The Fourth Principle expounded

Q. What is faith? A. Faith is a wonderful grace of God, by which a man doth apprehend and apply Christ and all his benefits unto himself. “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” – John 1:12; “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” – John 6:35; “Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” – Gal. 3:7; “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” – Col. 2:12. Q. How doth a man apply Christ unto himself, seeing we are on earth and Christ in heaven? A. This applying is done by assurance, when a man is verily persuaded by the Holy Spirit of God’s favour towards himself particularly, and of the forgiveness of his own sins. “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” – 2 Cor. 1:21,22; “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” – Rom. 8:16. Q. How doth God bring men truly to believe in Christ? A. First, he prepareth their hearts, that they might be capable of faith, and then he worketh faith in them. Q. How doth God prepare men’s hearts? A. By bruising them, as if one would break an hard stone to powder; and this is done by humbling them. “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh” – Ezek. 11:19; “Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.” – Hos. 6:1,2. Q. How doth God humble a man? A. By working in him a sight of his sins, and a sorrow for them. Q. How is this sight of sin wrought? A. By the moral law, the sum whereof is the Ten Commandments. “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” – Rom. 3:20; “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.” – Rom. 7:7,8. Q. What sins may I find in myself by them? A. Ten. Q. What is the first? A. To make something thy God which is not God, by fearing it, loving it, and so trusting in it more than in the true God. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” – Exod. 20:3. Q. What is the second? A. To worship false gods, or the true God in a false manner. “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” – Exod. 20:4-6. Q. What is the third? A. To dishonour God in abusing his titles, words and works. “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” – Exod. 20:7. Q. What is the fourth? A. To break the Sabbath in doing the works of their calling and of the flesh, and in leaving undone the works of the Spirit. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” – Exod. 20:8-11. Q. What be the six latter? A. To do anything that may hinder thy neighbour’s dignitya, lifeb, chastityc, wealthd, good namee, though it be but in the secret thoughts and motions of the heart unto which thou givest no liking nor consentf. a “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” – Exod. 20:12. b “Thou shalt not kill.” – Exod. 20:13. c “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” – Exod 20:14. d “Thou shalt not steal.” – Exod. 20:15. e “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” – Exod. 20:16. f “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.” – Exod. 20:17. Q. What is sorrow for sin? A. It is when a man’s conscience is touched with a lively feeling of God’s displeasure for any of these sinsa; in such wise that he utterly despairs of salvation, in regard of anything in himself, acknowledging that he hath deserved shame and confusion eternallyb. a “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” – Acts 2:37,38. b “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” – 1 Tim. 1:15; “And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.” – Luke 15:21; “And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens. Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.” – Ezra 9:6,7. Q. How doth God work this sorrow? A. By the terrible curse of the law. Q. What is that? A. He which breaks but one of the commandments of God, though it be but once in all his lifetime, and that only in one thought, is subject to, and in danger of eternal damnation thereby. “ For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” – Gal. 3:10. Q. When men’s hearts are thus prepared, how doth God ingraft faith in them? A. By working certain inward motions in the heart which are seeds of faith, out of which it breedeth. Q. What is the first of them? A. When a man is humbled under the burden of his sins, doth acknowledge and feel that he stands in great need of Christ. “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” – Isa. 55:1; “ In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” – John 7:37; “He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.” – Luke 1:53. Q. What is the second? A. An hungering desire and a longing to be made partaker of Christ and all his merits. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” – Matt. 5:6. Q. What is the third? A. A flying to the throne of grace from the sentence of the law pricking the conscience. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” – Heb. 4:16. Q. How is it done? A. By praying, with sending up loud cries for God’s favour in Christ, in the pardoning of sin; and with fervent perseverance herein, till the desire of the heart be granted. “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.” – Luke 15:18,19; “And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.” – Matt. 15:22,23; “For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.” – Acts 8:23; “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.” – 2 Cor. 12:8. Q. What followeth after this? A. God then according to his merciful promise, lets the poor sinner feel the assurance of his love wherewith he loveth him in Christ, which assurance is a lively faith. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” – Matt. 7:7; “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” – Isa. 65:24; “He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.” – Job 33:26. Q. Are there divers degrees and measures of true faith? A. Yea. “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” – Rom. 1:17; “And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.” – Luke 17:5. Q. What is the least measure of true faith that any man can have? A. When a man of an humble spirit, by reason of the littleness of his faith, doth not yet feel the assurance of the forgiveness of his sins, and yet he is persuaded that they are pardonable, and therefore desireth that they should be pardoned, and with his heart prayeth to God to pardon them. “A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.” – Isa. 42:3; “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” – Matt. 17:20; “And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.” – Luke 17:5. Q. How do you know that such a man hath faith? A. These desires and prayers are testimonies of the Spirit, whose property is to stir up a longing and a lusting after heavenly things with sighs and groans for God’s favour and mercy in Christa. Now where the Spirit of Christ is, there is Christ dwelling, and where Christ dwelleth, there is true faith, how weak soever it beb. a “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body…Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” – Rom. 8:23,26; “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” – Gal. 4:6; “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” – Matt. 5:6. b “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” – Rom. 8:9; “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love” – Eph. 3:17. Q. What is the greatest measure of faith? A. When a man daily