should liue by faith Because this last point is of great moment I will spend some time in the explaning of it That a man then may liue by his faith two things are required the first that faith be rightly conceiued grounded in the heart the second that after it is once conceiued it Raigne and rule in the heart That faith may rightly be conceiued two things are required The first is the knowledge of the word of God for faith stands in relation to the word the word alone is the foūdation of our faith Hereupon the word is called the foundation of the Prophets Apostles By light of naturall reason we vnderstand that the world had a beginning and was made of God Yet cānot reason breed in vs a certen perswasion of this point but onely the testimonie of the word of God and therefore it is saide By faith we vnderstand that the world was ordained by God And this made Dauid say In God I wil praise his word Furthermore in the Word three things are to be knowne precepts or commaundements because they teach obediēce threatnings because they restraine disobedience promises because they serue to confirme vs in our obedience Againe promises are either principall or lesse-principall The maine or principal promise is that in which God offereth and reuealeth righteousnesse and life euerlasting by Christ. Within this promise is contained the graunt of remission of our sinnes of necessarie patience of the assistāce of the spirit of God and of all gifts that are inseparably ioyned with faith Promises lesse-principall are concerning deliuerances in temptations safetie in daungers health wealth libertie peace c. And these must all be vnderstoode with an exception of the crosse and correction and they shal so farre forth be accomplished as they serue for Gods glorie and the good of them that beleeue Now all these heads points of the word of God must be knowne and that in some particular sort that a man may liue by his faith The second thing required for the right conceiuing of faith is after the word of God is once known To trust God vpon his word yea to depend vpon it to build vpon it This is the first principall worke of true faith it is called by Paul the obedience of faith and it is made the end and scope of the preaching of the Gospell and not without cause For this is the first and principal honour of god to beleeue him vpon his bare worde and thereby to make a cōfession of the truth of God This the deuill knew right well and therefore the first thing that he sought to ouerthrow in Adam was his faith in the word of God and the scope of the first temptation wherby he assaulted our Sauiour Christ was to ouerthrow that faith confidēce he had in his father saying if thou be the sonne of God commaund that these stones be made bread but this thou canst not doe therefore thou art not the sonne of God That this obedience which we giue to God by trusting his very word may be right obedience it must haue sixe conditions First of al it must be absolute for we must as it were shut vp our owne eyes and simply without any more ado trust god vpō his bare naked word and suffer our selues to be ledde by it In naturall things experience is first and then faith comes afterward And Thomas following nature desired first to feele before he would beleeue But God must be trusted though that which he saith be against reason and experience Thus Abraham beleeued God against all humane hope The secōd cōdition is that this obediēce must be sincere For we must trust Gods word for it selfe because it is Gods word all by-respects set apart They which are as the stony groūd receiue Gods word and reioyce in it and yet afterward in time of temptation goe awrie The reason is because they receiue the word reioyce in it not properly for it self but in respect of honour profite or pleasure which they looke to reape thereby Iohn the Baptist was a burning candle and the Iewes reioyced in his light onely in respect of the noualtie of it and therefore the holy ghost saith they reioyced in it but for a season The third condition is that we must trust God not in a part but in his whole word and therefore many faile in their faith that are cōtent to trust him in his promises of mercie saluation but list not to beleeue him in his commaundements and threats The fourth condition is that we must trust God in his word with al our hearts that it may take deepe roote and be an ingrafted word It is not sufficient for vs to haue a taste of the good word of God and to receiue it with ioy vnles we thoroughly and soundly build and relie our selues vpon it The fifth condition is that this trusting of God must be with an honest heart that is with an heart in which there is a distinct and setled purpose not to sinne but in all things to doe the will of God The good hearers are they which receiue the word with an honest and good heart Without this can no man possibly liue by faith He that puts away his good conscience makes shipwrack of his faith It is godlinesse alone that hath the promises of this life and the life to come And none can liue the life of faith but he that is a iust man After that men haue made some good proceedings and doe know the word receiue it reioyce in it bring forth some fruit if the heart for all this be euill it will cause them at length to depart frō God by distrusting or by denying credence to his word The sixth condition is that the obedience of faith must be stable and constant The Lord saith my soule hath no pleasure in them that withdraw themselues that is which for a time beleeue God and afterward pull backe their foot and goe backe from their faith Seeing this is the right way to cōceiue faith to know the word of god and to trust him vpon the same word all such as would liue by faith must haue their harts kindled with a desire to doe the things before named specially to giue credence to euery word of God We may not forsake God for any creature now we forsake him when we distrust him in his word Againe not to beleeue God is very Atheisme For by this meanes God is made a lyar and his glorie and maiestie is abolished It is the greatest part of our glorie to beleeue God as Christ saith He that receiues his testimonie puts to his seale that God is true that is giues vnto God as it were a testimonial of his truth and thereto puts his hand and seale And what greater honour can there be then this that the creature should giue testimonie to
