But now, to the intent that he may think on such things the better, let him use often to resort to confession.  And there let him open his heart and, by the mouth of some virtuous ghostly father, have such things often renewed in his remembrance.  Let him also choose himself some secret solitary place in his own house, as far from noise and company as he conveniently can, and thither let him sometimes secretly resort alone, imagining himself as one going out of the world even straight unto the giving up his reckoning unto God of his sinful living.  There, before an altar or some pitiful image of Christ’s bitter passion, the beholding of which may put him in remembrance of the thing and move him to devout compassion, let him then kneel down or fall prostrate as at the feet of almighty God, verily believing him to be there invisibly present, as without any doubt he is.  There let him open his heart to God and confess his faults, such as he can call to mind, and pray God for forgiveness.  Let him call to remembrance the benefits that God hath given him, either in general among other men or privately to himself, and give him humble hearty thanks for them.  There let him declare unto God the temptations of the devil, the suggestions of the flesh, the occasions of the world—­and of his worldly friends, much worse many times in drawing a man from God than are his most mortal enemies, as our Saviour witnesseth himself where he saith, “The enemies of a man are they that are his own familiars.”  There let him lament and bewail unto God his own frailty, negligence, and sloth in resisting and withstanding of temptation; his readiness and proneness to fall into it.  There let him lamentably beseech God, of his gracious aid and help, to strengthen his infirmity—­both to keep him from falling and, when he by his own fault misfortuneth to fall, then with the helping hand of his merciful grace to lift him up and set him on his feet in the state of his grace again.  And let this man not doubt but that God heareth him and granteth him gladly his boon.

And so, dwelling in the faithful trust of God’s help, he shall well use his prosperity, and persevere in his good profitable business, and shall have the truth of God so compass him about with a shield of his heavenly defence that he shall not need to dread of the devil’s arrow flying in the day of worldly wealth.

VINCENT:  Forsooth, uncle, I like this good counsel well.  And I should think that those who are in prosperity and take such order therein, may do much good both to themselves and to other folk.

ANTHONY:  I beseech our Lord, cousin, to put this and better in the mind of every man who needeth it.

And now will I touch one word or twain of the third temptation, of which the prophet speaketh in these words:  “From the business walking in the darknesses.”  And then will we call for our dinner, leaving the last temptation—­that is, “from the incursion and the devil of the midday”—­till afternoon.  And then shall we with that, God willing, make an end of all this matter.