No Cross, No Crown. William Penn

to us. But when this is done, "To this man will I look, saith the Lord, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word:" (Isaiah, lxvi. 2.) to the sick heart, the wounded soul, the hungry and thirsty, the weary and heavy laden ones: such sincerely want a helper.

      XIV. Nor is this sufficient to complete gospel-worship; the fourth requisite must be had, and that is faith; true faith, precious faith, the faith of God's chosen, that purifies their hearts, that overcomes the world, and is the victory of the saints. (1 Tim. i. 5; Acts, xv. 9; Tit. i. 1; 2 Pet. i. 1; 1 John, v. 4.) This is that which animates prayer and presses it home, like the importunate woman, that would not be denied; to whom Christ, seeming to admire, said, "O woman, great is thy faith!" (Matt. xv. 28.) This is of the highest moment on our part, to give our addresses success with God; and yet not in our power neither, for it is the gift of God: from him we must have it; and with one grain of it more work is done, more deliverance is wrought, and more goodness and mercy received, than by all the runnings, willings, and toilings of man, with his inventions and bodily exercises: which, duly weighed, will easily spell out the meaning, why so much worship should bring so little profit to the world, as we see it does, viz. true faith is lost. "They ask, and receive not; they seek, and find not: they knock, and it is not opened unto them:" (James, iv. 3:) the case is plain; their requests are not mixed with purifying faith, by which they should prevail, as good Jacob's were, when he wrestled with God and prevailed. And the truth is, the generality are yet in their sins, following hearts' lusts, and living in worldly pleasure, being strangers to this precious faith. It is the reason rendered by the deep author to the Hebrews, of the unprofitableness of the word preached to some in those days; "Not being," says he, "mixed with faith in them that heard it." Can the minister then preach without faith? No: and much less can any man pray to purpose without faith, especially when we are told, that "the just live by faith." For worship is the supreme act of man's life; and whatever is necessary to inferior acts of religion must not be wanting there.

      XV. This may moderate the wonder in any, why Christ so often upbraided his disciples with, O ye of little faith! yet tells us, that one grain of it, though as little as that of mustard, one of the least of seeds, if true and right, is able to remove mountains. As if he had said, There is no temptation so powerful that it cannot overcome: wherefore those that are captivated by temptations, and remain unsupplied in their spiritual wants, have not this powerful faith: that is the true cause. So necessary was it of old, that Christ did not many mighty works where the people believed not; and though his power wrought wonders in other places, faith opened the way: so that it is hard to say, whether that power by faith, or faith by that power, wrought the cure. Let us call to mind what famous things a little clay and spittle, one touch of the hem of Christ's garment, and a few words out of his mouth, (John, ix. 6; Luke, viii. 47, 48,) did by the force of faith in the patients: "Believe ye that I am able to open your eyes?" (Matt. ix. 28;) "Yea, Lord," say the blind, and see. To the ruler, "only believe;" (Matt. ix. 23;) he did, and his dead daughter recovered life. Again, "If thou canst believe:" I do believe; says the father, help my unbelief: and the evil spirit was chased away, and the child recovered. He said to one, "Go, thy faith hath made thee whole;" (Mark, x. 52; Luke, vii. 48, 50;) and to another, "Thy faith hath saved thee; thy sins are forgiven thee." (Matt. xxi. 21, 22.) And to encourage his disciples to believe, that were admiring how soon his sentence was executed upon the fruitless fig-tree, he tells them, "Verily, if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this, which is done to the fig-tree; but also, if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and cast into the sea, it shall be done: and all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive," (Matt. xviii. 19; Luke, xviii. 27.) This one passage convicts Christendom of gross infidelity; for she prays, and receives not.

      XVI. But some may say, It is impossible to receive all that a man may ask. It is not impossible to receive all that a man, that so believes, can ask. (Mark, ix. 23.) The fruits of faith are not impossible to those that truly believe in the God that makes them possible. When Jesus said to the ruler, "If thou canst believe," he adds, "all things are possible to him that believeth." (Matt. xix. 26.) Well, but then some will say, It is impossible to have such faith: for this very faithless generation would excuse their want of faith, by making it impossible to have the faith they want. But Christ's answer to the infidelity of that age, will best confute the disbelief of this. "The things that are impossible with men, are possible with God." (Heb. xi. 6.) It will follow then, that it is not impossible with God to give that faith; though it is certain that without it it is impossible to please God: (1 Tim. i. 5; iii. 9:) for so the author to the Hebrews teaches. And if it be else impossible to please God, it must be so to pray to God without this precious faith.

      XVII. But some may say, What is this faith that is so necessary to worship, and gives it such acceptance with God and returns that benefit to men? I say, It is a holy resignation to God, and confidence in him, testified by a religious obedience to his holy requirings, which gives sure evidence to the soul of the things not yet seen, and a general sense and taste of the substance of those things that are hoped for; that is, the glory which is to be revealed hereafter. As this faith is the gift of God, so it purifies the hearts of those that receive it. The apostle Paul is witness, that it will not dwell but in a pure conscience: he therefore in one place couples a pure heart and faith unfeigned together: in another, faith and a good conscience. James joins faith with righteousness, (James, ii.) and John with victory over the world; (1 John, v. 4;) "This," says be, "is the victory which overcomes the world, even our faith." (Rom. iv. 1, 2.)

      XVIII. The heirs of this faith are the true children of Abraham, (John, xvi. 9, 10,) in that they walk in the steps of Abraham, according to the obedience of faith, which only entitles people to be the children of Abraham. This lives above the world, not only in its sin, but righteousness: to this no man comes, but through death to self by the cross of Jesus, and an entire dependence by him, upon God.

      Famous are the exploits of this divine gift; time would fail to recount them: all sacred story is filled with them. But let it suffice, that by it the holy ancients endured all trials, overcame all enemies, prevailed with God, renowned his truth, finished their testimony, and obtained the reward of the faithful, a crown of righteousness, which is the eternal blessedness of the just.