Anne Dutton's
Letters on Spiritual Subjects
Dear Sir,
Surely our good God does all well, and governs the world and all things in
it aright, and for the special advantage of His own people. You know how
long my trial lasted. But sweetly the Lord enabled me to bow to His dear
will, to hope in His mercy, to patiently to wait for His delivering
kindness, and to think the many months of my trial, but a few days, for the
love I had to His glory. Nature thought the time long, but grace
said it was short. I was ashamed to think the trial long, as I had brought
so little glory to God under it, and nothing I desire so much as to glorify
God while it lasted, for I was persuaded that His affections would soon
yearn upon me and turn my night into day. The Lord enabled me, in His
strength, to trust in the infinite grace of His heart and His faithfulness,
when a frown was on His face, and His customary loving-kindness was
veiled with the darkness of providence.
And for yourself, continue to trust in the Lord while
He seems to slay you, and covet to give Him glory in dark dispensations,
as you will not have an opportunity to do when He brings you forth to the
light. We have but a little time allotted us to glorify God in the dark;
our night of weeping will soon be turned into a joyous morning, since the
anger of our heavenly Father, in the frowns of providence, endures for a
moment, but in His favor is life!