ADVERSITY.
He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved, for I shall never be in adversity.—Psalm x. 6.
In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.—Ecclesiastes, vii. 14.
Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.—Hebrews, xiii. 3.
Stern teacher! should’st thou come, and sit by me,
And fix upon me thy dread, stony eyes,
Calmly may I behold and welcome thee,
As one that hath a message from the skies,
Fraught with intelligence to make me wise:
God grant me strength to view thee steadfastly,
And listen to thy voice, though agonies
Should rack my soul or frame. Adversity!
Full oft hast thou a friend to mortals been,
A blessing in disguise, though stern thy look;
Hard is thy hand, but still thy palms between
Thou hold’st outspread the pages of God’s Book;
Wherein who reads with humble, prayerful mind,
Will hope, and ease, and consolation find.
Anon.
When first thy sire to send on earth
Virtue, his darling child, designed,
To thee he gave the heavenly birth,
And bade thee form her infant mind.
Stern rugged nurse, thy rigid lore
With patience many a year she bore;
What sorrow was thou bad’st her know,
And, from her own, she learned to melt at other’s woe.
Gray.
Adversity misunderstood,
Becomes a double curse:
Her chastening hand improves the good,
But makes the wicked worse.
Thus clay more obdurate becomes,
To the fierce flame consign’d;
While gold in the red ordeal melts,
But melts to be refin’d.
C. C. Colton.