DOCTRINE. There is a Believing, or a Faith which many that Sit under the Hearing of the Word Preached, may attain unto, that is not Sound and Effectually Saving; or notwith­standing which, Persons may fall away and Miscarry in Point of Salvation.

There is a believing or a Faith which ma­ny attain unto, thro' 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, Rom. 1.16.] [Page 6] 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 bottom'd, 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 hath Humiliation laid for its Foundati­on, When Faith ariseth only from a Flash of Delight in Hearing the Word, it is but a Counterfeit and not Lasting. Many Apo­states have had many meltings & much Sud­dain strong joy: So had those Stony Ground Hearers; but it amounted not to Saving Faith. They had some flight Knowledge of Christ, their affections were stirred; their understandings were gilded over with a Com­mon kind of Supernatural Light, ( Heb. 6.4.) but not to a Transmentation. They were Ele­vated in Hearing the Word; and had some Ascensions upwards, 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: [Page 7] 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 miscarry's in most: It is trampled upon by the High Way Hearers; and the Devil Cashiers it: the Devil comes and picks the Word out of their Hearts; lest they should Believe & be Saved, v. 12. The Seed of Faith in others soon withered and scorch'd up; as in the Stony Ground: Faith in others is chocked & stifled; as in the Thorny Ground; Eminently with those three Chokers, the Cares, & Riches & Pleasures of the World.

The Seed of Faith Prospers only in the Good Ground: there, tho' small and as a Grain of Mustard-feed, it grows and flourish­eth to Life Eternal.

It had some fair Beginnings in the Stony Ground and Thorny Ground; there were some motions, some meltings & some Good Affections, some Breathings in Prayer; and Delight in Ordinances; as in Hearing the Word, &c. Here were fair Beginnings! So it is with many. Oh! see how far a man [Page 8] may go; and yet be never the near after all. The Stony and the Thorny Ground were nearer to the nature of the Good Ground, than that of the High Way; 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 & saving. It is true, it is granted, that Faith or Believing is the Gospel Condition of Salvation, Joh. 3.16.36. Act. 16.31. Mark. 16.16. He that Be­lieveth shall be Saved, but he that Believeth not shall be Damned. Faith & 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 & Live; Believe & be Saved. Faith is the Condition; but then you had need look to your Faith, that it be of the [Page 9] Right Stamp: a Faith of the Operation of God; for Every Believing is not Saving: there are many that Believe & are Damned; as well as others that Believe and are Saved. Great Numbers Pretend to Faith; & 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 Dye in strong Delusion; & 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 Perswaded, 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; & because they have some slighter Experiences, tho' unsound: some taste of the good Word of God and a Faith, that hath sprung from a Delight in Hearing the [Page 10] Word: they have Received the Word with joy; as the stony Ground; which for a while Believe; and yet miscarry at last and miss of Heaven; their Faith being not the Faith of Gods Elect; as wanting its true Object, and a Good Foundation, having no Root; and therefore cannot stand in the Day of Tryal, against the Burning Tempest & 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.

I. We shall Confirm the Truth from Scrip­ture, by Proving, That there is a Believing that is not Saving.

II. Discover what Sorts of Believers those are, that miscarry in Point of Salvation; or that do not Effectually Believe.

III. What Sorts of Faith, such attain unto.

IV. What be the Flaws & Defects in their Faith; whence it Proves ineffectual.

V. I shall briefly lay down, The Signs of an unsound; and the Nature of a Sound and Saving Faith: which may lead on to some suitable Application.

I. For Confirmation; The Scriptures of [Page 11] Truth tell us, that there are many Believers, That shall never be Saved: Our Text produceth 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 doth 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, Joh. 2.23: Men may believe on Christ with some kind of Faith; & 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, Joh. 12.42, 43. 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; and therefore Christ tells them, Joh. 5.44 That such a Believing could be no true Faith. [ How can ye Believe, that receive honour, one of another▪] See, Acts [Page 12] 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 croud of Believers, sundry that were un­sound; as appears by the special instance of Ananias & Saphira, Chap. 5. So, Act. 8.13. Its said (of that Sorcerer) That Simon himself Believed; and was Baptized; but yet he had no true Faith; for ( v. 21.23.) his heart was not right in the sight of God; we find him in the Gall of Bitterness; and in the Bond of Iniquity. See, 1 Tim. 1.19. Holding Faith and a good Conscience, which some having put away, concer­ning Faith have made shipwrack; and therefore they were Bottoms, laden with some kind of Faith: they had of that ware in their vessels; how else could they make shipwrack of it: So, 2 Tim. 1.5. The Apostle speaks of an Un­feigned, therefore there is a feigned Faith, Jam. 2.14, 17. There is a Dead Faith there menti­oned, which Saves not. But thus the Scrip­ture is frequent in the mentioning of a Faith that is not Saving, Psal. 78.34, 37. Isai. 48.1, 2.

