By Thomas Goodwin, D.D
The Works of Thomas Goodwin, D.D
Volume 8: “The Object and Acts of Justifying Faith.”
By Thomas Goodwin.
CONTENTS
Preface to the Reader
PART I.—OF THE OBJECT OF FAITH
BOOK I
The mercies in God’s nature the object, and support, and encouragement of faith.—How we are to act faith thereon.
BOOK II
The second object of faith, Jesus Christ.—Of our being drawn to him by the Father, and our treating with him for an interest in his person, and salvation by him.—That Christ, as God-man in one person, is the object of our faith.—That as a spiritual Messiah and Saviour he is propounded to our faith.—That not only Christ in his person, but in all that he hath done and suffered for our salvation, and now doth for us in heaven, is the object of our faith.
BOOK III
The free grace of God, as declared and proposed in the covenant, is the object of faith.—Of the soul’s applying itself unto the free grace of God, and treating with it for its salvation.—That the absolute declarations of this free grace, or the absolute promises of the gospel, are the object of faith of recumbence, or adherence.— That election-grace, and the immutability of God’s counsel, as indefinitely proposed in the promises, are also the object of faith.— How the believing soul may consider and regard God’s absolute decree of election.
PART II.—OF THE ACTS OF FAITH
BOOK I
The acts of faith in the understanding are a sight of Christ, a discerning and knowledge of his excellencies, and a hearty assent to the truths of the gospel concerning him.—That this mere assurance of the object, or a general assent to the truth of the promises, is not the act of faith justifying, but an application is necessary.—What the acts of the will are, which are exercised on Christ in believing.
BOOK II
Of faith of assurance.—That all justifying faith is not an assurance of our personal interest in Christ.—That yet assurance of salvation may be obtained.—How assurance is caused by three witnesses in heaven, and three on earth, and of the difference of their testimony. The discoveries and manifestations which Christ makes of himself to the soul.—Of joy in the Holy Ghost.— Directions unto the faith of such who want assurance how to take in, and to make use of God’s eternal, electing love, in believing with comfort.
BOOK III
Of the actings of faith in prayer.—That we are not bound to pray with assurance of obtaining the very particular blessing which we ask.—That God, neither in the revelation of himself and of his attributes, nor in his promises, hath obliged himself to give us the very particular blessing which we ask.—That the essential acts of faith in praying do not necessarily require that we should have such a certain particular persuasion.—How we are in prayer to act faith upon temporal promises, and how upon spiritual.
PART III.—OF THE PROPERTIES OF FAITH
BOOK I
Of the excellence and use of faith.—That good works are not slighted by exalting faith.—Of the excellency of faith, in that it gives all honour to God and Christ; and that for this reason God hath appointed it to be the grace by which we are saved.—Of the excellency of faith, as it hath a general influence on all our graces.
BOOK II
The difficulty of faith.—That it is above all the powers and faculties in man.—That all which is in man is so far from enabling him to believe, that it doth withstand his believing.—That faith is the work of the alone mighty power of God.
BOOK III
Though faith be a difficult work, yet we ought to use our endeavours to believe.—What those endeavours are.—Cautions about using them.
BOOK IV
Though faith be a difficult work above our power, yet God commands us to use our utmost endeavours to believe.—The reasons why God commands us so to do, and how the infinite power of God in working faith, and our own endeavours, are very well consistent together.—Discouragements removed, which may arise either from our own unability to believe, or from the sense of our great sinfulness, or from the thoughts of an absolute decree of election, resolving to save only some particular persons.— Directions to guide us in our endeavours to believe.
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