”Our time of going into trouble is in God’s hands; our time of abiding in trouble is in God’s hands; our time of coming out is in God’s hands. As in our callings he preserves our going out and our coming in, so in every trouble that befalls us we come in and tarry there, and go out of the same when he pleaseth. He brings us to the fire as the goldsmith puts his metals and holds them there, till he hath refined them and purged out the dross, and then brings them out again. ’Our times, ’ as David saith excellently, ’are in thy hands, O Lord, ’ Ps. xxxi. 15. Beloved, if our times were in our enemies hands we should never come out. If they were in our own hands we should never stay in trouble, but come out as soon as we come in; nay, we would not come into trouble at all if we could choose. Beloved, everything of a Christian is dear unto God; his health is precious, his blood is precious; especially precious to the Lord is the death of his saints, Ps. cxvi. 15. Do you think, therefore, he will let them suffer without his will?”
• Richard Sibbes (1577-1635), “The Saint’s Hiding-Place In The Evil Day,” in 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑹𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝑺𝒊𝒃𝒃𝒆𝒔, Vol. 1 (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2001), 403.
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