The Covenant Sealed, Treatise · Chapter 12 · Section 6
SECT. VI. A fourth Corollary from the former Doctrine.
AS Chriſtians muſt ſee that they be aright principled in this Goſpel-doctrine of the righteouſneſſe of faith,Chriſtians muſt get aſſurance that they do act according to theſe principles. ſo alſo they muſt get aſſurance that they act according to theſe principles, which I might urge reſpective to all that, which is required of a man of Goſpel-righteouſneſſe. But having already ſpoke to that purpoſe in preſſing the neceſſity of the anſwer of conſcience unto Sacramental engagements; I ſhall here onelyonly urge it, reſpectively to that grace which immediately intereſts us in this righteouſneſſe, which is the grace of faith, as we ſee in the Text; which is confeſt to be the grace that receives Chriſt, even by thoſe that deny the inſtrumentality of it in our Juſtification. If this righteouſneſſe which is our Juſtification be the righteouſneſſe of Faith, then thoſe that are void of faith muſt needs be wanting in this righteouſneſſe, and Chriſt being the end of the Law for righteouſneſſe to thoſe that believe, thoſe that perſiſt in unbelief never attain to this end. And howſoever zealous they may otherwiſe appear, yet they come ſhort of righteouſneſſe for life and ſalvation. Giving aſſent to all Goſpel-truths, (perhaps upon the principles of their education) they may not onelyonly have the repute, but alſo enjoy all outward priviledges of believers; yet wanting that work upon their will, or if you pleaſe in their affections to receive Chriſt and cloſe with him, they yet have not Chriſt nor life in him, and therefore upon this account, there is all reaſon to hearken to that of the Apoſtle,Eſpecially to ſee to their faith. 2 Cor. 13.5. Examine your ſelves, whether ye be in the faith: prove your own ſelves: Know ye not your own ſelves, how that Jeſus Christ is in you, except ye be Reprobates? In which words we ſee the Apoſtles exhortation, and his reaſon annext. The exhortation calls us to ſelf-examination, to a ſelf-tryal, an inquiſitive, experimental tryal; The queſtion to be put, or thing to be proved, or brought to upon tryal, is our faith, not barely the doctrine of faith (as ſome would have it) whereby we may conclude that we are of ſuch a Church, in which Chriſt is viſibly reſident in Ordinances, but the grace of faith, whereby he makes his abode in our ſoules. The reaſon annexed is put by way of interrogation, or queſtion, Know ye not your own ſelves, how that Jeſus Chriſt is in you, except ye be reprobates? which doth not imply, that all are Reprobates, that know not in preſent, that Chriſt is in them; but this is all that is implyed or can be gathered, that Jeſus Chriſt is in all that are not reprobates; where reprobate is not yet oppoſed to the Elect, as though all ſuch were everlaſtingly caſt-awayes in whom Chriſt is not in preſent: But as the word is uſed, Jer. 6.30. reprobate ſilver, that is, unfit for uſe or ſervice, ſo it is here taken: ſuch in preſent are not in a ſaving, but in a loſt condition; and therefore it much concerns us to put this upon the tryal.
