Doctrine: A Faith That Is Not Effectually Saving

There is a believing or a faith which many attain to, through a delight in hearing the word preached, who yet miscarry in point of salvation. So it was with the stony ground: they heard the word with delight; they received it with joy, which produced a faith (the genuine fruit of hearing the word, for faith comes by hearing (Romans 1:16)). And when faith springs from delight in hearing the word, such persons are ready to think themselves in a sure and safe estate, and that their faith is well grounded — they bid fair for heaven. But even such may be deceived and miscarry in the great point of salvation, for want of laying a good foundation, there being nothing of the work of humiliation: they never went to the bottom, to break the rock at the heart. Saving faith has humiliation laid for its foundation. When faith arises only from a flash of delight in hearing the word, it is but a counterfeit and not lasting. Many apostates have had many meltings and much sudden strong joy: so had those stony ground hearers, but it amounted not to saving faith. They had some slight knowledge of Christ, their affections were stirred, their understandings were gilded over with a common kind of supernatural light (Hebrews 6:4), but not to a transformation. They were elevated in hearing the word, and had some ascensions upward in their affections, but were like meteors hanging a while in the air, not having strength enough to ascend to the upper region. Hence they soon vanish: their faith fails and comes to nothing.

The word — the seed of faith — in the parable, falls upon four sorts of ground, but it takes rooting in but one. The good seed, if not cast into the good ground, it yields no harvest. The word — the seed of faith — it miscarries in most. It is trampled upon by the highway hearers, and the devil cashiers it: the devil comes and picks the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved (verse 12). The seed of faith in others soon withered and scorched up, as in the stony ground. Faith in others is choked and stifled, as in the thorny ground — eminently with those three chokers: the cares, and riches, and pleasures of the world.

The seed of faith prospers only in the good ground: there, though small and as a grain of mustard seed, it grows and flourishes to life eternal.

It had some fair beginnings in the stony ground and thorny ground; there were some motions, some meltings and some good affections, some breathings in prayer, and delight in ordinances, as in hearing the word, etc. Here were fair beginnings! So it is with many. Oh, see how far a man may go, and yet be never the nearer after all. The stony and the thorny ground were nearer to the nature of the good ground than that of the highway, and yet no fruit of faith: they fell short of heaven. They had some sproutings of faith, a sort of faith, but yet far short of saving: they attained to a faith, but yet (our text tells us) they fell away, and missed of salvation.

It is not every faith that is saving: there are many that attain to a faith, but yet never obtain the end of their faith. It is a most certain truth that there are many believers that shall never be saved, for all faith in the name of Christ is not sound and saving. It is true, it is granted, that faith or believing is the gospel condition of salvation (John 3:16, 36; Acts 16:31; Mark 16:16). He that believes shall be saved, but he that believes not shall be damned. Faith and salvation are inseparably connected, and without faith there is no salvation. This is the hinge of our salvation: here is the condition of life under the new covenant. The covenant of grace is: believe and live; believe and be saved. Faith is the condition, but then you had need look to your faith, that it be of the right stamp — a faith of the operation of God — for every believing is not saving: there are many that believe and are damned, as well as others that believe and are saved. Great numbers pretend to faith and hold up a head of profession, but there are many professors that are no believers, and many believers that have not faith, and many that have faith that miss of heaven.

Many there are of great profession that live and die in strong delusion, and miss of heaven in the height of their hopes, being mistaken as to the foundation of their faith. There are many in hell that have had a presumptuous confidence that they should get to heaven: Praesumendo Sperant & Sperando Pereunt — many damned that have been persuaded they should be saved. There are many that go believing to hell, their eyes never opened till shot into the other world.

Many grow bold in an ignorant, sottish conceit of their good estate, because of some good affections, and because they have some slighter experiences, though unsound: some taste of the good word of God and a faith that has sprung from a delight in hearing the word. They have received the word with joy, as the stony ground, which for a while believes, and yet miscarries at last and misses of heaven, their faith being not the faith of God's elect — as wanting its true object, and a good foundation, having no root. Therefore it cannot stand in the day of trial, against the burning tempest and floods of the wrath of God to come: those scorchings will wither up their shallow roots.

But for a more methodical proceeding in the management of the truth in hand, briefly.

1. We shall confirm the truth from Scripture, by proving that there is a believing that is not saving.

2. Discover what sorts of believers those are that miscarry in point of salvation, or that do not effectually believe.

3. What sorts of faith such attain to.

4. What be the flaws and defects in their faith, from where it proves ineffectual.

5. I shall briefly lay down the signs of an unsound faith, and the nature of a sound and saving faith, which may lead on to some suitable application.

1. For confirmation, the Scriptures of Truth tell us that there are many believers that shall never be saved. Our text produces an instance in the stony ground hearers — they were called believers; they had a faith, yet that their faith was not sound and saving, as appears from the last clause of the verse: "In time of temptation they fell away." There is a believing that does not put the subjects into a state of salvation. Many may be believers on the name of Christ and yet not true and effectual believers, as many believed when they saw the miracles which he did, and yet were short of saving faith (John 2:23). Men may believe on Christ with some kind of faith and yet never be accepted and entertained by Christ with his peculiar love, and consequently never saved.

All faith in the name of Christ is not sound and saving; this truth is confirmed also from other Scriptures. We read in John 12:42-43 that among the chief rulers many believed on him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Therefore Christ tells them in John 5:44 that such a believing could be no true faith: "How can you believe, that receive honor one of another?" See Acts 4:4, 32 — we read there of a great multitude that are called believers, to the number of about five thousand. But yet there were in that crowd of believers sundry that were unsound, as appears by the special instance of Ananias and Saphira in chapter 5. So in Acts 8:13, it is said of that sorcerer that Simon himself believed and was baptized, but yet he had no true faith, for his heart was not right in the sight of God (verses 21-23); we find him in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. See 1 Timothy 1:19: "Holding faith and a good conscience, which some having put away, concerning faith have made shipwreck" — and therefore they were vessels laden with some kind of faith; they had of that ware in their vessels, for how else could they make shipwreck of it. So in 2 Timothy 1:5, the Apostle speaks of an unfeigned faith, therefore there is a feigned faith. James 2:14, 17 mentions a dead faith which saves not. Thus the Scripture is frequent in the mentioning of a faith that is not saving (Psalm 78:34, 37; Isaiah 48:1-2).

2. We may inquire what sorts of believers those are that miscarry in point of salvation, that do believe but not effectually.

Omitting needless [reconstructed: distinctions].

A. They may be reduced to two sorts.

1. Those that do only outwardly profess before men to believe, that do conform their outward man to the ways of God, and take up a general formal profession. There are swarms of these especially in all places where religion is in credit — men run with the crowd and do as others do; they put on a mask of religion, a common show of it, without any impression, or any considerable impression upon their hearts at all.

Indeed those in the text went farther than this, for they did not only seem, pretend, and counterfeit a believing, but had some real common work upon them. But yet those others are in a large sense called believers who do make an outward profession, as many do for fashion's sake, out of custom, example of others, to please men, to be well spoken of, to gain credit, etc., though they have no love to God nor his ways in their souls. So in Acts 8:13, men go in the crowd as they from Egypt — these, in a large sense, are called believers who seem before men to believe, when all this while there is no truth of grace in their hearts. There is a great deal of seemingness in the world, and every grace has its counterfeit, and those that have no grace can for a while look and live like saints.

2. Another sort of persons who pretend to faith but fall short are those that have some impressions upon their minds and hearts, and do really believe — and not only seem to do so — with some kind of faith which yet is not saving and effectual. There is something that looks like true faith; they have some kind of work wrought upon them; it is not a mere outward seeming; they have some kind of actings in their minds and hearts towards Christ, some stirrings of affections. Now how far this goes and discovers itself, take up in these following particulars.

1. Men may take up a profession of the truth — and not only seemingly but really; they may do as others do, be carried in the stream and crowd of professors in the place where they are, attend ordinances, take up the name of God and Christ into their mouths, seem to be religious (James 1:26), say "Lord, Lord," give an outward honor to the ways of Christ — and yet fall short.

