Collected Sermons, faith
A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER, CONCERNING THE EXERCISE AND INCREASING OF FAITH.
Iohn 4.
Verſe 46. THere was a certeine ruler, whoſe ſonne was ſicke at Capernaum.
47. When he heard that Ieſus was come out of Iudea into Galile, he wēt vntounto him, & beſought him, that he would go downe, & heale his ſonne: for he was euen ready to die.
48. Then ſaid Ieſus vntounto him, Except ye ſee ſignes and wonders, ye will not beleeue.
49. The ruler ſaid vntounto him, Syr, goe downe before my ſonne die.
50. Ieſus ſaid vntounto him, Goe thy waie, thy ſonne liueth: and the man beleeued the word that Ieſus had ſpoken vntounto him, and went his waye.
51. And as he was now going downe, his ſeruaūts met him, ſaying, Thy ſonne liueth.
52. Then enquired he of them the houre when he beganne to amend. And they ſaid vntounto him, yeſterdaye the ſeuenth houre the feuer lefte him.
53. Then the father knew that it was the ſame houre in the which Ieſus had ſaid vntounto him, Thy ſonne liueth, and he beleeued, and all his houſehold.
54. This ſecond miracle did Ieſus againe, after he was come out of Iudea into Galile.
AN excellent example of faith is ſet forth in this text, of what ſort it is, of what nature and qualitie, namely, that it is not a reſting or idle thinge, but liuely and voyd of idlenes,A true fayth is not idle, but increaſeth more and more. which goeth not backe, but proceedeth on, and ſtill more and more increaſeth. Which if it be not done, it is no faith, but onelyonly a dead opinion of God in the heart. For a true and ſyncere faith, which the holy Ghoſt poureth into the heart, can not be idle: which I ſay for this cauſe, that no man be therefore ſecure, albeit he hath obtained faith, neither that he ſtay there. It is nothing to beginne, vnleſſe we increaſe by continual going forward, and come to greater knowledge of God. For on the contrarie ſide it is the nature and qualitie of our aduerſarie Satan, not to be idle, as S. Peter ſayth: Satan ſleepeth not, but goeth about as a roring Lion, ſeeking whom he may deuoure. If ſo be that the Deuell is neither idle, neither ſleepe commeth vponupon him, neither ſhall it be meete for a Chriſtian to be idle or put his handes in his boſom, foraſmuch as he hath the Deuell his enemie, who is ſtronger then himſelfe: for he is called the prince of the world, as it is mentioned in the Epiſtle appointed to be read in the Church on this day:Epheſ. 6.12. VVe wreſtle not againſt flesh and blood, but againſt principalities, againſt powers, & againſt the worldly gouernours, the princes of the darkenes of this world, againſt ſpirituall wickedneſſes, which are in hie places. This prince gouerneth the world, furiouſly and fiercely rageth, and can not ſuffer the proſperous ſucces of a Chriſtian. Neither is it for his profit to be ſuffered of him, for an entrie being made hereby, his kingdome is burſt into, and his net torne in peeces, out of which as much as he is able, he ſuffereth no Chriſtian to eſcape. Moreouer when the fire of faith is kindled, and the flame foſtered, and Satan trieth and marketh that, by and by he practizeth deceit againſt it, for he knoweth how much hinderaunce his kingdome ſhall take thereby, wherefore as earneſtly as he can, euen with all his power, he defendeth his kingdome, & laboureth to keepe all in obedience to him.
