possessor of it in the state of those unhappy spirits, of whom it is said, "They believe, and tremble a."]
The faith to which they afterwards attained, was founded on their own experience —
[During the two days that our blessed Lord staid among them, they heard him discourse on the things relating to his kingdom. They perceived that " he spake as never man spake ;" and " his word was with power." As it had before probed the heart of the woman at the well, so it searched their hearts, and disclosed to them all their hidden abominations. It shewed them, that they themselves were lost, yea, that the whole world also was in a perishing condition ; and that He was sent of God on purpose to deliver them. From the cor- respondence which they saw between the character he sus- tained and the necessities they felt, they were assured " that he was the Christ, the Saviour of the world :" and they deter- mined to rely on him, as their Saviour, and their Redeemer.
Now this was saving faith : it brought them fully to Christ for the ends for which he was sent into the world : " With their hearts they believed on him unto righteousness : and with their mouths they made confession unto salvation b." This faith was very different from that which they first exer- cised : it was more distinct, more assured, more influential : they had more full and complete views of the objects of Christ's mission they " had within themselves a wit- ness" of the suitableness and sufficiency of his salvation
and they instantly became his open and avowed Disciples, in spite of all their former prejudices, and the prejudices of all around them
Certainly we must look for good works as fruits and evi- dences of this faith : but this faith, supposing it to be sincere, will assuredly issue in salvation.]
We proceed to notice,
II. The importance of making this distinction — Two facts will serve to illustrate this: 1. For want of distinguishing aright, many sincere
persons are distressed —
[The nature of saving faith has, as might well be expected, been a subject of controversy in the Christian world : and it is to be lamented, that, whilst some have placed the standard too low, others have raised it too high. A full assurance of our own personal acceptance with God has been supposed by many to be an essential part of true faith : and hence multitudes who
a Jam. ii. 17, 19. b Rom. x. 10.