Sweeten All Your Bitters

"We know that God causes everything to work together

for the good of those who love God and are called

according to His purpose." Romans 8:28.

When a man's heart is once sanctified, then all things

are sanctified to him. O sirs! this is so great and so

glorious a privilege, that it is more worth than a world,

yes, than many worlds. It is a great mercy--that all

things may be sanctified to him--that is, that all things

may so work, as to make him more and more holy:

that every cross may make him more holy, and

that every comfort may make him more holy;

that every mercy may make him more holy, and

that every misery may make him more holy;

that every ordinance may make him more holy, and

that every providence may make him more holy;

that every affliction at home may make him more holy, and

that every judgment abroad may make him more holy.

Every condition is sweet when it is sanctified to us:

sickness is as sweet as health when it is sanctified to us:

weakness is as sweet as strength when it is sanctified to us;

poverty is as sweet as riches when it is sanctified to us;

disgrace is as sweet as honor when it is sanctified to us;

bonds are as sweet as liberty when they are sanctified to us;

death is as sweet as life when it is sanctified to us.

Look! as no condition can be a happy condition which is

not a sanctified condition--just so, no condition can be a

miserable condition, which is a sanctified condition. Now

this is only the holy man's privilege, the holy man's mercy

--to have every estate and every condition sanctified unto

him; and this indeed is the cream and crown of all our

mercies--to have them sanctified unto us, ay, and every

bitter will be sweet, yes very sweet, when it is sanctified

unto us.

What though your mercies, O Christian, are fewer than

others', and lesser than others', and leaner than others',

and shorter than others'--yet you have no reason to

complain, as long as your mercies are sanctified mercies.

What though . . .

your trials are greater than others', and

your burden is heavier than others', and

your sorrows are deeper than others', and

your crosses comes thicker than others'

--yet you have no cause to complain,

as long as they are sanctified.

Are you a holy person? Oh then remember for

your comfort, that . . .

every bit of bread you eat is sanctified, and

every draught you drink is sanctified, and

every suit of clothes you wear is sanctified;

the beds you lie on are sanctified, and

the stools you sit on are sanctified;

the very air you breathe in is sanctified, and

the very ground you tread on is sanctified;

every penny in your purse is sanctified, and

every dollar in your shop is sanctified;

whatever you have at home is sanctified, and

whatever you have abroad is sanctified.

Oh! how should the sense of these things . . .

sweeten all your bitters, and

turn your hell into heaven, and

wipe all tears from your eyes, and

turn your sighing into singing, and

your mourning into rejoicing, etc.