and mysteriously constituted person, as God manifest in the flesh ; his finished work for our redemption ; his constant intercession ; his intimate relation to us not only as our prophet, priest, and king, but as our living head in whom our life is hid in God, and from whom it flows into our souls. We are thus sanctified by faith, because it is through faith that all the religious affections and all the activities of spiritual life are called into exercise.
4. We are sanctified by faith, as it is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. " The things of God," the truths which He has revealed concerning the spiritual and eternal world exist for us while in this world, only as the ob- jects of faith. But faith is to the soul what the eye is to the body. It enables us to see the things unseen and eternal. It gives them substance, reality, and therefore power, — power in some little measure in proportion to their value. Thus the things seen and temporal lose their dominant power over the soul. They are not worthy to be compared with the things which God has prepared for them that love Him. The believer, — the ideal, and at times the actual believer, as we learn from Scripture and from history, is raised above the things of time and sense, overcomes the world, and becomes heavenly minded. He lives in heaven, breathes its atmosphere, is pervaded by its spirit, and has a prelibation of its joys. This renders him pure, spiritual, humble, self-denying, laborious, meek, gentle, forgiving, as well as firm and courageous. The whole of the eleventh chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews is devoted to the illustration of the power of faith especially in this aspect. The Apostle shows that in times past, even under the dim light of the former dispensation, it enabled Noah to stand
' alone against the world, Abraham to offer up his only son, Moses to prefer the reproach of Christ to the treasures of Egypt ; that others through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire ; that others were by faith made strong out of weakness, waxed valiant in fight ; that others submitted to the trial of cruel mockings and scourgings ; that others by faith endured to be stoned, sawn asun- der, or slain with the sword ; and that yet others through faith consented to wander about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and tormented. All these, we are told, through faith obtained a good report.
5. Faith sanctifies because it is the necessary condition of the efficacy of the means of grace. It is through the Word, sacra- ments, and prayer, that God communicates constant supplies of
HO PART in. Ch. XVI.— faith.
grace. They are the means of calling the activities of spiritual life into exercise. But these means of grace are inoperative un- less they are received and used by faith. Faith does not, indeed, give them their power, but it is the condition on which the Spirit of God renders them efficacious.
That good works are the certain effects of faith is included in the doctrine that we are sanctified by faith. For it is impossible that there should be inward holiness, love, spirituality, brotherly kindness, and zeal, without an external manifestation of these graces in the whole outward life. Faith, therefore, without works, is dead. We are saved by faith. But salvation includes deliver- ance from sin. If, therefore, our faith does not deliver us from sin, it does not save us. Antinomianism involves a contradiction
in terms.
Certainty of Salvation.
A sixth effect attributed to faith in the Scriptures is security, or, certainty of salvation. " God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John iii. 16.) " He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath ever- lasting life, and shall not come into condemnation ; but is passed from death unto life." (John v. 24.) " I am the living bread which came down from heaven : if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever." (John vi. 51.) " All that the Father giveth me shall come to me ; and him that cometh to me I will in no
wise cast out And this is the will of him that sent me,
that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life : and I will raise him up at the last day." (John vi. 37, 40.) " My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me : and I give unto them eternal life ; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (John x. 27, 28.)
The Eighth Chapter of Romans. The whole of the eighth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans is designed to prove the certain salvation of all who believe. The proposition to be established is, that there is "no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." That is, they can never per- ish ; they can never be so separated from Christ as to come into condemnation. The Apostle's first argument to establish that proposition, is, that believers are delivered from the law by the sacrifice of Christ. The believer, therefore, is not under the law
§8.] ITS EFFECTS. Ill
which condemns, as Paul had before said (Rom. vi. 14), " Ye are not under the law, but under grace." But if not under the law he cannot be condemned. The law has had its course, and found full satisfaction in the work of Christ, who is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. He renders every one righteous, in the sight of the law, who believes on Him. This is the first reason which the Apostle gives why those who are in Christ shall never be condemned.
His second argument is that they have already within them the principle of eternal life. That principle is the Spirit of God ; " the life-giving " as He was designated by the ancient Church. To be carnally minded is death. To be spiritually minded is life and peace. Sin is death ; holiness is life. It is a contradiction to say that those in whom the Spirit of life dwells, should die. And, therefore, the Apostle says, Although the body dies, the soul lives. And if the Spirit of Him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken even your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. The indwelling of the Spirit, therefore, secures not only the life of the soul, but also the ultimate and glorious life of the body.
The third argument for the security of believers, is, that they are the sons of God. As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. That is, they are partakers of his na- ture, the special objects of his love, and entitled to the inheritance which He gives. If sons then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. According to the Apostle's mode of thinking, that any of the sons of God should perish, is impossible. If sons they shall certainly be saved.
The fourth argument is from the purpose of God. Those whom He has predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son, them He calls to the exercise of faith and repentance ; and whom He thus calls He justifies, He provides for them and im- putes to them a righteousness which satisfies the demands of the law, and which entitles them in Christ and for his sake to eternal life ; and those whom He justifies He glorifies. There is no flaw in this chain. If men were predestinated to eternal life on the ground of their repenting and believing through their own strength, or through a cooperation with the grace of God which others fail to exercise, then their continuance in a state of grace might be dependent on themselves. But if faith and repentance are the gifts of God, the results of his effectual vocation, then be-
112 PART IK Ch. XVI — faith.
stowing those gifts is a revelation of the purpose of God to save those t6 whom they are given. It is an evidence that God has predestinated them to be conformed to the image of his Son, i. e., to be like Him in character, destiny, and glory, and that He will infallibly carry out his purpose. No one can pluck them out of his hands.