be lawful cares of life, and this is an incumbent duty which obligeth and engageth all men: but let not theſe cares ſwallow us up, and devour our whole life.
Theſe things periſh in the very uſing of them.
The ſoul of every man, that, is the man; if that be not kept upright, What profit will it be to a man to winne all the world, and looſe the ſoul?
In the laſt day an upright ſoul will be able to ſtand it out before the judgment ſeat, when they that have kept all things upright but their ſouls, ſhal ſee that none but upright ſouls are happy.
2. Let us therefore not ſtand wiſhing I would I had ſuch a ſoul, Ʋſe. 2 as Balaam, I would I might die the death of the righteous; but let us ſtudy and uſe the means to get ſuch a ſoul. Theſe are
1. The Word; for in that the Spirit ſpeaketh; there is a ſound of the voyce that commeth to the ear, that is not enough, there is the Spirit ſpeaking to the ſoul; that's the Sermon, the Spirit of God is the Preacher, the ſouls of men are the audience. So the Pſalmiſt,
I wait for the Lord, my ſoul doth wait, and in his Word do I hope.
2. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper, for that is ſpirituall meat and drink, the Pabulum animae, it is both meat and medicine, worthily received; it is Emanuel, God with us.
I may ſay to you my brethren, as Chriſt ſaid to the woman of Samaria:Joh. 4.10. If you knew the gift of God, and underſtood what grace is offered you in the word and Sacrament, and how beneficiall they are, how nouriſhing, how cordiall to the inward man; you would not come to the Word when your leaſure ſerved, but you would put by all buſineſſes, and make them attend that ſervice: you would not receive the Sacrament once a year, if ſo much; but your Word would be Deſiderio deſideravi comedere hoc paſcha. I only ſay with Chriſt,
If you know theſe things, happy are ye if ye do them.
3. Confeſſion to God is another good means; keep the ſoul upright; we ſay, even reckonings make long friends.
There is a threefold Confeſſion.
1. Confeſſio fraudis; quid omiſi?
2. Confeſſio facti; quid feci?
3. Confeſſio laudis: quid retribuam?
Here is work enough to take up the whole life of man, and this keeps our accompt with God even.
4. I muſt never leave out prayer; that muſt make one in all the exerciſes of Chriſtian life; pray continually. And let our petition be that God would give us wiſdom from above; to direct us in the ordering of our ſouls ſo as we may ever keep them upright: for it is not in man to order his ways, much leſſe to govern his own ſoul; let us therefore pray to him who chalengeth intereſt in all ſouls, who is called The Father of Spirits; and who ſaith All ſouls are mine.
We have a good encouragement from Saint James;
If any of you want wiſdom,Jam. 1.5. let him aske of God who giveth to all men liberally.
And Chriſt hath promiſed that whatſoever he ſhal ask the Father in his Name, he wil do it.
5. It wil help to keep our ſouls in integrity, to have regard of our converſation, of our calling, of our recreations, of our time, of our means.
1. That we keep good company, which may not corrupt our manners, either conſilio or exemplo, by counſel or example.
2. That we live in a lawful calling, that we may have the teſtimony of a good conſcience; that the means of our maintenance are honeſt and lawful, and that we do not ſpend the wages of unrighteouſneſſe, that defileth the ſoul with an indelible pollution, all your prayers and almes wil not purge you.
3. That your recreations be both lawful and moderate, ſuch as may make you more fit for the ſervice of God, not ſuch as may make you ſuſpend the time wherein God ſhould be ſerved, not ſuch as may provoke you to impatience, or to blaſphemy, and abuſing the name of God.
4. That your time be ſpent by weight and meaſure, as thoſe that are to be accomptants to God for it.
5. That our means that we enjoy in this life be ſo gained, and managed that they may ſeem as faculties of well-doing; and may by no means ſtoop the ſoul to any departure from God for love of them, or by abuſe of them.
3. Let us learn humility; Ʋſe. 3 decline pride, for that doth corrupt the ſoul; to ſuch God giveth grace, he that is humillimus, ſhould be humillimus.
But the juſt ſhall live by his faith.
This is the ſecond part of the Antitheſis, that contains in it the whole ſum of the Goſpel, there be three words in it that carrie the contents thereof.
1. Righteouſneſſe.
2. Faith.
3. Life.
Righteouſneſſe and Faith are the way of life: they are two ſpecial pieces of that ſpiritual armour which the Apoſtle doth adviſe all the children of God to uſe againſt their enemies: The breaſt-plate of Righteouſneſſe, Eph. 6.14.and the Sheild of Faith.
1. Of Righteouſneſſe
This is that vertue which denominateth a man juſt and righteous, and it is a vertue which doth give ſuum cuique; to God in the obedience of the firſt table of the law; to man in the obedience of the ſecond table.
This is given
1. Legally.
2. Evangelically.
For the firſt which is Legal righteouſneſſe; it is the fulfilling of the whole Law in every part of it, by the whole man in body and ſoul,Ecleſ. 7.31 the whole time of his life; and Adam who was created in the image of God, was cloathed with this righteouſneſſe as the Apoſtle ſaith;Eph. 4.24. created in the image of God, and in righteouſneſſe and true holyneſſe.
And this righteouſneſſe was loſt by Adams fal, and was never found in any man ſince, but in the Man Jeſus Chriſt, who is called foreign that juſt one.
And of him it is ſaid,Act. 22.14. Iſa. 59.17. that He put on Righteouſneſſe as a breaſt-plate.
And this Righteouſneſſe the Saints in glory have; ſo the Apoſtle calleth them, The ſpirits of juſt men made perfect.
But on earth,Heb. 12 23 Rom. 3.10 There is none righteous, no not one.
The Church of Rome doth directly contradict the Spirit of God ſpeaking in Scripture concerning this righteouſneſſe.Seſſ. 6. Can. 18. For the counſel of Trent hath ſet it down for a Canon,
Siquis dixerit dei praecepta homini juſtificato, & ſub gratia conſtituto, eſſe ad obſervandum impoſſibilia, anathema ſit.
Let me then clear the Church tenent concerning this point, that Legal Righteouſneſſe is altogether impoſſible to man in the preſent ſtate of deſertion from our creation.
Our Argument is this, Whoſoever ſinneth breaketh the Law of God; but every one that liveth ſinneth. Ergo every one that liveth breaketh the law.
The firſt propoſition is proved by the definition of ſinne given by the Apoſtle. foreign.1 Joh. 3.4.
But every man that liveth ſinneth; Saint James will make that good, In multis offendimus omnes, in many things we offend all.
The concluſion followeth; ergo omnis praevaricatur legem.
Andradius anſwereth with a diſtinction to the minor, every man ſinneth; ſins are of two ſorts.
1. Mortall, ſo every man ſinneth not; for he that is borne of God ſinneth not, nor can ſin.
2. Veniall, ſo every man ſinneth; but this kind of ſinning ſaith he, doth not break the law of God, becauſe they deſerve not the wrath of God and condemnation. Lyndanus. Levicula vitiola lapſuum quotidianorum aspergines & naevuli ſunt qui per ſe non maculant & contaminant, ſed quaſi pulviſculo leviter aspergunt vitam humanam.
Yet as light as they make of this pollution; it is no way to be purged but by the blood of Chriſt; and Chriſt is anſwerable to the Father and to the juſtice of his Law, even for the leaſt of theſe. Therefore the Prophet ſaith, God laid upon him the iniquity of us all, and all our ſins met in him; this cannot but include veniall ſins, for the elect have no mortal ſins.
Yet our tenet is, that all, even the leaſt obliquity of thought, primi motus ad peccata ſunt peccata, the firſt motions to ſinne are ſins, and directly againſt the tenth Commandment; and he that breaketh the leaſt of the ten is guilty of all, for he breaketh the Law.
So then the veniality of ſin is not in the nature and merit of ſinne,Pſ. 22.1.2. but in the favour of God by Chriſt, he ſuffering and ſatisfying for it, and we by faith applying this to our ſelves, and it will follow; for in its own nature every ſin is mortal, deſerving death: and the juſt are not ſaid to be bleſſed becauſe they have no ſinne, but becauſe their iniquities are forgiven, and their ſin is covered; and becauſe God imputeth not their ſinne to them; as ſome are quit by Proclamation, becauſe no evidence is given in againſt them.
2. We muſt then fly to Evangelical righteouſneſſe, which hath two parts.
The one is called the righteouſneſſe of faith, the other of a good conſcience.Rom. 10.6.
Pray for us; for we truſt we have a good conſcience in all things, willing to live honeſtly.Heb. 13.18.
1. The righteouſneſſe of faith.
This is Chriſts righteouſneſſe by faith received of us, by grace imputed to us, as the Apoſtle ſaith,
Chriſt is the end of the law for righteouſneſſe to every one that beleeveth.Rom. 10.4
The end of the law is to ſave thoſe that fulfill it; this by reaſon of the body of ſinne that we do bear about us, none of us can perform; but Chriſt hath fulfilled the law for us, and his obedience is by the favour of God imputed to us, and by our faith applyed, and we juſtified and ſaved thereby.
For what the law exacted of us, is accapted for us, as if we in our owne perſons had done it, becauſe we believe it done by Chriſt for us.
2. The righteouſneſſe of a good conſcience.
This is a work of the Holy Ghoſt in us, by which we do approve our ſelves to God and man, by our indeavour to do that which the law commandeth. And ſuch a righteous perſon David deſcribeth,
Surely he doth no iniquity, Pſ. 119.3.but walketh in the way of God.
If any man object, Object. Then is he no tranſgreſſour of the law, becauſe he doth none iniquity; then is his obedience full becauſe he walketh in the way of the Lord.
St. Paul doth anſwer for himſelfe,Sol. and therein for all the elect of God, and ſheweth wherin his innocency conſiſteth, and ſaith,
For that which I do I allow not; for what I would do that I do not; Rom. 7.15but what I hate, that do I.
If then I do that which I would not, Verſ. 16.I conſent unto the law that it is good.
Now then it is no more I that do it, but ſin that dwelleth in me.17.22.
I delight in the law of God in the inward man.
Here foreign, know, if thou be an elect child of God, thou conſiſteſt of a double man ſo long as thou liveſt here on earth.
1. There is in thee an outward man, that is, the unregenerate part of thee.
2. There is an inward man, that is, the regenerate part. For we muſt know and confeſſe, that we are not capable in this life of a total and full regeneration, which is an utter abolition of the body of ſin.
There is Corpus peccati, the body of ſin: there is lex membrorum a law of the members, there is Concupiſcence which doth carry us into the evil which we know in our underſtandings to be againſt the law of God, and our conſcience trembleth at it; this is an inward man, which in Peter is called foreign.1 Pet. 3.4.
So that the inward man which keepeth the law, is the underſtanding and conſcience; and the outward man that breaketh the law, is the will and the appetite, and the inſtruments thereof in the act of ſin.
So then I ſhall now deſcribe to you whom the Prophet here meaneth by the juſt man, even him who in his underſtanding apprehendeth the good and perfect Will of God, and maketh conſcience of obeying it according to the meaſure of grace given to him; for this is an Evangelical righteouſneſſe.
