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THE POWER OF FAITH.

MARK, ix. 23.

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

THIS is one of many passages in which our Saviour speaks of faith, or firm reliance on his power and goodness, as the sure recommendation, or indispensable requisite, for obtaining whatever was asked of him. Of this power and goodness he was continually giving such abundant and public proofs, that to rely upon them would be the natural movement of every honest and unprejudiced mind. We cannot, therefore, be at all surprised that he fixed upon this test, as sufficient to prove a disposition worthy of his favour. On this ground he made the declaration in my text to the father of the demoniac boy, whom his disciples had proved unable to relieve. The anxious father, with an earnestness which showed the sincerity of his soul, cried out, with tears, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief!" (ver. 24.) That is, "Lord, I feel the reliance thou requirest; but if not with sufficient strength, do thou assist me to feel it as I ought." Thus did he acknowledge the

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power of Jesus, not only over the bodies, but over the souls of men. He was consequently approved; and the restoration of his child immediately followed.

The case was one of peculiar difficulty; and the Apostles had failed in their attempt, as Jesus declared, from weakness of faith. This St. Matthew plainly says, in his account of the same event (xvii. 20.). In St. Mark, our Lord only replies, that in such cases prayer and fasting were required (ver. 29.): but as prayer is one of the highest acts of faith, the answer is of similar force. Prayer, offered with purity and sincerity, is the genuine sacrifice of faith; and fasting, one of those devotional exercises which tend to bring it to perfection.

Every one who hears me must remember enough of the Gospel history to know, that in many other instances the relief of the diseased or distressed was made, by the same authority, to depend upon the degree of faith exhibited by the persons themselves, or by those who interceded for them. At this time, therefore, the declaration of our Saviour was strictly true, in the most literal sense, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth;" the greatest miracles may be performed in his favour: and soon after, according to St. Matthew, he declared to his disciples, that by even a small degree of genuine faith, they might be enabled to remove mountains, if that were a thing to be desired. Faith in the name of

This is fully explained in the first of these Sermons.

Christ, or reliance on its power, at that same period, actually enabled a person who did not follow him to cast out devils; and even that irregular faith was accepted by our Lord, as a proof that he who had it was not far from being converted. "Forbid him

not," he said; "he that is not against us is on our part," (ver. 40.)

In this first sense, it is clear that we, at this day, have no right whatever to apply the words to ourselves, miraculous effects of faith being no longer indulged to the disciples of Christ. But, in another sense, his declaration may be regarded as applicable to every age of Christianity, and even to ourselves; which is this, that to him who truly believes, who has that real faith which places a full reliance on the words and promises of Christ, no effort of moral or religious exertion is impossible. "All things are possible to him that believeth;" exertions the most difficult, sacrifices the most painful, may be made, by those who are possessed of this high qualification.

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The same character has always belonged to a strong and lively faith. Full of the wonders thus effected under the former dispensations, the inspired writer to the Hebrews exclaims, "The time would fail me to tell of those, who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." (Heb. xi. 32—34.) True it is, that in some of

these instances the miraculous interposition of God co-operated with the faith of his servants; but the efficient principle in their minds was the same— belief and firm reliance that God would enable them to perform the services which he required; and they were not mistaken; nothing proved impossible to them!

In the like manner, we also might truly say, that time would fail us to tell of those who, in every age of the Gospel, have been enabled, through faith, to triumph over all the temptations of the world, and all the malice of iniquity;—of those who, at the call of duty, have renounced all earthly hopes, or gone forth willingly to meet the most appalling dangers; of those whom the severest tortures could not move, nor the most dreadful forms of death dismay. Wherever persecution has raged, in any country, and in any age, such wonders of faith have been displayed; and displayed not only by men of firm and practised courage, but, in many instances, by those who till then had lived in ease and luxury,' even those of tender age or delicate sex. What then, in a moral sense, can be impossible to faith so firm?

Nor is it difficult to perceive, that the principle itself is of sufficient strength to produce extraordinary effects; supposing only, that it so completely possesses the mind as to leave no place for uncertainty or doubt. For it implies a clear and invincible belief, that the utmost advantages and satisfactions of this life are less than nothing in comparison with

the Divine promises respecting the life to come; and, on the other hand, that nothing can possibly be suffered in this world, for conscience-sake, which will not be infinitely overbalanced by the rewards prepared for the righteous in a world which will have no end. When a belief like this fails to produce its due effect upon the conduct of men, it cannot be for want of power in itself, it must be from being held imperfectly; from being mixed with more or less of doubt, or a vague idea of the possibility, at least, of its being erroneous. Is not this, then, the faith too commonly held even by sincere Christians? They believe in a general way; they cannot but believe, so abundant are the evidences which demand their assent: but when the hour of trial comes, the present good or evil occupies the mind, fills, engrosses, blinds it; and the distant views of faith fade, and, though unaltered, seem uncertain.

This is the weakness of our nature, and must of necessity prevail, unless where the previous persuasion amounts to real faith, and is so strong that nothing can have power to counteract its force. Even then, from another kind of weakness, resolution may fail, and prove unequal to perform what conscience clearly dictates, and reason unequivocally confirms. Is this, then, a misfortune which admits of no remedy? It would be so, in general, did not Divine mercy interpose. By this, a remedy for human weakness is provided, and a never-failing resource supplied, in that sincere and earnest prayer, to which the aid of the consoling and supporting

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