The Christian in Complete Armour

Thirdly, God is wise to conceal the succours he intends in the several changes of thy life, that so he may draw thy heart into an entire dependence on his faithful promise. Thus to try the metal of Abraham's faith he let him go on, till his hand was stretched forth, and then he comes to his rescue. Christ sends his disciples to sea, but stays behind himself, on a design to try their faith, and show his love. Comfort thy self therefore with this, though thou seest not thy God in the way, yet thou shalt find him in the end.

Thirdly, God is wise to conceale the succours he intends in the several changes of thy life, that so he may draw thy heart into an entire dependance on his faithful promise. Thus to try the mettal of Abrahams faith he let him go on, till his hand was stretch't forth, and then he comes to his rescue. Christ sends his disciples to sea, but stayes behinde himself, on a design to try their faith, and shew his love. Comfort thy self therefore with this, though thou seest not thy God in the way, yet thou shalt finde him in the end.

Secondly, Satan perplexeth the tender consciences of doubting Christians with obscure Scriptures, whose sense lies too deep for their weak and distempered judgements, readily to find out, and with these he hampers poor souls exceedingly; indeed as melancholy men delight in melancholy walks, so doubting souls most frequent such places of Scripture in their musing thoughts, as increase their doubts; how many have I known that have looked so long on those difficult places, Heb. 6.7. Heb. 10.26. (which pass the understanding, as a swift stream the eye, so ⟨p. 133⟩that the sense is not perceived without great observation,) till their heads have turned round, and they at last (not able to untie the difficulties,) have fallen down into despairing thoughts and words of their own condition, crying out, O they have sinned against knowledge of the truth, and therefore no mercy remains for them; who if they would have refreshed their understandings by looking off these places, (whose engraving is too curious to be long pored on by a weak eye,) they might have found that in other Scriptures plainly expressed, which would have enabled them, as through a glass, more safely to have viewed these? Therefore, Christian, keep the Plains; thou mayest be sure 'tis thine enemy that gives thee such stones to break thy teeth, when thy condition calls rather for bread and wine, such Scriptures, I mean, as are most apt to nourish thy faith, and cheer thy drooping spirit. When thou meetest such plain Scriptures which speak to thy case, go over where it is fordable, and do not venture beyond thy depth. Art thou afraid because thou hast sinned since the knowledge of the truth, and therefore no sacrifice remains for thee? See David and Peters case, how it patterns thine, and left upon record that their recovery may be a Key in thine hand to open such places as these; mayest thou not safely conclude from these, this is not their meaning, that none can be saved that sin after knowledge? Indeed in both those places, it is neither meant of the falls of such as ever had true grace, nor of a falling away in some particular acts of sin, but of a total universal falling away from the Faith, (the doctrine of it as well as seeming practice of it.)