Faith

Faith

The notebook on “Faith” is surely one of the most challenging of Edwards’ manuscripts, not only for intellectual considerations because of its shifting and highly nuanced definitions and discussions but also from an editorial point of view because of Edwards’ close writing in the first few pages and his many revisions, additions, and relocation of passages. Compounding the latter difficulty is the later editing of Jonathan Edwards, Jr., which often obscures the original reading.

“Faith,” with entries spanning nearly Edwards’ entire career, is a fascinating example of how he approached a project and reflects, writ small, the development of his theological method over the course of his life, as seen in larger series such as the “Miscellanies.” His method can be described as organic in the way he begins by seeking to define a concept in his own words, then moves on to complicate and extend the concept, and then looks outward to other authors for points of similarity and difference.

In this notebook we see a laborious, intricate struggle for definition that takes up nearly half the entries. From entry to entry, Edwards slightly modifies the definition of faith, adding and subtracting words and phrases, then exploring the implications of the changes. The common thread throughout this effort at definition is “uniting with,” “cleaving to,” “receiving,” or “closing with” Christ, or some synonymous term, and along with this, “acquiescing” to the idea of Christ’s sufficiency as a mediator. At the center of Edwards’ definition of faith is Christ. Along the way, he assembles and discusses Scripture proof-texts and explores the theological and faith implications of his evolving view (e.g. Nos. 49 and 57). He also gives negative definitions of faith (trusting in one’s own righteousness, No. 58) as well as positive—from “seeking God” to “hoping in mercy” to “committing ourselves to God” (Nos. 110–20). Many of the later entries consist of excerpts from or references to trusted authors, such as Thomas Manton (Nos. 122, 125), Philip Doddridge (No. 130), Thomas Goodwin (No. 141), John MacLaurin (No. 143), and Thomas Sherlock (No. 148). Edwards intersperses these with an entry outlining a dissertation on faith (No. 128), indicating that sometime during the mid-

1740s he was happy enough with the materials he had amassed in this notebook and elsewhere to synthesize his thoughts into a cohesive whole. However, the opportunity to do so never presented itself.

The manuscript is composed of quarto sheets bound in a coarse brown paper cover inscribed “Faith” several times by Edwards. The flyleaf is a portion of a printed elegy for William Seward, George Whitefield’s publicist, who died in October 1740 (the other part is glued to the inside back cover of Edwards’ Hebrew and Greek Bible, in Princeton University’s collection). The imprint does not date the beginning of the notebook but rather from the earliest point at which Edwards stitched it together. The watermarks also suggest that Edwards bound whatever sheets he had on the subject at a date somewhat later than when he started the notes. The first two leaves (pp. 1–4, which were most likely a signature at one time) bear an Amsterdam/MvL watermark and the following signature (pp. 5– 8) is a London/PvL paper. Thomas A. Schafer has shown that Edwards was using these papers together in early 1728, which is when Schafer supposes Edwards to have begun the “Faith” notebook. The remainder of the notebook, however, is made up of English/GRwr paper. Pages 9–16 consist of two double leaves, while pages 17–20 form the wrappers for two infolded quires. The first quire includes four double leaves (pp. 21–36) and the second eight double leaves (pp. 37–68). The final two leaves (pp. 69–72) are part of the sheets that form pp. 17–20. Edwards filled up to and including p. 51; p. 52 and the succeeding leaves are all blank.

Using watermark, handwriting, and ink comparisons, Schafer has closely dated the first sixty entries in the period from 1728 to mid-1731. Thereafter, dating landmarks are based on references to dated sermons and secondary sources. The following provides a chronology for entries in the “Faith” series:

Entries Date 1–20 January–February 1728 21–28 February–March 1728 29–35 April–June 1728 36–58 August 1728–February 1729 78 probably 1734 or after 92 probably 1739 or after 109 probably after 1748 143 after 1755 148 after 1756 Because of the unusually complex nature of Edwards’ additions and passage shifts (signaled through a system of cue marks), this edition pre- serves his original order and cross-references. Edwards occasionally numbered entries, but not consecutively, and only those that he added to later in the book. He did number the first twenty-two entries consecutively; thereafter, entry numbers are supplied in brackets.

Edwards heavily overwrote the entries at the beginning of the notebook, especially those on pp. 1–12. The text is presented with Edwards’ emendations, with occasional annotations to bring significant changes in hand and ink, among other things, to the reader’s attention. The transcription of the notebook by Edwards, Jr., was published as “Observations Concerning Faith” in Miscellaneous Observations on Important Theological Controversies (Edinburgh, 1793), pp. 393–452. The Edinburgh edition roughly follows the manuscript, though there are significant language changes and omitted cross-references and excerpts, as well as disregard for Edwards’ entry divisions (the section numbers in Miscellaneous Observations are not Edwards’ own). The “Observations” were reprinted in the Worcester rev. ed., 2, 601–26.

faith

1. Faith1 is a belief of a testimony (II Thess. 1:10), an assent to truth, as appears by the eleventh [chapter] of Hebrews; and it is saving faith is there spoken of, as appears by the last verse of the foregoing chapter. Mark 1:15; John 20:31; II Thess. 2:13; Heb. 11:6; I John 5:1, 4–5; Matt. 16:16; John 1:49–50; John 3:33; John 8:24; John 17:8; I John 5:10; Tit. 1:1; Col. 1:4; I John 4:2, 15; John 16:27; Rom. 10:9.

2. ’Tis the proper act of the soul towards God as faithful (Rom. 3:3–4).

3. ’Tis a belief of2 truth from a sense of glory and excellency, or at least with such a sense ( John 20:28–29; Matt. 9:21; I Cor. 12:3). See [no. 36]. See [no. 26]. From a spiritual taste and relish of what is excellent and divine (Luke 12:57). Believers receive the truth in the love of it, and speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). No. 20.3

4. The object of faith is the gospel as well as Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:23; Mark 1:15; John 17:8; Rom. 10:16–17).

5. Faith includes a knowledge of God and Christ (John 17:3; John 4:10–30; II Cor 4:4; II Pet. 1:2–3).

6. A belief of promises is faith, or a great part of faith (Heb. 11; II Chron. 20:20). A depending on promises is an act of faith (Gal. 5:5); waiting for the hope of righteousness by faith. See note on Heb. 6:19, no. 284.4

1. The MS is heavily overwritten and punctuated by JE, Jr. His punctuation is not reproduced, but an attempt has been made to indicate his deletions and additions. On the first page, JE, Jr., crossed-out the entry numbers.

2. MS: “believe of .” 3. JE deletes: “The faith of miracles, as to substance, is the same with saving faith (Heb. 11:33– 34, compared with the last verse of the foregoing chapter); or, at least, saving faith is sometimes the faith of miracles.”

First page of the manuscript of “Faith,” showing emendations by Edwards, Sr., and Edwards, Jr. Courtesy of Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.

7. Faith is a receiving of Christ (John 1:12; Heb. 11:19; Col. 2:5–7). See no. [100].

8. It is a receiving Christ into the heart (Rom. 10:6–10).

9. ’Tis accepting of the gospel (I Tim. 1:14–15; II Cor. 11:4). A true faith includes more than a mere belief of it; it includes all acceptation (I Tim. 1:15).

10. ’Tis something more than merely the assent of the understanding, because ’tis called an “obeying the gospel” (Rom. 10:16; see no. [104]; I Pet. 4:17; Rom. 15:18; I Pet. 2:7–8; I Pet. 3:1. ’Tis obeying the form of doctrine from the heart (Rom. 6:17). This expression of obeying the gospel seems to denote the heart’s yielding to the gospel in what it proposes to us in its calls.

11. ’Tis something more than only what may be called a believing the truth of the gospel (John 12:42), because Philip asked the eunuch whether he believed with all his heart. ’Tis a fully believing, or a being fully persuaded. That place evidences that ’tis so much at least. See no. [95].

12. There are different sorts of faith that5 is not true, as is evident by what the apostle James says: “Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works” [Jas. 2:18]. Where it is supposed that there may be a faith without works, which is not the right faith. When he says, “I will show thee my faith by my works,” nothing else can be meant than that “I will show thee that my faith is right”; and the rest that he there says. See no. [99].

13. ’Tis a trusting in Christ (Ps. 2:12; Eph. 1:12–13; II Tim. 1:12). Many places in the Old Testament6 speak of trusting in God as the condition of his favor and salvation, especially Ps. 78:21–22. See no. [103]. It implies submission.7 Rom. 15:12, “In him shall the Gentiles trust” (see notes on those verses [vv. 12–13]).8Rom 8:21; I Tim. 4:10; II Tim. 1:12, Matt. 8:28;

5. MS: “that that.” Worcester rev. ed. (2, 603) reads: “sorts of faith that are not true and saving.”

Matt. 16:8. I John 5:13–14—believing in Christ in one verse, is called “confidence” in the next. No. [97]. No. [107]. No. [130].

14. ’Tis gladly receiving Christ. ’Tis a committing ourselves to Christ (II Tim. 1:12). This is, in a Scripture sense of the word, “believe,” as is evident by John 2:24, “Jesus did not commit himself to them.” In the original it is, ouk episteuen auton autoi~.

15. ’Tis a gladly receiving the gospel (Acts 2:41).

16. ’Tis approving of the gospel (Luke 7:30, 35). Obeying the doctrine (Rom. 6:17).

17. ’Tis what may be well understood by those expressions of “coming to Christ,” of “looking to him,” of opening the door to let him in. This is very evident by Scripture. ’Tis a coming and taking the waters of life, by eating and drinking his flesh and blood, by hearing Christ’s voice and following of him ( John 10:26–27; John 8:12; Is. 45:22). See no. [133]. See no. [134]. No. [142].

18. ’Tis a believing the truth of God’s promises (II Chron. 20:20). Faith consists in two things, viz. in being persuaded of and embracing the promises (Heb. 11:13).

19. By Matt 23:37, it seems to be a being willing. It seems more evident by the original, “I would but ye would not,” where the same word is used, whereby seems to be signified that nothing is required but only both parties consenting.

20. I Cor. 13:7, charity “believeth all things, hopeth all things.” If that faith, hope and charity spoken of in this verse be the same with those that are compared together in the last verse, then faith arises from a charitable disposition of heart, or from a principle of divine love. See also John

him shall the Gentiles hope’; and then it follows, ‘the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,’ referring to the joy of the Gentiles in trusting in Christ, spoken of, vv. 10–11. (See note on Heb. 6:19, no. 284 [see above, n. 4].) So where the word in our translation is ‘trust,’ it is ‘hope’ in the original, in the following places: I Tim. 4:10, I Tim. 6:17; John 5:45, Eph. 1:12, I Tim. 5:5, I Pet. 3:5. This confirms that the Old Testament ‘trust’ is the same with the New Testament ‘faith,’ for ’tis evident trusting in God and hoping in God are often used in the Old Testament, as faith and hope are in the New.”

5:42, with context, and Deut. 13:3; I John 5:1. See also John 14:21; and John 16:27, with notes;9 and I Tim 1:14; notes on Jas. 2:26.1 No. [108]. No. [105]. No. [140].

21. It is a being reconciled unto God revealing himself by Christ in the gospel, or our minds being reconciled (II Cor. 5:18–21; Col. 1:21).

’Tis the according of the whole soul, and not only of the understanding. Matt. 11:6, “Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.”

22. There is contained in the nature of faith a sense of our own unworthiness. Matt. 15:26–28, “Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith.” See also Luke 7:6–9, concerning the centurion; Luke 15, about the prodigal son. See Luke 7:37–50, especially v. 50; Luke 23:41. Hab. 2:4, “Behold, his soul that is lifted up is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith.” See Prov. 28:25.

[23.] ’Tis a being drawn to Christ. “None can come unto me, but whom the Father draws” [John 6:44].

[24.] The freeness of the covenant of grace is represented thus: that the condition of finding is only seeking; and the condition of receiving, asking; and the condition of having the door opened, is knocking. From whence I infer that faith is a hearty applying unto God by Christ for salvation, or the heart’s seeking of it of God through him. See no. [96]. See also John 4:10, “If thou hadst known the gift of [God], and who it is that saith unto thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given unto thee living water.” And Luke 23:42, calling on him.

