Precious Faith Considered, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Precious Faith confiuered in the fruits and glorious progreſſes of it; and here firſt, of the Divine Sagacities of Faith.
THUS far I have treated of Pretious Faith, in its firſt and loweſt meaſure, as it is the condition of the Goſpel, conſiſting of ſupernatural illumination, a belief of the Divine Teſtimony, and a dependant reſignation to the terms of the Goſpel. Now I come to conſider the fruits and glorious progreſſes of faith. Faith is like Rebecca, the Mother of thouſands. That bleſſing of Abraham, in bleſſing I will bleſs thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thee, falls down upon all the ſeed of believers; their faith is bleſſed with a fair progeny of graces and comforts, only theſe are not born all at once, for though adoption and juſtification immediately enſue upon faith, comforts and ſtatures of graces do not do ſo, but come forth into being gradually, in ſome ſooner, in ſome later, as grace is actuated and as God is pleaſed to diſpenſe them: wherefore what I ſhall lay down touching the fruits of faith, I intend not as univerſally applicable to all believers at the very firſt, and before a progreſs made in grace, juſtification and adoption are found in every believer, nay, and ſome meaſures of ſanctification, but higher degrees of grace and manifeſtations of Divine Love are not ſo; neither do I mean critically to time, when each holy fruit buds forth but only to explain the things themſelves.
And here I ſhall firſt begin with the ſagacities of Faith. There hath been a great ſtir in the world about wiſdom; Philoſophers have hunted after it; the Jews have vainly cried up themſelves, nos ſapientes, we are the wiſe men, ſay they; but in truth the only Sage under the Sun is the believer. Upon Gods own ſurvey it was found, that there is none that underſtandeth, Rom. 3.11. none but the believer only, his knowledge is divine, all Arts and Sciences are but toyes to it, which occaſioned the worthy Pitiſcus to ſay, that he played in Mathematicks with his rule and compaſs, but he ſweat in Divinity; his deſign is the wiſeſt, he ſeeks a crown, a kingdom of glory: the Primitive Chriſtians were wont to talk ſo much of the kingdom, the kingdom, that the Pagan Emperors grew jealous of them; but alaſs, their aims were much higher, in compariſon whereof earthly Monarchs do but play at puſh-pin about Crowns of duſt, and ſpend their time like Domitian in catching flies; the believer leaving the world behind his back, pitches upon heaven, and God, the heaven of heaven, in him to enjoy mirrors of truths, Sabbaths of love, rivers of pleaſures, and plenitudes of joy and bliſs for ever; and what wiſer deſign can enter into mans heart? ſurely none, as the laſt day will demonſtrate, when it ſhall put an eternal bluſh on all other deſigns. And as his end is the wiſeſt, ſo his way to it is the ſureſt, he goes to it by Jeſus Chriſt, whoſe merit as a golden key unlocks the doors of bliſs to the believer, and whoſe ſpirit attires him with all graces to make him fit to enter in, and all this is not a fancy, a fools Paradiſe, but a truth, a real thing, founded on that infallible word, which ſtands faſter then the pillars of heaven and earth. But to unfold the ſagacities of faith more fully, I ſhall conſider them with relation to ſeveral objects.
As to God, the believer ſees the inviſible one, and that after another rate then meer Naturaliſts and Notionaliſts do, he hath more then a bare notion, he hath the myſtery of God in his heart, as the phraſe is, Col. 2.2. he that hath but the meer notion ſees him afar off, and knows not how to ſanctifie ſuch a Majeſty in his heart, no more then Cardinal Perron did, who firſt in an excellent Oration before the French King proved there there was a God, and then being much applauded by the Auditory, offered the next day to prove the contrary, but he that hath the myſtery, ſees him neer at hand, and ſo prepares a room for him in his heart; a fear for his Majeſty, a love for his goodneſs, a faith for his truth and mercy, a joy for his ſalvation, putting each affection into a poſture ſuteable to ſome one or other of his Divine Attributes: he that hath but a notion of Gods Omnipreſence, can ſport with his ſins, as if there were no God in the place, but he that hath the myſtery of it, Abraham-like, walks before God, on to his faces, as the Original is, Gen, 17.1. every where there is a face of God appearing, to deter him from ſin, and excite him to holineſs; he that hath but a notion of Gods grace, hath no favour, no reliſh of the ſweetneſs thereof; which I ſuppoſe makes the converſe of ſome great Scholars as dry and ſapleſs as Cardinal Pools Sermon about the Pall; but he that hath the myſtery of it, taſts how gratious the Lord is, and is raviſhed, as if heaven opened, and ſome drops from the rivers of pleaſure there, were let down upon his heart; he that hath but a notion of Gods juſtice, can ſit in his luſts before the ſparks of his own kindling, and be no more afraid at the threatnings in Scripture, then Jehojakim was at the burning of the roll, Jer. 36.24. one luſt or other conſumes all the roll of Divine threatnings, but he that hath the myſtery of it cannot do ſo; to him hell flames out in every threatning, he trembles at the word, and ſaith, O my ſoul, be not deceived, if thou live after the fleſh, thou wilt dye, if thou ſow unto the fleſh, thou muſt reap corruption. He that hath but a notion of Gods power, can deſpiſe Gods hand in ſmall croſſes, juſt as the proud Greeks, who when Callipolis was loſt, ſaid the Turks had taken but a bottle of wine; but he that hath the myſtery of it dares not do ſo, well knowing that the lighteſt afflictions come from Shaddai, the Almighty, and if need be, he can ſtrike harder; he that hath but a notion of Gods All-ſufficiency, hath his affections ſcattered up and down the earth, as the poor Iſraelites were over Egypt for ſtraw, to gather, if it were poſſible, a happineſs from the flowers of the creature; but he that hath the myſtery of it, knows how by a compendious wiſdom to have all in God; roll over all worlds, the world of thoughts wiſhes and deſires in the heart, the world of riches honours and pleaſures in nature, the world of pardons graces and comforts in Saints, the world of joy glory and beatitudes in heaven; and after all this, the believer can tell you, all theſe are to be found in God, habet omnia, quihabet habentem omnid, after this manner the ſecret of the Lord is with the believer.
