The dead saint speaking to saints and sinners living in several treatisesThe dead saint speaking to saints and sinners living in severall treatises

Though Faith be poor in it self, the poorest Grace of all, as having nothing of its own; such a Grace as lives all upon another's stock, is fed with another's food; rich by another's riches; as the Apostle said of himself — He was poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, yet possessing all things: so I may say of Faith. Though it be poor in it self, yet it makes us rich, doth enrich us with all the riches of Christ, though it hath nothing in it self; yet it possesses all things, it possesseth Christ, which is all.

Though Faith be poor in it self, the poorest Grace of all, as having nothing of its own; such a Grace as lives all upon anothers stock, is fed with anothers food; rich by anothers riches; as the Apostle said of himself — Hee was poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, yet possessing all things: so I may say of Faith. Though it bee poor in it self, yet it makes us rich, doth inrich us with all the riches of Christ, though it hath nothing in it self; yet it possesses all things, it possesseth Christ, which is all.

Oh! If you be rich in Faith, you cannot be poor in Grace,¹ poor in Holiness: Faith sanctifies. So much Faith, so much Grace; so much Faith, so much Love: so much Faith, so much Hope; so much Faith, so much Humility; so much brokenness of spirit for sin; so much Patience, Zeal, &c. Never was it known a strong Believer to be a weak Christian. So much Faith write down, so much Grace. Little in Faith, and little in Grace; little in love, &c. Grace is still proportionable to the measure and degrees of Faith, like the fountain and the flood. Hence Faith is called the Mother-Grace, 2. Pet. 1.2, 3. — Grace and Peace be multiplied on you by the Knowledge of God: [Greek or Hebrew]: By the acknowledgement; ⟨p. 110⟩that is, by Faith. The augmentation of Faith doth cause the multiplication of Grace; not in the kinds only, but in the degrees. The more Faith in degrees, the more Grace. Grow in Faith, and you grow in all Grace. Decrease in Faith, and all the Graces of God decrease in thee. There is decay of Love, of Joy, of Patience. The ground of all decays, is the decay of Faith.