But you will say, " The devil believes only the threats of God, — that which makes him tremble; and so his belief is not a general assent, but partial; — and is thereby distinguished from our assent; which is to all that God hath revealed, and especially the promises."
I answer, The devil believes the promises no less than he doth the threats of God ; that is, that they are true, and shall be accomplished. It is part of his misery, that he cannot but believe them. And the promises of God are as much suited to make him tremble as his threatenings. The first promise to us was couched in a threatening to him, Gen. hi, 1 5. And there is no promise wherein a threatening to him is not couched. Every word concerning Christ, or grace by him, speaks his downfall and ruin. Indeed, his destruction lies more in promises than threats. Promises are what weakens him daily, and gives him a continual foretaste of his approaching destruction.
On this consideration it is evident, that believing, or faith, cannot be solely an assent to the truth of these promises upon the fidelity of the promiser ; but this it is also, or originally. Hence it is called, " the receiving the testimony of God," and, therein, " setting to our seal that God is true," John iii. 33. But yet, I think there is some- what more in receiving of the testimony of God, and setting our seal to it (agreeing, as in contracts, that so it is, and so it shall be), than the bare assent of the mind to the truth of the promises; although, in ordinary speech, to receive a man's testimony, is no more than to believe [that] what he saith, of that concerning which he speaks, is true. But there seems, moreover, in the annexed expression of "setting to our seal," that that is included which he speaks of to Job, chap. v. 27, " Hear it, and know it for thy good." There is a receiving of
22 THE STRENGTH OF FAITH.
it for ourselves, in those expressions; which adds much to a bare assent. I say, then, this assent is of faith, though it be not faith. And in saying it is not justifying faith, we do not deny it, but affirm it to be faith in general. The addition of a peculiar assent destroys not the nature of a thing. Now, faith in general is such an assent as hath been described.
(2.) It is not in the sole consent of the will to close with the pro- mise, as containing that which is good and suitable. There is the matter of the promise to be considered in believing, as well as the promise itself. Christ, with his righteousness and benefits, is, as it were, tendered unto us therein. Whence, by believing we are said to accept of, to " receive the atonement," Rom. v. 11. Now, to con- sent that the matter of the promise — that which is exhibited in the word of it — is good and desirable, and [that it is] so to us, and to choose it on that account, is required to believing also ; and it is properly the receiving of Christ, John i. 12. But yet it is not only precisely and exclusively this. Sarah's faith, Heb. xi. 11, is described by this, that she "judged him faithful who had promised." And this is of the nature of faith, as was said before, the judging him faithful that promiseth, and assenting to the truth of his promises on that account. Now, the first of these may be without the second, — our assent may be without the consent of the will; but the latter cannot be without the former. But yet, there is such an assent as will certainly produce this choice also.
(3.) I suppose I need not say, it doth not entirely consist in the good-liking of the affections, and embracing the things promised. The stony ground received the word presently, and with joy, Matt. xiii. 20. It is said, verse 5, that the seed sprung up immediately, because it had not depth of earth. Where men have warm affections, but not tho- roughly-prepared minds and hearts, they presently run away Avith the word, and profess great matters from it; but where it is laid in deep, it is longer commonly before it appears. When a man receives the word only in the affections, the first touch of them cannot be hid ; instantly he will be speaking of it, melt under it, and declare how he is affected with it: "Oh, this sermon hath done me good indeed!" But yet this is not faith, when it is alone. They receive the word with joy, but have not root in themselves, verses 20, 21. When Christ promised " the bread of life," — that is, himself, — John vi., how many were instantly affected with it, and carried out to strong desires of it ! " Lord," say they, " evermore give us this bread," verse 34. They like it, they desire it, at that season ; their affections are taken Avith it : but yet they Avere but Tposzatpoi, " temporary," not true believers ; for after a season " they went back, and walked no more with Christ," verse 66. Those " who have a taste of the heavenly gift," Heb. vi. 4,