The Use and Practice of Faith, Question 7
QUEST. VII. What Life is that the Juſt lives by his Faith?
ANd the Anſwer is very general, All kinde of life, that may truly be called life. For the life of ſinners, though never ſo pleaſurable, is a death rather than a life. He or ſhe that liveth in pleaſures, is dead while ſhe liveth, 1 Tim 5.6. yea, twice dead, Jude v. 12. For the death of the ſoul, is the ſeparation of the ſoul from God, who is the life of the ſoul, as the ſoul is the life of the body.
But all kinde of life, that is worth the name of life, the juſt lives it, by faith. Therefore 'tis ſpoken of, indefinitely [The juſt ſhall live, &c.] that it may include all lives. As all life comes from that God in whom there is a Trinity of Perſons: ſo from this God, the juſt doth enjoy a Trinity of lives. 'Tis ſaid, Gen. 2.7. Jehovah Elohim breathed into mans noſtrils the breath of lives; viz. either the Vegetative life, common with Plants, the Senſitive, common with Beaſts; and Rational, common with Angels: Or elſe take it of life Natural, Spiritual, and Eternal: All which, in ſome reſpect, the juſt lives, by vertue of his faith.
Firſt then, for Natural Life: he lives this, by faith (I ſpeak not of corrupt Nature,I. Natural life lived by faith. but of that life which flows from the conjunction of Soul and Body) 1. In reſpect of the act of living. Gal. 2.20. I live, yet not I, 1. In the act of living.but Chriſt liveth in me; and the life I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himſelf for me. That a juſtified perſon is ſuffered to live and breathe, it is by the benefit of faith.
Obj. Obj. But you will ſay, All enjoy natural life, even unbelievers as well as they that do believe.
Anſ. Anſ. Yet upon different grounds. It's true: All being ſinners in Adam, and in our ſelves, we have forfeited our lives: yet God takes not the forfeiture on believer…, no nor on unbelievers. But on different grounds. To make it plain by a Similitude: Suppoſe two men condemn'd to dye; the one is Repriev'd, the other Pardon'd by the mediation of a friend at Court. The Reprieved man is dead in Law, though he live; and muſt dye ſhamefully at laſt. But the other lives ſo, as not to be queſtioned again; and when he dies, he dies with honour and reſpect. Juſt ſo, an unbeliever lives as a man Repriev'd: Joh. 3.18. He that believeth not, is condemned already. A believer lives as a man pardon'd & abſolv'd by the merit & mediation of his friend in the Higheſt Court of Heaven; and though he die, his death is honourable; 'tis but a change for a better life. Thus we reade of David pardoned in reſpect of his temporal life, 2 Sam. 12.13. The Lord hath put away thy ſin, thou ſhalt not die.
2. In the conſervation of life.2. In reſpect of the Conſervation of life in the uſe of means: For however a believer and unbeliever uſe both of them the ſame means for the maintaining of life, yet not in the ſame manner. They uſe both the ſame ayre, the ſame exerciſe, the ſame bread: but the unbeliever uſeth theſe means as a beaſt, and reſts in the means, and never looks higher: Luke 12.19. Soul, thou haſt much goods laid up for many years, take thine eaſe, eat, drink, and be merry. The believer by faith looks above the means; he knows man liveth not by bread alone, Mat. 4.but by every word that cometh out of the mouth of God; he knows, except the Lord build the houſe,Pſal. 127. they labour in vain that build it, &c. Indeed faith teacheth him to uſe the means, elſe he ſhould tempt God: But faith teacheth him not to relie upon the means, for then he ſhould ſligh… God.
3. In reſpect of the Preſervation of life from ſuch things as are deſtructive; as ſickneſſes, enemies,3. In the Preſervation of life. and the like. Therefore faith is called a Shield, Eph. 6.16. Thus Daniel lives by faith in the Lions den, the three Children in the fiery Furnace, Hezekiah in his mortal ſickneſs (and is recovered to his perfect ſtrength again) Paul in his ſhipwrack, Acts 27.25.
