It is a special Art in time of misery, […] think of matter of joy, if not for the •sent, yet for the time to come; for ⟨p. 430⟩joy disposeth to praise, and praise again stirs up joy; these mutually breed one another, even as the seed brings forth the tree, and the tree brings forth the seed. It is wisdom therefore to set faith on work, to take as much comfort as we can from future promises, that we may have comfort and strength for the present, before we have the full possession of them. It is the nature of faith to antidate blessings, by making them that are to be performed hereafter, as present now, because we have them in the promise. If God had not allowed us to take many things in trust for the time to come, both for his glory, and our good, he would never have left such rich promises to us. For faith doth not only give glory to God for the present (in a present believing of his truth, and relying upon him) but as it looks forward, it sees an everlasting ground of praising God, and is stirred up to praise him now, for that future matter of praise, which it is sure to have hereafter. The very hopes of future good, made David praise God ⟨p. 431⟩for the present. If the happy condition we look for were present, we would embrace it with present praises. Now faith is the evidence of things not 1s•ene, and gives a being to that, which is not; whereupon a true believing soul cannot but be a praising soul. For this end God reveals before hand what we shall have, that before hand we should praise him, as if we possessed it. For that is a great honour to his •uth, when we esteem of what he speaks, as done, and what he promiseth, as already performed. Had we not a perpetual confidence in the perpetuity of his love to us, how is it possible we should praise him?
It is a speciall Art in time of misery, 〈…〉 thinke of matter of joy, if not for the •sent, yet for the time to come; for ⟨p. 430⟩joy disposeth to praise, and praise again stirres up joy; these mutually breed one another, even as the seed brings forth the tree, and the tree brings forth the seed. It is wisdome therefore to set faith on worke, to take as much comfort as wee can from future promises, that wee may have comfort and strength for the present, before we have the full possession of them. It is the nature of faith to antidate blessings, by making them that are to be performed hereafter, as present now, because wee have them in the promise. If God had not allowed us to take many things in trust for the time to come, both for his glory, and our good, hee would never have left such rich promises to us. For faith doth not only give glory to God for the present (in a present beleeving of his truth, and relying upon him) but as it lookes forward, it sees an everlasting ground of praising God, and is stirred up to praise him now, for that future matter of praise, which it is sure to have hereafter. The very hopes of future good, made David praise God ⟨p. 431⟩for the present. If the happy condition wee looke for were present, wee would embrace it with present praises. Now faith is the evidence of things not 1s•ene, and gives a being to that, which is not; whereupon a true beleeving soule cannot but bee a praising soule. For this end God reveales before hand what wee shall have, that before hand we should praise him, as if we possessed it. For that is a great honour to his •uth, when wee esteeme of what hee speakes, as done, and what he promiseth, as already performed. Had wee not a perpetuall confidence in the perpetuity of his love to us, how is it possible we should praise him?
- 1Heb. 11. 1.
