From J. C. Philpot's Daily Portions
July 26 "And I will bring the third part through the fire, and
will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried;
they shall call on my name, and I will hear them; I will say, It is my
people--and they shall say, The Lord is my God." Zechariah 13:9 It is a mercy to be in the furnace, and it is a mercy to
be brought through it. The Lord's promise to the third part is, that he will
bring them through the fire. They must therefore, according to his own word,
be put into it, and yet not left in it. It is "through the fire"--right
through it from beginning to end, whether it be a long and slow one or short
and fierce one.
The Lord knows exactly what we can bear, and it is not
always the hottest fire which produces the most softening effects. Some
metals indeed are so stubborn, and the dross is so deeply ingrained into
them, that they seem to require a hotter fire than others. But after the law
has done its work, and the dross and tin have been purged away, the Lord
does not usually bring again so hot a furnace. It is rather one of trial,
temptation, sickness, family affliction, straits in providence, persecution,
deep and daily discoveries of the body of sin and death, the hidings of the
Lord's face, and denials of his presence which seem to make up that trial
which tries every man's faith of what sort it is. By these trials and
exercises there is a gradual weaning from the world, a humility, meekness,
and brokenness of spirit before the Lord, a greater simplicity and godly
sincerity, more willing obedience to the precepts of the gospel, and a
greater desire to know the will of God and do it. O that these fruits of the
Spirit might abound in us and all the saints and servants of God!