For
there you defend your own right for your temporal avail. But St.
Paul counseleth, "Defend not yourselves, my more dear friends," and
our Saviour counseleth, "If a man will strive with thee at the law
and take away thy coat, leave him thy gown too." The defence
therefore of our own right asketh no reward. Say you speed well, if
you get leave; look hardly for no thanks!
But on the other hand, if you do as St. Paul biddeth, "Seek not for
your own profit but for other folk's" and defend therefore of pity
a poor widow or a poor fatherless child, and rather suffer sorrow
by some strong extortioner than suffer them to take wrong; or if
you be a judge and have such zeal to justice that you will abide
tribulation by the malice of some mighty man rather than judge
wrong for his favour--such tribulations, lo, are those that are
better than only medicinable. And every man upon whom they fall may
be bold so to reckon them, and in his deep trouble may well say to
himself the words that Christ hath taught him for his comfort,
"Blessed be the merciful men, for they shall have mercy given them.
Blessed be they that suffer persecution for justice, for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven."
Here is a high comfort, lo, for those that are in this case. And
their own conscience can show it to them, and can fill their hearts
so full with spiritual joy that the pleasure may far surmount the
heaviness and grief of all their temporal trouble.
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