The Use and Practice of Faith, Uses · Application 4
Ʋſe IV. Of Thankfulneſs.
Ʋſe 4 The fourth Uſe, is of Thankfulneſs, for them that have obtained Faith, and know how to live by it:Thankfulneſs for Faith. Thankfulneſs for our ſelves, for our Friends. Yoke-fellows, and Children; as the Apoſtle is thankful, Epheſ. 1.15. Phil. 1.3. Col. 1.3, 4. What? hath God given them Faith? he hath given them an excellent livelihood. We rejoyce when great Lands and Livings fall to us or our friends: but what is all this to Faith, which is the very life of our lives, our living to Eternity? All the bleſſings of Natural, Spiritual, and Eternal Life, are wrapt up in Faith. Indeed, there are many quickning Conſiderations ſhould ſtir us up to be thankful to God with all our Souls;Grounds of our Thankfulneſs. That we ſhould ſay as David, Pſal. 103.1, 2. Bleſs the Lord, O my Soul; and all that is within me, bleſs, &c.
Firſt. For firſt of all,1. 'Tis Gods gift. Faith (as the Scripture ſaith) is the gift of God, Eph. 2.8. If we could obtain Heaven by our own Workmanſhip, or Faith it ſelf as a particular work of our own to fit us for Heaven, we might have ſome cauſe to boaſt, and ſo the leſs cauſe to be thankful. But neither the works which the Law requires in general, nor this work which the Goſpel requires in particular, is of our own working, or ſprings out of the liberty of our own Will, but it is the gift of God. Look as Chriſt fulfilled for us all that Righteouſneſs which the Law requires: So he beſtows upon us that very Faith which the Goſpel requires alſo. And Faith is like an empty hand, or an empty Beggars Diſh, and ſuch a Diſh as is given, together with the Alms it ſelf, that all the glory may be given to God, and none at all to the Creature. And as we are bound to be Thankful to God for the very firſt Faith he worketh in us: So alſo, for all the degrees and increaſes of our Faith.Luke 17.7. The Apoſtles pray, Lord, increaſe our Faith; to intimate, That all the growth and increaſe of Faith is from God, as well as the firſt ſeed of Faith. For, The Righteouſneſs of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The juſt ſhall live by his faith, Rom. 1.17. As God is the firſt Author, ſo he is the carrier on, and Finiſher of our Faith,Phil. 2.6. Heb. 12.2. And when he begins, he will alſo make an end: therefore be thankful for Faith from firſt to laſt. It is his Gift, it is his free Gift, without the leaſt deſert on our part; therefore let him have the praiſe of it.
2. 'Tis a gift neceſſary to our being: 1 Theſſ. 5.8.Secondly, It is ſuch a Gift, as is abſolutely neceſſary to our very being in the ſtate of Grace. If it were a Gift of leſs conſequence, we ought to be thankful for it (becauſe a Gift) In all things give thanks, ſaith the Apoſtle. But this is ſuch a Gift as is all in all: It is abſolutely neceſſary to the very being of a Chriſtian: others are neceſſary to their well-being, but this to their very being. Therefore we have the more cauſe to be thankful. What ſaith the Scripture? Heb. 11.6. Without faith it is impoſſible to pleaſe God: and ſo, Without faith it is impoſſible to be ſaved. Eph. 2.8. Ye are ſaved by faith. [Mark 16.16. He that believes ſhall be ſaved; he that believes not ſhall be damned. So that Faith in grown perſons, is abſolutely neceſſary to Salvation: you cannot be ſaved without it; you may be Rich, and you may be Beautiful, and you may be Strong, and you may be Nobly deſcended, and you may be Learned, without Faith, but without Faith you can never be ſaved.
Obj. You will ſay, So, without Hope, and Love, and Zeal for Gods Glory, we cannot be ſaved.
Anſ. That is true; yet there is ſomething more in Faith than in all the reſt, in tendency to Salvation: For Faith (in order of working) is the very Root of all other Graces: Our Hope, and Love, and Zeal, and all the reſt, do ſpring from our Faith, Rom. 12.3. So far as we believe, we hope; ſo far as we believe, we love; ſo far as we believe, we are zealous for God: and ſo of the reſt. Therefore Faith is in a ſpecial manner neceſſary to Salvation, being the onelyonly inſtrument of laying hold upon Chriſt. And therefore in a ſpecial manner are we bound to be thankful for it.
