The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 9-11, Treatise 1 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Sixtly, Faith is Precious, because it gives an interest in God, in Christ, in the Promises, and in Heaven it self.
SIxtly, The Grace of Faith is precious in this, That it gives the soul an interest in God, in Christ, in all the Promises, and in Heaven its self; it gives the soul I say an interest, not only frees from the guilt of sin, but gives the soul an interest in God, it makes the Infinite, Eternal, First-being of all things, the Fountain of all good to be the Portion of it: such a soul can say, My God, and my Lord, by a spiritTolle Meum, Tolle Deum. of Faith, which is a spirit of Application. Faith, it is not only a discovering Grace; as was opened, not only the Cristal Eye that le…s into the …oul glorious objects, but it is an applying grace, an appropriating grace, an uniting grace, it's that which gives thee a right to all the Attributes o… God; if there be any thing in God that can make thee rich, that can make thee happy, Faith gives thee right to it, it's thine own; by Faith thou who wert before without a God in the world, had'st no right at all unto him, but indeed wert an enemy to him, now thou comest to have right to all that there is in God, all his power, and his wisdom, and his mercy, and his faithfulness, his holiness and goodness, it's all thine: There is an infinite excellency in this that I am speaking of; but I must not stand to enlarge every thing here, for it must be a very large Subject to shew what all the benefits are we have by Faith: it shall be sufficient to name them together, to shew the lustre and excellency of this Grace of Faith.
So an Interest thou hast in Christ, Christ is thine; that Christ, that God the Father is infinitely satisfied in, he is made thine; if there be any thing that is in Christ can do thee good, any thing that Jesus Christ hath purchased that can make thee happy, it is thine own, thou mayest challenge it as thine own, as thou art made one with Christ: Here's the difference between Faith and other Graces, Other Graces make the foul to be like to Jesus Christ, but Faith makes the soul to be one with Jesus Christ; there's a great deal of difference between those two, to be like another thing, and one with it thy self: thy Patience, thy Humility, thy Heavenly-mindedne…s, makes thee like Jesus Christ; but thy Faith makes thee to be one with Jesus Christ, to be a Member of his Body, to be one as the Husband and the Wife is one, to be one as the …ranch and the Root of the Vine is one; nay, one neerer than that, for the Scripture saith of Beleevers, That Christ is in them, and they are in Christ; now it is not so with the Branches of the Vine, and the Root; though the Branches be of the Root, yet the Branches are not in the Root; but Beleevers are in Christ, and Christ is in them; you are made one with Jesus Christ, and this oneness will appear more hereafter; Father, I will (saith Christ) tha… …hose that thou hast given me, may be one with thee, as thou and I are one: By being one with the Son thou comest to be one with the Father: and this is the Preciousness of Faith.
Besides, It gives thee an interest in all the precious Promises, and therefore is Faith precious: as for that, I shall not need to go far from the words of my Text; reade but in the fourth verse of this Chapter, Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises, that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature: Here's precious Promises, by which we come co be partakers of the Divine Nature. Certainly that Grace that gives us an interest in precious Promises, by which we come to be partakers of the Divine Nature, that must needs be a precious Grace: As you account such a Voyage, or such a Ship a rich Ship that brings in great riches from the East Indies, you say, here's a Ship come, is wor…h so many thousand pounds; the Ship is not worth so much, but you account the Ship to be so rich, Why? Because it brings in such rich Commodities as it doth from those Parts: So if a Ship may be called rich because it brings in such rich Commodities, then surely Faith may well be called Precious that brings in all the precious and rich Promises that are more worth than all the riches of both the Indies, yea, all the World: that which gives the soul interest in so many Promises, must needs be precious. If you should have an interest given to you in Leases, and Bonds, and Bills that had many thousand pounds, you would account them to be precious that should interest you in such Bonds, and Bills, and Leases: Certainly all the Promises of the Gospel are as so many Bonds, and Bills, and Leases, and Conveyances from God to the soul; and it's Faith that brings in all these, and makes all these to be yours; whereas before, you might reade of precious Promises in the Gospel, I but what have you to do with them, they are none of yours? but immediately upon Faiths coming into the soul, all these Promises are made yours, all those precious things in the Gosyel are made presently over to you; so that now you may reade over the Book of God, and find precious Promises that were made to any of the Saints of God heretofore, and you may say and plead in Christs Name, Th… is mine: As men that are carried on by presumption, they may think they have interest in God and Christ, and the Promises, but it's but a delusion: As I remember I have read of a mad man in Athens, that would run to the Shore, and cry of every Ship that came in, This is mine, this is mine, and this is mine, and would have a Book to write them down, and verily was perswaded that all was his; and afterwards when he came to his wits again, he was troubled at it that he had lost so much pleasure and delights: So, many that by presumption are perswaded that they have interest in all the excellent things of God, and of Christ in the Word, and it proves but a meer fancy: But Faith gives indeed a real interest in all those things, so as thou mayest reade over the Word of God, and when thou readest any thing about the excellency of God, I, and this God is my God; and when thou readest any thing about Jesus Christ, any of his excellencies, I, and he is my Savior; and when you read any thing in any Promises, and all this is mine inheritance; and so of Heaven, it gives thee an interest to all that which any of you have heard or read about the Glory of Heaven, and it is as really thine as any thing thou hast in thy house is thine, and a great deal more real and certain; Holiness indeed may bring thee to the possession of Heaven, and it is necessary for bringing the soul to possess Heaven; but Faith is tha… which gives thee interest and title to it: one thing may give thee Title to such a piece of Land, but somthing else must give thee possession; Faith gives thee interest and title to Heaven, but Holiness brings thee to it; for without Holiness, no man can see God.