Galatians 2:20-21 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me… Now, to come to the apostle's particular application, which he expresseth m this word me: "Who loved me, and gave Himself for me:" wherein these points offer themselves to our consideration: 1. That Christ loves some with a special, superabundant, and peculiar love; for Christ, when He suffered upon the cross, looked with a particular eye of His love upon all that should believe in Him; as now in heaven He hath carried our names upon His breast (Exodus 28:21, 30). The Father sees the Church in the heart and breast of Christ. 2. That true faith doth answer this particular love and gift of Christ, by applying it to itself. True faith is an applying faith. "He loved me, and gave Himself for me." The nature of faith is to make generals become particulars. We must know more clearly, that there is a particular faith required of us. A Christian ought to say, "Christ loved me." And for the sacraments, what kind of faith doth baptism seal, when water is sprinkled upon the child? Doth it seal a general washing away of guilt? No; but a particular washing away of the guilt and filth of the sins of the party baptized. Wherefore are the sacraments added to the Word, but to strengthen faith in particular? Therefore every one in particular is sprinkled, to show the particular washing of our souls by the blood of Christ. What is the reason that the sacrament of the Lord's Supper is added to the Word, hut that every one may be persuaded that it is his duty to cast himself upon Christ, and to eat Christ, and to believe his own particular salvation? It over. throweth the main end of the sacraments to hold a confused faith in general. Therefore seeing it is the main end of the Word and ministry, let us labour for this particular faith, that we may say in special, "Christ loved me, and gave Himself for me." 3. That assurance doth spring from this particular faith; so that a Christian man may be assured of the love of Christ. But here divers questions and cases must be answered and explained to clear the point, else our speech shall not be answerable to the experience of God's people, or the truth itself. First, we must know that there is a double act of faith in the believing soul. (1) An act of faith, trusting and relying; and (2) an act of assurance upon that act of relying.For it is one thing to believe and cast myself upon Christ for pardon of sins, and another thing upon that act to feel assurance and pardon. The one looks to the Word more principally; the other is founded upon experience, together with the Word. We ought to labour for both, for affiance and consent in the will, to cast ourselves upon Christ for salvation; and then upon believing we ought to find and feel this assurance. But here a question must be asked, What is the reason that, where the first act of faith is, to cast itself upon the mercy of Christ in the promises, that yet there is not the sense of pardon and reconciliation, nor that full persuasion: why is this many times suspended? Ans. 1. I answer, many causes there be of it. To name some:(1) First, in some the distemper of the body helps the distemper of the soul; I mean a melancholy temper, which is a constitution subject to distrust, fears, and temptations. As some tempers, that are of a bold spirit, are subject to presumption, the devil suiting himself to their temper; so where there is this melancholy abounding, which is prone to fear and distrust, the devil mingling his suggestions with their constitution, causes that those tempers are inclined to fear, where there is no cause of fear. (2) And also it is, many times, from a judgment not rightly persuaded: as when they think they have no faith, because they have it not in so great a measure. (3) Also, they are held perhaps without this persuasion and assurance of the pardon of their sin, because perhaps they are taken up with other cares. God vouchsafes not this sweet heaven upon earth, the sense of His love in Christ to any, but it is sought for long, and valued highly, that afterwards we may be thankful for it. (4) Again, Perhaps they are negligent in holy communion with those that are better than themselves; casting themselves into dead and dark company that want life, who bring them into the same temper with themselves. Now I come to the fourth and last point, indeed the chief of all, that this particular faith in obedience to Christ, with assurance of His particular love, is that which carries us along all our life of faith unto the day of death. "I live," saith he, "this life of faith in the Son of God." Why, what makes him to do so? Oh, I have good cause to love Christ and to depend upon Him. Why? "He hath loved me, and given Himself for me;" and I feel so much to my soul's comfort, therefore I will wholly depend upon Him, in life, in death, and for ever. Use 1. Now for the uses of this, seeing that the persuasion of Christ's love to us in special is the spring of all holy life, this serves, in the first place, to free this doctrine of assurance from scandal. Assurance then is not the ground of presumption or security. These spring not from a particular faith; for a holy life, the clean contrary, springs from it. None can live a holy life but by a particular faith; and whosoever in particular doth believe the forgiveness of his own sins, will live a holy life, and not put himself into former bondage. Use 2. To make another use: if particular faith and assurance be the ground of a holy life, let us labour for it by all means; and let those that are in the state of grace, let them come to this fire if they will be kindled: if they find themselves dull to holy duties, let them come to this fire. 1. Then thou hast a care to live by faith in the Son of God daily, and in all estates and conditions; and where this faith and assurance is, it is with care and conscience of duty always. Herein it is distinguished from a false conceit. Where there is no conscience of duty, there is no assurance of particular faith. This particular hath its ground from the general, from the Word of God. 2. Again, this is with conflict. You may know particular application where it is, to be good, because it is with conflict against temptations. A man never enjoys his own assurance of Christ's particular love, But with a great deal of conflict. There are two grounds that faith lays:(1) That general truth, that whosoever casts himself upon Christ shall be saved. (2) The particular application hereof — but I cast myself upon Christ, therefore I shall he saved. This particular application, which is the work of faith, is mightily assaulted, more than the general. The devil is content that a man should believe the former, but he troubles us in the application, "But I believe." The devil labours by all means to hinder application, for he knows that particular faith brings Christ home, which is all in all. But false Christians go on in a smooth course, are not thus assaulted from day to day. 3. Again, a man may know his faith to be true by his willingness to search himself, and to be searched by others. He that hath a true, sound faith, and particular assurance from thence, is willing oftentimes to search his heart. 4. Again, this particular faith it is with a high prizing and admiration of the love of God in Christ, "who loved me, and gave Himself for me." It is a sign that he hath no interest in this love, that prizes and values other things above it. If one had any assurance of this, he would value it above all other things in the world. (R. Sibbes.) Parallel Verses KJV: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. |
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