The Soul's Conflict with Itself

For our better encouragement in these sad times, and to help our trust ¹in God the more, we should often call to mind the former experiences, which either our selves or others have had of Gods goodness, and make use of the same for our spiritual good; Our Fathers trusted in thee, (saith the head of ²the Church) and were not confounded; Gods truth and goodness is unchangeable, he never leaves those that trust in him; so likewise in our own experiences, ³we should take notice of Gods dealing• with us in sundry kinds, how many ways he hath refreshed us, and how good we have found him in our worst times; After we have once tried him and his truth, we may safely trust him; God will stand upon his credit, he never failed any yet, and he will not begin to break with us; If his nature and his word, and his former dealing hath been sure and square, why should our ⟨p. 313⟩hearts be wavering? thy word (saith the Psalmist) is very pure (or tried) therefore ⁴thy servant loveth it; the word of God is as silver tried in the furnace, purified seven times; It is good therefore to observe and lay up Gods dealings; Experience is nothing else, but a multiplied remembrance of former blessings, which will help to multiply our faith; tried truth and tried faith unto it, sweetly agree and answer one another; It were a course much tending to the quickening of the faith of Christians, if they would communicate one to ⁵another their mutual experiences; this hath formerly been the custom of Gods people. Come and hear all ye that ⁶•re God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul; And David urgeth this as a reason to God for deliverance, ⁷