Motives to perſwade to get aſſurance of this grace. 1. Neceſſity of Faith.For Motives to put men upon this work, conſider,
Firſt, the neceſſity of this grace, and that upon a ſeveral account; 1. Without Faith (as you have heard) we are without this righteouſneſſe. None in unbelief can ſay of Chriſt, Jehovah our righteouſneſſe. All the good that Chriſt does, unbelief loſes; ſo much good that Chriſt can do thee, of ſo much unbelief ſtrips thee. The Apoſtle tells us of unſearchable riches in Chriſt, Epheſ. 3.8. Such that none can ſumme up, nor he that is higheſt in skill in Arithmetique calculate. Chriſt is the Fathers Store-houſe, Magazine, or rich Exchequer; The Father hath not a gift for any of his, but he layes it up in Chriſt, and a faith receives it from Chriſt. Noah by faith was heir of this righteouſneſſe, Heb. 11.7. The reſt of the world wanting this grace went without this inheritance. The reſt of Canaan was loſt by unbelief, Heb. 3.18. The reſt of heaven will be thus loſt in like manner, God hath choſen the poor of this world, rich in faith, heires of the Kingdome, which he hath prepared for thoſe that love him, Jam. 2.5. The rich of this world deſtitute of this Faith, make forfeiture of this Kingdome. Is Chriſt a gift? Faith receives him, and unbelief is wanting. Is Chriſt food? Faith feeds upon him, and unbelief is hunger-ſtarved. Is Chriſt rayment? Faith puts him on, and unbelief is naked. Is Chriſt a Medicine? Faith applyes him, and unbelief languiſheth. Is Chriſt a laver? Faith drencheth and douzeth it ſelf in him, and unbelief is filthy, and defiled. Is Chriſt a pardon? Faith ſues it out, and unbelief lyeth under guilt. Is Chriſt ſatisfaction? Faith makes the plea, and attains a diſcharge, and unbelief remains indebted. 2. Without Faith, the ſoul is under the wrath of God and his ireful diſpleaſure. This is a neceſſary reſult from the former. The man of unbelief wants that which might be interpoſed as an atonement, and might ſtand as a skreen or ſhield for his guard. And it is alſo fully laid down in Chriſt's words, Joh. 3.36. He that believeth not the Son, ſhall not ſee life: but the wrath of God abideth on him. What Zophar ſaith of the wicked man, Job 20.29. This is his portion from God, and the heritage appointed him of God, that Chriſt ſayes of unbelievers: ſo long as they remain in unbelief, ſo long wrath abides on them. All by nature are the children of wrath, having no other inheritance; and the man of unbelief never gets from under wrath to attain any other portion. This is an aggregate of all miſeries, when all is reckoned up that can be named, to make miſerable, wrath comprizeth it all to the uttermoſt, to infiniteneſſe. As is the man, ſo is his ſtrength, ſay Zeba, and Zalmunna, Judg. 8.21. As is God, ſo is his wrath; with this motive the Pſalmiſt preſſeth to faith, Pſal. 2.12. Thy ſin hath merit enough to damne, and thou haſt not any intereſt in Chriſt to ſave or deliver. He that is void of Faith, and yet under no ſuch feares, it is not becauſe there is no cauſe of feares, but that ſuch a ſoul is not awakened, to ſee his fearful deplored and deſperate condition. If the rich glutton had ſeen Hell gaping for him, and the Devil ready to hale and drag him, he could not then have had any liſt to his every-dayes Gorgeous apparrel, nor yet any appetite to his delicate fare. That is the condition of ſecure ſenſual ones, till Hell-fire flame about them, they think they are ſure of heaven. 3. Without faith there is no benefit to be had, or good to be found in any Ordinances. No Ordinance is uſeful but either as it is improved by Faith already ſeated in the ſoul, or as it is ſerviceable to the plantation of it. No duty of any kind works to acceptance from an unbelievers hand. Abel's ſacrifice was accepted, when Cain's could not gain acceptance, Gen. 4.4, 5. The Apoſtle ſhews us the reaſon of this difference, Heb. 11.4. By faith Abel offered a more excellent ſacrifice then Cain. The Parable of the ſower tells us, how few profitable hearers of the Word there can be found; and the Apoſtle gives the reaſon, Heb. 4.2. The Word is not mixt with faith in thoſe that hear it. It is effectual alone in believers, 1 Theſſ. 2.13. and no more have audience in prayer, then thoſe that profit in hearing: and there is one and the ſame reaſon of both, Jam. 1.6, 7. And that man is doubtleſſe under an heavy Judgment, that never gets good when he hears from God, nor obtains his requeſt when he ſeeks to God. At the Lords Table they eat bread, but feed not on Chriſt; they take the Cup, but have no intereſt in the blood of the new Covenant. 4. Without faith nothing is done that God accepts. The man and the work both diſpleaſe, Heb. 11.6. There muſt be a concurrence of all requiſites to render a work good, and acceptable: But in an unbelievers work (the matter of the work excepted) all requiſites are wanting. The riſe is from a fountain that is unclean, and the unbelieving ſoul cannot go ſo high as to make the glory of God the end. And the rule is above him in the work to look after. 5. Without Faith the whole of man, head, breaſt, and bowels, are all open to Satan. Faith is a Chriſtians ſhield, Epheſ. 6.16. and a ſhield is the defence not of one part, but the guard of the whole. A man without faith, is a Souldier without armes, and deſtitute of all power to make any manner of reſiſtance. Satan leads ſuch an one at pleaſure. There is nothing of Chriſt, nothing of grace, nothing of the Spirit, to ſtand up in oppoſition. Some devils are not reſiſted without ſtrength of faith, Mark 9.29. No devil without faith can be vanquiſhed or overcome.
