and exultation, with their handfuls of corn in their hands.”  Lo, they that in their going home towards heaven sow their seeds with weeping, shall at the day of judgment come to their bodies again with everlasting plentiful laughing.  And to prove that this life is no laughing time, but rather the time of weeping, we find that our Saviour himself wept twice or thrice, but never find we that he laughed so much as once.  I will not swear that he never did, but at least he left us no example of it.  But on the other hand, he left us example of weeping.

Of weeping have we matter enough, both for our own sins and for other folk’s, too.  For surely so should we do—­bewail their wretched sins, and not be glad to detract them nor envy them either.  Alas, poor souls, what cause is there to envy them who are ever wealthy in this world, and ever out of tribulation?  Of them Job saith, “They lead all their days in wealth, and in a moment of an hour descend into their graves and are painfully buried in hell.”  St. Paul saith unto the Hebrews that those whom God loveth he chastiseth, “And he scourgeth every son of his that he receiveth.”  St. Paul saith also, “By many tribulations must we go into the kingdom of God.”  And no marvel, for our Saviour Christ said of himself unto his two disciples that were going into the village of Emaus, “Know you not that Christ must suffer and so go into his kingdom?” And would we who are servants look for more privilege in our master’s house than our master himself?  Would we get into his kingdom with ease, when he himself got not into his own but by pain?  His kingdom hath he ordained for his disciples, and he saith unto us all, “If any man will be my disciple, let him learn of me to do as I have done, take his cross of tribulation upon his back and follow me.”  He saith not here, lo, “Let him laugh and make merry.”  Now if heaven serve but for Christ’s disciples, and if they be those who take their cross of tribulation, when shall these folk come there who never have tribulation?  And if it be true, as St. Paul saith, that God chastiseth all them that he loveth and scourgeth every child whom he receiveth, and that to heaven shall not come but such as he loveth and receiveth, when shall they come thither whom he never chastiseth, nor never doth vouchsafe to defile his hands upon them or give them so much as one lash?  And if we cannot (as St. Paul saith we cannot) come to heaven but by many tribulations, how shall they come thither who never have none at all?  Thus see we well, by the very scripture itself, how true the words are of old holy saints, who with one voice (in a manner) say all one thing—­that is, that we shall not have continual wealth both in this world and in the other too.  And therefore those who in this world without any tribulation enjoy their long continual course of never-interrupted prosperity have a great cause of fear and discomfort lest they be far fallen out of God’s favour, and stand deep in his indignation and displeasure.  For he never sendeth them tribulation, which he is ever wont to send them whom he loveth.  But they that are in tribulation, I say, have on the other hand a great cause to take in their grief great inward comfort and spiritual consolation.