05 The Doctrine of Faith

CHURCH-MEMBERS’

HAND - BOOK OF THEOLOGY.

CHAPTER V. THE DOCTRINE OF FAITH.

Proceeding in the train of reflection which we have been pursuing, we design now to discuss the subject of faith. It is only necessary to read the New Testament with a little attention to discover the great importance of faith; hence every Christian and every man should endeavor to obtain a clear and correct understanding of the subject.

Much has been said of the order in respect to time in which the graces of the Spirit are given to us; some contending that repentance must precede faith, and others insisting that faith precedes repentance. Perhaps I may not have devoted as much attention to this question as I ought. But according to my theory (if you will bear with the expression) the question is of no very great importance. The light in which I view the subject is this: All those exercises of the mind which have been denominated graces of the Spirit, are the fruits of the Spirit. And when the spirit of life is given to us, it includes potentially every grace of the Spirit. And the order in which these graces (as we call them) are brought into exercise, may depend, in some measure, upon circumstances. Slavish fears of the wrath to come are natural, and not spiritual; and may operate as powerfully upon the unregenerate soul as upon one who is really under the operation of the Spirit of grace. But these, whether in the believer or in the unbeliever, are sinful ; and it is a great pity they should ever be mistaken for conversion. When the mind is enlightened by the Spirit, we instinctively look at our sins, and the mind naturally adverts to the consequences which must follow; and as the mind will be affected by the object which it contemplates, the apprehension of impending judgment will arouse our slavish fears. But the spirit which is given us includes a principle of divine love--love to holiness; and so far as this principle operates to produce sorrow for our sins, it is spiritual. It is safe to say, that where there is no love to holiness, there is no spiritual repentance. And it is not easy to see how a man can repent of sin, without such a faith in the word of God as will produce that kind of sorrow for sin which corresponds with the kind of faith which he exercises. If I am correct in my opinion--and I feel a good degree of assurance that I am--there is in the natural man nothing that is spiritually good. And when the Holy Spirit is given to us, He works in us all those principles and affections which constitute true Christian character. This He does by the word of truth as a means: "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth." And whatever particular truth is contemplated by the mind, will affect the heart according to the specific nature of that truth, and will produce or excite repentance, faith, hope, etc., just as the peculiar nature of that truth is adapted to inspire. And without extending our inquiries any farther on the priority of these graces, we will now speak more particularly of faith. As we use the word in ordinary discourse, faith is one of the most simple and common acts of the human mind. Faith is belief. If a man tells me that the sun is farther from the earth than the moon, and I believe his word, this believing is faith. This is the meaning of the word in respect to every thing we believe on any subject whatever. And to attach to any word which often occurs in the Bible a meaning different from that which it bears in other writings, or in its ordinary use, is an unjustifiable perversion of the sacred record. To adopt a rule of interpretation based upon such a principle would make the Bible of no use as a book of divine instruction. In the use of the word faith there is some latitude of application, as is the case of many other words; but we shall pass this for the present without particular notice.

Faith, properly so called, always rests upon evidence; hence to believe without evidence, is not rational; and in respect to our relations to God, it is extremely dangerous. The strength of our faith is, or at least should be, in proportion to the strength of the evidence upon which it rests. But even the impartial and judicious inquirer may sometimes fail rightly to appreciate the strength of the evidence, and, consequently, his faith will be weak, or perhaps erroneous. The sources of evidence are various, but there is one source of evidence which is infallible. When we have the evidence of God’s word, the subject admits of no controversy. The testimony of the Holy Scriptures may be corroborated by other evidence, but it stands in no need of it, and no rebutting evidence should ever be admitted. God’s word is all-sufficient to establish any truth. The faith which is founded upon the word of God is sometimes called divine faith, because God is the testifier. Faith in the gospel, which is saving faith, is often denominated evangelical faith; and as no man has this faith but by the Spirit of God, it is often properly called spiritual faith. Our faith should embrace all that God has revealed. But there are some things revealed in Scripture which are not essential to salvation ; and, though it is our duty to believe them, yet our salvation does not depend upon our faith in these things. But if a man willingly tolerates himself in disbelieving any truth contained in God’s word, it warrants a strong presumption that his mind has never been reduced to that humble and obedient frame, without which be will never exercise a saving faith in the gospel. The moral law--that is, the law of ten commands--is a proper object of faith. But we are not to believe the law for the same purpose that we believe the gospel. But if we do not believe that the law is of Divine authority; if we do not believe that it is holy, just, and good; if we do not believe that it imposes an obligation to obedience, and do not believe its penalty will be executed, I am unable to see how its precepts can be brought to bear upon the hearts and consciences of men. But we must not believe in the law as a medium of mercy, but as an instrument of death. There is no mercy in the law to the guilty; it is all curse and condemnation. If any should ask, If a sinner would now keep the law perfectly, might he not obtain life? I answer, No: he can not obtain life by any such means. If a man never had sinned, and would then keep the law perfectly, he should "live;" but to those that have sinned, the law speaks nothing but "judgment and fiery indignation." A sinner can no more "escape the damnation of hell" by any obedience he can render to the law, than he can quench the fires of hell in that way. If we entertain any faith in the law that leads us to hope that it will relax in the smallest degree its severity, or make allowance for our imperfections and the weakness of our nature, or for temptations and enticements, it is a false faith, because it is based on a false foundation, and the hope that rests upon it is a vain hope. We must believe the law will give us death, and nothing else.

