has of his faith. It is expedient, however, for the following purposes, that, by a careful search, every one should inquire into the truth and sincerity of his faith. 1st, That he may render to God the praise which is due for this inestimable gift. If the Apostle Paul so often rendered thanks to God for the faith of others, q how much more is it incumbent on every believer to bless the Lord for his own faith? This, however, he cannot do, unless he know that he has faith. 2dly, That he may enjoy great consolation in himself; for the consciousness of our faith is accompanied with assurance of our salvation. Accordingly, Paul joins these two together, saying; "I know whom I have believed, "and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that "which I have committed to him against that day."r 3dly, That, with the greater alacrity, he may run the race of piety. When he is sure that his works proceed from a principle of faith, he is certain, at the same time, that his "labour shall not be in vain in the Lord;" and this assurance so animates the believer, that he becomes "stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord."s

XXXIX. In fine, we must say something briefly with regard to the PROFESSION of faith; for the Creed is a kind of formulary of such a profession. This, the Apostle Peter, in the name of God, enjoins upon every believer; "Be ye ready always to give to every one that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you." This, the Spirit of faith dictates, influencing no less the tongues than the hearts of the faithful, as that

the Account of the Discipline of the Bohemian Brethren.* Something similar, as Durel† shows, is practised in the Church of England.21 It were to be wished that the same observance were in use in our churches also; or, at least, that they who are admitted to the sacrament of the Lord's Supper made a public profession of their faith, in the presence and audience of the whole congregation. As to persons who refuse to make such a profession, even before the Consistory or Session, or before the Pastor in private, alleging the most frivolous apologies for their refusal,-I would they were admonished to consider, in the most serious manner, the awful denunciation of our Lord respecting those who shall be ashamed of him and of his words.

* Ratio Disciplinæ Ordinis Fratrum Bohemorum, p. 46. + Vindicia Eccles. Anglic. cap. xxiii. p. 253.

21 See NOTE XXI,

DISSERTATION IV.

ON THE FAITH OF THE EXISTENCE OF GOD.

Believ

1. GOD is at once the principal and the ultimate object of faith; "Ye believe in God," said our Lord to his disciples; and says the Apostle Peter,-" who by Him," that is, Christ," do believe in God." ers consider God as the self-existent, uncreated truth,* on whom they may rely with the greatest safety; and as the supreme felicity, united to whom by faith, they may become inexpressibly happy. The Creed, accordingly, begins with these words, I BELIEVE IN GOD.

II. Many have supposed that these three phrases, Credere Deum, to believe God, credere Deo, to believe God,† and credere in Deum, to believe in God, ought to be thus distinguished; that the first means, to be persuaded of his existence; the second, to give credit

* Αυτο αληθεια.

+ The reader will observe that Deum is the accusative, or objective, and Deo the dative case, of the Latin word Deus, God: but if credere is rendered to believe, the English idiom requires us to translate credere Deo, as well as credere Deum, to believe God. We may say, to give credit to God; but we cannot say, to believe to him. T. ‡ Existentia, or, as Macrobius expresses it, extantia. b 1 Pet. i. 21.

a John xiv. 1.

to God when he testifies any thing; the third, to rely upon God with a saving confidence of soul.

III. But as this distinction has no foundation in the Scriptures, so it takes its rise from total ignorance of the Hebrew idiom. The expression Credere Deum, to believe God, no where occurs in holy writ. Paul says, " he that cometh unto God, must believe that he is and in Deum credere, to believe in God, is a Hebraism, contrary to the ancient purity both of the Greek and the Latin tongue.-The Hebrews use indifferently,, or, in connexion with ; as in the

Then believed they his * ויאמינו בדבריו expression לא האמינו לדברו,words,d and

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They believed not his word." This Hebraism, in common with many others, was imitated by the Hellenists,22 and by the sacred writers of the New Testament. Let the following instance suffice. In John viii. 30. it is said, #oλ201 ÈTioTevoav ’eiç aùtov, "many believed on him ;" and verse 31. the same persons are called πεπιστευκότας αὐτω, "those who believed him." Hence it appears that they are greatly mistaken, who assert that the expression to believe in one, signifies that devout affection of mind which is an homage due to God alone; for it is ex

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and believed * ויאמינו ביהוה ובמשה עבדו,pressly said

Those,

(in) the LORD, and (in) his servant Moses." also, are mistaken, who suppose that the phrase to believe in God or in Christ, is always descriptive of a living faith; since it is said of the Ninevites that they believed in God, and of the Jews, that they "believed in his," to wit, Christ's "name," to whom "Jesus did

not commit himself;"-whilst, on the contrary, a different expression is made use of, to denote a living and saving faith, in John v. 24. πιστευων τω πεμψαντι με, "he that believeth him that sent me ;" and in the account of the Jailor, TETIσTEUXAS TO DE, "who believed God," both phrases are used indiscriminately.*

IV. When we speak of GOD, we understand a Being who is infinitely perfect, since he is the Creator and Lord of all other beings. This is the idea common to all nations, which they express, each in their own language, whenever they make mention of God. Now, in order to a man's believing in God, it is necessary, first of all, that he be firmly persuaded in his mind that such an infinitely perfect Being doth really exist. "For he that cometh unto God, must believe that he is." But, since this persuasion lays a foundation for itself in NATURE, upon which GRACE rears the superstructure of Divine revelation, it will be proper to see, first, what nature can teach us on this topic, and then, what the Christian faith superadds to the persuasion derived from nature.

v. The existence of God is so necessary and so evident a truth, that to one rightly attending to the subject, scarcely any thing can appear more certain, more obvious, or more manifest. It is clear even from that notion of a Deity which is common to all nations. Whoever speaks of God, speaks of a Being infinitely perfect. Such a Being, however, cannot even be conceived of in thought, without including in our conception the necessity of his existence. For, since it is

* See the learned observations of Gomar on John ii. 23. xiii. 42. h John ii. 23, 24. Acts xvi. 31, 34.

i

5.