In the second place, we must take up our cross, namely prepare ourselves for suffering, according to the teaching of Jesus Syrach, who says: “My son, if thou come to serve the Lord, prepare thy soul for temptation. Set thy heart aright, and constantly endure, and make not haste in time of trouble. Cleave unto him, and depart not away, that thou mayest be increased at thy last end. Whatsoever is brought upon thee, take cheerfully, and be patient when thou art changed to a low estate. For gold is tried in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity.” Sir. 2:1–5; Wis. 3:6. With this accords also what Paul says: “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 2 Tim. 3:12. Yea Christ himself says to his apostles: “Ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.” Mark 13:13. From all these words it must incontrovertibly follow, that all servants of God, all godly men, all disciples of Jesus Christ, must suffer persecution for his name’s sake; and be tried through manifold temptations.
Therefore it is an awful blindness, that men boast of the Gospel and Christianity, and know what belongs to a Christian life, but, alas! they have the least thought of suffering anything for the name of Christ Jesus; yea, though they know and confess that all the works which take place in papal desolation are evil, and nothing but blasphemy against God, yet have they fellowship therewith, and commit the most shameful idolatry, in order that they may avoid and escape the cross,--in which cross all pious Christians may glory (Gal. 6:14)--and still they want to be considered good Christians. O what wicked servants! O what wicked disciples! Wicked servants we say, because they would be above their Lord Jesus Christ; wicked disciples we say, since they reject and contemn the doctrine of their Master Jesus Christ. O people, people, mockers of the living God! who think to deceive God with your dissimulation, and to pay him with words, unmindful of the words of Paul, namely: that the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power! 1 Cor. 4:20. O people true hypocrites! who fancy that they serve Christ, but how far are they from glorying with Paul, the pious and faithful minister of Christ, only in the cross of Christ! Gal. 6:14. O miserable people, who would rather now live for a little season in peace and voluptuousness with the Babylonian whore, and afterwards be tormented with her in everlasting pain, than suffer with Christ Jesus for a little while, and thus enter into eternal glory!
Ah! the true saints and servants of God did differently; they would rather suffer death, than transgress the commandment of God. Pious Joseph would rather go to prison; yea, into death, than offend the Lord his God, and commit adultery with the adulterous woman. Gen. 39:8. Moses, the ardent and jealous lover of God, through his faith, chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to live in carnal and worldly lusts with the Egyptians; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt; for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. Ex. 2:11; Heb. 11:25. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego feared God the Lord more than all the torments of the tyrannous King, and would rather die a temporal death, and adhere to their God, than deny him. Dan. 3:16. Daniel who was rich in spirit and strong in faith, did not shrink from the den of lions, in which he would rather be cast, than worship any strange God. Dan. 6. The pious Tobit would rather transgress the commandment of the King at the peril of his life, than to forsake God his Lord; wherefore he also commanded his son, to fear God all his life, and never to let his will be set to sin, or to transgress the commandments of God his Lord. Tobit 1:18; 4:5. Eleazar, the pious Israelite would rather die for the law of God, than act contrary to it; yea, than to dissimulate once, and thus cause offense in Israel. The mother and her seven sons were so ardent in the love of God, that they were not afraid of all the tyranny of the wicked King, nor would they act contrary to the law of God, but much rather suffer a severe death for it. 2 Mac. 7. Yea, how many saints and witnesses of Jesus Christ are still hated, persecuted and slain by the Babylonian whore, because they will not drink of the wine of her fornication, or have fellowship with her idolatrous works.