The efficacy of faith for holiness of heart and life. The Marrow of Modern Divinity by Edward Fisher

Chapter III, Section 8

The efficacy of faith for holiness of heart and life.

Neo. Sir, I am persuaded, that through my neighbour Nomista's asking you these questions, you have been interrupted in your discourse, in showing how faith enables a man to exercise his Christian graces, and perform his Christina duties aright: and therefore I pray you go on.

Evan. What should I say more? for the time would fail me to tell, how that, according to the measure of any man's faith, is his true peace of conscience; for, says the apostle, "being justified by faith, we have peace with God," (Rom 5:1). Yea, says the prophet Isaiah, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee," (Isa 26:3). Here there is a sure and true grounded peace: "Therefore it is of faith," says the apostle, "that it might be by grace, and that the promise might be sure to all the seed," (Rom 4:16). And answerable to a man's believing that he is "justified freely by God's grace, through that redemption that is in Jesus Christ," ¹ (Rom 4:3,24), is his true humility of spirit. So that, although he be endowed with excellent gifts and graces, and though he perform never so many duties, he denies himself in all; he does not make them as ladders for him to ascend up into heaven by, but he desires to "be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ," (Phil 3:9). He does not think himself to be one step nearer to heaven, for all his works and performances. And if he hear any man praise him for his gifts and graces, he will not conceive that he has obtained the same by his own industry and pains-taking, as some men have proudly thought; neither will he speak it out, as some have done, saying; These gifts and graces have cost me something—I have taken much pains to obtain them; but he says, "By the grace of God I am what I am; and not I, but the grace of God that was with me," (1 Cor 15:10). And if he behold an ignorant man, or a wicked liver, he will not call him "Carnal wretch!" or, "Profane fellow!" nor say, "Stand by thyself, come not near me, for I am holier than thou," (Isa 65:5), as some have said; but he pities such a man, and prays for him; and in his heart he says concerning himself, "Who maketh thee to differ? and what hast thou that thou hast not received"? (1 Cor 4:7).

And thus I might go on, and show you how, according to any man's faith, is his true joy in God, and his true thankfulness to God, and his patience in all troubles and afflictions, and his contentedness in any condition, and his willingness to suffer, and his cheerfulness in suffering, and his contentedness to part with any earthly thing. Yea, according to any man's faith, is his ability to pray aright, (Rom 10:14), to receive the sacrament with profit and comfort: and to do any duty either to God or man after a right manner, and to a right end, (Heb 4:2). Yea, according to the measure of any man's faith, in his love to Christ, and so to man for Christ's sake; and so, consequently, his readiness and willingness to forgive an injury; yea, to forgive an enemy, and to do good to them that hate him; and the more faith any man has, the less love he has to the world or the things that are in the world. To conclude, the greater any man's faith is, the more fit he is to die, and the more willing he is to die.

Neo. Well, sir, now I do perceive that faith is a most excellent grace, and happy is that man who has a great measure of it.

Evan. The truth is, faith is the chief grace that Christians are to be exhorted to get and exercise; and therefore, when the people asked our Lord Christ, "What they should do to work the works of God," he answered and said, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent," (John 6:29); speaking as if there were no other duty at all required, but only believing; for, indeed, to say as the thing is, believing includes all other duties in it, and they spring all from it; and therefore says one, "Preach faith, and preach all."—"Whilst I bid man believe," says learned Rollock, "I bid him do all good things"; for, says Dr. Preston, "Truth of belief will bring forth truth of holiness; if a man believe, works of sanctification will follow; for faith draws after it inherent righteousness and sanctification. Wherefore" says he, "if a man will go about this great work, to change his life, to get victory over any sin, that it may not have dominion over him, to have his conscience purged from dead works and to be made partaker of the divine nature, let him not go about it as a moral man"; that is, let him not consider what commandments there are, what the rectitude is which the law requires, and how to bring his heart to it; but "let him go about it as a Christian, that is, let him believe the promise of pardon, in the blood of Christ; and the very believing the promise will be able to cleanse his heart from dead works." ²

Neo. But I pray you, sir, whence has faith its power and virtue to do all this?

