The works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emanuel College in CambridgeThe works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge

Further, In this failing of ones faith, though but in the Exercise of it; A Christian does lose much of the benefit, and sweetness of the mercy promised. Look as it is with a wicked man, in regard of the judgment threatened; So with a godly man in regard of the mercy promised. Now take a wicked man, and let the threatening of God be fulfilled before him upon others, upon himself; he profits not by Gods judgments. Why? because that he don't exercise faith concerning the threatening; and so when the judgment comes, he profits not by Gods dealing, by Gods judgments, he loses the benefit of Gods dispensations that way. So I say with a godly man: let the promise be fulfilled, and possibly ⟨p. 268⟩he does not find the sweetness, or the benefit of the mercy promised when the promise is fulfilled: Why? because he don't exercise faith in the promise it self. When as the Lord gave Manna, Moses had the sweetness of it, why? because he exercised faith about it: But the children of Israel, they make a tush of it, a light matter of it: why? because they looked upon it in a way of sense, & did not take it in a way of believing, and so they lost the benefit, and sweetness of the mercy promised. Beloved! it is no small matter this, for to lose the benefit, and sweetness of the mercy promised: that a Christian loses by failing in his faith in regard of the Exercise of it; and therefore certainly it is a very evil thing: though their faith fail not in regard of the grace it self, yet if it fail in regard of the work, and the exercise of it, it is a very evil thing, and much inconvenience comes unto the Saints thereby.

Further, In this failing of ones faith, though but in the Exercise of it; A Christian does lose much of the benefit, and sweetness of the mercy promised. Look as it is with a wicked man, in regard of the judgment threatned; So with a godly man in regard of the mercy promised. Now take a wicked man, and let the threatning of God be fulfilled before him upon others, upon himself; he profits not by Gods judgments. Why? because that he don't exercise faith concerning the threatning; and so when the judgment comes, he profits not by Gods dealing, by Gods judgments, he loses the benefit of Gods dispensations that way. So I say with a godly man: let the promise be fulfilled, and possibly ⟨p. 268⟩he does not find the sweetness, or the benefit of the mercy promised when the promise is fulfilled: Why? because he don't exercise faith in the promise it self. When as the Lord gave Manna, Moses had the seetness of it, why? because he exercised faith about it: But the children of Israel, they make a tush of it, a light matter of it: why? because they look't upon it in a way of sence, & did not take it in a way of beleeving, and so they lost the benefit, and sweetness of the mercy promised. Beloved! it is no small matter this, for to lose the benefit, and sweetnesse of the mercy promised: that a Christian loses by failing in his faith in regard of the Exercise of it; and therefore certainly it is a very evil thing: though their faith fail not in regard of the grace it self, yet if it fail in regard of the work, and the exercise of it, it is a very evil thing, and much inconvenience comes unto the Saints thereby.