The Victory of Patience, Chapter 13
CHAP. 13. That it increaseth their faith.
10 TEnthly, because the malice of our enemies serves to increase our faith for the time to come, when we consider how the Lord hath delivered us formerly. God hath delivered me (saith Paul) out of the mouth of the Lion, (meaning Nero) and he will deliver me from every evill worke, and will preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdome, 2 Tim. 4.17, 18. When Saul tels David, Thou art not able to goe against this great Philistime to fight with him, for thou art a Boy, and he is a man of war from his youth: what saith David? Thy servant kept his Fathers Sheepe, and there came a Lion, and likewise a Beare, and tooke a Sheepe out of the flocke, and I went out after him and smote him, and tooke it out of his mouth, and when he rose against me, I caught him by the beard and smote him and slew him; so thy servant slew both the Lion and the Beare. Therefore (marke the inference) this uncircumcised Philistime shall be as one of them; Yea, (saith he) the Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the Lion, and out of the paw of the Beare, he will deliver me out of the hands of this Philistine, 1 Sam. 17.33. to 37. Observe how confidently he speakes. The Tree of faith the more it is shaken with the violent stormes of trouble, the faster it becomes rooted by patience. He can never be a good souldier, that hath not felt the toile of a battell; yea, the more deliverances he had, the greater was his faith: for after the Lord had delivered him often out of extreme exigents; namely, from this great Goliah, the cruelty of Saul, the unnaturall insurrection of Absalom, and the unjust curses of Shemei, he was able to say, I trust in God, neither will I feare what flesh can do unto me, Psal. 56.4. And in Psal. 3. I will not be afraid for ten thousand of the people that should beset me round about, Vers. 6. And in Psal. 18. By thee I have broken through an host, and in thy Name I will leape over a wall. His experience had made it so easie to him, that it was no more than a skip or jumpe: we men indeed therefore shut our hands, because we have opened them, making our former kindnesses arguments of sparing afterwards. But contrarily, God therefore gives, because he hath given; making his former favours arguments for more. It is Davids only argument, Psal. 4. Have mercy upon me (saith he) and hearken unto my prayer: Why? Thou hast set me at liberty when I was in distresse, Vers. 1. I might likewise here shew from 2 Chron. 20.29. Phil. 1.12, 13.14. how the delivering of some increaseth the faith of others; but I passe that.
That we may live by faith, and not by sence, he first strips us of all our earthly confidence, and then gives us victory, and not before; lest he should bee a loser in our gaine, his helpe uses to shew it selfe in extremity: he that can prevent evils, conceales his aide till dangers be ripe, and then he is as carefull as before he seemed connivent. Daniel is not delivered at the beginning of his trouble, he must first be in the Lions den, and then he findes it. Those three Servants are not rescued at the Ovens mouth, in the Fo…nace they are. That is a gracious and well-tried faith, that can hold out with confidence to the last. The Lion seemes to leave her young-ones, till they have almost kill'd themselves with roaring and howling, but at last gaspe she relieves them, whereby they become the more couragious. When the Prophet could say, Out of the depths have I cried unto thee (instantly followes) and not till then the Lord heard me: the Lord saw… him sinking all the while, yet lets him alone till he was at the bottome. Every maine affliction is our Red-sea, which whiles it threats to swallow, preserves us: now when it comes to a dead lift (as we say) then to have a strong confidence in God is thankworthy. Hope in a state hopelesse, and love to God under signes of his displeasure, & heavenly mindednesse in the midst of worldly affaires & allurements, drawing a contrary way, is the chiefe praise of faith: to love that God who crosseth us, to kisse that hand which strikes us, to trust in that power which kils us; this is the honourable proofe of a Christian, this argues faith indeed. What made our Saviour say to that Woman of Canaan, O Woman, great is thy faith: but this, when neither his silence nor his flat deniall could silence her. Matth. 15. It is not enough to say, God is good to Israel, when Israel is in peace and prosperity, and neither feeles nor wants any thing: but God will have us beleeve that he is good, even when we feele the smart of the rod, and at the same time see our enemies (the wicked) prosper. It best pleaseth him when we can say boldly with Iob, Though hee kill me, yet will I trust in him. When our enemies are behind us, and the Red-Sea before us, then confidently to trust upon God is much worth. When we are in the barren wildernesse almost famished, then to beleeve that God will provide Manna from Heaven, and water out of the Rock, is glorious: when with the three Children we see nothing before us but a fiery Fornace; to beleeve that God will send his Angell to be our deliverer, this is heroicall, Dan. 3.28. And those which are acquainted with the proceedings of God well know, that cherishing ever follow stripes, as Cordials do vehement evacuations, and the cleere light of the morning a darke night: yea, if we can looke beyond the cloud of our afflictions, and see the sunshine of comfort on the other side of it. We cannot be so discouraged with the presence of evill, as hartned with the islue. Cheere up then, thou drooping soule, and trust in God, what ever thy sufferings be, God is no tyrant, to give thee more than thy loade; and admit he stay long, yet be thou fully assured he will come at length. In thee doe I trust (saith the Psalmist) all the day; He knew that if hee came not in the Morning, hee would come at Noone; if hee came not at Noone, hee would come at Night; At one houre of the day or other hee will deliver me: and then as the Calme is greater after the Tempest then it was before; so my joy shall be sweeter afterwards then it was before; The remembrance of Babylon wil make us sing more joyfull in Sion. If then I find the Lords dealing with mee to transcend my thoughts, my faith shall be above my reason, and thinke, he will worke good out of it, though I yet conceive not how.