True Chriſtians are not free from tē tatiō, for the deuel bēdeth his force eſpecially againſt them.Wherefore it is moſt certaine, that when a Chriſtian hath begon to beleeue, by and by tentation and perſecution will aſſaile him. Which if it come not to paſſe, it is a ſigne that his faith is not yet ſound, and that he hath not as yet truly receiued the Goſpell. For wicked Satan hath a verie ſharpe ſight, he by and by ſpieth out where is a true Chriſtian, wherefore he applieth himſelfe wholy vntounto this, that he may enforce him to fall, and may beſiege him, and aſſaile him on euerie ſide: for he can not ſuffer that any ſhould reuolt from his kingdome. It is perilous therefore for a man to beleeue, for the Deuill is ready that he may ſet vponupon him, and ouerthrowe him, which ſometime chaunceth euen to verie holy men, which vnderſtand the word of God well,The Saincts of God doe ſometimes fall euē grieuouſly. when they ſtand vpright, and thinke themſelues ſafe, that priuie wicked fende commeth vponupon them by litle and litle, and wraſtleth with them ſo longe, till he ouerthrow them, and caſt them to the earth. Set before thine eyes Moſes and Aaron, who were guides of the Iewes, they had an excellent fayth, when they brought the people out of Egypt, and all the people in fayth paſſed through the redde ſea, death, the wide wildernes, and many other meruelous thinges, whereby they ſhewed their fayth, but at the laſt they fall grieuouſly, they feare that they ſhall periſh with hunger. Is it not a thinge moſt miſerable, that by ſo great ſignes they ſhew their faith, they goe into death and through death, wraſtle with it, and ouercome it, and yet while they thinke them ſelues ſureſt, they fal, and ſuffer themſelues to be ouercome of the belly, murmure againſt God, and are ſo grieuouſly tempted, that they fall all togither. Wherefore it is not certaine and ſure, if one begin to beleue, and doth not alwayes more and more increaſe in faith. Yea that godly man Moſes, who had ſo great and ſo ſtrong a faith, did fall alſo, when as he ſhould bring water out of the rocke with a ſtaffe, he douted, and talked thus to the people: Come let vsus ſee whether we can bring water out of the rocke. That good Moſes, which had ſhewed ſo many and ſo great ſignes, falleth into reaſon and carnall vnderſtanding, fearing leſt the incredulitie of the people would hinder ſo great a miracle & ſigne. But it had behoued him to cleaue faſt to the word of God, and to thinke it higher, greater, ſtronger, and mightier, then the vnbeleefe of the people: that great man was tempted, he ſtumbled, and was ouerthrowne.
We hauehave like examples in the newe Teſtament:Let him that thinketh he ſtandeth take heede leſt he fall. Peter was hardie, and firme in faith, when he beheld Chriſt vponupon the water, he ſayd vntounto him with a ſtrong faith: Lord ſuffer me to come vntounto thee, committing him ſelfe to the water euen as to the ſhip, he thought aſſuredly that the water would beare him. Then was there an excellent faith in Peter, and great courage, which durſt commit him ſelfe wholy vntounto death in the middeſt of the ſea, repoſing his hope freely & boldly in Chriſt. But when he thought him ſelf moſt ſafe, a ſtorme and tempeſt ariſeth, he forgetting the word, ſuffereth his faith to faile, and he him ſelfe alſo falleth, ſuffering Satan to plucke faith out of his hart. Faith truely is a ſubtill and delicate thing, a ſmall thing maketh vsus to ſtumble and fall. Satan is alwaies watchfull, and circumſpect, and doth by & by obtaine his purpoſe, if we doe not diligently watch. How earneſtly did the common people followe Chriſt? they thought that he was a Prophet, and did ſo cleaue vntounto him, and ſo defend him, that the Princes of the people were made aſtonied, neither durſt they ſo much as lay hand on him. But when they apprehend him, proceede againſt him, faſten him to the croſſe, the people forſake him all that they may, and come no more at him. A Prophet is preſent, and no man any more aſſiſteth him, but they rather crie out againſt him, crucifie him, crucifie him: and that which is moſt deteſtable of all, his owne Diſciples reuolt from him. What is become now both of their faith and holines?
