II. Its sure effects —
If exercised to the end without wavering, it will surely issue in,
1. The believer's triumph —
[Down fell the walls of Jericho at the appointed moment, and its garrison became an easy prey to the Jewish army. And what is there which the believer cannot effect under its influence ? " If he have but faith as a grain of mustard-seed, he can remove the most deep-rooted mountains with a word, or plant a sycamore-tree in th^ depths of a tempestuous ocean." Nothing can stand before it. Mountains of guilt, though so high as to reach unto the heavens, are " cast by it into the very depths of the sea^." Lusts, though deeply rooted as hell, shall be plucked up^, and the tender plants of divine grace have stability, and growth, and fruitfulness amidst all the storms and tempests, whether from without or from within, that can dis- turb and agitate the soul^. Does Satan summon all his forces to withstand its power? He finds the believer inaccessible to his assaults'^, and is put to flight before him' : and in a little time " he shall be bruised under the feet" of the least and weakest of God's people^. "All things are possible to him that beheveth," because his faith brings down Omnipotence to his aid ; so that, though earth and hell combine against him, he sets them at defiance, and is " more than conqueror over alP." See this exemplified in the combat of David and Goliath. In the eye of sense, it was impossible for David to succeed :
^ Isai. XXV. 9 — 12. The image of swimming is worthy of parti- cular notice.
e Mic. vii. 19. f Rom. vi. 14 Ezek. xxxvi. 25 — 27.
K Heb. xiii. 9. 1 Pet. v. 10. '> Eph. vi. 1(>. 1 John v. IS.
> Jam. iv. 7. '^ Rom. xvi. 20. ' Rom. viii. ol ,