II. We may Enquire, What Sorts of Belie­vers those are that miscarry in Point of Salva­tion; that do Believe, but not Effectually.

[Page 13]Omitting needless distributious.

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 croud and do as orders do; they put on a visard of Religion, a common shew of it, without any Impression; or any Considerable Impression upon their Hearts at all.

Indeed those in the Text went farther than thus; 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, that do make an Outward Profession, as many do for fashions sake; out of Custom; Example of others; to please men; to be well spoken of, to gain Credit, &c. tho' they have no Love to God, nor his ways, in their Souls. So. Act. 8.13. So men go in the croud (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 [Page 14] great deal of seemingness in the World; and Every Grace hath 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 & 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 meer outward Seeming; they have some kind of actings in their Minds and Hearts towards Christ; some stirrings of Affections. Now how far this goeth & discovereth it self; 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 croud of Professors, in the Place, where they are; attend Ordinances; take up the Name of God & Christ, into their Mouths; seem to be Religious, Jam. 1.26. Say, Lord, Lord; give an outward Honour to the ways of Christ; & yet fall short.

2. They may Believe the Truth of the Scrip­tures, [Page 15] 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 & Saviour of the World. Men may believe the great Truths concerning his Person, Natures, Offices, Benefits; The Mystery of his Incarnation, His Birth, Cruci­fixion, Death, Burial, Resurrection, Ascension, Session at the Right Hand of God, & Inter­cession there, His coming to Judgment; the Resurrection of the Body, & the Life Ever­lasting. In a word; a man may know all the Heads & Points & 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 Sa­viour; 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, Joh. 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 & Teacher sent of God; and so his Doctrine to be true, and [Page 16] that he was indeed the Messiah, that was to come; and therefore they believed on his Name: tho' 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; Joh 7.31. And many of the People Be­lieved on him, & said, when Christ cometh will he do more Miracles than these which this Man hath done. These you see, had a Faith; and what they did understand of Christ & of his Doctrine, they did believe it 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, & the way of Salvation by Faith in him; but yet fall short of Saving Faith▪

Man may be much Affected with and to­ward Christ, Receive his word with Joy; They may extol, applaud hint; they may behold his Works & Miracles with wonderment and joy in his word; as the Stony Ground, and cry out as they, Joh. 7.46. Never Man spake as this Man▪ The word may rap them into a great esteem of it, and an high Perswasion [Page 17] concerning the Glorious Truths delivered.

Never Sermon had such an Impression; never Preacher spake 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 & Earnest for a Time, in attending upon Christ, & Seeking after him▪ As those, in the Text, Who for a while Be­lieve: they may be forwardest with the first, as the Seed in the Stony Ground; sprang up quickly & forwardly. And there may be a great Zeal for the Name of Christ, as they shewed, Joh. 6.15, 24. They would come and take him by force, to make him a King; and they followed him, whithersoever he went: they took Shipping and came to Capernaum, Seeking for Jesus, v. 24.

Many others are zealously Affected, for the Name of Christ; and therefore have a strong Faith and Confidence, that they shall be be accepted at that Day; as appears by there Plea, Matt. 7.22. Many will say unto me in that Day, Lord, Lord, have we not Pro­phesied in thy Name, and in thy Name have cast out Devils, & in thy Name have done many wonderful Works. And yet notwithstanding [Page 18] their forwardness & zeal, they fell short of Saving Faith; and miss'd of Heaven in the Height of their Hopes; for Christ saith to them, v. 23. I never knew you: Depart from me ye workers of Iniquity. And thus we have discovered what sorts of Believers they are, that miscarry in Point of Salvation; that do Believe, but not Effectually.

