Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

A story there is of a godly but sickly woman, who when an Angel came to her from God, proffering her as from him health in one hand, and sickness in the other, fell a weeping, that God should put her to her choice, and not himself choose for her; such is the genius of faith, which would not choose for it self, but refer all to God, kissing every cross as a piece of his government who rules the world. Again, the believer looks inward to sin, as the black fountain from whence all miseries issue forth in the world, well knowing that all Physical evils are but the pay of Moral; whilst others cry out of the plagues, he complains of the sins: Pharaoh cries out perii, but David peccavi, Against thee, thee only have I sinned, Psal. 51.4. and there is great reason for it, because sin is the fontal evil, which pours out all other evils, and puts a desperate sting and venom into them. Moreover, the believer looks forward to the issue of affliction, 'tis enough to others to come out of it, but he would come out of it as the Israelites did out of Egypt, with spiritual jewels and earrings; whilst they tell over their outward ⟨p. 186⟩losses, he computes his inward gains. Oh! saith he, what hath God wrought by this cross? did not faith roll out as pure gold out of a furnace? hath not the fire dissolved some bands of corruption? how much of the rusty world hath been filed off from the heart? hath not the rod it self budded and blossomed with the peaceable fruits of righteousness? what experiments have been made of the love and faithfulness of God in the affliction? which of the Promises came in to me, and milked out its comforts in my heart? how warm were the heavenly affections within, when the frost lay upon outward comforts? such enquiries as these doth the believer make after the holy fruit of afflictions.

A story there is of a godly but sickly woman, who when an Angel came to her from God, proffering her as from him health in one hand, and sickness in the other, fell a weeping, that God should put her to her choice, and not himself chuse for her; such is the genius of faith, which would not chuse for it self, but refer all to God, kissing every cross as a piece of his government who rules the world. Again, the believer looks inward to sin, as the black fountain from whence all miseries issue forth in the world, well knowing that all Physical evils are but the pay of Moral; whilest others cry out of the plagues, he complains of the sins: Pharaoh cries out perii, but David peccavi, Against thee, thee only have I sinned,