[25.] ’Tis the opposite unto disallowing and rejecting Christ Jesus (John 12:46–48). I Pet. 2:7, “Unto you which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner.”

9. “Blank Bible” note on John 16:27, in part: “This verse argues that love is a thing included in justifying faith. For the love here spoken of is not electing love, for God don’t love us with that love because we love Christ, but it must be that love of favor and acceptance that is consequent on believing.”

[26.] No. 3. Love either is what faith arises from, or is included in faith, by John 3:18–19, “He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that men loved darkness rather than light.” II Thess. 2:10, 12.

[27.] The being athirst for the water of life is faith (Rev 21:6).

[28.] ’Tis a true cordial seeking salvation by Christ. See no. [137].2

[29.] Believing in Christ is heartily joining themselves to Christ and to his party, as is said of the followers of Thesidas (Acts 5:36); and we are justified freely through faith, i.e. we are saved by Christ, only on joining ourselves to him. It is a being persuaded to join ourselves to him and to be of his party. John 8:12, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

[30.] To believe in Christ is to hearken to him as a prophet, to yield ourselves subjects to him as a king, and to depend upon him as a priest.

[31.] Desiring Christ is an act of faith in Christ, because he is called “the desire of all nations” (Hag. 2:7); that is, he that is to be the desire of all nations, when all nations shall believe in him and subject themselves to him, according to the frequent promises and prophecies of God’s Word. Though there are other things included in the sense, yet this seems to be principally intended.

[32.] There belongs to faith a sense of the ability and sufficiency of Christ to save: his fitness for the work of salvation (Matt. 9:2, and 28–29, and 21; Rom. 4:21); his fidelity (Matt. 14:30–31); of his readiness to save (Matt. 15:22–28; II Tim. 1:5, 12); his ability (Matt. 8:2; Matt. 8:8; Matt. 8:26; Matt. 9:18, 28; Matt. 16:8).

[33.] ’Tis a submitting to the righteousness of God (Rom. 10:3).3

[34.] ’Tis what may be well represented by flying for refuge, by the type of flying to the city of refuge (Heb. 6:18).

[35.] ’Tis a sense of the sufficiency, the reality, of Christ’s righteousness, and of his power and grace to save. John 16:8, “He shall convince the world of righteousness, and of judgment.” See no. [101]. No. [123].

[36.] No. 3. ’Tis a receiving the truth with a love to it. ’Tis a receiving the love of the truth (II Thess. 2:10), obeying the truth from the heart (Rom. 6:17). See no. [135].

[37.] The heart must close with the new covenant by dependence upon it, and by love and desire. II Sam. 23:5, “This is all my salvation, and all my desire.” Vid. no. [89]. See Erskine’s Sermons, pp. 147, etc.4

[38.] Upon the whole, the best and clearest and most perfect definition of justifying faith, and most according to the Scriptures that I can think of, is this:

Faith is the soul’s entirely embracing the revelation of Jesus Christ as our Savior.

The word “embrace” is a metaphysical expression, but I think it much clearer than any proper expression whatsoever.

[39.] ’Tis called “believing,” because believing is the first act of the soul in embracing a narration or revelation; and embracing, when conversant about a revelation or thing declared, is more properly called by that name than loving or choosing. See no. [53].

[40.]5 If it were conversant about a person only, ‘twould be more properly called “loving”; if it were only about a gift, an inheritance, or reward, ‘twould be more properly called “receiving,” or “accepting,” etc.

[41.] The definition might have been expressed in these words: “Faith is the soul’s entirely adhering to and acquiescing in the revelation of Jesus Christ as our Savior.”

[42]. Or thus: “Faith is the soul’s entirely embracing that truth of God that reveals Jesus Christ as our Savior.”

[43.] Or thus: “Faith is the soul’s entirely acquiescing in and depending upon the truth of God, revealing Christ [as] our Savior.”

[44.] ’Tis the whole soul according and assenting to the truth and embracing it. There is an entire yielding of the mind and heart to the revelation, and a closing with it and adhering to it with the belief and with the inclination and affection. ’Tis admitting and receiving of it with entire credit and respect; the soul receives it as true, as worthy and excellent. It may be more perfectly described than defined by a short definition. By reason of the penury of words, a great many words expresses better than one or two. I here use some metaphorical expressions, but ’tis because they are much clearer than any proper expressions that I know of.

[45.] ’Tis the soul’s entirely acquiescing in this revelation from a sense of the dignity and glory and excellency of the revealer of the revelation.

[46.] Faith is the whole soul’s active agreeing, according and symphonizing with this truth, all opposition in judgment and inclination, so far as he believes, being taken away. ’Tis called “believing,” because fully believing this revelation is the first and principal exercise and manifestation of this accordance and agreement of soul.

[47.] The adhering to it and acquiescing in it with the judgment is from a sense of the glory of the revealer and the sufficiency and excellency of the performer. The adhering to it and acquiescing in it with the inclination and affection is from the goodness and excellency of the thing revealed and of the performer.

[48.]6 Thus if a person be pursued by an enemy and commits himself to a king or a captain to defend, it implies his quitting other endeavors, and applying to him for defense and putting himself under him, and hoping that he will defend him. If we consider it as a mere act of the mind, a transaction between spiritual beings, considered as abstracted from any external action, then it is the mind’s quitting all other endeavors and seeking and applying itself to the savior for salvation, fully choosing salvation by him and delivering himself to him, or a being willing to be his with a hope that he will save him. Therefore for a person to commit himself to Christ as a Savior is quitting all other endeavors and hopes, and heartily applying himself to the Savior for salvation, fully choosing salvation by him and acquiescing in his way of salvation, and a hearty consent of the soul to be his entirely, hoping in his sufficiency and willingness to save.

[49.] The first act can’t be with hoping in a promise, that is, as belonging to the essence of the act: for there must be the essence of the act performed before there is any promise belongs to him. But the essence of the act, as it is exercised in justifying faith, is a quitting other hopes and applying to him for salvation, choosing and with the inclination closing with salvation by him in his way, with a sense of his absolute glorious sufficiency and mercy. Hope in the promises may immediately follow in a moment, but it is impossible there [should] be a foundation for it before the essence of faith be performed, though it is the same disposition that leads the soul to lay hold on the promise afterwards.

’Tis impossible that a man should be encouraged by a conditional promise to trust in Christ—if you mean by trusting in Christ a depending upon the promises to men—for that is to suppose a dependence upon the promise before the first dependence upon the promise, and that the first time a man depends upon the promise, he is encouraged to do it by a dependence upon the promises.

The conditional promise is this: that if you will trust in Christ, you shall [be saved];7 and you suppose the essence of this trust is depending upon this promise, and yet that the soul is encouraged to trust in Christ by a dependence upon this promise. Which is to say that the first time the soul depends upon Christ’s promises, it is encouraged to do it by a dependence upon Christ’s promises. See no. [81].

[50.] Faith is the soul’s entirely adhering to and acquiescing in the revelation of Jesus Christ as our Savior, from a sense of the excellent dignity and sufficiency of the revealer of the doctrine and of the Savior.

God is the revealer, and Christ is also the revealer. Christ’s excellency and sufficiency includes the excellency of his person and the excellency of the salvation he revealed, and his adequateness to that performance, etc. and the excellency of his manner of salvation, etc.

From the excellency and sufficiency of the revealer and performer, we believe what is said is true, fully believe it; and from the glorious excellency of the Savior and his salvation, all our inclination closes with the revelation.

[51.] Faith is the soul’s entirely and only adhering to and depending upon the Word of God revealing Christ as our Savior.

To depend upon the word of another person imports two things: first, to be sensible how greatly it concerns us, and that our interest and happiness really, wholly depend upon the truth of it; and secondly, to depend upon the word of another is so to believe it as to dare to act upon it as if it were really true.

I don’t say that I think these words are the only true definition. I have used words that the most naturally expressed it, of any I could think of. There might have been other words used that are much of the same sense, such as these following:8

[52]. The hope don’t enter into the essential nature of faith, yet ’tis essential to it thus: that it is the natural and necessary and next immediate fruit of true faith. In the first act of faith, the soul is enlightened with a sense of the merciful nature of God and of Christ, and believes the declarations that are made in God’s Word of it; and it humbly and heartily applies and seeks to Christ; and it sees such a congruity between the declared mercy of God and the disposition he then feels towards him, that he can’t but hope that that declared mercy will be exercised towards him. Yea, he sees that it would be incongruent for God to give him such inclination and motion of heart towards Christ as a Savior, if he were not to be saved by him. Vid. [“Miscellanies”] no. 375, “Spirit’s Witness.”9 No. [81].

[53.] Anything that may be called a receiving that revelation is not faith, but such a sort of receiving it as is suitable to the nature of the gospel and the respect it has to us. The act of reception suitable to truth is believing of it. The suitable reception of that which is excellent is choosing it, loving it. The proper act of reception of a revelation of deliverance from evil, and the conferring of happiness, is acquiescing in it and depending upon it. The proper reception of a Savior is committing ourselves to him and trusting in him. The proper act of reception of the favor of God is believing and esteeming of it and rejoicing in it. He that suitably receives for-

8. JE deletes the following entry: “The foundation of hope that there is in the first act of faith, is the promise of the gospel: for we have shown that that is impossible but, [by] the absolute declarations of God’s and Christ’s sufficiency, the soul is enlightened with a sense of the merciful nature of God, or the loving nature of Jesus Christ, etc., and, believing these declarations of it in God’s Word, the soul sees such a congruity between such a merciful nature and deliverance.”

giveness of his faults, does [so] with a humble sense of his fault rejoicing in the pardon.

Thus for instance, he that reads a truth that no way concerns his interest, if he believes it, ’tis proper to say he receives it; but [if] there be a declaration of some glorious and excellent truth that does nearly concern him, he that only believes it, can’t be said to receive it. And if a captain offers to deliver a distressed people, they that only believe what he says without committing themselves to him and putting themselves under him, can’t be said to receive him. So if a prince offers one his favor, he that don’t esteem his favor cannot be said heartily to accept the offer. So if one offended offers his pardon to another, he can’t be said to receive it if he ben’t sensible of his fault, nor don’t care for the displeasure of the offended.

The whole act of reception suitable to the nature of the gospel and its relation to us, and our circumstances with respect to it, is best expressed (if it be expressed in one word) by the word fidi~, or fides. And that for these reasons: this revelation is of things spiritual, unseen, strange and wonderful, exceeding remote from all the objects of sense and those things which we commonly converse with in this world, and also exceeding alien from our fallen nature; so that ’tis the first and the principal manifestation of the symphony between the soul and these divine things, that it believes ’em and acquiesces in ’em as true. And secondly, the Lord Jesus Christ in the gospel appears principally under the character of a Savior, not so much as of a person absolutely excellent; and therefore the proper act of reception of him consists principally in the exercise of a sense of our need of him and of his sufficiency, his ability, his mercy and love, his faithfulness, the sufficiency of his method of salvation, the sufficiency and completeness of the salvation itself, of the deliverance and of the happiness, and an answerable application of the soul to him for salvation; which can be expressed by no other word but “faith,” or “affiance,” or “confidence,” or “trust” and others of the same signification, of which fides, or faith, is much the best, the most significant, because the rest in their common signification take in something that is not of the absolute essence of faith. Thirdly,1 we have these things exhibited to us, to be received by us only by a divine testimony; we have nothing else to hold them forth to us. No. [89] and no. [92].

He that offers any of those things mentioned, and offers them only for those proper acts of reception, may be said to offer them freely, perfectly freely. Vid. [“Miscellanies” no.] 417.2

[54.] Faith. For a man to trust in his own righteousness, is to hope that God’s anger will be appeased or abated, or that he will be inclined to accept him into favor upon the sight of some excellency that belongs to him; or to have such a view of things, that it should appear no other than a suitable and right thing for God’s anger to be abated, and for him to be inclined to take them into favor upon the sight of, or out respect to, some excellency belonging to them.3

[55.] Justifying faith is the soul’s sense and conviction of the reality, the excellency and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as a Savior, with the soul’s answerable entire inclination, entirely an answerable inclining of the heart towards him, and application of itself to him, entirely inclining and moving the heart to him. Vid. John 16:8, as explained by me.4

[56.] Faith is the soul’s hearty conviction and acknowledgment of God’s power in the difficult things, his mercy in the wonderful things,5

his truth in the mysterious and unseen things, [and] the excellency of other holy things of the salvation of Christ Jesus.

