Be crucified to the world. When we love the things of the world, and God takes them away from us, we grow froward and unsubmissive to his will. Get mortified affections to these sublunary things. Pardon of sin is a crowning blessing. Lord, use thy pruning- knife, so long as thou wilt not come with thy bloody axe to hew me down.
Affliction is the frightful lion, but see what honey there is in it.
It is no easy thing to submit to God in affliction. Prayer is the best spell or charm against impatience. So, when passions are up, and the will is apt to mutiny against God, prayer makes a gracious calm in the soul. Another means, if we would submit to God's will in affliction, is to put a good interpretation upon God's dealings, and take all he does in the best sense. Oh, let us make a fair and candid interpretation of providence.