Tenth Day. Of the right use of affiictions

I. They who are Christ's have cruciiied the ilesh, with the affections and lusts. '' Gal. v. 4. The more we fear crosses, the more reason have we to think that we stand in need of them: let us not be discouraged when the hand of God layeth heavy ones upon us. We ought to judge of the violence of our disease by the violence of the remedies which our spiritual physician prescribes us. It is a great argument of our own w retell edness, and of God's mercy, that notwithstanding the difficulty of our recovery, he vouchsafes to undertake our cure. Let us then draw from our very afflictions a source of love, of comfort, and trust in God, saying with his apostle, our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory/' 2 Cor, iv. 17. Blessed are they who mourn and sow in tears because they shall reap with ineffable joy the harvest of eternal felicity.

II. •I am crucified with Christ/' said St. Paul: we are fastened to the cross with him, and by him; for his grace fixes us there, and for his sake we choose to continue there, lest by forsaking it, we should part from him. O sufferins: and adorable Jesus! to whose sacrifice I unite myself, do thou communicate to me, together with thy cross, also thy spirit of love and resignation. Make me think less of my sufferings, than of t!ie happiness of suffering with thee. Make me love thee, and I shall not fear the cross; and altho' my sufferings should be very great, yet will they not be greater than I am willing to endure.