THE WITNESS OF FAITH: ITS ELEMENTS 1 John 5:10: He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.

The witness which the soul may have assuring it of salvation is twofold: 1st. The witness of faith; 2d. The witness of the Holy Spirit.

By the mouth of these two witnesses, every soul is to be established in saving grace. The witness of faith is antecedent; the witness of the Holy Spirit subsequent. These two witnesses are concurrent. They bear testimony to salvation. The witness of faith is the conscious reception of salvation; the witness of the Holy Spirit is the conscious realization of salvation.

A gentleman fell heir very unexpectedly to an immense fortune. He could hardly believe that so much wealth had been bequeathed him. The legal papers were presented him, and on their testimony he accepted, received the bequest as his own, but could not realize that he was rich made so in a moment. When, however, he began to handle the moneys, and count the stocks, and control the lands into the possession of which he had come, then came to him the realization that he was rich, that he was a millionaire.

The order of his experience was, first, the witness of faith; that is, the conscious reception of all this wealth on the testimony of the legal evidence.

Then followed the conscious realization that he was, indeed, munificently endowed. So when the soul believes the exceeding great and precious promises of Gods Word-that is, consciously accepts the heavenly treasure of salvation it has the witness of faith; it knows that it does receive salvation. But when the preciousness of this pearl of great price, the joy of the possession of this found treasure, the sweetness of saving power received, is consciously realized, it has the witness of the Holy Spirit.

The witness of faith is the John the Baptist which heralds and introduces the mightier witness of the Holy Spirit which cometh after it. The elements of the witness of faith are:

I. The souls conscious acceptance of Gods Word as true to itself; that is, the soul, irrespective of any outward sign or inward feeling, without any inner light or warmth, or witness previously given, accepts salvation on Gods Word alone; it counts true to itself the promise, that whosoever believeth on the Son shall be saved. It does not ask that the infallible Word of the Lord, which shall endure, though heaven and earth pass away, shall be corroborated by any collateral surety. It accepts the Word as so sure and effective, as that all confirmation of its verity is not only unnecessary, but would be sacrilegious, if desired.

There is a beautiful incident in the life of Ahaz, king of Judah, which illustrates how faith accepts the Word of the Lord as true, and disdains any collateral security. The kings of Syria and Israel had entered into a formidable alliance against Ahaz, and moved their combined forces against his capital, Jerusalem. When this was told Ahaz and his people, there was great consternation in the palace and the capital. The heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people was moved as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. In the midst of this crisis the prophet Isaiah was sent by the Lord to say to Ahaz: Take heed and be quiet; fear not, neither be faint hearted, because Syria and Ephraim have taken evil counsel against thee. It shall not stand; neither shall it come to pass. If ye will not believe, ye shall not be established. At that moment the old king set his heart to believe the promise of the Lord which had just been given him, and accepted it as true to him and his capital.

Then the Lord spake to Ahaz and said to him: Ask again; ask it either in the depths, or in the heights above. It was as though God had said to him, I will give you additional assurance, if you desire it. This was really a test of his faith; for faith is not made perfect, if the heart seeks something more than the Word of the Lord to command its confidence. The genuineness of Ahazs faith then asserted itself, and he said in holy confidence: I will not ask (a sign); I ask no collateral security to Gods Word; no sweeping whirlwind, or crashing earthquake, or descending fire do I ask; it is the Word of the Lord, and it shall come to pass.

But how many seeking hearts, to whom God has given his Word, that according to their faith it shall be done unto them, ask a sign, a warmth, a light, a witness, or some other inward phenomenon, before they are ready to accept the Word of the Lord as true; but none is ever given. Whoever consciously accepts the Word of the Lord as true to himself, will have the witness of faith in himself to his salvation.

A professor in a university on the Pacific Coast had been for ten years a seeker of full salvation, but did not come into its enjoyment. One day an aged minister, traveling in the interest of the American Bible Society, was stopping at his home. They fell into conversation on Christian experience.

This aged minister told how many years since he had found, and been able to walk in conscious cleansing from all sin. The professor listened with interest, and when the old saint was through, he said to him: Father, I have been seeking that blessing for ten years. I believe I have put all on the altar, and that I live with all on the altar; but I havent received the power of sanctifying grace in my soul. Said the aged brother: Do you want to receive it now? The professor replied: Yes. Well, said the minister, let us kneel down right here, and you may receive it now. One who has received full salvation, knows it may be received right away. The fully saved soul is very alert, and precipitous in its faith. They had been sitting side by side in the professors parlor. The professor was a little reluctant to believe that the struggle of ten years could end right away. He doubtless thought the old man very sanguine. But they knelt together. Now, said the minister, Professor, are you wholly given to God? and with much tenderness and honesty of heart, he said: I believe I am. You have put all on the altar? Yes.

