Afflictions

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The sea of God's mercy should swallow up our particular afflictions. - Luther (Quoted by Thomas Watson in his sermon "Christ All in All" (Col. 3:11).)
All the tediousness of the present life is but like one rainy day to an everlasting sunshine. – Thomas Manton
“How readily, then, should we bear these shortlived troubles! They are but for a moment; just a passing shower, and then the sun will shine out forever. Time is nothing when compared with eternity. To a believer, this sorrowful life is like one drop of grief lost in a sea of glory, one speck of rain in a year of fair weather. These light and momentary afflictions are not worthy to be compared with the eternal bliss which awaits us.” - Spurgeon
“Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.” Job 10:2

GROWTH IN AFFLICTION

C.H.Spurgeon

(Excerpts from C.H.Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening", February 18, Morning)
Perhaps, O tried soul, the Lord is doing this to develop thy graces. There are some of thy graces which would never be discovered if it were not for thy trials. Dost thou not know that thy faith never looks so grand in summer weather as it does in winter? Love is too often like a glow-worm, showing but little light except it be in the midst of surrounding darkness. Hope itself is like a star – not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, and only to be discovered in the night of adversity. Afflictions are often the black foils in which God doth set the jewels of His children’s graces, to make them shine the better. It was but a little while ago that on thy knees thou wast saying, “Lord, I fear I have no faith: let me know that I have faith.” Was not this really, though perhaps unconsciously, praying for trials? – for how canst thou know that thou hast faith until thy faith is exercised? Depend upon it, God often sends us trials that our graces may be discovered, and that we may be certified of their existence. Besides, it is not merely discovery, real growth in grace is the result of sanctified trials. God often takes away our comforts and our privileges in order to make us better Christians. He trains His soldiers, not in tents of ease and luxury, but by turning them out and using them to forced marches and hard service. He makes them ford through streams, and swim through rivers, and climb mountains, and walk many a long mile with heavy knapsacks of sorrow on their backs. Well, Christian, may not this account for the troubles through which thou art passing? Is not the Lord bringing out your graces, and making them grow? Is not this the reason why He is contending with you?
“Trials make the promise sweet;
Trials give new life to prayer;
Trials bring me to His feet,
Lay me low, and keep me there.”
"I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." Isaiah 48:10

THE FURNACE OF AFFLICTION

C.H.Spurgeon
(Excerpts from C.H.Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening", March 3, Morning.)
Comfort thyself, tried believer, with this thought: God saith, "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." Does not the word come like a soft answer, assuaging the fury of the flame? Yea, is it not an asbestos power? Let affliction come - God has chosen me. Poverty, thou mayest stride at my door; but God is in the house already, and He has chosen me. Sickness, thou mayest intrude, but I have a balsam ready - God has chosen me. Whatever befalls me in this vale of tears, I know that He has "chosen" me. If, believer, thou requirest still greater comfort, remember that you have the Son of Man with you in the furnace. In that silent chamber of yours, there sitteth by your side One whom thou has not seen, but whom thou lovest; and oftimes when thou knowest it not, He makes all thy bed in thy affliction, and smooths thy pillow for thee. Thou art in poverty; but in that lovely house of thine the Lord of life and glory is a frequent visitor. He loves to come into these desolate places, that He may visit thee. Thy friend sticks closely to thee. Thou canst not see Him, but thou mayest feel the pressure of His hands. Dost thou not hear His voice? Even in the valley of the shadow of death He says, "Fear not, I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God."..... Fear not, Christian; Jesus is with thee. In all thy fiery trials, His presence is both thy comfort and safety. He will never leave one whom He has chosen for His own. "Fear not, for I am with thee," is His sure word of promise to His chosen ones in the "furnace of affliction." Wilt thou not, then, take fast hold of Christ, and say,- "Through floods and flames, if Jesus lead, I'll follow where He goes."

“Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick” (John 11:3)