As to Jeſus Chriſt, the believer hath the myſtery of him in his heart. A man may have a notion of God manifeſt in the fleſh, but unleſs he have an heart of fleſh, an yielding reſigning heart for God to manifeſt his ſpirit and graces in, that the heart may in ſome meaſure be made anſwerable to the ſpirit and graces in Chriſt, he wants the myſtery of it. St. John, ſpeaking of love, ſaith, which thing is true in him and in you, 1 John 2.8. Why ſo? becauſe, ſaith he, the darkneſs is paſt, and the true light now ſhineth; a man may tell the ſtory of the meekneſs, humility, holineſs, obedience, charity, patience it Chriſt; but if the true light do not ſhine in him by faith, if theſe graces be not true in Chriſt: and in him, he hath not the myſtery thereof; the ſpyes coming back from Canaan, brought not only a bare report of the good Land, but cluſters of grapes alſo; he that hath the myſtery of Chriſt, hath not only a meer notion of the full treaſures of grace in him, but cluſters of graces from thence as ſo many real proofs thereof; the Apoſtle Paul doth notably decipher this ſagacity, that I may know him, and the power of his reſurrection, and the fellowſhip of his ſufferings, being made conformable to his death, Phil 3.10. If a man hath only a notion of Chriſt crucified and Chriſt riſen, we may character him as Eraſmus did the Monaſtery he was in there is nihil Chriſti, nothing of Chriſt cruciſied, where luſts are living and reigning, nothing of Chriſt riſen, where the ſoul is dead in treſpaſſes and ſins; he only knows the fellowſhip of Chriſts ſufferings, who hangs up his earthly members on the croſs to dye and expire; the only knows the power of Chriſts reſurrection, who hath felt the ſame Almighty power which raiſed up Chriſt, quickning his ſoul to a heavenly life: this is the myſtery, the ſo learning of Chriſt, as the expreſſion is, Eph. 4.20. learning him ſo, as to put off the old man with his corrupt luſts, and to put on the new man in true holineſs, and ſo, as to be found in him, and count all droſs and dung for him: It deeply concerns all Chriſtians, nay, the greateſt Clerks to underſtand this (ſo) which without faith no man doth, as being void of Chriſt and his ſpirit.
As to inherent grace, the believer knows it to be an excellent thing, an accident more worth then the ſubſtance of the ſoul it ſelf, and yet withall he knows it to be a creature, and in it ſelf defectible, he knows it to be an excellent thing excellent in its ſupernatural parentage, a thing not born of the will of the fleſh, nor of the will of man, but of God, an holy thing formed by the overſhadowing of the bleſſed ſpirit, a beam of grace from the eternal grace in the heart of God, excellent again as it is the ſouls loſtre, knowledge its glaſs, humility its vail, obedience its golden ear-ring, love the chain of its neck, righteouſneſs its fine linnen, every grace its inward glory and beauty, elevating natural faculties above their own pitch, into a ſtate congruous for communion with God, above all, excellent as it repreſents God himſelf; in every creature there is a print or footſtep of God, but in grace there is his very image and reſemblance. a believer can ſee more of God in an holy beam, then in the great Sun, in a little of heaven, then in all the earth, intal poor meek ſpirit, then in all the Nimrods and mighty Potentates of the world; and yet after all this, the believer ſees grace to be but a creature, and in it ſelf defectible without a ſpiritual concourſe from heaven, ſhould God bid him ſtand alone, he would be in an agony, and pray as) Annas Burgus did at his Martyrdome, Deus mi, ne me derelinquas, ne ego te derelinquam, my God, forſake me not, leſt I forſake thee. Should God offer him all the Angels in heaven to guard his little ſpark of grace in being, he would tremble and ſay, not ſo Lord, let me be kept by thine Almighty power unto ſalvation, that is the only keeper I deſire; he dares not ſay, my mountain is ſtrong, now I am full, now I am rich, now I reign as a King by my ſelf; were he full of grace, it would be but as a room is of light, no ſooner could he ſhut the windows, and poſſeſs it in a ſelfſubſiſtence, but he would be in the dark, and experiment every beam to hang upon the Sun of righteouſneſs; were he rich in grace, it would be but as a Merchant is in his trade, if the rich returns from heaven ſhould fail, he would ſoon ſpend all his ſtock, and like a ſon of Adam, turn bankrupt; were he a ſpiritual King ruling over his luſts, he would and muſt confeſs himſelf under the kingdom of Chriſt, and to hold all his power from thence, or elſe Mene, Mene, his kingdom is numbred, and divided among luſts and devils. St. Paul ſaith, I live, but immediately he calls it back again, yet not I, but Chriſt liveth in me, Gal. 2.20. well knowing that all his grace had its being from the true Immanuel, Jeſus Chriſt, and its continuance from the continual influxes of his ſpirit, which are in a ſober ſenſe a kind of Immanuel, God with us, ſtrengthening graces where they are weak, quickning where they are dead, upholding where they are falling, and by an inceſſant ſpiration influencing Being into them, that they may not vaniſh into nothing.
