Lord. In one place it says, " they knew Him/' In another, the devil cries out, " I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God." They knew Christ, when Scribes were ignorant of Him, and Pharisees would not acknow- ledge Him. And yet their knowledge was not unto salvation.
The mere belief of the facts and doctrines of Chris- tianity will never save our souls. Such belief is no better than the belief of devils. They all believe and know that Jesus is the Christ. They believe that he will one day judge the world, and cast them down to endless torment in hell. It is a solemn and sorrowful thought, that on these points some professing Christians have even less faith than the devil. There are some who doubt the reality of hell and the eternity of punishment. Such doubts as these find no place except in the hearts of self-willed men and women. There is no infidelity among devils. " They believe and tremble." (James ii. 19.)
Let us take heed that our faith be a faith of the heart as well as of the head. Let us see that our knowledge has a sanctifying influence on our affections and our lives. Let us not only know Christ but love Him, from a sense of actual benefit received from Him. Let us not only believe that he is the Son of G-od and the Saviour of the world, but rejoice in Him, and cleave to Him with purpose of heart. Let us not only be acquainted with Him by the hearing of the ear, but by daily personal application to Him for mercy and grace. " The life of Christianity," says Luther, " consists in possessive pro- nouns." It is one thing to say " Christ is a Saviour." It is quite another to say "He is my Saviour and my
13
Lord." The devil can say the first. The true Christian alone can say the second.'*'
We learn, in the second place, to what remedy a Chris- tian ought to resort first, in time of trouble. He ought to follow the example of the friends of Simon's wife's mother. We read that when she "lay sick of a fever/' they " told Jesus of her."
There is no remedy like this. Means are to be used diligently, without question, in any time of need. Doctors are to be sent for, in sickness. Lawyers are to be consulted when property or character needs defence. The help of friends is to be sought. But still, after all, the first thing to be done, is to cry to the Lord Jesus Christ for help. None can relieve us so effectually as He can. None is so com- passionate, and so willing to relieve. When Jacob was in trouble he turned to his God first : u Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of Esau." (Gen. xxxii. 11.) When Hezekiah was in trouble, he first spread Senna- cherib's letter before the Lord : " I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand." (2 Kings xix. 19.) When Lazarus fell sick, his sisters sent immediately to Jesus : "Lord," they said, "he whom thou lovest is sick." (John xi. 2.) Now let us do likewise. " Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee." u Cast- ing all your care upon Him." In everything by prayer
* " Rest not in an historical knowledge of faith. If thou do, it will not save thee ; for if it would it would save the devils : for they have their literal knowledge and general belief of the word. Dost thou think it enough to know and believe that Christ lived and died for sin- ners ? The devil and his angels know and believe as much. Labor then to outstrip them, and to get a better faith than is in them." — Fet- ter on Mark. 1661.