Thirdly, It is ſuch a Gift,3. Such a gift as none elſe can give. as is impoſſible for any other to give, but God alone: Therefore it is called, The faith of the operation of God, Col 2.12. as if God alone could work it. If an Angel from Heaven ſhould perſwade you to believe this or that, yet if God do not perſwade you by his Spirit, you cannot believe. You reade Luk. 1.20. the Angel tells Zacharias, he ſhould be ſtruck dumb, becauſe he believed not the words of the Angel. If all the Angels in Heaven ſhould preach to us, if God himſelf doth not preach to us by his Spirit, we cannot believe. And if all the Angels upon Earth (I mean, all the Miniſters; for they are called the Angels of the Churches) if all theſe one after another ſhould preach to one particular Soul, yet that Soul would not believe, unleſs God open the heart of it (as he did the heart of Lydia) to believe.
Obj. You will ſay, But Experience ſhews, ſuch and ſuch have been Converted by ſuch and ſuch Miniſters.
Anſ. It is granted: but it was not the man without God, but God in the man that did it; elſe why is one man converted rather than another? Why the ſame man at one time, rather than at another, and by means more improbable, but to ſhew it is God in the man? That (as the Apoſtle ſaith) the faith of Gods people might not ſtand in the wiſdom of men, but in the power of God, 1 Cor. 2.5. that ſo he might have all the praiſe and glory. Therefore the Apoſtle in this reſpect makes nothing of the Min…ſter, that God may be all in all in all his Miniſters, 1 Cor. 3.5, 6, 7. Who then is Paul, and who is Apollo, but Miniſters by whom ye believe?
And as none can help (as to Faith) but God alone: So we cannot help our ſelves, we cannot work up our own hearts to believe; we are not onelyonly like ſick men naturally, but as dead men in the grave, ſhut up under the graveſtone of Unbelief; [Rom. 11.32. He hath ſhut up all in unbelief, that he may have mercy upon all] That is, that Gods mercy might be the more magnified in beſtowing Faith upon them, that were as unable to believe of themſelves, as a dead man is unable by his own power to ariſe out of his grave.The wonders of Faith. All the ſteps of Faith are wondrous difficult to a poor Creature; yet know, all things are poſſible with God.
As for Example:
1. To ſee and believe what God requires of us in the firſt Covenant: For till we know this, we think our ſelves in a good condition, and alive without the Law, Rom. 7.9. And we cannot ſee and believe this, till God himſelf open our eyes, 1 Cor. 2.14.
2. To ſee and believe how far we come ſhort of the Law, naturally how ſinful we are, and curſed by ſin: For we are like the young man that ſaid, All theſe have I kept from my youth upward: But till wee ſee our ſelves ſinners, and feel the weight of ſin, we ſhall never look out after a Saviour. The whole need not a Phyſician, but the ſick, Mat. 9.12.
3. To ſee and believe, that not onelyonly our groſs ſins, but our beſt Righteouſneſſes do leave us in a miſerable condition without a Saviour. This is wondrous difficult: for no ſooner do we attain to ſome parts, and the performance of ſome Duties, but we are ready to ſay, with the Church of Laodicea, I am rich, and increaſed with goods, and ſtand in need of nothing; and perceive not that we are wretched, and miſerable, and poor, and blinde, and naked: and it is nothing but Eye ſalve from Jeſus Chriſt, that can make us perceive this, Rev. 3.17, 18. that can make us believe and confeſs, that All our Righteouſneſſes are as filthy polluted rags, Iſa 64.6. This is wondrous hard. Naturally we are full of Self-love, and Self-admiration; but a Soul that comes to Chriſt is full of Self-loathing, and Self-deteſtation: Job 42.6. I abhor my ſelf, and repent in duſt and aſhes.
