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 be Power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believe on his Name.

Q. 7. What is the Object of Faith?

A. The primary Object of Faith is the Perfon of Christ, and the fecondary 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 Righteoufnefs which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Chrift: the Righteoufnefs which is of God by Faith.

Q. 8. May not a Man look partly to Chrift, and partly to his own Works and Duties for Righteousness?

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 Righteousness which is of God by Faith, Rom. iv. 5. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his Faith is counted for Righteousness.

Q. 9. Is it enough to eye the Perfon of Christ only in bes leving?

A. No, we must eye the Perfon of Chrift, as cloathed with all his Offices, Acts xvi. 31. And they said, believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift, and thou shalt be faved, and thine Houfe. Our Ignorance needs him, as a Prophet, our Guilt as a Prieft, our Sins and Enemies as a King.

Q. io. 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 be among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the Voice of his Servant, that walketh in Darkness, and hath no Light, &c. Mark ix. 24. And ftraitway the Father of the Child cried out with Tears, Lord, I believe, help thou mine Unbelief.

Q11. Is no Man actually juftified till he believes?

A. No,

Of the Properties, Signs and Means of Faith. 163

A. No, he cannot be justified actually till he believes actually, Gal. iii. 22. But the Scripture hath concluded all under Sin, 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 justified immediately and fully upon his believing?

A. Yes, he is, Rom. v. 1. Therefore being juftified 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 passed from Death unto Life.

Q. 13. What is the true Character or Description of a Believer?

A. He is one that having been convinced of his Sin and Mifery, and of his own and all other Creatures Inability to fave him, and of the Ability and Willingness of Christ to fave him, lets go all Hold, and Dependence on Creatures, and his own Righteoufnefs, and cafts himself entirely upon Chrift for Righteoufness and Life.

Of the Properties, Signs and Means of Faith.

Q. I. W HAT is the first Property of Faith?

It is a most precious Grace, 2 Pet. i. 1.To them that have obtained like precious Faith with us, &c. And muft needs be fo, fecing 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 Souls do live, Hab. ii. 4. The juft shall live by his Faith.

Q. 2. What is the fecond Property of faving Faith?

A. The fecond Property of Faith is this, that it is the moft ufeful Grace in this World to a Believer, it being the Soul'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's hard to apprehend Chrift, Phil. iii. 12. That

164 Of the Properties, Signs and Means of Faith.

That I may apprehend that for which alfo I am apprehended of Chrift Fefus. It is Cordial in a fainting Season, 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 Promife 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.

Q4. What is the fecond Prop of Faith?

A. The Truth and Faithfulness of God in his Promises, Heb. x. 23. Let us hold fast 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 Saints?

A. The manifold sweet and fenfible Experiences of others, Pfal, lxxiv. 14. Thou breakeft the Heads of Leviathan in Pieces, and gaveft him to be Meat for the People inhabiting the Wilderness. And efpecially their own Experiences, Joshua xxiii. 14.-Ye know in all your Hearts, and in all your Souls, 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 bath failed thereof.

Q. 6. What is the first Sign of a weak Faith?

A. Staggerings in our affent to divine Truths argue the Weakness of Faith, Rom. iv. 20. He ftaggered not at the Promife of God through Unbelief, but was ftrong in Faith? &c. Q. 7. What is the fecond Sign of weak Faith?

A. Inability to trust God in Time of Danger, evidenced by finful Hafte to avoid it, Ifa. xxviii. 16—He that believeth fhall not make hafte.

Q. 8. What is the third Sign of a weak Faith?

A. When we cannot live purely by Faith, except we have fome fenfible Encouragement, John xx. 25. -Except I shall fee in his Hands the Print of the Nails, and put my Finger into the Print of the Nails, and thruft my Hand into his Side, I will not believe.

Q. 9. What is the fourth Sign of a weak Faith?

A. When a new Temptation makes us eafily let go our former Confidence, Luke xxiv. 21. But we trufled that it had been he which should have redeemed Ifrael: and befides all this, to day is the third Day fince thefe Things were done,

Q. 10. What is the fifth Sign 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, O ye of little Faith? &c.

Q. 11. What is the fixth Sign of a weak Faith?

A. Too much Carefulness and Anxiety about the Things of this Life, Matth. vi. 30. Wherefore if God fa clothe the Grafs of the Field, which to day is, and to morrow is caft into the Oven, fhall be not much more clothe you, O ye of little Faith? Q. 12. What is the first Benefit of a strong Faith? A. A ftrong Faith gives much Glory to God, Rom. iv. 19, 20. And being not weak in Faith, he confidered not his own Body now dead, when he was about an hundred Years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's Womb: He faggered 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?

A. It gives the Soul the ravishing Forefight and Foretaftes of Heaven upon Earth, Pet. i. 8. Whom having not feen, ye love; in whom though now you see 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?

A. 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 Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth.

Of Saving Repentance.

Queft. 87. W

HAT is Repentance unto Life?

A. Repentance unto Life is a faving Grace, whereby a Sinner out of a true Sense of his Sin, and

Apprehenfion

Apprehenfion of the Mercy of God in Chrift doth with Grief and Hatred of his Sin, turn from it unto God with full Purpose of, and endeavour after new Obedience.

Q. 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, and a new Spirit 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 A&t doth all true Repentance begin?

A. It begins in a true Sight and Sense of Sin, and the Danger and Mifery we are in by Sin, Acts ii. 37. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their Hearts, &c.

Q. 3. Why doth God work fuch a Senfe of Sin and Misery ? A. He doth it to make Chrift defirable in the Sinner's Eyes, that he may fly to him, Matth. ix. 12, 13. But when Jefus heard that, he jaid unto them, they that be whole need not a Phyfician, but they that are fick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth. I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice: for I am not come to call the Righteous, but Sinners to Repentance.

Q. 4. Is the Sight of Sin 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 Goodness 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 Son, and shall be in Bitterness for him as one that is in Bitterness for his firft-born.

Q. 5. Wherein doth Repentance chiefly confift?

A. It confifts in real inward Sorrow for Sin, as committed against God, Pfal. li. 3, 4. For I acknowledge my Tranfgreffions, and my Sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only have I finned, and done this Evil in thy Sight, &c. A Loathing of ourselves for it, Ezek. xxxvi. 31.—And shell loath yourfelves in your own Sight for your Iniquities, and for your Abominations. And of our beit Duties as finful and infufficient Things, Ifa. lxiv. 5, 6.-We are all as an unclean Thing; and all our Righteousness are as filthy Rags, &c.