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to us. And we may generally observe in the Scriptures, that when they treat not only of eternal salvation, but of any blessing we enjoy, our attention is recalled to the love of God. For which reason David says, that "The loving-kindness of God," when experienced in a pious heart, "is better" and more desirable "than life" itself. (t) Finally, if we have an abundance of all things to the extent of our desires, but are uncertain of the love or hatred of God, our prosperity will be cursed, and therefore miserable. But if the paternal countenance of God shine on us, even our miseries will be blessed, because they will be converted into aids of our salvation. (u) Thus Paul, after an enumeration of all possible adversities, glories that they can never separate us from the love of God: and in his prayers, he always begins with the grace of God, from which all prosperity proceeds. David likewise opposes the Divine favour alone against all the terrors which disturb us: "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (says he) I will fear no evil, for thou art with me." (w) And we always feel our minds wavering, unless, contented with the grace of God, they seek their peace in it, and are deeply impressed with the sentiment of the Psalmist: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance." (x)

XXIX. We make the foundation of faith to be the gratuitous promise, for on that faith properly rests. For, although faith admits the veracity of God in all things, whether he command or prohibit, whether he promise or threaten; though it obediently receives his injunctions, carefully observes his prohibitions, and attends to his threatenings; yet with the promise it properly begins, on that it stands, and in that it ends. For it seeks in God for life, which is found not in precepts nor in denunciations of punishments, but in the promise of mercy, and in that only which is gratuitous; for a conditional promise, which sends us back to our own works, promises life to us only if we find it in ourselves. Therefore, if we wish our faith not to tremble and waver, we must support it with the promise of salvation, which is voluntarily and liberally offered us by the

(t) Psalm Ixiii. 3. (u) Rom. viii. 39. (w) Psalm xxiii. 4. (x) Ibid. xxxiii. 12.

Lord, rather in consideration of our misery, than in respect of our worthiness. Wherefore the apostle denominates the Gospel "the word of faith;" (y) a character which he denies both to the precepts and to the promises of the law; since there is nothing that can establish faith, but that liberal embassy by which God reconciles the world to himself. Hence also the same apostle frequently connects faith with the Gospel: as when he states, that "the ministry of the Gospel was committed to him for obedience to the faith;" that it is "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;" that therein is the "righteousness of God, revealed from faith to faith." (z) Nor is this to be wondered at; for the Gospel being "the ministry of reconciliation," (a) there is no other sufficient testimony of the Divine benevolence towards us, the knowledge of which is necessary to faith. When we assert, therefore, that faith rests on the gratuitous promise, we deny not that believers embrace and revere every part of the Divine word, but we point out the promise of mercy as the peculiar object of faith. Thus believers ought to acknowledge God as a judge and avenger of crimes, yet they fix their eyes peculiarly on his clemency; described for their contemplation as "gracious and full of compassion: slow to anger, and of great mercy; good to all, and diffusing his tender mercies over all his works."

(b)

XXX. Nor do I regard the clamours of Pighius, or any such characters, who censure this restriction, as though it divided faith, and comprehended only one branch of it. I grant that, as I have already said, the general object of faith (as they express themselves) is the veracity of God, whether he threaten, or give us a hope of his grace. Wherefore, the apostle attributes this to faith, that Noah feared the destruction of the world, while it was yet unseen. (c) If the fear of impending punishment was the work of faith, threatenings ought not to be excluded from the definition of it. This indeed is true: but these cavillers unjustly charge us with denying that faith respects every part of the word of God. For we only intend to establish these two points: first, that it never stands firmly till it comes to the gratuitous promise; secondly, that we are re

(y) Rom. x. 8.
(b) Psalm cxlv. 8, 9.

(z) Ibid. i. 5, 16, 17.
(c) Heb. xi. 7.

(a) 2 Cor. v. 18.

conciled to God only as it unites us to Christ. Both these points are worthy of observation. We are inquiring for a faith which may distinguish the sons of God from the reprobate, and believers from unbelievers. If any man believes the justice of the Divine commands and the truth of the Divine threatenings, must he therefore be called a believer? By no means. Therefore faith can have no stability, unless it be placed on the Divine mercy. Now to what purpose do we argue concerning faith? Is it not that we may understand the way of salvation? But how is faith saving, but by engrafting us into the body of Christ? There will be no absurdity then, if, in the definition of it, we insist on its principal effect, and as a difference, add to the genus that character which separates believers from unbelievers. In a word, these malevolent men have nothing to carp at in this doctrine, without involving in the same reprehension with us, the apostle Paul, who particularly styles the Gospel, "the word of faith.” (d)

