6. If you carefully balance our gifts and trials against each other
and weigh them carefully, you will find the blessings conferred upon
you so numerous and rich as far to outweigh the injuries and
reproaches you must incur. Therefore, if you are assailed by the
world, and are provoked to impatience by ingratitude, contempt and
persecution, compare with your trials the blessings and consolations
you have in Christ and his Gospel. You will soon find you have more
reason to pity your enemies than you have to murmur and to rage
against them.
7. Again, concerning them who live in worldly lusts--in "filthiness,"
as the apostle terms it: let not their conduct induce you to forsake
the Gospel to be like them; for their portion is altogether paltry in
comparison with your glorious blessings and divine riches. Take
thought, then, and do not allow yourselves to be misled either by the
wanton wickedness of the world, through the injury and pain it may
inflict, or by the prosperity of the world's wealthy, who live
riotously in all manner of voluptuousness. Look upon what you have
from the Father in comparison--his divine blessings, his perfect
gifts.
8. For the sake of distinction, we shall designate by "good gifts" the
blessings we enjoy here in this life; by "perfect gifts" those
awaiting us in the life to come. James implies this distinction when
he says: "Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth,
that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures." In the
terms "good gifts" and "perfect gifts," the apostle comprehends all
our blessings, those we have already received in the present life and
those to be ours in the life to come.
9. I will not now speak particularly of earthly, transient and
changeable blessings, such as temporal goods, honor, a healthy body
and others, but could we only compare our blessings with these and
weigh our treasures and surpassing blessings, we should presently
conclude that ours transcend in value a hundred thousand times
anything the world possesses and boasts. Many individuals there are
who would give thousands of dollars to have the sight of both eyes. So
much do they prize the blessing of sight, they would willingly suffer
a year's illness or endure other great inconveniences to obtain it.
Less sensible would they be to such discomforts than to the
deprivation of the thing they desire.
Of physical blessings particularly, we shall not now speak, however,
save to mention that they are never equaled by physical ills. Who can
purchase or merit, even by enduring tenfold his present physical ills,
the very least of God's gifts; as, for instance, the beholding of the
light of the beautiful sun for a single day? And so long as mortal
life itself remains, you have the greatest of blessings, one
outweighing far all gold and silver and all the misfortunes you may
endure.