Evan. Even from our Lord Jesus Christ; for faith doth ingraft a man, who is by nature a wild olive branch, into Christ as into the natural olive; and fetches sap from the root, Christ, and thereby makes the tree bring forth fruit in its kind; yea, faith fetcheth a supernatural efficacy from the death and life of Christ; by virtue whereof it metamorphoses ³ the heart of a believer, and creates and infuses into him new principles of action. ⁴ So that, what a treasure of all graces Christ hath stored up in him, faith draineth, and draweth them out to the use of a believer; being as a conduit-cock, that watereth all the herbs of the garden. Yea, faith does apply the blood of Christ to a believer's heart; and the blood of Christ has in it, not only a power to wash from the guilt of sin, but to cleanse and purge likewise from the power and stain of sin, and therefore, says godly Hooker, "If you would have grace, you must first of all get faith, and that will bring all the rest, let faith go to Christ, and there is meekness, patience, humility, and wisdom, and faith will fetch all them to the soul; therefore, [says he,] you must not look for sanctification till you come to Christ in vocation."

Nom. Truly, sir, I do now plainly see that I have been deceived, and have gone a wrong way to work; for I verily thought that holiness of life must go before faith, and so be the ground of it, and produce and bring it forth; whereas I do now plainly see, that faith must go before, and so produce and bring forth holiness of life.

Evan. I remember a man, who was much enlightened in the knowledge of the gospel, ⁵ who says, "There may be many that think, that as a man chooses to serve a prince, so men choose to serve God. So likewise they think that as those who do best service, do obtain most favour of their lord; and as those that have lost it, the more they humble themselves, the sooner they recover it; even so they think the case stands between God and them; whereas, says he, it is not so, but clean contrary, for he himself says, 'Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,' (John 15:16). And not for that we repent and humble ourselves, and do good works, he gives us his grace; but we repent and humble ourselves, do good works, and become holy, because he gives us his grace." The good thief on the cross was not illuminated, because he did confess Christ; but he did confess Christ, because he was illuminated. For, says Luther, on Galatians, p. 124, "The tree must first be, and then the fruit; for the apples make not the tree, but the tree makes the apples. So faith first maketh the person, which afterwards brings forth works. Therefore to do the law without faith, is to make the apples of wood and earth without the tree, which is not to make apples, but mere fantasies." Wherefore, neighbour Nomista, let me entreat you, that whereas before you have reformed your life that you might believe, why, now believe that you may reform your life: and do not any longer work to get an interest in Christ, but believe your interest in Christ, that so you may work. ⁶ And then you will not make the change of your life the ground of your faith, as you have done, and as Mr. Culverwell says, many do, who being asked, What caused them to believe? answer, "Because they have truly repented, and changed their course of life." ⁷

Ant. Sir, what think you of a preacher that, in my hearing, said, he durst not exhort nor persuade sinners to believe their sins were pardoned, before he saw their lives reformed, for fear they should take more liberty to sin?

Evan.. Why, what should I say but that I think that preacher was ignorant of the mystery of faith? ⁸ For it, ⁹ is of the nature of sovereign waters, which so wash off the corruption of the ulcer, that they cool the heat, and stay the spreading of the infection, and so by degrees heal the same. Neither did he know that it is of the nature of cordials, which so comfort the heart and ease it, that they also expel the noxious humours, and strengthen nature against them. ¹⁰

Ant. And I am acquainted with a professor, though, God knows, ¹¹ a very weak one, that says, If he should believe before his life be reformed, then he might believe, and yet walk on in his sins:—I pray you, sir, what would you say to such a man?

Evan. Why, I could say with Dr. Preston, let him, if he can, believe truly, and do this; but it is impossible: let him believe, and the other will follow; truth of belief will bring forth truth of holiness: for who, if he ponder it well, can fear a fleshly licentiousness, where the believing soul is united and married to Christ? ¹² The law, as it is the covenant of works, and Christ, are set in opposition, as two husbands to one wife successively, (Rom 7:4); whilst the law was alive in the conscience, all the fruits were deadly, (verse 5); but Christ, taking the same spouse to himself, the law being dead, by his quickening Spirit doth make her fruitful to God, (verse 6); and so raises up seed to the former husband: for materially these are the works of the law, though produced by the Spirit of Christ in the gospel. ¹³

Ant. And yet, sir, I am verily persuaded, that there be many, both preachers and professors, in this city, of the very same opinion, that these two are of.

Evan. The truth is, many preachers stand upon the praise of some moral virtue, and do inveigh against some vice of the times, more than upon pressing men to believe. But, says a learned writer, "It will be our condemnation, if we love darkness, rather than light, and desire still to be groping in the twilight of morality, the precepts of moral men, than to walk in the true light of divinity, which is the doctrine of Jesus Christ; and I pity the preposterous care and unhappy travail of many well-affected, who study the practice of this and that virtue, neglecting this cardinal and radical virtue; as if a man should water all the tree, and not the root. Fain would they shine in patience, meekness, and zeal, and yet are not careful to establish and root themselves in faith, which should maintain all the rest; and therefore all their labour has been in vain and to no purpose."