4. To ſee and believe the perfect Righteouſneſs, and ſurpaſſing Excellency of Jeſus Chriſt. For a Natural eye ſeeth no beauty in him, Iſa. 53.2. and yet before we can deſire him, we muſt ſee the beauty that is in him.
5. To ſee and believe the Neceſſity and the Duty of the poor Souls coming to Chriſt, Pſal 2 12. Leaning upon him for Righteouſneſs and Salvation; and that ſo doing, it ſhall never be caſt out: For naturally we are ready to think and to ſay, There is no need of coming to Chriſt, or not need of us and our coming. Though God will be merciful to others. I am afraid he will not be merciful to me; Though he do not caſt out others who came to him, I am afraid he will caſt out me. Therefore it is the wonderful Work of the Spirit of Chriſt, to perſwade the ſin-repenting Soul to come to Chriſt, Joh. 6.44. and when it is come, to perſwade it, that Chriſt will not caſt it out again. And ſo the Spirit faſtens the Promiſe upon the Soul, Joh. 6.36. It is the wonderful Work of the Spirit, to perſwade enemies to become friends; to perſwade ſtrangers to draw nigh, and be acquainted with Chriſt. This is ſuch a difficult Work, that it is the Work of a God, and not of a Creature: All the Miniſters in the World cannot do it without the Spirit; and therefore it is ſaid, Gen. 9.27. God inlarge, or God perſwade Japhet to dwell in the Tents of Shem. The Jews came of Shem, and were the firſt Church; of Japhet came the Gentiles, and they were ſtrangers to the Common-wealth of Iſrael. Now it muſt be the Work of an Almighty God, to perſwade them to believe, and ſo to dwell in the Tents of Shem. We are all naturally ſo impriſoned and lockt up under Unbelief, that in caſe our hearts are once ſet at liberty to imbrace the Promiſe, and Chriſt in the Promiſe, we may well ſay, as Peter ſaid when he came to himſelf, and found that he was delivered out of Priſon, Acts 12.11. Now I know of a ſurety, that the Lord hath ſent his Angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, &c. So may a Believer ſay, who is awakened out of his dead ſleep, (as Peter was) Now I know of a ſurety that God hath ſent his Spirit, and hath deliverd me out of the hand of the ſpiritual Herod, out of the hand of Satan: It is he that hath delivered me out of the priſon of Sin: It is he that hath cauſed the Iron-gates of my unbelieving heart to fly open of its own accord: It is he, that by the Power of his Spirit hath looſed and ſhaken off all the Chains and Bolts of natural Corruptions and ſinful Cuſtoms; what was impoſſible to me, God hath made feaſible and eaſie: and therefore to Him be all the praiſe and glory, who hath fulfilled the work of faith with power, 2 Theſſ. 1.11. Thus it was with David, who naturally being the ſervant of Sin, and perceiving himſelf redeemed, and manu-mitted by the Power of Gods Grace, he doth freely, in a way of Thankfulneſs, offer up himſelf to the Service of God, as if it were his perfect freedom, Pſal. 116.16. O Lord, truly I am thy ſervant, I am thy ſervant, and the ſon of thine handmaid, thou haſt looſed my bonds: What follows? I will offer to thee the ſacrifice of Thanksgiving. And this is the third Conſideration that ſhould move us to be thankful.
Fourthly, It is ſuch a Gift as is very precious, 4. Faith is a moſt precious gift.and therefore we ſhould be very thankful for it. It is true indeed, Chriſt is very precious, he is ſo in himſelf, whether we believe or no: But he is not ſo to us, unleſs we imbrace him by faith, 1 Pet. 2.7. This ſets a price upon him to the purpoſe. Therefore we ſhould account that faith precious, that makes Chriſt himſelf ſo precious to our Souls. Men uſe to be thankful for precious gifts.
Now there are three things in Scripture accounted precious.Three things very precious.
Firſt, The Pearl it ſelf.
Secondly, The Cabinet that holds it.
Thirdly, The skilful Hand, that hath Right and Power to open the Cabinet, and lay hold upon it.
1. The Pearl it ſelf, viz Jeſus Chriſt, he is … precious, Mat. 13.45, 46. ſo precious, that the Merchant-man is content to ſell all that he hath, ſo he may but compaſs this Pearl. Farewel Profits, farewel Pleaſures, farewel Honours, farewel Sin, ſo I may but injoy Chriſt, I am willing to part with all.
