Two Books, Treatise 1 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
How Faith Receives. 1. By an Act of the Ʋnderſtanding. 2. By an Act of the Will. Faith as it is an act of the Ʋnderſtanding doth ſeverall Works. Firſt, It doth the office of an Informer, and that in ſeverall particulars.
I now come particularly to open how Faith doth Receive. And for that,
Faith doth receive by the Act of the mind or the Underſtanding, or
By the Act of the Will.
Theſe Two faculties, the Underſtanding, and the Will, are like hands by which we receive Jeſus Chriſt and his fulneſs: Or they are like ſeverall Veſſels and Barns which are filled with his fulneſs. If you look into the Scripture, you ſhall find that, To Receive is aſcribed unto the underſtanding. I wil mention but one place of many. 1 Cor. 2.14. The naturall man cannot receive the things of God: He receivs them not, neither can he know them, becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned. When Chriſt had ſpoken in parables unto the people, he uſeth this language, in Matth. 19.12. He that can receive it, let him receive it.
And Receiving is not only a work of the mind and underſtanding, but a work alſo of the Will. In Rom. 14.1. Him that is weak in Faith Receive. Receive, what is that? He ſpeaks of ſuch a receiving as the Apoſtle in the Epiſtle to Philem. ver. 12. writes concerning Oneſimus, which was nothing elſe but a welcoming and kind entertaining of him with love. The Text that I have in hand (As many as received him) muſt be underſtood of both theſe.
You muſt underſtand this Receiving of an act of the mind. For in the verſe before the Text, he ſpeaks of light and inlightning, and bearing witneſs of the light. And therefore the receiving this light, is by having the eyes of their mind inlightned and opened. And on the contrary, thoſe that receive not Chriſt, are faid to be in darkneſs or without underſtanding. And in Heb. 11.3. By Faith we underſtand.
And this receiving alſo is an act of the Will. For it notes the taking of a thing as our own, and the near and intimate conjunction unto it. As a man you know that doth receive meat, or as one that receives an Eſtate or poſſeſſion, or (as I ſaid in the beginning) a Friend entertains a Friend. So we are ſaid here to entertain Chriſt. In John 10.38. We know and Beleeve. Believing being diſtinct from knowledge, muſt needs argue an act of the other faculty of the Soul (the Will) It is true, faith is but one habit, but yet there are divers acts of that habit which are coordinate one unto another. An Act in the underſtanding, as well as an Act in the Will. Faith is ſeated but in one faculty, but yet that one faculty hath a redundance into the other. If we ſhould ſay the Will is the ſubject of Faith, becauſe Faith is a Grace, and from it a man is denominated good, which a man is not from any habit of the underſtanding, yet ſtill we ſay faith hath a work upon the underſtanding. And if we ſay Faith is in the underſtanding, yet we ſay it hath a work upon the Will in making it to delight in that which the underſtanding preſents unto it. There is an acurateneſs in determining which faculty faith is in, but we need not ſtand upon that, becauſe there is ſomthing that this work of faith doth in both. And if we look into the Scripture, we ſhall find it ſpeaks as it is an act of the underſtanding. By his knowledge ſhall my righteous Servant juſtify many, Iſay 53.11. And they that are taught of God come unto him, John 6.45. and ſomtimes faith is deſcribed by a confidence and truſt of our ſelves upon God through Chriſt. But when faith is deſcribed by an act of the underſtanding, you are to ſuppoſe allwaies that there goes an act of the Will with it. And when Faith is deſcribed by an act of the Will, you muſt alwaies ſuppoſe that there goes an act of the underſtanding alſo. For they only that know the name of God truſt in him. Pſal. 9.10.Whether the Underſtanding or the Will be firſt wrought upon, I ſhal not ſpeak to now (ſomthing peradventure may fall in before I have done this point.) But I ſhall now fal upon the Underſtanding, becauſe men have ſuffered their light to be put out, and while they cry out againſt a bare notionall knowledg of the things of God, they have loſt the knowledg of it. Faith (I ſay) is an act of receiving. And by Faith as it is an underſtanding act. I ſhall open that in ſome particulars.
