The other sort is, I say, of those who long and desire to be comforted by God.  And as I told you before, they undoubtedly have a great cause of comfort even in that point alone, that they consider themselves to desire and long to be comforted by almighty God.  This mind of theirs may well be cause of great comfort to them, for two great considerations.

One is that they see themselves seek for their comfort where they cannot fail to find it.  For God both can give them comfort, and will.  He can, for he is all-mighty; he will, for he is all-good, and hath himself promised, “Ask and you shall have.”  He who hath faith—­as he must needs have who shall take comfort—­cannot doubt but what God will surely keep his promise.  And therefore hath he a great cause to be of good comfort, as I say, in that he considereth that he longeth to be comforted by him who, his faith maketh him sure, will not fail to comfort him.

But here consider this:  I speak here of him who in tribulation longeth to be comforted by God, and who referreth the manner of his comforting to God.  Such a man holdeth himself content, whether God comfort him by taking away or diminishing the tribulation itself, or by giving him patience and spiritual consolation therein.  For if he long only to have God take his trouble from him, we cannot so well warrant that mind for a cause of so great comfort.  For a man may desire that who never mindeth to be the better, and also may he miss the effect of his desire, because his request is haply not good for him.  And of this kind of longing and requiring, we shall have occasion hereafter to speak further.  But he who, referring the manner of his comforting to God, desireth of God to be comforted, asketh a thing so lawful and so pleasing to God that he cannot fail to fare well.  And therefore hath he, as I say, great cause to take comfort in the very desire itself.

Another cause hath he to take of that desire a very great occasion of comfort.  For since his desire is good, and declareth to him that he hath a good faith in God, it is a good token unto him that he is not an abject, cast out of God’s gracious favour, since he perceiveth that God hath put such a virtuous, well-ordered appetite in his mind.  For as every evil mind cometh of the world and ourselves and the devil, so is every such good mind inspired into man’s heart, either immediately or by the mean of our good angel or other gracious occasion, by the goodness of God himself.  And what a comfort then may this be to us, when we by that desire perceive a sure undoubted token that towards our final salvation our Saviour is himself so graciously busy about us!

IV

Vincent:  Forsooth, good uncle, this good mind of longing for God’s comfort is a good cause of great comfort indeed—­our Lord in tribulation send it to us!  But by this I see well, that woe may they be who in tribulation lack that mind and who desire not to be comforted by God, but either are of sloth or impatience discomfortless, or else of folly seek for their chief ease and comfort anywhere else.