XXXI. Hence again we infer, what has been before stated, that the word is as necessary to faith, as the living root of the tree is to the fruit; because, according to David, none can trust in God but those who know his name. (e) But this knowledge proceeds not from every man's own imagination, but from the testimony which God himself gives of his own goodness. This, the same Psalmist confirms in another place: "Thy salvation according to thy word.” (ƒ) Again, "Save me: I hoped in thy word." (g) Where we must observe the relation of faith to the word, and that salvation is the consequence of it. Yet we exclude not the Divine power, by a view of which, unless faith be supported, it will never ascribe to God the honour that is due to him. Paul seems to relate a trifling or uninteresting circumstance concerning Abraham, when he says, that he was persuaded that God, who had promised him the blessed seed,

was able also to perform." (h) In another place, respecting himself, he says, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." (i) But if any one considers, how

(d) Rom. x. 8.
(g) Ibid. cxix. 146, 147.

(e) Psalm ix. 10.
(h) Rom. iv. 21.

(ƒ) Ibid. cxix. 41. (i) 2 Tim. i. 12.

many doubts respecting the power of God frequently intrude themselves, he will fully acknowledge, that they who magnify it as it deserves, have made no small progress in faith. We shall all confess, that God is able to do whatever he pleases, but whilst the smallest temptation strikes us with consternation and terror, it is evident that we derogate from the Divine power, to which we prefer the menaces of Satan in opposition to the promises of God. This is the reason why Isaiah, when he would impress the hearts of the people with an assurance of salvation, discourses in so magnificent a manner concerning the infinite power of God. He frequently appears, after having begun to treat of the hope of pardon and reconciliation, to digress to another subject, and to wander through prolix and unnecessary circumlocutions, celebrating the wonders of the Divine government in the machine of heaven and earth, and the whole order of nature: yet there is nothing but what is applicable to the present subject; for, unless the omnipotence of God be presented to our eyes, our ears will not attend to his word, or not esteem it according to its worth. Moreover, the Scripture there speaks of his effectual power; for piety, as we have elsewhere seen, always makes an useful and practical application of the power of God; and particularly proposes to itself those of his works, in which he hath discovered himself as a father. Hence the frequent mention of redemption in the Scriptures, from which the Israelites might learn, that God, who had once been the author of salvation, would be its everlasting preserver. David also teaches us by his own example, that the private benefits which God hath conferred on an individual, conduce to the confirmation of his faith for the future; even when he seems to have deserted us, we ought to extend our views farther, so as to derive encouragement from his ancient benefits, as it is said in another Psalm: "I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works," &c. (k) Again, “I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old." (!) But since without the word, all our conceptions of the power and works of God are unprofitable and transient: we have sufficient reason for asserting, that there (7) Ibid. lxxvii. 11.

(A) Psalm cxliii. 5.

can be no faith, without the illumination of Divine grace. But here a question might be raised, what must be thought of Sarah and Rebecca, both of whom, apparently impelled by the zeal of faith, transgressed the limits of the word. Sarah when she ardently desired the promised son, gave her maid-servant to her husband. Now that she sinned in many respects, is not to be denied; but I now refer to her error in being carried away by her zeal, and not restraining herself within the bounds of the Divine word. Yet it is certain, that this desire proceeded from faith. Rebecca, having been divinely assured of the election of her son Jacob, procures him the benediction by a sinful artifice; she deceives her husband, the witness and minister of the grace of God; she constrains her son to utter falsehoods; she corrupts the truth of God by various frauds and impostures. Finally, by exposing his promise to ridicule, she does all in her power to destroy it. And yet, this transaction, however criminal and reprehensible, was not unaccompanied with faith; because it was necessary to overcome many offences, and earnestly to aspire to that which, without any expectation of worldly advantage, was pregnant with great troubles and dangers. So we must not pronounce the holy patriarch Isaac, to be entirely destitute of faith, because, after having been divinely apprised of the translation of the honour to his younger son, he nevertheless ceases not to be partial to Esau, his first-born. These examples certainly teach that errors are frequently mixed with faith; yet that faith, when real, always retains the preeminence. For, as the particular error of Rebecca did not annul the effect of the benediction, so neither did it destroy the faith which generally predominated in her mind, and was the principle and cause of that action. Nevertheless, Rebecca, in this instance, has discovered how liable the human mind is to error, as soon as it allows itself the smallest license. But though our deficiency or imbecility obscures faith, yet it does not extinguish it: in the mean time it reminds us how solicitously we ought to attend to the declarations of God, and confirms what we have said, that faith decays unless it be supported by the word; as the minds of Sarah, Isaac, and Rebecca, would have been lost in their obliquities, if they had not, by the secret restraint of God, been kept in obedience to the word.

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