“ We shall never live upon the grace that is in Christ, till we are driven out of ourselves. There is nothing will drive us out of ourselves but soul-famine, a thorough sense of the plague and pollution of our nature, and a total helplessness in ourselves; nothing but afflictions in the hand of the Holy Ghost, will give these discoveries; and wherever these discoveries are made, and by what means soever they are made, it is clear that the means have been owned and sanctified, so that great good is frequently received by afflictions. ”

“ It would blunt the edge of the enemy's sword, and extract the bitterness from affliction; so that, in very deed, the affliction sustained, would not answer the end proposed, as to bring forth our unbelief to open light. The foundation of all faith and strength, victories and triumphs, lies in felt weakness. ”

“ THE afflictions of the Lord's people are undoubtedly always productive of spiritual advantage to their souls; for the inspired Paul expressly says, "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, and are the called according to his purpose." There being no possibility for afflictions working in ordinary for the present good of the body, or of temporal circumstances, it must follow, that the good for which they are said to work is of a spiritual nature, and refers to the soul, though these effects which afflictions produce are not always apprehended on a sudden. ”

“ But, as the Lord does visit with afflictions, and as afflictions duly sanctified are a great blessing, how may a person be assured that his afflictions are sanctified? I might answer, when he finds more love to God, more submission to the divine will, more patience in tribulation, and more of a spirit of prayer and supplication than before, as is commonly answered in such a case. ”

“ No sooner had she set her eyes upon him, when brought to the bar, but she scream'd out, as under the most alarming apprehensions of danger, and, with difficulty, could be brought to believe that the villain was in fetters, and wholly in the power of the officers of the king; it is even frequently so with the poor believer upon any particular discovery of what is in his heart for want of considering that sin hated is sin pardoned, that abominations loathed are abominations cleansed, he is apprehensive of the most awful and tremendous consequences of the discovery of his heart. ”

“ Which knowledge is attainable only by faith being put to the trial, without communicated assistance for that present time, that, by feeling it's own infirmity and weakness, it may live upon its proper object, and not upon itself: Hence, in the beginning of any severe affliction, the foul is sometimes left to itself, in its own strength, to struggle at once against the streams of affliction, unbelief, and rising corruption, that the Lord may shew unto us all that is in our hearts. ”

“ Instead of love, the enmity of the carnal heart may be discovered; instead of humble submission to his will, we may experience an impatient rebellious spirit, which we could hardly have believed ourselves the subjects of, without this disagreeable experience. ”

“ On the contrary, the very good which they do the believing soul is commonly matter of exquisite distres for a time, till the muddy waters being somewhat settled, the child of sorrow begins to see the dust of the Redeemer's feet in the cloud which lately overspread his tabernacle ”

“ In winter the lily loses all its beauty and fragrance, but nothing of it's fertility and excellence, those are safe in the root. The believer grows downward into his root (Christ,) in the winter state of affliction, when his buds and blossoms seem to be all beaten off by the bleak winds and falling rains: Buried thus in the root in winter, he shall yet spring up in summer, and the good favour of the Redeemer's ointments shall breath ambrosial fragrance all around him ”

“ Much beauty lies in the promise, and this in particular, "thine enemies shall be put out before thee;" thou shalt see thine enemies before they are put out; and as sure as ever they are brought to thy view as enemies, the Lord thy God will put them out, though it may be by little and little. ”

“ Believers are apt to mistake in nothing more than the effects produced by their afflictions, and if I am not greatly mistaken, many divines have taken the wrong method in describing them. The ultimate issue of them most undoubtedly is, "the peaceable fruits of righteousness." But their first and immediate effect is, to harrow up the soul, and bring the weeds which grow there secretly, and unseen before, to the surface, to open view. The wise husbandman thus harrows up the skutch in spring, which would otherwise spoil his expected crop ”

“ But when he found himself capable of denying him, his sole consolation lay in the prayer of his Redeemer," that his faith should not fail." An untried professor is a very dubious character, therefore God has very wisely joined religion with the cross, and afflictions with faith; for faith cannot live in it's exercise without it's fights and conflicts. Now, where would be the trial, if faith did always triumph over it's opponents? ”

“ But I cannot persuade myself, that this is the happiest method of strengthening the weak hands, and confirming the feeble knees of God's poor afflicted children, seeing some people may examine very closely, and yet be able to apprehend nothing, but the very contrary of these feelings; and does our divine religion provide no ground of encouragement for them? ”

“ But weakness can never be felt, unless we are called to sustain hardships; and the strength of our faith, hope, and charity, is tried to the utmost.
3dly, Whenever afflictions lead their subjects into a further knowledge of their own wretchedness, and total incapacity for either doing or bearing the will of God, without fresh communications from him, in whom it hath pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell, I must conclude that they are sanctified, and of real advantage. ”

“ God will bring all our inward enemies, every lurking Canaanite to light, before he puts them out, whatever pain the awful discovery may give us; for he studies our salvation and final possession of the promised land, rather than our present inclination and pleasure: We would gladly enter into the land at once to possess it, without so much as seeing war ”

“ It is the divine purpose, that the Canaanitish lusts of the human heart must all be led to execution first; in order to which, they must be drawn forth from their dark and deep recesses, and brought before us, that we may bear witness against them of the evils which we have suffered on their account, and by their means. ”

“ There these corruptions dwelt before, but lay concealed in the deep recesses of the soul, till the harrow of affliction brought them to view; "whatsoever doth make manifest is light, and all light cometh from God the father of lights; hence some are afflicted, and see no more of their hearts than before, because the light of God's Spirit never shone at all into their hearts to bring them to view. But, in this case, the believer is apt to mistake the real effects of afflictions for evils instead of blessings ”

“ If a man is robbed on the high way, in order to bring the villain who robbed him to public justice, he must confront him before the judge, and swear to the reality of the robbery, and identity of the person of the robber. ”

“ These things duly attended to, I am inclined to think it will appear, that the Lord's people are frequently afraid, where there is no real ground for fear, and that we receive good very often under the disguise of evil. ”

“ By his afflictions, he may be terrified at the discovery he has of him self, and deem his awful feelings certain badges of alienation from God; whereas the truth is, the heart is just what it was before, enmity against God ”