A word in season

David had great promises of God, and yet by his own Son he was driven out of his Kingdom, and so persecuted that he was compelled to fly away barehead and barefoot. This was a sore Tentation. Wherefore the great and ample Promises made unto him could never have raised him up and comforted him again, except God had indeed delivered him out of this great misery and affliction. Even so if we had no more but the promises of God to support us against the Papists and Adversaries of the Word, yea if God did not indeed fight for us and defend us against their Tyranny, we should be swallowed up with sorrow, and brought even to Desperation. God therefore worketh both ways; he raiseth up with the Word and Promise, and delivereth out of troubles and afflictions by Execution of the deed, that according to the saying of St. Paul, the tentation should not be above our strength, but should have an end, and we learn ⟨p. 23⟩by our own Experience that the first Commandment, I am the Lord thy God, is most certain and infallible Therefore when he saith, Least the just should put forth their hand to Wickedness, it is as much as if he should say, Least the just should turn away from God and fall to Gentilism. For God hath a double care over the Faithful; first, that they be not overcome, but may overcome the tentation; and this he doth by the Word and Promise. The second is that the tentation be not perpetual. Even so must we be undoubtedly persuaded, that besides the infallible promises which we have of the good Will of God towards us, and in the end of Everlasting Life, we shall be also delivered, and our Adversaries destroyed, albeit we can see no manner of way or possible means how it may be done. This is it then that this verse here setteth forth, that God is so careful for the safety of his People, that he seemeth to fear least they should put forth their hand to Wickedness, and fall away from him, whereby it might come to pass that he should have no People, and so there should be no God. For God is the God of the living, and therefore he must needs have a People. Wherefore there must ever be some remaining which may praise and worship Him. If there must needs be such a Number remaining, God must of necessity make an end also of tentations.

David had great promises of God, and yet by his own Son he was driven out of his Kingdom, and so persecuted that he was compelled to fly away barehead and barefoot. This was a sore Tentation. Wherefore the great and ample Promises made unto him could never have raised him up and comforted him again, except God had indeed delivered him out of this great misery and affliction. Even so if we had no more but the promises of God to support us against the Papists and Adversaries of the Word, yea if God did not indeed fight for us and defend us against their Tyranny, we should be swallowed up with sorrow, and brought even to Desperation. God therefore worketh both ways; he raiseth up with the Word and Promise, and delivereth out of troubles and afflictions by Execution of the deed, that according to the saying of St. Paul, the tentation should not be above our strength, but should have an end, and we learn