[57.] Faith is that which removes guilt of conscience. Guilt of conscience, is the sense of the connection between sin and punishment, first, by God’s law; and second, by God’s nature and the propriety of the thing. The mind is under the weight of guilt as long [as] it has a sense of its being bound to punishment, according to the reason and nature of things.

Faith is what removes this. Therefore there must be in faith, first, a belief that the law is answered and satisfied by Jesus Christ; and second, such a sense of the way of salvation by Christ, that it shall appear proper and

2. “Miscellanies” no. 417, “Free Grace,” in Works, 13, 476–77. 3. JE deletes the following, which is an aborted draft of the next entry: “Faith may be defined: An hearty sense and conviction of the necessity, reality, sufficiency and excellency of Jesus Christ as a Savior, with an answerable entire inclination of the heart, with the soul’s answerable entire inclination and application of itself, to him.”

beautiful and according to the reason of things that sin may not be punished in us, but that we nevertheless should be accepted through Christ. When the mind sees a way that it can be done, and that there is nothing in the law, nor in the divine nature, nor nature of things to hinder it, that of itself lightens the burthen and creates hope. It eases the mind to see that it is not forever bound by the reason of things to suffer, though the mind don’t know that it has performed the condition. This is to have a sense of the sufficiency of this way of salvation.

When a man commits sin, his soul has a natural sense of the propriety of punishment in such a case; that punishment, according to the reason of things, belongs to him, for the same reason as all nations have this sense of the propriety of punishing men for faults.

The blood of bulls and goats and calves could never make them that offered them perfect as to the conscience, because the mind never could have a sense of the propriety and beauty and fitness in reason of being delivered from punishment upon their account.

This kind of sense of the sufficiency of Christ’s mediation depends upon a sense of the gloriousness and excellency of gospel things in general, as the greatness of God’s mercy, the greatness of Christ’s excellency and dignity and dearness to the Father, the greatness of Christ’s love to sinners, etc.

That easiness of mind which persons often have before they have comfort from a sense of their being converted, arises from a sense they have of God’s sovereignty. They see that it is not that [that is] in the nature of God nor nature of things that will necessarily bind them to punishment, but that God may damn them if he pleases, and may save them if he pleases.

When persons are brought to that, then they are fit to be comforted; then their comfort is like to have a true and immovable foundation, when their dependence is no way upon themselves but wholly upon God.

In order to such a sense of the sufficiency of this way of salvation, it must be seen that God has no disposition and no need to punish us. The sinner, when he considers how he has affronted and provoked [God], he looks upon it that the case is such, and the affront such, that there is need in order to majesty and honor and authority’s being vindicated, that he should be punished; and that God’s nature is such that he must be disposed to punish him.

Corol. Hence we learn that our experience of the sufficiency of the doctrine of the gospel to give peace of conscience, is a rational inward witness to the truth of the gospel. When the mind sees such a fitness in this way of salvation, that it takes off the burthen that arises from the sense of its being necessarily bound to punishment through proper desert and from the demands of reason and nature, it is a strong argument that it is not a thing of mere human imagination, when we experience its fitness to answer its end.

This is the third of the Three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit bears witness by discovering the divine glory and stamps of divinity that are in the gospel; the water bears witness, that is, the experience of the power of the gospel to purify and sanctify the heart witnesses the truth of it; and the blood bears witness by delivering the conscience from guilt.

Any other sort of faith than this sense of the sufficiency of Christ’s salvation, don’t give such immediate glory and honor to Christ, and don’t so necessarily and immediately infer the necessity of Christ’s being known. None other so makes all Christianity to hang upon an actual respect to Christ, and center in him. Surely the more the sinner has an immediate and sole and explicit dependence upon Christ, the more Christ has the glory of his salvation from him.

In order to this sort of sense of the congruity of any sin’s being forgiven, of punishment’s being removed, by the satisfaction of Christ, there must of necessity be a sense of our guiltiness: for it is impossible any congruity should be seen without comparison of the satisfaction with the guilt, and they can’t be compared except there be a sense of them both. There must not only be such a sense of God’s being very angry, and his anger being very dreadful, without any sense of the reasonableness of that anger; but there must be a proper sense of the desert of wrath, such as there is in repentance. Indeed, it is possible there may be such a sense of the glory of the Savior and his salvation, that if we have more of a sense of guilt than we have, we should see a congruity.

Sinners under conviction of their guilt are generally afraid that God is so angry with them, that he never will give them faith in Christ; they think the majesty and jealousy of God will not allow of it. There therefore goes with a sense of the sufficiency of Christ, a sense of God’s sovereignty with respect to mercy and judgment, that he will and may have mercy in Christ on whom he will have mercy, and leave to hardness whom he will. This eases of that burthen.

[58.] For a man to trust in his own righteousness is to conceive hopes of some favor of God, or some freedom from his displeasure, from a false notion of his own goodness or excellency and the proportion it bears to that favor, and of their own badness and the relation it bears to his displeasure.6

’Tis to conceive hopes of some favor of God from a false notion of the relation our own goodness or excellency bears to that favor, whether this mistaken relation be obligation in natural justice or propriety and decency, or obligation in point of wisdom and honor, or if he thinks that without it God won’t do excellently or according to any of his declared attributes, or whether it be any obligation by virtue of his promise; whether this favorable respect be the pardon of sin, or bestowment of heaven, or abating of punishment, or answering prayers, or mitigation of punishment, or converting grace, or God’s delighting in us prizing of us, or the bestowing of any temporal or spiritual blessing.

This excellency we speak of is either real or supposed, either negative in not being so bad as others and the like, or positive.

Whether it be natural or moral excellency, whether the sinner himself looks upon it as an excellency, or supposes God looks upon it so: see my sermon on Tit. 3:5.7

For men to trust in their own righteousness, is to entertain hopes of escaping any displeasure or obtaining any positive favor from God from too high a notion of our own moral excellency or too light a notion of our badness, as compared with or related to that favor or displeasure.

Faith 431

6. JE deletes: “For a man to trust in his own righteousness, is for him, from a false apprehension of his own negative or positive excellency, to suppose that God should either negatively or positively deal with him in things wherein indeed he is sovereign, or that it is suitable and proper for him so to do.

“’Tis from a false opinion of the moral relation there is between our real or supposed negative or positive excellency, and God’s favorable respect, to conceive hopes of God’s favorable respect in some instance or other.”

This is to be observed about the Scriptures that I have brought about faith, that they sometimes affix Christ’s salvation to the natural and immediate effects of faith, as well as to faith itself; such as asking, knocking, etc. Rom. 10:12–14—in the fourteenth verse, faith is distinguished from calling upon him.

All trusting to our own righteousness indeed is expecting justification for our own excellency, but they that expect that God will convert them for their excellency, or do anything else towards their salvation upon that account, do trust in their own righteousness; because the supposing that God will be the more inclined to convert a man, or enable him to come to Christ for his excellency, is to suppose that he is justified already at least in part. It supposes that God’s anger is at least partly appeased, and that God is more favorably inclined to him for his excellence’s sake, in that he is disposed to give him converting grace or do something else towards his conversion upon that account. [For the] reasons why men are so apt to trust in their own righteousness, vid. sermon on Gen. 3:24, second use.8

[59.] Faith is a sense and conviction of the reality and goodness of Christ as a Savior, as the gospel reveals him, entirely inclining and uniting the heart to him as my Savior. The heart could not be so united to him as its own Savior, the heart would not be so drawn and moved by the idea, it would not be so united and wedded to the idea of Christ as a Savior, however good the idea might be, if it were not conceived [to be] real. [No. 62.]

The difficulty in giving a definition of faith, is that we have no word that clearly and adequately expresses the whole act of acceptance or closing of the soul or heart. “Inclination” expresses it but partially. “Convic-

8. This sermon of early 1731, printed under the title East of Eden in Works, 17, 329–48, has two doctrines: “When man fell, God drove him away from all his former blessedness,” and “When we fell, we so procured the displeasure of God, that there was no hope, by anything that we could do, of ever attaining that life and eternal blessedness which otherwise we should [have] attained.” In the second Use under the Application (pp. 347–48), JE states, “How vain and dangerous are their attempts that are attempting to get eternal life themselves.” Men are apt to seek eternal life through own righteousness for the following reasons: “1. They are exceeding loath to perish. . . . 2. The light of nature seems to suggest that the favor of God and his reward must be obtained by righteousness. . . . 3. A being saved by another’s righteousness is a thing that men naturally can’t have no conception of the propriety of. . . . 4. They have that proud conceit of their own goodness, that they are ready to think it sufficient.”

tion” expresses it also but in part. “The sense of the soul” don’t do it fully. And if we use metaphorical expressions, such as “embrace,” “adhere to,” etc. they are obscure, and won’t carry the same idea with them to the minds of all.

All words that are used to express such acts of the mind, are of a very indeterminate signification. It is a difficult thing to find words to exhibit our own ideas.

Another difficulty is to find a word that shall clearly express the whole goodness or rightness of the Savior and gospel: to be true is one part of its goodness; for the savior to be sufficient is another part of his goodness; to be suitable is another part; to be beautiful and glorious is another part; to be necessary is another part.

[60.] How that there is an understanding of the way of salvation in faith, and a particular application to ourselves: vid. sermon on Job 36:22.9

[61.] Of the nature of faith: see how in faith the soul understands the way of salvation and believes the reality of [it], sermon [on] Deut. 32:39, in that part where it is explained how wounded consciences are healed.1

[62.] [No. 59]. The idea of a real good or lovely object, that is conceived to be real, possesses the heart after another manner than a very lovely idea that is only imaginary; so that there is need of both a sense of goodness and reality to unite the heart.

[63.] Faith is the soul’s sense of an acquiescence in the goodness and reality of Christ as our Savior.2

[64.] Faith is soul’s embracing the revelation the Word of God gives us of Jesus Christ, in a sense and conviction of his goodness and reality as our Savior.

Faith 433

9. The MS sermon on Job 36:22 (143), from early 1730, has the doctrine, “There is none that teaches like God.” JE refers to MS pp. 7–8, where he writes: “God only can impart to men an understanding of the way of salvation . . . ’Tis the work of God to teach men the way of life, and it is done by a divine light shining into the soul.”

1. The sermon is not extant. 2. JE deleted the following two entries with large X marks: “Faith is the soul’s conviction and sense of the goodness and reality of Christ as a Savior, and so embracing him.

“Faith is the soul’s embracing the revelation of Jesus Christ in a conviction and sense of his goodness and reality as a Savior.”

[65.] Faith is the soul’s embracing and acquiescing in the revelation3

the Word of God gives us of Jesus Christ as our Savior, in a sense and conviction of his goodness and reality as such.

I don’t speak of this goodness and reality of Christ as a Savior as a distinct thing from the embracing, but only explain the nature of the embracing by it; but it is implied in it, it is the first and principal thing in it. And indeed, all that belongs to embracing the revelation—an approbation of it, a love to it, adherence to it, acquiescence in it—is in a manner implied, in a sense of its goodness and reality and relation to us, or our concern in him.

I say, “as our Savior,” for there is implied in believing in Christ not only and merely that exercise of mind which arises from a sense of his excellency and reality as a Savior, but also with that, what arises from the consideration of his relation to us and our concern in him, his being a Savior for such as we, for sinful men, and a Savior that is offered with his bene- fits to us. The angels, they have a sense of the reality and goodness of Christ as a Savior, and may be said with joy to embrace the discovery of it; but they can’t be said to believe in Christ. The Spirit that they receive the notice that they have of Christ the Savior is the same, but there is a difference in the act by reason of the different relation that Christ as a Savior stands in to us from what he doth to them.