The uſe of it is great; for the Prophet ſaith of Chriſt Jeſus, that he put on righteouſneſſe as a Breſt-plate. He that came to looſe the works of Satan, and therefore to bid him battel,Iſ.59.17. did not come into this life, which is militia ſuper terram, a warfare upon earth unarmed; he is the General of Gods forces, againſt the Kingdome of darkneſſe, againſt the Prince that ruleth in the ayr; againſt the god of this world, againſt Principalities and Powers, and no ſooner was he baptized and began to appear to his employment, but the ſpirit led him into the field to a duel with Satan for fourty days together, where this Breſt-plate of proofe was a ſufficient wall about his vital parts, and did preſerve him againſt Satans fury and force.
And we that are his ſouldiers, who muſt ambulare ſicut ille, walk as he, we are taught by the Apoſtle, both to get and put on this righteouſneſſe as a Breſt plate.
The benefits that this righteouſneſſe doth bring with it, are many.
1. It is a proofe againſt temptations; for howſoever our affections do receive ſome titillations from the outward ſenſes to affect them with evil,1. Benefit. our underſtanding like Goſhen will always ſee the Sunne, although the reſt of our Aegypt be benighted.
Howſoever our Will may be corrupted for a time, our conſcience will continue zealous of good works.
In our minds we ſhall ſerve the law of God, and this will keep our heads always above water, that though we be put to it to ſtrive and labour hard for life in the deep waters, both of temptations and afflictions, yet through many dangers and painful ſtruglings, we ſhall at length recover the ſhore.
The diſtreſt conſcience troubled with the terrour of ſin, though it cannot eſcape Satans ſifting, and buffeting, and wounding, yet can it not fall into final deſpair, becauſe this righteouſneſſe cannot be loſt.
2. This maketh our calling and election ſure;2. Benefit. for if we be truly regenerate, we ſhall be ſaved certainly; and this righteouſneſſe is a full aſſurance of our regeneration as the Apoſtle ſaith,
1. Ioh. 2.29Ye know that every one which doth righteouſneſſe is born of him.
So that righteouſneſſe is the earneſt of our ſalvation, it is ſalus in ſemine, ſalvation in the ſeed here; it is ſalus in Meſſe, in the harveſt, hereafter; for St. James ſaith,
The fruit of righteouſneſſe is ſown in peace.
For where righteouſneſſe is once rooted,Iam. 3.18. there is peace and aſſurance both of grace and glory.
3. This righteouſneſſe doth honour God in this world; for when men live in the conſcience of their ways and in the holy fear of God,3. Benefit. abſtaining from evil all they can, doing all the good they can, rather ſuffering and forgiving then doing and revenging injuries, ſtriving to bear themſelves uprightly before God and men, our Saviour ſaith, Others ſeeing their good works will glorifie their father that is in heaven.
4. This righteouſneſſe is the only witneſſe of our ſincerity in the love and ſervice of our God; for let no unrighteous man ſay he loveth God or ſerveth God; the proud, the covetous,4. Benefit. the wanton, the breaker of the Sabbath, the drunkard, let them come to Church, & hear and receive the Sacrament now and then, let them not deceive themſelves; without this righteouſnes no man ſhall pleaſe God.
Neither ſhall the Church eſteem ſuch as members of the body of Chriſt; for we are taught, that no adulterers, fornicators, covetous perſons, &c. ſhall inherit the Kingdome of heaven.
But ſanctifie the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an anſwer to every man that asketh you a reaſon of the hope that is in you with meekneſſe and fear.1 Pet. 3.15
Having a good conſcience, that whereas they ſpeak evill of you as of evil doers, Verſ. 16.they may be aſhamed that falſly accuſe your good Converſation in Chriſt.
Let men hunt for fame and reputation in the way of honour and high place, in the way of great dependance, or of riches: if they be ungodly and want this righteouſneſſe, they want the falt that ſhould pickle them to keep; the juſt ſhall be in everlaſting remembrance, their candle doth not go out by night: their name ſhall be like to precious unguent: But let the ungodly do what they can, the name of the wicked ſhall rot.
5. This righteouſnes upon a death-bed wil comfort,5. Benefit. when neither meat nor medicine will down with us; for there follows after righteouſneſſe a gracious traine, a comfortable ſequence.
The Kingdome of God is righteouſneſſe and Peace, Rom. 14.17.and joy in the Holy Ghoſt.
Mark the upright man, and obſerve the juſt, Pſ 37.37.for the end of that man is Peace.
What a joy of heart was it to Hezekiah? he did not ſay, I have reigned a King over thine inheritance ſo many years: I have gotten ſo much riches and treaſure, I have ſubdued ſo many enemies but, Remember Lord I beſeech thee now how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, Iſ. 38.3.&c.
Thus having learnt what this righteouſneſſe is, and having ſurveyed the benefits that attend it, let us take a few neceſſary cautions to order and regulate both our judgement and our life.
1. Let us not take that for righteouſneſſe which is no ſuch matter;1 Caution. for all that gliſtereth is not gold; Satan hath good skill in varniſhing, and guilding, and painting, to make things that are not ſeem as though they were.
I do not think but the Phariſees thought themſelves juſt men, and that opinion was held of them abroad; and that Chriſt ſeemed a ſtrange Preacher, that told the People,
Except your righteouſneſſe exceed the righteouſneſſe of the Scribes and Phariſees &c. Acta 26.5for Saint Paul doth call their ſect foreign.
We muſt exceed that, or elſe no ſalvation; yet if that righteouſneſſe which conſiſted in great chaſtiſement of the fleſh, in great auſterity of life, in ſo many real acts of devotion, would not ſerve:
Beloved, that cheap, and ſoft, and tender Religion, that eats and drinks of the beſt, and wears ſoft garments, and lies eaſily: and conſiſteth only in hearing much, and knowing ſomething, and talking of good things, and an outward formal repreſentation of goodneſſe, will never paſſe for righteouſneſſe before God. This doth not come near the righteouſneſſe of the Scribes and Phariſees.
Their Doctors were never out of Moſes chair, they were faithful and painful in teaching the law. Alas, many of our labourers loyter.
Their auditors were frequent and attentive; when they knew of the ſitting of their Rabbies, they would tell one another, and call one another to it, as Jerom ſaith, faying,
foreign. The wiſe repeat;
And they would haſten thither.
They compaſſe ſea and land to make Proſelytes to their ſect; We by our evill Converſation loſe many from our Congregations.
It is the complaint of them of the ſeparation, that our evill life is one great cauſe of their forſaking of us; and though that do not excuſe them, yet it doth accuſe us, and we cannot plead not guilty to that enditement.
They gave God a quarter of their life in prayer. Let every mans own conſcience ſpeak within him how farre he out-goeth them in this. They read, they ſtudied, they repeated, they carried about them alwayes ſome part of the Law, and were expert in the underſtanding of it.
And do not Pamphlets of newes, vaine Poems, and ſuch like froth of human brains devour much of the time the holy Bible ſhould have beſtowed upon it.
Beloved, the righteouſneſſe that ſhould be in us to fill us with true love of God and our neighbour, is wanting in moſt, it is imperfect in the beſt, in too many it is but ſeeming.
In Religion zeale is gone; ſome falſe fires there are yet in the Church, that boaſt themſelves to be zeal, and are good for nothing but to finde faults and pick quarrels; true devotion which had uſe to ſhew it ſelf in all outward holineſſe and reverence, is ſo retired, that many are more homely at Church in preſence of God and the holy congregation, then they dare to be in the private houſes of many that are here preſent.
Our heads are grown ſo tender, that even boyes muſt be covered at Church; In prayer our knees are too ſtiffe to bend; we grow drouſie in hearing; the very face of Religion hath loſt the complexion that it had, when knowledge was yet but coming out, as if we would revive that Romiſh fancy, that ignorance is the mother of devotion.
In civil converſation how is righteouſneſſe turned into a cry? the words once paſt, of our forefathers, though ignorant, were faſter tyes then bonds, recognizances, ſtatutes, oaths now are: It was once the imputation of one Nation, as Tully chargeth the Greeks, Da mihi manuum teſtimonium; It was once Romes ſhame, omnia Romae venalia: Templa, ſacerdotes altaria. It was once the Grecians infamy,
foreign.Titus 1.12.
There have been many National ſins which one Country hath upbraided another withal.
But how is it that ſince the light of the Goſpel in our Land, we have made prize of the ſins of all Nations, and made them free Deniſons amongſt us? Schiſme in the Church, corruption of juſtice, bribes, gluttony, drunkenneſſe, contention, pride, outlandiſh manners, oppreſſion, that Tyrus and Sidon will appeare more innocent then Chorazin and Bethſaida: and Sodom and Gomorra are like to make a better reckoning in the day of audit then Capernaum.
Therfore try your wayes, and make your paths even and ſtrait, before he come qui juſtitias judicabit. If your righteouſneſſe be not right, the light that in them is darkneſſe, and then quantae tenebrae? how great is that darkneſſe?
2. When you have examined your righteouſneſſe,Caution. 2. and finde it to be a ſincere reddition of due to God and man, take heed that you truſt not in it.
When Jacob came to a new Covenant with Laban for wages, he ſaid to him, do this,
So ſhall my righteouſneſſe anſwer for me in time to come, Gen. 30.33.for my hire before thy face.
Our upright dealing with men may juſtifie us to face of man; but our righteouſneſſe in the court of heaven is a poor plea; let no man reteine it for an Advocate to anſwer there for him, it will be ſpeechleſſe in that preſence.
So much of it as is ours is foul, and immerent, deſerving no favour at the hand of God.
We have two things to do.
1. A debt to pay to God.
2. A Kingdom to be purchaſed in heaven.
We are broken for the debt; our righteouſneſſe cometh nothing near the clearing of the debt; and can we hope of doing any thing toward the purchaſe?
Nature it ſelf cannot wiſh them more unhappy then they are, that truſt in their own righteouſneſſe; for the reed they lean upon will firſt wound them, and then break under them.
3. Yet let it go for a caution too,Caution. 3. do not ſo under value thy righteouſneſſe, as to think there is neither need nor uſe of it, becauſe it meriteth nothing at the hands of God; for God is gracious to accept from us that which deſerveth no ſuch good liking from him.
Thus he accepted the humiliation of Ahab, and he rewarded it; thus he accepted the repentance of Niniveh: and the thiefe upon the croſſe that confeſſed Chriſt, and ſhortly after died, received a promiſe to be with Chriſt in Paradiſe.
Chriſt ſpeaketh comfortably; Him that cometh to me, I will in no wiſe caſt out.Joh 6.37.
Righteouſneſſe is the way to him:
This is the ſong and Jubilation of the Church, We have a ſtrong City,Iſa. 26. i. Verſ. 2. ſalvation will God appoint for wals and bulwarks.
Open ye the gates that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.
For God keepeth a book of remembrance,Mal. 3.16. ſuch as Malacy ſaith, A book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name; for the Lord loveth the righteous; Pſ. 58.11.and verily there is a reward for the righteous.
Yea beloved, I dare go ſo farre, and I am ſure that I tread on ground that will carry me through, it is not faith, it is ſin, it is preſumption to truſt in the righteouſneſſe of Jeſus Chriſt onelyonly, without a care and conſcience, and practiſe of righteouſneſſe in our ſelves.
For Chriſt redeemeth us, not to idleneſſe, but to work out our ſalvation, we are delivered from the hands of our enemies, ut ſerviamus ei; that we might ſerve him; redemption doth not deſtroy, but renew our creation; and we were created to good works, and we are called to holineſſe.
Let no man think that Chriſt needeth the help of our righteouſneſſe to ſatisfie his Father; but we do need our righteouſneſſe to declare our faith in Chriſt, and to make application of the righteouſneſſe of God to our ſelves.
