_Theophilus._ I have stuck closely, my friend, to the point before us. Let it be supposed, that I had given you a form of prayer in these words, _O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world_, or, _O thou bread that comest down from heaven_, or, _Thou that art the resurrection, and the life_, the _light_ and _peace_ of all holy souls, help me to a living faith in thee. Would you say, that this was not a prayer of faith in, and to Christ, because it did not call him _Jesus_, or the _Son of God_? Answer me plainly.
_Theogenes._ What can I answer you, but that this is a true prayer to Jesus, the Son of the living God? For who else but he, was the _Lamb_ of God, and the _bread_ that came down.
_Theophilus._ Well answered, my friend. When therefore, I exhort you to give up yourself in faith and hope, to _patience_, _meekness_, _humility_, and _resignation to God_, what else do I do, but turn you directly to _so much_ faith and hope in the true Lamb of God? Must you not say, that faith and desire of these virtues, is the _very same_ thing, as faith and desire of salvation through the Lamb of God? And consequently, that every sincere wish and desire that presses after these virtues, and longs to be governed by them, is an _immediate, direct_ application to Christ, is _worshipping_ and _falling down_ before him, is _giving up_ yourself unto him, and the very _perfection_ of faith in him?
If you distrust my words, hear the words of Christ himself; _Learn of me_, says he, _for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls_. Here you have the plain truth of our two points, fully asserted, _first_, that to be _given up to_, patience, meekness, humility, and resignation to God, is strictly the _same thing_, as to _learn of Christ_, or to have faith in him. _Secondly_, that this is the _one simple, short_, and _infallible_ way to overcome, or be delivered from all the malignity and burden of _sin_ expressed in these words; _and ye shall find rest unto your souls_.
And all this, because this simple tendency of your heart, to _sink down_ into patience, meekness, humility, and resignation to God, is truly giving up all that you are, and all that you have from fallen _Adam_, it is perfectly leaving all that you have, to follow, and be with Christ, it is your highest act of faith in him, and love of him, a declaration of your cleaving to him with all your heart, and seeking for no salvation but in him, and from him. And therefore all the blessing and deliverance from sin, that ever happened to any one from any kind or degree of faith, and application to Christ, is sure to be had from this state of heart, which stands continually _turned to him_ in a desire of being led and governed by his spirit of patience, meekness, humility and resignation to God. O _Theogenes_, could I help you to perceive what a good there is in this state of heart, you would desire it with more eagerness, that the thirsty hart desireth the water-brooks, you would think of nothing, desire nothing, but constantly to live in it. It is a security from all evil, and all delusion; no difficulty or trial, either of body or mind, no temptation either within you, or without you, but what has its full remedy in this state of heart. You have no questions to ask of any body, no new way that you need enquire after; no oracle that you need to consult, for whilst you shut up yourself in patience, meekness, humility and resignation to God, you are in the very arms of Christ, your whole heart is his dwelling-place, and he lives and works in you, as certainly as he lived in, and governed that body and soul, which he took from the Virgin _Mary_.
Learn whatever you will from men and books, or even from Christ himself, besides, or without these virtues, and you are only a poor wanderer in a barren wilderness, where no water of life is to be found. For Christ is no where, but in these virtues, and where they are, there is he in his own kingdom. From morning to night, let this be the object you follow, and then you will fully escape all the religious delusions that are in the world, and what is more, all the delusions of your own selfish heart.
For when these tempers live and abide in you, as the spirit and aim of your life, then Christ is in you of a truth, and the life that you then lead, is not yours, but Christ liveth in you. For this is following Christ with all your power: you cannot possibly make more haste after him, you have no other way of walking as he walked, no other way of being like him, of truly believing in him, but by wholly giving up yourself to patience, meekness, humility, and resignation to God.