May 6

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.—Acts 16:31.

FAITH is the root of all blessings. Believe, and you shall be saved: believe, and you must needs be sanctified: believe, and you can not choose but be comforted: believe that God is true in all his promises, and you are the seed of faithful Abraham, and shall inherit the promises made to Abraham: believe that you are Christ's and Christ is yours; and then you are sure that none can perish, whom the Father hath given to him. "There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus." And as Martha said, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died:" so let all that groan and pine away in sorrow, say, Lord, if thou hadst been here, if thou hadst appeared to my soul in thy goodness, I had not fainted in my trouble. Isaiah foretells, that it should be Christ's office, "to give the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness." For St. John saw in the spirit, that they that follow Christ, are clothed in "white garments," in garments of joy, in the livery of gladness. Solomon describing the provident mistress of a family, says, "She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet." So the household of Christ are not afraid of frost and snow, nor of any bitter blast; they have put on the garment of dependence on Christ, which protects them, and do resolve never to put off their privy coat of confidence in their Saviour. With this did Christ encourage the poor woman, being under confusion, who had secretly touched the hem of his garment: "Be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole." The first time that the word comfort is found in Scripture, is upon the birth of Noah; his father says, "This son shall comfort us:" so when God did give Christ to be made man, he did, as it were, say unto us, "This son shall comfort you, for his name is Jesus, and he shall save his people from their sins." He that gave us him, hath given us all things with him. As it is true to say, that Matthew left all to follow Christ, so it is as true, that he got all that can be wished by following him.

It is the chemistry of faith to turn all things into good and precious ore. It is Abraham's country in a strange land: Jacob's wages when Laban defrauded him: Moses' honor, when he refused to be the son-in-law of Pharaoh's daughter: Rahab's security, when all Jericho besides did perish: David's rescue, when there was but a step between him and death: the power of the apostles, to be able to cast out devils: Mary Magdalen's sweet ointment, to take away the ill-savor of her sins. Plead, therefore, with the oratory of faith, and say, "Lord I have no life but in thee, I have no joy but in thee, no salvation but in thee: but I have all these in thee; and how can my soul refuse to be comforted?"

But some will say, perhaps, "Faith is a powerful comforter: but I, poor wretch, had need to be comforted concerning my faith. I find the pulse of it weak, and sometimes it intermits, as if it beat not at all. Methinks I am not drawn near to Christ, or that I am so far off, that I can not embrace him." Some such infirmity may seem to have been in the Thessalonians; and therefore St. Paul says, "I have sent Timotheus to establish you, and to comfort you, concerning your faith."

Now, to turn this water into wine, and the trembling of this objection into peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, conceive as if these questions were put to you: "Do you often accuse yourself of a weak faith in secret unto God?" I like it for a good symptom; for an hypocrite doth not use to accuse himself.—"And do you bewail your want to the Lord, because you would have it better supplied?" that is a good sign too, for it is the same as to thirst for the living God. They that have not the gift of faith, do not miss it: but they that have it, though but in a little, do insatiably desire the increase of it. To prove the truth of it, believe all the word of God, and it can be no wider: and for the soundness of it, believe in Christ, and look for salvation in him alone; and it is as legitimate and true-born as is the faith of any saint that is far more noble.