A Devotional for December 6
From the Pen of John Bunyan and
From the Newly Released Devotional Book
Daily Readings of John Bunyan
"Of Suffering"
“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne”
Revelation 6: 9.
It is not every suffering that makes a martyr but suffering for the word of God after a right manner. That is, not only for righteousness but for righteousness' sake. Not only for truth, but out of love to truth; not only for God's word but according to it. To wit, in that holy, humble, meek manner, as the word of God requires.
It is a rare thing to suffer aright and to have my spirit in suffering bent only against God's enemy, sin: sin in doctrine, sin in worship, sin in life, and sin in conversation.
The devil nor men of the world can kill thy righteousness or love to it. But by your own hand; or separate that and you asunder without your own act. Nor will he that does indeed suffer for the sake of it or out of love he bears . . . [to it], be tempted to exchange it for the goodwill of all the world.
I have often thought that the best of Christians are found in the worst of times. And I have thought again that one reason why we are no better is because God purges us no more. Noah and Lot—who [were] so holy as they [were] in the time of their afflictions? And yet who so idle as they in the time of their prosperity?
More Daily Readings from John Bunyan can be see at https://www.amazon.com/Daily-Readings-Bunyan-Roger-Duke/dp/1527111725/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=Rv5kc&content-id=amzn1.sym.f76d456a-cb0d-44de-b7b0-670c26ce80ba&pf_rd_p=f76d456a-cb0d-44de-b7b0-670c26ce80ba&pf_rd_r=142-9160462-8164713&pd_rd_wg=mfwPq&pd_rd_r=9082f6b6-c4fa-4c08-81bf-f2fbecd5e564&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk
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