BELOVED, AND YET AFFLICTED

C.H. Spurgeon

(Excerpts Taken from C.H.Spurgeon’s “Beloved, and Yet Afflicted”, Free Grace Boardcaster, January 1994.)
That disciple whom Jesus loved is not at all backward to record that Jesus loved Lazarus too: there are no jealousies among those who are chosen by the Well-beloved. Jesus loved Mary, and Martha, and Lazarus: it is a happy thing where a whole family live in the love of Jesus. They were a favoured trio, and yet, as the serpent came into Paradise, so did sorrow enter their quiet household at Bethany. Lazarus was sick. They all felt that if Jesus were there disease would flee at his presence; what then should they do but let him know of their trial? Lazarus was near to death’s door, and so his tender sisters at once reported the fact to Jesus, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.” Many a time since then has that same message been sent to our Lord, for in full many a case he has chosen his people in the furnace of affliction. Of the Master it is said, “himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses,” and it is, therefore, no extraordinary thing for the members to be in this matter conformed to their Head.
Notice, first, A FACT mentioned in the text: “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.” The sisters were somewhat astonished that it should be so, for the word “behold” implies a measure of surprise. “We love him, and would make him well directly: thou lovest him, and yet he remains sick. Thou canst heal him with a word, why then is thy loved one sick”? Have not you, dear sick friend, often wondered how your painful and lingering disease could be consistent with your being chosen, and called, and made one with Christ? I dare say this has greatly perplexed you, and yet in very truth it is by no means strange, but a thing to be expected.
We need not be astonished that the man whom the Lord loves is sick, for he is only a man. The love of Jesus does not separate us from the common necessities and infirmities of human life. Men of God are still men. The covenant of grace is not a charter of exemption from consumption, or rheumatism, or asthma. The bodily ills, which come upon us because of our flesh, will attend us to the tomb, for Paul saith, “we that are in this body do groan.”
Those whom the Lord loves are the more likely to be sick, since they are under a peculiar discipline. It is written, “Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” Affliction of some sort is one of the marks of the true-born child of God, and it frequently happens that the trial takes the form of illness. Shall we therefore wonder that we have to take our turn in the sick chamber? If Job, and David, and Hezekiah must each one smart, who are we that we should be amazed because we are in ill-health?
Nor is it remarkable that we are sick if we reflect upon the great benefit which often flows from it to ourselves. I do not know what peculiar improvement may have been wrought in Lazarus, but many a disciple of Jesus would have been of small use if he had not been afflicted. Strong men are apt to be harsh, imperious, and unsympathetic, and therefore they need to be put into the furnace, and melted down. I have known Christian women who would never have been so gentle, tender, wise, experienced, and holy if they had not been mellowed by physical pain. There are fruits in God’s garden as well as in man’s which never ripen till they are bruised. Young women who are apt to be volatile, conceited, or talkative, are often trained to be full of sweetness and light by sickness after sickness, to which they are taught to sit at Jesus’ feet. Many have been able to say with the psalmist, “It is good for me to have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes.” For this reason even such as are highly favoured and blessed among women may feel a sword piercing through their hearts.
Oftentimes this sickness of the Lord’s loved ones is for the good of others. Lazarus was permitted to be sick and to die, that by his death and resurrection the apostles might be benefitted. His sickness was “for the glory of God.” Throughout these nineteen hundred years which have succeeded Lazarus’ sickness all believers have been getting good out of it, and this afternoon we are all the better because he languished and died. The church and the world may derive immense advantage through the sorrows of good men: the ungodly may be awakened, the doubting may be convinced, the ungodly may be converted, the mourner may be comforted through our testimony in sickness; and if so, would we wish to avoid pain and weakness? Are we not quite willing that our friends should say of us also “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick”?
For the full sermon, visit Spurgeon Archive
"My grace is sufficient for thee." 2 Corinthians 12:9

MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR THEE

C.H.Spurgeon

(Excerpts from C.H.Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening", March 4, Morning.)
If none of God's saints were poor and tried, we should not know half so well the consolation of divine grace. When we find the wanderer who has not where to lay his head, who yet can say, "Still will I trust in the Lord;" when we see the pauper starving on bread and water, who still glories in Jesus; when we see the bereaved widow overwhelmed in affliction, and yet having faith in Christ, oh! What honour it reflects on the gospel. God's grace is illustrated and magnified in the poverty and trials of believers. Saints bear up under every discouragement, believing that all things work together for their good, and that out of apparent evils a real blessing shall ultimately spring - that their God will either work a deliverance for them speedily, or most assuredly support them in the trouble, as long as He is pleased to keep them in it. This patience of the saints proves the power of divine grace. There is a lighthouse out at sea: it is a calm night - I cannot tell whether the edifice is firm; the tempest must rage about it, and then I shall know whether it will stand. So with the Spirit's work: if it were not on many occasions surrounded with tempestuous waters, we should not know that it was true and strong; if the winds did not blow upon it, we should not know how firm and secure it was. The master-works of God are those men who stand in the midst of difficulties, stedfast, unmoveable, -
"Calm mid the bewildering cry,
Confident of victory."
He who would glorify his God must set his account upon meeting with many trials. No man can be illustrious before the Lord unless his conflicts be many. If then, yours be a much-tried path, rejoice in it, because you will the better show forth the all-sufficient grace of God. As for His failing you, never dream of it - hate the thought. The God who has been sufficient until now, should be trusted to the end.




Kept in the Furnace



(Taken from “Heaven Opened, The Correspondence of Mary Winslow”, edited by Octavius Winslow, Reformation Heritage Books, 2001, page 305.)
Beloved in the Lord, - When anything tries me, and my heart sinks, the moment I think of God the burden is either lightened or removed. The name-the very name-of Jesus soothes and comforts, and I feel that nothing is wrong, but all is right that He permits. Oh, it is sweet to repose in His bosom, and shelter there until the storm be past. How is it that the Lord places His people so frequently, and keeps them so long, in the furnace? When one trial is over another comes, scarcely, sometimes, allowing breathing time between! Wave resounding to wave! Oh, it is because He loves us, and will have us to know it. And when trouble comes, small or great, we then shelter beneath His wings, or nestle within His bosom, and feel the very throbbings of His heart. Who can sound the depth or measure the dimensions of the love of God towards His people,-its depth, its height? Eternity alone can unfold it. It passeth knowledge. We sometimes have such a taste of it here as makes us long to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. May the presence of the Lord be with you, may His love comforts you, and may His arms encircle you, to preserve you from all evil!
M.W.
This book is available in Singapore at Old Paths Publishing House




Consolation in Child-Bereveament



(Taken from “Heaven Opened, The Correspondence of Mary Winslow”, edited by Octavius Winslow, Reformation Heritage Books, 2001, page 49.)
You will be grieved to hear that the Lord has again laid His chastening yet loving hand upon us, and pluced our sweetest flower, transplanting it to His garden above. Our darling ___ is gone! the loveliest babe and most interesting child I ever saw; she had entwined herself around all our hearts. But the Lord loved her better, and took her from us. .... Dear friend, pray for us, for you cannot think how near this stroke has come to us all; for this truly is a house of mourning. And yet God be praised for the blessed hope that she is with Jesus. He removed this sweet flower but to bloom in heaven. There was a needs be for the trial - may it be abundantly sanctified to us all! What a meeting awaits us above! All pure and holy spirits there - no shade of difference. We shall all see Jesus as He is, and all see alike. How animating is this prospect to me! M.W.

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