2. They may believe the truth of the Scriptures, at least in a general way — both know the heads and truths of religion, and also believe them; believe that Christ is the Son of God and Savior of the world. Men may believe the great truths concerning his person, natures, offices, and benefits: the mystery of his incarnation, his birth, crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, session at the right hand of God, and intercession there, his coming to judgment, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. In a word, a man may know all the heads and points and principles of religion, and believe all the articles of the Christian creed, and yet miscarry in point of salvation for want of effectual saving faith.

A man may believe that Christ is the Savior, and yet fall short of saving faith, not having a distinct understanding of the way of closing with Christ in his offices as the object of faith. So they, in John 6:12, when they had seen the miracles that Jesus did, said, "This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world." They believed what was prophesied concerning him, and that he was the great prophet and teacher sent of God, and so his doctrine to be true, and that he was indeed the Messiah that was to come, and therefore they believed on his name, though they did not take up his name aright. There was a common work of grace upon their hearts; there was a general work of conversion wrought in them, but not saving faith. But hence they cry out, "This is of a truth the prophet that should come." And so in John 7:31, many of the people believed on him and said, "When Christ comes will he do more miracles than these which this man has done?" These, you see, had a faith, and what they did understand of Christ and of his doctrine they did believe to be true. And thus there are many that do assent to the fundamental truths of the gospel; they believe what the Scriptures say concerning Christ and the way of salvation by faith in him, but yet fall short of saving faith.

A man may be much affected with and toward Christ, receive his word with joy; they may extol and applaud him; they may behold his works and miracles with wonderment and joy in his word, as the stony ground, and cry out as they did in John 7:46, "Never man spoke as this man." The word may carry them into a great esteem of it and a high persuasion concerning the glorious truths delivered.

Never sermon had such an impression; never preacher spoke like this man! But yet after such raptures of affection, such may fall away with the stony ground and believe but for a while.

4. They may be forward and earnest for a time in attending upon Christ and seeking after him, as those in the text who for a while believe; they may be foremost with the first, as the seed in the stony ground, which sprang up quickly and forwardly. And there may be a great zeal for the name of Christ, as they showed in John 6:15, 24 — they would come and take him by force to make him a king, and they followed him wherever he went; they took shipping and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus (verse 24).

Many others are zealously affected for the name of Christ, and therefore have a strong faith and confidence that they shall be accepted at that day, as appears by their plea in Matthew 7:22: "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, and in your name have cast out devils, and in your name have done many wonderful works?" And yet notwithstanding their forwardness and zeal, they fell short of saving faith and missed heaven in the height of their hopes, for Christ says to them in verse 23, "I never knew you: depart from me, you workers of iniquity." And thus we have discovered what sorts of believers they are that miscarry in point of salvation, who do believe but not effectually.

3. We may inquire: what sorts of faith do such people attain to?

This may be easily gathered from the sorts of believers that pretend to a faith which is not sound and saving. There are two sorts of faith that are not saving, namely an historical faith and a temporary faith.

1. An historical faith. Many — indeed most — that live under the sound of the gospel may attain to this, and do content and quiet their hearts with a bare, notional knowledge and assent to the doctrine of the gospel. On this sandy bottom most professors build their hopes for heaven and claim their privileges among the best of saints on earth, even to eat and drink in Christ's presence. Indeed without knowledge the mind cannot be good, and the history and knowledge of gospel truths is necessary and leads on to a saving faith (Romans 10:14): "How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard?" Yet a bare historical faith will scarcely distinguish the faith of men from the faith of devils (James 2:19): "You believe there is one God; you do well; the devils also believe and tremble." They believe there is a God and they tremble at his wrath; their hearts ache and tremble within them. They believe that Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of men — see the confession of their faith in the possessed Gergesene (Matthew 8:29): "What have we to do with you, Jesus, you Son of God? Are you come to torment us before our time?" The devils believe and tremble, but how many among us are worse than devils in this respect — they believe but never tremble at the wrath of God and at the wrath of the Lamb; a generation of God's wrath, who are warned but never awakened to flee from the wrath to come (Matthew 3:7). They believe the judgment and know the terror of the Lord; they have a historical faith but are more regardless than devils. They believe the history of gospel truths revealed but are strangers to the mystery of godliness. The history of the great truths of the gospel relating to the object of saving faith may be attained by reading, instruction, and by acquaintance with the Holy Scriptures opened and applied in the ordinary dispensations of the ministry, but the mysteries of those gospel truths can never be discerned without supernatural and saving illuminations of the Spirit working faith in the soul. A man may have his natural understanding informed in the doctrinal truths necessary to salvation, but his mind blinded by Satan, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, which is the image of God, should shine into him (2 Corinthians 4:4). A bare historical faith is when the mind only gives assent to the truth without any work upon the heart; this is a sort of faith, but far from saving.

