Front matter
Of Justifying Faith by Thomas Goodwin Table of Contents Preface to the Reader
PART I.—OF THE OBJECT OF FAITH
-- BOOK I: The mercies in God's nature the object ---- CHAPTER I: That the mercies in God's heart and nature are a fundamental object and support of faith
---- CHAPTER II: An explication how this assertion is to be understood ---- CHAPTER III: The proofs of this assertion: by Scripture, and afterwards by reasons.
---- CHAPTER IV: That the mercies of God's heart and nature are the prime object of faith.
---- CHAPTER V: That the mercies of God's nature, in Exodus 34, are a prime object and support of faith.
---- CHAPTER VI: What is imported by the name Jehovah made use of in this proclamation of mercy, Exod. 34:6, 7.
---- CHAPTER VII: The other name of God, אל, El, used in this proclamation of mercy, Exod. 34:6, 7
---- CHAPTER VIII: The next word in this proclamation of Exod. 34:6, 7, explained
---- CHAPTER IX: The other part of the proclamation of the mercies of God's nature in Exod. 34 explained.
---- CHAPTER X: Of the mercies of God's heart and nature.
---- CHAPTER XI: That mercy and grace in God are properties of his divine being and glory.
---- CHAPTER XII: Some of the principal objections why mercy should not be a natural attribute of the Divine nature
---- CHAPTER XIII: That in every object there is some special attractive to affect the faculties and principles in man's heart, to excite them to act on it.
---- CHAPTER XIV: The uses of the doctrine.
---- CHAPTER XV: That God, considered as justifying the ungodly, is the object of faith.
-- BOOK II: The second object of faith, Jesus Christ.
---- CHAPTER I: That the mercies in God's nature are not the object of our faith ---- CHAPTER II: That when we come to Christ, and believe on him, there is a concurrence and consent of all the three persons in the Godhead unto that great work.
---- CHAPTER III: The uses of the doctrine.
---- CHAPTER IV: Of a believer's being drawn unto Christ by the Father.
---- CHAPTER V: That the Father teacheth us to know Christ as the great object of our faith.
---- CHAPTER VI: Christ our Saviour typified by Noah's ark.
---- CHAPTER VII: That Jesus is proposed to our faith as a spiritual Christ and Saviour.
---- CHAPTER VIII: That Christ represented as a quickening Spirit is a proper object of our faith.
---- CHAPTER IX: That Christ's person, as Son of God, in one person with the man Jesus, is the prime object of faith, and taught by the Father, as the truth is in Jesus.
---- CHAPTER X: The uses of the foregoing doctrine.—How we are to exercise faith on the person of Christ, God-man.
-- BOOK III: The free grace of God, as declared and proposed in the covenant, is the object of faith.
---- CHAPTER I: How the soul may for its salvation treat with the free grace of God as declared in the covenant.
---- CHAPTER II: What high regards the faith of the apostle Paul had to the free grace of God the Father as the object of it.
---- CHAPTER III: That absolute declarations about God and Christ, and absolute promises of salvation, are the most proper and only objects of that act of application of faith we call faith of recumbency or adherence.
---- CHAPTER IV: What act of faith it is which those that want assurance may exercise upon such absolute declarations and promises ---- CHAPTER V: That election-grace, and the immutability of God's counsel indefinitely proposed in the promises, is
the object of faith.
---- CHAPTER VI: How absolute election and absolute promises are the ground of faith of recumbency.
---- CHAPTER VII: How the faith of a believer should depend on electing grace for salvation.
PART II.—OF THE ACTS OF FAITH
-- BOOK I: The acts of faith in the understanding are a sight of Christ ---- CHAPTER I: That faith in the understanding is a spiritual sight and knowledge of Christ.
---- CHAPTER II: That the mere assurance of the object, or a general assent to the truth of the promises, is not the act of faith justifying, but application is necessary.
---- CHAPTER III: What the nature is of this special faith of application.
---- CHAPTER IV: That a special act of faith on the free grace of God as justifying sinners, and on the blood and righteousness of Christ, is the only true justifying faith.
---- CHAPTER V: The acts of faith in the will.—The believing soul trusts in Christ alone for help
---- CHAPTER VI: That where there is true and unfeigned faith, the soul is prevailed on to consent to give itself to Christ in all services and obedience.
---- CHAPTER VII: What the errors are to which men are obnoxious in believing.
-- BOOK II: Of faith of assurance
---- CHAPTER I: That justifying faith is not assurance of our personal interest in Christ, though it be an assurance of the truth of the promise.
---- CHAPTER II: The reason why there may be true justifying faith in a man, and yet he want assurance.
---- CHAPTER III: That Assurance of Salvation may be obtained.
---- CHAPTER IV: The objections against assurance answered.
---- CHAPTER V: How assurance is produced in the heart of a believer, by three witnesses in heaven, and three witnesses on earth.
---- CHAPTER VI: That since assurance is attainable, it is our duty earnestly to desire and endeavour the attainment of it.
---- CHAPTER VII: Christ's discovery of himself to the soul, ---- CHAPTER VIII: Of joy in the Holy Ghost; that it springs from our communion with God the Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost.
---- CHAPTER IX: Directions unto the faith of such as want assurance: how to take in and make use of God's eternal, electing love in believing with comfort.
-- BOOK III: Of the actings of faith in prayer.
----- CHAPTER I: That God hath not, by any revelation of himself or attributes, engaged himself to give us the very particular blessing which we ask, and therefore we are not bound to pray with faith of assurance of obtaining it.
---- CHAPTER II: That God hath not in his promises obliged himself to give us the very particular blessing which we pray for, and therefore we cannot pray with assurance of obtaining it.
---- CHAPTER III: That the essential acts of faith in prayer are such as do not necessarily require a certain persuasion of obtaining the very particular blessing for which we pray.
---- CHAPTER IV: How we are in prayer to act faith upon temporal promises.
---- CHAPTER V: Concerning praying, and faith in prayer, for performance of promises purely spiritual.
PART III. OF THE PROPERTIES OF FAITH
-- BOOK I: Of the excellence and use of faith.
---- CHAPTER I: The excellency of faith displayed in several particulars.
---- CHAPTER II: The excellency of faith shewed in farther instances.
---- CHAPTER III: The excellence of faith, in that it is most active, and hath the greatest influence in the whole course of our salvation from first to last.
---- CHAPTER IV: How good works are not slighted by exalting faith alone to have an interest in our justification.
-- BOOK II: The difficulty of faith.
---- CHAPTER I: Of the difficulty of faith; how hard it is to attain to believe.
---- CHAPTER II: That all the faculties and powers in man do not afford him abilities to believe.
---- CHAPTER III: That all the workings of a natural conscience will not help a man to believe; but that, on the contrary, they withstand faith.
---- CHAPTER IV: That all the powers of a man's will cannot enable him to believe ---- CHAPTER V: That all in man's will is opposite to faith, and withstands his believing.
-- BOOK III: Though faith be a difficult work, yet we ought to use our endeavours to believe.
---- CHAPTER I: Though faith be a difficult work, yet we are to use endeavours to believe ---- CHAPTER II: That the resting in our holy duties and endeavours is an hindrance unto faith; but a right performance of them is very well consistent with it, and needful.
---- CHAPTER III: Cautions about using our endeavours to believe.
---- CHAPTER IV: We must use our endeavours to believe, being fearful of doing anything to offend that God upon whose power we depend to work faith and all other things in us.
---- CHAPTER V: We ought to use our endeavours to believe, being very watchful not to neglect any gracious opportunities which God affordeth us.