'Voices From The Past' Vol. 1 — July 7

Affliction teaches us to prize and long for heaven. In our prosperity we are content with the present world and say with the disciples, 'It is good that we are here.' While life is sweet, death is bitter. We do not crave heaven while the world gives us her friendly entertainments. But when poverty, imprisonment, persecution, and diseases come, we are not so fond of the earthly life. Then we can entertain a parley with death, and take heaven into our consideration. In discipline God takes our hearts away from this present world by degrees, and makes us look homeward. We would be content like Israel around the fleshpots of Egypt until the cruel taskmasters doubled their burdens. When God lessens our esteem of the world, he draws out our desires for the actual fulfilment of our heavenly comforts. Even so come Lord Jesus! Affliction reveals the glory of heaven. To the weary, it is rest; to the banished, home; to the scorned, glory; to the captive, liberty; to the warrior, conquest; to the conqueror, a crown of life; to the hungry, hidden manna; to the thirsty, a fountain of life, and rivers of pleasure; to the grieved, fullness of joy; and to the mourner it is pleasures for evermore. Heaven is precious and the soul desires to be with Christ, which is best of all. Hope, though it keeps life in the soul, is not able to fill it. It longs to be at home in its Father's arms. They that walk by faith are not content until their belief is actual sight. When Jacob heard that Joseph was alive, he was not satisfied with the hearing of it; he said 'I will go and see him before I die.' Augustine sweetly said upon the answer of God to Moses: 'You cannot see my face...and live' (Exod. 33:20), ‘Then, Lord, let me die that I may see your face!’

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Devotional Readings 'Voices From The Past Vol.1.'
Thomas Case, Select Works, A Treatise of Afflictions, pp. 75-78
Banner of Truth has granted permission for the use of this material.