t matches, you may soon see by this: For no
one can conform his will unto God's in tribulation and give him
thanks for it, but such a man as hath in that point a very
specially good disposition. But he that is truly wicked, or hath in
his heart but very little good, may well be content to take wealth
at God's hand, and say, "Marry, I thank you, sir, for this with all
my heart, and I will not fail to love you well--while you let me
fare no worse!" _Confitebitur tibi, cum benefeceris ei._ Now, if
the wealthy man be very good, yet, in conformity of his will and
thanksgiving to God for his wealth, his virtue is not like to that
of him who doth the same in tribulation. For, as the philosophers
said very well of old, "virtue standeth in things of hardness and
difficulty." And then, as I told you, it is much less hard and less
difficult, by a great deal, to be content and conform our will to
God's will and to give him thanks, too, for our ease than for our
pain, for our wealth and for our woe. And therefore the conforming
of our will to God's and the thanks that we give him for our
tribulation are more worthy of thanks in return, and merit more
reward in the very fast wealth and felicity of heaven, than our
conformity and our thanksgiving for our worldly wealth here.

And this thing saw the devil, when he said to our Lord of Job that
it was no marvel if Job had a reverent fear unto God--God had done
so much for him, and kept him in prosperity. But the devil knew
well that it was a hard thing for Job to be so loving, and so to
give thanks to God, in tribulation and adversity. And therefore was
he glad to get leave of God to put him in tribulation, and trusted
thereby to cause him to murmur and grudge against God with
impatience. But the devil had there a fall in his own turn, for the
patience of Job in the short time of his adversity got him much
more favour and thanks of God, and more is he renowned and
commended in scripture for that, than for all the goodness of his
long prosperous life. Our Saviour saith himself, also, that if we
say well by them or yield them thanks who do us good, we do no
great thing, and therefore can we with reason look for no great
thanks in return.

And thus have I showed you, lo, no little pre-eminence that
tribulation hath in merit, and therefore no little pre-eminence of
comfort in hope of heavenly reward, above the virtues (the merit
and cause of good hope and comfort) that come of wealth and