So is it at this day in our time: at the firſt when the Goſpell began to ſhine, the preaching thereof was acceptable and pleaſant, then many ſeemed willing to embrace it, but when Munkes. ſacrificing Prieſts, Nunnes, &c. began to be ſpoken againſt, and the Maſſe to be confuted, all (a meruelous thinge to be ſpoken) fell away as leaues of trees. Againe, when Princes alſo were touched, the Goſpel ſuffered greater perſecution, and did by litle and litle daily decreaſe. Moreouer Satan is not idle, whereupon he ſtirreth vp hereſies and ſchiſmes, for how many ſects hauehave we hitherto ſuffered? he ſleepeth not, he will ſtirre vp greater miſchiefes alſo, he neuer reſteth, but looketh about, and trieth eueryevery way, that he may bringe the matter to that paſſe, and preuaile ſo farre, that no ſound doctrine may remaine in the church, but that if all Germanie be diligently viewed, a ſermon may no where be found, wherein the word of God is truely preached, as it was before. He goeth about to extinguiſh and aboliſh all the doctrine of Chriſt now increaſing, for he can not abide it. It is not an eaſie thing to auoid ſo great an enemie, he lyeth in wait, and vieweth all places, and ſo diligently beſtirreth him ſelfe, that euen the learned fall, and the elect ſtumble, as Moſes, S. Peter, with the reſt of the Apoſtles. We thinke our ſelues ſafe, and liue ſecurely, no man conſidereth, no man hath a care of the worde, we ſhould pray & beſeech God, that he would vouchſafe to preſerue the Goſpell, and make his holy name to be ſpred and publiſhed more abroad. But no man is touched with care hereof, no man prayeth that it may hauehave good ſucceſſe. Wherefore it is to be feared that at the laſt it will come to paſſe, that God will ſuffer Satan and vsus to runne togither into one, then ſhal we be in a deſperate caſe, for he will eaſily throw vsus to the ground, when we are come into ſo great miſerie by our owne ſlothfulnes and default.
Satan moreouer can ſo ſette forth the matter by ſeditious ſpirits,We muſt not truſt to our owne ſtrēgth but to the helpe & aſſiſtāce of God. that men ſhall thinke it to be iuſt. As the Arrians were perſwaded that their opinion was ſound. But a Chriſtian humbleth him ſelfe, taketh nothing raſhly vponupon him ſelfe, but with an humble hart ſayth thus vntounto God: Moſte gracious God, albeit I knowe that the cauſe which I fauour is not vniuſt, yet without thy helpe I am not able to maintaine it, thou therfore help me, otherwiſe I ſhall be caſt and ouerthrowne. He is in deede certaine of his cauſe, euen as S. Peter was on the water, who could not be ſurer, when the water did beare him. For he knewe no let or hinderance, but when the winde was great, and the water troubled, be perceiued what was wanting in him: Which is throughly to be receiued into our minde, and conſidered of vsus. For albeit the certaintie of our cauſe be confirmed, ſtrengthened, and ratified with plaine ſentences of the Scripture, yet is it by the might, counſell, and power of God, that we are defended, and Satan our chiefe aduerſary and enemie repreſſed. Which is therefore done, that God may ſtirre vsus vp to watch, and keepe vsus in awe, that we may alwayes be watchfull, and crie vntounto him: Lorde helpe vsus, & increaſe our faith, for without thee we are able to doe nothing. Our hart muſt be alwayes ſo diſpoſed, as though we beganne to day to beleeue, and alwaies ſo affected, that we deſire and labour to goe more and more forward. For that is the nature, force, and qualitie of faith, that it alwayes increaſeth and waxeth ſtronger. Satan, as it is a litle before mentioned, neither is idle, nor reſteth, if he be once ouerthrowne he riſeth againe, if he can not enter in by the dore, he endeuoureth to ſteale in on the backe ſide, & if this be not permitted him, he breaketh in through the roofe, or entereth in through a hollow place digged vnderunder the threſhold, for he doth ſo long earneſtly follow his worke, vntill he come in, he vſeth many deceits and practizes, if he preuaileth not by one, he taketh in hand an other, and doth that ſo long, vntill he hath obtained his purpoſe. Man is a weake and a miſerable thing, as S. Paule ſayth 2. Cor. 4: VVe hauehave this treaſure in earthen veſſels. I am more fraile then a pot compared to the potter, and a pot is a very weake thinge, inaſmuch as it is eaſily broken, and whatſoeuer is in it, is ſpilt.
