out, and faid with tears, Lord, I believe, help thou
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" more, being nowjustified by his blood, we shall be faved " from wrath through him."
In aword, Fourthly, and lastly, If it were the verydeſign and intention ofGod in not ſparing his ownSon, to open thereby a door for allmercies tobe let in upon us, then it is not imaginable he ſhould withhold them : he will not loſe his deſign, nor lay fo manyſtripes upon Chriſt in vain ſome ſhall ſurelyhave the benefitofit, and none ſo capable as believers.
WhenGod ſpared not his own Son, this was the deſign of it; andcould you know thethoughts ofhis heart, theywould appearto be ſuch astheſe :
Iwill now manifeſt the fierceneſs of my wrath to Chrift, andthe fulness of my love to believers.
The pain ſhall be his, that the eaſe and reftmay be theirs; the ſtripes his, and the healing balm iſſuing from them, theirs , the condemnationhis, and the juſtification theirs ; the reproach and ſhame his, and the honour and glory theirs ; the curſe his, and the bleſſing theirs ; the death his, and the life theirs ; the vinegar and gall his, the ſweet ofit theirs. He shallgroan, and they ſhall triumph ; he ſhall mourn, that theymayrejoice; his heart ſhall be heavy for a time, that theirs may be light and glad for ever; he ſhall be forſaken, that they may never be
forſaken ; out of the worst of miſeries to him, ſhall ſpring the ſweetest of mercies to them. O grace ! grace beyond conceptionof the largest mind, the expreffionof the tongues ofangels!
THE SEVENTH
MEDITATION,
UPON MARK ix. 24. Andstraightway thefather ofthe childcriedout, andfaidwith tears, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief. context : and briefly it was this ; Atender father brings. apoffefſed child to Chriſt to be cured ; with Sipotes ? adoubting question, " Ifthou canstdo any thing ? have compaffion
" uponus, and help us :" Words importing much naturalaffection andtender love to his child ; " Have compaffion [up- " on us,] and [help us.]" Ifthe child be fick, the parent is not well ; what touches the child, is feltbyhis father.
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Andas they import his natural affection to his child,fo alſohis own ſpiritualdiſeaſe, or the weakness ofhis faith. His childwas poffefſed with adumb devil, and himſelfwith unbe. lieving doubts and ſuſpicions of Chrift's ability to cure his child.
The child hada fick body, and the father an infirm foul: Satan afflicted one by a poffeffion, and the other by temptation, ver. 22 .
Chrift returns his doubting languageuponhimself, ver. 23.
" Ifthou canstbelieve, allthings are poffible to him that be- " lieveth :" q. d. Dost thou doubt of my ability toheal thy child? Questionratherthy own abilityto believe, forhis cure.
Ifhe be not healed, the cauſe willnotbe inmy inability, but inthineown infidelity: Which he ſpeaks not, to infinuate that faith was in his own power, butto convince him of his weakness, and drive him toGod for affiftance : Which effect itobtained ; forimmediately he criedout, and faidwith tears,
" Lord, I believe, helpthou mineunbelief."
Ohow good is it for men to be brought intothe ſtraits of affliction ſometimes ! Had not this man fallen into this diſtreſs, it is not like that he had (at leastnot fo foon) arrived either tothe ſenſe of his grace, orthe weakness of it.
Inthewords we maynote theſe three parts.
First, A profeſſion ofhis faith ; Lord, Ibelieve.
Secondly, Aſenſeofthe weakness of his faith; Help thou my unbelief.
Thirdly, The affection with which both were uttered; He criedout, andJaid with tears. Iftheſe tears proceededfrom the fenfe and feeling ofdivine power, enabling him to believe, as ſome think ; then they were tears of joy, and would inform us ofthisgreat truth :
Doct. 1. That the least and lowest measure of true faith, is matter ofjoy unspeakable to the poffeffor of it .
Ifthey proceeded from the ſenſeof the weakness ofhis faith, thenthey give us this note :
Doct. 2. That the remainders ofunbeliefin the people ofGod, do cost them many tears : They are the burdens and forrows of gracious fouls.
