---- CHAPTER VI: How absolute election and absolute promises are the ground of faith of recumbency.
ready to sink, and that in the storms of doubtings to the contrary.
Therefore it doth not necessarily imply fulness of assurance.
CHAPTER VI
How absolute election and absolute promises are the ground of faith of recumbency.
The ground of all faith is an expression of God in his word, which is either a command or a promise. Now the grounds of justifying faith are accordingly the promises of justification and salvation by Christ contained in the word, and the command of God to rest on them for their salvation. Now that which I would establish is this, that indefinite promises may be, and are sufficient ground to draw the heart in to believe. By indefinite promises I understand such as are not made universally to all men, as some would have the promises run, as that God hath loved all, and Christ died for all; nor such as particularly design out the persons that shall be saved, or are intended (as conditional promises do, and the promise first made to Abraham personally did design out himself as intended); but they are called indefinite, because they mention that only some of the sons of men are intended by God, not all, and that without mentioning particularly or personally who those persons are; so as they are not indefinite as leaving the thing promised uncertain, for salvation is absolutely pronounced unto some of the sons of men, but only because they design not the persons who are certainly intended. Such are those promises, 'Christ came into the world to save sinners,' 'God was in Christ reconciling the world,' which is made the matter of the gospel's ministry; and though the promulgation of this be made to all men—'Preach the gospel to every creature'—yet this is not the gospel to be preached, that God hath promised to save every creature, though, upon this promulgation of them, it becomes the duty of
every one to come to Christ, and a command is laid on men to do it.
Now a soul that is newly humbled looks out for a promise upon which he may come to Christ. He cannot rest on promises conditional, for he sees no qualifications of faith or any grace in himself. It is true, says that soul, 'he that believeth shall be saved,' but I am now to begin to believe, and have not faith yet; and what ground will you give me of believing? For this there is no answer, but to lay such promises before him: 'God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,' 'Christ came into the world to save sinners,' &c.
But how, will the soul say, should I know I am one? That, I say, all the world cannot yet assure thee of; no promise is so general as certainly to include thee, none so certain as to design thee. How then? says the soul. Say I, they are all indefinite, and exclude thee not; they leave thee with an it may be thou mayest be the man; and it is certain some shall be saved, and there is nothing in thee shuts thee out, for God hath and will save such as thou art, and he may intend thee. As therefore there is in such promises a certainty of the thing promised, that it shall be made good to some, so there is an indefiniteness to whom, with a full liberty that it may be to thee. Now if the heart answer but the promise, two things are begotten in it.
1. An assurance of the thing promised, that the promise is as true as that God is, which is the assurance James requires, chap. 1.
2. But then, concerning the party's own interest that is to believe, the soul is not assured, nor can be, that he is one intended, till he hath indeed believed; but the indefiniteness of the promise begets only an hopefulness that he maybe intended, and that is all that can be required of such a soul, and enough to draw forth (if his assent be spiritual) true acts of justifying faith, of trusting, waiting, coming to Christ, &c., which when the command shall also back and urge him in particular unto it, and make it a necessary duty to him, though yet he knows not certainly he shall be accepted, all this serves to draw him on to faith, through the power of the Spirit accompanying both.