I wish to avoid all unnecessary distinctions, but I think it will not be amiss to make one or two remarks here that may be useful on some occasions. We should carefully distinguish between faith and presumption. Faith is founded upon evidence, but belief without evidence is presumption. A very sound philosopher has said that "to believe without evidence is the part of a fool." And perhaps there are few who are not in some things liable to this imputation. There is always danger of this in respect to things which we wish to be true.

Another distinction which should not be overlooked, is the difference between faith and delusion. To believe on false evidence is delusion. The nature of these two errors differs but little, and the effect is the same. There is, probably, more danger here than there is in the other case, because many false teachers have gone out into the world. The last error is more prevalent in the enlightened nations of the earth than the first. In view of the past history and present condition of the human race, my heart grieves--and grieves intensely--while I reflect upon the unnumbered thousands of my fellow-mortals who, by these errors, have been led, and are now deceived, to their eternal ruin. There are, no doubt, now, many millions in the habitations of eternal despair who, while in this world, pleased themselves with the belief that they were the special favorites of heaven, and scarce felt a doubt that death would usher them into the abodes of heavenly glory. And there are millions now, under the same spirit of delusion, traveling the same path, vainly flattering themselves that they are in the highway to eternal life, but the end of their way is death.

It is a part of the experience of almost every child of God, that he has occasional fears that he is in a deceived state and cherishing false hopes. Such fears are not very pleasant, but they are very useful. They prompt us to a more careful and critical examination of the subject, and thus lead to more enlarged knowledge of the way of salvation.

