Nineteenth letter of Mr. Hardcastle

To my beloved friends, the members and auditors of the congregation meeting in Broadmead, Bristol.

10th month 25th day, 1675

Beloved Friends,- The next step for the trial of true faith we take from Hebrews 11: 24-26. This faith is called elsewhere a faith that overcomes the world; such a faith as refuses and rejects what the generality of the world do earnestly pursue, that chooses and embraces what the most of men shun and avoid with utmost care. Now the measures of the workings of true faith, upon this account, we make notice of in the following particulars, which we may find in this scripture:-

I. Moses when he made this choice, he was young, and yet come to years. He had the temptations of his years to make him embrace pleasure, and yet he had ripeness of years to make him capable of a right choice. He was no child, he was grown great. He was a man of parts, and learning, and singular judgment; he knew what it was he refused, and what it was he made choice of. True believers, whatever mean opinion the men of the world have of their understanding, and reason, and discerning faculty, looking upon them as fools and idiots, and an ignorant misguided, humorous people, but babes in comparison with others; yet they are wise and prudent, they know the price and value of things. Besides they do not refuse the good things of the world, because they cannot come at them and attain to them; they might be greater and richer, and take more liberty, if they were persons of no conscience and consideration. Again, they do not choose the afflictions and reproaches of the world, because they cannot avoid them. For they could deliver themselves as well as others do, if they could be anything or nothing in religion and worship, as others. But the estimate they make, by the help of their faith, and wherein they exceed the blind world, and the outside professor, is of this nature: - If I follow the pleasures of sin now, they are but shadowy, not substantial; they are sinful and provoking; they are short, and but for a season; and for such enjoyment must I be deprived of everlasting happiness, and endure eternal torments? But if I endure affliction with the Lord’s people, the trouble will be but slight, and momentary, in the suffering of which God will be well pleased, and after which I shall receive everlasting joy and eternal glory: for faith is the evidence of a hell not seen, and the substance of a heaven hoped for.

II. True faith will suppose the best of enjoyments, the best of promises which the world can make: it acts the wisdom of Solomon, and with him makes an experiment of the best and choicest of creature-felicities: faith gives the utmost liberty to sense and experience. If you can make anything of self, sense, and the world, faith will have nothing to do with you. If you can live without faith, faith can live without you. Moses refused no small matter; he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. And he had parts and abilities to entitle him to be as great a man in Pharaoh’s court as ever Joseph was, and yet faith chooses affliction with the people of God.

III. True faith sees so much into reproaches for Christ, as,

       First, Discovers them to be sinful on the reproachers’ part, and therefore the example of them utterly to be abhorred; but the enduring of them to be extremely honorable and desirable. In this matter, true faith speaks on this wise:- To be commended by wicked men would be dangerous; to be connived by them would be suspicious; to be hated by them is safe; but to be persecuted and opposed by them is honorable and advantageous. And hence it comes to pass, that Moses esteemed the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. And afterwards the disciples, when they were beaten and commanded that they should not speak more in the name of Jesus, went away rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name (Acts 5: 40, 41).

       Secondly, True faith discovers thus much: that there is a season and an opportunity of suffering which may be neglected, and, if it be passed by, it may be such another may never be presented in this kind; and yet, sufferings of another kind, and much greater, cannot be prevented and avoided, and that therefore it is better to suffer in God’s way than in a man’s own way; much more eligible to endure trouble in a way of precept, than in a way of providence: from angry ungodly men wherein God shall be well pleased, than from a wrathful displeased God, which may occasion wicked men to censure and insult. See Esther 4: 13, 14, compared with Jonah 1: 6, 15. If we must be condemned and destroyed by heathens, better it be done by land in God’s way, than by sea in our own way. That Jonah escaped he may thank the goodness and faithfulness of God; and not his own faith in God, fear of God, or obedience to God.

IV. True faith sees a reason of fall its actings against flesh and blood, sense and reason. It is not blind, nor does it put any man upon ungrounded and unreasonable, or irresponsible actings: for, says my author, he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. Two things about this, and I have done.

       First about the object.

             1. It is that which is promised. The gospel abounds with nothing so much as with a plain discovery of this. I commend the many scriptures to you upon this account, as you may happen to meet with them.

             2. It may be expected by you. It is a reward. Sincerity and suffering may claim it. See the message to the angel of the church of Smyrna, Revelation 2: 8-11.

             3. It may be expected speedily. You cannot stay long from appearing before Christ. He will not stay long from appearing gloriously to you.

             4. There is no proportion between your suffering and the reward. You have often read, but I pray you once more read and consider over these scriptures: Romans 8: 18; 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18; II Timothy 2: 11-13.

       Secondly. The eye is to be considered; he looked to the reward.

             1. It was an attentive eye. He did seriously, solicitously, and diligently look upon it. He was exact and particular in his observation. He did distinctly take notice of the excellency, freeness, fullness, certainty, speediness, satisfactoriness, and duration of the object.

             2. It was a constant eye, a fixed eye: it was not wavering and floating, sometimes upon the reward, and sometimes upon the court; but it was steady, and intent upon what God would give; for he judged him faithful that had promised, and one cast of the eye elsewhere might have proved his great damage, if not his ruin. That this recompense of reward may be always in your eye, and your faith continually employed and conversant about it, to the refusing of all carnal sinful offers, and to the choosing of all gospel hardships, the enduring of your Christian warfare, the completing of your whole work, and the Lord’s expectation from you, is the prayer of your constant well-wisher and fellow-sufferer,

                                                                                 Thomas Hardcastle