As to the oppoſite, ſin, the believer ſees more of the ſinfulneſs of ſin, and yet more of the holy God about it then others do. He ſees more of the ſinfulneſs of ſin then others. Next to Chriſt, who weighed ſin upon the croſs, he of all men knows beſt how to weigh it; the natural man may put in the breach of the Law into the ſcale, but he puts in all the bloody aggravations, the ſuffocated light, and abuſed love, the quenchings of the ſpirit, and the rejections of Chriſt, the broken vows and lying promiſes of obedience, the ſtabs of conſcience, and warning pieces of wrath, the meaſures of delight and obſtinacy in ſin, and the heaps of guilt in reiterated ſinning, no man makes ſin ſo ſinful as he; the pure light of faith being up in the heart, every ſcarlet thread in the contexture thereof becomes viſible; and yet after all this, the believer ſees more of the holy God about it then others do, and that whether he look on the ſins of others, or his own. As to other mens, we have many examples in Scripture; the meſſengers that came to Job, ſpake of the Sabeans and Chaldeans oppreſſion, but the Lord hath taken away, ſaith holy Job, Job 1.21. when Shimei curſed David, Abiſhai looks no further then Shimei, why ſhould this dead dog curſe my Lord the King? ſaith he, but what ſaith heavenly David, the Lord hath ſaid unto him, curſe David, 2 Sam. 16.9, 10. In the crucifying of Chriſt, carnal men looked only at the inſtruments, ſuch as Pilate and the Jews were, but the Saints ſaw Gods hand and Gods counſel in it, Acts 4.28. As to his own ſins, there is a famous inſtance in the Churches complaint, O Lord, why haſt thou made us to err from thy wayes? and hardned our heart from thy fear? Iſa. 63.17. What? were they not ſenſible that the error and hardneſs were their own? yes doubtleſs, they were more ſenſible then others, as appears by their mourning and longing for the Lords return, yet they cry out, why haſt thou made us to err? and why haſt thou hardned us? the believer when he looks upon providence and ſin, hath a ſpiritual ſagacity to determine the matter. God is holy, while man is unclean; God wiſe, while man fooliſh; God merciful, while man cruel: the light is Gods, and the darkneſs mans; the order Gods, and the ataxy mans; the juſtice Gods, and the unrighteouſneſs mans. As to Satan, the believer knows him by the word more truly then all the Magitians in the world; when Satan ſhews himſelf in Magical apparitions, he doth but mock the ſenſe and delude the mind, but when God ſhews him forth in the word, he appears in his proper colours and true likeneſs; the believer knows him to be of very great power, a ruler of darkneſs, a Prince, nay a God of this world, one that can do great things without in the elements, and within in the paſſions, a mighty Leviathan, who can make the heart boil as a pot and foam out its own ſhame, and withall he knows that this roaring Lyon is in a chain, and cannot go beyond his commiſſion. Again, the believer knows him to be an old ſerpent full of methods and deviſes, turning every ſtone, waiting upon every occaſion, complying with every temper, and putting on every ſhape; in his temptations, now in the dreſs and pomp of earthly things, and then in Samuels Mantle, transforming himſelf into an Angel of light; ſometimes carrying men up into the mountain of the world, and glorifying vanity before them; and ſometimes ſetting them on a pinacle of the Temple, to caſt them down by the pride of their own duties; now ſpeaking in the Language of Nature, Maſter ſpare thy ſelf, and anon in the Language of Scripture, it is written thus and thus, and all that he may devour, or, as it is in the Original, drink up, 1 Pet. 5.8. ſouls, as if he lived upon ſpirits, and no blood would ſerve him but that of ſouls: And withall the believer knows, that the Allwiſe God can wrap up Satan in his own nets, and countermine him in every plot, he can awaken us out of the ſnare, and make us ſee the methods and ſubtile poſtures of the devil, how he would charm us into preſumption, or roar us into deſpair; how he ſtands at our right hand in holy duties, and at our left in earthly employments; what a murderer he is in ſtifling holy motions, and what a lyar in his falſe joyes and promiſes: Thus the believer knows more of Satan and his helliſh depths then others do.
