Faith. Friend, Whither away? Are you going to the Heavenly Country?
Talk. I am going to the same place.
Faith. That is well; then I hope we may have your good company.
Talk. With a very good will will I be your Companion.
Faith. Come on then, and let us go together, and let us spend our time in
discoursing of things that are profitable.
Talk. To talk of things that are good, to me is very acceptable, with you
or with any other; and I am glad that I have met with those that incline to so
good a work; for to speak the truth, there are but few that care thus to spend
their time (as they are in their travels), but chose much rather to be
speaking of things to no profit; and this hath been a trouble to me.
Faith. That is indeed a thing to be lamented; for what things so worthy
of the use of the tongue and mouth of men on Earth as are the things of the
God of Heaven?
Talk. I like you wonderful well, for your saying is full of conviction;
and I will add, What thing so pleasant, and what so profitable, as to talk of
the things of God? What things so pleasant? (that is, if a man hath any
delight in things that are wonderful) for instance, if a man doth delight to
talk of the History or the Mystery of things; or if a man doth love to talk of
Miracles, Wonders, or Signs, where shall he find things recorded so
delightful, and so sweetly penned, as in the Holy Scripture?
Faith. That's true; but to be profited by such things in our talk should
be that which we design.
Talk. That's it that I said; for to talk of such things is most
profitable; for by so doing, a man may get knowledge of many things; as of the
vanity of earthly things; and the benefit of things above: (Thus in general)
but more particularly. By this a man may learn the necessity of the New -
birth, the insufficiency of our works, the need of Christ's righteousness, &c.
Besides, by this a man may learn by talk, what it is to repent, to believe, to
pray, to suffer, or the like; by this also a man may learn what are the great
promises and consolations of the Gospel, to this own comfort. Further, by this
a man may learn to refute false opinions, to vindicate the truth, and also to
instruct the ignorant.
Faith. All this is true, and am I glad to hear these things from you.
Talk. Alas! the want of this is the cause that so few understand the need
of faith, and the necessity of a work of Grace in their Soul, in order to
eternal life; but ignorantly live in the works of the Law, by which a man can
by no means obtain the Kingdom of Heaven.
Faith. But by your leave, Heavenly knowledge of these is the gift of God;
no man attaineth to them by human industry, or only by the talk of them.
Talk. All this I know very well; for a man can receive nothing, except it
be given him from Heaven: all is of Grace, not of Works: I could give you a
hundred Scriptures for the confirmation of this.
Faith. Well then, said Faithful, what is that one thing that we shall at
this time found our discourse upon?
Talk. What you will. I will talk of things Heavenly, or things Earthly;
things Moral, or things Evangelical; things Sacred or things Prophane; things
past or things to come; things foreign or things at home; things more
Essential or things Circumstantial; provided that all be done to our profit.
Faith. Now did Faithful begin to wonder; and stepping to Christian (for
he walked all this while by himself) he said to him, (but softly) what a brave
Companion have we got! Surely this man will make a very excellent Pilgrim.
Chr. At this Christian modestly smiled, and said, This man with whom you
are so taken, will beguile with this tongue of his, twenty of them that know
him not.
Faith. Do you know him then?
Chr. Know him! Yes, better than he knows himself.
Faith. Pray what is he?
Chr. His name is Talkative; he dwelleth in our Town: I wonder that you
should be a stranger to him, only I consider that our Town is large.
Faith. Whose Son is he? And whereabout doth he dwell?
Chr. He is the son of one Say-well; he dwelt in Prating Row; and is
known of all that are acquainted with him, by the name of Talkative in Prating
Row; and notwithstanding his fine tongue, he is but a sorry fellow.
Faith. Well, he seems to be a very pretty man.
Chr. That is, to them who have thorough acquaintance with him, for he is
best abroad, near home he is ugly enough: Your saying that he is a pretty man,
brings to my mind what I have observed in the work of the Painter, whose
Pictures shew best at a distance, but very near, more unpleasing.
Faith. But I am ready to think you do but jest, because you smiled.
