of the Gospel and to mention but one place more Rom. 14.23 Whatsoever is not of faith is sin This notion of faith viz. dogmatical faith where the word faith signifies an act is the most common notion of faith in the New Testament that is as the former part of the verse he that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith carrieth it whatsoever a man doth without a sound perswasion in his minde that it is lawfull to do it he sinneth in that action This is the first notion therefore of faith namely the assent to any Proposition though more accurately the assent to a testimony but yet you see the Scripture-notion of faith is somewhat larger than that of the Schools namely the perswasion of or assent unto the truth of a Proposition First therefore if thou wilt be rich in faith be thou rich in truth in thy assent unto truths that is truths in Religion for though it be faith to believe there is such a place as Rome or Constantinople yet my designe confines me here to truths in Religion Be thou rich therefore in assent to divine truths and that whether they be clear by the light of nature or revelation for assent to truths that are clear even by the light of Nature is called Faith by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews Heb. 11.6 where to believe that God is which certainly is clear by the light of Nature is called Faith as I have shewn above pag. 291. I say be rich in thy assent unto all truths as near as thou canst whether they be clear by the light of Nature or only by Revelation Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisedom Col. 3.16 So Christ shall dwell in your hearts by faith for according to thy light and knowledge and assent unto truths so will be thy heart affections and conversation he that hath a large light may have a large heart whereas those that have but a narrow light and a scanty knowledge can have but a lower and a more limited sphear and compass to act in for God And if it happen as often it doth that they that know little yet do more than many that know a great deal this comes not from any advantage of the honest man's ignorance but from the folly and carelesness of those persons that are knowing and their want of firm assent to the notions of truth which float in their brains I am but a little carefull here of distinguishing betwixt Knowledge Assent being confined with in the narrow limits of an Use Enlarge thy minde with knowledge and thou gettest a larger field of action and service than otherwise thou canst possibly have for thou must first know thy duty before thou canst do it rightly for he that doth the best actions in the world not knowing that they are good pleaseth neither God nor man they are only the actions of the man they are not humane or manly actions as the Schools distinguish Yea though thou dost a good action yet if thou doubtest whether it be good or no thou sinnest in doing this good action because whatsoever is not of faith is sin For this largeness of faith by assent see that last character where I shew how we should endeavour to know much of Christ 2. But then withall take this advice too in thy faith of assent do not only endeavour to get a true light and perswasion of the truth and goodness of things or actions but get it as firmly rooted and as clear as ever thou canst this will be a mighty advantage to thee for if thou hast only a glimmering light a little cloud will soon darken it if thou gettest but a faint perswasion a small objection will quickly turn it into doubting therefore get thy faith firmly built that thou maist be firm and stable in thy faith and perswasion Be not like children tossed to and fro with every winde of doctrine Eph. 4.14 Be not children in understanding in malice be ye children but in understanding be ye men 1 Cor. 14.20 I think we have sufficient experience in these times of of the sore evil of a weak perswasion about matters of Religion by the running up and down of so many from one party to another till at last they have made shipwrack of their faith that is saith doctrinal as well as of their consciences 1 Tim. 1.19 3ly As to this part of faith which lyes in assent as we ought to endeavour that it be large and strong so we must especially be wary that we fail not in our assent and that a firm assent to those truths that are most important Though it were to be wished yet it cannot be expected that all Saints should be so well acquainted with all truths even those of less weight as it may be justly expected their guid◠should be yet all must look to it that they be well establisht in foundation-truths such as the Death of Christ and his Expiation of sins the Resurrection of the body and the last Judgment we must be sure to continue in this faith grounded and settled and not moved away from the hope of the Gospel Col. 1.23 Rooted and built up in him that is Christ and stablished in the faith as we have been taught that is Faith doctrinal especially in that great Foundation of Jesus Christ Col. 2.7 And truly I think there hath