Thirdly, and so to end: Ye may observe here, by what means they suffered these hard things, and that is, as you have heard, by Faith; surely then, it is no easy thing to believe, with this true saving Faith; a hard thing to believe. This true saving Faith can do great things, and it can suffer hard things; true saving Faith will make it easy to do great things, and easy to suffer hard things. But it is hard to get this true saving Faith. You will say, If a man were in the Sun, he might go round the World in a day; but it is hard to get into the Sun. So this true saving Faith, will make a man to do great things, and to suffer hard things; but it is a hard thing to get it, and few there be that have it. We read of Elijah, that when the Lord had given him a power to shut Heaven, that it rained not for three years, and an half, he went away, and hid himself; they could find him before: ordinary men might be found; but Elijah that did this great Work, could not be found. So an ordinary Faith may be found out; but this true saving Faith, that doth great things, and suffers hard things, is hardly to be found. There is a common Faith that grows every where: As it is in your Flowers and Plants; ye have your Field Time, and your Garden Time; ye have your Field Rose, and your Garden Rose; your Field Rose grows every where, but your Garden Rose grows not every where: You have Pebble Stones every where, but Diamonds are not to be found every where. So there is a Pebble Faith, and a Field Faith, an ordinary Faith, and this you may have every where: But this Diamond, this Garden Faith, to suffer hard things, it is hard to be found, few there be that have it, and therefore few can do great things for God, or suffer hard things from men. Wherefore beloved in the Lord, give me leave to end with this Exhortation, to beseech you in Christ Jesus, to get this Faith, above all getting, get this Faith; you that have not this true saving Faith, get it. Some there be here, it may be, that have Faith good enough to swear by; but not Faith good enough to live by: true saving Faith, a Believer can live by, but he cannot swear by it. A true Believer is very sensible of his Unbelief; saith he, there was never a more unbelieving heart than mine, I think there is not a man, or woman in the World, is troubled with such an unbelieving heart as I. True saving Faith is sensible of Unbelief;
Thirdly, and so to end: Ye may observe here, by what means they suffered these hard things, and that is, as you have heard, by Faith; surely then, it is no easie thing to beleeve, with this true saving Faith; a hard thing to beleeve. This true saving Faith can do great things, and it can suffer hard things; true saving Faith wil make it easie to do great things, and easie to suffer hard things. But it is hard to get this true saving Faith. You wil say, If a man were in the Sun, he might go round the World in a day; but it is hard to get into the Sun. So this true saving Faith, wil make a man to do great things, and to suffer hard things; but it is a hard thing to get it, and few there be that have it. We read of Elias, that when the Lord had given him a power to shut Heaven, that it rained not for three yeers, and an half, he went away, and hid himself; they could find him before: ordinary men might be found; but Elias that did this great Work, could not be found. So an ordinary Faith may be found out; but this true saving Faith, that doth great things, and suffers hard things, is hardly to be found. There is a common Faith that grows every where: As it is in your Flowers and Plants; ye have your Field Time, and your Garden Time; ye have your Field Rose, and your Garden Rose; your Field Rose grows every where, but your Garden Rose grows not every where: You have Pibble Stones every where, but Diamonds are not to be found every where. So there is a Pibble Faith, and a Field Faith, an ordinary Faith, and this you may have every where: But this Diamond, this Garden Faith, to suffer hard things, it is hard to be found, few there be that have it, and therefore few can do great things for God, or suffer hard things from men. Wherefore beloved in the Lord, give me leave to end with this Exhortation, to beseech you in Christ Jesus, to get this Faith, above al getting, get this Faith; you that have not this true saving Faith, get it. Some there be here, it may be, that have Faith good enough to swear by; but not Faith good enough to live by: true saving Faith, a Beleever can live by, but he cannot swear by it. A true Beleever is very sensible of his Unbelief; saith he, there was never a more unbeleeving heart than mine, I think there is not a man, or woman in the World, is troubled with such an unbeleeving heart as I. True saving Faith is sensible of Unbeleef;
