Tliirdly, I am treating of the life of faith with respect to the op- posites of it, and have handled it with relation to temptations from the devil, and from the world, and now I come to speak of the life of faith as to afflictions. And here I shall show you, — (1.) That there is need of faith ; (2.) The grounds, or principles of faith ; (3.; What are the acts of faith as to this branch.
1. The need of faith will be seen if we consider —
[1.] The troubles and afflictions of the people of God — ' Man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward." All have their crosses and sorrows, much more Gods own people : Ps. xxxiv. 19, 'Many are the afflictions of the righteous ; ' though it be those whom God dearly loveth, their afflictions may be many, great, and long. This is often the lot of God's children, and heavy to be borne : Job vii. 20, ' Thou settest me up as a mark, so that 1 am a burden to myself , ' and Job xvi. 14, 'He breaketh me with breach upon breach.' That expression (chap. vii. 20), as it implieth some comfort, that affliction dolh not hit the saints by chance, but by aim and direction — we are ' appointed thereunto,' 1 Thes. iii. 3 ; so it expresseth much terror. A mark i.^ set up on purpose to receive the darts, arrows, and bullets that are shot at it. Now what shall relieve us in such a case but faith ? Sense seeth no good in all this, because it judgeth by the outside and present feeling: Heb. xii. 11, 'Now no chastening for the present seemeth joyous but grievous.' When we feel nothing but pain, and smart, and blows, how can God love us ? Sense telleth us of nothing but wrath and anger, and is not able to unfold the riddles of provi- dence. Will natural courage bear us out? 'The spirit of a man will bear his infirmity,' Prov. xviii. 14. For a while this will hold out ; but when God redoubleth his blows, many and great troubles will quite break it. The stoutness of the creature is soon borne down by a few trembling thoughts, or a spark of God's wrath falling upon the conscience ; therefore faith will only help us to bear crosses in the right manner : Ps. xxvii 13, ' I had fainted, unle.ss I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.' It is believing keepeth us from being overcome by our troubles, Avhilst it helpeth us to wait for gracious experiences in them, or a comfortable issue out of them
1-J2 THE LIFE OF FAITH.
2. The many sins tliat are incident to this condition show the need of faith ; as —
[1.] Impatiency when our will is crossed : G-en. xxx. 1, 'Griveme children, or I die,' To be sick of the fret is a disease incident to us : Ps. xxxvii. 1, ' Fret not.' We murmur and repine against Grod, and that even for small matters ; as Jonah for a gourd : ' I do well to be angry/ Jonah iv. 9, so strangely are we transported.
[2,] A spirit of revenge against instruments. Christianity estab- lisheth a universal and diffusive charity, even to enemies ; to pray for them, and seek their good. Now we are vindictive and transported into uncomely passions when wronged by men : 2 Sam. xvi. 9, ' Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king ? let me go and cut off his head.' No, saith David, 'let him alone, God hath bid him curse.' No man is troubled at a shower of rain that falleth ; but if any cast a bucket, or a bason of water upon us, we are presently all in a rage against them.
[o.] Waxing weary of our dut}'', and being quite tired and dis- couraged in our service : Heb. xii. 3, ' For consider him that endured such contradictions of sinners, lest you be weary, and faint in your minds.' Weariness and fainting belong to the body properly, and they differ gradually ; weariness is a lesser, and fainting a higher degree of deficiency ; as when labour, or hunger, or ti-avail abateth the strength, weakens the active power, or dulleth the spirits and principles of motion ; and from the body, it is translated to the mind. Wlien troubles are many and long-continued, then we faint, and begin to be weary of the faith and service of Christ, and sink under the burden. It is the devil's design to tire and weary us out.
[4.] Closing with sinful means for an escape : 1 Sam. xxviii. 7, ' Look me out a woman that hath a flimiliar spirit.' Carnal shifts are very natuial to us, and if we cannot trust God, and wait upon him, we are apt to take indirect courses. Afiiictions are often compared to a prison, and the sorrows that accompany it to fetters and chains. Now God that puts us in can only help us out, for he is the judge and governor of the world ; but now we attempt to break prison ; we are not able to hold out till God send an happy issue, but take some carnal course of our own. The devil will make an advantage of our afiiictions ; he tempted Christ when he was an hungry : Mat. iv. 3, ' When he had fasted forty days, he was an hungry ; then came the tempter to him,'