Letter 40. To some dear friends of his
BLessed be God the Father, of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercies, and the God of all consolation, who comforts us in all our tribulation; in such sort, as that we also, are enabled to comfort them who are in any kind of affliction. And this we do, in virtue of that consolation, wherewith God comforts us, For as the tribulations of Christ abound in us, so through Christ, see our consolation is also abundant.1
These are the words of the Apostle Saint Paul.
Three times he was scourged with rods; five times with whips; and once he was stoned, in such sort as that he was left for dead; and persecuted by all the generations of man kind; and tormented withal sorts of afflictions, and troubles; and this not in any small number of times, but as himself saith elsewhere, we are ever, even drawn to death, for the love of Jesus Christ, that so his life, may be made manifest in us. And in all these tribulations, he doth not only not murmur, nor complain of God, as weak persons are wont to do, nor doth he afflict himself otherwise, as is used by them, who love their honour and their case; nor doth he importune God to remove them from him, like such as know not the value thereof, and therefore desire not such company, as that; nor doth he esteem them as some sleight, and little favours, as they do who love not to suffer much; but leaving all ignorance, and weakness fare behind him, he praises our lord in them, and gives thankes for them, as for an extraordinary blessing, Esteeming himself happy, to suffer somewhat for the honour of him, who suffered so great dishonours; that so he might draw us out of that true dishonour wherein we were, being slaves to the baseness of sin; and he beautified, and honoured us, with his spirit, and with the adoption of the sons of God, and he gave us an earnest, and a pledge that we should enjoy the kingdom of heaven by him.2
O my brethren, who are so very much beloved by me, God will open your eyes, that you may consider, how great favour he doth us, by that which the world thinks to be disfavour, and how much we are honoured, in being dishonoured, for seeking the honour of God, and how high honour is reserved to us, for that abasement, wherein now we are, and how sweet, delightful and dear arms, our Lord extends towards us, to receive such as are wounded in the war for his sake, whereby those very wounds do incomparably outstrip, & even make sweet all that gall, which the afflictions of this life can give. And if we have any true understanding, we shall conceive a vehement desire of these embracements.
For who will not desire that, which is wholly amiable, and , but only such a one, as knows not what true happiness is. But know you for certain, that if those festivities of heaven please you, and if you desire to see, and enjoy the same, there is no way to it more secure, then that of suffering. This is that path, whereby Christ our Lord, and all his servants are gone before us;
and which he calls straight, and saith, t'has it leads men to lise. And he left us this instruction, to the end that if we should have a mind to be where he is, we might walk by that way, where he went. For it is against all reason, that the son of God, having gone by the way of dishonour; the sons of men, should go by the way of honour, since the Disciple is not greater than his Master, no● the slave, than his Lord. And God forbid, that our soul should repose, and rest, in any other thing, or should desire any other life, in this world, but only to suffer, under the Cross of Christ our lord. Though yet, I know not, if I have said well, in calling that affliction which is suffered under that Cross. For to my seeming, it is as the delight of a soft bed, full of roses.3
O thou Jesus of Nazareth (by which word it is signified that thou art all full of flowers), how sweet is that odour of thee, which awakes in us, those insatiable desires, of eternity; and makes us forget the afflictions, which we suffer here, whilst we consider for whom they are endured, and with what reward they shall be paid. And who is he that can love thee at all, and yet doth not love thee crucified? in that Cross, thou didst seek me, thou didst cure me, thou didst deliver me, thou didst free me, thou didst love me, giving thy life and blood for me, by the hands of base and cruel wretches. And therefore in the Cross, will I seek thee, and upon that I find thee; and finding thee, thou helpest me; and thou deliverest me from myself, who am the creature which contradicts thy love, wherein mine own salvation doth consist. But now (being free from the love of my , which is thine enemy) I answer thee, though not with equality, yet with a kind of poor resemblance, of that excessive love, which thou carryedst to me upon thy Cross; I loving thee, and suffering for thee, as thou by loving me, died'st of love for me.
