The Bloom Fell Off My Branches And

The Devil Is But A Whetstone To Sharpen The Faith And Patience Of The Saints.-

I Know You Are In Grief And Heaviness; And If It Were Not So, You Might Be Afraid, Because Then Your Way Would Not Be So Like The Way That Our Lord Saith Leadeth To The New Jerusalem. Sure I Am, If You Knew What Were Before You, Or If You Saw Some Glances Of It, You Would, With Gladness, Swim Through The Present Floods Of Sorrow, Spreading Forth Your Arms Out Of Desire To Be At Land.

But The Way To Overcome Is By Patience, Forgiving And Praying For Your Enemies, In Doing Whereof You Heap Coals Upon Their Heads, And Your Lord Shall Open A Door To You In Your Trouble: Wait Upon Him, As The Night Watch Waiteth For The Morning. He Will Not Tarry. Go Up To Your Watch-tower, And Come Not Down, But By Prayer, And Faith, And Hope, Wait On.

It Is Certain That This Is Not Only Good Which The Almighty Has Done, But That It Is Best; He Hath Reckoned All Your Steps To Heaven.

Faith's Speculations To The Worst And Hardest, In Point Of Resolution, Are Sweet.