Chr. God forbid that I should jest (though I smiled) in this matter, or
that I should accuse any falsely: I will give you a further discovery of him:
This man is for any company, and for any talk; as he talketh now with you, so
he will talk when he is on the Ale-bench; and the more drink he hath in his
crown, the more of these things he hath in his mouth; Religion hath no place
in his heart, or house, or conversation; all he hath lieth in his tongue, and
his Religion is to make a noise therewith.
Faith. Say you so! Then am I in this man greatly deceived.
Chr. Deceived! you may be sure of it; remember the Proverb, They say and
do not: but the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. He talketh of
Prayer, of Repentance, of Faith, and of the New-birth; but he knows but only
to talk of them. I have been in his Family, and have observed him both at home
and abroad; and I know what I say of him is the truth. His house is as empty
of Religion as the white of an Egg is of savour. There is there neither
Prayer, nor sign of Repentance for sin; yea, the brute in his kind serves God
better than he. He is the very stain, reproach, and shame of Religion, to all
that know him; it can hardly have a good word in all that end of the Town
where he dwells through him. Thus say the common people that know him, A Saint
abroad, and a Devil at home. His poor Family finds it so; he is such a churl,
such a railer at, and so unreasonable with his Servants, that they neither
know how to do for, or speak to him. Men that have any dealings with him, say
'tis better to deal with a Turk than with him; for fairer dealing they shall
have at their hands. This Talkative (if it be possible) will go beyond them,
defraud, beguile, and over-reach them. Besides he brings up his Sons to
follow his steps; and if he findeth in any of them a foolish timorousness,
(for so he calls the first appearance of a tender conscience) he calls them
fools and blockheads and by no means will employ them in much, or speak to
their commendations before others. For my part I am of opinion that he has by
his wicked life caused many to stumble and fall; and will be, if God prevent
not, the ruine of many more.
Faith. Well, my Brother, I am bound to believe you; not only because you
say you know him, but also because like a Christian, you make your reports of
men. For I cannot think that you speak these things of ill will, but because
it is even so as you say.
Chr. Had I known him no more than you, I might perhaps have thought of
him as at the first you did; yea, had he received this report at their hands
only that are enemies to Religion, I should have thought it had been a
slander: (a lot that often falls from bad men's mouths upon good men's names
and professions
but all these things, yea and a great many more as bad, of
my own knowledge I can prove him guilty of. Besides, good men are ashamed of
him; they can neither call him Brother, nor Friend; the very naming of him
among them, makes them blush, if they know him.
Faith. Well, I see that saying and doing are two things, and hereafter I
shall better observe this distinction.
Chr. They are two things indeed, and are as diverse as are the Soul and
the body; for as the Body without the Soul is but a dead Carcass, so Saying,
if it be alone, is but a dead Carcass also. The Soul of Religion is the
practick part: Pure Religion and undefiled, before God and the Father, is
this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep
himself unspotted from the world. This Talkative is not aware of; he thinks
that hearing and saying will make a good Christian, and thus he deceiveth his
own soul. Hearing is but as the sowing of the Seed; talking is not sufficient
to prove that fruit is indeed in the heart and life; and let us assure
ourselves, that at the day of Doom men shall be judged according to their
fruits. It will not be said then, Did you believe? but Were you Doers, or
Talkers only? and accordingly shall they be judged. The end of the world is
compared to our Harvest, and you know men at Harvest regard nothing but fruit.
Not that anything can be accepted that is not of Faith; but I speak this to
shew you how insignificant the profession of Talkative will be at that day.
Faith. This brings to my mind that of Moses, by which he describeth the
beast that is clean. He is such an one that parteth the Hoof and cheweth the
Cud: not that parteth the Hoof only, or that cheweth the Cud only. The Hare
cheweth the Cud, but yet is unclean, because he parteth not the Hoof. And this
truly resembleth Talkative; he cheweth the Cud, he seeketh knowledge, he
cheweth upon the Word; but he divideth not the Hoof, he parteth not with the
way of sinners; but as the Hare, he retaineth the foot of a Dog or Bear, and
therefore is unclean.
Chr. You have spoken, for ought I know, the true Gospel sense of those
Texts: And I will add another thing; Paul calleth some men, yea and those
great Talkers too, sounding Brass and tinkling Cymbals; that is, as he
expounds them in another place, Things without life, giving sound. Things
without life, that is, without the true Faith and Grace of the Gospel; and
consequently things that shall never be placed in the Kingdom of Heaven among
those that are the Children of life; though their sound, by their talk, be as
if it were the tongue or voice of an Angel.