Obj. It may be objected, that this seems to make the revelation more the object of the essential act of faith than Christ. I answer, No, for the revelation is no otherwise the object by this definition than as it brings and exhibits Christ to us. It is embracing the revelation in a sense and conviction of the goodness and reality of the Savior it exhibits. We don’t embrace Christ by faith any other way than as brought to us in a revelation. When we come to embrace him as exhibited otherwise, that won’t be faith.

[66.] Faith is the soul’s embracing and acquiescing in the revelation the Word of God gives us of Jesus Christ as our Savior, in a sense and conviction of his reality and goodness as such.

[67.] Faith is the soul’s entirely embracing and acquiescing in the revelation the Word of God gives us of Jesus Christ as a Savior for us, in a sense of his reality and goodness as such.

[68.] A man is saved by that faith which is a reception of Christ in all his offices, but he is justified by his receiving Christ in his priestly office.

[69.]4 Faith is the entire acquiescence of the soul in the idea of Christ as my Savior, in a sense and conviction of his reality and goodness as a Savior, as the gospel reveals him.

[70.] To believe is to have a sense and a realizing belief of what the gospel reveals of the mediation of Christ, and particularly as it concerns ourselves.

There is in faith a conviction that redemption by that mediation of Christ that the gospel reveals, is, and a sense how it is, and particularly how it may be with respect to us in particular. [No. 72.]

[71.] There is a trusting in Christ that belongs to the very essence of true faith. That quiet and ease of mind that arises from a sense of the suf- ficiency of Christ, may well be called a trusting to that sufficiency. It gives a quietness to a mind, to see that there is a way wherein it may be saved, to see a good and sufficient way wherein its salvation is very possible, and the attributes of God ben’t opposite to it. This gives ease, though it be not yet certain that he shall be saved. But to believe Christ’s sufficiency so as to be thus far easy may be called a trusting in Christ, though it ben’t trusting in him that he will save us. To be easy in any degree, in a belief or persuasion of the sufficiency of anything for our good, is a degree of trusting. No. [81].5

[72.] [No. 70]. There is not only a belief of what the gospel declares— that Christ has satisfied for our sins and merited eternal life—but there is also a sense of it: a sense that Christ’s sufferings do satisfy, and that he did merit, or was worthy that we should be accepted for his sake. There is a difference between being convinced that it is so, and having a sense that it is so.

[73.] Faith is a sense of the answerableness and conviction of the reality of that mediation of Christ which the gospel reveals.6

[74.] Faith is the entire acquiescing of the soul in Christ in the gospel representation of him, as a real and excellent Savior and good for me.

[75.] Faith is the soul’s entire uniting or closing with Christ for his Savior, in a sense and conviction of his reality and goodness as a Savior as the gospel reveals him.

[76.] There is in the essence of justifying faith included a receiving of Christ as a Savior from sin; for we embrace him as the author of life as well as Savior from misery. But the sum of that eternal life which Christ purchased is holiness; it is a holy happiness. And there is liberty, the happiness that Christ procured and offers in faith. The Jews despising the pleasant land is mentioned as part of their unbelief.

[77.] Faith is the soul’s entire uniting or closing with and seeking to Christ for his Savior, acquiescing in his reality and goodness as a Savior as the gospel reveals him.7

[78.]8 In the treatise of faith, first bring the Scriptures, then examine the sense of some of the particulars; and first examine how far trusting in Christ is essential in faith, and what trusting not essential, before I come to definition; and then explain more particularly the nature of faith after the definition.

[79.] It must be as the gospel reveals Christ, or in the gospel notion of him that the soul must close with Christ: for whosoever is offended in Christ, in the view that the gospel gives us of him, can’t be said to believe on him; for he is one that is excluded of blessedness, by that saying of Christ, Matt. 11:6, “Blessed is he, whosoever is not offended in me.”

[80.]9 There is implied in faith not only a believing Christ to be a real and sufficient and excellent Savior for me, and an having a complacency in him as such, but to complete the act of faith, there is in it an act of the soul in this view of him and disposition towards him, seeking to him that

7. JE deleted the following entry with an X: “Faith is the according of the whole soul, and not only of the understanding.”

he would be my Savior; as is evident, because the worse prayer would not be the expression of faith. But prayer1 is only the voice of faith to God through Christ. And ’tis further evident, because faith is expressed by a coming to Christ and a looking to him to be saved.

[81.] There is hope implied in the essence of justifying faith. Thus there is hope that I may obtain justification by Christ, though there is not contained in its essence a hope that I have obtained it. And so there is a trust in Christ contained in the essence of faith. There is a trust implied in seeking to Christ to be my Savior in an apprehension that he is a sufficient Savior, though not a trust in him as one that has promised to save me, as having already performed the condition of the promise. If a city was besieged and distressed by a potent enemy and should hear of some great champion at a distance, and should be induced by what they hear of his valor and goodness to seek and send to him for2 relief, believing what they have heard of his sufficiency and thence conceiving hope that they may be delivered, the people, in sending, may be said to trust in such a champion—as of old the children of Israel, when they sent into Egypt for help, were said to “trust in Egypt.” See no. [91]. No. [49]. No. [58, § 4]. No. [70].

[82.] Faith is the soul’s entirely closing with and applying itself to Christ for his Savior, effectually acquiescing in his reality and goodness for him as a Savior as the gospel exhibits him. No. [124].

[83.] It has by many been said that the soul’s immediately applying Christ to itself as his Savior was essential to faith, and so, that he should believe him to be his Savior, doubtless an immediate application is necessary. But that which is essential is not the soul’s immediately3 applying Christ to itself, so properly as its applying itself to Christ.

[84.] Faith. Scriptures. Good works are in some sort implied in the very nature of faith, as is implied in I Tim. 5:8, where the Apostle, speaking of those that don’t provide for their parents, says, “If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, [he] hath denied the faith.” See no. [94].

[85.] (Vid. “Miscellanies” no. 494.)4 Faith is that inward sense and act of which prayer is the expression, as is evident,

1. Because in the same manner as the freedom of grace, according to the gospel covenant, is often set forth by that, that he that believes receives; so it also oftentimes is by that, that he that asks, or prays, or calls upon God receives. Matt. 7:7–11, Luke 11:9, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” Matt. 21:21–22, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” And Mark 11:23–24, to the same purpose with that last mentioned place in Matthew. John 15:7, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.” Ps. 86:5, “Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.” Ps. 145:18, “The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.” Joel 2:32, the Prophet, speaking there of gospel times, says, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.” Rom. 10:12–13, “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him for whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Quoting the forementioned place in Joel, I Cor. 1:2–3, “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Eph. 3:12, “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.”

3. Prayer is often plainly spoken of as the expression of faith, as it very evidently is in Rom. 10:11–14, “For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” And Christian prayer is called “the prayer of faith” (Jas. 5:15); and believing is often mentioned as the life and soul of true prayer, as in that forementioned place, Matt. 21:21–22. I Tim. 2:8, “I will that men every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting”; and Heb. 10:19, 22, “Draw near in full assurance of faith.” Jas. 1:5–6, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask it of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.”

Faith in God is expressed in praying to God. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is expressed in praying to Christ and praying in the name of Christ, and the promises are made to asking in Christ’s name in the same manner as they are to believing in Christ. John 14:13–14, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” Ch. 16:23–24, “Verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name: ask, and receive, that your joy may be full.” No. [129].

[86.] Trusting in Christ is implied in the nature of faith, as is evident by Rom. 9:33, “As it is written, Behold I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offense: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” The Apostle there in the context is speaking of justifying faith. And ’tis evident that trusting in Christ is implied in the import of the word “believeth”: for being ashamed, as the word is used in Scripture, is the passion that arises upon the frustration of trust or confidence. No. [88].

[87.] There is implied in justifying faith a trusting to Christ’s truth and faithfulness, or a believing what he declares and promises; as is evident, because it is called not only believing in Christ and believing on Christ, but believing Christ. John 3:36, “He that believeth not the Son shall not see life.” Vid. no. [90].

[88.] Trusting in Christ.5 Is. 27:5, “Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.”

[89.] No. [54]. Why this reception or unition of the soul is properly expressed by faith? Ans. Not so much merely from the nature of the act most abstractedly considered, which [is] unition, or reception, or closing, but from the nature of that act conjunctly with the state of the agent and the object of the act; which qualifies and specifies the act and adds such qualifications to the abstract idea of unition, closing or reception. Consider the state of the receiver: guilty, miserable, undone, impotent, helpless, unworthy; the nature and work of the received, he being a divine invisible Savior; the end for which he is received; the benefits, invisible; the ground on which he is received or closed with, the Word6 of God, invitations, promises; the circumstances of those things that are received, supernatural, incomprehensible, wonderful, difficult, unsearchable: the proper act of unition or reception in such a case is most aptly expressed by the word faith. No. [92].

[90.] No. [87]. Fearfulness is opposite to faith. Mark 4:40, “Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?” And Rev. [21:8], “But the fearful, and the unbelieving.”

[91.] Justifying faith is sometimes called “hope” in Scripture. See “Scriptures” no. 284.7 See no. [81].

[92.]8 See no. [89] and no. [54]. The condition both of the first and second covenant is a receiving compliance with or yielding to a signification or declaration from God, or to a revelation made from God. A re-

5. JE, Jr., inserts: “is often implied in faith according to the representation of Scripture.” 6. This point marks the end of MS p. 14; JE concluded no. [89] in the middle of MS p. 15 (no. [96]) after deleting the following passage (no. [97]) at the top of MS p. 15: “Trusting in Christ, or to have hope or confidence that we shall receive of Christ the things we seek of him, is either of the nature of faith or immediately flows from its nature, is evident by that, I John 5:13–14, ‘These things have I written unto you that believe in the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe in the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.’”

ceiving or yielding to a signification of the will of God as our sovereign Lord and lawgiver is most properly called obedience. The receiving and yielding to a strange and mysterious revelation and offer which God makes of mercy to sinners, being a revelation of things spiritual, supernatural, invisible and mysterious, through an incredible power, wisdom and grace of God, is properly called faith. There is indeed obedience in the condition of both covenants, and there is faith or believing God in both; but the different name arises from the remarkably different natures of the revelation or manifestations made. The one is a law, the other a testimony and offer. The one is a signification of what God expects that we should do towards him and what he expects to receive from us, the other a revelation of what he has done for us and an offer of what we may receive from him. The one is an expression of God’s great authority over us in order to a yielding to that authority, the other is a revelation of God’s mysterious and wonderful mercy and wisdom and power for us, in order to a reception answerable to such a revelation.

It must most naturally be called faith, 1. Because the Word, that is, the object of it, is a revelation which most verily concerns our interest and good; and that a revelation, not of a work to be done by us, but an offer made to us only to be received by us. If it were a manifestation other than by testimony, a receiving it and yielding to it would not so naturally be called faith; and if it were a manifestation of something not nearly concerning us, it would not naturally be called faith: for idle stories that don’t concern us, ben’t the object of trust or dependence. And if it were a manifestation in order to something expected from us, some work to be done by us, a yielding to it would not so properly be called faith; for yielding then would imply something more than just receiving the testimony.

2. Because the person that is the object of it is revealed in the character of a wonderful Savior. A receiving a person in the character of a savior is a proper act of trust and affiance; and a receiving a divine invisible Savior that offers to save us by incredible power, wisdom and mercy, and by very mysterious supernatural works, is properly faith.

3. The benefits that are revealed that are the objects of faith are things spiritual, invisible, wonderful and future; and therefore embracing and depending on these is properly faith. See no. [102]. Here see “Miscellanies” no. 1156, p. 9.9

[93.] The reason why this was not so fully insisted upon under the old testament, under the denomination of faith, was that the revelation itself of this great salvation was not this explicitly and fully made.

[94.] See no. [84]. Faith implies a cleaving to Christ, so as to be disposed to sell and suffer all for him. See John 12:42–43 compared with John 5:44. See concerning these scriptures, “Miscellanies” no. 855.1

[95.] See no. [11]. [Faith]2 is not all kind of assent to the Word of God as true and divine, for so the Jews in Christ’s time assented to the books of Moses; and therefore Christ tells ’em that they trusted in Moses. John 5:45, “There is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.” And yet the very thing that Moses accuses ’em for was not believing in him, i.e. believing so as to yield to his sayings, and comply with him or obey him, as the phrase in the New Testament is concerning Christ. And therefore Christ says in the next, “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.”

