I know that we just recently quoted spurgeon, but this one is good too. And it’s just a few sentences:

If god should always rock us in the cradle of prosperity…and no bitter drops in the wine of this life…we would dream that we were standing – and stand we should but it would be upon a pinnacle; like the man asleep on the mast, each moment we would be in jeopardy…continued worldly prosperity is a fiery trial.

Afflictions though they seem severe in mercy oft are sent.

– c spurgeon