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…

Fourthly, Faith raiseth the heart to expect abundance of mercy from God,¹ and through prayer and supply of the Spirit, to reap profit and taste comfort answerable to the sorrows it hath felt and endured. Great afflictions make place for abundant mercy from God to us, which cannot be received without singular joy on our part. An hard frosty winter makes a fruitful summer: an afflicted state causeth a mellow heart, if our sufferings be from God, we must look for profit by every trouble, unless we will deny Gods wisdom, and challenge his truth, or show our selves, as if we were not his children, nor truly godly,² and loving of God. If God throw us down, we must wait to be comforted of him, according to the years wherein we have felt afflictions. To say we cannot think, that such a thing shall ever do us good, that ever we shall escape ou• of •uch a danger, that ever we shall see good days after th see and these trials,³ doth argue great weakness and unbelief. For what cannot he make for our good,⁴ in what distress and anguish cannot he revive, who calleth light out of darkness, ⟨p. 351⟩and things that are not as if they were, if we will give glory to his Wo•d by resting upon it?⁵ The heart knoweth the bitterness thereof, and the stranger shall not meddle with it joy. Thus living by faith in times of trial and visitation, doth fit and prepare the heart to thankfulness when light shall shine from on high; and that so much the more, as our afflictions have been the sharper, or of greater continuance. Return, O Lord, how long, ⁶and let it repent thee concerning thy servants; O satisfy us early with thy mercy;