As to things paſt, the believer hath a holy ſagacity to make a good improvement of them, which is moſt evident in his appropriating Scripture-hiſtories to himſelf, in ſuch or ſuch a ſtate (ſaith he) God dealt ſo or ſo in a way of mercy or juſtice, and if I come into that ſtate, I ſhall have the ſame meaſure, becauſe God is ever the ſame, and his mercy and juſtice have the ſame aſpects towards men as heretofore; the believer appropriates good ſtates and good conſequents: ſee in what way the goodneſs of God followed ſuch a man, in the very ſame way will it be with me, ſaith faith; if I can ſtrive and wreſtle with God in prayer, I am in Jacobs ſtate, and ſhall be a prince with God; the effectual fervent prayer. of the righteous man availeth much, James 5.16. if I am in Joſhuaes ſtate, fighting againſt luſts the true Canaanites, God will never never leave me nor forſake me, that was a particular promiſe made to Joſhua, yet is by the Apoſtle accommodated to believers, as being in his ſtate, Heb. 13.5. If a man ſuffer for the true God and his worſhip, he is in the fiery furnace, and the ſon of God is with him to comfort and ſupport him, if he have a good conſcience made ſo by the blood and ſpirit of Chriſt, he is in the Ark, and ſhall never drown in the common perdition, 1 Pet. 3.20, 21. there is a cloud of witneſſes, in which faith obſerves righteouſneſs going before, and mercy following after. Again, the believer appropriates bad ſtates and bad conſequents, ſee in what way Gods wrath brake out againſt ſuch a man, in the ſame way will it break out againſt me, ſaith faith; if I am murmuring and unbelieving, I am in the Iſraelites ſtate, and without repentance I ſhall dye in the wilderneſs and never enter into reſt; if I wallow in the mire of groſs and ſenſual ſins, I am in Sodome and Egypt, and may expect their line of plagues and eternal fire: if I love the wages of righteouſneſs, I am in Balaams way, and may look for his end; if I ſleep in my indulged luſt, I am in Delilahs lap, and like to loſe my own ſtrength and Gods preſence; theſe are our types or figures, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, 1 Cor. 10.6. in which we have a lively image and pourtraiture of puniſhments for ſin, and from thence may by faith divine, that if ſuch ſins goes before, ſuch wrath will follow after.
As to the preſent world, which is checkered with good and evil things, and hath in it, as the Ark had of old, a rod and a pot of Manna, the believer hath a greater ſagacity then others. As to the good things of the world, no man ſees ſo much of their excellency, and withall no man ſees ſo much of their vanity as the believer doth; take the world in its own place and ſtation, and thus it is a rare monument of the eternal power and Godhead, the inviſible ſpirit renders himſelf viſible, and as it were palpable in it, every being in nature ſhews forth the Being of Beings, every beam of light points to the Father of lights, every drop of goodneſs leads to the great Ocean, every harmony among the creatures tells of an infinite Artificer: this is the ſenſe of the creation, which faith underſtands better then learning. Philoſophers and great Naturaliſts may ſee more of the creature then the believer, but the believer ſees more of God in it then they; they gaze moſt on the fine letters and characters in nature, but he beſt knows the ſenſe of all, which is God. On the other ſide, take the world into the heart, and there exalt it as the ſupream good of man, and thus it is a lye, a fancy, a dream, a ſhadow, my, a very nothing; after all its goodly promiſes, it is but a lye; after all its ſpreading pomp and glory, it is but much fancy, it caſts men into dreams and appearances of happineſs in this and that creature, but as ſoon as faith awakens them, it is known to be but a dream, the day breaking in the heart, all the ſhadows flee away, it looks like ſomewhat of ſubſtance, but it is as all other Idols are, a meer nothing, nothing to make a God of, nothing as ſeparate from its Creator, juſt as letters without ſenſe, and beams without a Sun, perfect vanity, which (as a Learned man hath it) is in its true Idea made up of nothing as the matter, and a lye as the form thereof. A carnal man gazes upon riches, and forgets the thorn; clothes himſelf with the creature, and forgets the moth; drinks of the cup of pleaſures, as if there were no poiſon in it, and ſits under the gourd of worldly things as if there were no worm at the root; but the believer ſees a vanity in the faireſt proſpects of the world, before the ruſt appears viſibly in the gold, faith ſees it there; before the great Dooms-day daſhes down the world actually, faith doth it mentally, making it as inconſiderable a nothing to mans happineſs, as it will ſenſibly appear at laſt, when the whole ſhall be wrapt up in a winding-ſheet of flames. Again, though the carnal man dote more on creature-comforts then the believer, yet the believer pries more curiouſly about them then he; the carnal man is all for the bulk, but the believer not ſo much for that, ſearches into the title, he would very fain have what he hath in Jeſus Chriſt, and in the good will of God. Since ſin blaſted and forfeited the world, he dares not claim any thing upon meer creation, but all in and through Chriſt and free-grace, all