240 e_iI letterconfolatorie knowledge,and that remnant ofvnbeleefe which yethangethvpon vs,isfo farre offfrom dirnayingvs, that it is both a warning and motiue vntovs ofgreat force to tlirrevsvp, and to let vs a worke by all goodmeanes to eftablifhand toincreafe ourfaith,whereinwe linde the good hand of the Lordnot tobe wanting vnto vs, and his cares not to be flue vp againft ourprayers ;in whichwealwaies faywith the ApoftlesofChrift, Lardincreafe ourfaith.Ifit (hall be obiettted,that becaufe wehaue not thefame fenfeand feeling of faith whichfometimesweehad,as Satan himfelfecouldnotthen denie,thereforewee bauenow no faith,but banevtterly loft thefame : we mayanfwere,the argument followed'not: for Similé. euen inmanydifeafes ofthebodie it is fowith them that haue them, that they feeme little better than dead corpfes,andyet thereis life in them, which hidden fora time after is re. coueredand railedvt again : fo it is many times with the childrenof God,that beingo- uerborne anddiferefed with extremitie of affliEtionand temptation, they feeme for the time both to thentfelues and others,to have loftthe lifeand lightwhich oncethey enjoyed. Yetfo it is,thatwb é thetempeftis ouerblowne,and thegracious countenance ofthe Lord againe beginneth to ihine vpon them, the faith which wasas it were hid for the tinte,ta- Simile. teeth life,and (hewed' forth it felfe,and plainlyproueth,that asthetrees when theybudde in the fpring timeand bring fourth their fruite, were not dead in the winter as they fee- medto bec : fo the faith of Gods children, Ipringing afrefh after the ftormie winter of temptation,declarcth manifefllythat it was notdead when it leaned fo tobe,butwas on- ly refpired for the time,that afterwardit might bring forth morefruite : andwhereas the Theafffibled afflicted foule defirethnothingmorethanto beleeue, though itfeelenot a prefent opera- defirethto be- -ion ofcomfort by faith ; eucn that deliire argued' a fecret fenfe that cannot rally bee lee,./.4"0 difeerned,together withaffuranceofbetter effacein time to come,accordingtothat °four Lot difcerae Sauiour Chritt: Bleffedarethey that hunger and thirffafterrighteoufsses,for they fleallbefatif- macd,. fled: And that of the bluffed Vir me Hefzlleth the hungriewith gocd things,but the riehhee Mouh.f. .f g > bathfentemptie away.Alfothat bewailingand deploringofvnbeleefe which is foundin the affiibted,isnotonly a faeppeveto theirformer comfort,but a certaineproofe and demon- ftration ofehereturnethereof. Forthe Lordworking by hisfpiritin theheartsof hischil- dren gronüig that cannot be, expref;ed,therehyafFureth them thatin hisgood timehewill beare them andgrant their requetts. And to muchthe morewemay beperlwaded hereof, }obs, becaufe theloue of God towards vs, as it began notofvs(as S.fobn faith) bon depended' Temptation notvpon vs,butvpon the truthand conftancie ofititn,with whomthere isno changenor whatit may fhadoeofchaunge. Againe,the temptation itfeele, from which our afflieeiondoth arife, teacbvs, though ithaueof it feitea tnoft bitterand fharpe tafte, cum veto thewounding of our foules neerevntodeath yet bath itallo in itanargument of comfort, the Lord himfelfe out ofdarknes railingvp tight vnto his children. For cum by this, that Saban fo bully andfo fiercely affaileth vs,it doth appeare, that asonce he loft hispoflefiion in vs,andwas call out by one more mightie than himfelfe,which isChritt : fonow lieufindeth no peace- able,eutrance,but a ftron,,gg and mightierefittance,and therefore thereyet remaineth fuch part of the former workewhich bee could not hitherto ouerthrow, nor (hall be able for euer,which is the fecret feede of faith !till fuftainedand noorifhed bythe fpiritofGod in vo,when weewould tbinkeit tvere vtterly extinguifbed.For asthe firewhen it wraftleth with the.water throwsie vpon it,ceafeth nottill it haue ouercome: fo this refinance ofthe fpirit againft the flefh,wilfnotceafevnrill the full vióforie beobtained,and Satan himfelfe trodenvnder our fente. Neither is there any more fore tettimonie,either of our prefent deliuerance begun,or ofourfull andperfebtviLtorieintime tocome,thenthis,thatby the word ofGodwe doc(though but weakly)refiftthe temptationsof the enemie, andconti- nue in the battaile againft him : mourning indeede and trauailingvnder the burthen of afRi$tion,but yet ftanding vpright beforethe enemie,fo that beecannot fully prensile a- gainft vs,much leffeouerthrowand deftrcyvs. But here one tiringmutt carefully be loo- kedvnto,that werbe not fofarredifcouraged, eitherwithwant offeeling, or ouerborne withdefrreof thatwee haue not, as wee forget what mercie heretoforewee hauereceiued. When lob foearneftly, and (as one would thinke)impatientlywifheth the goodthingshe had fometimes enioyed,he doth notonely expreffethe great affection herhad tobe refto- red
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