Milk for Babes, Questions · Question 26
26. Q. What is this true faith of Gods elect?
A. It is the reſting of the ſoule upon Chriſt for ſalvation.
Underſtand this well as thou loveſt the life of thy ſoule. What true Faith is.Some will tell thee that it is an aſſenting to the truth of the Goſpel: It is not aſſenting to the truth. Jam. 2.and in truth, thou muſt agree to the truth of the Law, and Goſpel alſo: yet Devils and wicked men may doe thus much, and yet not have ſaving faith. Yea, what thou doeſt not actually know and aſſent unto now, thou muſt have a prepared and ready mind to know and agree to it when God ſhall reveale it unto thee from the Scriptures. Others will tell thee that this faith is a full perſwaſion of thy heart that what God hath promiſed in Chriſt he will make it good to thee. It is not a full perſwaſion.But take heed: for this will be a riſe for fearefull temptations. Put caſe the Devill ſhould tempt thee, and ſay, If thou be a Chriſtian indeed, thou haſt true ſaving faith. If thou have this faith, thou art fully perſwaded that thou art one of Chriſt's ſaved ones. Tell me then, art thou fully perſwaded thus? If the ground ſhould now open and ſwallow thee up quite: if thou wert now to give an account of all things that are done in thy fleſh whether they are good, or evill, art thou fully perſwaded that without more faith, repentance, obedience, thou ſhalt go to the heaven of heavens? What ſaiſt thou now? faith Satan: art thou fully perſwaded? If not, thou haſt no faith: if thou haſt no faith, thou art no good Chriſtian: therefore go with me to thy own place. Where art thou now? Act. 1.How is thy ſoul perplexed.
It is true, that thou muſt labour to be fully perſwaded: for God ſaith, 2 Pet. 1.10.make thy calling, and election ſure: and it is proper to faith to work this full perſwaſion, in Gods people, at many turnes: but there is a vaſt difference betwixt the working of faith in it ſelf, and the work of it in thee. Thy handkerchief, band, cuffs, or any part of thy linnen may be very white, yet put it into an Ink-pot and it will ſoon be made black. So true faith works full perſwaſion of it ſelf: but put it into thy heart, where there is too much fleſh, and unbelief, and doubting, and ſelf-policy, and the work of faith is too much, too long, too often hindred, which makes thee cry out, Lord I beleeve, help my unbeleef. Beſides, nothing can work this full perſwaſion but faith: for faith is an argument to conclude it. Therefore Paul ſaith, Ephe. 1.13.that after ye beleeved ye were ſealed with the holy ſpirit of promiſe: as if he ſhould ſay, after the ſpirit had wrought faith in your hearts (for faith is a fruit of the ſpirit) the ſame ſpirit took faith, Gal. 5.and thence concluded to your ſouls (as with a ſeal) that the promiſe of ſalvation did belong unto you. Thou ſeeſt then, that faith is one thing, and a full perſwaſion is another: a full perſwaſion is nothing but a concluſion, or conſequence that iſſueth from true faith. Therefore pitch not upon that deſcription of faith.
Build then upon that which thou haſt given, It is a reſting upon Chriſt for ſalvation.that it is the reſting of thy ſoul upon Christ for ſalvation. Thou would'ſt fain be ſaved, and lookeſt through all heaven and earth to ſatisfie thy weary ſoul with ſinne, thou findeſt Chriſt, and ſeeſt his fitneſſe, and fulneſſe, and then reſolveſt upon him onelyonly, and reſteſt upon him for thy ſalvation. This is called confidence, affiance, truſting, but this is the plain Engliſh ſenſe. Eſa. 10.20.(a reſting upon Chriſt) This is deſcribed by ſtaying upon the Lord: 2 Cor. 3.4. Pſal. 37.5. Joh. 3.15, 16.by truſting through Christ to Godward: by rowling our way upon the Lord: by beleeving upon Chriſt, and in Chriſt: but the plain ſenſe of all is, 1 Joh 3.23 Eph. 3.12.thy reſting upon Chriſt. Becauſe Chriſt is Gods onelyonly ordinance to keep thee out of hell. Who ſhall ſave thee? Chriſt. How ſhall he ſave thee? By his holy death rightly applied. Whom ſhall he ſave? Thoſe that truſt in him, or reſt upon him, Joh. 5.and ſo, honour the Father in the Sonne. If thou do thus, thou ſhalt be guarded by the mighty power of God through faith unto ſalvation. 