The Buddings and Blossomings of Old Truths, Commentary · Verse 33
Verſe. 33.
It is not the leaſt, but the choiſeſt labour of Gods faithfull miniſters to breed faith in the hearts of Gods ſervants, the nature of this is moſt excellent, the preſence of it moſt pleaſant, the uſe of it moſt profitable, the oppoſition againſt it very ſtrong, the honour ariſing to God from it very great; therefore the baptiſt endeavoureth from the ſinguler uſe & benefit of faith on the one ſide, and from the danger and dammage of infidelity on the other ſide, to perſwade his diſciples to beleeve, tels them, that hee who hath received his teſtimony hath ſet to his ſeale that God is good.
Hee whatſoever hee be, of whatſoever condition, or calling, of whatſoever place or Countrey, who hath received his teſtimony, hath hearkned to the voice of Chriſt with his eare, comprehended the meſſage of Chriſt with his underſtanding, opened his heart, imbraced it with his affection, builded his confidence thereupon, that man hath put to his ſeale, conſented, ſubſcribed, acknowledged, confeſſed, publiſhed, declared that God is true, that all the words which Chriſt hath ſpoken are the words of God that there is no deceit in them, that God is faithfull in fulfilling all his promiſes, from whence the Baptiſt teacheth us.
That it is a great honour to God that his ſervants do by a lively faith imbrace & build upon his promiſes,Rom. 4.29. Exo. 14.31. with. Exo. 15.1. as man is honoured when his words are beleeved, his promiſes imbraed, ſo is God, &c. and God by this meanes is honoured. Firſt by then acknowledging of of his truth and fidelity, nothing is more dear to God then his truth no ſacrifice more acceptable to God, then a lively faith, whereby we publiſh him to be a true, a faithfull, and a righteous God, a God of truth Deut. 32.4. a faithfull God, Deut. 7.9.
2. By the acknowledging of his power and Alſufficiency; hereby we declare to all the world that power belongeth unto God, Pſa. 62.11. that he is Alſufficient, Gen. 17.1. that he can doe whatſoever pleaſeth him Pſa. 135.4, 5. Gen. 18.14.
3. By relying wholly upon him for life and ſalvation, not leaning on any arme of fleſh, not truſting to any of our owne, or others works, but acknowledging our owne righteouſneſſe to bee but ragges, Iſa. 64.6. our owne Veſſel to be empty, the fruit of our owne Tree to bee ſower grapes, the wages of our own worke to be death, & therefore going out of our ſelves unto God, and relying on him by faith, wee doe glorifie his name, 2 Cor. 12.9. 4. By departing from iniquity, beleeving the promiſes of mercy, the threatnings of Wrath, wee humble our ſelves for our iniquities, are moved to repentance. Jona. 3.5. Acts. 15.9.
5. By becoming living members of Chriſt,Io. 15.9. fruitfull and bearing branches in the true Vine Chriſt Jeſus, Jo. 15.8.6. by addreſſing our ſelves to God by fervent prayer for comfort in heavines, for deliverance in dangers, for peace in troubles, Pſa. 116.10.
7. By giving us victory over all aſſaults, Ro. 8.36, 37. 1. Jo. 5.4.
Vſe. This therefore will teach us that it is a great ſinne not to beleeve, a great diſhonour to God not to give credit to his word, to heare and not receive his teſtimony, to have the promiſe of life unfolded, and not heartily imbrace it, not firmly build upon it, for hereby they call the truth of God into queſtion, make God like a man,Nu. 11.19. that may lye, & the Son of man that may repent; rob God of his truth, which is moſt eſſentiall, and proper to him, yea take away that which is moſt deare to him, and judge him unworthy to be beleeved, & therefore in the 1 e. of Jo. 5.10.
2. Hereby they thinke of God, as a broaken bough, a withered reed, a weake arme, a God inſuffient to fulfil,Iſa. 59.13, what he hath promiſed, a God unable to provide for them that depend upon him.
