"For with the heart man
believeth unto righteousness." Romans
10:10
The subject brought to view in this
passage requires of us, that we should, distinguish
carefully between intellectual and heart faith.
There are several different states of
mind which are currently called faith, this term being
obviously used in various senses. So, also, is the term
heart used in various senses, and indeed, there are but few
terms which are not used with some variety of signification.
Hence, it becomes very important to discriminate.
Thus, in regard to faith, the
Scriptures affirm that the "devils also believe and
tremble," but it surely cannot be meant that they have heart
faith. They do not "believe unto righteousness."
Faith in the intellect is a judgment
-- an opinion. The mind so judges, and is convinced that the
facts are so. Whatever the nature of the things believed,
this is an involuntary state of mind. Those things believed
may be truth; they may relate to God and may embrace the
great fundamental facts and doctrines of religion; yet this
faith may not result in righteousness. It is often true that
persons have their judgments convinced, yet this conviction
reaches not beyond their intelligence. Or perhaps it may go
so much further as to move their feelings and play on their
sensibility, and yet may do nothing more. It may produce no
change in the will. It may result in no new moral purpose;
may utterly fail to reach the voluntary attitude of the
mind, and hence, will make no change in the life.
But, heart faith, on the other hand,
is true confidence, and involves an earnest committal of
one's self and interests, to the demands of the truth
believed. It is precisely such a trust as we have in those
to whom we cling in confidence -- such as children feel in
their friends and true fathers and mothers. We know they are
naturally ready to believe what is said to them, and to
commit themselves to the care of those they love.
The heart is in this. It is a
voluntary state of mind -- always substantially and
essentially an act of the will. This kind of faith will, of
course, always affect the feelings, and will influence the
life. Naturally, it tends towards righteousness, and may
truly be said to be "unto righteousness." It implies love,
and seems in its very nature to unify itself with the
affections. The inspired writers plainly did not hold faith
to be so purely an act of will, as to exclude the
affections. Obviously, they made it include the
affections.
I must now proceed to notice some of
the conditions of intellectual faith.
Sometimes, but not always, faith of
the heart is essential to faith of the intellect. Thus, it
may be necessary that we have heart faith in a man before we
are duly prepared to investigate the facts that relate to
his character. So, in relation to God, if we lack heart
faith in Him, we are in no state to deal fairly with the
evidence of His works and ways. Here it is well to notice
the vast difference between the irresistible assumptions of
the mind respecting God, and those things which we arrive at
by study and reasoning. Heart faith seems essential to any
candid investigation.
It is also essential to our
conviction as to the truth. I am not prepared to judge
candidly concerning a friend, unless I have some of this
heart faith in him. Suppose I hear a rumor about my best
friend, affirming something which is deeply scandalous. My
regard for him forbids my believing this scandalous report
unless it comes most fully sustained by testimony. On the
other hand, if I had no heart confidence in him, my
intelligence might be thrown entirely off, and I might do
both him and myself the greatest injustice.
Many of you have had this experience
in regard to faith. Often, in the common walks of life, you
have found that, if it had not been for your heart
confidence, you would have been greatly deceived. Your heart
held on; at length, the evidence shone out; you were in a
condition to judge charitably, and thus you arrived at the
truth.
Heart faith is specially essential
where there is mystery. Of course there are points in
religious doctrine which are profoundly mysterious. This
fact is not peculiar to religious truth, but is common to
every part of God's works -- which is equivalent to saying
-- it is common to all real science. Any child can ask me
questions which I cannot answer. Without heart confidence,
it would be impossible for society to exist. Happily for us,
we can often wisely confide, when we cannot, by any means,
understand.
In the nature of the case, there must
be mysteries about God, for the simple reason that He is
infinite and we are finite. Yet, He reveals enough of
Himself to authorize us to cherish the most unbounded
confidence in Him. Therefore, let no one stumble at this as
though it were some strange thing, for, in fact, the same
thing obtains to some extent in all our social relations. In
these, we are often compelled to confide in our friends
where the case seems altogether suspicious. Yet, we confide,
and by and by, the truth comes to light, and we are thankful
that our heart faith held us from doing them
injustice.
Again, heart faith is specially in
place where there is contradictory evidence.
