Two Books, Treatise 1 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Application. Beleeve that to Receive is the principal Ʋſe of Faith.
USE
BEleeve then this is the principal uſe of Faith, To Receive, to be like a Bucket to draw water of life, and ſalvation out of the Well; A ſpunge (as I may expreſsit) to ſuck in and draw of the fulneſs of Jeſus Chriſt. That Faith is beſt which is moſt receptive. That is the thing I do intend. That is beſt uſ'd wch is uſ'd to this end, to receive. The excelency of Faith doth not lie in it ſelf, but in its object: In what it doth bring in: For there is more vertue in the Act of any Grace whatever. He that knows a thing, doth it becauſe of the evidence of reaſon. But he that beleeveth, knows it not, Only he believs becauſe he thinks that he that ſpeaks, ſpeaks true. Faith degrades a man from the uſe of his reaſon, and makes him although far more excellent in his knowledg, yet to ſee in the light of God. It is ſo, becauſe he ſaith ſo. As a man that hath but little ſtock, but hath goods coming in by his trade, Such a trade is Faith. It's a weak and a feeble Grace (as I may call it) of it ſelf, but it is that which doth receive and fetch in much from Jeſus Chriſt. As the way of ſome mans living is not upon any thing he hath of his own, but he is a Receiver to ſome noble and great man, and all his rents and Eſtate paſſeth through his hands, and ſo he comes to have a feeling of it, and to be inriched. Through the hand of Faith al the Treaſury of grace and mercy cometh, Do not therefore my beloved think it enough that you do by Faith ſecure your ſelves from the fear of Hell, and ſay I do beleeve and therefore I ſhall not periſh but have everlaſting life, Do not think it enough that by Faith you order your converſation aright; (for although it be true that no grace makes cleaner work in a mans converſation than Faith doth, it purifies even as God is pure, of all that Niter and Soap which God hath given to waſh in, there is none ſo ſcouring as Faith is, if I may uſe that expreſſion, it will fetch out any ſpot and any defilement) But although Faith be of excellent uſe to order a mans converſation yet do not think you have made ſufficient uſe of your Faith when you have uſed it to that end, but uſe it to receive. As the uſe of a purſe is to put money in, And the uſe of an Iron Cheſt is to lodge money in, So the end of Faith is to receive. You are often times checking your ſelves, that you are not contented with what you have, for you have more than you deſerve, And that is true, But it is not more than you ought to receive. For Faith muſt have its perfect work, and its perfect work is this, that it doth look upon all Ordinances as bags that are filled, out of which it's to receive according as Jeſus Chriſt hath laid up and treaſured up of himſelf in them. After every duty enquire therfore what thy Faith hath gotten, how thy talent of Faith hath gained. Be not contented that thou haſt the ſame confidence that thou hadſt, thou muſt either have more confidence, or further of the ſpirit of Chriſt by that confidence. Before thou doſt go to any Duty or to any Ordinance, charge thy ſelf as the Maſter or Merchant doth charge his Servant that goes out to receive money Go to ſuch a place and receive and return not elſe, Importune and be not ſatisfied with any anſwer untill you have received ſuch a ſum. As men are loſt in the world, and are of little uſe, they are in vain, but ciphers, becauſe they are not put to that work to which their Genius and diſpoſition tends: One man is made a Preacher that is much fitter for another calling, And another goes into the world that is fitter for another politick imployment. The World is out of order, becauſe men are not put to that uſe which God hath fitted men for. So the Grace of Faith is out of order and of little uſe, becauſe it is not put to its proper work, viz. to receive. Put your Faith to that and you will thrive, and not otherwiſe. They profited not, becauſe they did not mix the word with Faith, Heb. 4.2. And what is ſaid of hearing the word, may be ſaid of Praying, or receiving the Lords Supper, Meditation, or any other Ordinance whatſoever. They profited not: That is, they got no more becauſe it was not mixed with Faith. Things are ſaid to be mixed, not when they are one in another in a common veſſel, but when they are