2. There is a temporary (or rather an ineffectual) faith. When there is some work on the heart, but not thorough and solid: so the stony ground in our text, and others that we read of, that were Christ's followers; they not only believed the doctrine of Christ, so far as they knew of it, but also their hearts were affected: they heard the word with joy: they did not merely dissemble; but they had their hearts awed and affected with the majesty and power of Christ's doctrine and miracles: so that for a while, they believed. They had a temporary faith. Now this temporary faith, where there is some kind of lighter work upon the heart, which is not thorough, it may express itself in various ways (as we find in the Scriptures), namely, from hence, from this temporary faith, there may be:

1. A forwardness in men to give up their names to Christ, to become his followers and professed disciples; to enroll their names in that little flock and company, that are for heaven (Matthew 8:19). "Master," said that scribe, "I will follow you, wherever you go" (Luke 9:61-62).

2. There may be a taste of the sweetness of the things of Christ, of his word, grace, benefits and heavenly privileges (Hebrews 6:4-6). Having a taste of the gift of faith; they may also have a transitory and lighter participation of the sweetness of the word and joys of heaven, by some hopes and pangs of transporting affection: as Balaam had (Numbers 23:10), "Who can count the dust of Jacob and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." So the stony ground, in the text, had joy in hearing the word and the affecting things therein.

And so, on the other side, there may be tears and terrors in the apprehensions of wrath; as in Felix and Ahab and Judas: the affections may be stirred; and yet the rock, the stone in the heart never broken; the will and affection never thoroughly broken and transformed; the conscience never purged; and the heart never took off from all other things to cleave to Christ alone.

3. There may be a doing of several eminent services for Christ; for which they may have much applause from men and be lifted up in the mouths of others (Matthew 7:22). They may be ministers admired in their preaching, preach well, and they may be instrumental in their places, and by their gifts, to do much good: God may so sanctify a man's gifts, as to make them profitable to others; and yet not to the salvation of his own soul.

4. There may be an affectionate acknowledgment for the present, and conviction of the excellency of Christ; and that none is like to Christ (John 7:46). The officers answered, "Never man spoke like this man." Yet we have not grounds to think, that they were savingly wrought upon; for they go their ways and return to the tents of his enemies. They were but for the present overpowered and astonished by the majesty, appearing in Christ, and in his word: so (Matthew 7:28-29), "And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine; for he taught them, as one having authority and not as the scribes." They were strangely transported and rapt with an ecstasy of admiration and amazement, at his doctrine; for he taught them, as having authority: but how many heard Christ at that time, who in hearing did not hear. Yet all this that we have been speaking of falls short, because the whole heart is not divorced from all things else, and turned to God in Christ Jesus. There is no effectual change in the soul; but the rock is unbroken, the thorn unstubbed up: men sow among thorns; and hence the fruit is choked. And thus we have discovered, what sorts of faith are not saving and effectual.

4. We may inquire into the flaws and defects of faith: from where it proves ineffectual and unsound?

1. When the object of faith is not rightly understood and discerned. This defect is such a flaw, as renders the faith of such of none effect: and here many miss it in point of salvation. Thus it was with many in the gospel, that followed Christ and did indeed believe, that he was the Messiah; they wanted a right understanding of Christ the object of faith, whom they were to close with: so they (John 6:14-15) dreamed of a temporal kingdom and a temporal advantage and pomp, to come by the Messiah, which was the common error of the Jews at that time. They embraced him, as a worker of miracles, by whom his followers might have glory and honor, etc. But they did not understand the spiritual office of Christ; nor did they look at the spiritual blessings to be had by him. They mistook the person they believed on; or at least were not duly informed concerning him out of the word; and so were not well grounded either in the knowledge of the object, or the word of faith. These defects and flaws spoiled all: their faith was not rightly set upon the true object.

