their souls, did apply his medicine according to their malady; and therefore when as at his first apparition he did shew unto them his hands and his feet, he doing all things in wisdom and to some good purpose, did thereby declare, what thoughts of unbelief they were troubled with.

If such holy men as these, who had so many means to help their faith, did not sufficiently profit by them at the first; but were found thus incredulous: then we may be assured, that unbelief is more deeply rooted in us than we be aware of: and if after many means, and long continuance in the same, we find it in ourselves more than we would, we must not too much suspect ourselves, as long as we are sorry for it, and do groan under it, as under a heavy burthen, desiring to be eased of the same. For indeed, there is no sin in the world that hath more infected mankind than that: it came in with our first parents even in Paradise, and it will continue as long as there is any man upon earth: it is the first sin that possesseth all men: and it is the last that we must strive against: insomuch that when we have overcome all other, then will our unbelief most of all trouble us. And especially we shall find this to be true in all

afflictions, and in the hour of death; when the temptations of pride, of voluptuousness, of revenge, &c. shall leave us, as having received their deadly blow; then will unbelief and distrust fall upon us afresh, as though it had never been wounded, or never so much as encountered with.

For seeing that faith is, as the Apostle calleth it (Eph. c. 6, v.16), A shield wherewith we may quench all the fiery darts of the Devil therefore he laboureth most of all to pull it out of our hands altogether, or so to weaken it in many things, that his darts may easily pierce through it into our souls to destroy them: that is, his temptation may deceive us one way or other. For as long as this shield of faith is whole, and we are able to hold it out against our spiritual enemy, we shall prevail against him, whether he tempteth us unto any sin in time to come, or for any sin of the time past. But if we let fall the shield of faith, or do not defend ourselves with it, we lie open to all temptations of Satan: that is, if we altogether give over faith, or fall to doubting of the truth of his word.

Adam and Eve were first overcome by unbelief, and that was the cause of their ruin; for the devil by disputing with the

woman like a subtle sophister, brought her at the last to call into question the truth of God's word, and to say, Of the fruit of the tree, which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, least ye die (Gen. c. 3, v. 3): whereas the Lord had said in express words before (chap. 2, v. 17), In the day that ye shall eat thereof, ye shall die the death: that is, ye shall assuredly die : which if they had steadfastly believed, they had not been overcome by his temptation. So in all sin that we commit there is unbelief, more or less; for if we fall by presumption, then we believe not his threatenings; if by despair, then we believe not his promises. And justifying faith, though it principally looketh to the promises of salvation, yet generally it respecteth the whole word of God. The manifold sins, then, that we see in others, and do commit ourselves, do apparently shew, how full of unbelief we and the whole world is; for if we did believe God to be true in his threatenings and in his promises, we should be kept from sin.

Besides, when men are fallen into any sins, what is the cause that they do not speedily repent them of them, and so leave

them, but only unbelief? For if they did rightly believe either the promises of God, as, At what time soever a sinner shall return from his sins, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, and shall not die (Ezek. c. 18, v. 21): all his transgressions, that he hath committed, shall not be remembered, or laid to his charge they would presently repent, and leave their sins, that they might be forgiven them. Or if they believed his threatenings; as, Kiss the Son, least he be angry, and ye perish in the mid- way, when his wrath shall suddenly burn, blessed are all that trust in him (Psal. 2, v. 12): they would speedily repent, whilst mercy is offered; least God take them away before, or bring some great judgment upon them. But contrary to the truth of God's word (according to the nature of unbelief) they imagine some thing of their own head, wherein they rest; and let all men say to the contrary what they will, they will believe none but themselves, and their own conceit.

As that, they shall do well enough though they continue in their sins: or that they shall have time enough hereafter to repent them at their leisure: and that they may

repent them when they list, or some such like of which there is nothing promised in the word of God, but the clean contrary set down often and very plainly. Therefore that men, when they have fallen into any sin, do so easily continue in them, and either repent them not at all, or do it very slowly, and that doth bewray sufficiently, how full of unbelief they are. Seeing therefore that it is so universally spread over all men, no marvel if the better sort do complain so much of it in themselves, and find it to be a great deal more than they would.

Again, let us be in trouble, and want means to help ourselves, and see if we be not prone to distrust God? and so not to depend on his Providence: but rather to use unlawful means to help ourselves: or to be too restless and unquiet in the use of those that are lawful: and so either altogether to forget to seek unto God by prayer: or else to do it very coldly, and with little hope. Though God hath said (Psal. c. 50, v. 15), Call upon me in thy trouble, so will I deliver thee, and thou shall glorify me. And be contented with those things that ye have, for God hath said, I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee (Heb. c. 13, v. 6).