112 SERMONS UPON 2 TUliSSALONlAXS I. 3.
that the worlds were framed by the word of God ; ' for faith is an assent to a divine testimony ; but when we know things by other ways and means of assurance, it is not faith, whatever it be. So if a man shoukl believe the passages of God's providence towards the Israelites, upon the relation of Josephus the historian, and not upon the authority of the sacred writers who have delivered it to us, he cannot be said to have faith ; which also may be said of them who adhere to the true religion only out of custom, and the happy chance of their birth and education, or because they received it by tradition from their ancestors, or the bare warrant of their present teachers, or evidence of reason.
2. The next thing which the description offereth to us is the act of faith about this object, which is an assent. The formal object of faith is some divine truth, as we have seen. ISTow the understanding hath a double act about truth — apprehension and dijudication, or exercising a judgment about it. So in these divine truths first we apprehend the nature or tenor of them, or consider what is propounded to us in the word of God, which is knowledge or apprehension ; bat then secondly we judge or determine concerning the truth of these things, which is acknowledgment or assent, and this is the act proper to faith.
3. The adjuncts or qualifications of this assent come now to be con- sidered. They are two — (1.) It is a firm assent ; (2.) It is a cordial and hearty assent
[1.] As it is a firm assent, so faith is distinguished from many things that look like it, or pass for it in the world; as (1.) Non-contra- diction, or not questioning the truths of religion, which is all the faith that most have, and cometli from their inadvertency and carelessness about divine matters. They do not object against the truth of what the gospel propouudeth, because they do not regard it and weigh it in their serious thoughts. This differeth little from children's learning questions of catechism, or saying things by rote ; they can say over the articles of their belief, and never doubted of them ; you may teach them to think and say anything, what you please, for they say it, and never consider of it. So most men in the christian world talk at the same rate that others do, but consider not what they say, nor whereof they affirm, only ignorantly and inconsiderately swallow down the current opinions, without ' knowing the certainty of those things wherein they have been instructed,' Luke i. 4. And so though they never doubted of the truth of their religion, it is because they were never assaulted with temptations to the contrary, and all the strength of their faith lieth in their inconsideration or non-attention. If they have any ground and bottom, it is only men's saying so, and therefore their belief (if they have any) should rather be called human credulity than christian faith. In short, they that believe everything believe nothing, which soon appeareth when a temptation cometh. (2.) It distin- guisheth it from conjecture, which is a lighter inclination of mind to a thing, as possibly or probably true, whereby men get no higher than, It may be so, and yet there are shrewd suspicions to the contrary. A guess is not an assent, much less a firm and strong assent, as faith is. (3.) It distinguisheth it from opinion, which is a trembling, fearful, uncertain assent. Opinion is be3'ond conjecture, but short of faith. Conjecture only supposes it may be so, but opinion asserts that it is so,
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though not without some fear of the contrary ; but above all, this faith is an undoubted persuasion of the truth of things revealed by God. By opinion one may be so convinced of the truth of divine things as not to be able reasonably to contradict them ; but by faith a man is so con- vinced of the truth of the gospel that he seeth all the reason in the world to embrace and follow it : Col. ii. 2, ' That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ : ' and 1 Thes. i. 5, ' For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake ; ' and Heb. x. 22, ' Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.'
[2.] The next qualification of this assent is that it is a cordial or hearty assent : I mean, such as doth engage the will and affections to pursue the happiness which God hath revealed, in the way and by the means which God hath prescribed. We read in scripture of ' believing with the heart,' Eom. x. 9, 10, 'and with all the heaft,' Acts viii. 37. The object of faith is not only true, but good, and therefore produceth a cordial adherence to the truths of which it is persuaded. There is not only a conviction of the mind, but a bent and inclination of the will, which followeth the persuasion of faith if it be firm and strong ; for it considereth not only the evidence of the things propounded, but the worth, weight, and greatness of them : 1 Tim. i. 15, * This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation ; ' otherwise it will not serve the end and purpose of the gospel, which requireth us to crucify our lusts, and sacrifice our interests, and perform duties displeasing to corrupt nature, and all this upon the hopes only which it offereth to us, and to wait upon God for his salvation in the midst of all pressures and afllictions. Therefore certainly believing is an heart-business, not a simple, naked, and speculative assent. This latter qualification doth exclude two things from true, lively, and saving faith — (1.) That which divines call historical ; (2.) That which they call temporary faith.