The will of God is of two kinds: His absolute, and His conditional will. The former includes everything that happens. Even the sins of men although in their character of sins they cannot be said to be in any sense in accordance with the will of God, as mere physical events are a part of God's providence, and are the means of working out His wise purposes, and indirectly are a source of glory to Him. He brings good out of evil, and the sins of men are often an occasion of merit to the saints, and are always an element in the carrying out of the designs of God. Admire the wisdom of God, whose glory all things subserve.

All that is not sin is directly intended by God for His greater glory. All that we call evils and misfortunes have for their object the happiness of His elect. All sickness and pain, all the trials that beset mind and body, all failures, disappointments, all temptations, persecutions, all bodily and mental suffering, poverty, cold, hunger, physical depression and mental desolation, are a part of God's dispensation of love. It is difficult for us to realize this, but at least we can bow our heads and say: "Thy will be done."

Hence we ought never to regret anything except our sins, and those of others. We should never wish the circumstances of our life to be different from what they are. God has so ordained them, and that should be enough for us. We must, therefore, not only acquiesce in all that befalls ourselves and others, but also we ought to rejoice in seeing how all things without exception work together for His saints and the faithful. Is this the state of my heart?