OH, ful truli is it said of the holy man Iob, that noble myrroure of perfecte pacience: Man that is borne of a woman,Iob. 14. hathe but a short tyme to liue, and yet in the time that he liueth, he is replenished with ma­ny miseries. He cometh vp, and withereth awaye agayne lyke a floure: He flieth as it were a sha­dow, and neuer continueth in one state▪ It is not yet two daies since I sawe my neighbour Epaphro­ditus, as me thoughte, well and [...]usty, yea and in perfecte healthe, and beholde he sent vnto me euen [Page 2] now his seruant Onesimus, that I should come vnto him, with all expedition all other businesses set a part, If I euer entend to se him a liue? oh good god, what a world is this? Ah moste louing Christe, what a sodeine chaunge is this? Oure life is not withoute a cause compared of the holy Apostle. S. Iames to a vapoure,Iames. iiii. whiche ap­pereth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. Who wyl trust a life so fraile, so transitory, so bond vnto mortalitie? Who can iustlye perswade him selfe to liue manye yeres in this worlde, seing that in it so sodenly helthe is turned into sicknes, valeaunce into imbecilli­tie, strēgth into weakenes, ioy in­to sadnes, comforte into despera­tion, lyfe into deathe? The ryche man perswaded him selfe that he should liue long in this world,Luke. xii. as blessed Luke declareth in his ho­ly [Page 3] Gospell, when he said, conside­ring the greate aboundaunce of his reuenewes that came yerely in: what shall I doo? because I haue no rome wher to bestow my frutes? This will I do: I wil de­stroy my barnes, and build grea­ter, & therin will I gather all my goods, that are growen vnto me, and I wil say vnto my soule: soule thou hast much goodes laid vp in store for many yeares, take thine ease, eate drink, be mery. But god saide vnto him: thou foole, this nighte will they fetche away thy soule again from the. Thē whose shall those thinges be, which thou hast prouided? The continuance of our lyfe is not certeine so much as one houre, neither is any man [...]able to say, I shall liue til to mo­ [...]ow. For albeit nothinge is more [...]erten then death: yet is nothinge [...]ore vncertayne than the houre [Page 4] of death. It shall therfore become all christen men that tender theyr owne healthe, diligently to mark and cōtinually to remember this frendly admonition and louinge watchword of our Lord and Sa­uioure Christ Iesu,Mat. 24. watch, (saith he) for you know not what houre youre Lord will come. Of this be ye sure, that yf the good man of the house knew what houre he thief wolde come, he wolde surely watch and not suffer his house to be broken vp. Therfore be ye also ready, for in suche an houre as ye thinke not, will the sonne of man come.Mark. 13. Again he saieth. Watch, for ye knowe not when the master of the house will come, whether at e­uen: or at midnighte, whether a [...] the cocke crowing: or in the daw­ning, least yf he come sodenly, h [...] finde you sleping. And that I sa [...] vnto you, I say vnto all. Watche [...] [Page] Also in an other place he saythe:Apoc. 16. beholde. I come as a theif. Happy is he that watcheth, and kepeth his garments, least he walke na­ked and men see his filthines. Ah Lord God, not yet two daies past whole and strong, and now sycke and weake? O the vnstedfastnes of mans life. Whō wold not thys prouoke to watch and to considre his latter ende? as the godly man Moses admonisheth,Dout. 32. saying: Ah wold God men wold be wise and vnderstande and make prouision for their latter ende. So shuld ne­ther sicknes nor death be soden vnto them, so shuld all dissolucion of life be reiected, and godlines of cō uersacion embraced, as the wyse man saythe: In all thy workes re­member the latter ende, and thou shalt neuer sinne.Eccl. 7. I desire muche to visit my neighboure Epaphro­ditus occording to his hartye re­quest, [Page 6] and to comfort him in these his paines, & to instruct him how he ought both paciently & thank­fully beare this crosse of sicknes, which God hath laid on him, but I wishe greatly to haue the com­pany of mine olde familiars and approued frends, Eusebius, The­ophile, and Christopher. I sente my sonne Theodore and Rachell my Doughter for them, I muche maruell of their long tariaunce. But beholde where they come. Neighbors and frendes welcom,

We reioyce to se you in helth thanking you most hartely for the louing kindnes, which heretofore many times you haue shewed vnto vs. But wherfore I pray you haue you sent for vs.

Haue ye not heard, howe our neighbour Epaphroditus is greuously vex­ed with sicknes?

Is ou [...] neighbor Epaphroditus sicke?

He is sick, and that very sore.

Sory am I to heare this

We are in the Lordes hande as the claye in the potters,Iere. xviii. to doo with vs what so euer his good pleasure is. Therfore let vs not beare heueli this work of God in our neighbor, least we seme to striue against his godly will, see­ing we vse dayly to pray.Math. vi. Thy wil be don in earthe as it is in heauē, hauing also an example of our sa­uior Christ whiche praid vnto his heauenly father on this manner. Not as I will, but as thou wilt, o father.Math. xxvi.

How long hath oure neighboure Epaphroditus bene sick?

Not yet two daies.

I mucch maruel of this his soden sicknes.

It is no mar­uell at all, seing sicknes foloweth health, and deathe, life, as the sha­dow accompanieth the body Ye know neighbors how charitable [Page 8] a deede it is to visite the sicke, and to comforte the diseased. It is one of those works, whiche being don in the faithe of Christe shall be re­warded at the last day in the face of the whole worlde with then he­ritance of the heauenly kingdom as ye may see in the gospel of bles­sed Mathew, I was sicke, and ye visited me,Mat. 25. saithe oure Sauioure Christe. The wise man also saith: Let not them that wepe be with­oute comforte,Eccle. 7. but mourne with suche as mourne. Let it not greue thee to viset the sicke, for that shall make the to be beloued.

This saying differeth not muche from the saying of S. Paule. Re­ioyce with them that reioyce,Rom. 12 and wepe with them that wepe. Be of like affection one to another.

Let vs therfore go and visit our sicke neighboure Epaphrodi­tus, and comforte him with the [Page 9] heauenly consolacion of the holy scriptures, that he may beare this his sicknes bothe the more paciēt­ly and thankfully. For to this end did I send for you, that we should go together vnto him, and to con­fort him.

We were to much vnkinde and vnworthy the name of a Christian, yea of a man, yf we shuld disdayne to accompany you goyng aboute so godly a matter,

Well,Eccl. 7 then let vs go. For as the preacher saith: It is better to go into an house of mourning thē into an house of banketinge for there all menne be admonished of their latter end, and the liuing cō ­sidereth what afterward shall becom of them, I pray the Lord our God, that we may find him at our comming, in his whole mind and perfect memory.

I beseche the Lorde our God also, that his paines be not so outragious, that [Page 10] when we come, he haue no minde to heare what shalbe saide vnto him, so shall our labour be loste.

Gods will be don in all thinges.

We will do oure duty, let God wurke his pleasure. Now are we at the house, I wyll be so bold neighboures as to leade you the way,

I pray you go sir, we will folow you.

the sicke man.Iere. xx. Oh, cursed be the day, wherin I was borne, vnhappy be the day, wherin my mother brou­ght me forthe. Cursed be the man that broughte my father the ty­dinges to make him glad, saying: Thou hast gotten a sonne. Let it happen vnto that man, as to the Cities which the Lord turned vp side downe. Let him heare crying in the morning,Gene. xix. and at none daye lamentable howling. Why sluest thou not me as soone as I came oute of my mothers wombe? O [Page 11] that my mother had ben my graue her selfe, that the birth might not haue come out but remained styll in her, Wherfore came I forth out of my mothers wombe? to haue experience of laboure and sorow? Ah how sicke am I, my strengthe is gone, my sight faileth me, my tounge flottereth in my mouthe, my handes tremble and shake for paine, I can not hold vp my head for weakenes. If I attempte ei­ther to stand or to goo, my legges fall downe vnder me. No parte of my body doth her right office, my memory is paste. My sences fayle me. What so euer I tast, is vnple­sant vnto me. What other thynge am I, thē a dead corps, brething? For my skin vpon me is tourned to blacke,Iob. xxx. and my bones are dri­ed vp with heate. Yea miserably am I tormented, and altogether wery of my lyfe. What can be ple­sant [Page 12] vnto me but present deathe? Ah wo worth the time that euer I was borne, O y^t som hill might fall downe and ouerwhelme me, that I might shortly be rid out of this pain.

O Lord God good neighbores, these be wordes proceding rather from a desperat harte, then from a pacient minde. But why do I cease to go in? The father of mercies and God of all consolacion be presente with vs.

Amē.

Peace be vnto this house, and to so many as loue the Lord Iesus vnfainedly.

O mother,Iere 15. alas that euer thou did dest beare me. Alas, why died I not in the birthe? Why did I not perish, assone as I came out of my mothers wombe?

Neigh­boure Epaphroditus,Iob. 3. God geue you a pacient hart, a quyet & con­tented minde. According to youre request, I am com vnto you with [Page 13] certaine of my neighbours, being very desirous to see you, and not­withstandinge not a little sory to beholde you in this case, not that you are visited of God with sick­nes: but that you so impacientlye take thys louing visitatiō of god, whiche chaunceth vnto you, not for your hurt and destruction: but for your commodity and saluaty­on.

Welcome, welcome, neighbors all. Oh how sicke am I? Oh that the end of my life wer at hande.Iob. 10. It greueth my soule to liue. All ioy is gone with me.

This sicknes hathe vtterly mar­red me.

Say not so neighbor Epaphroditus, yea rather think, that this youre sicknes is the lo­uing visitacion of God and brin­geth (although to the body weke­nes and trouble,) yet to the soule valeaunce and consolation.

Gods louing visitation?

[Page 14]Yea neighbor Gods louing visi­tation. For so ar we taught by the worde of God.Apoca. iii. God himself saith, as many as I loue, I rebuke and chasten. The wise man also saith. My sonne despise not the chaste­ning of the Lorde,Pro. iii. neither fainte when thou arte rebuked of him, For whom the Lorde loueth, hym he chasteneth, and yet delyteth in him as a father in his owne sōne. What sonne is he, saith. S. Paul. whom the father chastneth not?Heb. xii. If ye be not vnder correction (wher­of all are partakers) than are ye bastardes and not sonnes.

Ther is no father that so hādleth his sonne, as I am handled. Oh what a chaunge is this, yea and that within two daies? For from gladnes to sadnes, from pleasure to sorow from healthe to sicknes, from quietnes to trouble, from strength to feblenes, yea in a ma­ner [Page 15] from life to death am I soden­ly fallen. O miserable wretch that I am.

No maner chastising for the presente time semeth to be ioyous but greuous,Hebr. xii. as the Apo­stle sayth, neuertheles afterward it bringeth the quiet frute of righ­tuousnes vnto them, whiche are exercised therby. Blessed is the mā saith saincte Iames,Iam. i. that suffreth temptation, for when he is tried, he shal receyue the crowne of life, whiche the Lorde hathe promised to them that loue hym.

Me thoughte I was in case good y­noughe, before I was oppressed with this sicknes. For thē I liued pleasauntlye, but now I lye here weping and mourning, and full of sorow and care.

Thys is the iudgement of the flesh whiche [...]uer lusteth against the spirit.Gala. v. A­gainst suche careles fleshli liuers, [...]eare what our Sauiour Christ [Page 16] saith.Luke. 6. Wo be vnto you that are rich, for you haue your consolacy­on. Wo be vnto you that are full, for ye shal hōger. Wo be vnto you that now laugh, for ye shall wayle and wepe. Heare what he saythe on the contrary part.Mat. 5. Blessed are they that mourne: for they shal re­ceiue comfort. And also in a nother place he saithe.Iohn. 16. Uerely, Uerely I say vnto you: ye shal wepe and la­mēt, but contrariwise the worlde shall reioyce. Ye shall sorow: but your sorow shalbe turned to ioye. The blessed Apostle saith also.2. Titu. 2. If we be dead with Christe, we shall also liue with him. If we suffer with him, we shal also reigne with him.

Brother Epaphro­ditus, the way to enter into glory is the Cros. For by that way did oure elder brother Chryste enter into the kingdome of his father.Luke. 24. And the blessed Apostle saythe: [Page 17] By many tribulacions muste we enter into the kingdome of God.Act. xiiii.

What meane you by the crosse.What the Crosse is.

Temporall affliction as penury, honger, euil report vn­deserued, persecution, enprison­ment, los of Goodes, sicknes, and whatsoeuer mortifieth the olde man.

I can not easly be parswaded, that these things are sent of God to suche as he loueth: but rather to suche as he hateth.

Not so neighbor Epa­phroditus. For the righteous and godly tast more of the cros in this worlde, then the wicked and vn­godly. Abel, Iacob, Ioseph, Mo­ses, Dauid, Helias, Zachari, Ie­remie, Miche, Iob, Toby, Ihon Baptist, Stephē, Paule, Iames Peter, with many other whiche wer the [...]chosen people and frends of God, wer not fre from the cros, in so muche that many of them [Page 18] were moste cruelly put to deathe where as the wicked worldlings liued all in pleasure, and had all thinges according to their hartes lust.

This is also proued true by the saying of oure sauiour Christ:Ihon. xvi i Ti mo iii ye shall wepe and lament, saith he, but contrariwise y^e world shall reioyce. And the Apostle, sai­eth, all that will lyue Godly in Christe Iesu: shall suffer persecu­tion. Hither pertaineth the saying of.i. Pete, iiii. S. Peter. The time is come that iudgement must begin at the house of God. If it first begin at vs: what shal the ende of them be, whiche beleue not the Gospell of God? And if the rightous scarsely be saued: where shall the vngodly and the sinner appere? Wherfore let them that are troubled accor­ding to the will of God, commit their soules to him with well do­ing, as vnto a faithfull creatour.