increasing in faith comes to be fully persuaded of God’s love in Christ towards himself particularly, and of the forgiveness of his own sins. “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Rom. 8:38,39; “Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.” – Song 8:6,7. Q. When shall a Christian heart come to this full assurance? A. Not at the first, but in some continuance of time, when he hath been well practiced in repentance, and hath had divers experiences of God’s love to him in Christ; then after them will appear in his heart the fulness of persuasiona, which is ripeness and strength of faithb. a “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” – 2 Tim. 4:7,8; “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” – Psa. 23:6 cf. vv.1-4. b “He staggered not at the promise of God 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.” – Rom. 4:20,21. Q. What benefits doth a man receive by faith in Christ? A. Hereby he is justified before God, and sanctified. “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” – 1 Cor. 1:30; “And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.” – Acts 15:9; “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” – Rom. 4:3. Q. _What is this, to be justified before God?_A. It comprehendeth two things: the first, to be cleared from the guiltiness and punishment of sin; the second, to be accepted as perfectly righteous before God. “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.” – Rom. 8:33. Q. How is a man cleared from the guiltiness and punishment of his sins? A. By Christ’s sufferings and death upon the cross. “In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight” – Col. 1:22; “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” – 1 Pet. 2:24; “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” – 1 John 1:7. Q. How is he accepted for righteous before God? A. By the righteousness of Christ imputed to him. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” – 2 Cor. 5:21. Q. What profit comes by being thus justified? A. Hereby, and by no other means in the world, the believer shall be accepted before God’s judgment seat as worthy of eternal life by the merits of the same righteousness of Christ. “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.” – Rom. 4:7; “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” – Rev. 22;17. Q. Do not good works then make us worthy of eternal life? A. No, for God, who is perfect righteousness itself, will find in the best works we do more matter of damnation than of salvation, and therefore we must rather condemn ourselves for our good works, than look to be justified before God thereby. “And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.” – Psa. 143:2; “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” – Isa. 64:6; “If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.” – Job 9:3. Q. How may a man know that he is justified before God? A. He need not ascend into heaven to search the secret counsel of God, but rather descend into his own heart to search whether he be sanctified or not. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” – Rom. 8:1; “ Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” – 1 John 3:9. Q. What is it to be sanctified? A. It comprehendeth two things: the first, to be purged from the corruption of his own nature; the second, to be endued with inward righteousness. Q. How is the corruption of sin purged? A. By the merits and power of Christ’s death, which being by faith applied is as a corrosive to abate, consume and weaken the power of all sin. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” – Rom. 6:6; “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.” – 1 Pet. 4:1,2. Q. How is a man endued with inherent righteousness? A. Through the virtue of Christ’s resurrection; which being applied by faith is a restorative to revive a man that is dead in sin to newness of life. “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection” – Rom. 6:4,5; “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” – Phil. 3:10. Q.In what part of man is sanctification wrought? A. In every part of body and soul. “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – 1 Thess. 5:23. Q. In what time is it wrought? A. It is begun in this life, in which the faithful receive only the firstfruits of the Spirit, and it is not finished before the end of this life. “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” – Rom. 8:23; “For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.” – 2 Cor. 5:2,3. Q. What graces of the Spirit do usually shew themselves in the heart of a man sanctified? A. The hatred of sin, and the love of righteousness. “I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.” – Psa. 119:113; “I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.” – Psa. 40:9; “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” – Psa. 101:3; “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man” – Rom. 7:22. Q. What proceeds of them? A. Repentance, which is a settled purpose in the heart, with a careful endeavour to leave all his sins and to live a Christian life according to all God’s commandments. “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.” – Psa. 119:2; “Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep thy words.” – Psa.119:57; “I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.” – Psa. 119:113. Q. What goeth with repentance? A. A continual fighting and struggling against the assaults of a man’s own flesh against the motions of the devil and the enticements of the world. “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” – Gal. 5:17; “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” – Eph. 6:11,12. Q. What followeth after a man hath gotten the victory in any temptation or affliction? A. Experience of God’s love in Christ, and so increase of peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost. “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope” – Rom. 5:3,4; “That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge” – 1 Cor. 1:5. Q. What followeth if in any temptation he be overcome and through infirmity fall? A. After a while there will arise a godly sorrow, which is when a man is grieved for no other cause in the world, but for this only, that by his sin he hath displeased God, who hath been unto him a most merciful and loving Father. “For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.” – 2 Cor. 7:8,9; “And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.” – Matt. 26:75. Q. What sign is there of this sorrow? A. The true sign of it is this, when a man can be grieved for the very disobedience of God in his evil word or deed, though he should never be punished, and though there were neither heaven nor hell. “For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.” – I Pet. 2:19. Q. What follows after this sorrow? A, Repentance renewed afresh. “For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” – 2 Cor. 7:11. Q. By what signs will this repentance appear? A. By seven: 1. A care to leave the sin into which he is fallen. 2. An utter condemning of himself for it, with a craving of pardon. 3. A great anger against himself for his carelessness. 4. A fear lest he should fall into the same sin again. 5. A desire ever after to please God. 6. A zeal of the same. 7. Revenge upon himself for his former offence. “For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” – 2 Cor. 7:11.