All Your Former Troubles and Afflictions
When faced with present troubles, consider the benefits of former afflictions and trust in God's goodness and power to do you good.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes the importance of reflecting on past troubles and afflictions as a means to find peace during current adversities. He encourages believers to consider how previous hardships have revealed sin, humbled their hearts, and deepened their relationship with God. By remembering the benefits gained from past sufferings, one can cultivate a spirit of silence and trust in God's continued faithfulness and goodness. Brooks urges the faithful to recognize that God uses afflictions to prepare their hearts for greater spiritual enjoyment and to foster compassion towards others. Ultimately, he calls for a quiet trust in God's ability to work good through present trials, just as He has in the past.
Text
"In the day of adversity, consider." Eccles. 7:14
If you would be quiet and silent under your present
troubles and trials, then dwell much upon the benefit,
the profit, the advantage that has redounded to your
souls by all your former troubles and afflictions.
Oh! consider, how by former afflictions the Lord has
revealed sin, prevented sin, and mortified sin!
Consider how the Lord by former afflictions has
revealed to you the impotency, the mutability,
the insufficiency, and the vanity of the world,
and all worldly concerns!
Consider how the Lord by former afflictions has melted
your heart, and broken your heart, and humbled your
heart, and prepared your heart for clearer, fuller, and
sweeter enjoyments of Himself!
Consider what pity, what compassion, what affections,
what tenderness, and what sweetness former afflictions
have wrought in you, towards others in misery!
Consider what room former afflictions have made
in your soul for God, for His word, for good counsel,
and for divine comfort!
Consider how by former afflictions the Lord has made
you more partaker of His Christ, His Spirit, His holiness,
His goodness, etc.
Consider how by former afflictions the Lord has made
you to look towards heaven more, to mind heaven more,
to prize heaven more, and to long for heaven more, etc.
Now, who can seriously consider all the good that he
has gotten by former afflictions--and not be silent under
present afflictions? Who can remember those choice, those
great, and those precious profits that his soul has made
of former afflictions, and not reason himself into a holy
silence under present afflictions thusly, "O my soul! has not
God done you much good, great good, special good--by
former afflictions? Yes! O my soul! has not God done that
for you by former afflictions--which you would not undo for
ten thousand worlds? Yes! And is not God, O my soul! as
powerful as ever, as faithful as ever, as gracious as ever,
and as ready and willing as ever--to do you good by present
afflictions, as he has been to do you good by former afflictions?
Yes! Yes! Why, why then do you not sit silent and mute before
Him, under your present troubles, O my soul?"
Sermon Outline
- Consider the benefits of former troubles and afflictions
- Former afflictions melt, break, and humble the heart
- Former afflictions make room for God, His word, and divine comfort
- Former afflictions increase longing for heaven and heavenly things
- God reveals sin, prevents sin, and mortifies sin
- God reveals the impotency, mutability, insufficiency, and vanity of the world
- Preparing the heart for clearer, fuller, and sweeter enjoyments of God
- Increasing pity, compassion, and tenderness towards others in misery
- Increasing partaking of Christ, the Spirit, holiness, and goodness
Key Quotes
“Consider how by former afflictions the Lord has revealed sin, prevented sin, and mortified sin!” — Thomas Brooks
“Who can remember those choice, those great, and those precious profits that his soul has made of former afflictions, and not reason himself into a holy silence under present afflictions?” — Thomas Brooks
“Why, why then do you not sit silent and mute before Him, under your present troubles, O my soul?” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- Remember the good God has done for you in the past and trust Him to do the same in the present.
- Sit silent and mute before God, trusting in His goodness and power to do you good.
- Increase your longing for heaven and heavenly things by remembering the benefits of your former afflictions.