None but Christ, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. We muſt ſtudy to know Chriſt with Application.
ANd thus I have finiſhed the firſt particular mentioned, namely, how we ought to know Chriſt by ſpeculation, viz. to know him in his incarnation. 2. In his crucifixion. 3. In his ſatisfaction, which though it be the loweſt forme of knowledge, yet many remain ignorant of it, and without this knowledge we cannot attain to the higher forme of knowledge of application.
2. And ſo we proceed to the ſecond particular, we muſt ſtudy to know Chriſt with the knowledge of application; not only to know Chriſt as a Saviour, but that he is my Saviour, ſtood in my room, bare my ſins, & ſuffered the wrath of God for me, wherby God is as wel pleaſed with me, as if I had ſuffered for them in my own perſon in hell eternally. To be able to ſay with Job aIob. 19. 25.I know that my Redeemer liveth, and with Thomas bIoh. 20. 28.my Lord and my God; and with Paul cGal. 2. 20.he loved me and gave himſelfe for me; and with Simeon, mine eyes have ſeen thy ſalvation.dLuk. 2. 30.
Firſt, This is the ſweeteſt knowledge. The ſunne is ſweeteſt when it ſhines out, and not when hid in a cloud: ſo God is ſweeteſt when he lifts up his countenance upon us, and not when he hides his face from us; ePſ. 4. 7.Let him kiſſe me ſaith the ſpouſe, with the kiſſes of his mouth, fCant. 1. 2. Pſ. 63. 3.that is, let him ſhew me ſome love tokens, (As the Rabbins ſay Moſes died ad oſculum oris dei, with a kiſſe from the mouth of God) for his love is ſweeter then wine, and better then life; good or evill affects not till apprehended, Job lamented not at all his loſſes till a meſſenger related them to him. Nor did Jacob rejoyce that Joſeph was alive till he knew it. Who joyes in an inheritance befallen him till he know▪ it; Nor can we joy in Chriſt a Saviour till vve knovv him to be our Savionr. Indeed Paul knovves it already, yet he would fain know it better; for the ſtrongeſt faith is ſubject to ſhakings as the brighteſt ſtars to twinkling, as Noahs Ark to toſſing with the waves, or as a ſhip at anchor to ſhaking with the winds 2 Cor. 4. 8. 9. Perplexed ſaith Paul, but not in deſpair; perſecuted, but not forſaken, caſt down, but not deſtroyed. Thus we ſee the faith of thoſe that have drunk deepeſt of the cup of Gods love, is ſubject to fainting and winnowing, but it ſhal never fail, Luk. 22. 2.
Object. 1. If any ſhall object, a man may be ſaved by faith of adherence, though hee hath not faith of evidence, that is by reſting upon Chriſt for ſalvation, though he come not to know particularly that Chriſt is his, as appeares by theſe texts, *Iob. 13. 14. Pſ. 51. 11. 12.Though he kill me, yet will I truſt in him. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, and obeyeth the voyce of his ſervant, that walketh in darknes and hath no light? let him truſt in the name of the Lord Eſa. 50. 10.and ſtay upon his God, &c. Anſw. I anſwer firſt, i…s true, there may be faith in Chriſt, and by conſequence ſalvation obtained by thoſe that know not that Chriſt is theirs; Or a man may be ſaved by faith of Adherence without ſome kind of evidence. But there is a twofold evidence. 1. Of ſalvation, and that Chriſt is ours. 2. Of promiſes upon which our adhaerence is grounded.Ioh. 6. 40. Heb. 11. 13. Heb. 11. 13. Zach. 1…. 10. Voluntas eſtceca ſine ratione. Now a man can have no faith, no not of adhaerence without an evidence of promiſes upon which his adhaerence is built; for faith is an act of the underſtanding as well as of the will, for the will acts by the underſtanding, or elſe it were an irrationall act; But, Quiſquis credit rationabiliter credit, (as Biſhop Davenant) whoever beleeves muſt at leaſt have a reaſon of his faith, for he muſt be ready to give a reaſon of his faith, as Peter ſpeaks, 1 Pet. 3. 15.
