The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

The Prophet here pierceth through all impediments that nature could object; And by the victory of faith, he overcometh, not only the common enemies, but the great and last enemy of all, to wit, death it self: For this would he say, Lord, I see nothing to thy chosen, but misery to follow misery, & one affliction to succeed another, yea, in the end I see, that death shall devour thy dearest children. But yet, O Lord, I see thy promise to be true, & thy love to remain towards thy chosen, even when death appeared to have devoured them: For thy dead shall live, yea not only shall they live, ⟨p. 113⟩but my very dead Carcass shall arise; And so I see honour and glory to succeed this temporal shame, I see joy permanent to come after trouble, order to spring out of this terrible confusion; and finally, I see that life shall devour death, so that death shall be destroyed, and so thy servants shall have life. This (I say) is the victory of faith, when in the midst of death, through the light of Gods Word, the afflicted see life. Hypocrites, in the time of quietness and prosperity, can generally confess, That God is true in his promises; but bring them to the extremity, and there ceaseth the Hypocrite further to trust in God then he seeth natural means whereby God useth to work: But the true faithful, when all hope of natural means faileth, then fly they to God himself, and to the truth of his Promise, who is above nature, yea, whose works are not so subject to the ordinary course of nature, that when Nature faileth, his Power and Promise fail also therewith.

The Prophet here pierceth through all impediments that nature could object; And by the victory of faith, he overcommeth, not only the common enemies, but the great and last enemy of all, to wit, death it selfe: For this would he say, Lord, I see nothing to thy chosen, but misery to follow misery, & one affliction to succeed another, yea, in the end I see, that death shall devour thy dearest children. But yet, O Lord, I see thy promise to be true, & thy love to remain towards thy chosen, even when death appeared to have devoured them: For thy dead shal live, yea not only shal they live, ⟨p. 113⟩but my very dead Carcase shall arise; And so I see honour and glory to succeed this temporall shame, I see joy permanent to come after trouble, order to spring out of this terrible confusion; and finally, I see that life shall devour death, so that death shall be destroyed, and so thy servants shall have life. This (I say) is the victory of faith, when in the midst of death, through the light of Gods Word, the afflicted see life. Hypocrites, in the time of quietnesse and prosperitie, can generally confesse, That God is true in his promises; but bring them to the extremitie, and there ceaseth the Hypocrite further to trust in God then he seeth naturall means whereby God useth to work: But the true faithfull, when all hope of naturall means faileth, then flie they to God himself, and to the truth of his Promise, who is above nature, yea, whose works are not so subject to the ordinary course of nature, that when Nature faileth, his Power and Promise fail also therewith.