From John Piper’s book The Hidden Smile of God: The afflictions of John Bunyan gave us The Pilgrim’s Progress. The afflictions of William Cowper gave us “ThereIs a Fountain Filled with Blood†and “God Moves in a Mysterious Way.†And the afflictions of David Brainerd gave us a published Diarythat has mobilized more missionaries than any other similar work. The furnace of suffering brought forth the gold of guidance and inspi- ration for living the Christian life, worshiping the Christian God, and spreading the Christian Gospel. Thereis a certain irony to the fruit of these afflictions. Bunyan’s confinement taught him [ Read More ]



