Unsaving Faith

The following extract comes from James Durham, Christ Crucified: Or, the Marrow of the Gospel in Seventy-Two Sermons on the Fifty-Third Chapter of Isaiah (Naphtali Press: 2001; 2007) 72; 90-91. See the Naphtali Press Store to purchase this book; a nice review is here.


4. Consider that when he complains of the [lack] of faith to the report and tidings of the gospel, it is not of the [lack] of historical faith, as if the people would not give Christ a hearing at all, but is of the [lack] of saving faith. Therefore it is said (John 12:37-38), Though he had done many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him; and this prophetic Scripture is subjoined as the reason of it, That the saying of Esais might be fulfilled, who said, Lord, who hath believed our report, applying the believing, spoken of here, to that saving faith, whereby folk believe and rest upon Jesus Christ.

…

For clearing of this use, and that we may have the more ready access to application, we shall speak a word to these three. (1) To several kinds of true faith, three whereof are not saving; or to the ordinary distinctions of faith. (2) To the Scripture-expressions that hold out the nature of saving faith. (3) To some difference between this saving faith, and false and counterfeit faith, or these acts of true faith more generally taken, which yet are not saving.

Faith, The Several Kinds And Properties Of It
(1) For the first of these, when we speak of faith, we shall draw it to these four kinds ordinarily spoken of, and shall not alter nor add to the common distinctions of faith, though there may be more given.

Historical Faith
[1] The first is historical faith; which may be called true, being it whereby we assent to the truth of a thing, because of his supposed fidelity that tells it; as when an author writes a history, we give it credit upon report that he was an honest man that wrote it. So historical faith is when people hearing the Word preached or read, they assent to the truth of it all. And [they] do not question, but that Christ came to the world; that he was God and man in one person; that he died and rose the third day, and ascended into heaven; that they that believe on him shall be saved, etc, and taking the word to be God’s Word, they may give to it a higher assent than they give to any man’s word, because God is worthy, infinitely worthy of more credit than any man, yea than all men, and angels too. There may be, I say, in this historical faith of divine truths, a higher or greater assent than there is in believing of any human history, which may be the reason why many mistake historical faith, and yet it is but of the same kind, and a thing which many reprobates have as it is said (John 2:23-24), Many believed on him; when they saw the miracles which he did, but Jesus did not commit himself unto them. They were brought to believe, from the signs which they saw, that he was more than a mere man, and that it was the Word of God which he spoke, and yet it was but a historical faith; yea this faith may be and is in devils, who are said (Jas. 2:9), To believe and tremble. There are many, who if they believe Christ to be God and man, and the Word to be true, think it enough; yet James, having to do with such, tells them that the devils believe as much as that, and more thoroughly than many that have historical faith. He knows God to be true, and one that cannot lie, and he finds it to his cost. He knows that such as believe cannot perish, for he cannot get one of them to hell. He knows that there is a time set, when Christ will come to judge the world, and himself among the rest, and therefore he says often to him, Torment me not before the time: and as the devil has this faith, so there are many in hell that have it too. The rich glutton had it; therefore he bids go tell his brethren, that they come not to that place of torment; and it is told him, they have Moses and the prophets, etc, which says that he then felt the truth of many things he would not believe before. This I speak, that you may know that this historical faith is the first step of faith; but it may be in hell, and so in many in whom saving faith is not. It is really a wonder that folks that are called Christians should own this to be saving faith, and think they are well come to, when they are only come the devil’s length in believing. Yea, there are many that never came this length, else they would tremble more.

Faith In Miracles
[2] The second sort of faith, is the faith of miracles, which is often spoken of in the New Testament; as when the Lord says [Matt. 17:20], If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye should say to this mountain, Be thou removed and cast into the sea, and it should be done. There was an active faith to work miracles, and a passive faith to receive the particular effect the miracle did produce. Some had the faith of miracles to heal, and others to be healed. This is an extraordinary thing, and folks may go to heaven without it, and go to hell with it, though they cannot go to heaven without historical faith. Hence it is said, Many shall come to me in that day, and shall say, We have casten out devils in thy name; to whom he will say, Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity (Matt. 7:22-23). And the Apostle says (1 Cor. 13:2), If I had all faith, and could remove mountains, if I want charity, it avails me nothing. This faith of miracles avails not alone to salvation, because it acts not on Christ held out in the promises, as a Savior to save from sin; but on Christ, as having power and ability to produce such an effect, which may be, where there is no quitting of man’s own righteousness, and if there be not grace in the person that has it, it is an occasion of pride. We call you then to historical faith, as necessary, though not sufficient; but not to this faith of miracles, it being neither necessary nor sufficient.

Temporary Faith
[3] A third sort of faith is temporary faith, spoken of [in] Matt. 13, and set out under the parable of the seed sown on stony ground, which soon springs up, but withers. So some hearers of the gospel receive the Word with joy, and are affected with it, but endure not. The difference between this and historical faith, is that historical faith, as such, consists in the judgment, and reaches not the affections; at best it reaches not the affection of joy, for though the devils tremble, yet they are never glad. Temporary faith reaches the affections, and will make a man as to tremble at the threatenings, as Felix did, so some way to delight himself in the promises of the gospel, and to smack them, as it were, from the apprehension of the sweet taste and relish he finds in them. It is even here (as it were) told a whole man, that a physician is come to town, he is neither up nor down with it; but tell it to a sick man, and he is fain [glad], from an apprehended possibility of the cure. Yet the apprehended possibility of the cure never sends him to the Physician, nor puts him to apply the cure.

Saving Faith
[4] The fourth sort is saving faith, which goes beyond all the rest, and brings the sick man to the Physician and to make use of the cure. There may be some measure of true saving faith, where there is not much temporary faith or moving of the affections; and there may be a considerable measure of temporary faith, where there is no saving faith at all. Even as a fallen star may seem to glance more than a fixed one that is overclouded, yet it has no solid light. Know then, that faith is called for; but take not every sort of faith for saving faith. It would make tender hearts bleed, to see so many mistaken in the matter of their faith; there are some who say, they had faith all their days. O that you were convinced of the lamentable deceit and delusion that you are under, and that you could distinguish between faith and presumption, between historical and temporary faith, and true saving faith. Though the two former be not delusions; but in so far as you rest on the same, and take them for saving faith, you are deluded; for saving faith puts you out of yourselves, to rest on Jesus Christ.
[Durham picks up on this more in the subsequent sermon]