Consider how it went with the prophet Jeremiah, who endured much grief, because he according to the command of the Lord reproved the cities of their sin. He was apprehended and cast into a miry dungeon, yea, much grief came upon him, as the Scriptures sufficiently testify concerning it; yea, so that he resolved no more to preach in the name of God. Behold, to such grief this man of God was subject, who yet had been chosen by God, in his mother’s womb, to proclaim his holy will. Jer. 38:6.
Again, behold John, who was sanctified in his mother’s womb. He who was known to all the people to be a prophet, did not Herod, for the sake of a harlot, cause his head to be struck off in prison? who nevertheless, according to the words of Christ, was the greatest prophet born of woman. Luke 1:15; Matt. 14:5,10; 11:11.
See, my dear mother, if it went thus with those who walked so worthily before the Lord--if they killed those, what shall they do to us?
Consider, that they did not hesitate to kill Christ Jesus, who is the only Son of God, and the Son of man, who, according to the testimony of the Scriptures, is truly God and man, the Son of God, and the Son of men, for he calls himself in many places the Son of man; and he is confessed and is the true living Son of God, who delivered us from the power of Satan, from eternal death and damnation, and opened our eyes when we were dead in our sins and unrighteousnesses, and brought us into this marvelous light; he has revealed to us his word and truth, the gospel, which, as Paul says, is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Rom. 1:16.
Since, then, the good God, through his unspeakable grace and goodness, has revealed to us his word and truth, whereby our dark eyes have been opened, and has given us to believe in him by whom we might live forever, which is Christ Jesus, upon whom the generation of vipers inflicted much pain and torment, as the four evangelists abundantly testify concerning it; how they scourged, mocked, beat, and very miserably maltreated him, and placed a crown of thorns upon his head; he had himself to bear his cross to which they nailed him; they gave him vinegar and gall to drink; they pierced his side with a spear, and water and blood issued from the same. Alas, so dreadfully did they deal with him; all that went by opened their mouth and mocked him, so that he was the most despised upon earth; he was like the prophet David says and prophesies: “I am a worm and no man; I am the most despised among all men; they open their mouths against me, and cast lots upon my vesture.” Psalm 22:6,7,14,18.
O dear mother, how bitter it is to describe the sufferings of the immaculate Lamb of God, that was subjected to so much suffering and sorrow; who should be able to describe his sufferings which he endured for our sakes? Should we then not suffer a little for his sake, when he shall so gloriously recompense all that suffer for his sake? for he says: “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake;” and again: Blessed are they that suffer reproach for my name’s sake; for great is their reward in heaven. Matt. 5:10–12; Luke 6:22,23. Now you may perceive that the Lord will not leave unrewarded all those that suffer for his word and the truth; who in suffering adhere steadfastly to his gospel; who depart not from his word and truth which he has spoken with his mouth; who depart not from the narrow way that leads to eternal life; who were not ashamed to confess the truth before this adulterous generation, who did not fear those that kill the body, but much rather feared him that can cast soul and body into hell, into eternal darkness and torment, where there will ever be weeping and gnashing of teeth, where the flames shall never be extinguished, where the smoke shall ascend forever and ever, where the worm shall never die; who resemble not, as Peter says, the dog that swallows again that which he has vomited (2 Peter 2:22); that are not like the sow which, when she has once been washed and cleansed, goes and wallows again in the mire; who do not call light darkness, and darkness light (Is. 5:20); who do not call truth lies, and lies truth; who intend with Eleazar to persevere, and not to dissemble (2 Maccabees 6:18); who do not reject the truth, when they well know that it is the truth; who do not hearken to the devilish doctrine of the papists (1 Tim. 4:1–3); who follow not the priests of Jezebel, who thirst for the blood of the righteous, who love and serve God, and love him with all the heart and with all the soul; who seek to follow Christ’s footsteps, to live and walk according to his will; who seeks to please him and not men (Gal. 1:10), for James says: Whosoever will be a friend of God, must be the enemy of the world (James 4:4); who seeks to walk the narrow way; who desires to forsake unrighteousness; who forsakes the counsel of the flesh and follow the counsel of the Spirit; who forsakes this earthly good, and seeks after the heavenly; who regards the temporal as nothing, and seeks after the eternal and imperishable; who looks not at this visible, but hopes for the invisible (2 Cor. 4:18); who regards not this life, but seeks to obtain eternal life, who now delights not in this temporal joy and pleasure, but in the eternal joy and bliss; to those who are thus, there is promised that they shall inherit forever and ever that promised land, the eternal life, where they shall be crowned with great glory; they shall, as Malachi says, leap as calves of the stall (Mal. 4:2); palm branches shall be given into their hands (2 Esdras 2:46); they shall, as John says, sing the new song before the throne of God (Rev. 14:3), they shall be arrayed in fine, white linen (19:8); they shall shine forth as the sun (Matt. 13:43); they shall forever be in joy, such joy (Paul says) as ear has never heard, eye never seen, nor has man’s heart been able to conceive of the joy of which the righteous that endure steadfast unto the end shall partake. Who should now depart for any reproach or contempt? who should now depart for any persecution or tribulation or any temporal life?