HEAVEN ON EARTH
Thomas Brooks, 1667
CHAPTER 6
In the previous chapter, you saw the seven choice things which accompany
salvation. But for your further and fuller edification, satisfaction,
confirmation, and consolation, it will be very necessary that I show you,
(1.) What knowledge that is, which accompanies salvation.
(2.) What faith that is, which accompanies salvation.
(3.) What repentance that is, which accompanies salvation.
(4.) What obedience that is, which accompanies salvation.
(5.) What love that is, which accompanies salvation.
(6.) What prayer that is, which accompanies salvation.
(7.) What perseverance that is, which accompanies salvation.
I hope when I have fully opened these precious things to you, that you will
be able to sit down much satisfied and cheered in a holy confidence and blessed
assurance of your everlasting well-being.
I.
I shall begin with the first, and show you
what that KNOWLEDGE is, which
accompanies salvation; and that I shall open in these following particulars:
(1.) The first property. That knowledge which accompanies
salvation is a WORKING knowledge, an
OPERATIVE knowledge: 2 Cor 4:6, "God,
who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts,
to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ." Divine light reaches the heart as well as the head. The
beams of divine light shining in upon the soul through the glorious face of
Christ are very working; they warm the heart, they affect the heart, they
new-mold the heart. Divine knowledge masters the heart, it guides the heart,
it governs the heart, it sustains the heart, it relieves the heart.
Knowledge which swims in the head only, and sinks not down into the heart,
does no more good than the unicorn's horn in the unicorn's head.
1 John 3:6. "Whoever sins" (that is, customarily,
habitually, delightfully,) "has neither seen him, nor known him."
Rom 6:6, "We know that our old man is crucified with him,
that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve
sin." Divine knowledge puts a man upon crucifying of sin; it keeps a man
from being a servant, a slave to sin, which no other knowledge can do. Under
all other knowledge, men remain servants to their lusts, and are taken
prisoners by Satan at his will. No knowledge lifts a man up above his lusts,
but that which accompanies salvation. The wisest philosophers and the
greatest doctors, as Socrates, and others, under all their sublime notions
and rare speculations, have been kept in bondage by their lusts.
That knowledge which accompanies salvation is
operative knowledge: 1 John 2:3-4, "And hereby we do know that we know
him, if we keep his commandments. He who says, I know him, and keeps not his
commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." He is a liar in a
double respect: (1.) in that he says he has that saving knowledge,
which he has not; (2.) in that he denies that in his works, which he
affirms in his words.
By keeping his commandments they knew that they did know
him; that is, they were assured that they did know him. To know that we
know, is to be assured that we know.
So James 3:17, "But the wisdom which comes from heaven is
first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy
and good fruit, impartial and sincere." James 3:13, "Who is wise and
understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds
done in the humility that comes from wisdom." Divine knowledge fills a man
full of spiritual activity; it will make a man work as if he would be
saved by his works; and yet it will make a man believe that he is saved only
upon the account of free grace, Eph 2:8. That knowledge which is not
operative and working, will only serve to guide souls to hell, and to double
damn all who have it, Matt 23:14.
(2.) The second property. That knowledge which
accompanies salvation is transforming
knowledge, it is metamorphosing knowledge. It is knowledge which transforms,
which metamorphoses the soul: 2 Cor 3:18, "But we with open face, beholding
the glory of the Lord as in a glass, are changed into the same image,
from glory to glory." Divine light beating on the heart, warms it, and
betters it; it transforms and changes it, it moulds and fashions it into the
very likeness of Christ.
The naturalists observe that the pearl, by the often
beating of the sunbeams upon it, becomes radiant. Just so, the often beating
and shining of the Sun of righteousness, with his divine beams, upon the
saints, causes them to glisten and shine in holiness, righteousness,
heavenly-mindedness, humbleness, etc. Divine light casts a general beauty
and glory upon the soul; it transforms a man more and more into the glorious
image of Christ.
Look! as the child receives from his parents
features—member for member, limb for limb; or as the paper from the press
receives letter for letter, the wax from the seal receives print for print,
or as the face in the mirror answers to the face of the man, or as
indentation answers to indentation—so the beams of divine light and
knowledge shining into the soul, stamp the living image of Christ upon the
soul, and make it put on the Lord Jesus, and resemble him to the life.
A father stands obliged, not only in point of honor—but
also by the law of nature, to receive his child that bears his image. Just
so, does Christ stand obliged to receive those who by divine light have his
image stamped upon them.
Mere notional knowledge may make a man excellent
at praising the glorious and worthy acts and virtues of Christ; but
that transforming knowledge which accompanies salvation, will work a
man divinely to imitate the glorious acts and virtues of Christ. "For
you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation,
his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness (or
virtues) of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful
light." 1 Peter 2:9. When God causes his divine light, his marvelous light,
to shine in upon the soul, then a Christian will preach forth the virtues of
Christ in an imitable practice, and until then a man, under all other
knowledge, will remain an incarnate devil.
When a beam of divine light
shined from heaven upon Paul, ah, how did it change and metamorphose him!
How did it alter and transform him! It made his rebellious soul obedient:
Acts 9:6, "Lord, what will you have me to do?" God bids him arise and go
into the city, and it should be told him what he should do; and he obeys the
heavenly vision, Acts 26:19. Divine light lays upon a man a happy necessity of
obeying God. Divine light makes this lion into a lamb, this persecutor
into a preacher, this destroyer of the saints into a strengthener of the
saints, this tormenter into a comforter, this monster into an angel, this
notorious blasphemer into a very great admirer of God, and the actings of
his free grace, as you may see by comparing Acts 9 and Acts 26 together.
Just so, when a spark of this heavenly fire fell upon the
heart of Mary Magdalene, Luke 7:36-37, oh what a change, what a
transformation does it make in her! Now she loves much, and believes much,
and repents much, and weeps much. Oh what a change did divine light make in
Zacchaeus, and in the jailor! Truly, if your light, your Biblical knowledge
does not better you, if it does not change and transform you, if, under all
your light and knowledge you remain as vile and base as ever, your light,
your knowledge, your notions, your speculations, will be like to fire, not
on the hearth—but in the room, that will burn the house and the inhabitant
too; it will be like mettle in a blind horse, that serves for nothing but to
break the neck of the rider. That knowledge that is not a transforming
knowledge, will torment a man at last more than all the devils in hell; it
will be a sword to cut him, a rod to lash him, a serpent to bite him, a
scorpion to sting him, and a vulture, a worm eternally gnawing him!
When Tamberlain was in his wars, one having found and dug
up a great pot of gold, brought it to him; Tamberlain asked whether it had
his father's stamp upon it; but when he saw it had the Roman stamp, and not
his father's, he would not own it. So God at last will own no knowledge—but
that which leaves the stamp of Christ, the print of Christ, the image of
Christ upon the heart—but that which changes and transforms the soul; which
makes a man a new man, another man than what he was before divine light
shined upon him.
(3.) The third property. That knowledge which accompanies
salvation is EXPERIMENTAL knowledge.
It is knowledge which springs from a spiritual sense and taste of holy and
heavenly things. Song 1:2, "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his
mouth, for your love (plural loves) is better than wine." She means
all the fruits of his love, namely, righteousness, holiness, joy, peace,
assurance, etc. The spouse had experienced the sweetness of Christ's love;
"his loves," says she, "is better than wine," though wine is an excellent
cordial, a useful cordial, a comfortable and delightful cordial, a reviving
and restorative cordial. And this draws out her heart, and makes her
insatiable in longing, and very earnest in coveting, not a kiss—but kisses;
not a little—but much of Christ. Her knowledge being experimental, she is
impatient and restless, until she was drawn into the nearest and highest
communion and fellowship with Christ.
So in Song 1:13, "A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved
unto me; he shall lie all night between my breasts." "Myrrh is marvelous
sweet and savory, so is my well-beloved unto me," says the spouse; "I have
found Jesus Christ to be marvelous sweet and savory to my soul. Myrrh is
bitter to the taste, though it is sweet to the smell. Just so, is my
well-beloved unto me. I have found him to be bitter and bloody to the old
man, to the ignoble and worser part of man; and I have found him to be
sweet and lovely to the new man, to the regenerate man, to the noble part of
man. I have found him to be a bitter and a bloody enemy to my sins, and at
the same time to be a sweet and precious friend unto my soul." Every godly
man has in him two men, Rom 7:15-26; Gal 5:17.
Myrrh is of a preserving nature, as the
naturalists observe. "Just so, is my well-beloved unto me," says the spouse.
"Oh! I have found the Lord Jesus preserving my soul from falling into such
and such temptations, and from falling under the power of such and such
corruptions, and from fainting under such and such afflictions, etc." Austin
thanks God that his heart and the temptation did not meet together.
Considerable to the same purpose is that of Phil 1:9,
"And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge,
and in all judgment." The Greek word that is here rendered "judgment,"
properly signifies sense, not a corporal—but a spiritual sense and
taste, an inward experimental knowledge of holy and heavenly things. The
soul has her senses as well as the body, and they must be exercised, Heb
5:14. The apostle well knew that all notional and speculative knowledge
would leave men on this side heaven, and therefore he earnestly prays that
their knowledge might be experimental, that alone being the knowledge which
accompanies salvation—which will give a man at last a possession of
salvation. Truly, that knowledge which is only notional, speculative, and
general; which is gathered out of books, discourses, and other outward
advantages, is such a knowledge that will make men sit down in hell, as: it
did Judas, Demas, the scribes and pharisees, etc. What is the scholar's
knowledge of the strength, riches, glories, and sweetness of far countries,
obtained by maps and books—compared to their knowledge, who daily see and
enjoy those things?
Christ will at last shut the door of hope, of help, of
consolation and salvation, upon all those who know much of him
notionally—but nothing feelingly, as you may see in his shutting the door of
happiness against the foolish virgins, Matt 25:11-12, and against those
forward professors, preachers, and workers of miracles, Matt 7:22, who had
much speculative knowledge—but no experimental knowledge; who had much
outward general knowledge of Christ—but no spiritual inward acquaintance
with Christ.
A man who has that experimental knowledge which
accompanies salvation, will from his experience tell you, that sin is the
greatest evil in the world—for he has found it so, Rom 7; that Christ is the
one thing necessary—for he has found him so, Psalm 27:4; that the favor of
God is better than life—for he has found it so, Psalm 63:3; that pardoning
mercy alone makes a man happy—for he has found it so, Psalm 32:1-2; that a
wounded spirit is such a burden that none can bear—for he has found it so,
Prov 18:14; that a humble and a broken heart is an acceptable sacrifice to
God—for he has found it so, Psalm 51:17; that the promises are precious
pearls—for he has found them so, 2 Pet 1:4; that the smiles of God will make
up the lack of any outward mercies—for he has found it so, Psalm 4:6-7; that
only communion with God can make a heaven in a believer's heart—for he has
found it so, Psalm 48:10; that if the Spirit is pleased and obeyed, he will
be a comforter to the soul—for he has found it so, John 16:7; but if his
motions and laws are slighted and neglected, he will stand far off from the
soul, he will vex and gall the soul--for he has found it so, Lam 1:16; Isa
63:10-11.
