Sermon XXI
OF FAITH AND DIFFIDENCE IN DANGER AND TROUBLE
Matthew 8:23–27. When he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him, and behold there arose a great tempest in the sea, &c.
ACCORDING to the history, this text setteth before us an example of faith and diffidence, whereby we may learn both what a strong and invincible thing faith is, and that it must be exercised and tried even in great matters, and full of peril; and also how desperate a thing on the other side diffidence is, and how full of fear and trembling which can never do any thing rightly or well. This doth experience most lively set forth in the disciples; they, when they entered into the ship with Christ, and whilst there was a calm in the lake, were nothing disquieted in mind, neither felt any fear. Then if one should have asked them whether they believed, they would have answered without doubt that they did believe; for they did not know that their heart did trust in that quietness, for that all troubles were absent, and therefore did rest upon a thing visible, and not upon the invisible grace of God; which then was made manifest, as soon as the tempest was risen, and the waves did cover the ship; by and by all their trust and confidence ceased, for that the quietness and calmness whereunto they trusted was taken away, and diffidence, which before, when all things were prosperous, did lurk in their minds, did appear; for this is the nature of diffidence, that it believeth or knoweth no more than it feeleth. Forasmuch therefore as it had possessed the breast of the apostles, they felt nothing now but the fearful tempest, and the waves covering the ship, they saw the sea swelling and greatly raging, threatening nothing but death; these things only did they think upon, these only did they consider, and therefore could there be no measure or end of fear and trembling in their minds; the more they weighed in their mind the peril, so much more were they terrified, and seemed now to stick in the very jaws of death, hoping for no life or deliverance. And as they could not so much as think any thing else because of their unbelief, so all comfort also was far from them; for diffidence or unbelief hath nothing whereunto it may trust or flee, wherefore when outward adversity cometh, it admitteth nothing into the mind but it, and therefore it
can never feel any peace or quietness, while it remaineth. So in hell, where diffidence exerciseth full tyranny, there can never be any intermission of desperation, trembling and terror. But if the disciples had been then endued with a sound faith, and if it had ruled in this danger, it would have removed from the mind the wind and all this tempest, and instead of these would wholly have thought upon the power of God and his grace promised, whereunto it would no otherwise have trusted, than if it had sat upon a most strong rock, far from the sea and from all tempest; for this is the chief virtue of faith, that it seeth those things which are not seen or felt, and seeth not those things which are felt, yea, which are now sore upon us and do press and urge us; as on the contrary, diffidence seeth nothing but that which it feeleth.
For this cause those things are of God laid upon faith, which the whole world is not able to bear, as sins, death, the world and the devil, neither suffereth he it to be occupied with small matters; for who flieth not death? who is not terrified and overcome by it? Against this, invincible faith standeth, yea, it courageously setteth upon it, which otherwise tameth all things, and overcometh and swalloweth up that insatiable devourer of life. So even the whole world is not able to bring under and subdue the flesh, but it rather bringeth under and maketh the world subject unto it, and beareth rule over it, so that he liveth carnally whosoever is of the world; but faith subdueth this subduer of all other, holdeth it in subjection, and teacheth it not only to be ruled, but also to obey. Likewise who is able to bear the hatred and fury, ignominy, and persecution of the world? who doth not yield unto it, and is oppressed with it? But faith even laugheth at all the iniquity, rage, and fury thereof, and maketh that unto itself matter of spiritual joy wherewith others are even killed: it doth no otherwise behave itself against Satan also; who is able to overcome him, which practiseth so many crafts and coils, whereby he stayeth and hindereth the truth, and word of God, faith and hope, and soweth against them innumerable errors, sects, delusions, heresies, desperations, superstitions, and such kind of abominations, without number? all the world is to him as a spark of fire to a
fountain of water, it is wholly subdued unto him, in these evils, as (alas) we both see and try; but it is faith which troubleth him, for it is not only not made subject to his delusions, but it also discovereth and confoundeth them, that they are no more of any importance, that they are able to do nothing, but do vanish away, as we have experience at this day, by the decaying and vanishing of the papacy and indulgences: Finally, sin hath that force, that that which is even the least, cannot be appeased, or extinguished by any creature, that it doth gnaw and tear the conscience, yea, if all men should go about together to comfort the conscience, wherein sin hath begun to live, they should go about it in vain; but faith is that noble champion, which overcometh and extinguisheth every sin, yea, if all the sins which the whole world hath committed from the beginning were laid upon an heap, it would extinguish and abolish them altogether.
