The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 9-11, Treatise 3 · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
The necessity of walking by Faith: 1 Because the waies of God are mean and vile to Sence and Reason. 2 That there may be an agreement between us and God. 3 Because many things that are the Rule of our lives, depend meerly upon the will of God revealed without Reason. 4 That we may see the Authority of the Rule, and make it come with power to our hearts. 5 That we may see the reallity of Spiritual things. 6 That we may see through the colors and vain shews that are put upon the waies of Sin. 7 Because the waies of God do somtimes seem contrary to his Word. 8 Because of oppositions, outward and inward. 9 Because by it only we please God. 10 Because the End of the Saints Walking, is above Reason. 11 Because the efficacy of all means we use for any good, depends upon Faith.
IN a Saints walking with God, his walk by Faith hath a Principal share. I have shewed what it was to walk by Faith. And then, that it was the walk of the Saints: this is finished. I shal proceed unto the necessity of this walking by Faith, and the Excellency of it: If a Christian doth not walk by Faith, he will certainly miscarry in his way.
First, The absolute Necessity that there is of it: If we wil profess our selves real Saints, and walk with God, we must have a great use of the Grace of Faith in all our waies.
1 The necessity of walking by Faith is this, Because that the waies of God have a great deal of outward meanness in them, and appears to be vile to Sence & to natural Reason; even the great things of the Gospel, they are foolishness to a carnal heart. I remember Tacitus that was a great Scholler, speaks of the way of the Jews (which were the only people of God) the Way and Customs that God taught them, That it is absurd, and a sordid Way; and yet no people upon Earth had the mind of God revealed to them, but they in their time: and Josephus tells of one that speaking of the Jews, saith, They are hateful to men, and more foolish than the very Barbarian: These thoughts have carnal hearts of the Waies of God; they are very mean and vile, therefore there is need of Faith to shew us the way that we should walk in.
2 There is a necessity of Faith, That there may be an Agreement between us and God, Can two walk together and not be agreed? How can there be an Agreement between God and our souls but by Faith? Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by Faith we have peace with God; our peace with God doth not come from any obedience to the Commandement, but by Faith; it is not the reforming thy life, though that must be, for it's a sign thou art not at peace with God if thou doest not reform thy life; but all these do not make up thy peace, that which makes up thy peace with God is thy Faith in Christ; yea, and when a Beleever hath made peace with God, yet afterwards he may do that which shal break his peace, the sence and the comfort of it, yea, and so far break as there may be a fatherly displeasure against him; now it must be faith that must it up, 'tis not enough to think thus, I have done that which hath broke my peace with God, The comfort of it to my soul, I will amend, and reform, that's good, but that's not the thing that thou must rest on: I but I will renew my Faith, and exercise that upon Christ, and so make up my breach: Reforming that will follow upon it; but the main thing that makes the Agreement, it's the work of Faith, and therefore Faith is absolutely necessary.
3 Faith is of absolute necessity to walk by, Because that many things that are to be the Rule of our lives, depend meerly upon the will of God as it is revealed in the Word without any Reason given for it: I confess there are many things of the mind of God that we may see a Reason for, yea, there are some Principles in mans Nature, that are not wholly done away by the fall, that will shew to him that such and such things are Rules for him to walk by: but there are others that are meerly by the will of God without any Reason at all, and therefore there is a necessity of Faith for the discovering of them unto us.
4 There is a necessity of Faith, That we might come to see the Authority of the Rule by which God would have us to walk: though we may by Reason see somwhat, yet there is a Divine Lustre and Authority in the Rule that we cannot come to know but by beleeving: in the 119. Psalm, 66. verse, saith David there, Teach me good Judgment and Knowledg; for I have beleeved thy Commandements: Here you see the Commandements of God are an object of Faith, as well as the Promises, which many do not think of; they think their Faith is only to act upon the Promises, I but Faith is to act upon the Commandements: That which is received by beleeving, is received in another way than that which is received by Reason; as if he should say, I see some Reason in thy Commandements, I but there is a Divine Authority, and lustre and glory in thy Commandements which is beyond that which is to be revealed by Reason, and that I receive by Faith: I by Faith have come to see and apply that infinite MercieMercy, and Glory, and Authority that there is in thy Commandements: Oh that we could but learn this, to beleeve the Commandements as well as to understand the Commandements, or to be convinced by Reason of them, that we are not to Lye, nor Swear, nor prophane the Sabbath, nor commit Adultory, nor do any act of Injustice; these things we may convince mens Consciences of: I but yet they do not beleeve the Commandements, that is, the infinite dreadful Authority that there is in them, for this, Reason doth not bring with power to the soul: Oh those that God works Faith in, they come to see, and to apply another kind of Authority in the Rule than they have done heretofore: therefore there is a necessity of Faith in our walking, even to make the Commands of God to come with power to our hearts.
