Two Books, Treatise 1 · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
Receiving denotes taking a thing with joy and gladneſs of heart; and ſo Faith is receiving. An Object. anſwered.
Faith is called receiving, becauſe the ſoul that doth beleeve, doth beleeve willingly and cheerefully. Receiving in the ſcripture is uſed for ſuch entertainment as freinds give one unto another. Or gueſts or ſtrangers have of their freinds, As in Math. 10.14. And Luke, 20.10. Chriſt ſends his diſciples abroad without any thing to live upon, and faith If they wil receive them, that is, if they wil be glad of the Goſpel at ſuch a charge, and at the coſt they muſt be at. In Heb. 13.2. Be not forgetful to entertain ſtrangers, for in ſo doing (ſaith he) ſome have received Angels. As it is in that place of the Goſpel, Math. 10.41. He that receives a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, that is, that makes him welcome as the Meſſenger of God. In the third Epiſt. of John and verſ. 9. Diotrephes that loves the preheminency received us not nor would have ſuffered the Saints to receive us. As the Text tells us in the Book of Geneſis, that Abraham ſtood at the door of the Tent that he might entertain ſtrangers that paſſed by. And Stephen ſaw Chriſt in Heaven, and therefore uſed the word of the Text, Lord Jeſus Receive my ſpirit. Acts, 7.59. My meaning is this, Though I cannot look upon Heaven, as my own houſe and home; Though I be a ſtranger and cannot demand the glory thereof as due unto me, yet receive me kindly, Bid me be of good cheer, and give me what is laid up in ſtore there. Al this I have ſpoken to ſhew that this word (Receiving) is proper to a kindly entertainment. Now faith is ſuch a kind of receiving and entertaining Jeſus Chriſt in ſome meaſure. I ſay in ſome meaſure. As Jeſus Chriſt doth receive the ſoul into Heaven ſo doth the ſoul receive Jeſus Chriſt into it by beleeving. That ſelf ſame love which Chriſt ſhews, that kindneſs which he expreſſeth to the ſoul in entertaining it into Glory that in ſome meaſure doth the ſoul expreſs in its laying hold upon Jeſus chriſt. It is ſaid in Luke, 19.5. 6. That Chriſt bad himſelf to Zacheus his houſe to dinner: Zacheus come down, and make haſt, for this day I muſt abide at thy houſe: And Zacheus came down & made haſt & received him joyfully. Thus is it in effectual calling, in converſion. Chriſt comes unto a ſoul and ſaith, Turne unto me & live: Beleeve & you ſhal be ſaved, why wil you dye in the way wherein you are? Though there be nothing belong unto you but ſhame and confuſion of face for ever, yet by, and in me you ſhal find happineſs. As Chriſt doth firſt offer unto the ſoul himſelf, So doth the ſoul receive this offer of Jeſus Chriſt. In Acts, 8.37. Though that the Eunuch was but a young convert yet notwithſtanding of him, as of a young convert, Philip requires he ſhould beleeve with al his heart. If thou beleeveſt with al thy heart. Al the heart, is not there taken extenſively or gradually, that is al one with perfection. As it is in the Commandement, Thou ſhalt love the Lord with al thy heart, that is love him, and love nothing elſe. But al the heart there, is oppoſed unto a divided heart, and unto an unwilling ſpirit. If thou beleeveſt with al thy heart, that is, if thou be glad of Jeſus Chriſt to undertake for thee: If thou doſt willingly give up thy ſelf unto him for ſalvation. I ſay there is a great deal of difference between a mans doing of a thing willingly, and doing a thing electively and out of choice.
A thing is ſaid to be done willingly, when it is done out of a principle ſuitable to it, though that in the doing of it there be no thought of taking contentment or pleaſure in it. As a man ſins willingly, when the corruption that is in his heart doth break into act. As for example,
A man that hath a prophane and wicked ſpirit, he ſweares willingly, though he doth not think of ſwearing when he doth it. So al actual corruptions are voluntary, though that we do not conſider what we do. As the wiſe man ſpeaks, that they know not that they do evil, becauſe it comes from a corrupt heart within. To do a thing voluntarily and willingly, it is enough that a man doth it of himſelf, moved thereunto of his own diſpoſition and quality of mind.
