great design.

Would you have patience? You must have many things to try your patience.
Would you have meekness? You can obtain it only through endurance. Would
you have faith? You must meet and overcome many obstacles. God puts in us
latent qualities of good, but these can be brought to view in the solid
structure of Christian character only by long and continued chiseling.
"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try
you, as though some strange thing happened unto you" (1 Pet. 4: 12).
"Which _is_ to try you"--did you ever notice that? It does not say which
_may_ try you or which _probably_ will try you; it says, "Which _is_ to
try you." That signifies that it was _intended_ to try you. It was meant
for that purpose; it does not come by accident. Trials are necessary. If
you are ever to be what God wants you to be, you need trials, you must
have them; you can never be strong or patient or meek or brave or possess
any other virtue God wants you to have unless you stand the test. "Many
shall be purified, made white, and tried." God will do the purifying; and
he will also see that we get our "trying." "After that ye have suffered a
while," Peter says, God will "make you perfect, stablish, strengthen,
settle you."

The chisel pain must do its work. Even Jesus was "made perfect through
suffering." Let us bear it manfully, yea, joyfully, knowing that it will
leave its mark upon us, even the mark of our Lord Jesus Christ. It will
bring out the beauty and richness of the Christ-life and fit us to be in
His presence forever.

TALK FIFTY-ONE. THE HELPLESSNESS OF THE GOSPEL

Much has been said about the power of the gospel. It is "the power of God
unto salvation." By it millions have been redeemed and cheered and
comforted and inspired. Others have been warned in tones of thunder to
awakened consciences. It has been the greatest civilizer known. But
however great its power and influence, however wonderful its
accomplishments, there are conditions under which it is pitifully
helpless, under which it can do nothing to help the perishing masses. You
may take your Bible into a heathen land or to a race of another language,
and though all its truth, its promises and warnings, its light and glory,
are within its lids, yet it is dumb. It speaks not to them. They perish
all around it. They remain in darkness, when light is there, heavenly,
glorious light. Not a ray reaches them. It is helpless.