The highest honor that God can confer upon his children is the blood-red crown of martyrdom. The jewels of a Christian are his afflictions. The regalia of the kings that God has made, are their troubles, their sorrows, and their griefs. Griefs exalt us, and troubles lift us.

The Complete Works of C. H. Spurgeon, Volume 5: Sermons 225-285 (ed. 2015)