He answereth them [Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour cometh, &c.] Not that Christ would not have his Servants know his graces in them, but he would ⟨p. 3⟩also have them know the Corruption that is latent, and the infirmity consistent with their grace. We are very apt to judge of all that is in us, and of all that we shall do hereafter, by what we feel at the present upon our hearts. As when we feel the stirring of some Corruption, we are apt to think that there […] nothing else, and hardly perceive the contrary grace, and are apt to think it will never be better with us: So when we feel the Exercise of Faith, Desire or Love, we are apt to overlook the contrary Corruptions, and to think that we shall never feel them more. But Christ would keep us both humble and vigilant▪ by acquainting us with the mutability and unconstancy of our minds. When it goes well with us, we forget that the time is coming when it may go worse. As Christ said to his Disciples, he•e in the case of Believing, we may say to our selves in that and other […] ▪ Do we now Believe? It is well• But the time may be coming in which we may be brought to shake with th• stirrings of our remaining Unbelief, and shrewdly tempted to question the […] of Christianity it self, and of the •oly Scriptures, ⟨p. 4⟩and of the Life to come. Do we now rejoice in the persuasions of the Love of God? The time may be coming when we may think our selves forsaken and undone, and think he will esteem and use us as his Enemies. Do we now pray with fervour, and pour out our Souls enlargedly to God? It is well: But the time may be coming when we shall seem to be as dumb and prayerless, and say, we cannot pray, or else we find no audience and acceptance of our Prayers. Christ knoweth that in us which we little know by our selves; and therefore may foreknow, that we will commit such Sins, or fall into such Dangers, as we little fear.
He answereth them [Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour cometh, &c.] Not that Christ would not have his Servants know his graces in them, but he would ⟨p. 3⟩also have them know the Corruption that is latent, and the infirmity consistent with their grace. We are very apt to judge of all that is in us, and of all that we shall do hereafter, by what we feel at the present upon our hearts. As when we feel the stirring of some Corruption, we are apt to think that there 〈…〉 nothing else, and hardly perceive the contrary grace, and are apt to think it will never be better with us: So when we feel the Exercise of Faith, Desire or Love, we are apt to overlook the contrary Corruptions, and to think that we shall never feel them more. But Christ would keep us both humble and vigilant▪ by acquainting us with the mutability and unconstancy of our minds. When it goes well with us, we forget that the time is coming when it may go worse. As Christ said to his Disciples, he•e in the case of Believing, we may say to our selves in that and other 〈…〉 ▪ Do we now Believe? It is well• But the time may be coming in which we may be brought to shake with th• stirrings of our remaining Unbelief, and shrewdly tempted to question the 〈…〉 of Ch•istianity it self, and of the •oly Scriptures, ⟨p. 4⟩and of the Life to come. Do we now rejoyce in the persuasions of the Love of God? The time may be coming when we may think our selves forsaken and undone, and think he will esteem and use us as his Enemies. Do we now pray with fervour, and pour out our Souls enlargedly to God? It is well: But the time may be coming when we shall seem to be as dumb and prayerless, and say, we cannot pray, or else we find no audience and acceptance of our Prayers. Christ knoweth that in us which we little know by our selves; and therefore may foreknow, that we will commit such Sins, or fall into such Dangers, as we little fear.