Now that such indefinite promises, backed with the command, are grounds sufficient enough to draw on such acts of faith, there are these proofs:
1. We have the first in Heb. 4:11, 'Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the example of unbelief.' By entering into rest there, he means faith: ver. 3, 'We who have believed do enter into rest.' It appears also from the opposition, when he says,
'Lest any fall after the example of unbelief;' so as he evidently exhorts unto faith. Now this exhortation, 'Let us therefore endeavour to enter in,' or truly to believe, and so take heed of a false faith, is an inference of something said before. Now what was it the apostle had mainly driven at in all his discourse before? Even this, that there was a promise of rest, verse 1, and of a rest that remains for the people of God, ver. 9. More particularly, if you examine what promise this is upon which he exhorts to faith, it is expressed plainly in the 6th verse, 'Seeing it remains that some must enter into rest, let us therefore endeavour,' &c. This was not an universal promise, that all men might enter in and be saved; nay, it is the contrary, for this promise was fetched by the apostle out of an oath God had made against some that they should not enter in, for so it is in the 5th verse, 'If they shall enter into my rest.' It is such a promise as shews that some are excluded with an oath; it is a promise that, in the letter of it, hath swearing in it that some shall not enter, and is but by implication or illation a promise that some shall. It is indefinite, for he says, that only some must enter in, not naming who, but only speaks of some, and so leaves it, yet with a certainty of the thing promised unto some, in saying some must enter in. There is a must put upon it, that some shall and must. In the 9th verse he calls those for whom the rest remains, 'the people of God,' the elect, and yet upon this indefinite promise he exhorts every one. He says not only,
'Let us' (viz., all) 'endeavour to enter in,' but, verse 1, he says more expressly, 'Let us fear, lest, a promise being left' (or forsaken of us),
'any of you should come short of it.' So as though it is but an indefinite declaration of God's mind to save some, yet every one is bound to put in for it, and to take heed that not any one fall short.
2. I shall prove this by reason. 1st, If the indefiniteness of God's mind declared concerning his intent of saving but some be not sufficient ground to faith, then all those divines whose judgments having been for particular election and reprobation, and so they must needs understand the mind of God's promises not to be universal, could never have come to have believed savingly, which would be too hard a censure. Since therefore the indefiniteness of the promise was the ground of their believing, this also may be ground sufficient to any man's faith.
2dly, Faith in us is to be but answering unto, and conforming to the promise in the word; and if it be, it may be true faith. Now there are promises in the word that speak but indefinitely, that speak but it may bes. Thus Moses propounds the promise to the people when they had sinned: 'I will go to the Lord,' says he, 'peradventure I shall make an atonement for you.' Thus the Ninevites reason too: Jonah
3:9, 10, 'Who knows but the Lord may be merciful?' And yet this wrought repentance, as Christ tells us. So likewise speaks Joel, chap.
2:13, 14, 'Turn unto the Lord, for he is gracious and merciful, and repenteth him of the evil; who knows if he will return and repent?'
3dly, In temporal promises believers exercise true acts of faith, and it is required of them to believe about them; and yet these promises are but indefinite, not absolute to their persons, though it is certain that God will perform them to some. Now, therefore, why may it not be as well thus in matter of salvation?
4thly, Answerably the acts of faith themselves required of us, are suitable to such promises. Trusting, and waiting, and coming to Christ, and casting one's self upon him, are the acts of application in our faith. Now these are indefinite acts of the soul, i.e., which are and may be performed when we know not certainly that a thing shall be ours, or that we shall obtain it. They are often performed by men in other cases with the greatest venture that may be, as in Benhadad's servants, that put ropes about their necks, and sackcloth on their loins: 'Peradventure,' say they, 'he will save our lives.' Thus men
come to Christ, John 6:37, when they know not but they may be cast out. Yea, such a submission is an act of faith, and hath its chief exercise in case of not knowing that a man is certainly intended.
5thly, Where there is but a true hopefulness, there may be faith: 1
Peter 1:21, 'That your faith and hope might be in God.' And to beget an hope, the indefinite promises do serve sufficiently. This saying, that Christ died to save sinners, I not knowing but I may be one, may breed hope. If you had no promise, then indeed you were without hope: Eph. 2:12, 'Without hope, without promise.' But where there is but a promise indefinitely revealed, there may hope be begotten; and where hope is, there may and ought endeavours to be, and so an endeavouring to enter in and to believe; when thou canst not say to the contrary, then 'there is hope concerning this thing,' Ezra 10:2.
And if there be so, then there may be faith of recumbency, or trusting on Christ to perform it to me.
