The Use and Practice of Faith, Question 7 · Part 2 · Branch 2
BRANCH. II. THE LIFE of FAITH A LIFE OF FRUCTIFICATION.
SEcondly, The juſt lives by Faith the Life of Fructification: (for we ſhall ſpeak of the Uſe of both together, in the fruits of New Obedience: And this, in theſe particulars:
How, or in what manner faith hath influence into the life of ſpiritual Fructification: 1. Faith makes us good trees.1. In making of us good Trees. A man muſt be a good Tree, before he can bring forth good Fruit, Mat. 12.33. Now Faith makes us good Trees, by grafting us into the Myſtical Body of Chriſt: Rom. 11.17. Thou being a wilde Olive-tree, wert grafted in, and partakeſt of the root and fatneſs of the Olive. Thou deriveſt ſap, and juyce, and life of grace in Chriſt, and ſo thou doſt not onelyonly bud and bloſſom (as Aarons Rod, Numb. 17.) by good words, and fair Promiſes, but thou bringſt forth fruit of New Obedience, to the glory of God Joh. 15.1, 2, &c.
2. In telling of us, or diſcovering to us,2. Faith diſcovers what is good Fruit. what is good Fruit.
For the Matter. Faith tells us what is Gods revealed Will; and it layes hold of the Command of God for direction, as well as of the Promiſe of God for conſolation, Pſal. 119.66. I have believed thy Commandments: and whatſoever is not thus of faith, is ſin, Rom. 14. ult. So Faith laying hold of the Word, tells me what is my duty as a Magiſtrate, as a Miniſter, as a Maſter, as a Neighbour, as a Fellow-Member, &c.
If I do not live by Faith in all theſe, the fruit I bring forth cannot be good. Prov. 19.2. That the ſoul be without knowledge, is not good, &c.
3. In ſtirring up the Soul to be fruitful:3. Faith ſtirs up the Soul to be fruitful. How? Firſt,
Firſt, By guickning Conſiderations, drawn not onelyonly from our duty, but from the Promiſe of God, and the glory of God.
1. The Promiſe of God; as Moſes, Heb. 11.26, 27. chooſing affliction, &c, for, he had an eye to the recompence of reward. So ſaith Faith, If thou doſt this, the Promiſe is thine.
2. Glory of God. Faith tells the Soul,2 Theſſ. 1. ult. Matth. 5.16. Herein is thy heavenly Father glorified, if thou bringeſt forth much fruit, Joh. 15.8.
Secondly, By drawing ſtrength from Chriſt the Root: John 15.4, 5. Abide in me, &c. Nothing without Chriſt, all through Chriſt: Therefore Faith and Prayer ſucks ſtrength from Chriſt: Pſal. 119.4.5. Thou haſt commmanded me to keep thy Precepts: O that my wayes were ſo directed, &c.
4. In timing and ſeaſoning of the Fruit,4, Faith ſuits all our ſcruples to a proper ſeaſon which is a beautiful thing. Eccleſ. 3.1. True indeed, our whole time is due to God, Luke 1.75. Gods Trees are ſo full of ſap that they muſt bring forth fruit all the year long. Yea, but yet there are ſeveral fruits for ſeveral ſeaſons, for ſeveral moneths, Ezek. 47.12. There are ſeveral winds which blow upon the Garden of the Heart, and cauſe ſeveral fruits to flow out, Cant. 4.16. There are gales of the Spirit, and gales of Providence: Gales of the Spirit Joh. 3.8. The wind bloweth where it liſteth— ſo is the Spirit: O ſet up thy ſails, when thou haſt ſo fair a wind, if thou art bound for the Land of Promiſe: Gales of Providence, viz. The north-wind of adverſity; O now bring forth fruit with patience: The ſouth-wind of proſperity; O now bring forth fruits with joy, and thankfulneſs.
Beſides, there are ſeaſons of grace for thy ſelf and for others. For thy ſelf: ſee 2 Cor. 6.2. Now is the accepted time, &c. when God calls by his Word, or by his Rod; whileſt the waters are troubled, John 5.then is the time of healing. For others, in gaining them to bring forth fruit to God. Some are made Fiſhers of m…n. It is excellent to know the ſeaſon, and the bait, to caſt out the Net at Gods word and his time. (Faith teacheth this.) It is good fiſhing in troubled waters; that is the ſeaſon. As it is with a man ready to be drown'd: you muſt take him when he riſeth up, and holds forth his hand, and cries for help, &c.