Though the full ſtrength of Scripture be bent againſt merit of righteouſneſſe, there is no ground there for idleneſſe to ſtand upon; we muſt not caſt all upon Chriſt, and make him who came to redeeme us from the puniſhment of our evil works, a redeemer of us from the neceſſity of good works:
Our very union with him is enough to neceſſitate operative; righteouſnes for he ſaith, My Father worketh as yet, & ego operor, and I work; and it is his word, thus muſt we fulfil all righteouſnes.
Therefore that Chriſt may ſee he paid the debt for ſuch as would have paid it if they could, and did their beſt to pay all, let us not neglect our own righteouſneſſe in our queſt of ſalvation; but being only by Jeſus Chriſt delivered from the hands of our enemies, let us ſerve him in righteouſneſſe and holyneſſe before him all the days of our life.
Let it go alſo for a caution;4. Caution. that ſeeing the neceſſity of righteouſneſſe, we do look well to the integrity thereof, as the Apoſtle admoniſheth us in his teſtimony of the Corinthians,
That in every thing ye are enriched by him, 1 Cor. 1.5, 7.ſo that ye come behind in nogiſt.
It is noted of the Saints of God in glory that they do weare long white robs; theſe be the garments of righteouſneſſe: there is our ſicut in Coelo, we muſt not wear our righteouſneſſe like a ſhort garment; it muſt be entire, covering the whole body to the foot, that is the integrity of the whole man. For, whoſoever maketh conſcience of his righteouſneſſe in ſome things, and not in all, is but a hypocrite: that man makes conſcience of nothing at all.
That profeſſor that for his profit will do any thing contrary to the revealed Will of God, or if for pleaſure, or for revenge he will go out of the way of Gods Law, that mans righteouſneſſe is but vain. For St. James ſaith,
Whoſoever ſhall keep the whole Law, and yet faileth in one point, is guilty of all.Jam. 2.10.
Sinne is like leaven, a little of it ſowreth the whole lump of righteouſneſſe.
Knowing the neceſſity of this righteouſneſſe, and the continual uſe of it,5. Caution. and that our whole life is a perpetual warfare here on earth, we muſt know that this righteouſneſſe muſt never be put off or laid aſide all our life long; it muſt not beworne in our colours ad pompam, but in our armour ad pugnam, to the fight.
This righteouſneſſe is not for ſhew, but for ſervice.
There be ſome temptations that take their aime at us, and come forth to aſſault us; there be others that are ſhot at random, and yet may hit us. As he that killed Ahab, directed not his aim at him; ſo a man ſometime by occaſion falleth into temptation. If a man at thoſe times have not his righteouſneſſe to ſeek, but that he wear it as a breſt-plate, it may preſerve him. Had David received two ſuch mortal wounds in the body of his Religion, and fear of God, if he had kept on his righteouſneſſe? Ʋrias wife was not more naked.
Theſe be Sathans advantages, for keeping watch as he doth; no ſooner are we diſarmed, but fulmina mittit. But as Elibu told Job,
If there be a meſſenger with him, an interpreter, Job 33.23.one among a thouſand to ſhew unto man his uprightneſſe:
Then he is gracious unto him, and ſaith, Verſ. 24.Deliver him from going down into the pit, I have found a ranſome.
That is then the uſe of our Miniſtery, to be as Noah was to the world, praecones justitiae, Preachers of righteouſneſſe, to ſhew men which way they ſhall walk uprightly; he that is ſit for this ſervice, muſt have the warrant of a Miniſter, A Meſſenger: and he muſt have the learning of an Interpreter, and ſuch a man is a rate man, one of a thouſand; and his lecture is, Diſcite justitiam moniti.
Loſe no time from it, for only righteouſneſſe hath the bleſſing of this promiſe: juſtus ex fide vivit, the juſt doth live by his faith, ſee what rate you will ſet upon life, ſo much it concerneth you to be righteous.
2. Faith, when the Apoſtle doth come to this point concerning Faith; he ſaith foreign.
Above all things take the ſheild of Faith,Eph. 6 19.
As Solomon ſaith, keep thy heart above all keepings: for indeed there is no Doctrine ſo neceſſary to ſalvation as the Doctrine of Faith.
You remember in the Acts of the Apoſtles, when St. Paul came to Epheſus, and continued there three moneths,Act. 19.8. both diſputing and perſwading the things that concerne the Kingdom of God, but after many oppoſitions,Verſ. 10. yet he abode there two years:
His preaching had ſo put the gods of the Heathen out of countenance, and had ſo advanced the glory of the true God; that Demetrius a ſilverſmith which made ſilver ſhrines for Diana, called the workmen of his trade, together and ſaid; Sirs; Verſ. 25.ye know that by this craft we have our wealth; and
So that our craft is in danger to be ſet at naught.Verſ. 27.
And preſently upon it there was a great cry, Magna. Diana, great is Diana.
Beloved, look well about you, and you ſhall ſee that by faith we have our welfare, we get our being by it, both here and in heaven; therefore let us joyn in the cry, to cry up Faith, Magna eſt fidei Christianorum, great is the faith of Chriſtians.
1. Great is the good that it is,
2. Great is the good that it does.
1. In that it is.
Faith is a certain perſwaſion wrought in the heart of man of the truth of all Gods promiſes; and a confident application of them is made to the beleiver, both which are wrought in the beleiver by the Spirit of God.
1. So it is great in reſpect of the Author of it in us; for it is not foreign, growing of it ſelf. This is a ſeed which the Lord hath ſowen, a plant which Gods own right hand hath planted; for Faith is the gift of God.
2. Great is the Object; for it aimeth at the promiſes of God, which are Yea, and Amen.
3. Great in the Extent, for it ſpreadeth to all the promiſes of God, and all the benefits that do ariſe to us from him as Wiſdom, Righteouſneſſe, Sanctification, Redemption, Salvation.
4. Great in the Operation, becauſe it layeth hand upon all thoſe, and chalengeth a right to them, ſaying, Haec meaſunt, theſe are mine.
5. We may adde alſo this to the excellency of Faith; that it is a mother grace, the root of all other graces; for from Faith they do derive themſelves.
1. Repentance,Act. 15.9. For by Faith God purifieth the heart.
2. Love, For Faith worketh by love.
3. Fear, that feare which is the beginning of Wiſdome; for if we did not beleive the truth of Gods Word and Promiſes, and comminations, we would not ſo much ſtand in awe of God, or fear and diſtruſt our ſelves.
4. Obedience; for knowing that we have no ſubſiſtence in the favour of God, but by Chriſt, that ſwayeth all our obſervance that way, and biddeth us hear him.
And without Faith it is impoſſible to pleaſe God.Heb. 11.6.
2. For that it doth, it is great.
1. No grace of God in us doth more honour to God then our Faith doth; for none but the beleever doth confeſſe God aright: for as the Apoſtle ſaith,
He that beleeveth not God, hath made God a lyar; 1 Joh. 5.10.make that breach in the holy chain or knot of Gods attributes and all fail; for truth is the girdle of them all; ſo make him a lyar, and make him unwiſe, impotent, cruel, profane, all evil.
Abraham ſtrengthened in the Faith, gave glory to God.
2. No grace to us more profitable;Rom. 4.10 for it is not ſaid of any of all the other vertues & graces that we do live by any, by all of them; but only by faith, becauſe faith doth unite us with Chriſt, in whom we are knit to God; for all fulneſſe dwelleth in him, and of his fulneſſe we receive grace and grace.Ioh. 1.16.
And by faith only Chriſt dwelleth in our hearts.Eph 3.17.
By faith we are reconciled to God in Chriſt, whom God hath ſet forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, Rom. 3.25to declare his righteouſneſſe for the remiſſion of ſins that are paſt, through the forbearance of God; by faith we are juſtified. Therefore we conclude that a man is juſtified, by faith without the deeds of the law. Verſ. 28.By faith we are ſanctified. Acts 15.9 Eph. 2.8.For God doth purifie our hearts by faith.
By faith we are ſaved, for by grace ye are ſaved through faith, and that not of your ſelves, it is the gift of God.
Faith bringeth peace of conſcience in the aſſurance of all this.Rom. 5.1. For being juſtified by faith, we have Peace with God through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
By faith we have acceſſe to God into the grace wherein we ſtand, Verſ. 2.and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God.
By faith we glory in tribulations, Verſ. 3.knowing that tribulation worketh patience, patience experience, experience hope, and hope maketh not aſhamed; becauſe the love of God is ſhed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given us.
And thus the Church of the Jews▪ is comforted againſt the oppreſſions of the Chaldaeans by faith.
Laſtly faith is commended to us for a ſhield,Eph 6.16. by which we defend our ſelves againſt the fiery darts of Satan.
Therefore to make the neceſſary doctrine of faith profitable for us, let us conſider,
1. How faith may be gotten.
2. How it may be proved.
3. How it may be preſerved.
4. How it may be uſed.
1. How faith may be gotten.
Herein we muſt needs obſerve two things,
1. The Author.
2. The Means.
1. The Author.
We muſt go to him from whom every good and perfect gift doth proceed, to ſeek faith.
Here I muſt admoniſh you that faith is given without ſeeking at firſt; for it is a free gift, and it is the glory of God; I am found of them that ſought me not.
Do not think that the gift of faith is acquired; that is freely given; but the encreaſe of our faith is acquired by means. I prove it thus.
The ſpirit of God is given in the wombe, it is given to infants; therefore faith is alſo given; for the ſpirit is never unfruitful, and faith is one of the fruits of the ſpirit.
And the Apoſtles ſaid unto the Lord, encreaſe our faith. The grace of God which moveth in the generation of them that fear the Lord, is the ſeed of all vertues, and firſt of faith the mother vertue which iſſueth all the reſt; that is given early. And the gift of faith doth ſo lie hid in the Elect of God, that themſelves know not of it, till God be pleaſed not to put his ſonne into them, but to reveal his Sonne in them.
This magnifieth the free grace of God, and teacheth us to ſay, It is ſo father becauſe thy good pleaſure is ſuch.
And this excludeth all boaſting on our part, ſeeing we have it of meer and free gift. And it aſcribeth the glory of all to God.
2. The means to get faith.
Theſe as I have ſaid do not lay the foundation of faith in us, that is the free gift of God: but theſe means do advance the building, they do help to encreaſe our faith.
I will referre you to one place to declare to you the acquiſition of more faith.
And a certain woman named Lydia,Act. 16.14. a Seller of Purple of the city of Thyatyra, which worſhipped God, heard us, whoſe heart God opened that ſhe attended unto the things that were ſpoken of Paul.
And when ſhe was baptized and her houſhold ſhe beſought us, Verſ. 15.ſaying, if ye have judged me faithful to the Lord, &c.
Obſerve the whole paſſage.
1. Here was a woman living in an honeſt and lawful vocation. She was a ſeller of Purple.
2. Here were ſome beginnings of faith in her; For ſhe worſhipped God.
3. The outward means to increaſe her faith. She heard us.
4. The inward means: The Lord opened her heart, after which followeth.
1. More attention to Paul.
2. Baptiſm.
3. A Deſire to be eſteemed faithful.
4. Hoſpitality: ſhe welcomed her teachers.
So that for the encreaſing of faith ſhe heard the word; and the more ſhe believed, the more attentively ſhe heard, and for confirming of faith ſhe was baptized. Faith cometh by hearing; for how ſhall they believe on him of whom they have not heard? Here let me admoniſh you;
1. But when I ſay by the word with the Apoſtle, I do underſtand, and would be underſtood to ſpeak of the Word, not as it is the voice of a mortal man, nor as it is a dead letter, but as the ſpirit doth ſpeak to us in the Word.
