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.

ANTHONY: That is, good cousin, very true, as long as they stand in
that state. But then you must consider that tribulation is a means
to drive them from that state, and that is one of the causes for
which God sendeth it unto man. For albeit that pain was ordained by
God for the punishment of sins (so that they who never do now but
sin cannot but be ever punished in hell) yet in this world, in
which his high mercy giveth men space to be better, the punishment
that he sendeth by tribulation serveth ordinarily for a means of
amendment.

St. Paul himself was sorely against Christ, till Christ gave him a
great fall and threw him to the ground, and struck him stark blind.
And with that tribulation he turned to him at the first word, and
God was his physician and healed him soon after both in body and in
soul by his minister Ananias and made him his blessed apostle. Some
are in the beginning of tribulation very stubborn and stiff against
God, and yet at length tribulation bringeth them home. The proud
king Pharaoh did abide and endure two or three of the first
plagues, and would not once stoop at them. But then God laid on a
sorer lash that made him cry to him for help. And then sent he for
Moses and Aaron and confessed himself for a sinner and God for good
and righteous. And he prayed them to pray for him and to withdraw