The Use and Practice of Faith, Question 5
QUEST. V. By whoſe Faith ſhall he live?
AND the anſwer is in the Text, By his (own) faith; not by another mans faith. Therefore in the Confeſſion of Faith, every one ſaith for himſelf [I believe] not my Friend, not my Father, not my Brother believes for me, but I my ſelf believe for my ſelf. One mans prayer may obtain good for another, but one mans faith cannot ſave another. No more than one mans ſoundneſs of conſtitution can give health to another that is ſick; or one mans ſoul give life to another, that is in a dead or dying condition. No, the juſt man ſhall live by his own faith Mat. 9.22. There Chriſt ſpeaks to the woman with the bloody iſſue, Thy faith hath made thee whole; not the faith of any other that were about him. So Luke 7. laſt. And he ſaid to the woman, Thy faith hath ſaved thee, go in peace.Reaſons of living by a mans own faith.
And why muſt it neceſſarily be a mans own Faith?
Reaſ. 1. Becauſe it is the nature and eſſence of ſaving Faith, for a man to make particular application of Chriſt to himſelf, as we heard before, Gal. 2.20.—that loved me. And Thomas, when he had any ſtirrings of ſpiritual life cryes thus, My Lord, and my God. Yea, in the greateſt ſhakings of Faith, there is ſome ſecret application and appropriation of God to the ſoul. When we ſeem to put God away with the one hand, we pull him to us with the other. As it was in the ſpeech of David, and Chriſt too, My God, my God, why haſt thou ſorſaken me! Forſaken me? and yet my God ſtill. Where there is any life at all, there ſome Faith. None can live ſpiritually, none can live eternally; but ſuch as have faith of their own. It is both the means, and the mark of eternal life: Mark 16.16. He that believeth, ſhall be ſaved; he that believeth not, ſhall be damned. There muſt be a particular application of Chriſt to the ſouls of all that are ſaved. They live by their own Faith. Therefore Chriſt in Scripture is compared to thoſe things, that can do a man no good unleſs they be applyed; as to Salve, Job 6.53. Gal. 3.27.to the Balm of Gilead, to Meat and Drink, and Garments. What good can Salve, &c. do me, unleſs it be applyed to my body? 'Tis not enough that my neareſt or deareſt friend applyes theſe to himſelf, that will not heal me, nor feed me, nor cover my nakedneſs. Every man lives by his own eating and drinking, is covered and kept warm by his own garments: ſo the juſt lives by his own Faith.
Reaſ. 2. Becauſe he that hath the moſt Faith, hath none to spare for another man; and therefore every man muſt live by his own Faith. They are guilty of pride and folly (proud Fools) that think they have faith enough, and grace enough both for themſelves and others ('tis the Prerogative Royal of the King of Saints, to juſtifie others by his Righteouſneſs.) And though they may ſeem to be humble, that would be beholding to another for ſuch a favour; yet they are but humble fools, Mat. 25.8. the fooliſh Virgins ſaid to the wiſe, Give us of your oyl—of your faith, and grace: For the wiſe anſwered, Not ſo, leſt there be not enough for us and you. They had enough for themſeves, they had none to ſpare for others. He is a fooliſh Souldier, that being to go into the field with a wiſe and vigilant Commander, thinks to borrow Arms of his fellow-Souldier; if his fellow-Souldier would part with them, his Commander will never ſuffer it. Every Souldier muſt appear at the general Muſter with his own Arms: Every Chriſtian Souldier (I am ſure) muſt; elſe there is no looking Chriſt in the face, who is the great Lord General of the Field, and the Captain of our Salvation. Heb. 2.Every Souldier muſt appear compleatly armed: Eph. 6.11. Put on the whole armour of God; and ver. 13. Take unto you the whole armour of God. Mark, firſt, every Souldier muſt have it: 2. Put it on: 3. He muſt put on all: 4. Above all, the ſhield of Faith ver. 16. So that every Chriſtian Souldier muſt be armed with his own ſhield of faith; he muſt either ſtand or fall to his own Maſter, viz as he appears in this poſture, or otherwiſe.
