2. That they are not prepared till they are endowed with faith, hope, and love. To evidence this, I shall show — (1.) Their nature ; (2.) Their mutual respect to one another. (3.) Their use in the spiritual conflict.
I. Their nature.
1. Faith, which is a firm and cordial assent to the doctrine of the gospel, of such things as are revealed by God, because revealed by him.
[1.] The object.
(1.) The material object of faith in general is such things as are revealed by God in his word : Acts xxiv. 14, ' Believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets.' The precepts, promises, threatenings, histories, mysteries. The general faith goeth before the particular ; there is no building without a foundation. The special object is God's transactions about man's salvation by Christ: John xvii. 3, * This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.*
(2.) The formal consideration is, because revealed by him : John iv. 42, ' Now we believe, not because of thy saying ; for we have heard him ourselves, and believe that this indeed is the Christ, the saviour of the world ;' that is, because they had heard his words, and were convinced and satisfied : 1 Thes. ii. 13, ' Ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.' Not as any doctrine devised of men, but as sent by God from heaven, for the benefit of mankind.
[2.] The act of the soul. It is an assent. The understanding hath a double act about divine truths. (1.) Knowledge, or a due apprehen- sion of them ; (2.) Exercising a judgment about them. This is acknowledgment or assent ; and this assent hath two adjuncts —
456 SERMON UrON I THESSALONIANS V. 8;
(1.) It is a firm belief of these things. There is a latitude and diiierence in the firmness of assent ; there is conjecture or opinion, which is a weak faith, but assurance doth best : 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.' I say, there is a difference. In the firmness of assent there is certitudo notiticc and cerlitudo adliixrentice, a certainty of knowledge and a certainty of adherence ; but in all that are sincere, it is so firm as to sway our choice, incline our hearts, and govern our resolutions, that we see all the reason in the world to follow the way which Christ hath prescribed, that we may be everlastingly happy ; whatever it cost, they will venture : Heb. X. 39, ' But we are not of them that draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of our souls.' Sense saith, Spare the flesh ; but faith saith, Save the soul.
(2.) It is a cordial belief, or such as engageth the heart ; for faith considereth not only the evidence of things propounded, but the weight, worth, and greatness of them : 1 Tim. i. 15, ' This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation.' Simon Magus believed, but his heart was not right with God, Acts viii. 13, compared with ver. 21. So, 'Many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did ; but Jesus committed not himself to them, because he knew all men,' John ii. 23, 24. This is faith ; for first men believe, then love, then hope, then lift up the head.
2. Love, which is a grace which inclineth our hearts to God as our portion and chief happiness. This overruleth all their affections to their outward interests : Ps. Ixxiii. 25, ' Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.' Here we shall consider —
[1.] The qualification of the object. Love in the general considereth the object as good. God is good in himself, and good to us : Ps. cxix. 68, ' Thou art good, and doest good ; ' and we love God as a good God, having received our beings from him : Eom. xi. 36, ' For of him, and through him, and to him are all things.' And being redeemed by him when all was forfeited into the hands of his justice : 1 John iv. 19, ' We love him, because he loved us first.' And looking to expect more from him when all his promises shall be fulfilled : 1 John iii. 1, 2, ' Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God ; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be ; but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.'
[2.] The respect of love to the object. It is such a respect as be- cometh the chief good and happiness ; such a superlative and trans- cendent love, that our love to other things should be as no love when it is compared or cometh in competition with our love to God. There are two acts of love to God — desire after him, and delight in him.