But woe is me, and what shame covers my face, and what sorrow seizes upon my hart, who having been so much beloved by thee, which thy so great torments do well declare) I yet love thee so little, as may be seen by the little, which I endure for thee. I easily confess, that all men deserve not so great happiness, as to be marked out for thine, with the mark of the Cross, but yet, consider what a sad thing it is, for me to desire, and not to obtain; to ask and not to receive? How much more, when I beg not delight, and ease; but affliction, and pain, for love of thee.
Tell me, since thou will have me to be both thy Herald, and the Ancient, who am to carry the flying colours, of thy gospel, why thou dost not apparel me, from head to foot, with thine own livery. O how ill doth the name of being thy servant belong to me, who find myself naked, of that garment, wherewith thou didst so cordially, and so continually, and so abundantly go apparelled? Tell us, O beloved Jesus, (even by that sweet Cross of thine) was there peradventure, any one day, when thou didst put off, that robe of sufferance, to thyself with repose and ease? Or was there any one day, wherein thou didst put off that rough coat, which so wrought into the very roots of thy hart, as to make thee say, My soul is heavy, even to the death? O Noah, thou wert far from resting, because thou wert fare from leaving to lone, and this love made thee always suffer.4
And when they stripped thee of thy , they cut out, upon the Cross, (as if it had been upon some table) another garment for thee; and that so long a one, as to reach from thy very head to thy feet; and there was no part of thee, which was not died, with thy most precious crimson blood. The head Crow ned with thorns, the face, loaden with buffets, the hands pierced with two nails, and the feet with one; a bitter one to thee, but dear to us; and all the rest of thy body, embroidered over, with so many stripes, as that it was no casye thing, to nunber them.
He who beholding thee, shall love himself, and not thee, shall do thee an extreme wrong. He who seeing thee, in such a plight, shall fly from that, which may make him like to thee, and he who hath but little desire to suffer for thee, doth not know thee with perfect love. For he who so knows thee, doth even dye for love of thee, when he considers that thou died'st for him, and he more desires dishonour for thy sake, than he esteems honour, & then all that, which the whole world, (which is both a deceiver and doth deceive) can give. Away with it, away, let it all hold his peace, in comparison of thy Cross, whatsoever it be in this world, which flourishes most; and yet is so soon withered. And let worldly people, be even confounded with shame, since thou, so much to thy cost, hast fought & overcome, by thy Cross. Yea and let them even also be ashamed, who are held for servants of thine, and yet rejoice not in that, which is contrary to the world; notwithstanding that thou wert so reproached, and abandoned, and contradicted by this blind world, which neither doth nor yet can see that Truth, which is Thy self.
For my part, I am resolved to hold thee fast, though all other things be wanting to me (which yet in true account, can neither deserve the name of all things, nor indeed, of any thing, but of perfect misery and a mere nothing) rather than I will remain of any other colour, than thou art; though otherwise the world wherein I live, might be all mine. For all those things, which are not the thing, which thou thyself art, are rather affliction, and burden, then true happiness, but in thy being ours, and our being thine, consists our true joy, and riches, for thou alone, art all our true good.
I had forgotten myself my dear brethren, in that whereof I began to speak; and to beseech, and admonish you, in the name of Christ our Lord, that you be not troubled, nor brought to wonder, (at a strange thing, and not familiarly known by the servants of God) at these persecutions, or rather the shadows thereof, which are come upon us. For this hath been nothing but a trial, and examen of that lesson, which we have been learning continually, by the space of five or six years, saying, that we must suffer, we must suffer. for the love of Christ our lord. Behold we are now, at the very gates. Let us not be troubled like children, who are not willing to repeat their lesson. But comfort yourselves, in our Lord, and in the strength of his power, who love's you, and who will defend you. And though he be but one, yet he can do more, than all the rest, for he is omnipotent. You need not also fear, that he wants knowledge, how to do it; for he can be ignorant of nothing. And now consider, whether it be reason, that any man should be moved, who is tied to Almighty God, with those three so hard knots, of an infinite power, an infinite wisdom, and an infinite love.
