Quest. Well, in a word, how shall we know if we have this rest and trust in God or no ?
Ans. By this which I have said ; for if we trust in God, then we will be quiet, for faith hath a quieting power. Therefore, if thou canst stay thyself, and rest upon God for provision, for protection, for all that helps thee from grace to glory, thou art safe. Again, faith hath a comforting power. There is a distinction between alchymy gold and true gold ; for that which is true will comfort the heart, but counterfeit faith, like alchymy gold, will not strengthen the heart. Therefore, if thou dost find thy faith strengthen thee, to cast thyself upon God and his mercy in Jesus Christ, then there is true faith. The garment of Christ, when it was but touched, there was virtue went out of it, so that the woman found strength therein to quench her bloody issue. Mat. ix. 21, xiv. 36 ; and dost not thou find strength from God to quench the bloody issue of sin in thy soul ? Then hast thou cause to doubt of the truth of thy faith ; for precious faith brings virtue from the root. As the tree doth draw strength from the earth to feed the body and the boughs, whereby it is fruitful, so faith brings virtue from Christ and his promises, which strengthens the soul.
I beseech you consider, if you have your soul strengthened by the pro- mises of God, and the nature of God, it is a sign you have true faith. What a shame is it for Christians, when they have an infinite God for their God, who hath made abundant promises, and have a rich Saviour, and yet they live so unquiet and discontented, and sometimes for earthly trash, as if there were no Father for them in heaven, nor providence upon earth ! Now, at this time, which are times of trouble abroad, wherein our faith should be exercised, how are the hearts of many cast down, as though God had cast away his care over his church ! Consider, I pray you, doth an husband cast away his care over his wife in time of danger when she is wronged ? No ; but is the more inflamed to be revenged : much more w^ill God arise to maintain his own cause, but we must wait the time, knowing ' they that believe make not haste,' as it is Isa. xxviii, 16.
Quest. But what is the matter for which we are to trust God ? ' I shall yet praise him.'
Ans. His meaning is, though he be for the present in great afflictions, yet he shall be delivered. See the language of Canaan. The holy people of God, if they receive any deliverance, they give God the praise and glory, for this is all that God looks for ; if thou art in any aflliction, and God doth deliver thee, then to give him all the glory and the praise. So this holy man saith to his soul, ' God will deliver thee ; ' then saith the soul, ' I will praise him ; ' so he gives the delivered soul both matter and affection to praise his name. I beseech you, consider here when the soul hath nothing in itself to trust in, how it doth sustain itself by looking towards God. Christ himself, when he was in his extremities, looks upward to his Father in heaven. Mat. xxvi. 39, so this holy man comforts himself he shall be delivered. Thus he lays sound grounds in God, for there is no loose sands there. Therefore the ship of his soul rides safe. He trusts God for the present and for the time to come ; as though he should say. Though I am now in great aflliction, yet it shall be better with me, howsoever it be now.
discouragement's eecovery. 61
Use. Let us raise this comfort to ourselves, trust in God. What if we should live here all the days of our life in this troubled estate that we are now in ! * Yet wait upon God, 0 my soul, for I shall yet praise him.' We live here in many troubles and afflictions, and we sit down by the rivers of Babel. Well ! what if we die in this affliction ? Yet I shall have glory with Christ. Thus, I beseech you, extend this comfort to the whole church of God ; put the case the church be in trouble, what hath the church to do ? ' To wait on God ; ' because it shall have delivery, and all the true church shall praise God upon their delivery. God will deliver his church, and in the mean time preserve and provide for it. It is as dear unto him as the apple of his eye, it is his jewel, his vine which himself hath planted ; and therefore let us comfort ourselves with this. What though we are now cast down and in heaviness for the church of God abroad ; yet God will redeem Israel from all his iniquities, much more out of all his troubles and afflictions, Ps. cxxx. 8. The church must be delivered, and Babel must fall. Nay, the Holy Ghost saith it is fallen, Eev. xviii. 2, to shew the certainty of it, for God will do it. The Ked Sea and Jordan must return, and the church must sing praises for her delivery ; and thus we do daily and continually wait upon God for the performance hereof.