There may be a strong belief of divine things in the understanding, and yet no saving faith; as is manifest, I Cor. 13:2, “Though I have faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have no charity, I am nothing.”

[96.] See no. [24]. Not only trusting in Christ as one that has undertaken to save us, and as believing that he is our Savior, is faith, but applying to him or seeking to him that he would become our Savior, with a sense of his reality and goodness as a Savior, is faith; as is evident by Rom. 15:12, “In him shall the Gentiles trust,” compared with the place whence it is cited, Is. 11:10, “To it shall the Gentiles seek,” together with Ps. 9:10, “And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee”: which agrees well with faith’s being called a looking to Christ, or coming to him for life, or flying for refuge to him, or flying to him for safety. And this is the first act of saving faith. And prayer’s being the expression of faith confirms this. This is further confirmed by Is. 31:1, “Woe to them that go down into Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!” When it is said, Ps. 69:6, “Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake,” it is equivalent to that in the scripture, “He that believeth shall never be confounded” [I Pet. 2:6]; and when it is said, v. 32, “And your heart shall live that seek the Lord,” ’tis equivalent to that in the scripture, “The just shall live by faith” [Rom. 1:17, Gal. 3:11]. So Ps. 22:26and Ps. 70:4. And so Amos 5:4, “For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live”; and v. 6, “Seek the Lord, and ye shall live”; and v. 8, “Seek him that made the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning.” Cant. 4:8, “Look from the top of Amana.” Is. 17:7–8, “At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images.” Is. 45:22, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth.” Jonah 2:4, “I will look again towards thine holy temple.” Mic. 7:7, “Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.” Ps. 34:5, “They looked unto him, and were lightened: their faces were not ashamed.”

[97.] No. 13. Faith is a taking hold of God’s strength (Is. 27:5).

[98.] Faith is expressed by stretching out the hands to Christ. Ps. [68:31], “Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands to God.” So Christ said to the man that had the withered hand, “Stretch forth thine hand” [Matt. 12:13, Mark 3:5, Luke 6:10]. Promises of mercy and help are often in Scripture made to rolling our burden, rolling ourselves, or rolling our way on the Lord (Prov. 16:3, Ps. 22:8 and 37:5).

[99.] See no. 12. That there are different sorts of faith, and that all believing that Christ is the Son of God and Savior of the world, etc. is not true and saving faith, or that faith which most commonly has the name of faith appropriated to it in the New Testament, is exceeding evident by John 6:64, “But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.” Here all false disciples that had but a temporary faith, that thought him to be the Messiah but would fall away—as Judas and others—are said to be those that believed not; making an essential difference between their belief and that grace that has the name faith or believing appropriated to it. See further of this in the paper concerning perseverance, no. 10.3

[100.] See no. 7. [Faith]4 is a receiving Christ into the heart, in such a sense as to believe that he is what he declares himself to be and to have such a high esteem of him as an excellent Lord and Savior, and so to prize him and so to depend upon him, as not to be ashamed nor afraid to profess him and openly and constantly to appear on his side. See Rom. 10:8–13.

[101.] See no. [35]. Trusting in riches, as Christ uses the expression concerning the rich young man and as the expression is used elsewhere, is an extensive expression comprehending many dispositions, affections and exercises of heart towards riches. So faith in Christ, or trusting in Christ, is extensive. No. [131].

[102.] See no. [92]. The soul’s active closing or uniting with Christ is faith, but the act of the soul in its uniting or closing must be agreeable to the kind and nature of the union that is to be established between Christ and the saints, and that subsists between them, and is the foundation of the saints’ communion with Christ. Such is the nature of it, that it is not merely like the various parts of a building that are cemented and cleave fast together, or as two marbles or precious stones may be joined so as to become one. If it were merely love, [it] might be a proper union between the saints and Christ. But it is such a kind of union as there [is] between a head and living members, between stock and branches, between which and the head, or stock, there is such a kind of union, that there is an entire, immediate, perpetual dependence for and derivation of nourishment, refreshment, beauty, fruitfulness and all supplies, yea, life and being. And the union is wholly for this purpose; this derivation is the end of it, and it is the most essential thing in the union. Now such an union as this, when turned into act (if I may so say), or an active union of an intelligent rational being that is agreeable to this kind of union, and is a recognition and expression and as it were the active band of it, is something else besides mere love: it is an act most properly expressed by the name

3. See MS notebook on “Controversies,” p. 107, “Perseverance,” § 10, which argues that “there is an essential difference between the faith and seeming grace of such professors as fall away, and such as persevere, even before any distinction appears,” citing John 6:64–65, 70, and the example of Judas and his “type,” Ahitophel.

of faith, according to the proper meaning of that word so translated, as it was used in the days when the Scriptures were written. Vid. no. [106].

[103.] See no. 13. Trusting in a prince or ruler, as the phrase was understood among the Jews, implied in it faithful adherence and entire subjection, submission and obedience. So much the phrase plainly implies, Judg. 9:15, “And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.” We have an account of the fulfillment of this parable in the sequel, how the men of Shechem did not prove faithful subjects to Abimelech, according to their covenant or agreement with him, but dealt treacherously with him (v. 23); and how accordingly Abimelech proved the occasion of their destruction. The like figure of speech is used to signify the nation’s obedience to the king of Assyria. Ezek. 31:6, “All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations.” So also the subjection of the nations to Nebuchadnezzar. Dan. 4:11–12, “The tree grew, and was strong . . . the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.”

The benefit that men that are the true subjects of Christ have by him, is expressed by the very same thing, Ezek. 17:23, “In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they5 dwell.”

Our trusting in God and Christ is often expressed by our trusting in his shadow, and under the shadow of his wings, and the like (Ps. 17:8 and 36:7 and 57:1 and 63:7 and 91:1; Cant. 2:3; Is. 4:6 and 25:4). Here see Ruth 2:12 compared with ch. 1:16. See no. [131]. See no. [138].6

[104.] No. 10. John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; he that believeth not the Son shall not see life.” In the original it is, “He that obeyeth not the Son, apeiqwn.” The force of the word may be in some measure learned, Acts 5:36–37 and Acts 5:40, “And to him they agreed,” or “obeyed”; the word is the same in the Greek. And Acts 23:21,

“But do not thou yield unto them”; the word is the same in the Greek. Acts 26:19, “I was not disobedient” (apeiqh~) “to the heavenly vision.” Rom. 1:30, “Disobedient to parents, apeiqei~.” See also Acts 17:4, “Some of them believed” (in the Greek epeiqhoan), “and consorted with Paul and Silas.” Acts 14:2, “The unbelieving Jews, apeiqonte~.” Eph. 2:2, “The spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, apeiqeia~.”

We may judge something of the force of the word peiqomai by the signification of the word whence it comes. Peiqomai is the passive of peiqw, that signifies to counsel, to move or entice, draw or persuade unto.

[105.] No. 20. That a saving Belief of truth arises from love or a holy disposition and relish of heart, appears by Phil. 1:9–10, “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent.” That this approving the things that are excellent is mentioned as an instance of the exercise of that knowledge and judgment that is spoken of as the fruit of love, appears more plainly in the original, as the connection is evident: ei~ to dokimazein, “unto the approving.”7 The same thing appears by II Thess. [2:12], “That they all might be damned who believeth not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

[106.] See no. [102]. It is fit that, seeing we depend so entirely and universally, visibly and remarkably on God in our fallen state for happiness, and the special design of God was to bring us into such a great and most evident dependence, that the act of the soul by which it is interested in this benefit, bestowed in this way, should be agreeable, viz. a looking and seeking to and depending on God for it; that the unition of heart—that is the proper term—should imply such an application of the soul to God, and seeking the benefit thus only and entirely, and with full sense of dependence on him; that as the condition before was obedience or rendering to God, so now it should be seeking and looking to him, drawing and as it were seeking it8 from him and with the whole heart, depending on him, his power and free grace, etc.

Faith is the proper active union of the soul with Christ as our Savior, as revealed to us in the gospel. But the proper active union of the soul with Christ as our Savior, as revealed to us9 in the gospel, is the soul’s active agreeing and suiting or adopting itself in its act to the exhibition God gives us of Christ and his redemption, to the nature of the exhibition being pure revelation, and a revelation of things perfectly above our senses and reason; and to Christ himself in his person as revealed, and in the character under which he is revealed to us; and our states with regard to him in that character, and1 our need of him and concern with him; and his relation to us, [the] benefits to us with which he is exhibited and offered to us in that revelation; and the great design of God in that method and divine contrivance of salvation revealed. But the most proper name for such an active union or unition of the soul to Christ, as this, of any language, affords, is faith.

The revelation or exhibition that God first made of himself was of his authority, demanding and requiring of us that we should render something to him that nature and reason required. The act of the soul that is suitable to such an exhibition may be expressed by submitting, doing, obeying and rendering to God. The exhibition [which]2 God makes of himself since our fall in the gospel, is not of his power and authority as demanding of us, but of his sufficiency for us as needy, empty [and] helpless, and his grace and mercy to us as unworthy and miserable. And the exhibition is by pure revelation of things quite above all our senses and reason, or the reach of any created faculties, being of the mere good pleasure of God. The act in us that is proper and suitable to and well according to such an exhibition as this, may be expressed by such names, as believing, seeking, looking, depending, acquiescing, or, in one word, faith.

[107.] No. 13. That believing in the New Testament is much the same with trusting in the Old, is confirmed by comparing Jer. 17:5, “Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, whose heart departeth from the lord,” [and] v. 7, “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, whose hope the Lord is,” with Heb. 3:12, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living god.”

It also is confirmed by this, that trusting in God and hoping in him are used in the Old Testament as expressions of the same import. So hope is often in the New Testament used to signify the same thing, that in other places is signified by faith. Rom. 15:12–13, “And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gen- tiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. Now the God of peace fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Compare Dan. 3:28 with Dan. 6:23 and Heb. 11:33–34. ’Tis manifest that trusting in God is a phrase of the same import with believing in him, by comparing Is. 49:23, “They shall not be ashamed that wait for me,” compared [. . .] See no. [132].

[108.] See no. 20. That saving faith implies in its nature divine love is manifest, by I John 5:1, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.” The Apostle’s design in this verse seems to be to show the connection there is between a true and sincere respect to God and a respect to and union with Christ.3 So that he who is united to the Son is to the Father, and vice versa; as he believes in Christ, and so loves him, ’tis an evidence that he is a child of God, and vice versa. He whose heart is united to the Father, is to the Son too. He who “loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him” (compare ch. 2:22–24 and ch. 4:15, and John 14:1 and John 15:23–24). The same is further manifest again, by the following verses of this chapter, [vv.] 3–5: “This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous”; i.e. this is a good evidence that we have true love to God, that we are enabled to triumph over the difficulties we meet with in this evil world, and not to esteem the yoke of denial of our worldly lusts a grievous and heavy yoke, and on that account be unwilling to take it upon us. “For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” This is explaining what he had said before, that our love to God enables us to overcome the difficulties that attend keeping God’s commands; which shows that love is the main thing in saving faith, the life and power of it, by which it produces its great effects, agreeable to what the apostle Paul [says],4 when he calls saving faith, faith effectual by love.5

[109.] See “Miscellanies” no. 1120. See also book on “The Harmony of the Genius, etc. of the Old Testament and New,” pp. 1–2.6 See no. [140].

[110.] Seeking god is from time to time spoken of as the condition of God’s favor and salvation in like manner as trusting in him. Ps. 24:5–6, “He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob.” Ps. 69:6, “Let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.” Ps. 69:32, “The humble shall see this, and be glad: your heart shall live that seek God.” Ps. 70:4, “Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified.” Is. 11:10, “There shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.” Is. 45:19, “I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain.” Amos 5:4, “Seek ye me, and ye shall live.” V. 6, “Seek the Lord, and ye shall live.” Lam. 3:25–26, “The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.” Matt. 7:7–8, “Seek, and ye shall find . . . every one that seeketh findeth.” I Chron. 16:10, “Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.” The same words in Ps. 105:3. Ps. 22:26, “The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.” Ps. 34:10, “The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.”

