Obj. 1. 'For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath,' Mat. xiii. 13, and Mat. xxv. 29. They say, God is obliged by promise to him that hath many acts of nature, to give acts of grace; but I answer, that place speaks of those that have grace already. It is the reason Christ assigns, why it was given to them to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, and the reason is taken from the course God keeps in dispensation of his grace; such as have found grace in God's eyes, they have the fountain gift, and they shall have others to perfect their salvation. Deus donando se facit debitorem - God, by giving them grace already, hath made himself a debtor to them for new influence's and all outward means, whereby they shall increase in grace and strength. In Mark iv. 24, it is said, 'Take heed what you hear, for with what measure you mete it shall be measured to you again, and unto you that hear shall more be given.' I answer, this still implies not a bare use of means while we are in a state of nature, but faith in hearing, without which the word never profiteth: so Prov. viii. 34, 'Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the post of my doors ;' that is, that waits in faith; those that have grace by waiting upon the means, grace in the same kind shall be increased in them. We must not invert the method of the covenant. Another place is, Acts x. 34, 35, 'Of a truth I perceive (saith Peter) that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that feareth God, and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him:' from whence they argue, that if a man have a natural reverence of God, and do the works of righteousness, he shall be accepted of God to further grace.
But I answer, it is clear that the place speaks of God's consequent love to the work of his own grace; for it is impossible that ever a man can fear God and work righteousness until he hath some grace wrought in him; those things are not the effect of nature, but of grace. That place only shows that Peter was convinced of his error; he thought none could be saved, but either a Jew, or a proselyte - one converted to the Jewish religion. Now I see my mistake, that if a truth, wherever there is real grace in any, God will accept of him. Take the sentence either in a legal or evangelical sense. If you take it evangelically, the sense is - whoever worketh righteousness, that obeyeth the gospel, and renounceth his own righteousness, and seeks the favour of God in Christ, he shall be accepted with God; or if you take it in a legal sense, those things are not the fruits of mere nature, it is to be expounded by way of evidence - whoever thus worketh righteousness it is a sign he is accepted with God; and he that fears God, it is a visible sign and testimony by which the favour of God towards him may be cleared up.
Obj. 2. Again, Christ is said to love the young man that was of a civil life: Mark x. 21, 'Jesus, beholding him, loved him.' I answer, this was but a human affection, which our Lord manifested in all cases out of respect to human society; 'Christ loved him,' that is, showed some outward signs of favour and respect to him; as we pity a man that is in a dangerous course: it is pity such courteous persons should go to hell. Our Saviour 'loved him,' certainly he could not approve of his hypocrisy, vanity, and self-confidence; but pitied him as one that with so much care kept the law, which others did not, and yet deceived himself with a vain opinion of righteousness. Christ, as man, was to have all human affections; but as lord and judge of the creature, so he hated him, as will be manifested at the last day.
Again, they say, God rewards wicked men for their natural actions; as Ahab's humiliation was rewarded with a suspension from wrath, 1 Kings xxi. 29, and Jehu's obedience was rewarded with the reign of his posterity to the fourth generation, 2 Kings x. 30.
I answer, This God may do out of his own bounty. Wicked men can look for nothing; it is his grace to reward wicked men's actions; and he may do it to make them more culpable, and to encourage the godly, as many times a general will reward the valour of an enemy to encourage his own soldiers. It is a document of God's bounty to the world, to prize true grace the better; and it is notable, all those blessings were but temporal, and salted with a curse: dogs may have temporals, the offals of providence.
Obj. 3. Again, what ground have we to persuade men to the use of means, if all their endeavours be in vain, and if God will not accept them? I answer -
[1.] We have ground to press them to dirty, that wicked men may be more sensible of their own weakness. Men think it is easy to believe till they put themselves upon the trial, action, and endeavour; as the lameness of the arm is found by exercise. Solomon saith, Prov. ii. 2, 3, 'Apply thine heart to understanding;' then saith he, 'If thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;' &c., 'then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.' Certainly, he that seeks knowledge will be driven to cry for it to free grace; and they that attempt the duties and exercises of religion, will see the necessity of divine help, and will be forced to lie at God's feet. Were there no other end but this, that wicked men may be certainly convinced that all their sufficiency is in God, to bring them to cry to God, Lord, help me against my unbelief, this were enough. When we look to towns in a map, we think the way to them easy, as if our foot were as nimble as our thoughts, but we are soon discouraged and tired, when we meet with dangerous and craggy passages, and come to learn the difference between glancing and serious endeavours. So in matters of religion, he that endeavours to bring Christ and his soul together. before he hath done, will be forced to sit down and cry, Lord, help me! As in the matters of the world, young men have strong hopes, therefore think it is nothing to live in the world; but when they are engaged in the cares of a family, they are soon crushed. So in the spiritual life; nothing doth rebuke sudden and easy hopes so much as trial and experience; then men find their hearts are hardly brought to apply themselves to the means whereby they may draw nigh to God, and see that no man can come to God without an attractive force, and unless the Father draw him.
[2.] Another reason why we press wicked men to do duty, is that they may manifest their obedience to God by meeting him in his own way. This is the way of God's working, by antecedaneous acts to fit us for grace, therefore the act must be done; for though we have lost our power, God hath not lost his right. It is true, we can never do anything with acceptation, yet still we are bound to be doing; as a drunken servant is obliged to do his master's work, though he hath disabled himself for it. So our nature had a power, though our persons were never invested with it; our disability will not disoblige us; so, though there be no hope of succeeding, yet we are bound to do. So Peter. though there were no fish come to hand, yet howbeit at thy command we will cast out the net. Wait at the pool; impotency can be no excuse for neglect.
