The Indwelling of Christ by faithis to have Jesus Christ continually in one’s eye, a habitual sight of Him. I call it so because a man actually does not always think of Christ; but as a man does not look up to the sun continually, yet he sees the light of it. So you should carry along and bear along in your eye the sight and knowledge of Christ, so that at least a presence of Him accompanies you, which faith makes.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of maintaining a constant awareness of Christ in one's life, similar to how one sees the light of the sun without always looking at it directly.
Thomas Goodwin's quote discusses the concept of having a continuous awareness of Christ's presence in one's life through faith, likening this awareness to the way sunlight permeates our surroundings even when we are not directly gazing at the sun. This suggests that a person's faith acts as a guiding light, allowing them to navigate life with Christ's influence as a constant background presence, enriching their experience and shaping their choices.
In practice
In a sermon about the importance of faith, one might quote this to illustrate how Christians can embody Christ's presence in their daily lives.
Grace is more than mercy and love. It super-adds to them. It denotes, not simply love, but the love of a sovereign, transcendent Superior. One that may do what He will. That may wholly choose whether He will love or no. Now God, who is an infinite Sovereign, who might have chosen whether ever He would love us or no; for Him to love us, this is Grace.
Value God and his love more than all the world, though there were millions of them. He valued you before the world, and therefore is beforehand with you in his love. He not only loved you from everlasting, (whereas your love is but of yesterday,) but in the valuation of it, he loved you before all worlds, and preferred you to all worlds: though you loved the world first, before you loved him.
Oh despise not election! therein lies all your hope, that there is a remnant who shall infallibly be saved.
The world is a wonderfully weird place, consensual reality is significantly flawed, no institution can be trusted, certainty is a mirage, security a delusion, and the tyranny of the dull mind forever threatens -- but our lives are not as limited as we think they are, all things are possible, laughter is holier than piety, freedom is sweeter than fame, and in the end it's love and love alone that really matters.
Jesus Christ out-socialists the socialists. He says that in His Kingdom he that is greatest shall be the servant of all. The real test of the saint is not preaching the gospel, but washing disciples' feet, that is, doing the things that do not count in the actual estimate of men but count everything in the estimate of God.
Deep down there was understanding, not of the facts of our lives so much as of our essential natures.
The pursuit of pleasure must be the goal of every rational person.
I was a personality before I became a person - I am simple, complex, generous, selfish, unattractive, beautiful, lazy and driven.
It's a travesty that people have forced someone who is gay to have to make their case that they deserve the same basic rights...
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