'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.'—Hosea 4:6
Q. Why, how is it with men, before faith comes?—A. Without faith, or before faith comes, it is impossible to please God, for whether their actions be civil or religious, they sin in all they do. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, and the ploughing of the wicked is sin (Prov 21:4,27).
Q. Is not this a very sad condition?—A. Yes; but this is not all, for their present unbelief bindeth them over to wrath, by shutting them up to the law; it also draweth them away from God, and will drown them in everlasting damnation, if the grace of God prevent not (Gal 3:23; Heb 3:17,18; John 3:36).
Q. What if a man saw himself in this condition?—A. There are many see themselves in this condition.
Q. And what do such think of themselves?—A. They do not only think, but know that in this condition they are 'without Christ, without hope, and without God in the world' (Eph 2:12).
Q. Are not they happy that see not themselves in this condition?—A. Yes. If they have seen themselves delivered therefrom by a work of faith in their souls, else not.
Q. How do you mean?—A. I mean if they have seen themselves delivered from this state, by being by the Word and Spirit of God implanted into the faith of Christ (Rom 11:17-19).
Q. Are not they happy that are never troubled with this sad sight of their condition?—A. They are just so happy as is that man who lieth fast asleep in his house while it is on fire about his ears. Can a man be happy, that is ignorant that he is without God and Christ, and hope? Can a man be happy that is ignorant that he is hanging over hell by the poor weak thread of an uncertain life? For this is the state of such an one.[15]
Q. But may not faith come to a man without he see himself to be first in this condition?—A. It is God's ordinary way to convince men of this their sad condition before he revealeth to them the righteousness of faith, or work faith in them to lay hold of that righteousness (John 16:9-11; Gal 3:23-25).
Q. How then do you conclude of them that never saw themselves shut up by unbelief under sin and the curse of God?—A. I will not judge them for the future, God may convert them before they die; but at present their state is miserable: for because they are shut up and held prisoners by the law, by their lusts, and by the devil, and unbelief; therefore they cannot so much as with their hearts desire that God would have mercy upon them, and bring them out of their snares and chains.
Q. Then do you count it better for a man to see his condition by nature than to be ignorant thereof?—A. Better a thousand times to see it in this world than to see it in hell fire, for he must see it there or here: now if he sees it here, this is the place of prayer; here is the preaching of the word, which is God's ordinance, to beget faith. Besides, here God applieth promises of mercy to the desolate, and Christ also hath protested that he that cometh to him he 'will in no wise cast out' (John 6:37).
Q. I am convinced that I was once without faith, and also that I cannot fetch it, but pray tell me the way of its coming?—A. 'Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God' (Rom 10:17).
Q. How by hearing?—A. God mixeth it with the Word when he absolutely intendeth the salvation of the sinner (Heb 4:2; Acts 13:48).
Q. And how do men hear when faith is mixed with the Word?—A. They hear the Word, 'not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe' (1 Thess 2:13).
Q. Pray tell me now the manner of its coming?—A. It comes through difficulty; it comes gradually.
Q. What are the difficulties which oppose it at its coming?—A. Sense of unworthiness, guilt of conscience, natural reason, unbelief, and arguments forged in hell, and thence suggested by the devil into the heart against it (Luke 5:8; Mark 9:24; Isa 6:5; Rom 4:18-21).
Q. How doth faith come gradually?—A. Perhaps at first it is, but like a grain of mustard-seed, small and weak (Matt 17:20).
Q. Will you explain it further?—A. Faith, at first, perhaps may have its excellency lie in view only, that is, in seeing where justification and salvation are; after that, it may step a degree higher, and be able to say, it may be, or who can tell but I may obtain this salvation? again, it may perhaps go yet a step higher and arrive at some short and transient assurance (Heb 11:13; Joel 2:13,14; Zeph 2:3; Psa 30:7).[16]
Q. But doth faith come only by hearing?—A. It is usually begotten by the word preached, but after it is begotten, it is increased in several ways. It is increased by prayer (Luke 17:5; Mark 9:24). It is increased by Christian conference (Rom 1:12). It is increased by reading (Rom 16:25,26). It is increased by meditation (1 Tim 4:12-16). It is increased by the remembrance of former experiences (Matt 16:8,9).
Q. What do these things teach us?—A. They teach us that the men of this world are very ignorant of, and as much without desire after faith: they neither hear, nor pray, confer, nor read, nor meditate for the sake of faith.
Q. But you said even now, that this faith was distinguished from that which profiteth not to salvation, as by the manner of its coming, so by its operation: pray what is its operation?—A. It causeth the soul to see in the light thereof, that there is no righteousness in this world that can save the sinner (Isa 64:6).
Q. How doth it give the soul this sight?—A. By giving him to understand the law, and his own inability to fulfil it (Gal 2:16).
Q. And doth it always shew the soul where justifying righteousness is?—A. Yes. It shews that justifying righteousness is only to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ, in what he hath done and suffered in the flesh (Isa 45:24,25; Phil 3:3-9).
Q. How doth faith find this righteousness in Christ?—A. By the word, which is therefore called the word of faith, because faith, by that, findeth sufficient righteousness in him (Rom 10:6-9).
Q. How else doth it operate in the soul?—A. It applies this righteousness to the sinner, and also helps him to embrace it (Rom 3:21,22; 1 Cor 1:30; Gal 2:20).
Q. How else doth it operate?—A. By this application of Christ, the soul is quickened to life, spiritualized and made heavenly. For right faith quickeneth to spiritual life, purifies and sanctifies the heart; and worketh up the man that hath it, into the image of Jesus Christ (Col 2:12,13; Acts 15:9, 26:18; 2 Cor 3:18).