Is not faith therefore most mighty, and of incomparable strength, which dareth encounter with so many and mighty enemies, and beareth away the certain victory? Wherefore John saith in his first Epistle, chap. 5:4, "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." Howbeit this victory cometh not with rest and quietness, we must try the fight not without blood and wounds, that is, we must needs feel sin, death, the flesh, the devil, and the world, yea, and that assailing us so grievously, and with so great force, that the heart of man do think that he is past all hope, that sin hath overcome, and the devil gotten the upper hand, and on the contrary, very little feel the force of faith. We see an example of this fight here in the disciples, for the waves did not only strike the ship, but did even cover it, that nothing could be now looked for, but that all should be drowned, especially Christ being asleep, and knowing not of this peril; all hope was then past, life seemed to be overcome, and death appeared to have the victory. But as it fell out with the disciples in this temptation, so also doth it fall out, and must fall out with all the godly, in all kind of temptations, which are of sin, the devil, and the world.
In the temptations of sin, we must needs feel the conscience, thrall unto sins, the wrath of God, and hellish pains to hang over us, and all things to be in that case as though we were past all recovery. Likewise when we have conflicted with the devil, it must appear as though truth should give place to error, and Satan should drive the word of God out of the whole world, and he himself reign for a God with his delusions and deceits: neither standeth the case any otherwise when it cometh to pass that we are tried of the world, it must needs be that it should greatly rage, and cruelly persecute us, so that it shall seem that no man is able to stand, that no man is able to obtain safety, or profess his faith; that Cain only shall bear rule, and suffer his brother in no place. But we must not judge according to such feeling and outward appearance of things, but according to faith, the present example ought to stir us up hereunto, and to be received of us as a special comfort; for we learn hereof, that although sins do urge us, death disquiet us, the world rage against us, and the devil lay snares for us, that is, although the waves do cover the ship, yet we must not be discouraged; for although thy conscience being wounded doth feel sin, and the wrath and indignation of God, yet shalt thou not therefore be plunged into hell; neither shalt thou therefore die, although the whole world do hate and persecute thee, and gape so wide to devour thee, as the morning spreadeth forth itself: they are only waves, which, falling upon the ship, do terrify thee, and compel thee to cry out, "we perish; Lord, save us."
Thou hast therefore in the former part of this text, the nature of faith set forth, how it is wont and ought to behave itself in temptation, also how desperate a thing diffidence is, and nothing to be counted of; the other part commendeth unto us love in Christ, whereby he was brought so far that he brake off his sleep, arose, and counted the danger that his disciples were in for his own, and helped them freely, asking and looking for nothing of them. Even as it is the nature of Christian love to do all things freely and of good will, to the glory of God, and profit of our neighbours, seeking to itself nothing thereby, for the exercising of which love, man, adopted of God, is left in the earth, even as Christ being made man lived in the earth that he might
do for us, as he witnesseth of himself: "The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many," Matt. 20:28.
In this scripture Christ hath set forth the life of Christians, and the state of such as preach and teach the word of God. The ship signifieth the church, the sea the world, the wind the devil, the disciples of Christ are the preachers and godly Christians; Christ the truth, the gospel, and faith. Now, before that Christ and his disciples enter into the ship, the sea is calm, and the wind quiet, but when Christ with his disciples are entered in, by and by ariseth a tempest. This is that which he said, "I came not to send peace, but a sword," Matt. 10:34. For if Christ would suffer the world to live after its own manner, and would not reprove the works thereof, it would be quiet enough; but now seeing that he preacheth that they which are counted wise men, are fools; they that are counted righteous, are sinners; they that are counted rich, are not blessed, but miserable, it rageth and is in great fury. So thou mayest at this day find wise men of this world, which indeed would suffer the gospel to be preached, if the words of the scripture should be simply declared, and in the mean season the state of ecclesiastical persons not reproved; but as soon as thou shalt begin to condemn by the scriptures all those things which have been hitherto brought in under a false name of religion, and teach that they are to be rejected as being of no importance, thou preachest seditiously, and troublest the world with unchristian doctrine.
