Again, Because it is called the ' spirit of faith,' it sheweth that it is a free grace, and the grounds why some have more or less faith, it is free for measure and free for time. They that have faith have the spirit of faith. They have not faith at command. No. The Spirit bloweth where it listeth, more or less. If you ask why some have great, some less, faith ? It is because God seeth it needful for them in afflictions to have a great measure of faith, them that are wretched in the world, that have pre-encountered great dangers and afflictions, it is necessary to have a great measure of faith, and God giveth it. For the Spirit is a wise Spirit, and giveth faith ac- cording to the exigencies of particular persons more or less, for it is a Spirit.
444 COMMENTARY ON
The tliinffs God works by his Spirit, in rcparcl of the frconess of them, are called graces ; they as they are wrought by the Spirit are called the graces of the Spirit. The graces of the Scriptures are not like the graces of the heathens in their ethics and morals, who call them habih* but they have their names from their efficiency, the spirit of love, as they be from God's freeness ; they are called the spirit of faith, as referring all to the work of God's Spirit, because as we are saved by grace, so we must be ready to give all glory to the work of the Spirit.
And therefore we should not be much discontent if we have not so great a measure as others have, but thankful for the least properties of faith, for the measure of it comes from the Holy Ghost, who is a free worker. The Holy Ghost is not a natural worker, as fire burnetii with extremity of its strength, because it is a natural agent, but the Holy Ghost being a wise and free agent, -works according to his good will and pleasure. And there- fore take heed how we grieve the Spirit of God, which is a Spirit of faith ; but as the apostle giveth wise counsel, ' Work out your salvation with fear and trembling,' Philip, ii. 12, because it is God that giveth the will and the deed of his good pleasure. If we esteem not the Spirit as we should, the Spirit may withdraw and suspend the sweet exercise of faith, though not wholly take it away, because it is a grace that proceeds from a free agent, the Holy Ghost.
And it is said likewise, we have the same spirit of faith, because the same Spirit of God works the same faith from Adam, the first believer, to the end of the world. Beloved, those before Christ, they were saved by Christ, as we read, Acts xv. 8, 9, ' When our hearts are purified, we are saved by faith as they were.' There is one Spirit breathed into all the children of God to the end of the world, the same Spirit is in the hidden members. What shall I say ? The same Spirit with them, the same Spirit with •Christ their head ; one self-same Spirit is in Christ our head, and in all the members of Christ from the beginning to the end of the world. And as there is one Spirit, so one spirit of faith in regard of the object, the same things believed. For though faith be diverse, according to the diversity of belief, yet in regard of the things believed, and the cause of faith, the Spirit, they are all one : ' Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever,' Heb. xiii. 8.
There is nothing we believe in the gospel, but they did believe before Christ. Our faith is Abraham's faith and David's faith. I will give an instance before Christ. Abraham believed in Christ, ' and saw his day and rejoiced,' John viii. 56. And the sacrament of circumcision was ' a seal of the righteousness of faith,' Rom. iv. 11, as our sacraments are seals of our faith. And likewise they gave all to the Spirit of God. ' Breathe thy law into our hearts.' And Moses giveth the reason why they heard and saw in the wilderness, and profited not. God gave them not an heart. All was given to the Spirit, as now, and life everlasting.
They believed as well as we do now. ' At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore,' Ps. xvi. 11. Christ was believed as well as now. He was Immanuel then, and with them as well as with us, though we have a farther measure of revelation. Christ is laid, Christ is a corner stone, ' and who- soever believeth on him shall not be ashamed,' 1 Peter ii. 6. There was the same covenant of grace. ' Whosoever believeth shall not perish, but have everlasting life,' as now, John iii. 15. And therefore believers are called ' the children of Abraham,' Gal. iii. 7, heaven, * the bosom of * Cf. note vv, p. 533, Vol. III.— G.
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Abraham,' Luke xvi. 23. "Women -believers are called 'the daughters of Abraham,' Luke xiii. 16, because there is one spix-it of faith in believers from the beginning of the world to the end of it. Now the particulars are revealed more clearly, the canon is enlarged, the gospel is added to the precepts of the law, but notwithstanding, for fundamental points, they are the same from the beginning to the end of the church. The difference between them and us was in outward garments, in outward affections. As a man differs from a child in garments and outward habit, and yet is the same man, so the church of the Jews and our church are all one church, only differing in ceremonies and outward concernments, and yet still the same church. The difference is the accidental and outward ; the essential main points are always the same. And therefore the grand point of faith, we believe, is not yesterday's faith, as the papists would make it, like the Gibeonites, that when they came but from hard by, came with mouldy bread and shoes, counterfeiting that they came from a far country.* So you shall have it in every papist's mouth, Ours is the ancient religion, the fathers' religion, when it was but of yesterday, and of all novelties; but we are true catholics, because we believe an universal truth, the same spirit of faith which they had in ages of the church before. We believe nothing but what Abraham, Moses, David, and the prophets believed. We are the catholics. We are not upstarts, and I prove it by this reason. There is nothing we believe but they believed ; whatsoever we believe all the ancient fathers and patriarchs believed.