men of the vilest description. This it was that allured them on, although they themselves had had, as yet, no feeling sense of it themselves. For the good-will and inclination of God toward us must first be proclaimed to us by the Word: on which, afterwards, without any previous knowledge or experience of it, we are to be built up as will be shewn in what follows. The THIRD property of faith then, is, that it holds out in its hand nothing of merit, nor attempts to purchase the grace of God by I know not what works; as those wavering ones, and the pharisees always do. Nay it offers nothing but its sins and imperfections; cleaving to the goodness of God only, and committing itself unto it. For faith will suffer no works or merits to be near it. Because, it so wholly presents itself before the mercy of God, and has so great a desire, and so craving an affection after him, and so poises itself upon that affection," and, as it were, mounts upward like an eagle; that all its own works and merits, in comparison of that goodness of God which it so loves and admires, are accounted nothing, and, compared with that, mere sins. Hence it acknowledges itself to be devoid of all merit, and more deserving the wrath of God than his grace; and that, without any hypocrisy and mere pretence; for when it descends deeply into itself, it sees nothing whole! Of this, these lepers here shew forth a striking example; who, without any merit to stuff them up, conceive a firm hope in Christ of having their health restored. With what duties could they have gained him over, when they had never so much as looked upon him with their eyes, much less had done him any services. Moreover, they were rendered loathsome by the leprosy so that, according to the law, he might justly have abhorred their approach to him, and have refused to have any intercourse with them. And therefore, if you look at their real case, every opportunity of getting near Christ, when they had never benefited him by the value of a straw, and when their dreadfully contagious disease had prevented them from all right of communicating with him, was to them precious. Hence it was, that they stood afar off, and considered themselves unworthy of the benefits of Christ.-And in the same way also, faith stands afar off from God; and yet, nevertheless goes to meet him, and lifts up its voice for his help; for it well knows, how undeserving it is of his divine benefits; nor has it any thing to rest in, but the great goodness of God which it hears every where spoken of. For it is that soul that seeks God, which stands afar off and acknowledges itself to be destitute: because, the goodness of God can endure none of our merits near it, and will have all its operations come free: even as Christ comes into this place to the lepers, that his glory may be whole, and unmingled with any thing else. And here, behold, there is a beautiful harmony.—The goodness of God bestows its benefits freely, and will have nothing to be paid for them. So, responsively, faith also, as she receives these benefits freely, wants not to pay any thing back unto him from whom she receives them. Thus, The rich and the poor are sweetly agreed,' according to the voice of the Psalmist. This also the words of the lepers testify: for they cry thus unto him, "have mercy on us." He who desires to have mercy shewn him, does not want a purchase or exchange of any thing: he seeks grace only and mercy of which, he confesses himself unworthy, and deserving far the contrary. Behold, therefore, what a beautiful, true, lively, and appropriate representation of Christian faith this is: abundantly shewing us, what we are to do if we desire to be in the right way to find grace, and to aspire unto felicity. But, in addition to this doctrine wherein we have been taught to believe, there follows the allurement of faith; that is, that whereby we are drawn out to believe readily. And this allurement of faith stands in this:-our considering, how impossible it is that faith thus acted should deceive us and how certain it may be that it is heard, and will undoubtedly receive that concerning which it believes. For the Evangelist Luke shews, with what willingness and favourable inclination Christ heard them. He looked upon them and said as follows: - And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go, shew yourselves to the priests. How graciously and sweetly does the Lord invite the hearts of all unto him, and in that way allure them to believe in him! Nor are we to call it into doubt, that he would do unto all as he did unto these lepers, if we would but commit ourselves unto his goodness and grace with a willing mind, which is the duty of a Christian heart; an example of which, is here given us in these lepers. And how well-pleasing it is unto God, for any one to rest in his goodness with a willing mind and in safety, even before he has had any experience or taste of it, is more than abundantly testified in this place; seeing that, he hears them so promptly and without any delay; and makes no foregoing promise to them, that he will do it, but treats them as though it were already done, and as though he had already performed for them what they desired. For, he does not say, 'I will have mercy upon you: be ye clean.' But, without any previously introductory words, he says to them, Go, shew yourselves to the priests." As though he would say, There is no need of prayers: your faith, before ever ye began to pray, obtained that for you. As soon as ever ye applied your minds to hope any such thing of me, ye were clean in my sight! Ye have need of no one thing else but to go and shew your cleanness to the priests. Such as I account you to be, and such as ye believe ye are,-such ye are, and such ye shall be! For he would not have sent them to the priests, if he had not accounted them to be pure, or designed to make them pure immediately. Behold, so powerful a thing is faith to obtain any thing from God, that, with him, the thing is considered as done before ever it is prayed for. Concerning which it was said of old, Isaiah lxv. "And it shall come to pass, that before they call I will answer, and while they are yet speaking I will hear." Not, however, that our faith is, or we are, worthy of this, but rather, he holds out his unspeakable goodness and willing grace, and thereby allures us to believe in him, and, with safety of mind, to place in him our hope of every thing that is good; that is, with a conscience joyful and unwavering; which wants not to take hold of God with the hand, nor to tempt him. And this you see here accomplished in these lepers; whom, before they call, he hears; and is ready, before they have finished their prayer, to do for them what they desired in their hearts." Go," saith he. I promise you nothing. The matter is accomplished beyond the need of promises. Take what ye have prayed for, and go your way. And are not these powerful allurements which might render the heart happy and confident? Behold here, at length, his grace is sensibly felt, and allows itself to be touched; or rather, it touches and lays hold of us. But here we have set before us another view of the Christian life. The lepers taught us to believe: but here, Christ commends unto us love. Moreover, love ever so carries itself towards its neighbour, as it sees Christ carry himself toward it; as he himself saith, John xiii. "I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." And, "By this shall all men know whether ye be my disciples, if ye have love one toward another." Again, "My commandment unto you is, that ye love one another as I have loved you." And what, I pray, is this, but as if he had said, Ye have now in me, by faith, all that I am, and all that I possess. I am all yours. Ye are now, in me, rich and full unto satisfaction. For whatever I do or love, I do and love for your sakes, not for my own; considering nothing else but how I may benefit you, and accomplish those things that may administer to your need and necessity. Wherefore, it becomes you to weigh well the example which I have given you, that each of you also may do unto the other, as he knows that I have done unto him, and may apply himself unto this one thing;-that all his life and labour may be directed to the profit of his neighbour. My love and goodness is an overflowing treasure to your faith; and therefore, in return, it is right that your love should be an abundant supply to your neighbours. For this is the sum of the Christian life brought into a small com pass; so that there is no need of much teaching and many books to set it forth. In these two particulars are briefly comprehended all those things which are required unto Christianity: concerning which Paul thus speaks, Gal. vi. "Bear ye one another's burthens and so fulfil the law of Christ." And again, Philip. ii. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: who, although he was God, yet became our servant, and obedient even unto death,' &c. This Christian, kind, and happy life, greatly galls the devil. Nor does he suffer loss by it in any thing so much, as in his human doctrines: as we shall presently hear. Most certainly the Christian man's life is set forth to him thus in a few words.-That he have his heart rightly set towards God, and a will inclined to serve his neighbour; this is the sum of Christianity. A right heart and faith, teach, of their own accord, how a man ought to pray. And, what is a faith of this sort, but a kind of perpetual prayer? For it continually sets its hope in the divine favour: and, if it hope in that, then it seeks after it with all its heart: and to seek after this one thing, is that true and real prayer which Christ enjoins us, which God requires, and which obtains and can do all things:-and for this very reason: because it looks neither to itself, its works, or its worthiness, but to the goodness of God only: to which alone it commits itself, and lays hold of it as its only consolation. Hence, what such prayer asks for, it has at once; because, it springs from faith and an undoubting confidence in God. So, the holy prophet Zachariah, chap. x. rightly calls the Spirit, "the Spirit of grace and of supplications." For God there saith, "I will pour out upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of favour and of prayers." Which signifies, that faith knows the grace of God, and, without ceasing, breathes after it! And again, charity teaches him, in what way he should apply himself spontaneously unto good works. |