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¶The thyrd Chapter, The fyrst comfort in tribulacion, may a man take in thys: VVhan he feleth in himselfe a desyre and longyng to be comforted by God.
I Will in my poore mynde assigne for the fyrst comfort, the desier and longing to be by God comforted, and not without some reason call I this the fyrste cause of comforte. For lyke as the cure of that person is in a maner desperate, that hath no will to be cured: so is the discomforte of that person desperate, yt desireth not his own cōforte.
And here shal I note you two kyndes of folke that are in tribulacion and heauines. One sorte that will seke for no comfort, an other sorte that wil. And yet of those that will not, are there also two sortes. For fyrst one sort there are, that are so drowned in sorowe, that they fall into a careles deadlye dulnes.
Regarding nothing, thinking almoste of nothyng, no more than if they laye in a letarge, with whiche it may so fall, that witte and remembraunce will weare away, and fall euen fayre from them. And this com∣fortles kinde of heauines in tribulacion, is the hygh∣est kinde of the deadlye sinne of slothe. An other sorte are there, that will seke for no comforte, nor yet none receiue, but are in their tribulacion (be it losse or sick∣nes) so testie, so fumishe, and so farre oute of all paci∣ence, that it boteth no mā to speake to them, and these are in a maner with impaciēce, as furious as though they were in halfe a frenesie, and may with a custome of such facioned behauiour, fall in therto ful & whole. And thys kinde of heauines in tribulacion, is euen a mischieuous high braunche of the mortal sinne of yre.
Than is there as I tolde you, an other kynde of folke, which faine woulde be comforted, and yet are