1 Pet. 1.5.9.Put caſe that the mouth of hell were opened, and thou wert ready to be tumbled into it. Thou ſeeſt Chriſt ſet, by God, like the tree of life, in the way, to ſtay thee from that bottomleſſe pit; and thou rowleſt thy ſelf upon him, and reſolveſt there to live and die what ever comes; this is faith. Mat. 16.18Chriſt is called A Rock oftentimes in the Scripture. Put caſe that a man were caſt into the ſea: he ſpies a rock, and ſwims to it, as faſt as he can: one wave after another beates him back, yet his face is to the rock, and he will not give over. He ſtrives and ſtrives, and at laſt he gets hold of it. There he prayes, and cries, and looks to heaven, and reſolves there to live, and there to die. So thou art caſt into a ſea of grief, for thy ſea of ſinne: Thou eſpieſt Chriſt thy rock faſtened by God (for him hath God the Father ſealed) to keep thee from periſhing: Joh. 6.Thou hungereſt after him; thou makeſt to him with the ſtrength of thy heart. Thou art beaten off again, and again, by many temptations, and art ever and anon, ready to give over: yet, at laſt, by the mercy of thy God, thou doſt imbrace him, and graſp him. Then thou crieſt out as Jacob, Gen. 28.I will not let thee go without a bleſsing. Thou reſolveſt to live and die with him, in whoſe boſome thou now doeſt lye: this is thy faith. And though ſometimes thou haſt not a full perſwaſion, yet in this reſting, there is more, or leſſe, for thy ſoul. An old man can reſt upon a ſtaffe, and ſo can a young man, and ſo can a palſie man: one weakly, another ſtrongly, another ſhakingly, yet all reſt upon it according to the meaſure of ſtrength. So a weak faith, a ſtronger faith, and the ſtrongeſt faith of all can reſt upon Chriſt, according to the meaſure of their faith. There is a latitude in reſting to hold up a fainting ſoul. One reſts weakly upon Chriſt, yet he reſts: another ſtrongly, yet he doth but reſt.
Vſe. Therefore (my dear childe) finde this faith, this true and living faith to be in thee: without it no ſalvation; with it are all things belonging to faith and godlineſſe. This faith makes thee one with Chriſt, and Chriſt with thee, and ſo, bringeth thee to ſuck honey out of the rock. This faith brings Chriſt in the mouth of it to God the Father, who therefore can deny thee nothing. This faith makes arguments out of the word of God to conclude convincingly for a powerfull holineſſe. He that is in Chriſt muſt be a new creature: but I am in Chriſt by faith. Rom. 6.He that is in Chriſt muſt be led with boldnes to the throne of grace: Col. 3.but I am in Chriſt by faith. He that is dead with Chriſt muſt not live to ſin: but I by faith, am dead with Chriſt. He that is riſen with Chriſt muſt ſeek the things that are above; above ſin, grace; above the world, the church; above earth, heaven: Rom. 8.1.but I am by faith grafted into the ſimilitude of his reſurrection. He that is in Chriſt hath no condemnation which ſhall touch him: but I am in Chriſt by faith; becauſe I live not after the fleſh but after the ſpirit. This faith can do wonders; pacifie God with the bloud of Chriſt ſhed above a thouſand ſix hundred years ago; purifie thy heart; open the windowes of heaven, and triumph over death and hel. Reſt not therfore before thou finde it in thy ſoul: and if thou canſt not finde reſt unto thy ſoul with the reſting of a ſtrong man, yet comfort thy heart that thou doeſt it with the reſting of a childe; and labour, in the uſe of Gods means, and by experience of his love, to encreaſe it more and more. Now look back a little, and let me ſee what thou haſt profited.
Q. How many natures had Chriſt?
A. Two: he was God, and man.
Q. Why was he a man?
A. Becauſe man had ſinned, and man muſt give ſatisfaction.
Q. Why was he a God?
A. Becauſe by his ſufferings he might bring in the righteouſneſſe which is of God.
Q. What uſe did he make of his humane nature?
A. To dye for my ſinnes.
Q. What uſe did he make of his divine nature?
A. To riſe again for my juſtification.
Q. Can the riſing of Chriſt juſtifie thee?
A. Yes: by certifying me that my ſurety hath payed all my debts.
Q. But who ſhall have the benefit of Chriſts death?
A. Thoſe only who have a lively faith.
Q. Why ſo?
A. Becauſe faith onelyonly is the eye, foot, hand, and mouth of the ſoul for enjoying of Chriſt.
Q. What then is this faith?
A. A reſting of my ſoul upon Chriſt for ſalvation.
Q. Why muſt thou reſt upon Chriſt for ſalvation?
A. Becauſe he is Gods ordinance to keep me out of hell.
Thus have I led thee along (my child) from thy creation to thy miſery, and frō thy miſery to thy deliverance: When thou waſt made, thou ſinnedſt againſt thy creation: when thou hadſt ſinned, thou layeſt under the curſe: when thou layſt thus miſerable, Chriſt came to ſave thee: he came to ſave, in the fine, only beleevers: and thou haſt now heard what this faith is. But, now, thou maiſt ſay, Joh. 4.the well is deep, and there is no body to draw; I cannot tell how to reach this faith, therefore tell me,