Jesus Christ is the object of saving faith: "He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." But we are not at liberty to makeHim what we would have Him, and then believe on him according to what we have made Him. We must believe on Him just as he is set forth in the gospel; and the evidence upon which we must found our faith is the word of God. To believe on Him thus is not presumption, for we have the sure word of God as the foundation of our faith. Neither is such faith delusion, for the evidence upon which we believe is truth--infallible truth--for it is the testimony of Him that can not lie, and will not deceive. The testimony of God in the gospel may relate to a particular matter of fact; or it may be a declaration of some great doctrinal truth; or it may be a promise to bestow upon us some great blessing or benefit. But whatever may be the subject of His testimony, it ought to be sufficient for us that God has said it; and His word ought to be received with implicit confidence. If God has said it, no evidence to the contrary should be admitted; and the testimony of a thousand holy angels to the same point could add nothing to the certainty of its truth. That Jesus Christ died, is a simple fact, not denied by any who admit that the Bible is a true historical record, whether they believe it to be of Divine authority or not. The Jews and Mohammedans believe it; and even many avowed infidels believe it on the same ground that they believe any other historical fact. But such faith is not believing that Christ died for sinners. We must believe in the death of Christ as a doctrine--a great doctrinal truth. This doctrine we can not understand too well, for it is the foundation of saving faith. He that believes this doctrine is "passed from death unto life, and shall not come into condemnation." I shall endeavor to exhibit this subject as plainly as I can. The sum of this doctrine, in a simple but comprehensive form, is expressed by the apostle in a few words, and is comprised in this sentence: "Christ died for our sins." He that believes this, has saving faith. It is true, this sentence comprehends a great deal. Let us, then, examine it, and see what particular doctrines are taught, either expressly or by necessary implication. This doctrine embraces the atonement, which we regard as the most fundamental doctrine revealed in the gospel, and underlies the whole scheme, or plan of man’s salvation. So essential is the atonement, that it is not going too far to say that God could not save sinners without it; but as we design to treat on atonement more at large in another place, we propose now to consider it only in connection with the subject of faith. That Christ died for our sins, necessarily presupposes that we have sinned. If we had not sinned, no atonement would have been necessary. But as we have sinned, and thereby brought ourselves under the condemnation of the law, it was indispensable, in order to our salvation, that the condemnation should be removed; else the sentence must be executed, and the penalty inflicted upon us. God could not extend saving mercy to us at the expense of His justice; and justice required that sin should be punished. The claims of justice must therefore be satisfied. I make no distinction here between law and justice, for in this point of view they are the same. The penalty of that law which we have violated is death. He that sins, if it be but once, is doomed to death; for God will by no means clear the guilty--that is, no sin shall go unpunished. We have sinned and subjected ourselves to death. This truth, so positively taught in Scripture, is plainly involved in the text above cited; and no man can believe the text without believing that he is justly under sentence of death. Now the text says, "Christ died for our sins." And what is now proposed to our faith is: Did the death of Christ make a sufficient and perfect satisfaction for our sins? If it did, sin can no longer obstruct the saving mercy of God. The way is open, both for us to go to God for pardon, and for Him to come to us with pardon. And let no man charge me with ultraism when I say that He is as willing to bestow pardon as we are to receive it. The death of Christ is the only ground upon which we can be saved from our sins, and it has pleased God so to ordain that when we believe in this atonement, we shall have a personal interest in all its blessings. If the death of the Son of God did not make a complete and perfect satisfaction to Divine justice for our sins, there is no salvation for us; and if it did, we should depend upon that alone. Let us take nothing else with that into our faith, as the ground of our trust. "Christ died for our sins;" and it is in consideration of this alone that God forgives sins. If we look to any obedience to the law rendered by us; or to any religious duties performed by us; or to any good dispositions in ourselves; or to any willingness or good desires which we have; or to any qualification or frames of mind wrought in us by the Holy Spirit, such as repentance, faith, love, etc., as being necessary to make satisfaction for our sins, or as the ground of our acceptance with God, we are placing our faith in a wrong object, and undervaluing the infinite worth and sufficiency of that perfect satisfaction which Christ rendered to Divine justice on behalf of sinners. The death of Christ itself, independently of every thing else, satisfied the Divine law; in consideration of that satisfaction the Father declared from heaven that He is well pleased. And when we believe in it, we shall be well pleased. This is life. eternal. It is by Christ’s death that we have eternal life and God has promised all that believe it that He will remember their sins no more. Let Jesus Christ crucified be the corner-stone upon which we build our faith, and then it is not possible for our faith to be too strong, nor for our trust in it to be too single. Let us not complicate it with any thing else, nor encumber it with conditions. Though there are many other truths revealed in the gospel, which it is right and proper that we should believe, yet, when we believe this great and fundamental truth, we have a personal interest in all its benefits. If we truly believe in it, then we desire it--we glory in it--we trust in it--and Christ crucified becomes to us all in all. The Son of God assumed our nature that He might redeem us from the curse of the law. "He bore our sins in His own body on the tree." And we may say:

"The cursed tree hath blessing in’t, My sweetest balm it bears." (Dr. Watts.) That Christ died for our sins, is that great doctrinaltruth that we must believe. It is "the gospel," which, if a sinner believes, he shall be saved, for Jesus Christ has said it.

Now let us direct our attention a little to faith in the promise.

Whether I am singular in the opinion or not, I believe it is possible for a man to have a firm and saving belief in the great doctrine which we have been considering; and yet for want of more light and a clearer understanding of the gospel, he may be so much in the dark as not to be satisfied that be has a personal interest in Christ. But I say Christ is his Savior, whether he is able to realize his interest in Him or not. What, then, is necessary in order to set him free? There is but one thing necessary, and that is, for him to believe the promise. Salvation is promised to every one that believes the doctrine--to every one that believes that Christ died to save sinners; and God will certainly verify the truth of this promise. We are saved through the belief of the truth; and the essential truth to be believed is, that "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners." And it hardly can have escaped the notice of any attentive reader of the New Testament, that the Scriptures seem to dwell upon this idea with peculiar emphasis. Our Savior himself taught this great essential truth so frequently, and with so much energy and constancy, as to show the great importance which He attached to it, and which He would have us to attach to it, declaring that whoever believes this truth shall be saved. For whenever faith in Christ is enjoined or spoken of in connection with salvation, we must understand it as having reference to His atonement, for without this He is no Savior. And who has read the writings of the apostles and evangelists, and their preaching, as recorded in the New Testament, without observing with what earnestness and fervor they exhibit this doctrine?

