Principles of Faith and Good Conscience, Chapter 26
CAP. XXVI.
Of the fruit and office of faith, viz. to juſtify, and of the meanes how faith is wrought.
Q. WHat Benefits redound to thee of this beliefe?
A. Two. 1. By Faith I am righteous before God, and heire of eternall life; not becauſe my faith of it ſelfe can make me righteous, but becauſe the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt is my righteouſneſs before God; and I cannot apply it to my ſelfe by any other way then by faith. [God offereth us life and righteouſneſſe in Chriſt; and faith is the hand by which we recieve that gift.] Rom. 4.5, 6. Joh. 6.35. 1 Joh. 5.11, 12, 13. Rom. 3.24, 25.
Q. Say the ſame in other tearmes.
A. When I ſay, we are juſtified by faith, I meane the object of faith, Chriſt Jeſus. [The onelyonly way and meane to embrace Chriſt, and to reſt on the promiſes of the Goſpell, is by faith:] Phil. 3.9. The only righteouſneſſe by which a ſinner ſtands juſt before God, is the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt; and the onelyonly meanes, to partake of that righteouſneſſe, is by Faith, Rom. 9.32.
Q. It ſeemes then that faith is a moſt excellent gift of God, which bringeth us into the poſſeſſion of Gods rich mercies, and tender love revealed in the Goſpell?
A. It is ſo; and therefore above all things we muſt labour for the grace of faith. John 6.29. Joh. 3.18. Act. 16.31. Heb. 4.2, 11. Heb. 3.12, 14, 19.
Q. Can we attaine it of our ſelves by our own ſtrength?
A. No; a it is the gift of God; our hearts are b ſlow to believe, being naturally inclined to diſtruſt God, and to truſt in the creatures; and therefore c God by his holy Spirit draweth our hearts to embrace his gratious promiſes. a Heb. 12.2. Eph. 2.8. b Luk. 24.25. Mar. 9.24. Num. 20.12. 2 Chron. 16.7, 9. Mat. 14.31. Luk. 18.9. c 1 Cor. 2.9, 11. Joh. 6.44, 45.
Q. Why muſt we ſtrive, ſeeing it is Gods gift?
A. Yes; becauſe God hath appointed means whereby he will beſtow all graces on us; & therefore if we ſeek him in thoſe meanes, we ſhall find him; & if we neglect thoſe meanes, it is a ſigne we have no grace, nor can we ever hope to have any. Mar. 4.24. 1 Cor. 3.7, 9. Rom. 10.14, 15. Prov. 2.1, 2, 3. Mat. 13.44. Act. 16.14. 1 Cor. 12.6.
Q. Why ſecondly muſt we ſtrive?
A. Becauſe faith and all other graces be contrary to our corrupt nature, and therefore we muſt give the more diligence to attaine the ſame at Gods hand. [As he that plants a graft contrary to nature, muſt uſe the more care; and becauſe we cannot cure our ſelves, we muſt ſeek and beg ſome one to put us into the pool when the waters be moved.] Phil. 2.12, 13. Eſay 26.12. Heb. 6.11, 12. Rom. 11.24. 2 Pet. 1.10.
Q. By what meanes doth God uſually worke faith in us?
A. By two Meanes. 1. By the knowledge of the Law, convincing us of ſin. Mat. 3.2, 3. Ioh. 16.9. Rom. 4.15. Gal. 3.22, 24. This is but preparative. Hoſ. 10.12.
Q. But what is the chiefe meanes by which God doth worke faith in us?
A. By the preaching of the Goſpell, by which it is alſo encreaſed. [And therefore if we deſire to have faith, we muſt heare and obey the Goſpell; the Word of the Kingdome muſt be rooted in our hearts and affections.] 1 Pet. 1.23. 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. Rom. 1.16. Luk. 8.13, 15 Gal. 3.2.
Q. How doth the Doctrine of the Goſpell bring about the heart from ſecurity, and falſe confidences, to believe on Chriſt for ſalvation?
A. Two waies eſpecially.To reſt in any thing ſhort of Chriſt; is a falſe confidence. 1. By inviting us to come unto Chriſt: The Spirit doth convince us of ſin, and damnation, and that we have need of the righteouſneſſe of another to ſave us. Luk. 13.3. Joh. 16.9. Joh. 5.45. Joh. 8.24. Phil. 3, 3, 8.9. Matt. 9 13. [By the law is the knowledge of ſinne: but to make us fly from the Law, and to be dead to it, and to ſeeke ſalvation by a righteouſneſſe without us, this is the worke of the Goſpell. Rom. 7.4. The Goſpell inviting, commanding, and calling us to Chriſts righteouſneſſe, it doth cauſe us to renounce and forſake all hope of righteouſneſſe by works of the Law; the Goſpell puts a ſpirit into the letter of the Law: The Goſpell awaking us, and bidding us to repent, and goe to Chriſt for ſalvation, doth make uſe of the Law, to ſhew us our danger and our inſufficiency to ſave our ſelves, and conſequenly, a neceſſity of believing in Chriſt.
Q. How ſecondly doth the Goſpell work the heart to believe?
A. 2. By ſhewing us ſuch a fulneſſe and al ſufficiency in Chriſt, that of him, and in him, we have all things needfull for ſalvation: [it ſhewes and aſſures the conſcience, that God is ſatisfied, and well pleaſed with us in Chriſt.] Act. 13.32, 33, 34. John 1.16, 17. Col. 1.13, 14, 19.
Q. What followes thereof?
A. Therefore they that meddle not with the Scripture, & regard not the Miniſtry of it on the Lords day, but ſlight it, or ſcoffe at the preaching thereof, ſhew plainly that they have no faith, Rom. 15.4. Rom. 10.14, 17.