Divine Comforts, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. A Third Qualification of the Subject of Comfort, Faith.
3. THe Pſalmiſt was a Perſon that liv'd by Faith, not by Sight, 2 Cor. 5.7. Which Scripture warrants me to take the Word [Faith] in a ſpecial, not general ſenſe, as 'tis ſometimes uſed. I ſuppoſe by [Faith] the Apoſtle means the ſame Grace, in the ſame notion, that has ſo glorious things reported of it, Heb. 11. The [foreign] ſubſtance or ſubſiſtence of things hoped for [foreign] the evidence [convictive proof] of things not ſeen. A divine diſpoſition which enables us to behave our ſelves under the apprehenſion of Inviſibles and Futurities, as if preſent real Senſations; which gives thoſe things that we feel not, as perfect command over us as if we ſaw and handled them. An effectually working Heart and Life-ruling Belief of God's Word and Promiſes. The firſt moſt immediate and proper effect whereof is, a concrediting, entruſting our ſelves with God in Chriſt. The Word [Truſt] is for the moſt part expreſſive of it in the Old Teſtament. Now that this holy Man thus walkt by Faith, the Pſalm gives full evidence, and that as to both the parts, 1. Confidence, 2. Aſſurance.
1. As to himſelf, Ver. 2. Notwithſtanding the Combinations of his Adverſaries to condemn him, he commits his Cauſe to God for defence, venturing himſelf upon his Power and Goodneſs, as a ſufficient ſecurity; and upon clear evidence of intereſt claims propriety in God. God is my defence and the Rock of my Refuge; there is lifs Affiance. My God; there is his Aſſurance.
2. As to Others, 1. The Church of the Godly, ver. 14. The Lord will not caſt off his People, neither forſake his Inheritance: But Judgment ſhall return unto Righteouſneſs. That is either, 1. Though the Righteous be now condemned, ver. 21. and conſequently Righteouſneſs it ſelf by the perverſe Judgment of evil Men; and therefore Judgment may now ſeem to have left, parted from, and forſaken Righteouſneſs: They do not go together, there's Judgment, but no Righteouſneſs in it: yet they ſhall meet again. Judgment that hath run away from it ſhall return to it; the Righteous ſhall not any more have wrong, but right in Judgment; it ſhall not be againſt, but for them.
Or 2dly. The Righteous which have been deprived of the power of Judgment, or Government of the Kingdom, by a Throne of Iniquity, ver. 20. ſhall recover their Authority. And 'tis very uſual for the Abſtract to be put for the Concrete in Scripture, and even in this Pſalm, as ver. 11. Vanity for Vain: So ver. 17. Silence for a ſilent place, &c. So here Righteouſneſs for Righteous Men, and ver. 14. Inheritance for inherited People. Or thus, Righteouſneſs had the Rule in Samuel's days; now in Saul's, 'tis depreſſed; but ſhall be reſtored. Judgment ſhall be adminiſtred in Righteouſneſs under David's Government, and all the upright in Heart ſhall return or turn (as that word is oft uſed, as Jer. 8.4, &c.) after it, that is, ſhall own it, return to their Allegiance, to Juſtice and David.
3dly. Judgment ſhall return to Righteouſneſs, that is, God ſhall another day, viz. on the day of Judgment, Vindicate the Righteous, clear up his Diſpenſations, Judge righteouſly thoſe that have judged his Righteous Servants unrighteouſly; and judge his People, repent himſelf concerning his Servants; and though in his Judgments upon Earth, he hath ſeem'd to be more againſt them than any, yet will he then be wholly for them,Vid. plura c. 17. and paſs Judgment on their ſide.
2. As to the Coetus Malignantium, ver. 21. the Congregation of Condemners; he forefees an end of their Proſperity, the beginning of their Calamity, ver. 10. A Pit digging for them, ver. 13. and their ſinal Execution, ver. 23. Thus we ſee his Faith; and I am ready to think that this was the great Inſtrument of his Comfort. Whatever troubles befel he could ſee through them by Faith. 'Twas a judicious ſaying of a good Man, That in all Afflictions and Straits Faith can find an outgate. This is a real ground of Conſolation. All the Bonds, Chains, Cords of Affliction to Faith are, like Sampſon's, but as a Thread that hath felt the Fire. All the Rage and Malice of Earth and Hell, but like his Lyon: Faith can rend them in pieces. 'Tis too hard for them, it can fetch Hony, Comfort out of them. If this Grace can make that preſent which is not yet; realize that which being only in its cauſes is at preſent nothing; then can it take up the comfort of a Bleſſing in the Promiſe, and live upon its ſweetneſs, as if it were already in Poſſeſſion. There's no diſtinction of times to Faith: It enjoys not its objects in ſucceſſion, but at once. Nothing to it is paſt and to come, (though to ſenſe there be) all is preſent and in view, in hand. It ſees with the Eye of God in the Promiſe, and therefore ſees as he ſees. It lives with Chriſt in Heaven, and therefore lives as he lives, Gal. 2.20. It is an endleſs poſſeſſion of Life all at once, as they deſcribe Divine Eternity. Oh happy Soul, that is enrich'd with this noble Grace, whereby 'tis endow'd with God and all things: Oh unſpeakable miſery of thoſe that live (or rather continually die) without it. To be in Unbelief is to be in Hell, i. e. in ſtate, the place is but a Circumſtance. The ſubſtance of Hell conſiſting in three things, 1. Being under a Sentence of Condemnation and the Curſe, Joh. 3.18. He that believes not is condemn'd already. 