Fourthly, they are riches of improvement: First, ⟨p. 449⟩grace is improved; grace is never so improved, as it is at that time when a soul suffers for Christ; *they most profit me, says Luther, who speak worst of me? as opposition of sin in the wicked improves their sin, so opposition of grace in the godly improves their grace: Lutherus pascitur convitiis, Luther made reproaches his food, he was nourished by them: virtutem intelligo animosam & excelsam quam incitat quicquid infestat, Sen. Ep. 72. Secondly, here is improved whatsoever Gods people do enjoy, that they are willing to lose; no such improvement of a mans credit or estate, as the loss of it for Christ: if we would devise how we should improve and lay out all our talents for God, we cannot lay them out better; we shall quickly gain from five to ten here: If men know how to improve their stocks to the utmost, they count the knowledge of that way, more then if a man had given them many hundred pounds: we come to improve all that we have in a glorious manner, when God calls unto suffering. Thirdly, by 2suffering Gods people come to improve the malice and wickedness that is in the Devil and men; that is a great improvement, when I can turn the malice of the Devil and wicked men into my riches. It is a notable speech that one Vincentius had of his Persecutors, Never any man did serve me better then you serve me; and he told them what a great deal he did get by their malice in persecuting of him: if a man were able to turn dirt into riches, how would that enrich a man? but to have that which can turn the dirt of wicked men and the Devil into our riches, that must be a rich thing. Again, a child of God 3never improves his time so well, as when he is suffering ⟨p. 450⟩for God, when he is a doing good, he is improving his time, but when he is suffering, he does as much in a little time, as he was doing a great while before; God does much reckon upon the time of his people in suffering.
Fourthly, they are riches of improvement: First, ⟨p. 449⟩grace is improved; grace is never so improved, as it is at that time when a soul suffers for Christ; *they most profit me, says Luther, who speak worst of me? as opposition of sin in the wicked improves their sin, so opposition of grace in the godly improves their grace: Lutherus pascitur convitiis, Luther made reproaches his food, he was nourished by them: virtutem intelligo animosam & excelsam quam incitat quicquid infestat, Sen. Ep. 72. Secondly, here is improved whatsoever Gods people do enjoy, that they are willing to lose; no such improvement of a mans credit or estate, as the loss of it for Christ: if we would devise how we should improve and lay out all our talents for God, we cannot lay them out better; we shall quickly gain from five to ten here: If men know how to improve their stocks to the utmost, they count the knowledge of that way, more then if a man had given them many hundred pounds: we come to improve all that we have in a glorious maner, when God calls unto suffering. Thirdly, by 2suffering Gods people come to improve the malice and wickedness that is in the Devil and men; that is a great improvement, when I can turn the malice of the Devil and wicked men into my riches. It is a notable speech that one Vincentius had of his Persecutors, Never any man did serve me better then you serve me; and he told them what a great deal he did get by their malice in persecuting of him: if a man were able to turn dirt into riches, how would that enrich a man? but to have that which can turn the dirt of wicked men and the Devil into our riches, that must be a rich thing. Again, a childe of God 3never improves his time so wel, as when he is suffering ⟨p. 450⟩for God, when he is a doing good, he is improving his time, but when he is suffering, he does as much in a little time, as he was doing a great while before; God does much reckon upon the time of his people in suffering.
- *Mihi maximè prosunt, qui mei possime miminerunt. Luth. Ep ad Spalatinum.Mihi maximè prosunt, qui mei possime miminerūt. Luth. Ep ad Spalatinum.
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