Doct.
1. That the least and lowest measure of truefaith, is matter ofjoy unspeakable to the poffeffor of it.
The apostle, in 2 Pet. i. 1. calls it precious faith ; and it well deferves that epithet ; for the leaſt and lowest degree of faving faith, isof invaluableexcellency ; as willappear in theſe particulars :
First, 'The least degree of faving faith,truly unites thefoul
Sacramental Meditations. to Jeſus Chriſt, andmakes it as really a branch or member of him, as Motes, Abraham, or Paulwere.
All ſaving faith receives Chriſt, John i. 12. Indeed, the ſtrong believer receives him with a ſtronger and ſteadier hand thanthe weakone doth, who ſtaggers, doubts, and trembles, but yet receives him ; and confequently is as much interested inthe bleſſed privileges flowing from union, as the greatest believer inthe world.
Such is Chriſt's complacencyin ourperſons and duties, his ſympathy with us in our troubles and afflictions, and our intereſt in his perſon and purchase. And isnotthis matter ofexceedingjoy ? Is it not enough to melt, yea, overwhelm the heart of a poor ſinner, to diſcover and feelthat in his own heart, which entitles him to ſuch mercies ?
Secondly, From the leaft degree ofſaving faith, wemay infer as plenary a remiſſion of fin, as from the ſtrongest.
The weakest believer is as completely pardoned, as the strongest ; Acts x. 43. " By him all that believe arejustified from all
" things." Allthat believe,withoutdifference of fizes, ftrength, or degrees ; the least as well as the greatest ; the believer of a dayold, as well as the fathers and worthies ofgreatest name, and longeſt ſtanding.
Lo then, the leaſt meaſure offaith entitles thee as really to the greatest bleffing, as the highest acts of faith can do.
It is true, the ſtronger the acting offaith is, the clearer the evidence uſually is; but intereſt in the privilege is the fame in both. If then thou canst difcern but the weakest act and ſmalleft meaſure of faith in thy foul, haft thou not reaſon, with him inthe text, to cry out, andſaywith tears, Lord, Ibelieve ?
Canft thou receive and read this pardon, the pardon of fuch, andfo many fins, and not wet it with thytears ? O, it is matterof joy unſpeakable!
Thirdly, The least degree ofſaving faith infers thy election ofGod; and if that be not inatter of melting andtranſporting confideration, nothing is. O, it is matter of more joy, that our names are written in the book of life, than that the devils are fubject to us, Luke x. 20. From hence it may be inferred, that we are chofen ofGod; Acts xiii . 48. " As many as were
" ordained to eternal life, believed."
Fourthly, The leaft meaſure of favingfaith, is amercy greaterthan moſtmen ever partake of.
It is true, God is rich and bountiful in the gifts of providence to others ; theyhave thegood things ofthis life, many of them morethantheir hearts can with, Pfal. lxxiii. 7. He enricheth manyofthem alſo with endowments ofthe mind, na
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tural and moral knowledge and wisdom ; yea, and adorns themwith homilitical virtues, that renderthem very defirable and lovely in their couverſes with men; but there are but few towhom hegives ſaving faith, Ifa. liii. 1. Believers are but a ſmall remnant among men.
Fifthly, and lastly, He that hath any, the least degree offaving faith, hath that which will never be taken from him : All other excellencies go away at death, Job iv. 21. but this is a ſpring that never fails, " it ſprings up into everlasting life,"
John iv. 14. Aman may outlive his friends and familiars, his eſtateandhealth, his gifts and natural parts,but not his faith.
How great matter of joy and comfort is wrapt up in the leaft degree of faith !
Ufe 1. Of trial.
It concerns us then to examine ourſelves, whetherour faith betrue, be it more or leſs, ſtronger or weaker ; and, untilwe difcern its truth, it will yield but little comfort.
I confefs, weak believers are under great difadvantages as to comfort; ſmall and weak things being ufually very inevident and undifcernible.
But yet, in this example before us, we find weak faith was made evident, though much unbeliefwas mixedwith it.
Lord, Ibelieve, help thou mine unbelief.
In which words, many veryuseful figns oftrue, tho' weak, faith did appear ; and they are veryrelieving to weak believers, to conſiderthem. O that we might find the like in us !
First, His faith gave him a tender, melting heart. He cried out, and faid with tears.
Doth your faith melt your hearts, either ina ſenſe of your own vileneſs, or the riches of free grace to fuch vile creatures ?
Secondly, His faith gave him a deep ſenſe of his remaining unbelief, and burdened his heart with it: Help my unbelief.
And fure fo will yours, if itbe but as a grain of mustard-feed in you.
Thirdly, His weak faith carried him to Chriſt, in fervent prayers and cries, for his help to fubdue unbelief inhim; and ſo will yours, if your faith be right. O how often do the people ofGod go to the throne of grace upon that errand!
Help, Lord, myheart is dead, vain, and very unbelieving ; there is nodealing with itinmy own strength : Father, help me!
Fourthly, Hisweak faith-made him hunger and thirſt after •greater meaſures ofit : Help my unbelief; i. e. Lord, cure it, that Imay believe with more ſtrong and steady acts of faith ; that Imay not queſtion thy power any more, orfay, Ifthou
Sacramental Meditations. canft do any thing ? Why thus it will be withyou, ifyou be true believers ; Luke xvii. 5. " Lord, (faidthe difciples) in- " creaſe our faith ."
Fifthly, There was a conflict in his ſoul betwixt faith and infidelity, grace and corruption ; and this is very fenfible to him; faith inclining him one way,and unbelief carrying him another : And hence he ſpeaks like aman greatly diſtreffed,betwixt the working of contrary principles in his own foul (and fo you will alfo find it in yourſelves), Gal. v. 17. " The fleſh
" luſteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit againstthe flesh ; ſo " that ye cannot do the things that ye would."
Ufe 2. Of confolation .
Well then, bleſs the Lord for the least degree of faving faith ; and be not ſo diſcouraged at its imperfections, as to overlook and flight the ſmallest working offaith in your fouls.
This poor manwas deeply ſenſible of his unbelief, and yet at the fame inſtant truly thankful for a ſmall meaſure of faith ; and ſo ſhould you.
For, First, The leaſt meaſure ofſaving faith, is more than allthe creatures power could produce: It is thefaith of the operation ofGod, Col. ii. 12. It is thework of God, thatye believe, John vi. 29. Yea, it is the exceeding greatness ofbis power, Eph. i.
19, 20. No ministers of Christ, how excellent foever their gifts are, no duties or ordinances, no labour or diligence of your own, without this mighty power of God,can everbring youtofaith.
Secondly, It is the juſt matter of wonder and astonishment, that ever one ſpark of faith was kindled in fuch an heart as thine is ; an heart whichhad no prediſpoſition or inclination inthe leaſt to believe : Yea, it was not Rafa Tabula, like clean paper, void of any impreſſion offaith, but filled with contrary impreſſions to it ; ſo that it is marvellous that everyour hearts received the ſtampor impreſſion offaith on them.
It was wonderful, that fire ſhould fall from heaven and burnupon the altar, when Elijah had laidthe wood in order upon it; but much more when he poured ſo much water upon it, as not only wet all the wood,but filled the trenches,
1 Kings xviii. 33. Juſt ſo was the case of thy foul, reader, whenGod came to kindle faith there: Thy heart was dark and ignorant, neither acquainted with God, or thy own condition ; yea, thy heart was a proud heart, full offelf-righte ouſneſs, and ſelf-conceitedneſs, Rev. iii. 17. Rom. x. 3. A heart, that would rather venture eternal damnation, than denyfelf, andſubmit to Chriſt: And yetthe light of theLord
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muſt ſhine intothis darkneſs, andthe pride and ſtiffness ofthy heartmustbebroken, andbrought toyield, orthere is nobelieving.
Befide, How many and mighty enemies did oppoſe the work offaith inthy foul ? Among which Satan and thy own carnal reaſonings were the principal, 2 Cor. x. 4. By them, what ſtrong-holds and fortifications were raiſed, to ſecure thee from the ſtrokes of conviction that make way for faith.