been no greater weakening of our faith in foundation-truths than the multiplying of Fundamentals for taking off that weight and stress which we should lay upon those few fundamentals of the Faith of Christ that are really so and laying it upon things non-funnamental must needs make us unsettled from the foundation So much for the first part of Faith which lyes in assent and the directions about it 2ly For that part of Faith which lyes in Affiance I need not quote many Scriptures to evince this notion of Faith I shall give but one or two John 14.1 Let not your heart be troubled yee believe in God believe also in mee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is a credere Deo which is to believe what the Lord sayes to be truth and a credere in Deum which is a resting and relying upon God committing all my cares and concernments to him He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life John 3.36 So that phrase of Scripture to cite no more places of faith in the blood of Christ Rom. 3.25 can be understood of no other than some kinde of affiance such as this that for that blood sake the Lord is ready to be propitious to me if I have the Gospel-conditions of Justification and in this sense namely of affiance I have generally taken faith throughout this Treatise and the reason is this For that this is the end of a dogmatical faith or a faith of assent and cannot be conceived without it as that may without this not that I think there can be
themselves and consult only with the power and goodness faithfulness of God and this shield of Faith which above all the pieces of our spiritual armour we are cautioned to make use of will quench all the fiery darts of discouraging temptations Abraham was put upon as difficult acts of faith as ever any man was and if he would have considered all difficulties he might easily have been discouraged but it is said He CONSIDERED NOT his own body now dead nor yet the deadness of Sarah's womb ver 19. and therefore staggered not at the promise through unbelief The third Notion in which Faith is taken in Scripture Faith taken for fidelity or faithfulness to God and in which thou art to be exhorted to the exercise of faith is that of Fidelity or Faithfulness to God as it stands opposed to wavering and unfixedness of heart in the profession of his name and Gospel thus it is taken in James 15.6 If any of you lack wisedom let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him But let him ask in faith nothing wavering If a man think to receive any thing of God wisedom or any such thing let him ask in faith What is this faith It is not meant of a particular certain expectation of that which we ask for that is understood in the phrase think to receive ver 7. but it is meant of trustiness and fixedness of heart to God without wavering as all the three verses 6 7 8. carry it for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed A double-minded man is unstable in all his wayes now this double-mindedness and wavering cannot be meant of the want only of a certain expectation of that particular thing which we ask in prayer for though we should be wanting in this particular and sin in it yet it would not follow that we were unstable in all our wayes that we were like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed or that we were double-minded for that is a word that plainly signifies hypocrisie Besides as I have intimated it is plainly said in the 7 verse that such a man that is a waverer a double-minded man must not think to receive any thing of the Lord now if double-mindedness and wavering here which are made the opposites of faith were taken for misdoubting to receive that thing which we pray for the paraphrase would be thus Let not him that doubteth whether he shall receive his petition think to receive his petition which were needless admiration for that while he doubteth whether he shall receive what he prayes for he cannot think he shall receive it But now there is a full and strong sense in the other exposition That if a man pray for wisedom or for any other thing at the same time is unfixed in his heart to the profession of the name and Gospel of Christ as it is known many of the Jews to whom the Apostle James directs this Ep stle were let not that man think to receive any thing of the Lord. If thou expectest or but desirest that the Lord should hear thy prayer at any time do thou come to him with thorough purpose of heart to cleave close to him do not bring with thee an heart and an heart a double mind into his presence for he hates a lukewarm soul that is neither for God nor for the world worse than he doth one that is stark cold Rev. 3.15 16. if thou comest with such an instability wavering and unfixedness of heart to God never think to receive any thing from him thou maist pray and pray thy heart out and do by thy self as Baal's Priests did by themselves to make their God to hear them 1 Kings 18.26 28. but thou shalt not be heard And what the Apostle James saith here in the matter of