Mot. 2 Secondly, Conſider the benefits of faith, the glory that doth accompany it.The benefits that faith bring: as, 1. Whole of Chriſt theirs. 1. Chriſt is his, and all that is Chriſts, who doth believe. Chriſt with all his unſearchable riches is made over to believers; This is the greateſt of gifts that God hath in his hand for to beſtow; and imparting this gift, with it he gives all things. Theſe are ſons of God, Joh. 1.12. and being ſons, they are heires, joint-heirs with Chriſt, Rom. 8.17. heirs of the righteouſneſſe of faith, Heb. 11.7. heirs of a Kingdome, Jam. 2.5. Heaven and all on this ſide heaven, that ſtands in any reference to it, is theirs, Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things preſent, or things to come: all are theirs, and they are Chriſts, and Chriſt is Gods, 1 Cor. 3.22. 2. Theſe ſtand ſecure againſt every enemy. Firſt,2. They ſtand ſecure againſt every enemy. 1. Againſt Satan. In his accuſatious. they are ſecure againſt Satan mans capital and moſt potent adverſary. They ſtand ſecure againſt his accuſations, having an advocate in heaven that makes appearance to anſwer every charge againſt. them It is of the beleiving elect (not onelyonly choſen from eternity, but in time taken out from the reſt of the world) that the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Rom. 8.33. Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? Chriſts death, reſurrection, and interceſſion in glory is his anſwer to every plea. All that the unbeliever wants, in thoſe ſeveral relations that we ſpoke to in Chriſt, that the man of faith enjoyes, nothing can be conceived in ſin, but there is in Chriſt to anſwer. Secondly,In his temptations. 2. Againſt the world. The believer ſtands ſecure againſt Satans temptations: upon reſiſtance Satan flees, Jam. 4.7. and they make ſtrong reſiſtance, 1 Pet. 5.9. Theſe are ſecure againſt the world: Whatſoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even onr faith, 1 John 5.4. Greater is he that is in them, then he that is in the world. They are kept by the power of God, through faith unto ſalvation, 1 Pet. 1.5. The everlaſting arms are underneath them. Faith intereſts it ſelf in God, and all that is of God,3. It intereſts in God and all that is Gods. His power. for ſafety and preſervation; The office or work which is aſcribed to God reſpective to mans preſervation, is aſcribed to faith; The Lord Is a ſhield or Buckler for defence, Pſal. 18.2. The Lord is my rock, my fortreſſe, my deliverer, my Buckler, Prov. 2.7. He is a Buckler to them that walk uprightly, Pſalme 3.3. Thou Lord art a ſhield for me; with endleſſe more places; Yea, God is ſo a ſhield that there is no other, Pſalme 47.9. The ſhields of the earth belong unto God: yet faith is a ſhield, Epheſians 6.16. What God can do for ſafety, faith cand do: not by any ſtrength of its own, ſo faith were advanced into the place of God, but onelyonly as intereſting us in God, and in all which is of God. Faith intereſts it ſelf in the power of God, and takes in omnipotence for help, ſo did Abraham by faith, Rom. 4.21. No difficulty in the thing could cauſe his faith to ſtagger. So did Jehoſhaphat, in that danger in which he ſtood, 2 Chron. 20.6. ſo Aſa, 2 Chron. 14.11. ſo the three children when they were in danger of the fiery furnace, Dan. 3.17. Faith intereſts it ſelf in the faithfulneſſe of God, and realizeth every promiſe to the ſoul: and therefore it is ſaid by the Apoſtle to be the evidence of things not ſeen, His faithfulneſſe.Heb. 11.1. what no eye can ſee any other way then in a promiſe, that faith looks upon as preſent; ſo Sarah in the promiſe which ſhe received, Heb. 11.11. ſo David, 2 Sam 7.28. So that he praies, In thy faithfulneſſe hear me, and in thy righteouſneſſe, Pſal. 143.1. Gods truth is the believers Shield and Buckler, Pſal. 92.4. Faith intereſts it ſelf in the mercies of God,His mercy. in the multitude of his bowels and compaſſions; ſo the Pſalmiſt in thoſe depths, in which he was plunged, Pſal. 130.1.33.4. and under that guilt that he had drawn upon his ſoul, Pſal. 51.1. and ſo the Church in that low condition into which ſhe was caſt, Lament. 