The Worlds Great Sermons, Volume 2 | Page 2

faith." Nay, shall I say
yet more, if he died as he ought, "he dieth by faith." "These all died in
faith." What is that? The power of faith that directed and ordered them
in the cause of their death, furnished them with grounds and principles
of assurance of the love of God, made them carry themselves patiently
in death. I can say no more, but with the apostle, "Examine yourselves,
whether ye be in the faith." Why doth not the apostle say, Examine
whether faith be in you, but "whether ye be in the faith"? His meaning
is, that as a man is said to be in drink, or to be in love, or to be in
passion, that is, under the command of drink, or love, or passion; so the
whole man must be under the command of faith (as you shall see more
afterward). If he prays, faith must indite his prayer; if he obey, faith
must work; if he live, it is faith that must quicken him; and if he die, it
is faith that must order him in death. And wheresoever faith is, it will
do wonders in the soul of that man where it is; it can not be idle; it will
have footsteps, it sets the whole man on work; it moveth feet, and

hands, and eyes, and all parts of the body. Mark how the apostle
disputeth: "We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written,
I believed, and therefore have I spoken, we also believe, and therefore
speak." The faith of the apostle, which he had in his heart, set his
tongue agoing. If a man have faith within, it will break forth at his
mouth. This shall suffice for the proof of the point; I thought to have
prest it further, but if I should, I see the time would prevent me.
The use, therefore, in a word, is this: if this be so, then it falleth foul,
and is a heavy bill of indictment against many that live in the bosom of
the Church. Go thy ways home, and read but this text, and consider
seriously but this one thing in it: That whosoever is the son of Abraham,
hath faith, and whosoever hath faith is a walker, is a marker; by the
footsteps of faith you may see where faith hath been. Will not this, then,
I say, fall marvelous heavy upon many souls that live in the bosom of
the Church, who are confident, and put it out of all question, that they
are true believers, and make no doubt but what they have faith? But
look to it, wheresoever faith is, it is fruitful. If thou art fruitless, say
what thou wilt, thou hast no faith at all. Alas, these idle drones, these
idle Christians, the Church is too full of them; Men are continually
hearing, and yet remain fruitless and unprofitable; whereas if there
were more faith in the world, we should have more work done in the
world; faith would set feet, and hands, and eyes, and all on work. Men
go under the name of professors, but alas! they are but pictures; they
stir not a whit; mark, where you found them in the beginning of the
year, there you shall find them in the end of the year, as profane, as
worldly, as loose in their conversations, as formal in duty as ever. And
is this faith? Oh! faith would work other matters, and provoke a soul to
other passages than these.
But you will say, may not a man have faith, and not that fruit you speak
of? May not a man have a good heart to Godward, altho he can not find
that ability in matter of fruitfulness?
My brethren, be not deceived; such an opinion is a mere delusion of
Satan; wherever faith is it bringeth Christ into the soul; mark that,
"Whosoever believeth, Christ dwelleth in his heart by faith. And if
Christ be in you," saith the apostle, "the body is dead, because of sin,
but the spirit is life, because of righteousness." If Christ be in you, that
is, whosoever believeth in the Lord Jesus, Christ dwells in such a man

by faith; now if Christ be in the soul, the body can not be dead; but a
man is alive, and quick, and active to holy duties, ready, and willing,
and cheerful in the performance of whatsoever God requireth. Christ is
not a dear Savior, nor the Spirit a dead Spirit: the second Adam is made
a quickening spirit. And wherever the Spirit is, it works effects suitable
to itself. The Spirit is a spirit of purity, a spirit of zeal, and where it is it
maketh pure and zealous. When a man will