Prayer I may say in the matter of faith of Assent and Affiance both before mentioned That though you had the largest strongest assent to divine truths that ever any in the world had or as the Apostle makes the supposition 1 Cor. 13.2 Though you had the gift of Prophesie and understood all Mysteries and all Knowledge you though for affiance you had ALL FAITH that is saith Dr Hammond the highest degree of that faith by which Miracles are wrought so as to remove mountains nay I will adde though thou hadst the strongest affiance and trust in the mercies of God for the pardon of sins that ever any man had yet imagine all this but separated from that integrity and honesty of faith which is here required in this place of James and it is all worth nothing Thou must be a man fixed to God in thy resolutions to walk with him and serve him or else never think to fasten upon any of his promises nor to receive any answer to thy prayers Here you see is a notion of faith which signifies sincerity or faithfulness and this Conradus Bergius Professor at Breme in his Praxis Catholica pag. 15 16 17. asserts and proves to be the first notion of Faith pag. 17. Ad hanc quidem fidei significationem qua fidelitatem significat omnes caeterae revocari possunt that is Unto this signification or notion of faith wherein it signifies Fidelity or Faithfulness all the other significations of faith may be reduced Yet because as the same Author acknowledgeth in the same page Assensio quam adhibemus dicenti ita usu invaluit pro significatione fidei ut propria habeatur nihilque cedat illi quae ex prima impositione videtur descendere that is Assent to the authority and truth of the speaker is so commonly used to express the notion of faith that it is taken for the most proper notion of faith as also for that fiducia or affiance ad differentiam sicque ad dignitatem consequenter ad essentiam fidei pertinet as the same Author speaks pag. 44. that is affiance or trust belongs to the difference and so to the definition and consequently to the essence of faith for this reason that the firm assent to any testimony even that of God himself requires an affection in him that assents and therefore is Faith defined as he saith by Paraus assensum fiducialem a fiducial assent I say for these reasons from the notation of the word partly but especially for that though this fidelity and faithfulness be a Scripture-notion of faith as is to be seen in this place of James yet it is rarely used in this sense in the Scripture I have taken faith as justifying in that sense as it signifies assent or affiance chiefly for affiance for the reasons given above pag. 346. But however having urged the practice of faith as you see from the Scripture in this 3 Notion likewise which Bergius sayes is the first as it signifies Sincerity or Fidelity I shall not need to make any new exhortation
which otherwise I should be engaged to do from the fore-going discourse unto sincerity or sincere obedience which is the other part of the condition of Gospel justification I might adde as a great particular of the Exhortation to the exercise of faith that you must be sure to exercise frequent and vigorous acts upon Christ and his blood but of this I have spoken at large in the last Character To conclude therefore this use and so the whole Treatise if thou be rich in knowledge and firm in thy assent unto divine truths copious and strong in acts of affiance upon the divine power and goodness exhibited in the gracious promises of the Word and to this addest or rather makest to precede a sincerity of heart in the service of God that is in summe if thou be a great believer thou mayest not perhaps work Miracles but thou shalt be a wonderful Christian and shalt be able to do greater things than it was to do Miracles when they were in use for wicked men could work Miracles Math. 7.22 Thou shalt be eminently usefull unto the Church to thy Friends and Relations Acquaintance unto thine own soul thou shalt be fit to stand in the gap upon all occasions for others for thy self thou shalt free thy mind of all thy cares all thy businesses shall succeed thou shalt have all thy graces flourishing vigorous thou shalt by thy frequent actings of faith in prayer at last get such liberty of access to the throne of Grace such fellowship and communion with the Father and the Son as to be unto God and Christ in the quality of a Friend as Abraham was Jam. 2.23 which we know occasioned intimate communications from God to him as well as from him to God Gen. 18.17 Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do So our Saviour saith to his Disciples Henceforth I call you not servants but friends for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth John 15.15 The secret of the Lord both of his Covenant and Providence shall be with thee Psal 25.14 In a word be but much in the exercise of faith and you shall need but little more to enquire into your selves what evidences you have of the favour of God to you than one at noon-day needs evidence