Secondly, when a man at his wits end, knows not what in the world to do, being (as it were) plunged into a sea of miseries, faith gives direction and stays the mind. For when all temporal things fail us even to the very skin and life, faith preserves within us an affiance of the grace and mercy of God, and the hope of life everlasting. Faith shows us hidden things not to be discerned by sense and reason. Life everlasting is promised us, but we die for all that: we hear of the resurrection, but in the mean season we rot in our graves: we are pronounced blessed, but yet we are overwhelmed with infinite miseries: ⟨image 4⟩bundance of all things is promised, but for all this we often hum ger and thirst: God promiseth to hear us and to be present with us, but he seems oft times to be deaf (as it were) at our cries. Now then comes faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, and makes us lift our minds above the whole world, to apprehend the invisible and unspeakable things of God which he hath revealed and promised unto us. These things I show more at large in this small treatise following; read it at thy leisure, use it for thy good, and see thou be a doer of them.
Secondly, when a man at his wits ende, knowes not what in the world to doe, being (as it were) plunged into a sea of miseries, faith giues direction and staies the minde. For when all temporall things faile vs euen to the very skinne and life, faith preserues within vs an affiance of the grace and mercie of God, and the hope of life euerlasting. Faith shewes vs hidden things not to be discerned by sense and reason. Life euerlasting is promised vs, but we die for al that: we heare of the resurrection, but in the meane season we rot in our graues: we are pronounced blessed, but yet we are ouerwhelmed with infinite miseries: ⟨image 4⟩bundance of all things is promised, but for all this we often hū ger and thirst: God promiseth to heare vs and to be present with vs, but he seemes oft times to be deafe (as it were) at our cries. Now then comes faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, and makes vs lift our minds aboue the whole world, to apprehend the inuisible and vnspeakable things of God which he hath reuealed and promised vnto vs. These things I shewe more at large in this small treatise following; read it at thy leisure, vse it for thy good, and see thou be a doer of them.