But how doth the present text pertain unto us? A great tempest did arise where that ship went, wherein Christ and his disciples were. Other ships did pass the sea quietly, nothing tossed of the wind, this ship only must be tossed and covered with waves, because Christ was carried in it; for the world can suffer any kind of preaching beside the preaching of Christ. The cause is, for that he condemneth all things of the world, and challengeth all righteousness to himself, according to that which he saith, Matt. 12:30, "He that is not with me, is against me." And again, the Spirit "will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment," John 16:8. He saith not will preach,
but will reprove; and not this or that man, but the world, and whosoever is in the world. Against this ship of Christ all this tempest is raised, and it is brought into danger; for the world doth not suffer his own things to be condemned, but Christ cannot allow them, and if he should allow them, he had come in vain; for if the world were wise by itself, and did know and follow the truth, what need had there been that Christ and his disciples should preach? Wherefore it is not a small comfort to Christians, especially to preachers, that they are certain before, that as soon as they shall begin to preach Christ to the world, they must suffer persecution, and that it cannot be otherwise. So that is a sure sign, and therefore to be wished, that it is true Christian preaching if it be tried with persecution, especially of the holy, learned, and wise men of the world; as it is an undoubted sign also, that it is unchristian preaching, if it be praised and commonly honoured of the world, according to that saying, Luke 6:22, "Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets." Now mark how our spiritual men do behave themselves, and of what sort their doctrine is: They have got into their subjection the riches, glory, and power of the world, and they that praise them enjoy the honour and pleasures thereof, their case in all things agreeth with the case of the false prophets, and yet they dare boast themselves to be preachers and teachers of Christ, and worshippers of God.
The next thing whereby this scripture doth comfort and encourage the preachers of Christ, is, that it showeth where help is to be asked when a tempest is risen; to wit, not of the world, for not man's wisdom or power, but Christ himself, and he alone, is able to help them. Him they must call upon in every distress with full confidence; in him they must trust, as his disciples here did, for unless they had believed that Christ was able to take away the danger wherein they were, they would not have awaked him, and prayed him to save them; although their faith then was very weak, and very much diffidence was in them, for that they did not confidently commit
themselves with him unto danger, doubting nothing but he was able to deliver them out of the midst of the sea, and from death itself. Hereof therefore let it be acknowledged as certain, that as no judge or moderator can be given to the word of God, but God only, so there can be had no other maintainer or defender thereof; who, as he sendeth it out whither he will, without any merit or council of men, so he alone also will defend and preserve it without the aid or strength of men; and therefore he that seeketh aid unto this word of men, shall without doubt fall, being forsaken as well of men as of God. Whereas Christ did sleep, it giveth us to understand that in the time of persecution he doth sometimes withdraw himself, and seemeth as though he slept, whilst that he giveth not strength valiantly to resist, the peace and tranquillity of mind being now disturbed, and suffereth us to wrestle and labour with our infirmity for a while, that we may acknowledge how we are altogether nothing, and that all things do depend upon his grace and power, as Paul confesseth of himself, 2 Cor. 1, that it behoved that he should be so pressed and troubled out of measure, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, which raiseth the dead. Such sleep of God David oftentimes felt, and maketh mention thereof in many places: "Arise, awake, O Lord! Why sleepest thou? Why dost thou forget us?" &c. In fine, the present text offereth unto us two principal things, full of confidence and godly boldness. The first, that when persecution is risen for the word of God, we may say, we knew that it would so come to pass. Christ is the ship, therefore the sea so rageth, the winds trouble us, the waves fall upon us as though they would drown us; but let them rage and be furious as much as they may, it is certain the sea and the winds do obey Christ, which is the other principal thing which this text offereth.
Persecution shall extend no farther, nor rage any longer than he will; and although the waves do even overwhelm us, yet must they be obedient at his beck. He is Lord over all, wherefore nothing shall hurt us, and he only endues us with his grace, that we be not overcome by unbelief, and so despair. Whereas the men marvelled and praised the Lord, as unto whom the sea and winds do obey, it
signifieth that the gospel and word of God is so far from being extinguished by persecution, that thereby it is spread farther abroad, and faith also is increased and becometh stronger. Wherein it appeareth how diverse the nature of this divine good thing is from the good things of the world, which decay by calamity and distress, and are increased by prosperity and successful affairs: But the kingdom of Christ is increased and strengthened by tribulation and adversity, but is diminished and weakened by peace and tranquillity. Whereupon Paul saith, 2 Cor. 12:9, "Christ's strength is made perfect in weakness;" which God perform in us also. Amen.