Sanctified afflictions are spiritual promotions.
Not lost, but gone before.
When God intends great mercy for his people, the first thing he doth is to set them a praying.
It is better to take time to consider before than to find time to repent after.
Esther came to a proud imperious man; we come to the God of love and grace.
Death to a good man is his release from the imprisonment of this world, and his departure to the enjoyments of another world.