Now Satan when he marketh how great a treaſure faith is, kept in a fraile pot (that I may ſo ſpeake) he is in a great rage & furie, and ſayth thus vntounto vsus: I will touch thee, I will breake thy potte, thou haſt a great treaſure, which I will ſpill.Though we be of our ſelues moſt fraile and weake, yet God ſetteth vsus in the middeſt of moſt ſtronge enemies, that it may appeare that we ſtand not by our owne ſtrength, but by the ſingular helpe & aſſiſtance of God. So God ſetteth the ſilly pot in the middeſt of enemies, which ſhould vtterly periſh euen in a momēt, if he did not defend it, for it may quickly be ſhaken and broken in peeces, yea if it be but bitten of a viper, it periſheth. And it is not hard from Satan euen in one moment to waſte and deſtroy a whole cuntry. Wherfore that vexeth him, that God dealeth with him ſo ſimply, ſetting a ſilly potte againſt him, when as he notwithſtanding is ſo great a Prince and the moſt mighty ruler of this world. Now it would grieue me, if I being ſtronge and valiant, any man ſhould ſet vponupon me with a reede, ſurely I being moued with anger would breake the reede in peeces: for I had leuer that he would ſet vponupon me wt a ſpeare, ſword, and armed on all partes. It grieued ſtout Goliath, that Dauid durſt come vntounto him vnarmed onelyonly with a ſtaffe. So it greatly grieueth the deuill, that God will ſuppreſſe him by fleſh & blood, if ſome ſtout ſpirit ſhould reſiſt him, it would not grieue him ſo much, for that troubleth him aboue meaſure, that a ſilly worme, a fraile pot ſhould come to deſpiſe him, an earthen veſſell againſt a moſt mighty Prince. God hath layd vp this treaſure, ſayth Paul, in a miſerable and weake veſſell: for man is a weake creature, by and by moued to wrath, to couetouſnes, to pride, &c. ſo that Satan may eaſily ſhake and breake the veſſell: for if God woulde permit him, he woulde forthwith breake it all to peeces. Now all this is done, ſayth Paul, that we may know, that not by our own power, but by the power of God we are preſerued from all euills, and eſpecially from the force and furie of Satan, who goeth about like a roring lyon, deſiring to bruſe and breake the weake veſſells and fraile pots: and that we may hereby alſo be ſtirred vp to be watchfull and to lift vp our eyes toward heauen, and pray vntounto God that he will vouchſafe to encreaſe and defend our faith, and preſerue the veſſell by his ſtrength. Thus hauehave we an entrance vntounto our text, it remaineth that we doe now conſider the ſame in order: The Euangeliſt ſayth thus:
There was a certaine ruler, whoſe ſonne was ſicke at Capernaum. It falleth out with many other men alſo, that they hauehave their children ſicke: but that which he ſayth afterward is to be marked: VVhen he heard that Ieſus was come out of Iudea into Galile, he went vntounto him, and beſought him that he woulde goe downe, and heale his ſonne: for he was euen ready to dye. Here faith beginneth and truſteth in Chriſt. Nowe that he had faith the Goſpell declareth: for he heard of Chriſt how he healed the ſicke, thereupon his hart was ſet vponupon him, and he reſorteth vntounto him, thinking thus: If he helpeth all men, he will alſo helpe me, and will heale my ſonne. He counteth Chriſt for ſuch a man as is able to helpe men, and hopeth and promiſeth to him ſelfe all goodnes from him: and that in deede is a true Chriſtian hart, which cleaueth faſt vntounto God. If that this ruler had ſtoode in a place or way hauing two pathes, douting with him ſelfe, he had not gone vntounto Chriſt, but his hart would hauehave bene thus affected: He helpeth others in deede, but who can tell, whether he will help me alſo? Howbeit he doth not thus dout of Chriſt, but riſeth, and maketh haſt vntounto him. This is the beginning of faith, now ye ſhal ſee how Chriſt meeteth him on the other ſide, and aunſwereth otherwiſe then he thought for, that his faith might be tried, and thus he ſayth vntounto him:
