Hence afflictions flow from grace; persecutions
flow from grace; poverty, sickness, yea, death itself is now made
ours by the grace of God through Christ. Psa. 119:67-71; 1 Cor.
3:22; Rev. 3:19; Heb. 12:5-7. O grace, O happy church of God! all
things that happen to thee are for Christ's sake turned into grace.
They talk of the philosopher's stone, and how if one had it, it
would turn all things into gold. Oh, but can it turn all things into
grace--can it make all things work together for good? No, no; this
quality, virtue, excellency--what shall I call it?--nothing has in
it but the grace that reigns on the throne of grace, the river that
proceeds from the throne of God. This, this turns majesty,
authority, the highest authority, glory, wisdom, faithfulness,
justice, and all into grace. Here is a throne; may God let us see
it. John had the honor to see it, and to see the streams proceeding
from it. O sweet sight, O heart-cherishing sight! "He showed me a
pure river of water of life proceeding out of the throne of God."
Indeed, as was hinted before, in the days of the reign of antichrist
there are not those visions of this throne, nor of the river that
proceedeth therefrom: now he holdeth back the face of his throne,
and spreadeth a cloud upon it; but the preserving, saving benefits
thereof we have, as also have all the saints in the most cloudy and
dark day.
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