[8.] Add hereunto that which I cannot say is absolutely of the nature of faith, but in some degree or other (secret or more known to the soul) a necessary concomitant of it; and that is, the soul's resting and quieting itself, and satisfying its affections, in its interest in and enjoyment of a sweet, desirable Saviour. This is called, " cleaving unto the Lord, " Josh, xxiii. 8, — the fixing and fastening our affections on God, as ours in covenant. This is the soul's resting in God, its affiance and trusting in him.
And in these three things, which are intelligible to the meanest soul, and written evidently in the words of the Scripture, and in the experience of those who have to do with God in Christ, do I place the believing which is so acceptable to God.
3. There is, next, the qualification of this believing, as laid down in the proposition ; and that is, steadfastness, — steadfastness in believing. This is included in the negative. It is said of Abraham that " he staggered not;" that is, he was steadfast. To clear this up a little, take these few observations: —
(1.) Faith, or believing, consists in such an habitual frame of heart, and such actings of the soul, as are capable of degrees of straitening or enlargement, of strength and weakness. Hence there is mention in the Scripture of great faith, " O woman, great is thy faith;" and
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of little faith, " O ye of little faith;" — of strong faith, Abraham " was strong in faith;" and of weak faith, or being weak in faith, "him that is weak in the faith receive;" — of faith with doubting, " 0 ye of little faith, why did ye doubt?" and of faith excluding doubting, " Being strong in faith, he staggered " or " doubted not."
(2.) That faith in every respect is equal as unto sincerity, and differs only in degrees ; yea, it is equal in respect of the main effects and advance of it, — in justification, perseverance, and salvation. A little faith is no less faith than a great faith ; yea., a little faith will carry a man as safely to heaven, though not so comfortably, nor so fruitfully, as a great faith. Now, —
(3.) Steadfastness respects those different degrees of faith. It is not of the nature of faith, but bespeaks such a degree of it as is acceptable to God that we should have, and every way advantageous to ourselves. It is mentioned by Peter, 2 Epist. hi 1 7, " Beware lest ye fall from your own steadfastness," or decline from that stability in believing which you have attained ; and by Paul, Col. ii. 5. So that, —
(4.) There may be a true faith, that yet may have many trouble- some, perplexing doubtings accompanying it, many sinful staggerings and waverings attending it ; and yet not be overthrown, but continue true faith still. Men may be true believers, and yet not strong believers. A child that eats milk hath as truly the nature of a man, as he that, being grown up, lives on strong meat. Now, steadfastness denotes stability in believing, in respect of the three things before mentioned, and by it faith is denominated strong and effectual. And it argues, —
[1.] A well-grounded, firm, unshaken assent to the truth of the promises; and so it is opposed to wavering, James i. 5, 6.
[2.] A resolved, clear consent to receive and close with Christ, as tendered in the promise, for life; and so it is opposed to doubting, — that is, troublesome, disquieting, perplexing doubts.
[3.] The settled acquiescence of the soul in the choice made and the close consented unto; and so it is opposed to abiding trouble, John xiv. 1.
This steadfastness in believing doth not exclude all temptations from without. AVhen we say a tree is firmly rooted, we do not say that the wind never blows upon it. The house that is built on the rock is not free from assaults and storms. The Captain of our salva- tion, the beginner and ender of our faith, was tempted ; and we shall be so, if we follow him. Nor doth it exclude all doubting from within. So long as we have flesh, though faith be steadfast, we shall have unbelief; and that bitter root will bring forth some fruit, more or less, according as Satan gets advantage to water it. But it excludes a falling under temptation, and consequently that trouble and dis-
28 THE STRENGTH OF FAITH.
quietness which ensues thereon: as likewise abiding perplexing doubts, which make us stagger to and fro between hope and fear, questioning whether we close with Christ or not, — have any interest in the promise or not; and is attended with disconsolation and de- jectedness of spirit, with real uncertainty of the event.
This, then, is that which I intend by steadfastness in believing, — ■ the establishment of our hearts in the receiving of Christ, as tendered by the love of the Father, to the peace and settlement of our souls and consciences. And that our hearts should be thus fixed, settled, and established, — that we should live in the sense and power of it, — is, I say, exceeding acceptable unto God.