This thing cā by no meanes better be perceiued,Luke. xvi then by consi­dering the history, whiche blessed Luke telleth in his Gospell of the vnmerciful riche man and of pore Lazarus. The riche gloton was Gods enemy and an aduersary to all good mē, vnkind, churlish, and vnmerciful, and yet how plesant­ly, and wealthely liued he all his life time? We do not rede, that he tasted any thing at all of the cros, but that he was riche, welthy, ga­lantly apparelled, fared daintely euery day, and liued in all kind of pleasures according to his hartes lust, and yet thende of him was e­uerlastyng damnation, that thys saying of our sauior Christ might be founde true.Luke. vi Wo be vnto you that are riche: for you haue youre consolation. Wo be vnto you that are ful: for ye shal hōger. Wo be vnto you that now laugh: for ye shal [Page 20] waile and wepe. Contrariwise, Lazarus being Gods frende (and dearly beloued of God) was pla [...]ged with pouerty, honger, thirst, colde, nakednes, sores, sicknes, & diuers mortal diseases, which ne­uer departed from him so long as he liued: and notwithstandinge bothe paciently and thanckfullye did he beare this his Crosse,Eccle. xi. euen vnto the deathe, being perswaded that prosperitie & aduersitie, life, and deathe, pouerty, & wealth, are of God, and therfore immediatly after his departure oute of thys world, he was receiued into euer­lasting glorye. This history bro­ther Epaphroditus declareth e­uidentely, that sicknes or trouble sent of God vnto the godly, is not a token of Gods wrath and hea­uy displeasure, but rather a sure argumente and manifest signe of his good will, loue and fauour to­warde [Page 21] vs. Blessed is he, saithe the Psalmograph,Psal. xciiii. whome thou (O Lord) nourterest. Again, he saith: it is highly for my wealth,Psal. cxix. that thou (O Lord) hast corrected me, that I may learne thine ordinan­ces. Hereto agreeth the saying of S. Paul. When we are iudged of the Lord we are chastened,i. Cor. xi. that we shuld not be damned with the worlde. In the history of Iob it is also written,Io [...]. v. blessed is the man whom God punisheth: therefore refuse not thou the chastening of the almighty. For though he ma­keth a woūd, he geueth a plaster, though he smite, his hand maketh hole again. God is faithfull, saith the Apostle,i. Cor. x. whiche wil not suffer you to bee tempted aboue youre strength, but shall in the mids of the temptacion make away, that [...]e may be able to beare it.ii. Cor. i. For he [...]s the father of mercies, and God [Page 22] of all consolacion, whiche comfor­teth vs in all our trouble, whiche knoweth also howe to deliuer the godly out of temtation.ii. Peter. ii All these textes borowed out of the holy scriptures with many other, do e­uidently declare, that the crosse is laid vpon the godly at Gods ap­poyntment, and that not for their hurt and destruction, but for their health and saluation. For though our outward man perish:i. Cor. iiii yet thinward man is renued day by day. For our trouble,Esay. [...]ii whiche is short & light prepareth an exceading and an eternall waight of glory vnto vs, while we loke not on y^e things which are sene, but on the things whiche are not sene. For y^e things whiche are seene, are temporall, but thinges whiche are not seene are eternall.

Our elder br [...]ther Christ, which neuer commi [...] sinne,i▪ Peter. ii & in whom no guile nor de [...]ceat [Page 23] was found, entred not into glory but by the crosse, as thapo­stle saith: We se that Iesus for the suffring of his death was crow­ned with glory and honor.heb. ii. Ther­fore may not we loke to possesse the enheritance of the heauenly kingdom by liuing all in pleasure health, ioy, and worldly felicitie: but rather by suffring the crosse y^t is laid vpon vs at gods appoynt­ment both paciently and thanke­fullie. For the disciple is not aboue the master,math. x nor the seruant aboue his Lord. It is inough for the dis­ciple y^t he be as his master is, and that the seruaunt be as his Lord.Lu. xiiii Whosoeuer beareth not his crosse and commeth after me (saith our sauiour Christe) he can not be my disciple,Apoca. vii

In the reuelacion of blessed Iohn we rede that they whiche were araied with longe white garmentes and are conti­nually [Page 24] in the presence of the seat of God, and serue him day & night in his temple, came out of greate tribulation.

It is truthe. For suche are moste mete for the kingdom of God, nether can the voluptuous worldlinges be par­takers of the heauenly enheritāce, whiche in this worlde taste of no crosse, but liue in all pleasure after the desires of the fleshe. It is not possible that a man may liue here pleasauntly with the worlde, and afterward reigne gloriously with Christe, for the frendshippe of the world,Iacob. iiii. is enmitie with God. Whosoeuer wil be a frend of the world, is made the enemy of God. For what felowship hath righteous­nes with vnrighteousnes? Or what cōpany hath light w^t darck­nes. Or what cōcord hath Christ with Beliall?ii. Cor. vi. Either what part hath he y^t beleueth with an infi­del? [Page 25] worldly ioy & eternall felicity can not agre together. Therfore whosoeuer is fre frō the crosse in this world, he hath no part in the kingdom of Christ & of God. So that you neighbor Epaphroditus haue a great occasion to thancke the Lorde our God, that it hath pleased him to remēber you with this his louinge visitation, and through this sickenesse to declare his good & fatherly wyll towarde you. For by laying this crosse vp­on you, he proueth you, whether you be constant in your faith and profession or not, and whether you will pacientlie and thanckefullie b [...]are this his worcking in you, whiche is vnto your euerlasting saluation or not. And after this maner doth God handle all suche as he receiueth vnto glory, as the wyseman saith:Eccle. ii. What soeuer hap­neth vnto thee, receiue it, suffer in [Page 26] heauiues, and be pacient in thy trouble.Eccle. iii. For like as gold & siluer are tried in the fire: euen so are ac­ceptable men in the fornace of ad­uersitie. Again he saith: the ouen proueth the potters vessel,Eccle. xxvii. so doth temptation of trouble, trie righte­ous men. Liste wyse said Raphael the Archaungell vnto Toby: [...]ob. xii. Be­cause thou wast accepted and be­loued of God, it was necessary y^t temptacion shuld try thee. And as Moses saide vnto the children of Israel: [...]e [...]t. xiii. the lord your God proueth you, to wete whether ye loue the Lord your God withall your hart and with al your soule. S. Peter also saith:i. Pet. i. ye are nowe for a season in heauines thorow manifold temtacions, that y^e triall of your fath being muche more precious than gold that perisheth, & yet is tried by fire, might be founde vnto the prayse, glory and honoure at the [Page 27] appearing of Iesus Christ.

This comforteth well my weake mind to here of you out of y^e word of God neighbor Philemon, that this sicknesse, which I now suffer is the louing visitation of God, and a token of Gods good wyll toward me, again, that the faith­full and frends of God are in this world subiect to the Crosse more than the vnfaithfull and enemies of God,

I am hartely glad to hear you so say. And doubt you not, but that this your gentle God and louyng father, wyll turne this your sorowe vnto your great comfort.i. Cor. x. For he is a faithful God, whiche will not suffer you to bee tempted aboue your strength, but shall in the mids of the temtation make a way, that ye may be ha­ble to beare it, as the Psalmo­graphe sayth:Psal. xxx. His wrath endu­reth but the twinkling of an eie, [Page 28] and in his pleasure is life. Heaui­nes may endure for a night, but ioy commeth in the morning.

Thou (O Lord) hast tourned my heauines in to ioy: thou hast put of my sackcloth, and girded me with gladnes. Againe he saieth: Thou O God,Psalm. lxvi. hast proued vs, thou also hast tried vs like as sil­uer is tried. Thou broughtest vs into the snare, and laidst trouble vpō our loynes, thou suffredst mē to ride ouer our heads. We went thorowe fire and water, and thou broughtest vs out into a welthy place,Psalm. lxxi. Item: O what great trou­bles & aduersities hast thou shew­ed me? and yet didst thou turne & refresh me, yea and broghtest me from the depe of the earth. Thou hast brought me to great honour and comforted me on euery syde. Therfore will I praise thee & thy faithfulnes O God. Also in ano­ther [Page 29] place he saith: they that sowe in teares,Psal. cxxvi. shal repe in ioy. He that now goeth on his way weping & bereth foorth good sede, shal dout­les come againe with ioy, & bryng his sheues with him. Thauncient father Toby in his prayer vnto God saith:Tobi. iii. after a storme, O Lord thou makest the weather faire & still: after weping and heauinesse thou geuest great ioy. Thy name O God of Israel, be praised for e­uer.

Amen. Amen, good Lord I trust thou wilt doe so with me.

Doubt ye not neighboure, but if ye call on the name of the Lord, ye shall finde great comfort. For as that princelike Prophet sayth:Psal. xxxiiii. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth them, and deliue­reth them out of al their troubles. The Lord is nie vnto thē that are of a contrite heart, and will saue suche as be of an humble spirite. [Page 30] Great are the troubles of y^• righ­teous, but the lord deliuereth thē out of al: he kepeth all their bones so that not one of them is broken.

These are cōfortable sentē ­ces neighbor Epaphrodotus.

Confortable in dede.

And no les true then cōfortable, as diuers histories of the holie scriptures do euidently declare.

I pray you reherse some of them for my com­fort.

I will do it gladly. As I may let passe the auncient Patri­arkes. What a crosse laid God vpō Iosephes shoulders in Egipt? yea and that for no fault that he had committed but only to proue and try his faith, loue, obedience, paci­ence, thankfulnes & perseuerance. He suffred Ioseph being a godlie and chast yong man to be falsly accused of his whorish mystres,Gen. xxx.xix. and to be cruelly throwne of his ma­ster into prison, where he continu­ed [Page 31] certen yeares in captiuitie and thraldom. But behold y^e mercifull dealing of God with his faithfull seruāts. Afterward, whā God by prouing him, had foūd him faith­ful, cōstant & pacient: he deliuered Ioseph out of prison, restored him vnto his libertie, won him into y^e kings fauor, in so much y^t the king toke of his ring from his hand, & put it vpō Ioseps hand, & araied him in cloth of rains, & put a gol­den chain about his necke, and set him vpon the best charet y^t he had saue one. And they cried before him: bow the kne. And king Pha­rao made hym ruler ouer all the land of Egipt.

O y^e great mer­cies of God.

Before God qui­etly satled king Dauid in his kingdom (of whom he reporteth in this maner,i. Reg. xvi. Act. xiiii. I haue found Dauid y^e son of Iesse a man after mine owne [...]art, which shal fulfil al my wyll) [Page 32] how hunted he him by king Saul euen as the ferret hunteth the co­ny? yea after the death of Saule what trouble & disquietnes had he thorow the wicked conspiracie of his children against him being so louing, gentle and naturall a fa­ther? Notwithstāding afterward God brought him vnto great ho­nour, glory, ritches, quietnes, and al kind of wealth, wherin he cōti­nued vnto his death, whiche was both glorious and full of yeares.

iii. Reg. ii.A blessed end.

To whō is the history of pacient Iob vn­knowne?Iob. i.ii. His Crosse was so gre­uous, that I knowe not whether the like trouble hath chaunsed to any mortall man since his tyme or afore Al his substance in one mo­ment almost was lost, all his cat­tel were driuē away .vii.M. shepe iii M. Camels .v.C. yoke of Oxen and v.C. she asses. All these were [Page 33] taken away sodenly. His house fel downe, his childrē that wer with­in were slaine. Of all that euer he had, nothing remained vntou­ched, that might comfort him any thing at all, but only his wife, and she semeth to be left of the deuill, only to this purpose, euen to mock and scorne her husband, and to moue him to blaspheme the name of God. Whiche thing without al doubt greued the holy mās minde more, then all his calamities and wretchednesses. Furthermore his frendes whiche came out of farre countries to comfort hym, seyng his sorowe and paine to be moste [...]ehement, being also wōderfully astonied with the horrible great­nesse of the plage, by the space of [...]ii. daies spake not one comforta­ [...]le worde vnto hym. For they [...]hought (although not truly) that God had cast this most greuous [Page 34] paines vpon Iob worthely, euen for his sinful life & wicked conuersation. And did they not at the last fall to mocking and taunting of that good mā, and tolde hym that those plages happened vnto hym for his sinnes, by the righteous iudgement of God? for they thou­ght it a matter of hie iniquitie and vnworthy Gods righteousnes y^t so great calamities and miseries shuld causeles chaunce vnto any holy and innocent man.Iob. ii. Moreo­uer after the losse of al his goodes, after the driuing away of his cat­tell, the casting down of his house the cruell death of his children & seruaunts (which, al the most pa­cient man very quietly suffered) what intollerable pains suffere [...] he on his body? Did not Satha [...] thorow Gods suffrance smite Io [...] with maruelous sore biles fro [...] the sole of his fote vnto y^e crown [...] [Page 35] of his head, so that he sate vpon the grounde in the ashes, and scra­ped of the filth of his sores with a potsherd? Oh who is hable to ex­presse what paines he suffred? And notwithstanding being on euery side moste miserably plaged his mind continued still constant and perfect in abiding the good pleasure of the Lord his God, be­ing thorowly perswaded that all those plagues and punishmentes were not tokens of Gods anger, but rather of his singuler good wyll and fatherlye fauoure to­ward hym. For as he moste paci­ently suffered the losse of all his goodes and the death of his chil­dren, so with lyke constancie and lusty courage, did he bear the most greuous woundes and bitter so­rowes of his body, speakinge no blasphemous, impacient, or vn­reuerent worde against God, in [Page 36] all his trouble, but mekely, paci­ently, and thankefully, brast oute into these and suche like wordes: Naked came I out of my mothers wombe,Iob. i. and naked shall I tourne thither againe. The Lord gaue, & the Lord hath taken away. Euen as it hath pleased the Lorde, so is it come to passe, blessed be y^e name of the Lord,Iob. ii. If we haue receiued prosperitie at the hand of the lord, why should we not abide aduersi­tie also?

