A Plain Discourse on Vain Thoughts, Doctrine 1 · Part 12
THUS much for the ſixth ſort of Vain Thoughts.
7. THERE are Vain Thoughts in the hearts of Sinners concerning Faith, which are great Hindrances of their being Saved. True Faith is eſſential to Salvation. So it is declared to be in the Goſpel, Mark 16.16. He that believeth ſhall be ſaved, but he that believeth not ſhall be damned. Without Faith there is no Salvation; but certain Damnation: If Men therefore miſs of Faith, they Periſh for ever. Now there is ſcarce any thing that more endangers our miſſing of it, than a Vain Imagination that we are poſſeſſed of it when indeed we are not. And how many are there that think they are true Believers, when they are far from being ſo? They take that to be ſaying Faith, which is not ſo; and thence are deceived about themſelves. Here I ſhall mention ſome of their Vain Thoughts in this caſe.
1. IT is a Vain Thought, That a meer belief of the Goſpel is a ſaving Faith. In the Days of the Apoſtles there were ſome who thought if they were perſwaded of the Truth of the Goſpel and made a Profeſſion of it, that they were True Believers and ſhould be Saved. They reſted in a naked Aſſent to the Goſpel Revelation of Jeſus Chriſt. Such as theſe the Apoſtle James does particularly write againſt in his Epiſtle. And as there was then, ſo there are ſtill many who think, that if they give Credit to the Doctrines of the Goſpel, they are ſuch Believers as have the Promiſe of Salvation made to them: And hence 'tis that many reckon upon being Saved, becauſe they belong to that Body of Chriſtians, whom they ſuppoſe to be moſt Orthodox and ſound in the Faith: But this is a Vain Thought as will appear from two things.
1. A meer belief of the Goſpel, is what may be found in Hypocrites and Wicked Perſons. The worſt of men may be Believers of Goſpel Truths: In the Holy Scriptures we have many Recorded Inſtances of this kind: We Read of ſuch as were Convinced of the Truth of Chriſt's Doctrine and that aſſented thereto, who yet w…e vile Perſons. Thus in Joh. 6.14. Then … Men, when they had ſeen the Miracle that Jeſus did, ſaid, This is of a Truth that Prophet that ſhould come into the World. They believed Him to be the Meſſiah, the Great Prophet came from GOD; and ſo prevalent was their Conviction and Perſwaſion, that they would needs make Him their King, Ver. 15. There were about to come and take him by fo…ce, to make that 1 Kings. And yet theſe ſame Perſons not long after, turn Profeſſed Enemies to Him. Thus it is alſo ſaid of Simon Magus, that he Believed and will Baptized, Acts 8.13. He ackowledged the Truth of the Goſpel, and joined himſelf to the Church; and yet we find in Ver. 23. That he was in the gall of bitterneſs and bond of Iniquity. He was all this while under the Dominion of Sin.
2. A meer Belief of the Goſpel, is to be found in the Devils themſelves. They Believe the Exiſtence of GOD, Jam. 2.19. Thou believeſt there is one God, thou doſt well; the Devils alſo believe and tremble. They have ſuch a Belief of a GOD as fills them with dread and horror. They Believe there is a Jeſus or Saviour for Sinful Men; Acts 19.15. And the evil ſpiri… ſaid, Jeſus I know. They Believe that this Jeſus is the Son of GOD, and that He will it their Judge and Deſtroyer, Mat. 8.29. And they cryed out, ſaying, what have we to do with thee, Jeſus thou ſon of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time. Mark 1.24. Let … alone, what have we to do with thee, thou Jeſus of Nazareth? art thou come to deſtroy us? I k… thee who thou art, the holy one of God. Th… Believe the Goſpel to contain the Doctrine of Salvation, Acts 16.16, 17. The evil Spirit which Poſſeſſed the Damſel, ſpake by her, at leaſt moved her to ſpeak and ſay, Theſe Men are the ſervants of the moſt high God, which ſhew unto … the way of Salvation. Thoſe evil Spirits do believe all the Doctrins of revealed Religion, and therefore do in all Ages raiſe up Hereticks and falſe Teachers to corrupt and oppoſe thoſe D…ctrines.
WE ſee then, that a Faith of Aſſent is to be found in the worſt of Men; yea, in very Devils. This then cannot be ſaving Faith. Indeed, ſaving Faith does include this Aſſent in it: Yet this Aſſent alone is far from being juſtifying and ſaving Faith. Let us not then reſt in such a dead Faith as this is, leſt we Periſh forever. Jam. 2.14. What doth it profit my brethren, though a Man ſay, he hath Faith and have not Works; can Faith ſave him? No is cannot.
2. IT is a Vain Thought, That great Confidence of Salvation, is ſaving Faith. Some there be that are under a ſtrong Perſwaſion that they ſhall be Saved; they make no doubt of going to Heaven, when they go out of this World; they are full of Confidence concerning their future happy Eſtate. Now this Confidence they account ſaving Faith: But this may prove a Vain Thought.
For,
1. SUCH great Confidence may be, and oftentimes is, a fruit of groſs Ignorance. Men oftentimes know not what an horrid Evil Sin is, and what dreadful Wrath it deſerves: They know not how Holy and Juſt that GOD is, againſt whom they have Sinned: They know not what that Faith and Holineſs is, without which no Man ſhall ſee the Lord. In ſhort, they know very little of their Sin, Duty and Danger. And when Men are thus Ignorant, 'tis not to be wondered at, that they are ſo Confident. Their groſs Ignorance involves them in ſenſeleſs Security: They ſee not their Danger, and ſo fear nothing. And hence many times they go out of the World with great hopes and expectations of Happineſs; which is indeed nothing but a pleaſing Dream of ſuch as are aſleep in Sin, thro' the Blindneſs of their Minds, and when they awake in the other World, they find it to be ſo. 1 Theſ. 5.3 When they ſay, peace and ſafety, then ſudden deſtruction cometh, &c.
2. SUCH great Confidence may be, and oftentimes is, built upon a falſe Foundation. Men ſometimes have ſeeming grounds for their great Confidence; there is ſomething or other which they found their Confidence upon, though it be but a ſa… d… Foundation. Of this nature is their Profeſſion of Religion, their participation in Privileges and common Gifts of the Spirit; … which we ſhall have occaſion to ſpeak mo… diſtinctly hereafter. Theſe are the things which cheriſh and ſupport the Hope and Confidence of Hypocrites; but theſe are broken Reeds to lean upon which will not prevent their dropping down into the Pit of Deſtruction. Job 8.13, 14. The Hypocrites hope ſhall periſh: Whoſe hope ſhall be cut off, and whoſe truſt ſhall be a ſpid… web.
LET us not then be deceived with a Vai… and falſe Confidence. But let us ſee to it that our Confidence be well-grounded, and thereby diſcover it ſelf to be a Gracious fruit of ſaving Faith. If it be built upon Jeſus Chriſt, the only ſure Foundation and Rock of our Salvation; if it be grounded on His Merits and Mediation; and if it be accompanied with diligent Endeavours to Purify our ſelves as He is Pure; the… is our Confidence ſuch, whereof we ſhall not be aſhamed; 1 Joh. 3.3. He that hath this hope in him, purifieth himſelf, &c.