XXII.
Faith is the gift of God, wrought in the
hearts of the elect by the Spirit of God; by which faith they come to know and believe the
truth of the Scriptures, and the excellency of them above all other writings, and all
things in the world, as they hold forth the glory of God in His attributes, the
execellency of Christ in His nature and offices, and of the power and fulness of the
Spirit in its [His] workings and operations; and so are enabled to cast their souls upon
His truth thus believed.
Eph. 2:8; John 6:29, 4:10; Phil. 1:29; Gal.
5:22; John 17:17; Heb. 4:11,12; John 6:63.
XXIII.
All those that have this precious faith
wrought in them by the Spirit, can never finally nor totally fall away; seeing the gifts
of God are without repentance; so that He still begets and nourisheth in them faith,
repentance, love, joy, hope, and all the graces of the Spirit unto immortality; and though
many storms and floods arise, and beat against them, yet they shall never be able to take
them off that foundation and rock, which by faith they are fastened upon; not
withstanding, through unbelief, and the temptations of Satan, the sensible sight of this
light and love, be clouded and overwhelmed for a time; yet God is still the same, and they
shall be sure to be kept by the power of God unto salvation, where they shall enjoy their
purchased possession, they being engraven upon the palms of His hands, and their names
having been written in the book of life from all eternity.
Matt. 7:24,25; John 13:10, 10:28,29; 1 Pet.
1:4,5,6; Isa. 49:13,14,15,16.
XXIV.
Faith is ordinarily begotten by the
preaching of the gospel, or word of Christ, without respect to any power or agency in the
creature; but it being wholly passive, and dead in trespasses and sins, doth believe and
is converted by no less power than that which raised Christ from the dead.
Rom. 10:17; 1 Cor. 1:28; Rom. 9:16; Ezek.
16:16; Rom. 3:12, 1:16; Eph. 1:19, Col. 2:12.
XXV.
The preaching of the gospel to the
conversion of sinners, is absolutely free; no way requiring as absolutely necessary, any
qualifications, preparations, or terrors of the law, or preceding ministry of the law, but
only and alone the naked soul, a sinner and ungodly, to receive Christ crucified, dead and
buried, and risen again; who is made a prince and a Savior for such sinners as through the
gospel shall be brought to believe on Him.
John 3:14,15, 1:12; Isa. 55:1; John 7:37; 1
Tim. 1:15; Rom. 4:5, 5:8; Acts 5:30,31, 2:36, 1 Cor. 1:22,24.
XXVI.
The same power that converts to faith in
Christ, carrieth on the soul through all duties, temptations, conflicts, sufferings; and
whatsoever a believer is, he is by grace, and is carried on in all obedience and
temptations by the same.
1 Pet. 1:5, 2 Cor. 12:9, 1 Cor. 15:10;
Phil. 2:12, 13; John 15:5; Gal. 2:19,20.