The Good Lord Send Out A Spirit

Great Winds And Storms Help Fruit-bearing Trees. So Also Do Corruptions And Temptations Help The Fruitfulness Of Grace And Holiness. The Storm Loosens The Earth Round Its Roots So The Tree Is Able To Get Its Roots Deeper Into The Earth, Where It Receives Fresh Supplies Of Nourishment. But Only Much Later Will It Be Seen To Bring Forth Better Fruit. So Corruptions And Temptations Develop The Roots Of Humility, Self-abasement And Mourning In A Deeper Search For That Grace By Which Holiness Grows Strong. But Only Later Will There Be Visible Fruits Of Increased Holiness.

He, Then, That Would Really, Thoroughly, And Acceptably Mortify Any Disquieting Lust, Let Him Take Care To Be Equally Diligent In All Parts Of Obedience, And Know That Every Lust, Every Omission Of Duty, Is Burdensome To God, Though But One Is So To Him.

Let No Man Pretend To Fear Sin That Does Not Fear Temptation Also! These Two Are Too Closely United To Be Separated. He Does Not Truly Hate The Fruit Who Delights In The Root.

We Must Not Be Concerned Only With That Which Troubles Us, But With All That Troubles God.

We Shall Not Benefit From Reading The Old Testament Unless We Look For And Meditate On The Glory Of Christ In Its Pages.