Two Books, Treatise 1 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
Object. Faith being a Quality, and ſo an Accident, can be but in one Subject, and therefore not both in the Ʋnderſtanding and the Will. Anſw. 1. Faith is one by Aggregation. 2. That habit which is in one Faculty formally may be in divers by diffuſion. Application. By this try whether you have true Faith or no. An Objection Anſwered.
OBJECT.
BUt it may be objected; That Faith cannot be both in the Underſtanding and in the Wil, becauſe Faith is a Grace or Quality, and therefore an Accident, and an Accident is proper but unto one Subject: As ſight is only in the Eye; and hearing in the Ear: So Faith is only either in the Underſtanding, or in the Will; but not in both.
Anſw. For Anſwer to this in brief.
1. The Habit or Grace of Faith (in the firſt place) is one; Not ſimply and abſolutely but by Aggregation and Compoſition of many habits: As two may be in one act, So two habits doth make one Vertue or Grace. Many qualities may ſubordinately concurre to the making up of one habit or vertue.
It's opened thus.
Beauty in the Body is a Quality, but yet it is compoſed partly of the proportion of parts, and partly of the healthineſs and ſoundneſs of parts.
So, Liberality is a vertue; but it is compoſed of a good diſpoſition in the Will, and alſo of a moderation in deſire after earthly things.
So, Prudence is partly in the Underſtanding, and partly in the Will ordering a mans converſation. We find it by experience, that when we do believe we do both put forth knowledg, and alſo good affection or an Act of the Will towards Jeſus Chriſt.
There is a meditation of the Promiſes, and there is alſo a reſignation of a mans ſelf up to him that hath promiſed; This we find by experience when we do believe. And we find by the ſame experience that when we would beleeve we are hindred by the darkneſs of our minds; and when our Underſtandings are cleared yet we are hindred by the awkwardneſs and indiſpoſition of our wils.
Let us love one never ſo much we cannot truſt him except he promiſe; and not then neither except we have an affection to him as to one that is faithful and true.
2. One habit is in one faculty formally but may be in divers by way of diffuſion and diſpoſition. The meaning of it is this. There is a communication or intercourſe between the Underſtanding and the Will. One works into and upon the other … the work of one is required to the work of the other.
As for example.
Freedom or liberty is formally in the Wil, but it is radically or rooted in the Underſtanding; for the Wil were not free to chooſe if it had not a light ſhewing it the difference of things, what is good and what evil, what does come neer to, and wil not bring it the end that it aims at.
Suppoſe you therefore (for I will not ſtand diſputing) that Faith be ſeated only in the Wil; yet it works into the underſtanding al the acts that I have ſpoken of, and is not without them. And ſo on the contrary; ſo that whether you read or hear faith to be in the Underſtanding or Will; make no great difference in that, for both ſhall be ſatisfied, and there is ſomthing to be done by both that you may be made partakers of Jeſus Chriſt.
So I have done with the Doctrinall part of that.
USE
For the Uſe and Application of it. If Faith be a Receiving, then by this you may try whether you have faith or not. If you look into Scripture you ſhal find that the Children of God are diſtinguiſhed from thoſe that are not born of God by this, that the one receives and the other receives not the things of God. In the verſe before my text it's ſaid that Chriſt came to his own and his own received him not. Not to receive him and to be in darkneſs is all one (as you may ſee by comparing the verſe together) He came to his own and they received him not, but they that did receive him they became the ſons of God. By his own is meant the Jews whom God had choſen for his peculiar people and owned before the World; (All are Gods own by Creation, the fulneſs of the Earth is his; but theſe were Gods by a ſpeciall relation and obligation.) And they had received from him Laws and Statutes; and they had profeſſed peculiar ſubjection and obedience to him, ſo that they could ſay, We are thine, Lord ſave us; yet they who were ſo different from the World are diſtinguiſhed from thoſe that are taken out of the World and are the ſons of God by Regeneration, thus, They Received not.
So you have the Apoſtle uſing the ſelf ſame diſcrimination in 1 Cor. 2.14. where he tels you that the naturall man does not receive the things of God neither can he, becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned: But we have the mind of Chriſt (ſaies he) So that I ſay, Receiving does diſtinguiſh the Faith that is unfeigned from that that is temporary and hiſtoricall.
And as the Children of God are diſtinguiſhed by receiving, ſo whatſoever a man gets if not by Faith it's ill come by; Yea he doth become guilty like goods gotten into a mans poſſeſſion illegally. Gal. 3.7. Received you the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of Faith? putting them in mind that if that Spirit (they thought they were of) came to them by the hearing of the Law, it were not the Spirit of the living God by which they could be ſaved. Therfore try your ſelves by this. Thou ſaieſt thou haſt Faith, Is thy faith a receiving Quality? Somthing that does enable thee to gape and gaſp? Does it open thy Soul (too) in reaching after the things of Chriſt? In plain tearms, Is thy Underſtanding greedy of knowing? Art thou willing to give up thy reaſon to the teſtimony that God gives of his Son? Art thou loth to let the thoughts of Chriſt paſs from thee? Is thy Wil inclining and tending to them?