Oh God graunt me the like pacience.

Doubt ye not of y^e goodnes of God neighbor. Be strong and stedfast in the Lord your God, abide pacientlie his good pleasure, & he shall work al things for the best,Psal. xxxvii. as the Psal­mograph saieth: O tary thou the Lordes leisure, be strong, and he shall comfort thine heart, therfore put thou thy trust in the Lorde.Esay. xxx. In silence and hope shall youre [Page 37] strength be, saieth the Prophet. O how good is the lord vnto thē,Iames. iii▪ that put their trust in him, and to the soule that seketh after hym? The good man with stilnes and pacience tarieth for the sauinge health of the Lorde. The righte­ous haue cried, and the Lord hath graciously heard them, and deli­uered them out of all their trou­bles.

But nowe neighbour marke the end of the history.Psal. xxxiiii.

Saye on, in the name of God.

After that God by dyuers kindes of punishmentes had tho­rowly tried this holy, perfect and pacient man Iob, and had found him in all pointes a constant and [...]aleaunt souldiour, not hable to [...]e ouercome with any kynde of [...]lague that Sathan could lay on [...]im, the Lorde greatly cōmended [...]is cōstant faith and faithfull con­ [...]ancie, and gaue vnto him twyse [Page 38] twyse so muche as he had afore. For he had nowe .xiiii.M. shepe,Iob. xiii. vi.M. camels, a .M. yoke of Oxē and a .M. asses. He had .vii. sōnes also, and .iii. doughters. And af­ter this he liued an .C. & .xl. yeres, in muche ioy and quietnes, so that he sawe his childrens children in­to the .iiii. generation, and died being old and of a perfect age.

Oh, blessed be God. For he is euer good to his seruauntes and neuer forsaketh thē that put their trust in him.

Of this holie man Iob saynt Iames also ma­keth mencion,Iames. v. saying: Ye haue heard of the pacience of Iob, and haue knowne what end the Lord made. For the Lorde is very piti­full and mercifull.

Will it please you neighbor to hear the hi­story of thauncient father Toby▪ whiche is also very comfortable▪

Yea very gladly. For it doth [Page 39] me much good and easeth wel my pain to hear your godly talke.

This Toby was a faithfull man and euen from his very childhod feared God, and led a vertuous life. He forsoke not y^e way of truth nether defiled he him selfe with a­ny kynd of Idolatry.Tob. i. He worship­ped the Lord God of Israel faith­fully, offring of all his first frutes and tithes. Whatsoeuer he might get, he departed it daily with his felow prisoners & brethrē. He was ful of good works, he gaue largly vnto the pore, he fed the hōgry, he gaue drink to y^e thirsty, he clothed the naked, he lodged the harbor­les, he visited the sick, he redemed the captiues & prisoners, he buri­ed the dead. Ther was no work of mercy that he had left vndone. He was rich & plenteous in all good works. And whatsoeuer he did, he did it with a ioyfull & ready hart. [Page 40] For God,ii. Cor. ix. saith S. Paule, loueth a cherefull geuer,

A blessed man and a faithfull seruaunt of God.Tob. ii.

And yet mark what followeth. It hapned vpon a day, y^t he had buried the dead, and was weary, came home and layd hym down by the wall and slept. And whyle he was a slepe, there fell downe vpon his eies warm dong out of the swalowes nest, so that he became blind.

A pitiful chaūce.

This tentacion did God suffer to happen vnto hym, y^t they whiche came after, myght haue an example of his pacience like as of holy Iob.

But how did Toby take this tētacion?

Uery Godly, quietly, pa­ciently, and thankefully. For in so muche as he euer feared God frō his yougth vp, and kept his com­maundementes, he grudged not against God, that the plague of [Page 41] blindnes chaunsed vnto him, but remained stedfast in the feare of God, and thanked God al y^t daies of his life.

But what was the end of the matter? Continued he blind vnto his dying day? Did not God deale mercifully with Toby, as we heard afore of Iob?

Yes verely,i. Reg. ii, Deut. xxxii. Tob. xiii. Sap. xvi. for God scour­geth and healeth. God ledeth vnto hel and bringeth out again. God killeth and maketh aliue. God af­ter a storme maketh the weather faire & calm. God after weping & heauinesse, geueth great ioye. When God had throughlye tried Toby, and found him constant in his faith, he restored vnto him his sight againe. For the which To­by moste humbly thanked hym and said:Tob. xi. O Lord God of Israell, I geue the prayse and thanks, for thou hast chastened me, and made me whole again.

O prai­sed [Page 42] be the Lord our God, which is maruelous in his Sainctes, and holy in all his workes.

Liued Toby long after his sight was restored vnto him?

Toby (saith the scripture) after he had gotten his sight againe, liued .xlii. yeres in great ioy and wealth, and saw his childrens children.Tob. xiiii. And when he was .C. and .ii. yeares olde he departed in peace and was hono­rably buried.

A blessed end.

Of a good life cometh a good end. Thus haue you heard out of the holy scriptures brother Epaphroditus, that the Crosse, that is to saye corporall affliction is not a token of Gods anger, but of his fauour, and that he layeth temporall punishement more cu­stomably vpon his frendes, than vpon his ennemies, yea and that not to destroy them, but to proue and try them, euen as the fire tri­eth [Page 43] the gold. For as thaungel Ra­phaell sayd vnto Toby:Tob. xii. Because thou wast accepted and beloued of God, it was necessary, that temtacion should try thee. You haue heard also the louing kindnesse of God toward his faithfull & con­stant seruauntes, how after a iust triall made, he restoreth them vn­to a more blessed state, than they were in a fore. Therfore take a good heart vnto you & faint not. Be strong in the Lord. Be faith­ful vnto the end. Be paciēt in this your sicknes. Be thākeful for this louing visitation of God. Abide the good pleasure of God. Suffer him quietly to do with you what soeuer his good wil is. If you wil thus do: dout ye not, but that god wil be merciful vnto you, & bring that thing to passe, which is most for your comfort and profit.Rom. xv. For whatsoeuer is written, is written [Page 44] for our learning, that through pa­cience and the comfort of the scri­ptures we may haue hope.

The Lordes will be done in me. He knoweth what is moste mete for me a wretched synner, let him therfore worke his good pleasure in me:Rom [...]. xiiii. come lyfe, come death. For if we liue, we liue to bee at the Lordes will, and if we die, we die at the Lordes will. Whether we liue therfore or die, we are the Lordes.A praier. Only O heauenly father I beseche thee for Christes sake, to geue me a pacient and thanke­full hart, that I neuer grudge a­gainst thy blessed will, but be obe­dient vnto it in all thinges, that whan the pains of my sicknes be most bitter: I may lift vp my hart vnto thee,Psalm. vi. cal on thy blessed name, and say: O Lorde, rebuke me not in thy indignation, nether chasten me in thy displeasure. Haue mercy [Page 45] on me O Lorde, for I am weake. O lord heale me for my bones are vexed. My soule also is sore trou­bled: but Lord how lōg wilt thou punish me? Turne thee (O Lord) & deliuer my soule, oh saue me for thy mercies sake.Psal. lxxxv [...] O my God saue thy seruant, that putteth his trust in thee. Be mercifull vnto me (O Lord) for I wil cal daily vpō the. Comfort the soul of thy seruaunt, [...]or vnto thee (O Lord) do I lifte [...]p my soule. For thou Lorde art good & gracious, & of great mercy [...]nto all them that cal vpon thee.

Neighbour Epaphroditus his is vnto vs a singuler pleasur [...]nd great comfort to hear so god­ [...]y wordes proceade out of youre [...]outh. Be diligent continually [...] call on the Lorde, and he in all our afflictions & troubles, shall [...] vndoubtedly your strōg tower, our mighty shield, and inuinci­ble [Page 46] fortres. He will not leaue you nor forsake you, but assist you and be present with you in your sick­nesse, according to this his pro­messe:Psal. xci. Because he hath trusted in me, I wil deliuer him, I will de­fend him, because he hath known my name. He shall cal vpon me, & I will gratiously hear him, yea I am with him in trouble, I wil de­liuer him and glorifie him. With long life wil I satisfie him, & shew him my saluation.

I must ne­des cōfesse most gētle neighbors, that I haue receiued muche con­solation and great cōfort of youre company, and specially that [...] haue thus enarmed, yea and for­tressed my brest with the cōforta [...]ble sentenses and histories of th [...] holy scriptures against the bitte [...] stormes of aduersitie, and I hart [...]ly thank you for your pains. Not [...]withstanding this must I nede [...] [Page 47] say vnto you, that I finde not my self in my conscience to be of suche godlines and vertue, that I dare compare my selfe with Ioseph, Dauid, Iob, and Toby, whome ye recited vnto me, but muche in­ferior bothe vnto them and vnto their godlines of life, so that al­though they being righteous of the very loue, which God bare to­ward them, wer assailed with ad­uersitie, to this ende, y^t their faith and constancy might be proued & tried vnto the example of other, yet I fynd in my selfe such imper­fection, yea such aboundaunce of [...]in, that it may iustly be thought that this sicknesse, whiche is laid vpon me, commeth from suche a God, as is angry with me for my [...]innefull life, and therefore is his heauy hand thus laide vpon me. What thinke ye good neighbors.

Brother Epaphrodi­tus [Page 48] this humbling of your self in the sight of the Lord our God, is a certain argument and sure to­ken of your euerlasting saluatiō. For he that exalteth him self shall be made lowe,Mat. xxiii but he that hum­bleth hym selfe, shall be exalted. God is an enemy to y^e proude,i. Pet. v. but he is a frende to the humble and lowly.Prou. xx Truth it is, that in y^e sight of God no man is pure and cleare from sinne.Iaco. iii Who is hable to saie. My heart is cleane, and I am fre [...] from sinne? In many thinges we all offend.i. Iohn. i. Rom. iii If we saye, we haue no sinne, we deceiue our selues and the truthe is not in vs.Luk. xvii All hau [...] sinned, and wāt the glory of God We all are vnprofitable seruaūts Euery man is a lier.Psal. cxvi Psalm. li. We were be [...]gotten in sinne, conceiued in sinn [...] and borne in sinne. Our heart [...] leude and vnsearchable.Ier. xvii. All our righteousnes are as cloth pollu [...]ted [Page 49] with menstrue. Al haue swarued and gone out of the way,Esay. lxiii. Psal. xiiii they are altogether become vnprofita­ble, there is not one that doeth good, no not one. The moste per­fect among vs all, may well say w^t the sinnefull Publicane:Luke. xviii. O God be mercifull to me a synner.Math. vi. We may worthely pray, as our saui­our Christ taught vs, forgeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue thē that trespasse againste vs, God found no truth in his seruaunts, and in his angels ther was folly.Iob. xiii. How much more in them y^t dwell in the houses of clay,Iob. xxx. and whose foundations are but dust? The stars are vncleane in the sight of God. How much more then man, that is but corruption, and the sonne of man, whiche is but a worme? And albeit Ioseph, Da­uid, Iob and Toby, be set forth in [...]he holy scriptures with greate [Page 50] commendations, yet may we not thincke that they wanted theyr faultes.Iob. xxv. For no man that is borne of a woman is clene before God, although he be but one day olde. How oft doth Dauid cōfesse hym selfe a sinner? How oft doth he fle vnto God and pray for the remis­sion of his sinnes? Howe oft doth he cast away his own righteous­nes, & with strong faith, lay hand on Gods mercy? Among many o­ther, are not these his wordes? Haue mercy on me (O God) according to thy great mercy.Psalm. ii. And ac­cording to the multitude of thy mercies, do away myne offences. Wash me thorowly from my wic­kednes, and cleanse me from my sin. For I knowledge my faultes and my sinne is euer before me. Against thee only haue I synned, and done euyll in thy sight. &c. Also in another place.Psalm. xxv. Oh remem [...]ber [Page 51] not the sinnes and offenses of my youth, but according vnto thy mercy thincke thou vpon me (O Lord) for thy goodnesse. For thy names sake (O Lord) be merciful vnto my synne. For it is great. Loke vpon mine aduersitie, & mi­sery, & forgeue me all my sinnes. Againe. Out of the depe haue I called vnto the Lorde,Psalm. cxxx. Lord hear my voyce. Oh let thyne eare con­syder well the voyce of my com­plaint. If thou Lorde wilt be ex­treme to marcke what is done a­mysse (oh Lorde) who may abyde it? But ther is mercy with thee. &c Item.Psal. cxiiii. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunt (O Lorde) for no man liuing shall be iustified in thy syght. Thus see you howe holy Dauid, whome the scripture commendeth so greatlye, bosteth not his owne righteousnesse, but humbleth him selfe in the syghte [Page 52] of God, and wholy betaketh hym vnto Gods mercy. Nowe hear what Iob, whom the scripture so greatly commendeth, saith of him self,Iob. ix. If I wil iustifie my self, mine own mouth shall condemne me. If I will put forth my selfe for a perfect man, he shall proue me a wicked doer. Again. If I washe my self with snow water, & make mine hands neuer so cleane at the well, yet shalt thou dip me in the mire, and mine owne clothes shal defile me. And as concerning the godly mā Toby, how litle he tru­sted in his owne innocency and righteousnes, these his words do manifestly declare: O Lord (saith he) be mindfull of me,Tob. iii. and take no vengeaūce of my sinnes, nether remember my misdedes, nor y^e mis­dedes of mine elders. for we haue not bene obedient to thy cōmaun­dements. &c. And as Dauid, Iob, [Page 53] and Toby, humbled them selues in the sight of God, so lykewyse doth the whole company of al the faithful, that the glory of our sal­uation may be Gods alone, as he saith by the Prophet: Thi destruction, O Israell,Ose. xiiii. commeth of thy self, but thy saluation commeth only of me. Therfore though ye fele synne to be in you, as who is without it? yet despair not, nether be dismaide, but with strong faith make haste vnto the glorious throne of Gods great mercy, la­ment your sorowfull case, craue fauor and remission of sinnes in Christes name, of Gods most hie maiestie, and without doubt you shall haue your hartes desire.Psal. cxlv. For the Lorde is gracious and merci­ [...]ul▪ long suffring & of great good­ [...]es. The Lord is louing vnto e­uery man, and his mercy is ouer all his workes. O truste in the [Page 54] Lord, for with the Lorde there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.Psalm. cxxx. And he shall redeme Israell from all his sinnes.