the creator Thus much of the conceiuing of faith now followes the Raigne of faith The raigne of faith is when it beares rule sway in heart and life For where faith is there neither thought will affection nor lust raigns but faith alone It raignes by two actions First of all it mooues makes vs to attend on the calling of God yeeld subiection to him in all his commandements Paul saith that faith establisheth the law and one reasō is because it makes vs doe that which the lawe prescribes Again Paul saith that his weapons are spirituall and mightie bringing euery thought in subiection to God Now these mightie weapons are the word of god preached and beleeued He that is borne of God can not sinne because the seede of God remaines in him that is the word mingled with faith Noah his faith made him build an Arke at Gods commaundement after it was made to enter into it and not to dare to come out of it till he had warrant from God Abrahams faith made him forsake his cuntrey and kindred at Gods commaundement and goe he knew not whether And that good obedience may be performed to euery commandement of God faith works two things in vs memorie attention Memorie whereby Gods word is laid vp in the heart that it may be drawne out to vse when occasion shall be offered Attention is when faith makes vs seriously to consider and to beleeue that the commandement of God is a cōmandement not for forme but in truth and that it doth indeede pertaine to vs. An example of both these actions of faith we haue in Ioseph who whē he was tempted to folly of Potiphars wife answered Shal I doe this wickednes AND SINNE AGAINST GOD. Marke here how his mind was filled and possessed with a thought and consideration of Gods commandement The second action of faith wherby it raignes in the heart is to establish and confirme them that beleeue in their obedience and subiection to God And this it doth by presenting Gods promises to the minde For by meanes of them it worketh foure actions in the heart First of all it makes vs flie vnto the true God alone whose the promises are Secondly it makes vs to beleeue that God both can and will helpe vs according to our neede Thirdly it makes vs to hope for his helpe that is for good successe in prosperitie and deliuerance or some mitigation of our euills in aduersitie according to the tenour of his promises Lastly though tēporall blessings faile it makes vs still to rest on God for mercie and for life euerlasting And thus at all times it makes God to be our Refuge our castle our rocke and tower of defence Thus we see generally how faith raignes To proceede further the iust man liues a double life namely a spirituall life and a temporall and both of them are led by faith as I wil plainly manifest Spirituall life which is the beginning of eternall life stands specially in foure things Reconciliation with God peace of conscience ioy of the holy Ghost and newnes of life Touching reconciliation with God in Christ it is reuealed offered and giuen vnto vs in the maine promises of the Gospel and in the Sacraments and it is no way in this world made ours and holden of vs but by our faith And in the case of our reconciliation with God faith hath two actions one to receiue it the other to assure vs of it Touching the first faith apprehends and receiues reconciliation on this manner First of all the spirit of God works in men a gēnerall faith of the law and the threatnings thereof and it is called the spirit of bondage to feare Because it causeth in vs a sight of our sinnes an apprehension of Gods anger feare of due and deserued condemnation despaire of our selues in respect of our selues This beeing done the same spirit worketh in vs an other faith called sauing or iustifying faith and it apprehendeth or receiueth Christ with his benefites by certaine steppes and degrees and they are specially three For first of all vpon a thorough touch and liuely sense of our miserie there ariseth in the minde an earnest and serious meditatiō of the promise of mercie and the benefites therein offered and it is called the opening or pearcing of the eare Then in the second place there followes a purpose will desire and indeauour to beleeue vpon consideration of the commaundement of God that biddes vs to beleeue and apply the promise to our selues And further this will and desire shewes it selfe by instant and serious inuocation which is nothing else but a flying from the condemning sentence of the lawe to the throne of grace for mercie Thirdly after this there followes in processe of time a setling and quieting of the minde touching Christ and his benefits vpon some assurance thereof wrought and conceiued in the minde by the spirit of God And this third degree is called a stablished thought On this manner come we by degrees to receiue Christ for our full reconciliation with God For when vpon the commandement to beleeue we doe in any measure beleeue Christ to be our Christ he is our Christ indeede according to the tenour of the Euangelicall couenant Thus faith apprehending Christ for our reconciliation with God becomes a victorious conquerour preuailes against the Law Satan hell death condemnation and all our spirituall enemies and thus euery beleeuer is aboue the Law sinne hell death euen in this life The second action of faith in the case of our reconciliation with God is to certifie and assure vs in conscience thereof and that is done by a practicall syllogisme which faith frames in the minde on this manner He that beleeues the gospel shall haue all the benefits and blessing of God promised therein But I beleeue the Gospell and I beleeue in Christ Therefore the benefits promised therein are mine The major or first part of this reason is the voice of the Gospel the minor or the second part is the voice of the beleeuing heart which subiecteth it selfe in wil and affection to the commandement which biddes vs beleeue in Christ and this is the acte of speciall faith And we may not thinke that this voice of the beleeuing heart is a false alarum For he that truly beleeues hath his minde and conscience supernaturally inlightened to discerne that he beleeues The third part or the conclusion is the foundation of all our ioy and spirituall comfort For it containes in it the chiefest certentie of our adoption and saluation that can be had in this life namely the certentie of faith whence followes in a lower degree in the second place the certentie that is by workes And thus doth faith certifie all such as truely beleeue that they are the children of God Out of the former conclusion or out of the certentie which is by faith followes a full and liuely certentie
