Knowing this
By experience; as everyone that is trained up in the school of
affliction does: the apostle appeals to the saints, to whom he
writes, for the truth of what he was about to say; and which he
gives as a reason why they should rejoice in afflictions, because
it is a known fact,
that the trying of your faith worketh patience:
two things afflictions do when sanctified; one is, they try
faith, the truth of it, and make it appear to be true, genuine,
and precious, like gold tried in the fire; see ( 1 Peter 1:6 1 Peter 1:7 ) and the
other is, that they produce patience: saints being inured to
afflictions, become by degrees more patient under them; whence it
is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth: this phrase may
be understood, both of faith, which being tried by afflictions,
produces patience; for where the one is in exercise, the other is
also, and both are necessary under afflictive providences; and
also of afflictions, which try faith, and being sanctified by the
Spirit of God, work patience, which is a fruit of the Spirit; for
otherwise the effect of them is impatience; and this agrees with
the Apostle Paul in ( Romans 5:3 Romans 5:4 ) .