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

If a man be to go home over some water, or River, and the water rises, he says with himself, how shall I get over this water? The longer I stay, the more it rises: he begins to go into it, and he comes back again: but (says he) there is no other way, as good first, as at the last; I must venture, I must over, there is no other way; and so he ventures. So say I now unto thee: This thou must come unto at last (poor soul) Difficulties, and discouragements arise, to stave thee off from Christ; at the last thou must venture upon Jesus Christ, at the last you must venture, notwithstanding all your guilt: you begin to do it, and you are ready to go back; but know this, first or last you must venture upon Christ: hadst thou not better do it at the first? Oh! therefore, when ever any difficulties do arise, put thy self upon faith: say, come, O my soul, here is a difficulty, now venture on Jesus Christ.

If a man be to go home over some water, or River, and the water rises, he sayes with himself, how shall I get over this water? The longer I stay, the more it rises: he begins to go into it, and he comes back againe: but (sayes he) there is no other way, as good first, as at the last; I must venture, I must over, there is no other way; and so he ventures. So say I now unto thee: This thou must come unto at last (poor soule) Difficulties, and discouragements arise, to stave thee off from Christ; at the last thou must venture upon Jesus Christ, at the last you must venture, notwithstanding all your guilt: you begin to do it, and you are ready to go back; but know this, first or last you must venture upon Christ: hadst thou not better do it at the first? Oh! therefore, when ever any difficulties do arise, put thy selfe upon faith: say, come, O my soule, here is a difficulty, now venture on Jesus Christ.

In the fourth place, §4for your encouragement know this: That the more and greater difficulties your duties or your graces are recovered out of the hand of, the more comfortable they will be to you. (I pray mark it) I say, duty, or grace, recovered out of the hand of difficulty, is the most comfortable. You know how it was with David at Ziklag: the enemy had come upon him, taken away his wife, and all his comforts; a sentence of death was upon all his comforts: David, he follows after, overtakes the enemy, recovers his wife, and all his comforts, and there he had the greatest spoil of all spoils; he sent unto all his friends of his spoil, he never had a greater spoil. So I say, does difficulty, or discouragement break in upon your duty? Morning duty? Evening duty? Or any grace? Follow after it: if thou strikest this difficulty in the hinder part, and recoverest thy duty, or thy grace out of the hand of the difficulty, thy duty and thy grace will be more comfortable then ever it was.