Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| The Power of Faith.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
7. The Power of
Faith.
But when the Saviour said, “O faithfulness and
perverse generation,”5875
He signifies
that wickedness, which is contrary to nature, stealthily enters in from
perversity, and makes us perverted. But of the whole race of men
on earth, I think, being oppressed by reason of their wickedness and
His tarrying with them, the Saviour said, “How long shall I be
with you?” We have already, then, spoken in part of the
words, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say
unto this mountain,”5876
etc.; but
nevertheless also we shall speak in this place the things that appear
to us fitted to increase perspicuity. The mountains here spoken
of, in my opinion, are the hostile powers that have their being in a
flood of great wickedness, such as are settled down, so to speak, in
some souls of men. Whenever, then, any one has all faith so that
he no longer disbelieves in any things which are contained in the Holy
Scriptures, and has faith such as was that of Abraham, who believed in
God to such a degree that his faith was counted for righteousness. he
has all faith as a grain of mustard seed; then will such an one say to
this mountain—I mean, the dumb and deaf spirit in him who is
called lunatic,—“Remove hence,” clearly, from the man
who is suffering, perhaps to the abyss, and it shall remove. And
the Apostle, taking, I think. his starting-point from this place, says
with apostolical authority, “If I have all faith so as to remove
mountains,”5877
for not one
mountain merely, but also several analogous to it, he removes who has
all faith which is as a grain of mustard-seed; and nothing shall be
impossible to him who has so great faith.5878
But let us also attend to this,
“This kind goeth not out save by prayer and
fasting,”5879
in order that if at
any time it is necessary that we should be engaged in the healing of
one suffering from such a disorder, we may not adjure, nor put
questions, nor speak to the impure spirit as if it heard, but devoting
ourselves to prayer and fasting, may be successful as we pray for the
sufferer, and by our own fasting may thrust out the unclean spirit from
him.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
