My friends, we mistake a historical faith for a true faith, wrought in the heart by the Spirit of God.  You fancy you believe because you believe there is such a book as we call the Bible—­because you go to church; all this you may do and have no true faith in Christ.  Merely to believe there was such a person as Christ, merely to believe there is a book called the Bible, will do you no good, more than to believe there was such a man as Caesar or Alexander the Great.  The Bible is a sacred depository.  What thanks have we to give to God for these lively oracles!  But yet we may have these and not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

My dear friends, there must be a principle wrought in the heart by the Spirit of the living God.  Did I ask you how long it is since you believed in Jesus Christ, I suppose most of you would tell me you believed in Jesus Christ as long as ever you remember—­you never did misbelieve.  Then, you could not give me a better proof that you never yet believed in Jesus Christ, unless you were sanctified early, as from the womb; for they that otherwise believe in Christ know there was a time when they did not believe in Jesus Christ.

You say you love God with all your heart, soul, and strength.  If I were to ask you how long it is since you loved God, you would say, As long as you can remember; you never hated God, you know no time when there was enmity in your heart against God.  Then, unless you were sanctified very early, you never loved God in your life.

My dear friends, I am more particular in this, because it is a most deceitful delusion, whereby so many people are carried away, that they believe already.  Therefore it is remarked of Mr. Marshall, giving account of his experiences, that he had been working for life, and he had ranged all his sins under the ten commandments, and then, coming to a minister, asked him the reason why he could not get peace.  The minister looked to his catalog.  “Away,” says he, “I do not find one word of the sin of unbelief in all your catalog.”  It is the peculiar work of the Spirit of God to convince us of our unbelief—­that we have got no faith.  Says Jesus Christ, “I will send the comforter; and when he is come, he will reprove the world” of the sin of unbelief; “of sin,” says Christ, “because they believe not on me.”

Now, my dear friends, did God ever show you that you had no faith?  Were you ever made to bewail a hard heart of unbelief?  Was it ever the language of your heart, Lord, give me faith; Lord, enable me to lay hold on Thee; Lord, enable me to call Thee my Lord and my God?  Did Jesus Christ ever convince you in this manner?  Did he ever convince you of your inability to close with Christ, and make you to cry out to God to give you faith?  If not, do not speak peace to your heart.  May the Lord awaken you and give you true, solid peace before you go hence and be no more!