are so deeply conscious of the pain which each act of life costs you: or, at any rate, the pain which you suffer in it, and with it. It seems to you sinfully ungrateful to Him who is always helping and upholding you, to feel the pain so much more vividly than His ever-present almighty aid. Be not discouraged; you must not repine about it; you cannot help feeling the pain and suffering; you may have a grateful, thankful heart in spite of it, and be very conscious of His presence and help. THA VIII Nervousness 'HAT large class of diseases called nervous are pre-eminently hard to bear, and that class is greatly increased by the small knowledge that medical men have as yet obtained of the nerves, and their real suffering. Many peculiarly distressing feelings, which cannot be called pain, are known by the name of nervous. There are few persons who would not rather hear that certain symptoms are owing to any cause, however mortal the disease, than that they are nervous. Oh how the word dies upon the heart! or rather, how it quickens every part of the frame into suffering. Only nervous ! Why, what can be said more hopeless? What does it mean? Oftentimes it means that the pain is not understood, and that the physician sees no cause for it; and as he must give it some name, he calls it nervous. The sting of it lies in those words having a double meaning. Used by some persons, they are meant to express intense suffering. Used by others, they mean the figments of a diseased imagination, almost self-chosen suffering. The words said by one who really feels for you may be repeated to another person, and quickly change their meaning; and soon you may hear, "Why do you lie here? Why do you not try to do this or that thing? Your physician says that your disease is only nervous. Why not break through it then, and be like other people?” How often are you tempted to "Pray for sharpest throbs of pain, To ease you from doubt's galling chain !" All temptation seems rife the tempter ever at hand. All the wretched, miserable sensations that are within you, you fancy are seen outwardly. The strange inconsistencies of nervousness are some of its bitterest trials. You fancy at the same moment that every one sees your trials and your fears; and that no one sees it, no one knows it, understands it, cares for it; that no one in the world suffers as you do; that your sufferings are quite peculiar, and therefore cannot be understood. Do not for one moment try to delude yourself into the vain fancy that it is not a very sore affliction. Do not speak of it lightly, or make it appear to others that you do not feel it. Face it all, look it full in the face; then say, Who sent me this trial? "The only wise God." Why did He send it? Because He saw that it was quite necessary for me, just fitted to all my needs, the only thing that could so truly "humble me, and prove me, and show me what is in my heart." Must I bear it always, all my life long? The present is all that I have to do with ; "sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Alas! that I must bear it, and bear it alone! No, it is God's visitation. "He sees thee, and understands thee, as He made thee. He knows what is in thee, all thy own peculiar feelings and thoughts, thy disposition and likings, thy strength and thy weakness. He views thee in thy day of rejoicing and thy day of sorrow. He sympathizes in thy hopes and temptations. He interests Himself in all thine anxieties and remembrances, all the risings and failings of thy spirit. He has numbered the very hairs of thy head and the cubits of thy stature. He compasses thee round and bears thee in His arms: He takes thee up and sets thee down. notes thy very countenance, whether smiling or in tears, whether healthful or sickly. He looks tenderly upon thy hands and thy feet: He hears thy voice, the beating of thy heart, and thy very breathing. Thou dost not love thyself better than He loves thee. Thou canst not shrink from pain more than He dislikes thy bearing it; and if He puts it on thee, it is as thou wilt put it on thyself, if thou art wise, for greater good afterwards." He Never meet this particular form of suffering by Deut. viii. 2. 6 Matt. vi. 34. reasoning, or in any other way than by saying, “It is the will of God." They do not see In nervous suffering the frequent consciousness of seeming irritable-of knowing that others think you so, makes the evil a hundred-fold greater. If you could but feel that no one was observing you the trial would be less. Sometimes, perhaps, some one notices it to you; a word to you is like a blow, you writhe and cry out for pain. People see only what is outward-they hear the irritable tone or word—they see the countenance. the unutterable, awful struggle which is ever going on, and which, by the grace of God, prevents much evil from coming out. How difficult it is to repress the longing-"O that Thou wouldest hide me in the grave, till the secret of Thy wrath is past!"6 It is the consciousness of sinning, even when one is fighting with the sin, and resisting almost to the death. It is this which is such agonizing suffering -the seeming to sin against God, and to fight against Him. Yet do not struggle, for it increases nervous suffering fearfully. Just lie still, and say, "Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I love Thee;"" or say, "Lord have mercy on me; this is a sore trial, help Thou me." For He knows the heart. "He seeth not as man seeth ;" and "He is love;" and "very pitiful, and of tender mercy."1 Surely then He is grieved for and with you; is Job xiv. 13. 7 John xxi. 17. 8 I Sam. xvi. 7. 1 James v. 12. "touched with a feeling of your infirmities;" for "He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." 2 He bore nervous sufferings-how intensely He must have entered into them; every nerve of His was pierced, and wounded, and stretched. Say then, "O Saviour of the world, who by Thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us; save us, and help us, we humbly beseech Thee, O Lord!"3 "By Thine agony and bloody sweat; by Thy Cross and Passion; by Thy precious Death and Burial; by Thy glorious Resurrection and Ascension; and by the coming of the Holy Ghost, Good Lord, deliver us." 4 Fear not; He will strengthen you and uphold you by the right hand of His righteousness."5 66 I IX Taking Opiates T is often a point of great difficulty and distress to sick people, whether they are right to take opiates. Their doubts generally arise from two causes: 1. The fear of acquiring so bad a habit, which can scarcely fail to increase upon them as their needs increase; and 2. Questionings whether it can be right in them 2 Heb. iv. 15. 3 Service for the Visitation of the Sick. |