A Light from Christ Leading Unto Christ, Classis 20
The twentieth Claſsis, or company of Queſtions.
1 Queſtion.
YOu have anſwered concerning the firſt grace in the Wedding Garment, namely, knowledge: firſt, of God: ſecondly, of our ſelves: thirdly, of Chriſt: and fourthly, of the Sacrament: Now what light is there from Chriſt to manifeſt Faith the ſecond grace, to be examined and enlivened before we come to the Lords Table.
Anſ. To know what Faith is, we muſt underſtand that the Word is diverſly held forth by Chriſt in holy Scriptures.
Firſt,Gal. 1.23. Rom. 10.6.8. 1 Tim. 1.16. 1 Tim. 3.9. 1 Tim. 4.1 Iames 2.17, &c. for the Doctrine or Word of Faith, which is preached and believed by the Church of Chriſt.
Secondly, Faith is taken for hiſtorical Faith only, when aſſent is given to the truth of the Word without application, or fruit, it is a dead Faith.
Thirdly, Faith is taken for a temporary Faith; which hath not only aſſent to the truth of the Goſpel; but profeſſion with a kinde of joy and delight for a time,Mat. 13.20, 21. Mat. 13.22. Mat. 17.19, 20. 1 Cor. 13.2. till temptation and tribulation cometh becauſe of the Word; and then it dieth and withereth.
Fourthly, Faith is taken for the Faith of working miracles, a ſpecial Faith given in the Primitive times to the Saints, for confirmation of the truth of the Goſpel.
Rom. 3.3 Mat. 13.23.Fifthly, Faith is taken for faithfulneſſe, truth, and conſtancy in word and promiſes; as the Faith and promiſe of God to his people, and of men to men.
Rom. 5.1 Tit. 1.1 2 Pet. 1.1. Acts 13.48. Iſai. 53.1, 2. Phil. 1.29. Rom. 13.6, &c. Rom. 8.1.5.10. 2 Cor 4.13. Mat. 13.11. Ioh. 17.3Sixthly and laſtly, Faith is taken for a true, lively, juſtifying faith, the proper and pretious Faith of Gods Elect.
Queſt. 2. What is this pretious juſtifying Faith of Gods Elect?
Anſw. This Faith is an admirable peculiar and ſpecial Grace, and free gift of God; by which a man or woman rightly prepared by the power of the Word, and Spirit of Chriſt,
Firſt, doth know, aſſent unto and embrace, and truſt to God in Chriſt, in the free promiſes of the Goſpel or Covenant of Grace.
Secondly, know, deſire earneſtly, ſingle out and make choyce of Chriſt, the rich treaſure and pearl held forth in the Goſpel, and Goſpel promiſes, as his onelyonly Surety, Redeemer, Advocate, and Mediator between God and him.
Thirdly, lively believe, receive, apprehend, take and apply Chriſt to himſelf as his Saviour, and acquieſce or reſt on Chriſt, and Chriſts merits and righteouſneſſe alone for ſalvation. Ioh. 3.14, &c. Romans 1.1, &c. and. 4.16. Gal. 3.16, &c. Ioh. 17.3. 1 Cor. 2.2. Phil. 3.7, &c. Heb. 1.22. and. 8.6, &c. and. 12.14. Ioh. 3.36. and. 1.12. Phil. 3.12. Mat. 11.28, 29. Gal. 2.20. and 3.14. 2 Chr. 14.11. 2 Tim. 1.12. Rev. 5.11, 12, 13, 14. Act. 4.12. 2 Theſ. 2.13, 14. Act. 13.37, 38, 39.
Queſt. 3. How or in what ſence, do you call this Faith a juſtifying Faith?
Anſ. Not vertually and meritoriouſly, of it ſelf,1 Tim. 1.9, 10. Titus 3.4, &c. as it is a work or act of our underſtanding to know; and of our will ſanctified, to elect, and embrace Chriſt; but inſtrumentally as it doth apprehend and apply Chriſt to the ſoul: It is not the act of our Faith receiving, but the object of our Faith, Chriſt and his merits and righteouſneſſe received which meritoriouſly juſtifieth poor ſinners before God: as not the hand which applieth, but the plaiſter and vertue of that which cures the wound, to which it is applied.
Queſt. 4. When is a man or woman, rightly prepared, or his heart by the power and ſpirit of Chriſt, diſpoſed to believe; and thus to receive and embrace Chriſt, for his ſalvation?
Anſ. When by the ſtrength and mighty power of Chriſt and his ſpirit in the word, a man or woman is in ſome meaſure
Firſt, enlightened with the knowledge of God and Chriſt, and himſelf by the good pleaſure of God, held forth in the Word of God in general, and in the promiſes of the Goſpel in particular: And
Rom. 8.15.Secondly, Inabled by the ſpirit of Chriſt, to know, believe, and feel; and be affected in his heart, and conſcience, with his own ſelf guiltineſſe of ſin original, and actual, and of bondage under ſin, and miſery due to ſin, yea, of his ſubjection to the wrath of God, to death and damnation eternal for ſin.
Thirdly, with the ſence of his utter inability to ſave himſelf.
