Section 2
2. The godly man is a man acted by Faith; as gold is the most precious among the metals, so is Faith among the Graces. Faith cuts us off from the wild Olive of Nature, and inoculates us into Christ: Faith is the vital artery of the Soul, Habakkuk 2:4. The just shall live by his Faith. Such as are destitute of Faith, though they breathe, yet they want life; Faith is the quickener of the Graces; not a Grace stirs, till Faith sets it to work; Faith is to the soul, as the animal spirits are to the body, they excite lively operations in the body; Faith excites Repentance; it is like the fire to the Still which makes it drop. When I believe God's love to me this makes me weep that I should sin against so good a God: Faith is the Mother of Hope; first we believe the Promise, then we hope for it: Faith is the Oil which feeds the Lamp of Hope; Faith and Hope are two Turtle-graces, take away one, and the other languishes. If the sinews be cut, the body is lame; if this sinew of Faith be cut, Hope is lame; Faith is the ground of Patience: He who believes God is his God, and all Providences work for his good, does patiently yield up himself to the Will of God; thus Faith is a living Principle.
And the life of a Saint is nothing else but a life of Faith; his prayer is the breathing of Faith, James 5:15. His obedience is the result of Faith, Romans 16:26. A godly man by Faith lives in Christ, as the beam lives in the Sun, Galatians 2:20. I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. A Christian by the power of Faith sees above Reason, trades above the Moon; by Faith his heart is finely quieted; he trusts himself, and all his affairs with God: As in a time of War, men get into a Garrison, and trust themselves and their treasure there: So the Name of the Lord is a strong Tower, Proverbs 18:10. and a Believer trusts all that ever he is worth in this Garrison. 2 Timothy 1:12. I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him, against that day. God trusted Paul with his Gospel, and Paul trusted God with his Soul.
Faith is a Catholicon, or remedy against all troubles; it is a godly man's sheet-anchor that he casts out into the Sea of God's mercy, and is kept from sinking in despair. —Si modo firma fides, nulla ruina nocet.
Use. Let us try ourselves by this Character: Alas, how far are they from being godly, that are destitute of Faith! Such as are altogether drowned in Sense. Most men are spiritually purblind, they can see but just before them; 2 Peter 1:9. I have read of a people of India who are born with one eye; such are they who are born with the eye of Reason, but lack the eye of Faith; who because they do not see God with bodily eyes, they do not believe a God; they may as well not believe they have Souls, because being Spirits they cannot be seen.
O where is he who lives in Excelsis, who is gotten into the upper Region, and sees things not seen, Hebrews 11:27. Did men live by Faith, would they use sinful policy for a livelihood? Were there Faith, would there be so much fraud? Did Faith live, would men like dead fish swim down the stream? In this Age there is scarce so much Faith to be found among men, as there is among the Devils, for they believe and tremble. It was a grave and serious speech of Mister Greenham, that he feared not Papism, but Atheism would be England's ruin. But I shall not expatiate, having been more large upon this Head in another discourse.
2. The godly man is driven by faith. As gold is the most precious of metals, so faith is the most precious of the graces. Faith cuts us off from the wild olive tree of our natural state and grafts us into Christ. Faith is the vital pulse of the soul. Habakkuk 2:4: The just shall live by his faith. Those who have no faith may breathe, but they have no spiritual life. Faith is the energizer of all the other graces — no grace stirs until faith sets it in motion. Faith is to the soul what the body's vital spirits are to the body — it drives living activity throughout. Faith energizes repentance — it is like the heat that makes the still work and causes it to produce. When I believe in God's love for me, it causes me to weep that I have sinned against so good a God. Faith is the mother of hope — first we believe the promise, then we hope for it. Faith is the oil that feeds the lamp of hope; faith and hope are two inseparable graces — remove one and the other fades. If the tendons are cut, the body is crippled; if the tendon of faith is cut, hope goes lame. Faith is the foundation of patience — the person who believes that God is his God, and that all circumstances work for his good, patiently surrenders himself to the will of God. This is how faith is a living principle.
The life of a saint is nothing other than a life of faith. His prayer is faith breathing, as James 5:15 shows. His obedience is the fruit of faith, as Romans 16:26 says. By faith, a godly man lives in Christ as the sunbeam lives in the sun. Galatians 2:20: I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. Through the power of faith, a Christian sees beyond reason and trades in a realm above the moon. By faith his heart is kept at peace — he entrusts himself and all his affairs to God. Just as in time of war, people take shelter in a fortress and entrust themselves and their valuables there, so the name of the Lord is a strong tower, as Proverbs 18:10 says, and a believer deposits everything he is worth in that fortress. 2 Timothy 1:12: I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. God trusted Paul with His Gospel, and Paul trusted God with his soul.
Faith is a remedy for every trouble — a universal cure. It is the godly man's anchor, cast into the sea of God's mercy, keeping him from sinking into despair. As the saying goes: if faith holds firm, no ruin can do lasting harm.
Application: Let us test ourselves by this characteristic. How far from being godly are those who have no faith! There are those who are completely absorbed in what they can see and touch. Most people are spiritually nearsighted — they can only see what is directly in front of them, as 2 Peter 1:9 says. I have read of a people in India said to be born with only one eye. Such are those who are born with the eye of reason but lack the eye of faith — who, because they cannot see God with bodily eyes, deny that He exists. By the same logic they might deny they have souls, since souls are spirits and cannot be seen.
Where is the person who lives in the heights — who has climbed into the upper region and sees things not seen, as Hebrews 11:27 says? If men truly lived by faith, would they use dishonest schemes to make a living? If faith were present, would there be so much fraud? If faith were alive, would men drift along like dead fish carried by the current? In this age, there is scarcely as much faith to be found among people as there is among the devils, for they at least believe and tremble. It was a solemn and serious remark by Mr. Greenham that he feared not Roman Catholicism but atheism would prove to be England's ruin. But I will not press further here, having dealt more fully with this topic in another work.