Let not the menaces of them who threaten you, breed you any trouble. For I for my part, give you to understand, that I value not all their threats, at the weight of one single hair. For I am no where, but in the hand of Christ our Lord; and I have great compassion of their blindness. For the gospel of Christ our Lord, which I have preached in that town, is hidden from their eyes, and S. Paul affirmed, that the God of this world, which is the devil, did blind the souls of the Infidels; to the end that the glory of the gospel, might not shine upon them. But I desire much, and I cordially beg of our Lord, that he will have mercy on them, and that he will heap benedictions upon them, in lieu of the curses which they cast on me; and glory for the dishonour, which they do me, or (to speak more truly) for that which they desire to do me. For as for me, I am fixed in this, that there is no honour for a man upon this earth, but to be dishonoured for Christ our Lord.5
Do you also, my dear friends, after the same manner; and be Disciples of him, who gave a kiss of peace, to that person, and called him friend, who had sold him, to his enemies. And upon the Cross he said, Pardon them, Father, for they know not what they do. Consider in all your neighbours, how they are the creatures of God; and that God desires their salvation; and than you will take heed, of wishing ill to that man, to whom God desires so much good. Remember how often you have heard from my mouth, that we must love our enemies; and that, with great repose of mind, and without speaking ill of any. Pass over this fit of time; for our Lord will quickly bring on another. And be very well awake, that you may not go back to reverse any one lot of that good, which you have begun; for this would be extremely ill done. But settle this truth in your hearts, that he whom you have followed, is the lord of heaven, and earth, and of life, and death. And that in fine, though all the world should say nay, his truth must prevail. Labour you to follow that truth, and whilst you are doing so, do not only forbear to fear men, but fear not devils no nor even Angels, if it were possible for them, to be against you. Be very careful to be silent amongst men; but be sure that your hearts, speak much in prayer, to God, from whom all our good is to come. And his pleasure is, that we should obtain it; and especially by meditating upon the passion, of Jesus Christ our Lord. And if you suffer any thing, by the tongues of evil men (for, in fine, you suffer nothing else) take it in discharge of your sins, and as a particular favour of God, who will make you clean, by the tongues of those evil men, as it might be with some brush or rubber; for those tongues will be fowl thereby (since they utter fowl things) and yourself will grow clean by suffering, and you will be sure of happiness in the other world.67
But in the mean time, I will not, by any means, that you esteem yourselves for better, then them, whom thus you see to go in error. Because you know not how long yourselves may continue in doing well, nor they in doing ill. But work your salvation in fear and in humility; and so hope that yourselves shall get to heaven, as not to judge with all, that your neighbour is not to go thither. And so value the favours which God hath done to you, as that withal you touch not upon the imperfections of your neighbours. For you know what happened between the Pharisee, and the Publican, by which example we must be warned.8
There is no sanctity assured, but in the holy fear of God, wherein, I would have you even grow old, as the holy Scripture saith. So to give us to understand, that we must not only fear God, when first we come to his service, but even to the very end. This fear is no sad, or irksome kind of thing, but full of savour and gust; and it takes away all levity, and effusion of hart; and it makes a man not venturous, to approve his own actions as good; though perhaps in themselves, they be well done. But he leaves the judgement, both of himself, and of all the world, to Almighty God. As S. Paul said, I judge not myself, but he who judges me, is our Lord. This is he, whom you must fear, if you will persever, in doing well; and if you will not have your building fall, but stand safe, till it may rise and reach to the most high God. But now this must be done by love, which I beseech our lord Jesus Christ, to give you. Amen. Pray for me very cordially, as already I believe you do. For I hope in God, that he will hear you, and that he will give me to you, for your service, as in former times.9
Footnotes
Chapter 16 of 57