God takes away the world, that the heart may cleave more to Him in sincerity || Thomas Watson
God sweetens outward pain with inward peace || Thomas Watson
Not to be afflicted is a sign of weakness; for, therefore God imposeth no more on me, because he sees I can bear no more || Joseph Hall
When we grow careless of keeping our souls, then God recovers our taste of good things again by sharp crosses || Richard Sibbes
The winter prepares the earth for the spring, so do afflictions sanctified prepare the soul for glory || Richard Sibbes
As the wicked are hurt by the best things, so the godly are bettered by the worst || William Jenkyn
Poverty and affliction take away the fuel that feeds pride || Richard Sibbes
I am mended by my sickness, enriched by my poverty, and strengthened by my weakness.... Thus was it with.... Manasseh, when he was in affliction, "He besought the Lord his God": even that king's iron was more precious to him than his gold, his jail a more happy lodging than his palace, Babylon a better school than Jerusalem. What fools are we, then, to frown upon our afflictions! These, how crabbed soever, are our best friends. They are not indeed for our pleasure, they are for our profit || Abraham Wright
Labour to grow better under all your afflictions, lest your afflictions grow worse, lest God mingle them with more darkness, bitterness and terror || John Owen
The secret formula of the saints: When I am in the cellar of affliction, I look for the Lord's choicest wines || Samuel Rutherford
The way to be eased is not struggling with it, but meekly to bear it.
There is a fable, but it has its moral for this purpose. A certain ass, laded with salt, fell into a river, and after he had risen, found his burden lighter, for the moisture had made it melt away; whereupon he would ever after lie down in the water as he traveled with his burden, and so ease himself. His owner perceiving this craft , after laded him with Wool. The ass purposing to ease himself, as before, laid himself down in the water, and thinking to have ease, rising again to feel his weight, found it heavier || Richard Stock
Look how fears have presented themselves, so have supports and encouragements; yea, when I have started, even as it were at nothing else but my shadow, yet God, as being very tender of me, hath not suffered me to be molested, but would with one Scripture or another, strengthen me against all; insomuch that I have often said, Were it lawful, I could pray for greater trouble, for the greater comfort's sake || John Bunyan
He that rides to be crowned, will not think much of a rainy day || John Trapp
God takes a safe course with His children, that they may not be condemned with the world, He permits the world to condemn them, that they may not love the world, the world hates them...|| Richard Sibbes
Afflictions are light when compared with what we really deserve. They are light when compared with the sufferings of the Lord Jesus. But perhaps their real lightness is best seen by comparing them with the weight of glory which is awaiting us || Arthur W. Pink
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