them that have their heart in trouble”—­that his joy thereof shall diminish much of his pain.  And he shall not seek for vain comfort elsewhere, but shall specially trust in God and seek help of him, submitting his own will wholly to God’s pleasure.  And he shall pray to God in his heart, and pray his friends pray for him, and especially the priests, as St. James biddeth.  And he shall begin first with confession and make him clean to God and ready to depart, and be glad to go to God, putting purgatory to his pleasure.  If we thus do, this dare I boldly say, we shall never live here the less by half an hour, but we shall with this comfort find our hearts lightened, and thereby the grief of our tribulation lessened, and the more likelihood to recover and to live the longer.

Now if God will that we shall go hence, then doth he much more for us.  For he who taketh this way cannot go but well.  For of him who is loth to leave this wretched world, mine heart is much in fear lest he did not well.  Hard it is for him to be welcome who cometh against his will, who saith unto God when he cometh to fetch him, “Welcome, my Maker—­spite of my teeth!” But he that so loveth him that he longeth to go to him, my heart cannot give me but he shall be welcome, albeit that he come ere he be well purged.  For “Charity covereth a multitude of sins,” and “He that trusteth in God cannot be confounded.”  And Christ saith, “He that cometh to me, I will not cast him out.”  And therefore let us never make our reckoning of long life.  Let us keep it while we can, because God hath so commanded, but if God give the occasion that with his good will we may go, let us be glad of it and long to go to him.  And then shall hope of heaven comfort our heaviness, and out of our transitory tribulation shall we go to everlasting glory—­to which, good cousin, I pray God bring us both!

Vincent:  Mine own good uncle, I pray God reward you, and at this time I will no longer trouble you.  I fear I have this day done you much tribulation with my importunate objections, of very little substance.  And you have even showed me an example of patience, in bearing my folly so long.  And yet I shall be so bold as to seek some time to talk further of the rest of this most profitable matter of tribulation, which you said you reserved to treat of last of all.

Anthony:  Let that be surely very shortly, cousin, while this is fresh in mind.

Vincent:  I trust, good uncle, so to put this in remembrance that it shall never be forgotten with me.  Our Lord send you such comfort as he knoweth to be best!

Anthony:  This is well said, good cousin, and I pray the same for you and for all our other friends who have need of comfort—­for whom, I think, more than for yourself, you needed some counsel.

Vincent:  I shall, with this good counsel that I have heard from you, do them some comfort, I trust in God—­to whose keeping I commit you!