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But here, perhaps, the distressed Christian may be ready to say, ' Faith is the gift of God, and I do not find he has given me that gift ; I cannot believe, though I much desire it.' Tо such a one I would answer, Faith is undoubtedly the gift of God, but the power to believe and trust, does not lie where such as you generally think it does, viz. in a certain active energy in the mind ; but it lies in the fulness and clearness of the evidence of the truth, and a capacity to receive it, for all faith begins in persuasion, and persuasion is the result of evidence. Hence we read of believers being persuaded of the promises, and that faith is the evidence (conviction or evincement) of things not seen.
We cannot doubt the testimony of God when once we are convinced it is his testimony : nor, (it sensible of our misery, and really desirous of
deliverance,) can we avoid putting a confidence in those promises of deliveranee that we believe God has made us. These acts of the mind will follow in the circumstances supposed, unless we purposely and wilfully withhold them against conviction, which no serious mind can do. Our inability to believe, therefore, lies rather in the want of light than of power, i.e. the want of evidence as to the truth, reality, and importance of the object of our faith, or the want of a capacity to perceive it. Both these are the gifts of God, The means of both he has put into our hands, with assurances of blessing the use of
them. ' Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Upon that word the marks of Divinity and truth are imprinted with the most
glorious and affectiug evidence. The glorious
