learned this fully, perfectly, the work of sanctification in us
is complete.

Then another lesson in all sorrow comes in the softening and enriching
of the life in order to greater personal helpfulness. It is sad for us
if for any cause we miss this blessed outcome of grief and pain.
Christ suffered in all points that he might be fitted for his work of
helping and saving men. God teaches us in our sorrow what he would
have us tell others in their time of trial. Those who suffer patiently
and sweetly go forth with new messages for others, and with new power
to comfort.

Beyond these two wide, general lessons of all sorrow, it usually is not
wise to press our question, "Why is it?" It is better for us so to
relate ourselves to God in every time of trial, that we may not hinder
the coming to us of any blessing he may send, but on the other hand,
may receive with quiet, sweet welcome whatever teaching, correction,
revealing, purifying, or quickening he would give us. Surely this is
better far than that we should anxiously inquire why God afflicts us,
why he sent the sorrow to us, just what he wants it to do for us. We
must trust God to work out in us what he wants the grief to do for us.
We need not trouble ourselves to know what he is doing.

Mercifully our old duties come again after sorrow just as before, and
we must take these all up, only putting into them more heart, more
reverence toward God, more gentleness and love toward man. As we go on
we shall know what God meant the grief to do for us; or if not in this
world, we shall in that home of Light, where all mystery shall be
explained, and where we shall see love's lesson plain and clear in all
life's strange writing. There is no doubt that sorrow always brings us
an opportunity for blessing. Then we must remember that in this world
alone can we get the good that can come to us only through pain, for in
the life beyond death there is to be no sorrow, no tears. An old
Eastern proverb says, "Spread wide thy skirts when heaven is raining
gold." Heaven is always raining gold when we are sitting under the
shadow of the cross. We should diligently improve the opportunity, and
learn the lessons he would teach and get the blessings he would give,
for the time is short.

"But if, impatient, thou let slip thy cross,
Thou wilt not find it in this world again,
Nor in another; here, and here alone,
Is given thee to suffer for God's sake.
In other world