to glorify the name
of our God, as is aforesaid.

Two vices lurk in this our nature: the one is, that we cannot tremble at
God's threatenings, before the plagues apprehend us, albeit we see cause
most just why his fierce wrath should burn as a devouring fire; the other
is, that when calamities before pronounced, fall upon us, then we begin to
sink down in despair, so that we never look for any comfortable end of the
same.

To correct this our mortal infirmity, in time of quietness we ought to
consider what is the justice of our God, and how odious sin is; and, above
all, how odious idolatry is in His presence, who has forbidden it, and who
has so severely punished it in all ages from the beginning: and in the
time of our affliction we ought to consider, what have been the wondrous
works of our God, in the preservation of his church when it hath been in
uttermost extremity. For never shall we find the church humbled under the
hands of traitors, and cruelly tormented by them, but we shall find God's
just vengeance fall upon the cruel persecutors, and his merciful
deliverance shewed to the afflicted. And, in taking of this trial, we
should not only call to mind the histories of ancient times, but also we
should diligently mark what notable works God hath wrought, even in this
our age, as well upon the one as upon the other. We ought not to think,
that our God bears less love to his church this day, than what he has done
from the beginning; for as our God in his own nature is immutable, so his
love towards his elect remains always unchangeable. For as in Christ Jesus
he hath chosen his church, before the beginning of all ages; so by him
will he maintain and preserve the same unto the end. Yea, he will quiet
the storms, and cause the earth to open her mouth, and receive the raging
floods of violent waters, cast out by the dragon, to drown and carry away
the woman, which is the spouse of Jesus Christ, unto whom God for his own
name's sake will be the perpetual Protector. Rev. xii.

This saw that notable servant of Jesus Christ, Athanasius, who being
exiled from Alexandria by that blasphemous apostate Julian the emperor,
said unto his flock, who bitterly wept for his envious banishment, "Weep
not, but be of good comfort, for this little cloud will suddenly vanish."
He called both the emperor himself and his cruel tyranny a little cloud;
and albeit there was small appearance of any deliverance to the church of
God, or of any