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We take much to uproot us
(Letters of J. C. Philpot,
March 19, 1862)
My dear friend,
I am glad to find that in your illness you have not been
altogether left of the gracious Lord. It is but rarely that
we can see at the time itself, what benefit there is to
spring out of sickness and affliction. Our coward flesh
cries out for ease--we want to get better, and dread
being worse.
But indeed it is an unspeakable mercy when the affliction
is truly sanctified to our soul's good--when we can submit
to the Lord's will, lie passive in His hand, and know no will
but His. When also, a little measure of meekness and
softness is communicated, with faith and hope in exercise
upon the blessed Lord, it seems to reconcile the mind to
the affliction. When also, we can read the Word of truth
with sweetness and pleasure, are enabled to call upon the
Lord with a believing heart, and are in any way blessed
with that spirituality of mind which is life and peace, then
we can say, "It is good for me to have been afflicted".
All the saints of God have ever acknowledged that it was in
the furnace of affliction that they learned their deepest
lessons, and got their greatest blessings. It is a good thing
to be thus daily reminded of our latter end. It has a good
effect in loosening the heart and affections from the poor
perishing things of time and sense, and impressing deeply
upon our minds that this polluted world is not our rest or
home.
We take much to uproot us, for our carnal
heart strikes deep
root into earthly objects--much deeper than we are aware of,
until we find how closely we cleave to things which we thought
had scarcely any hold upon us!
James gives good advice where he says, "Is any among you
afflicted? Let him pray." You will find it a great mercy if you
are enabled in your affliction to call upon the Lord; for though
He may seem to hide His face and delay to answer, yet He
puts the tears of His saints in His bottle, and writes their
prayers in His book.
Yours very affectionately,
J. C. Philpot
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