CHAPTER XII.

FAITH.

Rom. x: 17. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

JOW the signification of this word became in

HOW

volved in so much obscurity, and priest ridden mystery is strange, for when not connected with scriptural subjects, everybody understood faith to signify no more no less than belief. And why it should be made to signify anything else, in a scriptural sense, unless she whose name is Mystery, was anxious to envelop in mystery all Bible terms. Paul here tells us not only what faith is, but that we receive it by the word of God.

Paul in the text says: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

John xvii: 20. "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word." In this place our blessed Lord uses belief as synonymous with faith, but likewise informs us that we get this belief or faith through the words of the apostles.

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all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."

Gal. iii: 22. "But the scriptures hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."

Heb. x: 22. "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."

Rom. iii: 3. "For what if some did not believe, shall their unbelief make the faith [i. e. the gospel] of God without effect?"

John xx: 30. 66 Many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son