THE Apostle had spoken of Enoch's translation as a consequent of his pleasing God, and upon the supposition of his pleasing God he proves his faith. The reason is rendered in this verse, because 'Without faith, it is impossible to please God; for he that cometh to God,' &c. In the words there are two general parts -
1. A proposition - Without faith it is impossible to please God.
2. The reason of it - For he that cometh to God must believe that God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
To begin with the proposition - 'Without faith it is impossible to please God,' which, being a formal doctrine of itself, I shall use tins method -
1. Explain the words.
2. Give the necessary inferences and corollaries, both doctrinal and practical, that may be gathered hence.
First, For the explication, 'without faith;' that is, without saving and justifying faith, without faith in the Messiah. I prove it, because that is the faith spoken of in the context; it is the drift of the apostle to prove that the elders, the fathers of the old testament, were saved by the same faith that we are. Again, this kind of faith is expressed in the following words - in 'coming' and 'seeking;' he that 'cometh to God,' and that diligently 'seeks him.' Again, we cannot conceive God to be a rewarder out of Christ: guilty nature presageth nothing but evil. The apostle speaks of the gentiles, Rom. i. 32, 'That they know the judgment of God, that they that commit such things are worthy of death.' You can look for nothing but death by God's justice without a Christ and a mediator; but because this is a weighty matter, and the apostle seemeth to make the catechism or summary of necessary points very short; for be mentions only two articles - God's being and God's bounty - his essence and his reward, without any mention of Christ, as if this were enough to please God, or enough for acceptance to salvation, therefore I shall discuss and examine the matter. Many in these last times of the gospel are weary of the christian profession, and are ready to revolt into libertinism and atheism, as if nothing was necessary to please God but a general faith in his being; and therefore I shall
1. Prove that this general faith is not enough.
2. Show what is the scope of the apostle, and why he mentions only God's being and bounty.
3. Show how the place is to be explained.
1. That this general faith is not enough; for two reasons -
[1.] Partly because more is elsewhere required: John xvii. 3, 'This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.' This and nothing else is eternal life; that is, the means or way to life eternal.
The knowledge of Christ is every way made as necessary to salvation as the knowledge of God, for indeed without Christ we can never come to enjoy God. There is a great gulf betwixt him and us; all gracious commerce is broken off between God and the fallen creature, and therefore, John xiv. 6, 'No man can come to the Father but by me.' In the fallen estate of man there is need of a mediator. Man in innocency might immediately converse with God; God loved his own image in Adam; and what could a just and holy man fear from a just and holy God? But now of God's creatures we are made his prisoners; we can expect nothing from his mercy, because he is just; and therefore if the creature would have comfort, another principle must be taken in; we must not only know God to be the true God, but Jesus Christ whom he hath sent. The great inquiry of the whole world is, wherewith shall I please God? Micah vi. 8, 'Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God?' How shall he give his justice content and satisfaction? Solomon saith, that when man had lost his innocency, he was full of inventions: Eccl. vii. 29, 'God hath made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions.' Man at first had wisdom and light enough to guide him to happiness, but ever since we have been given to roving and fond counsels, and we seek here and there bow to return to that happiness we had lost. But among all the inventions of man he never found out a sufficient ransom to expiate sin, to reconcile us to God, to sanctify human nature, that we may again hold commerce with heaven; so that there is somewhat more required than a sight of a divine essence, and a general belief of his rewards; even the knowledge of Christ, without whom there is no salvation.