Obj. But theſe had particular Promiſes for their faith to reſt on.
Anſ. It is true; yet we have all that general ground of the Pſalmiſt. Pſal. 31.15. My times are in thine hand, deliver me, &c. But of this before in the ſixth Queſtion.
4. In reſpect of the Prolongation of life. As a juſt man prolongs his Parents life, ſo God prolongs his.4. In the P…olongation of life. Compare Prov. 15.20. & Gen. 27. laſt. Thus a childe dutiful to the natural Father, layes hold on the fifth Commandment (which is the firſt with promiſe) and ſo hath life prolonged.Eph 6. Heb. 12. Thus alſo a childe dutiful to the Father of Spirits, layes hold on that promiſe, Prov. 3.16. Length of dayes are in her right hand, and in her left riches and honour. (See before, v. 2.) Or that, Iſa. 40.30, 31. Even the youths ſhall faint, &c. But they that wait upon the Lord ſhall renew their ſtrength, &c.
5. In ordering the Actions of life▪ as eating,5. In the Actions of life. and drinking, and even recreation, labour, and reſt. Eccleſ. 10▪ 16. W…e to thee, O Land—when thy Princes eat in the morning. Happy art thou, O Land—when thy Princes eat in due ſeaſon, for ſtrength, and not for drunkenneſs. And Rom. 14. laſt, Whatſoever is not of faith, is ſin: if it be not a particular for theſe things, yet it is a general Rule.
6. He lives by faith,6. In the Bleſſings of life. in reſpect of the Comforts and Bleſſings of a natural life. In general, 1 Pet 3.10. He that will love life, and ſee good dayes, let him refrain his tongue from evil, &c. More particularly in reſpect of
1. Wealth, Prov. 3.16. Wiſdom▪ there, hath both hands full of bleſſings, if thou haſt but a hand of faith to receive them. And Prov. 10.22. The bleſſing of the Lord it maketh rich; and he addeth no ſorrow with it: whereas the riches of an unbeliever will not ſuffer him to ſleep, Eccleſ. 5.12. The abundance of the rich will not ſuffer him to ſleep, viz. Through his care of getting, or keeping, or loſing.
Obj. But many believers are poor.
Anſ. Temporal bleſſings are promiſed onelyonly ſo far as needful for our frame of Spirit, and preſent condition. See 1 Pet. 1.6▪ Now, if need be, ye are in manfold temptations: and ſo, if need be, ye ſhall be crowned with many bleſſings.
2. Health, Prov. 3.8. Wiſdome (in which faith is included) ſhall be health to thy navil, and marrow to thy bones. Davids experience, that depended on God by faith, Pſ. 103.3. who healeth all thy diſeaſes; and v 5. maketh thee young. The love of God ſtrengthneth the Creature.
Obj. By this rule they ſhould never die, who alway live by faith on God for health.
Anſ. Temporal promiſes are made onelyonly pro tempore, and to be applyed ſo long as they ſhall be meet and expedient for us, (as was ſaid of the former) and no longer. Now ſo long as God by faith raiſeth up the heart to lay hold on them, it is a ſure ſign he means to fulfil them; But when he means to withdraw them, he layes the keyes of Faith and Prayer out of the way.
3, Peace. The juſt live by faith for peace: 1. By looking at the promiſe of it: Prov. 16.7. When a mans wayes pleaſe the Lord, he maketh his enemies to be at peace with him. 'Tis a promiſe on condition, yet of free grace. 2 At the Precept, as a means to peace: Rom. 14.19. Let us follow after the things which make for peace, &c. We muſt follow the temper of love deſcribed, 1 Cor. 13.5 7. Charity doth not behave it ſelf unſeemly, ſeeketh not her own, is not eaſily provoked, &c. It beareth all things, believeth all th…ngs, hopeth all things, endureth all things; viz. unleſs the actions or Doctrines of men be app…rently evil: for then the contrary is required, 2 Epiſt. Joh. v 10. If there c…me any unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not in…o your houſe, nor bid him God speed: Rev. 2 20. The Church there is reproved for ſuffering the woman Jezebel to teach, and ſeduce Chriſts ſervants, and commit fornication, &c So we muſt not ſuffer, if any teach Antinomianiſm: for Chriſt ſayes expreſly, Mat. 5 17. I came not to deſtroy the Law, but to fulfil it.
