Nov. 26

Charles Spurgeon · Faith's Checkbook

HEAVENLY ALCHEMY

   "Your sorrow shall be turned into joy" John 16:20

   Their particular sorrow was the death and absence of their Lord, and it
   was turned into joy when He rose from the dead and showed Himself in
   their midst. All the sorrows of saints shall be thus transmuted; even
   the worst of them, which look as if they must for ever remain fountains
   of bitterness.

   Then the more sorrow the more joy. If we have loads of sorrow, then the
   Lord's power will turn them into tons of joy. Then the bitterer the
   trouble the sweeter the pleasure: the swinging of the pendulum far to
   the left will cause it to go all the farther to the right. The
   remembrance of the grief shall heighten the flavor of the delight: we
   shall set the one in contrast with the other, and the brilliance of the
   diamond shall be the more clearly seen because of the black foil behind
   it.

   Come, my heart, cheer up! In a little while I shall be as glad as I am
   now gloomy. Jesus tells me that by a heavenly alchemy my sorrow shall
   be turned into joy. I do not see how it is to be, but I believe it, and
   I begin to sing by way of anticipation. This depression of spirit is
   not for long, I shall soon be up among the happy ones who praise the
   Lord day and night, and there I shall sing of the mercy which delivered
   me out of great afflictions.