are yours, and you are Chriſts, and Chriſt is Gods, 1 Cor. 3.22. there's his title; the carnal man looks on the world as a mountain of prey, and ſcrambles for as much of it as he can, but the believer would have every grain come through Joſephs hands, and all his bread and wine ſet forth by the true Melchiſedeck, the King of righteouſneſs; nay, ſuch is his holy curioſity, that he is jealous of the leaſt adherent guilt, which others never mind; the oppreſſing Merchant boaſts and ſmooths up himſelf, yet I am become rich, I have found me out ſubſtance, in all my labours there is no iniquity, Hoſ. 12.7, 8. but let faith come in, and then the ſtone cryes out of the wall, and the ruſt of the gold and ſilver witneſſes againſt him. There were in Saxony (as Thuanus relates) two ſordid inhumane wretches, who for filthy lucre ingroſſed a great quantity of corn, and afterwards opening their barn-doors to tranſport it, the corn flew up into their eyes, driving them into horrid aſtoniſhment and deſperation: ſhould the believer oppreſs, it would flye in the face of conſcience, and the curſe of God would ſeize upon him; upon which account he is very curious about his eſtate, to keep the moth of guilt from it. As to the evil things of the world, ſuch as croſſes and afflictions, whileſt others pore only on the outward evil lying before the ſenſes, the believer looks upward to God the ſupream Moderator, being richly content with croſſes, as long as God governs the world. A ſtory there is of a godly but ſickly woman, who when an Angel came to her from God, proffering her as from him health in one hand, and ſickneſs in the other, fell a weeping, that God ſhould put her to her choice, and not himſelf chuſe for her; ſuch is the genius of faith, which would not chuſe for it ſelf, but refer all to God, kiſſing every croſs as a piece of his government who rules the world. Again, the believer looks inward to ſin, as the black fountain from whence all miſeries iſſue forth in the world, well knowing that all Phyſical evils are but the pay of Moral; whileſt others cry out of the plagues, he complains of the ſins: Pharaoh cries out perii, but David peccavi, Againſt thee, thee only have I ſinned, Pſal. 51.4. and there is great reaſon for it, becauſe ſin is the fontal evil, which powres out all other evils, and puts a deſperate ſting and venom into them. Moreover, the believer looks forward to the iſſue of affliction, 'tis enough to others to come out of it, but he would come out of it as the Iſraelites did out of Egypt, with ſpinitual jewels and earrings; whileſt they tell over their outward loſſes, he computes his inward gains. Oh! ſaith he, what hath God wrought by this croſs? did not faith roll out as pure gold out of a furnace? hath not the fire diſſolved ſome bands of corruption? how much of the ruſty world hath been filed off from the heart? hath not the rod it ſelf budded and bloſſomed with the peaceable fruits of righteouſneſs? what experiments have been made of the love and faithfulneſs of God in the affliction? which of the Promiſes came in to me, and milked out its comforts in my heart? how warm were the heavenly affections within, when the froſt lay upon outward comforts? ſuch enquiries as theſe doth the believer make after the holy fruit of afflictions.
As to things future and diſtant, the believer hath a notable ſagacity; the men of this world are wrapt up in the vail of time, and ſee not ſo far as futurity and eternity; but as ſoon as faith comes, it rents off the vail, and gives a fair proſpect into another world: if all the intermediate moments between this and the laſt day were cut off, dooms-day were actually upon us, faith can in a ſpiritual way put back all the middle time, and makes us ſee things as they will be, the heavens on fire, the elements melting with fervent heat, the laſt trumpet ſounding, the dead riſing out of the duſt and gathering to the grand Tribunal, faith is the preſentiality of all theſe. Job looks through the worms and duſt upon a reſurrection, my Redeemer liveth, ſaith he, Job 19.25. though I dye, my Redeemer liveth, and will fetch me up again; if there were an Engine made which could pull away all the intermediate bodies between us and the heaven of heavens, we might look into Paradiſe; faith doth the ſame thing ſpiritually, it puts by the world and time, and lies at the door of heaven and eternity. Thus the Apoſtle, we look not at the things temporal, but at the eternal, 2 Cor. 4.18. he puts by all temporal things, which as the lower heavens hold back the face of Gods throne, and ſo he looks into eternity. There is a ſtory of an Oxford Monk, who by his skill in Magick conveyed himſelf into the Northern Regions, and there took a view of the Pole: the believer by the art of faith doth much more, in conveying himſelf out of this world, and taking a view of eternity; in the promiſes he ſees heaven opening, and letting down ſome ſparkles of glory; in the threatnings he ſees hell flaming, and ſome of the fire unquenchable breaking out, heaven and hell are no longer notions but ſenſations; in the raptures and joyes of faith he hath been caught up into Paradiſe, and there drunk of the wine of Angels, in convictions and deep humiliations he hath been as it were at Gods barr, and hanging over the bottomleſs pit.
