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§ 13. There are different sorts of faith that are not true and saving, 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." 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.

§ 14. It is a trusting in Christ. Psal. ii. 12, "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little: blessed are all they that put their trust in him.' Eph. i. 12, 13, "That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ: in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.' 2 Tim. i. 12, "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."

Many places in the Old Testament speak of trusting in God as the condition of his favor and salvation; especially Psal. lxxviii. 21, 22, "Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation." It implies submission: Rom. xv. 12, " And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse; and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in him shall the Gentiles trust." 1 Tim. iv. 10, "For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe." 2 Tim. i. 12, "For which cause 1 also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." Matth. viii. 26," Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?" Matth. xvi. 8, "Which Jesus, when he perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?" 1 John v. 13, 14, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life; and that ye may believe on 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." Believing in Christ in one verse, is called confidence in the next.

§ 15. It is a committing ourselves to Christ: 2 Tim. i. 12, "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." This is a Scripture sense of the word believe, as is evident by John ii. 24, "Jesus did not commit himself to them." In the original it is ουκ επίστευεν εαυτον αυτοίς.

§ 16. It is a gladly receiving the gospel: Acts ii. 41, "Then they that gladly received his word, were baptized; and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." It is approving the gospel: Luke vii. 30, 35, "But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him. But wisdom is justified of all her children." It is obeying the doctrine: Rom. vi. 17, " But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin; but ye have obeyed from the heart, that form of doctrine which was delivered you." It is 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. It is a coming and taking the waters

rejecting Christ Jesus. John xii. 46, 47, 48, "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not; for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him; the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." 1 Pet. ii. 7, "Unto you therefore 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."

§ 21. Love either is what faith arises from, or is included in faith, by John iii. 18, 19, "He that believeth not, is condemned already; and this is their condemnation, that men loved darkness rather than light." 2 Thess. ii. 10, 12, "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unright

eousness."

§ 22. The being athirst for the waters of life is faith, Rev. xxi. 6. It is a true cordial seeking of salvation by Christ. Believing in Christ is heartily joining ourselves to Christ and his party, as is said of the followers of Theudas, Acts v. 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 viii. 12, "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me, shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." 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. Desiring Christ, is an act of faith in Christ, because he is called the desire of all nations, Hagg. ii. 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. There belongs to faith a sense of the ability and sufficiency of Christ to save, and of his fitness for the work of salvation; Matth. ix. 2, and 28, 29, and 21. Rom. iv. 21, "And being fully persuaded, that what he had promised, he is able to perform." Of his fidelity: Matth. xiv. 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 ?" Of his readiness to save, Matth. xv. 22, &c. 2 Tim. i. 5, 12, "Now the end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned and I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry." Of his ability: Matth. viii. 2, "And behold, there came a leper, and worshipped him, saying, Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." Matth. viii. 26, "The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

23. It is submitting to the righteousness of God. Rom. x. 3, "For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves into the righteousness of God." It is what may be well represented by flying for refuge, by the type of flying to the city of refuge. Heb. vi. 18, "That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold upon the hope set before us. It is a sense of the sufficiency and the reality of Christ's righteousness, and of his power and grace

to save. John xvi. 8, "He shall convince the world of sin, of righteousnes and of judgment." It is a receiving the truth with a love to it. It is receiving the love of the truth. 2 Thess. ii. 10, 12, "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." The heart must close with the new covenant by dependence upon it, and by love and desire. 2 Sam. xxiii. 5, "Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure. This is all my salvation and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.'

24. Upon the whole, the best and clearest, and most perfect definition of justifying faith, and most according to the Scripture, that I can think of, is this, faith is the soul's entirely embracing the revelation of Jesus Christ as our Saviour. The word embrace is a metaphorical expression; but I think it much clearer than any proper expression whatsoever: it is 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 believing, than loving or choosing. If it were conversant about a person only, it would be more properly called loving. If it were only conversant about a gift, an inheritance or reward, it would more properly be called receiving or accepting, &c.

The definition might have been expressed in these words, faith is the soul's entirely adhering and acquiescing in the revelation of Jesus Christ as our Saviour.-Or thus, faith is the soul's embracing that truth of God, that reveals Jesus Christ as our Saviour.-Or thus, faith is the soul's entirely acquiescing in, and depending upon the truth of God, revealing Christ as our Saviour.

It is the whole soul according and assenting to the truth, and embracing of 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. It is admitting and receiving 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 express it better than one or two. I here use the same metaphorical expressions; but it is because they are much clearer, than any proper expressions that I know of.

It is the soul's entirely acquiescing in this revelation, from a sense of the sufficiency, dignity, glory and excellency of the author of the revelation.

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. It is called believing, because fully believing this revelation, is the first and principal exercise and manifestation of this accordance and agree

ment of soul.

§ 25. The adhering to the truth, 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 of the facts. 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. If a person be pursued by an enemy, and commit himself to a king or a captain, to defend him, it implies his quitting other endeavors, and applying to him for defence, 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 Saviour for salvation, fully choosing salvation by him, and delivering itself 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 Saviour, is quitting all other endeavors and hopes, and heartily applying himself to Christ 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.

26. The first act cannot be 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 any promise belongs to the subject. 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 that there 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. It is 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 his promises to the person trusting; for that is to suppose a dependence upon the promise antecedent to the first dependence upon it; and that the first time a man depends upon the promise, he is encouraged to do it by a dependence upon the promise. The conditional promise is this, that if you will trust in Christ, you shall be saved: 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 thereupon; which is to say, that the first time the soul depends upon Christ's promises, it is encouraged to do it by a dependence on his promises.

§ 27. Faith is the soul's entirely adhering to, and acquiescing in the revelation of Jesus Christ as our Saviour, from a sense of the excellent dignity and sufficiency of the revealer of the doctrine, and of the Saviour. God is the revealer, and Christ is also the revealer. Christ's excellency and sufficiency include the excellency of his person, and the excellency of the salvation he has revealed, and his adequateness to the performance, &c.,—and the excellency of his manner of salvation, &c. From the excellency and sufficiency of the revealer an performer, we believe what is said is true, fully believe it; and from the glorious excellency of the Saviour and his salvation, all our inclination closes with the revelation. To depend upon the word of another person, imports two things: First, to be sensible how greatly it concerns us, and how much our interest and happiness really depend upon the truth of it; and, secondly, to depend upon word of another, is so to believe it, as to dare to act upon it, as if it were really true. I do not say, that I think these words are the only true definition of faith. I have used words that most naturally expressed it, of any I could think of. There might have been other words used, that are much of the same sense.

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§ 28. Though hope does not enter into the essential nature of faith, yet it is so essential to it, 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 cannot but hope, that that declared mercy will be exercised towards him. Yea, he sees that it would be incongruous, for God to give him such inclination and motions of heart towards Christ as a Savious if he were no to be saved by him.