The fourth essential property of faith is its respect to the word of God» That I may explain this with more full satisfaction, I shall open four things — (1.) The relation of the word to faith ; (2.) The acts of faith about the word ; (3.) The eftects of faith thus exercised ; (4.) The notes whereby we may discern a strong or grown faith.
First, The relation of the word to faith.
1. It is a means to beget and breed faith : Eom. x. 14, 15, * How shall they call on him on whom they have not believed ? and how shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard ? and how shall they hear without a preacher ? and how shall they preach except they be sent ? ' Every part of the gradation hath its weight. First, what I am bound to adore and invocate ; I must believe in him as a divine power. For the second, how shall men believe in Christ as a God unless they have heard of him ? Faith is a believing such things as God hath revealed because he hath revealed them ; therefore the divine revelation must be conveyed to them by some means or other. The third, there is no hearing without a preacher ; some messenger or interpreter that may bring tidings of pardon and life by Christ. Then for the fourth branch, ' How shall they preach except they be sent ? ' that is, come with authority, evidence, and power, whereby it may be known that he is a messenger authorised and sent by God, tliat the things propounded may be received as a certain truth of God's own revelation, that we may depend upon the credit of his word, and that with such a lively and efi^ectual belief as may prevail with us to assent unto it, and embrace it notwithstanding all difiiculties and objections to the contrary. Now such is the doctrine of salvation by Christ, which inviteth us to call upon his name or name ourselves by the name of Christ, because we may believe in him, and run all hazards for him, 2 Tim. i. 12. Why ? Because we have heard of him ; the fame of his doctrine, so suitable to the glory of God and the necessities of mankind ; and the fame of his miracles, especially his death and resurrection, and that by authentic preachers, or faithful men author- ised by God, and sufficiently owned by him, as those that are commis- sioned to instruct the world, and to teach them the way of salvation ; so that the word is the great means to work faith.
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2. It is the warrant of faith, which stateth the laws of commerce between us and God, which showeth how far God hath obhged him- self, and we may depend upon him, as appeareth by the words of Christ : John xvii. 20, ' jSTeither pray I for these alone, but for them also that shall believe in me through their word.' The principal object of faith is Christ ; we believe in him ; and the warrant of faith is the word, that is, the doctrine which by the apostles is consigned to the use of the church. For these and no other Christ prayeth, and according to this way or law of grace God offereth himself to be recon- ciled to his creatures. So that here you may hold him to his covenant ; the word is gone out of his lips, and without this you make promises to yourselves which God will not stand unto.
3. It is the object of faith, or the thing which we do believe : Acts xxiv. 14, ' I believe all things which are written in the law and the prophets ; ' and add to that, in the writings of the apostles. To make the object of the christian faith complete, take in also what is written in the apostles, for ' We are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone,' Eph. ii. 20; that is, the doctrine of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Cln-ist being the chief sum and scope of it, who is to be accepted of as he is revealed and offered in the scriptures of the Old and New Testament, betwixt which there is a sweet harmony and agreement. But because this is too bulky and large for us to manage at one time, let us consider the sum of the scriptures in the method wherein God hath put it, and that is, the covenant of grace ratified by the blood of Christ, which is the most glorious discovery whereby God hath made known himself to his creatures : Ps. cxxxviii. 2, ' I will praise thy name for thy loving- kindness and thy truth, for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.' There we see that God's word is the chiefest discovery that he hath made of himself to the creature, for it is magnified above all his name ; that is, it doth set forth God above all that is named, famed, spoken, or believed, or known, or understood of God. And what is the matter of his word ? His loving-kindness and his truth ; that is, in the word there are contained admirable promises, which God will certainly perform to the utmost importance of them. There we see his mercy and loving-kindness in making such great promises. The promises of the new covenant are beyond all expression great and precious, 2 Peter i. 4 ; they contain as much as the heart of man can desire, all spiritual and eternal riches, pardon of sin, taking away the stony heart, eternal life ; these are ofi'ered to men to believe. And then his truth and fidelity in performing these promises most punctually to all those that do believe, and will accept the pardon, grace, and blessedness ofi'ered, and behave themselves accordingly. Well, then, God's mercies in Christ to them that repent, believe, and obey God are the matter and object of our faith.