4. Good ſucceſs, in the improvement of a mans natural life, not onelyonly for his own good, but for the publick good. And this implies many particulars: For Faith teacheth a man, 1. To improve his Natural life, in undertaking ſome place of imployment in a civil life. It will not ſuffer a man to live without a Calling. So 1. Cor. 7.20. Let every man abide in the ſame calling, wherein he was called: which is meant of a particular Calling, and ſuppoſes every Chriſtian muſt have ſuch a Calling: for he mentions it as a charge under that general, of keeping the Commands of God, ver. 19. 2. It ſtirs a man up to look to God for gifts for the diſcharge of that Calling. 1 Kin. 3.7, 9. Now O Lord my God, thou haſt made thy ſervant King,—and I am but a little childe, I know not how to go out and in— Give therefore thy ſervant an underſtanding heart to judge thy people, &c. So the Apoſtle directs to live by faith in this caſe, as well as other: Jam. 1.5. If any man lack wiſdom, let him ask of God. 3. It ſtirs a man up in the uſe of thoſe gifts, to ſeek not his own things, but the things of other men. Non nobis ſolum nati ſumus; No man is born to ſerve himſelf, but his generation: Acts 13.36. David, after he had ſerved his generation according to the will of God, fell aſleep. A Chriſtian hath not a private, but a publick ſpirit. 4. It ſtirs him up in ſerving his generation, and in ſerving men, to ſerve God, Eph 6 5. Even ſervants (there) in ſerving their Maſters, are to ſerve Chriſt. So again, Col. 3.22. Iſrael is reproved (Hoſ 10▪1.) becauſe as an empty vine he brings forth fruit unto himſelf. As one end of natur…l life, is the civil life: ſo the end of both is a religious life, to the glory of God. 5. It teacheth him to depend upon God in all for good Succeſſe. So we are taught, Prov. 3.5, 6. Truſt in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own underſtanding: in all thy wayes acknowledge him, and he ſhall direct thy paths. Pſal. 1.3. Whatſoever the righteous doth, the Lord ſhall make it to proſper. 6. It teacheth him to make a voluntary, humble, and bold Reſignation of his calling, and ſo of his civil life, and natural life alſo into Gods hands, when he ſhall call for it. As in the forementioned example of David (Acts 13.36.) who fell aſleep, according to the will of God, as ſoon as he had ſerved his generation. So Aaron (Numb. 20.23 &c.) by faith put off his Office, as willingly as a man puts off his clothes, when he goes to bed. Such a diſpoſition there was in Paul, 2 Tim 4.6, 7. I have fought a good fight, I have finiſhed my courſe—henceforth a crown of Glory, &c. As a believers ſucceſs is from God, ſo into Gods hands he reſignes his place with his Spirit And then he may lay down his head, he may lay down his life with comfort.
5. Good Name: for God ſayes, 1 Sam. 2.30. Them that honour me, I will honour; and they that despiſe me, ſhall be lightly eſteemed. And Pſal. 17.6. There is a promiſe, that if the righteous truſt in the Lord, though they were under a night and cloud of reproach▪ yet their name ſhall break forth as the light.
6. Poſterity. Pſal. 112.2. He that fears the Lord, his Seed is promiſed to be mighty, and his Generation bleſſed: As on the contrary, wicked men can entail nothing but a curſe on their children, Pſal. 109.9, 10, 12, 13.
