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- 05850
- The Evidences of True Faith
-
- Part 1 of 4
-
- So much for the laying of the grounds of faith, and warrants to
- believe. Now, for evidencing of true faith by fruits, these four
- things are requisite:
-
- 1) That the believer be soundly convinced, in his judgment, of his
- obligation to keep the whole moral law, all the days of his life;
- and that not the less, but so much the more, as he is delivered by
- Christ from the covenant of works, and curse of the law.
-
- 2) That he endeavour to grow in the exercise and daily practice of
- godliness and righteousness.
-
- 3) That the course of his new obedience run in the right channel,
- that is through faith in Christ, and through a good conscience, to
- all the duties of love towards God and man.
-
- 4) That he keep strait communion with the fountain Christ Jesus, from
- whom grace must run along, for furnishing of good fruits.
-
- For the first, that is, to convince the believer, in his judgment, of
- his obligation to keep the moral law, among many passages:
-
- "16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your
- good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 17 Think
- not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not
- come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you,
- Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise
- pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore
- shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men
- so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but
- whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called
- great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except
- your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes
- and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of
- heaven." Mat. 5.16-20
-
- Wherein our Lord,
-
- 1. Gives commandment to believers, justified by faith, to give
- evidence of the grace of God in them before men, by doing good
- works: "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your
- good works."
-
- 2. He induces them so to do, by showing, that albeit they be not
- justified by works, yet spectators of their good works may be
- converted or edified; and so glory may redound to God by their
- good works, when its witnesses "shall glorify your Father which
- is in heaven."
-
- 3. He gives them no other rule for their new obedience than the
- moral law, set down and explicated by Moses and the prophets:
- "Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets."
-
- 4. He gives them to understand, that the doctrine of grace, and
- freedom from the curse of the law by faith in him, is readily
- mistaken by men's corrupt judgments, as if it did loose or
- slacken the obligation of believers to obey the commands, and to
- be subject to the authority of the law; and that this error is
- indeed a destroying of the law and of the prophets, which he will
- in no case ever endure in any of his disciples, it is so contrary
- to the end of his coming, which is first to sanctify, and then to
- save believers: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law or
- the prophets."
-
- 5. He teaches, that the end of the gospel and covenant of grace is
- to procure men's obedience to the moral law: "I am come to fulfil
- the law and the prophets."
-
- 6. That the obligation of the moral law, in all points, to all holy
- duties, is perpetual, and shall stand to the world's end, that
- is, "till heaven and earth pass away."
-
- 7. That as God has had a care of the Scripture from the beginning,
- so shall he have a care of them still to the world's end, that
- there shall not one jot or one tittle of its substance be taken
- away; so says the text, Verse 18.
-
- 8. That as the breaking of the moral law, and defending its
- transgressions to be no sin, does exclude men both from heaven,
- and justly also from the fellowship of the true church; so the
- obedience of the law, and teaching others to do the same, by
- example, counsel, and doctrine, according to every man's calling,
- proves a man to be a true believer, and in great estimation with
- God, and worthy to be much esteemed of by the true church, Verse
- 19.
-
- 9. That the righteousness of every true Christian must be more than
- the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees; for the scribes
- and Pharisees, albeit they took great pains to discharge various
- duties of the law, yet they cut short its exposition, that it
- might the less condemn their practice; they studied the outward
- part of the duty, but neglected the inward and spiritual part;
- they discharged some lesser duties carefully, but neglected
- judgment, mercy, and the love of God: in a word, they went about
- to establish their own righteousness, and rejected the
- righteousness of God by faith in Jesus. But a true Christian
- must have more than all this; he must acknowledge the full extent
- of the spiritual meaning of the law, and have a respect to all
- the commandments, and labour to cleanse himself from all
- filthiness of flesh and spirit, and "not lay weight upon what
- service he has done, or shall do," but clothe himself with the
- imputed righteousness of Christ, which only can hide his
- nakedness, or else he cannot be saved; so says the text, "Except
- your righteousness, ..."
- 05851
- The Evidences of True Faith
-
- Part 2 of 4
-
- The second thing requisite to evidence of true faith is, that the
- believer endeavour to put the rules of godliness and righteousness in
- practice, and to grow in its daily exercise; as held forth:
-
- "5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue;
- and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to
- temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to
- godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8
- For if these things be in you, and abound, they make [you that ye
- shall] neither [be] barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our
- Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Pe. 1:5-8
-
- Wherein,
-
- 1. The apostle teaches believers, for evidencing of precious faith
- in themselves, to endeavour to add to their faith seven other
- sister graces.
-
- 1a) The first is Virtue, or the active exercise and practice of
- all moral duties, that so faith is not idle, but puts forth
- itself in work.
-
- 1b) The second is Knowledge, which serves to furnish faith with
- information of the truth to be believed, and to furnish
- virtue with direction what duties are to be done, and how to
- go about them prudently.
-
- 1c) The third is Temperance, which serves to moderate the use of
- all pleasant things, that a man be not clogged therewith, nor
- made unfit for any duty to which he is called.
-
- 1d) The fourth is Patience, which serves to moderate a man's
- affections, when he meets with any difficulty or unpleasant
- thing; that he neither weary for pains required in
- well-doing, nor faint when the Lord chastises him, nor murmur
- when he crosses him.
-
- 1e) The fifth is Godliness, which may keep him up in all the
- exercises of religion, inward and outward; whereby he may be
- furnished from God for all other duties which he has to do.
-
- 1f) The sixth is Brotherly-kindness, which keeps estimation of,
- and affection to, all the household of faith, and to the
- image of God in every one where ever it is seen.
-
- 1g) The seventh is Love, which keeps the heart in readiness to do
- good to all men, whatever they be, upon all occasions which
- God shall offer.
-
- 2. Albeit it be true, that this is much corruption and infirmity in
- the godly; yet the apostle will have men mightily endeavouring,
- and doing their best, as they are able, to join all these graces
- one to another, and to grow in the measure of exercising them:
- "Giving all diligence, add to your faith, ..."
-
- 3. He assures all professed believers, that as they shall profit in
- the obedience of this direction, so they shall profitably prove
- the soundness of their own faith; and if they not have these
- graces, that they shall be found blind deceivers of themselves,
- Verse 9.
- 05852
- The Evidences of True Faith
-
- Part 3 of 4
-
- The third thing requisite to evidence true faith is, that obedience to
- the law run in the right channel, that is, through faith in Christ,
- etc. as held forth:
-
- "Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart,
- and [of] a good conscience, and [of] faith unfeigned:" 1 Ti. 1:5
-
- Wherein the apostle teaches these seven doctrines:
-
- 1. That the obedience of the law must flow from love, and love from
- a pure heart, and a pure heart from a good conscience, and a good
- conscience from faith unfeigned: this he makes the only right
- channel of good works: "The end of the law is love, ..."
-
- 2. That the end of law is not, that men may be justified by their
- obedience of it, as the Jewish doctors did falsely teach; for it
- is impossible that sinners can be justified by the law, who, for
- every transgression, are condemned by the law: "For the end of
- the law is (not such as the Jewish doctors taught, but) love, out
- of a pure heart, ..."
-
- 3. That the true end of the law, preached to the people, is, that
- they, by the law, being made to see their deserved condemnation,
- should flee to Christ unfeignedly, to be justified by faith in
- him; so says the text, while it makes love to flow through faith
- in Christ.
-
- 4. That no man can set himself in love to obey the law, excepting as
- far as his conscience is quieted by faith, or is seeking to be
- quieted in Christ; for "the end of the law is love, out of good
- conscience, and faith unfeigned."
-
- 5. That feigned faith goes to Christ without reckoning with the law,
- and so wants an errand; but unfeigned faith reckons with the law,
- and is forced to flee for refuge to Christ, as the end of the law
- for righteousness, so often as it finds itself guilty for
- breaking of the law: "For the end of the law is faith unfeigned."
-
- 6. That the fruits of love may come forth in act particularly, it is
- necessary that the heart be brought to the hatred of all sin and
- uncleanness, and to a steadfast purpose to follow all holiness
- universally: "For the end of the law is love, out of a pure
- heart."
-
- 7. That unfeigned faith is able to make the conscience good, and the
- heart pure, and the man lovingly obedient to the law; for when
- Christ's blood is seen by faith to quiet justice, then the
- conscience becomes quiet also, and will not suffer the heart to
- entertain the love of sin, but set the man on work to fear God
- for his mercy, and to obey all his commandments, out of love to
- God, for his free gift of justification, by grace bestowed on
- him: "For this is the end of the law indeed," whereby it obtains
- of a man more obedience than any other way.
- 05853
- The Evidences of True Faith
-
- Part 4 of 4
-
- The fourth thing requisite to evidence true faith is, the "keeping
- strait communion with Christ," the fountain of all graces, and of all
- good works; as held forth:
-
- "I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and
- I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye
- can do nothing." John 15:5
-
- Wherein Christ, in a similitude from a vine-tree, teaches us,
-
- 1. That by nature we are wild barren briers, till we be changed by
- coming to Christ; and that Christ is that noble vine-tree, having
- all life and sap of grace in himself, and able to change the
- nature of every one that comes to him, and to communicate spirit
- and life to as many as shall believe in him: "I am the vine, and
- ye are the branches."
-
- 2. That Christ loves to have believers so united to him, as that
- they be not separated at any time by unbelief: and that there may
- be a mutual inhabitation of them in him, by faith and love; and
- of him in them, by his word and Spirit; for he joins these
- together, "If ye abide in me, and I in you," as things
- inseparable.
-
- 3. That except a man be ingrafted into Christ, and united to him by
- faith, he cannot do any the least good works of his own strength;
- yes, except in as far as a man does draw spirit and life from
- Christ by faith, the work which he does is naughty and null in
- point of goodness in God's estimation: "For without me ye can do
- nothing."
-
- 4. That this mutual inhabitation is the fountain and infallible
- cause of constant continuing and abounding in well-doing: For "he
- that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit."
- Now, as our abiding in Christ presupposes three things;
-
- 4a) That we have heard the joyful sound of the gospel, making
- offer of Christ to us, who are lost sinners by the law;
-
- 4b) That we have heartily embraced the gracious offer of Christ;
-
- 4c) That by receiving of him we are become the sons of God, John
- 1:12, and are incorporated into his mystical body, that he
- may dwell in us, as his temple, and we dwell in him, as in
- the residence of righteousness and life:
-
- So our abiding in Christ imports other three things,
-
- 4d) An employing of Christ in all our addresses to God, and in
- all our undertakings of whatever piece of service to him.
-
- 4e) A contentedness with this sufficiency, without going out from
- him to seek righteousness, or life, or help in any case, in
- our own or any of the creature's worthiness.
-
- 4f) A fixedness in our believing in him, a fixedness in our
- employing and making use of him, and a fixedness in our
- contentment in him, and adhering to him, so that no
- allurement, not temptation of Satan or the world, no terror
- nor trouble, may be able to drive our spirits from firm
- adherence to him, or from the constant avowing of his truth,
- and obeying his commands, who has loved us, and given himself
- for us; and in whom not only our life is laid up, but also
- the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily, by reason of the
- substantial and personal union of the divine and human nature
- in him.
-
- Hence let every watchful believer, for strengthening himself in faith
- and obedience, reason after this manner:
-
- "Whoever does daily employ Christ Jesus for cleansing his
- conscience and affections from the guiltiness and filthiness of sins
- against the law, and for enabling him to give obedience to the law in
- love, he has the evidence of true faith in himself:"
- "But I (may every watchful believer say) do daily employ Jesus
- Christ for cleansing my conscience and affections from the guiltiness
- and filthiness of sins against the law, and for enabling of me to
- give obedience to the law in love:"
- "Therefore I have the evidence of true faith in myself."
-
- And hence also let the sleepy and sluggish believer reason, for
- his own upstirring, thus:
-
- "Whatever is necessary for giving evidence of true faith, I study
- to do it, except I would deceive myself and perish:"
- "But to employ Christ Jesus daily for cleansing of my conscience
- and affections from the guiltiness and filthiness of sins against the
- law, and for enabling me to give obedience to the law in love, is
- necessary for evidencing of true faith in me:"
- "Therefore this I must study to do, except I would deceive myself
- and perish."
-
- And, lastly, Seeing Christ himself has pointed this forth, as an
- undoubted evidence of a man elected of God to life, and given to
- Jesus Christ to be redeemed, "if he come unto him," that is, close
- covenant, and keep communion with him, as he teaches in John 6.37,
- saying:
-
- "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that
- cometh to me I will in no wise cast out;"
-
- let every person, who does not in earnest make use of Christ for
- remission of sin, and amendment of life, reason hence, and from the
- whole premises, after this manner, that his conscience may be
- awakened:
-
- "Whoever is neither by the law, nor by the gospel, so convinced of
- sin, righteousness, and judgment, as to make him come to Christ, and
- employ him daily for remission of sin, and amendment of life; he
- wants not only all evidence of saving faith, but also all appearance
- of his election, so long as he remains in this condition:"
-
- "But I (may every impenitent person say) am neither by the law nor
- gospel so convinced of sin, righteousness, and judgment, as to make
- me come to Christ, and employ him daily for remission of sin, and
- amendment of life:"
-
- "Therefore I lack not only all evidence of saving faith, but also
- all appearance of my election, so long as I remain in this
- condition."
-
- The End
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