Beloved, there is no Ordinance, no Providence, but calls for ſome ſeaſonable duty at our hands. As every day hath its proper trouble (Mat. 6.34.) ſo every day hath its proper task and ſervice. Now 'tis Faith onelyonly that can inſtruct us, and enable us to know our time and take our time. As he that believes, makes not haſte, Iſa. 28.16. So he will not be too ſlow, Heb. 6.12.—not ſlothful. Natural men, and unbelievers, know not their times, nor the ſeaſons of their viſitation, Luke 19.42, &c. So nor of their Fructification. Natural men know natural ſeaſons of Sowing, Setting, Planting, Plowing; every Almanack can tell this. But onelyonly the true Believer, the ſpiritual man, is inſtructed in the ſpiritual good husbandry, to know the right ſeed-time and harveſt of Grace, and to know the ſeaſon of every fruit of Grace: Eccleſ. 8.5, 6. A wiſe man knows time and judgement, &c.
5. The juſt lives by Faith the Life of Fructification,5. Faith ripens the fruits of new obedience in ripening the fruit. Faith is a bright beam of the Sun of Righteouſneſs, that ripens the fruit of New Obedience: without Faith, it is but crude, and raw fruit; yea, dead, and withered fruit; dead Prayers, dead Preaching, dead Hearing, dead Practice, dead Works. As Faith without Works is a dead faith, Jam. 2.17. So Works without Faith are dead works: Heb. 9.14. How much more ſhall the blood of Chriſt purge your conſciences from dead works to ſerve the living God. There are works that are called dead works, that have all the outward lineaments of good works, onelyonly they want life: and we are purged from theſe by the blood of Chriſt, applied and ſprinkled upon the conſcience by Faith, and ſo there is life put into them, and they are made living works, fit to be preſented to a living God.
6. And ſo laſtly, He lives by Faith in Fructification, 6. Faith procures acceptation of our fruitfulneſs through Chriſt.in regard of the Acceptation of this fruit, when it is preſented to the hands of the great Maſter of the Vineyard. Faith preſents it by the hand of a Mediator, and ſo 'tis accepted, which otherwiſe would certainly be rejected. Look as, Whatſoever we ask the Father in Chriſts Name, it is granted: ſo whatſoever we preſent to God in his Name, is accepted. Gen 27. Jacob gat the Bleſſing in the garments of his elder Brother. Take the ſame good works for matter: Suppoſe the one preſented by the hands of a faithful man; the other by the hands of a proud unbeliever, whoſe heart is lifted up in him, and he thinks God is beholding to him for his ſervice; the one is accepted, the other is rejected. The Lord had respect to Abel and his offering; but to Cain and his offering had he not reſpect, Gen. 4. And what's the reaſon of the difference? The difference is not in the Offering, but the Offerer. The one had Faith, the other had none. By faith Abel offered a more excellent ſacrifice than Cain— God teſtifying of his gifts, Heb. 11.4. The diverſity of the perſons, makes a diverſity in the Preſent. They are like the two Baskets of Jeremiah's figs, (Jer. 24.) The one had very good figs, like the figs that are firſt ripe; the other had very naughty figs, that could not be eaten, they were ſo bad. True Faith dares invite God to eat of the fruit of his own Planting, and of his own ripening. Though it be not full ripe in it ſelf, 'tis mellow'd in Chriſt. Cant. 4. laſt, Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat of his pleaſant fruit.
Thus the juſt man lives by Faith the Life of Fructification; both the Life of Renovation, and the Life of Fructification. Now for the Uſe of both together.
Ʋſe of all in general.
FIrſt, Let us hence Examine the truth of our Faith.Ʋſe 1. Example of Faith by its …eno…ing & …ructifying. If it be right, then we live by it the Life of Sanctification in Renovation, &c. as well as of Juſtification. Many ſay, They live by Faith the Life of Juſtification, but we ſee nothing in them of Sanctification: Therefore their Faith is not true. True Faith is full of Vertue: 2 Pet. 1.5. —adde to your faith, vertue. True Faith is an active grace: As it is wrought powerfully, Eph. 1.19. —according to the working of his mighty power: So it works powerfully; Col. 2.12. it is called —Faith of the operation of God. Faith puts a Chriſtian not onelyonly upon all holy speeches, (Prayer, Preaching, and Conference, are the breathings of Faith) as 2 Cor. 4.13. I believed, therefore have I sp… ken: Acts 4.20. We cannot but ſpeak the thing, which we have ſeen and heard: But alſo upon all holy actions and duties. There is the work of faith twice mentioned, 1 Theſſ. 1.3. 2 Theſſ. 1.11. An idle Faith is vain,Jam. 2. a dead faith; and a dead Faith is as good as no Faith at all. The Wiſdom that is from above, is full of good fruits, Jam. 3.17. It is as impoſſible for a Chriſt…an to live the Life of Juſtification, without Sanctification, as for a man to have life without breath.