5 There's a necessity of Faith that we might come to see the Reallity of Spiritual things; they are all but Notions to us until we come to have the use of the Grace of Faith in the course of our lives; we may talk of Justification, and Sanctification, and Adoption, and Reconciliation, and of the Love of God shedding abroad, and of the Spirit of God, and being guided by Gods Spirit, and the Priviledges of the Saints, and such things; we indeed speak of these things, but they are but meer Fancies and Notions to us till we come to have Faith, and Faith gives a real Being; according to that in Heb. 11. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, it gives a substance to them, and makes them to appear the most real things in the World, therefore there is a necessity of Faith for the making of Spiritual things to be Reallities to the soul.
6 There's a necessity of Faith in our walking, That we may be able to see through the colors and vain shews and pretences that are upon the waies of Sin, we shall be gul'd and deceived else by the color, and pretences, and fair shews that are put upon these, those guildings that are upon the waies of Sin; Sin will appear very fair and specious: the most dangerous and desperate waies of Sin, wil present themselves seemingly desirable to us, except we have a piercing eye of Faith to look beyond present things: Faith is necessary in our walk that we may see through those paintings and daubings that are put upon the waies of sin, that we may look beyond things that are present, it's said of carnal hearts, that they do not see afar off, 2 Pet. 1. 8. If these things be in you, and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren, nor unfruitful in the knowledg of our Lord Jesus Christ: but he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off: He can see only things that are present; but you that have the knowledg of Christ, can see afar off. Oh there's a great necessity of Faith in the course of our lives.
7 A great necessity of Faith there is in our walk in the course of our lives, because that God doth seem in …is way to go often so contrary to what he speaks in his Word, therefore I shewed you that Sence and Reason is not enough,: But now I am to shew you the necessity of Faith, because that God in his waies will appear to go so contrary to his Word that we shal not be able to see them: To that I have shewed you, that God in his Works doth somtimes seem to go contrary to his Word, As in Ahraham: I'le give you some other Instances; As his bringing of his people Israel to the Land of Canaan; he promised to them a Land that should flow with Milk and Honey: they were brought into the Southern part of the Land at first, that for the greater part was the most barren, only some little might be fruitful; but it was of all the Land the dryest part, and the most fruitless; and this is the reason o… that Expression that we have in the 126. Psalm, 4. saith the Psalmist there, Turn again our Captivity O Lord, as the streams in the South; the streams that were in the South were mighty refreshing and comfortable; there were streams in other parts of the Land as well as there; but they were most comfortable, because that the Southern part of the Land was so dry and barren, and therefore any streams in the South were very refreshing unto the people; and thence is this Phrase, Turn again our Captivity as the streams in the South: God brings his people into the barrennest place at first; what was this for, but to try their Faith? It seemed to be contrary to what God said of the Land, that it should flow with Milk and Honey: And so if you read the 20. of Judges, 28. 31. compared, God made a Promise of Victory to the People, and yet you shall find, that though he promised them Victory, at first there was a slaughter made, and such a slaughter as encouraged the enemy to hope for a victory over them again the second time: After God makes the largest and fullest Promises of mercy to his people it's his usual way to seem to go quite contrary: Oh the waies of God are unsearchable and his judgments are past finding out: If there be not Faith, we shall presently be offended when we see that the Works of God seem to go contrary to that word that we have thought we have beleeved in.
8 A necessity there is too in respect of the strong oppositions that the Saints meet withal in their way; they meet with the Devil, and World, and Flesh, and all opposing them in their way, the oppositions from the world by waies of scorn, and contempt, and persecution, and it may be opposition from their kindred, from their Parents, from their Governors, from their neerest yokefellow, bosom friend; if there be not Faith to help against al these, the soul would never endure; Moses endured by seeing him that is invisible. So in inward oppositions, from temptations within, from the strong corruptions that are within the soul, except Faith comes in the soul wil soon fade away: there's a notable Scripture that we have in the 64. of Isa. 6, 7. mark there the complaint of the Church in the time of their affliction and trouble, All we (saith the Prophet in the name of the Church) do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind, have taken us away: Oh their hearts were down and discouraged; but what's the Reason of this? And there is none that calleth upon thy Name, that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee; This was the Reason why they faded away like a leaf: when a leaf wants moisture, and hath the Sun to dry it, it soon fades away: so it was with them, they met with trouble and oppositions, inward and outward, so that like a leaf they did fade away; but it was upon this ground, Because none stir'd up himself to take hold on God, because they did not act Faith upon him: In the time of their sufferings when they were in a low and afflicted condition, when temptations and troubles came, then they should have stir'd up themselves to have taken hold on God; had they but had the use and exercise of Faith then, they should not have had cause to have made such complaints, and therefore a necessity there is of Faith for the overcoming of strong oppositions; Set Reason, or Experience many times against oppositions that a Christian meets withal in his way, and they are but as Paper walls to keep Bullets off: But now Faith can set even Christ himself, and the Promises of the Covenant of Grace; and these are as a Brazen wall against oppositions; it's faith that doth quench the fiery darts of the Devil. A man hath strong temptations, and there comes in the fiery darts of the Devil thick upon him: Now he begins to Reason with himself; here's these temptations, and why should I yield to them? if I yield, I shall bring shame to my self: Alas, this is but as a paper wall in comparison; and if I yield to such temptations, I shall bring a great deal of trouble and affliction to my self, and my conscience wil not let me alone, but fly in my face: these are some things to help against a temptation, but they are al but as paper walls in comparison of the actings of faith upon God and Jesus Christ: If the soul could but stir up it's self to take hold upon God in Jesus Christ, this would strengthen it far more, and be as a Brazen wall in comparison of the other.