For this the Apoſtle biddeth us, Be ſwift to hear it concerns us much: but that you may ſee that faith is not begotten in us by hearing▪ hearing doth us no good without faith, and we muſt have a grain of faith to ſeaſon our hearing, or elſe our hearing will adde nothing to our faith.
The word preached did not profit them, Hebr. 4.2.not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
So do we ſee ſome at firſt poure water into a Pumpe, to ſet it a work, that it may yield water plenteouſly; for faith poured into our hearing doth make our hearing bring forth more faith.
And ſo in Prayer. Fulgentius ſaith of faith,
Incipit infundi ut incipiat poſci.
A man cannot have faith without asking, neither can he aske it without faith.
2. When I name the word for a means to beget an increaſe of faith, I mean the written word, to exclude all unwritten traditions and all written legends which the tel-tale Church of Rome, hath coyned to gull the ſwallowing credulity of the miſled ignorants; that is, the books of Canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Teſtament, of which the Apoſtle ſaith, They are able to make a man wiſe to ſalvation, and perfect, throughly perfect to every good work.
3. When I name the word a means of faith, I muſt mean the Word underſtood by us; for the Eunuch learns nothing of Iſaiah the Prophet by reading him without underſtanding.
And I wonder that ever the Church of Rome could ſo befool and infatuate the judgements of men, to believe that either hearing a forme of ſervice, or praying in a ſtrange tongue, could carry any validity in them, except they did conceive, or do believe that ſuch hearing and praying have power of incantation.
Therefore there is required
A tranſlation of the word into our natural language, or ſome other that we underſtand, if we underſtand not the original.
And herein I muſt ſtirre you up to a thankful conſideration of their profitable labours, who have taken pains to tranſlate the Bible to Engliſh for the common benefit of you all, that you may read the Scriptures, and exerciſe your ſelves in the ſtudy of them, and examine the doctrines that you hear by them.
Bleſſed be the Lord God of our fathers, who put ſuch a thing as this into the heart of our Kings Majeſty, to ſet this work afoot and to ſee it finiſhed.
Herein alſo I muſt commend unto you the eaſineſſe and perſpicuity of Scripture; for if God had not left the way of ſalvation open, but had ſhut it up in ſuch clouds of obſcurity, that we muſt needs have a guide to light us the way to the lanthorn, why would David have called the Word it ſelfe A Lanthorne to our feet?
Therefore let no man be diſcouraged from his own private ſtudying of Scriptures, for feare of their hardneſſe. It is no better then idleneſſe and ſhuffling to ſay the Scriptures are too deep for me, I will not meddle with them.
Chriſt commandeth, Search the Scriptures: is he not Antichriſt that ſaith, do not, thou ſhalt not ſearch?
I ſay and believe that the Word only read over by us or to us, without the help of any Comment, or Sermon, or Expoſition of it is a Lanthorne, and giveth light to the ſimple.
Much more the Word with good Commentaries and written Expoſitions.
Much more the Word preached by learned and judicious Preachers, which know how to divide the ſame aright; thoſe be called fellow-labourers with God, Angels of God, the ſalt of the earth, the light of the world, and even Saviours of men, and becauſe of their labour in the Word, and overſight of the People, honour, double honour is allowed to them by the Apoſtle Saint Paul.
This point is of great uſe.
1. To us that are Miniſters of the Word; for it layeth a neceſſity upon us, and wo be to us if we preach not the Goſpel.
I am ſure the Apoſtle putteth it home to Timothy;
I charge thee before God and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, 2 Tim. 4.1….who ſhall judge the quick and dead at his appearing and his kingdome:
Preach the word, be inſtant in ſeaſon and out of ſeaſon, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-ſuffering and doctrines.
God hath given and committed to us the Miniſtry of the Word of faith, by which we muſt live; and if we be not found faithful in the diſpenſation thereof, our ſouls ſhall anſwer for the ſins of the People, which are committed by our negligence, and for want of our giving warning.
2. To you it is a provocation of you to be ſwift to hear, to take heed how you heare, to heare with meekneſſe, to hear willingly, to hear attentively, to meditate in the Word that you hear, to ſearch the Scriptures, to believe the word ſpoken, to be obedient to the forme of doctrine delivered, not to deſpiſe him that ſpeaketh in our miniſtry; it is ſaid of Lydia that ſhe heard us.
This was the outward means of her ſaith. This had never done good alone; for he that planteth is nothing, and he that watereth is nothing, but God that giveth the increaſe.
He is nothing, ſaith the Apoſtle, that planteth, that is, the Miniſter of the Word is nothing.
There were two things much amiſſe amongſt the Corinthians at that time.
1. One was. they did too much depend upon their Miniſters, and aſcribe too much to them, wherein he that ſent them had wrong.
2. They were partial in their eſtimation of their Miniſters, ſome affecting and preferring one, ſome another, that it came to a ſchiſme.
To remove which double diſeaſe in the Church, the Apoſtle telleth them, that the Miniſter is not any thing: his meaning is not to diſgrace the Ordinance of God, to defile his own neſt, to diſhonour his own high-calling, but to bring them to true judgment of it, and to let them underſtand that the Miniſtry of men is outward, that God hath no need of it, he can convert and eſtabliſh ſouls without it.
And further, whatſoever the Miniſter doth, it is by the ſuggeſtion and help and efficacy of the Holy Ghoſt.
The purpoſe of the Apoſtle is to withdraw us from dependance on outward means, he doth not ſeek to diſcourage the uſe or to diſparage the honour of them, or to queſtion their neceſſity: but to ſhew that as planting and watering of a tree are to the bearing of fruit, ſo is our preaching to your good life: except God do give the encreaſe, the means in it ſelfe is not any thing.
Therefore let us ſearch deeper for the power of God in the increaſe of our faith, and we ſhall find it a ſpecial work of the Holy Ghoſt:2 Cor. 4.31. and ſo Saint Paul ſpeaking of the ſpirit of faith, doth give us to underſtand, that faith is wrought in us by that Spirit of God which bloweth where he liſteth.
So it is ſaid of Lydia, that the Lord opened her heart.
The manner of the operation of this Spirit in the work of faith, in thus.
1. It worketh upon the ſupreme part of the ſoul, that is, the underſtanding.
2. VponUpon the inferior part, that is, the Will and affections.
1. Upon the underſtanding, and there it openeth to us three things.
1. The Excellency of our Creation.
2. The miſery of our fall.
3. The remedy thereof.
1. The Excellency of our Creation.
For man was made in the image of the Trinity, that is in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, he had Free-will to have continued that happy eſtate, and he had the tree of life whereof he might have eaten and have lived for ever in the ſtate of his creation.
It is neceſſary that we be inſtructed in the ſtory of mans creation that we may underſtand the power, wiſdome, and goodneſs of God ſhewed in man, who out of ſo baſe a matter, compoſed ſo excellent a frame as this of mans body, and inſpired it with a reaſonable ſoule, endowing it with heavenly light, and giving to man the lordſhip of the works of his hands, leaving it in his own free-will to perpetuate the tenure of his happineſſe.
This is called mans ſtate of innocency, wherein
1. His knowledge
2. His holineſſe
was full and perfect.
1. His knowledge was full
1. Of God.
2. Of himſelf.
2. Of the creatures.
1. Of God; knowing him ſo farre forth as a fraile creature was capable of the knowledge of an infinite nature; and therein man was no whit inferiour to the Angels of God;Coloſſ. 3.10. for God created men and Angels in his own image, and this knowledge is the image of God; ſo ſaith the Apoſtle,
Created in knowledge after the image of him which created him.
2 Of himſelf; for he was then ſenſible of all that God had done for him, and I cannot doubt but that light which God ſet up in this excellent creature, did ſhew him the foreign of himſelf, ſo that he knew the ſecret of his own compoſition, the admirable faculties of the intellectual & animal part the Symmetrie, the Anatomy, the uſe of every part of the body, the end & uſe of his creation.
3. Of the creatures; for as all the creatures were brought before him to declare to him his dominion over them, ſo for more expreſſure of his lordſhip, he gave to every creature a name; ſurely the light of his underſtanding penetrating ſo deep as to the ſecret nature of all things ſublunary, as alſo well read in the great volume of the celeſtial bodies, and furniſhed with all ſcience whereby either the content of the minde, the honour of his high place, being lord of all, or the uſe of his life, or the glory of his Maker, might be maintained or procured.
Such was man in the ſtate of innocency in reſpect of his knowledge; and though his fall eclipſed that light very much, and much of that particular knowledge which Adam had, periſhed in him; yet ſure that which remained after the fall, which was the ſtock wherewith he ſet up in the world, did give the firſt rules, and lay down the grounds of all arts and ſciences, which being perfected by obſervation, ſtudy and experience in the long life of the fathers, deſcended upon ſucceeding times, like rivers which gather in ſome brooks to mend their ſtreame as they haſten to the ſea, and ſo improve their ſtrength in current, and dilate their banks.
Much of this maketh much againſt man; for in this exellencie of his knowledge extending it ſelf ſo to the creature, no doubt but he knew the Angels alſo, and knew of their fall. I cannot ſuppoſe that ſo excellent a creature as man bearing the image of God that made him, and of the Angels that ſtood and kept their firſt eſtate, could be ignorant, or that God would conceale from him ſuch an example of weakneſſe in ſo excellent a creature, of juſtice in him.
I cannot ſuppoſe but that he knew into what condition the fall of Angels had dejected them, and how farre their ſinne had corrupted them; he could not but know them, hating of, and hateful to God, and therefore no friend to man.
He might have ſuſpected the forbidden fruit to have had ſome poyſonous quality, when God ſaid, quâ die comederis morte morieris; but he knew by that full knowledge that he had of the creatures, that it was good and wholſome for meat.
But the more we honour God in the perfection of his creation, the more we diſhonour man in the precipitation of his fall; ſurely he ſtumbled not, he fell not for want of light, he fell in the day, as it will after follow.
But much of this knowledge ſurvived his innocency, and no doubt but the Angels that fell had and have much more knowledge then men now have.
2. His holineſſe was alſo compleat; for that Maker is not author imperfecti operis, of an imperfect work; he did nothing but it was bonum valde, very good; ſurely I doubt not to affirme that there was as full and as great perfection of holineſſe and righteouſneſſe in Adam in the ſtate of his innocencie as was in Jeſus Chriſt, for God was well pleaſed in them both.
The difference was this, Adam was a meer creature, and his height of honour was the image of his Maker; but Chriſt was man not united by way of ſimilitude with the image of God, but by way of perſonal union with the nature of the Godhead, ſo that Adams holineſſe was changable, but Chriſts holineſſe was not.
This holineſſe and righteouſneſſe conſiſted in a ſincere purity of the creature within himſelf, and in a totall conformity to the will of God.
The exaltation of Gods favour to him went no higher; ſo high it did go; Adam might have kept him ſo to this day and for ever if he would.
The reaſon of this mutability in the ſtate of man, was, becauſe he was made of earth, which was made of nothing, and therefore could not participate of the immutability of God as it did of his goodneſſe and holineſſe.
Conſidering man thus in his ſtate of innocency, we ſhall finde that all Adams poſterity was then in him, and in his perſon was the whole nature of mankinde; ſo that the whole nature either ſtood or fell in him, and was either in his ſtanding to hold the innocency of creation, or in his fall to loſe the ſame.
