Patience and its perfect work under sudden & sore trialsPatience and its perfect work under sudden & sore tryals

This will appear by considering these three things.

First, In respect that the had ¹exhorted to so hard and difficult a Practice: to Count it all Joy, &c. Which requireth such high principles, to be drunk in, about the good and benefit of Tentations, in the issue and end of them; which principles must also have ⟨p. 149⟩been thoroughly concocted in their hearts, first, who shall attain to this.

First, In respect that the had ¹exhorted to so hard and difficult a Practice: to Count it all Joy, &c. Which requireth such high principles, to be drunk in, about the good and benefit of Tentations, in the issue and end of them; which principles must also have ⟨p. 149⟩been thorowly concocted in their hearts, first, who shall attain to this.

1. 1Siquis vestrum non potest intelligere Ʋ •ilitatem Tentationum, postulet a Deo toibui sibi tentum. Beda in Locum.

And Secondly, There being many poor Souls(as of such that were weak, and some New Converts) amongst them, whom he wrote to, who might and did then (as many now-a-days, that yet are sincere-hearted) in the sense of their own weakness, find and apprehend themselves so far off, and remote from such high principles, and attainments; and therefore upon his thus discoursing, were like to be utterly discouraged; thinking with themselves, (judging themselves by the present frame of their infirm Spirits) both that their hearts had never yet, nor would ever be wrought up to this Pitch. What to count it all joy! (think they) is that it, you exhort us unto? Alas! our hearts tremble at the very thoughts of