9 And then another thing that shews the necessity of Faith, and that's a special thing to be considered of, We must walk by Faith, all our walk else wil be to little purpose, Because it's by Faith that we come to please God, and without that it's impossible to please him; in Heb. 11. 6. Without Faith it's impossible to please God: Whatsoever thou doest in the way of God, yet if there be not the exercise of Faith in it, it is not accepted: Thou thinkest thou walkest with God in this Duty and the other, thou prayest continually, and hearest the Word, and receivest Sacraments, and conversest with the Saints, and doest such and such good actions; these are wel, but except Faith comes in and mingles, there's none of them please God: It may be, before thou wert acquainted with the way of the Gospel, thou wert very careful in thy course; thou did'st keep thy constant times in Prayer, and didest attend upon the Word, and didest live very wel among thy Neighbors, and read the Scriptures much, and wert careful to come to Christ's Appointments; but if thou wert not in the walk of Faith all this while (though it's better to do this than to neglect it) yet if thou beest not in the walk of Faith, these things are not pleasing to God; they are indeed not so displeasing as the neglect of them would be, and therefore they ought to be done even by unbeleevers, for materially they are good, and better to do that which materially is good, than not to do it at al; I but, if you speak of pleasing God in order unto Eternal Life, and in the Complacensie that God takes in such things as he is pleased with his Saints, they do not please him so, no, it's the work of Faith in the very action that must make it acceptable to God; if you tender it up to God, it must be by faith: Oh how necessary is Faith then to make every thing pleasing to God, and therefore consider of this Note: It's not enough that you are Beleevers in general; that is, that you have saith in Christ, and so you have pardon of sin, but this shews there is a necessity of putting forth faith in every action.
10 Further, The Happiness of a Christian is that which is Supernatural, the last end that a Christian hath, is supernatural; therefore as I shewed you when I opened what it is to walk by faith, Faith brings in the Revelation of the end of our walk, and here it shews the necessity of it: If our end in all our actions be above Reason, then we have need still of the use of faith in every thing that we do, that we may alwaies have the right end: And it is that indeed that doth commend an action in Morals, it's the end that makes the good of an action: And so in Divinity, it's not what the Action is, but what the End is; this crowns all: The necessity of faith is in this to carry on al our actions to a Supernatural End, to an End beyond Reason.
11 Lastly, It's Faith that is so necessary, Because the efficacie of al means that we use for any good, depends upon Faith: God sets us about the use of means for the attaining such ends, God never ordain'd means that they should help us to attain such ends by vertue in themselves; but God ordain'd means to convey himself through those means, and the effic…cy of them must be by using them in a beleeving way; such and such means God hath appointed for such ends; but if I make use of those means and think that they have any vertue or efficacy for the attaining those ends, I frustrate the good of the means; but if I would use them in a profitable way, I must mix faith with them: I use these means, but it's the love, and goodness, and mercy of God that I trust in, in the use of these means. If I use the means to preserve my Natural life, I should exercise Faith there: Asa is blamed for using the means of the Physitian, and trusting to him, and not unto the Lord; but then much more when I use means for my soul, I come to the Word, and Prayer, and other Ordinances; there's no efficacy at all in al these any further than faith is mixed; you know what the Apostle saith, The Word did not profit them because it was not mixed with Faith; and so in Prayer, the Prayer of Faith will save the sick, but if you trust and rely upon your prayers, you will spoil al; the thing indeed must be done, but that wil not do it, and you will find your Prayers wil come to little; and that's the very Reason why the times of prayer in your Closets, and in Publick have come to so little; you have prayed against such and such corruptions, but when a temptation hath come, you have been overcome as before: you wonder at it, and think, Lord, what shall become of me? I have prayed against this sin I know not how many times, and I thought that thou hadst come in sweetly to my soul, at such a time, I had such enlargements, and I went out in the strength of my Prayer, and thought that verily I should be able to overcome my sin, but I find I am as weak as ever: It's because thou didst trust in the means, it's true, God appoints such and such means, I but he appoints faith to convey his grace through the means; thou didst pray, and wert earnest with God, I but didst thou beleeve in thy prayer, and act thy faith upon Christ and the Promise, and the Covenant of Grace in Prayer? Oh Faith, it's that which is necessary in the use of all means to make one to have profit and benefit in them, and therefore certainly Christians must look to that especially to walk by their Faith.
And thus you see the Necessity of it.