Inward Impressions. 2
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That which we wish to particularly press upon the reader, is the vital importance and imperative necessity of his faith resting upon a sure foundation: that sure foundation is the Word of God—and not any painful convictions, or happy feelings, which we may have experienced; not resting on some deep impressions on our mind of some passage of Scripture—but on the Scripture itself. It is not a question of how complete a discovery has been made to me of the plague of my heart or how utterly vile I see and feel myself to be—but have I really taken the place of a sinner before God, which matters the most. It is not—do I sufficiently feel my need of Christ, or do I clearly enough discern His excellencies and suitability to my case—but have I betaken myself to the sinner's Savior and received Him as my own by a childlike faith? Nor is it the degree or strength of faith, which renders it efficacious: no matter how weak it is, if it clings to the right Object—it is sufficient.
Not only is there the danger of being deceived by Satan, and of resting our faith on a wrong foundation—but those who prize so highly these inward impressions generally turn for comfort to a fickle source. Even former experiences of God's kindness and present marks of grace within the soul, while good in their place, are like marks on a sundial, which say nothing in a cloudy and dark day, when the sun shines not. If we would have our comfort rest on a solid and unchanging foundation, we must betake ourselves to immediate and direct believing, making Christ and His righteousness the sole ground of our peace. Happy feelings and evidences of grace, are to be made matters of comfort only as they are agreeable to the unerring rule of God's Word, and as the Spirit breathes upon us, and by that Word in our heart bears witness with our spirit—that we are the children of God.
The tendency to draw a false inference from the absence of such inward impressions, has been mentioned above—but let us now enlarge a little thereon. It is highly probable that God often withholds the sealing testimony of His Spirit from some souls, not because they are yet in a state of nature—but because they make an idol of comfortable feelings. The only sure ground of faith, is the Word of God and the Truth there spoken, and not our feelings. Comfortable feeling is not to be expected, before we believe the Word of promise. If we have any feeling of God's love, before ourbelieving of His love—then we shall be foolish enough to build our faith upon transient frames and influences. Many do go wrong at this very point and build their faith on feelings of God's love rather than upon what He has said, and as their feelings constantly fluctuate so does their faith. This is the reason why there is no stability in such—on the mountain-top one day, in the slough of despond the next.
God is jealous, and therefore does He often withhold the comforts of His Spirit, until we give Him the glory of His Truth by believing His love as it is revealed in the Scriptures. The woman with the issue of blood had no sensible feeling of virtue coming from Christ, until she touched the hem of His garment (Luke 8:43-48). Grieve not, if a sense of the plague of your heart keeps you poor and needy, empty and humble: Christ and His fullness will then be the more precious. Remember it is God's way to humble, before He exalts. Not only has the Lord "heard the desire of the humble," but the assurance is given, "You will establish their heart" (Psalm 10:17 margin). Blessed indeed is that promise, "He raises up the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the dunghill; that He may set him with princes, even with the princes of His people" (Psalm 113:7, 8)—a promise which belongs to no wealthy, puffed up, and self-satisfied Laodicean.
God's way of bringing home His promises to the hearts of His people, varies considerably. If you are able to plead a promise and make it a matter of prayer before God, that is much to be thankful for. If the promise comes not to you—go to the promise of the Word and carry it to the Throne of Grace. Say to the Lord, "Here is a promise which is suited to my case: may it please Your gracious Majesty to set it on my heart to my comfort." Depend more on the promise itself, than on any felt power and sensible influence in which it may come to you: the latter may vary, the former remains unchanged. God is most glorified, when we go out of ourselves and rely wholly on what He is in Himself. Faith is strongest and healthiest, when we live on bare promises without the supports of sense. Give God the credit for His veracity. Do not seek rest in the streams of blessing and comfort—but in the Fountain.
When a looking and waiting for these inward impressions becomes the rule of duty, the ground of faith, and the foundation of comfort—the Word of God is grievously slighted, if not altogether set aside. A Divinely-given faith answers or responds to God's faithfulness in the promise, just as it stands in the written Word, without expecting or looking for any further confirmation of the warrant of faith. But a faith which answers to something other than the bare Word of God—to some impressions of it on the mind with light and power—is a fanciful faith, for it makes these impressions and feelings, the ground and warrant of believing. How justly may God deliver up to delusion, those who make an idol of their feelings and refuse to rest directly on that Word of Truth in which alone the Divine faithfulness is pledged.
A Divinely-given faith perceives the naked promise of God, as it is proclaimed in the gracious call and free offer of the Gospel, to be a sure and sufficient foundation for faith to rest upon, without any powerful impressions of it on the mind. If such impressions and comforts are given, they are not looked upon as affording any better warrant or surer title to believe the promise than they had before, nor do the possessors of such faith regard impressions and feelings—no, not even if they are still further brought before them in a vision or dream—as rendering the promise more sure of accomplishment that it was previously as recorded in the Holy Scriptures. A faith which will not rest on God's bare promise, which dare not meddle with it as it stands in the written Word until it has additional warrant from inward impressions—is a fanciful and worthless faith.
A Divinely-given faith stands not in the wisdom of man—but in the power of God; whereas a faith which has impressions for its foundation, and comfortable feelings for its object—stands in the wisdom of the author of such impressions and feelings, whom we greatly fear is in many instances an evil spirit, who finding other methods unsuccessful, transforms himself as an angel of light that he may delude the unwary. Satan is determined to be worshiped in one way or another, and if he cannot secure our homage through the grosser baits by which he catches others, he will make use of our convictions and emotions. When any impression of which he is the author is rested in, he has gained his object and attained his desire. It matters not to him whether wood or iron, silver or gold—or happy frames is our idol—so long as it is our idol.
A Divinely-given faith will honor God and His Word without impressions, comfortable feelings—or even the endorsement of reason—yes, against the dictates of reason. Such was the faith of Abraham, the father of all those who believe. For when God promised him a son in his old age, he "considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief—but was strong in faith, giving glory to God" (Romans 4:19, 20). Such is the faith of God's elect: not merely a fair-weather commodity—but a supernatural grace which surmounts the storm. But a faith which rests on impressions is extinguished as soon as the impression wears off: such a faiths fails its possessor in the cloudy and dark day—for its foundation is but a sandy and shifting one. Then look well, my reader, to your faith: to its origin, to the foundation it rests upon, to its enduring power.
N.B. How striking and blessed is it to observe the course followed by the Lord Jesus when He was tempted of Satan. Just previously an audible voice from Heaven had witnessed to His Divine Sonship—yet when the Devil assaulted Him, saying, "If You are the Son of God," how did He repulse the Enemy's attack? Not by saying, "I know that I am the Son of God because I have recently heard the voice of My Father testifying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'" No, He did not: instead, He had recourse to the written Word alone, saying, "It is written." "It is written again," "It is written!" And this, dear reader, was recorded for our instruction. Here, too, the Savior has left His people an example—that they should follow His steps.
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