Quest 86, Of Saving faith,
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism.
Q.12. What is the third inference hence ?
A. Hence we learn the miserable state of all unbelievers, and impenitent persons; the curse and wrath of God lies upon them;
Gal. iii. 10. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse, &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 repentancebringthe fouls of men; Acts xiii. 38, 39. By him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be juftifiedby the law of Moses.
Quest. 86.W Of saving Faith.
Hat is faith in Jesus Christ ?
A. Faith in Jesus Christ is afavinggrace, whereby we receive and rest upon him aloneforfalvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.
Q. 1. What is the root or cause of faith ?
A. Not the power of man's will ; Eph. ii. 8. For by grace are ye saved 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-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.
John i. 12, 13. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the fours 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.
Q. 2. How doth theSpiritofGod 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 sometimes he doth it immediately.
3. Who are the proper subjects of faith ?
A. Convinced and sensible sinners are the proper subjects of faith; Johnxvi. 8, 9. 10. And when he is come, he willreprove the world of fin, of righteousness, and of judgment.
Of fin, because they believe not on me: of righteousness, because I go : to my Father, and ye see 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 understanding, but principally the heart and will ; Rom. x. 10. With the heart manbelievethunto righteousness, &c.
Acts viii. 37. And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.
Q. 5. But is not the affent of the understanding true faith ?
A. The mere assent of the understanding to the truths of scripture, is not such a faith as willfave the soul; James ii. 19.
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism .
Thou believest that there is one God ; thoudost well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
6. What is the act of faith that justifies a sinner ?
A. It is the receiving of Christ, by the full and hearty consent of the heart that justifies us ; John i. 12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.
7. What is the object of faith ?
A. The primary object of faith is the person of Christ, and the secondary his benefits ; Isa. xlv. 22. Look unto me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, &c.
Phil. iii. 8, 9. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord : For whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ ; the righteousness which is of God by faith.
Q8. May not am an look partly to Christ, and partly to his own works and duties for righteousness ?
A. No ; he must eye Christ only, and exclude all others, or he cannot be justified ; 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 Christ : 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 perfonofChristonly in believing?
A. No; we must eye the person of Christ, as cloathed with all his offices ; Acts xvi. 31. And they said, Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, 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 exclusive of all fears and doubts ?
A. No ; it is not, but true believers are troubled with many fears and doubtings; Ila. 1. 10. Who is he 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 straightway the Father of the child crieth out with tears, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief.
Q. 11. Is noman actually justified till he believe ?
A. No, he cannot be justified actually till he believe actually ; Gal. iii. 22. But the scripture hath concluded all under fin, thatthepromiseby faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
John iii. 18. He that believeth on him, is not
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism. condemned: But he that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of God.
2. 12. Is every man that believes justified immediately and fully upon his believing ?
A. Yes, he is ; Rom. v. 1. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Joha v. 24. He that heareth my words, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passedfromdeath unto life.
Q. 13. What is the true character or description of a believer ?
A. He isone that having been convinced of his finandmisery, and of his own and all other creatures inability to save him , and of the ability and willingness of Christ to save him, lets go all hold and dependance on creatures, and his own righteousness, and casts himself entirely upon Christ for righteousnets and life.
Hat is the first property of faith ?
W A. It isa most precious grace; 2 Pet. i. 1.
To them that have obtained like precious faith with us, &c.
And must needs be so, seeing it is the bond of our union with Of the Properties, Signs, and Means of Faith.
Quest. 1.
Christ ; Eph. iii. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, thatye being rooted and grounded in love.
That by which we are justified ; Rom. v. 1. Therefore being justified by faith, &c.
And that by which our souls do live ; Heb. ii. 4.
The just shall live by faith.
Q2. What is the second property of saving faith?
A. The second property of faith is this, that it is the most useful grace in this world to a believer, it being the soul's eye ;
Heb. xi . 27. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: For he endured, as seeing him who is invisible,
&c.
It is hard to apprehend Christ ; Phil. iii. 12. That I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
It is cordial in a fainting season ; Pfalmxxvii. 3. I had fainted, unless I had believed, &c.
९. 3. What are the foundations that support faith?
A. The first foundation or prop of faith, is the power of God ; Rom. iv. 20, 21. He staggered not at the promise through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.
And being fully persuaded, that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Heb. vii. 25. He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, &c.
Q4. What is the second prop of faith ?
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism.
A. The truth and faithfulness of God in his promises ; Heb. x. 23. Let us holdfast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful that hath promised. Heb. vi. 18. That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.
2.5. What encourages the faith of the saints ?
A. The manifold, sweet, and sensible experiences of others ; Psalm lxxiv. 14. Thou breakest the heads of Leviathaninpieces, and gavest him to be meat for the people inhabiting the wilderness. And especially their own experiences ; Josh. 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 spake concerning you ; all are come to pass unto you, and not onething hath failed thereof.
Q. 6. What is the first sign of a weak faith ?
A. Staggerings in our affenttodivine truths, argue the weakness of faith; Rom. iv. 10. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, &c.
Q. 7. What is the second sign of aweakfaith ?
A. Inability to trust God in time of danger, evidenced by sinful haste to avoid it; Ifa. xxviii. 16. He that believeth, thall not make haste.
8. What is the third sign of a weak faith ?
A. When we cannot live purely by faith, except we have some sensible 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 thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
९. 9. What is the fourth sign of a weak faith ?
A.When a new temptation makes us easily let go our former confidence; Luke xxiv. 21. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel : And besides all this, today is the third day since these things were done.
९. 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 sixth sign of a weak faith ?
A. Too much carefulness and anxiety about the things of this life; Matth . vi. 30. Wherefore if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven,
Thallhe not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith ?
Q. 12. What is the first benefit of a strong faith ?
VOL. VIII.