IV.

ticulars it would appear, who the persons justified SERM. are, and who justifies us; with other circumstances incident.

I shall at this time only insist upon the first particular, concerning the notion of faith proper to this place; in order to the resolution of which inquiry, I shall lay down some useful observations: and,

1. First, I observe, that faith, or belief, in the vulgar acception, doth signify (as we have it briefly described in Aristotle's Topics) a σpapà iñóλnyis, Top. 4, 5. an earnest opinion or persuasion of mind concerning the truth of some matter propounded. Such an opinion being produced by, or grounded upon some forcible reason, (either immediate evidence of the matter, or sense and experience, or some strong argument of reason, or some credible testimony;a for whatever we assent unto, and judge true upon any such grounds and inducements, we are commonly said to believe,) this is the popular acception of the word; and according thereto I conceive it usually signifies in holy scripture; which being not penned by masters of human art or science, nor directed to persons of more than ordinary capacities or improvements, doth not intend to use words otherwise than in the most plain and ordinary manner.

Belief therefore in general, I suppose, denotes a

a Aut proba esse quæ credis ; aut si non probas, quomodo credis? Tertul. adv. Marc. v. I.

Ὅταν γάρ πως πιστεύη, καὶ γνώριμοι αὐτῷ ὦσιν αἱ ἀρχαὶ, ἐπίσταται. Arist. Eth. vi. 3.

̓Αριστοτέλης τὸ ἑπόμενον τῇ ἐπιστήμῃ κρῖμα ὡς ἀληθὲς, τὸ δέ τι πίστιν eivai pno. Clem. Strom. ii. p. 287.

Ἔνιοι γὰρ πιστεύουσιν οὐδὲν ἧττον οἷς δοξάζουσιν, ἡ ἕτεροι οἷς ἐπίστανται. Arist. Eth. vii. 3.

21.

IV.

Heb. xi. 19, 11.

SERM. firm persuasion of mind concerning the truth of what is propounded; whether it be some one single Rom. iv. proposition, (as when Abraham believed, that God was able to perform what he had promised; and Ps.cvi. 24. Sarah, that God, who had promised, was faithful,) or some system of propositions, as when we are said to believe God's word, (that is, all which by his 2 Thess. ii. prophets was in his name declared ;) to believe the truth, (that is, all the propositions taught in the Ps.cxix.66. true religion as so;) to believe God's command

lxxviii. 32.

12.

Phil. i. 27.

ments, (that is, the doctrines in God's law to be Mark i. 15. true, and the precepts thereof to be good ;) to believe the gospel, (that is, to be persuaded of the truth of all the propositions asserted or declared in the gospel.)

2. I observe, secondly, that whereas frequently some person, or single thing, is represented (verbo tenus) as the object of faith, this doth not prejudice, or in effect alter the notion I mentioned; for it is only a figurative manner of speaking, whereby is always meant the being persuaded concerning the truth of some proposition, or propositions, relating to that person or thing: for otherwise it is unintelligible how any incomplex thing, as they speak, can be the complete or immediate object of belief. Beside simple apprehension (or framing the bare idea of a thing) there is no operation of a man's mind terminated upon one single object; and belief of a thing surely implies more than a simple apprehension thereof: what it is, for instance, to believe this or that proposition about a man, or a tree, (that a man is such a kind of thing, that a tree hath this or that property,) is very easy to conceive; but the phrase believing a man, or a tree, (taken properly,

IV.

or excluding figures,) is altogether insignificant and SERM. unintelligible: indeed to believe, TOтEVE, is the effect toũ meneïσdai, of a persuasive argument, and the result of ratiocination; whence in scripture it is commended, or discommended, as implying a good or bad use of reason. The proper object of faith is therefore some proposition deduced from others by discourse; as it is said, that many of the Samaritans believed in John iv. 39. Christ because of the woman's word, who testified, that he told her all that ever she did; or as St. Thomas believed, because he saw; or as when it is John xx. said, that many believed on our Lord's name, be- John ii. 23. holding the miracles which he did: when then, for Exod. xiv. example, the Jews are required to believe Moses, John v. (or to believe in Moses, after the Hebrew manner 45, &c. of speaking,) it is meant, to be persuaded of the truth of what he delivered, as proceeding from Divine revelation; or to believe him to be what he professed himself, a messenger or prophet of God. So to believe the prophets, or in the prophets, 2 Chron.

was to be persuaded concerning the truth (בִנְבִיאָיו)

29.

