BY THE LATE REV. JOHN ROSS, BRUCEFIELD, ONTARIO.
LAST night and to-day I was thinking a good deal of the power of faith, and what faith can do. Faith covers the whole revealed will of God, and it can do everything that is put under it by the Word. But all that faith does, it does by God, who is the object of faith, and on whom faith acts. Again, faith acts on God by taking hold of His Word; and, moreover, it is God Himself that gives the Word on which you exercise faith, and also the faith you exercise upon the Word. All power of faith is of God, and all works of faith are wrought by Him. Some of them by Himself alone, without any participation on your part at all, beyond the simple exercise of faith and prayer and praise; and others of them He works through you, and by you, and in you; and these last, I believe, to be more difficult than the former—more difficult to do by faith your own works, such as governing your tongue, humbling yourself, slaying your lusts, doing your duty to men and to God. These I believe to be more difficult than by faith to do the works of God, in doing of which you cannot participate except by acts of faith and prayer. It was easier for Elijah to bring down the fire of God on Mount Carmel, than to stand before the threat of Jezebel. Easier for Moses to bring water from the rock than to govern his own spirit and tongue in doing it. Easier for David to overcome the giant by his faith than on another occasion to deny an unholy passion. It is more difficult to overcome ourselves by faith than to overcome anything else. There is here more to oppose the action of your faith, and here it is where you are weakest and most ready to slip and slide and take part with your adversary against your faith and its work. “Holding faith and a good conscience; which some having put away, concerning faith have made shipwreck; of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander; whom I have delivered into Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme” (I. Tim. i. 19, 20).
If I may be permitted to drop one tear as I enter the portals of the city of my God, it will be at taking an eternal leave of that beloved and profitable companion, repentance.—Rowland Hill.