a drop, a tiny
spark, so to speak; but of yonder hoped-for glory he makes a
boundless ocean, an illimitable flame.

8. Why cannot we take his view of the insignificance of our
afflictions and the magnitude of the future glory? The extravagance
of our conduct is apparent in the fact that but a harsh word uttered
by one to his fellow will make the injured one ready to overturn
mountains and uproot trees in his resentment. To them who are so
unwilling to suffer, Paul's word of encouragement here is wholly
unintelligible. Christians are not to conduct themselves in this
impatient manner. It ill becomes them to make extravagant complaint
and outcry about injustice. "But," you say, "I have truly suffered
injustice." Very well, so be it. But why do you make so much of your
sufferings and never give a thought to what awaits you in heaven? Why
not exalt the future glory also? If you desire to be a Christian,
truly it will not do to conduct yourself in this impatient manner. If
you must air your grievances, surely you may do it quietly and
decorously.

9. In this life it must be otherwise than in the life of glory. If
you essay to be a joint-heir with the Lord Jesus Christ and do not
suffer with him, to be his brother and are not like unto him, Christ
certainly will not at the last day acknowledge you as a brother and
fellow-heir. Rather he will ask where are your crown of thorns, your
cross, the nails and scourge; whether you have been, as he and his
followers ever have from the beginning of time, an abomination to the
world. If you cannot qualify in this respect, he cannot regard you as
his brother. In short, we must all suffer with the Son of God and be
made like unto him, as we shall see later, or we shall not be exalted
with him in glory.

10. Upon this same topic Paul addresses also the Galatians (ch. 6,
17): Henceforth let no one confuse me, say nothing to me about the
doctrine that friendship is rewarded on earth; for I bear branded on
my body the marks of my Lord Jesus Christ. His reference is to the
signs in ancient paintings of Christ, where the Savior was
represented as bearing his cross upon his shoulders, with the nails,
the scourge, the crown of thorns and other emblems in evidence. These
marks or signs, Paul instructs, all Christians as well as himself
must exhibit, not painted on a wall but branded in their flesh and
blood. They are made when inwardly the devil affrights and assails us
with all manner of ter