THE PIOUS COMMUNICANT. Lecture V. ON THE LIFE OF FAITH. HAVING, in the two former lectures, spoken of the affurance of faith, and attempted to remove those difficulties which prevent the people of God from attaining to a steadfast confidence of their interest in the merits of the bleffed Redeemer, we proceed, in the present lecture, to endeavour to excite those who have affurance to that LIFE OF FAITH which encourages, animates, and caufes them to rejoice, as they pursue their journey to the heavenly Canaan. In doing this, THREE things must be attempted: I. To fhew in what the life of faith confifts. II. To excite the people of God to aspire after a more lively exercise of faith. III. To point out to them the means of advancing in the divine life. Firft, then, we fhall fhew wherein the life of faith confifts. Previously however to this, it is proper to remark, 1. That if it be asked, " Whether a believer, even "in a state of the greatest declenfion and backA a fliding, may be confidered as living by faith?" we anfwer in the affirmative; for if it were not so, the believer might fall from grace, which, according to the divine conftitution, is impoffible. In him, to whom God hath given life, the living principle will abide throughout eternity; grace, that precious feed which God hath implanted in the heart, will remain; no inherent corruptions are fo ftrong, no infernal spirit fo artful, no allurements of the world fo feducing, no adverfity fo diftreffing, as to be able to deftroy it. God preferves his people by an almighty power; they are built upon an immovable rock, against which the gates of hell cannot prevail; the blood by which they are purchased hath an eternal efficacy; the bond of union between them and Chrift is too intimate and too firm ever to be broken. The Holy Ghoft, which is given to them, will abide with them for ever; he is in them a fountain of life, and affords them new and conftant fupplies of grace; he is the feal and pledge of their heavenly inheritance: it is therefore as poffible to pluck them out of the hand of the Almighty God, as that they should ever be without faith in the heart: but Chrift hath told us, John x. 27, 28, 29, My Sheep hear my voice, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life: and they fhall never perish, neither fhall any pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. The covenant into which they are brought is a covenant of falt for ever before the Lord; perpetuity and incorruption are its effential properties. In a word, God will never forfake the work of his hands, he will never fuffer the righteous to be moved. It is true, a believer ma; fall into grievous. fins, so that it may be asked, In what does he mani feft that he poffeffes faith? This was the cafe with Peter, who three times denied his Lord; but becaufe Jefus had prayed for him, his faith failed not. Wherefore it was a common faying with Auguftine, "When profeffion languifhed on his lips, then love glowed in his heart." Although, at fuch times, there may not appear to our view fatisfactory evidence that the foul is in the exercife of faith, yet faith is in the heart, and affords no inconfiderable proof of its exiftence, by its hungering and thirsting, and by its earnest desires of deIverance from this lifelefs ftate. Such a Chriftian trikingly resembles a tree in the midst of winter. It cannot eafily be diftinguifhed from the dead trees, among which it may be placed; but the roots being found, as soon as the earth is vifited by the refreshing showers and warming rays of a vernal sun, it discovers figns of life. Or he may be compared to a person apparently at the point of death, in whom no figns of life are discovered, excepting now and then a diftreffing gafp; but afterwards, when he recovers, it is manifeft that the vital principle had not entirely forfaken him. The Christian alfo may be reduced to fo low a state as to be in doubt whether spiritual ife has ever been imparted to him; but when God fterwards invigorates it, then he clearly perceives hat God had awakened him into life by his divine ad fpiritual influences. 2. If it be afked, "Whether affurance be effential 'to a life of faith, that is, whether a child of God "may have no certainty of his being in the faith, and "yet really live in the exercife of it?" We reply, It is true, when a perfon knows affuredly that he has felowship with God, and an intereft in Chrift, he is uder greater advantages for exercising faith in a right manner. He can in fuch a cafe make more ufe of the Lord Jefus, and because he can view Jehovah as his covenant God, he will be better able to apply the promises to himself for his ftrengthening and advancement in the divine life. Yet others, who have never attained to affurance, may act from the living principle of faith, and though they may be afraid to believe that God is their Father and covenant God, and Jefus their Redeemer and furety, ftill they may evidence their faith to be genuine, A. When they go on their way, having, on the one hand, a deep fenfe of their miferable, finful, and deplorable condition, and, on the other, a clear view of the all-fufficiency and preciousness of Christ, and their need of him; experiencing at the fame time a tranquil, ardent, and perfevering defire, and breathing of foul after him. B. So faith is exercised in no fmall degree, when the foul being in diftrefs or danger, or meeting with fudden or unexpected difficulties, flees from itself to God in Chrift as its refuge, and cafts itself upon him, without asking, "May I venture to do it? have I "faith?" C. Is a perfon brought to a fick and dying bed, and is he asked, whether he believes that the Eternal is his God; whether he has an intereft in Christ: he will perhaps immediately reply, "O no, I am fo "much in the dark, that I dare not believe this.' But let him be asked again, "What course the "wouldst thou take to fecure thy happiness in th "future world?" His anfwer is ready: "I knor "but one way; I will venture myfelf upon Jefu, "and truft to free grace." And thus exercised, h leaves this world. Is not this faith, even that faith, the end of which is the falvation of the foul? - D. Yes, it may happen, that persons who are not affured, may exercise faith in a higher degree, than fome who may have a higher degree of confidence; for the latter, walking in the light, find it easy to believe: but how many are there who walk in darknefs; who are, both by day and by night, forely diftreffed, that still cleave to Christ, and believe even against hope. Did not the woman of Canaan exercife ftronger faith than the blind fon of Timeus ? the former was feveral times repulfed by Christ; yet fhe persevered: but the latter received a gracious call, to come immediately to him, and was addreffed: Be of good comfort, rife, he calleth thee. Thus much we have thought proper to remark, both for the encouragement of the mourning children of Zion, who are afraid of cherishing a thought that they have faith, and yet at the same time give many evidences that they are in poffeffion of that divine and gracious principle; and to quicken them in the great duty of living by faith. Having premised these things, we now come to the subject itself, THE LIFE OF FAITH. Thus, the course of God's people, whilft travelling heavenward is denominated. The prophet fays, "The just fhall live by his faith; and the apostle of the Gentiles exhorts, as ye have received Chrift Jefus the Lord, fo walk in him; that is, walk in fuch a manner as when ye feceived Christ at first, namely by faith. The fame apostle declared to the church in Galatia, The life which I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God; and again, we walk by faith, not by fight, 2. Cor. v. 7. We fhall FIRST defcribe this life of faith, and then enlarge on the particular parts of the defcription. |