2. A second flaw and defect in faith, that makes it unsound and ineffectual, is the want of an inward spiritual work of humiliation and regeneration. When persons are strangers to inward regenerating grace and change of heart; then they are strangers to saving faith. Whatever other qualifications and excellencies they may pretend to, relating to the knowledge of the object of faith, eminency of gifts, parts, place or whatever; yet without inward regenerating grace, wrought by the Spirit, causing a change of heart; no saving faith. We have an instance of this in Nicodemus (John 3:1-10). He was a man in place, a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews, one that was a follower of Christ, an admirer of him: "Rabbi," says he, "we know that you are a teacher, sent from God" (verse 2). He had a respect for Christ; and hence Christ falls upon him with that, in the first place (verse 3), "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" — that is, you are taken with the miracles; and give me honorable titles; and have some good general affections; indeed but you still want a work of regeneration, a new birth, a change of heart and state, a spiritual work of grace soaking into the whole heart, and making the frame thereof new. Without this you can never come to heaven. Do not think, that a general historical faith or some general good affections will serve without regeneration. And hence also such want the preparatory work of sound humiliation, in order to saving faith. Such have not the fallow ground broken up; nor are they broken off from their sins and selves: they yet remain like the stony ground: the rock at the bottom remains still.

3. A third flaw and defect, rendering faith ineffectual, is not coming up to the gospel terms of effectual faith. Not complying with the gospel conditions of closing with Christ; renouncing and forsaking all other things, and following Christ with the cross on our backs; not getting over the stumbling-blocks of the world, namely worldly honors, pleasures, profits; so as to part with all for Christ.

This was the fault Christ found with many followers of him, and seeming believers on him. Thus Nicodemus came by night, for fear of the Jews, and as ashamed to be known to own Christ; he was not got over the blocks of carnal fear and worldly honor. So they (John 12:42-43): among the chief rulers, many believed on him, but did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue, for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

The terms of saving faith propounded are to forsake all to follow Christ, to renounce sin, self, and world (Matthew 14:26-27, 33). The stony ground in the text fell away in time of temptation. The faith of most can hardly comply with gospel proposals; the terms proposed are not agreeable to their dispositions and affections. Hence their faith fails them; in the hour of temptation they fall away.

4. A fourth defect and flaw in faith arises from the falseness and hypocrisy of the heart. Men believe, but not with the whole heart. This God calls for — the heart; and this is a mark of true faith (Romans 10:10): for with the heart man believes to righteousness. Upon this flaw and defect we may ground the main reason for the confirmation of the doctrine, namely why there is a believing that is not saving, and so why there are many believers that shall never be saved.

Because God accepts of no faith as saving, but only that which is with all the heart — that which carries the whole soul with it; that whereby a man does embrace whole Christ, according to the terms of the gospel, with a whole heart; that which infers a change of heart, that carries with it a new heart, and a new spirit. But now there may be some kind of believing, and yet not come thus far.

1. Because of the deceitfulness of the heart. There is such cunning and guile in the heart, that it will seem to do some things; seem to believe, and yet not believe indeed; act a part upon the stage of profession; and yet hide and keep its sin — indeed not only deceiving others, but a man's self, by its fair pretences and partial comings off.

2. Because of the strong and deep-rooted enmity of the heart against God and Christ, which is not overcome and subdued by lighter impressions, nor when there is some temporary good affection towards Christ. The heart may yield a little, and yet not be changed from its enmity and opposition to all that is holy.

3. Because of the inability of nature to put forth the supernatural act of faith, without the mighty power of the Spirit, to cause it so to do. It is above the power of nature — yes, though assisted with the common workings, lighter impressions, strivings and motions of the Spirit — to put forth such an act as saving faith is (John 6:65): No man can come to me, except it were given to him of my Father.