Let but the ſtate ofthine own heart, as itwas by nature, be conſidered, and thou wilt ſay, itwas the wonderful work ofGod, that ever thou waſt brought in any degree to believe.
Thirdly, Though thyfaith be weak, yet it is growing, ifit be ſaving faith.
The largest treewas once but a kernel, or acorn; the most famous believer, at firſt but a weak and doubting one : Be not difcouraged therefore, God will fulfil allthegood pleaſure ofhis goodness in you, and the work of faith with power. It were certainlymuch better for you to be bleſſingGod for a little faith, praying for theincreaſe of faith, anddiligently attending thoſe means bywhich itmaybe im proved and made flourishing in your fouls, than, bya finful ungrateful, and prejudicial deſpondency, atonce to diſhonour
God, and thus wrong yourſelves.
Doct. 2. That the remains ofunbelief in gracious hearts do coft themmany tears andforrows .
There are manythings that afflict andgrieve thepeople of Godfrom without; but alltheir outward troubles are nothing to theſe troubles that come from within .
There aremany inward troubles that make them groan, but none morethan this, the unbeliefthey findin their own hearts.
Thisſin juſtly coſts them more trouble than other fins, becauſe itisthe root from which other fins do ſpring ; a root ofbitterneſs,bearingwormwood and gall, to the imbittering of their fouls.
For, First, The remains of unbeliefinthe ſaints, greatly diſhonour God ; andwhat is a greatdishonour toGod, cannot but bea great grief and burden to them : For look, as faithgives
God ſpecial honour above all other graces, ſo unbelief, in a ſpecial manner, both wrongs and grieves him above all other fins. Unbeliefindominion makesGoda liar, 1 Johnv. 10. And eventhe relicts thereof in believers, do ſhake their afſent to his truths and promiſes, and nouriſh a vile fufpicion ofthem in the heart. Andhow do thoſe baſe jealoufies reflect upon his honour ? Certainly,it cannot but be a grief to a gra
VOL . VIII.
Sacramental Meditations. cious heart to fee.God dishonoured by others, Pfalm exix. 36and a much greater to dishonour him ourſelves.
Hinc illae lachrymae : Upon this ground, wemayjuſtly cry out, andfay with tears, Lord, help our unbelief !
Secondly, The remains of unbelief inthe faints, doth not only dishonour God, butdeface and ſpoil their beſt duties, in which they at any time approach untoGod. Is the face of Godcloudedfrom us inprayer, hearing, or receiving ? Examine the cauſeand reaſon, andyou will findthat cloud raiſed fromyour own unbelieving hearts. Are your affections cold,
flat, and dead in duty? Dig but to the root, and you will find this fin to lie there.
Ifthe word do not work upon you as you defire and pray itmight, itis becauſe it is notmingled with faith, Heb. iv. 2. Noduties, norordinances, nopromiſes, cangive down their ſweet influences uponyour fouls, becauſe of this fin.
Now communion with the Lord induties is the life of our life : These things are dearer to the faints, than their eyes.
Juſtly therefore do theybewail and mourn over that fin, which obſtructs and intercepts their ſweetest enjoyments in this world.
Thirdly, The remains ofunbeliefgive advantage and fucceſs to Satan's temptations uponus. Dothhe at any time aftright andſcareus from our duty, or draw and entice us to the commiffions of fin, ordarken and cloud our condition, and fill us with inward fears and horror, without cauſe ? All this he
: doth, by the mediation ofour unbelief.
The apostle, inEph. vi. 16. calls faith the foul's shield against temptation : And 1 Johnv. 4. it is called the victory by which we overcome ; i. e. the ſword, orweapon, bywhich we atchieve our victories.
And iffo, then unbeliefdifarms us both offword and thield, and leaves us naked ofdefence in theday of battle, a prey to the next temptation that befals us.
Fourthly, The remains of unbelief hinder the thriving of alk graces ; it is a worm at their root ; aplant offuch a malignant quality, that nothing which is ſpiritualcan thrive under the droppings and ſhadow ofit.
