Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-03-09
&eadiua for the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
IOrlginal.1
FAITH.

REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
Orlglnal.l
FAITH.
The Importance which is attached to- faith
in the divine economy, may be inferred from
the frequent reference which is made to it in
the Scriptures. If we except the names and
titles by which the Supreme Being reveals HIM
self to us, there is, perhaps, no other subject
which is so often and in so many different
ways brought to our attention in the Scrip
lures, as faith. Every form of expression is
used which is calculated to illustrate what is
meant by faith, and to impress upon our minds
the necessity of exercising faith.
Notwithstanding this, the subject is gener-
ally not we'll understood. In every evangelic-
al sermon something is said about faith. Men
are constantly exhorted to believe every time
the gospel is preached. Still, there is vague
ness in the minds of many concerning the orr
gin and office of faith. AS to it's origin, faith
is traceable back to the creative energy of God.
1t is usually defined to be belief in testimony.
This is true but it is so general that some ex-
PLANTATION is necessary. Before testimony can
be believed it is necessary that some correct
knowledge is possessed of the person giving
the testimony. Not only so, but some knowl-
edge of the subject matter of the testimony
itself, is necessary. This is so clear that it
needs no illustration.
The testimony which we are called upon to
believe is the record which God has given us of
his Son Jesus Christ. This is evangelical faith.
We may believe that there is one and only one
God, that he is the creator and preseryer of lis
all. We may believe this, not because we
know it in the sense of fact capable of dem
onstration, but because it is the testimony Of
God as contained in the Scriptures. However
necessary this faith may be, it is still not
evangelical or saving faith.
1t is clear, from the general scope of the
whole Scriptures, that the ability to believe
the record which God has given us of his Son
is not natural Or, in other words, men in
their normal state do not possess the ability in
and of themselves to accept Jesus Christ as lie
is offered to them in the gospel. Before they
can do this they must be born again-they must
be regenerated. Those WHO are dead in tres
passes and sins never exercise saving faith.
They may, and many of them do believe many
things that are revealed, both in the word and
works of God, but they do not and can not
accept of Jesus Christ as their Saviour until
by Gods Spirit they are born again. This be-
ing the case, it may safely be said, that 80
far as it's origin is concerned, faith is tracea-
ble to the creative energy Of God.
Il 4kn int, To hn %
gift of God. Now it is not gift which has
separate and distinct existence from those who
receive it. On the contrary, faith is so identi-
fled with those who receive it, that it forms a
part and parcel of their very being.
God, by an exercise of His almighty power,
so enlightens the understanding, purifies the
affections and subdues and directs the will OF
men, that they receive and rest upon Jesus
Christ as God offers him to them in the gospel.
Faith is grace, because it is gift. God
gives this power to believe. In it's exercise
faith is a work. In this there is great SINH
larity between faith and life. God gives us
life; but motion, the evidence of life, is our
own. In living, we simply use the power
which God has bestowed upon us when he gave
us life. So when any one believes, he simply
exercises that gift which God bestowed upon
him when He created him anew by His word
and spirit.
The object of faith is Christ Jesus. We are
not called upon to believe that we will be
saved, but to trust in Jesus Christ for saliva
tion. Many persons annoy themselves unne-
cessarily in vain efforts to know what is not
movable They would measure their fitness
for Heaven by what they have done or haYe
not done. The consequence is that they are
constantly vacillating between hope and fear.
In order to believe, these things are abso-
lutely necessary to be known: 1st. That there
is a God 2nd. That all men are sinners; 3rd.
That God has provided way OF escape for
sinners 4th. That in the gospel Jesus Christ
is offered to sinners, freely, fully and in good
faith; 5th. That all that accept of the offer
shall be saved, and all who reject it shall be
lost
In faith there is no purchasing merit Faith
is not satisfaction for OCr sins. Jesus Christ
rendered to the law of God, by His obedience
and death, all the satisfaction that the law re-
quires Faith may be appropriately denoml-
mated growing grace. Except in extraordi-
nary cases, it is, in all persons, weak. Its
growth depends upon the growth in Scriptural
knowledge.
The Office of faith is to take hold of Jesus
Christ and rest upon him, and upon him alone,
for salvation, as He is offered to us in the
gospel. Some old divines called faith the hand
that takes hold of Christ. This is good and
safe illustration Of the office work of faith.
All our natural affections draw us away from
Christ, and so far as our natural understand
ing is concerned, it leads us to exclaim against
the plan of salvation proposed in the gospel as
insufficient, and our wills rebel against the
new obedience required.
Faith enables it's possessor to rest on the
promises of God. Hence it may be said that
a part, and no small part, of the office work OF
faith is to sustain and comfort.