5. We now proceed to lay down the signs of an unsound, and the nature of sound and saving faith.

1. An unsound faith may be discovered by these signs, which may have some reference to what has been premised.

1. That faith is unsound that is without previous humiliation. A sudden faith and joy, without humiliation, without breaking of the heart for, and from sin — such was the faith of the stony ground in our text; it had no depth: the rock at the bottom was never broken and dissolved. Consider, if your faith has been but a sudden pang of affection in hearing the word, without conviction, sight and sense of sin and wrath, etc. Such slight faith is not to be rested in. When a man on the sudden, hearing of the riches and glory of Christ, is taken with it, but was never convinced of sin, never saw himself in a perishing condition, never stung with the fiery serpent, never lost, poor, miserable, blind, naked in his own feeling, etc. — why, this is a shallow faith, which a little heat of the sun will wither away. Till a man sees sin as the greatest evil, he will never prize Christ as the greatest good.

2. That faith is unsound that does not bring a man to an absolute, present, peremptory consent to take Christ, and give up himself wholly to Christ upon his own terms. So it is with many; Christ makes his motion, requires their hearts, bids them renounce all other lovers, and embrace him alone forever; but when the heart gives him good words, and yet puts him off, and says, I will hereafter, at such a time I will consider of it — and so continues parleying and bartering with Christ, but comes not to an absolute marriage consent, to part with all and close with him — this is a discovery of an unsound heart. For if there be not such a faith as reaches the proper work of faith, that is, the absolute taking and receiving Christ on his own terms, then truly there is no effectual faith (Luke 9:61). The unsound heart always has something still to do before it will follow Christ; it never comes to a present closing with him.

3. That faith is not sound which is not set upon the person of Christ, upon Christ himself. To run away with the word and promise, and to miss of Christ himself, is a broken faith, which will deceive. Saving faith does not only close with a truth or proposition, but with a person. Many, when they hear of the word, the promise — namely, he that confesses and forsakes shall find mercy; he that hungers and thirsts after righteousness shall be filled; he that mourns is blessed, etc. — why, they apply the promise to themselves, and believe the truth of it, and so have peace; here they rest, and here is all their faith. But to believe on Christ, and match and close with the person of Christ, this they are great strangers to.

4. That believing that a man has found easy, which he could do and attain of himself, by his own strength, that is unsound. Right faith is not of ourselves (Ephesians 2:4). The Lord makes the soul, on whom he works effectually, to feel that it is not of himself, it is not in his own power to believe; it is a supernatural work (as we have heard). If a man's faith be bred by flesh and blood; by his own will and strength, etc., it is a base, bastard faith, and not begotten of the right Father, and therefore shall never possess the inheritance. If there has not been a supernatural hand and power on your heart, you are in a state of nature to this day.

5. That faith that does not separate and divide a man from every known sin, and set him upon a warfare against all sin whatever; that faith is not sound. Faith so separate, I mean, as to make a man willing to part with sin, and desirous to improve all means against it.

6. That faith that is barren and unfruitful, is an unsound faith; that brings not forth fruits of grace and new obedience in the life, and conversation. When a man has a faith, that does him no good, that he is never the better for; the faith that brings no life into the heart, no quickening spirit into the soul; but a man is the very same after he has believed, as he was before; dead to all good works; when there is no working by love. That is a false faith that is without works (James 2:14; 2 Peter 1:8-9). And know for a certainty, that the faith that never sanctifies you, will never save you in the Day of Jesus.

2. The next branch to be inquired into is the nature of sound and saving faith. And I intend here, only some brief hints, both negatively and affirmatively; to show both what it is not, and what it is.

1. Negatively: which may lead us to a right understanding of it, and the premises may be helpful herein.

1. Saving faith is not a bare knowledge of, or assent to the truth of the Scriptures; to believe the things that are written in the law and gospel — though this must be, but this is not saving faith (James 2:19). Neither is it the truth of the Scripture only in general, but Christ Jesus, the person of Christ, that is the object of saving, justifying faith.

2. Neither is it the bare believing of Christ, or of the truth about the doctrine of the gospel. Though this is necessary (Romans 10:14): How shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? There cannot be believing on Christ, without believing of him, without knowledge and assent to the truth concerning his person, offices, offers and benefits. There must be in all adult believers a competent understanding of these things, and assent to them; this is absolutely necessary. True faith is an affiance grounded upon knowledge: an unknown Christ cannot be believed on, as in Acts 17:23, Paul found an altar at Athens with this superscription: [To the Unknown God,] whom therefore (says he) you ignorantly worship. But this is not enough; to believe Christ and to believe on Christ are several things; the former is but the act of the mind, the latter of the will also (John 5:40).

