Two Books, Treatise 1 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Uſe 4. Then Beleevers ought to behave themſelves as Receivers: And that in theſe Particulars: 1. In waiting continually upon Means and Ordinances. 2. In being humble whatever they do receive. 3. In being communicative. Uſe 5. Conſolation to all that have Faith.
USE IV.
IF Faith be a Receiving, Then Beleevers ought to carry themſelves as Receivers.
I ſhall Inſtance in Three Particulars.
Firſt: Wait continually upon the Means and Ordinances. Jeſus Chriſt is to be found among the Doctors (that I may allude unto that ſtory of him.) The Ordinances may be called the highway wherin Jeſus Chriſt comes, that ſo he may cure the blind and the lame. If you look into Eph. 4.8.11. you ſhall find the Apoſtle ſaith, That the gifts which Jeſus Chriſt hath received for men, he gives to them by Paſtors and Teachers, and the work of the Miniſtry. And if you compare the 20. verſe with the verſes that follow after, the Apoſtle cleerly ſaith, that that man doth not walk like a Saint, nor worthy of his calling who doth not attend unto the Ordinances. He doth not carry himſelf like himſelf. Eph. 4.1. I beſeech you walk worthy of your calling wherewith ye are called, and then he comes and tels them that God hath appointed the Miniſters to bring them together, And when they are together to fil them with gifts according to that meaſure that Jeſus Chriſt hath received of his Father for them. As faith doth at firſt come by hearing ſo it is nouriſhed by hearing and other Ordinances, A Beleever is not one that lives immediatly upon God, but upon God by means: Rom. 10.17.For to live upon God immediately is the life of ſight and not of faith. It's as directly oppoſite unto a life of faith, to neglect Ordinances, as faith and ſight are oppoſite. And therefore you ſhal find that by the word and ordinances faith is wrought in men in the daies of the new Teſtament, though the ſpirit be given abundantly. The Goſpel is the power of God unto ſalvation, as it is preached, Rom. 1.16. It is the immortall ſeed whereby men are regenerated and begotten again as the Apoſtle Peter ſpeaks 1 Pet. 1.23. As in the times of the old Teſtament the word and the ſpirit went together, And ſo it doth ſtill, And that Covenant is eſtabliſhed for ever. How can they beleeve ſaith the Apoſtle therefore in Rom. 10.14. except they have heard? and how can they hear whithout a preacher? There are none more greedy of Ordinances than thoſe that have had their Faith by them, or that have received (which is the phraſe here in the Text) the fulneſs of Jeſus Chriſt by them. As ſoon as ever men have been converted, though their faith have been exceeding weak, yet then they have put themſelves upon the uſe of the Ordinances, as I might ſhew you out of John 4. and Acts 2 and divers other places. In Rom. 11. when the Apoſtle would ſet down the rejection of the Jews, and that they ſhould receive no more, he ſets them down as being barred and ſhut out from the uſe of the Ordinances which God gave to his people. If Faith be a Receiving then he continually attending upon the Means and Ordinances, becauſe by them Jeſus Chriſt doth convey his fulneſs.
Secondly: Whatever you do receive, be humble in 1 Cor. 4.7. What haſt thou which thou haſt not received? and if thou haſt received it, why doſt thou boaſt? If what thou haſt attained unto were either of thy ſelf, or given thee for what thou haſt done, thou mightſt then glory as having made a difference between thy ſelf and others. But when all hath been upon receipts thou muſt be humble. Shall one letter bag be counted better than another, becauſe its filled with Gold? Or one earthen veſſell more precious than another, becauſe precious liquor is put into it. Pride ſaith, as Nebuchadnezzar, This is Babell that I have built: but Faith ſaith quite contrary; This thou haſt received, and if thou haſt received it, then be not proud.
Thirdly: If thou wouldſt carry thy ſelf as one that it is a receiver, then be communicative. In Mtah. 10.8. Freely ye have received, therefore freely give. Such ought to be our communication unto men, as they are unto us from God. Let the Saints have the uſe of all, and be forward to uſe whatever they have gotten for their good, for to this end you have received it. He that had a Talent, you know received it, not to lay up, but to lay out. Jeſus Chriſt himſelf hath his gifts to diſtribute.
And if any man ſhould ſay, they are ſo and ſo and ſo with whom I do converſe.
The Text tels you that he hath received gifts for the rebellious, and to lead captivity captive, Pſal. 68.18. He overcomes the oppoſition in men by the gifts which he gives and beſtows upon men. Why ſhould Chriſtians be ſo reſerved, and keep their oyl to themſelves? why ſhould they be ſo backward to comfort and direct others, with the ſame comforts and directions which they have received? For if God hath put theſe things into you, its but that you may put them into others. Why hath he communicated unto you a ſpirituall gift, but that others may be edified by you? Even as what one member of the body hath, is for the good of the whol and the more you uſe what you have, the more you ſhall receive. There is not only an eaſineſs of exerciſe of Grace to be gotten hereby, but an abundance of Grace. God lets rain fall upon the Mountains, that it may run down upon the Valleys. The more thou art willing, and uſefull, and communicating, the more uſe thou haſt of thy grace, the more grace thou ſhalt have from God. As the things of this life are given unto men, not for themſelves, but that they may do publique ſervice, ſo ſpecially is Grace given. Thou haſt more faith than another, It is to this end, that thou maieſt incourage another. Thou canſt take freely of Grace, It is to this end, that thou maieſt incourage another to do as thou doſt.
USE V.
But in the laſt place. If Faith be a receiving, then there is ſtrong Conſolation to all them that have this Faith. Conſolation in this, That thou haſt a right to all, all things are for you, and you have a power or an hand given you to take all. You are made the great receivers of the eſtate and riches of Jeſus Chriſt. And you are not only receivers in truſt, but what you do receive, you have a right unto. And let this comfort you againſt the weakneſs and inability that you find to do any ſervice for God. You can do nothing, but know, that the great and main work is not doing, but receiving. Heb. 6.7. As the ground doth drink in the rain, and receive the ſeed before it can bring forth fruit for him by whom it is dreſt. So muſt you firſt get from Jeſus Chriſt, before you can bear fruit unto him.
And it is a Comfort to you in this, that though you do loſe much, and ſuffer much loſs in ſomthing for the ſake of Jeſus Chriſt, you ſhall have it again, whatever thou parteſt with, that the Grace of Faith may rule in thee. I ſay whatever thou parteſt withall; thou haſt by the Grace of Faith ſomthing whereby thou maieſt receive that in a better kind and much more. As men pay money in one Country, and take a bill to receive it in another with increaſe, ſo now when thou parteſt with thy confidence, and with thy underſtanding that thou mai'ſt receive from Jeſus Chriſt, thou doſt it but that thou maiſt receive ten times more at the hand of Jeſus Chriſt, than what thou partedſt with, and every way as good for thee.
And ſo I have now done with the generall poins, that Faith is a receiving.