THREE ORDERS OF AFFLICTION
THREE ORDERS OF AFFLICTION
No doubt these afflictions when accepted, as sent by Him, effect great blessing, the blessing needed, and the blessing designed by Him. But afflictions affecting us personally must be either to promote our usefulness in service, as persecutions would, or governmental dealings, or chastening. If they are the first, which are the greatest morally, they are accompanied by distinct spiritual favour; what in military language I should [p. 296] call decorations, medals - sensible marks of divine favour such as when Paul could say, “The Lord stood with me” (2 Timothy 4: 17), or like Stephen, looking up stedfastly into heaven, and seeing the glory of God and Jesus. If your affliction is of this class, you are suffering as one of Christ’s martyrs. “For the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life” (Philippians 2: 30.
Now if it is not of this class, it must be one of the other two. If it is governmental dealings - that is, a family judgment entailed, or inherited, because of the recklessness or carelessness of your progenitors - then, while there would be no special favour, no decoration, yet there is, if you are spiritual, such a sense of Christ’s sympathy that your heart is deepening in the knowledge of His love. And thirdly, it may be chastening, which is His discipline, either to prevent a possible failure, or to correct an incurred one. Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12, is an example of the former, Jonah or Peter of the latter. Paul was protected by the chastening, the thorn in the flesh, against a possible failure; Jonah had rebelled against Him; Peter had transgressed. In the first case I learn what He is; but in either case, when I am brought low, He helps me and delivers me, if I seek Him (see Psalm 107). In these cases there is a sense of His hand being on me, and a sense of being in prison, though He may prepare a whale for me, or come especially to comfort me; for as I am exercised, there is blessing. “Afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Hebrews 12: 11). To sum up: In the first, or highest order of affliction, there is special favour to me. In the second, there is sympathy. In the third, there is correction and exercise. In the first only it is for honour, though for profit in all.