What faith brings

11. Dost thou thus believe? Then the peace of God is in thy heart, and sorrow and sighing flee away. Thou art no longer in doubt of the love of God: it is clear as the noon-day sun. Thou cryest out, My song shall be always of the loving kindness of the Lord: with my mouth will I ever be telling of thy truth, from one generation to another. Thou art no longer afraid of hell, or death, or him that had once the power of death, the devil: no, nor painfully afraid of God himself; only thou hast a tender, filial fear of offending him. Dost thou believe? Then thy soul doth magnify the Lord, and thy spirit rejoiceth in God thy Saviour. Thou rejoicest in that thou hast redemption thro’ his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Thou rejoicest in that Spirit of adoption, which crieth in thy heart, Abba, Father! Thou rejoicest in a hope full of immortality, in reaching forth unto the mark of the prize of thy high calling; in an earnest expectation of all the good things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

12. Dost thou now believe? Then the love of God is now shed abroad in thy heart. Thou lovest him, because he first loved us. And because thou lovest God, thou lovest thy brother also. And being filled with love, peace, joy, thou art also filled with long-suffering, gentleness, fidelity, goodness, meekness, temperance, and all the other fruits of the same Spirit: in a word, with whatever dispositions are holy, are heavenly or divine. For while thou beholdest with open, uncovered face, (the veil now being taken away) the glory of the Lord, his glorious love, and the glorious image wherein thou wast created, thou art changed into the same image, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord.