The Spiritual Touchstone, Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII.
The triall of a godly man by his Faith.
FAith is the next thing to be tried in a childe of God. And in as much as there are diuers kinds of faith,Why we ſhould trie our faith. and experience ſhewes in many that giuegive no ſignes of repentance, that they wil not be beaten frō a confident preſumption that Chriſt died for them, euen for them in particular: it ſtands vsus in hand to trie our perſwaſion by true rules of Scripture, that ſo if it will abide the trial of the touchſtone, we may lay it vp as an hid treaſure and a wonderfull grace of God; and if otherwiſe, we may repent vsus of preſumption, as a deceiueable ſinne.
But before I open the ſignes of this ſigne, the Reader muſt be admoniſhed of three things.
Firſt, that I intend notThe drift is to ſhew how faith may be proued, not how it may be bred. by theſe ſignes to ſhew how faith may be bred or begotten in vsus, but how faith may be proued and declared to be in vsus. For it is the promiſes of God in the Scripture that breed faith: nor can humane reaſon beleeue ſuch great things from God for any thing that is in vsus, but onelyonly becauſe we ſee the word of God aſſuring ſuch happineſſe vntounto ſuch as lay hold vponupon them. So that, that which breeds faith, is the reuelation of Gods promiſes by his word and Spirit. Yet notwithſtanding the aſſurance of faith is much increaſed and confirmed by the ſight of thoſe ſignes of the truth of our faith, and other graces of God in vsus.
Secondly, that I ſtandA ſecond caueat. not preciſely vponupon the order of theſe graces of God in vsus, nor determine that queſtion, which graces are firſt wrought in the heart of a man: but that which I hauehave ſpecially aimed at in the order of ſetting them downe, is to begin at thoſe that either firſt appeare in a Chriſtian, or are eaſieſt (as I conceiue) to be diſcerned in him.
Thirdly, that I intendThe 3. note by way of preface. eſpecially the triall of ſuch Chriſtians as agree in this, that they are perſwaded that Chriſt died for them; that ſo the true Chriſtian may ſee reaſon to comfort himſelf, that his perſwaſion is no preſumption, as is the perſwaſion of the moſt. It is true, that diuers of the ſignes of faith here to be handled, will ſhew faith in the weakeſt Chriſtian, though he will not yet be brought to acknowledge any perſwaſion. For this perſwaſion may be ſecretly wrought vponupon the hart: as it is when it relieth vpō the merits of Chriſt onelyonly for ſaluation, though the iudgement of the Chriſtian be not reſolued againſt his doubts.
The queſtion then is, how a Chriſtian may trie his perſwaſion of Gods merciemercy, and his intereſt in Chriſts merits, whether it be right or no.
For anſwer thereunto, I ſay, that the true Chriſtian doth proue his faith and perſwaſionThe true faith. to be right, by thoſe ſignes following.
Firſt, his faithor perſwaſion1. Was wrought by the word preached. was wrought by the hearing of the word preached: & therfore thou muſt firſt aske thy ſelfe, how thou commeſt by thy perſwaſion. For if thou ſay, thou waſt alwayes ſo perſwaded, or didſt attain it by meere naturall meanes or helpes, thou art deceiued. For, faith is firſt wrought by the holy Ghoſt in the preaching of the Goſpell, as it is moſt cleer by the words of the Apoſtle, How ſhall they beleeue in him of whō they hauehave not heard? and how ſhall they heare without a preacher? Rom. 10. 14. And whereas it may be, that many Chriſtiās hauehave not obſerued the workings of their faith; and hauehave forgotten the time of their conuerſion; and hauehave not iudgement to diſcerne how the Lord by the miniſterie of his ſeruants did change their hearts, and leade them to Chriſt: Therefore when this firſt ſigne cannot comfort, they muſt trie themſelues by the reſt that follow.
Secondly, he hath an2. Eſteems Chriſt aboue all things. high estimation of Ieſus Chriſt. For the man that hath true faith, accounts all things moſt baſe in cōpariſon of the knowledge of Chriſt, and the louelove of God in him. He had rather be ſure of Chriſt, then to gaine the whole world. Chriſt is more precious then all the world: yea is the only thing in requeſt in the deſires of the Chriſtian. Now Chriſt is precious onelyonly to them that beleeue, 1. Pet. 2. 6. and by this ſigne Paul knew that he was growne far beyond himſelfe in his former life, and beyond all the Phariſes in the world. Phil. 3. 9.
