[ 346] Crosses and afflictions, not to be sleighted.
TAcitus reporteth, that though the Amber-Ring amongst the Romans were of no use,* 1.1 nor any value, yet after the Emperour had began to wear it, it began to be in great esteem, it was the onely fashion amongst them. So (me-thinks) sith our Lord and Saviour Christ Iesus hath born his cross,* 1.2 and was born upon it, we should make better reckoning of crosses, than many of us do. How nice and tenderly have many of us been brought up, that we can hardly endure to see the sight of our sweet Saviour's Crosse? We stick to sip of that cup, which was holy David's dyet-drink, and Iob and Ieremy took it all off. Are we better than these holy men? nay,* 1.3 are we too good to pledge our Saviour, in the cup of his Passion? Nos suspiramus in cruciatibus, ille expiravit in cruce, Do we breathe out some sighes in our cr••sses? he sighed out his last breath in torments upon the Crosse. It certainly then behoveth eve∣ry Christian, to take up his Crosse, and follow him.