Well! souls, remember this, that knowledge which is not
experimental will never turn to your account, it will only increase your
guilt and torment, as it did the Scribes' and Pharisees'. What advantage had
the men of the old world, by their knowing that there was an ark, or by
their clambering about the ark—when they were shut out and drowned in the
flood! What does it profit a man to see heaps of jewels and pearls, and
mountains of gold and silver, when he is moneyless and penniless? It is
rather a torment than a comfort to know that there is a pardon for other
malefactors—but none for me; that there is bread for such and such hungry
souls—but none for me; that there is water and wine to cheer, comfort, and
refresh such and such—but not a sip, a drop, for me; that my bottle is
empty, and I may die for thirst—while others are drinking at the
fountainhead; that there are houses and clothes to shelter such and such
from colds, storms, and tempests—while I lie naked, exposed to the misery of
all weathers. This kind of knowledge does rather torment men, than comfort
them; it does but add fuel to the fire, and make their hell the hotter. The
knowledge that devils and apostates have of God, Christ, and the Scriptures,
etc., being only notional, is so far from being a comfort to them, that it
is their greatest torment; it is a worm which is eternally gnawing them; it
makes them ten thousand times more miserable than otherwise they would be.
They are still a-crying out, "Oh that our light, our light were put out! Oh
that our knowledge, our knowledge were extinguished! Oh that we might but
change places with the heathens, with the barbarians, who never knew what we
have known! Oh how happy would damned devils and apostates judge themselves
in hell, if they should escape with those dreadful stripes that shall be
eternally laid upon the backs of fools!"
Remember, reader, that a little heart-knowledge, a little
experimental knowledge, is of greater efficacy and worth than the highest
notions of the most acute scholars. He does well, who discourses of
Christ—but he does infinitely better who, by experimental knowledge, feeds
and lives on Christ. It was not Adam's seeing—but his tasting, of forbidden
fruit which made him miserable; and it is not your seeing of Christ—but your
experimental tasting of Christ, which will make you truly happy. As no
knowledge will save, but what is experimental; so let no knowledge satisfy
you, but what is experimental, Psalm 34:8.
(4.) The fourth property. That knowledge which
accompanies salvation is a heart-affecting
knowledge. It affects the heart with Christ, and all spiritual things. Oh,
it does wonderfully endear Christ and the things of Christ to the soul: Song
2:5, "Oh, feed me with your love—your 'raisins' and your 'apples'—for I am
utterly lovesick!" Oh, says the spouse, my heart is taken with Christ, it is
raised and ravished with his love; my soul is burning, my soul is beating
towards Christ. Oh, none but Christ, none but Christ! I cannot live in
myself, I cannot live in my duties, I cannot live in external privileges, I
cannot live in outward mercies, I cannot live in common providences; I can
live only in Christ, who is my life, my love, my joy, my crown, my all in
all. Oh, the hearing of Christ affects me, the seeing of Christ affects me,
the taste of Christ affects me, the glimmerings of Christ affects me; the
more I come to know him in his natures, in his names, in his offices, in his
discoveries, in his appearances, in his beauties, the more I find my heart
and affections to prize Christ, to run after Christ, to be affected with
Christ, and to be wonderfully endeared to Christ! Psalm 73:25-26. "Whom have
I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may
fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever!"
Song 5:10. "He is white and ruddy, the chief of ten
thousand!" The knowledge that she had of Christ did so affect and endear her
heart to Christ, that she cannot but make use of all her rhetoric to set
forth Christ in the most lovely and lively colors. Gal 6:14, "God forbid
that I should glory in anything, except in Christ Jesus." Oh, God forbid
that my heart should be affected or taken with anything in comparison of
Christ. The more I know him, the more I like him; the more I know him, the
more I love him; the more I know him, the more I desire him; the more I know
him, the more my heart is knit unto him. His beauty is captivating, his love
is ravishing, his goodness is attracting, his manifestations are enticing,
and his person is enamoring. His lovely looks please me, his pleasant voice
delights me, his precious Spirit comforts me, his holy word rules me; and
these things make Christ to be a heaven unto me!
Oh, but all that mere notional knowledge, that
speculative knowledge, which leaves a man short of salvation, never affects
the heart; it never draws it, it never endears the heart to Christ, or to
the precious things of Christ. Hence it is that such men, under all their
notions, under all their light and knowledge, have no affection to Christ,
no delight in Christ, no workings of heart after Christ.
Well, reader! remember this, if your knowledge does not
now affect your heart, it will at last with a witness afflict
your heart; if it does not now endear Christ to you, it will at last the
more provoke Christ against you; if it does not make all the things of
Christ to be very precious in your eyes, it will at last make you the more
vile in Christ's eyes! A little knowledge which divinely affects the heart,
is infinitely better than a world of that theoretical knowledge which swims
in the head—but never sinks down into the heart, to the bettering, to the
warming, and to the affecting of it. Therefore strive not so much to know,
as to have your heart affected with what you know; for heart-affecting
knowledge is the only knowledge which accompanies salvation, that will
possess you of salvation.
(5.) The fifth property. That knowledge which accompanies
salvation, is a world-despising, a
world-crucifying, and a world-forsaking knowledge. "May I never
boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world
has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Galatians 6:14. Divine
knowledge made the apostle easily overlook all the world, as a man does
easily overlook other things, who looks to find a jewel, a pearl of great
price, etc. Divine knowledge makes a man have low, poor, base thoughts of the
world; it makes a man slight it, and trample upon it as a thing of no value.
That divine light which accompanies salvation, makes a man to look upon the
world as mixed, as mutable, as momentary; it makes a man look upon the world
as a liar, as a deceiver, as a flatterer, as a murderer, and as a witch that
has bewitched the souls of thousands to their eternal overthrow, by her
golden baits and offers.
Divine knowledge put Paul upon trampling upon all the
bravery and glory of the world, Phil 3:4-9. I shall only transcribe Phil
3:7-8, and leave you to turn to the rest. "But what things were gain to me,
those I counted loss for Christ. Yes doubtless, and I count all things but
loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I
have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung" (dog's
dung or dog's meat, coarse and contemptible), "that I may win Christ."
Divine knowledge raises his heart so high above the world, that he looks
upon it with an eye of scorn and disdain, and makes him count it as an
excrement, yes, as the very worst of excrements, as dogs' dung, as dogs'
meat. Of the like import is that of Heb 10:34, "You joyfully accepted the
confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had
better and lasting possessions." Divine knowledge will make a man rejoice,
when his enemies make a bonfire of his goods. This man has bills of exchange
under God's own hand, to receive a pound for every penny, a million for
every mite, that he loses for him. And this makes him to rejoice, and to
trample upon all the glory of this world, as one did upon the philosopher's
crown, Matt 19:27-30.
It was heavenly knowledge which made Moses to disdain and
scorn the pomp and pleasures, the bravery and glory, the riches and
advantages of Egypt and Ethiopia too, as some writers observe, "By faith
Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's
daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than
to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the
sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he
was looking ahead to his reward." Hebrews 11:24-26.
So when a beam of divine light had shined upon Zacchaeus,
Oh, how does it work him to part with the world, to cast off the world, to
slight it and trample upon it, as a thing of nothing! "And Zacchaeus stood
and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord! the half of my goods I give to the
poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I
restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day has salvation come
to this house, for so much as he also is the son of Abraham," Luke 19:2-10.
Before the candle of the Lord was set up in Zacchaeus's soul, he dearly
loved the world, he highly prized the world, he eagerly pursued after the
world; he would have it right or wrong, his heart was set upon it, he was
resolved to gather riches, though it was out of others' ruins. Yes, but when
once he was divinely enlightened, he throws off the world, he easily parts
with it, he sets very light by it, he looks with an eye of disdain upon it.
His knowledge lifts him up above the smiles of the world, and above the
frowns of the world; the world is no longer a snare, a bait, a temptation to
him. He knows that it is more to be a son of Abraham, that is, to be taken
into covenant with Abraham, to tread in the steps of Abraham's faith, as
children tread in the steps of their fathers, and to lie and rest in the
bosom of Abraham, as sons do in their fathers' bosoms, than to be rich,
great, and honorable in the world, Rom 4:12,16, and Rom 9. And this made him
shake hands with the world, and say to it, as to his idols, "Get you hence,
for what have I more to do with you?" Isa 30:22; Hos 14:8. Truly, that
light, that knowledge, will never lead you to heaven, it will never possess
you of salvation, that leaves you under the power of the world, that leaves
you in league and friendship with the world, 1 John 2:15; James 4:4. If your
knowledge does not put the world under your feet—it will never put a crown
of glory upon your head. The church has the moon under her feet, Rev 12:1,
which is clothed with the sun, and which has a crown upon her head.
Ah, knowing souls, knowing souls! do not deceive
yourselves! Truly, if you are clothed with the loveliness and righteousness
of the sun, which is Jesus Christ, and have a crown of victory and glory
upon your heads, you will have the moon under your feet, you will tread and
trample upon the trash of this world; all the riches, glories, and braveries
of the world will be under your feet, in respect of your non-subjection to
it and your holy contempt of it. If your knowledge does not enable you to
set your feet upon those things that most people set their hearts on, you
are undone forever; your knowledge will be so far from lifting you up to
heaven, that it will cast you the lower into hell. Therefore let no
knowledge satisfy you—but that which lifts you above the world—but that
which weans you from the world—but that which makes the world a footstool.
This knowledge, this light will at last lead you into everlasting light.
(6.) The sixth property. That knowledge which accompanies
salvation is soul-abasing, soul-humbling
knowledge. It makes a man very little and low in his own eyes, as
you may see in the most knowing apostle: Eph 3:8, "Unto me, who am less than
the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the
Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." Paul's great light makes
him very little. Though he was the greatest apostle, yet he looks upon
himself as less than the least of all saints. "Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners—and I am the worst of them." 1 Timothy 1:15
Christ wonderfully extols John the Baptist. Says
Christ, he is a prophet, yes, and more than a prophet, yes, a greater is not
born of woman. But the greatest wonder of all is, that John is so low in his
own eyes! John 1:26-27, "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you
do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I
am not worthy to untie." In this phrase John alludes to the custom of the
Hebrews. Those among them which were more noble than others, had boys who
carried their shoes, and untied them when they laid them aside. Oh! says
John, I am a poor, weak, worthless creature; I am not worthy to he admitted
to the basest, to the lowest service under Christ; I am not worthy to carry
his shoes, to unloose his shoes.
After Peter had been in the mount, and instructed
and enlightened by Christ, he cries out, "Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a
sinful man," that is—a man, a sinner, a very mixture and compound of
dirt and sin, of vileness and baseness, as you may see in comparing Matt
17:1-5; Luke 5:8.
Abraham, under all his light and knowledge,
acknowledges himself to be but dust and ashes, Gen 18:27. Jacob,
under all his knowledge, acknowledges, "I am unworthy of all the kindness
and faithfulness you have shown your servant," Gen 32:10. David,
under all his knowledge, acknowledges himself to be a worm, and no man,
Psalm 22:6; he acknowledges himself to be foolish and ignorant, and as a
beast before the Lord, Psalm 73:22. Job, under all his knowledge,
abhors himself in dust and ashes, Job 42:1-5. Agur was very godly and
his knowledge very great; and yet under all his knowledge, oh, how did he
vilify, yes, nullify himself! "Surely," says he, "I am more brutish than any
man, and have not the understanding of a man. I neither learned wisdom, nor
have the knowledge of the holy," Prov 30:1-4. The evangelical prophet
Isaiah, under all his knowledge and visions, which were very great and
glorious, acknowledges himself to be a man of unclean lips, and to dwell in
the midst of a people of unclean lips," Isa 6:1-8.
Divine and heavenly knowledge brings a man near to God;
it gives a man the clearest and fullest sight of God; and the nearer any man
comes to God, and the clearer visions he has of God, the more low and humble
will that man lie before God. None so humble as those who have nearest
communion with God. The angels that are near unto him cover their faces with
their wings, in token of humility. Divine knowledge makes a man look
inwards; it anatomizes a man to himself; it is a mirror which shows a man
the spots of his own soul, and this makes him little and low in his own
eyes.
In the beams of this heavenly light, a Christian comes to
see his own pride, ignorance, impatience, unworthiness, conceitedness,
worthlessness, frowardness and nothingness. That knowledge which swells you
with self importance, will undo you; that knowledge which puffs you with
pride, will sink you; that knowledge which makes you delightful in your own
eyes will make you despicable in God's and godly men's eyes: 1 Cor 8:1-2,
"Knowledge puffs up;" that is, notional knowledge, speculative knowledge,
knowledge which ripens a man for destruction, which will leave him short of
salvation. This knowledge puffs and swells a man, and makes him think
himself something when he is nothing: "And if any man thinks that he knows
anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know," says the apostle. Will
not the heathen rise in judgment against many of our high-flown professors,
who swell, who look big, and talk big under their notional knowledge.
Well! if that knowledge you have be that knowledge which
accompanies salvation, it is a soul-humbling and a soul-abasing knowledge.
If it be otherwise, then will your knowledge make you both a prisoner and a
slave to the devil at once.
(7.) The seventh property. That knowledge which
accompanies salvation is an APPROPRIATING
knowledge, a knowledge which appropriates and applies spiritual and
heavenly benefits to a man's own particular soul. This is the pith and power
of heavenly knowledge—to appropriate Christ to a man's self. As you may see
in Job, "my Redeemer lives," and "my witness is in heaven," and "my
record is on high," Job 19:25, and Job 16:19. Just so, David, "the Lord is
my portion," Psalm 16:5. In Psalm 18:2, he uses this word of propriety eight
times together, "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my
God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my
salvation, and my high tower." So the spouse, "My beloved is mine, and I am
his," Song 2:16. Just so, Thomas, "My Lord and my God," John 20:28. Just so,
Paul, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I—but Christ
lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith
of the Son of God, who has loved me, and gave himself for me," Gal 2:20.
Personal applicatory knowledge is the sweetest knowledge;
it revives the heart, it cheers the spirits, it rejoices the soul, it makes
a man go singing to duties, and go singing to his grave, and singing to
heaven; whereas others, though gracious, who lack this applicatory
knowledge, have their hearts full of fears, and their lives full of sorrows,
and so go sighing and mourning to heaven. Those who have a blemish in
their eye think the sky to be ever cloudy; and nothing is more common to
weak spirits, than to be criticizing and contending, etc.
But lest any precious soul should turn this truth into a
sword to cut and wound himself, let me desire him to remember, that every
believer who has such knowledge which accompanies salvation, has not this
applicatory knowledge, which makes so much for the soul's consolation, and
which does accompany some men's salvation—not all men's
salvation. If you find your knowledge to be such a knowledge as is before
described in the six former particulars, though you have not attained to
this applicatory knowledge, yet have you attained to that knowledge which
accompanies salvation, and which will, my soul for yours, give you a
possession of salvation. This applicatory knowledge which accompanies
salvation, is only to be found in such eminent saints, who are high in their
communion with God, and who have attained some considerable assurance of
their interest in God.
Many men's salvation is accompanied with an applicatory
knowledge—but all men's salvation is not accompanied with an applicatory
knowledge of man's particular interest in Christ, and those blessed
favors and benefits which come by him. Your soul may be safe, and your
salvation may be sure, though you have not attained unto this appropriating
knowledge—but your life cannot be comfortable without this appropriating
knowledge; therefore, if you have it not, labor for it as for life. It is a
pearl of great price, and if you find it, it will make your soul amends for
all your digging, seeking, working, sweating, weeping, etc.
A man does not attain to health by reading Galen's or
Hippocrates's medical aphorisms—but by the practical application of them to
remove his diseases. You know how to apply it.
(8.) The eighth property. That knowledge which
accompanies salvation is accompanied and ATTENDED
with these things:
[1.] The first attendant. That knowledge which
accompanies salvation is attended with holy
endeavors, and with heavenly desires, thirstings, and pantings after a
further knowledge of God, after clearer visions of God. Prov
15:14, "The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds
on folly." The Hebrew word that is here rendered "seeks" signifies an
earnest and diligent seeking; to seek as an hungry man seeks for
food; or as a covetous man for gold—the more he has, the more he
desires; or as a condemned man seeks for his pardon; or as the
diseased man seeks for his cure. The word signifies to seek studiously,
laboriously, industriously; to seek by pleading, praying, inquiring, and
searching up and down, that we may find what we seek; to seek as men do for
hidden treasure. So in Prov 18:15, "The mind of the discerning acquires
knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks it."
A man who is divinely taught, will set his heart and his
ear, his inward and outward man, to know more and more. Divine knowledge is
marvelous sweet, pleasing, comforting, satisfying, refreshing,
strengthening, and supporting; and souls who have found the sweetness and
usefulness of it, cannot but look and long, breathe and pant after more and
more of it. The newborn babe does not more naturally and more earnestly long
for the breasts, than a soul who has tasted that the Lord is gracious, does
long for more and more tastes of God, 1 Pet 2:2-3. David, under all his
knowledge, cries out, "Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your
law. I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me. My soul is
consumed with longing for your laws at all times," Psalm 119:18-19. Job,
under all his knowledge, which was very great, cries out, "Teach me what I
cannot see; if I have done wrong, I won’t do it again." Job 34:32.
[2.] The second attendant. A second thing which attends
and accompanies that knowledge which accompanies salvation, is
holy endeavors to edify others, to instruct others,
to enlighten and inform others in the knowledge of spiritual and heavenly
things. Heavenly light cannot be hidden under a bushel. You may
as easily hinder the sun from shining, as you may hinder a gracious soul
from diffusing and spreading abroad that knowledge and light that God has
given him. The way to get more knowledge, is to communicate that which we
have. Thus did Philip of Bethsaida, John 1:45; thus did the woman of
Samaria, John 4:28-29; thus did the spouse, Song 5:10-16; thus did that
seraphic preacher Paul, Acts 26:29.
Divine light in the soul is like a light in a bright
lantern, which shines forth every way; or like a light in a room, or on a
beacon, which gives light to others. A Christian who is divinely taught, is
like the lamp in the story, that was always burning and shining, and never
went out. So in Gen 18:17,19, "And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham
that which I do; for I know him, that he will command his children and his
household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice
and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken
of him." He who communicates his knowledge to others, shall, be both of
God's court and counsel; he shall lie in the bosom of God, he shall know the
secrets of God.
Prov 15:7, "The lips of the wise disperse knowledge—but
the heart of the foolish does not so." The Hebrew word that is here
rendered, "disperse," is a metaphor taken from seedsmen scattering abroad
their seed in the furrows of the field. Heavenly knowledge is very spreading
and diffusive; it is like the sun: the sun casts his beams upward and
downward, upon good and upon bad. Just so, divine light in a gracious soul
will break forth for the advantage and profit of friends and enemies, of
those who are in a state of nature, and of those who are in a state of
grace.
Acts 4:18-20, "And they called them, and commanded them
not to speak at all, nor teach, in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John
answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to
hearken unto you more than unto God, judge you. For we cannot but speak
the things that we have seen and heard." Opposition is the black angel
which dogs the gospel at the heels. Divine knowledge is like new wine; it
must have vent; it is heavenly fire which will break forth, Jer 5:14, and
Jer 20:2.
The bee does store her hive out of all sorts of flowers
for the common benefit. Just so, a heavenly Christian sucks sweetness out of
every mercy and every duty, out of every providence and out of every
ordinance, out of every promise and out of every privilege—that he may give
out the more sweetness to others. "We learn—that we may teach," is a proverb
among the Rabbis. "And I do therefore lay in, and lay up," says the heathen,
"that I may draw forth again, and lay out for the good of many." This
heathen [Socrates, etc.,] will rise in judgment against those who monopolize
knowledge to themselves, who imprison their light within their own breasts,
lest others should outshine and darken them.
Synesius speaks of some, who, having a treasure of rare
abilities in themselves, would as soon part with their hearts as share their
abilities. Truly, such men are far off from that knowledge which accompanies
salvation; for that knowledge will make a man willing to spend and be spent
for the edification, consolation, and salvation of others, 2 Cor 6:10; Gal
4:19. Prov 10:21, "The lips of the righteous feed many."
[3.] The third attendant. A third thing which attends and
accompanies that knowledge which accompanies salvation, is
holy zeal, courage, and resolution for God.
Divine knowledge makes a man as bold as a lion, Prov 28:1. Dan 11:32, "The
people who know their God shall be strong, and do exploits." So Prov 24:5,
"A wise man is strong; yes, a man of knowledge increases strength," or, "He
strengthens might," as it is in the Hebrew. Divine light makes a man full of
zeal for God; it makes the soul divinely fearless and courageous. Josh
24:15, "Choose whom you will serve; I and my household will serve the Lord."
Come what will of it, we will never change our Master, nor leave his
service.
Those beams of light which shined in upon Chrysostom, did
so heat and warm his heart, that he stoutly tells Eudoxia the empress, that
for her covetousness she would be called a second Jezebel; whereupon she
sent him a threatening message, to which he returned this answer, "Go tell
her, that I fear nothing but sin."
Ah, Christians! there is an earthquake a-coming, and
therefore as you would stand fast, as you would not have any earthquakes to
make your hearts quake, get this zeal and courage which attends divine
knowledge, and then you shall in the midst of all earthquakes be as mount
Zion, which can never be moved, Psalm 125:1-2.
Those who write the story of the travels of the apostles,
report that Simon the Zealot preached here in England. Ah, England, England!
if ever you need some zealots, it is now! Oh how secure, how dull, how
drowsy, how sleepy in the midst of dangers are you! For this and other of
your abominations, I desire my soul may weep in secret.
[4.] The fourth attendant. The fourth and last thing
which attends or accompanies that knowledge which accompanies salvation is,
faith and confidence in God. Knowledge
and faith are twins, they live, and lodge, and act together; they are two
lovers, which may be distinguished one from another—but they cannot be
separated one from another.
Psalm 9:10, "They that know your name will put their
trust in you; for you, Lord, have not forgotten those who seek you." 2 Tim
1:12, "I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to
guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." I shall not enlarge upon
this branch, because I shall speak at large concerning faith in the next
particular.
And thus I have showed you from the Scriptures what that
knowledge is, which accompanies salvation.
II.
Now, the second thing that I am to show
you is, what that FAITH is, which
accompanies salvation. I have formerly showed you that faith does accompany
salvation—but now I will show you what faith that is, which accompanies
salvation; and that I shall do, by divine assistance, thus:
First, That faith which accompanies salvation, that
comprehends salvation, that will possess a man of salvation, is known, by
the OBJECTS about which it is exercised. And, by the PROPERTIES of it.
First, the OBJECTS about which
faith is exercised are these:
(1.) The first object of faith. First,
the person of Christ is the foremost
object of faith. Christ, as Redeemer, is the immediate object of faith, and
God the Father is the ultimate object of faith; for we believe in God
through Christ, Rom 6:11; 1 Pet 1:21; 2 Cor 3:4. It is Christ in the
promises, which faith deals with. The promise is but the shell, Christ is
the kernel; the promise is but the jewel casket, Christ is the gem in it;
the promise is but the field, Christ is the treasure which is hidden in that
field; the promise is a ring of gold, and Christ is the pearl in that ring;
and upon this sparkling, shining pearl, faith delights most to look. Song
3:4, "I found the one my heart loves. I held him and would not let him go."
So Song 7:5, "The king is held in the galleries."
Faith has two hands, and with both she lays earnest and
fast hold on King Jesus. Christ's beauty and glory is very captivating and
entrancing. Faith, when it sees Christ—will lay hold on him. Christ is the
principal object about which faith is exercised, for the obtaining of
righteousness and everlasting happiness. Acts 16:30-31, "And the jailor
said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved." Christ is in the scriptures held
forth to be the object about which faith is most conversant; and the more
faith is exercised upon the person of Christ, the more it buds and blossoms,
like Aaron's rod. Faith looks upon him as the express image and character of
his Father; faith beholds him as the chief of ten thousand; faith sees him
to be the most glorious object in all the world!
Not but that the Father is also the object of believers'
faith, John 14:1. Isa 63:15-16, with many other scriptures. But Christ is
the object held forth by the Father for our faith to close with, in respect
of our justification and salvation. God is the ultimate or highest object of
faith; and Christ the mediate object thereof.
(2.) The second object of faith. Secondly, The second
object that faith is exercised about, is the
righteousness of Jesus Christ. Phil 3:9, "I desire to be found in
Christ, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but
that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God
and is by faith." Paul would not be found in a legal righteousness, for he
knew all his legal righteousness was but as "filthy rags," Isa 54:6. All his
legal righteousness, sewed together, would but make up a coat of patches, a
beggar's coat, which is good for nothing but to be cast away; therefore he
desired to be found in the righteousness of Christ by faith. He knew that
Christ's righteousness was a pure righteousness, a spotless righteousness, a
matchless righteousness, a complete righteousness, a perfect righteousness,
an absolute righteousness, a glorious righteousness. Faith loves to fix her
eye upon that rich and royal robe, that blameless and spotless righteousness
of Christ, with which the soul stands gloriously clothed before God, as
being all beauteous, as being without spot or wrinkle in the divine account.
[Col 2:10; Song 4:7; Rev 14:5; Eph 5:27]
Oh, it is the actings of faith upon this blessed object,
this glorious righteousness of Christ, which makes a man intimate and bold
with God, which makes a man active and resolute for God, which strengthens a
man against temptations, which supports a man under afflictions, which makes
a man long for the day of his dissolution, which makes him prefer his coffin
above a prince's crown, the day of his death above the day of his birth;
which makes him triumph over sin and Satan, hell and wrath. Adam's
righteousness was but the righteousness of a creature—but the
righteousness about which faith is exercised is the righteousness of a God,
Rom 3:21, and Rom 10:3. Adam's righteousness was a mutable
righteousness, a righteousness that might be sinned away; but the
righteousness that a believer's faith is exercised about is an everlasting
righteousness, a righteousness that cannot be sinned away, 2 Cor 5:21: Prov
8:18.
The righteousness of angels is but the righteousness of
creatures—but the righteousness that the saints are clothed with is the very
righteousness of God; and in this respect the lowest saint is more excellent
and glorious than the most glorious angel.
Psalm 119:142, "Your righteousness is an everlasting
righteousness, and your law is the truth." The righteousness of Adam was a
righteousness subject to shaking, and we know that Satan did shake all his
righteousness about his ears, as I may say. Oh but that glorious
righteousness about which faith is conversant, is an unshaken righteousness,
a righteousness which cannot be shaken: Psalm 36:6, "Your righteousness is
like the great mountains," or rather, as it is in the Hebrew, "Your
righteousness is like the mountains of God." The Hebrew notes excellent
things, by adding the name of God; as cedars of God, Psalm 80:10; rivers of
God, Psalm 65:9; wrestlings of God, Gen 30:8; harps of God, Rev 15:2. What
more stable than a mountain! and what mountain so stable as the mountain of
God! The mountains cannot be shaken, no more can that glorious righteousness
of Christ, about which a believer's faith is exercised.
Adam's righteousness was a low righteousness, a
righteousness within his own reach, and a righteousness within Satan's
reach; it was not so high—but Adam could lay his hand upon it, as I may say;
it was not so high—but Satan could reach to the top of it, yes, to the
overtopping of it, as we have all found by woeful experience. Oh—but that
righteousness which faith is conversant about, is a righteousness of such a
height, as that neither Satan nor the world can reach to it: Psalm
71:15-16,19, "My mouth shall show forth your righteousness and your
salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof. I will go in the
strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of your righteousness, even of
yours alone. Your righteousness also, O God, is very high, who has done
great things: O God, who is like unto you?"
This glorious righteousness of Christ, about which faith
is busied, is called the righteousness of faith, because faith apprehends
it, and applies it, and feeds upon it, and delights in it, Rom 3:28. Rom
4:13, "For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to
Abraham, or to his seed, through the law—but through the righteousness of
faith." Rom 9:30, "What shall we say then? That the Gentiles who followed
not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the
righteousness which is of faith." The righteousness of Christ about which
faith is employed, is called the righteousness of faith, because faith puts
on this righteousness upon the soul. Faith wraps the soul up in this
righteousness of Christ, and so justifies it before God instrumentally.
Rom 10:6. "but the righteousness which is by faith," that
is which is apprehended by faith, etc. Mark, faith is only the instrument;
it cannot be the substance of that righteousness, as it were, whereby we are
justified and saved,
(1.) because it is imperfect;
(2.) the acts of faith are transient;
(3.) then should men have something within them whereof
to boast;
(4.) faith is a part of inherent holiness;
(5.) then some men should be justified more, and some
less, according to the different measures of faith in them, Gen 27:15; Rom
5:1; 1 Pet 1:8; Acts 10:48.
The actings of faith on this glorious righteousness does
most strengthen the soul: Isa 45:24, "Surely shall one say, In the Lord have
I righteousness and strength." The actings of faith on this blessed
righteousness, does most gladden and rejoice the soul: Isa 61:10, "I will
greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he has
clothed me with the garment of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of
righteousness." The actings of faith upon this complete righteousness of
Christ, renders souls just and righteous, pure and holy—in the account of
God: Rom 10:4, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, to
everyone who believes." Christ fulfills the law for believers, and they by
believing do fulfill the law in him; and so Christ by doing, and they by
believing in him who does it, do fulfill the law, and so are reputed fair
and spotless, complete and perfect, before the throne of God.
Faith's putting this righteousness on the soul, brings
down blessings upon the soul. When Jacob had put on his elder brother's
garment, he carried the blessing away. The actings of faith upon this
peerless righteousness of Christ, brings down the blessing of peace, and the
blessing of joy, and the blessing of remission of sins; and, in a word, all
other blessings that contributes to the making us blessed here and happy
hereafter, etc.
(3.) The third object of faith. Thirdly, The third object
that faith is exercised about is, the precious
promises, which are a Christian's magna charta.
2 Pet 1:4. Mark, the whole word of God is the object of
faith; but the promises, more especially, are the prime object about which
faith is most conversant.
As every precious stone has a rich virtue in it, so has
every promise. The promises are a precious book, every leaf drops myrrh and
mercy; and upon these precious promises, precious faith looks and lives.
From these breasts, faith sucks comfort and sweetness. Psalm 119:49-50,
"Remember your word (that is, your promise) unto your servant, upon which
you have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, for your
word has quickened me." So in Psalm 27:13, "I had fainted, unless I had
believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living;" Heb
11:13, "These all died in faith (or according to faith), not having received
the promises—but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and
embraced them" (or, as the Greek has it, saluted them by faith; they kissed
the promises, and kissed Christ in the promises), "and confessed that they
were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." It would be an endless thing to
show you how the faith of the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and other
saints has been acted and exercised upon promises of sanctification, upon
promises of justification, upon promises of salvation, upon promises of
glorification, upon promises of protection, upon promises for direction,
upon promises for support, etc. Look! as the lamp lives upon the oil, and
the child upon the breasts, so does faith upon the promises.
For the further advantage and comfort of your souls in
eyeing the promises, let me give you these two sweet hints:
First, In your looking upon the promises, mind most,
eye most, spiritual promises, absolute promises, namely, such as you see
here— Jer 32:40-41; Ezek 11:19-20; Ezek 36:25-27; Isa 42:1; Ezek 20:41-43;
Psalm 91:15; Isa 65:24; Jer 33:3; Isa 32:15; Ezek 34:30-31, with many others
of the like import. These spiritual and absolute promises are of nearest and
greatest concernment to you; these carry in them most of the heart of
Christ, the love of Christ, the goodwill of Christ; these are of greatest
use to satisfy you, and to settle you when you are wavering; to support you
when you are falling; to recover you when you are wandering; to comfort you
when you are fainting; to counsel you when you are staggering, etc.
Therefore make these your choicest and your chief companions, especially
when it is night within your souls, when you are sensible of much sin and
but a little grace, of much corruption but of little consolation, of much
deadness but of little quickness, of much hardness but of little tenderness,
of many fears and but a little faith.
The Jews under the law had more temporal promises than
spiritual—but we under the gospel have far more spiritual promises than
temporal; therefore sit down at this fire, and be warmed; drink of these
springs, and be satisfied; taste of these delicates, and be cheered. Let the
eye of faith be cast upon all the promises—but fixed upon spiritual
promises, upon absolute promises; they will have the greatest influence upon
the heart to holiness, and to prepare it for everlasting happiness.
Spiritual and absolute promises are the most precious mines to enrich you;
in them you will find the greatest pearls of price.
Look not only upon some of the riches, the jewels, the
pearls, that be wrapped up in the promises—but enlarge and expatiate your
understandings to an effectual contemplation of all those riches and
treasures which God has laid up in the promises. Cast not the eye of your
faith only upon one beam of the sun—but endeavor to see all the beams of the
sun; look not upon one branch of the tree of life—but upon every branch of
that tree; look not upon one bunch of the grapes of Canaan—but look upon the
whole land. Haman took notice, yes, and would have his friends take notice,
of all his greatness, honors, and riches, Esther 5:10-12; and will not you
stir up your hearts to see all those riches and pleasures that be in
precious promises?
As understanding heirs, when they come to read over their
documents, they will see what they will inherit in houses, what in goods,
what in lands, what in money, what in jewels, what at home, what abroad;
they will not sit down and say, 'Well! we find in our documents, that such
and such land is ours, and look no further.' No, no, they will look all
over, and take exact notice of everything; they will say, 'We have so much
land, and so much money, etc.' O beloved, there is much marrow and fatness,
there is much honey and sweetness, much grace and glory wrapped up in the
promises. Oh press them, and squeeze them until you have obtained all the
riches and sweetness which is in them.
Ah, Christians! did you this, God would be more honored,
the promises more prized, your graces more strengthened, your fears more
abated, your hearts more warmed and engaged, and your lives more regulated,
and Satan more easily and frequently vanquished. And so much for this third
object, about which faith is exercised.
(4.) Fourthly, The fourth object of faith. The fourth
object and last that I shall mention that faith is set and fixed upon is,
that glory, blessedness, and life, which God has
laid up for those who love him. The things of eternity are the
greatest things, they are the most excellent things. They are most excellent
in their natures, in their causes, in their operations, in their effects, in
their ends; and upon these faith looks and lives. Faith realizes eternal
realities; it makes absent things present. "Faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," Heb 11:1. The substance, that
is, that which gives a substantial being to the things of eternal, life.
Faith alters the tenses; it puts the future into the present, Psalm 60:6;
Heb 12:2. Faith makes absent glory present, absent riches present, absent
pleasures present, absent favors present. Faith brings an invisible God, and
sets him before the soul. Moses by faith saw him who was invisible. Faith
brings down the recompense of reward, and sets it really though spiritually
before the soul. Faith sets divine favor before the soul. It sets peace, it
sets pardon of sin, it sets the righteousness of Christ, it sets the joy of
heaven, it sets salvation, before the soul; it makes all these things very
near and obvious to the soul: "Faith is the evidence of things not seen."
Faith makes invisible things, visible; absent things,
present; things which are afar off, to be very near unto the soul—by
convincing demonstrations, by arguments and reasons drawn from the word, 2
Cor 4:17-18, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for
us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at
the things which are seen—but at the things which are not seen: for the
things which are seen are temporal—but the things which are not seen are
eternal." Faith looks with a diligent eye, as men do at the mark whereat
they shoot. Faith trades in invisible things, in eternal things. Its eye is
always upwards, like the fish uranoscopos, which has but one eye, and
yet looks continually up to heaven. Heb 6:19; Rom 8:18; Heb 10:34; Acts
7:56-56. An adopted heir to a crown cannot but have his heart at court; his
mind and thoughts will be upon his future glorious condition: he will be
still a-creating ideas and images of it.
Faith enters within the veil, and fixes her eye upon
those glorious things of eternity, which are so many that they exceed
number, so great that they exceed measure, so precious that
they are above all estimation. Says faith, "The spangled skies are but the
footstool of my Father's house; and if the footstool, the outside, is so
glorious, oh how glorious is his throne! Truly, in heaven there is that life
which cannot be expressed, that light which cannot be comprehended, that joy
which cannot be fathomed, that sweetness which cannot be dissipated, that
feast which cannot be consumed; and upon these pearls of glory I look and
live!"
And thus I have showed you the choice and precious
objects about which that faith is exercised which accompanies salvation.
I shall now in the next place show you the
PROPERTIES of that faith which accompanies
salvation, and they are these that follow.
[1.] The first property of that faith which accompanies
salvation is this: it puts forth itself into vital
operation. It makes a man full of life and activity for God; it
will make a man diligent and venturous in the work and ways of God. Faith is
a most active quality in itself, and so it makes a Christian most active.
Faith is a doing thing, and it makes the person doing. Faith will not allow
the soul to be idle. Faith is like the virtuous woman in the last chapter of
the Proverbs, who puts her hand to every work, who would allow none of her
handmaids to be idle.
Saving faith puts the soul upon grieving for sin,
upon combating with sin, upon weeping over sin, upon
trembling at the occasions of sin, upon resisting temptations
that lead to sin, upon fighting it out to the death with sin, Zech
12:10. Faith puts a man upon walking with God, upon waiting on God, upon
working for God, upon wrestling with God, upon bearing for God, and upon
parting with anything for God. Heb 11 is a full proof of these things; Gal
2:20. Faith makes pious duties to be easy to the soul, to be delightful to
the soul, to be profitable to the soul. Faith makes the soul to be serious
and conscientious in doing, to be careful and faithful in doing, to be
delightful and cheerful in doing, to be diligent and faithful in doing.
James 2:17-26. Faith looks to precepts as well as to promises: Psalm 119:66,
"Teach me good judgment and knowledge; for I have believed your
commandments." That faith which is not a working faith is not saving faith;
that faith which is not a working faith is a dead faith; that faith which is
not a working faith is a deluding faith; that faith which is not a working
faith is a worthless faith; that faith that is not a working faith will
leave a man short of heaven and happiness in the latter day.
Faith which accompanies salvation is better at doing than
at thinking, at obeying than at disputing, at walking than at talking: Titus
3:8, "This is a faithful saying; and these things I will that you affirm
constantly, that those who have believed in God might be careful to maintain
good works." The word signifies to bend their wits, and beat their brains,
to maintain good works, Isa 65:24; Gen 4:4; 2 Pet 3:11; Song 2:14. Luther
prefers the lowest work of a country Christian or poor maid above all the
victories and triumphs of Alexander and of Julius Cesar, Matt 27:66; Isa
41:10-11; Heb 13:5-6; Ezek 36:26-27, etc. Faith will make a man endeavor to
be good, yes, to be best, at everything he undertakes. It is not leaves but
fruit, not words but works—which God expects; and if we cross his
expectation, we frustrate our own salvation, we further our own
condemnation. Faith makes the soul much in doing, abundant in working, and
that partly by persuading the soul that all its works, all its duties and
services, shall be owned and accepted of God, as in Isa 56:7, "Even them
will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer
their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all people." Faith
assures the soul that every prayer, every sigh, every groan, every tear is
accepted. And this makes the soul pray much, and sigh much, and mourn
much.
Again, faith spreads the promises of divine assistance
before the soul. Oh! says faith, here, O soul, is assistance suitable to
the work required. And this makes a man work, as for life; it makes a man
work and sweat, and sweat and work.
Again, faith sets the recompense, the reward, before
the soul, Heb 11:25-26. Oh! says faith, look here, soul, here is a great
reward for a little work; here is great wages for weak and imperfect
services; here is an infinite reward for a finite work. Work, yes, work
hard, says faith, O believing soul, for your actions in passing pass not
away; every good work is as a grain of seed for eternal life. There is a
resurrection of works as well as of people, and in that day wicked men
shall see that it is not a vain thing to serve God; they shall see the most
doing souls to be the most shining souls, to be the most advanced and
rewarded. Oh the sight of this crown, of this recompense, makes souls to
abound in the work of the Lord, they knowing that their labor is not in vain
in the Lord, 1 Cor 15:58. One good work of a Christian is more precious than
heaven and earth, says Luther, Rev 14:13.
Again, faith draws from Christ's fullness; it sucks
virtue and strength from Christ's breasts. Faith looks upon Christ as a
head, and so draws from him; it looks upon Christ as a husband, and so draws
from him; it looks upon him as a fountain, and so draws from him; it looks
upon him as a sea, as an ocean of goodness, and so draws from him; it looks
upon him as a father, Col 1:19, and so draws from him; it looks upon him as
a friend, and so draws from him, John 1:16. And this divine power and
strength sets the soul a-working hard for God; it makes the soul full of
motion, full of action.
In a word, faith is such a working grace as sets all
other graces a-working. Faith has an influence upon every grace; it is like
a silver chain which runs through a set of pearls; it puts strength and
vivacity into all other virtues. Love touched by a hand of faith
flames forth; hope fed at faith's table grows strong, and casts
anchor within the veil, Acts 5 and Acts 16; Rom 15:13. Joy,
courage, and zeal being smiled upon by faith, is made invincible
and unconquerable, etc. Look! what oil is to the wheels, what weights are to
the clock, what wings are to the bird, what sails are to the ship, that
faith is to all pious duties and services, except it be winter with the
soul.
And thus you see, that that faith which accompanies
salvation is a working faith, a lively faith, and not such a dead faith as
most please and deceive themselves with forever.
[2.] The second property of that faith which accompanies
salvation is this: it is of a GROWING and
INCREASING nature. It is like the waters of the sanctuary, which
rise higher and higher, as Ezekiel speaks. It is like a tender plant, which
naturally grows higher and higher; it is like a grain of mustard-seed, which
though it be the least of all seeds, yet by a divine power it grows up
beyond all human expectations, Matt 13:32.
Faith is imperfect, as all other graces are—but yet it
grows and increases gradually. The righteous shall flourish like the palm
tree, Psalm 92:12-14. Now, the palm tree never loses his leaf or fruit, says
Pliny. Rom 1:17, "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from
faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." As a
gracious soul is still a-adding knowledge to knowledge, love to love, fear
to fear, zeal to zeal, so he is a-adding faith to faith. A gracious soul
knows, that if he is rich in faith—he cannot be poor in other graces; be
knows the growth of faith will be as "the former and the latter rain" to all
other graces; he knows that there is no way to outgrow his fears but by
growing in faith; he knows that all the pleasant fruits of paradise,
namely, joy, comfort, and peace—flourish as faith flourishes; he knows that
he has much work upon his hands, that he has many things to do, many
temptations to withstand, many mercies to improve, many burdens to bear,
many corruptions to conquer, many duties to perform. And this makes the
believing soul thus to reason with God: 'Ah, Lord! whatever I am weak in,
let me be strong in faith; whatever dies, let faith live; whatever decays,
let faith flourish. An old man being once asked if he grew in grace,
answered, Yes, doubtless I believe I do; for God has said in his word that
we shall flourish and bring forth fruit in old age. Lord, let me be low in
repute, low in parts, low in estate, so you will make me high in faith.
Lord! let me be poor in anything, poor in everything, so you will make me
rich in faith. Lord! let the eye of faith be more opened, let the eye of
faith be more quick-sighted, let the eye of faith be the more raised, and it
shall be enough to me, though Joseph be not, though Benjamin be not.
It was the glory of the Thessalonians, that "their faith
grew exceedingly," 2 Thess 1:3. A growth in faith will render a man glorious
in life, lovely in death, and twice blessed in the morning of the
resurrection. That is but a wooden leg that grows not, no more is that any
more but a wooden faith, a counterfeit faith, that grows not. So will not
a growth in honors, a growth in riches, a growth in notions, a growth in
worldly knowledge. That faith which accompanies salvation unites the soul to
Christ, and keeps the soul up in communion with Christ. And from that
union and communion which the soul has with Christ, flows such a divine
power and virtue, that causes faith to grow. The union between Christ
and the saints is the nearest and the highest union; and so it advantages
their graces, and advances them to a higher degree of happiness than any
other creatures whatever, John 17. Christ would have his people one with him
and the Father, though not essentially, nor personally, yet really and
spiritually.
Yet that no weak believer may be stumbled, or saddened,
let them remember—
(1.) That though that faith which accompanies salvation
be a growing faith, yet there are some certain seasons and cases wherein
a man may decay in his faith, and wherein he may not have the exercise and
the actings of his faith. This blessed babe of grace may be cast
into a deep slumber; this heavenly pearl may be so buried under the
thick clay of this world, and under the ashes of corruption and temptation,
as that for a time it may neither stir, nor grow—as might be shown in
Abraham, David, Solomon, Peter, and others.
(2.) Secondly, Remember this, that the strongest faith
at times is subject to shakings, as the strongest men are to faintings,
as the stoutest ships are to tossings, as the wisest men are to doubtings,
as the brightest stars are to twinklings, etc. Therefore, if at certain
times you should not be sensible of the growth of your faith, yet do not
conclude that you have no faith. Faith may be in the root when it is not in
the act. There may be life in the root of the tree, when there are neither
leaves, blossoms, nor fruit upon the tree; the life which is in the root
will show itself at the spring, and so will the habits of faith break forth
into acts, when the Sun of righteousness shall shine forth, and make it a
pleasant spring to your soul. And thus much for this second particular.
[3.] The third property of that faith which accompanies
salvation is this: it makes those things which are
great and glorious in the world's account—to be very little and low in the
eyes of the believer. Faith makes a believer to live in the land
of promise as in a strange country, Heb 11:9. It is nothing to live
as a stranger in a strange land—but to live as a stranger in the land of
promise, this is the excellency and glory of faith.
Faith will make a man set his feet where other men sets
their hearts. Faith looks with an eye of scorn and disdain upon the things
of this world. 'What,' says faith, 'are earthly treasures, compared to the
treasures of heaven? What are stones compared to silver, dross compared to
gold, darkness compared to light, hell compared to heaven?' Matt 6:19-20.
'No more,' says faith, 'What are all the treasures, pleasures, and delights
of this world, compared to the light of your countenance, to the joy of your
Spirit, to the influences of your grace?'
Psalm 4:6-7. I see nothing, says David, in this wide
world, only "your commandments are exceeding broad." Faith makes David
account his crown nothing, his treasures nothing, his victories nothing, his
attendants nothing, etc. Faith will make a man write 'worthless' upon
the best of worldly things; it will make a man trample upon the pearls of
this world, as upon dross and dirt, Heb 11:24-26. Faith deadens a man's
heart to the things of this world: "I am crucified to the world, and the
world is crucified to me," says Paul, Phil 3:8; Gal 6:14. This world, says
faith, is not my house, my habitation, my home; I look for a better country,
for a better city, for a better home, 2 Cor 5:1-2. He who is the heir to a
crown, a kingdom, looks with an eye of scorn and disdain upon everything
below a kingdom, below a crown. Faith tells the soul that it has a crown, a
kingdom in expectation; and this makes the soul to scorn the things of this
world, 2 Tim 4:8.
Faith raises and sets the soul high. "And has raised us
up together, and has made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus," says the apostle, Eph 2:6. Faith makes a man live high: "Our life is
in heaven," Phil 3:20; and the higher any man lives, the less, the lower
will the things of this world be in his eye.
The view of Lucian is very pleasant, who going to the top
of a high mountain, saw all the affairs of men, and looked on their
greatest, richest, and most glorious cities, as little birds' nests.
Faith sets the soul upon the hill of God, the mountain of God, that is, a
high mountain; and from thence, faith gives the soul a sight, a prospect of
all things here below. And, ah! how like birds' nests do all the riches,
honors, and glories of this world look and appear to them, that faith has
set upon God's high hill.
Faith having set Luther upon this high hill, he protests
that God should not put him off with these poor low things. Faith set Moses
high, it set him among invisibles; and that made him look upon all the
treasures, pleasures, riches, and glories of Egypt, as little birds' nests,
as molehills, as dross and dirt, as things that were too little and too low
for him to set his heart upon. Truly, when once faith has given a man a
sight, a prospect of heaven, all things on earth will be looked upon as
little and low. And so much for this third property of faith.
[4.] The fourth property of that faith which accompanies
salvation is this: it purifies the heart, it is a
heart purifying faith. "Purifying their hearts by faith," Acts
15:9. Faith has two hands, one to lay hold on Christ, and another to sweep
the heart, which is Christ's house. Faith knows that Christ is of a
dove-like nature; he loves to lie clean and sweet. Faith has a neat
housewife's hand, as well as an eagle's eye. Faith is as good at purging out
of sin, as it is at discovering of sin. There is a cleansing quality in
faith, as well as a healing quality in faith. Sound faith will purge the
soul from the love of sin, from a delight in sin, and from the reign and
dominion of sin, Ezek 16. "Sin shall not have dominion over you; for you are
not under the law—but under grace," Rom 6:14,21.
Now faith purges and cleanses the heart from sin,
sometimes by pressing and putting God to make good the promises of
sanctification. Faith takes that promise in Jer 33:8, "And I will cleanse
them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me." This is
an allusion to the purifications prescribed in the law for the cleansing of
polluted persons, till which purifications were performed they could not be
admitted into the camp or congregation. And that promise in Mic 7:19, "He
will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our
iniquities, and you will cast all their sins into the bottom of the sea;"
and that promise in Psalm 65:3, "Iniquities prevail against me; as for our
transgressions, you shall purge them away;" and that promise in Isa 1:25,
"And I will turn my hand upon you, and purely purge away your dross, and
take away all your sin;" and spreads them before the Lord, and will never
leave urging and pressing, seeking and suing, until God makes them good.
Faith makes the soul divinely impudent, divinely
shameless. 'Lord!' says faith, 'are not these your own words? Have you said
it, and shall it not come to pass? Are you not a faithful God? Is not your
honor engaged to make good the promises which you have made? Arise, O God,
and let my sins be scattered; turn your hand upon me, and let my sins be
purged.' And thus faith purifies the heart.
Again, sometimes faith purifies the heart from sin, by
engaging against sin in Christ's strength, as David engaged against Goliath,
1 Sam 17:47, not in his own strength—but in the strength and name of the
Lord Almighty. Faith leads the soul directly to God, and engages God against
sin, so as that the combat is changed, and made now rather between God and
sin than between sin and the soul; and so sin comes to fall before the power
and glorious presence of God.
That is a choice word, Psalm 61:2, "From the ends of the
earth will I cry to you, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock
that is higher than I." Look! as a child who is attacked by one who is
stronger than he, cries out to his father to help him, and to fight for him
against his enemy. Just so, faith, being sensible of its own weakness and
inability to get the victory over sin, cries out to Christ, who is stronger
than the strong man, and so Christ binds the strong man, and casts him out.
Faith tells the soul, that all purposes, resolutions, and endeavors, without
Christ, will never set the soul above its sins, they will never purify the
heart from sin; therefore faith engages Christ, and casts the main of the
work upon Christ, and so it purges the soul from sin.
Luther reports of Staupicius, a German divine, that he
acknowledged, before he came to understand the free and powerful grace of
Christ, that he vowed and resolved a hundred times against some particular
sin, and could never get power over it; he could never get his heart
purified from it, until he came to see that he trusted too much to his own
resolutions, and too little to Jesus Christ; but when his faith had engaged
Christ against his sin, he had the victory.
Again, faith purifies the heart from sin, by the
application of Christ's blood. Faith makes a plaster of Christ's blessed
blood, and lays it on upon the soul's sores, and so cures it. Faith makes a
heavenly purgative of this blessed blood, and gives it to the soul, and so
makes it vomit up that poison which it has drunk in. It is the excellency of
faith, that it can turn the blood of Christ both into food and into physic.
Faith tells the soul, that it is not all the tears in the world, nor all the
water in the sea, which can wash away the uncleanness of the soul; it is
only the blood of Christ which can make a blackmoor white; it is only the
blood of Christ which can cure a leprous Naaman, which can cure a leprous
soul. 'This fountain of blood,' says faith, 'is the only fountain which can
wash heart from all uncleanness and filthiness of flesh and spirit.' Zech
13:1. Those spots which a Christian finds in his own heart, can only be
washed out in the blood of the Lamb, by a hand of faith.
Again, faith purifies the soul from sin, by putting
the soul upon heart-purifying ordinances, and by mixing and mingling itself
with ordinances: "The word profited them not," says the apostle,
"because it was not mixed with faith in those who heard it," Heb 4:2. Faith
is such an excellent ingredient, that it makes all potions work for the good
of the soul, for the purifying of the soul, and for the bettering of the
soul. Yet no potion, no means will profit the soul, if this heavenly
ingredient is not mixed with it. Now, faith puts a man upon praying, upon
hearing, upon the fellowship of the saints, upon public duties, upon family
duties, and upon closet duties; and faith then comes and joins with the
soul, and mixes herself with these soul-purifying ordinances, and so makes
them effectual for the purifying of the soul more and more from all
filthiness and uncleanness.
Faith puts out all her virtue and efficacy in ordinances,
to the purging of souls from their dross and tin; not that faith in this
life shall wholly purify the soul from the indwelling of sin, or from the
motions or operations of sin, no; for then we would have our heaven in this
world, and then we might bid ordinances adieu. But that faith which
accompanies salvation does naturally purify and cleanse the heart from the
remainders of sin by degrees. Sound faith is still a-making the heart more
and more neat and clean—that the king of glory may delight in his
habitation, that he may not remove his gracious—but may abide with the soul
forever. And thus you see that that faith which accompanies salvation is a
heart-purifying faith. Sin is like the wild fig tree, or ivy in the wall,
cut off stump, body, bough, and branches, yet some sprigs or other will
sprout out again, until the wall be plucked down, etc.
(5.) The fifth property of that faith which accompanies
salvation is this: it is soul-softening, it is
soul-mollifying. Oh nothing breaks the heart of a sinner like
faith. Peter believes soundly—and weeps bitterly, Matt 26:75; Mary Magdalene
believes much—and weeps much, Luke 7:44. Faith sets a wounded Christ, a
bruised Christ, a despised Christ, a pierced Christ, a bleeding
Christ—before the soul, and this makes the soul sit down and weep bitterly:
"I will pour upon the house of David, the Spirit of grace and of
supplication; and they shall look upon him whom they have pierced,
and they shall mourn for him" (all gospel-mourning flows from believing),
"as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one
who is in bitterness for his firstborn," Zech 12:10, etc. Oh! the sight of
those wounds which their sins have made, will wound their hearts through and
through; it will make them lament over Christ with a bitter lamentation.
They say nothing will dissolve the adamant but the blood of a goat. Ah!
nothing will kindly, sweetly, and effectually break the hardened heart of a
sinner—but faith's beholding the blood of Christ trickling down his sides.
Pliny reports of a serpent, that when it stings, it
fetches all the blood out of the body; but it was never heard that ever any
sweat blood but Christ, and the very thoughts of this makes the believing
soul to sit down sweating and weeping. That Christ should love man when he
was most unlovely, that man's extreme misery should but inflame Christ's
affections of love and mercy—this melts the believing soul. That Christ
should leave the eternal bosom of his Father; that he who was equal with God
should come in the form of a servant; that he who was clothed with glory,
should be wrapped in rags; that he whom the heaven of heavens could not
contain should be cradled in a manger; that from his cradle to his cross,
his whole life should be a life of sorrows and sufferings; that the judge of
all flesh should be condemned; that the Lord of life should be put to death;
that he who was his Father's joy should in anguish of spirit cry out, 'My
God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' that that head which was
crowned with honor, should be crowned with thorns; that those eyes
which were as a flame of fire, which were clearer than the sun, should be
closed up by the darkness of death; that those ears which were
accustomed to hear nothing but hallelujahs, should hear nothing but
blasphemies; that that face which was white and ruddy should be spit
upon by the beastly Jews; that that tongue which spoke as never any
man spoke, yes, as never any angel spoke, should be accused of blasphemy;
that those hands which swayed both a golden scepter and an iron rod,
and those feet that were as fine brass, should be nailed to the
cross—and all this for man's transgression, for man's rebellion! Oh! the
sight of these things, the believing of these things, the acting of faith on
these things, makes a gracious soul to break and bleed, to sigh and groan,
to mourn and lament! That faith which accompanies salvation is more or less
a heartbreaking, a heart-melting faith.
(6.) The sixth property of that faith which accompanies
salvation is this: it is a world-conquering faith,
it is a world-overcoming faith. 1 John 5:4, "For whoever is born
of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory which overcomes the
world, even our faith." Faith overcomes the frowning world, the
fawning world, the tempting world, and the persecuting
world, and that it does thus:
(1.) Faith, by uniting the soul to Christ, does
interest the soul in all the victories and conquests of Christ, and so makes
the soul a conqueror with Christ: John 16:33, "These things have I
spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace; in the world you shall
have tribulation—but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." We have
to deal but with a conquered enemy; our Jesus has given the world a mortal
wound; we have nothing to do but to set our feet upon a subdued enemy, and
to sing it out with the apostle, "Over all these we are more than
conquerors," Rom 8:37.
(2.) Faith overcomes the world, by outbidding sights.
Faith outbids the world, and so makes the soul victorious. The world set
honors, pleasures, etc., before Moses—but his faith outbid the world. Faith
presents the recompense of reward, it brings down all the glory, pleasures,
and treasures of heaven, of the eternal world, and sets them before the
soul; and so it overtops and overcomes the world by outbidding it. So
Christ, "for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising
the shame," Heb 12:2.
(3.) Faith overcomes the world, by telling the soul
that all things are its own. Says faith—This God is your God, this
Christ is your Christ, this righteousness is your righteousness, this
promise is your promise, this crown is your crown, this glory is your glory,
these treasures are your treasures, these pleasures are your pleasures. "All
things are yours," says the apostle, "things present are yours, and things
to come are yours," 1 Cor 3:22. Thus the faith of the martyrs acted, and so
made them victorious over a tempting and a persecuting world, Heb 11:35.
(4.) Faith overcomes the world, by valuing the things
of this world as they are. Most men over-value them, they put too great
a price upon them; they make the world an idol, and then they cry, "Great is
Diana of the Ephesians!" Oh but faith now gives all things their correct
value; faith presents all worldly things as impotent, as mixed, as mutable,
as momentary—in comparison with the soul, and so makes the soul victorious.
Faith makes a man to see the prickles which are on every rose, the thorns
which are in every crown, the scabs which are under every shirt, the poison
which is in the golden cup, the snare which is in the delicious dish, the
spot which is in the shining pearl—and so makes a Christian count and call
all these things, as indeed they are, "vanity of vanities!" And so the
believing soul slights the world, and tramples upon it as dirt and dross.
And lastly,
(5.) Faith overcomes the world, by presenting Jesus
Christ to the soul as a most excellent, glorious, and comprehensive good, as
such a good which comprehends all good. There is no good without Christ,
the chief good. Christ is that one good which comprehends all good; that one
excellency which comprehends all excellencies. All the beauties, all the
rarities, all the excellencies, all the riches, all the glories of all
created creatures—are comprehended in Christ. As the worth and value of many
pieces of copper are less than one precious jewel, so all the whole volume
of perfections which is spread through heaven and earth is epitomized in
Christ; and the sight and sense of this makes the soul to triumph over the
world. Faith presents more excellencies and better excellencies in Christ,
than can be lost for Christ, and so it makes the soul a conqueror.
I have been long upon these things, because they are of
much weight and worth. I shall be the briefer in what follows. But before I
leave this point, I shall give you these hints:
In the first place, I shall give you some hints
concerning strong faith.
In the second place, I shall give you some hints
concerning weak faith.
My design in both is, to keep precious souls from
mistaking and fainting. Concerning STRONG faith, I shall give you
these short hints:
(1.) The first hint. Strong faith will make a soul
resolute in resisting, and happy in conquering the strongest temptations,
Heb 11:3, etc., Dan 6:10, etc.
(2.) The second hint. Strong faith will make a man own
God, and cleave to God, and hang upon God, in the face of the greatest
difficulties and dangers, Rom 4:18, etc., Psalm 44:16-18. So Job will trust
in God, though he slays him, Job 13:15-16.
(3.) The third hint. Strong faith will enable men to
prefer Christ's cross before the world's crown, to prefer tortures before
deliverance, Heb 11:3, etc.
(4.) The fourth hint. Strong faith will make a soul
divinely fearless, and divinely courageous. It will make a man live as the
child lives in the family—without fear or care, Psalm 23:4. Dan 3:16, "We
are not afraid to answer you, O king; our God whom we serve is able to
deliver us, and he will deliver us," etc. Mic 7:7-9.
(5.) The fifth hint. Strong faith will make a man cleave
to the promise, when providence runs cross to the promise, Num 10:29; 2
Chron 20:9-11. Psalm 60:6-7, "God has spoken in his holiness," says David;
"I will rejoice: I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine," etc. Though David was in his
banishment, yet his faith accounts all his, as if he had all in possession,
and that because God had spoken in his holiness. His faith hangs upon the
promise, though present providences did run cross to the promise, etc. So
Joshua and Caleb, Num 14:22-24.
(6.) The sixth hint. Strong faith will make men comply
with those commands which most cross them in their most desirable comforts,
Heb 11:8-9, and Heb 10:34; Gen 22.
Now, O precious souls! you are not to argue against your
own souls, that surely you have no faith, because that your faith does not
lead you forth to such and such noble things. You may have true
faith, though you have not so great faith as others of the Lord's
worthies have had. As it is dangerous to make false definitions of sin, so
it is dangerous to make false definitions of grace.
The philosophers say that there are eight degrees
of heat. Now, if a man should define heat only by the highest degree, then
all other degrees will not be considered as being heat. So if a man should
define faith only by the highest degrees and operations of it, then that
will not be considered as being faith—which indeed is faith, as I shall
presently show.
In the second place, I shall give you some hints
concerning WEAK faith.
(1.) The first hint. A weak faith does as much justify
and as much unite a man to Christ—as a strong faith does. It gives a man
as much propriety and interest in Christ as the strongest faith in the
world. The babe has as much interest in the father, as he who is of grown
years. A weak faith gives a man as good a title to Christ, and all the
precious things of eternity, as the strongest faith in the world. A weak
hand may receive a pearl—as well as the strong hand of a giant. Faith is a
receiving of Christ, John 1:12.
(2.) The second hint. The promises of eternal happiness
and blessedness are not given only to the strength of faith—but to
the truth of faith; not to the highest degrees of faith—but to
the reality of faith. He who believes shall be saved, though he has
not such a strength of faith as to stop the mouth of lions, as to work
miracles, as to move mountains, as to subdue kingdoms, as to quench the
violence of fire, as to resist strong temptations, as to rejoice under great
persecutions, Heb 11:33-35. No man that is saved upon the account of the
strength of his faith—but upon the account of the truth of his
faith. In the great day Christ will not bring balances to weigh men's
graces—but a touchstone to try their graces; he will not look so much
at the strength as at the truth of their graces.
(3.) The third hint. The weakest faith shall grow
stronger and stronger. A weak believer shall go on from faith to faith.
Christ is the finisher as well as the author of our faith, Rom 1:17; Heb
12:2. Christ will nurse up this blessed babe, faith, and will not allow
it to be strangled in its infancy. He who has begun a good work will
perfect it, Phil 1:6; 1 Pet 1:5. Christ is as well bound to look after our
graces as he is to look after our souls. Grace is Christ's work, therefore
it must prosper in his hand; he is the great builder and repairer of our
graces; he will turn your spark into a flame, your drop into
an ocean, your penny into a pound, your mite into a million,
Matt 12:20, and Matt 13:32. Therefore do not sit down discouraged because
your faith is weak. That which is sowed in weakness, shall rise in power.
Your weak faith shall have a glorious resurrection. Christ will not allow
such a pearl of great price to remain buried under a clod of earth.
(4.) The fourth hint. A little faith is faith, as a spark
of fire is fire, a drop of water is water, a little star is a star, a little
pearl is a pearl. Truly, your little faith is a jewel which God does highly
prize and value; and your little faith will make you put a higher price upon
Christ and grace than upon all the world, Matt 18:10; 1 Pet 2:7. Well!
remember this, that the least measure of true faith will bring you to
salvation, and possess you of salvation—as well as the greatest measure. A
little faith accompanies salvation—as well as a great faith; a weak faith—as
well as a strong faith. Therefore do not say, O precious soul, that you have
not that faith which accompanies salvation, because you have not such a
strong faith, or such and such a high degree of faith. A GREAT faith will
yield a man a heaven here; a LITTLE faith will yield him a heaven hereafter.
III.
The third thing that I am to show you is,
what that REPENTANCE is, which
accompanies salvation. That repentance does accompany salvation, I
have formerly showed. Now, I shall manifest in the following particulars
what that repentance is, which accompanies salvation, which comprehends
salvation.
(1.) The first property. First, That repentance which
accompanies salvation, is a general, a universal
change of the whole man; a change in every part—though it be but
in part. That repentance which accompanies salvation changes both heart and
life, word and work; it makes an Ethiopian an Israelite, a leper an angel.
"Wash, make yourself clean;" there is the change of your hearts. "Put away
the evil of your doings from before my eyes, cease to do evil, learn to do
well," Isa 1:16-18; there is the change of their practices.
So the prophet Ezekiel, "Cast away all your
transgressions," says he, "whereby you have transgressed;" there is the
change of life: "And make a new heart, and a new spirit," Ezek 18:30-32;
there is the change of the heart. True repentance is a thorough change both
of the mind and manners. That repentance which accompanies salvation works a
change in the whole man; in all the qualities of the inward man, and in all
the actions of the outward man. The understanding is turned from
darkness to light; the will from a sinful servility to a holy
liberty; the affections from disorder into order; the heart
from hardness into softness. So in the outward man, the lustful eye
is turned into an eye of chastity; the wanton ear is turned into an
obedient ear; the hands of bribery are turned into hands of
liberality; and the wandering feet of vanity are turned into ways of
purity. And truly, that repentance which changes a man in some part—but not
in every part; which only makes a man a Herod, or an Agrippa, a half
Christian, an almost Christian—that repentance will never bring down
heaven into a man's bosom here, nor never bring a man up to heaven
hereafter!
That repentance which accompanies salvation makes a man
all glorious within, and his raiment to be of embroidered gold, Psalm 45:13;
it stamps the image of God both upon the inward and the outward man; it
makes the heart like the ark, all gold within; and it makes the life like
the sun, all glorious without.
(2.) The second property. Secondly, That repentance which
accompanies salvation is a total turning as well as
a universal turning; a turning from all sin, without any reservation or
exception. "I hate and abhor every false way—but I love your
law," Psalm 119:163. So in Ezek 18:30, "Therefore, O house of Israel, I will
judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign Lord.
Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your
downfall." So in Ezek 33:11. As Noah's flood drowned his nearest and his
dearest friends, so the flood of penitent tears drowns men's nearest and
their dearest lusts! Be they Isaacs or Benjamins, be they right eyes or
right hands, repentance which accompanies salvation puts all to the sword;
it spares neither father nor mother, neither Agag nor Achan; it casts off
all the rags of old Adam; it leaves not a horn nor a hoof behind; it throws
down every stone of the old building; it scrapes off all leviathan's scales;
it washes away all leprous spots. And God has engaged himself to cleanse the
hearts of his people from all sin, and to set their souls against all sin,
Jer 33:8; Ezek 36:25,29,33; 1 John 1:9. Repentance for sin is worth nothing,
without repentance from sin.
Ezek 14:6, "Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus
says the Lord God, Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn
away your faces from all your abominations." Sin is a turning the back
upon God, and the face towards hell; but repentance is a turning the back
upon sin, and a setting the face towards God! He who looks upon both
Jerusalem and upon Babylon with an alluring eye at the same time;
he who looks upon God, and at the same time looks upon any sin
with an alluring eye, has not yet reached unto this repentance which
accompanies salvation; his repentance and profession cannot secure him from
double damnation. Thus did Herod and Judas, to their eternal ruin, James
2:20.
He who serves God in some things, and his lusts
in other things, says to God as David said to Mephibosheth concerning
his lands, "You and Ziba divide the lands," 2 Sam 19:29. Just so, you and
Satan divide my soul, my heart between you. Ah! does not such a soul deserve
a double hell? Christ takes every sin at a penitent man's hands, as Caesar
did his wounds from him of whom he merited better usage, with, "And you, my
son." "What, you wound me! What, you stab me!" One stab at the
heart kills, one hole in the ship sinks her, one act of treason makes a
traitor. Just so, one sin not forsaken, not turned from, will undo a soul
forever. Sin always ends tragically, and this puts the penitent in battle
array against every sin.
There are no wounds which are so grievous and terrible to
Christ, as those who he receives in the house of his friends, and this sets
the penitent man's heart and hand against everything which is against
Christ. A true penitent looks upon every sin as poison, as the vomit of a
dog, as the mire of the street, as the menstruous cloth, which of all things
in the law was most unclean, defiling, and polluting. And his looking thus
upon every sin, turns his heart against every sin, and makes him not only to
refrain from sin—but to forsake it, and to loathe it more than hell.
(3.) The third property. Thirdly, That repentance which
accompanies salvation is not only a turning from all sin—but it is also
a turning unto God. The Hebrew word for repentance signifies to
return, implying a going back from what a man had done. It notes a
returning or converting from one thing to another, as from sin to God, from
evil to good, from hell to heaven. It is not only a ceasing from doing
evil—but it is also a learning to do well; it is not only a turning from
darkness—but it is also a turning to light; as the apostle speaks, Acts
26:18, "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and
from the power of Satan unto God." So in Isa 55:7, "Let the wicked forsake
his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the
Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will
abundantly pardon." It is not enough for the man of iniquity to forsake his
evil way—but he must also return unto the Lord; he must subject his heart to
the power of divine grace, and his life to the will and word of God. As
negative goodness can never satisfy a gracious soul, so negative goodness
can never save a sinful soul. It is not enough that you are thus and thus
bad—but you must be thus and thus good, or you are undone
forever: Ezek 18:21, "But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he
has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he
will surely live; he will not die."
Negative righteousness and holiness is no righteousness,
no holiness, in the account of God. It was not the Pharisee's negative
righteousness, nor his comparative goodness, which could prevent his being
rejected of God, his being shut out of heaven, his burning in hell, Luke
18:5; Matt 20:13-14. It is not enough that the tree bears no bad
fruit—but it must bring forth good fruit—else it must be cut down and
cast into the fire. That tree which is not for fruit—is for the
fire. "Every tree which brings not forth good fruit," says Christ, "is
hewn down, and cast into the fire," Matt 7:19. Men who content themselves
with negative righteousness, shall find at last heaven-gates bolted upon
them with a double bolt. All that negative righteousness and holiness can
do, is to help a man to one of the best chambers and easiest beds in hell.
That repentance which accompanies salvation, brings the heart and life
not only off from sin—but on to God; it makes a man not only cease
from walking in the ways of death—but it makes him walk in the ways of life:
"They do no iniquity, they walk in his ways," Psalm 119:3. He who holds not
wholly with Christ, does very shamefully neglect Christ. And therefore if
Christ tramples upon them at last, it is just.
(4.) The fourth property. Fourthly, That repentance which
accompanies salvation, strikes most effectually and
particularly against that sin or sins, that the sinner was most apt and
prone to before his conversion. The hand of repentance is most
against that sin, it is most upon that sin, which the soul has
looked most with an alluring eye upon. Augustine, a great sinner, wrote
twelve books on repentance, and walked most contrary to the particular sins
which he had most lived in. The chief and principal sins which Israel were
guilty of, were idolatry and sinful compliance. Now, when God works kindly
upon them, they put the hand of repentance upon those particular sins, as
you may see: Isa 27:9, "By this, then, will Jacob's guilt be atoned for, and
this will be the full fruitage of the removal of his sin: When he makes all
the altar stones to be like chalk stones crushed to pieces, no Asherah poles
or incense altars will be left standing." (This was the great sin of
Israel—but after their return out of captivity, they never again set up
idols—but were wonderful zealous to keep their temple from such defilements,
both in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, and of the Romans, and do account
them as a menstruous cloth, to this very day. The Jews were willing in the
Romans' time, rather to die than to allow the eagle, the Roman imperial
arms, to be set upon the temple.) Here you see, when God appears and acts
graciously for and towards his people, they put the hand of repentance
upon their groves and images; these must torn down, these must no longer
stand. The groves and the images shall not stand up, they shall be utterly
abandoned and destroyed, demolished, and abolished.
So in Isa 30:22, "Then you will defile your idols
overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them
away like a menstrual cloth and say to them—Away with you!" Here you see the
hand of repentance is against their idols of silver and gold; and not only
against their idols—but also against whatever had any relation to them. Now
they show nothing but a detestation of their idols, and a holy indignation
against them: "Away with you!" The hand of repentance makes a divorce
between them and their idols, between their souls and their darling sins.
Now they are as much in hating, abhorring, abominating, and despising their
idols and images, as they were formerly in adoring, worshiping, and honoring
of them.
So Mary Magdalene, Luke 7, walks quite contrary to her
former self, her sinful self, she crosses the flesh, in those very things
wherein formerly she did gratify the flesh. So the penitent jailor, Acts 16,
washes those very wounds that his own bloody hands had made. He acts in ways
of mercy, quite contrary to his former cruelty. At first there was none so
fierce, so furious, so cruel, so bloody, so inhuman in his conduct to the
Christians as Paul; at last, none so gentle, so soft, so sweet, so
courteous, so affectionate to them. The same you may see in Zacchaeus, Luke
19:8, etc. In Paul, Acts 9, and in Manasseh, in 2 Chron 33:6.
(5.) The fifth property. Fifthly, That repentance which
accompanies salvation, is very large and
comprehensive. It comprehends and takes in these following
particulars, besides those already named.
[1.] True repentance includes a
SIGHT and SENSE of sin. Men must first see their sins, they must
be sensible of their sins, before they can repent of their sins. Ephraim had
first a sight of his sin, and then he repents and turns from his sin. "After
I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh," Jer 31:18-19. A man first sees
himself out of the way, before he returns into the way. Until he sees that
he is out of the way, he walks still on—but when he perceives that he is out
of the way, then he begins to make inquiry after the right way. So when the
sinner comes to see his way to be a way of death, then be cries out, "Oh
lead me in the way of life, lead me in the way everlasting," Psalm 139:24.
It was so with Paul, who thought himself in as good a way for heaven as any;
Acts 9 and Acts 26 compared.
[2.] For I shall but touch upon these things. That
repentance which accompanies salvation, includes not only a sight and sense
of sin—but also CONFESSION and acknowledgment of
sin. Psalm 51, and Psalm 32:3-5, "When I kept silent, my bones
wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand
was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah
Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said,
"I will confess my transgressions to the Lord"--and you forgave the guilt of
my sin." Job 33:21-27. The promise of forgiveness is made to confession. 1
John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins." So Prov 28:13, "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but
whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy." If we confess our sins
sincerely, seriously, humbly, cordially—then pardon attends us.
Confession of sin must be joined with confusion of sin—or all is
lost, God is lost, Christ is lost, heaven lost, and the soul lost forever!
The true penitent can say, with Vivaldus, "I hide not my
sins—but I show them; I wipe them not away—but I sprinkle them; I do not
excuse them—but I accuse them. "My sins hurt me not, if I like them not."
The beginning of my salvation—is the knowledge of my transgression.
[3.] That repentance which accompanies salvation
includes, not only confession of sin—but also
CONTRITION for sin; Psalm 51:4; 1 Sam 7:2; Zech 12:10-11; Ezra
10:1-2; 2 Cor 7:11; Jer 13:17; Joel 2:13. Basil wept when he saw the rose,
because it brought to his mind the first sin, from whence it had the
prickles, which it had not, while man continued in innocence, as he thought.
You know how to apply it. True repentance breaks the heart with sighs, sobs,
and groans—that a loving Father is offended, a blessed Savior crucified, and
the sweet Comforter grieved. Penitent Mary Magdalene weeps much, as well as
loves much. Tears, instead of jewels, were the ornaments of penitent David's
bed. Surely that sweet singer never sang more melodiously, than when his
heart was broken most penitentially.
How shall God wipe away my tears in heaven—if I shed none
on earth? And how shall I reap in joy—if I sow not in tears? "I was born
with tears, and shall die with tears; why should I then live
without them in this valley of tears?" says the true penitent. The
sweetest joys are from the sourest tears; penitent tears are the breeders of
spiritual joy. When Hannah had wept, she went away and was no more sad,
1 Sam 1:18. The bee gathers the best honey off the bitterest herbs. Christ
made the best wine of water; the strongest, the purest, the truest, the most
permanent, and the most excellent joy is made of the waters of repentance.
If God is God, "Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy." Psalm
126:5. True repentance is a sorrowing for sin because it is offensive to
God. Peter was sorry for his sin; Judas was sorry his for
punishment. Peter grieves because Christ was grieved; Judas grieved
because he would be damned.
But that no mourner may drown himself in his own tears,
let me give this CAUTION, namely, that there is nothing beyond remedy—but
the tears of the damned. A man who may persist in the way to paradise,
should not place himself in the condition of a little hell; and he who has a
genuine hope for that great all, ought not to be dejected nor
overwhelmed for anything.
[4.] That repentance which accompanies salvation does
include not only contrition for sin—but also a holy
SHAME and blushing for sin. Ezra 9:6; Jer 3:24-25; Jer 31:19;
Ezek 16:63, "Then, when I make atonement for you for all you have done, you
will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your
humiliation, declares the Sovereign Lord." When the penitent soul sees his
sins pardoned, the anger of God pacified, and divine justice satisfied, then
he sits down ashamed.
So Rom 6:21, "What benefit did you reap at that time from
the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!" Sin and
shame are inseparable companions. A Christian man cannot have the
seeming sweet of sin, but he shall have the real shame which
accompanies sin. These two God has joined together, and all the world cannot
put them asunder.
Shame signifies to blush, to be abashed, to wax pale and
wan, etc. So much the more God has been displeased with the blackness of
sin, the more will he be well pleased with the blushing of the sinner.
It was the vile and impenitent Caligula who said of
himself "that he loved nothing better in himself than that he could not be
ashamed."
And doubtless, only those things which are sinful, are
shameful. A soul who has sinned away all shame is a soul ripe for
hell, and given up to Satan! A greater plague cannot befall a man in
this life than to sin and not to blush!
[5.] That repentance which accompanies salvation,
comprehends LOATHING and ABHORRING of sin, and of
ourselves for sin, as well as shame and blushing for sin, Job
42:6; Ezek 16:61-63; Amos 5:15; Ezek 20:43, "You will remember your conduct
and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will
loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done." The sincere penitent
loathes his sins, and be loathes himself also because of his sins. He cries
out, "Oh these wanton eyes! Oh these wicked hands! Oh this deceitful tongue!
Oh this crooked will! Oh this corrupt heart! Oh how do I loathe my sins, how
do I loathe myself, how do I loathe sinful self; and how do I loathe
my natural self, because of sinful self! My sins are a burden to me,
and they make me a burden to myself; my sins are an abhorring to me, and
they make me abhor myself in dust and ashes!" A true penitent has not only
low thoughts of himself—but loathsome thoughts of himself.
It is very observable that those brave creatures, the
eagle and the lion, were not offered in sacrifice unto God—but the poor lamb
and dove; to note that God regards not your brave, high, lofty spirits—but
poor, meek, and contemptible spirits.
None can think or speak so vilely of a Christian—as he
thinks and speaks so vilely of himself. "Behold, I am vile!" Job 40:4.
"Those who escape will remember me--how I have been grieved by their
adulterous hearts, (as the heart of a husband is at the adulterous behavior
of his wife), which have turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have
lusted after their idols. They will loathe themselves for the evil they have
done and for all their detestable practices." Ezekiel 6:9
If your repentance does not work you out with your sins,
and your sins work you out of love with yourself—then your repenta