[111.] They that seek God are spoken of as those that Love god’s salvation. Ps. 70:4, “Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let the Lord be magni- fied.” We have the same words again, Ps. 40:16. The expression seems to be in some measure parallel with trusting in God’s salvation—Ps. 78:22, “Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation”—and hoping in Gods salvation—Ps. 119:166, “I have hoped for thy salvation”—and waiting for God’s salvation. Gen. 49:18, “I have waited for thy salvation, O God.” Lam. 3:25–26, “The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.” Mic. 7:7, “I will wait for the God of my salvation.”

Agreeable to this, despising the pleasant land is spoken of as an exercise of the spirit of unbelief. Ps. 106:24, “Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word.”

Harmony of the Genius, Spirit, Doctrines and Rules of the Old Testament and the New” (Beinecke), collects scripture texts on the theme, “FAITH in God the Grand Condition of God’s Salvation, Protection, Deliverance, Etc.”

[112.] Flying, resorting, or running to, as to a refuge, are terms used as being equivalent to trusting. Ps. 62:7–8, “My refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times: God is a refuge for us.” Ps. 91:2. Prov. 18:10, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” Ps. 71:1, “In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust.” [V.] 3, “Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.” Heb. 6:18, “Who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us.” Is. 60:8– 9, “Who are those that fly . . . as doves to their windows? Surely the isles shall wait for me.” No. [126].

[113.] Waiting on the Lord, waiting for his salvation, and the like are terms used as being equivalent to trusting in God in the Scripture. Ps. 25:2–3, “O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed.” V. 5, “On thee do I wait all the day.” V. 21, “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for on thee do I wait.” Ps. 37:3, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.” [V.] 5, “Trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.” [V.] 7, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him.” V. 9, “Those that wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.” V. 34, “Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land.” Ps. 27:13–14, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” Prov. 20:22, “Wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.” Ps. 39:7, “And now, O Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.” Ps. 52:8–9, “I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever . . . I will wait on thy name.” Ps. 59:9, “Because of his strength I will wait on thee.” Ps. 62:1–2, “Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation.” [Vv.] 5–8, “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times, ye people.” Ps. 130:5–8, “I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” Mic. 7:7, “Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.” Is. 30:18, “Blessed are all they that wait for him.” Is. 40:31,

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Is. 49:23, “They shall not be ashamed that wait for me.” [Ch.] 51:5, “The isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.” [Ch.] 60:8, “Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as doves to their windows?” Lam. 3:24–26, “The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good to them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.” Hab. 2:3–4, “Though it tarry, wait for it . . . the just shall live by his faith.” Gen. 49:18, “I have waited for thy salvation, O God.” Ps. 33:18–20, “Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is their help and their shield.” Ps. 40:1, “In waiting, I waited for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.” Vv. 3–4, “Many shall see it, and fear, and trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust.” Is. 33:2, “O Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble.” Is. 64:4, “Neither hath the eye seen, O God, besides thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.” Zech. 11:11, “So the poor of the flock that waited upon me.”

[114.] Hoping in God, hoping in his mercy, etc. are used as terms equivalent to trusting in God.

Ps. 78:7, “That they might set their hope in God.” Ps. 146:5, “Happy is the man that hath the God of Jacob for his aid, whose hope is in the Lord his God.”

Jer. 14:8, “O the hope of Israel, and the savior thereof in time of trouble.”

Jer. 17:7, “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, whose hope the Lord is.” V. 13, “O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed.” V. 17, “Thou art my hope in the day of evil.”

Jer. 50:7, “The Lord, the hope of their fathers.” Joel 3:16, “The heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, the strength of the children of Israel.”

Ps. 39:7, “And now, O Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.” Ps. 71:5, “Thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth.”

Ps. 22:8–9, “He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me to hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.”

Ps. 38:14–15, “Thus I was as a man that heareth not, in whose mouth are no reproofs. For in thee, O Lord, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.”

Ps. 33:18–22, “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on them that fear him, on them that hope in his mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.”

Ps. 147:10–11, “He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, and in them that hope in his mercy.”

Ps. 119:49, “Remember thy word unto thy servant, on which thou hast caused me to hope.” V. 114, “Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.”

Ps. 130:3 to the end, “If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayst be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.”

Lam. 3:21, “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.” [Vv.] 23– 26, “Great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.”

Ps. 119:74, “They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.”

Ps. 119:166, “Lord, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments.”

Rom. 8:24, “We are saved by hope.” Rom. 15:12–13, “In him shall the Gentiles trust. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Rom. 4:16, “But to that also which is of the faith of Abraham.” [V.] 18, “Who against hope believed in hope.” [V.] 19, “And not being weak in faith.” V. 20, “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.”

Gal. 5:5, “We through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness through faith.”7

Col. 1:23, “If ye continue in faith grounded and settled, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard.”

I Tim. 1:1, “And the Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope.” Heb. 3:6, “Whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”

I Pet. 1:3–9, “Hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness, through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” V. 13, “Be sober, and hope to the end for the grace which is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Vv. 21– 22, “Who by him do believe in God, who raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit.”

Ch. 3:15, “And be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you.”

Heb. 11:1, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for.” Matt. 12:21, “In his name shall the Gentiles trust”; in the original, elpiosi, “hope.” See no. [135].

[115.] Looking to, or looking for, are used as phrases equivalent to trusting, seeking, hoping, waiting, believing on, etc. Num. 21:9, “And it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived,” together with John 3:14–15, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Is. 45:22, “Look to me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth.” Ps. 133:1–2, “Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.”

Cant. 4:8, “Look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards.”

Is. 31:1, “Woe unto them that go down into Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!” Is. 8:17, “I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.” Is. 17:7– 8, “In that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves or the images.” Jonah 2:4, “Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; then I said, I will look again towards thy holy temple.” Mic. 2:2, “Therefore will I look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.” Ps. 34:4–5, “I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.” Is. 22:11, “But ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago.”

Ps. 141:8, “But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.” II Chron. 20:12, “O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.” Ps. 25:15, “Mine eyes are ever towards the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.”

[116.] Rolling one’s self or burden on the lord, is an expression used as equipollent to trusting. Ps. 22, “He trusted in the Lord, that he would deliver him”; in the original, “He rolled himself on the Lord.” Ps. 37:5, “Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass”; in the Hebrew, “Roll thy way upon the Lord.” Prov. 16:3, “Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established”; in the Hebrew, “Roll thy works.”

[117.] Leaning on the lord and staying one’s self. Mic. 3:11, “Yet will they lean on the Lord.” Cant. 8:5, “Who is this that cometh up out of the wilderness, leaning on her beloved?” Is. 48:2, “Yet they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves on the God of Israel.” Prov. 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not to thine own understanding.” Is. 26:3, “Thou shalt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.” II Kgs. 18:21, “Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him. But if ye say unto me, We trust in the Lord our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?” So Is. 36:6–7. II Chron. 32:8, “With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah”; in the Hebrew, “leaned on the word of Hezekiah.” Ezek. 29:7, “When they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand.” Heb. 11:21, “By faith Jacob . . . worshipped, leaning on the top of his staff.”

[118.] No. [112]. Ps. 91, “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day . . . A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. . . . Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh they dwelling.”8

[119.] Relying on god. II Chron. 13:18, “Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers,” compared with vv. 14–15, wherein it is said, “And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the Lord, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.” II Chron. 16:7–8, “Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand. Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into thine hand.”

[120.] Committing ourselves, our cause, unto God. Job 5:8–9, “I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause: who doth great things and unsearchable; marvelous things without number.” Ps. 31 at the beginning, “In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust . . . thou art my strong rock, for an house of defense to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress . . . Into thine hand I commend my spirit . . . I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the Lord.” II Tim. 1:12, “Nevertheless I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”

[121.] The distinction of the several constituent parts or acts of faith into assent, consent and affiance, if strictly considered and examined, will appear not to be proper and just, or strictly according to the truth and nature of things, because the parts are not all entirely distinct one from another, and so are in some measure confounded one with another: for the last, viz. affiance, implied the other two, assent and consent, and is nothing else but a man’s assent and consent, with particular relation or application to himself and his own case, together with the effect of all in his own quietness and comfort of mind and boldness, in venturing on this foundation in conduct and practice.9

Affiance consists in these five things: 1. Consent to some thing proposed to be obtained by another person as good, eligible or desirable, and so for him. 2. Assent of the judgment to the reality of the Good as to be obtained by him, that he is sufficient, faithful, etc. 3. The mind’s applying itself to him for it, which is no other than the soul’s desiring1 possession of this good consented to, expressing these desires before him, that he may see and take notice of them; i.e. exercising these desires with an apprehension that he sees our hearts, and designedly spreading them before him to the end that they might be observed by him and gratified. 4.

Hoping that the good will be obtained in this way, which hope consists in two things, viz. expectation of the good in this way, and in some ease, quietness or comfort of mind arising from this expectation. 5. Adventuring some interest on this hope in practice, which consists either in doing something that implies trouble or brings expense or suffering, or in omitting something that we should otherwise [do],2 by which omission some good is foregone or some evil is brought on.

If those acts can’t in strictness be all together at the same moment of time, though they follow one another in the order of nature, yet they are all as it were implied in the act that is exercised the first moment, so far that act is of such a nature as implies a necessary tendency to what follows.

In these three last especially consists a man’s committing himself to Christ as a Savior.

In the third and fourth especially consists the soul’s looking to Christ as a Savior.

In that consent to the way or method of salvation which there is in saving faith, the heart has especially respect to two things in that method that are the peculiar glory of it, and whereby ’tis peculiarly contrary to corrupt nature:

1. Its being a way wherein God is so exalted and set so high, and man so debased and set so low. God is made all in all, and man nothing. God [is] magnified as self-sufficient and all-sufficient, and as being all in all to us, his power and his grace, and Christ’s satisfaction and merits, being all; and man is annihilated, his power, his righteousness, his dignity, his works, are made nothing of.

2. Its being so holy way, a way of mere mercy but yet of holy mercy: mercy in saving the sinner but showing no favor or countenance to sin; a way of free grace but yet of holy grace: not grace exercised to the wrong of God’s holiness, but in such a way as peculiarly to manifest God’s hatred of sin, and opposition to it, and strict justice in punishing of it, and that he will by no means clear the guilty, every way manifesting the infinite evil and odiousness of sin, much more than if there had been no method of salvation offered. And therefore humiliation and holiness are the chief ingredients in the act of consent to this way of salvation.

In these things I have spoken only of a consent to the way or method of salvation; but in saving faith is included also a consent to the salvation it- self, or the benefits procured. What is peculiarly contrary to this in corrupt nature is a worldly spirit; and therefore in order to this act of con[sent] there must be mortification to or weanedness from the world, and a selling all for the pearl of great price.

Lastly, besides all these, there is in saving faith a consent to Christ himself, or a closing of the heart or inclination with the person of Christ. This implies each of the three things forementioned, viz. humiliation, holiness and renouncing the world. It implies humiliation, for as long as men deify themselves, they will not adore Jesus Christ. It implies sanctification, for Christ’s beauty, for which his person is delighted in and chosen, is especially his holiness. It implies forsaking the world, for as long as men set their hearts on the world as their chief good and have that as the chief object of the relish and complacence of their minds, they wont relish and take complacence in Christ, and set their hearts on him as their best good.

N.B. This paragraph about consent may be begun by observing, that the heart of a true believer consents to three things, exhibited in the gospel of salvation: 1. The person who is the author of the salvation. 2. The benefit or the salvation itself. 3. The way or method in which this person is the author of this benefit.3

[122.] The following things concerning the application which a believer makes of a Christ to himself, are taken from Dr. Manton’s Fifth Volume of Sermons, pp. 264–65:4

Inq. What is this application? Here I shall give you, first, some distinctions; secondly, some observations.