As to ſeeming contradictions, the believer hath a rare dexterity to enucleate them. Touching which I ſhall give ſome inſtances. God commanded Abraham, offer up thy ſon, thine only ſon Iſaac, to offer up a ſon was a ſeeming contradiction to nature, to offer up an Iſaac, a ſon of promiſe, was a ſeeming contradiction to Gods truth, who before had ſaid, in Iſaac ſhall thy ſeed be called, but faith unlocks all theſe difficulties, God is able to raiſe him up from the dead, ſaith Abraham, and from thence he received him in a figure, Heb. 11.19. a parallel to this we may find in all true believers, the children of Abraham; God calls upon them, mortifie the deeds of the body, and ye ſhall live; mortifie and live is a ſeeming contradiction, to offer up our only ones, our wills, our loves, our joys, to be ſlain, looks like a piece of unnaturalneſs; but what ſaith faith? it is no ſuch matter, offer up your only ones, your wills, your loves, your joys, unto God, and you ſhall receive them again from the dead, raiſed up in the incorruption of the new-creature, that which was ſown a natural will, natural love, and natural joy, ſhall be raiſed up a ſpiritual will, ſpiritual love, and ſpiritual joy, your ſouls before dead in ſins, ſhall have the life of God in them, this is the firſt reſurrection; ſuch things as theſe nature laughs at as ſtrange paradoxes, but faith embraces as rare myſteries. Again, Chriſt ſaith, take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is eaſie and my burden is light, Math. 11.29, 30. what is Chriſts yoke but the Commandements? and are theſe portable by any meer man? ſo ſay the Romaniſts from this very place, but the miſtake is ſo groſs that the communis ſenſus of Chriſtians runs againſt it; faith can unriddle it another way, the impoſſibles of the Law, the ſinleſs perfection unattainable by us were fulfilled by Chriſt, the heavy end of the Law, the dreadful curſe unavoidable by us was born by Chriſt, the Covenant of grace is ſatisfied with uprightneſs in the wayes of God, which is eaſie to a renewed man: its true, while there is only the preſſure of a Law without, and nothing but a natural heart of enmity within, the wayes of God are irkſom and tedious, which occaſioned a Divine to ſay, that a man might take a carnal man, tye him to a table, and kill him with praying and preaching; but it is far otherwiſe with the believer, who ſerves God not in the oldneſs of the letter, but in the newneſs of the ſpirit, who hath a Law within anſwering to the Law without, and a ſpirit within prompting the ſame in the heart, which the ſpirit in the command doth outwardly dictate. Prayer is but the breathing of the new-creature, holy deſires its pulſe, holineſs its element, obedience its common walk, alms but the opening of its hands, contemplation but the lifting up of its eyes, all natural and eaſie, becauſe from inward principles of life and grace: My yoke is eaſie, is durus ſermo, an hard ſaying to every man but to the believer, who does all ſweetly and duplicate page duplicate page in the eaſineſs of the new-creature. Moreover, to give another inſtance, work out your ſalvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleaſure, ſaith the Apoſtle, Phil. 2.12, 13. what ſtrange language is here? work, and yet God worketh all, and all of his meer pleaſure; how can theſe things be? if God work all, there ſeems to be no place left for virtue or vice, rewards or puniſhments, becauſe man can do nothing of himſelf. O what ſweats have Learned brains been thrown into, whileſt they have laboured to tune free-grace and free-will into harmony? what craggy thorny Volumes of meer ſpeculation have they put forth de concordiâ liberi arbitrii & gratiae? and after all is done, the believer underſtands it beſt of any man; his life of faith is a plain practical ſolution thereof, for he acts and moves, but under the firſt Agent and Mover; he works, but under the Maſter-workman; he is free, but under the free-making ſpirit; he ſpreads his ſails, and withall looks up for the holy gales; he labours and ſows precious ſeed, and at the ſame time waits for the ſpiritual dews and ſun-beams; he hath graces in him, but layes all under that ſpirit that created them, that that ſpirit may touch upon his charity and draw out his ſoul in alms, and touch upon his devotion, and pour out his ſoul in prayer, and touch upon every grace, and make the ſpices thereof flow out; ſtill he waits for the touches of the ſpirit. Moral virtues, like the fabled cymbal of St. Telian, may ſeem to ring alone by their own ſelf-power and ſelf-confidence, but ſpiritual graces, like Davids harp, muſt be awakened by divine influences; as it was in Chriſt on earth, the Humanity alwayes miniſtred to the Divinity, ſo it is with the believer, ſo far as his faith acts, all his faculties and graccs are but as it were ſo many gardens, aery rooms, and working-houſes for the holy ſpirit to walk, breath, and work its pleaſure in. Hence the believer is ſaid in Scripture to walk in the ſpirit, pray in the ſpirit, live in the ſpirit, doing all under the conduct thereof: after ſome ſuch ſort as this doth the believer work out his ſalvation with fear and trembling, in a way of humility and holy dependance upon God, who worketh to will and to do of his own good pleaſure. We have an eminent inſtance of this in holy David, ſee how he hangs upon God in the 119 Pſal. thou haſt commanded us to keep thy precepts, but O that my wayes were directed to do ſo, ver. 4, 5. I will keep thy ſtatutes, but O forſake me not utterly, ver. 8. with my whole heart have I ſought thee, but O let me not wander from thy commandements, ver. 10. I will run the way of thy commandements, but do thou enlarge my heart, ver. 32. I love thy precepts, but quicken me O Lord according to thy loving kindneſs, ver. 159. I have choſen thy precepts, O let thine hand help me, ver. 173. how working is David, and how depending? how ſweetly do mans obedience and Gods influence accord together? this a believer practically underſtands, and none but he: whileſt others labour to fathome it by ſpeculation, the myſtery is too deep for them, but the believer hath it practically and in experience every day.