which the law requires The perfect obedience of the law is impossible to all men except Christ yea to such as are borne anewe of the Holy Ghost though for the time of this life they desire it neuer so earnestly Yet faith in Christ and repentance is so farre forth possible to all that will and desire it that whosoeuer doth seriously but wil to and be conuerted doth indeede beleeue and is conuerted and doth please God and shall not perish eternally although the beginning of this faith and conuersion be weake so it be in truth and not counterfeit Isa. 1.19 If ye will and obey ye shall eate the good things of the land Luke 11.13 Your heauenly father giueth the holy Ghost to them that desire him Math. 11. My yoke is easie and my burden light Therefore let vs trie our selues whether we haue a will to subiect our selues to the word of God that biddes vs beleeue in Christ. Neuerthelesse we may not thinke that this will to beleeue is in our power For it is by the speciall mercie of God stirred vp in the hearts of the Elect by the operation of the Holy Ghost The fourth and last thing in this change is that faith in Christ or in the word beleeued must raigne and rule in the heart bringing the whole man in subiection to the whole word of god And this faith in Christ doth because when it is once setled in the heart it workes in vs a ful and setled faith of euery part of the word of God namely of his precepts and of his threats Here then our dutie is to subiect our selues by meanes of our faith to the whole word and to suffer nothing within vs but it alone to beare sway This is the will of God let the word of God dwell in you plentifully The good groūd yelds it selfe giues place that the seed may take deepe roote It is a blessed thing to haue the kingdome of God erected in our hearts now this kingdome is erected when the word of God keepes all the powers of bodie and soule in subiection And when our faith in Christ brings our thoughts affections words deedes sufferings in subiection to the word of God then we liue by faith The third vse followeth in that we are to liue by our faith we are taught to seeke for knowledge of the wil and word of God daily to increase in the same knowledg specially to acquaint our selues with the commaundements of God that concerne vs with his promises and threatnings For faith is the life of our soules the word is the life of faith because it is first kindled and afterward confirmed by the hearing of Gods word Again the word moderates our faith that we beleeue not more then we should or come short in beleeuing The word therefore that serues thus to limit our faith must be knowne in his seuerall heads and points Fourthly hence we learne how we are to cary our selues in greatest dangers as in the time of plague pestilence in the time of famine in the time of warre bloodshed in the time of our last and deadly sicknes We haue then neede of great helpe and the onely way is then to stay our selues and establish our hearts by our faith on Gods promises It is the very scope of this text to teach this one point of doctrine to the Iewes beeing now oppressed by the Babylonians Dauid in danger and Christ in the time of his passion by their faith commende their spirites into the handes of God Of the martyrs and Saints of God some were by their faith imprisoned some racked some stoned Faith in perilous times is of great vse First when a man is halfe dead it quickens and puts life in him as Dauid saith Remember the promise made to thy seruant wherein thou hast caused me to trust it is my comfort in my trouble for thy promise hath quickned me Vnderstand here the promise as it was tempered and mingled with his faith Againe faith in the times of daunger doth as it were sense and compasse vs with the promises of God This may be gathered by the opposition that is betweene these wordes and the former The vniust man puffs vp himselfe saith the Prophet or builds towers of defence to himselfe but the iust man onely beleeues and that shall be to him in stead of all the towers in the world For it brings vs vnder the presence wing and protection of god it makes him to be our safeguard and tower of defence This doctrin is to be thought on the rather because though we now inioy peace and other blessings of God yet our common sinnes and especially our vnbeleefe calls downe for the great and grieuous iudgements of God Moreouer hence we are taught that euery man must haue a faith of his owne The iust man shall liue by his OWN faith saith the Prophet And good reason for euery man is a creature of god and must doe his homage to God by beleeuing in him because euery man hath neede of Christ for himselfe therefore must euery one haue a faith of his owne to lay holde on Christ. It may be obiected that some time the faith of others hath saued men Mark 2.5 VVhen Christ saw their faith he saide to the sicke of the palsie Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And Iam. 5.6 The prayer of faith shall saue the sicke I answer that the faith of one man may be a meanes to procure health of bodie and other temporall blessings yea faith vnto others yet cannot any man receiue pardon of sinnes and eternall life but for himselfe Therefore when it is said in the first place VVhen he saw their faith the faith of the palsie man must not be excluded but included and the place of Iames speakes onely of the bodily health Againe it may be alleadged that seeing we are iustified by the iustice of an other namely of Christ we may also be iustified and saued by the faith of an other I answer that the reason is not like because the obedience of Christ is both his and ours his because it is in him ours because it is applied vnto vs by God and receiued by our faith and the like can not be saide of the faith of any other man Thirdly it may be alleadged that infants haue no faith of their owne I answer there be three opinions touching Infants faith The first that infants haue actuall faith wrought in them by the holy Ghost because it is said Mat. 18.6 Whosoeuer offendeth one of these little ones that beleeues in me But this opinion seemes to be an vntruth because faith presupposeth vnderstāding and knowledge which infants want Againe if infants receiued to beleeue when they are young they would no doubt shew it when they come to be of yeares but faith they shew none vnlesse they attaine vnto it afterward by diligent teaching and instruction And the place in Matthew may be vnderstood of