But God's nearer
cause of faith against the Turks hath yet a far surpassing comfort
that by many degrees far excelleth this. And that, as I have said,
I purpose to treat last. And for this time this sufficeth
concerning the special comfort that men may take in this third kind
of tribulation.
XI
VINCENT: Of truth, good uncle, albeit that every one of these
kinds of tribulations have cause of comfort in them, as you have
well declared, if men will so consider them, yet hath this third
kind above all a special prerogative therein.
ANTHONY: That is undoubtedly true. But yet even the most base kind
of them all, good cousin, hath more causes of comfort than I have
spoken of yet.
For I have, you know, in that kind that is sent us for our sin,
spoken of no other comfort yet but twain: one that it refraineth us
from sin that otherwise we would fall in; and one that it serveth
us, through the merit of Christ's passion, as a means by which God
keepeth us from hell and serveth for the satisfaction of such pain
as we should otherwise endure in purgatory. Howbeit, there is
therein another great cause of joy besides this. For surely those
pains here sent us for our sin, in whatsoever wise they happen to
us (be our sin never so sore nor never so open and evident unto
ourselves and all the world too), yet if we pray for grace to take
them meekly and patiently; and if, confessing to God that it is far
too little for our fault, we beseech him nevertheless, since we
shall come hence so void of all good works for which we should have
any reward in heaven, to be not only so merciful to us as to take
our present tribulation in relief of our pains in purgatory, but
also so gracious unto us as to take our patience therein for a
matter of merit and reward in heaven; I verily trust--and nothing
doubt it--that God shall of his high bounty grant us our boon.
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