that the Sun shines be but much in believing and ordinarily I speak not of extraordinary dispensations ye shall have joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 this you may see at large above in the third Character pag 187. But I do not pretend here in the narrow compass of a Use to speak to all that may be said of the life of Faith either to the kindes of its acts the blessed effects of it all the cases about it motives to it or directions in it this would fill a large Treatise See Ball of the Life of Faith I shall conclude all with that of the Psalmist 37.3 Trust in the Lord and do good be large and firme in thy assent to divine truths be strong and vigorous in thy acts of Trust and Affiance and be faithfull to thy God and thou shalt dwell in the Land and verily thou shalt be fed verily thou shalt be justified verily thou shalt be saved FINIS THere being here some empty Pages I thought good to translate one place more out of Luthers Commentary upon the Galatians which I have a great esteem for I would have it referred to pag. 112. or rather to the 183. because it shews how apt even good men are to fall into a legal frame of heart it is in the 53 pag. his words are these Deinde quoque causa Justificationis lubrica est c. besides also the business of Justification is a slippery tickle thing not indeed in it self or in its own nature for in it self it is most firm and certain sed quoad nos but as to us and in our management of it That which I my self have often experienced Novi enim in quibus horis tenebrarum nonnunquam lucter for I know in what hours of darkness I sometimes struggle and wrestle I know how often or how that oftentimes I lose of a sudden the rayes and light of the Gospel and of Grace as it were in certain thick clouds novi denique quam versentur ibi in lubrico etiam exercitati qui pedem firmissime figunt in the last place I well know how that the most experienced Saints and those that have best footing stand here viz. in the business of Justification as in a slippery place and their foot is ready to slip ever now and then and they are apt to let go their hold habemus quidem cognitionem hujus causae we know indeed this matter in a doctrinal way because we can teach it to others and this is a certain sign that we understand it for none can teach others that which he knows not himself It is a sign of a knowing person as he said to be able to teach Verum eum jam in praesenti agone uti debemus Evangelio c. But when we come to practice this doctrine when we are in a strait and pressure of spirit need to use Gospel which is the word of Grace consolation and life then and there the Law the word of wrath sadness and death gets before the Gospel seiseth of us before the Gospel can come praevenit Evangelium and begins to make a tumult within us and stirs up no less terrors in the conscience than that terrible and horrible sight upon Mount Sinai did Sic ut vel unus locus comminationis in Scriptura omnes obruat obnubilat consolationes So that though but one place of threatning in the Scripture come to our minde it will over-whelm and darken all our comforts and will put all our inward parts into such a shaking and trembling adecque omnia interiora nostra concutiâ—t that we shall quite forget the right state of the matter of Justification we shall quite forget grace Christ and the Gospel ut plane obliviscamâ—r causae Justificationis Gratiae Christi Evangelii therefore as to us the business or cause of Justification is a very sl ppery tickle thing because we are slippery and unconstant in it Ides quantum ad nos attinetr es valde lubrica est quia nos lubrici sumus FINIS
unerring obedience faith was but a part of our duty which we owed to God under the first Covenant that is relying upon the power goodness and veracity of God and therefore where-ever faith comes to be our righteousness or our chief righteousness it argues that there is a great deficiency in the creature that is so to be justified and accordingly the Apostle often glances upon this that glorying is in this way excluded not by the law of works but by the law of faith Faith therefore cannot justifie by any natural excellency that it hath in it for though all the men in the world being now sinners and obnoxious to punishment by the law of their creation should resolve of their own accord to believe that there is so much goodness in God that he will not destroy the work of his own hands so depending upon his mercy and therefore they will endeavour to do all those things which they think may be pleasing and acceptable to him why all this faith and confidence attended with the most sincere obedience will not extort a Justification from Almighty God except it be in his good pleasure to justifie such believers and such obedient persons because they were all obnoxious to punishment for the breach of his law Faith therefore cannot justifie but by reason of divine ordination and constitution that hath passed upon it such as this The just shall live by faith and That