By this light we ſee the goodneſſe, and love, and wiſdome of God in the creation of man, and here is the ground laid of his juſtice alſo; for there is no neceſſity laid upon man that he muſt fall; and being thus ſet up, he cannot break but by his own ill husbandry of the talent of grace that is given to him; for what would he have more? God may ſay of this Vine, what could I have done more to it then I did? he may be eternally and unchangably happy if he will.
2. The miſery of our fall, and therein
1. How we may know it.
2. What it is.
1. Whow we may know it.
It is properly the work of the Law to declare to man how miſerable he is; ſo ſaith the Apoſtle,Rom. 7.7. I knew not ſin but by the Law; for I had not known luſt, except the Law had ſaid, non concupiſces, Thou ſhalt not covet.
Therefore to work faith in us, the ſpirit of God doth preach the Law to the conſcience, and teacheth us to examine and try our wayes by the Law, not literally as they of old did, whom Chriſt reproveth, but according to the full ſcope of the Law, which aimeth not at the boughs and exuberant branches of ſin, but is an axe laid to the root thereof, and telleth us how miſcrable we are, declaring
2. What this miſery is
1. In the infection.
2, In the wages.
1. In the infection.
Thus the Law declareth us guilty
1. In original ſinne.
2. In ſinnes of omiſſion.
3. In ſinnes of evil motion,
4. In ſinnes of evil affection.
5. In ſinnes of evil action.
1. In original ſin.
The Law declareth Adam a tranſgreſſour, and therein a corrupter, not only of his own perſon, but of the whole nature of mankind; becauſe having Free will to have kept the good eſtate in which he was created, by prevarication of the Law, he fell from the chief good, and thereby infected, and polluted his poſterity, ſo that ever ſince, no clean thing could derive it ſelf from that which is unclean. This ſin hath produced theſe effects in man.
1. The image of God is much blemiſhed in him; for inſteed of that full knowledge which he had, he reteineth only ſome principles, which be called the law of God written in the heart, which do ſerve to make a man without excuſe in the day of his judgment, becauſe he cannot deny but that he knew a Godhead, and knew good and evill in ſome meaſure. Video meliora proboque.
For the inviſible things of God, his eternal power and Godhead are ſeen by the creation of the world,Rom. 1.19. being conſidered in his works.
And that law, Do as thou wouldeſt be done to, ſerveth us to diſtinguiſh between good and evill in many things.
So though there be a totall privation of our light, yet is there a dark cloud overſhadowing us.
For now the naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. 2.14neither can he know them becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned.
Not that we are ſufficient of our ſelves to think any thing as of our ſelves.2 Cor. 3.5
2. And from hence it cometh, that we miſtake our way often, and that is not always the neareſt and beſt way that is the faireſt and broadeſt, and moſt trodden;Pro. 14.12 There is away that ſeemeth good in the eyes of men, but the end thereof is death.
For the wiſdom of the fleſh is enmity to God, Rom. 8.7for it is not ſubject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
2. The image of God in the Will.
1. There followeth a natural inclination rather to evil then to good, and men naturally do beſtow their wits rather to project evil then good; for the minde and conſcience is defiled.Tit. 1.15. Eph. 4.17 For there is naturally a vanity in the underſtanding. So it may be ſaid,
They are wiſe to do evill, but to do well they have no knowledge.Jer. 4.22.
2. In the Will, the image of God is blemiſhed.
For we ſhall find in our ſelves a reluctation againſt God; all the ſervice of God naturally doth bring a wearineſſe upon us, and nothing doth terrify ſo much with fear of difficulty as good works.
This is called Originall ſin; becauſe it runneth in the ſame ſtream with our bloud, and we derive it from our faulty progenitours; which the Apoſtle calleth, The ſin that hangeth ſo fast on; Heb. 12.1. Rom. 7.7Saint Paul calleth it peccatum habitans in me, ſinne dwelling in me,
Corpus peccati. Lex membrorum. Concupiſcentia.
And the whole corruption of man deriveth it ſelf from this head, ſo that we are born by nature children of wrath; for who can draw that which is clean from that which is unclean.
Therefore the Spirit of God working faith in us, doth ſet our eyes upon the quarry out of which we were digged, and pointeth us to this firſt corruption.
1. There is great uſe of this looking back, that we who think our ſelves brave creatures, to whom God hath put ſo many of our fellow witneſſes into ſervice, may know that we are but men; ſo it ſerveth to humble us under the mighty hand of God. It is Auguſtines ſaying, Magna pars humilitatis tuae, eſt notitia tui.
2. I find it alſo urged by the Prophet Iſay,
Hearken to me ye that follow righteouſneſſe, Iſa. 51.1.ye that ſeek the Lord, look to the rock whence you were hewen, and to the pit whence ye are digged.
This, to conſider the ſmall beginnings of the Church; for God called Abraham being one, and from him is the houſe of Iſrael.
3. I find it urged, to remember our unworthineſſe, and to eſtabliſh the Faith of Gods free grace.Ezch 16.3
Thus ſaith the Lord unto Jeruſalem, thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan: thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother was an Hittite &c.
To chide the rebellion of Iſrael, to whom God had ſhewed mercy, being ſo unworthy;
Three good uſes of this point, if theſe vertues do follow.
1. Humility:
2. Thankfulneſſe:
3. Repentance.
This Doctrine of Originall ſin hath found ſome haeretical oppoſition, though the voice of Scripture and Reaſon doth ſpeak out loud and clear for it.
The Pelagians long agoe denied propagation of ſin, and aſcribed all to imitation.
The Romaniſts deny it to be peccatum mortale, a mortal ſinne.
But the Anabaptiſts of our times have revived both the Pelagian, and the Popiſh haereſie.
For in their laſt book printed 1620. they do deny that Infants traduce ſin from their parents, and therefore are not borne in ſinne.
I only admoniſh you, if any ſuch corrupt ſuggeſtions ſhall obtrude themſelves to your judgments, that you wave them as contrary to the expreſſe word of holy Scripture, that you never forget the pit out of which you were digged.
2. Sinnes of omiſſion.
This is another corruption of nature; for our originall imperfection doth ſo incline us to evil, that we are ready to leave the duties undone, which the law of God requireth to be done.
The Spirit of God working faith in us, doth ſhew us that whatſoever holy duty we omit, we tranſgreſſe the Law which in every precept doth bind the conſcience to obedience, and leaveth them guilty before God, who do not thoſe things which the Law commandeth.
Note it, that in the proceſſe of the laſt judgment it is ſaid, non paviſtis me, non amiciviſtis me, non viſitaſtis, ye fed me not, &c. And in the parabolical example of the rich man and Lazarus, it is declared that the rich man went to hell for not feeding Lazarus. Conſider this ye that forget God.
How often have you neglected publike prayers when you have had no juſt occaſion to detaine you? how often have you neglected to heare, to come to the Sacrament? when the Table of the Lord hath been prepared for you, you have turned your back and gone away.
To ſuch the Maſter of the feaſt ſaith, Non ſunt digni, & non guſtabunt coenam meam, they are not worthy, they ſhall not taſte of my ſupper.
God doth offer occaſions every moment to praiſe him, or to pray to him; it is part of mans miſery that he is negligent, and taketh not the benefit of theſe occaſions to ſerve God.
He was adjudged to utter darkneſſe who hid the talent of his maſter in the ground. Take that uprofitable ſervant and caſt him into utter darkneſſe: yet was this but a ſin of omiſſion.
The Law ſaith, Hoc fac & vives, do this and live; and not only they that do Contrarium huic, contrary to this; but they that do not Hoc facere, are prevaricatours of the Law.
To do good, and to diſtribute forget not; he doth not ſay, forbear to do evill, or omit not to do good, but forget not; it is a ſin to forget our duty, more to omit it willingly, but moſt horrible to do the contrary.
3. Sins of evil motion.
Theſe are againſt the tenth Commandement, non concupiſces thou ſhalt not covet; for there is a conception of ſinne, a vegetation, and a putting forth. The Conception of ſin is the firſt motion thereof, the firſt titillation of the ſenſe, as Galaſius,
Quamvis non planè aſſentiamur deſiderio, ſi tamen nos titillat, ſufficit ad nos reos peragendos.
So Chryſost. Aliud eſt concupiſcere, aliud velle.
Saint Bern. doth diſtinguiſh our Cogitations thus.
1. Sunt Cogitationes otioſae, idle thoughts, & ad rem non pertinentes: theſe he calleth Lutum ſimplex, that is, a thinne clay which cleaveth not, yet it coloureth.
2. Sunt Cogitationes violentae & fortius adhaerentes, violent and faſter cleaving thoughts. Theſe he calleth Lutum viſcoſum, a viſcous clay, ſtick-faſt;
3. Sunt Cogitationes faetidae, Filthy thoughts, quae ad luxuriam; invidiam avaritiam &c. pertinet, which belong to luxury, &c. Coelum immundum, foul mud.
The firſt of theſe cogitationes & motus primi, may be either in phantaſie only, ſo they defile not: or in voluntate, in the will; a little infecting that, ſo they break the law.
St. Chryſoſt. Si concupiſcentiae non conſentit voluntas, ſola concupiſcentia non condemnat, if the Will conſenteth not, the Concupiſcence condemns not.
I dare not embrace his judgement Saint Paul found by the law, and he could find it by no law but this of the tenth Commandement that Concupiſcentia eſt peccatum, Concupiſcence is ſin.
This is part of the miſery of our fall from God, we cannot think a good thought of our ſelves.
4. Sins of evil-affection.
The ſpirit doth detect this further miſery, when the conſent of the will, and the bent of deſire doth affect evil; in which kind our Saviour the beſt interpreter of the Law, doth call anger murther, and unchaſt deſires adultery, and deſires of our neighbours goods theft;
Theſe are not only ſins in proventu ex corde, but in corde, as Chriſt ſaith, out of the heart cometh murther, adultery, theft.
5. Sins of evil action.
Theſe are evil praevarications, and actual tranſgreſſions of the law, ſuch as the erecting of another God againſt the true God, worſhipping of idols, Swearing and blaſphemy, Breach of the Sabbath in the firſt table of the law.
Diſobedience to authority, murther, adultery, theft, falſe witneſſe in the ſecond Table.
They that do theſe things have not God in their ways: Haec ſunt quae polluunt hominem, ſaith Jeſus Chriſt.
It is a principal work of the Spirit of God in man, to make him ſenſible of the pollution of ſin: it is a thing natural to fear puniſhment, and to decline it; but the perfect hatred of ſin is in reſpect of the pollution; ſo that if there were no further danger, yet becauſe it fouls my ſoule, and defiles my body, I abhorre it.
This is an high degree of holineſſe.
Saint Paul who had an inward aſſurance, and certain perſwaſion of the ſalvation of his ſoule, as he declareth, repoſita eſt mihi corona. And he knew whom he had truſted; yet how doth he complain!
To will is preſent with me, but I can do, &c. Of ſinners I am chiefe.
But I am carnall, ſold under ſinne, wretched man that I am!
Thoſe ſorrowful bewailings of himſelf, thoſe confeſſions and deplorings of his ſinne, do not proceed from fear of puniſhment: he knew that he was paſt the rod: they proceed from the horrour of the infection of ſinne: it grieved him that he was ſo foul and unclean in the ſight of him that hath ſo pure eyes.
2. This miſery appeareth further in the puniſhment of ſinne, which in the juſtice of God is Ire maledictè. The curſe of God, as it is written.
