Our Lord Jesus Christ himself was not one hour of his life without suffering: It behoved, saith he, that Christ should suffer, and rise from the dead, and so enter into his glory. Luke xxiv.
And how dost thou pretend to seek another way than the royal way, which is the way of the holy cross.
7. The whole life of Christ was a cross, and a martyrdom: and dost thou seek rest and joy?
Thou errest, thou errest, if thou seekest any other thing than to suffer tribulations: for this whole mortal life is full of miseries, and beset on all sides with crosses.
And the higher a person is advanced in spirit, the heavier crosses shall he often meet with: because the pain of his banishment increases in proportion to his love.
8. Yet this man, thus many ways afflicted, is not without some allay of comfort for his ease: because he is sensible of the great profit which he reaps by bearing the cross.
For whilst he willingly resigns himself to it, all the burden of tribulation is converted into an assured hope of comfort from God.
And the more the flesh is brought down by affliction, the more the spirit is strengthened by inward grace.