[2.] Partly because many that never pleased God may go so far; as the devils that are condemned to everlasting chains of darkness, and the heathens that are altogether ignorant of Christ, and carnal christians that never felt the saving efficacy of his grace. The devils believe God's essence and his everlasting recompenses. His essence: James ii. 19, 'Thou believest that there is one God, thou doest well; the devils also believe and tremble.' The devils themselves are under the awe and dread of this truth. There may be atheists in the world, but there are none in hell; the devils believe there is a God, and they could never exempt and free themselves from the horror and thought of it. So they believe his recompenses: Mat. viii. 29, 'What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?' The devils have some sense of the day of judgment, though they cannot hope for any release, and can look for nothing but an increase of torment; yet they know there is a time coming, and they tremble for the present at the thought of it. So for heathens; they believe that God is, and that there are some rewards; though their belief of these things be very weak and imperfect, and mingled with falsities and absurd conceits of their own, yet they had some knowledge of the reward of virtue. Epictetus requireth two things that are necessary to piety - orthas hupolèpseis peri theon echein, hoos ontoon, kai dikountoon ta hola kaloos kai dikaioos - That we should conceive of the gods, first as being, then as guiding all things with goodness and justice. So Aelian saith, That the very barbarians did affirm that there was a God, and that he had a care of all human affairs, to reward what was good, and to punish what was evil. And Seneca - Primus est deorum cultus deos credere, deinde reddere illis majestatem suam, et reddere bonitatem, sine qua nulla majestas - The first thing that we must do is to believe there are gods, then acknowledge their majesty and power, then their goodness, without which all religion would perish. And Plutarch - ou gar athanaton kai makarion monon alla kai filantroopon kai oofelimon anagnooskein chrè ton theon. It is necessary, if we would be godly, that we should not only believe there is a God, immortal and happy, but that he is a lover of men, if we exercise ourselves in virtuous things. I might produce many instances in this kind; but I forbear, lest it should seem to savour of affectation and blustering in an unknown language. So for carnal men, where the sound of the gospel hath come, those that have not a dram of grace, they have this general faith, that God is, and that God is a rewarder; therefore this cannot be enough to please God, and to be accepted to salvation to have such apprehensions. A man is not saved by holding a right opinion of God. A man may be a christian in opinion, and a pagan in life and practice; we must make a particular application of those things, that so our own interest may be sure. When a man is ready to perish and drown, it is not enough to see land, but he must reach to it, and stand upon it, if he would be safe; so we must get an interest in God. the apostle requires 'coming and seeking' in this place; 'coming' implies desire of communion with him, and 'seeking,' a diligent use of the means that we may enjoy him. There must be an application of those things to a practical end, else the general notion and opinion will do us no good.
2. The scope of the apostle is not to set down the whole object of faith, but the first foundation - namely, what faith is absolutely necessary, and previous either to the seeking of the favour of God or any act of obedience; for unless we do believe that there is a divine power, and that there are recompenses appointed to encourage the duty of the creature, all religion would be but a dead custom, and would be soon abolished. Therefore, I suppose, the apostle, to prove his argument with more advantage, proceedeth, ex concessis, from things that common reason will grant to be necessary to every good action. He instanceth in the principal radical truths, which are the foundation of all religion, that there is a God, and that this God will reward all virtue; there is a God all-sufficient, and he will be good to the creature.
3. These two articles must be enlarged and explained according to the analogy of faith and the declaration which God hath made of his will in the gospel; all breviates, wherein religion is reduced to a few heads, must still be explained according to the extent of the rule of faith. Look, as in the commandments, where all moral duties are reduced to ten words; so in the summaries of the gospel, those things must be explained by the extent of the rule of faith; for instance, in the first article, 'He that cometh to God must believe that he is;' that is, he is as he hath revealed himself, one in three persons; for otherwise we worship an idol, and not that which is God. We form an idol when we think of God out of the trinity; therefore we must believe that he is in that manner as he hath revealed himself in the scripture. So for the other article, 'That God is a rewarder;' that is in the way that God hath revealed himself according to the tenor of the covenant of grace; that he is a rewarder in and through Christ as mediator; that he will give us all the blessings of the covenant, justification and remission of sins, as the pawn of glory, and sanctification as the beginning of glory; and then glory itself as the perfection of all; and all these things in and through Christ. It is true, in innocency there were but two things to be believed; that God is, and that God is a rewarder. But now, after the fall, both before and after the law, the catechism was enlarged, and we have to look not only to our creator, but to our saviour, the mediator; but after Christ's coming the will of God is more explained, and our belief is required to be more explicit.
'It is impossible;' not in regard of the absolute dominion and sovereignty of God - he might have taken another course of salvation - but in regard to his will, and the course into which our salvation is stated and disposed. God can save a man without faith, as, saith Mr Perkins, he can enlighten the world without the sun; but this is the way which, in wisdom and justice, he hath found out. God's will is the supreme rule; and as God hath ordered the way by which he will bring creatures to happiness, so ex hypothesi, it is impossible ever to be accepted of God without Christ.
'To please God;' what is that? In the former verse I told you what is in Gen. v. 24, 'Enoch walked with God;' it is in the Septuagint, Enoch pleased God. Walking with God notes obedience, and pleasing of God the success of obedience. To please God here is to be accepted in any act of duty and obedience; to be accepted to life as conformable to God's will. Now it is impossible we should be thus accepted without faith in Jesus Christ. Thus I have opened the propositions.
