th appear.

Now if it happen that some man cannot perceive this point because
the wealthy man, for all his alms, abideth rich still, and for all
his good labour abideth still in his authority, let him consider
that I speak only according to proportion. And because the
proportion of all that he giveth of his goods is very little in
respect of what he leaveth, therefore is the reason haply with some
folk little perceived. But if it were so that he went on giving
until he had given out all, and left himself nothing, then would
even a blind man see it. For as he would be come from riches to
poverty, so would he be willingly fallen from wealth into
tribulation. And in respect of labour and rest, the same would be
true. Whosoever can consider this, shall see that, in every good
deed done by the wealthy man, the matter is proportionately the
same.

Then, since we have somewhat weighed the virtues of prosperity, let
us consider on the other hand the afore-named things that are the
matter of merit and reward in tribulation--that is, patience,
conformity, and thanksgiving. Patience the wealthy man hath not, in
so far as he is wealthy. For if he be pinched in any point in which
he taketh patience, to that extent he suffereth some tribulation.
And so not by his prosperity but by his tribulation hath he that
merit. It is the same if we would say that the wealthy man hath
another virtue instead of patience--that is, the keeping of himself
from pride and such other sins as wealth would bring him to. For
the resisting of such motions is, as I before told you, without any
doubt a diminishing of fleshly wealth, and is a very true kind (and
one of the most profitable kinds) of tribulation. So all that good
merit groweth to the wealthy man not by his wealth but by the
diminishing of his wealth with wholesome tribulation.

The most colour of comparison is in the other two; that is, in the
conformity of man's will unto God, and in thanks given unto God.
For as the good man, in tribulation sent him by God, conformeth his
will to God's will in that behalf, and giveth God thanks for it; so
doth the wealthy man, in his wealth which God giveth him, conform
his will to God in that point, since he is well content to take it
as his gift, and giveth God also right hearty thanks for it. And
thus, as I said, in these two things can you catch the most colour
to compare the wealthy man's merit with the merit of tribulation.

But yet that they be no