[3] That they may manifest their desires, men say usually they have no power when they have no heart. He that hath a mind to the pearl of price, he will he doing, though he can do nothing acceptable; his desires being the vigorous bent of the soul will put him upon endeavours. It is a usual way to pretend impotency, as a cover of laziness; but now neglect of means shows that the impossibility is voluntary; when we do not what we are able, it is a sign that we love our bondage. A carnal man cannot please God; why? because he minds earthly things; the heart is carried out that way, and will not be subject to God, Rom. viii. 7, 8. Men prefer the world before God, and content themselves with some lazy wishes, and then think to cast the blame upon God. A wicked man is to be doing to show his desires are real: Prov. xxi. 25, 'The desire of the slothful killeth him: for his hands refuse to labour;' he hath but some sluggish wishes, that serve only unprofitably to vex the soul.
[4.] We put wicked men upon doing, because our endeavours are the condition sine qua non; without this the Lord seldom meets with the creature: Rom. x. 14, 'How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?' If ever I find Christ, I must find him in this way of hearing and praying. Though the means have no effective influence, yet without these I cannot come to Christ: Acts xiii. 46, 'Since ye put away the word from you, and judge ourselves unworthy of eternal life;' it is meant there of a refusal and neglect of the means; they save God the labour, and pass sentence upon themselves. There is no having of children but in a state of marriage. Now men marry, though the rational soul be infused by God; and so there is no having of grace but in the use of means, therefore we should use them, though still grace be the gift of God. We do not say it is in vain to marry, because man cannot beget the soul; so it is not in vain to hear and pray, though these things have no effectual influence: these are the means, without which God will not give it.
[5.] If men do not do something, they will grow worse and worse; standing pools are apt to putrify. Man is of an active nature, never at a stay, but either growing better or worse; and when we do not improve nature, we deprave it - 'They corrupt themselves in what they know,' Jude 10. Voluntary neglects draw on penal hardness; and so our natural disability is increased. Much sin and hardness would be prevented by the use of means - 'Thou wicked and slothful servant,' Mat. xxv. 26. A slothful servant soon becomes an evil servant, and barren trees will soon become rotten trees, Jude 12; where ordinances are neglected, we draw penal hardness upon ourselves.
[6.] It is good to make trial upon a common hope; it may be, you may meet with. God. The apostle puts Simon Magus upon prayer out of a bare probability: Acts viii. 22, 'Pray to God, if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee;' though it be great uncertainty, a peradventure, and a thousand to one; yet pray, it is the safest course. As the lepers, 2 Kings vii. 3, 4, 'They said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall to the host of the Syrians; if they save us alive we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die.' Such reasoning there usually is when God brings sinners home; if we do nothing, we are sure to die; if we pray and read and meditate, we can but die; but there is some common hope; it may be we may live. All God's children are thus brought in; the soul is willing to acts of obedience, though it knows not what will come of it; as Abraham obeyed God, not knowing whither he went. I am to do what God commands, let God do what he will; it may be there may be life; I cannot do worse, I may do better. All saints are at first carried on by such a common hope; the first essay of their faith is but dark resolution; but blind peradventure, Who knows what God may do?
[7.] It is God's usual way to meet those that seek him, and to give the Spirit to them that ask him: we do not know what importunity will do. This is the usual practice of God's free grace; sometimes he doth, sometimes he doth not; but it is good to wait at wisdom's gate. God is not bound, but it is his ordinary practice. Obey the Lord, and sue out the blessings upon common hope; when there is no absolute assurance, those things will prosper. Why should we fall, a disputing? we are in great danger, and this is God's usual way. We are to do what we can; God is wont to meet his people in this way. Though he hath nowhere said, Do this by the power of nature, and thou shalt have grace; yet it is good to wait upon God, for he usually meets with them that seek him in his way, and blesseth them that are followers in all christian endeavours.
[8.] The neglect of means out of a carnal principle, either out of an averseness to grace, or an ill-conceit of God, proves very pernicious. Nature is backward and shy, and then we would justify it by wrong thoughts and groundless jealousies of God: Mat. xxv. 24, 'I knew that thou wert a hard master, and therefore I hid my talent.' We think that God hath shut us up under a fatal impossibility, so we pretend we can do nothing; as they that heard Christ say - 'No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him,' John vi. 44 - murmured and drew back at that saying; so we have wrong thoughts of God, and are jealous without cause. We are loath to use the means, and then blame God for not giving the power. It is a jealous fancy of God without warrant; you are under an obligation, and that must be regarded.
[9.] This is no small encouragement, that Jesus Christ, that hath the grant of the elect, is to see the promises to be made good to them. The new heart, and the infusion of converting grace is a thing promised to natural men that are elect before they are in Christ, and Christ will see to the accomplishment Whatever Christ's intent is towards you, certainly his will will be no hindrance to our duty; therefore upon all these grounds we might press men to wait upon God in the use of means, that so, if it be his gracious will, they might receive mercy for their souls.
Fourthly, We may infer hence the necessity and excellency of faith.
