A Golden Chain

First, God giveth them faith, yet afterward for a time he doth as it were, hide the same in some corner of their hearts, so as they have no feeling thereof, but think themselves to be void of all grace: and this he doth for no other end but to humble them: and yet again after all this, the first grace is further renewed and revived. Thus dealt the Lord with David and Solomon (for whereas he was a pen-man of Scripture, and therefore an holy man of God, we may not think that he was wholly forsaken) with Peter, and in this place with Thomas. And the experience of this shall every servant of God find in himself.

First, God giueth them faith, yet afterward for a time hee doth as it were, hide the same in some corner of their hearts, so as they haue no feeling thereof, but thinke themselues to be void of all grace: and this he doth for no other ende but to humble them: and yet againe after all this, the first grace is further renued and reuiued. Thus dealt the Lord with Dauid and Salomon (for whereas he was a pen-man of Scripture, and therefore an holy man of God, we may not thinke that he was wholly forsaken) with Peter, and in this place with Thomas. And the experience of this shall euery seruant of God finde in himselfe.

The second appearance of Christ was to seven of the disciples as they went on fishing,¹ in which he gives three testimonies of his godhead, and that by death his power was nothing diminished. The first, that when the disciples had fished all night and caught nothing, afterward by his direction they catch fish in abundance, and that presently. This teacheth us, that Christ is a sovereign Lord over all creatures, and hath the disposing of them in his own hands: and that if good success follow not when men are painful in their callings, it is because God will prepare and make them fit for a further blessing. Christ comes in the morning and gives his disciples a great draught of fish: yet before this can be, they must labour all night in vain. Joseph must be made ruler over all Egypt, but first he must be cast into a dungeon where he can see no sun nor light, to prepare him to that honour. And David must be King over Israel, but the Lord will first prepare him hereunto by raising up Saul to persecute him. Therefore when God sndeth any hinderances unto us in our callings, we must not despair nor be discouraged, for they are the means whereby God maketh us fit to receive greater blessings at his hands either in this life or in the life to come. The second is, that the net was unbroke though it had in it great fishes to the number of an hundred fifty three. The third, that when the disciples came to land, they saw hot coals and fish laid thereon and bread. Now some may ask, whence was this food? Answ. The same Lord that was able to provide a Whale to swallow up Jonah, and so to save him: and he that was able to provide a fish for Peters angle with a piece of twenty pence in the mouth: and to make a little bread and a few fishes to feed so many thousands in the wilderness: the same also doeth of himself provide bread and fishes for his disciples. This teacheth us, that not not only the blessing, but also the very having of meat, drink, apparel