Secondly, I come to the inferences that may be drawn from hence; some are doctrinal, some of practical consideration.
First, It is impossible to be saved without true faith in Jesus Christ; or, that there is no religion but that which teacheth rightly to believe in Christ, that can be looked upon as a way of salvation. Jews and Turks and infidels can never please God, nor be accepted to life, because they have no faith. There are many that say that every man shall be saved in his own religion - Turks, Jews, heathens - if they be true to their principles - and devout in their own religion. Symmachus, a wicked heathen pleading for paganism against the christians, and for the ancient worship of the gods, saith thus, Æquum est quicquid omnes colunt, unum putetur, eadem spectamus astra, commune cælum est, idem nos mundus involvat; quid interest quod quisque sua prudentia verum inquirat? Uno itinere non potest perveniri ad tam grande secretum. - It is but equal, that though we take several ways, yet we should live together, as those that agree in the same worship. We behold the same stars, and we hope for the same heaven, and we live upon the same earth, what matter in what kind of way we seek out the truth. This opinion layeth a foundation for atheism and libertinism, and doth much take off from our thankfulness that we owe to God for that excellent treasure which he hath opened to the church in the scriptures; so that they which plead for the heathens had need look to themselves, lest they themselves are not found christians. Clear it is, if we will hearken to what is revealed, that there is no salvation in any other but in Christ, Acts iv. 12. God hath acquainted the creature with no other way how we may come to life. Now, the heathens had no knowledge of Christ; they had only some general knowledge of a divine power, they had to gnooston theou - 'That which may be known of God,' Rom. i. 19: some general notice of a divine being, which served to leave them without excuse, but not to save them. It is true, they might by the creation understand Gods eternity and power - attributes that are obvious, but more terrible than comfortable to sinners - but for any knowledge of Christ, they could have none. Sun and moon could not preach Christ, though they might preach a God; but the way of salvation by Christ, the very angels come to know by the church: Eph. iii. 10, 'To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known by the church, the manifold wisdom of God.' Christ, then, they knew not; and without Christ there is no salvation.
Many objections are against this -
Obj. 1. Say they, it is true; they cannot be saved without Christ; but they are saved by Christ, though they have no knowledge of him; as Peter was delivered by the angel out of prison before he wist who it was, Acts xii. 9. 10; so they feel themselves to be saved before they know their saviour.
Ans. The apostle saith, ' Without faith it is impossible to please God.' He doth not only say without Christ, but without faith; so that not only the benefit of Christ is established in this doctrine, but the necessity of faith: so John xvii. 3, This is life eternal to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. As none can be saved without Christ, so none can have benefit by Christ, but those that know him, and that believe in him.
Obj. 2. But say they, by some extraordinary ways God might reveal himself and discover Jesus Christ to them.
Ans. This we cannot judge; we are to keep to the rule. Only let me hint that the ground of this conceit is naught; that because the heathens had many moral virtues, therefore they think God was bound to reveal Christ to them, they having so far improved nature. This is again a falsehood, because those things which do not come from faith, and were not done for the glory of God, were not accepted with God; they were but sins set off with the fairer lustre and varnish; and the only privilege they could have by that was ut mitius ardeant, that they may have a cooler hell.
Obj. 3. It is said of divers, they were persons devout and feared God before ever they had any knowledge of Christ; as Acts xvi. 14, 'A certain woman which worshipped God, heard us;' so it is said, Acts ii. 5, 'There were dwelling at Jerusalem devout men, out of every nation under heaven,' that were not as yet christians; but they repented, and were converted by the sermon of Peter. So Acts x. 2, ' Cornelius was a devout man that feared God with all his house; and ver. 34, 35, it is said, 'God is not a respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth God, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.'
Ans. These places do either speak of a natural devotion, which may arise merely from the instinct of conscience, therefore our translation useth the expression 'devout,' not 'religious;' or, they speak of proselytes that did actually profess the Jewish worship, or were acquainted with it, though they did not join with them, as many of the Romans did, though they were not actually circumcised. In Acts, chap. xvi., where Lydia is said 'to worship God,' it is meant only out of blind instinct of conscience; in the second of the Acts, it is spoken there of Jewish proselytes that came up to Jerusalem to worship at the feast. Concerning Cornelius, though he were not a professed proselyte, yet he was acquainted with the doctrine of the Jews, and had some knowledge of God. Such an one was the eunuch, Acts viii. They knew and feared the true and living God, and had faith in the Messiah to come. though they had not faith concerning the person of Christ; they expected the redemption of Israel, upon which faith, being drawn out into acts of obedience, they were accepted of God, as the patriarchs were that did believe in the Messiah to come. As to Cornelius, it is clear he was exactly religious; he was already converted by being acquainted with the Jewish doctrine concerning God and the Messiah; his prayers and alms came up before God. Now God heareth not sinners; and for that general conclusion in Acts x. 34, 'Whosoever feareth God, and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him.' I answer, righteousness is there taken for any conformity to the will of God, revealed either in the law or gospel. He that renounceth his own righteousness, and casteth himself upon the merits of Christ in the sense of the gospel, is a worker of righteousness, and God will accept of him of whatever nation he be. The expression showeth that all distinctions are taken away, and the pale of grace is enlarged.
