All Christians, even the most eminent servants of God, have their dead and dark seasons--whenthe life of God seems sunk to so low an ebb as to be hardly visible--so hidden is the stream by the mud-banks of their fallen nature.
By these very dark and dead seasons, the people of God are instructed. They see and feel what 'the flesh' really is--how alienated from the life of God; they learn in whom all their strength and sufficiency lie; they are taught that in them, that is, in their flesh, dwells no good thing; that no exertions of their own can maintain in strength and vigor the life of God; and that all they are, and have--all they believe, know, feel, and enjoy--with all their ability, usefulness, gifts, and grace--flow from the pure, sovereign grace--the rich, free, undeserved, yet unceasing goodness and mercy of God! They learn in this hard school of painful experience, their emptiness and nothingness--and that without Christ they can do nothing. They thus become clothed with humility, that rare, yet lovely garb; cease from their own strength and wisdom; and learn experimentally that Christ is, and ever must be, all in all to them, and all in all in them. By J.C. Philpot
