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.
Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will.
Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.
The first stage of this tranquility consists in silencing the lips when the heart is excited. The second, in silencing the mind when the soul is still excited. The goal is a perfect peacefulness even in the middle of the raging storm.
Lent is a good time for sacrificing. Let us deny ourselves something every day to help others.
Only what we have wrought into our character during life can we take with us.
There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.
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