A thing is ſaid to be done electively or by choice when a man (having weighed arguments on both ſides) doth chooſe one rather then another: He puts a difference between the reaſons that are urged on either part, and chooſeth to follow one before the other. In Heb. 11.25.26. Moſes is ſaid to chooſe afflictions with the people of God, becauſe he judged or eſteemed, ſaith the Text. Doing things out of choice is a manner of doing things willingly, and the higheſt ſort of ſo doing. And So there is a difference between a mans beleeving willingly and cheerefully, and a mans beleeving electively, and out of choice. A man beleeves willingly when he is carried unto Jeſus Chriſt by the ſpirit of faith in a ſenſe of his own nothingneſs, and a knowledg of the tenderneſs and ſufficiency that is in Jeſus Chriſt to ſave him. A man beleeves out of choice, when he chooſeth rather to adventure his ſoul in that way of beleeving upon Chriſt, then in any other courſe. As for example. Conceive you a man like him that came to our Lord Jeſus Chriſt willing to do any thing to obtain eternall life: And as a meanes thereunto, there is advice given him to repent of what he hath done, and to mortify his luſts, that he ſhould take up the practiſe of al dutyes and ordinances, heare much, and pray often, and deny himſelf opportunities of ſin, and give that which he hath unto the poor; And al this advice is urged upon him with al that can be ſaid from the ſcripture and reaſon, that if he doth thus he ſhal be ſaved: But he is alſo adviſed to beleeve upon Jeſus Chriſt who Juſtifies the ungodly, who cures a man for nothing, who ſaves them that are not able to returne him any thing again ſuitable to what they receive from him, And he chooſeth this way of faith rather then that other way. This now is a beleeving out of choice: when. I ſay al other wayes are laid before a man for ſalvation in their greateſt probability, and yet a man can ſee faith to be the beſt way, and can anſwer the reaſons that are brought to the contrary.
Unto this election faith wil grow in time and by experience. So that it can ſay, Whom have I in Heaven but thee, and I have none on earth in compariſon of thee. Pſal. 73.25. Therefore it is compared to a Marriage, which cannot be without union to Chriſt, and willingneſs to be ſo. A woman after Marriage comes to ſay if ſhe were unmarried again, ſhe would have none but him, for when the ſoul hath had ſome experiences of God, if ſo be that al the delights and pleaſures that are in ſin, nay that are in holineſs, were ſet before it, it would chooſe rather to live upon Jeſus Chriſt then that way, As the good man ſaid when he ſaw David come home let him take al, now the Lord my King is ſafe. So the ſoul can ſay, I have enough in him, though I have nothing elſe, and let al other things be what they wil, yet through him I ſhal ſtand.