Thirdly, he readily3. Receiues the teſtimony of Gods miniſters before all the world. receiues the teſtimonie of Gods miniſters ſpeaking out of the word, & ſticks to it againſt all the contradictions of the world. The Apoſtle Paul 2. Theſſal. 1. 10. ſhewes, that this ſigne will be pleaded and acknowledged in the day of Chriſt: Chriſt, ſaith he, will be made admirable in them that beleeue.
Now ſome may ſay, But how ſhall we know that we do beleeue?
Why, ſaith he, you are true beleeuers, becauſe ye receiued our teſtimonie; and this ſhall be to your praiſe in that day.
Fourthly, he cannot4. Caſts out hypocriſie. abide counterfetting & hypocriſy. If it be a right perſwaſion, it is a faith vnfained; Vnfained I ſay, as in other reſpects, ſo in affects, becauſe it cannot abide fainings, but with ſpeciall hatred purgeth out hypocriſie; which the perſwaſion of hypocrites neuer doth. 2. Tim. 1. 5.
Fiftly, this perſwaſion5. Will abide triall. is permanent: it will endure triall, it will hold out in the euill day; it inclines the heart to cleaue to Ieſus Chriſt, euen in the fire of tribulation, in the midſt of manifold afflictions, and diſgraces, and temptations. It is like the gold in the fornace that periſheth not; nor will it barely hold out: but a Chriſtiā by his faith comforts & ſupports himſelfe in affliction, ſo as his faith becomes to him both a breast-plate & an helmet: whereas the beſt faith, that is not the faith of Gods elect, will proue but droſſe, if it be caſt into the fornace of temptation, further then it is ſupported by carnall meanes and helps. 1. Pet. 1. 6, 7. 2. Tim. 1. 12. 1. Theſſ. 5. 8. Eph. 6. Luke 8. 13.
Sixtly, he will beleeue 6. It beleeues all things.all things: I ſay all things that he apprehendeth to be required, threatned, or promiſed in the word. To beleeue ſome things onelyonly, may be in any other kind of faith, eſpecially when they are ſuch things as ſtand with their owne reaſons, or wils, or affections, or the common opinion of other men: But this is the glorie of a liuely inſtifying faith, it will giuegive glorie to God in all things. What God can ſpeake, it can beleeue: ſo ſoone as it knowes it is ſpoken of God, though it be neuer ſo contrary to the iudgment of fleſh and bloud, Act. 14. 14.
Seuenthly, he will not 7. Will not make haſtemake haſte. This was the ſigne giuen in the Prophet Eſays time: He that beleeueth will not make haſte. He had propheſied of hard times to fall vpō all the people: now this wold ſhew amongſt them, who were true beleeuers. For thoſe that truſted in God, would not make haſte to vſe ill meanes to helpe themſelues; they would ſtay their hearts in reſt and quietnes, and they would ſtay their feete too from running to Aegypt, or to Aſſhur, which God had forbidden, Iſai. 28. 16.
If faith be right, and thy perſwaſion a ſound perſwaſion, and well grounded, there are ioyned with it theſe things following.
Eightly, his perſwaſiō 8. Is accō panied with a pure conſcience.is ioyned with a good and pure conſcience; a conſcience, I ſay, that makes him carefull to auoid ſinne, and do good duties, and to ſerue God in ſinceritie: whereas the perſwaſiō that is in wicked men, is not accompanied with a good conſcience, they do not make cōſcience of their wayes. Now this is a cleare rule of difference, 1. Tim. 1. 5. 19. and 3. 9. Heb. 10. 22.
Ninthly, he hath a ſpirit 9. And a ſpirit of diſcerning.of diſcerning. There is a great deale of light comes into the heart with faith. A man cannot beleeue, and be ignorant ſtill. The Chriſtian that is endued with faith from aboue, is endued with wiſedome from aboue: ſo as he can conceiue of the things of God that concerne ſaluation, which the naturall man perceiueth not. Though he may want ſtill in many knowledges, yet he hath skill in ſome meaſure to learne how to be ſaued. The doctrine of ſaluation he can now vnderſtand, which is taught in the miniſterie of the word; and he now can make ſome good vſe of reading the Scriptures, that before diſcerned litle or nothing in them. The veile that lieth vponupon the hearts of all fleſh; is now taken from his eyes; yea the very entrance into Gods word giueth light to the ſimpleſt beleeuer. He that was ſtupid and vnteachable before, doth now heare as the learned, with a holy kind of inſight and iudgement: 2. Tim. 3. 15. Pſal. 119. 130. Prou. 1. 4. 8. & 5. 9.
