Two Books, Treatise 1 · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
Faith conſidered in its loweſt degree. I. As in the Ʋnderſtanding: and ſo it is, 1 Attention. 2 Inquiry. II. As in the Will: and ſo, 1 It is accompanied with much fear. 2 It is careful and ſollicitous for the things of this Life.
IT will not be amiſs a little to conſider, or at leaſtwiſe to ſet down, how little Faith a man may have, or how little Faith God beſtows upon men, when yet he beſtows Chriſt upon men withal.
1. Take Faith as it is a Habit and Diſpoſition; ſo the loweſt degree of Faith is in an inclination, a yielding, a laying aſide the ſtoutneſs of the heart in ſome meaſure which he exerciſed before againſt God. In ſome meaſure. As the weather we ſay, begins to change when there is ſome melting of the Snow, and ſome yielding of the Ice, though it be very hard ſtill. And as we ſay, a man is inclined to peace, when he will treat and hear arguments for it, and doth not ſtand out in defiance. The leaſt Degree of an Habit is an inclination. And you ſhal find in 2 Chron. 30.8. That Faith is ſo deſcribed, to be no more a ſtiff-neckedneſs, but a yielding themſelves unto the Lord. As ſuppoſe a man that would not pay Taxes or Rates, but wil let another come and take it quietly: He will not give ſuch a thing, but if another will take it, he wil not oppoſe. In Acts 26. it is ſaid of Lydia, that her heart was opened to attend; that is, that whereas before ſhe looked upon what was ſaid by Paul, as not worth the hearing, and as that which did not concern her, and which was not for her good and ſalvation, her heart was ſet and prejudiced againſt it; yet now ſhe begins to have other thoughts. It is as mean an act as poſſibly can be, for one to give God the hearing, to liſten to the things that are ſpoken, yet this the Scripture counts as a Work of God, and as the Fruit of her Faith. She attended to the things that were ſpoken. That is one low degree of Faith, for a man to be relenting and yielding a little towards Jeſus Chriſt: To come, and mind, and obſerve the things that are ſaid of him, as things that are of concernment and moment.
Again Secondly, It is a low degree of Faith to ask after, and enquire about the things which do belong unto Salvation. And this you ſhal find in the Scripture, that that enquiry, when it is truly and duly made is ſaving too. 1 Pet. 3.21. Baptiſm ſaves: and the waſhing of the filth of the fleſh: But foreign, that word ſignifies not only an Anſwer, but a Queſtion. The queſtioning of a good Conſcience, how by the Right of Chriſts Reſurrection it might come unto Salvation? It's one of the ſmalleſt acts of the Underſtanding to enquire and ſearch after the knowledg of things. That ſame act of the Underſtanding exerciſed about the things of God by Jeſus Chriſt, that is, ſuch as ſhall be accompanied with Salvation. Baptiſme ſaves, the queſtioning of a good Conſcience. If indeed the Queſtion that men ask, comes out of curioſity and not out of Conſcience: If it comes only out of a Conſcience that is good thus far, Becauſe it is awakened; but not good thus far, that it is willing to ſubmit to, and take the courſe which the Goſpel enjoyns, then it is no ſign. But if the Soul doth but lie before the Lord, as the Reſurrection of Chriſt is appointed as the way of Salvation, ſo it ſaith, Lord how ſhal I take that way? which way may I come to be partaker of the power of it? This alſo ſhal be accepted.
Look upon faith now as it is in the wil, or as it acts there (for I told you that faith acts both in the underſtanding and wil) you ſee how it acts the underſtanding in attention, and Inquiry. See how it acts the wil.
It acts the wil moſt weakly when the heart is filled with feare. Fear doth diſtract the Soul, and makes it to do al things dully and very imperfectly Why are yee afraid, therefore ſaith Chriſt (in Matth. 8. and 14. Chapters) Oh ye of little faith. A man through feare doth in beleeving, as a man doth in going. He takes a ſtep, and then withdraws his foot: He goes another, and then goes back again. So a man with one thought is for Chriſt, and in another thought, there is no hope for him in Chriſt: with one thought he gives up himſelf to him, and with another, it is but to give up a little ſtraw to the flame when thy heart is thus divided (& it's as diſpleaſing as can be poſſibly) yet this thought and this faith is not put out by the Lord; Though it be diſtracted yet that faith ſhal ſave.
Again Secondly, That faith is exceeding weak, which is careful and ſolicitous for the things of this life. What an abſurd and weak thing is it for a man when he is dying to take care for cloathes? And when his life is going from him to think of purchaſing an inheritance? For a man when he is ful of dolor and pain, to think of increaſing his riches and eſtate? So is it a great weakneſs for a man to be careful for his body and the things of this life. In Math. 6.30. Chriſt ſaith when they ask what they ſhould eat and drink and put on, He calls them people of little ſaith. Yet even that faith alſo the Lord wil acknowledg. I might go through divers other particulars. As for example. Our relying upon Chriſt which is the weakeſt and loweſt degree. That a man rather deſires to be ſaved by Chriſt than any other, but he finds a hankering after others; but I ſay he had rather have Jeſus Chriſt than any other: He is troubled when he hath hopes not by Chriſt beſtowed on him in the uſe of Ordinances. When you know a man relies upon another, the weakeſt confidence and reliance that he can put is this, To expect rather that he ſhould ſtand him in ſtead, than any other. This is that which the Scripture ſaith he will accept, and take from our hands. Go through all the ſeveral acts of Faith, take them at the loweſt, obſerve when as your hearts beat Chriſt-ward, but they beat floweſt, and feebleſt, and moſt uncertainly: yet know, that though there be much cauſe of humbling thee, and being aſhamed, that where a man may receive ſo much good, and where he hath ſo much reaſon to be good, yet then he ought not to caſt off his confidence, for ever this ſhall receive this Dignity to be the Son of God.
And ſo much ſhall ſuffice to have ſpoken of the Second Reaſon, why Beleeving is called Receiving.