For as the fire when it wrestleth with the water thrown upon it, ceaseth not till it have overcome▪ so this resistance of the spirit against the flesh, will not cease until the full victory be obtained, & satan himself trodden under our feet. Neither is there any more sure testimony, either of our present deliverance begun, or of our full & perfect victory in time to come, then this, that by the word of God we do (though but weakly) resist the tentations of the enemy, & continue in the battle against him: mourning in deed & travailing under the bou• then of affliction, but yet standing upright before the enemy: so that he cannot fully prevail against us, much less overthrow & destroy us. But here one thing must carefully be looked unto, that we be not so far discouraged, either with want of feeling, or overborne with desire of that we have not, as we forget what mercy heretofore we have received. When Job so earnestly,1 & as on would think impatiently wiseth the good things he had sometimes enjoyed, he doth not only express the great affection he had to be restored unto his former estate, but also giveth the attentive reader to understand, a secret work of that grace of God; from the remembrance of that which had been, insinuating an hope of that which should be, as the event it self afterward ⟨p. 116⟩declared which issue of his troubles S. James would have us diligently to consider when he saith.2 Ye have heard of the sufferings of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord. But it fareth in this case with the afflicted soul many times, as it doth with those that greedily strive for the goods of this world. Their affection of having more is so strong, & doth so violently possess and carry them, as it not only depriveth them of the use of that they have, but also maketh them forget the same, & which is yet mo•e, protest against it, as if they had it not at all. So the humbled & afflicted spirit, overborne for the time with present grief and anguish of mind, not only useth not the comforts it hath, & cannot presently discern: but also causeth an utter forgetfulness of them, and which more is, protesteth against them, as if they were not: yea, (as we see often in Job) he so complaineth of the contrary, as if the Lord had not only forsaken his servant, but had armed himself, and did fight against him to destroy him.
For as the fire when it wrasteleth with the water throwne vpon it, ceaseth not till it haue ouercome▪ so this resistance of the spirit against the flesh, will not cease vntil the full victory be obtained, & sathan himselfe troden vnder our feete. Neither is there any more sure testimony, either of our present deliuerance begun, or of our full & perfect victorie in time to come, then this, that by the worde of God we do (though but weakly) resist the tentations of the enimy, & continue in the battaile against him: mourning in deed & traualing vnder the bou• then of afflictiō, but yet standing vpright before the enimie: so that he cānot fully preuaile against vs, much lesse ouerthrow & destroy vs. But here one thing must carefully be loked vnto, that we be not so far discouraged, either with want of feling, or ouerborne with desire of that we haue not, as we forget what mercy hertofore we haue receiued. When Iob so earnestly,1 & as on would thinke impatiently wiseth the good things he had somtimes inioyed, he doth not only expresse the great affection he had to be restored vnto his former estate, but also giueth the attētiue reader to vnderstand, a secret worke of that grace of God; from the remembrance of that which had been, insinuating an hope of that which shold be, as the euēt it self afterward ⟨p. 116⟩declared which issue of his troubles S. Iames would haue vs diligently to consider when he saith.2 Ye haue heard of the sufferings of Iob, and haue seene the ende of the Lord. But it fareth in this case with the afflicted soule many times, as it doth with those that gredily striue for the goods of this world. Their affection of hauing more is so strong, & doth so violently possesse and carry them, as it not only depriueth them of the vse of that they haue, but also maketh them forget the same, & which is yet mo•e, protest against it, as if they had it not at all. So the humbled & afflicted spirit, ouerborne for the time with present griefe and anguish of minde, not onely vseth not the comforts it hath, & cannot presently discerne: but also causeth an vtter forgetfulnes of them, and which more is, protesteth against them, as if they were not: yea, (as we se often in Iob) he so complaneth of the contrary, as if the Lord had not only forsaken his seruant, but had armed himselfe, and did fight against him to destroy him.
- 1Job. 29.2.Iob. 29.2.
- 2Jam. 5.Iam. 5.
