CHAPTER VIII.

PROLONGED ILLNESS.

POOR weary sufferer, long have you perhaps occupied this sick-room. Your little world has for many weeks or months been contained within the walls of your chamber. Like an imprisoned Bird, your wings are clipped, and you are still forbidden to rove beyond your narrow cage. Lonely days and wearisome months are appointed you.

Be it so. Since it is God's will, it is and must be well.

"Even so,

Father, for so it seemeth good in thy sight."

Why has God sent you this long

illness? He does not wish to weary you. He takes no pleasure in your sufferings. Does He not love you? And yet He has brought you into this state. Ah, is it not because He loves you, that He keeps you in it week after week?

Like a Father, He is chastening you, that you may be thoroughly weaned from the world, and may be made partaker of His holiness. A short affliction would not, in your case, accomplish the gracious work which He purposes to do; and so He lengthens out your trial. And, depend upon it, the day will soon come, when you will see that not one hour too long have you been kept here, and not one pain too many have you been called to bear. In your cup of suffering every drop has been carefully measured out by Him who cares for you.

Be content then to lie passive in your Father's hands. Instead of desiring that His chastening rod may be removed one moment before the time, rather ask that He will give you grace to bear your sufferings meekly, and that He will fully accomplish His great work

in you.

With regard to Prayer, I have already recommended, in Chapter vi., the setting apart of appointed hours for this holy exercise. Order and regularity are never more valuable than in a lengthened illness.

And to Prayer forget not to add the delightful work of Praise. But, you may say, surely a prolonged time of sickness, and perhaps of suffering also, can hardly be a time for Praise? Yes, it may be, and it should be. God is good to all, and we may thank IIim for Ilis goodness. Whom

He loves He chastens; therefore thank Him for His love to you.

It often happens, as a Christian writer observes, that "when the heart is torpid, and yields not to the action of Prayer, it will begin to thaw with the warm and genial exercise of Praise. For how much is there to kindle the heart in the very thought of Praise! It is the religious exercise of Heaven. Nature is offering it unceasingly. The whole creation sends up one grand chorus of Praise to the Throne of God." Then join in with your feeble voice. Let some note of thankfulness be sounded, even in the chamber of sickness.

So too with regard to your Biblereading. Not only let the study of God's Word be your chief employment, but read it on some fixed plan. Do not turn to it merely when you

happen to be in the mood, or pitch upon a chapter at random, but read it according to some rule.

For instance, you may take some Book out of the Old Testament in the morning, and read it through in order, and one out of the New Testament in the evening. Thus you will get to know much of the Bible; and you will take an interest in it, which you never felt before.

Let your Bible-reading be as one of your regular meals, which you cannot do without. Seek that your soul may be fed and nourished by it. "Thy word have I esteemed (says David) more than my necessary food." Above all, whenever you open the Bible, lift up your heart for the teaching of the Holy Spirit; for without it all your reading will be in vain.

There is one thought which often