m a
foul turn again; but what saith God? _Mihi vindicta, ego retribuam_;
"Unto me belongeth vengeance, I will recompense the same." Now here I
must give over my own will and pleasure, and obey his will: this I must
do, if I will feed upon him, if I will come to heaven. But this is a
bitter thing, a sour sauce, a sharp sauce; this sauce maketh a stomach:
for when I am injured or wronged, or am in other tribulation, then I have
a great desire for him, to feed upon him, to be delivered from trouble,
and to attain to quietness and joy.

There is a learned man which hath a saying which is most true: he saith,
_Plus crux quam tranquillitas invitat ad Christum_; "The cross and
persecution bring us sooner to Christ than prosperity and wealth."
Therefore St. Peter saith, _Humiliamini sub potenti manu Dei_; "Humble
yourselves under the mighty hand of God." Look, what God layeth upon
you, bear it willingly and humbly. But you will say, "I pray you, tell
me what is my cross?" Answer: This that God layeth upon you, that same
is your cross; not that which you of your own wilfulness lay upon
yourselves: as there was a certain sect which were called Flagellarii,
which scourged themselves with whips till the blood ran from their
bodies; this was a cross, but it was not the cross of God. No, no: he
laid not that upon them, they did it of their own head. Therefore look,
what God layeth upon me, that same is my cross, which I ought to take in
good part; as when I fall in poverty, or in miseries, I ought to be
content withal; when my neighbour doth me wrong, taketh away my goods,
robbeth me of my good name and fame, I shall bear it willingly,
considering that it is God's cross, and that nothing can be done against
me without his permission. There falleth never a sparrow to the ground
without his permission; yea, not a hair falleth from our head without his
will. Seeing then that there is nothing done without his will, I ought
to bear this cross which he layeth upon me willingly, without any
murmuring or grudging.

But I pray you, consider these words of St. Peter well: _Humiliamini sub
potenti manu Dei_; "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God." Here
St. Peter signifieth unto us that God is a mighty God, which can take
away the cross from us when it seemeth him good; yea, and he can send
patience in the midst of all trouble and miseries. St. Paul, that elect
instrument of God, shewed a reason wherefore God layeth afflic