It is faid, Heb. iv. 2. That the gofpelwas preached to the Ifraelites, but itdid not profit them, notbeing mixed with faith inthem that heard it. No ordinances, nor duties, be they never fo excellent, will make that foul to thrive, where unbelief prevails : You pray, you hear, you faſt, youmeditate ; andyetyou do not thrive ; your fpiritual food doth no good : You come from ordinances as dead, careleſs, and vain, as you wenttothem. And why is it thus, butbecauſe ofremainingunbelief?
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Use I. Let allthe peopleofGod bewail, and tenderlymourn over the remainders ofinfidelity in theirown hearts : There, there is the root ofthe diſeaſe. And furely, reader, thy heart is not free of ſuch ſymptoms of it, as appear in other mens hearts.
For do but confider,
i Symp .
1. What is our impatiency to wait for mercy, and deſpondency ofſpirit, ifdeliverance come not quickly in the outward, or inward ſtraits of foul or body, but a plain ſymptom ofunbeliefin our hearts ? " He that believes, will not " make haſte," Ifa. xxviii. 16. He that can believe, can alſo waitGod's time, Pfalm xxvii. 14.
Symp.
2. And what means our readineſs to uſe finful mediums, to prevent, or extricate ourſelves out oftrouble, but a greatdeal of infidelity, lurking ſtill in our hearts ? Mightbut faith be heard to ſpeak, itwould sayinthyheart, let me rather die ten deaths, than commitone fin.
It is ſweeter, and eafier, todie inmy integrity, than to live with a defiled, or wounded confcience.
Itisnothingbut our unbelief, that makes us fo ready to put forth our hands to iniquity,when the rod ofthe wicked refts long upon us, or any eminent danger threatens us, Pfalm cxxv. 3 .
Symp.
3. Doth not the unbeliefofyour hearts ſhew itſelf in your deeper thoughtfulneſs, and great anxieties about earthly things ? Matth. vi. 30. We pretend, we have trustedGod with our fouls to all eternity, and nd yet cannot trust him for our daily bread. We bring the evils ofto-morrow uponus to-day; and all becauſe we cannot believe more.
O reader ! how much better were itto hear fuch queſtions as theſe from thee. How shall I get an heart ſuitable tothe mercies Idoenjoy? How ſhall Iduly improve them forGod?
" What ſhallI render to the Lord, for all his goodness ?" This would better become thee, than to afflict thyselfwith, " What
" ſhall I eat ? What ſhall I drink? Or wherewithal ſhall Ibe " cloathed ?"
Symp. 4. What doth the flaviſh fear of death ſpeak, but remains ofunbelief ſtill in our hearts ? Are there notmany faintings,tremblings,deſpondencesofmind,underthe thoughts of death ? Oh ! if faith were high, thy ſpirit couldnot befo low, 2 Cor. v. 1, 2, 3. The more bondage of fear, the more infidelity.
Symp. 5. To conclude: What is the voice of all thoſe diſtractions ofthy heart in religious duties, but want of faith, weakness in faith, and the actual prevalence ofunbelief? You
Sacramental Meditations. come toGod in prayer; and there a thouſand vanities befes you: Yourheart is carriedaway: it roves, itwandersto the ends ofthe earth. Confcience ſmites for this,and faith, Thou doftbut mock God , thy soul will ſmart for this : Thou feeleft neither ſtrength nor ſweetneſs arifing out of ſuch duties.
Youenquire for remedies, and fills the ears of friends with your complaints ; and, itmaybe, fee notthe root of allthis tobe inyour own unbelief.
But there it is ; and till that be cured, itwillnotbe better withyou.
Use II . Yet let not poor Christians ſo mourn, as thoſe that have no hope, or ground ofcomfort, even inthis cafe. For,
First, Though there be remainsofunbeliefinyou, yet you have infinite cauſe tobleſs Godthattheyarebut remains. You oncewere in unbelief ; 1 Tim. i.
13. (i. e. ) under the full power anddominion ofit. Had God cut you off in that ſtate, youmust certainlyhave periſhed. This is the diſeaſe, butthat was thedeath ofyour fouls.
