None of us likes to be sick. But as J. C. Ryle points out, sickness, like the sin that caused it, is universal to all mankind. And while sickness is indeed a misery, Ryle shows that, at the same time, it confers general benefits on mankind. He writes, "It is a blessing quite as much as a curse. It is a rough schoolmaster, I grant. But it is a real friend to man's soul." He goes on to describe some of the ways that God uses sickness for good and the special duties that its prevalence requires, concluding with some words of practical application. We can do no better than to heed Ryle's final exhortation, "In sickness and in health, in life and in death, let us lean confidently on Him."