The Soul's Conflict with Itself

Further we must know that the condition of a Christian in this life, is not ¹to see what he trusts God for, (he lives by faith and not by sight) and yet that there is such a virtue in faith, which makes evident and present things to ²come and unseen: Because God where he gives an eye of faith, gives also a glass of the word to see things in, and by seeing of them in the truth and power of him that promiseth, they become present, ⟨p. 310⟩not only to the understanding to apprehend them, but to the will to rest upon them, & to the affections to joy in them: It is the nature of faith to work, when it seeth nothing, and oftentimes best of all then, because God shows himself more clearly in his power, wisdom, & goodness, at such times; and so his glory shines most, and faith hath nothing else to look upon then, whereupon it gathers all the forces of the soul together, to fasten upon God.

Further we must know that the condition of a Christian in this life, is not ¹to see what he trusts God for, (hee lives by faith and not by sight) and yet that there is such a vertue in faith, which makes evident and present things to ²come and unseene: Because God where he gives an eye of faith, gives also a glasse of the word to see things in, and by seeing of them in the truth and power of him that promiseth, they become present, ⟨p. 310⟩not only to the understāding to apprehēd thē, but to the will to rest upō thē, & to the affections to joy in thē: It is the nature of faith to work, whēit seethnothing, and oftentimes best of all then, because God shewes himself more clearly in his power, wisdome, & goodness, at such times; and so his glory shines most, and faith hath nothing else to looke upon then, whereupon it gathers all the forces of the soule together, to fasten upon God.

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