Two Books, Treatise 1 · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
Faith accompanied with joy and delight: and that 1. As an Act of the Ʋnderſtanding. 2. As an Act of the Will.
BUt now I ſhall come to ſpeak of Faith in this point more particularly, As it is a willing receiving of Jeſus Chriſt: a Receiving of him kindly and gratefully. And that I may ſpeak of it diſtinctly to you.
There is (you muſt know) a love that is ever joyned with Faith. Faith works by love: And that love is ſet upon Jeſus Chriſt ſingly and alone for his ſake. The heart doth approve and like of its ſelf in believing on or going to Jeſus Chriſt: That if a Believer could immediately reflect upon what he hath done, when he hath cloſed with Jeſus Chriſt, if he had (I ſay) a reciprocall knowledg of his action, that he could ſay I have now given up my ſelf to him, and this giving up my ſelf to him is forever, never to be my own any more: If he could thus reflect upon himſelf, he would bleſs the Lord for helping him ſo to do. But beſides this.
There is a love which goes along with Faith: A love unto Jeſus Chriſt alone, beſides the approbation of the Soul in believing: As the Eye delights in ſeeing, and the Ear is taken with ſound: So there is a contentment and pleaſure that the Soul takes in Faith. (As it is in Prov. 21.15.) ſaid concerning righteouſneſs in the generall, That it is a joy to a juſt man to do juſtice: So it is a joy to a good man to beleeve: which I ſhall lay open in divers particulars.
1. Take Faith firſt (as we handled it heretofore) to be an Act of the Underſtanding, an aſſenting unto the truth which God ſpeaks, though the things be not only obſcure, but contrary to Reaſon, it is a pleaſure now unto a Beleever to do ſo. To give up his judgment to God: To have his knowledg from the report which God gives of things, and not from himſelf, or his own apprehenſion. Therefore you ſhall find him to pray God to lead him by his counſell, till he brought him to Glory, Pſal. 73.24. And Paul in Gal. 3. when he was called, he would not conſult with fleſh and blood to hear what they could ſay, but becauſe of the divine teſtimony which he had received, he gives up himſelf unto Jeſus Chriſt, and unto the work of the Miniſtry. Hence it comes to paſs, that though you may ſilence a Saint, yet you cannot convince him that he is in an error. 1 Cor. 2.15. The ſpirituall man judgeth all things: But he himſelf is judged of none. As Bathſheba took all the waies ſhe could to make her Son Solomon to raign, in 1 Kings 1.17. Didſt thou not ſay that my Son ſhould raign, And why is it not ſo? She ſtuck unto his word, and took no other way. So doth Faith take that way: Thou haſt ſaid, Thou haſt ſaid, Thou haſt ſaid. And as a proof of that, that Faith delights to take Gods word by way of evidence, rather than any other, In Heb. 11.3. it's ſaid, By Faith we underſtand that the world was made of nothing. We know it by reaſon, that the world was made of nothing: But that doth not content a Beleever, But by Faith we know it: Becauſe we rather judg by the light that comes from God, than by the light that is in the things themſelves. I beſeech you my beloved mark it. In humane affairs and in things that belong unto men, It is as great a weakneſs as can be to depend upon others, to ſee with other mens eyes, and not with a mans own, To ſay as other men ſay, and to ſpeak after them. We count it no learning at all (neither is it) for a man to quote Authors, and to ſay ſuch a man is of this mind, and ſuch a man is of that mind. A man may be as ignorant as the Books themſelves are wherein theſe things are recorded, and yet may have this kind of knowledg. But though in humane affairs it be weakneſs and folly for a man to give up his judgment, and to captivate his underſtanding to what another ſaith, yet it is the excellency of Faith. And therefore it is ſaid in John 6.45. that they are learned men who do hear and learn of the Father; Every one that hears and learns of the Father comes unto me. He is a learned man (in the judgment of God) that goes by hear-ſay. That Faith is more to be eſteemed that is grounded upon the Scripture, than that Faith which is aſſiſted by diſcourſe and by reaſon. And the reaſon of it is this, becauſe that Faith is only dependant upon the teſtimony of God. Among Schollars and Miniſters you ſhall many times find a great deal more of knowledg than in others in the matter of divinity, but leſs Faith, Becauſe the Hearers go only by the Scripture, and the Teachers go by parts and Books: They go by the authority of God in the Scripture. Reaſon may be aſſiſtant unto Faith: But it deſtroys Faith as it is a principle, in 1 Cor. 2.16. We have the mind of Chriſt, ſaith the Apoſtle: We have the better of it, becauſe we have the mind of Chriſt: And if you have all the ſubtilty and curioſity, and heigth, and depth which naturall underſtanding can reach unto, to, yet know that we are contented with this, that we take things barely as they are reported unto us by Jeſus Chriſt.
Now this is that which Beleevers do cheerfully. He is willing to be a Fool, willing to have his underſtanding denied, that he may receive the teſtimony or report of God, either concerning his perſon, or concerning Gods good will concerning him, or his duty.
And ſo take the other part of Faith as it is in the will, A reſting and quieting of the Soul in Jeſus Chriſt. And ſo a Beleever is willing thereunto. It is a great matter to be ſo, as I have ſhewed heretofore: It is a mean thing in its ſelf for a man to live dependantly, & to have nothing but from hand to mouth. All a mans Glory, and confidence, and boaſting is excluded thereby. But though a man be nothing, and though a man be rendred vile and mean in the Eyes of God and all good men, yet Faith makes a man willing thereunto. A Soul that is converted had rather have its Good in Chriſts hands, than in its own; rather have its comforts in Chriſts giving and diſpoſing, than in its own; that he ſhould keep the Bottle, and give it as he thinks good: It would not be its own Carver, if it might. Obſerve it; So far as there is Faith unfeigned in a man, he had rather be at Gods carving, and Gods allowance for Grace, and comfort, and aſſiſtance, and ſupply, than at its own. Therefore ſee how cheerfully Paul ſpeaks concerning this caſe, in 2 Tim. 1.12. I know whom I have beleeved: As if he ſhould have ſaid, though that it be not in my own hand, yet it is in his hand that is able. Though I have not that which makes me to abound, and to be as if I were in Heaven, yet I know whom I have truſted, and that he will keep it for me.