Oh my hart. Ah what a greuous paine did I fele nowe euen at my very heart. God be mercifull vnto me.

Be on a good comfort neighbour (I pray you) God shal worke all thinges for the best. Ye may se what frail vessels we are, and how litle a pain doth greatly trouble vs.

Ye say truth. But to you neighbor Philemō once a­gain. Me thincke if God shuld punish me in this world for my sinne so shuld it be a token rather of his anger then of his fauour towarde me.

Nay, not so neighbor. I [...] is rather an euident token of his singular loue & hartie good wil to [...]ward you, which louingly correc­teth you in this world, that ye ma [...] repent, knowledge your fault, a [...]mend [Page 55] your life, call for mercy and so liue worthy your profession, a­gain that through this temporall paine, ye may be fre from euerla­sting plagues,Apoc. xxi. & neuer come into that lake, that burneth with fire and brimstone.i. Cor. xi. This witnesseth s. Paul, saying: Whyle we are pu­nished, we ar corrected of the lord that we should not w^t this world be condempned.Psal. xxxvii. Whan God suf­fereth the wicked in this world to florish like a bay tree, and licen­ciously to sinne without any pu­nishement, as he suffred the ritche glotton, of whome ye reade in the Gospell of blessed Luke,Luk. xvi, it is an euident argument, that suche one is reserued vnto the paines of the world to come,Mat. x [...] whiche neuer shall haue end, wher weping and gna­shynge of teethe shall be, as ye see it chaunced to the afore saide ritche glotton, vnto whome God [Page 56] said: sonne, remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasure,Luke. xvi. and contrariwyse, Lazarus receiued pain. But nowe is he cō ­forted, and thou art punished: so doth our sauiour Christ threaten the vngodli,Luke. vi. saying: Wo be to you that are full, for ye shall hunger, Wo be vnto you that now laugh, for ye shall wayle and wepe. The holie Apostle also saieth: What sonne is he,Hebr. xii. whom the father cha­steneth not? If ye be not vnder correction (wherof all are parta­kers) then are ye bastardes & not sonnes. A terrible end therfore a­bideth them, which in this world licenciously and without punish­ment do sinne. For all such be ba­stardes and no sonnes, therfore haue they no part of the heauenly enheritaunce.

Yet the world iudgeth otherwyse. For they thinke suche only to be beloued of [Page 57] God, as walowe in all kinde of worldly pleasures, as the filthy sow in the mire, so longe as they liue, & neuer tast of any aduersitie

But the holie scripture iud­geth otherwise. For those volup­tuous Epicures whiche in this world say:Sap. ii. Come & let vs enioy the [...]leasures that are, and let vs sone [...]se the creature, like as in youth. Let vs fill our selues with good wine and oyntment, and let there no flower of the tyme goe by vs. Let vs crowne our selues with roses afore they be withered. Let [...]here be no fair medowe, but our [...]ust go thorowe it. Let euery one of you be partaker of our volup­ [...]uousnes. Let vs leue some token of our pleasure in euery place, for [...]hat is our porcion, els get we no [...]hing. &c. Shall in time to come, [...]ry out on this maner & saye:Sap. vi. We [...]aue erred from the way of truth [Page 58] the light of righteousnesse hath not shined vnto vs, and the sunne of vnderstanding rose not vp vpō vs. We haue weried our selues in the way of wickednes & destruc­tion. Tedious wayes haue we gone, but as for the way of y^e lord, we haue not knowne it. What good hath our pryde done to vs? Or what profit hath the pompe of riches brought vs? All these thīgs are passed awaye like a shaddow &c. Suche wordes shall they that haue sinned, speake in hel. For the hope of thungodly is lyke a drye thistil flower that is blown away with the wynde. &c. Therfore we may well conclude, that suche as enioy continuall prosperitie, liue at their heartes ease, obey their sensuall appetites, are free from all aduersitie, and as the Psalmo [...]graphe saieth: come in no misfor­tune lyke other folke, neither ar [...] [Page 59] plagued lyke other men: shall not reigne with God in glory, nether haue they any portion in the lande of the liuing. For though they pro­sper for a litle while in this world be puffed vp with pryde, swell for fatnes, do what they list, rule as they will, haue plenty of ritches in possessiom, haue the world at commaundement. &c. Yet are they set in slippery places, and shal be cast downe and destroyed Yea soden­ly shall they consume, perishe, and come to a fearful end. I haue sene saith that Princelike Prophet,Psal. 37. thungodly in great power, & flo­rishing like a greue bay tree. And he vanished away, and lo he was gone, I sought him, but he coulde no wher be found. &c. For the wicked shall perishe together, and the end of the vngodly, is euerlasting damnation.

If it please you, I will tell you a history, that [Page 60] I heard once.

I pray you tell on good brother Christopher.

An historie.Saint Ambrose that godly & couragious Bishop traueiling at a certain time toward Rome, chaunced by the way to goe vnto a great richemans house to lodge. after other talke he demaunded of the man of the house, howe the world went with him, & in what case he stode. The ryche man an­swered: sir my state hath alway bene fortunate and glorious, I neuer tasted any kynd of aduersi­tie. I neuer had sicknes or losse of goods. All thinges hitherto haue chaunced vnto me according to my hartes desire. Whan. S. Am­brose heard this, he said vnto thē that accompanied him: Rise, and let vs go hence with al expeditiō, for the Lorde is not in this place. And when they wer departed frō the richemans house, euē straight [Page 61] waies, thearth sodenly opened & swalowed vp the man with all that euer he had, so that nothing at all remained.

A notable history, declaring that God is not there present, where the crosse is absent, and that thinges can not long continue in safe state, where God fauoureth not.Psalm. xxxvii.

Here was that thing fulfilled that is spoken by the Psalmograph. The vngodly shall sone be cut downe like the grasse, and be withered, euen as the grene herbe. &c. Yea a litle while and the vngodly shall be clene gone: Thou shalt loke af­ter his place, and he shalbe away. Thungodly shall perishe, and the enemies of the Lord shal consume as the fat of lambes, yea euen as [...]he smoke shall they consume a­way. Againe in an other place. Thou, O Lord, dost set the vngod [...]y in slippery places, and castest [Page 62] them downe, and destroiest them. O how sodenly do they consume, perish, and come to a feareful end? yea euen lyke as a dreame when one awaketh, so shalt thou make their Image to vanishe out of the citie.

Where continual suc­cesse of thinges is: wher al things at all tymes serue and content the fleshly appetites of voluptuous worldlinges: where no affliction nor trouble is: there is not God, there is not his grace, fauoure, and blessing. He that is free from the crosse, hath no enheritaunce in the kyngdome of heauen. Yea, it is a moste certaine signe of euer­lasting damnation, where a life is led without affliction. For whom the Lorde loueth,Hebr. vii. he chasteneth, they are bastardes and no sonnes that sometime fele not the Crosse.Act. xiiii. Who euer went vnto heauen by ioy and pleasure? By many tribu [...]lations [Page 63] (saieth the Apostle) must we enter into y^e kingdom of God. Hereunto pertaineth the saying of the vertuous woman Iudith:Iudit. vi [...]. Our father Abraham being tem­ted and tried thorowe many tri­bulations, was founde a louer & [...]rend of God. So was Isaac, so was Iacob, so was Moses, and al [...]hey that pleased God, being tried [...]horowe many troubles, were founde stedfast in fayth. Blessed [...]s the man, that suffereth temp­ [...]ation, saith saint Iames,Iames. i. for whē [...]e is once tried, he shall receiue y^e [...]rown of life, which the lord hath [...]romised to them that loue hym.

I red once of a certaine her­ [...]it,An history. which was wōt euery yere to [...]e sicke, wherin he greatly delited & felt much quietnes of conscience [...]eing perswaded, y^t his sicknesse [...]as the louing visitation of God, [...]nd an vnfained token of Gods [Page 64] singular good will toward hym. It chaunced that by the space of an whole yeare he was fre from al maner of sicknesse. Whiche thing whan he considered, he was in­wardly sory and wept beyond all measure, greuously complaining that God had forgotten him, and denied him his grace.

This history also sheweth howe neces­sary and wholsome, sicknes is to a Christen man, and that corporall affliction is a certaine perswasi­on to a faythfull cōscience of Gods singulare good wyll and father­ly fauour towarde vs, as he hym self testifieth, saying: as many as I loue I chastē and rebuke.Apoc. iii. Th [...] wyse man also sayeth:Prouerb. iii. My sonn [...] despise not the chastening of th [...] Lord, nether faint whan thou ar [...] rebuked of him. For whome th [...] Lord loueth, him he chastneth, [...] yet deliteth in him, as a father i [...] [Page 65] ther in his owne sonne.

So followeth it, that they, whom God visiteth with sicknes in this worlde, and laieth the crosse vpon their shoulders, are more dear vn­to him than those, whiche all their life tyme, liue in all wealth, ioy, & pleasure.

Yea verely, so thei beare their crosse willingly, paci­ently, and thankfully. For by the crosse are christen men knowē, as noble mens seruauntes by theyr Lordes cognisances. He that bea­reth not the crosse, is not Christes: For suche as will be his disciples, he cōmaundeth them not to seeke how to flee y^e crosse, that they may liue al in pleasure, but he biddeth them take the Crosse vpon their shoulders,Math. xvi. and folow him. If any man will folow me, (saith our sa­uiour Christ,) let him forsake him [...]elf, and take vp his crosse, and fo­ [...]ow me. The head bare the crosse, [Page 66] the members also must do y^e same, or els pertaine they not vnto the head. For there is none other way to enter into glory, but the same way that our head Christ entred by,Luke. xiiii. which is the crosse. Whosoeuer beareth not his crosse and cometh after me, (saith the Lorde Christ) he can not be my disciple. The ser­uant is not greater then his Lord nor the disciple aboue his master.

That such as bear the crosse and be tried with diuers tribula­tions are more dear vnto god, thā they which liue all in pleasure, the history of the ritch and vnmerciful glotton,Luke. xvi. and of poore and pacient Lazarus proueth euidētly. For as ye hard before, the welthie epicure whiche liued galantlie and plea­sauntly all the daies of his life, e­uen vnto his dying daye, so son [...] as he was dead, was caried of th [...] Deuell and his Aungels into th [...] [Page 67] flames of hell fire: where he was miserablie tormented: contrary­wyse, pore and sick Lazarus, whō the wicked worlde estemed moste vile, moste abhominable, yea, and vtterly despised and cast away of God,Esay. lxiiii. whome also fortune neuer fauoured, but aduersitie cōtinual­lie assailed, immediatly after his departure was moste tenderly & ioyfully borne of the blessed Aun­gels of God into the bosome of A­braham,i. Cor. ii. wher he hath such ioyes as eie hath not sene, nor eare hath heard, nether is any mans hart a­ble to thinke them.

Here is that fulfilled & found true, whiche the Psalmograph speaketh,Psal. cxv. both of the death of the faithfull, and of the vnfaythfull. Concernyng the faythfull (he sayeth) preci­ [...]us in the sight of the Lorde, is [...]he death of his sainctes. Of the [...]nfaithfull he also sayeth: The [Page 68] death of sinners is worst of all. As y^e ioyes of Gods people begin not till after their death:Psal. xxxiiii. so lyke­wise the sorowes and paines of y^e wicked doe chiefly begin at their death, and so for euer and euer cō ­tinue.

Happy is that man therfore, whiche hath and endeth his sorowe in this worlde, that af­ter this life he may haue the per­fect and true ioy, whiche knoweth no end

He is thrise happy, as they vse to say, and greatly blessed of God. Therfore .s. Austen praied on this manner and said, O Lord burn me here, cut me here in this world, that thou maiest spare me for euer after. Only geue me pa­cience pleasing vnto thee, and ne­cessary vnto me.

Like vn [...]to this are the wordes of a certain auncient father, whiche saieth, I know that diseases chaunce vnto men for their sinnes. And it is be [...]ter [Page 69] here paciently to beare afflic­tions and paines, then after death to suffer euerlasting punishmēts.

S. Gregory saith, that God sparith some in this world, to tor­ment them afterward, and som he tormenteth here, which he wil af­terward spare. This is a christen mans comforte, y^t by present tribulation, he shall escape euerlasting damnation. For according to the common prouerbe, God puni­sheth not one thing twyse.

