Meditating on 1 Peter 1:6-7, Jonathan Edwards writes:
“True virtue never appears so lovely as when it is most oppressed; and the divine excellency of real Christianity, is never exhibited with such advantage, as when under the greatest trials: then it is that true faith appears much more precious than gold!”
- Jonathan Edwards, The Religious Affections, 1-2.
Encouraging and helpful! Thanks Toby.
6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Perserverance of the saints! TULIP!