Except ye ſee ſignes and wonders ye will not beleeue. Chriſt ſayd alſo to S. Peter Matth. 14: VVhy dooſt thou dout, O thou of litle faith? Peter vndoutedly had faith, & did beleue in Chriſt, whereupon he committed him ſelfe to the water, but when he ſaw the winde, he was afraide, and beganne to be drowned: ſo in this place, that good man heareth a good report of Chriſt, that he helpeth eueryevery man, which he beleeueth and therefore reſorteth vntounto him. But when he heareth that Chriſt denieth to come, he ſtumbleth, and his faith faileth, fearing that Chriſt would not come vntounto him. This is as it were an aſſault & ſore blowe, here his new begun faith beginneth to be tempted. It was a hard ſaying: except ye ſee ſignes and wonders, ye will not beleeue: which ſaying doth ſo tempt him, and bring him into dout, that he almoſt falleth. Satan ſtanding at his backe, ſayth vntounto him: get thee home and looke to thy buſines, for he will not helpe thee. Notwithſtanding the ruler did not by and by leaue of, but prayed the Lorde moreouer: Lorde come downe before my ſonne dye. Here his faith began to be in daunger & to faile, but God doth not forſake him, but lifteth him vp againe, and ſayth vntounto him:
Goe thy way, thy ſonne liueth. If the ruler had not had faith, he woulde not hauehave requeſted Chriſt to come to his ſonne. What therefore doth he want? euen this: he beleeued if Chriſt came to his houſe, he coulde then helpe his ſonne, if he did not come, he could not helpe him. Neither did his faith extende ſo farre, as to beleeue that Chriſt euen being abſent could heale the ſicke: but it behoued that he ſhould hauehave a higher faith. Wherfore Chriſt lifteth him vp, and ſetteth him in a higher ſtate, and ſayth vntounto him: Goe thy way, thy ſonne liueth. Here he firſt aſcendeth from his former faith, whereby he beleeued that Chriſt could heale being preſent, and commeth to a higher faith, ſo that now he beleeueth the word. For if he had not beleeued the word, he would not hauehave left Chriſt, neither would hauehave departed from him, vntill he had come with him to his houſe. But hauing layd holde on the word, he cleaueth vntounto it by faith, for his ſonne is at home, and Chriſt is with his father. Wherefore the Father receiueth this word in his hart, and thinketh with him ſelfe after this ſort: My ſonne is ſicke, but I ſhall find him whole: which faith was contrary both to reaſon & experience. Reaſon would hauehave thought thus: When I came from my ſonne he was ſicke,True faith leaueth all wiſedom and reaſon, and truſteth to the onelyonly word of God. as I did leaue him, ſo ſhall I find him. But faith ſayth otherwiſe, it reſteth onelyonly in the word & truſteth wholy vntounto it, neither douteth it, that any thing will fall out otherwiſe then the word ſpeaketh: Goe thy way, thy ſonne liueth. This is a right and a ſtronge faith, when as man leaueth ſenſe, wiſedome, reaſon, and truſteth wholy to the worde of God. Chriſt ſayth, thy ſonne liueth: And he ſayth with him ſelfe, without dout it is true, I ſhall ſo find it. So faith remaineth not idle, nor reſteth, but increaſeth and goeth forward.