1. We may gather from hence the excellency of faith; he nameth no other graces. Whatever glorious virtues are found in God's children, none of them can make them acceptable with God but faith; how? not for any excellency that is in faith itself, because of all graces it hath least of worth, but in regard of its object. Though faith in itself be a needy grace, yet it hath a worthy object; it receiveth Christ and all the blessings of the covenant. Therefore the apostle calls it 'precious faith, 2 Peter i. 4, because it is conversant about a precious Christ, and precious promises, and precious righteousness.
Obj. But you will say, Charity or love is elsewhere preferred before faith, therefore how can faith be accounted the most excellent grace? 1 Cor. xiii. 13, 'Now abideth faith, hope, and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.' It is true, before he compares gifts and graces, but here he compares grace and grace, and he judgeth the crown and pre-eminence to charity. When extraordinary gifts cease in the church, these shall be perpetually had in esteem; these three abide, and that which is greatest is charity.
Ans. It is true, in some kind of operations other graces may have the pre-eminence, but in the matter of pleasing of God the pre-eminence is put upon faith. Love seems to have an advantage of faith in this, that we give by love, and we receive by faith; now, it is more blessed to give than to receive. The chiefest answer is, when extraordinary gifts cease, these three abide, and the chiefest of these three is charity, which is most abiding; for when faith and hope are turned into fruition, love then abideth, it is the grace of heaven; but for matter of acceptance, it is faith that is the chief grace.
2. The necessity of faith. There is as much necessity of faith as of Christ. What good will a deep well do us without a bucket? and an able saviour, if we have not faith to take hold of him? Look, as on God's part, there is need of the intervention of Christ's merit to satisfy justice; so on man's part, that the sinner may have an actual interest herein, there is need of faith: you can neither work without it, nor please God without it.
Not work without it. There is as great a necessity of faith as of life - 'I live by the faith of the Son of God,' Gal. ii. 20. And you cannot 'please God' without it; for always you shall see all the blessings of the covenant are granted us upon this condition, Rom. x. 9, 'If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved;' he puts it upon that issue. The gospel is not only a charter of grace and precious promises, but it is a law of faith; that is the condition upon which they are dispensed ; so Acts xvi. 31, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved:' it is the condition of the covenant. The Lord neither will nor can save you without faith; he cannot, because he will not, as his pleasure is now stated. God cannot lie, he hath stated the course and order of our salvation. Now, unless the Lord should reverse the great law and institution of heaven, by which he will govern the world, we may say he cannot save without faith. So the scripture speaks: Mark vi. 5, 'He could do no mighty works there because of their unbelief;' he could not, because of God's settled course, that he will not dispense blessings without faith. Therefore it is notable, that it is the great thing we must preach, and the great duty you must practise: 1 John iii. 23, 'This is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ.' And when we receive our commission as ministers of the gospel, this is the sum of all:' Mark xvi. 16, 'He that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned.' And this is the great work which you must practise: John vi. 28, 29, 'What shall we do that we might work the works of God?' What work shall we do? say they, speaking according to the tenor of the covenant of works: saith Christ, 'This is the work of God that you should believe on him whom he hath sent:' all other things are but your by-works, but this is your main work, that you bring your hearts to close with me.
Now if you ask me the reasons why God hath put so much honour upon this grace, why it is impossible without faith to please him? you may as well ask me, Why God will give light to the world by the sun or water by the fountain? The Lord's own will and designation is the supreme reason, both in nature and grace; but because God is a God of judgment, and doth all things with advice and wisdom, because there is a sweet conveniency and congruity in all divine appointments, therefore I shall give you some reasons why the Lord hath put so much honour upon the grace of faith. The great design of God is to humble the creature, but exalt Jesus Christ and promote holiness. Now there is nothing so serviceable for such uses and purposes as the grace of faith.
[1.] It is faith that humbles the creature, and sends us out of ourselves to look for all in Christ; one of God's designs in the way of salvation is to humble the creature. Now of all graces, faith strips a man naked of his own worth, and sends him to God's mercy in a mediator, so the apostle argueth: Rom. iv. 16, 'It is of faith, that it might be of grace, that the promise might be sure to all the seed;' therefore God hath stated the way of salvation in the way of faith, that it might be of grace. Faith is the only virtue that can stand with the free grace of God; for it doth not work by procuring and meriting, but by expecting and receiving what God will bestow upon us; it brings nothing to God of our own, and can offer nothing by way of exchange for the mercy we expect. It receiveth a gift, but it bringeth no price; it deals not by way of exchange as with justice, but by way of supplication and reception as with grace. If we were to deal with justice, then certainly the honour of it would be put upon other graces; as love that might give somewhat by way of exchange. All that faith doth is to send the creature as needy and destitute to the throne of grace Eph. ii. 8, 'By grace ye are saved through faith;' justice gives what is due, but mercy gives what is promised; the original cause is grace, the means is faith, and the end is salvation. Faith doth not come to God, as claiming acceptance for what we have done, but comes with an empty hand to receive what grace and mercy is willing to bestow upon us in Christ.
[2.] God puts this crown of honour upon the head of faith, because it unites us to Christ, out of whom there is no pleasing of God. This reason stands upon two propositions - there is no pleasing God out of Christ and no interest in Christ, but by faith.
(1.) There is no pleasing of God out of Christ. We are all by nature children of wrath until we are reconciled to God by his Son. God is a holy and a just God, and so he cannot be at peace with sinners; as God is a holy God, so he hates us, because of the contrariety that is between his nature and ours: as he is a just God, so he is obliged to punish us. God in himself is a consuming fire; he cannot endure us, nor we him. God will never gratify the creature, so as to violate the notions by which his own essence is represented; therefore naked mercy can do nothing for us till there be satisfaction to justice; Holiness awakens justice, and justice awakens wrath, and wrath consumes the creature; and therefore unless there be a screen drawn betwixt us and wrath, what shall we do? Saith the apostle, Eph. i. 6, 'He hath made us accepted in the Beloved.' In the original it is echaristoosen - he hath ingratiated us in Christ. As a favourite in court makes terms for the rebel, and endears him to the king, so we are returned by grace to Christ. This is that which the Lord hath proclaimed from heaven, that all creatures should take notice of it: Mat. iii. 17, 'This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased,' in him, and in no other. This voice came from God not only to show his love to Christ but to give satisfaction to the world - to reveal the pleasure of the Lord to the world, how he will be appeased and satisfied towards us. It is notable, in the Gospel of Luke, these words are spoken to Christ himself: Luke iii. 22, 'Thou art my beloved son, in thee I am well pleased.' But in Matthew they are directed to the world - In him you shall be accepted. God did as it were proclaim to the whole world, if ever you will return to grace and favour to me it must be by my Son. When God looks upon men as they are in themselves, he seeth nothing but a mere abomination: Ps. xiv. 2, 3, 'The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy, there is none that doeth good, no, not one.' In the original it is, they are altogether become stinking: God can see nothing but objects that provoke his hatred and aversation. This is the condition of every natural man. So the Lord utters that sorrowful speech concerning man, Gen. vi. 6, 'It repented the Lord that he had made man, and it grieved him at his heart;' he cannot look upon man with any pleasure. But when he looks upon man in Christ, then he is well pleased; he doth as it were say, World, take notice, in him I will be appeased toward you. I have read of an emperor that had a great emerald, in which he would view the bloody fights of the gladiators with pleasure, though they were cruel and detestable in themselves; yet, as they were represented and reflected upon the emerald, so they yielded pleasure and delight. So it is here, God looks upon men in Christ; though we are detestable and abominable objects of his loathing and aversation in ourselves, yet in him he will accept us and do us good. It is notable, what is spoken of Christ, Isa. xlii. 1, 'Behold my servant whom I uphold, my elect in whom my soul delighteth,' is spoken of the church; Isa. lxii. 4, 'Thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah, for the Lord delighteth in thee.' God delights in them, because he delights in Christ: in and through him he is well pleased with our persons, which otherwise are stinking and abominable.
(2.) There is no receiving of Christ but by faith, and therefore it is said, John i. 12, 'To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.' Faith is expressed by receiving; it is the hand of the soul by which we receive and take home Christ to our own souls: 2 Cor. xiii. 5, 'Examine yourselves whether you be in the faith; prove your ownselves, know ye not your ownselves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?' Mark there, 'in the faith, and Christ in us,' are made parallel expressions. Our being in the faith is the only means of our union with Christ, that makes Christ to be in us; it is the bond that fastens the soul and Christ together: Eph. iii. 17, 'That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;' as a workman makes his house, and then dwells in it, so by faith the soul is fitted for the reception of Christ. Unbelief rejects Christ, and puts him away; Christ stands at the door and knocks, and men will not open to him; but faith is an opening to Christ, a consent of will to take him for ours.
[3.] Faith, it is the mother of obedience, therefore there is good reason to exalt it. Now holiness is effectually promoted by no grace so much as by faith; partly, because faith receives all supplies from heaven. Faith that receiveth Christ, receiveth all his benefits and graces: Gal. iii. 14, 'That the blessing of Abraham might come on the gentiles through Jesus Christ: that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith; 'that is, the Spirit of God, by whose assistance the holy life is managed and carried on: Gal. ii. 20, 'I live by the faith of the Son of God.' Faith looks up to Christ as distributing grace; and so the strength and power of the inward man is much increased, and a man is enabled for all the offices of holiness. Partly by its own effective influence. There are two powerful affections by which the spiritual life is acted and improved: they are fear and love. Now faith is the mother of both: no faith, no love nor fear. Fear, by which we are fenced against the delights of the world; and love, by which we are steeled against the difficulties of the world; for fear puts on the spectacles of faith, and so seeth him that is invisible. We fear God because we believe that he is. A carnal man looks upon God as an idol and fancy, therefore doth not stand in any awe. So love is strengthened by faith. The apostle saith, 'We love him because he loved us first,' 1 John iv. 19. Our love to God riseth according to the proportion of the assurance we have of God's love to us; then our love is carried out with a greater height and fervour after him. Now there is nothing adds such constraint and force to love as faith: 2 Cor. v. 14, 15, 'The love of Christ constrains us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them, and rose again.' When we have apprehended the love of God in Christ, and what great things God hath done for us, then it puts the soul upon answerable returns. The more certainty we have of the love of God, the stronger impulses of love shall we feel in our souls to God again. Shall not I love him much that hath done so much for me? that hath forgiven me much? that hath been so gracious to me in Christ, and provided such ample recompenses in heaven? We find it in outward matters: jealousy and suspicion is the bane of love. So in divine matters it is true, the more we doubt of God's love, the more faint, and cold, and weak will our love be to God. There are no such motives and incentives to duty as the apprehension of God's love to us in Christ.
SERMON XXVII.