Well, Professor, the Lord says, The altar sanctifieth the gift; is it true or not? He dare not tempt God, and say it is not, and with a faltering, and almost coerced faith, he said, It is true, and instantly the refining fire went through his soul.

The conscious acceptance of the Word of God as true to itself, by the soul, is characteristic of the witness of faith.

II. The conscious commitment of the saving work to Christ:

When the soul consciously relinquishes its own efforts to save itself, and puts itself to be saved into the hands of Him who came to save it, and does this so really to itself, that it dismisses all concern for its salvation; not that it feels that it is saved, but because it knows that it has committed itself unto him whose sole business is to redeem from all iniquity, it has the witness of faith.

Not long since, a gentleman, a comparative stranger to me, but who had reasonable evidence of my integrity, said to me: I have been owing a gentleman in the town in which you live, seventy-five dollars. I want to pay it, but can not leave my home to do so. Will you take the money to him? I said: I will. He handed me the amount. When I took it, I saw an expression of relief come to his face, and he felt an evident satisfaction which showed that he counted his debt paid. He had committed to me the work of canceling the note held against him. He knew I would do it. It was in effect to him the payment of his debt. The burden was off his mind; he felt that his business integrity for fidelity in meeting his claims was vindicated. His conscious commitment to me of this business, brought him the rest which the witness of faith always insures.

He got clear of concern for its payment several hours before it was paid, because I took the care of its payment off him, which I could not have done if he had not confided in my word of promise to him. So, when the soul commits the concern of its salvation unto Him who is able to save unto the uttermost, then it begins to take up the triumphant shout which the witness of faith always inspires— Hallelujah tis done: I believe on the Son I am saved by the blood of the crucified One.

This conscious commitment by the soul of its salvation to Christ is characteristic of the witness of faith.

III. A conscious act of trust by the soul.

The soul is conscious of its own voluntary acts. We know when a person or plan commands our confidence. We know when we believe. There may be much struggle in order for the soul to settle down and accept the evidence which solicits its faith; but when it passes from the attitude of distrust, or even questioning, to that of trust, it knows it. When the soul sets itself about to trust for salvation, the Adversary comes with his insinuations against, and contradictions of, the Word of the Lord; moreover, lie seeks to divert the souls attention from the glorious promises, the ample provisions, and mighty power of the gospel, to its own weakness, waywardness, and unworthiness, so that the soul must close its ears to the voice of Satan, and look steadily to Jesus, the author and finisher of its faith.

But when the contest is ended, and the soul has made up its mind to trust the sure word of the Lord, it becomes just as conscious that it believes as that it sees, or hears, or lives. Faith is an act to be performed. It is a thing to be done, and like any other act in which the mind is concerned, when it receives the light, so the heart knows when it receives Jesus-when it believes on the Son.

One evening, nine seeking hearts arose from an altar of prayer, burdened and unhappy because they had not accepted salvation on the Word of the Lord. They looked forlorn and sad. The congregation joined in singing that sweet salvation hymn, Tis the promise of God full salvation to give Unto him who on Jesus, his Son, will believe, accompanied by the faith inspiring chorus: Hallelujah! tis done: I believe on the Son; I am saved by the blood of the crucified One.

As its lines were successively repeated, first one, then another, of these seekers came into the witness of faith, and began in heart, and some of them with voice, to say, rejoicingly: Hallelujah! tis done.

What is done? Why, I believe on the Son. What then? Why, I am saved by the blood of the crucified One.

Before all the stanzas had been sung through, eight out of the nine had experienced the witness of faith. One, a railroad engineer, had not come into the rest of faith. The pastor said to him: Brother, when you make up your mind to believe on the Son, you will begin to sing- Hallelujah! tis done:

I am saved by the blood of the crucified One.

But his mind was so intent on having a blessing and the witness, that he could not, for the time being, be led to an immediate act of trust. His vocation took him away from the services several days. About the third day after, the pastor met him on the street coming from his locomotive. As soon as he saw the pastor, he exclaimed: Hallelujah! tis done:

I am saved by the blood of the crucified One.

His soul was happy in a conscious trust in Jesus, his precious Savior. He said: Yesterday, while I was taking my train over my regular trip, at the rate of twenty miles an hour, it all came over me, Why not believe on the Son? and I did, and though traveling at such a rapid speed, salvation overtook me there and then, and ever since I have been singing in my heart: Hallelujah! tis done:

I believe on the Son I am saved Glory to the Lamb!

This glorious witness of faith to his soul was soon supplemented by the witness of the Holy Spirit itself. His reception of salvation was soon followed by his realization of salvation.

How glorious is the witness of faith! It is in us. This consciousness of faith is a light unto our path, and when every other light of experience is extinguished, this illuminates the soul, and still it sings Trusting thee, I can not stray, I can never lose my way.