Fourthly, of his extreme need of Chriſt in ſome ſence;Eph. i.16, &c. Heb. 4.12, 13. 1 Theſ. 1.4, 5, 6. 2 Tim. 3.15, &c. Ier. 31.34 2 Cor. 5.16. Pſ. 57.i.2, 3. Rom. 3.20. and 7.17, Eph. 16.28, &c. Gen. 30. 1 Mar. 5.25, &c. Phi. 1.29. Act. 16.14. and 13.48. 2 Pet. 1.1, 2, 3. Eph. 1.i6 17, &c. Rom. 10.17. Gen. 18.18, 19. Mat. 16.13, &c. Eph. 1.19. 2 Cor. 3.8. and 4.5. Gal. 4.15, 6. and 5.4, 5, 6. Luk. 24.25, &c. Prov. 30.5. Iſai. 5.20 Ioh. 5.39 Rom. 15.4. act. 17.11, 12. and 24.14, &c. and 2.19 Eph. 1.13 1 Tim. 1.5, &c. act. 20.24. Rom. 10.10. 2 Tim. 1.12. act. 15.9. Gal. 5.6. as Rachel did of children, give me Chriſt or elſe I die, then is the ſoul fit and ready to receive Chriſt with his precious juſtifying living Faith.
Queſt. 5. Who and what is the principal worker or efficient cauſe of our Faith?
Anſ. The principal efficient cauſe is God himſelf the Father, Son, and bleſſed Spirit, or God the Father in the Son by the Spirit; which great God, by his Grace and in his free love, hath elected and doth call his children to Faith and Glory in the Goſpel, and worketh Faith in them by the ſpirit of Faith, and working of his mighty power in the world.
Queſt. 6. What is the inſtrumental efficient or working cauſe of Faith, the means by which or by whom we believe?
Anſ. This is two fold, outward and inward, and the outward is ordinarily the Word of God, in the preaching of the Goſpel, and catechizing inwardly the ſpirit of Chriſt, called the ſpirit of Faith.
Queſt. 7. What is the material cauſe, ground, or object of Faith?
Anſ. The whole Word of God in general, and the rich promiſes of Grace, and Covenant of Gods free love or Goſpel of the Grace of God in particular.
Queſt. 8. What is the form or nature of this Faith, this precious Faith of Gods Elect?
Anſ. The form of this Faith,
Firſt, is not onelyonly a light of knowledge in the underſtanding, and aſſent to the truth of the Word of God, as an hiſtorical Faith is,
Secondly, Nor ſome temporary joy in the word, as in temporal Faith.
Thirdly, but it is this knowledge and aſſent, joyned with a firm confidence and affiancy in the heart, and will to reſt on Chriſt, and Chriſt his merits and righteouſneſſe, and to truſt in Chriſt alone for ſalvation: As the vegetative or growing life, and the ſenſitive, or life of ſence, is joyned with the reaſonable faculty, or reaſonable life in the ſoul in man, which diſtinguiſheth men and women, from all brute creatures; even ſo is this confidence and aſſured reſt on Chriſt in this Faith, joyned with knowledge and aſſent, and ſweet fruits in Faith, which diſtinguiſheth it from all falſe faith whatſoever.
Queſt. 9. But hath this true Faith allwayes joyned with it this confidence and aſſured reſt on Chriſt?
Anſ. This Faith when it is a ſtronge well grown Faith,1 Cor. 7.5. Mat. 8.26. and 14.31. Iſai. 42.3. Pſal. 1.6. Heb. 12.2 it hath this bleſſed confidence and aſſured reſt on Chriſt, though not alwayes free from temptations to doubt: But a weak Faith though it be a true Faith, is often ſubject to fears and doubtings; yet ſo as God in Chriſt, inables the ſoul to ſtand and adhere to Chriſt, and preſerved from final deſpaire in greateſt times of tryal, for the comfort of weak Chriſtians.
Queſt. 10. What are the effects and fruits of this true lively Faith?
Anſ. The effects of this true lively Faith in a believer, or of Chriſt in the ſoul, Chriſt thus truely apprehended, and reſted on by Faith in apprehending of Chriſts righteouſneſſe, are divers: And,
Firſt, juſtification by Chriſts righteouſneſſe and merits.Rom. 5.1 act 13.39
Secondly, ſanctification and purity of heart.1 Cor.1.1, 2, 3.
Thirdly, Chriſtian liberty from the condemning and commanding power of ſin.Rom. 8.12. Rom. 5.1
Fourthly, peace of conſcience which paſſeth all underſtanding.
2 Cor. 5.14. Rom. 8.35, 36, 37, 38. Iohn 8. 5, 6. Rom. 5.4.5. and 15.13. 1 Pet. 1.3, 4, 5, 6. 2 Pet. 1.10, 11. Heb. 11.1. 1 Pet. 1.8.Fifthly, Love of Chriſt, and a longing deſire to walk in the wayes of Grace, inſeparable againſt all perſecution.
Sixthly, Joy in the love and ſight of Chriſt, and in the comfortable aſſurance of perſeverance in grace, and lively hope of Heaven.
Seventhly, A kinde of entrance into eternal glory, Faith making that as preſent to the eye of our ſouls, which is not ſeen or preſent to the eyes of our bodies, and yet affecting a beleevers heart with joy unſpeakable, and full of glory.
Q…eſt. 11. What is the end of this true lively, juſtifying, faith, this precious faith of Saints?
Anſ. The end of this faith, or Chriſts benefits, received, and enjoyed by Faith, is
Epheſ 1.5, 6, 7. 2 Theſ. 1.10. Eph. 3.16, &c. 1 Theſ. 5.23, 24. 1 Pet. 1.9. Rom. 8.30.Firſt, and principally the glory of God in Chriſt.
Secondly, the preſervation comforting, and ſtrengthning of our ſouls in the Kingdom of Grace, with our everlaſting ſalvation in the Kingdom of glory for evermore.