But without faith, it is impossible to please Him - - HEB. xi. 6.
Obj. 1. 'For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath,' Mat. xiii. 13, and Mat. xxv. 29. They say, God is obliged by promise to him that hath many acts of nature, to give acts of grace; but I answer, that place speaks of those that have grace already. It is the reason Christ assigns, why it was given to them to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, and the reason is taken from the course God keeps in dispensation of his grace; such as have found grace in God's eyes, they have the fountain gift, and they shall have others to perfect their salvation. Deus donando se facit debitorem - God, by giving them grace already, hath made himself a debtor to them for new influence's and all outward means, whereby they shall increase in grace and strength. In Mark iv. 24, it is said, 'Take heed what you hear, for with what measure you mete it shall be measured to you again, and unto you that hear shall more be given.' I answer, this still implies not a bare use of means while we are in a state of nature, but faith in hearing, without which the word never profiteth: so Prov. viii. 34, 'Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the post of my doors ;' that is, that waits in faith; those that have grace by waiting upon the means, grace in the same kind shall be increased in them. We must not invert the method of the covenant. Another place is, Acts x. 34, 35, 'Of a truth I perceive (saith Peter) that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that feareth God, and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him:' from whence they argue, that if a man have a natural reverence of God, and do the works of righteousness, he shall be accepted of God to further grace.
But I answer, it is clear that the place speaks of God's consequent love to the work of his own grace; for it is impossible that ever a man can fear God and work righteousness until he hath some grace wrought in him; those things are not the effect of nature, but of grace. That place only shows that Peter was convinced of his error; he thought none could be saved, but either a Jew, or a proselyte - one converted to the Jewish religion. Now I see my mistake, that if a truth, wherever there is real grace in any, God will accept of him. Take the sentence either in a legal or evangelical sense. If you take it evangelically, the sense is - whoever worketh righteousness, that obeyeth the gospel, and renounceth his own righteousness, and seeks the favour of God in Christ, he shall be accepted with God; or if you take it in a legal sense, those things are not the fruits of mere nature, it is to be expounded by way of evidence - whoever thus worketh righteousness it is a sign he is accepted with God; and he that fears God, it is a visible sign and testimony by which the favour of God towards him may be cleared up.
Obj. 2. Again, Christ is said to love the young man that was of a civil life: Mark x. 21, 'Jesus, beholding him, loved him.' I answer, this was but a human affection, which our Lord manifested in all cases out of respect to human society; 'Christ loved him,' that is, showed some outward signs of favour and respect to him; as we pity a man that is in a dangerous course: it is pity such courteous persons should go to hell. Our Saviour 'loved him,' certainly he could not approve of his hypocrisy, vanity, and self-confidence; but pitied him as one that with so much care kept the law, which others did not, and yet deceived himself with a vain opinion of righteousness. Christ, as man, was to have all human affections; but as lord and judge of the creature, so he hated him, as will be manifested at the last day.
Again, they say, God rewards wicked men for their natural actions; as Ahab's humiliation was rewarded with a suspension from wrath, 1 Kings xxi. 29, and Jehu's obedience was rewarded with the reign of his posterity to the fourth generation, 2 Kings x. 30.
I answer, This God may do out of his own bounty. Wicked men can look for nothing; it is his grace to reward wicked men's actions; and he may do it to make them more culpable, and to encourage the godly, as many times a general will reward the valour of an enemy to encourage his own soldiers. It is a document of God's bounty to the world, to prize true grace the better; and it is notable, all those blessings were but temporal, and salted with a curse: dogs may have temporals, the offals of providence.
Obj. 3. Again, what ground have we to persuade men to the use of means, if all their endeavours be in vain, and if God will not accept them? I answer -
[1.] We have ground to press them to dirty, that wicked men may be more sensible of their own weakness. Men think it is easy to believe till they put themselves upon the trial, action, and endeavour; as the lameness of the arm is found by exercise. Solomon saith, Prov. ii. 2, 3, 'Apply thine heart to understanding;' then saith he, 'If thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;' &c., 'then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.' Certainly, he that seeks knowledge will be driven to cry for it to free grace; and they that attempt the duties and exercises of religion, will see the necessity of divine help, and will be forced to lie at God's feet. Were there no other end but this, that wicked men may be certainly convinced that all their sufficiency is in God, to bring them to cry to God, Lord, help me against my unbelief, this were enough. When we look to towns in a map, we think the way to them easy, as if our foot were as nimble as our thoughts, but we are soon discouraged and tired, when we meet with dangerous and craggy passages, and come to learn the difference between glancing and serious endeavours. So in matters of religion, he that endeavours to bring Christ and his soul together. before he hath done, will be forced to sit down and cry, Lord, help me! As in the matters of the world, young men have strong hopes, therefore think it is nothing to live in the world; but when they are engaged in the cares of a family, they are soon crushed. So in the spiritual life; nothing doth rebuke sudden and easy hopes so much as trial and experience; then men find their hearts are hardly brought to apply themselves to the means whereby they may draw nigh to God, and see that no man can come to God without an attractive force, and unless the Father draw him.
[2.] Another reason why we press wicked men to do duty, is that they may manifest their obedience to God by meeting him in his own way. This is the way of God's working, by antecedaneous acts to fit us for grace, therefore the act must be done; for though we have lost our power, God hath not lost his right. It is true, we can never do anything with acceptation, yet still we are bound to be doing; as a drunken servant is obliged to do his master's work, though he hath disabled himself for it. So our nature had a power, though our persons were never invested with it; our disability will not disoblige us; so, though there be no hope of succeeding, yet we are bound to do. So Peter. though there were no fish come to hand, yet howbeit at thy command we will cast out the net. Wait at the pool; impotency can be no excuse for neglect.
