The Soul's Conflict with Itself

Yea, though our experience by reason of our not minding of it in trouble, seems many times to stand us in no stead, but we fare as if God had never looked in mercy upon us: Yet (even here) some virtue remains of former sense, which with the present spirit of faith, helps us to look upon God as ours. As we have a present strength from food received, and digested before; vessels are something the better for that liquor they keep not, but runs through them.

Yea, though our experience by reason of our not minding of it in trouble, seemes many times to stand us in no stead, but we fare as if God had never looked in mercy upon us: Yet (even here) some vertue remaines of former sense, which with the present spirit of faith, helps us to looke upon God as ours. As wee have a present strength from food received, and digested before; vessels are something the better for that liquor they keep not, but runs through them.

But if experience should wholly fail, •ere is such a divine power in faith, as ¹[…] very little beam of it, having no other help then a naked promise, will uphold the soul; howsoever we must neglect no help, for God oft suspends his comfort, till we have searched all our helps. Though we see no light, yet we ought to search all crevices for light, and rejoice in the least beam of light, ²that we may see day by. It is the nature of true faith, to search and pry into every corner; and if after all nothing appears, then it casts it self upon God, as in the first conversion, when it had nothing to look upon, but the offer of free mercy. If at that time without former experience, we did trust God, Why not now, when we have forgotten our experience? the chief grounds of trusting God, are always the same, whether we feel, or feel not; nay, though for the present we feel the contrary, faith will never leave wrestling, till it hath gotten a blessing. When faith is driven to work alone, having nothing but God, and his bare ⟨p. 534⟩