Secondly, It Reproves two ſorts of people;Ʋſe 2. Reproof to Papiſts and carnal Profeſſors. Papiſts on the one ſide, and carnal Profeſſors on the other ſide: who ſeparate theſe two precious Lives, which God hath inſeparably joined together, Juſtification and Sanctification. Being Twins or Siſters of the ſame Womb, and ever born and brought forth together in the Chriſtian Soul. Other Twins may die, at leaſt one of them; but theſe live and die together: yea, they live and never die. As Jacob took hold of the heel of his brother; ſo the Life of Sanctification follows the Life of Juſtification cloſe at the heels. 1 Cor 6 11.—But ye are waſhed, but ye are ſanctified, but ye are juſtified— As you cannot ſeparate the light of the fire from the heat thereof; no more can you ſeparate the light of Faith in Juſtification, from the heat of Faith in Sanctification. Mat 3.11. —He ſhall baptize you with the Holy Ghoſt, and with fire.
And yet, I ſay, Papiſts on the one ſide, and Carnal Profeſſors on the other ſide, ſeperate theſe two precious Lives, or at leaſt they would cauſe one of theſe Siſter-Twins to devour the other. The Papiſts make Sanctification to devour Juſtification; and the Carnal Profeſſor makes Juſtification to devour Sanctification.
Firſt, the Papiſts make Sanctification to devour Juſtification: For, they ſay, in effect, Our Sanctification is our Juſtification. For, they ſay, to juſtifie, is onelyonly to make juſt by inherent Righteouſneſs. Again, they make Remiſſion of ſin not to be the Pardon of ſin, but the utter deletion or expulſion of ſin by infuſion of Righteouſneſs; as darkneſs is expell'd by light, and cold by heat.
Thus they make Juſtification wholly to conſiſt in the parts of Sanctification: For whereas Sanctification is partly Privative, which we call Mortification; and partly Poſitive, which we call Vivification; which is either Habitual, Vide Down p. 50. Papiſts make ſanctification to devour juſtification. Carnal Profeſſors è contr.(conſiſting in the habits of grace) or Outward and Actual (conſiſting in the exerciſe of that grace, in the fruit of good works) All this, and onelyonly this, they make the matter of their Juſtification. And ſo they make Sanctification to devour Juſtification.
On the other ſide, Carnal Profeſſors, they make Juſtification to devour Sanctification. O, ſay they, our Juſtification is our Sanctification, we have no holineſs in our ſelves. And thus the Devil drives men to extremes; and, like a cunning Wreſtler, he twitches on both ſides. For the firſt of theſe Opinions proceeds from Pride and Preſumption: The other from falſe and feigned Humility, joyned with Deſpondency, and with a kinde of ſpiritual ſloth and lazineſs of Spirit.
O, ſayes the Papiſt, we have no righteouſneſs in Chriſt; onelyonly Chriſt hath merited, that we ſhould merit. And Rank Pride is the root of this Opinion. O,Rank Pride the root of P… piſh ſanctity. ſayes the Carnal Profeſſor, we have no righteouſneſs nor holineſs in our ſelves. Alas! what can we do! 'tis all one, whether we do any thing or nothing; we have no Righteouſneſs or Sanctification but in Chriſt. And thus, as with a wet finger, he ſhakes off all the duties of godlineſs: and this ſprings, as I ſaid; from falſe or feigned Humility, Feigned humility and …zineſs of ſpirit the root of Libertiniſm.and lazineſs of Spirit. This is the ſluggards hinge, upon which he turns himſelf about to no purpoſe. As good never a whit, ſaith he, as never the better. When you preſs him to duty he holds up this, as Ajax his Shield, to bear off all blows. Tell him of his Omiſſions and Commiſſions, O, ſayes he, Chriſt is my Righteouſneſs and Sanctification; as if he might ſin, that grace might abound, or that grace had abounded, that he might ſin. But you ſee this Errour confuted. There is a Sanctification in Gods people inherent, beſides that which is in Chriſt. The juſt lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification. Therefore juſtly are reprov'd ſuch Chriſtians, as bury themſelves above ground. As Cato ſaid of Idleneſs, it is vivi hominis ſepultura: Such indeed are dead whileſt they live, 1 Tim. 5 6. As good be out of the world, as do no good in the world; meer cumber-grounds, Luke 13.
