[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 worldeven 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 Christand 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 achieveeverything 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 Christand 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 waterand it dies. Take faith out of a promiseand it cannot live. The promises are breasts of consolation. The child by sucking the breast, gets strength. Faith gets strengthby 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 reliefand 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 bodywhich must shortly by the course of nature, drop into the dust." Thus faith gives the soul a just measure of sufferingswhich 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 arrowsbut 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
_________________ SI Moderator - Greg Gordon
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