150 THE EXCELLENCY OF SAVING FAITIL [HeB. X. 39.
Tliercfore, wlien your resolutions are assaulted by temptations of any considerable strength, do you acquit yourself with good fidelity ? Can you trust God when he trieth your trust in some necessary point of confession, which may expose you to some loss, shame, and hazard in the world ?
[3.] In a way of charity and doing good with your estates. That religion is worth nothing that costs nothing ; and wlien all is laid out upon pomp and pleasure and worldly ends, as the advancing of your families and relations, and little or nothing for God upon the security of his promise, or only so mucli as the flesh can spare, to hide your self-pleasing and self-seeking in other things. Can you practise upon that promise, and try your faith: Luke xii. 33, ' Sell that you have, and give alms ; provide yourselves bags that wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not.' What have you ventured in this kind ? Do you believe that ' he that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord ' ? and that he will be your paymaster ? Do you look upon no estate so sure as that which is trusted in Christ's hands ? And are you content to be at some considerable cost for eternal life ? Most men love a cheap gospel, and the flesh engrosseth all. Faith gets little from them to be laid out for God. Do not these men run a fearful hazard ? And while they are so over-careful to preserve their estates to themselves and families, do they believe to the saving of their souls? Or if they do not preserve their estates, but waste them, and are at great costs for their lusts, they do nothing considerably or proportionally for God. This is saving to the flesh, and they shall ' of the flesh reap corruption.'
[4.] In a way of submission to providence. Whether you will or no, you are at God's disposal, and cannot shift yourselves out of his hands, either here or hereafter. But yet it is a part of your duty voluntarily to surrender yourselves to be disposed of and ordered by God accord- ing to his i)leasure : to be content to be what he will have you to be, and to do what he will have you to do and suffer, is included in sell- ing all. You must submit to be at God's finding, which is that poverty of spirit spoken of Mat. v. 3, ' Blessed are the poor in sjiirit ;' such whose minds and spirits are subdued, and brought under obedi- ence to God. You must be content to enjoy what God will have you to enjoy, and to want what he will have you want, and to lose what he will have you lose : 2 Sam. xv. 2G, 27, and Job i. 21, ' The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away ; blessed be the name of the Lord.' Many seem to resign all — goods, life, and all — to the will of God. But it is because they secretly tliink in their hearts that God will never put them to the trial, or take from them what they resign to him ; but they are not prepared for a submission to all events. Like those that make large promises to others, when they think they will not take them at their words. So their hearts secretly except, and reserve much of that they resign to God. But this is false-dealing, and is shown in part in murmuring when God taketh anything from us.
THE EXCELLENCY OF SAVING FAITH.
Beceiving the end of yoiir faith, even the salvation of your souls. — ■ 1 Pet. I. 9.
The apostle here giveth a reason why believers rejoice in the midst of afflictions ; they are qualified thereby to receive salvation, yea, in part have it already, ' Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.'
In which words observe : —
1. The benefit : tlie salvation of our souls.
2. The grace which qualifieth us for that benefit : faith.
3. The respect between the benefit and the grace ; it is Te\o<;, the end, or reiuard.
1. The benefit, which may be considered as consummated, or as begun ; and accordingly the word Kofju^o/xevoc must be interpreted. If you consider it as to consummation and actual possession, so we receive it at death, when our self-denying obedience is ended ; and for the present we are said to receive it, because we are sure to receive it at the close of our days. We believe now that we shall at length have it, and therefore rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. (2.) If you consider it with respect to inchoation or begun possession, we have an undoubted right now, and some beginnings of it in the con- solations of the Spirit. Now we receive it in the promises ; we receive it in the first-fruits, which are some forerunning beams of the day- light of eternal glory.
2. The grace which qualifieth and giveth us a title to this benefit is faith. The word faith is taken in scripture sometimes for fdes quce credit ur ; sometimes for fides qua creditur, for the doctrine or grace of faith. The first acceptation will make a good sense here, namely, that the whole tenor of Christian doctrine leadeth us to the expectation of, and diligent pursuit after, eternal salvation. It is the whole drift of the Christian religion. But I take it rather for the grace. This is the prime benefit which faith aimeth at, as I shall show you by and by.