With silence only as their benediction,
God's angels come
Where in the shadow of a great affliction,
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With silence only as their benediction,
God's angels come
Where in the shadow of a great affliction,
The soul sits dumb!

Though all afflictions are evils in themselves, yet they are good for us, because they discover to us our disease read more

Though all afflictions are evils in themselves, yet they are good for us, because they discover to us our disease and tend to our cure.

Thou art a soul in bliss; but I am bound
Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears
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Thou art a soul in bliss; but I am bound
Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears
Do scald me like molten lead.

Believe me, the gods spare the afflicted, and do not always
oppress those who are unfortunate.
[Lat., Crede read more

Believe me, the gods spare the afflicted, and do not always
oppress those who are unfortunate.
[Lat., Crede mihi, miseris coelestia numina parcunt;
Nec semper laesos, et sine fine, premunt.]

I thank God for my handicaps, for through them, I have found myself, my work and my God.

I thank God for my handicaps, for through them, I have found myself, my work and my God.

Now let us thank th' eternal power, convinc'd
That Heaven but tries our virtue by affliction:
That read more

Now let us thank th' eternal power, convinc'd
That Heaven but tries our virtue by affliction:
That oft the cloud which wraps the present hour,
Serves but to brighten our future days!

No one could be more happy than a man who has never known affliction

No one could be more happy than a man who has never known affliction

When something [an affliction] happens to you, you either let it defeat you, or you defeat it.

When something [an affliction] happens to you, you either let it defeat you, or you defeat it.

As threshing separates the wheat from the chaff, so does affliction purify virtue.

As threshing separates the wheat from the chaff, so does affliction purify virtue.