Thus Chriſt dealeth with vsus alſo, he ſuffereth vsus to be tempted, that we may increaſe in faith: if in the ende of our life when we muſt dye, we ſhall hauehave but a ſparke of ſuch faith, we ſhall be in a good caſe, as Chriſt ſayth vntounto his Diſciples Matth. 17: If ye hauehave faith as much as is a graine of muſterd ſeede, ye shal ſay vntounto this mountaine: Remoue hence to yonder place, & it shall be remoued: and nothing shal be vnpoſſible vntounto you. A graine of muſterd ſeede is but a ſmall thing, but he that hath faith agreeable to the ſmalnes of this graine, ſhall be ſaued. Neither muſt we ſo much cōſider this, that our faith is litle, but we muſt looke vntounto this, we muſt hauehave regard vntounto this, that the graine of muſterd ſeede do remaine, and be not eaten vp of the birdes, that Satan plucke not faith out of our hartes. We muſt not looke how litle the faith is, but we muſt regarde and take heede that faith be not taken away. Peter had faith vponupon the ſea, and therefore was he caried of the water, that he ſhould not be drowned, if he had ſo perſeuered in faith, he might well hauehave walked an hundred miles vponupon the ſea, but when he fayled in faith, he began to be drowned. So Moſes had a ſtronge faith, but he fell from it. It conſiſteth not in the ſtrength or ſlendernes of faith, that we doe ſtand, but in perſeuering and remaining faithfull. It may be that he ſhall perſeuer in faith, which hath but a ſlender faith, and he that hath a ſtrong faith ſhall fall and dout. Moſes and Peter had an excellent faith, ſo that Moſes by faith did leade ye people through the middeſt of the ſea and death, and Peter without douting went downe out of the ſhip into the ſea, but they fall from their faith, howbeit God raiſeth them vp quickly again. But the Theefe on the croſſe hauing once layd hold of faith, continued conſtant. Nowe God therefore ſuffereth it to be thus, that he may bring down raſh arrogancie, that we doe not gloriouſly extol our ſelues, but alwaies remaine in feare & awe. For when tentation commeth vponupon vsus, we doe forthwith fal into errour, if God do not aſſiſt & ſtrengthen vsus, of which thinge we may ſee a very goodly ſimilitude in a tree,A proper & apt ſimilitude. which in the ſpring time buddeth and openeth it ſelfe, ſo that it doth as it were become white by reaſon of the bloſſoms. A ſhower falling vponupon it, many of the bloſſoms are ſhaken of, & the froſt alſo doth much more conſume them. Afterward when the frute beginneth to ſpring forth, ſome great winde blowing, much of it being newly come forth falleth downe, and when it waxeth ripe, the caterpiller commeth, which with other wormes gnaweth & ſpoyleth it ſo much, that ſcarce the twentieth part, yea ſcarce the hundreth part many times remaineth. The ſame commeth to paſſe with the hearers of the Goſpell, in the beginning thereof eueryevery one coueteth to be a true Chriſtian, eueryevery one liketh of it very well, and the firſt frutes thereof are very pleaſant. But when winde, a ſhower, or tentation commeth, all fall away from it by companies: afterwards ſects and ſeditions ariſe, which like vntounto wormes and kankers gnaw and infect the frutes of the Goſpell, and ſo many falſe opinions ſpring vp, that very few doe perſeuer in the true profeſſion of the Goſpell.
We hauehave here, thankes be giuen to Almighty God, the worde of God plentifully taught, we are deliuered out of deepe & great darkenes, but we forgetting the word are made weake, we liue hauing no care of the word, for it is not ſauory vntounto vsus. But when as hereafter falſe prophets ſhall breake in with their corrupt opinions, and Satan alſo ſhall violently aſſaile vsus, finding vsus idle, and the houſe ſwept and garniſhed, he will bring with him ſeuen other ſpirits worſe then him ſelf, and the ende ſhall be worſe then the beginning. Which thinges if they ſo fall out, let vsus not therefore be quite diſcouraged, but let vsus rather inſtruct one an other, that we may learne to cleaue vntounto God, and pray vntounto him, and ſay: Mercifull God, thou haſt giuen vntounto me to become a Chriſtian, giuegive vntounto me alſo that I may perſeuer, and become daily richer in faith. Albeit the whole world did reſiſt, and eueryevery one conſpired to deſtroy the Goſpell, yet wil I be nothing moued, but by thy diuine helpe will depend on the Goſpell.
