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 is; 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 to 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 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 applieth this righteousness to the sinner, and also helps him to embrace it (Rom 3:21,22; 1 Cor 1:30; Gal 2:20).