Faith. Well, I was not so fond of his company at first, but I am as sick
of it now. What shall we do to be rid of him?
Chr. Take my advice, and do as I bid you, and you shall find that he will
soon be sick of your company too, except God shall touch his heart, and turn
it.
Faith. What would you have me to do?
Chr. Why, go to him, and enter into some serious discourse about the
power of Religion; and ask him plainly (when he has approved of it, for that
he will) whether this thing be set up in his Heart, House, or Conversation.
Faith, Then Faithful stepped forward again, and said to Talkative, Come
what chear? How is it now?
Talk. Thank you, well. I thought we should have had a great deal of talk
by this time.
Faith. Well, if you will, we will fall to it now; and since you left it
with me to state the question, let it be this; How doth the saving Grace of
God discover itself, when it is in the heart of man?
Talk. I perceive then that our talk must be about the power of things:
Well, 'tis a very good question, and I shall be willing to answer you. And
take my answer in brief thus: First, Where the Grace of God is in the heart,
it causeth there a great out-cry against sin. Secondly -
Faith. Nay hold, let us consider of one at once: I think you should
rather say, It shews itself by inclining the Soul to abhor its sin.
Talk. Why, what difference is there between crying out against, and
abhorring of sin?
Faith. Oh! a great deal; a man may cry out against sin, or policy; but he
cannot abhor it, but by virtue of a godly antipathy against it: I have heard
many cry out against sin in the Pulpit, who yet can abide it well enough in
the heart, house, and conversation. Joseph's Mistress cried out with a loud
voice, as if she had been very holy; but she would willingly, notwithstanding
that, have committed uncleanness with him. Some cry out against sin, even as
the Mother cries out against her Child in her lap, when she calleth it slut
and naughty girl, and then falls to hugging and kissing it.
Talk. You lie at the catch, I perceive.
Faith. No, not I; I am only for setting things right. But what is the
second thing whereby you would prove a discovery of a work of Grace in the
heart?
Talk. Great knowledge of Gospel Mysteries.
Faith. This sign should have been first; bur first or last, it is also
false; for knowledge, great knowledge may be obtained in the mysteries of the
Gospel, and yet no work of Grace in the Soul. Yea, if a man have all
knowledge, he may yet be nothing; and so consequently be no child of God. When
Christ said, Do you know all these things? and the Disciples had answered,
Yes; he added Blessed are ye if ye do them. He doth not lay the blessing in
the knowing of them, but in the doing of them. For there is a knowledge that
is not attended with doing; He that knoweth his Master's will, and doth it
not. A man may know like an Angel, and yet be no Christian, therefore your
sign of it is not true. Indeed to know is a thing that pleaseth Talkers and
Boasters; but to do is that which pleaseth God. Not that the heart can be good
without knowledge; for without that the heart is naught. There is therefore
knowledge and knowledge. Knowledge that resteth in the bare speculation of
things, and knowledge that is accompanied with the Grace of faith and love,
which puts a man upon doing even the will of God from the heart; the first of
these will serve the Talker; but without the other the true Christian is not
content. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy Law; yea I shall observe
it with my whole heart.
Talk. You lie at the catch again, this is not for edification.
Faith. Well, if aou please propound another sign how this work of Grace
discovereth itself where it is.
Talk. Not I, for I see we shall not agree.
Faith. Well, if you will not, will you give me leave to do it?
Talk. You may use your liberty.
Faith. A work of Grace in the soul discovereth itself, either to him that
hath it, or to standers-by.
To him that hath it thus: It gives him conviction of sin, especially of
the defilement of his nature and the sin of unbelief (for the sake of which he
is sure to be damned, if he findeth not mercy at God's hand by faith in Jesus
Christ). This sight and sense of things worketh in him sorrow and shame for
sin; he findeth moreover revealed in him the Saviour of the world, and the
absolute necessity of closing with him for life, at the which he findeth
hungrings and thirstings after him, to which hungrings, Ec. the promise is
made. Now according to the strength or weakness of his Faith in his Saviour,
so is his joy and peace, so is his love to holiness, so are his desires to
know him more, and also to serve him in this World. But though I say it
discovereth itself thus unto him, yet it is but seldom that he is able to
conclude that this is a work of Grace; because his corruptions now, and his
abused reason, make his mind to misjudge in this matter; therefore in him that
hath this work, there is required a very sound Judgment before he can with
steadiness conclude that this is a work of Grace.