3. Nor is it an assurance or settled persuasion of a man's interest in Christ, and of the Lord's everlasting love to him in Christ. Though this being rightly grounded is a precious, sweet and comfortable thing; and true faith ought to grow up to this. It is fearful security for any to be at rest without assurance; but yet this assurance is not the proper act of saving, justifying faith; but follows it, as presupposing it: for there must be interest in Christ, in order of nature, before there can be assurance of it; and there must be saving faith, before interest (1 John 5:13). Romans 5:1: Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

But,

2. Affirmatively. To speak positively, what this sound and effectual faith is, that is the condition, upon which salvation is promised in the gospel. Not to enter into any large or full discourse. In sum, you may take up this description of it.

Description: Saving faith is a saving grace of the Spirit, whereby we receive and rest upon Christ Jesus, for righteousness and life.

Or more fully.

Effectual faith or believing, is when a soul, feeling its sinful and perishing condition, receives Christ, as he is freely offered in the gospel, rests on him, as an all-sufficient Savior for righteousness and life.

This sets forth the nature of saving faith, whereby a humbled sinner, being persuaded of, and assenting to the truth of the gospel, and Christ revealed therein; he does heartily embrace and rest on him for righteousness and salvation. But the nature of saving faith may be more familiarly set forth, by the essential requisites comprised in the description.

There are four essential requisites, that go to the constitution of saving faith. There must be: (1) a humbling sight and sense of sin, and misery by sin; (2) a sight of Jesus Christ, revealed and freely offered in the gospel; (3) an embracing and receiving Christ thus offered; (4) a resting and relying upon him for righteousness and life.

1. There must be a humbling sight and sense of sin. This humiliation (or sensibleness of sin) whether you call it a part of faith, taken largely; or a preparation for faith, taken strictly: to be sure it is a necessary requisite to believing. It is the humble publican that comes to Christ for mercy in earnest (Luke 18:13-14). Faith and flying to Christ, the City of Refuge, is but a notion to the secure and unhumbled. In believing there is a flying for refuge and help to Christ; and implies sense of evil and danger. There is a hearty embracing of a remedy, that presupposes a hearty sense of a disease. It was the bitten Israelite that looked to the brazen serpent. It is the stung and wounded sinner, that will look in earnest to Christ Jesus (Matthew 9:12-13; Isaiah 61:1-3). There must be a closing with a Savior from sin, as precious (1 Peter 2:7). That implies, that sin is apprehended to be bitter. The soul must be apprehensive, that it is perishing; your perishing condition must be felt: there must be a sense and feeling thereof; as the famishing man feels what it is to be hungry: the man that is in danger of his life, feels what it is to cry out for help: the sick man feels what it is to need and prize the physician. Oh! Was your heart ever wounded for sin and made sick of it? Did the Lord ever awaken you by his Word, not only to dream of a natural estate; but to see it; to see yourself a dead man, under the power and guilt of sin, under the strength of the curse (Romans 7:9)? Has the Spirit convinced you of sin? That is the first step in order to the working of saving faith (John 16:9).

2. A second requisite of saving faith is the sight of the object, a sight of Jesus Christ revealed and freely offered and held forth in the Gospel. And this revelation and offer, it must be entertained with an understanding and assenting to the truths revealed. There is in faith (or goes to the making up of faith) knowledge, assent, and affiance. The former of these cannot be without the revelation of the object; and the two latter cannot be without the former. There must be a revelation of a Christ, and a sight of Christ in the understanding, in order to the closing with him by the will (John 6:40). This is the Will of him that sent me. Everyone that sees the Son and believes on him may have everlasting life — and this sight is both by knowledge and understanding of the doctrine of Christ, and by assent thereto, or being persuaded of the truth thereof, which precedes embracing (Hebrews 11:13; John 20:31).

