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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 re

surrection.

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 commandinents 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

erations are always directed by consummate wisdom, producing consistency and uniformity. While rendering present adversity or pain to individuals; while scourging communities or nations; and while assigning misery to the incorrigibly wicked, the Almighty never feels pleasure in the pains which his creatures suffer, but resorts to these measures for purposes, which, if made known, every wise and good being would be constrained to approve. Nor does he, for the accomplishment of these excellent purposes, resort to any means but such as are perfectly consistent with the highest moral purity, and with justice to each individual. His justice and benevolence are not less active in those parts of his government, which have most appearance of severity, than in those in which his mercy shines so clearly, as to be universally acknowledged.

Now he who has the faith which is connected with salvation, embraces and is delighted with such a character. He has confidence in God. He has no apprehension, that there can be any fault, error, or imperfection, in a government administered by such a being.

2. Christianity represents religion, as a reasonable service. It decribes the love of God as wise, rational, and perfect. Now, the pious believer assents to this, not with his understanding merely, but with his heart. He sincerely loves the law, by which his iniquities are condemned. He perceives that the allowance of any sin would be unbecoming the holy character of God, and of course, that his law would be defective, did it require less than perfect obedience. He does not desire that its demands should be thus reduced; but rejoices in the consideration of its immutability.

When it is said that the law requires perfect obedience, we do not mean that this is the lowest condition on which salvation may be obtained. This would be inconsistent with the most obvious declarations of the New Testament. But though unfailing compliance with the law is not the condition of being received to eternal life, God's claim to this is not relinquished. It is what man is under undeniable obligations to yield. No

breach of the divine law ever has been or ever will be allowed. The pious believer is so far from desiring such allowance, that were it so granted, his confidence in Deity would be shaken, and his love diminished.

3. Christianity represents moral evil, as irrational and abominable in itself; and connected with eternal disgrace and ruin. In the view of God, it is an object of supreme detestation.

With these representations the feelings of the penitent believer are in agreement. His past sins are contemplated with unfeigned aversion. In his present imperfections, he finds a never failing source of humiliation and regret. The sense,

which he has of personal demerit, is that which no language can express. He well understands the prophet's emphatical words: Know thou and see, that it is an evil and a bitter thing, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God.

That approbation of the divine law, and that conviction of personal guilt which is implied in piety, prevent those passages of Scripture which relate to human depravity, from appearing incredible. From the general aspect of the world the believer can scarcely doubt, that those inherent propensities to evil, which he laments in himself, are common to others. If so, he is by no means surprised at such declarations as these: The whole world lieth in wickedness: The imagination of man's heart is evil continually: You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: We were by nature children of wrath, eyen as others. The doctrines of scripture strikingly correspond with what he feels in himself, and observes in those around him.

4. There is a coincidence between the doctrines of Scripture and the feelings of him who possesses saving faith in regard to human dependence. The Christian religion ascribes all moral goodness in man to the operation of Deity on the heart. It teaches, that a life of true virtue is neither commenced, nor maintained, but by a divine power. Where there is an essential change of moral character, God is said to have given a new heart,-to have produced a new spirit; and the perseverance

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