John Tauler · 89 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. · 76.

The remark might now be made: There be many good folk on earth who yet have little suffering, must they then on that account have less reward? I say, Whoso is a true friend of God is never without temporal suffering—he suffereth alway. This happeneth in a fourfold way. One suffering is in the works, another in the will, a third in the spirit, and a fourth in God, and each bringeth about a separate joy. The first suffering that a man endureth is from outer accidents. Thus God inflicts on man sickness, or condemnation, or letteth a man fall into poverty, so that he is exposed to hunger, thirst, and misery and insult, and whatever other sufferings he endureth he endureth all through God, and a right good man is seldom without such suffering; he must needs always suffer something. If such suffering were entirely withdrawn from him he would stray from the way to the kingdom of heaven. And let him know it or not, he must endure suffering in several ways. For on the road of God you must always go by your own strength, and yet no man can do this always unless God help him and give him power and power alway floweth into the soul through suffering. Whoso lacketh suffering lacketh strength, and whoso lacketh strength cannot always go of himself; but whoso cannot always go of himself, steppeth aside from the way of God. Hence good people must always suffer, that they may always have strength to go of themselves, and this they suffer privately or openly. It cometh often to pass that good men be hated privately, and that the worst things are said of them. Thus are they prepared by private sufferings. All this steadieth them on the way of God, and bringeth them great reward, and therefore Christ spake, “Rejoice in the day when ye are hated, for your reward shall be great in heaven.” What He speaketh of the day is said of the light of truth. For as the sun enlighteneth the day, so suffering enlighteneth the reason to know the truth, therefore David said, “Suffering giveth understanding.” Therefore the men most tried by suffering are they of the most understanding. This is because suffering giveth to a man to know everything as it is. And it revealeth the secret nature of things. But what is revealed is also known. Now voluptuous delight and temporal luxury darken the reason, in the darkness of creatures, so that it becometh quite blind and loseth its natural discretion, and this is seen well in the love of the world. But suffering gathereth up the soul from all things that are not God into itself; and it loveth the truth, and in the light which is the spirit and God in the spirit, and in no other way can a man know the truth better than in suffering. This is because the sweetness of temporal things covereth the reason with darkness. But the bitterness of temporal things strippeth from the reason all darkness of creatures, as the knowledge of the truth is a going apart from all natural things. The sweetness of material things causeth the reason to cleave unto them, but the bitterness of things causeth the reason to turn away from all things, and thus suffering causeth detachment, and bringeth to the knowledge of the naked truth. Whoso would be right wise let him go to the school of suffering. For therein each thing showeth itself as it is, and of this Gregory speaketh, “Whatever was hid in man when suffering cometh, it is revealed.” In this way man cometh to a knowledge of himself and of all things in sufferings, as Paul saith, “Through much tribulation must we enter the kingdom of God.” For this kingdom of God consists in this, that we know God in us and know ourselves in God. But we know God in us and ourselves in God when all things that are not God are driven out of us with suffering, and thus God alone remaineth known in us. Therefore a teacher saith, “Whoso wish to live intimately with Christ must suffer persecution.” For suffering is driven out by suffering; and when a man hath endured all suffering he is free from all suffering, and thus he liveth in Christ intimately, that is, in right rest and peace of his heart. But whoso fleeth suffering is never free from suffering, that is because the ground of his heart never becomes clear, and thus the heart is always troubled. For all trouble must pass away with suffering, and therefore good people must always have some suffering, that they may always continue pure. For while man is in time he cannot always continue without sinful propensity, and sinful propensities must each one root out, and whosoever suffereth most, this is a sign that God loveth him most, especially removeth his sins, and maketh him pure from all sinful accidents. Hence suffering is a noble plant that quickly healeth the wounds of man. But to fools this plant hath not a pleasant smell, they turn away their noses from it and flee away. Therefore they must always be distressed, and moreover poor and unhappy, and right reprobate fools. But the richer and nobler they be in time, the greater fools without doubt. Therefore good people must always endure sufferings, that all folly may drop away from them, and that their reward may be always assigned them. Of this the wise man saith, “These are they whom we held as fools and mocked at them, but now are they counted among the sons of God.”