Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of Jesus as carrying on the great work of mans salvation from first to last / by Isaac Ambrose ...

SECT. V. Of believing in Jesus in that respect.

5. WE must believe in Jesus, as carrying on that great work of salvation for us in that Eternity. It is not enough to know, and consider, and desire, and hope, but we must believe. Now this is the nature and property of faith, to apply all these ancient and future doings and dealings of God to our selves, as if they were now present. Some difference there is betwixt hope and faith; as hope hath respect to that which the Word pomiseth, rem verbi; but faith respects the word it self, verbum rei; hope eyes chiefly the mercy and goodness of the promise, but faith eyes mainly the authority and truth of the promiser; hope looks upon its object as future, but faith only looks upon the object as present; both make a particular application to themselves, but hope in a waiting for it; and faith in a way of now enjoying it. Hence faith is called, the substance of things hoped for; it is the substance, or confidence of things hoped for, as if we had them already in hand: faith gives the soul a present interest in God, in Christ, in all those glorious things in the Gospel of Christ; even in the things of eternal life. Faith is an appropriating, an applying, an uniting grace; it is a blessed thing to have the sight of God, there is much power in it; but to see God in his Glory as my God, to see all the Majesty, greatness, and goodness of God, as those things that my soul hath an interest in; to see how the eternal counsels of God wrought for me to make me happy, why this is of the nature of Faith; And herein lies the sweetness of faith, in that we believe not Christ on∣ly to be a Saviour, and righteousness, but my Saviour, and my righteousness; And therefore Luther affirmed that the sweetness of Christianity lay in pronounes; when a man can say, my Lord, and my God, and my Jesus. I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

O my soul! believe for thy self; believe, and be confident of it that those Eternal pro∣jects, counsels, love, purpose, decree, and covenant betwixt God and Christ were all for thee: hast not thou a promise? Nay, was there not a promise before the world began? and that very promise the promise of eternal life? Mark the words, in hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie, promised before the World began. Here's a promise, and a promise of Eternal life, and a promise of Eternal life made by God, by God that cannot lie, and that before there was a World, or any man in the World; If thou enquirest, to whom then was this promise made? Sweet soul, it was made to Christ for thee; many promises thou hast in Scripture made more immediatly to thy self, but this was the grand promise, and all the other promises they are but a draught of that grand promise that God the Father made to his Son before the World began.

O cries the Soul, I cannot believe: what? is it possible that God in his Eternity should have any thought of me? What, of me, being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil? What, of me, born in these last times of the world, the least of Saints, the greatest of Sinners, less then the least of all Gods mercies? that of such a one the great God, the Majesty of Heaven and Earth should have a thought, a project, a counsel, a knowledge of approbation, a purpose, a decree: Nay, enter into a Covenant with his Son for my salvation? I cannot believe it. Alas! What am I to God? or what need hath God of me? If all the Nations of the Earth are to him, but as a drop of a bucket; and as the small dust of the Ballance; O what a minime am I of that drop? or what a little, little atome am I of that small dust; and is it probable that the greatness of God

the goodness of God, the power of God, the wisdom of God, the Eternal Counsels of God, should work for me, to make me glorious, blessed, happy, to make me one with himself, and one with his Son, and one with his Spirit? what care take I of every dust of the Earth, or of every sand one the Sea-shore? and yet these are my fellow-creatures; there's a thousand times more disproportion betwixt God and me, and would God take care of me before I was, or before the World was? what, would he busie himself and his Son, about such a worthless wretched worm? would he decree Christ to come from the Father for me, to be my Redeemer, my Jesus, my Saviour? I cannot, I dare not, I will not believe.

O stay my soul; and be not faithless, but believing, I'le take thy argument in pieces: As, 1. Thou sayst, hath God any thoughts of me? Yes: saith God, I know the thoughts that I think towards you, thoughts of peace, and not of evil; and before the World was, my thoughts, and my delights were with the Sons of men. 2. Thou sayst, I have no thoughts, no care of my fellow-creatures, as of the dust, or sand, or atoms? and what then? my thoughts are not as your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord; for as the Heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. What if thou hast no thoughts or care of the smaller creatures? yet God ex∣tends his thoughts, and care, and providence not only to thee, but even to them: neither can a Sparrow fall to the ground, nor an hair from thy head, nor a leaf from the tree, without the providence of our heavenly Father? 3. Thou sayest, I dare not believe, I am astonished at, confounded in these thoughts of Gods eternal love; it is too high for me, I cannot believe it. I answer, herein thou sayst something: I know it is an hard thing to believe these great things in reference to thy self: But see now how God and Christ stoop and condescend to make thee believe: God stands much upon this, that the hearts of Saints should confide in him: he accounts not himself honoured, except they believe, and therefore mark O my Soul, how Christ suits himself to thy weakness; what is it that may beget this Faith, this confidence in thy Son? what is it (saith God) that you poor creatures do one to another, when you would make things sure between your selves? why, thus; —

1. We engage our selves by promise one to another. And so will I, saith God: poor soul, thou hast my promise, my faithful promise; I have made a promise both to Jews and Gentiles, and thou art the one of these two sorts; the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Be only satisfied in that ground of thy hope, that thou art called of God; and then every promise of Eternal life is thine, even thine. Thou mayest find a thousand promises scat∣tered here and there in the book of God; and all these promises are a draught of that promise which was made from all Eternity, and therefore it is so much the more sure; it is as if Christ should say, wilt thou have engagement by promise? this is past long agoe; my Father hath engaged himself to me before the World began; yea, and I have made many, and many a promise, since the World began? Read in the Volume, and thou wilt find here and there a Promise, here and there a draught of the first Copy of that great Promise, which my Father made unto me from all Eternity.