Curſed is he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them.Deut. 27.26.
To live under the curſe of God, containeth all the croſſes and tribulations of this life, outward, in our bodies, our eſtates, our liberty, our friends: inward, in the ſurges of our own vexations, in the windes of temptation without us, and death it ſelfe.
It containeth alſo the ſecond death, Poenam damni, depriving us of all comfort, and poenam ſenſus, poſſeſſing us of all fulneſſe of woe.
Two things make weight in this woe.
1. That the Judge hath book't the full evidence againſt us; nothing can be either ſuppreſſed or excuſed by us, nothing can be defended.
2. That there is no power in us as of our ſelves to ſatisfie the Juſtice of God; ſo that we are at Saint Pauls paſſe, Quis me liberabit? Who ſhall deliver me?
And herein the law doth us a favour; for it is our Schoolmaſter to bring us to Chriſt, which is the next point which the ſpirit revealeth.
3. The Remedy; wherein conſider,
1. How the law doth ſhew us the remedy.
2. How the Goſpel doth declare it.
1. The Law is our Schoolmaſter.
So ſaith the Apoſtle, Wherefore the law was our Schoolmaſter to Chriſt.Gal. 3.24. In the ſchoole of God there are three formes.
1. Incipientes, beginners, in the loweſt forme, for the moſt part taught by their fellows; ſuch were they before the law, taught by their fellow creatures, reading and learning both the glory of God in the ſpeculation of the works of God, and finding the uſe of their life in the conſtant obedience of the creatures to the Ordinance of God.
2. Proficientes, Proficients, taught by the Uſher of the ſchool, that is Moſes and the Prophets.
3. Perfecti, Perfect, taught by the chief Schoolmaſter, that is, Chriſt.
The Law is our Uſher, and makes us come fit to come into the uppermoſt forme; and that two ways.
1. By repreſenting Chriſt in figures and types, in ſacrifices and ceremonies. This is the Ceremonial.
2. By ſhewing us our miſery, that in our ſelves there is nothing but matter and merit of condemnation: ſo the law is a ſharp ſchoolmaſter, and doth ſeverely correct us. And no man cometh to Chriſt that hath not lived under the rod of the law, and been truly humbled in his ſoule with the conſideration of his ſins, in ſuch meaſure that he deſpaireth of his ſalvation in himſelf, and findeth himſelf in his own ways hateful to God; as Job, Therefore I abhorre my ſelf. This done;
2. The Goſpel revealeth to us the full remedy of our miſery in Chriſt, ſaying,
Ʋnto you is borne a Saviour, which is Chriſt the Lord. God ſent his Sonne made of a woman,Gal. 4.4.5. and made ſubject to the law, that be might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of Sons.
Againſt our ignorance, Chriſt is made our Wiſedom.
Againſt our guiltineſſe, he is made our righteouſneſſe.
Againſt the infection of ſinne, our Sanctification.
Againſt the puniſhment of ſin, our redemption,
The remedy thus ſufficient, Chriſt, God and man, is a perſon able to ſatisfie the law.
And being without ſinne, able to recover us the favour of God.
And being victor of all our enemies, able to open Paradiſe to us.
Thus farre in the work of faith the ſpirit of God worketh upon our underſtanding; and there can be no faith in us except we be rightly informed in theſe three things;
Our excellent Creation; our miſerable Fall, and the comfortable remedy.
2. To ſettle us in the faith, the ſpirit of God muſt alſo work upon our will: that is,Vid. diviſ. ſup.
1. In reſpect of the glorious Creation of man, to move us to three duties;
1. Of thankſgiving to God for it.
2. Of ſorrow for our fall from it.
3. Of holy deſire again to recover it.
2. In reſpect of our miſery, it moveth us,
1. To know it by ſearching and trying our ways.
2. To deplore it with godly ſorow; the effects of which ſorrow are named by the Apoſtle.
1. Carefulneſſe,
2. Clearing our ſelves.2 Cor. 7.11.
3. Indignation,
4. Fear,
5. Deſire.
6. Zeal,
7. Revenge,
3. In reſpect of the Remedy, it moveth us,
1. To know it.
2. Hunger and thirſt after it.
3. To endeavour both all our time, and with all our ſtrength to attain it.
4. To uſe all the means to procure it.
And howſoever we find our ſelves moſt miſerable in our ſelves; yet muſt we not ſo farre undervalue as to think our ſelves unworthy of eternal life.
The Jews are charged that they reſiſted the Holy Ghoſt,Acts 7.51 and would not admit the gracious ſuggeſtions thereof, they would not hear the voice behind them whiſpering in their eare a return from their evil ways.
Paul and Barnabas tels them, It was neceſſary that the Word of God ſhould firſt have been ſpoken to you: Act. 13.46but ſeeing ye put it from you, and judge your ſelves unworthy of life everlasting; Lo we turne to the Gentiles.
But are we not all unworthy of eternal life? Queſt.
True; Anſw. but it is one thing by our evil deeds to give ſentence againſt our ſelves that we are unworthy;
Another thing it is, out of the conſcience of ſinne to confeſſe our ſelves unworthy.
Yet in this Confeſſion and Contrition there is hope, that though in our ſelves we be both unworthy and uncapable of heavenly life, yet having an eye to the remedy of our miſery, we deſpair not in him, becauſe we hold upon ſure and precious promiſes; which are precious.
1. In regard of the promiſer, whoſe power and love doth make him able and willing to perform all good to us.
2. In regard of the motive that moved God to promiſe, expreſt by the Apoſtle to be his own goodneſſe, the good pleaſure of his will ſo free.
3. In regard of the fulneſſe of his favour, For God who is rich in mercy, Eph. 2.4. Ex. 34.6.hath promiſed. Abundant in goodneſſe.
4. In regard of the extent: gaudium quod erit omnipopulo, joy unto all People;Luke 2.10. for this brazen ſerpent is lifted up, that whoſoever looketh thereon may have help.
What then ſhould keep thee from this remedy?
1. Conſider that there is no man in better caſe then thou by nature: for all have ſinned and are deprived of the glory of God.
2. Confider that this remedy is without thy ſelf; if it were of thy ſelf, thou hadſt cauſe to diſtaſte it; but it is the free offer of Gods grace to thee.
3. Conſider that the giver of the Remedy, is the giver of faith alſo, by which the remedy is apprehended and applyed; and if thou do not feel this faith in thy ſelf, do not judge thy ſelf void of it; for there may be and is faith often, where is no feeling thereof.
4. Tarry the Lords leaſure, as before, wait; for the viſion will not lye. How long lay the poore man at the Poole of Betheſda? and though ſtill hindered, yet was he not without hope.
We muſt not part the truth of God and his juſtice and mercy: for the truth of God bindeth both the threatnings of his judgement, and the truth of his mercy.
Thus is the faith of the Elect given and nouriſhed in us.
2. How our faith may be proved.
Becauſe there may be a ſhew and ſeeming of faith, where the true ſubſtance thereof is wanting, the beſt way to try our faith, is by the true touchſtone: for as gold is tried by the touch, ſo faith which is much more precious then gold that periſheth, hath a proper touchſtone to try it;1 Pet. 1.7
1. That is the conſcience of man within; for that doth declare to himſelf his faith.
2. That is good converſation and godly life; for that doth declare our faith to men.
1. A good Conſcience.
For being juſtified by faith we have peace toward God.Rom. 5. This peace a wicked man cannot have; Non eſt pax impio, ſaith God, No peace to the wicked.
Againſt this is a double objection.
1. Many wicked men have quiet hearts and aile nothing, Object. they are not humbled like other men, they are not poured from veſſel to veſſel: therefore their ſent remaineth in them.
The effect of true peace is joy in the Holy Ghoſt.Sol. The wicked mans joy is not ſuch; it is but a flaſh; it is neit… …ound, for when any tryal cometh it faileth; neither is …t … for it periſheth in time; neither is it growing and incre…g, neither is it excuſing.
2. Many of the beſt of Gods ſervants have their minds troubled, and ſuffer great diſtreſſes in their conſcience for ſinne; Object. 2 yea ſuch a winter there is upon their ſouls, that they feel not any life of grace at all in them.
True; but obſerve from whence this ariſeth,Sol. even from the warre of the ſpirit againſt the fleſh, the world, and the devil, in which conflict often times the ſpirit is daunted and diſmayed for a ſeaſon; but there is ever joy in tribulations, and joy ariſing and growing out of ſorrowes; whereas the hearts of them that have not Faith, dye in them.
And this fire is from heaven; the covering of it with oppreſſions doth make it burn ſo much the hotter; and the ſtrring of it up with temptations, doth make it ſhine the clearer; ſo that peace of conſcience is a ſure ſigne of a good Faith.
2. Another touch-ſtone for this gold, this Faith is an evidence of godly converſation, to approve our ſelves to God and man, both by doing all the duties of a godly life, and avoyding the contrary.
This is the only work of Faith in us.
1. The pit whence we draw this water of life, is deep; the bucket by which we fetch it up, is Faith; for whatſoever deſire or ſtrength we have, or endeavour to live godly, it is an extraction drawn by our Faith from Jeſus Chriſt.
I live by Faith in the ſame God.
2. Faith only doth aſſure to us the loving kindneſſe of God; God ſo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten ſon, &c.
Ecce quantam charitatem, what eye ſhall behold this, but the eye of Faith?
3. Faith worketh love, that is, it breedeth a correſpondence between Chriſt and us; for the beleeving ſoul aſſured of Chriſts love to it, doth caſt about within it ſelf, quid rependam? and finding nothing to recompence that love, it ſeeketh how God may be pleaſed, and walketh in that way ſo neer as he can.
So it is ſaid of the faithful, that they walk with God, and they anſwer every temptation to evill, as Joſeph did; How ſhall I do this and ſin aga… …d?
Or if by infi…, …hey fall, they cry God mercy, and they groan and grie… …hin themſelves that they cannot performe better ſervice to God.
Thus we love God,1 Joh. 4.19 Luk. 7 47. becauſe he loved us firſt.
And Chriſt ſaid, Many ſins are forgiven her, quia dilexit multum. This is a fruit of the Holy Ghoſt ſhed abroad in our hearts by faith.
Obſerve it, when faith doth lie concealed in us, that our ſelves cannot diſcern it, yet may we diſcern in our ſelves our love of God, and of ſuch as love God; and this proves Gods love to us; for we could not love him, except he loved us firſt.
4. Faith maketh us ſincere; for it is the notation of our faith, it is called faith unfained, and Chriſt ſaith, Bleſſed be the pure in heart; faith purifieth the heart, as the Apoſtle ſaith.
Theſe are not the generation of them that are pure in their own eyes, of which Solomon ſpake, but the other of which David his father ſpake, Haec eſt generatio quaerentium faciem tuam.
Seeing there cannot be perfectio operis, the perfection of works, God is pleaſed if there be puritas cordis, purity of heart,2 Cor. 1.12. which the Apoſtle calleth Simplicitie, and godly pureneſſe.
And that is known by theſe ſignes.
1. If a man be humbled in true contrition for ſins which he knoweth himſelf guilty of, and hath no peace in his heart till he hath comfort in his conſcience that God hath forgiven them.
2. If he conſider his own weakneſſe ſo farre as to acknowledge that he committeth many ſins that he knoweth not, and prayeth earneſtly, and often with David, à ſecretis meis munda me, cleanſe me from my ſecret ſins.
