tions upon
us, saying: _Corripimur a Domino, ne cum mundo condemnemur_; "We are
chastened of the Lord, lest we should be condemned with the world." For
you see by daily experience, that the most part of wicked men are lucky
in this world; they bear the swing, all things goeth after their minds;
for God letteth them have their pleasures here. And therefore this is a
common saying, "The more wicked, the more lucky:" but they that pertain
to God, that shall inherit everlasting life, they must go to the pot;
they must suffer here, according to that scripture, _Judicium a domo Dei
incipit_; "The judgment of God beginneth at the house of God." Therefore
it cometh of the goodness of God, when we be put to taste the sauce of
tribulation: for he doth it to a good end, namely, that we should not be
condemned with this wicked world. For these sauces are very good for us;
for they make us more hungry and lusty to come to Christ and feed upon
him. And truly, when it goeth well with us, we forget Christ, our hearts
and minds are not upon him: therefore it is better to have affliction
than to be in prosperity. For there is a common saying, _Vexatio dat
intellectum_; "Vexation giveth understanding." David, that excellent
king and prophet, saith, _Bonum est mihi quod humiliasti me, Domine_:
"Lord," saith he, "it is good for me that thou hast pulled down my
stomach, that thou hast humbled me." But I pray you, what sauce had
David, how was he humbled? Truly thus: his own son defiled his daughter.
After that, Absalom, one other of his sons, killed his own brother. And
this was not enough, but his own son rose up against him, and
traitorously cast him out of his kingdom, and defiled his wives in the
sight of all the people. Was not he vexed? had he not sauces? Yes, yes:
yet for all that he cried not out against God; he murmured not, but
saith, _Bonum est mihi quod humiliasti me_; "Lord, it is good for me that
thou hast humbled me, that thou hast brought me low." Therefore when we
be in trouble, let us be of good comfort, knowing that God doth it for
the best. But for all that, the devil, that old serpent, the enemy of
mankind, doth what he can day and night to bring us this sauce, to cast
us into persecution, or other miseries: as it appeareth in the gospel of
Matthew, where our Saviour casting him out of a man, seeing that he could
do no more harm, he desired Christ to give him leave to go into the
swine; and so he cast them al