The Ninth Direction

Let not men and women pore too much upon their Afflictions, that is, busy their thoughts too much to look down into their Afflictions. You shall have many people that all their thoughts are taken up about what their crosses and afflictions are, they are altogether thinking and speaking of them. It is just with them as with a child that has a sore about him, his finger is always upon the sore. And so men and women their thoughts are always upon their afflictions; when they awake in the night their thoughts are upon their afflictions, and when they converse with others (nay it may be when they are praying to God) they are thinking of their afflictions. Oh! No marvel though you live a discontented life, if your thoughts be always poring upon such things, you should rather labor to have your thoughts upon those things that may comfort you. You shall have many that if you propound any rule to them to do them good, they take it well while they are with you, and thank you for it, but when they are gone they soon forget it. It is very observable of Jacob, that when his wife died in childbirth, his wife called the child Ben-oni, that is, a son of sorrows. Now Jacob, he thought with himself, if I should call this child Ben-oni, every time that I name him it will put me in mind of the death of my dear wife, and of that affliction, and that will be a continued affliction to me, therefore I will not have my child have that name. And so the text says, that Jacob called his name Benjamin, and that was, the son of my right hand. Now this is to show us thus much, that when afflictions befalls us we should not give way to have our thoughts continually upon them, but rather upon those things that may stir up our thankfulness to God for mercies. It is the similitude of Basil, a learned man; says he: It is in this case as it is with men and women that have sore eyes; now it is not fit for those to be always looking upon the fire, or upon the beams of the Sun. No (says he) one that has sore eyes must get things that are suitable to him, and such objects as are fit for one that has such weak eyes; therefore they will get green colors, as that being a more easy color and better for weak eyes, and they will hang green sarcenet before their eyes because it is more suitable to them. So weak spirits it is the very same; a man or woman that has a weak spirit, they must not be looking upon the fire of their afflictions, upon those things that deject, that cast them down, but they are to be looking rather upon that which may be suitable for the healing and helping of them; they should be considering of those things rather than the other. It will be of very great use and benefit to you if you do lay it to heart, not to be poring always upon afflictions, but upon mercies.

Do not dwell too much on your afflictions — do not let your thoughts burrow down into them and stay there. Many people have their thoughts entirely consumed by their crosses and hardships, always thinking and talking about them. It is just like a child with a sore on his body — his finger is always touching it. Some men and women are the same: their thoughts are always on their afflictions. When they wake in the night, they are thinking of their afflictions. When they are talking with others — even, perhaps, when they are praying — they are thinking of their afflictions. No wonder such people live discontented lives, if their thoughts are always fixed on such things. They should instead work to keep their thoughts on what can comfort them. Many people, when you give them a helpful rule, receive it gladly while you are with them and thank you for it — but when they leave, they quickly forget it. Notice what Jacob did when his wife died in childbirth: she had named the child Ben-oni, meaning "son of sorrows." Jacob thought to himself: if I call this child Ben-oni, every time I speak his name it will remind me of my dear wife's death and renew my grief — it will be a continual affliction. So he refused to give the child that name. The text says Jacob called him Benjamin, meaning "son of my right hand." This shows us that when affliction falls on us, we should not give way to thoughts that dwell on it continually, but rather fix our minds on what will stir up gratitude to God for His mercies. Basil used a fitting comparison: people with sore, inflamed eyes should not stare into fire or into the beams of the sun. Those with weak eyes need to look at things suited to their condition — they choose green colors, which are easier on sensitive eyes, and hang green fabric before their faces because it soothes rather than irritates. The same principle applies to weak and troubled spirits. A man or woman with a fragile spirit should not keep staring into the fire of their afflictions, into the things that cast them down. Instead they should look at what will help heal and strengthen them — focusing on those things rather than on the affliction. It will be of great benefit to you if you take this to heart: do not dwell constantly on your afflictions, but on your mercies.