THEOLOGICAL LECTURES.

LECTURE XLII.

FAITH.

WHOEVER reads the Scriptures attentively, must perceive that frequent use is made of the term FAITH, and that different degrees of importance are attached to it, as used on different

occasions.

That believing, or the entertaining of faith, is, strictly speaking, an act solely of the understanding, can hardly be questioned; inasmuch as evidence is always thought necessary, either to produce or support it. Such consequences are, however, in many parts of Scripture, connected with faith, and such qualities ascribed to it, as will not suffer us to conclude that the sacred writers always confined themselves, in using the term, to its strict, common, and original import.

It is sometimes used to express simply an assent of the understanding, connected neither with moral goodness, nor with any uncommon powers. It expresses, at another time, some quality connected with the power of miracles; and often, in the New Testament, it denotes that which ensures salvation.

I. Faith is sometimes used in scripture to express simply the assent of the understanding to the truth of Christianity. Persons of bad character are, in several places, said to believe. While Philip wrought miracles at Samaria in the name of Jesus, Simon the sorcerer was convinced of the truth of Christianity; and is named among believers: Simon himself believed also. Yet it was soon made evident by a mercenary and impious proposal, that He was in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity. When our Saviour was on earth, some believed on him in whose piety he had no confidence: he would not commit VOL. II.

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himself to them. We read of others, who believed on him, but did not confess him openly, because they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Persons of such charAgreeably to this, St.

acter, it is evident, were not sanctified. James speaks of a faith, by no means ensuring salvation to the possessor.

It will be said, perhaps, that the persons, here mentioned, did not in reality believe. I answer, that the contrary is asserted by an evangelist, by the author of the Acts, and by St. James. Nor is there any more reason to doubt, that many irreligious people at present believe the christian religion, than to doubt their belief of their own mortality.

But though unrenewed persons have some belief in the Scriptures, such belief, it may be said, must be very confined and imperfect. It cannot extend to all the doctrines, which are taught in Christianity. I answer, that all these doctrines are supported by evidence, and the evidence may be so examined by an unrenewed person, as to convince him of the truth. If he may believe some of these doctrines on evidence, he may believe the whole.

Besides, the Gospel is instrumental in converting sinners; but it could not be instrumental in producing the change, unless it were believed.

It is sometimes further said, that though wicked men may have a speculative conviction, they can have no realizing sense of the doctrines of religion. What is here asserted is true in general, but not universally. Some persons, under conviction of sin, or in the immediate view of death, evince not only belief of the Gospel, but a fearful, realizing sense of its truth. Why else are they so deeply distressed through the fear of the wrath which is to come? It is the terrors of scripture, and not the terrors of natural religion, which make them afraid. In addition to this, it should be considered that the devils themselves believe; nor is their faith wholly without effect. Their conviction of divine truth is so powerful, as to cause them to tremble.

2. The term faith is, in several instances, used to express a quality, connected with the power of working miracles. Mark 11:22. Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart; but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith. Again, Matth. 17: 20, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, i. e. ever so little, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Agreeably to this, St. Paul, in 1 Cor. 13, speaks of a faith which can remove mountains: i. e. perform stupendous miracles. Concerning this faith, I observe 1. The person entertaining it, has a strong conviction that the miraculous effect will follow his word or effort. 2. This conviction must have something to support it.

That the person, possessing this faith, must have a strong conviction that the miraculous effect will follow his word or effort, is obvious from the first passage above quoted: he must believe the things which he saith shall come to pass. But, 2. We are by no means to imagine, that this conviction is a vagary of the imagination, for which no reason can be assigned. We cannot easily conceive that the Deity should excite a belief which there is nothing to support, a belief which must be perfectly groundless. What, then, it may be asked, led the apostles to believe on certain occasions, that they should have whatever they asked; or that effects would take place, corresponding with their words? When Peter uttered these words to a cripple lying at the beautiful gate of the temple, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk," what supported his confidence, that the impotent man would be able to do as he directed? I answer, as the apostles had not, at all times, power to work miracles (otherwise Paul would not have left Trophimus at Miletus sick), Deity must have given some sign, on those occasions, when it was his purpose that a miracle should be wrought. What this sign was, we know not. It

was probably some internal view, perception, or sensation; either of which God might render as distinguishable to the person, as any external mark. On supposition that St. Peter, when the lame man asked his charity, perceived that mark, whatever it was, which the divine Spirit had taught him to consider as the token of present miraculous power, he was justified in venturing his apostolic reputation on such evidence, and in doing this, he manifested confidence in the divine veracity.

3. We are now to enquire, what is meant by faith, when the term is used to express a quality, with which eternal life is connected. The meaning of the term, when thus used, I conceive to be, a firm belief in the truth of the Gospel, with correspondent feelings of heart.

Faith, strictly speaking, it has been observed, has its seat solely in the understanding, or intellectual powers. But the Holy Spirit has seen fit to use the term, when not only assent of the understanding is meant, but when a particular state of the heart is described.

Why a term, which, in common use and strict propriety of speech, relates exclusively to the intellectual powers, should so frequently be used to express moral qualities, it may not be easy to explain. But faith is not the only term, to which in Scripture, an uncommon meaning is attached. The word knowledge is usually made to signify a state of the intellect, and not of the heart. But, in Scripture, it is said to be eternal life, to know the only true God, and his Son Christ Jesus. Here, it is certain, that in the term, knowledge of God, moral qualities must be implied. Agreeably to this, Paul represents it as being his chief concern to know Christ, and the power of his resurrection.

Perhaps the reason why faith is so often used in Scripture to comprehend not only assent of the understanding, but a corresponding state of the heart, is, that the latter is seldom, or never produced, but through the instrumentality of the former. Adult persons in christian countries, it is believed, never become pious, except through the medium of a previous belief in Christianity.

But, whatever be the reason, the fact is evident, as will further appear from the following remarks.

That repentance has its seat in the heart, there can be no question. But the terms repentance and faith evidently appear to be used in different parts of Scripture, to signify the same quality. When, by Peter's sermon, many were excited to enquire, Men and brethren, what shall we do? the answer was, Repent. When the jailer made a similar enquiry, Paul's answer was, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, we must suppose, that both these apostles taught the same doctrine, and presented the same conditions of salvation. If the repentance, of which Peter spoke, had reference to the heart, so had the faith, mentioned by Paul.

The Scriptures use various terms, when speaking of the moral condition, which gives to apostate man an interest in divine favor. Salvation is sometimes promised to faith; sometimes to love, hope, holiness, obedience, etc. In one place, it is said, Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing; but a new creature. In another, Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing; but faith which works by love. In a third, Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing; but to keep the commandments of God. Agreeably to this, our blessed Saviour, who said, He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life; and again, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent, said on another occasion, If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. This variety of language, must have been designed to convey the same idea.

I have here represented faith, as a firm persuasion of the truth of Christianity, accompanied with feelings, corresponding with such a persuasion. That the propriety of the definition may be more obvious, it is necessary to go into some particulars.

1. The Gospel portrays the character of God. It assures us that he always pursues the noblest ends by the noblest means. To him it attributes infinite benevolence. This benevolence is not a dormant principle, but perpetually in operation; and its op