Give a man wealth; let his ships continually bring home rich cargo; let the winds and waves appear to be his servants transporting them across the ocean; let his fields yield abundant crops; let uninterrupted success come to him in business; let him enjoy continued health; allow him to conquer foreign territories; give him a bright spirit; let him have a joyful song on his lips, and the natural result of such an easy life to any man (even if he is the best Christian who ever breathed) will be presumption; even David said, "I shall never be moved;" and we are not better than David, nor half so good.

Brother, beware of the smooth places on your life’s journey; if your pathway is rough, thank God for it. If God always rocked us in the cradle of prosperity; if we were always bobbed on the knees of fortune; if there were never clouds in the sky; if there were no bitter drops in the wine of this life, we would become intoxicated with pleasure; we would think that we were standing strong in the Faith, but, in reality, we may very well be more like the man asleep upon the mast of the ship, each moment in jeopardy of falling.

We bless God, then, for our afflictions too; we thank Him for our changes; we extol His name for losses of property; for we feel that if He had not disciplined us in this way we might have become secure in ourselves. Continued worldly prosperity is a fiery trial, indeed. Thank God for your afflictions; they may seem severe, but they are sent in His great mercy. [M&E]