I desire to simplify the subject as much as I possibly can, that you may understand it. I will state both the doctrine to be believed and the promise of salvation to the believer: The doctrine--"Christ died for our sins." (1 Corinthians 15:1-58) The promise--"He that believes shall be saved." (Mark 16:1-20) Paul says the first statement is the gospel; and Jesus Christ says he that believes the gospel shall be saved. How plain, how definite, is the instruction of the Divine word! What glorious simplicity is here! The simplicity of the gospel is one of its chief glories. We find the same, in substance, taught in many other places, and in a variety of forms. Thus: "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." "Whom (Jesus Christ) God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood." And again, "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to ever one that believeth." Do you believe that the righteousness of Christ is the only thing to justify you before God? If you do, that righteousness is yours. If I have failed to make this matter plain, it is not for the want of effort, but for want of skill. It has not been my design, in stating it thus, to annul or depreciate any other doctrine or any duty found in the Bible; but I want the reader to understand that to believe that the death of the Son of God is the only ground upon which a sinner is accepted in the sight of God, is saving faith. So long as the believer rests upon this ground he is strong, and I think he will feel strong--not strong in his own strength, but in the strength of the foundation upon which he stands. Trusting in this, he may well say, "Who shall lay any thing to my charge?" "It is Christ that died." Freely admitting that repentance towards God, love to God, and all else that the Scriptures teach and require, are important and necessary, yet the faith by which we are accepted, justified, and saved, is faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ as dying for sinners. As the only way by which we can be accepted of God is through the death of the Lord Jesus, so the only faith necessary to obtain that acceptance is to believe in it. We have any desirable number of promises in the Scriptures, that if we believe this doctrine we shall be saved. By this faith we, have fellowship with Christ, and become the children of God. By it we are justified; by it we have peace with God. If we have this faith we "have passed from death unto life, and shall not come into condemnation." A firm and undoubting belief of this doctrine is the full assurance of faith; and a full and undoubting belief of the promise annexed to this faith, gives the full assurance of hope. Why, then, do not believers rejoice in Christ always? This rejoicing is certainly the privilege of every believer; and if they do not daily rejoice in Christ, it is because they do not rightly improve the privilege to which they are entitled. Satan may tempt the believer to doubt the sufficiency of the atonement, and in this way perplex his mind with darkness and disquiet; but I think it is much oftener the case that from some cause or other he is led to doubt the promise. The truth and certainty of God’s promises ought never to be doubted, because "He is faithful that promised." All the "promises of God are in Christ yea and amen," to the glory of God by us. But Satan has many advantages. The mind may labor under dejection, arising from some peculiar derangement of health; or we may be constitutionally disposed to view things, especially future events, in a dubious and unpropitious aspect. Outward afflictions and adverse providences--dark prospects with regard to ourselves or our relative interests--many such things may induce a gloomy or desponding state of mind. Satan may take advantage of these things, to cast in doubts and misgivings with respect to our interest in Christ, and thus hinder us of that joy in believing which it is at all times the privilege of every believer to cherish and maintain. But oftener, by far, is the peace and joy of the believer marred by his own disobedience and unfaithfulness. Christians are too much of their time off their guard, and hence are often betrayed into sin. Consequently, a sense of guilt oppresses the conscience--hope is wavering, and his faith in the promise falters; and he that could once "hope against hope" can now hardly hope at all. If he had walked in the light, he would have rejoiced in the light; but he walked in darkness and found darkness as a recompense. He may think that he ought to "believe down" his fears--and so perhaps be ought--but he finds his faith not equal to the work. A Christian may leave off a known duty by degrees; and, by the same slow degrees, he will lose his spiritual-mindedness. And though the neglect may be as a thorn in the foot all the time, yet he will become so accustomed to its slight ranklings that he will find comparatively very little inconvenience from it, till the resumption of the neglected duty will appear to be a task beyond his strength; and less matter, if he does not begin to persuade himself that the duty is not really obligatory on him. And he will not be at a loss for excuses. At length conscience, having been so long stifled, will scarcely whisper its reproofs, and he makes up his mind to bear the burden. But, in the meantime, where is his spiritual joy? What has become of his lively hopes ? He has lost that sweet and holy delight which meditation upon the love of Jesus once inspired. Possibly he may not be greatly oppressed with painful doubts and fears; but he is sensible there is something wanting; and he is often ready to say, "Oh! that it were with me as in months past." The face of the Lord always shines on the path of duty; but "he that regards lying vanities, sins against his own soul." He should remember the Lord’s judgment against the "lukewarm," for he is but too near that fearful condition. I might enlarge here to a great extent, but I must set limits to myself somewhere. And I would say to my brethren that it is much better to avoid these hampering doubts and fears, than to incur the necessity of finding a way out of them. And in order to avoid them, consider a few things which I will submit to your reflection. And,

