““Faith is not bare knowledge or passive persuasion but the embrace of Christ by the heart, resulting in personal knowledge of God. The heart must therefore be prepared by the law awakening the sinner to his need of Christ. The law beats on the stony heart as a hammer to smooth its surface before God writes His Word upon it. Though some men called this repentance, Calvin preferred to think of it as preparation for faith, which in turn leads to true repentance.””
