The Reverend Andrew Gray discusses the malignity of despair, unbelief, and misbelief (Works, p. 22):
To enforce this precious command of faith, consider that it is his command, which speaketh forth this, that we must not take an indulgence or dispensation to ourselves to believe or not to believe at our pleasure; and is it not a strange thing that christians are less convinced of the breaches of the commandments of faith, than of other commands? they think misbelief to be but a Zoar, a little sin; and it proceedeth either from this, that the conviction of other sins (such as the neglect of prayer, or the sin of swearing, or committing adultery) do arise from a natural conscience; for there is something of nature’s light to make us abominate and hate them: when yet the light of nature will not lead us to the conviction of the sinfulness of misbelief, it being a gospel and more spiritual sin. Or it proceedeth from this, that unbelief doth ordinarily pass valid under the vizard of some refined virtue, as humility and tenderness, though that rather it may be said, that it is pride and ignorance, clothed with the garments of humility. And no doubt Christ doth account obedience to this commandment of faith the greatest act of humility, as is clear from Rom. 10:3, where it is called submission; they submitted not to the righteousness of God. Or else it proceedeth from this, that we conceive that the commandment of faith is not of so large extent as other commands, and so doth not bind us to the obedience of it; but know this, that it will be the condemnation of the world, that they have not believed on the name of the Son of God; and no doubt but it is Satan’s great design and cardinal project, to keep us back from obedience to the commandment of faith, and that we should not listen to the precious promises of his everlasting gospel, but should reject the counsel of God against ourselves, and refuse his precious and divine call.