2. Irrecoverable loſs of Happineſs, Joh. 3.36. He that believes not ſhall not ſee Life, i. e. if he never believe he ſhall never ſee Life Eternal. And 3. Everlaſting ſenſe of Wrath, Joh. 3.36. The wrath of God abides upon him; does not meerly, as Ezekiel's Flying Roll, paſs over him; but on him it ſettles, and reſts, and dwells, as in its fixed and indefeiſible Inheritance, its proper and unchangable Home and Habitation. Ah dolorous State! Ah wretched Soul! Better a thouſand times thou hadſt never been, than to have thus abuſed thy Being, in precipitating thy ſelf into ſo formidable an Abyſs of woe. Wilt thou then, Oh my Soul, live the life of the Juſt by Faith, that thou maſt not always be dying this accurſed death of Hypocrites and Unbelievers; and be yet more grievouſly rack'd with diſmal expectations of infinitely worſe to come? Shall inviſible and eternal things over-rule thee, as having a preſent ſenſation or feeling of their reality? Canſt thou now and then take a turn in the ſuperiour World, as one come to Mount Sion, and unto the City of the Living God, the Heavenly Jeruſalem, and to an innumerable company of Angels, to the General Aſſembly and Church of the firſt born, which are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the Spirits of Juſt Men made perfect, and to Jeſus the Mediator of the New Covenant, and to the Blood of Sprinkling which ſpeaketh better things than that of Abel, Heb. 12.22, 23, 24? What report canſt thou give concerning the promiſed Land of Everlaſting Light, and Love and Life? Haſt thou ever been upon the Mount to take a proſpect of it? What remarkable thing therein has invited thy ſerious Meditations, to take a more ſtrict and narrow view, and make it thy perpetual repaſt and delight? Haſt thou walked through the breadth and the length thereof, in a diligent ſearch and ſurvey to behold the Beauty, the Sweetneſs, the Perfection, the Glory, of the Inhabitants; the Employments, the Fruits, the Enjoyments, the Entertainments, the Joys and Conſolations to be poſſeſt there, in an unconceivably rich degree of ſatisfactorineſs; where there's an everlaſting Spring, and an everlaſting Harveſt of unutterable Pleaſure and Contentation? Doſt thou even now enter upon thy lot and reſt there, Heb. 4.3. and live upon the riches of that Inheritance, making a ſpiritual livelyhood for thy ſelf out of the abundance and ſtore of Heaven? Where are thy Treaſures, thy Jewels and pleaſant things, thy moſt amiable and delectable Companions? Seeing him who is inviſible, Heb. 11.27. Canſt thou endure, and bear up under the Rage and Violence of a turbulent ill-condition'd World; the Reproaches and Scorns of Men, the Fury of Devils, the Pangs of Affliction; and in a calm of ſweet compoſure and reſt, anchor thy ſelf on the Rock of Ages, as thy beſt ſecurity and ſingular ſatisfaction. Really, Faith is all things, 'tis Wealth in Poverty, Health in Sickneſs, a good Report or Name under Defamations, Heb. 11.2. Pleaſure in Pain, Reſt in Labour, Life in Death, a Heaven of Peace and Joy in a Hell of Miſery and Torment. If thou canſt not bleſs thy ſelf with the ſolace of a Friend on Earth, Faith will acquaint thee with, and endear thee to Multitudes in Heaven. Although thy Circumſtances be as deplorable as thy Redeemers, worſe than the Birds and Foxes; yet thy Faith has for thee a Houſe not made with Hands, Eternal. Is thy own Country or City too hot for thee? this Grace finds for thee a better Country, a City that hath Foundations, whoſe Builder and Maker is God, Heb. 11.16. By it commit the keeping of thy Soul in well doing to thy Faithful Creator. Eſpouſe the ever bleſſed Jeſus, embrace the Precepts, kiſs the Promiſes, Heb. 11.13. and then all's thine own, from the clod under thy Feet, to the height and crown of Heavenly Glory. For Faith to be a Menaicant is impoſſible. It has all and abounds, and is full, if it be a full unfeigned Faith. A Believer is never in want if he want not Faith, the due degree and meaſure of Faith. And the meaſure effectual and acceptable is not high; 'tis the Truth rather than Strength. A Grain will remove Mountains, Mat. 17.20. Make Trees to grow in the midſt of the Sea, Luke 17.6. Divide the Waters, and convert Seas and Rivers into dry Land, Heb. 11.20. and make even a Nebuchadnezzar's Hell-hot Furnace of Fire ſo forget its Property, as not to be able to ſinge a hair, Dan. 3.27. compar'd with Heb. 11.33, 34. Every thing muſt be a Rebel againſt its own Nature, and bow to the Omnipotency of Faith; that is to the Almightineſs of that infinite Nature, which is engag'd to, and by Faith. Oh then my Soul, where is thy Faith? What is thy Faith?