SERMON UPON ROMANS IV, 18-21. 187
1. A strong assent or clear sight of the evidence of the truth. If we have the word and promise of God, we should believe anything as surely as if we had the greatest evidence in the world. Thus some of the disciples doubted of the truth of Christ's resurrection : Mat. xxviii. 27, ' And when they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted ; ' Luke xxiv. 21, ' But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel.' This argueth a weak faith, not vigorous and active ; but faith is strong as it overcomes our speculative doubts, and so doth settle and establish our souls in the truth : Acts ii. 36, ' Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.'
2. There is a doubting or staggering, as faith is a consent ; when the consent is weak and wavering, faith is weak : Heb. x. 23, ' Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faith- ful that promised.' But such a confirmed resolution as leaveth no room for wavering and looking back argueth a strong faith: Acts xxi. 13, ' Then Paul answered. What ! mean ye to weep and to break my heart ? for I am ready not to be bound only, but to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.'
3. As faith implieth a dependence and trust : James i. 6-8, ' But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering ; for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed ; for let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord : a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.' Divided between God and other con- fidences : 1 Tim. ii. 8, ' I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting ; ' Mat. xiv. 31, ' O thou of little faith ! why didst thou doubt ? ' Well, then, it is a strong faith that causeth such a fortitude, that we pass through all difficulties and trials without distrust or anxiety of mind. It is opposite to faint- ing : Ps. xxvii. 13, ' I had fainted unless I had believed to see the good- ness of the Lord in the land of the living.' To fears and troubles : Mat. viii. 26, ' Why are ye fearful ? 0 ye of little faith ! ' Strength of assent doth exclude speculative doubts and errors ; strength of resolu- tion doth fortify us against worldly temptations, which beget uncer- tainty ; temptations of profit, pleasure, or vainglory, if the heart be secretly biassed with these, it is opposite to faith : John v. 44, * How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another ? ' And strength of confidence doth exclude those doubts which arise from fears of dan- ger and terrors of sense ; in such cases we dispute away the comfort of the promises.
IV. ' He was fully persuaded that what God had promised he was able also to perform.' A strong, steady, and full persuasion of the power of God argueth a great faith.
1. There is no doubt of his will when we have his promise ; but the ability of the promiser is that which is usually questioned. Unbelief stumbleth at his can : ' Can God furnish a table in the wilderness ? ' Ps. Ixxviii. 19 ; and, ' How can these things be ? ' Luke i. 34. So 2 Kings vii. 2, * If the Lord should make windows in heaven, might this thing be ? ' Nay ; and the children of God themselves. Sarah was rebuked when she laughed : Gen. xviii. 12-14, ' Therefore Sarah, laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also ? And the Lord said unto Abraham,
188 SEKMON UPON ROMANS IV. 18-21.
Wherefore did Sarali laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old ? Is anything too hard for the Lord ? ' Her laughter was not the laughter of exultation, but dubitation. Moses : Num. xi. 13, ' Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people ? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh that we may eat.' The case is clear ; we doubt not but in case of danger, then we are full of fears and suspicions ; if of his will, it is because we are so vile and unworthy ; but we are vile and unworthy out of danger as well as in danger, there- fore it is of his power.
2. God's power and all-suflSciency is to the saints the great support of faith in their greatest extremities. They are relieved by fixing their eye on God's almightiness ; as Abraham here. So Heb. xi. 19, \oycad/j,evo^, ' Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead.' So for perseverance : Jude 24, ' Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling.' And for the resurrection : Phil. iii. 21, ' Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to sub- due all things to himself.' His power reacheth to the grave and beyond the grave. So for the calling the Jews : Kom. xi. 23, ' And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in ; for God is able to graft them in again.' In short, to question his power is to put him out of the throne, to deny him to be God, as if he were not able to help his friends, and to be a terror to his enemies. Well, then, in matters absolutely promised we have nothing to do but to exalt his power ; therefore you may reason thus : He will do it, for he is able to do it : Kom. ii. 23, ' They shall be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.' In matters conditionally promised we must magnify his power, and refer the event to his will : Mat. viii. 2, ' Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.'