OnelyOnly underſtand all theſe Promiſes to be made in Chriſt,Note and not to Duties abſtractly conſidered out of Chriſt.
7. Single ſtate and Marriage. He lives by Faith;
1. For the bleſſings of ſingle life, when God calls him thereto, eſpecially in troubleſome times, and troubleſome places, and in unſetled conditions: 1 Cor. 7.8. I ſay to the unmarried and widows, that they abide even as I. Thus then he lives by faith in this condition, in the uſe of means for the upholding him: whether 1. Ordinary, as moderation of diet, exerciſe, civil and religious company: Or 2. Extraordinary, as faſting, and prayer, and covenanting with himſelf, as Job 31.1. He charged thoſe Sentinels, they ſhould not betray the ſtronger Fort of his heart into the hands of the weaker veſſel. So Mat. 19.12. Some have made themſelves Eunuchs for the Kingdome of Heaven.
2 For the bleſſing of a Married condition, when God calls thereunto, eſpecially in times of peace and proſperity: He looks at a meet Help, as a portion promiſed from God, for the better bearing the manifold incumbrances of this preſent life. Eccleſ. 9.9. Live joyfully with the wife of thy youth—all the dayes of thy life, &c. for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takeſt under the Sun. The truth is, a good Conſcience within, and a good Conſort without, are two of the moſt comfortable helps under heaven, for the better bearing of the greateſt burthens upon the face of the earth. The poor beaſt with a great burthen on his back, goes cheer'd partly with his Provender, partly with the muſick of his B…lls. A good Conſcience is muſick within; the Bi…d in the breaſt. A good conſort is muſick without; the Bird in the ear, who ſhall do thee good, and not evil, all the dayes of her life, Prov. 31.12.
Laſtly, The juſt lives by faith this natural life, in reſpect of the prizing or valuation of his life;7. In th… valua…ion of life. ſo as neither to be a Prodigal nor a Niggard of it. Faith teaches a man neither to undervalue nor overvalue his life. A Chriſtian holds the rein of life by the hand of faith, neither too faſt, nor too looſe. Reaſon will teach a man a notional valuation of his life, but onelyonly faith will teach a man a practical valuation of it.
1. Not to undervalue it. Natural Reaſon tells a man That of all temporal bleſſings, natural life is the greateſt; but every ſinner ſets more by his luſts than his life. 1. The envious perſon, whiles he envies another mans life, pines away himſelf, and deſtroyes his own: He is neither fit to live by others, nor enjoy his own life: Prov. 14.30. Envy is the rottenneſs of the bones. 2. The luſtful and luxurious perſon, he ſins againſt his own body: He falls not onelyonly into a conſumption of his eſtate, but his fleſh alſo; Prov. 5 10, 11. And mourn, when thy fleſh and thy body are conſumed. 3. The covetous perſon; he loves his goods better then his life. If it would ſave his life, he hath not power to eat thereof, Eccleſ. 6.2. He puniſheth both back and belly, and ſo waſtes his life, and dies. If a man had faith, it would rectifie Reaſon in theſe particulars, or rather fortifie Reaſon by Scripture: Mat. 6.25. Is not life better than raiment, &c? yea, the Devil could allege, That Skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his life, Job 2.
2. Not to overvalue life. An unbeliever overvalues his life, when he prizeth it above his ſoul, which is the life of his life; yea, above the Goſpel and Chriſt, who is the life of his ſoul: Mat. 19.20, 21, 22. The young man there would not exchange his poſſeſſions for treaſure in heaven. But faith teacheth better husbandry, not onelyonly to loſe goods, but life alſo for the Goſpels ſake: Acts 20. Neither count I my life dear, ſo I may finiſh my courſe with joy. Paul counted his life cheap in compariſon of the Goſpel, and the preaching of it. Heb. 11.35. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better reſurrection. He that either undervalues or overvalues his life, he murthers himſelf; the one directly, by loving danger; the other indirectly and by conſequent, expoſing himſelf to the judgement of God: for Mat. 10.39 He that findeth his life ſhall loſe it, and he that loſeth his life for my ſake, ſhall finde it.
