for when he said (v. 13), my couch shall relieve me, and my bed shall bring comfort in my meditation, the Lord feared him with dreams, and astonished him with visions.

Now, when all these things came upon him at once, whereby his estate was more miserable than I have expressed, or you are able to conceive, what sense and feeling could he possibly have of God's favour, either inward or outward, when all things thus went against him? yet now his faith was at the highest; and did shew itself in the greatest measure when he uttered this most excellent saying (c. 13, v. 15), Lo! though he kill me, yet will I trust in him. So that he would not give over his trust and confidence in God's goodness, though he should proceed further against him unto death. And most of all when he further addeth (c. 19, v. 25), I am sure, that my Redeemer liveth, and he shall stand the last on the earth; and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet I shall see God in my flesh: whom I myself shall see, and mine eyes shall behold, and none other for me, though my reins are consumed within me. So that though he died in that case without all outward comfort or inward feeling, yet he would

put his trust in God: having the testimony of a good conscience, and relying upon the promise of God made concerning the resurrection of his body, and life everlasting in the world to come.

Thus then we ought to be so far from being discouraged in ourselves for want of the sight and feeling of inward comforts, as though therefore we had no faith, as that when they shall be altogether taken from us for a while, though very long and many years, yet if we can then hold out in a godly life, and not give over a good conscience, as Job did, and if we still call upon the name of God, and stay upon his promises in life and death, though we do not yet enjoy them; all the world shall then witness for us that our faith is exceeding great, though we ourselves be not able to see it, neither can be persuaded of it. For as when the sun shineth most clearly, and men do see the brightness of it, and do feel the scorching heat of it, then it is an easy matter to believe and to say confidently, there is a sun in the firmament; even children and those that are of mean capacity, are able to say so, and do believe as much, and have such a full persuasion of it that if all the world should

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tell them the contrary, they would not believe them, neither could they possibly doubt of it, their sight and feeling did sufficiently instruct them. But when the

clouds shall cover it, or in the night both the light and heat thereof shall be taken away, then to be fully persuaded that the sun is still in the heavens, and that it hath lost nothing of the light and heat of it; that is a matter of a deeper conceit, and more experience.

Even so when the testimonies of God's favour and love are so many and great, and so plentifully upon us both outwardly and inwardly that they may easily be seen and felt, then to believe that God is gracious unto us, and to be persuaded of his favour towards us, is that which the weakest in faith may attain unto without any difficulty; but when all these shall be taken away, not only in our own judgment, but in the opinion also of others. and the light of God's countenance shall be as it were darkened with the clouds of adversity, and all things outwardly shall be as uncomfortable unto us as the darkest night of winter; yet then to believe that God is one and the same towards us, and that his love suffereth no eclipse at all, but is the

same still to us, and to all those that are his, because whom he once loveth, he loveth unto the end, and that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance (Rom. c. 11, v. 29): and that all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, unto those that keep his covenant, and his testimonies (Psal. 25, v. 50): that is, that he is not only merciful unto them in the beginning, but also true and constant in his mercies towards all his even unto the ending, to finish and make perfect in them that good work of his, that he hath begun in them. For he is not like unto man that he should repent him of any thing that he hath done (1 Sam. c. 15, v. 29): and as St. James saith (James c. 1, v. 17), with him there is no variableness, or shadow of turning. To be, I say, thus persuaded, when these things shall be upon us, and so to rest in the truth of God's promises, and to wait patiently for a comfortable feeling of the performance of them in ourselves, is a matter of greater faith, and of longer experience.

Again, as if a man doth come into a fruitful garden or orchard, well set with many trees in the spring time, when. all things are green and blossom, or in

summer, when the trees are full of fruit, it is the easiest thing in the world then even at the first sight to be persuaded that the trees are living and growing; and he that hath the weakest senses, and meanest wit, and least experience, is able to say so: but to come thither in the depth of winter, when all the fruit shall be gathered, and the leaves fallen, and see all the boughs white with the hoar frost, and rine hanging upon every twig, so that outwardly they seem to be dead and rotten; yet then to be persuaded, that they are living, and that the sap is at the root, which in time will come into all the branches again, and shew itself as before in putting forth leaves, blossoms, and fruit; this requireth better judgment, and more experience.

So it is in the matter of faith: when all the testimonies of God's love do abundantly shew themselves, as it were, in summer, it is an easy matter to believe: but when all these shall be fallen away from us, as they were from Job, and there is a very hard and long winter full of many storms come upon us; yet then not to be too much discouraged and cast down, as though all were clean lost and gone, but to be persuaded that the favour of God is not clean