Then they will highly prize the word of God, for by that "faith cometh." Rom. 10: 17. Prophets and apostles, Old Testament saints and New, speak by one and the same Spirit, one and the same language, of one and the same life. "The just shall live by his faith," says Habbakuk, 2:4. Mind, it is not said, the just, or justified sinner shall live for his faith; this would be to substitute faith in the room of its blessed object Jesus, who saith, "Because I live, ye shall live also." John, 14:19. Nor is it said he shall live upon his faith: we are too apt to look more to, and live more upon what we think faith, which is rather the feelings of sense, than upon Christ, the object of faith.

It is said of Esau, "By thy sword shah thou live." Gen. 27:40. To have lived upon his sword would have been hard food indeed; but he lived upon the precious morsels his sword brought in: so the believing sinner, justified in the righteousness of Christ, is to live, as we say, from hand to mouth; upon what faith brings into his mind from the word of Christ, day by day. Eternal praise to the Holy Spirit, who quickened our once dead souls to this holy, spiritual life: and he says, "we shall live by faith." This demands fresh praises every moment, while we thus live in Christ and upon Christ by faith.

Shall live: O what is implied in this! Even that the sinner, "justified by faith," shall never perish; for he is in Christ, who is the way to the kingdom, the truth of the kingdom, and the life of all the chosen to inherit the kingdom. Hast thou faith, though but as a grain of mustard-seed! Consider not thy faith, though weak, but the author and object of it, Jesus, who is almighty to save: though under the sentence of death for sin in thyself, yet in him thou hast righteousness and justification unto eternal life. "Lord, increase our faith," that we may live more above with thee in heart and affection, in conquest over sin, victory over the world, triumph over the accusations of Satan, the condemnation of the law, and the terrors of death.

Thus the life of faith is a life of present peace, precious love, joyful hope, and holy obedience: for Christ is our life. O let us take heed lest we draw back from this our most holy, humble faith, either to self-righteousness on one hand or ungodliness on the other. Both these oppose the life of faith, the joy of hope, and the comfort of love which are in Christ Jesus.