Post by Admin on Mar 18, 2024 20:15:18 GMT -5
CHAPTER III
The General Grand Directions for Walking with God, in a Life of Faith and Holiness: containing the Essentials of Godliness and Christianity
I AM next to direct you in that exercise of grace, which is common to all Christians. Habits are for use: grace is given you, not only that you may have it, but also that you may use it. And it is fit that we direct you how to use it, before we direct you how to know that you have it; because it is grace in exercise that you must discern; and habits are not perceived in themselves, but by their acts: and the more lively and powerful the exercise is, the more easily is grace perceived: so that this is the nearest and surest way to a certainty of our own sincerity:—he that uses grace most and best, hath most grace; and he that hath most, and uses it most may most easily be assured that he hath it in sincerity and truth.
In these Directions, I shall begin with those great internal duties, in which the very life of all religion doth consist; and the general practice of these principles and graces: and all these generals shall be briefly set together, for the easiness of understanding and remembering them. And then I shall give you such particular
Directions, as are needful, in subordination to those generals.
Grand Direction I.
'Labour to understand well the nature, grounds, reason, and order of faith and godliness: and to believe upon such grounds, so well understood, as will not suffer you to stagger, or entertain a contrary belief.' Ignorance and ungrounded, or ill-grounded persuasions in matters of religion, are the cause that abundance of people delude
themselves, with the empty name and dead profession of a faith and religion which they never were indeed possessors of. I know there are low degrees of knowledge, comparatively, in many that are true believers: and that there may be much love and holiness, where knowledge is very small or narrow, as to the objective extent of it: and that there is a knowledge that puffs up, while charity edifies: and that in many that have the narrower knowledge, there may be
the fastest faith and adherence to the truth, which will conquer in the time of trial. But yet I must tell you, that the religion which you profess, is not, indeed, your own religion, if you know not what it is, and know not in some measure the true grounds and reasons why you should be of that religion. If you have only learned to say your creed, or repeat the words of Christian doctrine, while you do not truly understand the sense; or if you have no better reasons why you profess the Christian faith, than the custom of the country, or the command of princes or governors, or the opinion of your teachers, or the example of your parents, friends, or neighbors, you are not Christians indeed. You have a human belief or opinion, which objectively is true; but subjectively in yourselves, you have no true, divine belief. I confess, there may be some insufficient, yea, and erroneous reasons, which a true believer may mistakingly make use of, for the proof of certain fundamental truths; but then that same man hath some other reason for his reception of that truth, which is more sound: and his faith is sound, because of those sound, infallible principles, though there be a mixture of some other reasons that are unsound. The true believer builds on the rock, and giveth deep rooting to the holy seed. Though some deluded men may tell you, that faith and reason are such enemies, that they exclude each other as to the same object, and that the less reason you have to prove the
truth of the things believed, the stronger and more laudable is your faith; yet, when it cometh to the trial, you will find that faith is no unreasonable thing; and that. God requires you to believe no more, than you have sufficient reason for, to warrant you, and bear you out; and that your faith can be no more, than is your perception of the reasons why you should believe; and that God doth suppose reason, when he infuses faith, and uses reason in
the use of faith. They that believe, and know not why, or know no sufficient reason to warrant their belief, do take a fancy, an opinion, or a dream for faith. I know that many honest hearted Christians are unable to dispute for their religion, or to give to others a satisfactory account of the reasons of their faith or hope; but yet they have the true apprehension of some solid reasons in themselves; and they are not Christians they know not why: and though their knowledge be small as to the number of propositions known, yet it doth always extend to all that is essential
to Christianity and godliness, and they do not believe they know not what: and their knowledge is greater intensively, and in its value and operation, than the knowledge of the most learned ungodly man in the world.
Though I may not here digress, or stay so long, as largely to open to you the nature, grounds, reason, and method of faith and godliness which I am persuading you to understand, yet I shall first lay before you a few propositions, which will be useful to you, when you are inquiring into these things, and then a little open them unto you.
Prop. 1. A life of godliness is our living unto God as God, as being absolutely addicted to him.
2. A life of faith is a living upon the unseen, everlasting happiness as purchased for us by Christ (with all the necessaries thereto), and freely given us by God.
3. The contrary life of sense and unbelief, is a living, in the prevalency of sense or flesh, to this present world, for want of such believing apprehensions of a better, as should elevate the soul thereto, and conquer the fleshly inclination to things present.
4. Though man in innocency, needing no Redeemer, might live to God without faith in a Redeemer; yet lapsed man is not only unable to redeem himself, but also unable to live to God without the grace of the Redeemer. It was not only necessary that he satisfy God's justice for us, that he may pardon and save us without any wrong to his holiness, wisdom, or government; but also that he be our teacher by his doctrine and his life, and that he reveal from heaven the Father's will, and that objectively in him we may see the wonderful, condescending love and goodness of a reconciled God and Father, and that effectually he illuminate, sanctify, and quicken us by the operations of his Word and Spirit, and that he protect and govern, justify, and glorify us; and be the Head of restored man, as Adam was the root of lapsed man, and as the lapsed spirits had their head: and therefore we must wholly live upon him as the Mediator between God and man, and the only Saviour by merit and by efficacy.
5.Faith is a knowledge by certain credible testimony or revelation from God,by means supernatural or extraordinary.
6. The knowledge of things naturally revealed (as the cause by the effect, &c.) is in order before the knowledge or belief of things revealed supernaturally.
7. It is matter of natural revelation that there is a God; that he is infinite in his immensity and eternity, in his power, wisdom, and goodness; that he is the first cause and ultimate end of all things; that he is the preserver and over-ruling disposer of all things, and the supreme governor of the rational world, and the great benefactor of
all mankind, and the special favorer and rewarder of such as truly love him, seek him, and obey him: also that the soul of man is immortal; and that there is a life of reward or punishment to come, and that this life is but preparatory unto that: that man is bound to love God his Maker, and serve him, with all his heart and might, and
to believe that his labor is not vain: that we must do our best to know God's will, that we may do it. This, with much more, is of natural revelation, which infidels may know.
8. There is so admirable a concord and correspondence of natural divinity with supernatural, the natural leading towards the supernatural, and the supernatural falling in so meet where the natural ends, or falls short, or is defective, that it greatly advantages us in the belief of supernatural divinity. Nay, as the law of nature was exactly fitted to man in his natural innocent estate; so the law and way of grace in Christ is so admirably and exactly fitted to the state of lapsed man for his recovery and salvation, that the experience which man hath of his sin and misery may greatly prepare him to perceive and believe this most suitable Gospel or doctrine of recovery. And though it may not be called natural, as if it were fitted to innocent nature, or as if it were revealed by natural, ordinary means, yet may it be so called, as it is exactly suited to the restoration of lapsed, miserable nature; even as Lazarus's restored soul, though supernaturally restored, was the most natural associate of his body;
or as the bread, or milk, or wine, though it should fall from heaven, is in itself the most natural food for man.
9. The same things in divinity, which are revealed naturally to all, are again revealed supernaturally in the Gospel; and therefore may, and must be the matter both of natural knowledge and of faith.
10. When the malicious tempter casts in doubts of a Deity, or other points of natural certainty, it so much discredits his suggestions, as may help us much to reject them when withal he tempts us to doubt of the truth of the Gospel.
11. There are many needful appurtenances to the objects of a Divine faith, which are the matter of a human faith. (Of which more anon.)
12. Christ, as Mediator, is the way or principal means to God, as coming to restore man to his Maker. And so faith in Christ is but the means to bring us to the love of God (though in time they are commixed).
13. Knowledge and faith are the eye of the new creature, and love is in the heart: there is no more spiritual wisdom than there is faith; and there is no more life or acceptable qualification, or amiableness, than there is love to God.
14. All truths in divinity are revealed in order to a holy life: both faith and love are the principles and springs of practice.
15. Practice affords such experience to a believing soul, as may confirm him greatly in the belief of those supernatural revelations, which he before received without that help.
16. The everlasting fruition of God in glory being the end of all religion, must be next the heart and most in our eye, and must objectively animate our whole religion, and actuate us in every duty.
17. The pleasing of God being also our end, and both of these(enjoying him and pleasing him), being in some small foretastes attainable in this life, the endeavor of our souls and lives must be by faith to exercise love and obedience; for thus God is pleased and enjoyed.
18. All things in religion are fitted to the good of man, and nothing to his hurt: God doth not command us to honor him by any thing which would make us miserable, but by closing with, and magnifying his love and grace.
19. But yet it is his own revelation by which we must judge what is finally for our good or hurt; and we may not imagine that our shallow or deceivable wit is sufficient to discern without his Word what is best or worst for us: nor can we rationally argue from any present temporal adversity or unpleasing bitterness in the means, that'This is worst for us, and therefore it is not from the goodness of God;' but we must argue in such cases, 'This is from the goodness and love of God, and therefore it is best.'
20. The grand impediment to all religion and our salvation, which hinders both our believing, loving, and obeying, is the inordinate,sensual inclination to carnal self and present transitory things,cunningly proposed by the tempter to ensnare us, and divert and steal away our hearts from God and the life to come. The understanding of these Propositions will much help you in discerning the nature and reason of religion
The General Grand Directions for Walking with God, in a Life of Faith and Holiness: containing the Essentials of Godliness and Christianity
I AM next to direct you in that exercise of grace, which is common to all Christians. Habits are for use: grace is given you, not only that you may have it, but also that you may use it. And it is fit that we direct you how to use it, before we direct you how to know that you have it; because it is grace in exercise that you must discern; and habits are not perceived in themselves, but by their acts: and the more lively and powerful the exercise is, the more easily is grace perceived: so that this is the nearest and surest way to a certainty of our own sincerity:—he that uses grace most and best, hath most grace; and he that hath most, and uses it most may most easily be assured that he hath it in sincerity and truth.
In these Directions, I shall begin with those great internal duties, in which the very life of all religion doth consist; and the general practice of these principles and graces: and all these generals shall be briefly set together, for the easiness of understanding and remembering them. And then I shall give you such particular
Directions, as are needful, in subordination to those generals.
Grand Direction I.
'Labour to understand well the nature, grounds, reason, and order of faith and godliness: and to believe upon such grounds, so well understood, as will not suffer you to stagger, or entertain a contrary belief.' Ignorance and ungrounded, or ill-grounded persuasions in matters of religion, are the cause that abundance of people delude
themselves, with the empty name and dead profession of a faith and religion which they never were indeed possessors of. I know there are low degrees of knowledge, comparatively, in many that are true believers: and that there may be much love and holiness, where knowledge is very small or narrow, as to the objective extent of it: and that there is a knowledge that puffs up, while charity edifies: and that in many that have the narrower knowledge, there may be
the fastest faith and adherence to the truth, which will conquer in the time of trial. But yet I must tell you, that the religion which you profess, is not, indeed, your own religion, if you know not what it is, and know not in some measure the true grounds and reasons why you should be of that religion. If you have only learned to say your creed, or repeat the words of Christian doctrine, while you do not truly understand the sense; or if you have no better reasons why you profess the Christian faith, than the custom of the country, or the command of princes or governors, or the opinion of your teachers, or the example of your parents, friends, or neighbors, you are not Christians indeed. You have a human belief or opinion, which objectively is true; but subjectively in yourselves, you have no true, divine belief. I confess, there may be some insufficient, yea, and erroneous reasons, which a true believer may mistakingly make use of, for the proof of certain fundamental truths; but then that same man hath some other reason for his reception of that truth, which is more sound: and his faith is sound, because of those sound, infallible principles, though there be a mixture of some other reasons that are unsound. The true believer builds on the rock, and giveth deep rooting to the holy seed. Though some deluded men may tell you, that faith and reason are such enemies, that they exclude each other as to the same object, and that the less reason you have to prove the
truth of the things believed, the stronger and more laudable is your faith; yet, when it cometh to the trial, you will find that faith is no unreasonable thing; and that. God requires you to believe no more, than you have sufficient reason for, to warrant you, and bear you out; and that your faith can be no more, than is your perception of the reasons why you should believe; and that God doth suppose reason, when he infuses faith, and uses reason in
the use of faith. They that believe, and know not why, or know no sufficient reason to warrant their belief, do take a fancy, an opinion, or a dream for faith. I know that many honest hearted Christians are unable to dispute for their religion, or to give to others a satisfactory account of the reasons of their faith or hope; but yet they have the true apprehension of some solid reasons in themselves; and they are not Christians they know not why: and though their knowledge be small as to the number of propositions known, yet it doth always extend to all that is essential
to Christianity and godliness, and they do not believe they know not what: and their knowledge is greater intensively, and in its value and operation, than the knowledge of the most learned ungodly man in the world.
Though I may not here digress, or stay so long, as largely to open to you the nature, grounds, reason, and method of faith and godliness which I am persuading you to understand, yet I shall first lay before you a few propositions, which will be useful to you, when you are inquiring into these things, and then a little open them unto you.
Prop. 1. A life of godliness is our living unto God as God, as being absolutely addicted to him.
2. A life of faith is a living upon the unseen, everlasting happiness as purchased for us by Christ (with all the necessaries thereto), and freely given us by God.
3. The contrary life of sense and unbelief, is a living, in the prevalency of sense or flesh, to this present world, for want of such believing apprehensions of a better, as should elevate the soul thereto, and conquer the fleshly inclination to things present.
4. Though man in innocency, needing no Redeemer, might live to God without faith in a Redeemer; yet lapsed man is not only unable to redeem himself, but also unable to live to God without the grace of the Redeemer. It was not only necessary that he satisfy God's justice for us, that he may pardon and save us without any wrong to his holiness, wisdom, or government; but also that he be our teacher by his doctrine and his life, and that he reveal from heaven the Father's will, and that objectively in him we may see the wonderful, condescending love and goodness of a reconciled God and Father, and that effectually he illuminate, sanctify, and quicken us by the operations of his Word and Spirit, and that he protect and govern, justify, and glorify us; and be the Head of restored man, as Adam was the root of lapsed man, and as the lapsed spirits had their head: and therefore we must wholly live upon him as the Mediator between God and man, and the only Saviour by merit and by efficacy.
5.Faith is a knowledge by certain credible testimony or revelation from God,by means supernatural or extraordinary.
6. The knowledge of things naturally revealed (as the cause by the effect, &c.) is in order before the knowledge or belief of things revealed supernaturally.
7. It is matter of natural revelation that there is a God; that he is infinite in his immensity and eternity, in his power, wisdom, and goodness; that he is the first cause and ultimate end of all things; that he is the preserver and over-ruling disposer of all things, and the supreme governor of the rational world, and the great benefactor of
all mankind, and the special favorer and rewarder of such as truly love him, seek him, and obey him: also that the soul of man is immortal; and that there is a life of reward or punishment to come, and that this life is but preparatory unto that: that man is bound to love God his Maker, and serve him, with all his heart and might, and
to believe that his labor is not vain: that we must do our best to know God's will, that we may do it. This, with much more, is of natural revelation, which infidels may know.
8. There is so admirable a concord and correspondence of natural divinity with supernatural, the natural leading towards the supernatural, and the supernatural falling in so meet where the natural ends, or falls short, or is defective, that it greatly advantages us in the belief of supernatural divinity. Nay, as the law of nature was exactly fitted to man in his natural innocent estate; so the law and way of grace in Christ is so admirably and exactly fitted to the state of lapsed man for his recovery and salvation, that the experience which man hath of his sin and misery may greatly prepare him to perceive and believe this most suitable Gospel or doctrine of recovery. And though it may not be called natural, as if it were fitted to innocent nature, or as if it were revealed by natural, ordinary means, yet may it be so called, as it is exactly suited to the restoration of lapsed, miserable nature; even as Lazarus's restored soul, though supernaturally restored, was the most natural associate of his body;
or as the bread, or milk, or wine, though it should fall from heaven, is in itself the most natural food for man.
9. The same things in divinity, which are revealed naturally to all, are again revealed supernaturally in the Gospel; and therefore may, and must be the matter both of natural knowledge and of faith.
10. When the malicious tempter casts in doubts of a Deity, or other points of natural certainty, it so much discredits his suggestions, as may help us much to reject them when withal he tempts us to doubt of the truth of the Gospel.
11. There are many needful appurtenances to the objects of a Divine faith, which are the matter of a human faith. (Of which more anon.)
12. Christ, as Mediator, is the way or principal means to God, as coming to restore man to his Maker. And so faith in Christ is but the means to bring us to the love of God (though in time they are commixed).
13. Knowledge and faith are the eye of the new creature, and love is in the heart: there is no more spiritual wisdom than there is faith; and there is no more life or acceptable qualification, or amiableness, than there is love to God.
14. All truths in divinity are revealed in order to a holy life: both faith and love are the principles and springs of practice.
15. Practice affords such experience to a believing soul, as may confirm him greatly in the belief of those supernatural revelations, which he before received without that help.
16. The everlasting fruition of God in glory being the end of all religion, must be next the heart and most in our eye, and must objectively animate our whole religion, and actuate us in every duty.
17. The pleasing of God being also our end, and both of these(enjoying him and pleasing him), being in some small foretastes attainable in this life, the endeavor of our souls and lives must be by faith to exercise love and obedience; for thus God is pleased and enjoyed.
18. All things in religion are fitted to the good of man, and nothing to his hurt: God doth not command us to honor him by any thing which would make us miserable, but by closing with, and magnifying his love and grace.
19. But yet it is his own revelation by which we must judge what is finally for our good or hurt; and we may not imagine that our shallow or deceivable wit is sufficient to discern without his Word what is best or worst for us: nor can we rationally argue from any present temporal adversity or unpleasing bitterness in the means, that'This is worst for us, and therefore it is not from the goodness of God;' but we must argue in such cases, 'This is from the goodness and love of God, and therefore it is best.'
20. The grand impediment to all religion and our salvation, which hinders both our believing, loving, and obeying, is the inordinate,sensual inclination to carnal self and present transitory things,cunningly proposed by the tempter to ensnare us, and divert and steal away our hearts from God and the life to come. The understanding of these Propositions will much help you in discerning the nature and reason of religion