The Power of Godliness, Treatise · Part 3 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The firſt thing that is neceſſary for a godly life, is faith.
THE firſt thing that is neceſſary to an holy life, is Faith; for without that, 'tis impoſſible to pleaſe God; 'tis the foundation of things hoped for, and the foundation of our love. I have many times ſeriouſly thought, what is the true reaſon why ſo few believe the Scripture, aſſuring my ſelf, that if they did firmly believe, it were impoſſible that their lives ſhould bee ſo contrary to it: For although, as I have ſaid, conviction does not neceſſarily work converſion, yet it would work reformation, or at leaſt, it would not ſuffer them to go on, with ſo little fear and dread upon their ſpirits, as they do. Now, though divers pretend, that it is, becauſe divers ſpeculative truths, that are ſet down in the Scripture, are ſo contrary to, or at leaſt above their reaſon, that they cannot aſſent to them; yet I am very confident, that it is the practical truths of the Scripture that they ſtop at, which they being loth to obey, they are fain to pretend, or by the juſt judgment of God, they are diſ-inabled to believe thoſe truths that are more ſpeculative; that this is the reaſon, ſeems to me evident, becauſe that they cannot but confeſs, if not all, moſt of the practicals of the Scripture, not to bee againſt, nor above reaſon; but ſuch as whoſoever ſhall obey, and live according to them, that their very enemies cannot but approve of their lives: And this was it that made the Chriſtians, both in reſpect of their charity, and love one among another, and to their enemies, to bee admired and commended, even by their perſecutors, amongſt whom they lived: The very Heathen could ſee a beauty in Holineſs; therefore, ſince the glorious light and luſtre of the holineſs of the commands of God in Scripture, is ſo clear, that men cannot but be convinc'd, and yet will not obey, no marvel that thoſe ſaving truths of the Goſpel, which cannot bee ſeen by the light of nature, I ſay, 'tis no marvel, that God does not give them of that light which is ſupernatural, ſince they reſiſt, and make no better uſe of their natural light, living quite contrary to thoſe things that teacheth them: And it is obſerved, that one reaſon, why God has not made all his truths ſo clear and demonſtrative, as mathematical natural truths are, is, that he would order matters, ſo that thoſe that were of corrupt mindes, might finde ſome pretences for not believing of them; for to ſuch people God may juſtly ſend ſtrong deluſions; and it may bee, it is much better, even for the people of God, that all wicked men are not fully convinced of divine truths, for that would make them much more outragious, and malicious; for thoſe whom the truths of God convince, but not convert, they do inrage, as they do Satan, who believes; and as it does thoſe who commit the ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt, who hating the truth, they know, are the greateſt and moſt malicious perſecutors; nay, and indeed 'tis a mercy in ſome kinde, even to the wicked alſo; for it is better that they ſhould not know the truths of God, ſince if they did know them, they would not obey them; therefore if thou wilt believe, obey, that is, if thou wilt believe the myſterious truths of the Goſpel, obey the holy commands of the Goſpel, do what thou knoweſt, and thou ſhalt know what as yet thou art ignorant of. I have alſo conſidered with my ſelf, what truth is the moſt difficult to believe, and to mee it ſeems, that to believe that God hath given his only beloved Son to die for ſinners, is that truth which we hardlieſt yeeld to. For firſt, our pride is utterly againſt it, for by nature we love to go to heaven by our own merits, and to bee juſtified wholly from another, and for our own works, not ſo much as to bee one ingredient in our juſtification, and our own free will to have no hand in our regeneration, and our own good works in our glorification, by way of merit, the pride of man will not ſtoop to.
And then ſecondly, it is utterly againſt humane reaſon, partly, becauſe wee think with our ſelves, that God might have forgiven us our ſins, without ſo much ado, as to have his own ſon ſuffer ſo much for us, but wee little conſider that wee many times do many things our ſelves with a great deal of trouble, out of love, which may bee done as well without us; ſo the mother nurſeth her own childe, and dreſſeth it, and doth many other things which ſhee might have done by others as effectually, though ſhee were only a Spectator. And further, wee muſt underſtand, that there are two ſpecial reaſons why God gave his Son, and Chriſt gave himſelf to die for us, chiefly to ſatisfie his juſtice, as alſo to ſatisfie us of his love, and it is not eaſie to ſay, which are hardeſt to bee ſatisfied; for 'tis true, that hee that injures, forgives not; wee therefore having ſo much offended God, can hardly forgive him, that is, believe that hee will forgive us; hee therefore to ſatisfie and cure our infidelity, gives us his only ſon to die for us, to give us an infallible teſtimony of his love, the ſufferings of Chriſt did ſatisfie the Juſtice of God, by way of merit, and our infidelity, by way of motive; the ſufferings of Chriſt did reconcile God to us, and the Spirit of Chriſt doth reconcile us to God: It was neceſſary, that hee that ſatisfied Gods Juſtice, ſhould bee God, and it is as neceſſary, that hee that ſatisfies us of Gods love, ſhould bee God alſo. Another thing that hinders our belief of this myſtery, is, becauſe the goodneſs and love of God is ſo exceeding great, that wee cannot believe it, for wee are ſubject to judge of God by our ſelves; and therefore, becauſe we ſhould never ſuffer our onelyonly beloved childe to die a miſerable shameful death, to ſave an enemy, therefore wee judge that God cannot do ſo neither: Hence it is, that the more patient, meek, long-ſuffering wee grow by the grace and Spirit of God, the more eaſily do wee believe his love to us; but if wee truly conſider that which makes this myſtery of love incredible, should make us believe it, viz. the greatneſs of it, for ſince God hath ſaid in his Word, that herein hee hath commended and glorified his goodneſs and love to us, John 3.16. therefore it is certain, that this act of love and goodneſs, muſt as far exceed the acts of our love and goodneſs, as the higheſt acts of his power and wiſdome, do exceed the acts of our power and wiſdome, and wee may come as neer to imitate God in Creation, as in this act of his love; therefore the Prophet Iſaiah ſaith, Iſaiah 55.8. and Pſa. 103.11. Therefore the very incredibility of this work makes it credible; for if God will magnifie his goodneſs, that work which hee does, &c. The truth of it is, 'tis as hard for us to believe and underſtand the higheſt acts of Gods goodneſs, and love, as of his power and wiſdome, for God is equally incomprehenſible in all his Attributes; and wee may as well finde out the depths, and heights, and extent of his power and wiſdome, as the heights, and depths, and extent of his love, Phil. 3.18, 19. And 'tis as great a ſin for us to ſay, this is too good for God to do, as to ſay, this is too hard for God to do. The Papiſts vainly bring this as an argument for Tranſubſtantiation, in ſaying, that the incredibility of the work makes it credible, unleſs God had ſaid, that hee did intend to magnifie his power, by turning the bread into Chriſts body; therefore we muſt mortifie firſt our pride, and ſubmit to the righteouſneſs of God, Rom. 10.3. The greateſt act of humility in the world is ſo to do, to bee willing to bee ſaved by God through Chriſt, and to take heaven as an almes, and not as wages.
2. Wee muſt mortifie humane reaſon, and bring in ſubjection thoſe ſyllogiſmes that exalts it ſelf above the knowledge of Chriſt, 2 Cor. 10.5.
3. Mortifie carnal experiences in thy ſelf, or others, do not ſay, becauſe greater love no man hath ſhewn then this, to lay down his life for his friend; that therefore Chriſt would not lay down his life for his enemies; do not ſay, becauſe it is the manner of men, whereſoever they finde their enemy to ſlay him, or at leaſt, not to pardon him, unleſſe hee ſubmits, that therefore God will not give his Son for his enemies, before they are reconciled, that they may bee reconciled: give God leave, if I may ſo ſay, to have more goodneſſe, patience, mercy, and loving kindneſſe, than thou haſt, and bleſſe him that hee hath more, as well as thou believeſt, hee hath more power, and wiſdome, and holineſs, than thou haſt.
4. You muſt mortifie the luſts of the fleſh, with the deſires thereof, for before wee are willing to part with our ſins, wee ſhall never bee either able, or willing, to accept of Chriſt, for our ſins do make us ſtrangers and enemies to God, Col. 1.21. and the reaſon why Chriſt is a ſtumbling ſtone, is, by reaſon of our diſobedience, 1 Pet. 2.8. This was Achitophels ſubtilty, in adviſing Abſalon to lie with his Fathers Concubines, for it heightned his enmity to David, becauſe it was ſuch an act, that hee could hardly believe David could forget, ſince hee ſeemed to bee ingaged, not only in point of honour, not to pardon it; therefore, that though it bee true, that through the Almighty power, wiſdome, and goodneſs of God, hee ſo orders it, that when ſin abounds, grace doth much more abound; and Harlots and Publicans are rather brought home than Phariſees, yet they were firſt wrought by the Spirit of God to leave their ſins, that is, to accept of Chriſt as a King, as well as a Saviour, before they were reconciled to God.
5. Wee muſt mortifie carnal confidence, as long as wee think that wee can do any thing to our own juſtification, wee ſhall never relie on Chriſt, to bee wholly juſtified by him, for wee do not uſe to truſt any other, for that which wee have in our own power: Hence it is, that it is eaſier for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man that truſts in his riches; for ſo the Evangeliſts, compared together, ſignifie two wayes, men think to bee juſtified, one is, by their not doings, and the other by their doings: I am no murtherer, nor adulterer, nor prophane perſon, ſaith the Phariſee; and they being innocent of theſe ſins, as they think, they hope to eſcape hell; then, I give tythes of all I poſſeſs, faſt twice a week, &c. and ſo they think by their good works to purchaſe heaven, and then, becauſe they cannot but bee ſenſible of many failings, both in reſpect of their omitting many good works which they ſhould do, and in committing many ſins which they are forbidden, ſo that their innocency is not pure, nor their holineſs perfect; therefore they think to make up that breach by their ſorrow for their ſins, and their ſhedding of tears, ſerves them inſtead of Chriſts ſhedding of his blood; therefore I ſhall ſpeak to theſe three things.