1. First be constant, punctual and, as much as possible, fervent in prayer. Pray, and pray earnestly, for the salvation of sinners. Pray for the purity and prosperity of the Church. Pray for your brethren. Do not forget to pray for the Lord’s ministers, and especially for the one who labors for you. When you come to the mercy-seat, you are as near to your Heavenly Father as you can get, and as far from your spiritual enemies as you can get. It is a safe retreat for a Christian. Doubts and fears can not live near to Christ, for His presence dispels darkness. By the exercise of prayer you maintain the spirit of prayer; and to lose the spirit of prayer, only in a partial degree, is a sad loss indeed. Prayer "gives exercise to faith and love." It is possible that you, like some others, have seen a time when you would have been glad to know that it was your privilege to pray; and it is more than likely you have seen the time when you not only could pray, but could not help praying, The poet has well said, that-- "Satan trembles when lie sees The weakest saint upon his knees."

Well, brethren, make Satan afraid, for if you do not, you may well be afraid of him.

2. Whatever will promote growth in grace, will also be a good shield to you from perplexing doubts. Therefore one of the safeguards against these sinful doubts (for they are sinful) is to be well established in the truth. With a view to this, you should make yourself thoroughly and intimately acquainted with the word of God, as much so as you possibly can. This will give you enlarged views of the plan of salvation; and you will better understand the great and precious promises that God has given us; and you will be able more readily and more effectually to apply them to your own case. For when you are able to realize your interest in the promises, those misgivings and uneasy forebodings respecting your final acceptance will, in a great measure, abate, and your re-invigorated faith will get the victory over Satan’s temptations. It is not to be wondered at, if Christians hobble and grope in the dark, with little enjoyment of religion--believing but little, and feeling but little, and doing but little--if the word of God is neglected. It is a deep well, but not so deep but that we may draw up the water if we are thirsty. A good degree of knowledge in the Scriptures will make you strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. It is "a lamp to our feet, and a light in our path." It is an armory which will furnish you with every necessary spiritual weapon to maintain your warfare against the powers of darkness--the snares of the world, and the lusts of the flesh. The Holy Scriptures are "able to make you wise unto salvation;" and they are "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and instruction in righteousness," that you may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. You can scarcely be placed in any condition in life, or be in any state of mind, but you may find something in the Bible appropriate to your peculiar need; and if you will store your mind with the rich treasures of the Divine word, you will have the needed supply at hand. When I reflect upon the treatment the word of God receives from mankind, I am made to be astonished at His long-suffering mercy. "I have written to him the great things of my law, and they were accounted a strange thing." Just as we treat the word of God, so would we treat Him; and if not, how will we make the contrary appear? We love God no more than we love His word.

