The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 424

:

XXXV. Faith and Knowledge. "He

Son hath everand he that believeth not

that believeth in the

lasting

life;

the Son shall not see life."—y^j/iw

In the discussion of saving us the least assistance.

faith, faith in

iii.

36.

general can not afford

To understand what

"

faith "

is,

we must

turn in an entirely different direction, and answer the question "

What

is,

among

the nations, the universal root-idea and original

significance of faith?"

And

then

we meet

this singular

phenomenon, that among

all

an expression denoting at one time something uncertain, and at another something very certain. " I believe that the clock struck three, but I am It may be said " not certain"; or, I believe that his initials are H. T., but I am not nations and at

all

times faith

is

:

certain "

;

or, " I

believe that you can take a ticket directly for

St.

would be well first to inquire." In every one of these sentences, which can be translated literally in every cultivated language, " to believe" signifies a mere guess, something less Petersburg, but

it

than actual knowledge, a confession of

But when

I

U7icertainty.

say, "I believe in the forgiveness of sin"; or, "I

believe in the immortality of the soul"; or lastly,

unquestionable integrity of that statesman";

"

" I

imply doubt or uncertainty about these things, but est conviction

believe in the

to believe" does not signifies strong-

concerning them.

From which

it

follows, that every definition of the being

of

must be wrong which does not explain how, from one and the same root-idea, there can be derived a twofold, diametrically opposed use of the same word. Of this difficulty there can be but one solution, viz., the difference in the nature of the things in regard to which certainty is

faith

desired; so that, with reference to one class of things, highest certainty

is

obtained by

faith, and,

with reference to another,

it is

not.

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