Now ſhall we come to the Uſe.Rules about living by a mans own faith. But before to ſpeak ſomething by way of Caution: 1. In the Amplification: 2. In the Reſtriction of this Truth.
Part. 1 Firſt, for Amplification: for the right underſtanding of it, here obſerve theſe Particulars:
Firſt, Not ſo a mans faith, but ſtill it is Gods; he is both the Author, and the Finiſher of our faith. 'Tis the faith of the operation of God, Col. 2.12. Hence God will have us ſee our own backwardneſs both firſt and laſt: what ado to believe at firſt? what ado to keep it when we have it? how oft at ſuch a loſs, that if the mighty power of God ſhould not revive our dead faith, we and our faith ſhould both dye together? VVe are kept through faith, but it is by the power of God to ſalvation, 1 Pet 1.5. So that if at any time we glorifie God by believing, we may ſay as David, 1 Chron. 29.14. Of thine own have we given thee: we live indeed by our own faith, but ſo our own, that it is Gods more then ours: Eph. 2.8. By grace ye are ſaved, through faith, and that is the gift of God.
Part. 2 Secondly, A man doth not ſo live by his own faith, but in temporal reſpects the faith of another man may do him good. Maſters by their faith obtained healing for their Servants; Parents for their Children: Mat. 15.28. O woman, great is thy faith! Mat. 9.2. Jeſus ſeeing their faith, healed the ſick of the Palſey. Gods people for the town or place where they live: The innocent (i. e. the faithful doer) ſhall deliver the Iſland, Job 22. ver. laſt. Gen 18.32. If ten righteoous perſons ſhall be found there, I will not deſtroy it for ten ſake. Eſpecially in Magiſtrates, Moſes. Numb. 14. Hezekiah, Iſaiah 37. put up prayers, and God ſaved the people, and places they praid for: Then Phineas executed judgement (appeaſed God by faith) and ſo the plague was ſtayed, Pſal. 106.30.
Part. 3 Thirdly, In ſpiritual reſpects alſo, another mans faith may do good in the exerciſe of it. Parents faith may do much for the ſpiritual good of their children: By faith Iſaac bleſſed Jacob, and Eſau, concerning things to come; and, By faith Jacob bleſſed both the ſons of Joſeph, Heb. 11.20, 21. They plead a kinde of hereditary right by the grand Charter. As the Devils Covenant runs much in a blood, (many times) where there is a curſe upon a family: ſo Gods Covenant, where there is a bleſſing, Gen. 17.7. I will bleſs thee, and thy ſeed after thee. And ſo Rom 11. They are beloved for the fathers ſake, i.e. for Gods promiſe of Free-grace made unto the Fathers, and pleaded, and ſued out by the faithful. Parents have God upon the hip (to ſpeak with reverence) when they wreſtle with him in Prayer for their children. So you reade of an hereditary faith, as of hereditary temporal poſſeſſions; and 'tis a ſtrong hold, if the Livery be ſued out: I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith which is in thee, which dwelt firſt in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice, 2 Tim. 1.5. 'Tis a ſtrong pair of bellows to blow up the grace of God to a great flame. So in the Miniſtery, who are ſpiritual Parents, faith may do much good exerciſed in Preaching and Prayer, to beget the like faith in others; as one Candle lights another, or one Natural Life begets another: ſo one Spiritual Life begets another, by the immortal ſeed of the Word, warm'd and inlivened by the Spirit of God. 1 Cor. 4.15. Though you have ten thouſand inſtructers in Chriſt, yet not many fathers; for in Chriſt Jeſus I have begotten you through the Gospel. Hence the Apoſtle writing both to Timothy and Titus, uſeth great boldneſs of ſpeech, 1 Tim. 12. To Timothy, my own ſon in the faith; 1 Tit. 4. To Titus, my own ſon after the common faith, ſayes he. That faith which was in Paul, did beget the like faith in Timothy and Titus.
Part. Fourthly, A man may have much more comfort and glory alſo, by the faith of other men, than otherwiſe he ſhould have, when he under God hath been an inſtrument of it. 1 Theſſ 3.7, 8. Brethren, we were comforted over you, in all our afflictions and diſtreſs, by your faith; for now we live, if you ſtand faſt in the Lord. See, the Apoſtle did even live by their faith; i.e. far more comfortably than otherwiſe he ſhould have done. Phil. 4.1. My brethren, dearly beloved, and longed for, my joy, and crown, ſo ſtand faſt in the Lord, my dearly beloved. The Apoſtle calls the believing Philippians, his joy, yea his crown of rejoycing; his Crown, not onelyonly here, but hereafter to all eternity. Dan. 12.3. They that turn many to righteouſneſs, ſhall ſhine as the ſtars for ever and ever. O how ſhould this quicken us to the duty! Jam. 5.19, 20. Brethren, if any of you do erre from the faith, and one convert him, let him know, that he which converteth a ſinner from the errour of his way, ſhall ſave a ſoul from death, and ſhall hide a multitude of ſins.
Thus much for Caution by way of Amplification. Secondly, by way of Reſtriction; and there ariſe theſe Conſiderations:
Conſid. 1 1. Though ſometimes in temporal reſpects, the faith of one may do good for another, yet not alwayes. The caſe may be ſuch as in Ezek. 14.20. Though Noah, Daniel and Job were in the land, as I live, ſaith the Lord God, they ſhall deliver neither ſons nor daughters, they ſhall ſave onelyonly their own ſouls by their faith. Nay, Chriſt himſelf, though he truſted in God his Father perfectly, yet had not faith enough to ſave ſome temporally: Mark 6.5. And he could there do no mighty work, ſave that he laid his hand upon a few ſick folk, and healed them. Take heed we never ſo harden our hearts againſt God, as to be rendred uncapable of good by others faith and prayers for us.
Conſid. 2 2. Though one mans faith may procure much temporal good for another in many things, yet it is not ſanctified in any, without an act of their own faith exerciſed in Word or Prayer: 1 Tim. 4.4. Every creature of God is ſanctified to us by the word and prayer. Moſes had faith enough to obtain many temporal bleſſings for the people, which (becauſe they had not faith to uſe them) were turned into curſes and judgements, Pſal. 78.30. They were not enſtranged from their luſt, but while the meat was yet in their mouthes, the wrath of God came upon them.
Conſid. 3 3. Though natural Parents, and ſpiritual Parents, procure much good to their Children and People by their faith; yet not 1. To all their Children and People alwayes: Abraham could not do it for Iſhmael, Gen. 17. v. 18. O that Iſhmael might live before thee, ſaid he. Paul could not do it for the Jews, Rom. 9, 1, 2, 3. I could wiſh my ſelf accurſed from Chriſt, for my brethren, my kinſmen according to the fleſh, who are Iſraelites; and therefore carries away a heavy heart, v. 2. 2. Not to any, (ſo that they ſhall have any comfort by it) till they believe themſelves. Look as Parents convey a natural life under God to their children, but they have no comfort in it, till they live themſelves, till they ſee with their own eyes, and breathe with their own noſthrils, &c. So it is in ſpirituall life, though they may be means under God of conveying, yet for all that the children do not live by their Parents faith, nor people by their Miniſters faith, but children, and people, and all live by their own faith; every man muſt ſtand upon his own bottome, according to the foundation he reſts upon. The [juſt] ſhall live by his faith.
Conſid. 4 4. Though ſuch as have been inſtruments of others converſion and faith, ſhall have more joy and glory, yet you muſt underſtand that onelyonly of ſuch as have faith themſelves. OnelyOnly ſuch can ſay, I live, if ye ſtand faſt in the Lord. I will not diſpute whether an unbelieving Miniſter can beget faith in others. I ſuppoſe it may be ſo;Note. elſe God himſelf by the mouth of the Apoſtle would not ſuppoſe it, 1 Cor. 19 27. leſt while I preach to others, I my ſelf become a caſt-away. They may be like the builders of Noahs Ark, that made the Ark to ſave others, but were drowned themſelves. But I ſuppoſe very rarely God doth honour them ſo. But ſuppoſe it prove ſo, I am perſwaded it's little joy to them. But as ſome carnal Parents complain they have ſo many children; ſo they complain when any of Gods children ſpring up under their Miniſtery. And ſurely their Conſciences tell them, that ſuch muſt riſe up in judgement againſt them another day. Thou that teaeheſt another (and by preaching converteſt others) teacheſt thou not thy ſelf, Rom. 2. Therefore ſuch have no joy in others faith, unleſs they believe themſelves: So that in every reſpect it is true in a ſound ſenſe, The juſt ſhall live by his faith.
Ʋſe. Now for Ʋſe.
Reproof. 1 It reproves the dotage of the Papiſts, that talk much of the Coblers Faith, Againſt the …aith of Papiſts.who had no faith of his own, but by ſaying he believed as the Church believed, drove away the Devil. And (for my part) I believe it may be true, that the Devil was willing to be driven away upon theſe terms, that he might confirm the blinde Papiſts in the Coblers Faith, that is cobled up of Pride and Ignorance; Pride in their great ones, that think they have ſo much faith and grace to ſpare; and Ignorance in their mean ones, that are ſo ſilly, as to think they may borrow, or buy of others for love or money, what they want themſelves. And therefore Mat. 25.9. as the five fooliſh Virgins they are ſent to buy oyl for themſelves of them that ſell it. Some conceive thoſe words [Go ye rather, and buy] to be, not an Exhortation, but a Deriſion of fooliſh people, that think they may buy the Oyl of Grace, of others. As if a true Chriſtian in the day of Judgement, ſhould ſay to an obſtinate Papiſt, (then, when he is glad to lay hold on the skirt of a Chriſtian, and ſay, O let me go along with you, and appear where you appear) No, we muſt look to our ſelves, go your way to your Biſhops and Prieſts, and purchaſe your Pardons and Indulgences from them, and ſee if they can ſave you from the wrath of the Lamb, we cannot help you; every man muſt live by his own faith. Ezek. 18. as the ſoul that ſins ſhall die the death; ſo the ſoul onelyonly that believes, ſhall live this Spiritual and Eternal Life.
Repr. 2 2. This reproves ſuch carnal Profeſſors, as have no other faith,Of them that pin their faith on others. but what is pinn'd upon other mens ſleeves. Ask them, why they are of his Faith and Religion, rather then any other, they can give no ſound reaſon from the Word of God, but rather from Tradition; they received it by Tradition from their Elders; their Fathers, and Forefathers were of that Religion before them, and therefore they will be ſo too. Others it may be are profane, and irreligious themſelves, but they hope God will ſhew them favour for their friends ſake. It may be their Father or Mother, or ſome in the family, are eminent in the faith, and they hope they ſhall fare the better for their ſake, and that they ſhall ſlip into heaven under their wing, or by taking hold on their skirts. Certainly, there may be a carnal confidence in spiritual friends; Zech. 7.therefore the Apoſtle ſaith by way of prevention, 2 Cor. 5.16. Henceforth know we no man after the fleſh; yea, though we have known Chriſt after the fleſh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Alas, it will be little comfort to a man that he hath kinred in Chriſt after the fleſh, that he hath been in his company many a time and oft, and heard him preach, and ſhewed ſome reſpect unto him; and yet this is that which wicked men do bear up themſelves withall, inſomuch that they ſhall with much confidence plead it to Chriſts own face at the day of Judgement, Luk. 13.26. Then ſhall ye begin to ſay, We have eaten, and drunk in thy preſence, and thou haſt taught in our ſtreets, &c. but what is Chriſts anſwer? I tell you, I know you not whence you are; depart from me ye workers of iniquity. But aſſure we our ſelves, Satan will not onelyonly delude wicked men with carnal knowledge of Chriſt, but with a carnal and common knowledge of their Chriſtian friends: They ſhall bolſter themſelves up in this, my Father, or my Grandfather were eminent Profeſſors of the faith, and therefore I doubt not but I ſhall crowd into heaven in their company. The Jews boaſted much of Abrahams faith (who was their father) and ſo of Iſaac, and Jacob, and of the Prophets, ſurely they had a ſtrong preſumption that they ſhould fare the better in the laſt day for their ſakes: and therefore Chriſt to take away their carnal confidence, tells them plainly, Luke 13.28. There ſhall be weeping, and gnaſhing of teeth, when they ſhall ſee Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, and all the Prophets in the Kingdome of God, and they themſelves thruſt out. O many a wicked Wife, Son, &c. ſhall ſee his glorified Father, Husband, &c. but little enough to their comfort then: there ſhall be two in one bed, the one ſhall be taken, and the other left; the one ſhall go to heaven, the other to hell. Why ſo? The one was a believer, the other an unbeliever. And look as the unbelievers infidelity cannot prejudice the believer; ſo the believers faith faith cannot priviledge the unbeliever. Every man ſhall then ſtand upon his own bottome, whether he hath built upon the rock, or upon the ſands. And therefore as it was wittily ſaid of Non-reſidents, He that ſerves his place by a Curate, muſt go to heaven by a Curate: ſo we may ſay truly and ſeriouſly in this caſe, He that believes onelyonly by another, muſt onelyonly go to heaven by another: for he ſhall never come there himſelf, unleſs himſelf believes; for the juſt ſhall live by his faith.