Third Uſe, may be a juſt Apologie for true Chriſtians,Ʋſe 3. Proteſtants apologie againſt Papiſts, who ſay, we deny the uſe of good works. againſt the unjuſt Cavil of Antichriſtian and Popiſh Spirits: who ſay, That becauſe we teach a man is juſtified by Faith alone, therefore he is juſtified by ſuch Faith as is alone. But there is a great deal of difference betwixt theſe two Aſſertions. Though they differ not much in words, yet they differ much in ſenſe. There is difference betwixt Fide Solâ, and Fide Solitariâ; Faith alone, and Faith that is alone. To make it plain by Similitude: Suppoſe Eſther, attended with her Maids, goes in to the King to beg the life of her people; Eſther alone obtains their life, but not Eſther when ſhe was alone; for ſhe was attended by her Maids, and they were witneſſes of the fact. So Faith alone, through Chriſt, obtains the life of Juſtification but not Faith as alone in the perſon, for it is ever attended with good works, that are witneſſes of that life. Or as a man that is guided in his way by the benefit of a Torch; he is onelyonly guided by the light of the fire: but that is never alone, for it is accompanied with heat: So a Chriſtian man, he is guided in his way to heaven, by the light of the knowledge of Chriſt through Faith: but the light is never alone for it is ever accompanied with the heat of love; Gal. 5.6. Faith works by love. Therefore they slander, when they affirm we teach the contrary: For we teach, That a Chriſtian lives the life of Sanctification and Fructification in many powerful and quickning Conſiderations. Wherefore let us by well-doing put to ſilence the ignorance of fooliſh and malicious men.1 Pet. 2.15.
Ʋſe 4. Exh. to faith, &c. as the root of conveying all godlineſs & fruitfulneſs.Fourthly, for Exhortation and Quickning, in three Branches.
1. To labour for Faith, and encreaſe in it. Why? becauſe Faith is the Root of Holineſs and Fruitfulneſs, or the foundation, as it is Col 2.7. Rooted and built up in him, and eſtabliſhed in the faith, &c. A man that would have a goodly and a fruitful Orchard, will be ſure to plant Trees with a good Root: Otherwiſe, have they never ſo goodly Tops, they will but the ſooner wither away, and come to nothing: So thoſe that would be fruitful and flouriſhing Trees in Gods Orchard, ſhould be ſure to look to the Root of Faith, the root of all Holineſs and Fruitfulneſs: otherwiſe be the Top and Branches, and Leaves of our Profeſſion never ſo great, all will ſoon wither and come to nothing. Such will be as trees twice dead, and plucked up by the roots, Jude v. 12.
2. To live by Faith this Life of Sanctification.2 Exhort. 1. Motives to live by faith the life of Sanctification.
Motive. 1. Elſe we ſhall never manifeſt we live the Life of Juſtification; for they are Twins, as hath been ſaid.
2. This is the moſt excellent Life; makes us like God, and is therefore called, The life of God. How do men aſpire to imitate great men in their ſpeeches, geſtures,2. Eph. 4.18. actions? O that we could aſpire, and deſire to imitate the great and good God, to be like him, and live the life of Holineſs. It is ſomething to live, if but the loweſt life; but the life of grace is above all lives: for this is to live the Life of God. Holineſs is the higheſt Attribute of Honour.
3. Without holineſs, none ſhall ſee the Lord, Heb. 12 14. Our happineſs conſiſts in the Beatifical Viſion: 1 Joh. 3.2, 3. and, He that hath this hope in him, purifies himſelf, as he is pure.
4. This Life of Sanctification, is the onelyonly Life of Thankfulneſs. A juſtified perſon ſhould ſay▪ What ſhall I render to the Lord? Pſal. 116. And as David, Pſal. 103. Bleſs the Lord, O my ſoul, and all that is within me, bleſs his holy Name. Nor is that enough; but ſurely all that is without us too ſhould bleſs him; our Tongues, our Hands, and all our Members: All our very bones; Pſal 35.10. All my bones ſhall ſay, Lord, who is like unto thee? &c. All our actions; and ſo our Bodie; as well as our Souls. It is the Apoſtles argument, Rom. 12.1. I beſeech you by the mercies of God, that you preſent your bodies a living ſacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, &c. Let us therefore live unto him, by whom we enjoy our lives: Let us live to him the Life of Sanctification, from whom we receive the Life of Juſtification: Let us live to him the Life of Fructification, from whom we receive the Life of Faith.
