Dear Madam, I grant that your
circumstances are very severe and difficult. But let me beg of you not to
construe your afflictions as a token of God's displeasure,
or a sign of your not belonging to Him. This is an old temptation
of Satan's, with which he often assaults the afflicted Christian.
But take the shield of faith, that you may quench the fiery
darts of Satan. Alas, crosses and afflictions
are the common lot of the people of God in this present world.
Our Lord has told us that in this world we shall have troubles. Every saint has his own particular
difficulties, temptations, and conflicts to grapple with. We
are too apt to settle on our lees, too apt to be absorbed
with the vanities of this passing world. we are now chastened,
that hereafter we may not be condemned with the world. Ah,
happy afflictions which wean us from this wretched, dying
world! They are a means to mortify our
corruptions, to teach us to live more constantly by faith in Jesus
Christ, and to fix all our hopes and expectations on the eternal
world of glory. sanctified afflictions are a
thousand times rather to be chosen than unsanctified prosperity. These afflictions may consist
with, yes, are often the effects of God's special love. Those
whom I love, I rebuke and discipline. Revelation 3 verse 19. God sees that we need afflictions
and he knows that they will work for our good. God is infinitely
wise and knows what is best for me. God is infinitely gracious
and will be tender of the weakest of his children. God is infinitely
sovereign and may do what he pleases with his own. The heaviest
afflictions on this side of hell are less, far less, than my iniquities
have deserved. O boundless grace! The chastening
rod of a reconciled father might have been the flaming sword of
an avenging judge. I might now have been weeping
and wailing with devils and damned spirits in hell. I will bear
the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against
Him. It is of His mercy alone that I am not consumed. Oh, it
is but a little while, and then there will be an eternal end
of all your sorrows, fears, trials, and disappointments. That heavenly
bridegroom, who has betrothed you to himself, will, before
long, bring you into his eternal kingdom, where you will forget
all the storms and tempests, clouds and darkness, in your
passage through this wilderness world, and all shall be eternally
filled with joy and peace, love and praise. no troubles or afflictions
shall ever assault you in that glorious place, but you shall
dwell eternally under the constant shinings of divine love, and
shall sing with the strongest believers, yes, with the highest
and most glorious archangels in heaven, the wondrous mysteries
of redeeming grace, the comforts and blessedness of that state
of rest, will be more brightened and endeared by all your tears
and sighings here below. The remembrance of the gall and
wormwood of afflictions will tend to sweeten the taste of
heavenly enjoyments. I pray that God may be with you
to support and comfort you with the divine consolations of His
Holy Spirit, and establish you in His own due time. He is a faithful God, and therefore
will not lay upon you more than He will enable you to bear. If
you have less of this world, may you have more of His comforting
presence. Oh, blessed exchange! May you be supported with His
everlasting arms and have Him to sustain and uphold you in
every time of need. Remember your once dying but
now exalted Redeemer. Is the servant greater than his
Lord? Shall we not joyfully tread in
His steps that we may at last be where He is? can or ought
we to repine if God deals with us as He did with His own well-beloved
Son? May the Lord help you willingly
to submit to Him. Doubt not, but that at the appointed
time, when He sees it will be for your good and His own glory,
that your Heavenly Father will bring you out of your afflictions. You should rejoice to think that
he is carrying on the great work of your eternal salvation amidst
all your troubles and disappointments and under all your difficult
afflictions. Oh, say then with Job, though
he slays me, yet will I trust in him. Job 13 verse 15. Though I am surrounded with terrors,
I will bless him that I am out of hell. Oh, that you may be
embraced in the arms of everlasting love, And enjoy the comforts
of your pardoned state. Let me beg of you once more,
dear sister, not to allow the disappointments and crosses of
this world, however sore in trying in themselves, to drive from
your mind the frequent and joyful forethoughts of what free, rich,
and sovereign grace has designed for you in the eternal world,
and is fitting and preparing you for every day you live. Let not the hardships of your
journey make you forget, but rather cause you to long for
your eternal home. Oh, think on that heaven, which
neither sin nor death nor hell shall ever be able to deprive
you of, in which you, through sovereign grace, shall spend
the endless ages of a blessed eternity. Do then, Lord, what
you please with me, so that I may but die to this world, overcome
my corruptions, live more upon Christ, bring more glory to your
name, and have more comfortable tastes and pledges of your love. May your will be done. Sincerely, John Berridge This Puritan devotional has been
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