Two Books, Treatise 1 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
A ſixt work of Faith as it is an act of the Ʋnderſtanding, is a receiving of Jeſus Chriſt and his benefits. An Objection anſwered. Application.
SIxtly: That the very being wrought upon is a receiving of Jeſus Chriſt and his benefits. Or thus, the firſt impreſſion and infuſion of the light of Faith, before ever we have by the power of that faith made any of the aforenamed acts, is an inſtituting of us into all that we have, and all that Jeſus Chriſt hath. We are firſt made to beleeve and know: We have an eye of faith given to us, and then we ſee with that eye: Then faith becomes an Intelligencer, as you have heard, and a perſwader, and makes a man give his firm aſſent. This very power to beleeve, this making the Soul to take the teſtimony of God by Chriſt, that is that which gives us all. A man may be ſaid to receive when he is under this work, As the wax is ſaid to receive the impreſſion when the Seal is put upon it. Or as the ground receives the ſeed when it's caſt into it, As the Air is firſt inlightened, and then ſcatters light abroad.
Object. How can this be counted a receiving? The very giving a power cannot be a receiving.
Anſw. To that I Anſwer in a word or two. That this giving us power doth comprehend within it two things.
Firſt: Gods working.
Secondly: The Anſwer or Effect of that work. As a Workman that makes a piece of plate, or any other piece of mettal that is ductile, or that may be beaten forth: his hammering of it makes it of that faſhion or Image: So Gods working upon a man to receive, makes him to receive. And the truth of it is, my beloved. That this doth alter our ſtate. For though we are diſtinguiſhed from men unregenerate by beleeving, yet our beleeving is diſtinguiſhed by this working of the ſpirit. And though there be phraſes in the ſcripture which ſpeak of Chriſts dwelling in our hearts by faith, yet that whereby Chriſt comes to dwell and take poſſeſſion of us is his Spirit. We have more ſecurity of our perſeverance and continuance in the ſtate of Grace from this, that we are laid hold on by the Spirit, and wrought thereunto as ſaith the Apoſtle, and are apprehended, Then we have from this, that we do apprehend and lay hold upon Chriſt. Thy apprehenſion were nothing, were it not for this, that thou art made to do this by him that alters and changeth not. And I ſpeak this to this very end, That though this work be never without a work of ours following of it, yet notwithſtanding the frame and habit of the ſoul, the diſpolition & temper which we are caſt into by the Spirit through the word is unto a man a better ground, when he cannot act faith or when he doth act faith, it is a better ground than any thing elſe. It is a ground when he cannot and a better ground than any thing elſe: For Mark it. Thy acting doth but flow from this work, and cannot be made out to be good further than this is in thee. As we ſay in al other duties, The Lord looks to the heart; It is not the gifts, but the will with which we do any thing that God takes pleaſure in. So I ſay here, It's not any thing that I have mentioned concerning faith, But it is that ſpirit of faith (ſo the Apoſtle cals it alſo) that frame of faith, An heart caſt into that mould, which makes al your acts to be accepted. If upon any act of ours (though thoſe acts were inabled unto by Grace) our ſalvation did depend, it might be hazardous. But it cannot be hazarded, There is no poſſibility of falling away, becauſe the Holy Ghoſt, the Spirit of the Son, and of the Father doth work, and hath wrought us hereunto to beleeve upon him, and will maintain that work. As a child (if I may ſo expreſs it) becauſe born of ſuch Parents, hath a right unto the Eſtate, though it cannot plead, nor ſpeak to it ſelf. It is fleſh of his fleſh, and bone of his bone. So art thou one Spirit with Jeſus Chriſt, when thou art thus ſhaped, and made to give up thy ſelf, when thou haſt a tendency of ſpirit to God in all thy hopes, when they heart and all within thee is unto Jeſus Chriſt, and thou takeſt all from him, as he ſhall pleaſe to give it thee.
USE
If Faith as it is thus in the underſtanding, be a receiving, or there may be ſo much gotten from Jeſus Chriſt by the underſtanding and knowledg of him, then I beſeech you look unto the underſtanding. There is a double reaſon that lies in the Text, and in the Point that I have in hand. By it, you do receive as by a hand. And in it, is laid up, as in an houſe or barn or treaſure rich things from Jeſus Chriſt. It is his Cabinet, and your Honor, or it is your Treaſure-houſe. You have nothing to lay up the things of Jeſus Chriſt in, or you will not know where to lay them up, if you have not a mind to know him. Take heed to your underſtanding, take heed what you beleeve. Errors in the underſtanding hinder you from the getting of faith. We live in the laſt and worſt Age of the world, wherein men make no Covenant with their underſtanding. Job ſaid that he would do ſo with his eyes that he might not look upon a Maid: Yet that was lawfull: But there was a ſnare laid in it. Men keep not their thoughts from any thing that may be ſaid pro and con againſt the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt: So full of Adultery and unchaſtity are the minds of moſt that there is ſcarce any room for Jeſus Chriſt to lodg in. Let me but tel you thus much that ſo much as you are ſtuft with the things that are not according unto truth, ſo much you keep out the things of the Lord Jeſus. If you do not beleeve the truth, you may be damned. So the Text ſaith in the ſecond Epiſtle to the Theſſalonians 2.12. That they all might be damned, that beleeve not the truth. That word [All] is put in to ſhew both how great the puniſhment is of thoſe that do not beleeve: As a fire grows hot by having much timber: So the wrath of God is hot againſt ſuch kind of Men: It's an increaſe of coles upon them. God puts in [All] there, becauſe he would have men know how exceedingly he is provoked, and that he will do nothing for them. When Princes ſee whole Counties, and Cities in a mutiny, they take out one or two to puniſh, and not al. And to ſhew you that if God do not damn you for receiving the truth, yet you will be damnified for not receiving the truth. That is, you will be hindred. Take heed that you miſs not of receiving a full reward. Why what will hinder them? He reckons up the Errors of thoſe times (which are rank now as they were then) that men do not abide in the Doctrine of Jeſus Chriſt. In 2 Joh. 10. If any man come unto you and bring not this Doctrine, receive him not, Nor bid him God ſpeed, for this wil hinder your of receiving a full reward: And as the Apoſtle ſaith in the Corinthians, You ſhall be ſaved it may be, but as it were by fire, it will coſt you many an heart breaking, and many a frown from God, and many a ſob and ſigh, when God opens your eyes, that you ſhould be ſo careleſs of letting things into your underſtanding, which he hath made a place and treaſure for himſelf. Look you therefore unto your underſtandings. Me thinks this ſhould make a man very cautious, yea very obſtinate againſt Errors, when he once underſtands that he muſt ſuſtain ſo great a loſs, and be hindred from ſo great a gain by it. As a man ſomtimes ſaith unto his friends, If it were not for you, I might have gotten thus much and thus much. Let me tell thee, If thou didſt beleeve the truth (which thou canſt not do while thy underſtanding is darkened through Errors) thou mightſt have gotten this and that from Jeſus Chriſt: for by beleeving in thy underſtanding, there is a receiving of him.