Waldegrave Brewster

“ Nay, more, not only may we judge that it is most frequently through suffering we are to look for our perfection; but if, at any time there come upon us any unusual trial, then may we gather most assuredly that God is calling us to some great thing, and desiring to bestow on us some peculiar grace.
Let us take it then for granted, as Scripture and experience abundantly prove, that the way to richest blessings often lies through severest trials. We acknowledge this principle, when we set the highest value, as generally speaking we certainly do, upon those things which have cost us most pains. ”

“ And not we only, but all those who yet look for His appearing, or are gone before us to be with Him; while it is possible, nay likely, that the separations we grieve over may be the mode adopted in the far seeing mercy of our Father, to render our eternal union more blessed and secure.
Let us then accept this almost universal law of suffering, sanctified and solaced as it is by the example and blessing of our Lord: let us acquiesce in the wisdom of our Father whensoever He shall see fit to bow any of us under it: that so it may bring forth its fruit in due season. ”

“ Is it nothing to be loved of God as they are, to be kept always by Him as the apple of an eye and hidden under the shadow of His wings? Is it nothing that even here He should "hide them in His tabernacle," and keep them safe from "the stormy wind and tempest" which rage around us? ”

“ The condition in which God placed man at the first, was one of blessedness and freedom. That into which he fell by sin may properly be described as a state of discipline. Not that the first was in such sense one of blessing as to preclude all restraint; for that would appear to be incompatible with the safety of any created being. But certainly, its larger and distinguishing features were the abundance of its blessings, and the small amount of its prohibitions; together with its utter ignorance of all sorrow and bereavement. ”

“ The difference then consists not so much in the amount of blessings attached to each; for in that respect, ours is not without considerable advantages of its own. But the difference I would notice between the two dispensations is this, that now the chiefest blessings we can attain to or hope for, are won by a process of discipline; that, in fact, instead of coming to us as it were naturally, they too often reach us—and we are made capable of, and fitted for them—only through the intervention of suffering, sorrow, and pain. ”

“ Finally, my brethren, while we bless God and give Him thanks for the graces manifested in others who have departed out of this world in His faith and fear, let us remember that what they attained may also be attained by us; and that if we would find peace in the hour of death, or hope in the day of judgment, as we believe of them, we must make it our chief care to live as they lived, and to love God with that integrity and constancy which they were by His grace enabled to maintain. ”

“ I say almost all; for there are some, and your minds may suggest to you one, at least, who seems not to have needed this course of remedial sorrow, but to have "kept her garments" [7] without it. But generally the power of that corrupt nature which we have derived, cannot be overcome without painful and continued struggles. And if at any time we forget or neglect this essential duty, then it is an act of mercy on the part of God to put that yoke upon us, which we do not willingly take ourselves; and by affliction, of one kind or other, force on us the remedy suited to our needs. ”

“ Here again is the same law and the self-same hope: for to live with Christ, what can it be but to reign? "If we have been dead with Him we shall also live with Him;" and therefore live for ever as He is "alive for evermore." ”

“ But if we aspire to higher degrees of blessing; if we would fain reach to larger endowments of grace and perfect ourselves in superior heights of holiness; if we desire to sit upon His right hand or upon His left in His kingdom, then are we no longer bidden to take up our Cross but His, to drink of the Cup which He drank of and be baptized with the baptism that He was baptized withal. [5] Observe too the very nature of the blessings promised to believers upon earth: what is it but houses, and lands, and friends, with persecutions? ”

“ The fruits of the Spirit of God are all of the same retiring character; they are "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance," [31] patience, purity. [32] There is no worldly distinction in such things; they make no stir among worldly men; but they are dear and acceptable with God. With such she was richly gifted; and faithfully and well did she use them, to the glory of the Giver, and the good of all who came within her reach. Few persons were more considerate and thoughtful for others; fewer still more guileless and pure themselves. ”

“ Had there never been an alien element admitted into our nature, had sin never triumphed over us, this would not have been the case. But now, as in an unsound body, it sometimes happens that health can only be restored by the painful process of cautery or excision; so also there may be circumstances in our moral condition which demand a not less grievous mode of cure. Either we must suffer, and suffer greatly—almost all of us more or less so—or we may be undone. ”

“ It is not merely that if we will suffer them, and not thwart the gracious purposes of our heavenly Father, who doth not willingly afflict or grieve us: it is not merely that they would result in our advantage here, our moral or spiritual improvement in this life; but they advance us to a fitness for degrees of glory hereafter, that we can but faintly conceive of until they are bestowed. ”

“ Much, at all events, we know of them: and can we imagine they know less of us? they, whose eyes are no more blinded by the veil of sense, who look upon God? They are yet in the Church as when we knew them here. ”

“ And therefore doth our Father oft, in very tenderness and mercy, gather in His chosen at a time which men think premature; taking them from the "evil to come," [17] lest wickedness should pervert their understanding, or deceit beguile their souls; [18] lest, in a word some jewel in the crown He designs for them should lose a portion of its brightness from their longer conversation in a world so full of snares, so alien, yet so trying to their hearts. And it is well for them that he does so. Here their very blessings were imperfect, their trials ofttimes very sore: now "they are in peace." ”

“ Nor again is this later dispensation, in which we find ourselves, destitute of all blessings. On the contrary, it has some which may be said to transcend any that were received under the first. For that union with the Divine nature, which we enjoy in Christ Jesus, surpasses surely all the glories of our earlier state. Then, indeed, man walked outwardly with God, and was made in His image and likeness; but now He dwells actually in us, and makes us, by an ineffable mystery, not simply like, but one with Himself. ”

“ Natural piety would forbid us to sorrow as men without hope for one so early perfected—for one who needed not the discipline of sorrow for her purifying. Rather might we almost joy that she was thought worthy [35] to enter so soon upon her inheritance ”

“ When we draw near at any time to look upon some signal dispensation of God towards us, and enquire why He has thus dealt with us; there will be many things to be taken into account before we can come to a just conclusion about it. ”

“ And as there may be more means of our holding closest communion with the Blessed who are at "rest from their labours," than an unthinking or misbelieving world will acknowledge, let us not voluntarily deprive ourselves of one drop of comfort which may rise from a source so holy and so pure. ”

“ But the fact is, the true and proper graces of a Christian woman are all of a simple and unobtrusive character. They cannot indeed fail to be seen; they cannot be hid; but even the most lovely of them do not dazzle or make much show. ”

“ And now that they have once gotten themselves a possession [2] amongst us, and we are so closely bound together by the ties of family and affection as we are; the distribution of them will often seem very mysterious and they will come upon us in instances where we are least prepared to expect them. In every case, no doubt, they are guided as well by infinite goodness as by infinite wisdom ”

“ Or shall we not rather fear, lest by uncontrolled grief, we should disturb their peaceful joy? For, indeed, we may well suppose that the soul, "when delivered from the burden of the flesh," has her powers enlarged ”

“ But because our nature shrinks from such a course, and does not readily accept a doctrine so contrary to its ease and comfort. Holy Scripture is ever engaged in forcing the truth of it upon us in the strongest terms. ”

“ Rarely have any walked amid the things of this world and retained the simplicity of their baptismal gifts so little impaired by its attractions or its snares. And if any we have known have come near to that test of spiritual perfection which St. ”