A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

1 The working up of salvation is no easy labour; thereto is requirable All diligence. Talis diligentia respicit tantam rem, tanta res requirit talem diligentiam. ⟨p. 103⟩Such a diligence respects so great an object, and such an object requires so great a diligence. Refuse no labour for such a reward, Jeron. The best things are the hardliest come by. Qui cupit optatam, &c. he must be frozen with cold, and sweltered with heat, that accomplishes so great a work. This equity must needs be granted, that if we cannot attain to worldly trash without labour, then much less to heaven without all diligence.^x The kingdom of heaven suffers violence: but rest alone, try if you can extort this by force. Spare no invention of wit, no intention of will, no contention of strength about it. If you will needs use violence, oppression, extortion, here violate, here oppress, here extort: wrestle for this though with Jacob you lame your limbs; get it though you lose your lives. When Dionysius saw what heaps of wealth his son had horded up in his closet; he asked him what he meant to let it lie there, and not to make friends with it to get him the kingdom after his decease? O fili non est in te animus regni capax, Son thou hast not a spirit capable of a kingdom. So knowing a rich mans piles of bags and whole countries of revenues; and finding no works of piety, none of charity; we may justly tell him; Non est in te animus regni coelorum capax: he hath not a soul capable of thy kingdom of heaven. In heaven there is^a gold tried in the fire. Will we adventure our estates, our lives; to find out new lands where may be gold: and spend no diligence for that where we are sure is gold, and such as cannot perish? In all other things the difficulty of obtaining whets thy mind, and spurs the actions forward: only for heaven which we confess best of all, we use labour least of all. It is a hard task, therefore give all diligence.

1 The working up of salvation is no easy labour; thereto is requirable All diligence. Talis diligentia respicit tantam rem, tanta res requirit talem diligentiam. ⟨p. 103⟩Such a diligence respects so great an object, and such an object requires so great a diligence. Refuse no labour for such a reward, Ieron. The best things are the hardliest come by. Qui cupit optatam, &c. he must be frozen with cold, and sweltred with heate, that accomplishes so great a worke. This equitie must needs be granted, that if we cannot attaine to worldly trash without labour, then much lesse to heaven without all diligence.