the crosses he often finds, because the grief of his banishment increases with his love.
Nevertheless, this man though so many ways afflicted, is not without refreshing comfort, for he perceives much fruit by the enduring of his own cross. For while he willingly puts himself under it, all the burden of tribulation is turned into the confidence of divine comfort. And the more the flesh is wasted in affliction, the more is the spirit made strong by inward grace.† And sometimes he is so strengthened by the desire of tribulation and adversity, for the love of conformity to the cross of Christ, that he would not wish to be without pain and tribulation.† He believes that he will be to God so much the more acceptable, the more and the heavier things he can suffer for Him.
This is not the power of man, but it is the grace of Christ, which does so much in frail flesh; so that what naturally it always abhors and flees from, this by fervor of spirit it encounters and loves. It is not according to man to bear the cross, to love the cross, to mortify the body, and bring it into subjection, to flee honors, willingly to suffer reproaches, to despise himself and wish to be despised, to endure all adversities and losses, and to desire no prosperity in this world. If you trust in the Lord, fortitude will be given
