Perhaps I have been fighting against Him, against the Lord
God, all this time, and now He has shown me that He is the stronger
of the two. . . . And so the poor man learns in trouble and shame to
know, like the Jews of old, who is the Lord.
And when the Lord has drawn a man thus far, does He stop? Not so.
He does not leave His work half done. If the work is half done, it
is that we stop, not that He stops. Whosoever comes to Him,
howsoever confusedly, or clumsily, or even lazily they may come, He
will in no wise cast out. He may afflict them still more to cure
that confusion and laziness; but He is a physician who never sends a
willing patient away, or keeps him waiting for a single hour.
How then does the Lord deal with such a man? Does He drive him
further? Not if he will go without being driven. You would call it
cruel to drive a beast on with blows, when it was willing to be led
peaceably. And be sure God is not more cruel than man. As soon as
we are willing to be led, He will take His rod off from us, and lead
us tenderly enough. For I have known God do this to a man, and a
sinful man as ever trod this earth. I have known such a man brought
into utter misery and shame of heart, and heavy affliction in outward
matters, till his spirit was utterly broken, and he was ready to say:
"I am a beast and a fool.
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