Anticipating Evils by Jeremy Taylor

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 2, 1859

Anticipating Evils.

By Jeremy Taylor

ENJOY the present, whatever it may be, and be not solicitous for the future; for if you take your foot from the present standing, and thrust it forward towards to-morrow's events, you are in a restless condition. It is like refusing to quench your present thirst by fearing you shall want drink the next day. If it be well to-day, it is madness to make the present miserable by fearing it may be ill to-morrow,—when your stomach is full of to-day's dinner, to fear that you shall want the next day's supper; for it may be you shall not, and then to what purpose was this day's affliction? But if to-morrow you shall want, your sorrow will come time enough, though you do not hasten it; let your trouble tarry till its day comes. But if it chance to be ill to-day, do not increase it by the cares of the morrow. Enjoy the blessings of this day, if God send them, and the evils of it bear patiently and sweetly; for this day is only ours,—we are dead to yesterday, and we are not yet born to the morrow. He, therefore, that enjoys the present if it be good, enjoys as much as possible; and if only that day's trouble leans upon him, it is singular and finite. "Sufficient to the day (said Christ) is the evil thereof;" sufficient, but not intolerable. But if we look abroad, and bring into one day's thoughts the evil of many, certain and uncertain, what will be, and what will never be, our load will be as intolerable as it is unreasonable.—Jeremy Taylor.