A treatise of faith divided into two parts. The first showing the nature, the…A treatise of faith diuided into two parts. The first shewing the nature, the…

¹Afflictions are not more ordinary, then burdensome and heavy to be borne. Many are the troubles of the righteous, and manifold the infirmities of the righteous in their troubles. Sometimes they take carnal counsel; sometimes they fret and murmur,² sometimes they faint and despair for a fit. David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me, then that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines.³ I I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes. I remembered God and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was over-whelmed. Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever: doth his promise fail for evermore? which frailty of the Saints doth lesson us, what need we have to be strengthened against all discouragements and hinderances which in afflictions we shall meet withal, that we ⟨p. 321⟩neither grow weary, nor be turned aside in our Christian course. And the Lord, our most merciful and loving Father, knowing it to be most necessary, hath for the comfort and encouragement of his children plentifully signified, that he will correct them in wisdom,⁴ love and tender compassion, to the, purge and refine them; and graciously promised to aide, comfort and direct, and in fittest time to deliver them out of adversities. We have had Fathers of our flesh, who corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Hath he smitten him as he smote those that smote him? ⁵Or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him? In measure when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it: ⁶he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the East wind. Fear thou not, O Jacob, my servant, saith the Lord, for I am with thee, for I will make a full and of all Nations whither I have driven thee, but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure, yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished. This is that which the Prophet so earnestly begged of God, O Lord,