Two Books, Treatise 1 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
Faith receives Chriſt alſo as it is an act of the Will, And here it hath a fivefold act. 1. A pious affection. 2. An approving of the aſſent of the underſtanding to the …th of the Promiſe. 3. A giving up it ſelf to Jeſus Chriſt. 4. A reſting upon Jeſus Chriſt. 5. An application to it ſelf of what is in Jeſus Chriſt. A Caution. Application.
FAith doth not only receive as it is an act in the underſtanding, but as it is an act in the Will. There are five ſeverall waies whereby Faith as it is in the Will doth receive Jeſus Chriſt and his fulneſs. A fivefold act, Faith doth (as it is in the Will) put forth to the getting in of what is promiſed concerning Jeſus Chriſt and his benefits.
Firſt: There is a pious affection. Or it works a kind of liking of, and love unto Chriſt, and the things of him, as good and deſirable and real. That is the firſt thing. That whereas before the Soul looked upon him as an Enemy, or as one that was exceeding hard and auſtere, and it may be, as one that did but delude and mock, and intended not to give what he ſpake of and revealed; Now the ſoul begins to have better thoughts of God, and to think that he is kind and reall. And whereas before it looked upon the things of Chriſt as of no value, and cared not for the knowledg of them, now it ſels all to buy that Field wherein they are, it looked before upon communion with God as not to be deſired in compariſon or competition with the pleaſures of ſin. His favor and good will with the will of the fleſh he would have, but would rather leave God than leave his luſts. Whereas before he had no mind to mortification or deniall of himſelf in any thing, now there begins to be ſome liking of the things of Chriſt, and ſome kind of contentment to be ſo. In Pſal. 16.7. My reins inſtruct me (ſaith he) in the night ſeaſon. It's a Pſalme, which is a profeſſion of Chriſt, and a Picture of one that is made after Chriſt. You may ſee in that, how Chriſt ſuffered for us, and how we ought to be whatever our afflictions or ſufferings be for his name ſake. Now ſaith David, as one that is drawn after Chriſt, My reins inſtructed me in the night ſeaſon. The Reins are the ſeat of the affections and deſires. They inſtructed him: that is, they perſwaded him, and they began to work him into a better opinion of the waies of God, than before he had. Then I could ſay, ſaith he, The Lord is my portion, and my Lot is fallen in a good ground, and now God and troubles, God and afflictions are exceeding deſirable together, let the afflictions be never ſo hard. In Rom. 4.20. it's ſaid that Abraham did beleeve, and gave Glory to God. What is it to give Glory to God? It is to give a praiſe and commendation of his works unto him, which is to ſet out the Attributes lively which he hath put forth in any thing towards us. But ſaith he, he gave Glory unto God, that is, he commended God, and ſpake well of him, and ſurely (he ſaid within himſelf) he would never have ſpoken that I ſhould have had a Child, and not have done it, and he would not have made me beleeve that all the Generations of the world ſhould be bleſſed in him that ſhould come from me, unleſs ſomthing above nature ſhould be done for the bringing forth of him. He had a good opinion of God. Marke it. Though there hath been no parley, no agreement, nor match made between parties, yet we diſcern love between them upon their commending one another. So when the Soul begins to commend God, and cannot tel how to think ſo and ſo of God as Unbelief ſuggeſts, then he begins to love, and that indeed is a beginning of Faith. The Papiſts tell us that Faith is unformed, and as a body without a ſoul untill there be love. That is an error. For the formall act of Faith is in the underſtanding to aſſent, which is not comptiable unto the will and affections. But in this ſenſe much might be ſaid concerning love, Though it gives not a Philoſophicall, yet it gives a divine being unto Faith: that is, it puts an excellency upon it. Whatever comes from Love unto God is thereby (you know) made more acceptable unto God. And this love or deſire of God is neceſſary both to make a mans underſtanding captivated unto the mind of God, & to make the things revealed to become eaſie unto him. We eaſily beleeve that ſhall be which we would have be, and that man that gets our love, gets our truſt. That therefore is the firſt thing which Faith doth in the will, it begets a pious affection and liking of the goodneſs in God and the goodneſs that is in the things which are promiſed by him unto us. It's not (ſaith the Soul) I perceive now ſuch a hardneſs, and ſuch an ill condition to be married to Jeſus Chriſt, as I thought of before: It's not a way that brings with it ſo many inconveniencies as my heart ſupgeſted to me.
But Secondly: As Faith is in the Wil, it doth approve and allow of that aſlent and credit which the underſtanding hath given unto the truth of the promiſes. I ſay it doth approve and allow of that aſſent which the underſtanding hath given unto the promiſes. The underſtanding ſaith, I do verily that theſe things are true, you do wel ſaith the Wil, hold you there, hold faſt that word, that is a word worthy of all acceptation, receive that rather than any thing. As a Steward lets a Leaſe unto a Tenant, and afterwards brings it to the Grand-Lord, and he takes cognizance of it, and gives conſent to it: So the underſtanding brings the promiſe to the Soul, and ſaith, I have beleeved theſe things to be true, and that they ſhall be accompliſhed; They are above Senſe and Reaſon, But I cannot but think bu… they ſhall be; They are better than all things elſe: Now doth the Will give up it ſelf fully unto the liking and ratifying of this act. You have it I conceive fully proved in Phillip. 3.3. We are the Circumciſion which worſhip God in the ſpirit, and rejoyce in Chriſt Jeſus, and have no confidence in the fleſh. We rejoyce faith he, and have no confidence in the fleſh, the Apoſtle is there proving that a man cannot be ſaved by the works of the Law, but only by being found in Chriſt, Concerning this (ſaith he) we do rejoyce. As if he ſhould have ſaid, we are glad with all our hearts that we ſhall not go to Heaven by doing, but by beleeving, and not upon out own Legs, but in the Arms of Chriſt. It doth us good to the heart that there is no duty nor ſervice that ſhall be accepted, but only the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. It is not our ſalvation alone which makes our hearts cheerfull, but it is this, that it is given by ſuch a means and hand as Jeſus Chriſt is. We rejoyce in Chriſt Jeſus, and have no confidence in the fleſh. As by approving ſin a man doth make ſin his own, and contracts the guilt of it which was done by another: So by the Wils approving of the aſſent which the Underſtanding hath given unto the truths of the Goſpell, the Will becomes a partaker together with it. Or thus: As a man that doth approve evill, will ſoon be full of all unrighteouſneſs, So the will approving what the underſtanding beleevs concerning the truth of the promiſes will bring the Soul to be filled with the bleſſings of it.
Thirdly: Faith doth make the Will to give up it ſelf unto Jeſus Chriſt. And therefore Faith is called a coming unto him: And in 2 Cor. 8.5. They gave themſelves unto God, and then unto us. You ſhall underſtand the meaning of it, if we firſt conſider the meaning of the word foreign, [they gave] He that gives a thing alters the property of it, he makes him to be the Lord and maſter of it, to whom he gives it. This is yours do with it what you pleaſe, I call it my own no more. So now they gave themſelves unto Jeſus Chriſt, and reſigned themſelves unto him, and would no more meddle as before they had done in working out meritoriouſly their own ſalvation. I am not my own ſaith the Soul, I am thine, Lord I have no more to do with my ſelf, to ſave my ſelf, than I have to do with that which is another mans to uſe at my pleaſure: I have given my ſelf to thee. And as you may diſcern the meaning of it by the word [Give] So you may by that which the Apoſtle joynes to it: They gave themſelves firſt to God and then to us. How did they give themſelves to the Apoſtles? They did give themſelves to them as their Teachers as thoſe by whom God would reveal the things of him, and the way of practiſing of the Will of Jeſus Chriſt. Upon this account you ſhal find that faith is compared to Marriage, where parties give over the right of themſelves unto another. Only let me tel you this by the way: That there is an implicite giving. As a man is ſaid to give himſelf to ſleep, and to idleneſs who doth indulge his own eaſe, and laies himſelf ſoftly: That is an implicite giving. There is an explicite giving, and that is by way of expreſs reſignation: As a man that comes and delivers a poſſeſſion of goods, or a commodity which is bought into the hands of another: Here, take what is thy own. Now in al Faith there is an implicite giving, but not an explicite. I ſay there is an implicite giving: there is an indulgence of it ſelf, and liking what may make it ſelf vile, and what may draw it unto Jeſus Chriſt, though it cannot ſay (as it is true to ſay) before all things I had rather, or do deſire to favor, and wil no more ſeek after the love of any other creature. The explicite reſignation is that which the Saints do come unto: But a man may have faith though he cannot ſay ſo of himſelf. This explicite Reſignation and giving a mans ſelf is neceſſary (but not as this implicite giving a mans ſelf is) unto ſalvation.