I. Distinctions. First. There is a twofold application: one that more immediately respects comfort, the other duty. The application of comfort is when I respect Christ under such a term as implies some privilege to me, that he is my Savior, stood in my room before God, etc. . . . The application that more immediately respects duty, is when I apprehend Christ under such a term as inferreth my obligation to duty and obedience, as the Apostle speaketh, not only of the knowledge of Christ as the Lord, but my Lord. John 20:28, “My Lord and my God.” Now this application is always necessary, and yet questionable.

Second. There is the application of faith and the application of assurance.

1. The application of faith is a particular application of Christ and the promise to ourselves, so as to excite us to look after the benefits and ends for which Christ is appointed. This certainly is necessary for all, that which God revealeth I should know for my good (Job 5:27). . . . In this business it is the more necessary, because we are concerned both in the merit of the Redeemer, and the offer of grace in the promise. Acts 13:26, “To you is this word of salvation sent.” ’Tis a message from God sent to excite me to accept of the remedy offered. ’Tis my duty to make general grace particular, as to obey the commands moral so also evangelical. And the true nature of faith is accepting of Christ to be to me what God appointed him to be and to do for me, what God hath appointed him to do for poor sinners—suppose to be prince and Savior—to give repentance and remission of sins: for certainly I, for my particular, am to accept the offered remedy.

2. The application of assurance is when I actually determine that my own sins are pardoned, that I am adopted into God’s family, or that I am appointed to eternal glory by Jesus Christ. This cannot be made without some sense of our sincerity, because the promises of God require a qualification and performance of duty in the person to whom the promises are made. Therefore we cannot be certain of our interest till we have performed the duty and have the qualification. . . . Of this application the Apostle speaketh, I John 3:19, “Hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.”

II. I shall give you some observations. First [Obs.]. That the application of faith may be without the application of assurance. The application of faith we must have. . . . God offereth pardon and life to you, and you must consent to accept it; and that Christ may be yours, and you his, to the end propounded in the gospel, you must choose him and depend upon him as the only Mediator, resolving to venture your souls and all your hopes upon him. You are not Christians without it. But it may be all this while you do not know that he doth or will own you, because the sincerity of faith and love is doubtful to you.

Second [Obs.]. The one is necessary, the other comfortable. The one is necessary, which application is expressed diversely in Scripture. Sometimes by receiving Christ (John 1:12). We receive him to be a Lord to us and a Savior to us. ’Tis also expressed by apprehending Christ (Phil. 3:2). The words of the spouse do explain this, Cant. 3:4, “I held him, and would not let him go.” Again, this application is ex- pressed by putting on the Lord Jesus. Gal. 3:27, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” So John 6:56, it is expressed by eating of his flesh and drinking his blood.

[123.] No. [35] and no. [101]. Faith implies a cleaving of the heart to Christ, because trusting in others is spoken of as a departing of the heart from the Lord. Jer. 17:5, “Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, whose heart departeth from the Lord.” So a heart of unbelief is a heart that departeth from the Lord. Heb. 3:12, “Lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”

[124.] No. [82]. Faith is the soul’s entirely closing with Christ for my Savior, applying itself to him and to God through him for salvation, effectually acquiescing in his reality and perfection as a Savior as the gospel exhibits him. No. [146].

[125.] “Faith has a double office: it accepts Christ from God, and presents Christ to God. It accepts Christ in the Word, and makes use of him in prayer. In the Word, God offereth him to you as Lord and Savior to give you repentance and remission of sins. Now when you consent to God’s terms, this is to believe in him. . . . Faith presents Christ to God. Eph. 3:12, ‘In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.’ All religion lieth in coming to God by him. Heb. 7:25, ‘Wherefore he is able also to serve them unto the uttermost that come unto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them’” (Dr. Manton, vol. 5, p. 382).5

[126.] We often read in the New Testament of the calling of Christians; of their high calling; and that effect of God’s Word and Spirit, by which they are brought to a saving faith, is called their calling; and true believers are spoken of as the called of God, called saints, etc. And this call is often represented as an invitation: an invitation to come to Christ, to come and join themselves to him, to come to follow him, to continue with him; to be of his party, his society, seeking his interest, etc.; to come to him for his benefits; to come for deliverance from calamity and misery, to come for safety, to come for rest, to come to eat and drink: an invitation to come into his house to a feast. And faith is often called by the name of upakon: hearing, hearkening, yielding to and obeying the gospel; obeying Christ, being obedient to the faith, obeying the form of doctrine, etc.

Hence we may learn the nature of saving faith, that it is an accepting, yielding to and complying with the gospel as such a call and invitation, which implies the hearing of the mind, i.e. the mind’s apprehending or understanding the call; a believing the voice, the offer and promises contained in it; an accepting, esteeming, prizing the person and benefits invited to; a falling in of the inclination, the choice, the affection, etc.

[127.] Faith, as the word is used in Scripture, don’t only signify dependence as it appears in venturing in practice, but also as it appears in the rest of the mind in opposition to anxiety; as appears by Matt. 6:25– 34, “Take no thought for your life . . . shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” So Luke 12:22–33, “Take no thought for your life . . . how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? . . . Fear not, little flock; ’tis the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom,” compared with Phil. 4:6–7 and I Pet. 5:7. This is agreeable to that phrase used for trusting in the Old Testament, “all thy burthen on the Lord.” Matt. 14:30–31, “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”6

[128.] Method of the dissertation. Let this discourse on faith be in the way of answering inquiries, as, for example:7

One Inquiry may be, whether justifying faith in its proper essence implies, besides the act of the judgment, also an act of the inclination and will? What sort of evidence is that which is the principal immediate good of that assent of the judgment that is in saving faith?

Another Inquiry, whether it properly implies love in its essence? Another Inquiry, what are the Scripture descriptions, characters and representations of justifying [faith]?

Inq. What is the true definition of justifying faith? Show how this definition agrees with the Scripture representations of faith and takes all in.

Inq. Whether the word faith as used in the gospel has a signification diverse from what it has in common speech.

Inq. Why the word faith is used to signify this complex act of the mind. Inq. How far trusting in Christ be of the nature and essence of faith. What does the word “trust” imply in common speech?

Inq. Whether assent, consent and affiance be a proper distribution of the various and distinct acts of faith.

Inq. Whether hope, as the word is used in the New Testament, be properly distinct from saving faith.

Inq. What it implies as used in Scripture. Inq. In what sense faith implies obedience. Inq. What is the nature of self-righteousness? Inq. How self-righteousness is peculiarly opposite to the nature of faith. Inq. In what sense there must be particular application in the act of saving faith.

Inq. Whether the first act of faith is certainly more lively and sensible than some of the weakest of the consequent acts of saving faith.

Inq. In what sense perseverance in faith is necessary to salvation.

[129.] No. [85]. Calling on the name of Christ is often spoken of as the proper expression of saving faith in Christ (Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:13–14; I Cor. 1:2; Acts 9:14, 21 and 22:16).

[130.] No. 13. Faith is trusting in Christ. See Doddridge’s note on Acts 16:31.8

[131.] See no. [103]. What in that prophecy of the Messiah in Is. 42:4 is expressed thus, “The isles shall wait for his law,” is, as cited in Matt. 18:21, “In his name shall the Gentiles trust.” No. [145].

[132.] See no. [107]. [. . .] with Is. 28:16 and Rom. 9:33 and 10:11; I Pet. 6:6–8. These places show that waiting for God signifies the same as believing on him. And ’tis evident by what was observed, [No. 113], that waiting on God, or for God, signifies the same as trusting in him.

8. Philip Doddridge, The Family Expositor; or, a Paraphrase and Version of the New Testament; with Critical Notes (6 vols. London, 1739–56; rep. Amherst, Mass., 1836). Vol. 3, containing Acts of the Apostles, was issued in 1748. Doddridge’s note on Acts 16:31 (§ 37, 3, 261, n. o) reads: “To believe in Christ does undoubtedly in its primary Signification imply, trusting in him, or committing ourselves to his Protection. . . . In this Connection it would imediately imply, submitting to the farther Instructions of these his special Embassadors, and authorized Messengers. And it always includes, a Desire to be delivered from the Power of Sin, and a Disposition to comply with his Scheme of Salvation, which is to purify to himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works.”

[133.] No. 17. Coming to Christ and believing in him are evidently used as equipollent expressions in John 6:29–30, 35–37, 40, 44–45, 47, 64–65. This coming, wherein consists believing, implies an attraction of the heart, as is manifest by vv. 44–45.

[134.] No. 17. Christ, by eating his flesh and drinking his blood, evidently means the same thing that he intends in the same chapter by believing in him and coming to him. Compare John 6:50–51, 53–54, 56– 58 with vv. 29–30, 35–37, 40, 44–45, 47, 64–65.

[135.] No. [36]. No. [114]. Saving faith is called in Heb. 3:6, “Parrhsia kai to kauchma th~ elpido~, The confidence and the rejoicing of the hope,” well expressing the act of the whole soul that is in saving faith, the judgment, the will and affections. So in Heb. 10:23, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith.” In the original it is, “elpido~, hope.”

[136.] Justifying faith is nothing else but true virtue in its proper and genuine breathings adapted to the case: to the revelation made, the state we are in, the benefit to be received and the way and means of it, and our relation to these things.

[137.] See no. [28]. Faith is a sincere seeking righteousness and salvation of Christ and in Christ. Rom. 9:31–32, “Hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law.” See also the promises made both in the Old Testament and New to them that seek the Lord.

[138.] No. [103]. To saving faith in Christ belongs adoration, submission and subjection, as appears by Is. 45:23, “Unto me every knee shall bow,” with the foregoing and following verse.

[139.] The general description of justifying faith is a proper reception of Christ and his salvation, or a proper active union of the soul to Christ as a Savior. I say “a proper reception,” which implies that ’tis a receiving him in a manner agreeable to his office and character and relation to us, in which he is exhibited and offered to us, and with regard to those ends and effects for which he is given to mankind, was sent into the world and is appointed to be preached; and in a manner agreeable to the manner in which he is exhibited, made known and offered—i.e. by divine revelation without being exhibited to the view of our senses—and the nature of his person, character, offices and benefits and way of salvation as related to our faculties, mysterious and incomprehensible; and a manner agreeable to our own circumstances and our particular necessities and immediate and infinite personal concern with the revelation and offer of this Savior. An unition of soul to this Savior, and a reception of him and his salvation that is proper in these respects, is most aptly called by the name of faith.

[140.] See no. 20, and no. [104]. That love belongs to the essence of saving faith, is manifest by comparing Is. 64:4, “Men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath he seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him,” as cited by the Apostle, I Cor. 2:9—it is “for them that love him.” Now it is evident that waiting for God in the Old Testament signifies the same with faith in God or trusting in God.

[141.] Dr. Goodwin, in vol. 1 of his Works, p. 286, says, “The papists say, wickedly and wretchedly, that love is the form and soul of faith.”9

[142.] See no. 17. It was of old the coming to the sacrifice as one consenting to the offering, active in choosing and constituting that as his offering, and looking to it as the means of atonement for his sins, that interested him in the sacrifice. As appears by Heb. 10:1–2—[sacrifices] could never “make the comers thereunto perfect. For then . . . the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.” Compare ch. 9:9.

[143.] See concerning the nature of faith, Mr. MacLaurin’s discourses, “Essay on Christian Piety,” pp. 189–99 and [pp.] 205–15; and “Essay on the Scripture Doctrine of Divine Grace,” pp. 273–80.1

464 Faith

9. Thomas Goodwin, Works (5 vols. London, 1681–1704), 1, Pt. 1, p. 286. The quote appears in the first part of An Exposition of the Epistle to the Ephesians. JE, Jr., adds: “But how does the truth of this charge of wickedness appear?”