To others it is thus discovered:
1. By an experimental confession of his Faith in Christ.
2. By a life answerable to that confession, to wit, a life of holiness,
heart-holiness, family-holiness, (if he hath a Family) and by
conversation-holiness, in the World; which in the general teacheth him,
inwardly to abhor his sin, and himself for that in secret, to suppress it in
his Family, and to promote holiness in the World; not by talk only, as an
Hypocrite or Talkative person may do, but by a practical subjection, in Faith
and Love, to the power of the Word: And now Sir, as to this brief description
of the work of Grace, and also the discovery of it, if you have ought to
object, object; if not, then give me leave to propound to you a second
question.
Talk. Nay my part is not now to object, but to hear, let me therefore
have your second question.
Faith. It is this. Do you experience the first part of this description
of it? and doth your life and conversation testify the same? or standeth your
Religion in Word or in Tongue, and not in Deed and Truth? Pray, if you incline
to answer me in this, say no more than you know the God above will say Amen
to; and also nothing but what your conscience can justify you in; for, not he
that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth. Besides, to
say I am thus and thus, when my Conversation and all my Neighbors tell me I
lye, is great wickedness.
Talk. Then Talkative at first began to blush, but recovering himself,
thus he replied, You come now to Experience, to Conscience, and God; and to
appeal to him for justification of what is spoken: This kind of discourse I
did not expect; nor am I disposed to give an answer to such questions, because
I count not myself bound thereto, unless you take upon you to be a Catechiser,
and, though you should so do, yet I may refuse to make you my Judge. But I
pray will you tell me why you ask me such questions?
Faith. Because I saw you forward to talk, and because I knew not that you
had ought else but notion. Besides, to tell you all the truth, I have heard of
you that you are a man whose Religion lies in talk, and that your conversation
gives this your Mouth-profession the lye. They say you are a spot among
Christians, and that religion fareth the worse for your ungodly Conversation,
that some have already stumbled at your wicked ways, and that more are in
danger of being destroyed thereby; your Religion, and an Ale-house, and
Covetousness, and Uncleanness, and Swearing and Lying, and vain
Company-keeping, Etc... will stand together. The Proverb is true of you which
is said of a Whore, to wit, That she is a shame to all Women; so you are a
shame to all Professors.
Talk. Since you are ready to take up reports, and to judge so rashly as
you do, I cannot but conclude you are some peevish or melancholy man, not fit
to be discoursed with; and so adieu.
Chr. Then came up Christian, and said to his Brother, I told you how it
would happen; your words and his lusts could not agree; he had rather leave
your company than reform his life. But he is gone, as I said; let him go, the
loss is no man's but his own, he has saved us the trouble of going from him;
for he continuing (as I suppose he will do) as he is, he would have been but a
blot in our company: besides, the Apostle says, From such withdraw thyself.
Faith. But I am glad we had this little discourse with him, it may happen
that he will think of it again; however, I have dealt plainly with him, and so
am clear of his blood, if he perisheth.
Chr. You did well to talk so plainly to him as you did. There is but
little of this faithful dealing with men now a days, and that makes Religion
to stink so in the nostrils of many, as it doth; for they are these Talkative
Fools whose Religion is only in word, and are debauched and vain in their
Conversation, that (being so much admitted into the fellowship of the godly)
do puzzle the World, blemish Christianity, and grieve the sincere. I wish that
all men would deal with such as you have done: then should they either be made
more conformable to Religion, or the company of Saints would be too hot for
them. Then did Faithful say,
How Talkative at first lifts up his Plumes!
How bravely doth he speak! How he presumes
To drive all before him! But so soon
As Faithful talks of Heart-work, like the Moon
That's past the full, into the wane he goes.
And so will all, but he that Heart-work knows.
occult books bro.
Re: Are we saved by faith alone, or do we need works, too?
ay sakto...youtube diay
Originally Posted by WordofGod
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