John Tauler · 81 of 121

The third way of a poor, perfect life, when you contemplate God internally, is, that a man do not fly from what may kill him in spiritual things. · 68.

Man must also suffer every persecution, which helpeth very much to a poor life. Man, through Adam’s fall and his defects, is full of sinful leanings, which hinder him from his best; this inrooted leaning and these defects must be rooted out by sufferings. Whoso doth not overcome Adam through sufferings, never attaineth to a pure poor life; whoso giveth him occasion to suffer helpeth him to this end. God willeth not that anything should be rooted out in man without sufferings; all that is untrue must disappear through these. He also lendeth no gifts if the ground for them is not purified by sufferings. Holy Writ saith, “No evil remaineth unpunished, and no good unrewarded.” If all evil is rooted out by suffering, then all good is given; therefore also Christ wished to suffer, that through His suffering all evil might be done away and all good given. Whoso suffereth most in his sufferings, has also the most use from the Passion of our Lord; but whoso fleeth this, fleeth his everlasting blessedness, as through nothing doth man come nearer to his blessedness than through sufferings. Suffering purifieth man as fire doth gold; the gold that is most burned in the fire is also the purest. So is it also with man; whoso suffereth most becometh also purest, whoso is purest is also nighest God, and thus suffering is the greatest gift that God lendeth here in time, for through this you come nighest to Him.