逆境中的护理

¶在逆境中，若思想神或许正借这些使你降卑的护理，成就你长久祷告、等候的事，这会大大扶持你的心。你还应为此烦扰吗？基督徒啊，你岂不是多次向神献上这样的祷告，求祂……

¶保守你远离罪；

¶向你显明受造物的虚空与不足；

¶杀死并治死你所宠爱的私欲；

¶使你的心除基督以外，在任何享受中都找不到安息？

¶如今，神也许正借这些使你降卑、使你贫乏的击打，成全你的祷告和愿望！

¶神施恩，照你所愿去行，难道还不够吗？你还要放肆到期望祂必须照你所规定的方式去行吗？

¶It would much support the heart under adversity, to consider that God, by such humbling providences-may be accomplishing the thing for which you have long prayed and waited. And should you be troubled at that? Say Christian, have you not offered many prayers to God such as these-that He would . . .

¶keep you from sin;

¶reveal to you the emptiness and insufficiency of the creature;

¶kill and mortify your darling lusts;

¶your heart may never find rest in any enjoyment but Christ?

¶Why now, by such humbling and impoverishing strokes-God may simply be fulfilling your prayers and desires!

¶Is it not enough that God is so gracious as to do what you desire-but must you be so impudent to expect He should do it in the way which you prescribe?