ly taketh; or, secondly, such as he willingly suffereth;
or, finally, such as he cannot put from him.

This third kind I purpose not to speak of now much more, for there
shall suffice, for the time, those things that we treated between
us the other day. What kind of tribulation this is, I am sure you
yourself perceive. For sickness, imprisonment, loss of goods, loss
of friends, or such bodily harm as a man hath already caught and
can in no wise avoid--these things and such like are the third
kind of tribulation that I speak of, which a man neither willingly
taketh in the beginning, nor can (though he would) afterward put
away.

Now think I that, just as no comfort can serve to the man who
lacketh wit and faith, whatsoever counsel be given, so to those
who have both I have, as for this kind, said in manner enough
already. And considering that suffer it he must, since he can by
no manner of means put it from him, the very necessity is half
counsel enough to take it in good worth and bear it patiently, and
rather of his patience to take both ease and thanks than by
fretting and fuming to increase his present pain, and afterward by
murmur and grudge to fall in further danger of displeasing God
with his froward behaviour.

And yet, albeit that I think that what has been said sufficeth,
yet here and there I shall in the second kind show some such
comfort as shall well serve unto this last kind too.

IV

The first kind also will I shortly pass over, too. For the
tribulation that a man willingly taketh himself, which no man
putteth upon him against his own will, is, you know as well as I
(for it was somewhat touched the last day), such affliction of the
flesh or expense of his goods as a man taketh himself or willingly
bestoweth in punishment of his own sin and for devotion to God.

Now, in this tribulation needeth he no man to comfort him. For no
man troubleth him but himself, who feeleth how far forth he may
conveniently bear, and of reason and good discretion shall not
pass that--and if any doubt arise therein, it is counsel that he
needeth and not comfort. And so the courage that kindleth his
heart and enflameth it for God's sake and his soul's health shall,
by the same grace that put it in his mind, give him such comfort
and joy therein that the pleasure of his soul shall surpass the
pain of his body.

Yea, and while he hath in heart also some great heaviness for his
sin, yet when he considereth the joy that s