Luke xiii. 24. Strive to enter in at the ftrait gate; for many, I fay unto you, will feek to enter in, and fhall not be able. And as dangerous, on the other fide, to reft in, and depend on our own works and duties; Phil. iii. 9. And be found in him, not having mine own righteoufnefs, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Chrift, the righteoufnefs which is of God by faith.

Q. 12. What is the third inference hence?

A. Hence we learn the miferable ftate of all unbelievers, and impenitent perfons; the curfe and wrath of God lies upon them; Gal. iii. 10. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curfe, &c. And their mittimus for hell is already made; John iii. 18. He that believeth not, is condemned already.

Q. 13. What is the fourth inference hence?

A. Hence we learn the happy state into which faith and repentance bring the fouls of men; Acts xiii. 38, 39. By him all that believe are juftified from all things, from which ye could not be juftified by the law of Mofes.

¡Queft. 86.

Of faving Faith.

THAT is faith in Jefus Chrift?

WH

A. Faith in Jefus Chrift is a faving grace, where by we receive and rest upon him alone for falvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.

Q1. What is the root or cause of faith?

A. Not the power of man's will; Eph. ii. 8. For by grace are ye faved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: But the Spirit of God. Gal. v. 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, long-fuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. John i. 12, 13. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the fons of God, even to them that believe on his name; which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Q2. How doth the Spirit of God ordinarily produce faith?

A. By the preaching of the word he ordinarily begets it; Rom. x. 17. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God; though fometimes he doth it immediately.

Q. 3. Who are the proper fubjects of faith?

A. Convinced and fenfible finners are the proper fubjects of faith; John xvi. 8, 9, 10. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of fin, of righteoufnefs, and of judgment. Of fin, because they believe not on me of righteoufnefs, because I go to my Father, and ye fee me no more: of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

Q. 4. What is the feat or habitation of faith?

A. Not only the head or underftanding, but principally the heart and will; Rcm. x. 10. With the heart man believeth unto righteouf

nefs, &c. Acts viii. 37. And Philip faid, If thou believeft with all thine heart, thou mayeft.

Q. 5. But is not the affent of the understanding true faith?

A. The mere affent of the understanding to the truths of fcripture, is not fuch a faith as will fave the foul; James ii. 19. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doft well: the devils alfo believe, and tremble.

Q. 6. What is the act of faith that justifies a finner?

A. It is the receiving of Chrift, by the full and hearty confent of the heart that juftifies us; John i. 12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the fons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

Q7. What is the object of faith?

A. The primary object of faith is the person of Christ, and the secondary are his benefits; Ifa. xlv. 22. Look unto me and be faved, all the ends of the earth, &c. Phil. iii. 8, 9. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but lofs, for the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus my Lord: For whom I have fuffered the lofs of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Chrift, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Chrift; the righteousness which is of God by faith.

Q. 8. May not a man look partly to Christ, and partly to his own works and duties for righteoufnefs?

A. No; he muft eye Chrift only, and exclude all others, or he cannot be juftified; Phil. iii. 9. And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Chrift: The righteoufnefs which is of God by faith Rom. iv. 5. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that juftifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Q. 9. Is it enough to eye the perfon of Chrift only in believing? 4. No; we muft eye the perfon of Chrift, as clothed with all his offices; Acts xvi. 31. And they faid, Believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift, and thou fhalt be faved, and thine house. Our ignorance needs him as a prophet, our guilt as a priest, our fins and enemies as a king.

Q. 10. Is true faith exclufive of all fears and doubts?

A. No; it is not, but true believers are troubled with many fears and doubtings; Ifa. 1. 10. Who is he among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his fervant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light, &c. Mark ix. 24. And straightway the Father of the child crieth out with tears, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief.

Q. II. Is no man actually juftified till he believe?

A. No, he cannot be juftified actually till he believe actually; Gal. . 22. But the fcripture hath concluded all under fin, that the promife by faith of Jefus Chrift might be given to them that believe.

: John iii. 18 He that believeth on him, is not condemned: But he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Q. 12. Is every man that believes juftified immediately and fully upon his believing?

A. Yes, he is; Rom. v. I. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jefus Chrift. John v. 24. He that heareth my words, and believeth on him that fent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is paffed from death unto life.

Q.13. What is the true character or defcription of a believer?

A. He is one that, having been convinced of this fin and mifery, and of his own and all other creatures inability to fave him, and of the ability and willingness of Chrift to fave him, lets go all hold and dependence on creatures, and his own righteoufuefs, and cafts himself entirely upon Christ for righteousness and life.

Quest. I.

Of the Properties, Signs, and Means of Faith.

HAT is the first property of faith?

WH

A. It is a moft precious grace; 2 Pet. i. I. To them that have obtained like precious faith with us, &c. And must needs be fo, feeing it is the bond of our union with Chrift; Eph. iii. 17. That Chrift may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye being rooted and grounded in love. That by which we are juftified; Rom. v. 1. Therefore being juftified by faith, &c. And that by which our fouls do live; Heb. ii. 4. The juft fhall live by faith.

Q2. What is the fecond property of faving faith?

A. The fecond property of faith is this, that it is the most useful grace in this world to a believer, it being the foul's eye; Heb. xi. 27. : By faith he forfook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: For he endured, as feeing him who is invifible, &c. It is hard to apprehend Christ; Phil. iii. 12. That I may apprehend that for which alfo I am apprehended of Chrift Jefus. It is cordial in a fainting feafon; Pfal. xxvii. 3. I had fainted unless I had believed, &c.

Q. 3. What are the foundations that fupport faith?

A. The first foundation or prop of faith, is the power of God; Rom. iv. 20, 21. He ftaggered not at the promise through unbelief, but was ftrong in faith, giving glory to God. And being fully perfuaded, that what he had promifed, he was able alfo to perform. Heb. vii 25. He is able alfo to fave them to the uttermoft that come unto God by him, &c.

Q. 4. What is the fecond prop of faith?

A. The truth and faithfulnefs of God in his promises; Heb. x. 23. Let us ho d faft the profeffion of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful that hath promifed. Heb. vi, 18. That by two immutable things, in which it was impoffible for God to lie, we might have a

ftrong confolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope fet before us.

Q. 5. What encourages the faith of the faints?

A. The manifold, fweet, and fenfible experiences of others; Pfalm lxxiv. 14. Thou breakeft the heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat for the people inhabiting the wilderness. And efpecially their own experiences; Jofh. xxiii. 14. Ye know in all your hearts, and in all your fouls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God fpake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.

Q. 6. What is the first fign of a weak faith?

4. Staggerings in our affent to divine truths, argue the weakness of faith; Rom. iv. 10. He ftaggered not at the promife of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, &c.

Q. 7. What is the fecond fign of a weak faith?

A. Inability to truft God in time of danger, evidenced by finful hafte to avoid it; Ifa. xxviii. 16. He that believeth, fhall not make bafte.

Q. 8. What is the third fign of a weak faith?

A. When we cannot live purely by faith, except we have fome fenfible encouragement; John xx. 25. Except I fhall fee in hishands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thruft my hand into his fide, I will not believe.

Q.9. What is the fourth fign of a weak faith?

A. When a new temptation makes us eafily let go our former confidence; Luke xxiv. 21. But we trufted that it had been he which fhould have redeemed Ifrael: And befides all this, to-day is the third day fince these things were done.

Q. 10. What is the fifth fign of a weak faith?

A. The prevalence of carnal fears, in times of trouble, argues weak faith; Matth. viii. 26. And he faith unto them, Why are ye fearful, Oye of little faith? &c.

Q. 11. What is the fixth fign of a weak faith?

A. Too much carefulness and anxiety about the things of this life; Matth. vi. 30. Wherefore if God fo clothe the grafs of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is caft into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Q. 12. What is the firft benefit of a strong faith?

A. A strong faith gives much glory to God; Rom. iv. 19, 20. And being not weak in faith, he contidered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadnefs of Sarah's womb. He ftaggered not at the promife of God through unbelief; but was ftrong in faith, giving glory to God. Q.13. What is the fecond benefit of a strong faith?

4. It gives the foul the ravishing forefight and foretastes of hea ven upon earth; Pet. i. 8. Whom having not feen, ye love; in VOL. VI.

LI

whom though now ye fee him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory.

Q. 14. What is the laft office faith doth for a believer in this world?

4. It fupports and encourages him at death by the promifes, when all other comforts fail; Heb. xi. 13. These all died in faith, not having received the promifes, but having feen them afar off, and were perfuaded of them, and embraced them, and confeffed that they were ftrangers and pilgrims on the earth.

W

Of faving Repentance:

HAT is repentance unto life?

Queft. 87. A. Repentance unto life is a faving grace, whereb, a finner, out of a true fenfe of his fin, and apprehenfion of the mercy of God in Chrift, doth with grief and hatred of his fin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavour after new obedience.

Q. I. Who is the author of faving repentance?

A. The Spirit of God is the author of it; the heart by nature is fo hard, that none but the Spirit can break it; Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27. A new heart alfo will I give you, and a new fpirit will I put within you: And I will take away the ftony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, &c.

Q. 2. In what act doth all true repentance begin?

A. It begins in a true fight and fenfe of fin, and the danger and mifery we are in by fin; Acts ii. 37. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts, &c.

Q3. Why doth God work fuch a fenfe of fin and mifery?

A. He doth it to make Christ defirable in the finner's eyes, that he may fly to him; Matth. ix. 12, 13. But when Jefus heard that, he faid unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are fick. But go ye, and learn what that meaneth, and I will have mercy, and not facrifice; for I am not come to call the righte ous, but finners to repentance.

Q. 4. Is the fight of fin fufficient to repentance?

A. No; there must be apprehenfion of mercy and forgiveness 'with God, or elfe no man can fincerely repent; Rom. ii. 4 Not knowing that the goodnefs of God leadeth thee to repentance. And this mercy must be difcerned in and through Chrift; Zech. xii. 10. And they fhall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only fon, and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born.

Q. 5. Wherein doth repentance chiefly confift?

A. It confifts in real inward forrow for fin, as committed against God; Pfalm li. 3, 4. For I ack owledge my tranfgreffions, and my fin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only have I finned, and done this evil in thy fight, &c. A loathing of ourselves for it; Ezek.