III. We may Enquire, What Sorts of Faith such attain unto?

This may be easily gathered from the sorts of Believers, that pretend to a Faith; but it is not Sound and Saving. There are two Sorts of Faith, that are not Saving, viz. an Historical, & a Temporary Faith.

1. An Historical Faith. Many, yea most, that live under the Sound of the Gospel, may attain to this; and do content & quiet their Hearts with a bare, Notional Know­ledge & Assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel: On this Sandy Bottom most Professors Build their Hopes for Heaven; and claim their Pri­viledges among the best of Saints on Earth; even to Eat and Drink in Christs Presence. Indeed without knowledge the Mind cannot be good; and the History and Knowledge [Page 19] of Gospel Truths is necessary and leading on to a Saving Faith. See, Rom. 10.14. How shall they Believe on him, of whom they have not Heard? Yet a bare Historical Faith will Scarce Distinguish the Faith of Men from the Faith of Devils, Jam. 2.19. Thou Be­lievest there is One God; Thou doest well; The Devils also Believe and Tremble. They Believe there is a God and they Tremble at his Wrath: their Hearts ake and Tremble within them. They Believe, that Christ is the Son of God and the Saviour of Men: See the Confession of their Faith, in the Possessed Gergesene, Matt. 8.29. What have we to do with thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God: art thou come to Torment us before our Time? The De­vils Believe and Tremble; but how many among us, worse than Devils in this Respect, that Believe, but never Tremble at the Wrath of God; and at the Wrath of the Lamb; a Generation of Gods Wrath; who are warned, but never awakened to flee from the Wrath to come, Matt, 3.7. They Be­lieve the Judgment, and Know the Terrour of the Lord; they have an Historical Faith, but more Regardless than Devils; They Be­lieve the History of Gospel Truths revealed; [Page 20] 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, 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, least the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ, which is the Image of God, should shine into him, 2 Cor. 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 Christs Followers; they not only Believed the Doctrine of Christ, so far as they knew of [Page 21] it, but also their Hearts were Affected: they Heard the word with joy: they did not meer­ly dissemble; but they had their Hearts awed and affected with the Majesty and Power of Christs 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 it self sundry Ways, (as we find in the Scrip­tures) viz. 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 Enrol their Names in that little Flock and Company, that are for Heaven, Matt. 8.19. Master (said that Scribe) I will follow thee, whithersoever thou goest, Luk. 9.61, 62.

2. There may be a taste of the Sweetness of the Things of Christ, of his Word, Grace, Be­nefits and Heavenly Priviledges, Heb. 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, [Page 22] Numb. 23.10 Who can Count the Dust of Ja­cob and the Number of the fourth Part of I­srael? Let me dye the Death of the Righteous, and let my last End be like his. So the Sto­ny Ground, in the Text, Joy in Hearing the Word and the affecting things therein.

And so, on the other side, there may be Tears and Terrours 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 throughly 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, Matt. 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 mans Gifts, as to make them Profitable to others; and yet not unto the Salvation of his own Soul.

4. There may be an Affectionate Acknowledg­ment [Page 23] for the Present; and Conviction of the Excellency of Christ; and that none is like to Christ: Joh. 7.46. The Officers answered, never Man Spake 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 overpowred and astonished by the Majesty, appear­ing in Christ, and in his Word: So Matt. 7.28, 29. And it came to Pass, when Jesus had Ended these Sayings, the People were astonishd at his Doctrine; for he taught them, as one having Authority and not as the Scribes. They were strangely transported and rap'd with an Extasy 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, & 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 choaked. And thus we have Discovered, [Page 24] what Sorts of Faith are not Saving and Effectual.

IV. We may Enquire into the Flaws and Defects of Faith: whence 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 with­all: So they, Joh. 6.14.15. They dream­ed of a Temporal Kingdom and a Temporal Advantage and Pomp, to come by the Messi­ah, which was the Common Errour of the Iews at that Time: They Embraced him, as a Worker of Miracles, by whom his Follow­ers might have Glory and Honour, &c. 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 [Page 25] either in the Knowledge of the Object, or the Word of Faith. These Defects and Flaws Spoil'd 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, Joh. 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 (saith he) We know that thou art a Teacher, Sent from God. v. 2. He had a Respect for Christ; and hence Christ falls upon him with that, in the first Place, v. 3. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God, i. e. Thou art taken with the Miracles; and givest me [Page 26] Honourable Titles; and hast some Good general Affections; yea but thou wantest still 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 thou canst 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, viz. Worldly Honours, Pleasures, Profits; So as to part with all for Christ.

