Thus you see why the Holy Ghost, by the psalmist, calls Christ here the Mighty One, — one that will mightily prevail in every thing. It is because of his divine power, — he is the mighty God. Because of his mediatorial authority there is committed unto him all power in heaven and in earth. He doth put forth this power for the erecting of his church, for its preservation, for the subduing of his enemies, in the raising of the dead, and distributing rewards and punishments.
SERMON X.1
THE USE AND ADVANTAGE OF FAITH IN A TIME OF PUBLIC CALAMITY.
" The just shall live by his faith." — Hab. ii. 4.
This is the first time these words are mentioned in the Scripture, but they are three times quoted by the apostle Paul: he preached, 1 This sermon was preached April 9, 1680.
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as it were, thrice upon them, Rom. i. 17; Gal. iii. 1 1 ; Heb. x. 38 ; for it is full of heavenly matter, and is made use of by the apostle to several purposes. I know no one text that hath been more preached upon, or more written upon by them who have treated of the life of faith; — how the just live the life of justification, and how they live the life of sanctification, the life of consolation, the life of peace, the life of joy, the life of obedience, etc. My design is quite of another nature, and is that which falls in with the design of the prophet in the first use of the words ; as we shall presently see.
You know that, for many years, upon all these occasions, without failing, I have been warning of you continually of an approaching calamitous time, and considering the sins that have been the causes of it. The day is with the Lord, — the year and month I know not : but I have told you that " judgment will begin at the house of God;" that in the latter days of the church, " perilous times will come;" that God seems to have " hardened our hearts from his fear, and caused us to err from his ways;" and that none knows what " the power of his wrath" will be. In all these things I have fore- told you of perilous, distressing, calamitous times; and in all men's apprehensions they now lie at the door, and are entering in upon us. Now I must change my design; and my present work will be, both upon this and, if I live, upon some other occasions, to show how we ought to deport ourselves in and under the approaches of distressing calamities that are coming upon us, and may reach, it may be, up to the very neck.
What this text teaches us is, that in the approaches of overwhelm- ing calamities, and in the view of them, ive ought, in a peculiar 'manner, to live by faith. That is the meaning of the place.
And that this is our duty appears from this passage and the con- text. For the prophet had received a vision, a dreadful vision, from God, of the coming in of the Chaldeans, and of the destruction they would bring upon the church and upon all the land, in the foregoing chapter. Having received this vision, he considers what is his own duty, and what is the duty of the church, in the approaches of this distressing, calamitous season. Why, saith he, verse 1, " I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am re- proved."— " God will reprove me ; there will be great arguings between God and my soul : I know my own guilt and sin, and I would be in a readiness to have something to answer God when I am reproved, — something to betake myself unto. The answer," saith he, " I will betake myself unto is this, ' The just shall live by his faith/ " Two things are here included : —
First. Saith he, " I will betake myself" (as the apostle makes use of
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it) " unto Jesus Christ for righteousness. I have nothing else to an- swer God when I am reproved."
Secondly. " I will pass through all these terrible and dreadful dis- pensations of providence that are coming upon me, by living the life of faith : " a peculiar way of living, as we shall presently see. When the flood was coming upon the world, Noah was " a preacher of righteousness," 2 Pet. ii. 5. What righteousness did Noah preach? Why, that righteousness whereof he himself was partaker; for he " became heir of the righteousness which is by faith," Heb. xi. 7. When the flood was coming, Noah preached the righteousness of faith to the world, that they might escape, if they would attend unto it; but it was rejected by them. Wherefore, I say, in the approach of a calamitous season, there is, in an especial way and manner, a living by faith required of us. But you will say, " What is a calamitous season?" or, " When do you esteem a season calamitous?"