31. xix. 9.

XX. 20.

25.

14.

of what they uttered in God's name, (that the doctrines were true, the commands were to be obeyed, the threats and promises should be performed, the predictions should be accomplished: to believe all Luke xxiv. which the prophets did say, as our Saviour speaks; Acts xxiv. to believe all things written in the prophets, as St. Paul.) So to believe God's works (a phrase we have Ps. lxxviii. in the Psalms) signifies, to be persuaded, that those works did proceed from God, or were the effects of his good providence: to believe in man (that which Jer. xvii. 5. is so often prohibited and dissuaded) denotes the being persuaded, that man in our need is able to relieve and succour us: lastly, to believe in God (a Ps. cxviii.

32.

xlvi. 25.

8, &c.

IV.

SERM. duty so often enjoined and inculcated) is to be persuaded, that God is true in whatever he says; faithful in performance of what he promises; perfectly wise, powerful, and good; able and willing to do us good: the being persuaded, I say, of all these propositions, or such of them as suit the present circumstances and occasion, is to believe in God: thus, in fine, to believe on a person or thing, is only a short expression (figuratively) denoting the being persuaded of the truth of some proposition relating, in one way or other, to that person or thing, (which way is commonly discernible by considering the nature, or state of such a person, or such a thing;) the use of which observation may afterward appear.

3. I observe, thirdly, that (as it is ordinary in like cases concerning the use of words) the word belief is by a kind of synecdoche (or metonymy, if you please) so commonly extended in signification, as, together with such a persuasion as we spoke of, to imply whatever by a kind of necessity, natural or moral, doth result from it; so comprehending those acts of will, those affections of soul, and those deeds, which may be presumed consequent upon such a persuasion for instance, when God commanded Abraham to forsake his country, promising him a happy establishment in the land of Canaan, with a perpetual blessing upon his posterity; Abraham was persuaded concerning the power and fidelity of God, and concerning the truth of what was promised and foretold; in that persuasion his faith, according to the first, proper, and restrained sense, did consist: but because from such a persuasion (being sincere, and strong enough) there did naturally and duly

20.

IV.

result a satisfaction, or acquiescence in the matter SERM. enjoined as best to be done; a choice and resolution to comply with God's appointment; an effectual obe- Rom. iv. dience; a cheerful expectation of a good issue thereupon; therefore all those dispositions of soul and actions concurring become expressed by the name of faith, (that first persuasion being the principle and root of them :) for it is for his faith that he is highly commended; it is for it that he obtained so favourable an approbation and acceptance from God. Yet supposing Abraham to have had such a persuasion concerning God; and yet to have disliked what God required, or to have resolved against doing it, or to have indeed disobeyed, or to have disregarded the happy success; it is plain that Abraham as to the whole matter deserved rather much blame, than any commendation; and would not upon that account have had righteousness imputed to him, and James ii. have been called the friend of God: when there-23 fore his faith is so magnified, that word comprehends not his bare persuasion only, but all those concomitants thereof, which if they had not gone along therewith, it had been a proof, that such a persuasion was not sincere, (not àvuñókpitos tíotis, AN 1 Tim. i. 5. undissembled faith; such as St. Paul commends in James iii. Timothy,) or not strong enough, (not adiákρitos TíσTIs, Rom. iv. 20. an undoubting faith,) but a weak, a small, a dead, xiv. 1. an ineffectual faith; which come under blame and reproof; but the effect shewed, that he did not, as St. Matt. vi.30. Paul says, άσbeveйv Ty TíσTEL, had not a weak, or sickly Jam. ii. 17, faith; nor staggered at the promise of God; but 20: was strong in faith, giving glory to God; which Heb. xi. 8. he did not only in believing his word, but in suiting his affections, and yielding obedience thereto : (TiOTEL

2 Tim. i. 5.

17.

I Cor. viii.

Rom. iv. 19.

viii. 26, &c.

Gal. v. 6.