January 28

Blessed is the man whom Thou chasteneth, O Lord, and teachest him out of Thy law.—Ps. xciv, 12.

Valor soars above

What the world calls misfortune and afflictions.

These are not ills, else would they never fall

On Heaven's first favorites, and the best of men.

JOSEPH ADDISON.

Since afflictions are absolutely necessary for every believer, it is a most pernicious practice to sit rumi- nating on the aggravation of them, and reckoning up and dwelling on the dark side, for this actually doubles and trebles them; so it is also in frequently speaking of them to others; it is true indeed that it relieves and comforts a troubled saint to tell his sorrow to a pious and sincere friend, but to relate our trials to almost every one and in almost every company, is imprudent and unbecoming a true Christian; the best way is to be much in prayer, and in the constant use of all the means to trust God through the merits of Christ, either to deliver us out of our afflictions, or to support us under them. It is also proper to make it a matter of repeated prayer, to be enabled to meet difficulties with a smiling countenance, and to speak of them as if they were small. If then we had faith in exercise under hardships, if we compared our sor- rows with many that we must know have suffered much more, if we could cast all our cares upon God, and think and speak very little of them, our afflic- tions would almost vanish away.

JONATHAN EDWARDS.