Fourthly: Faith as it is in the Will doth make a man to reſt and ſtay himſelf upon Jeſus Chriſt, and to look to no other means beſides him for ſalvation. To reſt upon him. This you have the Scripture oft times ſpeaking. Eſay 50.10. Let him truſt in the Lord, and ſtay upon his God. Somtimes therfore it's called in the Scripture (as in Pſal. 37.1.) a not fretting, but being quiet. This reſting brings in abundance from Jeſus Chriſt. I ſay it brings in: For if a touch of him be followed with vertue to heal: If one touch upon dead bones will make life come into the ſpirit, then what will the continued acts of Faith do? This is that indeed which the Scripture cals a life. In Gal. 2.20. Becauſe, though there be many intermiſſions and interruptions, that a man doth ſo reſt as that he is beaten off, yet ſtill he comes unto Jeſus Chriſt again. That is his general courſe, and that wherin alone he takes conentment. In this caſe the Soul ſaith to Jeſus Chriſt in its carriage, I ſay in its carriage, juſt as a man uſeth to ſay to one he depends upon, I wil look no where elſe, If you diſappoint me, look to it, I have no other friends to ſupply me, I have none to go unto for relief but you: So faith the Soul. And if it find its ſelf at any time carried to other things, and to reſt in them, then it is diſpleaſed with it ſelf, and troubled at it ſelf, and never hath quiet untill it makes that void and nothing, which it hath done before.
Then Fifthly: As Faith is in the Will, it takes in what is in Chriſt, it applies it to its ſelf, according as its need and neceſſities are. I ſay, it takes in what is in Chriſt. Al the reſt of the acts of faith were but (as it were) carrying the ſoul to him; This now doth make it inriched by him. As the Cloath lying in the Fat doth receive the color and dye: Or as a man lying in ſin is thereby hardened and habituated to do evill: So the Soul by its reſt and continuance in Jeſus Chriſt comes to be made partaker of all that is in Jeſus Chriſt. It makes uſe of him to pardon and to ſanctification. When as it is afraid of wrath, Joh. 15.1.it looks up to him: When it's beſieged with luſts it ſends for help to him. Without me (ſaith Chriſt) you can do nothing. That is, Not only without their being in him, but without their making uſe of him. Therefore in John 3.21. it's ſaid that he that comes to Chriſt, hath al his works wrought in God. Wrought in God; How is that? As he goes to God for direction, ſo he goes to God for ſtrength through Jeſus Chriſt.
Let me add but this Caution.
That though theſe five ſeverall acts be done by Faith as it is in the Will, yet you are not to think that they are done in that order that I have propounded them, or that they muſt be done to ſo high and notable pitch and degree before a man can receive, But there is ſomthing of all theſe wherever faith is; and ſome thing done of all theſe, though it be very weak: There is ſome love, though it be but a preferring of him to others: And ſome approving, and yielding of its ſelf unto Jeſus Chriſt, and ſome reſting on him.
I ſhall only ſay this one word of Application at this time, and that is this.
USE
If Faith be a Receiving (as you have heard) Then the ſin of Unbelief is exceeding great and very provoking. As our miſery is great that we have not only no active power to do good, but we want a paſſive power to receive good. We are no apter nor fitter to any good work than the ſtone is fit for a building which can be laid in no place till the hand of the Workman comes upon it and ſquares it. So the ſin of Unbelief is great in this, that it is a denying to receive, or an hardening of the Soul, and making it uncapable as much as in it lies of the things of Jeſus Chriſt. What an abominable proud thing is it for a Beggar that he will not take an alms for himſelf that hath nothing to live upon, that he wil not receive a favor? Yet ſuch is the ſin of Unbelief, for Faith is a Receiving. Thou doſt as much as ſay in thy own ſelf, Thy acts of unbelief, have this voyce, Lord I will have none of that which thou offereſt; Keep it to thy ſelf; I had rather be without ſalvation than have it upon ſuch terms, by way of an alms or receiving; I wil work for it, and purchaſe it, and buy it, and not take it as a meer gift. What Prince is able to endure that the condemned perſon ſhould reject his pardon, and not take it: that he ſhould accept the halter and the block, rather than the Grace and favor tendred to him. We think it modeſty and humility not to receive the things of the Goſpell that are ſo glorious: No: But becauſe that faith is a receiving, thou doſt throw all theſe things like duſt into the wind, and water upon a ſtone,: Thou wilt not afford God ſo much as a Veſſell to take in what fals from Heaven into the Souls of men. It is not thy modeſty, but thy pride. If thou haſt never ſo much, Canſt thou not receive a kindneſs? If thou be never ſo well, yet canſt thou not be better? Haſt thou ſo great an abundance, that nothing can be added to thee? Say all this if thou dareſt, and own it before the Lord: Thou muſt ſay it, if thou takeſt the part of unbelief, becauſe faith is a receiving, and unbelief is a rejecting.