This was the fault Christ found with many [Page 27] 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 Honour: So they, Joh. 12.42, 43. Among the Chief Ru­lers, many Believed on him; but did not con­fess him, least 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, & World, Matt. 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 a­riseth 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, Rom. 10.10. For with the Heart man Believeth unto Righ­teousness: Upon this Flaw and Defect we may [Page 28] ground the main Reason for the confirmation of the Doctrine, viz. 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 doth embrace whole Christ, according to the Terms of the Gospel, with an whole Heart; that, that 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: yea 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 over-come and subdued by lighter Impressi­ons: Nor when there is some Temporary good Affection towards Christ. The heart [Page 29] 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, (yea tho' assisted with the common workings, lighter impressions, strivings and motions of the Spi­rit) to put forth such an act as Saving Faith is: Joh. 6.65. No man can come unto me, Except it were given unto him of my Father.

V. 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 hath been Premised.

1. That Faith is Unfound, 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 thy Faith hath been but a suddain pang of [Page 30] Affection in Hearing the Word, without Con­viction, sight and sense of Sin and Wrath, &c. Such slight Faith is not to be rested in. When a Man on the suddain, hearing of the Riches and Glory of Christ, is taken therewith; but never was Convinced of Sin; never saw him­self in a perishing condition; never stung with the fiery Serpent; never lost, poor, mi­serable, blind, naked in thine own feeling, &c. Why this is a shallow Faith, which a little heat of the Sun will wither away. Till a Man see Sin, as the greatest Evil; he will never prize Christ, as the greatest good.

2. That Faith is Unsound, that doth not bring a Man to an absolute, present, preremptory 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 imbrace Him alone for ever; but when the Heart gives him good Words, and yet puts him off, and saith, I will hereafter, at such a Time, I will consider of it; and so continues Parlying & 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. Why if there be [Page 31] not such a Faith as reacheth the proper Work of Faith, i. e. The absolute Taking and Re­ceiving Christ on his own Terms; then true­ly is here no effectual Faith, Luke 9.61. The Unsound heart hath still some-what 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 see 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 doth not only close with a Truth or Proposition, but with a Person. Many, when they hear of the Word, the Promise, (viz. He that con­fesseth & forsaketh, shall find Mercy. He that hungers and thirsts after Righteousness, shall be filled. He that Mourns is Blessed, &c.) 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 [Page 32] Faith is not of our selves, Eph. 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 Mans Faith be bred by Flesh and Blood; by his own Will and Strength, &c. it is a base, bastard Faith, and not begotten of the right Father, and therefore shall never possess the Inheritance. If there hath not been a Super­natural Hand and Power on thy Heart, thou art in a State of Nature to this day.

5. That Faith that doth not Separate and Di­vide a Man from every known Sin, and set him upon a Warfare againct all Sin whatsoever; that Faith is not Sound. Faith so separate, I mean, as to make a Man willing to part with Sin, & desirous to improve all means against it.

6. That Faith that is Barren & Unfruitful, is an Unsound Faith; that brings not forth Fruits of Grace and New Obedience in the Life, and Conversation. When a Man hath a Faith, that does him no good, that he is never the better for; the Faith that brings no Life into the heart, no quickning Spirit into the Soul; but a Man is the very same after he has believed, as he was before; Dead to [Page 33] all good Works; when there is no Working by Love. That is a false Faith that is with­out Works, Jam. 2.14. 2 Pet. 1.8, 9. And know for a certainty, that the Faith that never Sanctifies thee, will never Save thee in the Day of Jesus.

2. The next Branch to be Enquired into▪ is, The Nature of Sound & Saving Faith. And I intend here, only some brief hints, both Negatively and Affirmatively; to shew both what it is not, and what it is.

1. Negatively: Which may lead us to a right understanding of it, and the Premisses 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: tho' 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. Tho' this is necessary; Rom. 10.14. How shall they call on him, in whom they have not Believed? And how shall they Believe in him [Page 34] of whom they have not heard? &c. 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, Act. 17.23. Paul found an Altar at Athens with this Superscription: [ To the Unknown God,] whom therefore (saith he) ye 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, Joh. 5.40.

