good, and using the ordinances according to the power we have received.

Q. 4. What is faith?

A. Faith in general is, a divine supernatural Exeyxos* of things not seen; i. e. of past, future, or spiritual things: It is a spiritual sight of God and the things of God.

First, a sinner is convinced by the Holy Ghost, Christ loved me, and gave himself for me.' This is that faith by which he is justified or pardoned, the moment he receives it. Immediately the same Spirit bears witness, "Thou art pardoned: Thou hast redemption in his blood." And this is saving faith, whereby the love of God is shed abroad in his heart.'

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Q. 5. Have all Christians this faith? May not a man be justified and not know it?

A. That all true Christians have such a faith as implies an assurance of God's love, appears from Rom. viii, 15, 16; Eph. iv, 32; 2 Cor. xiii, 5; Heb. viii, 10-12; 1 John iv, 13, and v. 19. And that no man can be justified and not know it, appears farther from the nature of the thing. For faith after repentance is ease after pain, rest after toil, light after darkness. It appears also from the immediate as well as distant fruits thereof.

Q. 6. But may not a man go to heaven without it?

A. It does not appear from holy writ, that a man who hears the Gospel, can; (Mark xvi, 16.) whatever a heathen may do. (Rom. ii, 14.)

Q. 7. What are the immediate fruits of justifying faith? A. Peace, joy, love; power over all outward sin, and power to keep down inward sin.

Q. 8. Does any one believe, who has not the witness in himself, or any longer than he sees, loves, and obeys God? A. We apprehend not; seeing God being the very essence

*Conviction or Evidence.

of faith; love and obedience the inseparable properties of it. Q. 9. What sins are consistent with justifying faith ?

A. No wilful sin. If a believer wilfully sins, he casts away his faith. Neither is it possible he should have justifying faith again, without previously repenting.

Q. 10. Must every believer come into a state of doubt, or fear, or darkness? Will he do so, unless by ignorance or unfaithfulness? Does God otherwise withdraw himself?

A. It is certain, a believer need never again come into condemnation. It seems, he need not come into a state of doubt, or fear, or darkness; and that (ordinarily at least,) he will not, unless by ignorance or unfaithfulness. Yet it is true, that the first joy does seldom last long; that it is commonly followed by doubts and fears; and that God frequently permits great heaviness before any large manifestation of himself. Q. 11. Are works necessary to the continuance of faith? A. Without doubt; for a man may forfeit the free gift of God, either by sins of omission or commission.

Q. 12. Can faith be lost, but for want of works?

A. It cannot but through disobedience.

Q. 13. How is faith made perfect by works?

A. The more we exert our faith, the more it is increased. To him that hath shall be given."

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Q. 14. St. Paul says, ' Abraham was not justified by works.' St.James, He was justified by works.' Do they not contradict each other?

A. No: (1.) Because they do not speak of the same justi-. fication. St. Paul speaks of that justification, which was when Abraham was seventy-five years old, above twenty years before Isaac was born. St. James, of that justification which was when he offered up Isaac on the altar. (2.) Because they do not speak of the same works: St. Paul speaking of works that precede faith: St. James, of works that spring from it.

Q. 15. In what sense is Adam's sin imputed to all mankind?

A. In Adam all die, i. e. (1.) Our bodies then became mortal. (2.) Our souls died, i. e. were disunited from God. And hence, (3.) We are all born with a sinful, devilish nature: By reason whereof, (4.) We are children of wrath, liable to death eternal. (Rom. v, 18. Eph. ii, 3.)

Q. 16. In what sense is the righteousness of Christ imputed to all mankind, or to believers ?

A. We do not find it expressly affirmed in Scripture, that God imputes the righteousness of Christ to any:* Although we do find, that faith is imputed to us for righteousness.”

That text, As by one man's disobedience, all men were made sinners; so by the obedience of one, all were made righteous, we conceive means, by the merits of Christ all men are cleared from the guilt of Adam's actual sin.

