may be a sudden noise-something carelessly let fall; or something forgotten to be done, which you had particularly wished or desired: or, some one suddenly touching you, or your bed, or shaking the bed continually whilst sitting by it; or coming into your room unexpectedly, and in a bustle. These, or a thousand other things, too small to name, but not too small to feel, may have caused a sudden expression of irritability. You may have been exerting yourself beyond your strength-the last bit of strength may have been spent, it seems to you, just as this new demand for it came upon you. It was too much you failed. It might be a mere physical expression of nervous suffering, and not counted as sin by Him who is "very pitiful." But your friends can rarely distinguish. How should they? for can you always, in your own case, distinguish between these things which seem so much alike? No, surely you cannot; therefore do not count them unreasonable or unkind if they reprove you-it is a proof of true love in them, for it is often an unthankful task. See to it that it is not so in your case.

The effort to repress irritability sometimes gives a pained expression to the voice and the countenance which is easily misunderstood, and therefore should be brought under control as much as possible. Sick persons who are seeking to "bring every thought into captivity," will seldom utter an irritable word, perhaps scarcely think an irritable

1 2 Cor. x. 5.

thought, without an instant consciousness of it. O then, what a conflict follows! What, is this sin cleaving to me still? Is it not yet subdued? Must I suffer from it for ever? How long shall I go on to dishonour my Lord and Master, and to be so unlike Him who "did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth?"2 Have all my struggles been a lie? Have all my prayers been in vain, and unheard? No; they have not been in vain— they have all been heard, and are answered hour by hour. He "puts your tears into His bottle. Are they not in His Book?"3

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"He tells your flittings," and He it is that has so often, that does each moment that you are upheld, "keep you from falling." It is by His grace that you are kept so often; and if you do but "hold you fast by God," you will less and less frequently slide. He will "keep the doors of your lips," that they may not transgress against Him. But have you not also prayed Him to "humble you, and prove you, and show you what is in your heart?"7 And is not this the fulfilment of your prayer? You need to be shown some of the evils of your heart. Do not then be out of heart when you see them; but ask Him, whensoever He conducts you into the "chambers of His imagery," always to go there with you Himself, lest you should be overwhelmed with the vision. Be careful to look

waywardness? Or, you may have been impatient because some one differed in opinion from you; as if there were no possibility of your being mistaken, or of there being two points of view from which the same thing may be seen. Sick persons who live much alone are in great danger of falling into this snare. They frequently live in a world of their own, and have become so used to their own opinions, and views, and pictures of all things, that they forget that there can be any others, and are perhaps perplexed and worried by them. But this kind of isolation is very injurious to them, and they should be thankful to hear differences of opinion. Or, you may have let slip some impatient word or phrase, which, at the moment, may scarcely strike you as it may strike a bystander. strike a bystander. "How long you are!"

"I wish you would make haste;" "Do bring that quickly;" are dangerous phrases to use. Oftentimes they mean little or nothing. It is the tone of voice which generally betrays what they mean. Be thankful to any one who tells you that it is a bad habit, and must minister to impatience of heart. "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.' A habit of repressing such words is the greatest possible help to overcome the evil thing.

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2 Prov. iv. 23.

A

IV

Considering Symptoms

NOTHER temptation in weakness, and indeed in all illness, is constantly to be considering symptoms, thinking what will be the result of each one. Whether this or that is dangerous?

what it is a symptom of?

Then if the sick person is eagerly desiring to die, the temptation is to consider whether it is the symptom of a mortal disease. How long it may last? whether it proves that you are much worse, or that death is near at hand?

Or if you lastly desire to recover your health, then it is scanned the other way. Is not this a good symptom? Does it not show how much better I am? Does it not prove that I am really recovering?

Nothing deceives and disappoints more than symptoms. We are poor judges of them, of what they lead to, or are proofs of. In one person a symptom may be very serious, which in another may be quite the reverse. It may prove a contrary thing in opposite states and constitutions. Therefore it is best to leave them to the physician to consider, and to turn away your minds from every temptation to consider the results and probabilites— to abstain from the common but injurious habit of feeling your pulse, and trying to make discoveries