6thly, Where love may be begotten, there may faith or trust also, for faith works by love; but love may be begotten when there is not a certainty that we shall obtain. How many fall in love that are taken with a person's excellency and beauty, and suitableness to them, though they have but little hope, no assurance they shall obtain the party's good will! This we see daily in human experience, and why may it not be so in this case? Yes, we see it to be in many that love
God for his being good to sinners, &c., though they apprehend not certainly that he will be so to themselves. And if love to God is thus produced, why may not faith or trust be so begotten? Yea, is not the purest and greatest trust shewn in putting one's self into the hands of a spirit whom we know to be noble, though we certainly know not how he will deal with us?
7thly, The main thing that is in faith, and which draws on the heart to cleave to the goodness of the promise, is the sight of the things promised in their reality. Thus it appears through the whole 11th chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, that faith being the evidence of things not seen, they saw and were persuaded of them, and
embraced the promises. Now, therefore, if there be but a spiritual sight, and assurance, and persuasion of the existence, and worth, and excellency of the things promised (as Christ's righteousness, justification, &c.), though the assurance of the interest be wanting and be left but indefinite, this will cause the heart to venture all for them, and to rely on God, and come unto Christ, and this is enough.
On the other side, if it were a truth that God intended and had promised to save all, and this were preached and believed, yet if men saw not the excellency of things promised, the persuasion of their interest would not move them.
8thly, It is plain peevishness not to come in to Christ upon such indefinite promises. It is such an obstinate temper as was in them who would not believe unless he would come off the cross. Thus men will not come to him unless he will assure them by a general promise that all may be saved, and are intended, and so themselves particularly. It is as if men should say, We will not go to church, for there is not room for all; and unless a church be built into which all may come, we will not stir. You do not so in case of advantage or preferment. Men use all endeavours for a place or a living which many put in for, and but one can obtain it. 'Though all run,' says the apostle, 'yet but one obtains;' and yet the worth and glory of the thing moves, because it is a crown, 1 Cor. 9:25. So why should it not be here? Yea, if you be affected with the things themselves, you will be glad to venture.
9thly, Upon such indefinite promises, it becomes a duty to come to Christ for life, and God may back such promises with a command justly, and therefore faith may be wrought, and men are to come in upon such promises. Many duties are commanded upon mere uncertainties. Thus the believing wife is commanded to stay with her husband, 'For what knowest thou' (says the apostle, 1 Cor. 7:16), 'but thou mayest save thy husband?' In like manner doth God command thee to go to Christ for salvation, although his promise holds forth but a what knowest thou but thou mayest save thy soul? and wilt thou not go to him? So then, although the promise were but
uncertain in respect of its performance to thee, yet it is certain that God commands thee upon this to go to Christ and trust on him, and give thy soul up to him; and this command is not indefinite, but universal, and therefore a soul eyeing both hath full ground to come in.
But yet let me add this, that together with the indefinite promise to save, God, where he works faith, conveys a secret hint, to the soul whom he draws to believe, of his mind, and good will, and inclination towards it. Christ doth some way or other break his mind to it, and God gives the heart a special ticket of favour from himself, over and above that indefinite revelation in the word, ere the soul will come at him, which is part of that teaching of the Father meant, John 6:45,
46, 'He that hath heard and learned of the Father, comes unto me.'
God whispers in a man's ear that which doth specially encourage him, and so Christ also doth by his Spirit. Thus it is said, John 10:3, that Christ 'calleth his own sheep by name, and they hear his voice.'
The meaning is, that whereas there is a general invitation goes to men's ears to come to Christ, and a general indefinite proclamation, which all men living in the church do hear or may hear,—and this is the voice of us ministers, and God's voice in and by us,—yet there is conveyed with this a secret voice, and private ticket, and impress on their hearts whom God means to save, of special mercy towards them; which voice only his own sheep hear, whom also he is said to call by name, to shew it is thus particular, it being a special intimation, as if a man were called by name, as Cyrus was called by name; and as of Moses God says that he knew him by name, i.e., took special notice of him, so doth Christ of those whom he calls by name, and that makes them follow him. And the want of this is given as the reason, John 10:26, 27, why the Jews believed not, for Christ says they were 'not his sheep;' and therefore, in the dispensing the promises, he did not thus speak to their hearts as to believers he did, for he adds, 'My sheep hear my voice' (the voice before mentioned),
'and I know them, and they follow me.' He brings this as the reason why he dispensed not that voice to them, and the want of that he assigns to be the cause why they believed not. And if you consider
verse 16, it will appear that the reason they are not called his sheep, is not because they believe not already; for there he calls those his sheep whom he had not yet brought in, 'whom yet I must bring in,' says he; and how will he bring them in? 'They shall hear my voice;' he will call them by name too, as he had done others. And therefore
(says he) this is the reason why you, being not of my sheep, believe not; for if you were, I would speak to your hearts, and cause you to hear my voice, and to come in; which, because I vouchsafe not to you, therefore it is ye believe not.
Now, concerning this secret hint or ticket given, which I make to be in faith, let me add this to prevent mistakes. I do not mean that it is always so loud a voice as shall quell and prevail against doubts in a man's sense, so as to triumph with assurance that Christ is his. No, that is not the extent of it; for we should 'condemn a generation of righteous men,' if I or any other should teach so; but it is such a special intimation as really gains the heart, and encourageth it to come to Christ, and carries it on against discouragements, and it doth the deed so prevalently, as that they follow Christ wherever he goes, and will never leave him. To explain my meaning further, you must consider, that in the speaking of a Spirit in and to our spirit, though the voice be entertained, yet it is not always distinctly discerned to be from another. Satan, when he works effectually on the children of disobedience, 2 Thes. 2:9, 10, so as he makes them believe the lie of popery, yet their souls perceive not a voice of Satan distinct from their own thoughts, for then they would not believe the error; but their hearts close with the suggestions of the devil, and as soon as cast in they are entertained as their own thoughts, yet upon Satan's effectual working. Thus when the Spirit of Christ from Christ speaks the mind of Christ to the soul, to cause it to believe in him that is true, it follows not it should discern that voice distinct from its own thoughts in its own sense, but his own thoughts from it effectually entertain such an apprehension so as to carry him on to Christ. And the reason is, because every thought in a spirit, such as a soul is, is a kind of speech; it is called λόγος, and therefore the very speeches of the Spirit cast in are often not discerned from the man's
own. Thus if a man's ear did form sounds in itself, and voices in itself, then a secret whisper would not be discerned from its own noises, as a loud voice would be. There is a loud voice of the Holy
Ghost coming as a witness to assure, and then he speaks so loud and so distinctly as a man discerns it to be distinct from his own spirit, and infallibly to be the voice of God; and it is as if a voice from heaven should say, 'Thy sins are forgiven'; but this first voice of Christ in the extent of it being to carry the heart on to Christ, and not to assure it, therefore it is not always discerned as distinct, yet so as the heart is taught effectually this lesson, to go to Christ; and that other voice is therefore called a witness, because it hath relation to this hint given to put it out of question. It is like the secret scent a bloodhound hath gotten of the hart that is struck, when the master hath bade it go seek, which though he see not the hart, yet it carries him on till he find him out. So this secret voice of the Spirit, though it prevails not against doubts in a man's sense, yet it carries him on against discouragements, there being an impression of Christ's special inclinableness to it, which cannot be worn out by any temptation.
Now, if this be in faith (as you see it is), then it is not an easy work; for, you see, Christ vouchsafes not this to all to whom the gospel is preached. He did not vouchsafe it to those Jews who heard the outward voice of his mouth as a minister of circumcision, and who believed not because they heard not his special voice, which he did not vouchsafe, because they were not of his own sheep. Can all the angels in heaven, or ministers on earth, procure this voice to you, or bring you news of it? No; and yet without it the heart makes not after Christ. And therefore Paul makes this to be the great difficulty to bring a natural man in to believe, because all his understanding cannot know God's mind in the word, unless the Spirit reveal it:
'Who knows the mind of a man, but the spirit that is in him? so nor doth any know the deep things of God, but his Spirit,' who is a privy counsellor, and is in his bosom. And therefore he concludes to shut nature out herein: 'Who hath known the mind of the Lord? But we have the mind of Christ,' 1 Cor. 2:16.