Thus the juſt lives by faith, in regard of the good things of this natural or temporal life, as well as of eternal life; as he hath the promiſes for this life, as well as for that which is to come. Look as the ſame love and care in an earthly parent, that moves him to give an inheritance to his Son at the laſt, moves him to maintain him, and provide for him in the mean time: And the ſame ſpirit of filial dependance that moves the childe to depend upon his fathers love and care to provide him an inheritance, moves him to depend upon him for maintenance in his minority: So 'tis in this caſe; the ſame faith that moves us to depend upon God for eternal life, moves us to depend upon him for the good things of this life; and the one aſſures us of the other. Luke 12.12. Fear not little flock (viz. in regard of temporal proviſion) for it is your heavenly fathers pleaſure to give you the Kingdome. And in truth, he that will not truſt God for a penny, will not truſt him for a pound: He that will not truſt him for temporal life, how will he truſt him for eternal?
But ſo much for the firſt; The believers living by faith in reſpect of the life which we call natural.
Some Uſe of this Branch.
Ʋſe 1 1. Reproof, to thoſe that (as they ſay) truſt God for eternal life, yet truſt not in him for temporal; that truſt him for their ſouls, but not for their bodies; for an heavenly inheritance, but not for worldly eſtates. Though there is promiſe for life and eſtate. For eſtate, Mat. 19.29. Every one that hath forſaken houſes, or brethren, or ſiſters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my names ſake, ſhall receive an hundred fold, and ſhall inherit eternal life. For life, Mat. 10.39.—He that loſeth his life for my ſake, ſhall finde it. Yet many will truſt God no further then they can ſee him: That, whereas they ſay, they love God above all the world, &c. indeed they love the world above God, and ſo make a god of the World, and are enemies to God; according to what is written, Jam. 4.4. & 1 Joh. 2.15. He that loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
2. Exhortation, to live by faith in reſpect of this life, and the things of this life. And indeed, God doth train up his ſervants to exerciſe faith for better things, by exerciſing their faith firſt in things of leſſer moment. The Church in her infancy was trained up this way; God firſt exerciſed her faith for earthly Canaan, and then for that which is heavenly. So 'tis with each Chriſtian in his infancy: God doth firſt exerciſe his faith in things more ſenſible, and then in things more ſpiritual. And if we exerciſe not faith and faithfulneſs in theſe, how can we exerciſe the ſame in things of higher concernment? Luke 16.10, 11. If ye have been unfaithful in the unright…ous Mammon, who will commit to your truſt the true riches?
'Tis true, all both good and bad poſſeſs the ſame life, health, wealth, &c. but ſome hold theſe upon better Tenure than others do. Look as amongſt men, there are diverſities of Tenures in reference to men, ſome Copy hold, ſome Free-hold, and theſe we prize far above the other: So in reference to God, ſome hold by common Providence, but ſome by Promiſe from God, 1 Tim 4.8. Godlineſs hath the promiſe of this life, &c. Theſe are Free-holders indeed:John 8. If the Son make you free, then you are free indeed; as, free from other ſins; ſo, from uſurpation of the creatures. I do not deny but wicked men have a civil right to the creatures, and that by Gods own appointment alſo; but a wholeſome and a ſanctified uſe, they have not: This is proper only to the faithful. Others are but Copy-holders, at the will of the Lord, (and therefore forfeited that too) but theſe are Free-holders; they hold in Capite from Chriſt their Head and King: 1 Cor. 3.21. All things are yours, and you are Chriſts, and Chriſt is Gods. This is the beſt Tenure under heaven; this is the ſweeteſt enjoyment of the creatures: Simile. As Waters are ſweeteſt that are drank out of the Fountain (or at leaſt, in ſuch a ſtream as is united to the Fountain) Whereas all carnal men drink of the creatures, as of Puddle-waters; there's neither that ſweetneſſe nor that wholeſomeneſſe in the enjoyment of them; their very table is made a ſnare, and that which ſhould have been for th…ir welfare, becomes a gin and a trap, Pſal. 69 22. And ſo like a company of Fleſh-flies, or venomous Waſps, they are drowned in the very Honey-pot of worldly pleaſures Their wealth is their utter undoing; the prosperity of fools ſhall ſlay them, Prov. 1.32. and that becauſe they live not by Faith, but by Senſe; they have no other wiſdome in the enjoyment of the creatures, but what is either earthly, or ſenſual, or devilliſh: Jam 3.15. The unclean Spirit doth poſſeſſe them, and what they know naturally, as brute beaſts even in thoſe things they corrupt themſelves, Jude ver. 10.
