Those who joyfully endure for the Lord's sake, the Truth's sake, the greatest shame, the greatest ignominy, the greatest trials, the greatest persecutions in this present life, and thus have experiences most like those of the Master and Pattern, we may be sure will in proportion to their faithfulness manifested in such sacrifices, have a future great reward—as the Apostle has declared, "Star differeth from star in glory".
The Lord is not well pleased to permit our lives to be wholly calm in external matters. Such a course would unfit us for the present and future ministry of the saints. On the contrary, the Lord is pleased to permit all sorts of untoward experiences to be ours; and amid some of them our strength almost snaps. Fitting the burdens to our backs and our backs to the burdens, He gives us grace sufficient for every time of need, and thus, gradually, as in our Lord's case, He brings us to perfection of character as His disciples who daily lay down our human lives with our dear Lord in loving sacrifice
Acts 9:16; Rom. 8:17, 18, 23; 1 Cor. 4:12, 13; 2 Cor. 1:5-7; 4:11-18; 6:4, 5; 11:23-28; Phil. 1:29; 2:27-29; 2 Thes. 1:4, 5; Jas. 5:10; 1 Pet. 5:10.
