The excellency of holy courage in evil times by Jeremiah Burroughs

After what manner did God work upon thy heart? did he first prepare thy heart, by a work of humiliation to seek him, and make up thy peace with him? when he had done that: did God secondly take off thy heart from all creature props, creature confidences, and dependences? After that did God cast in a word, and promise into thee, and by his spirit mightily draw thy heart to close with it, and fasten upon it? did God draw out a work of Faith to close with this wisdom Faithfulness and power for the carrying of thee through when thou sawest no strength in thy self, nor didst not know what should become of thee? wert willing wholly to venture upon God, to give up thy self unto him, to be at his dispose? were thy ends good and right in this work? didst not thou find that there was a principle in thee carrying thee beyond thine own thoughts, & beyond any strength that thou couldest possibly conceive to be in thy self, and that hath brought the work to an issue beyond they expectation? surely there was faith in this, and if there were faith in this, consider what I have to say to thee.

After what manner did God work upon thy heart? did he first prepare thy heart, by a work of humiliation to seek him, and make up thy peace with him? when he had done that: did God secondly take off thy heart from all creature props, creature confidences, and dependances? After that did God cast in a word, and promise into thee, and by his spirit mightily draw thy heart to close with it, and fasten upon it? did God draw out a work of Faith to close with this wisdom Faithfulness and power for the carrying of thee through when thou sawest no strength in thy self, nor didst not know what should become of thee? wert willing wholly to venture upon God, to give up thy self unto him, to be at his dispose? were thy ends good and right in this work? didst not thou find that there was a principle in thee carrying thee beyond thine own thoughts, & beyond any strength that thou couldest possibly conceive to be in thy self, and that hath brought the work to an issue beyond they expectation? surely there was faith in this, and if there were faith in this, consider what I have to say to thee.

First, Know that this work is wonderfully acceptable to God, God looks upon such works of nature as lovely, as the young man that came to Christ, Christ loved him, in