it for us. If it were not necessary it would not come. No unnecessary pain can come except by and from ourselves. When it comes He grieves over it. Without taking from us our freedom, and thereby reducing us from man to a machine, He could not protect us from ourselves. But all the discipline of sorrow and suffering which He wills for us, He wills in measure and proportion to our need. Less would not sanctify or save us. More than is needful will never come. We do not see as yet the end for which He is working, or the purpose of what He does. But His words to Peter were spoken also for our sakes: "What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter."[1]
We know, too, that He wills for us all necessary good; that nothing in Providence or in grace will be wanting for our welfare in this life or for our eternal salvation. We are always exacting from Him the signs of His goodwill before we trust Him. But when we see proofs there is no room left for confidence. When we are in straits and anxieties and see no human help, then is the time to trust Him. We read of those who in the depth of their need have knocked on the door of the tabernacle, asking for bread. A priest has this ready access to
- ↑ S. John xiii. 7.