beaten together that they make but one body and ſubſtance. So Faith is mingled with the word, when there is not only a believing in the Groſs, and a taking for granted that that is true which is received, but when unto every word there goes an aſſent and a cloſing of heart unto every word. That is true ſaith the ſoul in ſuch a caſe. When as it hears the heart is deſperately wicked, and that none can go to the bottom of it, And when it hears by and by that concerning ſuch an heart that there is hope, the Soul ſaith that is true. When every thing is mingled with Faith then it profits. Let me I beſeech you (my beloved) ſpeak a little to you freely. Why do you ſuffer your Faith to be Idle? Why do you buſie it about works beneath you, about that which is not moſt excellent and profitable? Do not think you have gotten enough when by your Faith you have gotten into Chriſt, and Grace from him by Faith, for you are alwaies to be receiving. Many a man is apt to think it were well if he could keep what he hath gotten, if he can but hold his hold, and keep his union, and continue it under temptations, if he can but maintain his practice and hope & not backſlide: But I beſeech you beloved conſider that al this is not enough, for you are to be receiving, not withſtanding that which you have received. And let me tel you this too, that if you are not receiving you are never able to hold that which you have. As the waters in the ſtream would fail if there were not a continuall flowing from the Wel-head and Fountain, So there muſt be a continual efflux and flowing and influence from Jeſus Chriſt that ſo the Grace you have may hold. In a Trade, he cannot keep open a Shop long that hath no comings in: And ſo it is certainly in the matters of Religion; If you pay uſe (for ſo you muſt do for all the opportunities and grace you have, they muſt be imployed) and you have no gain, it will undo you, although you began with the greateſt ſtock of reſolutions, and purpoſes, and deſires, and what you wil elſe. And therefore as you enquire into your ſelves, whether you have faith or not to prove whether you are a Beleever; So examine eſpecially thy Book, and ſee what thou canſt get by beleeving. Imploy thy faith therefore to this end, That you ſeek out what is promiſed, what God hath ſaid he will give; for he will give Grace and Glory, and with-hold no good thing from them that walk uprightly, Pſal. 84.11. And ſend out Faith to get in all theſe Promiſes, and challenge God upon his word continually, and ſay, Lord, thou haſt ſaid this, and that, and a third thing, I have it under thy hand, it is written, Thou haſt ſpoken it, and haſt made me to beleeve in thee; and ſhall thy Word be as fleſh that ſhall fail and come to nothing? Imbolden thy heart, and ſtrengthen the hand of thy Faith to receive; enlarge thy hand, and open thy mouth to take in much: and if thy Faith brings in any thing leſs than Jeſus Chriſt, it brings in nothing: For as it is in my Text, As many as received Him, Joh. 1.16.were the Sons of God; and of His fulneſs we received Grace for Grace. If thou haſt any thing but Chriſt, thou haſt nothing: And if thou haſt any thing but from his heap, and fountain, and fulneſs, thou wilt not be enriched by it; thou haſt received but ſtraws and leaves for Gold and Jewels. I beſeech you my beloved, know, That as God hath given the eye to ſee, and the ear for hearing; ſo he hath given Faith to receive; on purpoſe to this end, That you may be continually taking in from his fulneſs. Faith is of a having and a craving nature and unſatisfied til a man hath obtained the fulneſs he is ordained to in Chriſt; when it's filled, it is hungry: the more it hath the more it would have. Faith doth not only ſerve to keep you in a ſtate of Grace (for by Faith you ſtand) but to receive all Chriſts fulneſs which is laid up in him for you. Oh that we could beloved beleeve this, and live ſuch a kind of life; Such a kind of life of Faith is indeed Heaven upon Earth, when as a man is alwaies telling over treaſures for his own uſe and purpoſe. How joyful is the Merchant when the Ship comes home, and he is unlading the rich commodities which it is come fraighted with? How joyfull is the Husbandman when the harveſt comes, and renders an hundred fold for every corn? Such is the joy of God in the heart, and would be ſo if we did continually receive.