Back to the index.
It is by faith that all those great works are done, and it is by faith that we are partakers of Jesus Christ in the sacrament, and therefore it is meet for us still to be crying, Lord, increase our faith; Lord, I believe; help my unbelief. If we would come but to this, then our communion, it would be acceptable to him, and would be also comfortable to our own souls. Beloved, although I spoke of nothing to you, yet you should be striving to speak inwardly to your souls by meditation, and for this end you should labor to be acquainted with things, that you may the better think upon them; and learn now to call your thoughts homeward, that you may think only upon God and your own soul.
The people of God, when they compassed the walls of this city about, as they might have thought upon the creation of the world, so they might have thought also upon the destruction of it. For the Lord destroyed all who were in the world except Noah and his family, and they were saved by faith,1 and so might they think, he who destroyed the whole world for the sins thereof, why may not he destroy this city for the sins thereof? So we should learn to look at the threatenings which God has denounced against his enemies, and to the promises which he has made to his children; and if we will do this, it will refresh us into our greatest straits. Indeed, he appeared many ways to be the Lord of glory, but now he appeared in another manner than he had done at any time before. So if we will believe the word of God, there is aye comfort to be found in it for the child of God; but we do ofttimes think that we believe, because we try not whether we have faith or not. They did believe that the world was destroyed, they saw it not, but they knew it by faith, and yet they were assured of it; and so they knew by faith that Jericho would be destroyed also. Now this purpose is notably spoken here of Noah, “that he, being warned of God of things not seen yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world;” for each hammer that he laid upon the ark, it was a preaching against them. “And so by this he became heir of the righteousness of faith;” for by this doing he had right to all things, and they all belonged to him, and to such as followed his course. And that same night that he was warned of God, he obeyed; for there are some who are warned, but will not take with their warning; God teaches some, but they will not be taught; and how many are there whom God takes pains upon to humble them, but they will not be humbled; and God is furnishing liberally to them, and yet they are continually in want! And therefore it is good for us to take instruction and warning when the Lord offers it, for except we take warning from the Lord, when he offers it, we will never be moved to build an ark for the salvation of our own souls.