'Voices From The Past' Vol. 1 — November 20

Someone might ask if God can teach his people by sin. He might, and does (Rom. 8:28). All things do work, but all things do not work alike. Sin works for good, but it is by absolute omnipotence, by pure prerogative, for sin is properly the devil's work, and by natural tendency leads to destruction. Give no thanks to the sin itself that any good comes from it; God beats Satan with his own weapons. But affliction is a calamity of God's making (Amos 3:6), and God teaches his children through it. He tempers the nature of affliction to promote his own gracious designs in the children of promise. There is no intrinsic value in affliction itself, but only as it is used by divine omnipotence for saving ends. It is like a saw to cut. The instrument can do nothing alone, but is a tool in the hand of the workman. In God's word there is a more direct instruction for the children of God than in the rod, yet in chastisement the heart is put into a better disposition to be responsive to divine teaching. Grace applies its truth forcibly by an appropriate set of circumstances. Correction takes down the pride of man's heart. Pride raises objections against the word, and disputes with the commands when it should obey them. God comes with his instruments of affliction, and tears down the mountain of pride. The heart of pride speaks loudly in the wicked, but also whispers audibly even in the godly, until correction drives it out. Affliction is God's forge to soften the iron heart. It is impossible to form iron while it is cold, but make it red hot, and you can stamp upon it any impression you please. The heart is hard and its natural resistance is much increased by prosperity. God softens hearts with the showers of adversity and makes us more attentive unto him and less influenced by the noise of the world.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Devotional Readings 'Voices From The Past Vol.1.'
Thomas Case, Select Works, A Treatise of Afflictions, pp. 105-108
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