This Hard School of Painful Experience - Volume 3

For My New Year's Resolution!

My prayer  is that we would learn to draw near to God and stand on the authority of the truth, the whole truth of His word. 

To find out why this short prayer, read January 1 post) 

This is an excerpt from the new uploaded Kindle which contains all the 11 volumes of J. C. Philpot's quotes

Download This Free Kindle HERE 

In times of trial and darkness, the saints and servants 
of God are instructed. They see and feel what the flesh 
really is, how alienated from the life of God—they learn 
in whom all their strength and sufficiency lie—they are 
taught that in them, that is, in their flesh, dwells no 
good thing—that no exertions of their own can maintain 
in strength and vigor the life of God—and that all they 
are and have, all they believe, know, feel, and enjoy, 
with all their ability, usefulness, gifts, and grace—flow 
from the pure, sovereign grace—the rich, free, undeserved, 
yet unceasing goodness and mercy of God. 

They learn in this hard school of painful experience 
their emptiness and nothingness—and that without Christ 
indeed they can do nothing. They thus become clothed 
with humility, that lovely, becoming garb—cease from 
their own strength and wisdom—and learn experimentally 
that Christ is, and ever must be, all in all to them, and 
all in all in them.


Many difficulties, obstacles, and hindrances

"Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press
 on to know Him!" Hosea 6:3

The expression, "press on," implies that there are many 
difficulties, obstacles, and hindrances in a man's way, 
which keep him back from "knowing the Lord." Now the 
work of the Spirit in his soul is to carry him on in spite 
of all these obstacles—to lead him forward—to keep 
alive in him the fear of God—to strengthen him in his 
inner man—to drop in those hopes—to communicate 
that inward grace—so that he is compelled to press on. 

Sometimes he seems driven, 
sometimes drawn, 
sometimes led, and 
sometimes carried, 
but in one way or another the Spirit of God so 
works upon him that, though he scarcely knows 
how—he still "presses on." 

His very burdens make him groan for deliverance—his 
very temptations cause him to cry for help—the very 
difficulty and ruggedness of the road make him want 
to be carried every step—the very intricacy of the path 
compels him to cry out for a guide—so that the Spirit 
working in the midst of, and under, and through every 
difficulty and discouragement, still bears him through, 
and carries him on—and thus brings him through every 
trial and trouble and temptation and obstacle, until He 
sets him in glory. 

It is astonishing to me how our souls are kept alive.
The Christian is a marvel to himself. Carried on, and 
yet so secretly—worked upon, and yet so mysteriously;
and yet led on, guided, and supported through so many 
difficulties and obstacles—that he is a miracle of mercy
as he is carried on amid all . . .
  difficulties,
  obstacles,
  trials, and
  temptations.