Whatsoever we have over-loved, idolized, and leaned upon, God has from time to time broken it, and made us to see the vanity of it; so that we find the readiest course to be rid of our comforts is to set our hearts inordinately upon them.
Interpretation
Over-attachment to worldly comforts can lead to their loss, teaching us their true value and the importance of not idolizing them.
This quote by John Flavel reflects on the human tendency to idolize and overly depend on material comforts and relationships. It suggests that through adversity or loss, we are often reminded of the transient nature of these attachments, which prompts a necessary reevaluation of our priorities and values. Flavel underscores the idea that such experiences can ultimately guide us towards a more profound understanding of what truly matters in life.
In practice
In a graduation speech emphasizing the importance of resilience during challenges.
All the tears of a penitent sinner, should he shed as many as there have fallen drops of rain, since the creation, to this day, cannot wash away one sin. The everLasting burnings in hell, cannot purify the flaming conscience, from the least sin.
All the dark, intricate, puzzling providences at which we were sometimes so offended...we shall [one day] see to be to us, as the difficult passage through the wilderness was to Israel, "the right way to the city of habitation".
Providence is like a curious piece of tapestry made of a thousand shreds, which, single, appear useless, but put together, they represent a beautiful history to the eye.
The carnal person fears man, not God. The strong Christian fears God, not man. The weak Christian fears man too much, and God too little.
It is the duty of the saints, especially in times of straights, to reflect upon the performances of Providence for them in all the states and through all the stages of their lives.
Providence so orders the case, that faith and prayer come between our wants and supplies, and the goodness of God may be the more magnified in our eyes thereby.
I have often thought that when I do die it will be of sheer boredom.
The other animals humans eat, use in science, hunt, trap, and exploit in a variety of ways, have a life of their own that is of importance to them apart from their utility to us. They are not only in the world, they are aware of it. What happens to them matters to them. Each has a life that fares better or worse for the one whose life it is.
Beyond ideas, there's a field. Will you meet me there?
What's happened at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq is one of the grossest violations of human rights under the Geneva Conventions that we have record of. It is simply monstrous.
The future always looks good in the golden land, because no one remembers the past.
I went to collect the few personal belongings which...I held to be invaluable: my cat, my resolve to travel, and my solitude.
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