DISC. X.1 FAITH BUILT ON KNOWLEDGE.' 237 divine oratory of holy confidence, joy, and triumph ; yet the nature of saving faith is so fully comprised, and so plainly expressed in it, that I have often thought I know not any one single verse in the whole bible, that gives us so clear and distinct an account of this grace. By the words of my text it is rendered as intelligible as love, or hope, or fear, or almost any of the common actions of Iife or religion. It is a committing or betrusting of the soul to Christ for complete salvation, flowing from a sense of our sin and misery; a knowledge of his personal qualifications, and his divine commission ; or a persuasion of his ability and willingness to keep what is thus committed to him tö the day of final judgment. Saving faith is not a feeble belief of the words, or works, or power of Christ, upon a short hearsay and slight notice, but it is built upon knowledge and just evidence. It is not a mere doctrinal and historical as- sent to the truths which our Saviour spoke ; nor is it a mere rational conviction by the best arguments, that Christ is furnished with such abilities to save : It is not a sudden fit of desire, or hope, or well-wishing to our souls to be saved by Christ ; nor is it a rash and bold presumption that Christ will save me, and make me. happy: But it is a solemn betrusting of my soul into his hands for salvation, built upon a deep sense of my own sin and danger ; a solid knowledge of his sufficient fur- niture for such an undertaking ; and an earnest desire' to be made partaker of this salvation, in the full nature of it, both the holiness and the joy. Saving faith therefore supposes and implies in it a lively sense of the guilt of our sins, and the eternal misery that is like to ensue; a sight of the just vengeance of God to which we are exposed, and how incapable we are to make atonement for ourselves, or procure pardon; a sense of our want of a perfect righteousness to justify us before God, and how impossible it is for us to make* one out of our own works and duties ; for why should we trust another to do that which we can do for our- selves. It supposes also a sight of the corruption of our natures, our perpetual tendency to fresh iniquity, and our weakness to perform the duties of life or religion ; VOL. III.
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