Often it may seem to you that God
must be partial. Then, the mind needs the support of
confidence in God. You go on safely if there is underlying
all, the deep conviction that God is and must be right. See
that woman, stripped of everything -- husband, children,
all; how can she give any account of this? You may remember
the case of a woman who traveled West with her husband and
family; there buried her husband and all but two little
ones, and then made her weary way back with these on foot.
Pinching want and weariness drove her into a stranger's
dwelling at nightfall; there a churlish man would have
turned her into the street, but his wife had a human heart,
and insisted on letting them stay, even if she herself sat
up all night. Think of the trying case of that lone widow.
She does not sleep; her mingled grief and faith find
utterance in the words -- "My heart is breaking, but God is
good!"
How could she make it out that God is
good? Just as you would in the case of your husband, if one
should tell you he had gone forever, and proved faithless to
his vows. You can set this insinuation aside, and let your
heart rise above it. You do this on the strength of your
heart faith.
So the Christian does in regard to
many mysterious points in God's character and ways. You
cannot see how God can exist without ever beginning to
exist; or how He can exist in three Persons, since no other
beings known to you exist in more than one. You cannot see
how He can be eternally good, and yet suffer sin and misery
to befall His creatures. But, with heart faith we do not
need to have everything explained. The heart says to its
Heavenly Father, "I do not need to catechize Thee, not ask
impertinent questions, for I know it is all right. I know
God can never do anything wrong." And so the soul finds a
precious joy in trusting, without knowing how the mystery is
solved. Just as a wife, long parted from her husband, and,
under circumstances that need explanation, yet when he
returns, she rushes to meet him with her loving welcome,
without waiting for one word of explanation. Suppose she had
waited for the explanation before she could speak a kind
word. This might savor of the intellect, but certainly it
would not do honor to her heart. For her heart confidence,
her husband loves her better than ever, and well he
may!
You can understand this; and can you
not also apply it to your relation to God? God may appear to
your view to be capricious; but you know He is not; may
appear unjust, but you know He cannot be. Ah, Christian,
when you comprehend the fact of God's wider reach of vision,
and of His greater love, then you will cry out with Job --
"Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." When you have
trusted so, think you not that your heart will be as dear to
Christ as ever?
2. Let us next consider, what are
not, and what are, conditions of heart faith.
It is not conditioned upon
comprehending the facts to be believed. We may know a thing
to be a fact, while yet we are entirely unable to explain
it. The reasons and the explanations are quite a different
thing from the evidence which sustains the fact, and
commends it to our belief.
Let it also be borne in mind that it
is not half as necessary to know all the reasons in the case
of God's ways as in man's. The ground of the difference is,
that we know, in general, that God is always right -- a
knowledge which we cannot have in regard to man. Of God, our
deepest and most resistless convictions assure us that all
is right. Our corresponding convictions in the case of man
are far from being irresistible. Yet, even in regard to men,
we often find that a conviction of their rectitude, which is
far less than irresistible, lends us to trust. How much more
should our stronger convictions as to God, lead us evermore
to trust in Him!
Again, this heart faith in God does
not rest on our ability to prove even that God exists. Many
an earnest Christian has never thought of this, any more
than of proving his own existence. An irresistible
conviction gives him both, without other proof.
But, positively, God must be revealed
to your inner being so that you are conscious of His
existence and presence. There is not, perhaps, in the
universe, a thing of which we can be more certain than of
God's existence. The mind may be more deeply acquainted with
God than with any other being or thing. Hence, this heart
confidence may be based on God's revelations to the inner
soul of man. Such revelations may reach the very highest
measure of certainty. I do not mean to imply here that we
are not certain of the facts of observation. But this is a
stronger assurance and certainty. The mind becomes
personally acquainted with God, and is conscious of this
direct and positive knowledge.
A further condition is, that the soul
be inwardly drawn to God. In our relations to each other, we
are sometimes conscious of a peculiar sympathy, which draws
us towards a friend. This fact is a thing of consciousness,
of which we may be quite unable to give any explanation. A
similar attraction draws us to God, and seems to be a
natural condition of the strongest forms of heart
faith.
It is quite essential to heart faith
that we have genuine love to God. In the absence of
good-will towards God, there never can be this faith of the
heart. The wife has no heart faith in her husband, save as
she loves him. Her heart must be drawn to him in real love
-- else this heart faith will draw back and demand more
evidence.