2. The Cabinet that holds the Pearl, is precious, 2 Pet. 1.4. There are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promiſes, whereby we are made partakers of the Divine Nature. One Promiſe is more worth than all the world. How ſhould we know where to finde the Pearl, if God had not laid it up in ſuch a precious Cabinet! Therefore the Cabinet alſo is precious.
3. The skilful Hand, which hath Right and Power to open the Cabinet, and lay hold upon the Pearl; that is … precious hand. Were the Cabinet and the Pearl never ſo precious, yet if we had no hand to open the Cabinet, or lay hold on the Pearl, what were we the better? But Faith hath skill and power from God to open the Cabinet, and to lay hold upon the Pearl, and to ſay, This is mine; and therefore this Faith muſt needs be precious Faith,The preciouſneſs of Faith in 4 reſpects. 2 Pet. 1.1. It is a precious hand in four reſpects.
1. Becauſe it lays hold upon precious things, Precious Chriſt, Precious Promiſes, Precious Righteouſneſs, and Precious Holineſs: For we are juſtified by Faith, and ſanctified by Faith, as we have already proved at large.
2. Becauſe in caſe it lays hold on things not precious, it makes them precious. As it makes difficult things eaſie (all things are poſſible to him that believeth) ſo it makes vile things become precious, Rom. 8.28. And this we know (ſaith the Apoſtle) that all things work together for good to them that love God: 'Tis all one, as if he had ſaid, To them that believe in God. For Faith worketh by love, it turneth Iron-fetters into Golden chains. There is much talk of the Philoſphers Stone, what great wonders it would do, if it could be found out: But this is true of Faith, It turneth all that it toucheth into that, which is moſt precious. It was fabled of Midas, That it was his deſire, whatever he touch'd might be turned into Gold: he had his deſire; and yet he repented himſelf when he had done, (ſay they) Becauſe his very meat was turned into gold, that ſhould have preſerved his life. But, whatever a Believer touches by Faith, if it be not turned into Gold, it is turned into that which is more precious than Gold. Suppoſe he meet with Poverty, or with Bonds, and Impriſonment, I know, ſaith the Apoſtle, that this ſhall turn to my ſalvation, through your prayers, and the ſupply of the Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt, Phil. 1.19. And thus Faith is precious, for it maketh even vile things become precious.
3. Becauſe it lays hold on precious things for it ſelf. The Maſter of a Ship may carry abundance of Treaſure for another man: But whatever precious things Faith lays hold on, it makes them its own. My God, and my Lord, ſaith Thomas: I live by the faith of the Son of God, ſaith Paul, who hath loved me, and given himſelf for me. My beloved is mine, and I am his; My Chriſt, My Promiſe, My Heaven: All is mine, ſaith Faith. All things are yours, and you are Chriſts, and Chriſt is Gods, 1 Cor. 3.23.
4. Becauſe it lays faſt hold, it lays hold for ever on thoſe precious things. If a Believer ſhould lay hold, and let go again, his Faith were not ſo precious. Nay, the more happy a man eſteems himſelf in the enjoyment of a good thing the more miſerable he apprehends himſelf to be in the loſs of it. But Faith lays hold upon Chriſt for ever: Once thine, and for ever thine: for, The Juſt lives by Faith the Life of Conſervation or Perſeverance. It may be, thou art afraid thou ſhouldſt let thy hold go of Chriſt. But to be ſure, Chriſt will never let his hold go of thee; yea, he will eſtabliſh and confirm thy hold of him. Phil. 1.6. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform or finiſh it, until the day of Jeſus Chriſt. 1 Pet. 1.5. Ye are kept by the power of God through faith unto Salvation. Job 17.9. The righteous ſhall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands ſhall grow ſtronger and ſtronger. Jer. 32.40. I will put my fear into their hearts, that they ſhall not depart from me.