Now for the making out of this, (and I beſeech you mark it) of ſome the Scripture ſaies barely thus much, That they received not Chriſt, They are ſhut up under that (As in John 1.11. the verſe before my text) He came to his own, and they received him not. And, The naturall man receives not the things of God. 1 Cor. 2.14. Some beleeve not, and receive not but they are very neer it. The fruit is neer their mouths, the word (as I may uſe it) is not far from them. Plainly thus:
There are ſome that are negative not privative Unbeleevers: That is, they are not Unbeleevers by way of oppoſition, but by way of omiſſion. They have not denied and ſaid they will not go out to Jeſus Chriſt, but, they are about the matter, and about the matter, till the things of their peace be hidden from their Eyes. Some Perſons are neither free, nor are they promiſed in marriage, but are in treaty ſo as they cannot admit of another to come to them: So there are ſome that hold Jeſus Chriſt in hand, cannot endure to think that Jeſus Chriſt ſhould leave them, and yet they come not actually off to the cloſing with him and receiving him in to their hearts.
As there is a negative holineſs, the man can ſay I am not as this man: So there is a negative unbelief, when as it may be ſaid of men they do not lay hold or receive, but it cannot be ſaid of them that they do reject or refuſe.
Sometimes this doth ariſe from unſenſibleneſs of the want of Jeſus Chriſt: Becauſe we are not ſenſible of our need of Jeſus Chriſt. And that (I take it) was the caſe of the hearers who are compared to the high way upon whom the ſeed fell to whom the word of God came and they minded it not; they gave it the hearing but they forgat it preſently.
And ſomtimes it comes from being taken up with lawfull things as they in Matth. 22. would firſt of all go and do the works they had before them, and they would then come to the Feaſt. They did not ſay they would not come, but they could not come then.
Or, 'ſpecially it comes from an unactiveneſs and ſlothfulneſs and liſtleſsneſs of heart.
There is a kind of Condition of Soul that a man is like the Sea in a calme, that you know not which way it goes; A ſtillneſs there is or ſcarce any motion to that which is good. Think on it. Be it from what cauſe it will though it ariſe not from any diſlike or oppoſition to the things of Jeſus Chriſt, yet it is a dangerous Condition. A ſtill liveleſs ſpirit is as well a ſpirit in a dangerous condition as that which is hurried and carried violently with ſtrong temptations to ſin. In Matth. 21.30.31. One ſaies he wil go into the Vineyard; he granted it to be his duty, but he went not. The Lord gives us thereby to underſtand that there are ſome who periſh through not doing that which they have a purpoſe to do, and that which they are convinced is beſt to be done by them. He that ſaid he would go, and did not; You are not to conceive him to be one that plaid the Hypocrite, in promiſing to go and yet did not intend it; but in this, that he did not fulfill that which had gone out of his mouth. There is hypocriſie when a man is convinced, and does profeſs to do the good he does not, Upon that account therefore you ſee there is a reaſon you ſhould examine your ſelves.
But beſides; The Scripture does ſpeak of ſome that contradict the Goſpell and word of Faith. In Act. 13.45. the Apoſtle exhorts them to receive with meekneſs the word ingrafted that ſhould ſave their Souls. That does imply that there is an aptneſs in men to be provoked at hearing the Goſpell. How many are there are wiſe to evade and exclude themſelves from the compaſs of the promiſes? that if any thing come neer them to comfort them, by & by ſome objection or other is made, that ſo they may be ſtil in their doubts and ſtil in their fears? In Act. 13.46. It is ſaid they put away from them the Word of eternall life; even as a ſick man puts away the meat and ſaies he is not able to endure it; So they ſay, this is not for ſuch as they are, it is too holy for ſuch dogs. And as it was with Ammon when he had defiled his ſiſter Thamar, he thruſt her out of doors and bolted the door againſt her. So do men do with the things of Chriſt: put them from them and bolt and bar their hearts againſt them with a reſolution never to beleeve this while the World ſtands. God opened the heart of Lidia, Acts 16.14. ſhe would not open it, but he broke it open by his Spirit.
Yea laſtly (my Beloved) There are that do trample under foot the things of Jeſus Chriſt, and inſtead of receiving of them, count them vile and not worthy eſtimation. Heb. 10.29. which by many is underſtood concerning the indiſpoſition of heart that oft times does befall one that is ſaved afterward. Now then; ſeeing there are ſome that do not receive; and ſome that do contradict and wil not receive but ſlight the things of Jeſus Chriſt; then try whether you have Faith or not, by your receiving.
OBJECT.
But you have ranked me in my place; You have ſet me in the place of thoſe that have not Faith; for I put away mercy from me.
Anſw. To that I anſwer. A Godly man does oft times ſay nay to God when he wooes him to be ſaved, and yet afterwards takes it: Puts away the mercy which he is glad on with al his Soul even as a hungry man is of that food which when he was ful he laid by and would not meddle with. When a godly man comes to ſee what he hath done in refuſing and rejecting and diſputing againſt the Grace of God, then his heart breaks, and then he does cloſe with that which he hath rejected. A Godly man doth eat up that which he hath formerly refuſed. Thou ſhalt not waſh my feet ſaies Peter to Chriſt: As if he ſhould have ſaid, It is not fit that the Lord of Heaven and Earth ſhould do any ſuch thing for ſo poor and vile a Creature as I am: But when Chriſt tels him, Peter, It is not the ſign but the thing ſignified that I ſpeak to, and if I waſh thee not thou haſt no part in me; then he cries, Not only my Feet but my hands &c. He is now content that Chriſt ſhould do that in a great degree which before he could not abide to hear of in the leaſt degree.