CHAPTER XIV: A second sort of ends for the trial and discovery of graces, especially of faith.
This is certain, there is no grace God tries more than this grace of faith. Therefore, 1 Pet. 1:6, 7, ‘Ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold which perisheth, being tried in the fire, might be found to glory, praise, and honour;’ that is, both to the honour of God who is believed in, and also of faith itself, which is the most glorious grace a Christian hath; which God loves to try, to that end the glory of it may appear. In the 5th verse he having said, that ‘we are kept by the power of God to salvation,’ if any now should ask, Wherein is that power of keeping us most shewn? he answers, In and through faith. ‘Ye are kept by the power of God through faith.’ And if you ask, When and wherein is the power of God through faith seen most? he instanceth in ‘manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith,’ &c.
Now then, as of all graces God would have faith tried; so—
(2.) Of all temptations none try it more than desertion of God’s countenance, this of darkness and of terrors. Other temptations strike but obliquely at faith, but these lay direct battery to our faith, for they strike at that which is the immediate aim and object of it; namely, that God is a man’s God. These speak the direct contrary to what faith endeavours to apprehend, and that directly, and not by consequence only. Again, other temptations are easily borne and answered, whilst the assurance of God’s favour remains unshaken. It answers them all, and shakes them off, as he the viper off his hand; but when that shall begin to be questioned, as in this case it is, who is able to stand? And what is able to strengthen a man then but the power of faith? As Solomon says of the spirit of a man, that it will bear all kinds of infirmities, if itself be whole; but if it be wounded, who can bear it?—so I say of assurance: if it be weakened and battered, the very foundations thereby are shaken; a man’s freehold touched, the root struck. Now, in such a case, it is faith’s peculiar office to stand a man in stead, when nothing else can. Therefore he says, ‘Let him trust,’ &c., because it helps thus at this dead lift.
(3.) Again, thirdly, in these conflicts of faith with desertions, consisteth the height of our Christian warfare. This is the highest pitched battle, the greatest, and, as it were, the last brunt, upon which all is either won or lost; for in these a man encounters with God himself, apprehended as an enemy. God called out Job to try him by fighting a single combat with Satan, and he became, as I may so say, too hard for Satan alone; and God joins against him also. Now then, to bear the brunt and shock of his wrath, and yet to stand upon a man’s feet; this, to the utmost, argueth the strength of faith. Hos. 12:3, it is said of Jacob that ‘by strength he had power with God;’ it argued strength indeed: and this is done by faith, by the power whereof, God’s power rather supporting it, a man relies on God, when all his dealings would argue he had forsaken a man; that though God put on never so angry a countenance, look never so sternly, yet faith is not dashed out of countenance, but can read love in his angry looks, and trust God beyond what he sees, it being the ‘evidence of things not seen.’ Then, faith goes wholly out of itself, as seeing nothing in itself but barely a capacity of mercy and plenteous redemption, which it knows to be in God. This faith is a miracle of miracles, for it is founded, as the earth, upon mere nothing in itself, and yet bears the weight and stress of sins, devil, yea, of God himself. And this is the faith ye are converted by, in believing then ‘on him that justifies the ungodly,’ Rom. 4:5; and that which we must live by when all comforts fail: and this is that faith which must stand you in stead at death, when the king of fears comes and besiegeth you: and this is the faith ‘that is to honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.’
Thomas Goodwin. A Child of Light Walking in Darkness.