3.22. Faith intereſts it ſelf in the Wiſdom of God,His wiſdome. when all light is ſo clouded and all channels ſo ſtopt, that no viſible means on earth can be found, faith knowes that what we ſee not, God ſees. As Chriſt could convey himſelf out of the midſt of his enemies, ſo he can free his from their enemies; As he could enter when the docres were ſhut, ſo he knowes how to open all obſtructions. So Jehoſhaphats faith was acted, We kn…w not what to do, but our eyes are upon thee, 2. Chr. 20.12. So Mordecai's faith likewiſe, Eſth. 4.14. Enlargement and deliverance ſhall ariſe to the Jewes from another place; So Peter, The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, 2. Pet. 2.9. Faith intereſts it ſelf in the help of the Angels of God;His Angels. when the Prophets ſervants eyes were opened, he ſaw Mountains, full of horſes and Chariots, 2. King. 6.17. a whol hoſt of Angels for defence in ſtraits; and thoſe Jacob ſaw when his Brother Eſau marched againſt him, Gen. 32.1, 2. The believing man knowes what the Pſalmiſt ſayes, Pſal. 34.7. The Angell of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. This promiſe is made to every confiding ſoul, Pſal. 91.11, 12. He ſhall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy waies; They ſhall bear thee up in their hands leſt thou daſh thy foot againſt a ſtone.
Mot. 3 3. This work though difficult, and not eaſie to paſſe through, yet is feaſible and poſſible;This aſſurance is poſſible. difficult it is, or elſe ſuch a narrow ſearch and diligent ſcrutiny needed not; and poſſible it is, otherwiſe it booted not. Copper may be like unto Gold, and tinne unto Silver; yet that gold or ſilver which is right, may be known from all that is counterfeit. The good ground well-look'd into may be differenced from the beſt of thoſe grounds which are bad. A temporary faith may be like that which is true, yet it is not the ſame with it, and may be diſtinguiſhed from it. There is ſomewhat in the faith of the elect, that is not to be found in the faith of any other in the world. Otherwiſe hypocrites muſt everlaſtingly feed themſelves with vain hopes, and the true believer lye under unneceſſary fears; ſo no Miniſter of Chriſt could be able to divide the Word aright to any of his people. The hypocrite would apply the believers comforts, and the believer would lye under the hypocrites terrors.
Fourthly, Upon tryal thy faith may be found temptation-proof. Mot. 4 It may appear upon ſearch to be ſuch as it ought.Upon tryal faith may be found approved. There is many times moſt hopes of thoſe that are apteſt to call it into queſtion. As there are many who ſcarce ever queſtioned, but that they do believe, yet when they come to the teſt, are nothing, TEKEL may be written upon them, Thou art weighed in the balance, and art found wanting, Dan. 5.27. What the Wiſeman ſaith of riches is true being applyed to faith Prov. 13.7. Some boaſt themſelves of the ſtrength of their faith, that they thank God they have ever believed, when as their faith is a meer fancy. Theſe boaſters are but a crack, like a banquerupts vapour. Others complain of their unbelief, yet ready to renounce all for Chriſt, their complaint is not out of want of faith no more then the covetous worldlings is out of want of wealth, but becauſe they cannot give themſelves ſatisfaction in believing.
Fifthly, In caſe upon a due ſearch and tryal thou find but a Mot. 5 ſhadow of faith, and no ſubſtance;Howſoever the caſe is not forlorn and remedileſſe. a meer reſemblance of juſtifying faith, and not the faith that doth juſtifie, yet it is not ſo remedileſſely gone, but that it may be holpen; not ſo deplored, but that a cure may be had. The moſt barren ground may be made fruitfull, and the heart that is moſt obdurate may be made fleſhy. God out of the number of unbelieving ones, and out of the number of meer pretenders to the faith, chooſeth to himſelf thoſe that are truly faithful. When the evidences of a mans lands are faulty, and the fault paſt help, men are willing to ſhuffle all over and rub out as well as they can, but go with many ſick thoughts about it, but if there may be any way found they will not be wanting in their endeavours, neither will they ſpare any coſt to ſettle and eſtabliſh it. Deal ſo with thy faith, bring thy evidences to Councel and what is amiſſe, let be amended.