3. Even though it may be labor in vain, duty compels me to suggest another means of promoting spiritual strength and a more assured hope in the hearts of my brethren. It is religious conversation. Perhaps with many this is the least acceptable topic in the whole series. But whether this remedy be tasteful or nauseous, faithfulness demands its exhibition. Our doubting and distrust is displeasing to God, because it is an impeachment of His faithfulness; and He would have us to "trust and not be afraid." No means, therefore, should be neglected that promises growth in grace and spirituality. None of us are ignorant of that element of our moral nature which we call sympathy; and we ought to consider its power over the heart, and enlist it in the service of God. This sympathy is that handle (so to speak) of the soul of which religious conversation takes hold, and which is so easily wielded to mutual edification. And as idle and worldly discourse has a natural tendency to produce levity and worldly-mindedness, so religious conversation has a natural tendency to foster a spiritual state of mind. Why, then, do we so much indulge in the former, and neglect the latter? It is enough to make one "weep in secret places," to reflect how little the subject of religion is made the theme of social conversation among those who profess to believe that it is the greatest and best of all subjects. Does not practice condemn profession? What excuse can we offer for thus neglecting one of the best means of promoting the interests of vital religion that a Christian can command, and a means that every Christian is able to use in a greater or less degree ? The topics of religious conversation are so numerous, so rich, and so various, that we need never be at a loss for subject-matter that will make religious intercourse both pleasant and profitable; and many of the topics are so entirely within the comprehension of those who are the least informed in religious matters, that opportunities of being mutually helpful are constantly occurring, and they ought not to pass without improvement; for in many instances the Christian thereby acquires additional knowledge in the word of God; and even when this is not the case, Christians are edified in love and comfort--their spiritual strength is renewed, and growth in grace is promoted. Social religious discourse whets the appetite for spiritual instruction. The remembrance of their having taken sweet counsel together, is a subject of pleasing reflection; and after they separate, they can have a good repast on "the fragments that are left." Moreover, it tends to promote brotherly love and confidence. It also brings Christians to the unity of the spirit, and strengthens the bonds of peace. By this means many a drooping spirit has been revived, many a feeble knee has been strengthened, and many a blessing has descended upon the head of those who have thus been the instruments of edifying the children of God; for He never forgets these cups of cold water given to his thirsty children. And further, it honors Christ, and has been the means of converting sinners. Within the memory of the writer, religious conversation held a prominent place among Christians where two or three were providentially gathered together: "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another."

There is now more refinement among Christians, but I fear there is less devotion. The time has been when our Christian fathers were deprived of this blessed privilege, except as they were wont to meet in the secret retreats of the forest, or in unfrequented nooks and corners; and if political despotism should ever again debar us of these means of spiritual improvement, we should more correctly appreciate the privileges and advantages we now so ungratefully slight. And who can say that such a time will never come? If the progress of error for twenty years in the future should be proportionally as rapid as it has been during the past twenty years, there is abundant reason for the most alarming apprehension. A reformation is greatly needed; and if it is practicable, where shall it begin? It ought to begin everywhere, and among every grade of society. The work is now, probably, ten times more difficult than it would have been twenty years ago, and the necessity for it, perhaps, is ten times more urgent than it was then.

I am now impatient to pursue this line of thought; but knowing that I have already exceeded the limits of the request of my brethren, I must leave out what further I had prepared on this topic. But I will add that religious themes ought to have the preference of all others; and almost any other subject is preferred to religion. "Where there is no wood, the fire goeth out;" and where the means of grace are neglected, spiritual affections decay.

