Affliction

It matters little, then, that God has caused you to be sick and bedridden inasmuch as he has also abundantly blessed you, chosen you, and rescued you from the darkness of the devil and the rabble of hell. Offer God Thanksgiving, give him the interest due him honestly, pay your vows. It is as Psalm 116 declares, “I believed, therefore I was greatly afflicted.” Letters of Spiritual Counsel, Martin Luther. P. 40.