Ʋſe 2 2 Uſe. If every one muſt have faith of his own, then every one ſhould have a Miniſter of his own; Inſtruction.for that's the uſual way of begetting and increaſing faith, Rom. 10.17. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. I confeſs God may ſometime bleſs the Miniſtery of a ſtranger: but that which God delights to work by moſt commonly, and moſt effectually, is a Miniſter of our own. Heb. 13.17. Submit to them that have the rule over you; for they watch for your ſouls, as they that muſt give account. Every ſoul then ſhould have a Watchman. Think ſeriouſly what anſwers they will be,Note. when God asks three Queſtions on the ſick-bed, and you need ſpiritual help and comfort: 1. Why do ye not ſend for the Miniſter? according to Jam. 5.14 If any be ſick, let him ſend for the Elders of the Church, and they pray for him. And you anſwer, Lord, we have none of our own. 2. Why no Miniſter? according to that in Heb. 13.17. Anſwer, We were not able to maintain one, unleſs he would vow perpetual ſingle life. 3. And then God asks, Are you not able to expend twice, thrice as much in things leſs neceſſary for feeding or clothing the body in one monethmonth or week, than you ſhould in a whole year to your Miniſter? And you feign to anſwer, I'll beg mercy of God: At what time ſoever a ſinner repents, he ſhall finde mercy. When alas, that anſwer is not Scripture, but coyn'd. This is Scripture, Prov. 1.28. When diſtreſs and anguiſh cometh upon you, then ſhall they call upon me, but I will not anſwer: they ſhall ſeek me early, but ſhall not finde me, for that they hated knowledge, and did not chooſe the fear of the Lord.
Ʋſe 3 3 Uſe. It exhorts us to prove our own ſelves, and ſo to prove our own faith. 2 Cor. 13.5. Examine your ſelves, Exhortation.whether you be in the faith; prove your ſelves. We will examine our gold and ſilver, and if we ſuſpect it, we will not take a piece, but we'll bring it to the ballance and touchſtone: and why ſo? becauſe we are like to have an intereſt in it, it is like to be our own, we are like to be the gainers or loſers by it, or elſe we would not take ſo much pains about. And ſhall we not try our own faith, whether falſe, or counterfeit? Yet this is a common fault, we are more buſied about other mens matters then our own, as Peter ſaid, Joh. 21. Lord, what ſhall this man do? or what do you think of ſuch a man? is he right? and all this while it may be we are ſtrangers at home. As the Lapwing draws the traveller as far as ſhe can from her Neſt: ſo the Devil draws men as far as he can from the examining their own faith, he fills their heads full of curioſity, either in matters of opinion, in ſtead of matters of Faith and Life, and living by faith; or if they be buſied about matters of practice, then to be more curious about other men, than to make inquiry into our own condition. But the truth is, we ſhall never have comfort in ſuch a way; if ever we would have ſound comfort, we muſt prove our ſelves, our own faith, our own works. Gal. 6.4, 5. Let every man prove his own work, ſo ſhall he have rejoycing in himſelf, and not in another.