1) The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to
believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit
of Christ in their hearts,a and is ordinarily
wrought by the ministry of the Word;b by which
also, and by the administration of baptism and the Lord's supper,
prayer, and other means appointed of God, it is increased and
strengthened.c
(a 2
Corinthians 4:13, Ephesians
2:8; b Romans
10:14,17; c Luke
17:5, 1 Peter
2:2, Acts
20:32)
2) By this faith a Christian believeth to be true
whatsoever is revealed in the Word for the authority of God
himself,d and also apprehendeth an excellency
therein above all other writings and all things in the
world,e as it bears forth the glory of God in
his attributes, the excellency of Christ in his nature and
offices, and the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit in his
workings and operations: and so is enabled to cast his soul upon
the truth thus believed;f and also acteth
differently upon that which each particular passage thereof
containeth; yielding obedience to the
commands,g trembling at the
threatenings,h and embracing the promises of
God for this life and that which is to come;i
but the principal acts of saving faith have immediate relation to
Christ, accepting, receiving, and resting upon him alone for
justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the
covenant of grace.j
(d Acts
24:14; e Psalms
27:7-10, Psalms
119:72; f 2 Timothy
1:12; g John
14:14; h Isaiah
66:2; i Hebrews
11:13; j John
1:12, Acts
16:31, Galatians 2:20, Acts
15:11)
3) This faith, although it be different in degrees, and
may be weak or strong,k yet it is in the least
degree of it different in the kind or nature of it, as is all
other saving grace, from the faith and common grace of temporary
believers;l and therefore, though it may be
many times assailed and weakened, yet it gets the
victory,m growing up in many to the attainment
of a full assurance through Christ,n who is
both the author and finisher of our faith.o
(k Hebrews
5:13,14, Matthew
6:30, Romans
4:19,20; l 2 Peter
1:1; m Ephesians 6:16, 1 John
5:4,5; n Hebrews
6:11,12, Colossians 2:2;
o Hebrews
12:2)