world, I should be sometimes jealous least I should have my
portion in this life, and that Scripture would come to my mind,
"For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every Son
whom he receiveth" (Hebrews 12.6). But now I see the Lord had
His time to scourge and chasten me. The portion of some is to
have their afflictions by drops, now one drop and then another;
but the dregs of the cup, the wine of astonishment, like a
sweeping rain that leaveth no food, did the Lord prepare to be
my portion. Affliction I wanted, and affliction I had, full
measure (I thought), pressed down and running over. Yet I see,
when God calls a person to anything, and through never so many
difficulties, yet He is fully able to carry them through and
make them see, and say they have been gainers thereby. And I
hope I can say in some measure, as David did, "It is good for me
that I have been afflicted." The Lord hath showed me the vanity
of these outward things. That they are the vanity of vanities,
and vexation of spirit, that they are but a shadow, a blast, a
bubble, and things of no continuance. That we must rely on God
Himself, and our whole dependance must be upon Him. If trouble
from smaller matters begin to arise in me, I have something at
hand to check myself with, and say, why am I troubled? It was
but the other day that if I had had the world, I would have
given it for my freedom, or to have been a servant to a
Christian. I have learned to look beyond present and smaller
troubles, and to be quieted under them. As Moses said, "Stand
still and see the salvation of the Lord" (Exodus 14.13).

Finis.