5. This is The way to glorifie God: Pſal. 50. laſt. Whoſo offereth praiſe, glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his converſation aright, &c. God the Father is glorified, Joh. 15.8. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bring forth much fruit. God the Son, or Jeſus Chriſt; for hereby it appears,Heb. 7. he is able to ſave to the uttermoſt: how? by ſaving from ſin, as well as from hell: Mat. 1.21. The Spirit is glorified; for the fruits of the Spirit, are, love, joy, peace, long-ſuffering, goodneſs, &c. Gal. 5.22. 'Tis the way to glorifie and adorn our Profeſſion. Tit. 2.10. Servants are commanded to be faithful: Why? That they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. To glorifie Free grace: Tit. 2.11, 12. The grace of God hath appeared, Teaching us to deny ungodlineſs and worldly luſts, and to live ſoberly, &c. Otherwiſe, it is the greateſt diſhonor to the grace of God, when we turn it into wantonneſs, Jude v. 4. yea, 'tis to deny God, Tit. 1.16. in works deny him.
Exhort. 3. Reſolve to be fruitful, but take the preſent time.3. To do it timely. Not onelyonly reſolve to be fruitful, but take the Time. Time is one of the moſt precious things God hath committed to the ſons of men. Redeem time, Eph. 5. viz. at any rate. How hath God laid out the glory of his wiſdome and power, in making ſo many glorious Bodies to meaſure out Time to us? that we might learn to take notice of the preciouſneſs of it, and do all our works in time: yet we ſquander it away, as if we knew not how to ſpend it faſt enough. And we put off to the future, what belongs to the preſent. We hardly return brazen Performances for golden Opportunities.
Remember, 1. 'Tis excellent to know and take the time. It was the commendation of the men of Iſſachar, 1 Chr. 1.32. As on the contrary, nothing more unpleaſant, than doing things out of time: Pro. 10.26. As vinegar to the teeth, and ſmoke to the eyes, ſo is the ſluggard to them that ſend him.
2. It is very difficult to know and take time. The fooliſh Virgins loſt their tide: the wiſe had much ado to gain it. Mat. 25. Jacob ſaid, Surely God was in this place, Gen. 28.16.and I was not aware: So may we ſay—In this Time, in this Providence; and yet I was not aware of it. In Cant. 5.3. &c. The Church was but a minute too ſlow, and ſhe paid dear for it.
3. It makes every duty eaſie, if we do take it in time; or elſe it is difficult. 'Tis eaſie to enter, if the gates of a Caſtle be open, and the Governour invites; but if there be ſtay till it is ſhut, and the Portcullis let down, it may coſt much blood. 'Tis eaſie to lift a great weight whiles many lift together; but if each aſunder, moſt hard. So while God ſayes, Hear now, &c. it is eaſie to move in grace or duties; but if we go about it after, we may move as Pharaoh's Chariots,Exod. 14. with the wheels taken off. And late fruit, we know, is kill'd with Winters froſt.
4. If we do not take it, Opportunity may be irrecoverable. A tree may be fruitful next year, if not this, if it ſtand; but it may be the Ax may cut it down: So it may be, we may never have the like opportunity, as now. Time and Tide ſtay for no man. We may happen on a day after the Fair.
5. We know not how ſoon the folding-doors of time ſhall be folded up together; when the Heavens,1 Cor. 7. 2 Pet. 3. that meaſure Time, ſhall be rolled up as a Scroll. And though time ſhould laſt never ſo long to the world in general, yet how ſoon the Angel may ſwear concerning thee or me, Time ſhall be no more (Rev. 10.6.) we know not.
6. We muſt not onelyonly account for the means of fruitfulneſs, Iſa. 5. What could I have done more, &c? but for the time afforded for fruitfulneſs, Luk. 13.7. Theſe three years have I come looking for fruit, and behold, I finde none: Cut it down, &c. Eccleſ. 11.9. God will take account of the days of thy youth, therefore call thy ſelf to account, and be fruitful in ſeaſon.
7. Laſtly, What would the damned in Hell give now for one of theſe hours to become fruitful? If the rich glutton, Luke 16.27. would ſo willingly have a meſſenger ſent to his five brethren: What would he have given to have been the meſſenger himſelf? but could neither.
So much for the two firſt Branches in the Life of Sanctification, which the juſt man lives by his Faith. Now follows the Third.