3. If he finde in his heart a preſent ſtrife of his ſpirit againſt the fleſh, wraſtling with his own corruptions, and not ſuffering ſin to reign in his mortal body, leading him captive to the Law of ſinne.
4. If he finde him watchful to prayer and faſting, and watching, and all exerciſes of mortification, ſtriving to bring his body in ſubjection to the law of God.
5. If he be willing to hide the word of God in his heart, to arme him againſt Satans temptations, as Chriſt did with ſcriptum eſt, it is written.
6. If he finde a deſire of perſeverance therein to the end, which is diſcerned by his ſpiritual growth from grace to grace, bringing forth more fruit even in age, as Chriſt teſtifieth of the Church of Thyatira, more at the laſt then at the firſt,Rev. 2.19. For he that beleeveth in me, out of his belly ſhall flow rivers of the water of life.John 7.38.
Theſe be ſure proofs of ſincere faith, which though it be weak, yet it will gather ſtrength; and being able to fight, will in the end be made able to overcome all our enemies.
3. How faith may be preſerved.
This ſeemeth a needleſſe queſtion, becauſe we have cleare evidence of Scripture, that ſincere faith cannot be loſt.
True; it cannot finally be loſt, it is aſſured to God; but we muſt preſerve it, ſo as that in temptations and afflictions we may not be caſt down with fear that it is loſt.
Neither that we do bear our ſelves too bold upon it ſo farre as to preſume.
Therefore we are bound to the uſe of all thoſe means ordained by God to preſerve faith.
If it be an hypocritical or a temporary Faith, it may be loſt; if it be a true Faith, this is one certain ſign of it.
The ſame means that breede Faith in us, the ſame means do nouriſh it: therefore
If thou ſtandeſt by Faith, be not high minded, but fear.
It is a Tenet of the Church of Rome, Rom. 11.20.and it is now revived of late by the Anabaptiſts in a book of the laſt yeer, that a man may finally fall away from ſaving grace;
And many falſe ſhewes are made out of Scriptures not rightly underſtood, to maintain this hereſie.
I ſay no more, but as the Apoſtle doth,
Let him that thinketh he ſtandeth, take heed leſt he fall.
He that is once aſſured of his ſtanding,1 Cor. 10.11. cannot fall, becauſe the ſame Spirit which witneſſeth to our ſpirits that we are the ſonnes of God, doth alſo teach us all things, and bring all things to our remembrance, which Chriſt hath taught us.
The means are
The Word, the Sacraments, Prayer.
1. The Word; for as we are born anew by the immortal ſeed of the Word, ſo we muſt as new born babes deſire the ſincere milk of the Word, that we may grow thereby.
2. The Sacraments of Baptiſme and the Lords Supper; for theſe alſo ſerve to ſtrengthen Faith.
1. By viſible repreſentations to the ſenſe of the inward graces of Gods ſpirit, that walking here by Faith and not by ſight, we may have ſomething to faſten our eye upon, which may be to us as the brazen ſerpent lifted up.
2. By the vertue of conſignation, becauſe theſe Sacraments are the Seals of Gods Covenant of grace, obliging God the giver to continue his love to us, and reciprocally binding us to return duty and love and obedience to him.
3. By the efficacy of mediation, becauſe they be the means in the Ordinance of God, whereby he doth convey his ſpiritual graces to us, ſo that Baptiſm is called the cover of regeneration, and by Baptiſm Chriſt is put on.
The Supper of Chriſt preſenteth Chriſt to us our ſpiritual food, and therein we do eat and drink his body and blood.
This admoniſheth us to be ſwift to hear, and to neglect no opportunity for the ſame.
To renew our Baptiſm by often repentance, to frequent the Table of the Lord, as the feaſt of our ſouls.
This advanceth our miniſtry of theſe by which this Serpent is lifted up on high, and ſet on a pole for all that deſire health to look upon it.
They that are careleſſe and negligent in theſe things, will ſoon make ſhipwrack of that temporary faith that they ſeem to have; for they that live in the neglect of theſe things, do forſake their own mercy, and declare plainly that their Faith is not ſound and ſincere, but their whole righteouſneſſe is like the morning dew, ſoon dried up.
3. Prayer, 1. for that ſhewes of whom we hold, not of our ſelves, but of God.
2. That bringeth us into Gods acquaintance and familiar converſation whereby we do more perceive Gods love to us and declare our love to God.
4. How Faith muſt be uſed.
The handling of this point draweth in the third word of my text, which is life.
The juſt ſhall live by Faith.
The right uſe of Faith is to live by it, as I have ſhewed in the expoſition of the words.
1. There is uſe of it in the natural life.
2. In the ſpiritual life.
3. For the eternal life.
1. In the natural life; for
1. In proſperity.
2. In adverſity.
there is uſe of it.
1. In proſperity.
1. Faith is a ſhield to bear off all the flattering temptations of the fleſh,Heb. 11.24. the world, the Devil; ſo it is ſaid of Moſes, By Faith Moſes when he was come to yeers, refuſed to be called the ſonne of Pharaohs daughter.
And by Faith Joſeph when he was tempted by his unchaſte miſtris, whoſe offer tendered him all ſenſual delight, refuſed her, and would not ſin againſt God.
2. Faith is the contentment of the righteous in thoſe things that they poſſeſſe; they beleeve them to be the gifts of God, and they are ſatisfied with his allowance; ſo by Faith Daniel was content with his pulſe, and refuſed the Kings meat; they that do beleeve that God knows better then they what is good and ſufficient for them, are content with what they have.
3. Faith is the acknowledgment of all our good from God, for thankſgiving is a work of Faith, and giveth God his due.
4. Faith dependeth upon God for the time to come,Pſal. 16.5. as David ſaith, thou maintaineſt my lot.
I have ſet the Lord alwayes before me,Pſal. 16.8. he is at my right hand, I ſhall not be moved.
Upon which ground the faithful do build things hoped for, and commit their wayes to the Lord.
They caſt all their care upon God, for he careth for them. And ſurely it is for want of Faith that the filii ſaeculi hujus the men of this world do riſe ſo early, and go ſo late to bed, and eate the bread of carefulneſſe, robbing God of his ſervice, and breaking the Sabbath, and often doing wrong to their brother to build up themſelves, it is a ſigne that they dare not truſt God.
A ſtrange inference.
1. For we beought nothing with us into the world.
2. We cannot deny but that whatſoever we have or poſſeſſe in the world, it is the gift of God; for aperiente manum de implet omnia; we have no intereſt in any thing, being born in ſin, the right is in him, the gift from him.
3. We muſt confeſſe that very little will ſerve our neceſſities whileſt we do live in the world.
4. We ſhall carry nothing away with us, and why ſhould we diſcruciate our ſelves with cares for others, ſeeing that is the care of God? our children alſo are his inheritance.
I know and beleeve that our children are under the Covehant and Promiſe of grace, Ero Deus tuus & ſeminis tui. Let us ſtudy to breed them to the love and ſervice of God, let us not waſte unthriftly, what we may ſpare from our own neceſſities, and for the charge of their education; Let us uſe all honeſt and lawfull means to provide for them.
Thus are we diſcharged of our duty, permitte Deo Caetera, leave the reſt to God; Faith now doth all that remains to be done.
By Faith Iſaak bleſſed Jacob,Heb. 11.20, 21. and Eſau concerning things to come.
By Faith Jacob when hee was dying bleſſed both the ſonnes of Joſeph.
2. In adverſity.
Thus it ſerveth to furniſh us with
1. Patience.
2. Hope.
1. With Patience, to bear the preſent diſtreſſe without murmuring at God.
David is a notable and a full example of this Faith. I ſhall ſhew you him in diſtreſſe.
For when the Amalekites had burnt Ziklag, 1 Sam. 30.and had carried away captives all the people therein, and amongſt them Davids two wives, Abinoam, and Abigael,
David was greatly diſtreſt, ſo were all the people.
They lift up their voice and wept, untill they had no more power to weep.
David beſide this ſorrow of his loſſe, and compaſſion of the loſſe of his people, &c. Feared.
For the people ſpeak of ſtoning him, becauſe the ſouls of all the people were greived, every man for his ſons and his daughters.
No remedy againſt all this ſorrow but Faith.1 Sam. 32.6.
But David encouraged himſelf in the Lord his God.2 Chor. 20.
The like example of Jehoſhaphat;
When ſome came and told the King of an army coming againſt him to invade him; inſtead of muſtering his men, ſurveying his armour, ſending out for oxciliaries to reſiſt this armie.
Or inſtead of ſending a meſſenger to treat of peace to divert the enemy, and to prevent war.
Jehoſhaphat lets the enemy come on;Verſ. 3.
Jehoſhaphat feared, and ſet himſelf to ſeek the Lord, and proclaimed a faſt throughout all Juda, he goes to Church and prayes;
O our God wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might againſt this great company that cometh against us; Verſ. 12.neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
In the very diſtreſſe to which this remedy is applied, God hath threatned the Jews with an invaſion by the Chaldeans; he hath declared the enemy inſolent, and violent, what ſhall the Jews do in the miſery? Obſerve,
God takes no care of the wicked, let him ſin, let the Chaldeans do his worſt to him, but The juſt man ſhall live by his Faith.
For he ſhall poſſeſſe his ſoul in patience.
Beloved, we hear of diſtreſſes abroad; if we do but croſſe the water, the ſword is drawen againſt the profeſſours of the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt, and they that have armes put them on to ſave their lives, and ſtand upon their guard.
The bloody Ieſuits cry to the French King of our Religion, Raſe it, Raſe it.
We know not how God may viſit us hereafter, when the light of Iſrael ſhall be quenched; although there go over neitheir men nor mony to relieve the diſtreſſes of our own mothers children, filios eccleſiae, children of the Church; ſuch conſultations are far above us; yet let us pray for them to God, that God would give them Faith to depend upon him: and the juſt amongſt them ſhall live by that Faith.
There is an example nearer kinne to this land, the daughter of great Britaine and her root and branches; for whom many a loyall heart in this Kingdom aketh, in whoſe quarrel the honourable houſe of Parliament have in the name of the Commons offered to unlock all the treaſures, to put on armes, and to adventure the lives of all faithful Patriots in the juſt cauſe of reſtoring them to their rightful inheritance, and all ſuch honours as their juſt claime ſhall challenge. In their diſtreſſe I know no other comfort but my Text. The juſt ſhall live by Faith.
In a word, where theſe three great and crying ſins do raigne, which in this Prophecy are threatned;
That is corruption of converſation, when there is no honeſty nor truth left amongſt men, but that every man ſtudyeth the building of his own houſe, he cares not where he hath the brick and the morter.
Corruption of Religion, that ſchiſme and hereſie do carrie it from peace and truth.
Corruption of juſtice, that honours, places of ſervice in the Common wealth, and juſtice it ſelf are ſold for mony; good men puniſhed, evil men rewarded. Comfort: Juſtus ex fide ſua vivet, the juſt ſhall live by his Faith.
2. Faith furniſheth us with Hope.
That alſo
1. In Proſperity.
2. In Adverſity.
We have hope through Faith that God will continue his loving kindn…ſſe to us, and not take away from us the light of his countenance.
So David; Surely goodneſſe and mercy ſhall follow me all the dayes of my life, Pſal. 23.6▪and I will dwell in the houſe of the Lord for ever.
Obſerve in Davids hope two things.
1. The ground of it, Faith in Gods protection, for that is the part of the whole Pſalme. The Lord is my ſhepheard, he ſhall feed me, he restoreth my ſoul: In the valley of the ſhadow of death thou art with me; Thou prepareſt my table, thou anoynteſt my head with oyle, my cup runneth over.