Tenthly, he hath a10. And the witneſſe of the Spirit of adoptiō. witneſſe within himſelf. He that beleeueth hath a witneſſe in himſelfe, 1. Ioh. 5. 10. For he hath the Spirit of adoption to certifie him infallibly of Gods louelove to him, & that he is the child of God, Rom. 8. 15. 16: and thus the beleeuers are ſaid to be ſealed by the Spirit of promiſe, Epheſ. 1. 13. 14. God leaues a pawne, a pledge with eueryevery Chriſtian that ſhal be ſaued, to be as the earneſt of his ſaluation, and this pledge and earneſt is Gods Spirit. And the Spirit teſtifies to the beleeuer, partly by reuealing to him the certaintie & truth of Gods promiſes in his word; & partly by printing vponupon his hart theſe ſauing graces, which diſtinguiſh him from all others; and partly by powring vponupon him the ioyes, which are called the ioyes of the holy Ghoſt, in the vſe of Gods ordinances, as the inward ratificatiō of the aſſurance of Gods louelove and goodnes to the beleeuer. Of which after.
Laſtly, Faith may be11. Beareth thoſe fruits following. diſcerned by many things it worketh, which are the fruits of it: and by the fruits of faith, we may know faith it ſelfe. Faith is like the roote of a tree, that lyeth vnderunder ground, and cannot be ſeen without much digging; but by the fruit the tree beareth, we may know what kind of root it hath, and of what ſort it is. Now the fruits of faith are theſe that follow, and ſuch like, as,
1. LoueLove to God and1. LoueLove. the godly: for Faith worketh by louelove, Gal. 5. 6.
2. Cleanneſſe of the2. Puritie of heart. thoughts and affections. For Faith purifieth the heart. It makes a man ſtriue after inward puritie, as well as outward: to get a cleane heart as well as cleane hands. It worketh humiliation for inward ſinnes as well as outward, Act. 15. 9. and driues a man to ſeeke pardon in the name of Chriſt, for all ſorts of inward perturbations and ſecret euils.
3. Victorie ouer the 3. Victorie ouer the world.world. Faith ouercommeth the world, 1. Iob. 5. 4. 5: and ſo it doth, when it maketh a man ſo reſt vponupon God, and his truth and promiſe, as, if he be put to it, to deny the reſpect of his owne credit, or profit, or pleaſures, or the diſpleaſure of carnal friends, or his hopes in matters of the world; reſting ſatisfied with the expectation of the treaſures and pleaſures of a better world, yeelding himſelfe ouer to be guided by Chriſt, and his truth, vntounto the death, Pſal. 48. 14. He liues by his faith, Gal. 2. 20.
4. Humilitie. For a4. Humility true faith excludes boaſting of our owne labors, gifts or praiſes; and makes vsus able, out of the ſence of our owne vileneſſe, to acknowledge all the glory to Gods free grace and louelove in Ieſus Chriſt, Rom. 3. 17. Gal. 3. 22.
5. The confeſſion5 Confeſſiō and profeſſion of the truth. Faith will make a man ſpeake in defence of the truth: I hauehave beleeued, therefore hauehave I ſpoken, ſaith Dauid, Pſalme 116: which the Apoſtles pleade to proue their faith alſo: 2. Cor. 4. 13. 14.
6. The putting on of6. Application of Chriſts righteouſneſſe. righteouſneſſe, which is not by the works of the Law done by vsus. The application of, and relying vponupon the righteouſneſſe of Ieſus Chriſt, is the proper and onelyonly worke of true faith. Rom. 10.
7. It opens a ſpring7. A verie ſpring of grace. of graces in the heart of a true Chriſtian: he that is a true beleeuer, is qualified with ſundrie heauenly gifts, which were not in him by nature; which gifts do daily diſcouer themſelues in his heart, flowing from thence, as if there were a ſpring of liuing waters in his bellie. Sanctification of the ſpirit, and faith of the truth be inſeparable, Ioh. 7. 38. 2. Theſſalonians, 2. 13.