Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation

Chapter 9

To speak of every kind of temptation particularly, by itself,

would be, you know, in a manner an infinite thing. For under that,

as I told you, fall persecutions and all. And the devil hath a

thousand subtle ways of his snares, and of his open fight as many

sundry poisoned darts. He tempteth us by the world, he tempteth us

by our own flesh; he tempteth us by pleasure, he tempteth us by

pain; he tempteth us by our foes, he tempteth us by our own

friends--and, under colour of kindred, he maketh many times our

nearest friends our most foes. For, as our Saviour said, _"Inimici

hominis domestici eius."_

But in all manner of so diverse temptations, one marvellous

comfort is that, the more we be tempted, the gladder have we cause

to be. For, as St. James saith, "Esteem and take it, my brethren,

for a thing of all joy when you fall into diverse and sundry

manner of temptations." And no marvel, for there is in this world

set up (as it were) a game of wrestling, in which the people of

God come in on the one side, and on the other side come mighty

strong wrestlers and wily--that is, the devils, the cursed proud

damned spirits. For it is not our flesh alone that we must wrestle

with, but with the devil too. "Our wrestling is not here," saith

St. Paul, "against flesh and blood, but against the princes and

potentates of these dark regions, against the spiritual wicked

ghosts of the air."

But as God hath prepared a crown for those who on his side give

his adversary the fall, so he who will not wrestle shall have

none. For, as St. Paul saith, "There shall no man have the crown

but he who contendeth for it according to the law of the game."

And then, as holy St. Bernard saith, how couldst thou fight or

wrestle for it, if there were no challenger against thee who would

provoke thee thereto? And therefore may it be a great comfort, as

St. James saith, to every man who feeleth himself challenged and

provoked by temptation. For thereby perceiveth he that it cometh

to his course to wrestle, which shall be, unless he willingly play

the coward or the fool, the matter of his eternal reward.