Of these your wordes I conceiue a good hope, that although God punisheth me iustly for my sinnes yet he wil not take away his mer­cy from me.

No, be you sure. For these are his wordes by the Psalmograph.Psal. lxxxi [...] If they forsake my [...]aw, and walke not in my iudge­ments. If they breke my statutes, [...]nd kepe not my cōmanndemēts, I will visite their offences with [Page 70] the rod, & their sinnes with scour­ges. Neuertheles, my louing kindnes will I not vtterly take from him, nor suffer my truth to fayle. My couenaunt wil I not breake nor alter the thinge that is gone out of my lips. Here God our mercifull father, promiseth, y^t though he punisheth vs for our sinne and wickednes, that by this meanes he may call vs vnto repentance & amendement of life, yet wil not he take away from vs his mercy and louing kindnes, but when so euer we turne vnto hym, repent vs of our former life, call on his blessed name, beleue and hope to haue re­missiō of sinnes for Christes sake, and labor to frame our life accor­ding to the rule of his holy testa [...]mēt, he will surely receiue vs ioy [...]fully, pardon all our iniquities and as derely loue vs, as though we had neuer offended his deuin [...] [Page 71] maiestie. God saith also by y^e Pro­phet Ieremy:Iere. xviii. when I take in hād to rote out, to destroy, or to wast away any people or kingdome, if y^e people (against whō, I haue thus deuised) conuert frō their wicked­nes: I repēt of the plague, that I deuised to bring vpon them.Esay. lv. The prophet Esay also saith. If thun­godly forsaketh his way, and the vnrighteous man his owne I­maginations, and turne againe vnto the Lorde, he will surely be mercifull vnto him. For he is very ready to forgeue. He will not al­way be chyding, (sayth the Psal­mograph,Psalm. ciii.) neither kepeth he his anger for euer. Yea lyke as a fa­ther pitieth his owne children, euen so is the Lorde mercifull vn­to them that feare hym.

For he knoweth whereof we bee made, he remembreth that we are but duste. My thoughtes [Page 72] (saith God) are to geue you peace and not trouble.Ier. xxix. Why God punisheth vs Though the lord punisheth vs for our sinnes, yet doth he not punishe vs, to cast vs away and to condemne vs, but to call vs vnto repentance, to morti­fie our fleshly lustes, & afterward to make vs the more circumspect in obseruing the rules of our pro­fession, y^t is, the christen profession as that princelike Prophet saith:Psal. cxix. It is greatly for my wealth, that thou hast punished me & brought me low, euen that I may learne thy righteous ordinances.Esay. xxviii. Uexa­tiō or trouble (saith the Prophet) geueth vnderstanding. And whā soeuer we repent & cease to sinne, the Lord straightwais remoueth and taketh away the crosse that he hath laid vpon our backes, and poureth his blessing againe plen­tiously vpon vs. For though he maketh a woūd,Iob. v. he geueth a pla­ster, [Page 73] though he smite, he maketh whole again.i. Reg. iii▪ The Lord killeth & maketh a liue, bringeth down to the graue, and fetcheth vp again. The lord maketh poore, & maketh [...]ich, bringeth lowe and lifteth vp again.Tob. iii. After a storm (O lord) saith holy Toby, thou makest the wea­ther faire & calme: after wepyng and heauines, thou geuest great [...]oy. Thy name (O God of Israel) [...]e praised for euer.

If God [...]oueth a man and entendeth to make him partaker of euerlasting glory: he wil not cease to punishe him, vntill he knowledgeth his [...]ault, repenteth, & become a newe [...]an.

Ye say truth. For vnto [...]his end doth God correcte suche [...]s he loueth, and entendeth to [...]aue. The Lord saith by the Pro­ [...]het, that he will punishe his peo­ [...]le, which sinne against him, and [...]un on whoring after straunge [Page 74] Gods, vntill they cōfesse their falt and say: I wil turne again to my first husband,Ose. ii. for at that time was I better at ease, then now.

This is a great comfort for a chri­sten man in his affliction to hear, that God punisheth hym in this world to this end, y^t he may cease to sinne, that he may repent, turn againe vnto the Lord his God, & so for euer be saued.

But I pray you rehearse vnto me out o [...] the holy scripture, for the quiet [...]nes of my conscience, some histo­ries which may declare vnto me that God punishing synners fo [...] their disobediēce, doth afterwar [...] whan they repent and turne, for [...]geue them, and receiue thē agai [...] into his fauour.

In th [...] fourth boke of Moses, called N [...]mery, we reade that the pepole [...] Israel murmured and grudged [...]gainst God and against Mose [...] [Page 75] saying vnto Moses: wherfore hast thou brought vs out of Egipt,Num. xxi. for to die in the wildernesse? For here is neither bread nor water, & our soule lotheth this lyght bread.

Now se ye the sinne of the Israe­lites. They murmur, thei grudge they are vnfaithfull, vnpacient, & disobedient against God and a­gainst his lawful magistrat: now heare again the reward of sinne. Wherfore the Lord sent firy Ser­pentes among the people, whiche [...]tong them, & muche people of Is­rael died. Here haue ye the punishment of the sin. Now hear also y^e [...]emedy against this punishment, [...]nd the salue against this plage. Therefore the people came vnto Moses & sayd: we haue sinned, for [...]e haue spoken against the Lord [...] against thee. Make intercession [...]o the Lord that he take away the [...]rpentes from vs. Here the peo­ple [Page 76] of Israll repenteth, confesseth their sinne, turneth againe vnto the Lorde, and besecheth Moses to pray for them vnto the Lorde. Repentance cōfession of the sinne, conuersion vnto the Lorde, and faithfull prayer are the meanes, wherby Gods wrath is turned a­way from vs, & his plagues cease. For when Moses had made intercessiō for the people, the Lord said vnto him. Make a brasen serpēt, and set it vp for a signe, that as many as are bitten, may loke vpō it and liue. And Moses made a seruent of brasse, and set it vp for a signe. And when the Serpents had bitten any man, he beheld th [...] serpent of brasse, and was healed▪ Here se you the mercy of God, e [...]uen in the middes of the crosse to [...]ward penitent sinners. The Is [...]raelites sinne: God plagueth: th [...] people repenteth: God turneth a [...]way [Page 77] his plague: and healeth thē.

A cōfortable history. Be ther no mo such in the holy scriptures?

Uery many.

Rehearse thē I pray you. For I delight to hear such comfortable histories.

I am very glad.ii. Pet. xxx [...] Manasses. king of Iuda was an abhominable I­dolatoure. He went to and built [...]he hill altares whiche good king Ezechias his father had broken [...]owne. And he reared vp altares [...]or Baal, and made groues, and worshipped all the hostes of hea­uen, and serued them, and he built [...]ltares in the house of the Lorde, wheras the Lord yet had said: In Hierusalem shall my name be for euer. And he builded aultares for [...]l the host of heauen in the courts [...]f the house of the Lorde. And he [...]urnt his children in the fire, in [...]he vally of the sonne of Hinon. [...]e was a sorcerer: he regarded y^e [Page 78] crying of birdes, vsed enchaunt­ments▪ and mainteined workers with spirites, & seers of fortunes, & wrought much euill in the sight of the Lord to anger him withall. And as he him self was an Idola­tar & forsoke the Lord God of his fathers: so likewise made he Iu­da and the enhabiters of Ierusa­lem to erre, and to do worse then the Heathen. &c. Nowe haue ye heard how greuously king Ma­nasses sinned against y^e Lord his God.

His sinnes were grea [...] & worthy of much punishmēt.

Yea of euerlasting damnation, i [...] he were handled according to his desertes.

I pray you, what b [...]came of him?

Albeit y^e sinnes of this Manasses were great, ye [...] behold the louing kindnes of Go [...] toward him & his people. Befor [...] he sent any punishement amon [...] them, he raised vp his Prophets [Page 79] which exhorted both him and his subiectes to turne from their euil, to repent, and to walke in the or­dinaunces and lawes of God, but both he and his people would not heare the gentle admonitions of God by his Prophetes, nether re­gard them.

O stony hartes. But how than?

Whan y^e Lord [...]aw, y^t by no meanes they woulde [...]urne from their abhominations. [...] went forth stil to effēd, he brou­ [...]ht vpō them the captaines of the [...]ost of the king of the Assirians, [...]hiche toke Manasses in hold, & [...]ound him with chaines, and ca­ [...]ed him to Babilon,

O the [...]ghteous iudgemēts of God.

[...]ere we heare y^t Manasses was [...]unished for his sinnes: yea, and [...]at worthely, but did God caste [...] away for euer?

Ye shall [...]ear. Whā Manasses was in tri­ [...]lation, he besought the lord his [Page 80] God and humbled him self excea­dingly before the God of his Fa­thers, and made intercession to him, and God was entreated of hym, and heard his prayer, and brought him againe to Hierusalē into his kingdom. And than Ma­nasses knew y^t the lord was God. After this he became a new man, and toke away straunge Gods, & Images out of the house of God and all thalters that he had buil [...] in the mount of the house of God and Ierusalem, and cast them ou [...] of the citie. And he prepared tha [...]tare of the Lord, & sacrificed ther [...] on peace offringes and thanck of [...]fringes, & charged Iuda to seru [...] the Lord God of Israell.

[...] happy change.

Yea O th [...] great mercies of God.

I [...] this history many notable thin [...]ges are to be learned. First, if a [...] such as God entendeth to saue, [...] [Page 81] offend, and breake his holy com­maundementes, the Lord wil not suffer them to escape vnpunished, but he visiteth them with his lo­uing rod of fatherly correction, that by this meanes he may call them to repentaunce & saue them. Secondly, we learne, that whan the Lorde correcteth vs, & casteth vs into trouble, than as we see in Manasses, we make haste vnto y^e Lord, seke him, pray vnto him, hū ble our selues before his deuine maiestie, & become new men, as y^e psalmograph saith: When he slue thē,Psal. lxxviii. they sought him, and turned them early, & enquired after God. And they remembred, that God was their strengthe, and that the [...]hie God was their redemer. God him self also saith by the Prophet: In their aduersitie they shall ear­ [...]y seke me,Ose. vii. & say: come, let vs turn again vnto the Lorde, for he hath [Page 82] smitten vs, and he shall heale vs: he hath wounded vs, and he shall bind vs vp againe. Thirdly it set­teth forth vnto vs the great and exceding mercies of God toward penitent sinners, whome so sone as they cōuert & turn, he receiueth into his fauor, forgeueth them, ta­keth away his plagues, and restoreth them to their former, or els muche better state accordinge to this saying of the Prophet.Esay. lv. If the vngodly will forsake his waies, & thunrighteous his imaginations & turn again vnto y^e lord, the Lord will surely haue pity on him, for he is very ready to forgeue. Forthly, we learne of this history: what the duty of such is, whom God to fore hath plagued, and now restored to their former state. Uerely, to become newe men, to walke for euer after in the feare of God, to mortify their carnall affectes, [Page 83] to fle from sinne, as from a veno­mous Serpent, to garnishe their conuersation with godly and christen manners,Luke. i. and to serue the Lord God in holines and righte­ousnes all the daies of their lyfe. So saith the Psalmograph:Psal. cxix. It is greatly for my profit, that thou, O Lord hast corrected me, that I may learn thine ordinances. Here to perteineth the saying of y^e Pro­phet.Esa. xxviii. Uexation geueth vnderstanding (O Lord) thou hast corrected me, and thy chastning haue I re­ceiued, as an vntamed calf, saith the prophet Ieremy.Ier. xxxi. Turne thou me, and I shalbe turned, for thou art my Lorde God: yea, as assone as thou turnest me. I shall re­fourme my self, & when I vnder­stand, I shal smite vpō my thigh.

Many godly lessons haue you taught vs out of this history brother Philemō. They that rede [Page 84] and consider the histories of the holy scriptures on this manner,The true vse of reading the holy scri­ptures. they are no vayne readers, but they read with much profit.

This is the true vse of histories, otherwyse to read them auaileth litle. In the histories of the holy scriptures as in moste pleasaunt mirrors & goodly glasses, we be­hold our frail nature, our wicked wyll, our beastlyke manners and sinful life. We se Gods iustice, pu­nishment & vengeaunce vpon the disobedient and stifnecked trans­gressers of his holy commaunde­ments. Again, we behold his ten­der mercy and louing kindnes to­ward penitent sinners, and howe ready he is to forgeue, whansoe­uer we tourne vnto hym. Moreo­uer in holy histories, we consider what our dutie is toward God, after we haue receiued benefites of him. Uerely to labour vnto the vt­termoste [Page 85] of our power, to be thāk­full vnto him, and to liue worthy his kindnes. These and suche like thinges must the godly reader cō sider, when he readeth the histo­ries of the holy scripture, or els his reading auaileth little.

It is truly sayd.

I remember that I heard once y^e praier, which Manasses king of Iuda praied vnto God, whan he was a priso­ner in Babilon. I would gladly hear it again.

Is there not a bible here?

Here is one.

I pray you turn vnto y^e praier and read it vnto me.