Secondly, Though unbelief be inyou, yet it is not inyou per modum quietis, by way of reſt, as it is in all unbelievers ; butbyway ofdaily conflict, and as aburden too heavyto be borne. Now though the ſin be ſad, yet the forrow for it is ſweet ; and your conflicts with it bringyou undera very comfortable ſign ofgrace, Rom. vii. 21 .
Thirdly, This is adiſeaſe, under which allChriſtiansdo labour more or leſs.
There is not a heart ſo holy in all the world,but is infomedegreetainted and infectedwith this difeaſe. And this hath been evident, not only in allChriſtians, ofall fizes, but in all the acts oftheir faith.
Job's faith triumphed in chap xiii. 15. yet had its eclipſe and fainting-fit in chap. xix. 20. Abraham was a moſt renowned believer, a great pattern and example of faith : O how high apitch did his faith mountto inGen. xxii. 3.! Andyettherewas a time when itfainted, andfailedhim, as at Gerar, Gen. xx. 2, 10,
IJ . David in Pfal. xxvii. 1, 23. was not like Davidin 1 Sam. xxvii. 1. The faith ofPeter ſhone out like the fun, inaglorious confeffion, Matth. xvi. 16. andyetwas not onlybeclouded, but ſeemed to be gone down, and quite fet, in Matth. xxvi. 69. though it afterwards recovered itſelf.
Fourthly, It is not this, or that degree of unbelief, that damns a man, but the power and dominion ofit, that damns him. Indeed, your comfortdepends much upon the ſtrength ofyour faith ; butyour ſalvationdepends upon the truth ofit.
Moft Chriſtians come to heaven with aweak and doubting
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faith; but few, with their fails filled with a direct and fresh wind of aſſurance.
Fifthly, There is enough in Chriſt to help thy unbelief :
Lord, ſaid this poor man, help my unbelief.
He is an excellent phyſician, and knows how to relieve and cure thee : Go to him, and groan out thy complaint; tell him, thy heart ispained and troubled with this diſeaſe ; thou ſhalt find him a faithful, ſkilful, and merciful Saviour.
Sixthly, It is but a little while, beforethis, with all other diſeaſes bredby it in thy foul, ſhall be perfectly healed ; fanctification is a cure begun; glorification is a cure performed andcompleted : The former hath destroyed the dominion, the latter will destroy the existence ofit in thy foul : When you cometo heaven, andnevertill then, willyou find yourſeives well, and at eaſe in every part.
Andthus much of the fecondpoint.
There are fome general obſervations arifingfrom both parts ofmytextconfideredtogether, wiz. the thankful acknowledgmentofhis faith, andthe forrowful ſenſe ofhis unbelief.
It ſhall fuffice, for a concluſion to this meditation, only to note them ; andthey are theſe:
First, That the deepest ſenſe of fin must not exclude an ☑humble andthankful acknowledgment ofthe grace ofGod in hispeople.
It is the fault ofmoft, tohidetheir fins ; andthe faultof fome, tohidetheirgraces.
Secondly, Acceptance of our perſons and duties, is a pure act of grace : There is no duty performed in a perfect act of faith ; all is mixed with unbelief inſome degree, the honey and the comb are mixedtogether, Cant. ii. 8. No duty as it comes fromus is pure.
Thirdly, Juſtly maywe ſuſpect that faith for a falſe faith, which boafts of its own strength, but never mourns in the ſenſe of unbelief. Where there are no conflicts with fin, there canbeno found evidenceof fincerity.
Fourthly, Believers must not wonder to find ſtrange viciffitudes and alterations inthe state of their fouls : Sometimes a clear,and fometimes a cloudyday : Sometimes theyhave their fongs in thenight, and ſometimes their bitter lamentations.
Ifyou afk, why is it thus ? the answer is, there are within you contraryprinciples ſtruggling in your fouls ; and it is no wonder at all to find peace and trouble, hope and fear, light anddarkneſs taking their turns, and ſharing your time betwixt them.