Two Books, Treatise 1 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
A fifth work of Faith, as it is an Act of the Ʋnderſtanding is to aſſure and certifie a man of the things already received.
Fifthly: Faith helps a man to receive of Jeſus Chriſt by making known to him the things freely given of God, by making known and aſſuring and certifying him of the thing freely beſtowed, 1 Cor. 2. As Faith tels a man what Chriſt hath, and what Chriſt will do, So it informes a man what he hath received from Chriſt, though that we come to know our particular ſtate by experience. We ſay, we do beleeve, becauſe we find a deniall of our ſelves, and a loathing of our righteouſneſs, and a prizing of Jeſus Chriſt, yet becauſe this that we find in our ſelves doth ariſe from comparing of our ſelves with the word of God therefore it is aſcribed unto Faith. My meaning is this. It is as well an act of divine faith for a man to conclude that he ſhall be ſaved, as it is an act of divine faith for to aſſert that he that beleeves ſhal be ſaved. This, That I ſhal be ſaved, Matth. 16.16.ariſeth as wel from that word which opens the nature of faith, which I find to be in my heart, As this doth ariſe from the word, that there is none that beleeves ſhal periſh, but have everlaſting life. 1 Cor. 2.12. The Spirit of God is given us, that we may know the things freely given us. And this Spirit of God is the ſpirit of faith, as the Apoſtle cals it in another place. The ſum of the point is this. That the ſpirit of God doth by this Grace, or this act of the underſtanding make a man to ſee that he hath already in poſſeſſion, that a great deal is paid down, that he hath received before hand. There is a pledg in his boſom: The Staff and the Jewels are left with him which Jeſus Chriſt will own. It tels him thus much when he ſtands ſaying in himſelf, Alas ſaith he, Why ſhould I go? Or why ſhould I, if I do go to Chriſt think I ſhould receive much from him? It tels him, you have received ſomthing, and he will give more: that which you have is but as the morning Star, which ariſeth before Sun ſhines: You ſhall be ſure you ſhall have theſe things, becauſe when you knew not, he put ſuch and ſuch things under your pillow, when you thought not, and ſought not, yet theſe things are done. Making known to a man that he hath received, doth ſtrengthen him to receive more. For what he hath received is given as a pawn and pledg by God on his part, and it's a Motive and ingagement on our part to go unto him for more. As God will not leave his work imperfect, ſo we are bound to ſeek the perfection of it. There is a marvellous boldneſs and freeneſs, Nay, (that I may uſe the word of the Scripture) the Mouth is opened exceeding wide upon this, in asking things at the hand of God. It will go unto him and ſay, Lord thou haſt given me a penny, therefore give me a pound: Thou haſt given me a little, and therefore give me much: And this is ſtrong perſwaſion with God, for he cannot deny himſelf. He will never begin, but make an end. As a man that hath received ſomthing in part of payment, doth not only live upon what he received, but he pleads his receits in Law: And he is inabled to follow the law by what he hath received: He urgeth the debt the ſtronger upon the Debtor by ſhewing him what he hath received. Thus when the Soul knows what it hath received by Faith, it goes and ſaith unto God after this manner; Didſt thou not do this for me? Didſt thou not when thou didſt for me at my firſt converſion tell me that theſe were but ſome of the Grapes of the vintage that I ſhould have? That they were but only to ſatisfie my longing, and were not all my portion? Haſt thou not by theſe things allured me to follow thee? Thou requireſt of me not to leave the things I have put my hand unto: The Lord will not do ſo much more; What is this little to thy fulneſs? What is my little but only a pawn of more? There is a great ſtraitneſs in the Soul till it comes to have this act of faith. The Soul doth take ſparingly, like one that ſteals, rather than one that doth receive his own, untill it comes to have this act of Faith. There is a kind of modeſty and ſparingneſs, It thinks it much to have a little. Although that aſſurance keeps the Soul modeſt and humble, becauſe God gives it all in the name of Chriſt, It's not for us but for his ſake that any thing is given us: Yet aſſurance knows no bounds, and acknowledgeth no limits in receiving, but binds a man to take as much as he can, or as his preſent ſtate doth require. The leaſt degree of Faith doth give a man a capacity to receive ſomewhat from Chriſt, and this degree of faith doth give a man a capacity to receive it as his own.
I beſeech you (by the way) think of this you that nouriſh your doubts, and that make much of your fears, that raiſe up this ſpirit continually in your hearts; You know not what you ſhould get if you were quiet, and what you looſe by your doubts. The aſſurance of your heart by faith is the inlarging of your heart to receive, and it is the key to Gods treaſure, where al his good things lie. Conſider therefore and try whether you have faith, and if there be in your underſtanding an indeavor to know more of the Myſteries of Chriſt, If you are going every day into a fuller and larger knowledg of the things he hath done for you, you are every day looking into the Ark, into the richeſt promiſes that you may ſee their extent. You have your Conſcience continually telling you that theſe and theſe things are to be had in Jeſus Chriſt, and you ſit mourning for want of them, and therefore go and receive them: Do you find a Jealouſie leaſt you build upon the ſand? When you ſee a ſign the ſtraighter it is, the better it is, the more narrow it is, the ſweeter it is, and you put your ſelves upon the triall becauſe you would not be deceived in your ſelves: Therefore becauſe your underſtanding is ſo praying, and craving, and prying into the deep things of God, you may know your underſtanding is true, or your faith is true.
There is one thing more which indeed ſhould have been the firſt in regard of order of nature, but I place it here, becauſe it is laſt known. And that is this.