As an unbeliever extracts ſome evil out of the greateſt good upon earth (as good creatures, good meat and drink, the bane of the Soul; and the good Word of God,2 Cor. 2. the ſavour of death to them:) ſo a believer extracts ſome good out of the greateſt evil, out of the eater comes ſweet meat. Faith ſucks ſweet Honey out of the Lions carcaſe, out of waſting and devouring afflictions, out of the Rock of Offence: that which is made a Rock of Offence to others, is made a Rock of Defence and Shelter to them.
Look as the heavenly Bodies, the Sun, Moon, and Stars, have a ſtrong influence upon theſe inferiour Bodies, and make a ſweet extraction from the earth, from whence we have our Honey-dews, that fall down into the Mothers lap, in which they were firſt begotten, (as Job 38.28. hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of the dew?) So this heavenly grace of faith (which is no other than the ariſing of the Day-ſtar, and the ſhining of the Sun of Righteouſneſſe in our hearts) hath a ſweet influence upon theſe inferiour things, and makes a ſweet extraction from common experiments of Gods goodneſſe and faithfulneſſe in things of a lower nature, from whence the Soul gathers many ſweet Honey-dews of Gods unchangeable love and favour in Chriſt. By this I know thou favoureſt me, becauſe mine enemy doth not triumph over me, Pſal. 41.11.
II. Spiritual life liv'd by faith.Secondly, In reſpect of Spiritual life, the juſt lives by Faith: for ſo the Apoſtle applies this Text very frequently, to prove that the juſt man lives a Spiritual life by Faith.
Obj. Obj. But the Apoſtle may ſeem to wreſt the words, becauſe the Prophet ſpeaks here of a temporal deliverance from the Chaldeans.
Anſ. Anſ. 1. Their deliverance from temporal Babylon, was a Type of their Deliverance from Spiritual Babylon.
2. However, the ſecondary objects of Faith be divers, ſome Temporal, ſome Spiritual, ſome Eternal: yet the prime and principal object of faith, is ſtill one and the ſame, and that is Jeſus Chriſt, and Gods favour in Chriſt; and before I can embrace the other; I muſt firſt embrace this: Therefore the ſame faith in Chriſt, that enables me to live in temporal things, enables me to live in ſpirituals alſo; and ſo the Apoſtles argument from one to the other holds good. Well then, the juſt lives by Faith, in reſpect of Spiritual life, which is far more excellent then the other, as grace is above nature. And this is either the Life of
I. Juſtification, whereby the Soul layes hold upon Chriſt: or,
II. Sanctification, whereby the Soul draws vertue from Chriſt.
And that is either,
Renewing and Cleanſing vertue, the Life of Renovation: or
Fructifying, the Life of Fructification: or
Mortifying Vertue, the Life of Mortification: or
Vivifying, the Life of Quickning and Vivification.
Confirming Vertue, the Life of Conſervation, that God will not forſake his people▪
Augmenting, whereby life is encreaſed; and
Comforting Vertue, the life of Conſolation.
In the firſt our ſpiritual life is purified, in the ſecond beautified: and in all theſe, the juſt live by faith.