Affliction a Means of Moral Influence
Phillips Brooks, D. D. Galatians 4:13 You know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel to you at the first. The sunlight falls upon a clod, and the clod drinks it in, is itself warmed by it, but lies as black as ever, and sheds out no light. But the sun touches a diamond, and the diamond almost chills itself as it sends out in radiance on every side the light that has fallen upon it. So God helps one man to bear his pain, and nobody but that one man is a whir the richer. God comes to another sufferer — reverent, unselfish, and humble — and the lame leap, and the dumb speak, and the wretched are comforted all around by the radiated comfort of that happy soul. (Phillips Brooks, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. WEB: but you know that because of weakness of the flesh I preached the Good News to you the first time.