1. As for their pretended innocency, becauſe they have not committed ſuch and ſuch things, they are exceedingly miſtaken in that matter, for they are not innocent of theſe ſins which they do not commit, ſince the grounds and ends for which they did not commit them, were carnal; for did they abſtain from thoſe ſins out of love and obedience to God, they would abſtain as well from other ſins, as from them, as for neglect of, and formality in, the performances of holy duties, from ſecret ſins, and ſpiritual ſins, and their good works, it is moſt certain, that the iniquity of our holieſt performances is very great, and our beſt righteouſneſſe is not only ragged, but filthy too; in our writing after the copies of the Law, wee do not only do as one that writes with a pen, that writes ragged, or divers times caſts no ink, but with a pen that blots, for there are not only careleſnes, divers times, of our lives, wherein wee do nothing that is good, but ſcarce a word that wee write, but one letter or other is blotted; ſo not one action, though never ſo holy, but is blurred and defiled. And laſtly, as for our repentance and our ſorrow for ſin, if wee think thereby to bee juſtified, wee ſhall bee condemned, for it being ſo little, inſtead of appeaſing, provokes Gods wrath. For ſuppoſe a woman that had defiled her husbands bed, and contrived, and endeavoured to murther him, I ſay, ſuppoſe, when ſhee pretending that ſhee was ſorry for it, ſhould uſe no higher an expreſſion than this, that ſhee was as ſorry that shee had done ſo, that shee had rather have loſt a farthing, if shee had been to chufe, would ſuch an expreſſion appeaſe, or incenſe? So all the ſorrow that an unregenerate, nay, or a regenerate man hath for his ſins, doth not hold ſuch a proportion to that which hee should have, as the loſſe of a farthing doth to the murther of an husband.
The ſixth cauſe of infidelity, is a carnal knowledge of Gods Attributes, and then our apprehenſions of Gods Attributes were carnal, when our high thoughts of one of his Attributes, make us abate our eſteem of another; when you cannot think one Attribute to bee infinite, but another Attribute to bee finite, as I shall preſently show; and there are three Attributes, by carnal apprehenſions, hinder us from believing, viz. the Majeſty, Holineſſe, and Juſtice of God.
1. For the Majeſty of God, his goodneſs makes it more amiable, but doth not abate it; and his Majeſty makes his goodneſs more wonderful, but doth not diminiſh it: The Majeſty of God ſhould not dazle our eyes ſo, as not to behold his goodneſs: As a great Monarch, ſhould hee marry never ſo poor a beggar, his love that made him marry her, will keep him from contemning of her: So if Chriſt marries a poor ſoul, that love which made him marry her, will keep him from deſpiſing of her; and his Majeſty that could not keep him from loving her, it will never prevail againſt his love, to make him deſpiſe her, for his Majeſty doth not become greater, nor his love leſſe, Chriſt hath not leſſe love, nor a ſinner leſſe lovelineſs, after regeneration; nay, one reaſon why Chriſt rejoyceth in his own glory, is, in reference to his Church; a loving husband, rejoyceth in his own preferments upon this very account, that his Wife ſhall bee made partaker with him.
2. The Holineſs of God and Chriſt doth not hinder from loving and dying for ſuch miſerable ſinners: For as wee think it ſtrange, that God, who is ſo great, ſhould look after ſuch poor creatures as wee are; wee do not uſe to look after wormes, which way they craul, for fear any hurt ſhould come to them, much leſs after vipers, unleſs it bee to purſue them, and deſtroy them. But the Word of God is plain, that neither his Majeſty, nor holineſſe, hinders him from dwelling and remaining with a poor contrite ſpirit: For thus ſaith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth Eternity, whoſe name is holy, &c. Eſay 57.45. The holineſs of God is exceedingly magnified upon Chriſt, in ſeveral accounts, more than by the praiſes and holineſs of thoſe that are in heaven, for the holineſs of God is not ſo great in Angels, as it was in Chriſt; for one that is in the midſt of the greateſt tortures upon earth, and hath not one ſmile from heaven, and willingly to ſubmit, and to lie groaning and roaring, but not murmuring, argueth a great ſtrength of grace; but if thoſe in hell ſhould truſt in God, notwithſtanding hee chaſtiſeth them with Scorpions, this requires more ſtrength, more grace; but for Chriſt ſo fully to ſubmit, as hee did, in his agony, and to truſt in God, notwithſtanding he had forſaken him, as to ſay, Father, into thine hands I will commend my ſpirit; for ſo the original is, as if hee ſhould ſay, I dare, I will truſt thee, though thou wilt not own mee, as I have already hinted: And further, it argues more holineſs in converting Publicanes and ſinners, than the Phariſees in avoiding of them.
The Juſtice of God is more glorified to punish a thouſand ſubjects for breaking the Law, it may ſeem to be revenge, but nothing beſides the love of Juſtice appears in punishing his ſon for the ſame fault; ſo that the Juſtice of God appeares more in juſtifying ſinners through Chriſt, than in condemning of them, Rom. 3.25, 26. for Juſtice is always ſatisfying in hell, but shal never actually bee ſatisfied; thoſe in heaven do actively glorifie the Juſtice of God, and thoſe in hell paſſively, but Chriſt did both.