Chapter 20: A Serious Scrutiny About the Believer's Charter

I hear, I think, a Christian say: great are the privileges of a believer, but I fear I have no title to this glorious charter. All depends upon an interest. Were there a dispute about our estate, whether such an inheritance did belong to us, we would desire that there should be a trial in law to decide it. Here is a large inheritance, things present, and things to come; but the question is, whether we are the true heirs to whom it belongs? Now for the deciding this, we must seriously examine what right we have to Christ; for all this estate is made over to us through Christ: so we find it in the text; All things are yours, and you are Christ's: there comes in the title. Jesus Christ is the great magazine and storehouse of a Christian, he has purchased heaven in his blood; now if we can say, we are Christ's, then we may say, all things are ours.

Question: But how shall we know that we are Christ's?

Answer: Those that are Christ's, Christ is in them (2 Corinthians 13:5): Know you not that Christ is in you?

Question: But how shall we know that?

Answer: If we are in the faith. It is observable, before the Apostle had said, Know you not that Christ is in you, first he puts this query: Examine whether you are in the faith? Christ is in you, if you are in the faith: here lies the question, Have you faith? Now for the deciding this, I shall do two things: show you first the essentials of faith, then the consequentials. 1. The essentials of faith. Faith before it is worked must have some preparatories: there must be some legal bruisings in the soul, some sense of unworthiness. Now to this blessed grace of faith, there are three things especially requisite.

Section 1: Showing that knowledge is requisite to faith.

The first is knowledge. Faith is an intelligent grace; though there may be knowledge without faith, yet there can be no faith without knowledge: They that know your name will put their trust in you (Psalm 9:10). Philo calls it fides oculata, quick-sighted faith. Knowledge must carry the torch before faith (2 Timothy 1:12): For I know whom I have believed. As faith without works is dead, so faith without knowledge is blind. Devout ignorance damns: which condemns the Church of Rome, that think it a piece of their religion to be kept in ignorance; these set up an altar to an unknown God: they say, ignorance is the mother of devotion; but surely, where the sun is set in the understanding, there must needs be night in the affections. So necessary is knowledge to the being of faith, that the Scripture does sometimes baptize faith with the name of knowledge (Isaiah 53:11): By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many — knowledge is put there for faith. Now this knowledge of Christ which goes before faith, or rather is the embryo and first matter of which faith is formed, consists in four things: the soul through this optic glass of knowledge sees:

1. A preciousness in Christ — he is the chief of ten thousand, the pearl of price. Christ was never poor but when he had on our rags: there is nothing in Christ but what is precious; he is precious in his name, in his nature, in his influences; he is called a precious stone (Isaiah 28:16); he must needs be a precious stone, who has made us living stones.

2. A fullness in Christ; the fullness of the Godhead (Colossians 2:9), all fullness (Colossians 1:19), a fullness of merit; his blood able to satisfy his Father's wrath: a fullness of Spirit; his grace able to supply our wants; by the one he does absolve us, by the other he does adorn us.

3. A suitableness in Christ; that which is good, if it be not adequate, suitable, it is not satisfactory: if a man be hungry, bring him fine flowers, this is not suitable, he desires food: if he be sick, bring him music, this is not suitable, he desires medicine: in this sense there is a suitableness in Christ to the soul; he is quicquid appetibile, as Origen speaks, whatever we can desire. If we hunger and thirst, he is pabulum animae, the food of the soul; therefore he is called the bread of life. If we are sick to death, his blood is a sacred balm: he may be compared to the trees of the sanctuary, which were both for meat, and for medicine (Ezekiel 47:12).

4. A propenseness and readiness in Christ to give out his fullness (Isaiah 55:1): Ho, every one that thirsts, come you to the waters; and he that has no money, buy and eat, etc. Behold here, at what a low price does God set his heavenly blessings! it is but thirsting, bring but desires. Behold the propenseness in Christ to dispense and give out his fullness: buy without money — a strange kind of buying! There is bounty in Christ as well as beauty. As he is all fullness, so he is all sweetness, of a noble and generous disposition; he does not only invite us, but charge us upon pain of death to come in and believe: he threatens us if we will not lay hold of mercy: he waits to be gracious. This is the lenocinium, and enticer of the affections: this draws the eyes and heart of a sinner after him: what are the blessed promises but Christ's golden scepter held forth? What are the motions of the Spirit, but Jesus Christ coming a-wooing? And such a knowledge and sight of Christ is necessary to usher in faith: now the soul begins to move towards him; he sees all this variety of excellence in Christ, and also sees a possibility, indeed, a probability of mercy: there is nothing that hinders him, God does not exclude him unless he exclude himself. Then he thinks thus, What is it keeps me off from Christ? Is it my unworthiness? Behold, there is merit in Christ: is it my wants? There is enough in the fountain, and Jesus Christ does not expect that I should carry anything to him, but rather that I should bring something from him: he does not expect that I should carry water to the well, only an empty vessel: why then should not this fullness in Christ be for me as well as others? While he is thus reasoning with himself, the Spirit works a kind of persuasion, that Christ is willing that he in particular should taste of this mercy; then follows the second act which faith puts forth, and that is consent; Well, I will have Christ whatever it costs me.

Section 2: That consent is requisite to faith.

Though knowledge be a necessary antecedent to faith, yet it is not enough, there must be secondly consent: faith is seated as well in the heart and will, as in the understanding: as well in the affection, as in the apprehension. With the heart man believes (Romans 10:10). Skeptics in religion may have a faith in the head, but not in the heart; they are more notion than motion: the soul consents to have Christ, and to have him upon his own terms.

1. As a head; the head has a double office: it is the fountain of spirits, and the seat of government: the head is as it were the pilot of the body, it rules and steers it in its motion. The believer consents to have Christ not only as a head to send forth spirits, that is comfort; but as a head to rule: a sinner would take Christ's promises, but not his laws: he would be under Christ's benediction, but not under his jurisdiction. A believer consents to have whole Christ; non eligit objectum, he does not pick and choose; but as he expects to sit down with Christ upon the throne, so he makes his heart Christ's throne.

2. The believer consents to have Christ for better for worse, a naked Christ, a persecuted Christ: faith sees a beauty and glory in the reproaches of Christ (1 Peter 4:14), and will have Christ not only in purple but when with John the Baptist he is clothed in camel's hair. Faith can embrace the fire, if Christ be in it. Faith looks upon the cross as Jacob's ladder, to carry him up to heaven: faith says, Blessed be that affliction, welcome that cross which carries Christ upon it.

3. The believer consents to have Christ purely for love; if the wife should give her consent only for her husband's riches, she should marry his estate rather than his person; non est amicitia, sed mercatura; it were not properly to make a marriage with him, but rather to make a merchandise of him: the believer consents for love, amat Christum propter Christum, he loves Christ for Christ. Heaven without Christ is not a sufficient dowry for a believer: there's nothing adulterate in his consent, it is not sinister; there's nothing forced, it is not for fear; that were rather constraint than consent: a consent forced will not hold in law, it is voluntary. The beauty of Christ's person, and the sweetness of his disposition, draws the will, which as the Primum mobile or master-wheel, carries the whole soul with it.

4. The believer consents to have Christ pro termino interminabili, never to part more; he desires an uninterrupted communion with him, he will part with life, but not with Christ: indeed, death when it slips the knot between the soul and the body, it ties it faster between the soul and Christ.

5. The believer does so consent to have Christ as he makes a deed of gift, resigning up all the interest in himself to Christ; he is willing to lose his own name, and surname himself by the name of Christ: to lose his own will, and be wholly at Christ's dispose. You are not your own (1 Corinthians 6:19); he resigns up his love to Christ. In this sense the spouse is said to be a spring shut up (Song of Solomon 4:12). She has love for relations, but the best of her love is kept for Christ: the world has the milk of her love, but Christ has the cream of it: the choicest and purest of her love is a spring shut up, it is broached only for Christ to drink. This is the second act of faith.

Section 3. Opening the nature of recumbency.

The third thing is recumbency. The soul having given its consent that the match should be made up, and done it out of choice, now it casts itself upon Christ as a man that casts himself upon the stream to swim, it makes a holy adventure, it clasps about Christ, and says, My Lord, my Jesus, which is as it were the joining of hands. This act of recumbency is sometimes in Scripture called a coming to Christ (John 6:37), sometimes a leaning upon Christ (Song of Solomon 8:5). This is that faith which justifies.

Now concerning this faith, I shall lay down two rules. 1. That faith justifies not as a formal cause, but purely as an instrument, namely, as it lays hold on Christ the blessed object, and fetches in his fullness: and in this sense it is called a precious faith (2 Peter 1:1): the worth lies not in faith, but in Christ, on which it does center and terminate; faith in itself considered, is not more excellent than other graces. Take a piece of wax, and a piece of gold, of the same magnitude, the wax is not valuable with the gold; but as this wax hangs at the [reconstructed: seal] of some will, by virtue of which a great estate is confirmed, and conveyed, so it may be worth many hundred pounds. So faith considered purely in itself, does challenge nothing more than other graces, nay, in some sense, it is inferior, it being an empty hand: but as this hand receives the precious alms of Christ's merits, and is an instrument or channel through which the blessed streams of life flow to us from him; so it does challenge a superiority above other graces.

Indeed, some affirm, that the [⟨ in non-Latin alphabet ⟩], the very act of believing, without reference to the merits of Christ, justifies. To which I shall say but this; 1. Faith cannot justify as it is an act, for it must have an object: we cannot (if we make good sense) separate between the act and the object. What is faith, if it does not fix upon Christ, but fancy? It was not the people of Israel's looking up that cured them, but the fixing their eye upon the bronze serpent. 2. Faith does not justify as it is a grace. This were to substitute faith in Christ's room, it were to make a Christ of faith. Faith is a good grace, but a bad Christ. 3. Not as a work: which must needs be, if (as some affirm) it be in lieu of obedience to the moral law. Then we should be justified by works, contrary to that (Ephesians 2:9), where the apostle speaks expressly, Not of works. So that it is clear, faith's excellency lies in the apprehending and applying the object Christ: therefore in Scripture we are said to be justified, [⟨ in non-Latin alphabet ⟩], through faith as an instrument deputed; not [⟨ in non-Latin alphabet ⟩], for faith as a formal cause.

The second rule is, that faith does not justify, as it does exercise grace. It cannot be denied but faith has an influence upon the graces; it is like a silver thread that runs through a chain of pearl: it puts strength and vivacity into all the virtues; but it does not justify under this notion. Faith begets obedience: by faith Abraham obeyed (Hebrews 11): but Abraham was not justified as he obeyed, but as he believed (Romans 4:3). Faith works by love, but it does not justify as it works by love. For as the sun shines by its brightness, not by its heat; though both are inseparably joined: so faith and love are tied together by an indissoluble knot, yet faith does not justify as it works by love, but as it lays hold on Christ. Though faith be accompanied with all the graces, yet in point of justification, it is alone and has nothing to do with any of the graces. Hence that speech of Luther; in the justification of a sinner, Christ and faith are alone, Tanquam sponsus & sponsa in thalamo; as the bridegroom and bride in the bedchamber. Faith is never separated from the graces, yet sometimes it is alone. And thus I have shown you the essentials of faith.

Section 4. Showing what are the fruits and products of faith.

I proceed to the consequentials of faith. There are many rare and supernatural fruits of faith.

1. Faith is a heart-quickening grace; it is the vital artery of the soul: the just shall live by his faith (Habakkuk 2:4). When we begin to believe we begin to live. Faith grafts the soul into Christ, as the scion into the stock, and fetches all its sap and juice from that blessed vine. Faith is the great quickener; it quickens our graces, and our duties.

1. Faith quickens our graces; the Spirit of God infuses all the seeds and habits, but faith is the fountain of all the acts of grace; it is as the spring in the watch that moves the wheels: not a grace stirs till faith sets it to work. How does love work? By faith! When I apprehend Christ's love, this does draw up my love to him again. How does humility work? By faith! Faith humbles the soul; it has a double aspect — it looks upon sin, and a sight of sin humbles: it looks upon free grace, and a sight of mercy humbles. How does patience work? By faith! If I believe God is a wise God, who knows what is best for me, and can deliver not only from affliction, but by affliction: this produces patience (James 1:3). Thus faith is not only viva, but vivifica: it puts forth a divine energy and operation into all the graces.

2. Faith animates and quickens our duties. What was the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin (Hebrews 10:4)? It was their faith in the Messiah, that made their dead sacrifices become living services. What are ordinances, but a dumb show, without the breathings of faith in them? Therefore in Scripture it is called, the prayer of faith (James 5:7), the hearing of faith (Hebrews 4:2), and the obedience of faith (Romans 16:26); dead things have no beauty in them — it is faith that quickens and beautifies.

2. Faith is a heart-purifying grace: having purified their hearts by faith (Acts 15:9). Faith is a virgin grace, of a pure and heavenly nature. Faith is in the soul as lightning in the air, which purges; as fire in the metals, which refines; as medicine in the body, which works out the disease. Faith works out pride, self-love, hypocrisy: it consecrates the heart: that which was before the devil's thoroughfare, is now made God's enclosure (1 Timothy 3:9): holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience. Faith is a heavenly plant, which will not grow in an impure soil. Faith does not only justify, but sanctify: as it has one work in heaven, so it has another work in the heart: he that before was under the power of some hereditary corruption, as soon as faith is wrought there is a sacred virtue coming from Christ for the weakening of that sin: the waters are abated. The woman that did but touch the hem of Christ's garment felt virtue coming out of him (Mark 5:27). The touch of faith has a healing power: faith casts the devil out of the castle of the heart, though still he keeps the outworks. Satan has a party in a believer, but there's a duel fought every day: and faith will never give over, till, as a prince, it prevails. This is the faith of God's elect (Titus 1:1). You that say you believe, has your faith removed the mountain of sin, and cast it into the sea? What, a believer, and a drunkard! A believer, and a swearer! A believer, and an apostate! For shame, either leave your sins, or leave your profession: faith and the love of sin can no more stand together, than two contraries in the same part of the subject gradu intensivo; as light and darkness.

Faith is a heart-pacifying grace; peace is the daughter of faith (Romans 5:1). Being justified by faith, we have peace with God. Faith is the dove that brings an olive branch of peace in its mouth; faith presents God reconciled, and that gives peace. What is it makes Heaven, but the smile of God? Faith puts the soul into Christ, and there is peace (John 16:33). When the conscience is in a fever, and burns as hell, faith opens the orifice in Christ's sides, and sucks in his blood, which has a cooling and pacifying virtue in it. Faith gives us peace in trouble, nay — in fact — out of trouble. 1. It gives peace in trouble: faith is a heart-pacifying, because a heart-securing grace. When Noah was in the ark, he did not fear the flood: he could sing in the ark. Faith shuts a believer into the ark Christ: "Lead me to the rock which is higher than I," was David's prayer. Faith plants the soul upon this rock. The West-Indians built their palaces upon the tops of hills: in the flood the waters covered the hills; but a believer is built higher (Isaiah 33:16): "His place of defense shall be the munition of rocks" — but a man may starve upon a rock; therefore it follows, "Bread shall be given him," etc. Faith builds a Christian upon the power, wisdom, and faithfulness of God: this is the munition of rocks; and it feeds him with the hidden manna of God's love: here is bread given him. The way to be safe in evil times is to get faith; this ushers in peace, and it is such a peace as does garrison the heart (Philippians 4:7): "The peace of God shall keep your heart" — [illegible]: it shall keep it as in a tower or garrison. 2. Faith gathers peace out of trouble: joy out of sorrow, glory out of reproach. This is the key to Samson's riddle, "Out of the eater came meat"; this explains that paradox, "Can a man gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?" Yes, of trials and persecutions faith gathers joy and peace: here are figs of thistles. How were the martyrs ravished in the flames? The apostles were whipped in prison, but it was with sweet briar. O how sweet is that peace which faith breeds? It is a plant of the Heavenly Paradise; it is a Christian's festival; it is his music: it is [illegible], as Chrysostom says, the anticipation of Heaven.

4. Faith is a heart-strengthening grace: a believer is heart of oak, he is strong to resist temptations, to bear afflictions, to foil corruptions; he gives check to them, though not full mate. An unbeliever is like Reuben, unstable as water, he shall not excel. A state of infidelity is a state of impotency. A believer is as Joseph, who though the archers shot at him, his bow abode in strength. If a Christian is to do anything, he consults with faith; this is the sinew, which if it be cut, all his strength goes from him. When he is called out to suffering, he harnesses himself with faith, he puts on this coat of mail; faith lays in suffering strength, furnishes the soul with suffering promises, musters together suffering graces, propounds suffering rewards.

But how comes faith to be so strong? Answer: 1. Because it is a piece of God's armor; it is a shield he puts into our hand (Ephesians 6:16): "Above all, taking the shield of faith" — a shield will serve for a breastplate, a sword if need be, a helmet; it defends the head, it guards the vitals; such a shield is faith. 2. Faith brings the strength of Christ into the soul (Philippians 4:13): "I can do all things," [illegible], "through Christ that strengthens me." The strength of faith lies out of itself, it grafts upon another stock. When it would have wisdom, it consults with Christ, whose name is Wonderful Counselor; when it would have strength, it goes to Christ, who is called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Christ is a Christian's armory, faith is the key that unlocks it. Faith hangs upon the lock of Christ, all its strength lies here; cut it off from this lock, and it is weaker than any other grace. Christ may be compared to that tower of David, on which there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men. The faith of all the elect — these shields hang upon Christ. Faith is a heroic grace; the crown of martyrdom is set upon the head of faith. By faith they quenched the violence of the fire; the fire overcame their bodies, but their faith overcame the flame.

5. Faith is a life-fructifying grace, it is fruitful. Julian, upbraiding the Christians, said that their motto was "Only believe"; and the Papists call us solifidians. Indeed, when faith is alone, and views all the rare beauties in Christ, then faith sets a low value and esteem upon works; but when faith goes abroad in the world, good works are the handmaids that wait on this queen. Though we place faith in the highest orb in matter of justification, yet good works are in conjunction with it in matter of sanctification. It is no wrong to good works to give faith the upper hand, which goes hand in hand with Christ. Good works are not separated from faith, only faith challenges its seniority. Faith believes as if it did not work, and it works as if it did not believe. Faith has Rachel's eye, and Leah's womb (Romans 7:4): "That you should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that you should bring forth fruit to God." Faith is that spouse-like grace which marries Christ, and good works are the children which faith bears.

Having briefly shown you the nature of faith, I now come to the reflexive act: have you faith or not? And here let me turn myself, first to unbelievers, such as cannot find that they have this uniting, this espousing grace; what shall I say to you? Go home and mourn; think with yourselves, what if you should die this night? What if God should send you a letter of summons to surrender, what would become of you? You want that grace which should entitle you to Christ and heaven: oh, I say, mourn. Yet mourn not as those without hope, for in the use of means you may recover a title. I know it is otherwise in our law courts; if a title to an estate be once lost, it can never be recovered: but it is otherwise here; though you have no title to Christ today, yet you may recover a title. You have not sinned away the hope of a title, unless you have sinned away the sense of sinning. To such as are resolved to go on in sin, I have not a word to say, they are on the spur to go to hell: but to you that have been prodigal sons, but are now taking up serious resolutions to give a bill of divorce to your sins; let me encourage you to come to Christ, and to throw yourselves upon his blood; for yet a title to heaven is recoverable.

Objection 1: But says the sinner, is there hope of mercy for me? Surely this is too good news to be true: I would believe, and repent, but I am a great sinner. Answer: And who else does Christ come to save? Whom does God justify but the ungodly? Did Christ take our flesh on him, and not our sins?

2. But my sins are of no ordinary kind?

Answer: And is not Christ's blood of a deeper purple than your sins? Is there not more virtue in the one, than there can be venom in the other? What if the devil does magnify your sins, can you not magnify your Physician? Cannot God drown one sea in another, your sins in the ocean of his mercy?

3. But my sins are of a long standing?

Answer: As if Christ's blood were only for new and fresh wounds? We read that Christ raised not only the daughter of Jairus, which was newly dead, and the widow's son which was carried forth to burying; but Lazarus, that had lain four days in the grave, and began to putrefy. And has Christ less virtue now in heaven than he had upon earth? If yours be an old wound, yet the medicine of Christ's blood applied by faith, is able to heal it: therefore sink not in these quicksands of despair. Judas's despair was worse in some sense than his treason. I would not encourage any to go on in sin (God forbid), it is sad to have old age and old sins. It is hard to pull up an old tree that is rooted, it is easier to cut it down for the fire; but let not such despair. God can give an old sinner a new heart, he can make springs in the desert. Have not others been set forth as patterns of mercy, who have come in at the twelfth hour? Therefore break off the league with sin, throw yourself into Christ's arms, say, Lord Jesus, you have said, those who come to you, you will in no case cast out.

2. Let me turn myself to the people of God, such as upon a serious scrutiny with their own hearts, have ground to believe that they have faith, and being in the faith are ingrafted into Christ: read over your charter, all things are yours. Things present, and to come: you are the heirs on which God has settled all these glorious privileges. Give wine, says Solomon, to those who are of heavy hearts. But while I am going to pour in this wine of consolation, I think I hear the Christian sadly disputing against himself, that he has no right to this charter.