2. When we would make things sure to one another, we write it down; And so will I, saith God: thou hast the Scripture, the Holy Writ, those Sacred Volumes of Truth and Life, and therein thou hast the golden Lines of many gracious Promises; are they not as the Stars in the Firmament of the Scripture? thou hast my Bible, and in the Bible thou hast many blessed glorious Truths: but of all the Bible, methinks thou shouldst not part with one of those promises, no, not for a World. Luther observing the many pro∣mises writ down in Scripture, expresseth thus, the whole Scripture doth especially aim at this, that we should not doubt, but hope, confide, believe, that God is Merciful, Kind, Patient, and hath a purpose and a delight to save our souls.

3. When we would make things sure to one another, we set to our Seals. And so will I, saith God: thou hast my Seal, the Broad-Seal of Heaven, my Sacraments, the Seals of my Covenant; and thou hast my privy Seal also, the Seal of my Spirit. Grieve not the Holy Spirit, whereby ye are Sealed unto the day of Redemption.

4. When we would make things sure to one another, we take Witnesses. And so will I, saith God: thou shalt have witnesses as many as thou wilt, witnesses of all sorts, wit∣nesses in heaven, and witnesses on earth, for there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood; and these three agree in one.

5. When we would make things sure to one another, we take an oath. And so will I, saith God: God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutabi∣lity of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath, q. d. there is no such need of an oath, but I will be abundant to thee, because I would have thee trust me, and confide in me through∣ly: and as I swear (saith God) so will I swear the greatest Oath that ever was, I swear by my self: God swears by God: he could swear by no greater, and therefore he swear by him∣self: and why thus, but for their sakes who are the heirs of promise? he knows our frame, and members, that we are but dust; and therefore to succour our weakness, the Lord is pleased to swear, and to confirm all by his Oath.

6. When we would make things sure to one another, we take a pawn. And I will give thee a pawn saith God: and such a pawn, as if thou never hadst any thing more, thou shouldest be happy: it is the pawn of my Spirit. Who also hath sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts, q. d. I will send my Spirit into your hearts, and this Spirit shall be a pawn, an earnest in your hearts, of all the good that I intend to do for you for ever.

7. When we would make things sure to one another, something it may be is present∣ly done, as an ingagement of all that which is to come. And thus will I deal with thee, saith God, who livest in these last of times: why thou seest the greatest part of thy Sal∣vation already done, I made a promise from all Eternity of sending my Son into the World to be made a curse for sin; yea, and if thou believest, for thy sin; and this is the greatest work of all that is to be done to all Eternity. Surely, if I would have failed thee in any thing, it should have been in this; it is not so much for me now, to bring thee to Heaven, to save thy Soul, as it was to send my Son into the World to be made a curse for sin: but when I have done so great a work, & have been already faithful in that Promise, how shouldst thou but believe my faithfulness in making good all other pro∣mises? If a man should owe thee a thousand pound, and pay thee nine hundred, nine∣ty, and nine, thou wouldst think surely, he would never break for the rest; why God hath paid his nine hundred, ninety, and nine; and all the Glory of Heaven is but as one in comparison of what he hath done; we may therefore well believe, that he who hath done so much for us, will not leave the little undone.

Come then, rouse up O my Soul, and believe thy interest in those eternal transactions betwixt God and Christ: is not here ground enough for thy Faith? if thou art but cal∣led, the promise of God is thine: or if thou darest not rely on this promise (which God forbid) thou hast his Indenture, his Seal and Witnesses of all sorts, both in Hea∣ven and Earth; or yet, if thou believest not, thou hast an Oath, a Pawn, and the greatest part of thy Salvation already done to thy hand; nay, I'le tell thee more poor soul then thus; even Christ himself from all Eternity hath engaged for thee that thou shalt be∣lieve; O then put not Christ to be challenged of his engagement by refusing the Gos∣pel! surely when thou believest, thou makest Christs word good; he that believeth not makes God a liar; though in another sense, and for ought he knoweth, even in this, that he frustrates Christs undertakings in the Covenant. And therefore believe; yea, and cry, Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief; increase my Faith, till I come to full as∣surance of Faith. Faith in this sense is the very Eye of the Soul, reading is Name Writ∣ten in the Book of Life; it is an apprehension of our particular Election. O believe, till thou comest up to this fullness of perswasion of Gods Love in Christ.

Notes

• Heb. 11.1
• Gal. 2.20.
• Titus 1.2
• Rom. 9.11
• Isa 40.15
• Jer. 29 11
• Prov. 8.3.
• Isa. 55.8
• Mat. 10.29, 30.
• Acts 2 39.
• Ephes. 4.30.
• John 5.7, 8.
• He. 6.17.
• Heb. 6.13.
• 2 Cor. 1.22.