We conceive farther, That through the obedience and death of Christ, (1.) The bodies of all men become immortal after the resurrection. (2.) Their souls receive a capacity of spiritual life; and, (3.) An actual spark or seed thereof. (4.) All believers become children of grace, reconciled to God; and (5.) Are made partakers of the divine nature. Q. 17. Have we not leaned towards Antinomianism? A. We are afraid we have.

Q. 18. What is Antinomianism?

A. The doctrine which makes void the law through faith. Q. 19. What are the main pillars thereof?

A. (1.) That Christ abolished the moral law. (2.) That therefore christians are not obliged to observe it. (3.) That one branch of christian liberty, is liberty from obeying the commandments of God. (4.) That it is bondage, to do a thing because it is commanded, or forbear it because it is forbidden. (5.) That a believer is not obliged to use the ordi

That is, his personal righteousness: This is the great Antinomian error. But the divine atonement, with its glorious concomitants, may be called his righteousness; and may be said to be imputed to believers, as it was wrought for guilty man, and by the merit of it only can he be justified.

nances of God, or to do good works. (6.) That a preacher ought not to exhort to good works: not unbelievers, because it is hurtful; not believers, because it is needless.

CONVERSATION III.

Q. 1. Is a sense of God's pardoning love absolutely necessary to our being in his favour? Or may there be some exempt cases?

A. We dare not say, There are not.

Q. 2. Is it necessary to inward and outward holiness?

A. We incline to think it is.

Q. 3. Does a man believe any longer than he sees a reconciled God?

A. We conceive not. But we allow there may be infinite degrees in seeing God: even as many as there are between him who sees the sun, when it shines on his eye-lids closed, and him who stands with his eyes wide open in the full blaze of its beams.

Q. 4. Does a man believe any longer than he loves God? A. In no wise. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth, without faith working by love."

Q. 5. Have we duly considered the case of Cornelius? Was not he in the favour of God, when his prayers and alms came up for a memorial before God?" i. e. Before he believed in Christ?

A. It does seem that he was, in some degree. But we speak not of those who have not heard the Gospel.

Q. 6. Is a believer constrained to obey God?

A. At first he often is. The love of Christ constraineth him. After this, he may obey, or he may not ; no constraint being laid upon him.

Q. 7. Can faith be lost, but through disobedience?

A. It cannot. A believer first inwardly disobeys, inclines to sin with his heart: then his intercourse with God is cut off, i. e. his faith is lost. And after this, he may fall into outward sin, being now weak, and like another man.

Q. 8. How can such a one recover faith?

A. By repenting, and doing the first works. (Rev. ii. 5.) Q. 9. Do we ordinarily represent a justified state so great and happy as it is?

A. Perhaps not. A believer, walking in the light, is inexpressibly great and happy.

Q. 10. Should we not have a care of depreciating justification, in order to exalt the state of full sanctification?

A. Undoubtedly we should beware of this: for one may insensibly slide into it.

Q. 11. How shall we effectually avoid it?

A. When we are going to speak of entire sanctification, let us first describe the blessings of a justified state as strongly as possible.

Q. 12. Does not the truth of the Gospel lie very near both to Calvinism and Antinomianism?

A. Indeed it does: as it were, within a hair's breadth.* So that it is altogether foolish and sinful, because we do not quite agree either with one or the other, to run from them as far as ever we can.

Q. 13. Wherein may we come to the very edge of Calvinism?

A. (1.) In ascribing all good to the free grace of God. (2.) In denying all natural free-will, and all power antecedent to grace. And (3.) In excluding all merit from man; even for what he has or does by the grace of God.

Q. 14. Wherein may we come to the edge of Antinomi

anism?

A. (1.) In exalting the merits and love of Christ. (2.) In rejoicing evermore.

Q. 15. Does faith supersede (set aside the necessity of) holiness or good works?

* So near does the road of truth lie to the ditch of error! But a believer, who abides in the faith, sees and abhors it, 1 John, i, 5—7.