Your Pain Has an End Date: A Puritan Perspective on Suffering, Hope, and the Sovereignty of God
The Puritans, with their profound theological insights and pastoral concern, offered deep reflections on the nature of suffering, pain, and the sovereignty of God. While the Puritans recognized the reality of human pain and affliction, they also deeply believed that suffering is not without purpose, and more importantly, it has an end date determined by God’s sovereign will. Their writings convey a rich theology of suffering that combines a robust understanding of the temporal nature of affliction with a deep, abiding hope in God’s eternal promises.
At the heart of Puritan thought is the conviction that God is sovereign over all things, including human pain. They understood suffering in light of Scripture, especially the promises that God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). The Puritans also emphasized the idea that pain, though painful and grievous, is part of God’s purifying work in the believer’s life. For them, the end of suffering was not merely a cessation of physical or emotional pain, but an eternal hope that transcends the pain of this present world.
The Reality of Pain and Suffering in a Fallen World
For the Puritans, suffering was a necessary reality in the fallen world. The fall of Adam and Eve introduced sin into the world, and with sin came suffering, decay, and death. In his famous work The Mortification of Sin, John Owen emphasized that suffering is a consequence of sin, but also a means by which God sanctifies His people. Owen wrote, “Sin, which brings forth death, is the cause of all the miseries, afflictions, and sorrows that are in the world… Yet, through this, God works in the soul, teaching humility, patience, and submission to His will.”
The Puritans understood that while suffering is a consequence of sin entering the world, it is not meaningless. Thomas Watson, in The Godly Man’s Picture, said, “God sends affliction, not as a token of His displeasure, but as a tool for His grace. Affliction is not only the consequence of sin, but also a means of turning the heart to God.” This view of suffering aligns with the Puritan belief that pain is part of God’s divine plan for His people, a plan that serves to refine, purify, and strengthen faith.
In The Works of Richard Baxter, Baxter observed that while believers may face trials and difficulties in life, these challenges are temporary. He wrote, “God does not intend His children to live in sorrow forever. His purpose is to bring them to glory, where sorrow shall be no more.” This eternal perspective on suffering is central to the Puritan understanding of pain. Though the present suffering may seem overwhelming, the Puritans believed that it is finite, and there is an end date to all pain, whether in this life or in the world to come.
The Sovereignty of God in Suffering
A key tenet of Puritan theology is the absolute sovereignty of God over all things, including suffering. For the Puritans, suffering was never viewed as a random or meaningless event. Rather, they believed that all suffering, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, was under the sovereign control of a loving and all-wise God. John Owen’s reflections on God’s sovereignty are especially poignant in this regard. In The Sovereignty of God, Owen wrote, “Affliction, as grievous as it may be, is not beyond the reach of God’s sovereign will. He permits it, ordains it, and uses it for His own glorious purposes.”
This perspective provided the Puritans with immense comfort in the face of suffering. If God is sovereign, then every trial, every moment of pain, has a purpose and an end. Thomas Brooks, in his work Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices, captured this idea when he wrote, “God hath a sweet and gracious end in all the trials His people endure. Though He may not remove affliction immediately, He does not leave His people in their pain without purpose.” Brooks’s words illustrate the Puritan belief that suffering, although difficult, is never pointless. Instead, it serves to draw the believer closer to God and refines their faith.
The Puritans held that God’s sovereignty does not mean He is indifferent to human suffering; rather, it means that He is actively involved in the believer’s pain. Richard Baxter, in A Call to the Unconverted, remarked, “When affliction comes, remember that it is God who appoints the time, the measure, and the purpose of your suffering. He will not leave you without strength to endure.” For the Puritans, God’s sovereignty provided a stabilizing assurance that no matter how intense the suffering, it would not last forever. The believer could endure because they knew that their pain had an appointed end, whether in this life or the next.
The Temporal Nature of Suffering
One of the most comforting aspects of Puritan theology is their belief in the temporal nature of suffering. The Puritans understood that all affliction is temporary, a perspective rooted in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 4:17, speaks of “our light and momentary troubles” that are “achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” The Puritans frequently cited this verse as a reminder that suffering, though real and painful, has an expiration date.