Make not a light matter of the revelation and offer of Christ in the Gospel: it is essentially requisite to saving faith. In the day of grace when the Spirit, by its powerful operations, works saving faith in the soul; it does it by opening the eyes of the understanding, to see Christ revealed and freely offered in the Gospel, and letting in the sweetness and savor of it to the heart and will (Romans 10:17; 1:16-17; 2 Corinthians 3:18). It is possible indeed that a man may have the revelation of Christ in the Gospel, and some real sight of the things of Christ; and yet not savingly embrace them; as in those that are enlightened, and yet fall away (Hebrews 6:4; 10:26). And those, in our text, who for a while believe. There is some revelation, some light, some knowledge; but ordinarily and usually men that live in unbelief, they are defective in knowledge of what is revealed in the Gospel, concerning the object of faith; or at least in assent to what is revealed; especially this latter; but Christ, as an All-sufficient Savior, with his redemption, righteousness, benefits, etc. revealed in the Gospel and freely offered and held forth; is the ground of our believing or closing with him by faith.

3. A third essential requisite of saving faith is the soul's embracing and receiving Christ, thus revealed and offered, even the person of Christ, Christ himself. God holds forth his Son, and the soul takes him. That is faith (Romans 5:17). Faith is the soul's embracing — receiving, resting, relying on, trusting in Christ, as revealed and offered in the Gospel. This expresses that Fiducia or Affiance, which is the main or most formal act and nature of saving faith. These terms express the formal and fiducial act of faith, resting on Christ or trusting in him. This is the formal nature of faith: hence it is not only to believe Christ; but to believe on Christ: hence believing is often expounded by trusting (as, Ephesians 1:12; Matthew 12:21) and that imports these three actings of faith.

1. A rolling and casting ourselves upon Christ, having no other bottom to stand on, and seeing with him a rock able to bear us, and arms open to receive us. Now we throw ourselves and our whole weight upon him, and fall into his arms (Psalm 37:7; 55:22): Cast your burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain you.

2. A staying, hanging, leaning, depending upon him (Isaiah 50:10). Who is among you, that walks in darkness and has no light; let him trust in the Name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.

3. An acquiescence in Christ; a resting of the heart in him (as well as on him) as believing that he is also able (as well as faithful) to be and do that which we depend upon him for. And now being come to the Rock of Ages and built upon it; having committed ourselves to Christ, embracing him, and relying on him; now we rest there, as in one, in whom there is good enough to satisfy us, and power enough to help us and save us; and who is faithful to fulfill what he has promised. The soul sees him able enough to sustain him, a rock and bottom strong enough to bear him. He sees his arms long enough to reach, strong enough to hold him; ready enough to embrace him: hence he casts and throws himself therein, and seeing no help nor hope in himself; no ability at all to save and deliver; and seeing Christ able, mighty, faithful, willing to help, every way All-sufficient: hence the soul finds in him an everlasting foundation; a rock fit to stay on; hence it lets all other hopes and stays go; and rests and trusts here forever.

4. Faith is a resting and relying on Christ for righteousness and life; for righteousness to justification (Romans 5:17; Isaiah 45:24). In the Lord have I righteousness and strength. We do not only want power from Christ to help us; but righteousness to be the matter of our justification; the foundation and ground of our whole salvation; for that is the inlet of life eternal. In acting of faith the soul comes in special to Christ for righteousness (Romans 10:4, 10). For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, to everyone that believes. And faith looks to Christ, as for imputed righteousness to justification; so also for inherent righteousness and life in sanctification. And hence faith is a relying on Christ for life; spiritual life began in the grace of sanctification here, and completed in the perfection of glory hereafter.

Thus you have the essential requisites of saving faith, setting forth the formal nature of it, which few attain to. The truth is, most professors content themselves with a false ineffectual faith, like the temporaries in the text, who for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away, or as others, who at last miss of Heaven in the height of their hopes, being mistaken as to the grounds of their faith not well rooted. It is not every faith that is saving; nor every believer that shall be saved; nor every one that cries, Lord, Lord, that shall enter into the kingdom. The way through faith to salvation is a difficult way to hit, and dangerous to miss; and multitudes miscarry, even many of those that are believers, who shall never be saved.