The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 441

FAITH IN THE SACRED SCRIPTURES as knowledge, but what they call assent.

phatic word, but certainty

*

It is

Knmvledge

is

401

not the em-

not the knowledge, but the

cer-

knowledge that belongs to the true faith. Wherefore some used to distinguish knowledge and assent, and For it should be remembered that the treated them separately. tainty of the

unconverted do not understand the Scripture, nor can they read its testimony. Not being born of water and of the Spirit, they can not see the

Kingdom

The

of God.

natural

man does

not understand

Hence we say emphatically, that the knowledge preceding faith and to which faith must assent implies the illumiOnly in that light can one see the glory nation of the Holy Spirit. of Scripture and apprehend its beauty; without this it is but a stumbling-block to him. Yet it is no part of faith, but only part of the Spirit's work making faith possible. spiritual things.

A is to

truth or a person

is

be persuaded when,

not faith, but the object of faith faith ;

all

itself

opposition ended, the soul has obtained

undoubted assurance. Hence the absolute absurdity of speaking of faith cut loose from Scripture, or directed upon anything but Christ

;

or of calling faith a universal inclination of the soul, crying

after salvation, to acter. is

to

quench

its thirst.

All this robs faith of its char-

When I say, " I believe," I mean me an undoubted fact. In order

assured, convinced, persuaded

— otherwise

thereby that this or that to

believe one must be

there can be no faith; and

the fruit of this being persuaded

is rich knowledge, glorious conand access to the Lord. However, it should be noticed that we have spoken of faith only a.s it ihovis \t^e\i above the ground. But that is not suiificient. We must still examine the root, the fibers of faith in the soul. We must examine the faculty that enables the soul to believe. Of this

fidence,

in the

next

article.

* " Carta fudicia."

36

Not a certain knowledge, but certain knowledge.

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