How do the afflictions of the godly, differ from the afflictions of the wicked?
(1) The afflictions of the godly are but corrections; but those on the wicked are punishments. The one come from aFather; the other from a Judge.
(2) The afflictions of the godly are fruits of covenant mercy. Afflictions on the wicked are effects of God's wrath. Afflictions on the wicked are the pledge of hell; they are like the shackling of a malefactor, which presages his execution.
(3) The afflictions of the godly make them better; but afflictions on the wicked make them worse. The godly praymore; "Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord." Psalm 130:1. The wicked blaspheme more. "Men were scorched with great heat--and blasphemed the name of God." Revelation 16:9.
Affliction on the godly is like bruising spices--which makes them give off a most sweet and fragrant aroma. Affliction on the wicked is like pounding weeds with a pestle--which makes them give off a foul stench.
It is a sign the affliction is sanctified, when the heart is brought to a sweet submissive frame.
Biblical man did not look upon a miracle quite as we do. He
did not have such a word in his vocabulary. He spoke of "signs
and wonders." Any unusual or spectacular happening that was a
sign of the direct working of God--this was his miracle. If a
modern man could have stood beside him and given a rational
explanation of all the events through which he passed, he would
not have been particularly impressed. His question would always
have been, "Well, why did they happen at exactly this time in
this way and secure this result?" To us the major focus of
attention in the matter of miracle is to explain how it could
have happened without setting aside natural law. With him the
point was rather what was happening, what was going on, what
result God achieved through the unusual.- George Ernest Wright (1909-1974) & Reginald Fuller (1915-2007)
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