afterwards it yieldeth the
peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised
thereby."--Heb. 12:10, 11.

Third, God moulds the character of the redeemed by afflictions,
burdens, sorrows, etc. "Our light affliction, which is but for a
moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glory."--2 Cor. 4:17. "Let patience have its perfect work, that ye may
be mature and complete, lacking in nothing."--James 1:14.

The shallow conception of _God's plan with men_ that makes it His
ultimate purpose simply to save men, leaves the life of the redeemed
man here on earth an unsolved riddle, often an inexplicable tragedy.
The heartaches, the disasters, the burdens, the afflictions, the
sorrows,--what of all these, when God assures us that "all things work
together for good to those that love God, to those who are the called
according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28), if the ultimate purpose is
simply salvation? "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
The silver has been mined, digged from the earth, but there is dross
in it. The redeemed have been redeemed from the curse of the law (Gal.
3:13); have had the spirit sent into their hearts ("because ye are
sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts,
crying, Abba, Father,"--Gal. 4:6); but there are defects from
heredity, from environment. The purifying process, the development of
character, comes, not in order to be saved, but after we are saved,
because we are saved.

With God as the Father of the redeemed, many of the afflictions, and
sorrows of real Christians can be accounted for as chastisements; many
of the severe, heavy afflictions in the lives of real Christians can
be accounted for in this way. "Ye have forgotten the exhortation which
speaketh unto you as unto sons, My son, despise not thou the
chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him; for
whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and _scourgeth every son_ whom he
receiveth."--Heb. 12:5, 6. Scourging is severe, yet God says it is for
_every son_.

But there are many, many trials, afflictions, burdens, sorrows, which
cannot be explained by chastisements; for chastisements are for wilful
sins of God's children: "If his children _forsake_ my law ... then
will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with
stripes."--Ps. 89:30-32. In the lives of many of the redeemed who are
living obedient lives there are some of the most severe trial