spoken in the same manner, above, in the first chapter:
"That the trial of your faith be found far more precious than the
perishing gold that is tried by fire." We may also read in the
prophet Isaiah, chap. xlviii., God says: "I have tried thee in the
furnace of affliction;" and Ps. xvi., "With fire hast thou tried me;"
and Ps. xxv., "Lord, thou wilt consume and destroy my nerves and my
heart;" also, Ps. lxv., "We have passed through fire and water." Thus
the Scriptures are accustomed to illustrate what we call suffering,
by burning or trial by fire. This is St. Peter's conclusion, that we
should not suffer ourselves to be surprised, or to think it strange
and wonderful that the heat or fire should meet us, whereby we are
tried, just as gold is when it is melted in the fire.

When faith begins, God does not neglect it; He lays the cross upon
our back in order to strengthen us and make our faith mighty. The
Gospel is a powerful word, but it cannot enter upon its work without
opposition, and no one can be sure that it possesses such power, but
he who has experienced it. Where there is suffering and the cross,
there its power may be shown and exercised. It is a _living_ word,
and therefore it must exercise all its energy upon the dead. But if
there is no such thing as death and corruption, there is nothing for
it to do, and none can be certain that it possesses such virtue, and
is stronger than sin and death. Therefore, he says, _are you tried_;
that is, God appoints for you no flame or heat (in other words, cross
and suffering, which make you glow as in a furnace), except to try
you, whether you rely upon His word. Thus it is written, Wisdom x.,
of Jacob, "God appointed for him a severe conflict, that he might
learn by experience that divine wisdom is the strongest of all
things." That is the reason why God imposes the cross on all
believers, that they may taste and prove the power of God which
through faith they have possessed.

V. 13. _But be ye partakers of the sufferings of Christ._ St. Peter
does not say that we should feel the sufferings of Christ, that
thereby we should be partakers with Him through faith, but would say
this: just as Christ has suffered, so are you to expect to suffer and
be tried. If you do thus suffer, then do you therein have fellowship
with the Lord Christ. If we would live with Him, we must also die
with Him. If I wish to sit with Him in His kingdom, I must also
suffer with Him, as Paul a