3. Nor is it an Assurance or Settled perswa­sion of a Mans Interest in Christ, and of the Lords Everlasting Love to him in Christ. Tho' 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, [Page 35] in order of Nature, before there can be As­surance of it; and there must be Saving Faith, before Interest, 1 Job. 5.13. Rom. 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.

Descirp. 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, receiveth Christ, as he is freely offered in the Gospel, resteth on him, as an Alsuffi­cient Saviour for Righteousness and Life.

This sets forth the Nature of Saving Faith, whereby an humbled Sinner, being perswaded of, and assenting to the Truth of the Gospel, and Christ revealed therein; he doth heartily embrace and rest on Him for Righteousness and Salvation. But the Nature of Saving [Page 36] Faith may be more familiarly set forth, by the essential requisites comprized in the De­scription.

There are four essential requisites, that go to the constitution of Saving Faith. There must be, (1) An 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 an Humbling sight & 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 unto Believing. It is the humble Pub­lican that comes to Christ for Mercy in ear­nest, Luk. 18.13, 14. Faith & 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 an hearty embracing of a Remedy, that presup­poseth hearty sense of a disease. It was the bitten Israelite that looked to the brazen Ser­pent. It is the stung and wounded Sinner, [Page 37] that will look in earnest to Christ Jesus, Mat. 9.12, 13. Isai. 61.1, 2, 3. There must be a closing with a Saviour from Sin, as Precious, 1 Pet. 2.7. That implies, that Sin is appre­hended to be bitter: The Soul must be ap­prehensive, that it is Perishing; thy 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 thy heart ever wounded for Sin and made sick of it? Did the Lord ever awaken thee by his Word, not only to Dream of a Natural Estate; but to see it; to see thy self a dead man, un­der the Power and Guilt of Sin, under the strength of the curse, Rom. 7.9. Has the Spi­rit convinced thee of Sin? That is the first step in order to the Working of Saving Faith, Job. 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 & assen­ting to the Truths revealed. There is in [Page 38] 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: Joh. 6.40. This is the Will of him that sent me. Every one that seeth the Son and be­lieveth on him, may have everlasting Life: — and this sight is both by Knowledge and Un­derstanding of the doctrine of Christ, and by assent thereunto, or being perswaded of the truth thereof, which precedes embracing, Heb. 11.13. Joh. 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 doth it by opening the eyes of the understand­ing, to see Christ revealed and freely offered in the Gospel, and letting in the sweetness and savour of it to the Heart and Will; Rom. 10.17. & 1.16, 17. 2 Cor. 3.18. It is possi­ble indeed that a man may have the revela­tion of Christ in the Gospel, and some real [Page 39] sight of the things of Christ; and yet not sa­vingly embrace them; as in those that are en­lightned, and yet fall away, Heb. 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 Sa­viour, with his Redemption, Righteousness, Benefits, &c. 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 Souls 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, Rom. 5.17. Faith it is the Souls embracing,— receiving, resting relying on, trusting in Christ, as re­vealed and offered in the Gospel. This ex­presseth 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 [Page 40] 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 oft ex­pounded by trusting (as, Eph. 1.12. Matt. 12.21.) and that imports these three actings of Faith.

1. A rolling and casting our selves 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 our selves & our whole weight upon him, and fall into his Arms, Psal. 37.7. & 55.22 Cast thy burthen upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee.

2. A staying, hanging, leaning, depending upon him, Isai. 50.10. Who is among you, that walketh in darkness and hath no light; let him trust in the Name of the Lord, & 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 & built upon it; having committed our selves 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 [Page 41] faithful to fulfill what he hath promised. The soul seeth 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 there­into, and seeing no help nor hope in himself; no ability at all to save & 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 for ever.

4. Faith is a resting and relying on Christ for righteousness and life; for righteousness unto justification, Rom, 5.17. Isai. 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: Rom. 10.4, 10. For Christ is the End of the Law for righteousness, to every one that believ­eth. And Faith looks to Christ, as for impu­ted Righteousness unto Justification; so also [Page 42] 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 compleated 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 unto. 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 Crys, 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.