God knows best what is needful for us. All that He does is for our good.
If we knew how much He loves us, we should be always ready to receive equally and with indifference from His hand the sweet and the bitter. All would please that came from Him. The sorest afflictions never appear intolerable except when we see them in the wrong light. When we see them in the hand of God who dispenses them, when we know that it is our loving Father who abases and distresses us, our sufferings will lose their bitterness and become even a source of consolation.
Let all our employment be to know God. The more one knows Him, the more one desires to know Him. Knowledge is commonly the measure of love. The deeper and more extensive our knowledge shall be, the greater will be our love. If our love of God were great we should love Him equally in pains and pleasures.
Let us not amuse ourselves to seek or to love God for any sensible favors (however elevated) which He has or may do us. Such favors, no matter how great, cannot bring us so near to God as faith does in one simple act.
Let us seek Him often by faith. He is within us. Seek Him not elsewhere.
Are we not rude and deserve blame, if we leave Him alone to busy ourselves about trifles which do not please Him and perhaps offend Him? It is to be feared these trifles will one day cost us dearly. Let us begin to be devoted to Him in good earnest. Let us cast everything besides out of our hearts. He would possess them alone. Beg this favor of Him. If we do what we can on our parts, we shall soon see that change wrought in us which we aspire after.