In his writings, Thomas Watson explained that the sufferings of this life are “but for a moment” compared to the eternal weight of glory that awaits the believer. In his The Lord’s Prayer, Watson wrote, “No matter how long our trials seem to last, the eternal bliss that awaits us far outweighs the brief season of pain.” For Watson and many Puritans, the temporal nature of suffering was an antidote to despair. The pain that seemed endless would eventually come to an end, and in its place would be an eternal joy that never fades.
The Puritans were also quick to remind their readers that even in the midst of suffering, God’s grace was sufficient. In The Christian Directory, Richard Baxter pointed out, “Though suffering may continue for a time, God’s grace will enable you to endure it, and He will surely bring you through it.” Baxter emphasized that the strength to endure comes from the assurance that suffering is limited in time and will be fully redeemed by God. No pain is eternal; all pain has an end date in God’s timing.
The Transformative Power of Suffering
For the Puritans, suffering was not only an endurable experience but also a transformative one. They believed that God used pain and affliction to purify and refine the believer’s character. John Owen, in The Mortification of Sin, noted that suffering is God’s tool to work in the believer’s soul, removing sin and drawing them closer to holiness. Owen believed that through suffering, God teaches the believer to rely more fully on His grace, to trust in His sovereignty, and to long for the eternal hope that will come when pain is no more.
Similarly, Thomas Brooks, in The Golden Key of Heaven, taught that suffering is one of the means by which God works sanctification in the believer’s life. Brooks wrote, “God uses the furnace of affliction to purify the soul, refining it as gold is refined in the fire.” The Puritans saw suffering as a process of spiritual purification, where God’s sovereign hand molds and shapes the believer’s heart. They believed that, through suffering, God was preparing His people for the eternal weight of glory that would follow.
The concept of transformation through suffering was also central to the writings of Richard Sibbes. In The Bruised Reed, Sibbes depicted suffering as a means by which God tenderly restores His people, molding them into the image of Christ. He wrote, “The bruised reed shall not be broken, and the smoking flax shall not be quenched. God takes special care to heal those who are in the depths of suffering, and He will bring them forth with glory.” Sibbes encouraged Christians to view their pain as a process of God’s healing and refining work, ultimately leading them to a place of deeper communion with Him.
An Eternal Hope: The End of Suffering
While the Puritans believed in the reality and temporal nature of suffering in this life, they were equally adamant that ultimate hope lies in the eternal end of suffering. The believer’s pain, no matter how long it may last, will eventually be brought to an end when they are in the presence of God. For the Puritans, the ultimate hope was the eternal glory that awaits the redeemed in heaven, where pain, sorrow, and suffering will be no more. As Richard Baxter wrote in The Saints’ Everlasting Rest, “No affliction shall be remembered in heaven; it shall all be swallowed up in the eternal joy that awaits us.”
In his The Heavenly Footman, John Bunyan captured the Puritan hope for the end of suffering by portraying the Christian life as a journey toward the celestial city. Though the pilgrim faces trials, temptations, and afflictions along the way, Bunyan assured his readers that all of their struggles would end when they entered the gates of heaven. There, all sorrow would cease, and the believer would enjoy everlasting peace and joy in the presence of God.
For the Puritans, the end of suffering was not just a promise for the afterlife but also a source of present comfort. They believed that while believers might experience pain in this life, their pain would one day be fully and completely redeemed. As Thomas Watson wrote in The Art of Divine Contentment, “Though the believer’s troubles be great, yet in heaven there is a rest for him—a rest that is unending and free from all pain.”
Conclusion: Your Pain Has an End Date
The Puritan perspective on suffering provides a profound and comforting framework for understanding pain in light of the sovereignty of God. For them, suffering was not meaningless or random but part of God’s plan to sanctify His people. Pain has an end date—whether in this life or the life to come—because God has set a limit to it. In the midst of suffering, the Puritans found hope in the knowledge that God’s grace would sustain them, and that the eternal joy awaiting them would far outweigh the temporary pain of this world. The Puritans teach us that while suffering is an inescapable reality in a fallen world, it is never permanent, and it is always under the sovereign hand of a loving God who will bring His people through to eternal glory.
