what shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or penury, or peril, or sword? for as it is written, "for thy sake we are sacrificed every day; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter:" read more. yet after all we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us. for I am fully persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, neither the high, nor the low, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God by Christ Jesus our Lord.

for which cause I am not discouraged, but tho' my body decays, yet my mind is daily renewed. for the light affliction, which I at present suffer, will be infinitely over-ballanced by an eternal weight of glory; read more. for I have no regard to the things which are visible, but to such as are invisible: since visible things are temporary, but the invisible are eternal.

and lest I should be exalted above measure by the extraordinary revelations I have had, I was afflicted in my person, so that the messenger of satan insulted me; concerning which, I besought the Lord thrice, to make him leave me. read more. but he said to me, "my favour is sufficient for thee: for my strength is shown to be perfect by thy weakness." with pleasure therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may be seen to dwell in me. I take pleasure then in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am afflicted, then it is I have fortitude.

Consider the various tryals that surround you, my brethren, as matter of great joy; knowing this, that the bringing your faith to the test, produces constancy.

happy is he that can stand the tryal: for when he has undergone the test, he shall receive that crown of life which the Lord has promised to those that love him.