Obj. 4. If God will not accept the gentiles without faith in Christ, then he requires that which is impossible there being no revelation of Christ made to them, and they having in Adam not so much as a power to believe in Christ; for if he had not sinned he had no need of a mediator; and, therefore, how can the Lord require faith of them for their acceptation to life?
Ans. 1. At the last day the gentiles shall not be responsible for want of faith in Christ, but for not keeping the moral law which was written upon their hearts, and for not obeying the dictates of their own consciences, as the apostle proves at large: Rom. ii. 12 - 14, 'As many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law,' &c; for God deals with men according to the measure of their light, and in the process of the last day he will call the heathens to an account for not living according to the dictates of reason and conscience: God will exact no more than he gives. It is true, he doth not give them further means; but that is not their sin, but their infelicity and punishment for their sin, though they can never be accepted without Christ.
2. For what we received in Adam, I answer, Though Adam was not bound to believe in Christ, yet he had a power of believing all that was revealed of God, as he that is fallen blind had a power of seeing the house afterward built.
Use. To apply this first inference. If there be no way of life, no doctrine of salvation but only the christian religion, that which holds forth God in Christ, then -
1. It presseth us to bless God for the knowledge of the gospel. Oh, how many thousands in the world are there that are as sheep, whom no man taketh up, but are spilt upon the great common of the world, and left to the process of divine justice. Let us bless God for our privileges, that we have such fair advantages; certainly if we look to the hole of the pit out of which we were digged, we were as bad as others. The old Britons worshipped the most monstrous and misshapen idols; this was our original in the day that God looked upon us. If we abuse our privileges, and be unthankful for the light of the gospel, he may return us again to our old barbarism. The Lord threatened Israel: Hosea ii. 3, 'I will strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born.' The Lord may strip us naked, and take away all our spiritual favours; and while we run after new lights, the Lord may remove the old light from us. We are afraid of popery; this is not altogether so bad as atheism; therefore let us be thankful and careful to improve those advantages God hath put into our hands. We cannot be thankful enough for the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ, it is a great mystery, not only pleasing to the thoughts, but healing to the soul. The Lord is angry with the gentiles, and hath brought many judgments on them for putting the finger in nature's eye. Oh, what will be our misery for quenching or slighting the light of the gospel, and the excellent revelation God hath made to us of Christ. The heathens had some obscure knowledge of God, but we have the revelation of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ. By their own consciences they knew the moral law: God offered terms of duty to them, but he offers terms of salvation and grace to us.
2. It presseth us to prize orthodoxism, and, above all things, look to this, to be right in point of belief. Every man shall not be saved in every persuasion, nay, through they do in general acknowledge Christ. There are a sort of libertines risen up, that think the differences and controversies in Christendom with Socinians and Arminians are but vain and frivolous, and that a loose belief of God and Christ is enough. If this general faith be enough, then why hath God revealed so many things to us, and given us a more ample rule, if with safety to salvation we may be ignorant of them? Why hath he appointed us to contend for the faith of the saints, and for the truth that is revealed in the scripture? as whether you are redeemed with a satisfaction, or whether you are justified by his righteousness or works? It is no matter, say they, for these lesser explications. Such men seem to tax the scriptures, that they have redundancies and superfluous doctrines, and they seem to tax the holy apostles of rash zeal, when they disputed so earnestly for the faith of the saints; as Paul against justiciaries for the righteousness of faith, and James against antinomians and libertines for care of good works. And they tax the holy martyrs of folly, that they would shed their blood for less concerning articles so all be resolved into Christ. Men think this is enough. Men need not inquire into the manner of the application of his righteousness, the efficacy of his price, the merit of his passion, as if it were enough to hold a few generals, and the more implicit our faith is the better; whereas, the Lord would have us to abound in knowledge, and to have the word dwell in us richly.
What articles are absolutely necessary to salvation will be hard to define and determine, and what that measure of faith is without which we cannot please God. And I know not by what rule to proceed; if we should make it too large, it would be a ground of ignorance and laziness; if we make it too strict, it would be a ground of uncharitableness to them that labour under invincible prejudices. Only that you may not be loose in this matter, take a few rules.
[1.] The foundations of religion are God and Christ, and they must be held with great certainty: John xvii. 3, 'This is life eternal to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.' We cannot be saved unless we hold one God in three persons, and Jesus Christ as mediator. These are the supreme truths that are clearly revealed and propounded to our faith. But now for practical truths for the way of enjoying God and Christ, they are revealed in other texts: John xvi. 8, ' When the comforter shall come, he shall convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.' This is the doctrine the Spirit teacheth in the church, to convince of sin, and the curse that remains upon man while he is under the power of nature; of 'righteousness,' of the sufficient satisfaction of the Lord Jesus Christ, of judgment and holiness. It is very dangerous to hearken to those that lessen the misery of nature, or the merit and satisfaction of Christ, or the care of good works; all such opinions are irreconcileable to the covenant of grace, and overturn the main pillars upon which salvation stands. When men advance nature or depress Christ, or decry good works, as long as they live according to their principles, they can never be saved.
[2.] We must be earnest concerning the particular explication of those truths, as they are delivered in scripture. Every piece and parcel of truth is precious, and a little leaven of error is dangerous. The apostle, speaking of error, saith, Gal. v 9, 'A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.' He speaks there of errors in matters of justification, which of all matters of religion is most nice and delicate; error fretteth like a gangrene, till it eateth out the heart of religion. Men think it is enough to be careful of fundamentals and that all other knowledge is scientia oblectans; only a knowledge for delight, and not safety. Oh! consider it is very dangerous to err in the particular explication of those doctrines; to stain the understanding, though we do not wound it. I confess there are some truths of lesser importance; there are maculæ et vulnera intellectus - the spots of the understanding as well as the wounds of it. Now it is dangerous to be wanton in opinions that seem to be of a smaller concernment. Men that play with truth, they run themselves into a snare; and though they err but in a small matter, yet they are liable to more insinuations. Some say fundamentals are few; believe them and live well, and then you shall be saved. This is as if a man in a building should be only careful to lay a good foundation, no matter for the roof, windows, or walls. If a man should come and untile your house, and tell you - Friend, I have left the foundation standing, the main buttresses are safe; you would not take it well. Why should we be more careless in spiritual things?
[3.] No lesser error, be it never so small, is to be held and kept up out of interest, and against the conviction of conscience, because we can plead there is salvation in that way. This is some men's first inquiry, Is there salvation in such a way? therefore let us not stay in lesser errors. If they are held up against conscience, they are damnable; for then they come under the notion of allowed known sins. To hold up any lesser way merely out of interest, and not out of conscience, it is very dangerous; and it is an argument of an unsubdued will, or that the heart is wedded to secular interest; and it is a preferring the favour of men before the favour of God, as our Lord saith, John xii. 43, 'They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God;' for though there may be salvation in both those ways, yet you are to own God in all his truths. Phil. iii. 15, the apostle speaks in the case of circumcision and uncircumcision - 'Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded; and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.' Circumcision and uncircumcision are nothing in themselves, but much if they are held up for the preservation of our interest, and merely that we may cleave to such a party. And mark, it is all one whether there be a plenary conviction or a secret fear or suspicion; and we do not search, as many men are afraid to search, lest truth should make against their interest. These are those that Christ describes: John iii. 20. 'They will not come to the light, lest their deeds should be reproved;' and 'they are willingly ignorant,' 2 Peter iii. 5; when men labour for distinctions to daub over the matter, and to hide the truth from conscience; or when they are unwilling to search, being afraid lest they should find it too soon. As in practicals, a man is not willing to be informed what he should do for good uses, and how strict he should be in his conversation, that he may please himself in his carelessness; this is a sign of an unsubdued heart; so in these cases, a man is willing to be ignorant; they are loath to be informed, and will not sift truth to the bottom, lest it may intrench on his worldly conveniences; usually in truths of the present age, interests make the heart thus doubtful and suspensive. This is the first instance which concerned heathens and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. You have seen there is no salvation in any way, but only in that way which holds forth faith in Jesus Christ.
Hebrews
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