[Dec. 18th, 1858.]
I. Its nature.
Unbelief is of course the opposite of faith. Faith is the conviction of the truth contained in the word of God founded on the testimony of the Holy Ghost. This faith may have reference either to the doctrines or to the promises of the word of God. If to the latter, it may refer either to the promises, or to our interest in them.
It is essentially a holy exercise. It supposes holiness, and it is itself holy.
Unbelief, its opposite, is either (as found in the renewed) a weakness of faith, or a faith, beset with doubts or alternating with them. It may have reference to the truths or to the promises of God. It is unholy. It is a fact in Christian experience that the believer has to contend with unbelief. He is often troubled with doubts, as to the truth of God’s word, or of some of its doctrines, or of his interest in the promises.
II. As to the source of these doubts.
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In general it is an evil heart. In the unrenewed this precludes faith, and as the Christian is imperfectly sanctified, the evil of his heart produces unbelief. If perfectly holy, we should have no doubts. This should be impressed upon us, that we may feel our guilt, and not cherish doubt as a manifestation of humility. The reason why holiness precludes doubt, or tends thereto, is 1. The evidence of the truth is abundant, and that it is addressed to the spiritual understanding. So that if that is unclouded, our apprehensions would be clear and our convictions strong and constant. This is the general source. The more specific causes of doubt are:
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Looking for, demanding, and relying on wrong kinds of evidence.
Those who look for or demand “wisdom,” i.e., proof addressed to the reason, instead of testimony, will always be in doubt. Some men do this from undue regard to their own ability. They lean on their own understanding, grapple with authors and arguments too strong for them. With regard to the promises, doubt often arises from looking for wrong evidence of our interest in them. We have the idea that we are entitled to believe only if we feel aright. Right feeling comes from faith.
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Grieving the Spirit. As all true faith is founded on the testimony of the Spirit, whatever tends to grieve the Spirit leads to a suspension or withdrawal of his witnessing to the truth, and to our spirits. Hence God is said to give the wicked up to believe a lie.
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Sometimes these doubts, especially desponding ones, have their source in the physical temperament, or in the state of the body. This should be known both to the people, and to those who have the care of souls.
III. The effects of this unbelief.
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It is in general to destroy the power of the truth. The truth becomes clouded, and cannot operate with full effect on the soul. Hence unbelief produces,
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Sin. What arises from evil produces evil. It leads to separation and alienation from God, whose truth is his image, through which we have fellowship with him. Hence Paul says it leads to apostacy. No matter whether it have reference to the truths or to the promises of God, it alienates from him, prevents intercourse and thus spiritual death.
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Of course it destroys peace of mind. Peace is the fruit of faith, whether that peace be the quiet of the mind which arises from freedom from conflicts with doubt and acquiescence in the truth, or whether it be that peace which passes all understanding, which flows from the assurance of the divine favor.
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It necessarily weakens us for all duty, and dries up the sources of all spiritual consolation. Nothing more miserable than a sceptic unless it be the man whose understanding and conscience witness for the truth which his heart rejects, or which he is unable to appropriate to himself.
IV. The cure of unbelief and doubts.
Much of the physician’s skill in the care of his patients is evinced in telling them what not to do. So here the negative part of the prescription for the cure of unbelief is no less important.
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Do not grieve the Spirit of God.
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Do not rely on our own understanding for faith.
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Do not grapple with sceptical books unnecessarily.
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Do not take false views of the plan of salvation, overlooking the grace of the gospel.
On the other hand,—
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Look to God for faith.
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Live in communion with God, in the use of the means of grace.
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Allow the truth to operate freely and fully, by frequent reading and meditation.
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Be active in the service of God. Obeying produces believing.
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