Milk for Babes, Questions · Question 25
25. Q. Whether all men are ſaved by Chriſts death?
A. No: onelyonly they are ſaved which have a true faith.
Right thus doth the Scripture teach. If all were ſaved, it were happy for the children of darkneſſe, and ſons of Belial: Hell ſhould ſoone be emptie, and heaven fuller then ever God meant it. God ſhould be made the greateſt tyrant in the world, if he ſhould require ſuch repentance, faith, mortification, Godly living of ſome, and yet ſave all by Chriſts death, who never touched any of Gods holy rules with their little finger. Therefore, certainly, this ſalvation muſt be limited to them that beleeve. Thus doth Chriſt; Joh. 3.16.18.36.Whoſoever beleeveth in him ſhall not periſh: and, he that beleeveth on him is not condemned: and, he that beleeveth on the Sonne hath everlaſting life: and Luke ſaith, That at Antioch, when Paul, and Barnabas preached, as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved. This was the receit that Philip gave to the Eunuch, Act. 13.48. Act. 8. Act. 16.and Paul and Silas gave to the keeper of the Priſon: and it muſt be thine. For faith is the eye, the foot, the hand, the mouth of thy ſoule, yea it is all in all to give thee union with Chriſt for life, and ſalvation. It is the eye of thy ſoule: therefore God ſaith, by the Prophet, Looke upon me and be ye ſaved, Eſa. 45.22.O ye ends of the earth, that is, beleeve in me. It is the foot of thy ſoule: therefore Chriſt ſaith, Joh. 6.35.He that comes to me ſhall never hunger, that is, he that beleeves in me. It is the hand of thy ſoule: therefore John ſaith, Joh. 1.12.So many as received him, to them he gave a free right to be the ſons of God, that is, beleeved in him. It is the mouth of the ſoule: therefore Chriſt ſaith, Except ye eate the fleſh of the Sonne of man, Joh. 6.53.and drink his bloud, ye have no life in you, that is, except ye beleeve in him. Yea, it is all in all, for uniting thee to Chriſt: therefore John ſaith, 1 Joh. 3. Rom. 1. Heb. 10. Gal. 2.20. Joh. 14.He that hath the Sonne hath life; and Paul ſaith, By faith we live: becauſe it is that excellent Inſtrument which unites us to Chriſt who is both our way, truth, and life.
Vſe. Therefore (my deare child) be not beguiled with the deceitfulneſſe of Satan, as too many are, who dreame of the ſaving of all Chriſtians if they doe but profeſſe to beleeve in Chriſt, upon a generall knowledge of the grounds of Chriſtianity. No, no, thou muſt have faith, and thou muſt have a true, and a living faith, if thou wouldeſt have thy ſalvation by Chriſt. The faith that ordinary profeſſors at large dreame of, is an eaſie way to heaven. They may ſwallow downe all their ſins with greedineſſe, and goe thither at an houres warning. It is but knowing and aſſenting to the truth of Chriſtianity, and ſaying, upon preſumptuous grounds, that Chriſt died for them, and they hope to be ſaved by him, as well as the preciſeſt of them all. But thou wilt find it an harder worke to have a true faith of Gods elect. For thou mayſt find that when ſinners are brought into the ſtraits of death, ſometimes they can not beleeve, and ſometimes they dare not beleeve. They can not beleeve for their lives, as Francis Spira, who cried out, that he could no more beleeve then the Devill. If a man will ever runne, he will runne, when he runs for his life: and if a man will ever beleeve, he will beleeve, when he beleeves for his life. But poore ſinners when the ſight of their owne unworthineſſe, and Satans temptations are let looſe upon them, can not beleeve for their lives. Sometimes they dare not beleeve, as wicked Chriſtians, who ſee they muſt loſe all if they beleeve in Chriſt. They muſt loſe father, mother, wife, children, houſes, lands, and all ſublunary contentments, if they beleeve in Chriſt. As a man that hath gotten a great deale by greedy ſcraping, ravening, and holding, dares not beleeve that Covetouſneſſe is Idolatry; for then he ſhall be undone: So dare not a profeſſor at large beleeve in Chriſt; Phil. 3.becauſe he knows that he muſt account all things loſſe, and dogs-meat for the excellent knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt, and him crucified. He muſt deny all his rotten grounds of confidence, (as, I keep my Church; I am neither whore, nor thiefe; I wrong no man; I am a good neighbour; I have a good heart to God-ward; I have a good meaning; though I doe not pray as others, yet God knows my heart; though I cannot ſay as others, yet I know the way to heaven as well as the beſt; I doe as I would be done unto, and the like): he muſt (I ſay) deny all theſe rotten grounds, which he dare not doe: for then he ſees that he ſhall be a dunghill, and hath nothing to pleaſe himſelfe in. Get thou therefore true faith, even the faith, not of the world, but of the Goſpel. In this I'le helpe thee as I can; and therefore tell me: