Verses 12, 13
God's people?' Rom. 8:33. Therefore come to the sacrament, that we may grow in assurance of the life of sentence, in removing the guilt of sin, because Christ died for us. And we shall likewise have great increase of the inward frame of life and grace. For the more we are assured of forgiveness of sins, and acceptation to life everlasting, the more we live; as, where many things are forgiven, there is much love,
Luke 7:47. And the more we love, the more willing and cheerful we shall be; for all obedience springs from love. When we love we are ready for all duties. And therefore come with encouragement to increase our union and communion with Jesus Christ, now at this time.
VERSES 12, 13
So then death worketh in us, but life in you. We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believe, therefore have
I spoken. We all believe, and therefore we speak.
In the former part of the chapter we have heard how the apostle doth grant freely what might be objected to the disparagement of the ministry of the gospel, in regard of many particulars, and then he retorts, and makes use of all; as you may see in the several particulars.
We spake the last time of the eleventh verse, which is but the same with the tenth, only a more full expression and exposition of it, by some addition.
I observed divers things from thence.
That God's children must make account of the worst in the world; 'that the life of Jesus may be made manifest in our mortal flesh.'
Here is the event of the troubles God's children meet withal in this world, and the intendment on God's part.
'Made manifest in our mortal flesh.' I did not speak anything of that, therefore I will add something.
'The life of Jesus is made manifest in our flesh,' though mortal, and subject to death; and mortal, not only because subject to death, but also subject to miseries, which are little deaths. For, beloved, we do not only die when our lives are ended, when the last day of our life is cut off; but all that makes way to that is death. All the petty miseries, that by little and little unloose the affections from earthly things, that unloose the soul from the body, all those partial things, they are little degrees of that separation which is in death. So that in our mortal body, that is, our body that is subject to death, and to that that makes way for death.
'Our mortal flesh.' Flesh is a diminishing word in Scripture, implying mortal and frail nature. This is a matter of use, rather than to be unfolded; the best of us all carry but mortal flesh. We carry our deaths, and our hearse about us; our life is dying and mortal. It is a matter rather to be thought of to make us wise indeed; as Ps. 49:3, 'I will speak of wisdom.' What wisdom is it that he speaks of? He speaks of mortality and of death common to all, that is wisdom indeed. And therefore, Ps. 90:12, the holy man with order teacheth us 'to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.'
There be no wiser thoughts in this world than to judge aright of the condition of earthly things, and of our estate hereafter; for wisdom is in the judgment of things. When do we rightly judge of ourselves?
When we judge this life to be a dying kind of life, and our estate to be
a fading kind of condition. Mortal flesh it is; 'we are but earthen vessels.' 'Dust we are, and to dust we shall return again,' Gen. 3:19.
Beloved, think of this. It is but mortal flesh we carry; and therefore do not stand too much in adorning of it, in feeding of it, in providing for the lusts of it. How many betray their souls, their better part, by studying to give contentment to their mortal flesh! This is not the life for mortal flesh. The time for that is the life to come, at the resurrection. Then when we shall have other flesh, we shall be all spiritual, even our bodies spiritual, not maintained with meat and drink, as now they are. That is the life of the body, a glorious life.
Now it is a mortal life, that must end in dust and rottenness.
It is the vanity, especially of the younger sort, as if all their commendation were in setting out their bodies in apparel, and such things. It is a poor thing for a man, that hath a reasonable soul, to fetch his commendations from his flesh, from that which is worms' meat. Hath he nothing else to fetch his commendations from but what covereth his body? What is the flesh but the garment of the soul, and a rotten one? And what are other garments but a covering of that? And for a man to seek commendations, which should arise from parts and worth within, to be studying to provide for this mortal flesh, is a course unworthy of them that prove themselves to be Christians.
And therefore we must labour not to value ourselves by the body, nor by any worth we have in the outward man neither. If we have diseased bodies, or weak bodies, more mortal than others, not to be cast down, even the best are but mortal flesh; let us value ourselves by that which is to eternity, by the life of Jesus. Learn humility hence, not to be proud of mortal flesh, and sobriety. Many wise observations are from hence, but they are so easy, that the meanest
of them, the Spirit accompanying them, may be sufficient to you that be of understanding. Therefore I will not speak of it now, being more largely spoken of in the latter part of the chapter. 'So death works in us, but life in you.' That is the conclusion of the former comparison of Paul's suffering with the presence of God supporting him in his sufferings; he concludeth them all with this, 'So then death works in us, but life in you.'
Some take this for an irony, or a sarcasm, as we call it, a bitter kind of speech.* You be free from the cross, and from death. But I take not that to be the meaning of the place, but rather this: we die daily, we carry the death of Jesus about us, but life works in you. You have the good of all our deaths, not only we ourselves, that be apostles, but you have life by our death, glory by our shame, happiness by our misery; you are gainers by it. And indeed so it is. Those that be the grandees of the church, when they die, others live by them, as you shall see.
'So that death works in us.' How doth death work in us? Death works two ways at once.
It works in the outward man a decay. And then, by a command of a higher power, by God's Spirit, death works life, the contrary in us.
Death works in us; that is, we are subject to death, and dying. It works in us a farther and farther disposition to death. And life is taken away continually by partial deaths, which fit us for the last death; death as a canker eateth out our life and natures. As he said before, death is not only the conclusion of our life, but it eateth into it continually. Every day taking away a piece of it, especially them that be under crosses, death by little and little worketh a separation of soul from the body. And then death works in us the life of Jesus, that is, not in itself—for it works nothing but dissolution, and turneth us
to our dust out of which we were taken—but death works in us by the command of God, who can raise light out of darkness, and life out of death, and happiness out of misery. God, who hath all things in obedience to him, can raise contrary out of contrary. And therefore death works in us the life before spoken of, not of itself, but by the command of God himself, who extracteth out of death, and mortality, and misery we suffer, a farther degree of spiritual life. Beloved, it is a strange thing that death should work; but consider all things under heaven, even they work not in themselves, but under command and at obedience of the Supreme Worker, who is so excellent and powerful a worker, that he can raise contraries out of contrary, that cannot only raise from death, and make happy after misery, but make happy in misery, in life, in death, he is so powerful a worker.
Use. And of this make this use of it. We are in covenant with a powerful God, that can make any condition work to our good. He hath command over life, death, imprisonment, abasement whatsoever. He can raise out of them whatsoever is contrary, that no state shall be over-troublesome to us, that we shall not distaste of any condition. Shall we distaste of any conditions, when God can make that condition serve for our best good? Oh no.
Use 2. Comfort. And let this comfort us in the greatest misery. God works life in death. He giveth spiritual life, and makes it appear we are upheld by a divine power, another power than our own; therefore be not discouraged, and never despair.
But what benefit have they by it? Life works in you by our death; life works in him too. And the life of Jesus is manifested not only in him but them too. God bringeth his own children into great troubles for the good of others. They be the standard-bearers of the church, but
he commands their lives to be manifested in their dyings, two or three ways.
(1.) The more he dies, the more death was wrought in him, the more the Spirit liveth in him, the more spiritual life was in him; that is, a divine power and strength of grace, to enable him in the inward man.
And was not this for the church's good, being a public man, as he was? And therefore the church loseth nothing by the afflictions of their godly pastors. Oh your Christians, the more they be afflicted, the more free they be to comfort and instruct. Of all physicians the experienced physician is the best. And they be the best teachers, and do most good, that can speak from experience of the life of Christ manifested in them; in that regard life was theirs, by death working in him.
(2.) Then again, as death wrought in him, so life in them, that they might have good by his sufferings, and the presence of God's Spirit in his sufferings, to be less troubled with the cross. We see St Paul nevertheless hath his partial death, his abasement in the world, as an 'earthen vessel' despised of all; how straight he walks and comfortably he walks! how God is present with his Spirit! And surely if we suffer for a righteous cause, the same Spirit that was present with Paul shall be present with us. And thus by way of example life works in them, but death in him.
(3.) Life wrought in them, by death in him, that they might be in love more with religion, which is such as bringeth comfort and strength from heaven in the greatest sufferings for it. And that they might love the cause the better, God is present with the cause. If it were not God's cause, he would not accompany it with such increase of grace and comfort. Therefore, as death in Paul, so life in them; for they are more and more in love with religion. And so it was with the martyrs:
when they saw it was such a cause, then they went cheerfully to suffer. They knew God had neither persons nor cause, that he was so present with all; and therefore they were encouraged themselves, because they saw others victoriously and triumphingly to suffer. So we see that we ought not to take scandal at the sufferings of any for a good cause. Their death is our life. If we be of the same body, we may take good by it. We should be so far from taking scandal at them that suffer for justice or religion, that we should honour them the more. 'I Paul, a prisoner,' Eph. 3:1. Is that a weakening of himself? No. As a prevailing argument, [he] here mentioneth his bonds and sufferings.
It is so far therefore from being a matter of offence as to make us not to be ready to taunt them, as proud flesh is ready to do; and therefore they have counted crosses and suffering, a contemptible thing, that we should honour it the more. And therefore take no offence at them that suffer in the cause of religion; their sufferings is for the good of others. For this we have a more clear place in the latter part of this chapter.
Obj. But have not all God's children their death, without dying to you? Are not all God's children partakers of the cross?
Ans. Beloved, sometimes it is thus with God's church and children, that God to favour them doth give them an exemption from any great cross till they be trained up, and get fortitude and strength; not that God loveth them more than he loveth others that he exerciseth; but it is clean contrary, for where he causeth to suffer for a good cause, it is a privilege. 'To you it is given, not only to believe, but also to suffer,'
Philip. 1:29. He favours them more, and tenders them more. The rest have not that strength of grace, and therefore God cherisheth them; as when plants be young, we set them about with bushes against excursion of outward causes; but when they have taken root, those be taken away. So God besets his children with props and comforts till
they have gotten root; but afterwards exposeth them to storms and wind, that they may take root deeper. Therefore let none think they be better because they be free. God is preparing and fitting them for that which is prepared for them.
'We having the Spirit, as it is written, I believe, therefore have I spoken; we also believe, therefore we speak.'
The holy apostle doth here, as an entrance into this discourse, fully set forth his condition under the cross, and the sufferings as a believer; that is, he was bold and confident, notwithstanding all sufferings, in hope of the resurrection, and glory to come. And he sets out his faith by comparing his faith with them in former times.
'We having the same Spirit of faith' that they had before, as Abraham, and David, and others, we are not alone, neither in sufferings nor in our comforts. We have the same combats and the same comforts, the same Spirit of comfort and grace, according 'as it is written, I believe, therefore I have spoken; we also believe, therefore do we speak.' He made David's case, Ps. 116:10, parallel to his own. They were both in trouble and affliction, both confess to God in the midst of his congregation. Saint Paul had the same Spirit:
'we believe and speak,' as they believed and spake. I shall have the present life of Christ manifested in me. I know by experience that I shall be carried along by the life, and power, and Spirit of Christ, and afterward I look for a glorious resurrection, as is specified in the next verse.
'We having the same Spirit of faith,' not the same with you, and the rest of the members that now live. Now that I conceive is not so much his meaning,* as we having the same Spirit of faith with David, and them before Christ died, with all the professors of religion from the beginning of the world to the end, the same Spirit with you. Now
the same spirit with the church in former times, one Spirit runs through the veins of the church in all ages; having the same spirit of faith, he hath the same commanding act of faith. For there be two acts of faith: one we call elicitus, which is, the inward proper act of faith; and there is actus imperationis, whereby it commands the exercises of other graces. As I believe in the proper exercise of grace in itself, and I not only believe, but courageously confess; confession is not so much the proper act of faith, as it is commanded to be exercised by faith. Here is first the life of faith, and then the act and expression of faith with a parallel, David: as David believeth and speaks, so I believe and speak.
'We have the spirit of faith.' Faith is here the fundamental grace, the radical grace of all. We have faith, and a spirit of faith, and the same spirit of faith. So that faith is the radical grace, it being the grace that exercises all the rest. It is the grace of the new covenant, whereby we are knit to Christ: 'Whosever believeth shall not perish, but have everlasting life,' John 3:15. It is the grace of union that knits us to the root, the foundation of lively Christianity. And therefore he mentions faith in the first place.
Think of faith as the first grace of the Spirit, that acteth and stirs up all other graces. It is the first, because it is the grace of union that knits us to Christ. It is the grace required in the covenant of grace. It is the grace that giveth God all the glory, therefore fit to be the grace of the covenant. And [it] takes all from man, emptieth a man of all, and giveth all the glory to God, and Christ, whose righteousness we lay hold upon by faith; being therefore the grace of the covenant, the grace of union, the grace of abasing man and glorifying God above all other graces, and the grace that acts and stirs up all other graces; and all other graces do increase, or decrease, as faith increaseth or
decreaseth. Therefore 'having received the spirit of faith, we also believe,' &c. Therefore above all other graces labour for faith.
But now we have not only faith, but 'the same Spirit of faith,' which sheweth the original whence faith cometh. The spirit of faith is an excellent attribute to faith, to shew that faith as all other graces comes from the Spirit; and if all other graces come from the Spirit, then the grace of graces, faith especially. The Spirit is either the Holy
Ghost himself, called the Spirit, partly passively, because the Holy Ghost is breathed from the Father and Son, and partly actively, because the Spirit doth spirare, breathe into us. All the life and comforts we have is from the Spirit. The Holy Ghost comes a spirando, not a generando. He doth breathe all grace and comfort into God's children, and therefore [is] called the Spirit. Now as the Holy Ghost infuseth all grace and comfort, he works first a gracious disposition in God's children, which is called the Spirit. The Holy
Ghost is called not only the Spirit, but a gracious disposition and temper of our soul, whereby our spirits are made suitable to the Holy
Ghost; for the Holy Ghost puts an impression upon every soul that comes to heaven, like itself, and sets a stamp of holiness upon it, and renews the image of Christ. Again, the Spirit is also called spirit, as to 'walk by the Spirit, and live by the Spirit;' that is, to live in an holy and gracious disposition wrought in us by the Holy Ghost. Now as in general a gracious frame of soul is called spirit, so every grace is called the grace of the Spirit; as the 'spirit of faith,' and the 'spirit of love,' and the 'spirit of a sound mind,' and the spirit of the 'fear of the Lord,' and the 'spirit of counsel,' because they issue immediately from the Spirit, and sanctification wrought in us by the Spirit of God.
For the Spirit of God will infuse a divine nature into us, which we call the Spirit, being the seed of all grace. And then comes the spirit of all other graces. As in original sin there is the seed of all corruption, so
in the Spirit the seed of regeneration is the seed of all grace, hope, and faith, and love, and whatsoever.
Now, as we say, though there be one general ocean, yet it hath several names according to the several coasts it washeth, and therefore called the British seas, the Irish seas, the Mediterrane* seas, the French seas. There is but one sea, yet [it] hath its terms according to the several coasts. So the Spirit is one Spirit, but as it begets several graces, so it hath several names. As it giveth faith, it is called the spirit of faith; as it enableth us to suffer, the spirit of assistance, or supportation. There be also animal spirits in the veins, and vital spirits in the liver and heart. So it is with the Spirit of God.
It is the spirit of such a grace and such a grace as there is occasion to use it. So that the apostle terms the work of God's grace in the hearts of his children a spirit of faith; faith therefore is wrought by the Spirit of God, and that is the doctrine. The excellent grace of faith is from the Spirit. For it is called from the work of it, 'a spirit of faith.'
What need I prove it? For all things above faith are above nature. The objects of faith are above nature, which are merely mysteries. There is no seed of faith in us at all. It is harder to believe than to fulfil the law; for there are seed of all commandments of the moral law, some impressions of it are yet left in our natures to serve God in some measure, to do justice. So that the moral men and pagans have been excellent in that kind. But to believe requires the revelation of the objects, which are supernatural things, above nature, contrary to carnal reason. Faith hath no friend at all in us. There is a cursed enmity of nature against every article of faith to call the foundation itself into question; and we are prone to believe our own lying hearts and Satan in time of temptation, rather than divine truths. To believe the favour of God to a sinner, the heart will not conceive of it, unless the Spirit of God sets down to the soul that it is so. To believe life
everlasting and glory, they be things above nature. Unless they were revealed by the Spirit, who would have believed these things? And therefore it must be power divine that must raise the heart above itself. Nothing can work above its own sphere. Nature cannot rise higher than nature; a river cannot rise higher than the spring from whence it ariseth; nothing can do above its activity. Natural things cannot apprehend spiritual things. The acts of faith are above nature.
For a soul, a guilty soul, a soul under the guilt of sin, to apprehend the favour and mercy of a just and holy God, unless there be a Spirit to raise the soul above all guilt, and to see more mercy in God than sin in itself, it must be a supernatural act to do this. To overcome the world, all temptations on the right hand of pleasure and profit, and on the left hand fear and danger, is above nature. But faith enableth a man to overcome the world. Therefore it must be the spirit of faith that enables him to overcome himself, the world, and the prince of the world and his temptations, where the object and the act is supernatural. Therefore surely we must have a spirit above our own.
A man must be more than a man, he must be a spiritual man, that doth the things that faith enableth him to do. Therefore faith is wrought by the Spirit; for a man to be able to conquer God himself, by his word and promise, it must be by God. And this must be by a spirit of faith. As our Saviour Christ overcome by the woman of Canaan, 'O woman, great is thy faith,' Mat. 15:28. And then Satan especially joineth against this grace of faith, because it most opposeth him in all his temptations and methods. Moreover, we must have a Spirit of faith not only to work faith in us, but likewise in every act and exercise of faith; for though we have the grace of faith, we cannot act and raise ourselves upon occasion, as the object is present, and duties to be done by the Spirit. 'He giveth both the will and the deed,' Phil. 2:13. And for all these reasons there is a necessity of the Spirit to work faith.
Therefore faith is a gift of the Spirit. 'To you it is given to believe,'
Mat. 13:11. 'Faith is not of ourselves, but the gift of God,' Eph. 2:8, and a rare, excellent, and peculiar gift it is. The point is plain, that this excellent grace of faith, whereby we go out of ourselves and fetch all without, it is from the Spirit of God, which indeed is first a Spirit of faith before it is a Spirit of love and patience. This is the first work of the Spirit; the first work of the Spirit is a spirit of faith, and then of love, and patience, and contentation with the condition, but first the spirit of faith.
Use 1. And if it be so that faith comes from the Spirit of God, and groweth not in ourselves, then we must learn whither to go for it; to pray, 'Lord, increase our faith,' Luke 17:5. If we want it, to expect it in the use of sanctified means, even to look for it from above. 'Every good and perfect gift cometh from the Father of lights,' James 1:17, and therefore this excellent gift of all gifts. And account it an excellent grace, and that will make us sue more for it. We must have a Spirit of faith, else all things are nothing, for that is a fundamental grace. 'Therefore look to the power of the Spirit of God for it, the Spirit being the agent of the Father and the Son here below. As it proceeds from the father and the Son, so it works from the Father and the Son; and by faith assures us of the love of the Father and the Son, for it knoweth what is in the breast of the Father and the Son.
Use 2. And then if God doth give this act of faith, this supernatural eye of faith, this supernatural hand of faith to lay hold, eyes to see, this supernatural hand of faith to lay hold, and stomach of faith to digest, then it is not every one that hath it; all have not faith. And therefore if we have faith, if we can go out of ourselves and rely on the promise, thank God for it; thank God for it more than for any grace or gift in the world. For, beloved, we are stubborn, alike dead, dark, rebellious alike by nature; and for us that be all of the same
condition by nature to be raised to a supernatural condition, to have an eye and hand to see and reach to things above nature, and to make them our own, this is a peculiar grace; and therefore not unto us, but unto the Spirit of God, be all the glory and praise.
Use 3. And then let us take heed that we do not rashly or hastily attempt any suffering or doing, without looking to the Spirit of God for a new exercise of faith, that now being to use faith, we may have the Spirit to raise up the habit, which otherwise will be a dormant and sleepy habit; that as occasion is offered, so we may have fresh strength suitable to the fresh occasions. The same faith we had before will not serve for the present time, especially if there be increase of trouble. And if the actions to be performed be more difficult, according to the increase of trouble and hardness of business we are about, we must beg a greater measure of faith. So that indeed the life of a Christian is nothing but a dependency since the fall, under the covenant of grace. We are under guidance of the Spirit, not only to prop and strengthen us with habits, as we call them, but likewise on every occasion to raise and stir up our graces, and to persuade the soul to receive them. It is faith that stirs up all grace, and directs all grace, and holds every grace to its work, and, so long as it continueth, keepeth all other graces in exercise.
But more particularly, by the spirit of faith he meaneth the receipt of a powerful faith, because a spirit of faith; and a constant faith, because it is a spirit of faith; for the spirit is put to things that be strong and constant. And the Spirit is a strong worker, and it is the spirit of faith; and a free worker, because it is a spirit of faith that works more or less according as it seeth need. It is an holy grace, because it comes from the Holy Spirit; and therefore it is a grace indeed that makes us holy.
First, It is a spirit of faith, that is, a powerful work of faith. Now a spirit of faith doth overcome our unbelieving natures, a spirit works strongly, takes away actual resistance. Faith comes not by persuasion, but by a powerful waking strength; for if it came by persuasion, the devil would persuade to unbelief sooner than the Spirit should persuade to faith. For he hath more help for unbelief than there is for faith. We have in us more arguments against truth and against goodness than for it. And therefore if it were but a mere persuasion, and the soul not overpowered by the Holy Ghost to believe, it would never believe. So that it is not left indifferent to us to believe or not believe when God's Spirit comes. But the Spirit, as wind, is a powerful work[er], and because it takes away all prevailing resistances from the soul, and makes way for itself, bringing an heavenly light into the understanding, and a spiritual kind of reasoning, and an heavenly obedience into the will, bowing it to obedience of divine truths to yield to them, because by little and little it consumes corruption, it takes away prevailing corruption, and makes the soul believe, though there be roots of infidelity remaining.
The Spirit takes down the rebellion of nature so far that it shall not prevail. They never have the spirit of faith that think they can resist.
When the Spirit comes it subjects all to its work. But I will not make a counterpoint of it. But, indeed, the spirit of faith takes away all resistances, which is to be observed, not only against divers heresies in this time, or opinions at least that tend that way, for they end in a little better than heresy; but likewise to think what an excellent grace it is, how much we are beholding to God for it, how to importune
God for it, considering it is such a supernatural, holy, and powerful grace of the Spirit. And then it is a constant work. God's children do not only believe now and then, but they have a spirit of faith. Now spirit implieth a constant inclination, in the Scripture phrase, as a spirit of lying, of falsity, of envy, is an inclination that way; and a
spirit of faith is a constant inclination wrought in the spirit to live by faith constantly, to depend upon God for all things, pardon of sins, life everlasting, provision and protection in this world.
Again, Because it is called the 'spirit of faith,' it sheweth that it is a free grace, and the grounds why some have more or less faith, it is free for measure and free for time. They that have faith have the spirit of faith. They have not faith at command. No. The Spirit bloweth where it listeth, more or less. If you ask why some have great, some less, faith? It is because God seeth it needful for them in afflictions to have a great measure of faith, them that are wretched in the world, that have pre-encountered great dangers and afflictions, it is necessary to have a great measure of faith, and God giveth it. For the Spirit is a wise Spirit, and giveth faith according to the exigencies of particular persons more or less, for it is a Spirit.
The things God works by his Spirit, in regard of the freeness of them, are called graces; they as they are wrought by the Spirit are called the graces of the Spirit. The graces of the Scriptures are not like the graces of the heathens in their ethics and morals, who call them habits,* but they have their names from their efficiency, the spirit of love, as they be from God's freeness; they are called the spirit of faith, as referring all to the work of God's Spirit, because as we are saved by grace, so we must be ready to give all glory to the work of the Spirit.
And therefore we should not be much discontent if we have not so great a measure as others have, but thankful for the least properties of faith, for the measure of it comes from the Holy Ghost, who is a free worker. The Holy Ghost is not a natural worker, as fire burneth with extremity of its strength, because it is a natural agent, but the Holy Ghost being a wise and free agent, works according to his good will and pleasure. And therefore take heed how we grieve the Spirit
of God, which is a Spirit of faith; but as the apostle giveth wise counsel, 'Work out your salvation with fear and trembling,' Philip.
2:12, because it is God that giveth the will and the deed of his good pleasure. If we esteem not the Spirit as we should, the Spirit may withdraw and suspend the sweet exercise of faith, though not wholly take it away, because it is a grace that proceeds from a free agent, the Holy Ghost.
And it is said likewise, we have the same spirit of faith, because the same Spirit of God works the same faith from Adam, the first believer, to the end of the world. Beloved, those before Christ, they were saved by Christ, as we read, Acts 15:8, 9, 'When our hearts are purified, we are saved by faith as they were.' There is one Spirit breathed into all the children of God to the end of the world, the same Spirit is in the hidden members. What shall I say? The same
Spirit with them, the same Spirit with Christ their head; one selfsame Spirit is in Christ our head, and in all the members of Christ from the beginning to the end of the world. And as there is one
Spirit, so one spirit of faith in regard of the object, the same things believed. For though faith be diverse, according to the diversity of belief, yet in regard of the things believed, and the cause of faith, the Spirit, they are all one: 'Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever,' Heb. 13:8.
There is nothing we believe in the gospel, but they did believe believe Christ. Our faith is Abraham's faith and David's faith. I will give an instance before Christ. Abraham believed in Christ, 'and saw his day and rejoiced,' John 8:56. And the sacrament of circumcision was 'a seal of the righteousness of faith,' Rom. 4:11, as our sacraments are seals of our faith. And likewise they gave all to the Spirit of God.
'Breathe thy law into our hearts.' And Moses giveth the reason why they heard and saw in the wilderness, and profited not. God gave
them not an heart. All was given to the Spirit, as now, and life everlasting.
They believed as well as we do now. 'At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore,' Ps. 16:11. Christ was believed as well as now. He was
Immanuel then, and with them as well as with us, though we have a farther measure of revelation. Christ is laid, Christ is a corner stone,
'and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed,' 1 Peter 2:6.
There was the same covenant of grace. 'Whosoever believeth shall not perish, but have everlasting life,' as now, John 3:15. And therefore believers are called 'the children of Abraham,' Gal. 3:7, heaven, 'the bosom of Abraham,' Luke 16:23. Women-believers are called 'the daughters of Abraham,' Luke 13:16, because there is one spirit of faith in believers from the beginning of the world to the end of it. Now the particulars are revealed more clearly, the canon is enlarged, the gospel is added to the precepts of the law, but notwithstanding, for fundamental points, they are the same from the beginning to the end of the church. The difference between them and us was in outward garments, in outward affections. As a man differs from a child in garments and outward habit, and yet is the same man, so the church of the Jews and our church are all one church, only differing in ceremonies and outward concernments, and yet still the same church. The difference is the accidental and outward; the essential main points are always the same. And therefore the grand point of faith, we believe, is not yesterday's faith, as the papists would make it, like the Gibeonites, that when they came but from hard by, came with mouldy bread and shoes, counterfeiting that they came from a far country.* So you shall have it in every papist's mouth, Ours is the ancient religion, the fathers' religion, when it was but of yesterday, and of all novelties; but we are true catholics, because we believe an universal truth, the same spirit of faith which they had in ages of the church before. We believe nothing but what
Abraham, Moses, David, and the prophets believed. We are the catholics. We are not upstarts, and I prove it by this reason. There is nothing we believe but they believed; whatsoever we believe all the ancient fathers and patriarchs believed.
Now that faith is most catholic that all the patriarchs, prophets, and apostles believed, and that they themselves believe. They only add patcheries of their own, and therefore they have a new faith, but we the same. They believe the two sacraments, but they add their own.
They believe the Scriptures, but they add traditions. They believe salvation from Christ, but they add works; believe we must call upon God, but they add saints to Christ in invocation and mediation. They have destructive additions of their own, which spoileth all in the conclusion. What they have we have; but their patcheries neither they nor we have; and therefore is not our faith more catholic, that holds the same things with the patriarchs and prophets, more than they that have only mere additions of their own?
That wherein they differ from us is not catholic in their own confession, for they have it not out of Scripture, nor catholic with us in regard of the divided church that they had. It was neither the faith of the ancients, patriarchs, nor prophets before Christ, nor of the ancient fathers since Christ; and therefore they are fain to fly to traditions and their own devices, and to make articles of their own, as Pius IV. made not many years since as many articles of his own as there be articles in the creed. For they say the present church is led by the Spirit of God infallibly, and according to the present state of the church things must be expounded. Therefore they be true catholics that hold with the ancient church, and them too, in such things as be true. And therefore we deserve the name of catholics, and they of neutralists. For is not that more catholic which is the same with ancient pariarchs, with ancient fathers since Christ, and
the same with them, than that wherein they differ from us? Indeed, that wherein they differ from us is merely the act of a private spirit of the one, not as if they did only add and still retain truth, but they defile whatsoever passeth from them. For they do change some things, add some things, take away some things. They change the government of Christ into a tyranny, making the pope head, the sacrament of the Lord's supper into a sacrifice, and transgress every article of religion. They take away the cup in the sacrament, and then their additions are destructive additions. If they add, they overthrow all. As Paul saith to the Galatians, 'If ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing,' Gal. 5:2; and if you look to be saved by the law, you shall miss of salvation; and 'whosoever teacheth another doctrine different, is anathema, is accursed,' 1 Cor. 16:22. Their additions are destructive additions. If they were perfective, it were another matter, but they add something to faith which overthroweth faith, and something to Christ which takes away Christ. They do not hold to the head, but have another head than Christ, other mediators, and other rules of faith. They do not agree in the principles of faith. They agree that the word is the word; but then to take away the edge of it, they add something to weaken it: their own expositions, traditions, and applications. So that they have what we have, yet they change all points of religion; and the additions are against the foundation, and destructive. Not that but divers of them go to heaven, but it is not by their tenets. But they hold contradictions; and in the hour of death they cleave to the one, and forsake the other. Howsoever, for cavil sake, they hold merits and righteousness with obedience of Christ, yet they that belong to God amongst them, at time of death renounce that religion, and cleave only to Christ and obedience of Christ by justification to faith. But my meaning is not to take up time in these things, but only to breed a love of the religion we have, that hath a justification in the main tenets we hold from the enemy, from the ancient church, from the
Christian church, having one spirit of faith. And to say truth, they have the old spirit, as in Revelations, the spirit of Egypt, for so is
Rome called, and the spirit of Sodom, and, as it is for the most part called, the spirit of Babylon; for they have a cruel and bloody spirit; and the filthy spirit of the Sodomites, and the idolatrous spirit of Egypt, and the tyrannical city of Babylon: for they have the same spirit with them. But for ancient tenets of religion, we may safely say, that in the main points of religion we have the same spirit of faithful
Abraham, the patriarchs, David, the prophets, apostles, and ancient fathers; therefore we may be bold.
There is one faith from the beginning of the world to the end of the world, the faith of the elect: 'faith once given,' as Jude calls it, ver. 3.
I cannot press this point, but make this use further of it. We have the Spirit of faith, and the same Spirit of faith with them that were before. Therefore let this comfort us, that if we truly believe, we are brought into communion and fellowship with the church that hath been and shall be to the end of the world, that is now in heaven; for we have all one Spirit. Though instead of faith they have vision, yet we have all one Spirit. Is it not a sweet thing to have communion with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets and apostles?
And so we have, if we be true believers, by the same Spirit of faith.
Perhaps we differ in the measure and degree, because the necessities of one are more than the necessities of another; as in organ pipes the same breath is in all the pipes, but some sound little and some have a greater sound, answerable to the making of them, yet one breath makes them all sound. So there is the same Spirit in all the church, but some have little, some great measure, according as their necessities and places in the church are; and therefore it is of great comfort, and it may teach us, as a comfort, that we have communion
of saints in this church, that the Spirit is in all, so to love communion of saints. We have 'one faith, one spirit, one baptism,' Eph. 4:5.
That wherein Christians agree is better advantageous to this purpose to enforce unity and peace than anything wherein they disagree, to make a rupture and fraction. Perhaps they may disagree in ceremonies, in opinion of this or that; but if there be one faith, one baptism, if there be unity in the main, shall other things of less concernment be of force to make a fraction in the church? Oh beloved, no! The church before Christ, and the church after Christ, for garments they did differ, for outward appurtenances. As a child and a man, it is the same person, yet he hath one apparel when young, another when a man; so the church when young had one kind of ceremony, when old another, yet at all times one Spirit. So one church may differ from another in this or that particular outward appendixes, but what is that to the spirit of faith? There is one Spirit of Christ in all; and is not that of greater force to knit together than other lesser matters to make a division? which should teach us more and more to study the unity of the Spirit. Were it not an excellent thing if all Christians in the world had the spirits to agree in the same things, and love the same things that shall be our life in heaven? And it were not heaven on earth if there were no agreement in the judgment and affections of Christians. Therefore study peace; and for other matters, they will follow. Let them not be of that concernment as to make any separation: Philip. 2:1, 'If any consolation, if any peace, if any love,' &c., 'be of like mind one toward another.' Why, what is the cause they press union so much? Because our happiness is in it, and Christ in his excellency, to pray that 'Christ and all may be one,' John 17:11; because the same Spirit that knitteth to Christ knitteth to one another by love, and all grace and comforts are derived to Christians as knit to Christ by faith, and to others by love. If we be not knit to Christ, there is no derivation of