And it shall clearly discharge
him of all the sickness and disease of those pains that he should
otherwise suffer afterward. For such is the great goodness of
almighty God that he punisheth not the same thing twice.
And albeit that this punishment is put unto the man, not of his own
election and free choice but by force, so that he would fain avoid
it and falleth in it against his will, and therefore it seemeth
worthy of no thanks; yet the great goodness of almighty God so far
surpasseth the poor imperfect goodness of man, that though men make
their reckoning here one with another such, God yet of his high
bounty in man's account alloweth it toward him far otherwise. For
though a man fall in his pain by his own fault, and also at first
against his will, yet as soon as he confesseth his fault and
applieth his will to be content to suffer that pain and punishment
for the same, and waxeth sorry not only that he shall sustain such
punishment but also that he hath offended God and thereby deserved
much more, our Lord from that time counteth it not for pain taken
against his will. But it shall be a marvellous good medicine, and
work as a willingly taken pain the purgation and cleansing of his
soul with gracious remission of his sin, and of the far greater
pain that otherwise would have been prepared for it, peradventure
forever in hell.
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