He’s With Us in the Fire
"‘Let goods and kindred go, This mortal life also,’ but God is enough, He is enough for me. He is not going to leave me or forsake me. And this is what the Puritans would emphasize—cast your burdens on the Lord and He will sustain you.”
― Brian Cosby, Puritan: All of Life to the Glory of God
Thomas Watson was a 17th century Puritan preacher and author. Watson’s depth of doctrine, clarity of expression, warmth of spirituality, love of application, and gift of illustration enhanced his reputation as a preacher and writer.
Watson wrote in his book, "Religion Our True Interest," on God’s kindness to His people—even in affliction:
When the Lord afflicts the Saints yet he deals well with them, because he is their God. David was in the deep of Sorrow, (Psalm 130:1). Yet he could say, the Lord was his Portion (Psalm 16:5). God is an exceeding great reward, Gen. 15.1. He is a whole Paradise of delight—Bonum in quo omnia bona—He who hath God for his God, all his Estate lies in Jewels. If then God passeth over himself to his People by a Deed of gift to be their God, here is enough to countervail all their troubles:
What can God give more than Himself?
“It is good for me that I have been afflicted,” David did not say, it is Good for me that I have been in prosperity, but that I have been afflicted.
When God corrects he deals well with his People, because all he doth is in Love.
Afflictions are sharp arrows, but they are shot from the hand of a loving Father.
When God Afflicts he deals well with his People, because he takes away nothing from them but he gives them that which is better. What damage can it be to a man to lose his Farthings, and have Gold given him? If God take away Health, he gives Holiness: If he take away a Child, he gives a Christ; is not this better? God takes away a Flower and gives a Jewel.
When God Afflicts his Children he deals well with them, because he affords them his Divine presence, Psalm 91.15. I will be with him in trouble.
God never Promised us a Charter of Exemption from trouble, but He hath Promised to be with us in trouble.
Better be in a Prison and have God’s presence, than on a Throne and want it. God’s presence gives courage (Acts 23:11). When Polycarp was near the Theatre and going to Suffer, a Voice came from Heaven, Be of good cheer, O Polycarp. Was not Christ with the Three Children? Did not he go with them into the fire? Dan. 3:25: I see four men in the fire, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. He who is the Second Person in the Trinity, made the Fourth Person in the Furnace.
God in Afflicting deals well with his Children, because he gives them that which makes amends for their Afflictions; he drops in the Oil of Gladness; he makes them gather Grapes of Thorns: John 16:22. Your Sorrow shall be turned into Joy. We see a Godly man’s Sufferings, but we know not what Joy he feels: as we hear the roaring of the Sea, but we see not the Gold at the bottom. Philip Lantgrave of Hesse said, that in his trouble he felt the divine Consolations of the Martyrs: Here was Honey out of the Lion.
The Saints have been sometimes so sweetly enlarged, that they had rather endure their Afflictions than want their Comforts (2 Cor. 1:5). As the Sufferings of Christ abound in us: so our Consolation also abounds by Christ. Saint Paul had his Prison-Songs (Acts 16:25). This Bird of Paradise could sing in Winter. God turns the Waters of Marah into Wine; He keeps his Cordials for fainting. When the Saints taste most of the Wrath of Men, they shall feel most of the Love of God: thus the Lord candies his Wormwood with Sugar.Our light afflictions work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory.
Upon the dark color of Affliction God lays the Golden Color of Glory. O, thou weeping Saint, what a blessed change shalt thou shortly have! Thou shalt change thy Pilgrimage for Paradise: Thou shalt have thy wish.
Are riches desirable? Thou shalt have Gates of Pearl: Is Honor desirable? Thou shalt have white Robes: Is Pleasure desirable? Thou shalt enter into the Joy of thy Lord. O think what it will be to be sweetly immersed in the River of Life, and Bathe in the Honey-streams of God’s Love for ever: think what the Beatifical Vision will be: what it will be to wear a Garland made of the Flowers of Paradise: think what it will be to have the Soul thicker set with Jewels of Glory, than the Firmament is bespangled with Stars: O what a Compensation will this be for all a Christians Trials! A sight of this bliss will make him forget his Sufferings. One Sun-beam of Glory will dry up the Water of his Tears.