Nom. Indeed, sir, this which you have now said, I have found true by my own experience; for I have ¹⁴ laboured and endeavoured to get victory over such corruptions as to overcome my dullness, and to perform duties with cheerfulness, and all in vain.

Evan. And no marvel; for to pray, to meditate, to keep a Sabbath cheerfully, to have your conversation in heaven, is as impossible for you yourself to do, as for iron to swim, or for stones to ascend upwards; but yet nothing is impossible to faith; it can naturalize these things unto you; it can make a mole of the earth a soul of heaven. Wherefore, though you have tried all moral conclusions of purposing, promising, resolving, vowing, fasting, watching, and self- revenge; yet get you to Christ, and with the finger of faith touch but the hem of his garment; and you shall feel virtue come from him, for the curing of all your diseases. Wherefore I beseech you, come out of yourself unto Jesus Christ, and apprehend him by faith, as, blessed be God, you see your neighbour Neophytus has done; and then shall you find the like loathing of sin, and love to the law of Christ, as he now does; yea, then shall you find your corruptions dying and decaying daily, more and more, as I am confident he shall.

Neo. Aye, but, sir, shall I not have power quite to overcome all my corruptions, and to yield perfect obedience to the law of Christ, as, the Lord knows, I much desire?

Evan. If you could believe perfectly, then should it be even according to your desire; according to that of Luther, on the Galatians, p. 173, "If we could perfectly apprehend Christ, then should we be free from sin": but alas! whilst we are here, we know but in part, and so believe but in part, and so receive Christ but in part, (1 Cor 13:9), and so, consequently, are holy but in part; witness James the Just, including himself, when he says, "In many things we sin all," (James 3:2). John the faithful and loving disciple, when he says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us," (1 John 1:8). Yea, and witness Luther, when he says on the Galatians, p. 144, "A Christian man hath a body, in whose members as Paul says, 'sin dwelleth and warreth,' (Rom 7:15). And although he fall not into outward and gross sins, as murder, adultery, theft, and such like, yet is he not free from impatience and murmuring against God; yea, [says he] I feel in myself covetousness, lust, anger, pride, and arrogancy, also the fear of death, heaviness, hatred, murmurings impatience." So that you must not look to be quite without sin, whilst you remain in this life; yet this I dare promise you, that as you grow from faith to faith, so shall you grow from strength to strength in all other graces. "Wherefore," says Hooker, "strengthen this grace of faith, and strengthen all; nourish this, and nourish all." So that if you can attain to a great measure of faith, you shall be sure to attain to a great measure of holiness; according to the saying of Dr. Preston, "He that hath the strongest faith, he that believeth in the greatest degree the promise of pardon and remission of sins, I dare boldly say, he hath the holiest heart, and the holiest life. And therefore, I beseech you labour to grow strong in the faith of the gospel," (Phil 1:27).

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Footnotes:

[Back] [1] And not for any thing wrought in himself, or done by himself.

[Back] [2] The sum thereof is, that no considerations, no endeavours whatsoever, will truly sanctify a man, without faith. Howbeit, such considerations and endeavours are necessary to promote and advance the sanctification of the soul by faith.

[Back] [3] That is, transforms or changes. (Rom 12:2), "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind."

[Back] [4] Namely, instrumentally. It cannot be denied that our author places faith before the new principles of actions in this passage, and before the habits of grace, and yet it will not follow, that, in his opinion, there can be no gracious change in the soul before faith. What he does indeed teach, in this matter, is warranted by the plain testimony of the apostle, (Eph 1:13), "After that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise." And what this seal is, at least as to the chief part of it, may be learned from John 1:16, "And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace." For as sealing is the impression of the image of the seal on the wax, so that it thereby receives upon it point for point on the seal, so believers being sealed with the Spirit of Christ, receive grace for grace in Christ, whereby they are made like him, and bear his image. And as it is warranted by the words, so it is agreeable to the old Protestant doctrine, that we are regenerate by faith; which is the title of the 3d chap. of the 3d book of Calvin's Instit. and is taught in the Old Confess. art. 3, in these words: "Regeneration is wrought by the power of the Holy Ghost, working in the hearts of the elect of God an assured faith"; and art. 13, in these words: "So soon as the Spirit of the Lord Jesus [which God's elect children receive by true faith] takes possession in the heart of any man, so soon does he regenerate and renew the same man."

