We, fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad through cruel edicts and severe persecution, greeting. Eph. 2:19–21; 1 Peter 2:6; James 1:1. Hence, my dear brethren and sisters, do not become weary because you now suffer for a season, and have to flee from one city into another; but remember, my dear friends, that it all conduces to your happiness, and take for an example Tobit, with his wife and son, how he had to flee, and to be hid naked; likewise, Matthias with his sons and those who loved him, when he said: “Whosoever is pious and of good cheer, let him make his testament, and follow me.” Matt. 10:23; Rom. 8:28; Tobit 1:19; 1 Macc. 2:27.
Take also Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for examples, who dwelled in tents, and also others; for here we have no continuing city; they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, in hunger, want and affliction, of whom the world was not worthy. Genesis 12. See, my dear friends, think not that you are the only ones, or that you are forsaken by the Lord, when some tempest assails you; but remember that we must through much suffering take the kingdom of God. Sir. 2:10; Acts 14:22. If the abovementioned had been mindful of the country from whence they came out, truly, they might have had opportunity enough to have returned; but they declare plainly that they sought a country, a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God; wherefore God was not ashamed to be called their God. Ex. 3:6. Thus, also, my dear friends, will he not be ashamed of us; for he says through his pious prophet Isaiah: “Can a mother forsake her own child, to whom she herself has given birth? Yea, she may forget it, yet will thy God not forget thee.” Is. 49:15. Consider, therefore, how the gracious Father has been with all the pious children. of God, and how he has preserved and upheld them under his powerful hand, as we may clearly understand from Abraham; for when he went into a strange country, he often had God for his comforter. He gave Jacob courage when he fled before his brother Esau. He fed Hezekiah three days and three nights, who complained of the blasphemy of Sennacherib. 2 Kings 19:6. He delivered the Jews through Judith, when they were besieged by Holofernes. Judith 13:8. He delivered the three young men from the heat of the fiery furnace, and was in the pit with Daniel, so that the lions did not devour him. Dan. 3:25; 6:22. He delivered Israel from the bondage of Pharaoh. He delivered Rahab from the shadow of death. Josh. 6:25. He saved Susanna through Daniel. He delivered Peter from prison. He delivered John from the Isle of Patmos. He comforted Paul by the vision on the way to Damascus. He comforteth the apostles through the Comforter, the Holy Ghost. He turned Joseph’s great sorrow into great joy in Egypt. Thus, God will also turn the sorrow of every one of you into great joy, even as he himself declares: “The world shall rejoice; but ye shall mourn and be sorrowful; but be of good cheer, God shall turn your sorrow into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your sorrow shall be turned into joy, and your joy no man taketh from you. John 16:20–22.