Firſt: Faith doth the office of an Informer, or it brings in news & tidings into the Soul of what good is to be had in Jeſus Chriſt. It is as it were an Invoice or bill of lading, or advice of what commodities & advantages Jeſus Chriſt is ful of. As Merchants you know have their Factors abroad to inform them what wares and commodities are to be had in ſeveral Countries, and what goes off and bears price. Or as there are particulars and ſurveys given of Land unto purchaſers, that they may know every thing they deal for. So Faith now (as it is in the underſtanding) it gives in a particular unto the Soul of what Chriſt is appointed to do, and hath received to give unto poor ſinners. And hence it is in the Scripture called a teaching, Joh. 6.44, 45. No man (ſaith the Text) can come unto me except the Father draws him, as it is written, They ſh…ll be all taught of God, Every one that hath heard and learned of the Father comes unto me. And in Eph. 1.18. It's called an opening of the Eyes to take in that which is to be received. For this cauſe (ſaith Paul) I bow my knees unto the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, that the eyes of your mind being enlightned, yee may know what is the hope of your calling, &c. And it is called a revealing, and making known of the Myſtery, Eph. 3.4, 5. Who hath beleeved our report, and to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed? As the Apoſtle quotes the words of Iſaiah in Rom. 10.17. and beloved the things which faith doth reveal, cannot be known otherwiſe 1 Cor. 2.7. Eye hath not ſeen nor Ear heard, nor is the heart of man able to conceive what God hath laid up for them that love him. But we have this mind of Chriſt whereby we know him: we have the knowledg of the deep things of God. It is hidden wiſdom, & not to be found out by man, in ver. 9. and 14. the Natural man cannot diſcern it. As weak eyes cannot look upon the light: Or as ſome ſmall prints cannot be read by ſome tender eyes. There is in all ordinary things which faith believes, and receives, ſome extraordinary things. As for example: By faith a man knows the world was made of nothing, Heb. 11.3. But his Faith reſts not there, but he looks upon all the promiſes of God as being made by God that hath ſuch power to perform them, and reſts upon them accordingly. He looks upon all as comming through the merits of Jeſus Chriſt, Eph. 3.19. He looks upon things as paſſing knowledg. I pray that Chriſt may dwell in your hearts by faith, that you may comprehend what paſſeth knowledg.
And as Faith will reveal and tell a man nothing that is ordinary, but wonders; ſo it informs a man certainly. It brings nothing that is liable to a falſhood, or a queſtion. It cannot but come to paſs which Faith reveals, becauſe Faith hath alwaies the Word and Truth of God for its Object. It will ſpeak nothing but what it hath from Gods own mouth; and the words of his mouth are as pure as Silver ſeven times tryed in the fire, in which there is no droſs at all. Unto this end, that Faith may make the ſoul to know what is to be had, and to be gotten by Jeſus Chriſt. It doth particularly ſet before us the benefits of Jeſus Chriſt, or the End of God the Father in giving Chriſt. He is Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs, Sanctification, and Redemption. It reveals them as thoſe things that are to be attained unto by us. And upon this is ſpeaks unto the Soul, as the Patriarch did unto his Son when there was a Famine in the Land, There is Corn in Egypt, why do you not go thither?
So Faith tells a man what he ſhould pray for, and look for; and it ſaith unto him, Thou art troubled becauſe thy heart is barren, but is there not fruitfulneſs in Jeſus Chriſt? And though thy Underſtanding be dim, and cannot ſee the bottom of things, yet is there not light ſhining in him? Whatever a Soul needs, there is a ſupply of in Jeſus Chriſt, and Faith informs a man of ſo much. It makes known both the power and love of God the Father in his perſon, and the holineſs of Chriſt, and his ſatisfaction and purchaſe, and the ſtate to which he is riſen. Theſe things are neceſſary to be known, and without them no man can receive any thing at the hand of Chriſt; he muſt know Jeſus Chriſt to be God, 1 John 5.20. This is the true God, and eternal Life. And until a man doth thus know him, he hath no underſtanding, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks there, We know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an underſtanding to know him that is true, and we are in him that is true; and this is the true God and eternal Life. Faith upon Chriſt is the greateſt Idolatry and Superſtition that can be, till the ſoul be cleer in this; and the greateſt folly for a man to commit himſelf to Chriſt, if he were not God. You muſt alſo know the Satisfaction of Chriſt: For this indeed is that which troubles the ſoul of a converted man, That there muſt be mends made, and reſtitution unto God for al that diſhonor which ſin hath done him, which he cannot do by all his duties and engagements, nor by reformation for the future.
