原文：

Of Adversity(论厄运)

It was an high speech of Seneca (after the manner of the Stoics), that the good things, which belong to prosperity, are to be wished; but the good things, that belong to adversity, are to be admired. Bona rerum secundarum optabilia; adversarum mirabilia. Certainly if miracles be the command over nature, they appear most in adversity. It is yet a higher speech of his, than the other (much too high for a heathen), It is true greatness, to have in one the frailty of a man, and the security of a God. Vere magnum habere fragilitatem hominis, securitatem Dei. This would have done better in poesy, where transcendences are more allowed. And the poets indeed have been busy with it; for it is in effect the thing, which figured in that strange fiction of the ancient poets, which seemeth not to be without mystery; nay, and to have some approach to the state of a Christian; that Hercules, when he went to unbind Prometheus (by whom human nature is represented), sailed the length of the great ocean, in an earthen pot or pitcher; lively describing Christian resolution, that saileth in the frail bark of the flesh, through the waves of the world. But to speak in a mean. The virtue of prosperity, is temperance; the virtue of adversity, is fortitude; which in morals is the more heroical virtue. Prosperity is the blessing of the Old Testament; adversity is the blessing of the New; which carrieth the greater benediction, and the clearer revelation of God’s favor. Yet even in the Old Testament, if you listen to David’s harp, you shall hear as many hearse-like airs as carols; and the pencil of the Holy Ghost hath labored more in describing the afflictions of Job, than the felicities of Solomon. Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes; and adversity is not without comforts and hopes. We see in needle-works and embroideries, it is more pleasing to have a lively work, upon a sad and solemn ground, than to have a dark and melancholy work, upon a lightsome ground: judge therefore of the pleasure of the heart, by the pleasure of the eye. Certainly virtue is like precious odors, most fragrant when they are incensed, or crushed: for prosperity doth best discover vice, but adversity doth best discover virtue.

译文：

“好的运气令人羡慕，而战胜厄运则更令人惊叹。”这是塞尼卡得之于斯多葛派哲学的名言。确实如此,超越自然的奇迹，总是在对厄运的征服中出现的。塞尼卡又曾说：“真正的伟人，是像神那样无所畏惧的凡人”。

这是一句宛如诗一样美的妙语。古代诗人在他们的神话中曾描写过：当赫克里斯去解救普罗米修斯的时候，他是坐在一个瓦盆里飘洋过海的。这个故事其实正是对于人生的象征：因为每一个基督徒也正是架着血肉之躯的轻舟，横渡波涛翻滚的生活之海的。幸运所需要的美德是节制，而厄运所需要的美德是坚忍；后者比前者更为难能可贵。

《圣经》的《旧约》启示给人们以幸福，而《新约》则启示人们通过战胜苦难去获取幸福。在圣诗中，哀歌是与颂歌相伴的，而圣灵对约伯所受苦难的刻画比对所罗门财富的刻画要更动人。一切幸运都并非没有烦恼，而一切厄运也决非没有希望。最美的刺绣，是以明丽的花朵映衬于暗淡的背景，而绝不是以暗淡的花朵映衬于明丽的背景。

从这图象中去汲取启示吧。人的美德犹如名贵的香料，在烈火焚烧中散发出最浓郁的芳香。正如恶劣的品质可以在幸运中暴露一样，最美好的品质也正是在厄运中被显示的。