desire to be despised, to bear all adversities and losses, and to
desire no prosperity in this world. If thou lookest to thyself,
thou wilt of thyself be able to do none of this; but if thou
trustest in the Lord, endurance shall be given thee from heaven,
and the world and the flesh shall be made subject to thy command.
Yea, thou shalt not even fear thine adversary the devil, if thou
be armed with faith and signed with the Cross of Christ.

10. Set thyself, therefore, like a good and faithful servant of
Christ, to the manful bearing of the Cross of thy Lord, who out
of love was crucified for thee. Prepare thyself for the bearing
many adversities and manifold troubles in this wretched life;
because so it shall be with thee wheresoever thou art, and so in
very deed thou shalt find it, wherever thou hide thyself. This
it must be; and there is no means of escaping from tribulation
and sorrow, except to bear them patiently. Drink thou lovingly
thy Lord's cup if thou desirest to be His friend and to have thy
lot with Him. Leave consolations to God, let Him do as seemeth
best to Him concerning them. But do thou set thyself to endure
tribulations, and reckon them the best consolations; for the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared
with the glory which shall be revealed in us,(4) nor would they
be even if thou wert to endure them all.

11. When thou hast come to this, that tribulation is sweet and
pleasant to thee for Christ's sake, then reckon that it is well
with thee, because thou hast found paradise on earth. So long as
it is hard to thee to suffer and thou desirest to escape, so long
it will not be well with thee, and tribulations will follow thee
everywhere.