The praier is this.The prayer of Manasses ‘O Lord almighty, God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, and of the righ­teous sede of them, whiche haste made heauen and earth withall thornament therof, whiche hast ordeined the sea, by the worde of thy commaundemēt, which hast [Page 86] shut vp the depe, and hast sealed it for thy fearfull and lawdable name, which al men feare & tremble before the face of thy vertue, & for the anger of thy threatning, whiche is notable to be borne of sinners. But y^e mercy of thy pro­mes is great & vnserchable: for y^e art the Lord God most hie aboue al thearth, long suffring, & excea­ding merciful, and repentant for the malice of men. Thou lord af­ter thy goodnesse hast promised repentāce of the remissiō of sins: and thou that art the God of the rightous, hast not put repētance to the righteous Abraham, Isa­ac and Iacob, vnto thē that haue not sinned against thee: but be­cause I haue sinned aboue the number of the sandes of the sea, and that mine iniquities are ex­ceding many, I am brought low with many bondes of Iron, and [Page 87] there is in me no breathing, I haue prouoked thine anger, and done euil before thee in cōmitting abhominatiōs, and multiplying offēces. And now I bow y^e knees of my hart, requiring goodnes of the (O Lord) I haue sinned, lord I haue sinned, and I knowledge mine iniquitie, I desire thee by praier (O Lorde) forgeue me: for­geue me and destroy me not with mine iniquities, nether doe thou alwais remember mine euils, to punishe them, but saue me (which am vnworthy) after thy great mercy, & I wil praise the euerla­stingly al the daies of my life: for all the power of heauen prayseth the, & vnto thee belongeth glory world without end. Amē.’

A fruteful & godly prayer. God geue me grace so to repent and to pray that I may haue the lord my God mercifull vnto me. For I haue [Page 88] also greuously offended my Lord God, and I most humbly beseche him for his names sake to haue mercy on me, and to forgeue me.

Be on good cōfort & wepe not.Esay. lxiii. God seing your repentaunt and faithfull heart hath frely for­geuen you al your sinnes, and cast them away behind his back, so y^t he wil neuer remember thē more. The bloud of Iesus Christ,i. Iohn. i. Gods son hath made you clene from all sin.Hebr. x. By thoffring of Iesus Christs body done once for all you ar sanctified and made holy.Psal. xxxiii. Ye are the blessed of God, for your iniquities are forgeuen, your sinnes are co­uered, and no vnrightousnes shall be layde to your charge.

God graunt.

It is most certen. Where repentaunce and faith is: there is also Gods mercy, fauor, louing kindnes, and remission of sinnes.Sap. xi. Thou (O lord) saith y^e wise [Page 89] man, makest thee as though thou [...]awest not the sinnes of men for [...]epentance sake. And the Prophet [...]aieth.Esay. xxviii. All that beleueth on him [...]he speaketh of Christ) shal nat be [...]onfounded.Rom. x. And Christ saith of [...]im selfe I am the resurrection & [...]he life.Iohn. xi He that beleueth on me, [...]ea though he were dead, yet shall [...]e liue. And whosoeuer liueth and [...]eleueth on me, he shall neuer die. [...]lso in another place he sayeth, [...]od so loued the worlde,Iohn, iii. that he [...]aue his only begottē sonne, that [...]hosoeuer beleueth on him, shuld [...]ot perishe, but haue euerlastinge [...]fe. For God sent not his sonne in [...] the world to cōdemne y^e world, [...]ut that the worlde through hym [...]ight be saued.

Godly and [...]omfortable sentences. God geue [...] grace neuer to forget them.

Amen.

You brother [...]hilemon haue rehearsed two notable [Page 90] and comfortable histories out of the old testament, which de­clare that God punishing sinners for their disobedience, doeth not­withstāding afterward whē they repent and turne, forgeue thē and receiue them againe into his fa­uoure. Rehearse vnto me also I pray you one or two histories out of the new testament, concerning that matter.

I wil do it very gladly. Ye remember the history of the prodigal sonne writtē in the Gospel of blessed Luke?

What is that, I pray you.

Blessed Luke telleth,Luk. xv. that a certaine man had two sonnes, and the yonger of them said vnto his father: father geue me the porcion of the goods that to me belongeth. And he de­uided vnto them his substaunce Hitherto haue ye heard of the fa­thers liberalitie toward his sōne It foloweth: and not long after [Page 91] [...]hen the yōger son had gathered [...] y^t he had together, he tooke his [...]urney into a far coūtrey▪ & there [...]e wasted his goods with riotous [...]uing. Here se we the wickednes [...]f the son. Now behold y^e plage of God. And whē he had spēt al: ther [...]rose a great dearth in al y^t lande, [...]nd he began to lack, and went & [...]ame to a citezen of the same coun [...]ry, & he sent him to his farme to [...]epe swine. And he wold haue fil­ [...]d his belly with the cods that [...] swine did eat, & no man gaue [...]nto him. Thus see ye into howe [...]reat misery he is fallen for the [...]ifusing of his goods. Beholde [...]ow again his repentant & sorow [...]ll hart: Thē he came to him self, [...] said: how many hired seruantes [...] my fathers haue bread inough? [...]d I perishe with honger. I [...]ill arise, and go to my Father, [...]nd will say vnto him: Father, I [Page 92] haue sinned against heauen & be­fore thee: and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne, make me as one of thy hired seruants. And he arose and cam to his father. Now marke also the pitiful compassion and tender mercy of the father to­ward his sonne. ‘But whē he was yet a great way of, his father saw him, and had compassion, & ran, and fell on his neck, & kissed him▪ And the sonne sayde vnto hym [...] father I haue sinned against he­uen & thy in sight, & am no more worthy to be called thy son. Bu [...] the father said to his seruauntes bring forth the best garment, an [...] put it on hym, and put a ring o [...] his hand, and shoes on his feete And bring hither that fat calf, [...] kill it, and let vs eate & be mery for this my sonne was dead, & i [...] aliue againe, he was lost, and i [...] found.’ And thei begō to be mer [...] [Page 93] [...]n this history do ye se y^e exceding [...]reat mercy of God toward peni­ [...]nt sinners moste liuely painted [...] set forth. So sone as this wast­ [...]l sonne repented him of his rio­ [...]ous liuing, & had a mynde to re­ [...]urne home vnto his father, and [...] humble him self before him, and [...] desire mercie and forgeuenesse [...]f his sinnes, oh how gladly and [...]ow ioyful did his father louing­ [...] embrace him, swetely kisse him, [...]endly salute him, hartely enter­ [...]ain him, & so derely receiue him [...]to his fauour, as though he had [...]euer offended?

O the great [...]nd infinite mercies of God.

[...]ere see ye that to be true, whiche [...]od him self saith by the prophet: [...]hou disobedient Israel tourn a­ [...]ain saith the Lorde,Iere. iii. & I will not [...]t my wrath fall vpon you. For I [...]n merciful, saith the Lorde, & I [...]il not alway bear displeasure a­gainst [Page 94] thee. &c. O ye disobedient children, turn again (saying:) lo, we are thine, for thou art the lorde our God, and so shal I heale your back turnings.Esech. 33 By an other Pro­phet he also saieth: as truly as I liue, saith the Lord God, I haue no pleasure in the death of the wicked but much rather y^t the wicked turn from his way and liue. Turn you, turn you from your vngodli [...]waies, O ye af the house of Israe [...] oh, wherfore will ye die? The wic­kednes of y^e wicked shal not hurt hym, whensoeuer he conuerteth from his vngodlines.Esech. 18 Again by y^e aforsaid Prophet, he saith: repen [...] and turn you from al your iniqui­ties, & your iniquities shall work [...] you no displeasure. Cast away fr [...] you, all your wickednesses, wher [...] in ye haue offended, and make yo [...] a new hart and a new spirit. An [...] wherfore will ye die? O ye hous [...] [Page 95] [...]f Israel? For I wil not y^t any mā [...]huld die, sayth the Lord. Return [...]herfore & liue.

Are these wor­ [...]es spokē as wel to vs as to y^e peo [...]le of Israel?

Yee to vs. Of a [...]ruth,Act. x. saith blessed Peter, I per­ [...]eiue y^t ther is no respect of persōs [...] God, but in al people, he y^t fea­ [...]eth him, & worketh righteousnes [...]s accepted w^t him. Is he y^e God of [...]he Iewes only?Rom. iii. Is he not also y^e God of the gētils? yea euen of the [...]entiles also, saith blessed Paule. For it is God only,Rom. ii. which iustifi­ [...]th the circumcision y^t is of faith, & [...]ncircumcision thorowe faith. [...]or he is not a Iewe whiche is a [...]ew outward, nether is it circū ­ [...]siō, which is outward in y^e flesh. [...]ut he is a Iew, which is hid w^t ­ [...], and the circūcision of the heart [...] true circumcision, which consi­ [...]eth in the spirite, and not in the [...]ter, whose prayse is not of mē, [Page 96] but of God. There is no differēce betwene the Iew and the gentill.Roma. x. For one is Lorde of all, whiche is riche vnto all that call vpon him.Iohn. ii. For who so euer doth call on the name of the Lorde,Rom. xv. shall be safe. Therefore what so euer thinges were written aforetime, they wer [...] written for our learning, that we thorow pacience and the comfor [...] of y^e scriptures, might haue hope.

Ephe. ii.Ye gentils, saith s. Paul, we [...] in times past without Christ, be [...]ing aliauntes from the Common [...]wealth of Israel, and straunger [...] frō the testaments of the promes hauing no hope, and being with [...]out God in this world. But now by the meanes of Christ Iesu, [...] which somtime were a far of, [...] made nie by the bloud of Christ [...] For he is our peace, whiche hat [...] made of both one, and hath brok [...] downe the wall, that was a sta [...] [Page 97] betwene vs, and hath also put a­way through his fleshe, the cause of hatred, euen the lawe of com­maundementes conteined in the law written for to make of twain one newe man in him selfe, so ma­king peace & to reconcile both vn­to God in one body through the crosse, and slue hatred therby: and came and preached peace to you, which were a far of, and to them, which were nie. For through him we both haue an entraunce in one [...]pirit vnto the father. Nowe ther­ [...]ore, ye are not straungers and fo­ [...]einers, but citezins with y^e sain­ [...]es, and of the houshold of God, & [...]re built vpon the foundation of [...] Apostles and Prophets, Iesus Christ him self being the head cor [...]er [...] stone, in whome what buil­ [...]ng soeuer is coupled together, [...] groweth vnto an holy temple [...] the Lord, in whome ye also are [Page 98] builded together, to be an habita­tion of God through y^e holy ghost:

Blessed be the Lord our God, whiche hath made vs gentils also partakers of his heauenly bles­singes. But brother Philemon, hetherto haue ye rehearsed out of the newe Tastament but one hi­story. Your promise was to recite two at the least. Fulfill your pro­mis I pray you.

In the gos­pell of Iohn,Iohn. v. we read, that there was a certaine man, whiche had bene diseased .xxxviii. yeares, pla [...]ged of God (without doubt) fo [...] his sinnes. So sone as our saui [...]our Christ perceiued, that he ha [...] a mynde to be made whole he sai [...] vnto him: Rise, take vp thy bed [...] walke. And streightways the [...] was made hole. Afterward Chr [...] found him in the temple, and [...] vnto him: Behold thou art [...] whole, loke thou sinne no [...] [Page 99] after this, least a worse thynge chaunce vnto thee. These wordēs of our sauiour Christ doe playnly declare that this man was a gre­uous sinne, & that this his longe disease, sicknes and trouble, was cast vpon him for his sinne & diso­bediēce against the Lord his god. And yet note, so sone as he had a mind to be made hole euen before he made his mone vnto Christ, or knew whot Christ was, this most louing & gentle sauior made hym hole, & bad him sin no more.

Here is y^e fulfilled, which God speketh by the Prophet.Esa. lxv. It shall be that or euer they call, I shall an­ [...]were them. Whyle they are yet but thinking howe to speake, I shal heare them.

The history of y^e thefe,Luke. xxiii. which was put to death with Christ, is not to be let passe. What a malefactour and wicked persone he was, the holy scripture [Page 100] doth declare. Notwithstāding so sone as he humbled him selfe, re­pented him of his former life: cō ­fessed his sinne, and called vpon Christ for mercy, saying: Lord re­member me, whā thou comest in­to thy kyngdom, he was straight­waies receiued into fauor, & hard these most comfortable wordes at the mouth of Christ: Uerely I say vnto thee, this day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Here is also the saying of God by the Prophet founde true: at al times when a sinner turneth vnto me, saith y^e Lord: I wil no more beare his iniquities in minde, but frely forgeue them.

Here is than a good and comfortable lesson, that whensoeuer we turn frō our wic­kednes, the Lord our God wil for [...]geue vs our sinnes, and geue vs fauor, grace, mercy, life and euer­lasting glory.

Truth it is brother [Page 101] Epaphroditus. Beleue it, & all thinges shal go wel with you. You shal find muche comf [...]rt and great ioy in your cōscience. A qui­et and mery heart shall you haue within you,Rom. x. as s. Paul saith: We being iustified by saith haue peace that is to say: quietnes of consciē ­ce toward God, through our Lord Iesus Christe, by whome also it chaunced vnto vs to be brought in thorowe faith vnto this grace, wherin we stande, and reioyce in hope of the glory of God.Luk. x.xv. Howe greatly also do the histories of the wounded man & of the lost shepe▪ (as I may let other passe) set forth gods exceading mercy toward penitent sinners, be they neuer so greuously wounded and diseased? A certain man saieth, our sauiour Christ, descended from Hierusalē [...]o Hierico, and fel among theues, whiche robbed him of his raimēt, [Page 102] and wounded him, and departed, leauing him halfe dead. And it chaunced that there came down a certaine Priest that same waye, & when he sawe hym, he passed by. And likewyse a Leuite, when he went nie to the place, came, and loked on hym, & passed by. But a certain Samaritan, as he iour­neyed, came vnto hym, and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound vp his woundes, and poured in oyle and wyne, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to a common Inne, & made prouision for him-And on the morowe, whē he departed, he toke two pence, & gaue them to the host, & said vnto him: take cure of hym, and what soeuer thou spendest more, whe [...] I come again, I wil recompenc [...] thee.