Nevertheless, I am not of the mind, that, either in truth, or in the judgment of our reformers, or of our author, the first act of faith is an act of an unregenerate, that is to say, a dead soul. But to understand this matter aright, I conceive one must distinguish betwixt regeneration taken strictly, and taken largely; and betwixt new powers and new habits or principles of action. Regeneration, strictly so called, is the quickening of the dead soul, by the Spirit of Christ passively received, and goes before faith, according to John 1:12,13, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name; which were born not of blood, but of God." This is called by Amesius, the first regeneration, Medul. lib. 1, cap. 29, sect. 6; see cap. 26, sect. 19. And it belongs to, or is the same with effectual calling; in the description of which, in the Shorter Catechism, one finds a renewing mentioned, whereby sinners are enabled to embrace Jesus Christ; and, says the Larger Catechism on the same subject, "They, although in themselves dead in sin, are hereby made able to answer his call." Regeneration, largely taken, presupposing the former, is the same with sanctification, wrought in the soul by the Spirit of Christ, actively received by faith, and so follows faith. (Acts 26:18), "Among them which are sanctified by faith, that is in Me": the subjects of which "are the redeemed, called, and justified." Essen. Com. cap. 16, sect. 3. And accordingly, in the description thereof in the Shorter Catechism, mention is made of a second renewing, namely, "Whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness." And thus I conceive regeneration to be taken in the above passages of the Old Confession. The which is confirmed by the following testimonies: "Being in Christ, we must be new creatures, not in substance, but in qualities and disposition of our minds, and change of the actions of our lives, all which is impossible to them that have no faith." Mr. John Davidson's Catechism, page 29.—"So good works follow as effects of Christ in us, possessed by faith, who beginneth to work in us regeneration and a renewing of the whole parts and powers of the soul and body. Which begun sanctification and holiness he never ceases to accomplish." Ibid. p. 30.—"The effect [viz: of justification] inherent in us, as in a subject, is that new quality which is called inherent righteousness or regeneration." Grounds of Christian Religion, by the renowned Beza and Faius, 1586, chap. 29, sect. 11.—"That new quality, then called inherent righteousness and regeneration, testified by good works, is a necessary effect of true faith." Ibid. chap. 31, sect. 13.

Now in regeneration taken in the former sense, new powers are put into the soul, whereby the sinner, who was dead in sin, is able to discern Christ in his glory, and to embrace him by faith. But it is in regeneration taken in the latter sense, that new habits of grace, or immediate principles of actions are given; namely, upon the soul's uniting with Christ by faith. So Essenius, having defined regeneration to be, the putting of spiritual life in a man spiritually dead, [compare chap. 14, sect. 11,] afterwards says, "As by regeneration new powers were put into the man, so by sanctification are given new spiritual habits." Theological Virtues, ibid. cap. 16, sect. 5. And as the Scriptures are express, in that men are "sanctified by faith," (Acts 26:18), so is the Larger Catechism in that it is in sanctification they are "renewed in the whole man, having the seeds of repentance unto life, and of all other saving graces, put into their hearts," quest. 75.

[Back] [5] This man, Bernardine Ochine, an infamous apostate, was at first a monk; but as our author says, being much enlightened in the knowledge of the gospel, he not only made profession of the Protestant Religion, but, together with the renowned Peter Martyr, was esteemed a most famous preacher of the gospel, throughout Italy. Being in danger on the account of religion, he left Italy by Martyr's advice; and being much assisted by the Duchess of Ferrara in his escape, he went first to Geneva, and then to Zurich, and was admitted a minister in that city. But discovering himself there, [as Simon Magus did, after he had joined himself to the church of Samaria] he was banished; and is justly reckoned among the forerunners of the execrable Socinus. See Hoornbeck, appar. ad. contr. Soc. page 47. Hence one may plainly see how there are sermons of his which might safely and to good purpose be quoted. And as for the character given him by the author here, if one is in hazard of reckoning it an applause, one must remember that is no greater than what the apostle gives to the guilty of the sin against the Holy Ghost, (Heb 6:6), "Those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift," &c., which I make no question but our author had his eye upon, in giving this man this character very pertinently.

[Back] [6] That is, by believing, get a saving interest in Christ; whereas, before, you have set yourself, as it were, to work it. See the note on the Definition of Faith.