2. The means by him uſed to continue the aſſurance thereof, even by dwelling in the houſe of God continually; that is by conſecrating his whole life to Gods ſervice and worſhip.
2. In adverſities.
We have hope that either God will ſtrengthen us to bear it, or give iſſue out of it.
This is grounded upon that promiſe of God to his Church. I will not leave thee nor forſake thee,
And if we hope for that we ſee not, Rom. 8.25we do with patience waite for it.
There is no ſuch comfort in the ſorrows and diſtreſſes of life, as reading the holy Scriptures for the ſupport of our hope. For, They are written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Rom. 15.4This hope keeps the heart from breaking; for building upon the truth of God it cannot be ſhaken.
2. How Faith must be uſed in the Spirituall life,
1. For this the Apoſtle doth call it the ſheild of Faith; and it ſerveth for defence againſt the fiery darts of Sathan, to keep off the evil that is yet without us, either in temptation or provocation.
2. It ſerveth alſo to purify our hearts from that evil which we do bear about us in the infection thereof.
3. It ſerveth for a provocation to ſtirre us up, to reſiſt the power of the enemy;1 Pet. 5.8 For ſo Saint Peter ſaith, Though Sathan go about like a roaring lyon, ſeeking whom he may devour, Whom reſiſt ſtedfaſt in the faith.Verſ▪ 9.
4. It ſerveth for victory. This is the victory by which we overcome the world, even our Faith.
5. Many that returne out of the field victorious, yet may bring home ſome dangerous wound that they have received in the battaile; and there is another good uſe of Faith, to cure and heal all the wounds. For our Faith maketh us whole
6. It ſerveth for the effectuating the means.
1. Hearing.
2. Sacraments.
3. Prayer.
3. For our eternall life.
Faith is profitable unto all things which hath the Promiſe of the life preſent, 1 Tim. 4.8and of that which is to come.
The manner how it worketh this aſſurance, is,
1. It aſſureth us that there is a life eternal, for that is an article of Chriſtian Faith, the cloſe and ſweet concluſion of our Creed.
2. It aſſureth us, that we are they who ſhall by the free gift of God, be made heirs of this heavenly Kingdom: repoſita est mihi corona juſtitiae.
3. It applieth all the promiſes of God to thoſe ſeveral graces in us. Thus, I mourne, therefore I ſhall be comforted: I am pure in heart being waſhed in the blood of Chriſt, Therefore I ſhall ſee God: I hunger after righteouſneſſe ergo ſatisfied: I love God; ergo, all things work together for my good: I beleive, ergo, I ſhall be ſaved.
4. It aſſureth our perſeverance to the end in our love and obedience; yea Faith aſſureth our faith to us; For beleiving in the Author, is beleiving in the finiſher of our Faith.
5. It ſtayeth us in expectation of the fruit of our Faith, that though the Viſion do tarry, yet we think it not long to waite for the performance of it.
Having heard of the excellent uſe of Faith, you cannot but obſerve the reaſon why Sathan doth aime all his fiery darts at our Faith, becauſe all our obedience, and righteouſneſſe, and holineſſe, is quickened and ſtrengthened by Faith, without which it is impoſſible to pleaſe God.
There is nothing in a Chriſtian man that ſo much provoketh Sathan againſt him, as his Faith.
For Faith keepeth us from being devoured of this roaring Lyon.
Therefore two aſſault we muſt provide for:
1. Sathans labour to keep us from getting this ſheild of Faith.
2. His ſound care when we have gotten it, to rob and ſpoil us of it.
1. Aſſault.
Sathan knowing that our Faith makes us too ſtrong for him, and quencheth all his fiery darts. doth therefore all he can to keep us from the means by which Faith is increaſed in us.
That is, from hearing the Word and receiving the Sacrament, from meditation, from prayer; and as often as you find your ſelves tempted to neglect theſe, know it to be Sathans malice againſt you to keep you from Faith.
The breſt-plate of righteouſneſſe without a ſheild of Faith, is not ſufficient to keep off the fiery darts of Sathan from wounding us, but Faith quencheth them.
They therefore that live in the love and in the uſe of thoſe means, may comfort themſelves that Sathan ſhall not be able to hinder them from obtaining a comfortable vegetation and growing up in Faith.
2. Aſſault.
And whereas he laboureth to wreſt our Faith from us, we ſhall find that both his cunning and ſtrength will fail him, for ſaving Faith cannot be loſt.
To eſtabliſh our Faith, let us know that imperfect Faith may be a ſound and true Faith; for we cannot attain to perfection in this life, but if we have a good conſcience in all things, willing to live honeſtly,Heb. 13.18 we may have boldneſſe with God. For as Chriſt prayed for Peter that his Faith might not fail; ſo he prayeth for his whole Church, even for all that ſhall beleive in him through his Word,Joh 17.26 that the love wherewith the Father h…th loved him, may be in them, and he in them: Which love will keep us that we fall not off quite from him.
We are not denyed the uſe of riches, honours or lawful pleaſures; theſe be ornaments and comforts of life, but we cannot live by them, they periſh in the uſing of them.
Our obedience and good works are the fruits of Faith, we live by Faith, Faith lives in obedience, for without works Faith is dead: Did we but know the unvaluable price of Faith, we would ſeek it more then all other things, and like the Merchant in the Parable,Mat. 13 44 we would part with all we have to purchaſe Faith. I conclude with St. Bern.
Dicamus fidem vitem, virtutes palmites, Botrum opus, devotionem vinum.
Our vine yarder hath beſtowed much digging and planting, and compoſing, and fenſing upon this Vine, let it put forth, and let the cluſters call it fruitful, and let the Vine pleaſe both God and men.
Now that we have ſearched this gracious mine of comfort, and found the rich vein which maketh us able to live both here and hereafter.
Let me admoniſh you what is objected againſt the Doctrine delivered out of this place.
Ribera a learned Ieſuite, when he cometh to this Text in his full commentary upon this Prophet, ſaith. Incidimus in locum qui eſt lapis offenſionis duabus domibus Iſraelis, hoc est orthodoxis, & haereticis qui receſſerunt à domo David.
It greives the Church of Rome that we have ſo clear a Text in th is Prophet, and that ſo much urged in the Epiſtles of the Apoſtles for our juſtification by Faith alone; and Ribera is much deceived if he mean us under the tittle of haeretiques; for this place is no offence to us: It is the moſt comfortable doctrine that we can embrace, nothing doth more ſet forth the excellency of Faith, nothing doth more aſſure to us our eternal life.
Fain would Ribera have ſhifted off the clear evidence of this place with this illuſion, that the Prophets meaning is this,
The juſt man, that is, the man that deſireth to be juſt, ſhall live the life of grace by the Faith whith he hath in Chriſt Jeſus.
We underſtand that a man is juſtified only by Faith, and that without the Law as the Apoſtle doth alſo teach.
And it were a poor comfort to the Church in their diſtreſſe to tell them, that the juſt man ſhould live by his Faith, except the Lord in that promiſe did aſſure them the comforts, not only of the naturall, but of the ſpirituall and eternal life
Neither would the Apoſtle urge this Text, but with theſe contents. For exexamine the places where theſe words are urged, and it wil appear.
The Apoſtle profeſſeth.Rom. 1.17 I am not aſhamed of the Goſpel of Christ, &c.
For therein is the righteouſneſſe of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, Juſtus ex fide vivet, the juſt ſhall live by his faith.
The Goſpel is ſaid to reveal the righteouſneſſe of God, he cannot mean the eſſential righteouſneſſe by which God is juſtice it ſelf in his divine nature; but he doth underſtand that righteouſneſſe of which the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, who is made unto us wiſdom, Righteouſneſſe, &c. that is, Chriſt our Righteouſneſſe: and this is called the grace of God which bringeth ſalvation
This is revealed now in the cleare light of the Goſpel in real performance, which was before exhibited in viſions and dreams, and types and ceremonies whilſt the veyle was up.
It is revealed from faith to faith.
As Origen and Chryſoſtome truly enough, but not enough fully: Ex ſide veteris teſtimonii in fidem novi; as Ambroſe,
Ex fide Dei promittentis in fidem hominis credentis.
But moſt fully. Ex fide incipiente, in fidem proficientem. For as Clemens ſaith,
Apoſtolus unicam tantum fidem annunciat, quae creſcendo proficit, Till it grow up to be foreign a fulneſſe of faith.Heb. 10.22
And ſo this text is well cited; for the juſt man who is made juſt by faith; doth live in it and by it.
For how can the Goſpel be the power of God to ſalvation, except it revealeth to us the life of ſaith, ſeeing it is ſo only to ſuch as do believe?
This firſt place cleareth the point, that the Apoſtle doth underſtand Gods word in my text ſo, as that the means of life is faith, and faith only: for ſo it is further urged by Saint Paul, who ſaith,
But that no man is juſtified by the works of the law in the ſight of God,Gal. 3.11. is evident; for the juſt ſhall live by faith.
Here theſe words are brought in to prove, that faith only doth juſtifie in the ſight of God; which is thus proved.
Life eternal comes only by faith; therefore righteouſneſſe comes only by faith.
The antecedent is Gods own word in my text.
The conſequence is thus proved, for
Righteouſneſſe is the foundation of life eternall.
They which receive the abundance of grace, Rom. 5.17and of the gift of righteouſneſſe ſhall reign in life.
And in the next verſe it is called Juſtification of life.Verſ. 18.
And this ſequence doth the Apoſtle make in his own comfortable perſwaſion of himſelf,
I have fought a good fight, this is the great fight with Principalities and Powers:1 Tim. 4.8 And I have kept the faith, this is the ſhield which beareth off the fiery darts diſcharged againſt him in this fight: his comfort is,
From henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of righteouſneſſe.
This righteouſneſſe is not of the law, which he hath fulfilled, but the righteouſneſſe of the faith which he hath kept.
It is not the breſt-plate of righteouſneſſe, but it is the ſhield of faith that beareth off all the fiery darts of Satan, and therefore the juſt man doth not live and come out of this battail victorious by righteouſneſſe, but by faith.
This place thus applied by our Apoſtle, is the ground of our Church tenet, againſt which the gates of hell cannot prevaile, namely that ſola fides juſtificat, faith alone doth juſtifie.
That which the Romaniſts do lay to our charge, is, that we exclude good works, and upon that ſlanderous imputation, both Dr. Stapleton, Harding, Bellarmine, Campiane, Biſhop, and indeed generally all Popiſh writers do proclaim us Hereticks, and they will not hear us, ſaying, that the juſtifying faith which we preach, muſt be ſuch as worketh by love.
They like the Phariſee truſt in themſelves that they are perfect; we with the Publican, cry out in faith of Chriſt's ſufficient ſatisfaction, Domine miſerere, Lord have mercy; upon whoſe example Saint Auguſtine ſaith;
Videte fratres, magis placuit humilitas in malis factis, quam ſuperbia in bonis factis.
The cauſe is in ſight; the humility of the one was with faith, the pride of the other was in preſumption: And God reſisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble.
I conclude this point, wherein I have held you long; I know with how much comfort and profit to my ſelf, I hope without your loſſe of time. What man is he that deſireth life, who would live as a man, as a good man, and as an happy man? I anſwer in the words of the Sonne of God; As thou believeſt, ſo ſhall it be unto thee. Or in the Words of the Father of that Son in my text.
The juſt man ſhall live by his faith.