The excellency of holy courage in evil times by Jeremiah Burroughs

Eleventhly, You must not be discouraged by miscarriages that have been before. You have set upon a work, and you have carried your self so in it as you have miscarried, and you think I have so miscarried, and sinned against God, as I must never expect Gods help, If I had never miscarried in that work, I might have had hope, but now having so miscarried in that work, there is little hope: do not reason by former miscarriages: If we now set our hearts right to the work, and come and ask wisdom to be carried through it, though we have miscarried twenty times before, God will not upbraid us; nor say, what do you come to ask wisdom to do that work, when as you have set upon that work before, and have spoiled it, through the pride and sluggishness of your hearts? therefore now away; be humbled for miscarriages before, but be not discouraged by any miscarriages in that work or in any other; yea though we have begun the work and miscarried at first, yet be not discouraged, many works have miscarried at first, and yet have come to a glorious issue at last, especially if miscarriages be through weakness: as Jacob though he was struck lame, ⟨p. 173⟩and the sinew of his thigh shrunk in wrestling with the Angel, yet he prevailed; so though there may be failings, that our sinews may be shrunk up, and we be lame in our work, yet there may be a prevailing at last, and therefore do not hinder your Faith by being discouraged with former miscarriages.

Eleventhly, You must not be discouraged by miscarriages that have been before. You have set upon a work, and you have carried your selfe so in it as you have miscarried, and you think I have so miscarried, and sinned against God, as I must never expect Gods help, If I had never miscarried in that work, I might have had hope, but now having so miscarried in that work, there is little hope: do not reason by former miscarriages: If we now set our hearts right to the work, and come and ask wisdom to be carried through it, though we have miscarried twenty times before, God will not upbraid us; nor say, what doe you come to ask wisdom to do that work, when as you have set upon that work before, and have spoiled it, through the pride and sluggishness of your hearts? therefore now away; be humbled for miscarriages before, but be not discouraged by any miscarriages in that work or in any other; yea though we have begun the work and miscarried at first, yet be not discouraged, many works have miscarried at first, and yet have come to a glorious issue at last, especially if miscarriages be through weakness: as Jacob though he was strook lame,