The excellency of holy courage in evil times by Jeremiah Burroughs

15. Another rule for the putting on of your faith may be this: when you are doing any great work God calls you to do. Take heed of perverse reasonings, as thus. When God calls me to do any service, I should reason; if I were able to do thus and thus I could believe but who can believe when they have such a heart, so unable to do any thing, and so unable to overcome any corruption? What a perverse reasoning is this? If I could do this I could believe, you should reason I must believe, that I may do this: as If one should say, if I could do any work I hope I should have strength, you ⟨p. 177⟩must have strength to do your work; or if I were at my journeys end I could go; you must go to be at your journeys end, If I were over Sea I could venture into a Ship, you must venture into a Ship that you may come over Sea: And so if I could do such a thing I could believe how should strength come in but by believing? Wilt stay believing till thou canst get strength? it is as much as if one should say I will stay going into a Ship till I get over Sea, his going into the Ship is a means to get over Sea, and so believing is the way to get strength: and therefore do not reason from thy want of strength to hinder faith but rather reason from thy want of strength to further faith.

15. Another rule for the putting on of your faith may be this: when you are doing any great work God calls you to do. Take heed of perverse reasonings, as thus. When God calls me to do any service, I should reason; if I were able to do thus and thus I could beleeve but who can beleeve when they have such a heart, so unable to do any thing, and so unable to overcome any corruption? What a perverse reasoning is this? If I could do this I could beleeve, you should reason I must beleeve, that I may do this: as If one should say, if I could do any work I hope I should have strength, you ⟨p. 177⟩must have strength to do your work; or if I were at my journies end I could go; you must go to be at your journies end, If I were over Sea I could venture into a Ship, you must venture into a Ship that you may come over Sea: And so if I could do such a thing I could beleeve how should strength come in but by beleeving? Wilt stay beleeving till thou canst get strength? it is as much as if one should say I wil stay going into a Ship til I get over Sea, his going into the Ship is a means to get over Sea, and so beleeving is the way to get strength: and therefore do not reason from thy want of strength to hinder faith but rather reason from thy want of strength to further faith.