[3] That they may manifest their desires, men say usually they have no power when they have no heart. He that hath a mind to the pearl of price, he will he doing, though he can do nothing acceptable; his desires being the vigorous bent of the soul will put him upon endeavours. It is a usual way to pretend impotency, as a cover of laziness; but now neglect of means shows that the impossibility is voluntary; when we do not what we are able, it is a sign that we love our bondage. A carnal man cannot please God; why? because he minds earthly things; the heart is carried out that way, and will not be subject to God, Rom. viii. 7, 8. Men prefer the world before God, and content themselves with some lazy wishes, and then think to cast the blame upon God. A wicked man is to be doing to show his desires are real: Prov. xxi. 25, 'The desire of the slothful killeth him: for his hands refuse to labour;' he hath but some sluggish wishes, that serve only unprofitably to vex the soul.
[4.] We put wicked men upon doing, because our endeavours are the condition sine qua non; without this the Lord seldom meets with the creature: Rom. x. 14, 'How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?' If ever I find Christ, I must find him in this way of hearing and praying. Though the means have no effective influence, yet without these I cannot come to Christ: Acts xiii. 46, 'Since ye put away the word from you, and judge ourselves unworthy of eternal life;' it is meant there of a refusal and neglect of the means; they save God the labour, and pass sentence upon themselves. There is no having of children but in a state of marriage. Now men marry, though the rational soul be infused by God; and so there is no having of grace but in the use of means, therefore we should use them, though still grace be the gift of God. We do not say it is in vain to marry, because man cannot beget the soul; so it is not in vain to hear and pray, though these things have no effectual influence: these are the means, without which God will not give it.
[5.] If men do not do something, they will grow worse and worse; standing pools are apt to putrify. Man is of an active nature, never at a stay, but either growing better or worse; and when we do not improve nature, we deprave it - 'They corrupt themselves in what they know,' Jude 10. Voluntary neglects draw on penal hardness; and so our natural disability is increased. Much sin and hardness would be prevented by the use of means - 'Thou wicked and slothful servant,' Mat. xxv. 26. A slothful servant soon becomes an evil servant, and barren trees will soon become rotten trees, Jude 12; where ordinances are neglected, we draw penal hardness upon ourselves.
[6.] It is good to make trial upon a common hope; it may be, you may meet with. God. The apostle puts Simon Magus upon prayer out of a bare probability: Acts viii. 22, 'Pray to God, if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee;' though it be great uncertainty, a peradventure, and a thousand to one; yet pray, it is the safest course. As the lepers, 2 Kings vii. 3, 4, 'They said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall to the host of the Syrians; if they save us alive we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die.' Such reasoning there usually is when God brings sinners home; if we do nothing, we are sure to die; if we pray and read and meditate, we can but die; but there is some common hope; it may be we may live. All God's children are thus brought in; the soul is willing to acts of obedience, though it knows not what will come of it; as Abraham obeyed God, not knowing whither he went. I am to do what God commands, let God do what he will; it may be there may be life; I cannot do worse, I may do better. All saints are at first carried on by such a common hope; the first essay of their faith is but dark resolution; but blind peradventure, Who knows what God may do?
[7.] It is God's usual way to meet those that seek him, and to give the Spirit to them that ask him: we do not know what importunity will do. This is the usual practice of God's free grace; sometimes he doth, sometimes he doth not; but it is good to wait at wisdom's gate. God is not bound, but it is his ordinary practice. Obey the Lord, and sue out the blessings upon common hope; when there is no absolute assurance, those things will prosper. Why should we fall, a disputing? we are in great danger, and this is God's usual way. We are to do what we can; God is wont to meet his people in this way. Though he hath nowhere said, Do this by the power of nature, and thou shalt have grace; yet it is good to wait upon God, for he usually meets with them that seek him in his way, and blesseth them that are followers in all christian endeavours.
[8.] The neglect of means out of a carnal principle, either out of an averseness to grace, or an ill-conceit of God, proves very pernicious. Nature is backward and shy, and then we would justify it by wrong thoughts and groundless jealousies of God: Mat. xxv. 24, 'I knew that thou wert a hard master, and therefore I hid my talent.' We think that God hath shut us up under a fatal impossibility, so we pretend we can do nothing; as they that heard Christ say - 'No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him,' John vi. 44 - murmured and drew back at that saying; so we have wrong thoughts of God, and are jealous without cause. We are loath to use the means, and then blame God for not giving the power. It is a jealous fancy of God without warrant; you are under an obligation, and that must be regarded.
[9.] This is no small encouragement, that Jesus Christ, that hath the grant of the elect, is to see the promises to be made good to them. The new heart, and the infusion of converting grace is a thing promised to natural men that are elect before they are in Christ, and Christ will see to the accomplishment Whatever Christ's intent is towards you, certainly his will will be no hindrance to our duty; therefore upon all these grounds we might press men to wait upon God in the use of means, that so, if it be his gracious will, they might receive mercy for their souls.
Fourthly, We may infer hence the necessity and excellency of faith.
1. We may gather from hence the excellency of faith; he nameth no other graces. Whatever glorious virtues are found in God's children, none of them can make them acceptable with God but faith; how? not for any excellency that is in faith itself, because of all graces it hath least of worth, but in regard of its object. Though faith in itself be a needy grace, yet it hath a worthy object; it receiveth Christ and all the blessings of the covenant. Therefore the apostle calls it 'precious faith, 2 Peter i. 4, because it is conversant about a precious Christ, and precious promises, and precious righteousness.
Obj. But you will say, Charity or love is elsewhere preferred before faith, therefore how can faith be accounted the most excellent grace? 1 Cor. xiii. 13, 'Now abideth faith, hope, and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.' It is true, before he compares gifts and graces, but here he compares grace and grace, and he judgeth the crown and pre-eminence to charity. When extraordinary gifts cease in the church, these shall be perpetually had in esteem; these three abide, and that which is greatest is charity.
Ans. It is true, in some kind of operations other graces may have the pre-eminence, but in the matter of pleasing of God the pre-eminence is put upon faith. Love seems to have an advantage of faith in this, that we give by love, and we receive by faith; now, it is more blessed to give than to receive. The chiefest answer is, when extraordinary gifts cease, these three abide, and the chiefest of these three is charity, which is most abiding; for when faith and hope are turned into fruition, love then abideth, it is the grace of heaven; but for matter of acceptance, it is faith that is the chief grace.
2. The necessity of faith. There is as much necessity of faith as of Christ. What good will a deep well do us without a bucket? and an able saviour, if we have not faith to take hold of him? Look, as on God's part, there is need of the intervention of Christ's merit to satisfy justice; so on man's part, that the sinner may have an actual interest herein, there is need of faith: you can neither work without it, nor please God without it.
Not work without it. There is as great a necessity of faith as of life - 'I live by the faith of the Son of God,' Gal. ii. 20. And you cannot 'please God' without it; for always you shall see all the blessings of the covenant are granted us upon this condition, Rom. x. 9, 'If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved;' he puts it upon that issue. The gospel is not only a charter of grace and precious promises, but it is a law of faith; that is the condition upon which they are dispensed ; so Acts xvi. 31, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved:' it is the condition of the covenant. The Lord neither will nor can save you without faith; he cannot, because he will not, as his pleasure is now stated. God cannot lie, he hath stated the course and order of our salvation. Now, unless the Lord should reverse the great law and institution of heaven, by which he will govern the world, we may say he cannot save without faith. So the scripture speaks: Mark vi. 5, 'He could do no mighty works there because of their unbelief;' he could not, because of God's settled course, that he will not dispense blessings without faith. Therefore it is notable, that it is the great thing we must preach, and the great duty you must practise: 1 John iii. 23, 'This is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ.' And when we receive our commission as ministers of the gospel, this is the sum of all:' Mark xvi. 16, 'He that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned.' And this is the great work which you must practise: John vi. 28, 29, 'What shall we do that we might work the works of God?' What work shall we do? say they, speaking according to the tenor of the covenant of works: saith Christ, 'This is the work of God that you should believe on him whom he hath sent:' all other things are but your by-works, but this is your main work, that you bring your hearts to close with me.
Now if you ask me the reasons why God hath put so much honour upon this grace, why it is impossible without faith to please him? you may as well ask me, Why God will give light to the world by the sun or water by the fountain? The Lord's own will and designation is the supreme reason, both in nature and grace; but because God is a God of judgment, and doth all things with advice and wisdom, because there is a sweet conveniency and congruity in all divine appointments, therefore I shall give you some reasons why the Lord hath put so much honour upon the grace of faith. The great design of God is to humble the creature, but exalt Jesus Christ and promote holiness. Now there is nothing so serviceable for such uses and purposes as the grace of faith.
[1.] It is faith that humbles the creature, and sends us out of ourselves to look for all in Christ; one of God's designs in the way of salvation is to humble the creature. Now of all graces, faith strips a man naked of his own worth, and sends him to God's mercy in a mediator, so the apostle argueth: Rom. iv. 16, 'It is of faith, that it might be of grace, that the promise might be sure to all the seed;' therefore God hath stated the way of salvation in the way of faith, that it might be of grace. Faith is the only virtue that can stand with the free grace of God; for it doth not work by procuring and meriting, but by expecting and receiving what God will bestow upon us; it brings nothing to God of our own, and can offer nothing by way of exchange for the mercy we expect. It receiveth a gift, but it bringeth no price; it deals not by way of exchange as with justice, but by way of supplication and reception as with grace. If we were to deal with justice, then certainly the honour of it would be put upon other graces; as love that might give somewhat by way of exchange. All that faith doth is to send the creature as needy and destitute to the throne of grace Eph. ii. 8, 'By grace ye are saved through faith;' justice gives what is due, but mercy gives what is promised; the original cause is grace, the means is faith, and the end is salvation. Faith doth not come to God, as claiming acceptance for what we have done, but comes with an empty hand to receive what grace and mercy is willing to bestow upon us in Christ.
[2.] God puts this crown of honour upon the head of faith, because it unites us to Christ, out of whom there is no pleasing of God. This reason stands upon two propositions - there is no pleasing God out of Christ and no interest in Christ, but by faith.
(1.) There is no pleasing of God out of Christ. We are all by nature children of wrath until we are reconciled to God by his Son. God is a holy and a just God, and so he cannot be at peace with sinners; as God is a holy God, so he hates us, because of the contrariety that is between his nature and ours: as he is a just God, so he is obliged to punish us. God in himself is a consuming fire; he cannot endure us, nor we him. God will never gratify the creature, so as to violate the notions by which his own essence is represented; therefore naked mercy can do nothing for us till there be satisfaction to justice; Holiness awakens justice, and justice awakens wrath, and wrath consumes the creature; and therefore unless there be a screen drawn betwixt us and wrath, what shall we do? Saith the apostle, Eph. i. 6, 'He hath made us accepted in the Beloved.' In the original it is echaristoosen - he hath ingratiated us in Christ. As a favourite in court makes terms for the rebel, and endears him to the king, so we are returned by grace to Christ. This is that which the Lord hath proclaimed from heaven, that all creatures should take notice of it: Mat. iii. 17, 'This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased,' in him, and in no other. This voice came from God not only to show his love to Christ but to give satisfaction to the world - to reveal the pleasure of the Lord to the world, how he will be appeased and satisfied towards us. It is notable, in the Gospel of Luke, these words are spoken to Christ himself: Luke iii. 22, 'Thou art my beloved son, in thee I am well pleased.' But in Matthew they are directed to the world - In him you shall be accepted. God did as it were proclaim to the whole world, if ever you will return to grace and favour to me it must be by my Son. When God looks upon men as they are in themselves, he seeth nothing but a mere abomination: Ps. xiv. 2, 3, 'The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy, there is none that doeth good, no, not one.' In the original it is, they are altogether become stinking: God can see nothing but objects that provoke his hatred and aversation. This is the condition of every natural man. So the Lord utters that sorrowful speech concerning man, Gen. vi. 6, 'It repented the Lord that he had made man, and it grieved him at his heart;' he cannot look upon man with any pleasure. But when he looks upon man in Christ, then he is well pleased; he doth as it were say, World, take notice, in him I will be appeased toward you. I have read of an emperor that had a great emerald, in which he would view the bloody fights of the gladiators with pleasure, though they were cruel and detestable in themselves; yet, as they were represented and reflected upon the emerald, so they yielded pleasure and delight. So it is here, God looks upon men in Christ; though we are detestable and abominable objects of his loathing and aversation in ourselves, yet in him he will accept us and do us good. It is notable, what is spoken of Christ, Isa. xlii. 1, 'Behold my servant whom I uphold, my elect in whom my soul delighteth,' is spoken of the church; Isa. lxii. 4, 'Thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah, for the Lord delighteth in thee.' God delights in them, because he delights in Christ: in and through him he is well pleased with our persons, which otherwise are stinking and abominable.
(2.) There is no receiving of Christ but by faith, and therefore it is said, John i. 12, 'To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.' Faith is expressed by receiving; it is the hand of the soul by which we receive and take home Christ to our own souls: 2 Cor. xiii. 5, 'Examine yourselves whether you be in the faith; prove your ownselves, know ye not your ownselves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?' Mark there, 'in the faith, and Christ in us,' are made parallel expressions. Our being in the faith is the only means of our union with Christ, that makes Christ to be in us; it is the bond that fastens the soul and Christ together: Eph. iii. 17, 'That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;' as a workman makes his house, and then dwells in it, so by faith the soul is fitted for the reception of Christ. Unbelief rejects Christ, and puts him away; Christ stands at the door and knocks, and men will not open to him; but faith is an opening to Christ, a consent of will to take him for ours.
[3.] Faith, it is the mother of obedience, therefore there is good reason to exalt it. Now holiness is effectually promoted by no grace so much as by faith; partly, because faith receives all supplies from heaven. Faith that receiveth Christ, receiveth all his benefits and graces: Gal. iii. 14, 'That the blessing of Abraham might come on the gentiles through Jesus Christ: that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith; 'that is, the Spirit of God, by whose assistance the holy life is managed and carried on: Gal. ii. 20, 'I live by the faith of the Son of God.' Faith looks up to Christ as distributing grace; and so the strength and power of the inward man is much increased, and a man is enabled for all the offices of holiness. Partly by its own effective influence. There are two powerful affections by which the spiritual life is acted and improved: they are fear and love. Now faith is the mother of both: no faith, no love nor fear. Fear, by which we are fenced against the delights of the world; and love, by which we are steeled against the difficulties of the world; for fear puts on the spectacles of faith, and so seeth him that is invisible. We fear God because we believe that he is. A carnal man looks upon God as an idol and fancy, therefore doth not stand in any awe. So love is strengthened by faith. The apostle saith, 'We love him because he loved us first,' 1 John iv. 19. Our love to God riseth according to the proportion of the assurance we have of God's love to us; then our love is carried out with a greater height and fervour after him. Now there is nothing adds such constraint and force to love as faith: 2 Cor. v. 14, 15, 'The love of Christ constrains us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them, and rose again.' When we have apprehended the love of God in Christ, and what great things God hath done for us, then it puts the soul upon answerable returns. The more certainty we have of the love of God, the stronger impulses of love shall we feel in our souls to God again. Shall not I love him much that hath done so much for me? that hath forgiven me much? that hath been so gracious to me in Christ, and provided such ample recompenses in heaven? We find it in outward matters: jealousy and suspicion is the bane of love. So in divine matters it is true, the more we doubt of God's love, the more faint, and cold, and weak will our love be to God. There are no such motives and incentives to duty as the apprehension of God's love to us in Christ.
Hebrews
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