The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 9-11, Treatise 1 · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
The Second Doctrine opened: Wherein is shewed▪ That thy Faith is like precious with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. First, It's wrought by the same Almighty Power. Secondly, It justifies thee as well, and as much. Thirdly, It as truly interest thee in God. Fourthly, It as truly make thee a Child of God. Fiftly, As truly interest thee in the Covenant. Object. If a weak Faith doth all these, what matter is it whether our Faith be weak or strong? Answ. 1. Our weak Faith will not bring so much Glory to God as a strong. 2. A strong Faith will bring much more comfort than a weak Faith.
Doct. 2. The Faith of the weakest Beleever is like precious with the Faith of the strongest. [To you that have obtained like precious Faith with us.]
THerefore that's the next Point: What dost thou say that others may do? but what canst thou do? thy Faith is like precious Faith with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with any of the Apostles, or with the Martyrs; I might give you divers Scriptures about that, One Faith, one Lord, one Baptism; and in 1 Pet. 5. 13. it's said of the Church of Babylon, that they did obtain the like Election with us, in the City of Babylon (not Spiritual Babylon) they had election together with others, as the Election is the same with all Saints, so their Faith is of the same Nature, as thus, it's like precious, like precious.
First, Its wrought by the same Almighty power, the faith of one, and the Faith of another; there was as Almighty a power put forth in working Faith in thy soul as was put forth in working Faith in Abrahams soul, or Peters, or Pauls soul, thy Faith cost (as I may so say) God as much as the Faith of any of his Servants that ever liv'd upon the face of the Earth, and like precious; thy Faith is as truly an argument of Gods Election as the Faith of Abraham was, or any of the Apostles.
Secondly, And further, Thy Faith doth justifie thee as well, nay, justifies thee as much as the Faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for though there may be difference in Sanctification, for a weak Faith doth not sanctifie as much as a strong Faith, but it justifies as much as a strong Faith: what hath God made me like and equal with them in the point of Justification, had not I need labor to be as like then as I can in the point of Sanctification? that's the main upon which my Eternal Estate doth depend, the pardon of sin, and the saving of my soul, therefore it's like precious Faith with them.
Thirdly, And further, Thy Faith doth as truly interest thee in God, and unite thee to Jesus Christ as the strongest Faith in the world; it doth as truly make thee one with Jesus Christ, and God to be thy portion, and the Word to be thy Inheritance, as the strongest Faith.
Fourthly, And thy Faith doth as truly bring thee to such Priviledges to be a child of God▪ and an Heir: thou art as truly an Heir to life and Salvation as ever Abraham was, and thy Faith doth as truly Sanctifie thee, as the Faith of the strongest, though not so much.
Fiftly, And thy Faith doth as truly interest thee in the Covenant as the Faith of the strongest: thou art as truly brought into the Covenant as David, or Daniel, or any of those eminent ones were, and thy Faith is of as everlasting a Nature as the Faith of the strongest, of such a Nature as shall never fail as wel as the faith of the strongest, I mean by everlasting, that it brings thee into such a condition as thou shalt never fall off from Jesus Christ; Oh thou thinkest that those that have strong Faith whatsoever temptations comes▪ they may keep close to Christ, and shall never fall off, be of good comfort every Beleever that hath but the least dram of true Faith, thou art as sure not to be rent from Jesus Christ as ever Abraham or any of the Apostles were, it is as impossible for thee to be rent from Jesus Christ by the Devil, as Abraham or Paul, or any of the Apostles, and thou art as sure to come to Heaven as any of those.
Object. I but you will say, This thing will be a means to make people then to be slothful and sluggish, if the least degree of Faith will do all these things as truly as the strongest, then what great matter is it whether we have weak Faith, or strong Faith? we may come to Heaven if we have but weak Faith?
Answ. Oh! such a reasoning is unworthy of a Beleever, why, hast thou thy Faith only for thine own ends, because thy sin may be pardoned, and thou mayest come to Heaven? is that all the preciousness of thy Faith? thou didst hear that thy Faith was precious, because that it did enable thee to give glory to God, &c. In these things thou mayest be equal with other of Gods people, but thou canst not bring so much glory to God as one that hath a strong Faith can.
2 And a strong Faith will bring a great deal more comfort than a weak Faith; and though a weak Faith may bring to Heaven, yet with a great deal of difficulty it wil bring you to Heaven: As in your Ships, would any man reason after that manner, I have seen a poor tattered Ship that hath had all the Sails rent in pieces, and the Masts been broken with storms and tempests, yet it hath gotten with much ado to the Haven, and hath not been sunk, would a man say, no matter for my Sails, and no matter for my Masts, I may possibly get to the Haven, is there not a great deal of difference between that Ship and another with all its Top-Gallants up, and all the Sails spreading, and with much safety and ease? this is a great deal better: Just so is this, like to Christians going to Heaven; there's many Saints that have but a little Faith, and temptations rends, and tears, and pulls them, and they are afraid every wave and billow will swallow them up, and somtimes they are up, and somtimes they are down, and yet God with his Almighty Power, at length brings them to Heaven: but there are other Christians that comes with their full Sails to Heaven, wind and tyde on their side, and overpowers all temptations that comes in their way, and is not this a more glorious sight to see a Christian go with full Sails to Heaven, and let whatsoever difficulties or temptations come in the way, he can bear them all down; you shall have other Christians that are continually doubting and fearing, and yet may have that Faith that may bring them to Heaven, but that dishonors God much, and blemisheth their holy profession; but others live above themselves and above the world, and so they do glorifie God, and glorifie their Profession: You that have weak Faith you will be ready to stumble upon every thing; as a weakly man, he will be ready to stumble at every thing, but a strong man he can go on and not stumble; so a weak Faith will be ready to stumble at every thing, but a strong Faith will not, and therefore let not that reasoning be amongst you.