In view of this principle, God takes
measure to win our love and draw our hearts to Himself. As
human beings do towards each other, so He manifests His deep
interests in us -- pours out His blessings on us in lavish
profusion, and, in every way, strives to assure us that He
is truly our friend. These are His methods to win the
confidence of our hearts. When it becomes real to us that we
owe everything to God -- our health, gifts, all our comforts
-- then we can bear many dark and trying things. Then, we
know that God loves us even though He scourge us, just as
children know that parents love them, and mean their good,
even though they chastise them. Under these broad and
general manifestations of love, they confide, even though
there be no present manifestations of love. You may remember
how Cecil taught his little daughter the meaning of gospel
faith. She came to him, one day, with her hands full of
little beads, greatly delighted to show them. He said to her
calmly --"You had better throw them all into the fire." She
was almost confounded; but, when she saw he was in earnest,
she trustfully obeyed and cast them in. After a few days, he
brought home for her a casket of jewels. "There, said he, my
daughter, you had faith in me the other day, and threw your
beads into the fire; that was faith; now I can give you
things much more precious. Are these not far better?" So you
should always believe in God. He has jewels for those who
will believe, and cast away their sins.
Again, I observe, heart faith is unto
righteousness -- real obedience. This trustful and
affectionate state of heart naturally leads us to obey God.
I have often admired the faith manifested by the old
Theologian Philosophers who held fast to their confidence in
God, despite of the greatest of absurdities. Their faith
could laugh at the most absurd principles involved in their
philosophy of religious truth. It is a remarkable fact that
the greater part of the church have been in their philosophy
necessitarians, holding not the freedom, but the bondage of
the will; their doctrine being that the will is determined
necessarily by the strongest motive. Pres. Edwards held
these philosophical views, but despite of them, he believed
that God is supremely good. The absurdities of this
philosophy did not shake his faith in God. So all the really
Old School Theologians hold the absurdities of
hyper-Calvinism, as for example, that God absolutely and
supremely controls all the moral actions of all His
creatures.
Dr. Beecher, in controversy with Dr.
Wilson, some years since, held that obligation implied
ability to obey. This Dr. Wilson flatly denied. Whereupon
Dr. B. remarked that few men could march up and face such a
proposition with winking. It is often the case that men have
such heart confidence in God that they will trust Him
despite the most flagrant absurdities. There is less
superstition in this than I used to suppose, and more faith.
Men forget their dogmas and philosophy, and despite of both,
love and confide.
Some men have held monstrous
doctrines -- even that God is the author of sin and puts
forth His divine efficiency to make men sin, as truly as, by
His Spirit, to make them holy. This view was held by Dr.
Emmons; yet he was eminently a pious man, of childlike,
trustful spirit. It is indeed strange how such men could
hold these absurdities at all, and scarcely less so, how
they could hold them and yet confide sweetly in God. Their
heart must have been fixed in this faith by some other
influence than that of these monstrous notions in philosophy
and theology. For, these views of God, we absolutely know,
were contrary to their reason, though not to their
reasonings -- a very wide and essential distinction -- which
is sometimes overlooked. The intuitive affirmations of their
reason were one thing; the points which they reached by
their philosophical reasonings, were quite another thing.
The former could not lie about God, the latter could. The
former laid that sure foundation for heart faith; the latter
went to make up their intellectual notions, the absurdities
of which, (we notice with admiration,) never seemed to shake
their Christian faith. While these reasonings pushed them on
into the greatest absurdities, their reason held their faith
and piety straight.
The faith of the heart is proof
against all forms of infidelity. Without this nothing is
proof. For if men without piety drop the affirmations of
their intuitive reason, and then attempt, philosophically,
to reason out all the difficulties they meet with, they
almost inevitably stumble.
Heart faith carries one over the
manifold mysteries and difficulties of God's providence. In
this field there must be difficulties, for no human vision
can penetrate to the bottom of God's providential plans and
purposes.
So, also, does this faith of the
heart carry one over the mysteries of the atonement. It is
indeed curious to notice how the heart gets over all these.
It is generally the case that the atonement is accepted by
the heart unto salvation, before its philosophy is
understood. It was manifestly so with the apostles; so with
their hearers; and so, even with those who heard the Lord
Jesus Christ Himself. The Bible says but very little indeed
on the point of the philosophy of the atonement.
It is in no sense unreasonable that
God should require us to have such faith in Him. Properly
considered, He does not require us to believe what we do not
know to be true. He does not ask us to renounce our common
sense and exercise a groundless credulity. When we trust His
general character and accept certain dark dispensations of
providence as doubtless right, what is it that we believe?
