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6. That all good and righteous men suffer more, but ought to endure because they are proved.

In Solomon: “The furnace proveth the vessels of the potter, and the trial of tribulation righteous men.”42144214    Ecclus. xxvii. 5. Also in the fiftieth Psalm: “The sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; a contrite and humbled heart God will not despise.”42154215    Ps. li. 17. Also in the thirty-third Psalm: “God is nearest to them that are contrite in heart, and He will save the lowly in spirit.”42164216    Ps. xxxiv. 18. Also in the same place: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but out of them all the Lord will deliver them.”42174217    Ps. xxxiv. 19. Of this same matter in Job: “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, naked also shall I go under the earth: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: as it hath pleased the Lord, so it is done; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all these things which happened to him Job sinned in nothing with his lips in the sight of the Lord.”42184218    Job i. 21, 22.  Concerning this same thing in the Gospel according to Matthew:  “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.”42194219    Matt. v. 4.  Also according to John: “These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye may have peace. But in the world ye shall have affliction; but have confidence, for I have overcome the world.”42204220    John xvi. 33.  Concerning this same thing in the second Epistle to the Corinthians: “There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted.  For which thing I thrice besought the Lord, that it should depart from me. And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for strength is perfected in weakness.”42214221    2 Cor. xii. 7–9. Concerning this same thing to the Romans: “We glory in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we also glory in afflictions: knowing that affliction worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope does not confound; because the love of God is infused in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which is given unto us.”42224222    Rom. v. 2–5. On this same subject, according to Matthew: “How broad and spacious is the way which leadeth unto death, and many there are who go in thereby: how straight and narrow is the way that leadeth to life, and few there are that find it!”42234223    Matt. vii. 13, 14. Of this same thing in Tobias: “Where are thy righteousnesses? behold what thou sufferest.”42244224    Tob. ii. 14.  Also in the Wisdom of Solomon: “In the places of the wicked the righteous groan; but at their ruin the righteous will abound.”42254225    Prov. xxviii. 28.


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