But at the firſt, the Act of faith is only willing, I ſuppoſe. And therefore you ſhal find beleevers to be alwayes deſcribed that way. John, 8.56. Abraham ſaw my day afarre of. He ſaw it by faith. That is the ſpiritual optick, which makes things farre of, to be neere. He ſaw my day afarre off and was glad. As a man that ſees the ſhoare many Leagues off at Sea, where the ſhoare looks like a cloud One would have thought it would have made the heart of Abraham ſad, that the day of Chriſt was ſo farr off. For hope that is deferred, is the breaking of the heart ſaith Solomon. What joy (do you think) would the day of Chriſt have been, had it come upon Abraham, who when he ſaw the breaking of it ſo many thouſand yeares off, was filled with Joy. But where ever there is a ſight of Chriſt there is joy and gladneſs. That I bring it for. Though it be at never ſo great a diſtance, and never ſo weak a ſight. When the power of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt doth prevaile, it makes his people willing. As it is in Pſal. 110.3. Therefore the Apoſtle ſaith, that with the mouth a man doth confeſs, but with the heart a man doth beleeve unto Salvation. Rom. 10.10. With the heart. As we uſe to ſay, I am glad of it with al my heart. Or you have my heart. So now doth the ſoul ſay unto Jeſus Chriſt in beleeving. He is taken with the object of faith, and is rejoyced. So it is in Phil. 3.3. We are the Circumciſion, who rejoyce in Chriſt Jeſus, and have no confidence in the fleſh. Mark it. The Miniſters by whom the Goſpel is brought unto men are beautiful unto beleevers. Rom. 10.15. How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings. His meaning is, As beauty wins & takes affections, ſo are our affections carried ſtrongly unto thoſe who are the meſſengers of good things by Jeſus Chriſt. If you have judged me faithful (ſaid Lydia) then come into my houſe. And if you be worthy (ſaid our Lord though you have no cloaths on your back, nor penny in your purſe, yet you wil be welcome to them. And the word of Faith which is the inſtrument of Faith, that is now received alſo by a Beleever. Matth. 13.44, 45, 46. The kingdom of God is like a man that found a Treaſure in the field, and he went and ſold all that he might be partaker of it. Every act of Faith, it is done with joy and delight. Therefore Faith (in the generall) is ſaid to work by love, and to be unfeigned, 1 Tim: 1.5. Out of a good Conſcience, and Faith unfeigned. Why, becauſe it is hearty, there is an affection, and an affection that is real where there is true Faith. 1 Theſ. 1.5. You received the word of God in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghoſt. And therefore you are elected of God.
It is therefore by cheerfulneſs and readineſs in believing, that true Faith is diſtinguiſhed in Acts 2.41. As many as gladly received the word were baptized. They gladly received, is a note of diſtinction from the reſt of the Auditory who received it, but not with joy and gladneſs: By it I ſay true Faith is diſtinguiſhed and diſtinguiſhed from the Faith that is in the Devils, and in wicked men, who are the Children of him, and from that which doth ariſe from conviction. A man may beleeve through conviction, as the Devils do: who finding ſomething to be true which God hath ſpoken, their own experience being a witneſs to them that God hath not failed of his word, they do therfore collect that what he hath ſaid beſides, ſhal be brought to paſs: But that which they do beleeve, they would not beleeve. There is the like Faith in the Children of Satan. For as there is the ſame Grace in the head, Chriſt, and in his members, ſo there is the ſame ſinfulneſs and evill that is in Satan (the head and Prince of wicked men) in wicked men themſelves. While wicked men live under the preaching of the word of God, they come to be convinced that there is no way of ſalvation but by Chriſt, nor any courſe to get eternall life, but by going unto him: But this they like not, but ſecretly wiſh that there were ſome other way, which is evident and apparent, becauſe their hearts do withdraw through unbeliefe, and depart from the living God, As the Apoſtle ſpeaks in Heb. 3.12.
There is a going unto Chriſt by men, as a man goes unto an enemy, and ſues for ſome favor that is in his hand to do him, which he can receive no where elſe; but yet it troubles him. So now they go unto Chriſt, but they had rather be in hard and coſtly working. If faſting and prayer, and giving all their goods to the poor would help them, they would rather do it than go to Jeſus Chriſt. As wicked men do pray in afflictions, but it is becauſe they are driven to it: ſo do they beleeve in Jeſus Chriſt, becauſe they know no way elſe to go, or to find relief unto themſelves. He that is a Beleever doth chooſe Jeſus Chriſt as his way: He doth chooſe him (I ſay) as his way or rather thus, he doth like that way and approve that way.
Object. But you wil ſay, This can be no ſign, becauſe thoſe that were but temporary and fell away, did receive the word of God with joy, in Math. 13.20.
Anſw. 1. But you muſt know that their receiving was not of al, but of ſome truths of the Goſpel. And Secondly: It was not ſincere. They received not the truth for the love of it (for then they ſhould have been ſaved 2 Theſ. 2.10.) but they received it out of love of their luſts. So far they did receive the Goſpell as it might free them from Hel, but not as it might ſanctifie or take away from them the love of this preſent World: for when perſecution came, they were by and by offended.