As to ſpiritual extractions, the believer is very ſagacious. Chymiſts by racking and torturing of nature, have forced her to a confeſſion of many ſecrets and choice myſteries, which made Paracelſus ſo triumph over Galen, vaunting proudly, that the leaſt hair of his head had more learning then all the Ʋniverſities beſides. The believer is the beſt of Chymiſts, no extractions are like thoſe of faith, he extracts heaven out of earth; could a man extract gold out of baſe metals, it would be but earth out of earth, purer out of groſſer; but the believer extracts heaven out of earth. As Jacob ſaw more then meer Eſau, he ſaw Gods face in Eſaus, ſo the believer ſees more then the meer creature-comfort, he ſees the goodneſs of God in it, which is the ſweetneſs of all. Carnal men are content with the bulk and groſs matter of an earthly bleſſing, but the believer draws out the ſpirits and quinteſcence thereof; that is, the love of God, without which oil and wine and corn, and all other earthly things are but a caput mortuum, a piece of droſs and dead mattor in his eyes; earthly things are tranſient and periſhing in themſelves, but he hath an art to melt them down by charity into a fixed condition, though he cannot ſay, his houſe, yet he can, his charity ſhall continue for ever. Silver and gold will not go in ſpeeie, in the upper world, but he knows how by the poor, which are Chriſts bankers, to return them thither for everlaſting habitations, given in exchange by free-grace.
Again, he extracts good out of evil. Carnal men ſee nothing in affliction but a lump of ſorrow, but the believer knows that there is a bleſſing in it, the ſharpneſs of it may let out his corruption, the ſuddenneſs of it may alarum his ſpiritual watch, the bitterneſs of it may wean him from the breaſt of the creature, the weight of it may try the back of his faith and patience; it is no longer meer trouble, but made out into fans to unchaff him of his vanity, into furnaces to reſine his golden graces, into moulds to caſt him into the image of a meek ſuffering Chriſt, into ſpiritual wings to elevate the ſoul in devotions and heavenly affections towards the everlaſting reſt which is above: much of the love and faithfulneſs; of God is to be ſeen in it, which made Munſter ſick of the peſtilence, to ſhew the ulcers and plague-tokens on his arm ut armillas & precioſas Chriſti gemmas, as the bracelets and rich jewels of Chriſt; ſuch noble extractions can faith make out of ſore afflictions, as if they were the only love-tokens to feal up a ſon of God; according to that old ſaying, Qui excipitur à numero flagellatorum, excipitur à numero ſiliorum.
Again, he extracts ſtrength out of weakneſs. Satans ſhocks and the fluxes of inward corruption may make him weak and ready to periſh, but his faith tells him that the power of God, which can do all things, is perfected in weakneſs, and the weakneſs of man under which he groans, is a capacity for that power to ſhew forth it ſelf in; when our power is gone, there is room for Gods, when there is no might, he increaſeth ſtrength, as it was in Chriſt, the weakneſs, the humane fleſh was anointed with the divinity; ſo it is in the believer, the weakneſs, the humane frailty is anointed with the power of grace; when he is weak in himſelf, then he is ſtrong in God; when weak in the fleſh, then ſtrong in the ſpirit. The Pſalmiſt hath ſome Pſalms upon Machalath, that is, upon inſtruments Muſical, ſay ſome, but upon infirmity, ſay others; the believer is able to glory and make Muſick over his weakneſſes, becauſe his faith can fetch down the power of God upon him, wait on the Lord and he ſhall ſtrengthen thine heart, Pſal. 27.14. as faith goes up, ſo power comes down; hence the believer out of weakneſs is made ſtrong, as the Apoſtle expreſſes it, Heb. 11.34.
Again, he extracts grace out of unworthineſs, well knowing that the way of grace is to move it ſelf into act from our unworthineſs; a notable inſtance whereof we have, Hoſ. 2.13, 14. ſhe went after her lovers, and forgate me, ſaith the Lord, therefore behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderneſs, and ſpeak comfortably unto her; as if he had ſaid, ſhe is idolatrous, therefore behold, I will be gracious. Oh what a ſtupendious therefore is here? deſervedly is it followed with a behold, a note of admiration: So wonderful it is, that ſome Learned men among the Papiſts, not underſtanding how ſuch a connection could poſſibly be, have thought that it referrs not to that which immediately went before, but to ſome precedent words about the beginning of the Chapter; a parallel place to this we have, Iſa. 57.17, 18. he went on frowardly in the way of his heart, I have ſeen his wayes and will heal him. Oh! what ſtrange grace is here? one would have thought he would have ſaid, he went on frowardly, I have ſeen his wayes, and will damn him, but it is, I have ſeen his wayes, and will heal him. Some Jewiſh Commentators gloſs it thus, I have ſeen his repenting wayes and will heal him. I ſuppoſe not underſtanding how grace ſhould immediately follow upon perverſneſs, but the believer knows that this is the method of grace, and therefore by an holy art preſſes for it even from his own unworthineſs, Our Saviour Chriſt calls the Canaanitiſh woman, crying out for mercy, no better then dog, Math. 15.26. a word of reproach, ſuch as the proud Jews put on all the Gentiles, ſuch as made the Saracens revolt from the Emperour Heraclius his army, and ſet up for themſelves, under their Captain Mahomet; but ſee how admirably her faith gathers upon him, and even from that word preſſes for mercy, truth Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their Maſters table, ver. 27. ipſum Dominum in verbis capit, ſhe takes the Lord in his own words, ſaith Ferus, proving her title to the crumbs from her being a dog: Holy David prayes, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great, Pſal. 25.11. a ſtrange argument for pardon, for it is great, ſuch as no malefactor would uſe to an earthly Prince, but the holy man knows that it will paſs with God, who loves to make grace ſuperabound there, where ſin hath abounded.
