Your Father's
love-tokens!
Dear Madam,
Though the Lord has tried you for many months of afflictions, think
it not strange, since you are put among God's children, that you have had
and must have your own part of afflictions—they are, they shall be,
your Father's love-tokens! Satan and
unbelief often misrepresent God to His tried children. "If God was your
Friend, your Father," say they, "if He loved you, He would not allow such
grievous things to befall you—He takes no notice of you—He turns a deaf ear
to your prayers—and who among God's children are so greatly afflicted as you
are? Do not these things show that you have been deceived—that you are not
among the number of God's children—that you have no saving interest in His
special favor—but He lays these heavy strokes upon you in wrathful
displeasure." And especially do they urge these things upon God's tried
children from that sin which they sadly find to work in them under trying
dispensations. And if they can but get God's children to hearken to them,
these enemies gain their end upon them—to weaken their faith, to dampen
their love, to slay their meekness and patience, and to cause them to murmur
and fret at afflicting providence.
It is wisdom, then, in God's children, instantly to cry
unto Him for wisdom and strength to discern and resist these enemies in
their lying voice, upon the first hearing of it; for this we may be very
certain of, "that whatever comes from God leads to Him—and whatever excites
us to depart from Him as the God of all grace—is from unbelief and Satan."
Nothing like faith in God's love to us, as His dear children in
Christ—strengthens our spirits to endure afflictions patiently to His glory
and our joy.
And therefore, says the apostle Paul, "whom the Lord
loves, He chastens." He proposes the ‘love of God in chastening’ as the
ground of a believer's faith, for his strength in patient suffering. And
says James, "The trying of your faith works patience." If faith has got a
thwart in the fight, God will come in with His auxiliary aid for the help of
His child, and give his faith renewed strength; and then, instantly, his
tried faith being made to stand upright in God and for Him, after its
thwarting and in its trial, the child of faith is patience. Says faith—"God's
love is in the sharpest stroke!" Then says patience—"I will endure it
until love shall bring joyous fruit out of present grief." And lest patience
should faint when trials are great and of long continuance, the apostle
adds, "Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and
entire, lacking nothing." It is as if he should say—You are to be made
perfect in very grace, and every perfected grace to redound to your eternal
glory—therefore patiently endure the greatest, the longest trial here, that
is to fit you for your immortal crown hereafter—that you may be perfect and
entire, lacking nothing—nothing lacking in the exercise of grace—and lacking
nothing in your crown of glory!