XI.

John 4:  50.—­And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him.

Let me quote from the Gospel according to St. John, the 4th chapter, beginning at the 46th verse:  “So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where He made the water wine.  And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.  When he heard that Jesus was come up out of Judea into Galilee, he went unto Him, and besought Him that He would come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death.  Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.”  There you have the word “believe” the first time.  “The nobleman saith unto Him, Sir, come down ere my child die.  Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth.  And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.”  There you have that word the second time.  “And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.  Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend.  And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.  So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth; and himself believed, and his whole house.”  There you have the word “faith”.

This story has often been used to illustrate the different steps of faith in the spiritual life.  It was this use made of it in an address that brought the sainted Canon Battersby into the full enjoyment of rest.  He had been a most godly man, but had lived the life of failure.  He saw in the story what it was to rest on the Word and trust the saving power of Jesus, and from that night he was a changed man.  He went home to testify of it, and under God, he was allowed to originate the Keswick Convention.

Let me point out to you the three aspects of faith which we have here:  first, faith seeking; then, faith finding; and then, faith enjoying.  Or, still better:  faith struggling; faith resting; faith triumphing.  First of all, faith struggling.  Here is a man, a heathen, a nobleman, who has heard about Christ.  He has a dying son at Capernaum, and in his extremity leaves his home, and walks some six or seven hours away to Cana of Galilee.  He has heard of the Prophet, possibly, as one who has made water wine; he has heard of His other miracles round Capernaum, and he has a certain trust that Jesus will be able to help him.  He goes to Him, and his prayer is that the Lord will come down to Capernaum and heal his son.  Christ said to him, “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.”  He saw that the nobleman wanted Him to come and stand beside the child.  This man had not the faith of the centurion—­“Only speak a word.”  He had faith.  It was faith that came from hearsay, and it was faith that did, to a certain extent, hope in Christ; but it was not the faith in Christ’s power such as Christ desired.  Still Christ accepted