XVIII. CHRISTIAN GRACES.
FAITH.
FAITH! Peter saith, faith, in the very trial of it, is much more
precious than gold that perisheth. If so, what is the worth or value
that is in the grace itself?
Faith is so great an artist in arguing and reasoning with the soul,
that it will bring over the hardest heart that it hath to deal with.
It will bring to my remembrance at once, both my vileness against
God, and his goodness towards me; it will show me, that though I
deserve not to breathe in the air, yet God will have me an heir of
glory.
Faith is the mother-grace, the root-grace, the grace that has all
others in the bowels of it, and that from which all others flow.
Faith will suck sweetness out of God's rod; but unbelief can find no
comfort in his greatest mercies.
Faith makes great burdens light; but unbelief maketh light ones
intolerably heavy.
Faith helpeth us when we are down; but unbelief throws us down when
we are up.
Unbelief may be called the WHITE DEVIL; for it often-times, in its
mischievous doing in the soul, shows as if it was an angel of light;
yea, it acteth like a counsellor of heaven.
It is that sin above all others that most suiteth the wisdom of our
flesh. The wisdom of our flesh thinks it prudent to question a
while, to stand back a while, to hearken to both sides a while; and
not to be rash, sudden, or unadvised in too bold a presuming upon
Jesus Christ.
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