3. Hereby they build upon ſome other foundations, ſeeke for ſomewhat in the creature which they imagine is not to be found in the Creator,2 Kings. 1.6. with Ahaziah leaving the God of Iſrael and go to Beelzebub with Iſrael; forgetting the rock,ſa. 30.1. Deut. 32.18. that made them they goe to Aegypt for aſſiſtance in the day of trouble.
4. Hereby they diſobey and rebell againſt God, they ſhake off that yoak of ſubjection which God hath put upon them, therefore the unbeleefe of Moſes and Aaron is called a tranſgreſſion, Deut. 32.51. and rebellion, Num. 27.14. 2 Kings. 17.14, 15.
5. Hereby they diſhonour God in the eyes of others, give an evill example, become a ſtumbling block to their brethren, confirme many in evil, Numb. 20.11, 12.
6. Hereby they diſpiſe the good things which God hath provided for them, which God hath promiſed unto them, the fountaine of his loving kindneſſe is reputed an empty pit, the glorious ſunſhine of his favours is looked upon as a lampe without oyle, as a tree without fruit, as a hive without honey, Pſa. 160.24.
7. Hereby they grow diſcontented with their eſtate, repine againſt God as againſt a hard maſter that dealt not well with them, enjoyning a labour not to be performed by them, as if God had brought them into a condition wherein he could not preſerve them, into a danger out of which he could not deliver them, made a promiſe which he was not able to accompliſh, Pſa, 106.25. Hereby they deny Gods Soverainty and dominion, they harkened not ſaith the. Pſalmiſt. Pſa. 106.25. that is, they detracted from Gods authority and dominion, they would not be guided by his voice, ruled by his counſell, but would fight againſt the Amalekites, go into the land of promiſe, when God forbad them Deut. 1.42, 43.44. thus you ſee now greatly God is diſhonoured by infidelity,
2. Therefore as we doe deſire to make the name of God glorious, to doe any thing pleaſing in Gods preſence, let us labour to beleeve his word, to conſent, ſubcribe, and yeeld to the truth of his teſtimony, to ſearch after the through-knowledge of it, to imbrace it with moſt hearty and unfained affection, to build upon it as upon a ſure foundation, to reſt upon Chriſt alone for life and ſalvation, to get a gracious perſwaſion in our hearts of the goodneſſe of God in Chriſt towards our own ſoules, to ſtay upon Chriſt, as upon a ſure pillar,1 Cor. 3.11. Heb. 6.19. to build upon him, as upon the onelyonly foundation, a foundation which will not faile, to faſten our faith upon him, as the marriner his Anker on a ſure rock, and as 2 Chron. 32.8. ſo let us reſt our ſelves upon the promiſes of God; no other hath promiſed life and ſalvation, no other can conferre the remiſſion of ſinne, and life eternall, no other can deliver from Hell, ſinne and Satan, therefore let us take off our hearts from all other, and relye onelyonly upon him, Iſa. 45.22. for there is no other name, Acts 4.12. and all the promiſes which God hath made in him are moſt certaine, 2 Cor. 1.20. moſt conſtant; whatſoever change there be, this faileth not; Iſa. 40.8. this like the Sea continueth full though other water brookes doe faile, theſe are moſt pleaſant and delightfull, full of refreſhment, delight and comfort to Gods people, Pſa. 23.4. and in beleeving Gods promiſes, in geting intereſt in them, in building upon them, wee ſhall be drawne to attend Gods ordinances with delight,1 Pet. 2.3. Job. 23.12. as the child ſucketh the breſts, as Job deſired it more then his appointed food, to come as to our fathers houſe, as into our friends preſence, to be glad with David Pſa. 122.1.2.
Wee ſhall ſtirre up others to ſeeke God in the uſe of his ordinances, we ſhall call others, Jſa. 2.2. wee ſhall ſtrive to bring them to the Phyſitian of their ſoules, to make them partakers of his Grace, Lu. 22.32.
3. Wee ſhall be full of love to God, and to his wayes, Gal. 5.6, 7.
Wee ſhall be rich in all good works, like a tree full of fruit, a garden full of ſweet flowers, and thus ſhall we abundantly glorifie God by believing, & to this we ſhould be induced by conſidering the fulneſſe and Alſuffici- of Chriſt Jeſus; for,