if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 10.9 and for this reason I suppose it is so often called Gods righteousness Rom. 10.3 because it was a righteousness not in its own nature as works were but a righteousness purely of divine appointment This is Mr John Goodwin's notion of it Pag. 34. of the Banner of Justification displayed God was pleased to decree or make this for a law which the Apostle calleth the law of faith Rom. 3.27 that faith or believing in him through Christ should interesse men in the benefit or blessing of the death and blood shed of Christ that is in that remission of sins which was purchased by his death And in this consideration faith justifieth viz. by virtue of the Soveraign authority of that most gracious Decree or Law of God wherein he hath said or decreed that it shall intitle men unto or inright them in part and fellowship of that benefit of the death of Christ which consisteth in the forgiveness of sins or which comes much to the same as it is a qualification or condition ordained covenanted or appointed by God to bring upon those in whom it shall be found the great blessing of that pardon of sin which Christ hath obtained for men by his blood This is Mr Baxter's opinion too that is That saith justifies as it is made the chief condition of the N. Covenant Page 225 of his Aphorisms Thesis 57. It is the act of faith which justifieth men at age and not the habit yet NOT AS IT IS A GOOD WORK this is directly against Dr Moor's affirmation who faith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is nothing else but to be approved as a good man or a doer of that which is righteous and good and that BECAUSE he doth that which is good and righteous methinks here is a Justification for good works purely and if faith comes in here to justifie it doth it only as it is a good work Mr Baxter is of another minde viz. That faith doth not justifie only under that quaâ—enus or reduplication AS a good work Faith saith Mr Baxter in the Thesis quoted doth not justlfie AS it is a good work or as it hath in it self any excellency above other graces But in the NEAREST SENSE DIRECTLY AND PROPERLY as it is the fulfilling the condition of the New Covenant c. But now though I have affirmed that it doth not justifie purely from its own nature Though faith doth not justisie purely from it's own nature yet it hath a great excellency in it self which might somewhat recommend it to this service but chiefly from the ordination of God and that it could not have justified without this ordination yet I shall adde that it had in its own nature a great fitness to be chosen of God for this eminent service to justifie men by It was the fittest medium that we can imagine when the first natural way of works failed to promote the honour of God and the good of the creature in Justification which consideration commends highly the wisdom of God in setting it apart for this use as the chief condition of our Justification To evince the truth of this let us consider a little the natural excellencyes that there are in faith And first of all faith takes in all spiritual objects 1 Excellency of Faith and represents them to the soul so that all other graces are beholden to faith for their objects Heb. 11.1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen hope could not be if faith did not give a real and evident being and subsistence to the things that we hope for as also to all other the invisible and unseen things which a Christian a Saint as such converseth with and lives upon Again ver 6. of that chap. 11. Without faith 't is impossible to please God For he that comes unto God must believe that he is Now it is by faith that we believe and know that God is ver 27. by faith Moses forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him who is invisible by faith Moses saw him that is invisible I will acknowledge that reason may finde out that there is a God but if a mans wayes please God his reason delivers over this observation to his faith which is an higher thing an higher principle in the soul then reason though it never contradicts true reason yet it is somewhat above meer reason * If any one here will say that faith in such a case as the belief that there is a God is much the same with reason or a rational conviction of the truth of such a Proposition I will not much contend only because here the divine Penman sayes it is by saith we believe there is a God and his assertion must have a truth in it we may distinguish Reason Faith thus That Faith is a more particular faculty or habit of divine principles such as respect God and Religion but Reason is a more general faculty conversant about all objects whatsoever and this consideration must come in That meer Reason only makes one a man but Faith makes a man a Saint and therefore this Faith must have a divine afflatus and spirit in it beyond meer reason It is by faith that we believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of all them that diligently seek him And these two