Not the special reason for this mysterious dispensation, but
we believe that, despite of its dark aspect to us, God's
hand in it is both wise and good, and we believe this
because we have abundant ground to confide in His general
character. It is as if you were to tell me that a known and
tried friend of mine had told a lie. I should say, I cannot
believe it. I know him too well. But you say -- "Here is the
evidence. It looks very dark against him." "Very likely," I
reply, "but yet I cannot believe it. There will be some
explanation of this. I cannot believe it."
Now I consider myself fully
authorized to reject at once all surmises and rumors against
my known friend. I am bound to do so, until the evidence
against him becomes absolutely conclusive. This is
altogether reasonable. How much more so in the case of dark
things in God's doings!
For it should be considered that man
may deceive us; God never can. We do not know man's heart
always, to the very core; and if we did, it may change; what
once was true, becomes false. But not so with God; our
intuitive convictions affirm that God is always good, and
always wise; and, moreover, that there can never be any
declension in His love, or any revolution in His
character.
Consequently Christians are often
called on to believe God, not only without, but against,
present evidence.
Abraham, called out of his home and
country, to go into a strange land, obeyed, not knowing
whither he went. He might have asked many questions about
the reasons; he does not appear to have asked
any.
Commanded to offer up Isaac, he
might, with apparent propriety, have expostulated earnestly.
He might have said, "Lord, that would be murder! It would
outrage the natural affection which Thou hast planted in my
bosom. It would encourage the heathen around us in their
horrid abominations of making their children pass through
the fire of Moloch." All this, and more he might have said;
but, so far as appears, he said nothing -- save this; "The
Lord commands, and I obey. If He pleases He can raise up my
Isaac from the dead." So he went on and virtually offered up
his son Isaac, and "in a figure, received him again from the
dead." And God fixed the seal of his approbation on this act
of faith, and held it out before all ages as a model of
faith and obedience, despite of darkness and
objections.
So Christians are often called to
believe without present evidence, other than what comes from
their knowledge of God's general character. For a season,
God lets everything go against them, yet they believe. Said
a woman, passing through great trials, with great confidence
in God -- "O Lord, I know Thou art good, for Thou hast shown
me this; but, Lord, others do not understand this; they are
stumbled at it. Canst Thou not show them so that they shall
understand this?"
REMARKS.
The demand for reasons often
embarrasses our faith. This is one of the tricks of the
devil. He would embarrass our faith by telling us we must
understand all God's ways before we believe. Yet we ought to
see that this is impossible and unreasonable. Abraham could
not see the reasons for God's command to offer Isaac a
bloody sacrifice; he might have expostulated; but he did
not. The simplicity and beauty of his faith appears all
along in this very thing -- that he raised no questions. He
had a deeper insight into God's character. He knew too much
of God to question His wisdom, or His love. For, a man might
understand all the reasons of God's ways, yet this knowledge
might do him no good; his heart might rebel even
then.
In this light you may see why so much
is said about Abraham's faith. It was gloriously trustful
and unquestioning! What a model! No wonder God commends it
to the admiring imitation of the world!
It is indeed true that faith must
often go forward in the midst of darkness. Who can read the
histories of believing saints, as recorded in Scripture,
without seeing that faith often leads the way through
trials. It would be but a sorry development of faith, if at
every step God's people must know everything before they
could trust Him, and must understand all His reasons. Most
ample grounds for faith lie in His general character, so
that we do not need to understand the special reasons for
His particular acts.
We are mere infants -- miserably poor
students of God's ways. His dealings on every side of us
appear to us mysterious. Hence it should be expected that we
shall fail to comprehend His reasons, and consequently we
must confide in Him without this knowledge. Indeed, just
here lies the virtue of faith, that it trusts God on the
ground of His general character, while the mind can by no
means comprehend His reasons for particular acts. Knowing
enough of God to assure us that He must be good, our faith
trusts Him, although the special evidence of goodness in
particular cases may be wanting.
This is a kind of faith which many do
not seem to possess or to understand. Plainly they do not
confide in God's dealings.
