Page:Spiritual Reflections for Every Day in the Year - Vol 2.pdf/49

 of water and of the spirit," that is, by the reception of truth and its application to the life. In the process of our regeneration, there will be internal struggles between the corrupting errors to which we lean, and the Divine Truth. These form our states of trial and temptation, through which we are called to pass, and is also called the land of affliction. In these, with the faithful, the Lord is present, both in the water and in the fire, to protect and to bless; and to him that overcometh, "He will give to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God!" (Rev. ii. 7.) It is impossible for any one to pass through spiritual temptations, and to come out a conqueror, without knowing that his fruitfulness has been increased, even in the land of affliction. Now as Ephraim denotes faith, so this may be either true or false. A false faith is truth known but not practised; a true faith is, where knowledge in the understanding is united with holiness in the heart and life. When a true faith is treated of then "Ephraim is the strength of my head." (Psalm lx. 7.) He is also called a dear son and a pleasant child. (Jer. xxxi. 20.) When the opposite is described, it is then said, that "Ephraim compasseth me about with lies" (Hosea xi. 12), and that he "feedeth on wind" (Hosea xii. 1). To teach that faith without life, is to compass Jehovah about with lies! this is a horrible thing. "I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel; there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled." (Hosea vi. 10.) What is worship from faith alone, but a kind of half-done worship, in which the head mutters out words from which the heart is absent? Such worship is profane—it is offering to the Lord the half done