'Afflictive providences are of great use to the people of God; they cannot live without them. The earth does not need more chastening frosts and mellowing snows than our hearts do nipping providences. Let the best Christians be but a few years without them, and he will be aware of the need of them; he will find a sad remisiveness and declining upon all his graces.'
John Flavel, The Mystery of Providence, p.209.