This is the fourth reſpect, wherein Faith is ſuch a precious Gift, viz. Faith lays hold on Chriſt, and conſequently on whatſoever is precious, ſo as never to let go its hold: which Conſideration ought to excite our Thankfulneſs for ſo rich a Jewel as Faith. which everlaſtingly entails all the Priviledges of the Covenant.
5. and laſtly, We ſhould be Thankful for Faith,5. Faith is rare. becauſe it is ſo rare, and ſcarce to be found: This Flower grows not in every Garden. We ſhould indeed be Thankful for good things, though they are common: but I know not how it comes to paſs, we take little notice of ſuch Mercies. Among outward things, what more precious than the Sun, the Air, and the Water? and yet becauſe they are common, how few are affected with Gods goodneſs in theſe things, as they ought to be? But what is ſcarce and hard to be found, we are uſually much taken with ſuch a thing, and can prize the Donor of it. Now ſuch a thing is true Faith, its very hard to be found: When the Son of Man cometh, Luke 18.8.ſhall he finde Faith upon the earth? Doubtleſs, many may be found that have the Profeſſion of Faith in their mouths, but few that have the Grace of Faith in their hearts, or the Fruit of Faith in their lives: As there are few that ſhall be ſaved, ſo there are few that do truly believe: for, He that believeth ſhall be ſaved, Mark 16.16. Now of thoſe few, there are very few wiſe, and mighty, and noble, upon whom God beſtows this precious Gift of Faith. A poor deſpicable creature, that hath obtain'd Faith at Gods hands, may ſay, Bleſſed be God, though I have but little in the world, yet God hath given me that which he hath denied to many wiſe, and mighty, and noble men in the world. Therefore ſuch a man hath great cauſe to be thankful, to be thankful, I ſay, even to admiration: Joh. 14.22. Lord, how is it that thou doſt manifeſt thy ſelf unto us, and not unto the world? This is that, for which Jeſus Chriſt himſelf is ſo thankful to his heavenly Father, Mat. 11.25. At that timt Jeſus anſwered and ſaid, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, becauſe thou haſt hid theſe things from the wiſe and prudent, and haſt revealed them unto babes; even ſo, Father, becauſe it ſeemed good in thy ſight. Here is ſomething very remarkable in the ſpeech of Chriſt, which we ſhall take notice of in the Reſolution of two queſtions.
Queſt. 1. Why it is ſaid, At that time Jeſus anſwered, when we reade not any body ſaid any thing to him before?
Anſ. I anſwer, S. Luke will reſolve this queſtion, Luk. 10.21. In that hour Jeſus rejoyced in the Spirit, and ſaid, I thank thee, &c. Obſerve: God ſpake joy to his Soul inwardly, though nothing was ſpoken outwardly, even ſuch joy as makes men exult or leap for joy (as the word ſignifies) And in anſwer to this inward work of joy, Jeſus anſwered and ſaid, I thank thee, &c.
Queſt. 2. But then ſecondly, it may be queſtioned, Why an inward anſwer of Thankfulneſs, might not ſerve the turn to an inward voice of joy?
Anſ. For this, we muſt know, Chriſt doth return his anſwer in an audible voice, for their ſakes that ſtood by, (as he ſaid in another caſe, Joh. 11.42.) viz. To ſtir up the Diſciples, and all Gods People, to be the more thankful for ſuch a choice and ſingular Mercy; He ſets before us a pattern of Thankfulneſs; he tells us what we ſhould be thankful for, above all other things, namely, That God hath revealed to us the great Myſtery of Salvation: And how is this revealed, but by Faith? and why ſhould we be ſo thankful for the revelation of this Myſtery by Faith? even becauſe there are ſo few that do believe, it is a Myſtery that is hid from the wiſe and prudent, and revealed to a few babes, that have no more knowledge of heavenly things by nature, than if they were babes. It is kept ſecret from the wiſeſt part of the world, and from the greateſt part of the world: And therefore if Faith be ſo rare and ſcarce, as well as precious, we have the greater cauſe to be thankful. Each true Believer may ſtand and wonder, and ſay, Lord, who am I, that whilſt ſo many Millions go in the broad way that leads to deſtruction, who am I, that I ſhould be one of thoſe few that do believe, to the ſaving of the ſoul, Heb. 10.39.