Again, he extracts hope out of deſpair. When he is ready to faint and ſwoon away in cold fits of ſpiritual deadneſs, faith revives and points him to the fountain of life, which runs over in quickning graces upon the whole Church; and if he ſcruple his acceſs to that fountain, faith tells him, that the Well is open to all comers, whoſoever will may take of the water of life freely, whoſoever hath the bucket of faith may draw out of it; and if he yet reply, true, whoſoever will may do ſo; but oh! I want a will, I want an heart for God and Chriſt and heavenly things, faith is able, if awakened, both to tell him, that theſe are living groans, and withall to drop ſome Scripture cordial into his heart, ſuch as that is Prov. 9. where Chriſt, the wiſdom of God, builds his houſe, the Church, kills his beaſts, mingles his wine, furniſhes his table, that is, provides all heavenly bleſſings, ſends out his virgins, his holy miniſters, and after all invites the ſimple, and him that wanteth underſtanding, to eat, of his bread and drink of his wine, in the Original it is, him that wanteth heart. Oh! if thou ſenſibly wanteſt an heart for ſpiritual things, here thou art particularly called to the Goſpel ſeaſt, where Chriſts fleſh is meat indeed, and his blood wine indeed, able to make thee live for ever.
Again, he extracts joy out of ſorrow. The Apoſtle Paul rejoyced over the godly ſorrow of the Corinthians, becauſe they received no damage in it, 2 Cor. 7.9. when faith looks over all the tears and groans of the believer, it ſaith there is no damage in theſe, theſe tears are bottled in heaven, the holy ſpirit breaths in thoſe groans, he that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious ſeed, ſhall doubtleſs come again with rejoycing, bringing his ſheaves with him, Pſal. 126.6. Oh! ſaith faith, obſerve the word, doubtleſs tears and ſorrows in a godly ſort are a ſure ſign that the harveſt of joy and comfort is nigh at hand, one may ſee the crop in the ſeed ſown. When the Emperor Julian baniſhed Athanaſius, he ſaid, Nubecula eſt, & citò tranſibit, it is but a little cloud, and will ſoon be over; when the night of darkneſs and diſcomfort is upon the ſoul, faith is able to ſay, 'tis but a ſhort night of ſorrow, joyes come in the morning, Pſal. 30.5. and for that morning, I will truſt the ſun of righteouſneſs, O how ſoon can he make it day in the ſoul.
Moreover, he extracts wiſdome out of folly. There is not, there cannot be any thing in all the world ſo fooliſh as ſin, and yet out of this he picks up wiſdom, hereby he comes to know more of his own heart. There is a Mahometan fable, that the heart of Mahomet, being a child, was cut open, and a black grain, called the devils portion, taken out of the midſt thereof. A believers ſins make rents and holes in his heart, and through theſe the inward core and blackneſs thereof becomes viſible. Good Hezekiah by his fall comes to know what was in his heart. Peter denying his Maſter, comes to underſtand the deſperate deceitfulneſs of his own heart, which cheated him againſt his own reſolutions, into ſo horrible an iniquity; every actual ſin is to the believer a ſad Commentary on his inward corruption. Again, hereby he comes to underſtand free-grace better then before, that God ſhould melt as man hardens, heal as man falls and bruiſes himſelf afieſh, drop pardons as man doth ſins, return the holy ſpirit as man grieves it away, lengthen out patience as man abuſes it, uſe lavers as faſt as man runs into pollutions, evidently argues riches of immenſe ſuperabounding grace towards ſinners. Moreover, hereby he comes to know the neceſſity of a continual dependance on God, conſidering the heats and colds of his heart, the ups and downs of his life, and the interchangeable actings of Hetis and ſpirit, he plainly perceives that he falls of himſelf and ſtands from God, dies of his own ſpirit, and lives from Gods, ſins of his own, and repents, believes, obeyes, of meer grace, and ſo underſtands the neceſſity of depending on God; praying continually with the devout Pſalmiſt, Hold up my gomgs in thy paths, that my footſteps ſlip not. Pſal. 17.5.
Laſtly, to name no more, he extracts all out of nothing. Thus the Apoſtle, as having nothing, and yet poſſeſſing all things, 2 Cor. 6.10. all things in God, who is all in all. Zuichemus gave Eraſmus a ring, which, when it was unfolded, repreſented a mundane ſphear, with Aſtrological notes engraven upon it, telling him withall, that now he might wear the whole world on his finger: the conjugal ring, whereby the ſoul is married to God in Chriſt by faith, hath this poſie, I will be thy God, which, if it be unfolded, is a ſphear of all things; the believer need not ask with Peter, what ſhall we have? Math. 19.27. for he hath all in God. It is ſtoried of the Laudanum of Paracelſus, that it was almoſt good in all caſes; but however that might fail, faith well underſtands that all things may be made out of an intereſt in God the univerſal good; hence it can rationally part with all for him, becauſe it knows, that there be fathers and mothers, and brothers and ſiſters, and children, and houſes, and lands, and infinitely more in God.