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 Such a wonder-working grace -watson


[b]Such a wonder-working grace[/b]

(Thomas Watson, "The Beatitudes" 1660)

"In every situation take the shield of faith,
and with it you will be able to extinguish the
flaming arrows of the evil one!" Ephes. 6:16

"Everyone born of God overcomes the world.
This is the victory that has overcome the
world—even our faith." 1 John 5:4

Why is faith such a wonder-working grace?

Faith unites the soul to Christ, and that blessed
Head sends forth grace into the members. "I can
do all things through Christ, who give me strength!"
Philippians 4:13. Faith goes to Christ—and fetches
His strength into the soul.

Faith works a contempt of the world into the heart.
Faith gives a true map of the world, "When I surveyed
all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to
achieve—everything was meaningless, a chasing after
the wind; nothing was gained under the sun!" Ecc. 2:11

Faith shows the world in its night-dress, having all its
jewels pulled off. Faith makes the world appear in its
true state. Faith shows the soul better things than the
world. It gives a sight of Christ and eternal glory. Faith
climbs up above sense and reason, into heaven and sees
Christ—and the soul, having once viewed His superlative
excellencies, becomes crucified to the world. Says the
Christian—"Yes, everything else is worthless when
compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ
Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else,
counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ!"
Philippians 3:8

Faith gets strength from God's promises. Faith lives upon
the promises. Take the fish out of the water—and it dies.
Take faith out of a promise—and it cannot live. The promises
are breasts of consolation. The child by sucking the breast,
gets strength. Faith gets strength—by sucking the breast of
a promise. When faith begins to be weak and is ready to
faint in the day of battle, then the promises muster their
forces together, and all come in for faith's relief—and now
it is able to hold out in the fiery trial.

Faith gives the soul a right notion of suffering. Faith draws
the true picture of sufferings. What is suffering? Faith says,
"it is but the suffering of the body—which must shortly by
the course of nature, drop into the dust." Thus faith gives
the soul a just measure of sufferings—which enables a
Christian to prostrate his life at the feet of Christ.

Faith picks sweetness out of suffering. The bee gathers
the sweetest honey from the bitterest herb. So faith
gathers the sweetest comforts, from the sharpest trials.
Faith looks upon suffering as God's love-token! "Afflictions
are sharp arrows—but they are shot from the hand of a
loving Father!" Faith can taste honey at the end of the
afflicting rod. Faith fetches joy out of suffering, "Your
sorrow will turn to joy!" John 16:20. Faith gets honey
from the belly of the lion. Faith finds a jewel under the
cross! "We know that all things work together for the
good of those who love God: to those who are called
according to His purpose." Romans 8:28


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