Conflicts, trials, painful exercises-'

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Back to Man's religion & God's religion 5

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Conflicts, trials, painful exercises,  sharp sorrows, and deep temptations

"The Lord tries the righteous." Psalm 11:5

To keep water fresh, it must be perpetually 
running. And to keep the life of God up in 
the soul, there must be continual trials. 

This is the reason why the Lord's people have so many . . .
  conflicts,
trials,
painful exercises,
sharp sorrows,
and deep temptations—
to keep them alive unto God—to bring them 
out of, and to keep them out of that slothful, 
sluggish, wretched state of carnal security.

The Lord, therefore, "tries the righteous." 
He will not allow His people . . .
to be at ease in Zion; 
to be settled on their lees, and 
get into a wretched Moabitish state. 

He therefore sends upon them afflictions, 
tribulations, and trials—and allows Satan 
to tempt and harass them.