To be strong in Faith two things are needful,—a very low esteem of ourselves, and a very high esteem of Christ. The chief excellency of Faith is that it brings us into fellowship with God. Abel—the first spoken of in Heb. 11.—is commended, not because of any great deed in man's account, but because he worshipped God acceptably. Nevertheless, if we trust God, there is no limit to the power of Faith, whatever the thing to be done. God shelters the weak in faith from many a storm, whereby the strong in faith must be proved. (Gen. 22.) When a man builds house or ship, he takes heed that no beam be strained; so God never overtaxes our Faith, but brings in comfort, knowing our frame, not suffering us to have sorrow upon sorrow, according to Phil. 2:27. By neglect of God, and forgetfulness of His word and promise, our minds may become blinded to plainest things. Isaac, through self-will and allowing his natural partiality to blind him, would have set aside as nothing the purposes of God concerning Jacob. When we are especially strong in Faith, we have especial need to watch against unbelief (compare 1 Sam. 26:5 and on, with 27:1) for as the flesh takes great occasion by sin, so by grace; and no one who studies much that profitable book, his own heart, but must know it. Soon after Abraham had greatly trusted God, he through unbelief denied his wife. Moses, the meekest of men, spake unadvisedly with his lips. David, the humble, forgiving man, was moved to proud wrath by the words of Nabal. Faith, which always acts according to the mind of Christ, stoops to no unworthy device for deliverance from trial, leaving consequences wholly with God. A little increase of Faith works great changes of judgment in us, and brings forth the otherwise hidden riches of the grace and wisdom of God: it stirs His power to do wonders for us, dividing the sea when the waves thereof roar. Heb. 11:24.—Moses' first great step of Faith was the refusing to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Yet Moses mistook the time for delivering Israel by forty years. He was too hasty; right in point of purpose, not in point of time. He was not content with the bare doing the will of God; he would straightway accomplish some great thing. After leaving Pharaoh's house he should have asked of God further guidance. We need guidance step by step. "I (saith the Lord) taught Ephraim to go, taking them by their arms (Hos. 11:3). Faith looks straight to the command in order to obey it, and takes the promise for her support. She pushes on her way, regardless of dangers. Moses must "go forward," though the next step lead the people into the sea. Whatever appearances may say to us, it is by advancing in the narrow way of obedience that we prove the truth of the promises; and the faithfulness, the wisdom, and the power of our promise-giving God.