But to returne againe to the Ruler, ye hauehave heard that his faith was very notable and excellent, he heareth the worde, thy ſonne liueth, They which beleeue ſhal aſſuredly obtaine al good thinges that they pray vntounto God for.he beleeueth it, and goeth away giuing honour to God, he receiueth the only word, he truſteth wholy vntounto it. Hereupō God dealeth ſo graciouſly with him, that he reſtoreth health vntounto his ſonne, raiſeth him vp, and ſtrengthneth him in faith, neither ſuffereth him to ſticke in dout or infirmitie, but eſtabliſheth him, and maketh him ſtronge, and cauſeth him to goe forward & increaſe. Neither doth God delay vntill he commeth home, but declareth vntounto him being yet in his iorney the helth of his ſonne, ſending his ſeruaunts to meete him, that they might bringe him good newes, and ſay: thy ſonne liueth. For God can not differre or delay, where there is a ſincere hart, which truſteth in him alone, all other thinges being left, looking onelyonly vntounto the word of God, there God can not hide him ſelfe, but reuealeth him ſelfe, & commeth vntounto ſuch a hart, & maketh his abode there, as the Lord ſayth Ioh. 14. Now what can be more ioyful, thē for a mā to giuegive credit to the word of God, & to be plucked from it by no affliction or tentation, but to ſhut his eyes againſt eueryevery aſſault of Satan, to lay aſide humane ſenſe, vnderſtanding, reaſon, & wiſedom, and to ſay daily in his hart: God hath ſpoken it, he can not lye. I ſay nothing is more ioyfull then ſuch a faith. For whatſoeuer we aſke of God with ſuch a faith, we receiue it more aboundantly of him, then euer we deſired it, and God is ſooner preſent with vsus, then we had thought. Hereupon the Euangeliſt vſeth ſo many wordes euen vnprofitable, as it appeareth vntounto vsus, as theſe: The man beleeued the word that Ieſus had ſpoken vntounto him, and went his vvay. And as he vvas novv going dovvne, his ſeruaunts met him, ſaying, Thy ſonne liueth. Then inquired he of them the houre vvhen he began to amend: and they ſayd vntounto him: Yeſterday the ſeuenth houre the feuer left him. Then the father knevv, that it vvas the ſame houre in the vvhichwhich Ieſus ſayd vntounto him: Thy ſonne liueth. All which tende vntounto this ende, that we ſhould know that if we beleeue in the Lord he will giuegive vsus abundantly, whatſoeuer we ſhall pray vntounto him for.
The concluſion the Euangeliſt maketh as followeth: And he beleeued, and all his houshold. He ſo increaſed in faith, that he did not onelyonly aſcend from a low ſtate to a higher, but he brought others alſo vntounto faith. He had ſurely an effectuall faith, which did not reſt idle and ſlothfull in the hart, but did breake forth, ſo that whoſoeuer were in his houſe were brought vntounto faith.The nature and qualitie of true faith. For this is plainely the nature of faith, this is the qualitie of it, to drawe others vntounto it, to burſt forth, and apply it ſelf euen vntounto the worke of louelove, as S. Paule witneſſeth Galat. 5: That faith which worketh by louelove, is effectuall. For it can not keepe ſilence or be idle, as Dauid ſayth Pſal. 116, which place Paule applieth to the faithfull 2. Cor. 4: I beleeued, & therefore hauehave I ſpoken. Faith can doe no other, for it is enforced to ſpeake, neither can it keepe ſilence, inaſmuch as he that is endued with it, endeuoureth to profit his neighbour. This ruler had faith for him ſelfe, but it doth not remaine in him alone, but breaketh forth. For without all dout he declared to his familie, how he came vntounto Chriſt, and receiued comfort of him, which they alſo beleued. So we alſo, when we beleeue muſt open our mouth, and confeſſe the grace, which God hath ſhewed vntounto vsus.The moſt excellent work of faith. Which is the chiefe and moſt excellent worke of faith, that one inſtruct an other in the worde. For Paule ſayth Rom. 10: VVith the hart man beleeueth vntounto righteouſnes, and with the mouth man confeſſeth to ſaluation. If we be aſhamed of this word, it is a certaine argument of a very light & vncertaine faith. We ſee therfore that there is no difference with Chriſt betwene the ſtrong and the weake in faith: for a litle faith is faith alſo. He therefore came into the world that he might receiue to him ſelfe, beare and ſuſtaine the weake. If he were ſo impatient as we be, he would by and by ſay vntounto vsus: Get thee from me, I wil none of thee, becauſe thou beleeueſt not in me. But this is a thing greatly to be cōmended, when one can handle yt weake gently, and doth not deale rigorouſly with them, and repell them by impatiencie. For although they be weake to day, the houre may come, when they ſhall receiue the word more aboundantly then we. Thus we ought to inſtruct and teach one an other, that we may depend on yt word of God. For if we continue in ſticking to the word, we ſhall be ſtronge enough for the deuill: for we glory of the word, albeit we be but weake. VntoUnto Satan, who is able euen in one houre to ouerthrow vsus all, all men ſhould be euen as a fether, which he would be able to remoue away how and when he will, yea euen with his breath, but if we beleeue, that fether is made more heauy vntounto him then the hill Olympus. For a Chriſtian beareth Chriſt in him ſelfe, and Chriſt is heauier then heauen and earth. Thus much may ſuffize concerning this text.