And not only doth it inform a man of particulars, but of the readineſs and willingneſs that is in Jeſus Chriſt, and in the Father to part with all theſe things. A readineſs in Chriſt; that he is ſent of the Father, and made as a common Stock, out of whom he communicates, even as the Firſt Adam communicates his ſinfulneſs to his. Therefore the Scripture reveals him as a Stock and Head, as one that is intruſted in the behalf of ſinners, as one that hath received Commandment from the Father that he ſhould call them, and having called them, ſhould bear them in his Arms untill he brings them to Glory. And for the readineſs of God the Father, It reveals unto the Soul that he hath received a price, and therefore all that is to be given, is a debt: That this Price did but make way for the accompliſhment of Gods good Will from all Eternity; and as he could not til he was ſatisfied (becauſe of the honor of his Juſtice) give us; ſo he cannot being ſatisfied (becauſe it would be a diſhonor to Juſtice) but give us. I might be large, but the Sum of all is this: That there is a neceſſity of the knowledge of the Goſpel required of thoſe that do beleeve, or required unto the receiving of any thing from Chriſt. Information of the myſtery of the Goſpel is the way whereby we come to be made partakers of all the Grace of the Goſpel. As the heat comes in with the light into the Air, So doth alſo with the knowledg of Chriſt, the things of Chriſt. They that know thy name, they will truſ… in thee, Pſal. 9.10. I know whom I have truſted. How can ye beleeve except ye have heard? ſaith the Apoſtle in Rom. 10.14. While men are not in fear, nor ſenſible of their danger, So long (as Solomon ſaith) the fool beleeves every thing and will hope in any thing, and make any thing to be the foundation and ground of their truſt and confidence, Prov. 14.15. But when Conſcience comes to be troubled, and when a man comes to ſee what muſt be done to ſatisfie the wrath of God, then a man grows wary and is afraid of truſting to any thing that is not ſufficient, and able to bear him up in the day of tryall.
You ſhall find ſomtimes in the Scripture, Faith ſet out by Wiſdom, Eph. 1.8. He hath abounded towards us in all wiſdom and knowledg. So Chriſt is made unto us Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs, Sanctification and Redemption. Wiſdom, that is, he gives Faith▪ becauſe it follows afterwards, that he is made unto us righteouſneſs, 1 Cor. 1.30. Theſe words comprehend all we have in Chriſt, both in this world and in the World to come. There is righteouſneſs and ſanctification when we do beleeve in him: There is wiſdom that we may be partakers of that righteouſneſs and ſanctification: And Redemption or gathering together of the body again out of the duſt into which it moulders, that you may be for ever with the Lord. That Wiſdom there going before righteouſneſs, muſt needs be meant concerning Faith. Faith therfore doth make a man wiſe. And the reaſon why it is ſo called, is becauſe it makes the Soul to deal exceeding warily, and charily, and upon good grounds. Elſe a man would take the moſt ordinary Bayl (as I may cal it) the meaneſt grounds and reaſons for his hope that could be. As a wiſe man wil not adventure his Eſtate into the hands of any one whom he knows not wel but he wil have good grounds & know whom he truſts before he truſts, he wil have ſomthing to ſhew for that wch he truſts another. A wiſe man wil not take every ones word, but will enquire what the mans Eſtate and goodneſs is that promiſeth to pay him. So a man becomes wiſe; Faith makes a man exceeding chary and wary leaſt that he ſhould lay ſo great a building upon a foundation or principle that will not hold out in the day of the Lord. Al the time of a mans unregeneracy, a man adventures himſelf and puts all his hope upon ſuch things as in reaſon (indeed) will give him no kind of confidence. What argument is this, that becauſe Haman was called to the banquet of the King, therefore it was that he might have all the honor done to him, which might be done to a ſubject? What argument is this, that becauſe a man hath long life and an abundance of theſe outward things, that therfore God hath no ſcore againſt him, & that his ſins are pardoned & done away? Fooliſh & abſurd things do men lay as the bottome ſtone upon which they lay their hope during the time of their unregeneracy. But when faith is wrought, men wil know good reaſon before they do confide or truſt themſelves. They know God is good that hath promiſed, but they will have ſomething to intimate to them that the promiſe is to them, and that they have a ſhare in it: and therefore it comes to paſs that that which men count the miſery of Chriſtians, is their happineſs and commendation, viz. that they are ſo full of doubts, and impreſſions, and fears, leaſt this, and that, and a third ſhould not abide the touch in the day of the Lord. The more a mans faith doth thus inform him, the more opportunity he hath of receiving much, and of growing much into the fulneſs of Jeſus Chriſt. If ſo be I may borrow ſome meaner repreſentation of it, it is in this caſe as it is with Merchants that have quick advice from beyond Seas, they know what to buy, and what will put off, and what wil yield greateſt profit, and they gain much, and grow rich quickly: They get and vend the commodity to their great profit in a little while. So now doth a Chriſtian too. When his Faith and Conſcience is continually telling him that there is this to be had, and with this prayer, and with this Saint, and under this Ordinance you may be fitted with this and that and with a third Comfort or Grace according as your need requireth. A Chriſtian grows to a very great degree in a little time.