Before I proceed farther I must trouble the reader with an apology. I was requested by my brethren to write a doctrinal treatise. That I have, in the preceding remarks, indulged myself in practical admonitions, I freely admit, and I constantly find myself leading off in that direction. The intimate and inseparable connection between doctrinal truth and practical piety is such that I found myself unable to treat that part of the subject in any other way. But I have more yet to say on the general subject of faith. When we consider the importance of the office of faith in the economy of our salvation, and the relations which it sustains to the other graces of the Spirit, and also to the greatest covenant blessings, we can not fail to see the propriety of arriving at as full and correct an understanding of the subject as we possibly can. The question, Am I a believer? has agitated the mind of many a child of God. And indeed it is a question of transcendent importance. The most momentous interests of man, in this world, and that which is to come, are involved in it. This question is an appropriate subject of inquiry during our whole pilgrimage from Egypt to Canaan--if you will bear with this mode of expression. For as, in the order of nature, day and night alternately succeed each other, and are set "the one over against the other," so it is, in most cases, with the true believer. He may have his joyful hours and his cheerful days, but, with comparatively few exceptions, we must remember the days of darkness, for they may be many. We will now inquire a little into the cause of these vicissitudes. And we need not seek for the cause anywhere else but in ourselves; for it is the privilege of God’s children to "rejoice in the Lord always." We are prone to put stumbling-blocks in our own way, and therefore it is no wonder if we find impediments while endeavoring to climb the mount of vision, where we may overlook the Jordan and view the promised inheritance. As preparatory to the consideration of this question, let us notice some things that baffle your efforts to come to a satisfactory decision in regard to your true condition. Perhaps one will say, If I could be sure that I am converted! This question may be virtually the same as the other; but it is far more difficult to arrive at a satisfactory decision; and, besides this, there is much greater danger of falling into a fatal mistake as to the fact. It is grievous to think how many there are who believe themselves to be converted, when, in fact, their hearts are as far from Christ as the heart of an infidel. What is the process by which such a one solves the mighty problem? He looks into his own heart to find what he wants; he takes the feelings of his own heart as evidence, and decides by this evidence that he is a Christian, and the result is that "a deceived heart has turned him aside." The whole process of examination begins and ends in himself; while he forgets, or has never known, that "the heart is deceitful above all things." Not a glance has ever been cast upon Christ. With many, the natural passions or affections of the mind are operated upon, as it were, mechanically or sympathetically, and the feelings of the heart are wrought up to a high state of excitement, and all this is supposed to be the operations of the Divine Spirit; and this being taken for granted, a false peace brings relief. Thus the subject of these exercises feels a strong assurance of his being in a converted state. And it may be that being pleased with a notion that he is an object of God’s love, and cheered with the hope of gaining heaven at last, and encouraged by the confidence that others have in him, he may live out a life in a tolerably straight line, and, after all, die an utter stranger to Christ and the power of His cross. But in many instances these conversions, as they are supposed to be, prove their spurious character in a very short time. Such a one having obtained deliverance from the agonies of a goading conscience, glories in his peace: and he may really have peace; but to have peace with a deceived conscience, is a very different thing from having "peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." It is an unhappy condition to have no peace, but it is incomparably worse to cherish a false peace. Christ is our peace, who has broken down the wall of partition which separated us from the favor of God. To seek peace, therefore, from the workings and exercises of our own minds, is a very unsafe expedient. And if we draw peace from a false source, what else may we expect but that it will be a false peace? If your trust for acceptance is in Christ alone, look directly to Him--to Him alone, to His all-fullness--if you would desire assured peace. For why should you wish to draw your peace through the tube (so to speak) of your feelings and the evidences of your conversion? Why not rather go at once to the fountain that was opened for sin and uncleanness, and drink peace and consolation, as nearly as possible, from where it issues from the throne of God and the Lamb?

I have been using the word conversion in that sense in which it is usually employed in preaching and conversation. It has been so long and so generally used to signify that change which is wrought in us by the Holy Spirit, and which is also called regeneration, that I thought it best to retain it, especially as I do not see any good that would be gained by disturbing the ordinary meaning of the term in a treatise like this. But more directly to meet the inquiry of one who is really concerned about his state, and desirous to obtain a more established hope, I would say that your faith must be placed on a right object--and that object must be Christ. He is the only proper object of saving faith. Again: Your faith must rest upon right evidence--and that evidence must be the word of God. By these criteria you may proceed to try your faith. If your faith (such faith as you have) leads you to renounce all confidence in yourself, and to trust in Christ alone for salvation, you have one of the first and best evidences that your faith is genuine, evangelical faith. "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;" and if you are not feelingly convinced that you are a sinner--a lost sinner, and justly condemned by the law of God--I should think you are not very anxious to have the question decided as to whether you are a believer or not. Jesus says He came to seek and to save the lost; and if you are a lost sinner--so lost, that you can not be saved except Christ saves you--and it is to Him you look, and in Him alone that you trust--I repeat it, you have one of the first and best evidences that you are a true believer.

Just in this place I will say one thing, which you may always keep in mind when you would examine your faith. It is this: It is impossible, according to the laws of the human mind. for us to trust in any thing in which we have no faith. Upon this ground I say that if you trust in Christ, you believe in Him. For if you did not believe in Him as the Savior of sinners, you, as a sinner, could not trust in Him as your Savior. "Blessed are all they that trust in Him." "They that trust in him shall never be ashamed." If, therefore our faith is in Him, it is directed to the only proper object. It is that very faith by which sinners are saved. We will, therefore, revert to the other criterion.