And though the promiſes may be but darkly ſeen or apprehended in a weak beleever: yet ſo farre as faith acteth, ſo farre he ſeeth a promiſe to ground his faith upon; As all that were cured by the brazen Serpent, ſaw the Serpent more or leſſe, though more dimly. Perhaps ſometime a weak beleever can ſee no promiſe, yet he hath a promiſe, and at that time he may not be able to act his faith, though he hath faith. If we beleeve not, yet he abideth faithfull, 2 Tim. 2 13.
But ſecondly, though a man may be ſaved by faith of adherence without evidence of the ſpirit (or comfort) as before is ſaid, yet no man can live or die comfortably till hee know Chriſt is his in particular: As a condemned man that hath his pardon granted, ſhall not die, yet he hath little joy in his life till he know of it: So ſuch a man may goe to heaven, but he will goe mourning to heaven; As Chriſt went to heaven being taken up in a C…oud; Or as the kine that carried the Arke went right, but they lowed as they went.
Obj. 2 No man can know Chriſt to be his in particular; for then he muſt know it either by the word or by the ſpirit inwardly perſwading his heart of it. Not by the word which ſpeaks onelyonly in generall (ordinarily) as Whoſoever believeth, &c. As many as recieved him, &c. But mertions not in particular that we have received him, that we beleeve, or are beloved,Dan. 9. 23. &c. (except to a few ſparingly, Luke 1. 28.as to Daniel, O Daniel greatly beloved, and Mary, Haile Mary greatly beloved, highly favoured) &c.
Now our hearts make the application thus. But I beleeve in him, I have received him. Ergo. But our hearts are deceitfull above all things, and therefore are not to be truſted unto, Yea there is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes, whoſe hearts are not waſht from their filthineſſe sProv. 30. Gal. 6. 3. Rev. 3. 17.and many think themſelves ſomething when they are nothing, being deceived in their own imagination: And if you ſay the Spirit of God perſwades my conſcience, how do you know it is the Spirit of God and not a deluſion?
I anſw. That we may know particularlyGal. 6. 4. Chriſt is ours, is without all queſtion; elſe why are we commanded to prove ou ſelves whether we be in the faith? to make our calling and election ſure? The Papiſts themſelves ſay all Gods lawes are poſſible, even legal, much more Evangelicall; and therefore it is poſſible to make our calling and election ſure.
2. Why hath God left ſigns to prove our faith, tMatt. 5. 4. 5. 6. 1 Iohn 3. 14.which were in vain if it were impoſſible?
3. How could we elſe call God father if we could not know him to be our Father? 2. Rejoyce our names are written in heaven? 3. Be thankfull that we are made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light? uCol. 1. 124, Deſire the comming of Chriſt? 5. Or triumph over death w1 Cor. 15, 55.if we could not know Chriſt to be ours?
4. This Paul, John, Thomas; knew yea the whole Church of Corinth, 2 Cor. 5. 1.
5. It is cleer by theſe Scriptures, 1 Joh. 5. 13. 1 Joh. 4. 13. 1 Cor. 2. 12. Heb. 10. 34.
Caution. Not that any know it perfectly without ſome reluctancy of the fleſh, becauſe we know but in part, our aſſurance proceeds from knowledg xGal. 5. 17. 1 Cor. 13. Col. 2. 2.and the moſt perfect faith is mixt with ſome diffidence yHeb. 3. 12.: Yet the leaſt meaſure of faith hath this Knowledge in ſome degree, for the weakeſt faith muſt apprehend ſome promiſe it reſts upon, or elſe we believe preſumptuouſly as we heard before.
And ſecondly, though the word doth not witneſſe in particular, and a naturall conſcience is blind and deceitfull aIcr. 17. 9. Tit. 1. 15.yet a conſcience inlightned by the ſpirit cannot be deceived in any thing neceſſary to ſalvation; becauſe the ſpirit hath promiſed to lead us into all ſaving truth; bIoh. 16. 13. 1 Ioh. 3. 20.and the ſpirit bears a double witneſſe. 1. That Chriſt is ours. 2. That it is the ſpirit of God that witneſſeth and not a deluſion cRom. 8. 16. 1 Ioh. 5. 10.Indeed he that dreameth thinks he is awake, and mad men think they are ſober, but thoſe that are ſober, and are awake know they are ſober and are awake; We have received ſaith Paul, The ſpirit of God that we might know the things that are given us of God. 1 Cor. 2. 12.