, 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