Holy and frequent meditation is a blessed means of keeping up a believer's walk with God. "Prayer, reading, temptation, and meditation," says Luther, "make a minister." And they also make, and perfect, a Christian. Be frequent therefore in meditation, all you who desire to keep up and maintain a close and uniform walk with the most high God.
God never sends but what is necessary, when there is something that needs be purged away; we glorify God in the fire when we say, "Lord, do not let the fire go out until it has done its work." Then we can glorify God when we wish for the good of the fire and can say from our hearts, "Lord, do with me as seems good in your sight."
What I am most afraid of is, lest I should flag in the latter stages of my road. But he that hath loved and helped me, will love and help me to the end. O pray that I may not go off as a snuff. I would fain die blazing, not with human glory, but the love of Jesus.
~George Whitefield, 1714~1770