So faith reasons, Is it so, indeed ? and is he wonderful in working ? Doth he thus and thus work by contraries ? Then I will answer his ■working the same w'ay ; I will believe one contrary in another, I will expect the sun will shine again, though now it be under a cloud. The like I may say of any other extremity, as in the raising of our dead bodies. Faith, as it is in Ezekiel, sees a spirit quickening and putting life in dry bones, assuring us thereby that he can as easily raise up the dead as deliver us out of any extremity. Saint Paul's argument is to trust in God, who raiseth the dead, [that he] can do all things, work wonderful changes in our greatest miseries. As for the church now in misery, there is a promise that Babjdon shall be cast into the sea as a millstone, Rev. xviii. 21. Now faith believes the promises of glory, how that God will outwork all human policy, and catch the crafty in their own nets ; that as certainly as day comes after night, so assuredly all God's promises shall be made good, as David resolves, Ps. cxxx. 6, ' My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning : I say, more than they that watch for the morning. Let Israel hope in the Lord : for with the Lord there is mercy, and witii him is plenteous redemption.'
So in any cloud get faith, and it will break through all impediments. Believe the former grand passages of calling, justification, and sanctifica- tion, and then we will trust God for the rest. Then is faith most glorious.
THE LIFE OF FAITH. 875
When it works alone, then it works most strongly. Then also God delights to shew himself most effectually ; for when all other means fail, and faith works it out alone in wrestling, then he hath all the glory, and then all is well ; and therefore we must do in this case as the prophet advises, ' Let him who sits in darkness and hath no light, trust in his name,' Isa. 1. 10.
Faith does raise men up, and set them upon a rock, so sure as nothing can take away their comfort and joy in God ; because Christ's name is wonderful, who then works in desperate cases when it is seasonable. A mighty God delights to work mightily, in mighty plunges. Then faith plies the suit hard : Help, Lord, or none can. Our Saviour, you see, slept in the ship until a mighty tempest rose, and^then he rebuked the winds and the seas ; so he seems to sleep now in the church. Why ? That we may wake and stir him up by our prayers. When the Israelites' tale of brick was doubled, and the people greatly perplexed, then Moses came fitly to promise deliverance. So when the afflictions of Christians are doubled, then they are commonly most humbled. They pray hard, search, believe, and apply the promises, and then deliverance comes. Therefore in all exigents set we faith a-work, for this stirs up prayer, and prayer stirs up God, and God stirs up all the creatures. Blame we not, therefore, any trouble so much as to cry out. Oh I am undone ! what shall become of me now ! No, find fault with an unbelieving heart. It is not the trouble, but our weak faith which makes us to sink in these waves. Beg then of God, in great trouble, great faith to go through. Cry, Lord, increase my faith, for then the trouble is small when the faith is great.
(2.) Secondly, In daily ai/llctious. Whatsoever we suffer by them, labour to take away the sting of sin by living the life of faith in justification, as David Did, Ps. xxxii. 5 ; confess we our sins to God, beg to have the sting of them taken away, and hereupon we shall find him to forgive our iniquity, as in David. So in all our weaknesses and imperfections of sanctification, go to Christ for more grace, and say, Lord, though I be poor and empty of goodness, and of that which thy exact holiness requires, yet Christ hath abundance of fulness to supply my wants. Oh let me receive some grace for grace out of his fulness, and accept what he hath done for me in his pure and perfect obedience ; good Lord, impute it to me, for thou hast made him to be for us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. And so for glorification ; in all aftiictions set we glory before our eyes, as Paul did, remembering that ' our light and short afflic- tions, which are but for a moment, cause unto us a far more excellent and eternal weight of glor}', not being worthy of that glory which shall be revealed,' 2 Cor. iv 17. So in any affliction, we have still use of the life of faith in glorification. All these must be used in our afflictions, living the life of faith in all.
(3.) Thirdly, I)i sickness nfhoiJij. Trust to Jesus, he is as powerful and as willing to help us now as he was to help others in the days of his flesh. All things are possible to us if we believe. It is but a word for him to rebuke all storms and tempests whatsoever. Let us not do like Asa, trust only in the physician or in subordinate means, but know that all physic is but dead means without him, 2 Chron. xvi. 12 Therefore with the means run to Christ, that he may work with them, and know that virtue and strength comes from him to bless or curse all sort of means.