'Go thy way; as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.' He heals
at a distance, and shapes His gift by the man's desire. The form of the
vase that is dipped into the sea settles the quantity and the shape of
the water that is taken out. There is a wide truth in that, on which I
do not now enlarge. The measure of my faith is the measure of my
possession of Christ. He puts the key of the treasure-house into our
hands and says, 'Go in, and take as much as you like'; and some of us
come out with a halfpenny as all that we care to bring away. You are
starving, some of you, whilst you are sitting in a granary bursting with
plenty. Suppose a proclamation were made, 'There will be given away gold
to anybody that likes to come. Let them bring a purse, and it will be
filled.' How large a purse do you think you would like to take? A sack,
I should think. Christ says that to you; and you bring a tiny thing like
what they keep sovereigns in, that will scarcely hold a farthing, with
such a narrow throat is it provided, and so small its interior
accommodation. 'Ye have not because ye ask not.' 'Open thy mouth wide
and I will fill it.'