ANTHONY: Cousin, it would be a long work to peruse every comfort
that a man may well take in tribulation. For as many comforts, you
know, may a man take thereof, as there be good commodities therein.
And of those there are surely so many that it would be very long to
rehearse and treat of them. But meseemeth we cannot lightly better
perceive what profit and commodity, and thereby what comfort, they
may take of it who have it, than if we well consider what harm the
lack of it is, and thereby what discomfort the lack should be to
them that never have it.
So is it now that all holy men agree, and all the scripture is
full, and our own experience proveth before our eyes, that we are
not come into this wretched world to dwell here. We have not, as
St. Paul saith, our dwelling-city here, but we are seeking for the
city that is to come. And St. Paul telleth us that we do seek for
it, because he would put us in mind that we should seek for it, as
good folk who fain would come thither. For surely whosoever setteth
so little by it that he careth not to seek for it, it will I fear
be long ere he come to it, and marvellous great grace if ever he
come thither. "Run," saith St. Paul, "so that you may get it." If
it must then be gotten with running, when shall he come at it who
lifteth not one step toward it?
Now, because this world is, as I tell you, not our eternal
dwelling, but our little-while wandering, God would that we should
use it as folk who were weary of it. And he would that we should in
this vale of labour, toil, tears, and misery not look for rest and
ease, game, pleasure, wealth, and felicity. For those who do so
fare like a foolish fellow who, going towards his own house where
he should be wealthy, would for a tapster's pleasure become a
hostler by the way, and die in a stable, and never come home.
And would God that those that drown themselves in the desire of
this world's wretched wealth, were not yet more fools than he! But
alas, their folly as far surpasseth the foolishness of that silly
fellow as there is difference between the height of heaven and the
very depth of hell. For our Saviour saith, "Woe may you be that
laugh now, for you shall wail and weep." And "There is a time of
weeping," saith the scripture, "and there is a time of laughing."
But, as you see, he setteth the weeping time before, for that is
the time of this wretched world, and the laughing time shall come
after in heaven. There is also a time of sowing and a time of
reaping, too. Now must we in this world sow, that we may in the
other world reap. And in this short sowing time of this weeping
world, must we water our seed with the showers of our tears. And
then shall we have in heaven a merry laughing harvest forever.
"They went forth and sowed their seeds weeping," saith the prophet.
But what, saith he, shall follow thereof? "They shall come again
more than laughing, with great joy and exultation, with their
handfuls of corn in their hands." Lo, they that in their going home
towards heaven sow their seeds with weeping, shall at the day of
judgment come to their bodies again with everlasting plentiful
laughing. And to prove that this life is no laughing time, but
rather the time of weeping, we find that our Saviour himself wept
twice or thrice, but never find we that he laughed so much as once.
I will not swear that he never did, but at least he left us no
example of it. But on the other hand, he left us example of weeping.
Of weeping have we matter enough, both for our own sins and for
other folk's, too. For surely so should we do--bewail their
wretched sins, and not be glad to detract them nor envy them
either. Alas, poor souls, what cause is there to envy them who are
ever wealthy in this world, and ever out of tribulation? Of them
Job saith, "They lead all their days in wealth, and in a moment of
an hour descend into their graves and are painfully buried in
hell." St. Paul saith unto the Hebrews that those whom God loveth
he chastiseth, "And he scourgeth every son of his that he
receiveth." St. Paul saith also, "By many tribulations must we go
into the kingdom of God." And no marvel, for our Saviour Christ
said of himself unto his two disciples that were going into the
village of Emaus, "Know you not that Christ must suffer and so go
into his kingdom?" And would we who are servants look for more
privilege in our master's house than our master himself? Would we
get into his kingdom with ease, when he himself got not into his
own but by pain? His kingdom hath he ordained for his disciples,
and he saith unto us all, "If any man will be my disciple, let him
learn of me to do as I have done, take his cross of tribulation
upon his back and follow me." He saith not here, lo, "Let him laugh
and make merry." Now if heaven serve but for Christ's disciples,
and if they be those who take their cross of tribulation, when
shall these folk come there who never have tribulation? And if it
be true, as St. Paul saith, that God chastiseth all them that he
loveth and scourgeth every child whom he receiveth, and that to
heaven shall not come but such as he loveth and receiveth, when
shall they come thither whom he never chastiseth, nor never doth
vouchsafe to defile his hands upon them or give them so much as one
lash? And if we cannot (as St. Paul saith we cannot) come to heaven
but by many tribulations, how shall they come thither who never
have none at all? Thus see we well, by the very scripture itself,
how true the words are of old holy saints, who with one voice (in a
manner) say all one thing--that is, that we shall not have
continual wealth both in this world and in the other too. And
therefore those who in this world without any tribulation enjoy
their long continual course of never-interrupted prosperity have a
great cause of fear and discomfort lest they be far fallen out of
God's favour, and stand deep in his indignation and displeasure.
For he never sendeth them tribulation, which he is ever wont to
send them whom he loveth. But they that are in tribulation, I say,
have on the other hand a great cause to take in their grief great
inward comfort and spiritual consolation.