(From Cruden’s Concordance)
“Faith is a dependence on the veracity of another: Thus trust is called faith, because it relies on the truth of a promise: And one is said to keep his faith inviolate, when he performs the promise that another relied on. Faith, in the propriety of expression, is an assent on account of the veracity of the speaker. Accordingly, divine faith is a firm assent of the mind to things upon the authority of divine revelation. Faith by divines is distinguished into different kinds, namely, historical, temporary, and justifying, or saving faith.
I. Historical faith
Historical faith is a speculative knowledge, and bare assent to, the truth revealed in the Scripture: of this kind of faith the apostle James speaks, Jam. ii:17, 24. Faith, if it have no works is dead. Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only; that is, by mere profession of faith, or a bare assent to the truth, without good works, which proceed from faith, and shew it to be of the right kind. This kind of faith the devils themselves have, Jam. ii. 19. Thou believest that there is one God; the devils also believe and tremble. They are fully persuaded that there is a God, and that Christ is the Son of God, and shall be their Judge as they acknowledge, Mat 8:29.
II. Temporary faith
Temporary faith, together with the knowledge of, and assent to, revealed truth, has likeness in it, an approbation of, and joy in, receiving and hearing these truths; but joy arising from some worldly consideration, soon vanishes, and comes to nothing: of this kind of faith our Saviour speaks in the parable of the sower, Mat. 13:20. He that hath received the seed into stony places, receive it with joy; he understands it; he understands it, assents to it, he hears it gladly, considers, and approves of it; and it grows up in an outward profession, and reformation: Yet has he not root in himself, but dureth for a while, he has no sufficient, or considerable root, because it wants the soil of a sincere heart, and true affections, firm and fixed resolutions, and habitual disposition of grace. He has some good purpose and desires, but they are soon overpowered by unmortified corruption, and the force of temptation: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word, by and by he is offended: he stumbles and falls off from all his former profession of religion.
III. Justifying faith
Justifying faith is a saving grace wrought in the soul by the Spirit of God, whereby we receive Christ as He is revealed in the gospel, to be our Prophet, Priest, and King, trust, and rely upon Him and His righteousness alone for justification, and salvation. This faith begets a sincere obedience in the life and conversation. The apostle to the Hebrews calls faith, the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, Heb. II:1. It assures us of the reality, and worth of eternal things, and produces a satisfaction and assured confidence, that God will infallibly perform what He has promised, whereby the believer is as confident of them, as if they were before his eyes, and in his actual possession. The object of faith is the Word of God in general, and especially the doctrines, and promises that respect the salvation of men through Christ, which reason cannot discover by its own light, nor perfectly understand when revealed. The firm foundation of faith is the essential supreme perfections of God; His inerring knowledge, immutable truth, infinite goodness, and almighty power. Faith has a prevailing influence on the will, it draws the affections, and renders the whole man obsequious (compliant,) to the gospel.
By this faith we are said to be justified, Rom. v.i. We are justified by faith, not formally, as if it were our righteousness, or the meritorious cause of our justification before God; but instrumentally and relatively, as it apprehends to us the righteousness and blood of Christ, which is the object of faith, and which only cleanseth us from all sin and renders us acceptable to God. It is called the faith through which we are saved, Eph. ii:8. Faith is as it were, a condition on our part, whereby we come to be partakers of the blessings of the New Covenant. It is a faith which worketh by love, Gal. v.6. It purifies the heart, Acts, 15:9. It is called the faith of God’s elect, Tit. i.i., because it is only bestowed upon those.—(that is the elect of God.) This grace increaseth from one degree to another, Rom. i:17., being in some strong and firm. Mat. 8:10., in others weak and languishing, Mat. 14:21. Lastly this grace is the special gift of God; that is, that you believe, is not by any ability of your own; and that you are saved, is not for any worth in yourselves. Likewise in Phil. i:29. Unto you it is given to believe in Christ. Faith, in Scripture, is taken for the truth and faithfulness of God, Rom. iii: 3; “Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?” Shall their unbelief make the faithful promises of God re sending the Messiah, and of redemption by Him, not to be accomplished? It is also taken for a persuasion of the lawfulness of things indifferent, Rom. 14:22, 23. Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. “For whatsoever is not of faith is sin; that is, hast thou a persuasion of the lawfulness of such and such meats, then keep it to thyself, without making an unreasonable discovery of it, to the offence of others; for whatever a man doth with a wavering mind, without being persuaded that it is pleasing to God, and warranted by His Word, he sinneth in the doing of it. Faith is also put for the doctrine of the gospel, which is the object of Faith, Acts, 24:24. Felix heard Paul concerning faith in Christ. Gal. i:23. He preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. And faith is taken for Christ and His righteousness, that is, His active, and passive obedience, which are apprehended by faith, and are the objects of it, in all those passages where we are said to be justified by faith. It is put for a belief and profession of the gospel, Rom. I:8. Your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. And for fidelity in performing the promise, Deut. 32:20. Children in whom is no faith; that is, they neither believe what I say, nor perform what themselves promise.”