The Humbled Sinner, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. What Believing in the Lord Ieſus Chriſt doth import.
Q. 2 WHat doth the believing in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt import?
Jeſus Chriſt, is like a ring, and faith is like the finger, which wears it. He is like a treaſury, and faith like the hand, which draws out thence. As David ſpake in another kinde, come and I will tell you, what the Lord hath done for my ſoul! or as Philip to Nathanael, can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip ſaith, come and ſee. The ſame is to be ſaid of faith, God hath done great matters for ſinful man ſaith faith, Why? but can any good be brought by any to us who are ſo bad? yes, ſayes faith, come and ſee, Chriſt is very good, he is a Saviour for a poor ſinner, but it is faith which finds him ſo.
Marke the anſwer of the Apoſtles here in the text, what ſhall I do to be ſaved, ſaith the Jayler?
They do not anſwer, there is a Jeſus Chriſt, take thou no more care; he did dye for ſinners, and thou ſhalt do well enough: Nay, this they anſwer, thou maieſt be ſaved by Chriſt, but thou muſt believe in Chriſt. Not a medicine is the remedy, but a medicine applyed. Not the man, but the man taken, becomes the husband; So the taking of Chriſt, the believing in him is the way to heaven.
Becauſe this is an excellent point (for our life lies in it) give me leave to ſpeak ſomewhat of faith.
Firſt, in the general and there I will be brief.
Secondly in ſpecial, as juſtifying of faith, or faith believing in Jeſus Chriſt our Lord.
Firſt, Generally.
For the generall nature of believing, obſerve theſe propoſitions
Firſt, that believing is an aſſent to ſuch matters as are known, only by revelation from another; there are in the ſoul of man three qualities by which we came to finde out or perceive things.
Firſt, one quality is Scientia, or knowledge, which is a firme aſſent unto a thing which may be evidenced to the underſtanding by ſolid demonſtration of infallible principles, or elſe by the undeniable evidence of ſenſe, and experience: as thus, that every natural body hath power to move, or that the Moon will ſuffer an Eclipſe or that the fire is naturally apt to aſcend, and the water to moiſten, &c.
Theſe things have both a naturall certainty and truth in themſelves, and there is an undoubted evidence and certainty in the minde of the perſon, truly knowing them; and ſo certaine and full is the perſwaſion of the minde, about them, that there is no ſcruple of doubt remaining to diſcuſs, as any uncertainty whether the things be ſo or no.
Another is opinion, which is an inevident evident aſſent, if I may ſo phraſe it: My meaning is, the underſtanding doth ſo aſſent and yield to the things, as that yet it ſees ſome contrary reaſon to ſuſpect and queſtion whether the thing be ſo or no; for as much as (in opinion) the grounds are not fully evident to the minde, but they are only probable, and therefore the aſſent by opinion, is but conjectural. As take a man in a caſe of a ſcrupulous conſcience, there is to that man ſome evidence of argument which doth ſeem to warrant his action or attempt, and yet that argument is not ſo entirely convincing of his judgment, but on the other ſide, there ſtarts up a medium or argument, which renders the practice probably ſinful; whereupon, if you come to demand of him; May you do ſuch a thing? he anſwers I do not certainly know (that is) I am not entirely and abſolutely reſolved of it, yet I think I may, I think it is lawful; and this thinking (which is opinion) is alwayes accompanied with ſome fear and ſuſpition; ſo that the minde is like a paire of Scales tottering and tilting to either ſide. Things are partly cleare, and partly obſcure, partly, evident, and partly inevident, and therefore the aſſent of opinion is alwayes doubtful.
Another is beliefe, which is an aſſent unto things not from any evidence of the things themſelves, but only from the relation, or teſtimony of another.
If I feel the fire to burne my hand, I do not call this a believing, but a ſenſitive knowing, if Ahimaaz comes and tells David, that his Son Abſolom is hanged and ſlaine, though this be knowledg in him who ſaw it, yet it is belief in David, who did heare and credit the tidings; ſo that (to be brief) belief differs from knowledge in this, that knowledge depends on the evidence of things themſelves; but belief, though the things be certainly true to which it doth aſſent, yet it aſſents unto them for the teſtimony or authority of him who relates and reports them. Though this be moſt true, That Jeſus Chriſt was borne of the Virgin Mary, and that he is the Meſſias and Saviour, yet I beleeve it to be true becauſe God hath given teſtimony or report thereof in his Word unto me.
Again, Belief differs from opinion in this, that opinion is an indifferent, probable, hazarding, and difficultly inclinable aſſent, but in believing the aſſent is firme, certaine and fixed eſpecially where teſtimony and authority is ſufficient.
Believing as it is reſtrained to a theological and divine conſideration, that is (in the generall) an aſſent of the ſoul to the truth, and goodneſſe, of all divine revelations upon divine teſtimony. Here much might be ſaid, as for inſtance.
Firſt, that all divine revelations are the object of belief, as ſupernaturally inſpired.
Secondly, that the ground of believing them is Gods own teſtimony. Faith hath ſufficient reaſon to believe all things there to be true in their relation; becauſe of his truth and authority who doth ſay ſo (viz.) God himſelf.
Thirdly, of the generall nature of believing, which is an aſſent unto all ſpoken by God as moſt true and credible.
Secondly, particularly, of juſtifying Faith.
Faith (as you well know) hath a double aſpect, one is to the whole revealed Word of God, another is to God in Chriſt or to Jeſus Chriſt.
I am not now to ſpeak of it, as an eye which may ſee all colours, but as an eye fixing it ſelf on ſome ſingular and ſpecial object (viz.) on Jeſus Chriſt, in reſpect of whom it is called juſtifying faith: The believing on whom may be thus deſcribed.