Ther was small chariti [...] both in the Priest and in the Le [...]uite.

You say truth.

But who was that Samaritan? For he was very gentle and louinge.

Christ Iesus the Lord which is the self gentlenes & loue, which also refuseth no labour, no paine, no cost,, in seking our saluation. He it is alone,Esay. liii. which, as the Pro­phet saieth: hathe taken on hym our infirmities, and borne our pains.i. Pet. ii. He him self as Peter saith, bare our sinnes in his body on the tree, that we being deliuered from sinne, should liue vnto righteous­nes, By whose stripes ye wer hea [...]ed. For as ye were as shepe going astray, but are nowe tourned vn­to the shepeheard, and Bishop of your soules.

You [...]pake of the lost shepe also.

Truth.Luke. xv. Blessed Luke telleth the parable on this manner.

What man of you hauing an C. shepe (if he lose one of them) [Page 104] doeth not leue ninety and nine in the wildernes, and goe after that whiche is lost, vntill he fynde it? And when he hath found it, he lai­eth it on his shoulders with ioye. And assone as he commeth home he calleth together his louers and neighbours, saying vnto them: re­ioyse with me, for I haue founde my shepe whiche was lost. Hereof our sauiour Christe concludeth: I say vnto you, that lykewyse ioye shalbe in heauen ouer one sinner that repenteth, more then ouer ninety & nine iust persones, which nede no repentance. This parable with the other of the woman that lost a grote, setteth forth marue­louslye the louinge kyndnesse of Christ toward penitent synners. For of that he also cōcludeth and saith: Likewyse I say vnto you, shall there be ioy in the presence of the aungels of God ouer one sin­ner [Page 105] that repenteth.

Great comfort is there, for penitent syn­ners and weke cōsciences: in these histories and parables which you neighbour Philemon haue full gently declared vnto me.

I [...]m glad brother Epaphroditus [...]o heare you so say. And be ye wel [...]ssured, they are no lesse true than [...]omfortable.Mat. xix. Perswade your self [...]hat Christ is a moste louing and [...]aithfull Phisition to so many as [...]ele them selues diseased, yea he so [...]uche tendreth our health, that [...]e calleth vs vnto hym, and pro­ [...]iseth that he wyl ease vs of our [...]rief, if we will come vnto hym, & [...]eal all our diseases.Math. ix.xi. They that [...]e strong, nede no Phisition, but [...]ey y^t are sicke. And Christ came [...]t to call the righteous, but syn­ [...]rs vnto repentance. If ye ther­ [...]e fele your selfe sick and greued [...]ith the burdē of sinne, come vn­to [Page 106] the Phisition Christ,Luk. x. shew him your woundes, and he will vn­doubtedly heal them, as ye heard afore of the wounded man. Des­paire not though your sinnes bee neuer so great and innumerable.Luke. xx. For the sonne of man came to seke vp and to saue that was lost. Christ is that lambe of God,Iohn. i. whi­che taketh away the sinne of the world.i. Tim. ii. This is a true saying and worthy of all men to be receiued, that Christ Iesus came into this worlde to saue sinners.Esay. xxviii. Whosoe­uer beleueth on him, shall not bee ashamed.Roma. x. Because he hath pu [...] his trust in me,Psalm. xci. sayth God by th [...] Psalmograph, I will deliuer, ye [...] I will defende hym, because h [...] hath knowne my name.

Than I trust whether the Lord my God punisheth me for the tr [...]all of my faith, or for my sinnes that by this meanes he may ca [...]me [Page 107] vnto repentaunce, it is no to­ken of his wrath and heauy dis­pleasure toward me.

No, be [...]e well assured.Prouerb. iii. For whome the Lorde loueth, him he chastneth, & yet delighteth in him, as a father [...]n his owne sonne. What sonne [...]s he, whome the father chastneth not? If ye be not vnder correctiō, (saith S. Paul,) wherof all are [...]artakers,Hebr. xii. then are ye bastardes, and not sonnes. And God himself [...]aith:Apoc. iii. As many as I loue, I re­ [...]uke and chasten. So that this [...]our sicknesse is the louing visi­ [...]ation of God, sent vnto you, not [...]or your destruction, but for your [...]aluation.

I may then [...]e bolde to call vpon the Lord my God in this my sicknesse.

Why not? God hath commaun­ [...]ed you so to do, and hath also pro­ [...]ised to heare you

Where is that commaundement [Page 108] and promise of God?

It is written in a certaine Psalme by that Princelike Prophet Dauid.

Psalm. i.Let me heare it.

Call on me, saith God, in the time of thy trou­ble, and I wil deliuer thee, & thou shalt honoure me. Here God doth not only commaund vs to call o [...] him in the tyme of our trouble, but he also promiseth graciously to heare vs, and to graunt vs ou [...] request. And for this his benefit [...] he requireth nothinge of vs,Math. i. bu [...] thankes geuing.

Ful grati [...]ous is the Lord, & a strong hold i [...] the time of trouble, he knowet [...] them that put their trust in hym▪ The Lord is nie vnto them tha [...] are of a troubled hart,Psal. 33. & will sau [...] suche as be of an humble spirit [...] The Lorde healeth those that a [...] broken in hart:Psal. 147. and geueth m [...]decine to heale theyr sickenesse. The Lord remembred vs (saith [Page 109] Psalmograph,Psal. cxxxvii) when we were in trouble, for his mercy endureth for euer. Unto whom shal I haue [...]espect, or whome shall I fauour, [...]aith God by the prophet? Uerely [...]uen him,Esay. lxxvi. that is miserable, poore, [...]ow brought, troubled in spirite, & [...]andeth in awe of my woordes.

Truth it is,zach. i. that the Lorde is [...]ood and gratious vnto thē that [...]ut their trust in hym, and to the [...]ule that seaketh after hym. [...]herfore brother Epaphroditus, [...]re not in this your sicknes dili­ [...]ently and without ceasing to flee [...]nto God with harty and fayth­ [...]ll prayers, nothing doubtinge [...] that he will fauourably heare [...], and graunt you, whatsoeuer [...] aske according to his will as s. [...]ohn saith:i. Iohn, v. this is the trust that [...]e haue in him, that if we aske [...]y thyng according to his wyll, [...] heareth vs. And if we know y^t [Page 110] he heare vs whatsoeuer we aske, we knowe that we haue the peti­tions that we desire of him. For the Lorde is nie vnto all that call on hym, yea that call on hym in truth.Psal. cxlv. After this manner did all good men & women behaue them selues, whansoeuer they were as­sailed with any kynde of trouble or aduersitie.iii. Reg. xx. King Ezechias whā he was greuously sicke, and had receiued a commaundemēt from God, that he should set his hous [...] in an order, for he should die an [...] not liue, tourned his face to th [...] wall, and prayed vnto the Lord, the Lorde hearde hym, made hi [...] whole and saued hym aliue .xv [...] yeares after. The thre chyldre [...] Sidrach,Dan. iii. Misach, & Abednag [...] when they were cast into the fy [...]rie fornace because they would not worship the golden Image [...] the commandement of kyng N [...]buchodonosor, [Page 111] praied vnto y^e Lord and he both graciously heard thē and deliuered them. Daniell be­ing in the den of Lions,Dan. vi. praid vn­to God,Dan. xiii. and was preserued. Su­sanne forsaken of all men, and at the poynt to be stoned vnto death thorow the vniust and false accu­sations of twoo wicked Iudges, praid vnto the Lord her God, and she was both heard and safely de­liuered.Luke. xxiii. Our sauioure Christ in the time of his trouble and passiō, prayed so feruently vnto his hea­uenly father, that his sweat was lyke droppes of bloud trickeling downe to the grounde.Act. vii. Blessed Stephen when the stones came batteryng about his body, pray­ed earnestly.Act. xii. When Peter was in prysone, there was Prayers made of the Congregation for hym. Manie other suche lyke ex­amples haue wee in the holye [Page 112] Bible, whiche declare vnto vs, y^t all good men and women in their aduersitie, haue alway fled vnto God by feruent prayer for remedy neither haue they bene deceiued of their purpose.i. Cor. x. For God is faith­full, which wil not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strengthe, but shall in the mids of the temptati­on, make away, that we may be a­ble to beare it. For the Lorde hym selfe saith:Psalm. xci. forasmuche as he hath put his trust in me: I wyll dely­uer hym, I wyll be good to hym because he hath knowē my name He hath cried vnto me, and I [...] graciously heare him, I am wit [...] him in trouble, I wil deliuer hi [...] and bring him to honour. Wit [...] long life will I satisfie hym, an [...] shewe him my saluation. When I was in trouble,Psalm. cxx. sayeth Dauid, I called vpō y^e Lord, & he heard [...] Again he saith, I wil cal vpon [...] [Page 113] Lord, whiche is worthy to be prai­sed, so shall I be safe from mine e­nemies. The sorowes of death cō ­passed, and the ouerflowinges of vngodlines made me afrayd. The pains of hell came about me, the snares of death ouertoke me. But in my trouble I called vpon the Lord, and made my complaint vnto my God, and he full gratiously hard my voyce from his holy temple, and my complaint came be­fore him, so that it entred euen in­to his eares. And as the Psalmo­graph in all his trouble cried vn­to the Lord and was holpē ▪ so did all his faithful ancestors, as these his words do declare, and they al so were hard.Psal. xxiii. Our fathers hoped in thee, they trusted in thee, & thou diddest deliuer them. They called vpon thee, and were helped, they put their trust in thee, and were not confounded. And vnto this [Page 114] day haue all y^t faithful in their ad­uersitie cried vnto y^e Lord, & haue receiued help.Rom. x. For ther is one lord of all rich ynough for all that call on him,Ioel. ii. Act. ii. Esay. xxviii. so that whosoeuer calleth on the name of y^e Lord, he shall be safe. For none shalbe confounded, y^t putteth his trust in hym. This poore mā cried saith Dauid,Psa. xxxiiii. & the Lord hard him, & saued him from al his troubles. For the aungell of the Lord pitcheth his tent round about them that fear him, & deli­uereth them. O tast therfore & se, how gētle, gratious & louing the Lorde is, blessed is the man y^t tru­steth in hym.

Brother Epa­phroditus, all these sentences and histories which our neighbor Phi [...]lemon hath here recited vnto you out of the holy scriptures, ought to encourage you to pray vnto the Lord God in this your sicknes w^t a strong and vnshaken faith, and to be fully perswaded that God [Page 115] will both gratiously heare you, & also worke that in you, which shal turn moste vnto his glory, and vnto the saluation of your soul?Esay. l [...] ▪ For behold, the Lordes hand is not so shortned, that it can not helpe, ne­ther is his eare so stopped, that it may not hear.Psal. lxviii▪ Our God is such a God as saueth. With the lord our God there is health, & he laith his blessing vpon his people.Psal. iii. Whome did God euer despise, that called faithfully vpon hym?Eccl, ii. For God is gratious & merciful, he forgeueth sinnes in the tyme of trouble, & is a defender for al them that seke after him.Eccl. xxxvi [...]

The wise man saith: sonne in thy sickenesse, despise not thy self, but pray to the Lord, & he shall heale thee. Here is a cōmaundement geuen to pray vnto God in the tyme of our sicknes, & also a promise added, that he wil hear, heale, and help vs, as he saieth by [Page 116] the Psalmograph:Psalm. i. Call on me in the day of thy trouble, and I will deliuer thee, and thou shalt honor me

Iames. v.S. Iames in his Epistle also saieth: If any be diseased a­mong you, let hym call for the el­ders of the congregation, and let them praye ouer him, and anoynt him with oyle in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith shall saue the sick, and the Lorde shall raise him vp, and if he haue com­mitted sinnes, they shall be forge­uen him.

