The following is from my dad, who memorized this quote by Edward Elton (1623). I pray to absorb this into my bones.
“It is so, that no creature in heaven, on earth, or in hell, can possibly break off or keep back God’s love from His children, or can make one who is beloved of God not beloved of Him, or less beloved of Him. Surely the due consideration of this shall yield thee matter of exceeding great comfort; therefore, think on it to thy comfort, whosoever thou art that hath evidence that thou art a child of God. Now, being beloved of God in special manner, thou shalt so continue forever.
It is not all the power and strength, or all the wit and skill and cunning and subtlety of all the creatures of heaven and earth and hell, if they all joined together as one, that could possibly break off or keep back God’s love from thee, or wrest thee out of the kind favor of God. Thou mayest lose all favor of men, either by thine own fault or by the malicious practice of envious men, thou mayest fall from the highest ranks of earthly powers, but thou mayest never be so poor that thou canst, in any way, lose God’s favor, neither by any thing done by others or by they self, God’s love being utterly unchangeable.
Not in any way can thou be wrested and wronged out of His love by any adversarial power, for He knows all things, and is stronger than all. He is able to keep thee safely in His love, though Satan personally with all his armies assail thee. God hath so far manifested His great love to thee in this, that He sent His only and dear Son to shed His blood for thee, and to suffer the pains of earth and hell for thee, and God shall never suffer the power of hell to draw thee out of His love. Assuredly, He will not!
Let, then, the devil and all the enemies of thy good do whatsoever they can against thee, and though the Lord suffer them to prevail far, to thrust thee out of house and home, to strip thee of health and wealth, of liberty and of all outward good things and means of comfort, yet God’s love they canst take from thee, nor lessen or diminish His love towards thee, nor make thee less beloved of Him, who once has been loved of Him. And, when thou art plunged into the deepest distress they can bring thee into, thou art still beloved of God, and still as dear to Him and as precious in His sight as ever thou wast, and that mayest be a sure ground of sweet comfort unto thee.
Think on it ever to thy comfort.”