True faith is founded upon the word of God. If you trust in Christ for salvation because God has promised salvation to all that believe in Christ, your faith rests upon the right evidence. You need want no other evidence, for "the word of our God shall stand forever." Possessing these two prime characteristics of saving faith, you are fully warranted in deciding that your faith is the faith of God’s children. There are some who look to their own obedience, upright conduct and religious life, or to the warmth and fervor of their religious affections, and perhaps to many other such things, as a kind of refuge from their fears, and build a hope of their gracious state and their acceptance with God upon these; but although true faith will produce such fruits, yet these are too variable, too fluctuating, and often too deceptive for the soul to rest upon. If your faith is such as it ought to be, and in proper exercise, your mind will fly to Christ as your only place of security. And this is the genuine actings of a true faith. "In Thee do I put my trust;" and your heart will say, "Christ crucified" is my resting place. "It is Christ that died." If your faith will lay hold on this truth, and you can use it rightly, you may triumph over all opposition.

Before I proceed to the last paragraph intended for this chapter, perhaps I ought to remind the reader that in the Scriptures, and also in ordinary discourse, the word faith is used in the same sense as the word trust; and likewise the word trust is used to signify the same as the word faith. Either word will often convey the idea intended by the writer. There is, however, a shade of difference between these two exercises of the mind, though they are generally exercised in connection. Faith respects the truth believed; trust has respect to the promise made to the believer. Faith looks to God’s veracity; trust regards God’s faithfulness. The language of faith is, God is a God of truth; the language of trust is, God is a faithful God. Faith embraces things both past and future; trust mostly contemplates the future. I could easily exemplify the distinction by referring to certain scriptures, but by this time you probably think I have been unnecessarily minute. I will only add that when you commune with your own heart with a view to ascertain whether or not you are a I real believer, you will probably find it easier to discover your trust than your faith; but if your trust is in Christ, your faith is there, too, whether you discover it or not.

If I set reasonable limits to my whole task, I must also set limits to the particular parts of it. I will, therefore, present you with only one more test by which to judge whether your faith is truly evangelical; you may decide by the value which you set upon Christ. To the unbeliever Christ is "as a root out of a dry ground." He has no form nor comeliness; he sees no beauty in Him that he should desire Him. Having no real sense of his need of such a Savior, he does not know how to estimate His worth. The unbeliever has some notion that he can not be saved without Him; but he looks upon Him as having died to put sinners in a condition to save themselves, rather than as being their only, their whole Savior. He will readily admit that he can not be saved without Christ, and that there must be an important use for Him in the work of salvation; but, at the same time, he really does not know what use to make of Him for himself. The unbeliever supposes that Christ died to make a way whereby a sinner may be saved if he will try; but has very little more than a vague and indefinite notion of what Christ accomplished by His death; and if Jesus would keep him out of hell, he would have very little further use for Him. To say the truth, he has such imperfect or erroneous views of the necessity that Christ should die for sinners, that he must of necessity have very imperfect conceptions of the benefits secured by His death. He has imperfect views of the holiness and justice of that law which he has violated times without number; he has inadequate views of that ruined condition into which he has brought himself by his transgressions; he has very imperfect ideas of the sinfulness of his nature, and consequently be does not realize the greatness of his need of such a Mediator as the "Man Christ Jesus;" and not being impressed with the fact of his being a lost sinner, he is incapable of duly estimating the excellency of Christ Jesus the Lord. Very different is it with the true believer. He regards Christ as his All in All. To him, Christ is the Chief among all the thousands, and altogether desirable. He knows that he is lost in himself, and that without Christ he is lost forever. He sees that Jesus is just such a Savior as he needs--even a Savior of sinners. To him Christ is precious--infinitely precious; so that if Christ is his, he has the very thing that he needs, as well as the thing that he desires. The language of his heart is, "Lord, if Thou wilt, thou canst make me clean;" and in proportion as he is able to understand and appreciate the evidence that Christ is willing to save him, will be the measure of his hope and comfort. Take from him "Jesus Christ and Him crucified," and be has nothing left. With him, Christ is the "sure foundation," and he is resolved to build upon no other. Even before he was brought to feel that he was not worthy that Jesus should come under his roof, he had found that sin is "an evil thing and bitter;" but now, more than ever, he hates sin, and grieves in his heart that so much still remains of his former depravity. Yet he would discard the idea of being saved by his own holiness, for he sees that salvation is in Christ alone:

"None but Jesus--none but Jesus, Can do helpless sinners good."

If the believer could know with positive certainty that he would be finally saved, it would still be the desire of his soul to live free from sin.