1. John MacLaurin, Sermons and Essays (Glasgow, 1755). In pp. 189–99 of the “Essay on Christian Piety,” MacLaurin defines several aspects of faith, including having the glory of God as the chief end, being justified before God, and striving for universal holiness. In justification there is a “free donation” consisting of the free gift of the giver and the acceptance of the receiver. Faith is a “sincere persuasion of the divine offers and promises” and a “cordial esteem of the things promised” (p. 195). Finally, there must be an apprehension of the divine perfections of God. Pp. 205–15 elaborate on the nature of faith and the glory of redemption through Scripture teachings. Scripture teaches a “cordial acceptance” of salvation which includes “due esteem” of the excellency and cause of salvation. Acknowledgment of redemption consists in recognizing its glory. The Scripture also teaches that redemption manifests God’s glory, justice, power, wis-

[144.] Concerning the nature of saving faith, see note on Esther 5:2, “Blank Bible,” p. 369, second column.2

[145.] No. [131]. Believing in one for any benefit as sufficient for that benefit and disposed to procure it, and accordingly leaving our interest with him with regard to that benefit, is implied in trusting in another. Job 39:11, “Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labor with him? Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?”

[146.] No. [124]. As the whole soul in all its faculties is the proper subject and agent of faith, so undoubtedly there are two things in saving faith, viz. belief of the truth, and an answerable disposition of heart. And therefore faith may be defined:

A thorough believing what the gospel reveals of a Savior of sinners, as true and perfectly good, with the exercise of an answerable disposition towards him.

That true faith in the Scripture sense of it implies not only the exercise of the understanding, but the heart or disposition, is very manifest.

Many important things pertaining to saving religion, which the Scripture speaks of under the name of some exercise of the understanding, implies the disposition and exercise of the heart also: such as knowing God, understanding the word of [God], having eyes to see and an heart to understand; and piety is called wisdom.

So men’s wickedness is called ignorance, folly, etc. A being wise in our own eyes, implies an high opinion of themselves with an agreeable or answerable disposition.

[147.] ’Tis evident that trust in christ implies the disposition or will, the receiving and embracing of the heart. For we don’t trust in any per-

Faith 465

dom, mercy and love, and furthermore gives ground for a “high esteem” for God’s glory. All of these show the necessity of honoring redemption as a work of God.

In pp. 273–80, in the “Essay on the Scripture Doctrine of Divine Grace,” MacLaurin discusses several “resemblances” of faith that are to be found in “self-deceivers.” These include entertaining a belief in Christ’s mission without owning its principal ends; acknowledging redemption without applying sincerely for sanctification; and giving assent to the gospel without complying with its designs. He then reiterates the importance of a “transcendent esteem” of God and Christ in salvation.

son or thing for anything but good, or what is agreeable to us, what we choose, incline to and desire. Yea, trusting commonly is used with respect to great good, good that we choose as what we depend upon for support, satisfaction, happiness, etc.

[148.] The following things concerning the nature of faith from dr. sherlock, the present Bishop of London, in his Several Discourses Preached at Temple Church, Discourse 14, pp. 257, etc.:3

Faith, as some think, is no proper subject for exhortation: for if faith is a mere act of the mind judging upon motive of credibility, it is as reasonable to exhort a man to see with his eyes, as to judge with his understanding . . . But then, if this be the true nature of faith, . . . how comes it that in every page we find the praises of it in the gospel? What is there in this to deserve the blessings promised to the faithful? Or, whence is it that the whole of our salvation is put upon this foot? . . . How come all these prerogatives to belong to faith, if faith be nothing else but believing things in themselves credible? Why are we not said to be justified by sight, as well as by faith? For is there not the same virtue in seeing things visible, as in believing things credible? . . . Tell me then, what is faith, that it should raise men above the level of mortality, and make men become like the angels of heaven?

But further: [if faith] be only an act of the understanding formed upon due reasons, how comes it to be described in Scripture as having its seat in the heart? The Apostle in the text (Heb. 3:12) cautions against “an evil heart of unbelief”: and the same notion prevails throughout the books of Scripture, and is as early as our Savior’s first preaching. . . . It is necessary for the right understanding of the text, to inquire, first, what is the true notion of faith. . . . Every step by which we advance to the last degree of perfection in Faith, is an act of faith, though of a different kind, and not entitled either to the praises or rewards of the gospel. . . . To render what I mean plain and intelligible, I desire you to consider the degrees and steps of faith, by which men arrive at gospel righteousness. It is one degree of faith to believe the gospels to be true and faithful accounts . . . But this is not that faith we seek after. It is a farther degree of faith to believe the miracles of Christ and his apostles to be true and real miracles, wrought by the power and Spirit of God. But neither is this faith complete: for the miracles were wrought, not for their own sakes, but for the sake of something else; and therefore to believe the miracles, without believing what the miracles were intended to prove, is not Christian faith. Farther still, it is another and more advanced degree of faith to believe that the Spirit of God was given to the apostles in a large measure, and to Christ, the Author of the salvation, without measure. But neither is this that faith which Christ came to propagate: for, should I ask you, Why we are taught, and why are we to believe, that God gave the Spirit to his Son without measure, and to the disciples in a very wonderful manner and degree? would you not easily answer, that these heavenly endowments were both given and declared to make them fit teachers, and as ready disciples, of the doctrines of God? It is evident then, that these gifts were subservient to a farther end, and that Christian faith does not terminate here. . . . Faith, which is the principle of the gospel, respects the promises and declarations of God, and includes a sure trust and reliance on him for the performance. Beyond this there is no farther act of faith. We are not taught to believe this in order to our believing something else: but here faith has its full completion, and leads immediately to the practice of virtue and holiness [. . .]. For this end was the Son of God revealed, to make known the mind and will of the Father, to declare his mercy and pardon, and to confirm the promises of eternal life to mankind: he that believes and accepts this deliverance from the bondage of sin, and through patience and perseverance in well-doing, waits for the blessed hope of immortality; who passes through the world as a stranger and a pilgrim, looking for another country and a city whose builder is God: this is he whose faith shall receive the promise, whose confidence shall have great recompense of reward.

Here Dr. Sherlock speaks of that true Christian faith, which is the principle of the gospel, as including a sure trust and reliance on God. The same author elsewhere in the same book, p. 251,4 speaks of reliance or dependence on God as arising from a principle of love to God, in the words following: “The duties we owe to God are founded in the relation between God and us. . . . I observed likewise to you, that love naturally transforms itself into all relative duties, which arise from the circumstances of the persons related. Thus, in the present case, if we love God, and consider him as Lord and Governor of the world, our love will soon become obedience. If we consider him as wise, good, and gracious, our love will become honor and adoration. If we add to these our own natural weakness and infirmity, love will teach us dependence, and prompt us in all our wants to fly for refuge to our great Protector.” Thus far Dr. Sherlock.

[149.] That in Ps. 50:5, “Gather my saints . . . that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice,” seems to show that such is the nature of true faith in Christ, that believers do therein by the sincere full act of their minds and hearts appoint Christ to be their sacrifice, as such bring him and offer him to God; i.e. they entirely concur [with] what was done in his offering himself a sacrifice for sinners as a real sacrifice, sufficient and proper for them, trusting in this sacrifice, coming to God and giving himself up to God, hoping for acceptance by this sacrifice and taking God for his God, hoping for an interest in him as such by this sacrifice, that so God may be his God and he one of his people.

Notes

4. See “Notes on Scripture” no. 284, in Works, 15, 240–42. The reference is a later addition, since the entry dates from 1737.

6. MS: “testament that.” 7. The cross reference and the statement “It implies submission” are later additions in black ink.

8. “Blank Bible” note on Rom. 15:12–13: “These two verses confirm that by ‘hope’ is meant faith in Jesus Christ, for when it is said, ‘in him shall the Gentiles trust,’ in the original it is ‘in

1. “Blank Bible” note on Jas. 2:26, in part: “The working acting nature of anything is the life of it; that which makes men call anything alive is because they observe it has an active nature in it. This working or acting nature in man is the spirit that he has in him. Therefore ‘as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without’ a working nature ‘is dead also.’”

2. This entry is in the hand and black ink characteristic of 1739–42. 3. Ibid.

4. This reference, a later addition, is to John Erskine, The People of God Considered as All Righteous: in three Sermons preach’d at Glasgow, April 1745 (Edinburgh, 1745).

5. Here begins MS p. 4; JE numbered the entries 1–10.

6. JE deletes the beginning of the entry: “For one person to commit himself to another to be defended or saved, is to quit all hopes or endeavors of salvation any other way, and applying himself to him to do it, and so disposing himself that he may be under advantages to do it with hopes that he will do it.”

7. JE, Jr.’s insert.

9. See Works, 13, 447–48.

1. The third reason is in a different ink from the rest of the entry, and is squeezed in at the end.

4. “Notes on Scripture” no. 134, Works, 15, 87–88. 5. MS: “things and.”

7. Printed in Works, 14, 329–56.

3. MS: “Revelation of.”

4. Entries [69] to [77], on MS p. 11, are numbered 1–10 by JE. 5. Cross-reference added later. 6. JE deleted the following entry with an X: “Faith is a conviction of the reality and sense of the answerableness of that mediation of Christ which the gospel reveals, and particularly its answerableness in our case.”

8. Entries [78] to [83] on MS p. 12 are numbered 1–6 by JE. 9. With entry no. [80], there is a marked change in the hand, which becomes more slanted and angular, characteristic of the late 1730s.

1. MS: “faith.” JE, Jr., deleted the word and replaced it with “prayer.” 2. MS: “to.” 3. Ed. italics.

2. The same expressions that are used in Scripture for faith may be well used for prayer also, such as coming to God or Christ, and looking to him

4. This reference is interlineated at the beginning of the entry. See Works, 13, 538.

7. See Works, 15, 240–42. 8. Entries [92] to [98] are in the ink characteristic of 1739–42.

9. The final reference is a later addition. “Miscellanies” no. 1156 is entitled “Observations on the Agreeableness of the Christian Religion to Reason”; p. 9 of the entry discusses “The reasonableness of the doctrine of FAITH as the main condition of salvation.”

1. The reference to “Miscellanies” no. 855 is integral to the entry; no. 855 was written in 1740 or 1741. Works, 20, 82–83.

2. JE, Jr.’s insert.

4. JE, Jr.’s insert.

5. MS: “he.” 6. The reference to Ruth and the remainder of the entry are in a later addition by JE.

7. The remainder of the entry is a later addition by JE. 8. MS: “in.” 9. MS: “X.” JE, Jr.’s change is followed here.

1. MS: “& the.” 2. MS: “of.” JE, Jr.’s change.

3. MS: “Heart.” JE, Jr.’s change. 4. JE, Jr.’s insert. 5. See I Cor. 16:9; II Cor. 1:6; Eph. 3:7, 4:16. 6. “Miscellanies” no. 1120, probably written no earlier than 1749, is entitled “Faith in Christ the Condition of Salvation.” Works, 20, 493–94.The first two pages of the MS notebook, “The

7. This sentence is a later addition, squeezed in between the lines.

8. JE cites Ps. 91 in toto, but only quotes up through v. 10.

9. JE deletes: “Affiance consists in two things, viz. first, in hope, and secondly, adventuring on that hope. Hope consists in two things: 1. Expectation of good. 2. In some ease, quietness or comfort arising from that expectation.”

1. MS: “souls desiring Him to to bring us to the Con Good Co possession.”

2. JE, Jr.’s insert.

3. JE, Jr., writes: “The following so far as marked in the margin not to be transcribed,” referring to the succeeding excerpt from Manton.

4. Thomas Manton, A Fifth Volume of Sermons (London, 1701), pp. 264–65.

5. Ibid., p. 382.

6. As a transition to the next entry, JE, Jr., writes: “The following inquiries concerning saving faith are proper and important.”

7. JE, Jr., crossed out JE’s “INQ.” at the beginning of each statement and replaced them with entry numbers, 1–18.

2. The “Blank Bible” note on Esther 5:2 argues that Esther’s touching the top of the golden scepter was an expression of “her joyful acceptance of the favor” of King Ahasuerus. So the “act or benefit of saving faith in Christ may be compared to this act of Esther.”

3. Thomas Sherlock, Several Discourses Preached at the Temple Church (London, 1754). JE’s page references match the 2nd ed. of 1756, which was in the Yale College library. He quotes from Discourse 14, on Heb. 3:12, pp. 257–62; the emphases are his. JE also quotes from this work in “Miscellanies” no. 1341.

4. Ibid., Discourse 13, on Matt. 22:40, p. 251. JE supplied the emphases.

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