Did not, as I before told you, the blessed apostle himself confess that the high revelations that God had given him might have enhanced him into so high a pride that he might have caught a foul fall, had not the provident goodness of God provided for his remedy?  And what was his remedy but a painful tribulation, so sore that he was fain thrice to call to God to take the tribulation from him.  And yet would not God grant his request, but let him lie therein till he himself, who saw more in St. Paul than St. Paul saw in himself, knew well the time was come in which he might well without his harm take it from him.

And thus you see, good cousin, that tribulation is double medicine—­both a cure of the sin past, and a preservative from the sin that is to come.  And therefore in this kind of tribulation is there good occasion for a double comfort; but that is, I say, diversely to sundry diverse folk, as their own conscience is cumbered with sin or clear.  Howbeit, I will advise no man to be so bold as to think that his tribulation is sent him to keep him from the pride of his holiness!  Let men leave that kind of comfort hardly to St. Paul, till their living be like his.  But of the rest men may well take great comfort and good besides.

X

Vincent:  The third kind of tribulation, uncle, remaineth now—­that is, that which is sent a man by God, and not for his sin either committed or which otherwise would come, and therefore is not medicinable, but is sent for exercise of our patience and increase of our merit, and therefore better than medicinable.  Though it be, as you say (and as indeed it is) better for the man than any of the other two kinds in another world, where the reward shall be received, yet I cannot see by what reason a man can in this world, where the tribulation is suffered, take any more comfort in it than in any of the other twain that are sent him for his sin.  For he cannot here know whether it be sent him for sin before committed, or for sin that otherwise should befall, or for increase of merit and reward after to come.  For every man hath cause enough to fear and think that his sin already past hath deserved it, and that it is not without peril for a man to think otherwise.

Anthony:  This that you say, cousin, hath place of truth in far the most part of men.  And therefore must they not envy nor disdain, since they may take in their tribulation sufficient consolation for their part, that some other who is more worthy may take yet a great deal more.  For, as I told you, cousin, though the best must confess himself a sinner, yet there are many men—­though to the multitude, few—­who for the kind of their living and the clearness of their conscience may well and without sin have a good hope that God sendeth them some great grief for the exercise of their patience and for increase of their merit.  This appeareth not only by St. Paul, in the place before