faith he had already observed. Evidently this man had risen above the common idea of faith, as a sort of magical influence, which required some personal touch, or the working of some charm, to the idea of a delegated power, depending only on the will of him who possessed it. The centurion's expectation of instant obedience to hfs lightest command enabled him to believe that Christ had a similar power and authority in relation to disease. Consider the requirement of faith. I. THE PBIMABY DEMAND OF THE CHRISTIAN BELIOI0N 18 F'AITB. Illustration in our Lord's demand from all those whom he healed. This is sometimes very evident; it is always present, though needing to be searched out. The first demand of Christianity may seem to be love; it is only love becau.oe love carries and enshrines faith. II. THE LIF'E AND DEATH OF THE LOBD JESUS ABE NOW THE OBJECTS OF FAITH. Just as the word of Jesus was for the centurion. He believed the word Jesus had spoken, and acted on the belief. The life and death of Jesus (1) reveal God, and ask me to believe that he is Love; (2) reveal me, aucl ask me to believe that I am a sinner; (3) reveal the glory and grace of Jesu.~ as God's Son and my Saviour. III. CoNVEBBION 18 FAITH IN THE WORD OF GoD, WBICB JESUS IS. Thestren;:;th and happiness of Christian life come from believing and obeying the word which the living Jesus speaks. "Uod has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." - IV. F AITB 18 .A BEAL AND PRACTICAL POWER IN 001\DlON IIUllAN CO::,iDUCT. "We trust our senses; and that though they often deceive us. We trust men; a battle must often be risked on the intelligence of a spy. A merchant commits his ships, with all his fortunes on board, to a hired captain, whose temptations are enormous. Without this principle society could not hold together for a day. It would be a mere sand-heap. Such, too, is religious faith; we trust on probabilities; and this though probabilities are often against us." V. FAITH 18 THE LINK GOD BAB .APPOINTED TO ATTACH US TO HIMSELF FOB BALVATJ0ll AND STRENGTH. F. W. Robertson says, "Faith is that which, when probabilities are equal, ventures on God's side, and on the side of right; on the guarantee of a some- thi[Jg within which makes the thing seem to be true because it is loved."-R. T. Ver. 13.-The grounds and rewards of faith. Christ's miracles were not so much convictions for the unbelieving as confirmations for the believing. If we believe in Christ on other grounds, then his miracles will serve to establish and to instruct our faith. It is not the merely wonderful features of them; it is the moral and spiritual truth they exhibit and illustrate which really blesses men. And so we find that they are al ways called " signs" or "mighty works." I. THE GROUNDS OF FAITH. Faith is exceedingly difficult to explain and define. Partly because it has both an intellectual and a moral side. It is, in a sense, the mental grasp of a proposition; and it is heart-acceptance of a relation. It is belief and it is trust. Commonly received definitions do but give features or aspects of it. Essentially it is the act and expression of soul-dependence. Faith is not difficult to recognize in particular instances; as when the little child leaps into the dark cellar on her father's assurance. Faith is not difficult to recognize as the motive power in our common, everyday relations. We know well how our daily life is built upon mutual trust. And yet the faith that bears relation to our eternal salvation must have a ground or reason. It may rest on (1) a statement; or on (2) a person; or on (3) a doctrine; or on (4) a character. The highest ground is trust in a person. The most effective influences on our lives are our trustB in persons. Sometimes through the doctrine faith comes to reliance on the person. Sometimes through the person it comes to the acceptance of the doctrine. Both apply to Christ; in one way or the other, saving faith is reliance on the living, redeeming, sanctifying Person-the Lord Jesus Christ. Our proper ground of faith is Jesus himself. II. 'l'nE REWARDS OF FAITH. These may be either: 1. Gaining the thing desired. Responding to the prayer of faith, Christ may be graciously pleased to say, "Be i\ unto thee even as thou wilt." Let it be the burden of sin, he may say, "Thy sins are forgiven thee." 2. lnCTease of faith. More than once a little and weak faith came to Christ, and in his presence grew stronger; it won a blessing, and in the joy of the blessing it sprang up into fuller power. Wait for the right faith, and you may wait in vain, Use well the little faith you l1ave, and in the use you shall find the. 356 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [on. vm. l---3i,
faith increase. 3. Ki'.11dlingfaith in others. We seldom recogntze as we should what a power there is in faith to quicken faith in others. The confident, hopeful man cheers all about him. The world is being saved, not by its men of science, but by its men of faith.-R. T.