It is manifestly needful that God
should train Christians to exercise faith here and now;
since in heaven we shall be equally unable to comprehend all
His dealings. The holy in heaven will no doubt believe in
God; but they must do it by simple faith -- not on the
ground of a perfect knowledge of God's plans. What a trial
of faith it must have been to the holy in heaven to see sin
enter our world! They could see few, perhaps none of the
reasons, before the final judgment, and must have fallen
back upon the intuitive affirmations of their own minds. The
utmost they could say was -- We know God is good and wise;
therefore we must wait to see the results, and humbly
trust.
It is not best for parents to explain
everything to their children, and especially, they should
not take the ground of requiring nothing of which they
cannot explain all the reasons. Some profess to take this
ground. It is for many reasons unwise. God does not train
His children so.
Faith is really natural to children.
Yet some will not believe their children converted until
they can be real Theologians. This assumes that they must
have all the great facts of the gospel system explained so
that they can comprehend their philosophy before they can
believe them. Nothing can be further from the
truth.
It sometimes happens that those who
are converted in childhood become students of theology in
more advanced years, and then, getting proud of their
philosophy and wisdom, lose their simple faith and relapse
into infidelity. No, I do not object to their studying the
philosophy of every doctrine up to the limits of human
knowledge; but I do object to their casting away their faith
in God. For there is no lack of substantial testimony to the
great doctrines of the gospel. Their philosophy may stagger
the wisest man; but the evidence of their truth ought to
satisfy all, and alike the child and the philosopher. Last
winter I was struck with this fact -- which I mention
because it seems to present one department of the evidences
of Christianity in a clear light. One judge of the court
said to another -- I come to you with my assertion that I
inwardly know Jesus Christ, and as truly and as well as I
know you. Can you reject such testimony? What would the
people of this State say to you if you rejected such
testimony on any other subject? Do you not every day, let
men testify to their own experience?" The judge replied, "I
cannot answer you."
"Why, then," replied the other, "do
you not believe this testimony? I can bring before you
thousands who will testify to the same thing."
Again I remark, it is of great use to
study the truths of the gospel system theologically and
philosophically, for thus you may reach a satisfactory
explanation of many things which your heart knew and clave
to and would have held fast till the hour of your death. It
is a satisfaction to you, however, to see the beautiful
harmony of these truths with each other, and with the known
laws of mind, and of all just government.
Yet Theological students sometimes
decline in their piety, and for a reason which it were well
for them to understand. One enters upon this study simple
hearted and confiding; but, by and by study expands his
views; he begins to be charmed with the explanations he is
able to give of many things not understood before; becomes
opinionated and proud; becomes ashamed of his former simple
heart faith, and thus stumbles fearfully if not fatally. If
you will hold on with all your simple heart confidence to
the immutable love and wisdom of God, all will be well. But
it never can be well to put your intellectual philosophy in
the place of the simplicity of gospel faith.
Herein is seen one reason why some
students do not become pious. They determine that they will
understand everything before they become Christians. Of
course they are never converted. Quite in point, here, is a
case I saw a few years since. Dr. B., an intelligent but not
pious man, had a pious wife who was leading her little
daughter to Christ. The Dr. seeing this, said to her -- Why
do you try to lead that child to Christ? I cannot understand
these things myself, although I have been trying to
understand them these many years; how then can she? But some
days after, as he was riding out alone, he began to reflect
on the matter; the truth flashed upon his mind, and he saw
that neither of them could understand God unto perfection --
not he anymore than his child; while yet either of them
could know enough to believe unto salvation.
Again, gospel faith is voluntary -- a
will trust. I recollect a case in my own circle of friends.
I could not satisfy my mind about one of them. At length,
after long struggling, I said, I will repel these things
from my mind, and rule out these difficulties. My friend is
honest and right; I will believe it, and will trust him none
the less for these slanders. In this I was right.
Towards God this course is always
right. It is always right to cast away from your mind all
those dark suspicions about Him who can never make mistakes,
and who is too good to purpose wrong. I once said to a
sister in affliction -- Can you not believe all this is for
your good, though you cannot see how it is? She brightened
up, saying -- I must believe in God, and I will.
Who of you have this heart faith?
Which of you will not commit yourself to Christ? If the
thing required were intellectual faith, I could explain to
you how it is reached. It must be through searching the
evidence in the case. But heart faith must be reached by
simple effort -- by a voluntary purpose to trust. Ye who say
-- I cannot do this -- Bow your knees before God and commit
yourself to His will; say, "O, my Savior! I take Thee at Thy
word." This is a simple act of will.
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