So again, in all the comforts of this life, it makes a man eat and drink and sleep, and do all in Christ, looking up into him in all his actions, living by faith, and joying that now he hath a title and a right to all the creatures. He being clean, now to him all things are clean, because he is now in Christ, who is pure, without spot, and Lord of all ; for to the unclean all things are unclean. It cost Christ dear to purchase our liberty to the creatures. Therefore finding and joining in this freedom, we live the life of faith in prosperity ; whilst it eyes God in all the passages of this estate, sets him in the first place, receives all, and joys in all as coming from the love and graciousness of so good a God ; returning in humility
THE LIFE OF FAITH. 379
the strength and glory of all uuto him ; supplying also the necessities of his members.
(9.) Ninthly, In God's ordinances. In the preaching of the word and in the sacraments, faith makes us live this life of faith, not to be captious how this comes that God hath appointed this means, especially, unto the end of the world to teach men by. It makes us lay aside by-conceits to think, why it is enough for me, his will shall be the rule and square of all my thoughts and actions. He hath sanctified and made effectual this ordinance to this purpose ; therefore I believe he will bless his own means, which though to the world it seems to be the foolishness of preaching, 3'et it shall be effectual to my salvation and the rest of his church. He made the world by his mighty word, he repaired the decayed world thereby, and by it he will also call for and raise up all the dead at the last day. There- fore I will rest upon his ordinance without farther dispute.
And so for the sacraments. What is a little water to the washing aw^ay of sin ? Oh, but the blood of Christ, this is the cleanser, this washes away our sins. His ordinances make it powerful and effectual to that end he hath appointed it, for the believing soul. So the bread and wine in the Lord's Supper seem weak and feeble things ; ay, but they are ordained to strengthen and increase faith. Here the Christian soul believes God can so strengthen faith by his Spirit, working in us a nearer communion with Christ and hatred of sin thereby, blessing his own ordinances, so that, as meat and drink refreshes, sustains and feeds this mortal body, £0 shall his ordinances by his blessing be effectual for the refreshing, fortifying, and nourishing of our souls to life and endless immortality. Again,
(10.) Tenthly, So in our combats. Of necessity we must fight the good fight of faith many ways. First, if any trouble assault a believer, he hath recourse to the life of faith in justification and sanctification. As he conquered God at first, in repenting, praying, and wrestling for forgiveness of sins, and applying the promises, so now he knows how to conquer any evil that befalls him. As it w^as said to Jacob, ' Thou hast, as prince, had power with God and with men, and hast prevailed ; ' so a Christian, having in his fii-st new-birth-pangs conquered God, and prevailed, now by the same assistance and skill he can conquer all things also. Secondly, A Christian fights this good fight by living the life of faith in glorification. Saint Paul says, ' Fight the good fight of f;iith, lay hold of eternal life,' 1 Tim. vi. 12 ; insinuating that the w^ay to live this life of faith is to lay hold of eternal life, having serious and constant meditations of the glory to come. Canaan, we know, was given to the Israelites, divided and given by Jacob, ere his death, long before they came there. Who would not fight then for such an inheritance ? Now there were serpents, giants, strong and many enemies by the way ; so they fought against all, and overcame all. Even so betwixt us and heaven there be many enemies to overcome : the flesh, the world, the devil, and all those numberless number of events which by their malice and our frailty we are tempted unto. But here faith must lay hold of eternal life, answer all objections with this. All these shall not make me lose eternity, there is no comparison betwixt heaven and earth ; false pleasures here, and true substantial joys to come. This, saith the Scripture, is our victory which overcometh the world, even our faith, 1 John v. 4. Why ? Because faith makes Christ's victory ours. Christ overcame sin, hell, death, the world, and all ; and Christ himself being ours, we have all made efiectual for us, which we have done and suffered. So Christ overcomes in us by his Spirit, as the apostle hath it, 1 John iv. 4,
880
THE MFK OF FAITH.
* Stronger is ho that is in j'ou than ho that is in the workl.' So tliat a ^\•eak Christian hath a strong Sjtirit in him, which no power can prevail against, thongh he hath some foils.
Quest. Jhit how doth faith fight against the workl by the life of glory ?