^ ' Fides est duplex, fides quae creditur, et fides qua creditur.'
* ' Aliquid tibi traditum, non a te inventum ; aliqiiid quod accepisti, non exagitasti,' &c. — Vincentius Lyrinensis
VeR. 3.J UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 105
hear more shall be given.' According unto the measure of our hear- ing, if the Lord will work, is the measure of our faith : Acts xvi. 14, ' The Lord opened Lydia's heart to attend to the things spoken by- Paul.' God stirreth up to the use of means, and whilst we are ' taught ' we are ' drawn,' John vi. 44, 45. (2.) Though faith be God's gift, man's endeavours are still necessary, for supernatural grace doth not exclude the ordinary and natural means. Marriage is necessary for the propagation of mankind, though the rational soul is from God ; yea, more care is had of women with child than of brute beasts, because the fruit of the womb is the immediate work and blessing of the Lord : so faith is of God's planting, and therefore we should be the more careful in the use of means.
Obs. 2. This faith is said to be once given. This will also hold concerning grace ; for where it is once planted it cannot be totally and finally destroyed ; rather it is continually supplied by the care and faithfulness of God : see 1 Cor. i. 8, and 1 Thes. v. 24, and Phil. i. 6. And those hypocrites that fall off after a long profession seldom ' recover themselves by repentance,' Heb. vi. 6 ; 2 Peter ii. 21. Well, then, here is comfort to the people of God, that find so many lusts and so many temptations. They think they shall never hold out; faith is but once given : where it is really given there needeth not a second gift. Again, here is caution. Faith is a precious jewel; if once lost ■wilfully after the knowledge of the truth, it is not easily regained.
Obs. 3. Consider the persons to whom it is given. It is not given to every one ; ' for all men have not faith,' 2 Thes. iii. 2 ; and ' the gospel is hidden to those that are lost/ 2 Cor. iv. 3 ; but it is given to the saints, to those who were chosen, that they might be saints : which showeth — (1.) The excellency of faith; it is a privilegiate and peculiar mercy. (2.) That believers are saints; faith giveth an interest in Christ, and therefore they must needs be holy : 'His blood cleanseth,' 1 John i. 7 ; ' His Spirit sanctifieth,' 1 Cor. vi. 11. Again, Faith itself hath a cleansing, purifying virtue : ' Hearts purified by faith,' Acts xv. 9. Faith applieth the blood of Christ ; and the hand of the laundress is as necessary to cleanse the clothes as the soap ■wherewith they are cleansed. Faith waiteth for the Spirit. It argueth from the love of God. Faith and sin are like the poison and the antidote, always working one upon another, till faith hath gotten the mastery. Well, then, is your faith sanctifying ? Strong per- suasions of an interest in grace, and a loose life, will not suit: we are not perfectly clean and holy, but there will be strong desires and earnest groans after more holiness ; as Ps. li. 10, and Piom. vii. 24, ' Who shall deliver me ? ' &c. ; that is. Oh ! that I were ; questions are put for wishes. So Ps. cxix. 5, ' Oh ! that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes.' Yea, there will be not only groans under, but strugglings against sin. A child of God may fall into sin, but he cannot rest in it and lie down with ease ; as mud may be cast into a pure fountain, or stirred up in it, but the fountain never ceaseth till it work itself clean again. Peter and David stepped aside, but they could find no peace till they were reconciled to God : ' I will return to my first husband, then it was better than it is now,' Hosea ii. Again, you may know it by the drift and disposition of the heart. Which
106 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 3.
way lieth the bent of your spirits? and what are your constant motions and operations ? A man that is travelling another way may now and then look back. How is your heart inclined ? Ps. csix. 112, 'I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes always unto the end.' Is there a constant inclination towards Grod ? 1 Chron. xxii. 19, ' Now set your hearts to seek the Lord.' Is the heart set? what is your constant course and walk ? Eom. viii. 1.
But so much for this digression, occasioned by the suitableness of words to the grace of faith. Let us now come to the other accep- tion, which is more proper in this place, namely, as faith is put for the doctrine of faith. How this was — (1.) Delivered; (2.) Once de- livered; (3.) To the saints.
First, Delivered, not invented ; i it is not the fruit of fancy or human devising, but hath its original from God ; it was delivered^ by him to holy men chosen for that purpose, and by them delivered by word of mouth to the men of that age wherein they lived, and by writing for the use of after ages: and delivered to be kept ; it is a sacred depositum which God hath put into the hands of the church : ' Keep that which is committed to thy trust,' 1 Tim, vi. 20 ; and ' To them were com- mitted the oracles of God,' Eom. iii. 2. I shall observe — (1.) The mercy of God in delivering this faith or rule of salvation. (2.) The duty of the church concerning it.