That God being faithfully called vpon, wyll helpe in the time of sicknesse: we haue many examples in the holy scrip­tures, whiche may worthely com­fort vs & stir vp our faith toward God, lokyng for helpe at his most mercifull hand. But for this pre­sent, let this one example of kyng Ezechias suffice,iiii. Reg. xx. whome being a­poynted to die, after he had called [Page 117] [...]n the name of the Lord, the lord our God graciously heard his re­quest, restored him to his health, & gaue him .xv. yeares mo to liue in this world after that his sicknes. Notwithstanding, brother Epa­phroditus, all be it we doubt not but that you praying vnto God in this your sicknes, God wil mercifully heare you, and worke that in you whiche shall be moste vnto his glory: and the health of your soule, yet forasmuch as you know not what is most expediēt for you, be content in all your prayers to submit your will do the good will of God, whiche without all doubt tendereth the health of your soule more than any mortall frend ten­dereth the healthe of your body. In al temporal & worldly things, that you craue of God in your praiers, prefer the wil of God vn­to your owne will, and be content [Page 118] to receiue at the hand of God, as shall be his godly pleasure to ap­poynte. For whether we lyue or die,Rom. xiiii. we are the Lordes. An exam­ple hereof haue you of our sauiour Christe,Math. xxvi. Mark. xiiii. Luk. xxii. whiche a little before his passion, being greatly dismaid w^t the terrours and feares of death, praied vnto his heauenly father, that these bitter paynes and tor­mentes, whiche were at hand for him to suffer, myght be remoued from hym, so that he myght not suffer them, but be fre from them. Notwithstanding knowing that the will of his heauenly father is euer best and moste perfecte, and that all willes of men oughte t [...] geue place vnto his godly will, h [...] wyshed rather the will of God t [...] be done, then the wyll of hym be [...]yng man, and so submitted hy [...] selfe to Gods holy wil, being con [...]tented to suffer in his body, wha [...]soeuer [Page 119] should be his godly plea­sure to appoynt. The wordes of Christes praier in this behalf, are these:Math. xxvi. O my father, if it be possi­ble, let this cup depart from me, notwithstanding not as I wyll, but as thou wilt. Again, O my fa­ther, if this cup can not goe from me, but that I must drincke it, thy wil be done. That we ought in al our praiers for temporall things, to submit our wil to the good wil and pleasure of God, and no more to desire of him, then may stande with his blessed wyll. Christ our Lord and sauiour teacheth vs in that common prayer, whiche we call the Pater noster, where we praye on this manner.Math. vi. Thy wyll be done in earth, as it is in hea­uen. This manner of praying,Mat. xxvi [...]. practised the Leper, which came vnto Christ to bee healed of hys Leprosy. Lorde (saith he) if thou [Page 120] wilt, thou art hable to make me whole. Here this faithfull Leper confessed Christ thorow y^e almighty power of his Godhead to be a­ble for to clense him, and to make him whole, not withstanding he submitted his will to the will of Christ, that if the Lorde Christe, thought it not mete to make hym whole, but y^t it was better for his saluation to continue a leper still, he refused not to suffer that plague of leprosy vpon his body euen vn­to the very death. Thus affected, neighbor Epaphroditus, must we all be whansoeuer we aske anye tēporall or worldly thing of God. And this trade folow you in this your sicknes, whē you pray vnto God. Desire God to remoue this your disease frō you, and to blesse you agayne with the benefite of health, that you may liue long & se good daies on earth, yet in these [Page 121] your prayers be content to sub­mit your will to his godly wyll, yea though death should follow, knowing that if death doe ensue of this your sicknesse, it shalbe no losse, but auauntage vnto you, as saint Paul saieth:Phil. i. Christe is to me life, and death is to me auantage. On this manner did Christ our elder brother submit his will vn­to the wil of his heauenly father, as you afore heard, and so hūbled himself, that he became obedient vnto death, euen y^e death of y^e cros. Note now what foloweth:Phil. ii. wher­fore God hath also exalted him on hie and geuen him a name, which is aboue al names, that is y^e name of Iesus euery kne should bowe, bothe of thinges in heauen and thinges in the earth, and thinges vnder the earth, & that all tonges should confesse, that Iesus Christ is the Lord vnto the praise of God [Page 122] the father. He that humbleth him self,Luk. xviii. [...]. Pet. v. shall be set hie. For the Lord is a frend to them that be humble, & submit their willes to his godlye wyll and pleasure.

O Lorde thy will be done and not mine.

‘A praier.I confesse (O heauenly father) that my manifold wickednesses and vnnumerable sinnes, haue not only deserued this sickenesse, which is thy most gentle, father­ly and louing correction, but al­so very hell, and the bitter paines thereof, if thou shouldest handle me according to my desertes, I haue sinned, I haue synned, O lord God, against thy holy lawes and I haue broken thy blessed commaundementes, moste gre­uously offending thy glorious maiestie. Whatsoeuer I suffer, I worthely suffer, ah wretch that I am. My sinne I confesse, and with an humble heart and broken spi­rit, [Page 123] I fle vnto the throne of thy fa­uorable mercy, most humbly be­sechinge thee for Iesus Christes sake to forgeue me all my synnes which I haue cōmitted against thy deuine maiestie, frō the houre of my birth vnto this presēt time, and to receiue me into the holy fe­lowship of those thy blessed and chosen people, whome before the beginning of y^e worlde, thou did­dest appoint heires of thi heauēly kingdom in Christ Iesu our lord, that they might for euer and euer raigne with thee in glory. Ah, lord geue me grace to bear this crosse both paciently & thankfully. Suffer me not once to murmur, gru­dge, or spurne against thy holye wil, but with a pacient & thanke­full heart to waite on thy blessed pleasure, being alway content to beare, whatsoeuer burdē thou laiest on my shoulders, with this [Page 124] perswasiō and assured faith, that whatsoeuer I suffer, is vnto the glory of thy name, and vnto the health of my soule. (O Lord) thy will be done, and not mine.’

Amen. Amen.

Neighbours, I am very sicke, and my paine encreaseth more & more.

The Lords wil be done in you neighbour Epaphroditus. Feare not,Rom. xiiii. no although present death were at hand. For whether you liue or die, ye are the Lordes. God hath sealed you vp in Chri­stes bloud vnto euerlasting lyfe. Your name,Luk. x. Ephe. ii. doubt ye not, is writ­ten in the booke of life. Ye are of y^e nombre of those, whome God, be­fore the foundations of the world were layd, hath chosen in Christe to be his sonnes and heires, ye are the dearly beloued sonne of God. Ye are enheritours of Gods glo­rious kingdom. God for your earnest [Page 125] faithes sake in the bloude of Christ, hath forgeuen you al your sinnes, that euer ye committed a­gainst him from the daye of your birthe vnto this houre. He hath cast away all your iniquities [...]e­hind his backe, so that he wyl ne­uer remember them any more. Ye are counted among thē,Psal. 3 [...]. whose vnrighteousnesses are forgeuen, and whose sinnes are couered, & vnto whome the Lorde imputeth no sinne. God loueth you, God ca­reth for you, God is on your syde, who then can endomage or hurte you? Who can lay any thyng vnto your charge?Rom. [...]. It is God that iusti­fieth you, who then can condemne you? ye nede not fear ether sathan or sinne, or any other thinge that should trouble your conscience. For there is no damnation to thē that are in Christ Iesu,Rom. 8. whiche walke not after the fleshe, but af­ter [Page 126] the spirite. For the lawe of the spirite of life, thorow Iesus Christ hath made you fre frō the lawe of sinne and death. For what y^e lawe could not do (inasmuch as it was weke because of the flesh) that performed God, and sent his sonne in the similitude of sinfull fleshe, & by sinne damned synne in the fleshe, that the ryghtedusnes of the lawe myght be fulfilled in vs, whiche walke not after the flesh, but after the spirite.

I thāke you neighbor Philemon for your gostly and comfortable instructions. For I am wel comforted with these your wordes, and I faithfully beleue, that God the father for his pro­mise sake made vnto all faithfull penitēt sinners in Christes bloud, hath so frely and wholy forgeuen me all my sinnes, that he will ne­uer remember them more, nor lay them vnto my charge, but so loue [Page 127] me and tender my saluation, as though I had neuer offended his fatherly goodnesse. And in this faith I submit my self, my body, and soule, & all that I haue vnto his godly wil, to do with me in al things,Rom. xiiii. whatsoeuer his good ple­sure shallbe.A praier. For liue we, die we, we ar the Lords. ‘And lord I most humbly besech thee, call to remē ­brance thy tender mercies, & thy louing kindnesses, whiche haue bene euer of olde.Psal. xxv. Oh remember not the sinnes and offences of my youth, but accordyng vnto thy mercy thinke y^• vpon me, O lord for thy goodnes. Turne the vnto me & haue mercy vpon me, for I am desolate & in misery. The so­rowes of my hart ar enlarged, O bring thou me out of my trou­bles. Loke vpon mine aduersitie and misery and forgeue me al my sinne. O kepe my soule and deli­liuer [Page 128] me, let me not be confoun­ded, for I haue put my truste in the.’

I much reioyce to see in you these workes of faithfull re­pentance. This humbling of your self before y^e maiestie of God, this lamenting of your sinnes, this faithfull and hartie calling on the Lordes name for remission of sins in Christes bloud, for the tranqui­litie, peace, quietnes, and reast of conscience, for the fauour & grace of God, for gods wil to be done in you, is without doubt a sure seale vnto your conscience, that God loueth, fauoureth and tendereth you, yea and that muche more thē any natural father maketh of his sonne.Eccle. xxxv. Who so serueth God (saith the wise man) after his pleasure, shalbe accepted, and his praier rea [...]cheth vnto the cloudes. The prai­er of him that humbleth him self, goeth thorowe the cloudes, till she [Page 129] come nie. She wil not be comfor­ted, nor go her way, vntill the hy­ghest God haue respect vnto her. The Lord is nie vnto them y^t are of a contrite heart (saith the Psal­mograph)Psal. xxxiiii [...] & will saue suche as be of an humble spirite.Luk. xviii. The sinfull Publican, thus hūbling him self, obtained the fauor of God, remis­sion of sinnes, & went home more righteous than the proud Phari­sey.Math. viii. So likewise the Centurion cō fessing his vnworthines for the receiuing of Christ into his house, obtained health for his sicke seruāt. Likewise the Leper with diuers other, humbling them selues be­fore Christe, obtained their hartes desire.Psalm. ci. For God, saith Dauid, hath respect vnto the prayer of the humble, & suche as be destitute, & despi­seth not their desire, but heareth [...]heir mournings, y^t he may deliuer [...]hem and saue them.

Now neigh­bour, [Page 130] how do you? I pray you bee strong in God, & reioyce in his sa­uing health.

O neighboure Eusebius, my body is weake, my heare is faint, my wits are feble, my memory almost faileth me: no part of me is fre from sicknes and paine.‘A praier. But Lord, I beseche thee, strengthē thou me, & endue me w^t power from aboue, that as y^e spi­rit is ready:Math. xxvi. so likewyse the flesh, which is euer weake & vnready, may be obediēt to thy godly wyl, & frely consent to the working of thy blessed pleasure.Luk. xvii. Mark. ix. Lord encrese my faith. Lorde, helpe my vnbe­lief. Lord, remēber not mine olde sinnes, but haue mercy vpon me, and that sone, for I am come to great misery.Psal. lxxix. Healpe me, O God my Sauiour, for the glory of thy name. O deliuer me, & be merci­ful vnto my sinnes for thy names sake.’

God hath euer be me [...]full [Page 131] vnto you, & so will cōtinue vn­to thend, doubt you not.

That is my only comfort. A praier. Psal. lxviii. ‘And Lord, I most humbly pray thee, cōfirme y^t whiche thou hast begon to worke in me, and kepe me blamelesse a­gainst the comming of thy deare sonne.’ But where is my louing neighbour Philemon? I wold be glad to haue his counsell in a cer­taine matter. Where is he?

Neighbour, here at hand. What is your pleasure?

I perceiue right well, y^t my sicknesse doth not discrease, but encrease, so y^t I can not long continue in that state, wherin I am now. And I thinke [...]erely, y^t the lord my God hath sēt this sicknes vnto me as a messen­ger, to afore warne me of my de­parture from this world, y^t whan he come, he may not finde me vn­prepared or vnready. And I most hartely thanke him for it. Ther­fore [Page 132] neighbor Philemon & neigh­bors al, I think it best euen out of hand to dispose my temporall pos­sessions, and to set an order in such worldly goodes as God hath lent me, that after my departure there be no dissension nor strife for thē, among suche as I most wishe to be linked together with perpetual amitie, and continuall frendship. It shall also, I trust, be a great quietnes vnto my mynd.

If you haue not already brother Epoporoditus, disposed and set an order in your temporal things, I wishe it to be done with all ex­pedition. For suche thinges ought to be considred, when we be most perfect in health, forasmuche as our life is vncertaine, & we know not, howe sone death commeth.

I thought not that the tyme of my life had bene so short, & ther [...]fore I deferred the matter. But I [Page 133] se now,Mar. xxiiii. Mark. xiii. Apoc. xvi. that no man is certain of his life vntill to morowe: therfore ought we all to watche, & to pro­uide that we be not found vnrea­dy, whē the Lord commeth.

Whan that godly king Ezechias was sicke,iiii. Reg. xx. God sent the Prophet Esaias vnto him, and willed him to saye vnto hym on this wyse. Thus saieth the Lord God: Set thi house in an order, for thou shalt die and not liue. Here learne we y^e good will of God, whiche is, that they, whome the Lord hath endu­ [...]ed with the goodes of the worlde, [...]hould before their departure set a godly order and quiet stay in their [...]emporal possessions.

You [...]ay truth neighbour Theophile, & [...]herfore I pray you bring hether [...]en, inck, & paper, withal expedi­ [...]ion, and let my will be written. [...]or I thank the Lord my God, I [...] aswell contented to leaue the [Page 134] goodes of y^e world, as euer I was to enioy them. And in this behalf I haue to thank the lord my God, that since I came to the vse of rea­son,The true vse of ritches. and had any worldly possessi­ons at all, I haue alwayes made them to serue me, and I neuer serued them, but at all times coulde be contented to depart from them whansoeuer the glory of god, and the commoditie of my neighbour did require.

Than did you vse your goodes aright. And you were not ritch in the world, but in the Lorde, & of the nōbre of those, of whom it is written: blessed are the poore in spirit,Math. v. for vnto thē be­longeth the kingdome of heauen The Psalmograph saith:Psa. lxii. If rit­ches do abound, set not thy heart vpon them.i. Cor. vii. And the holy Apostl [...] commaundeth, that they which vse the world should be as thoug [...] they vsed it not. For the fashio [...] [Page 135] of this world goeth away Saint Iohn also saieth:i. Iohn. ii. Se that ye loue not the world, nether the thinges that are in the worlde: for all that is in the worlde (as the lust of the fleshe, and the luste of the eies, and the pryde of life) is not of the fa­ther, but of the worlde. And the worlde passeth away, and the lust therof: but he that fulfilleth the will of God, abideth for euer.

God graunt al men, to follow this doctrine. O Lord how sick am I? Where is the pen, Incke and pa­per?

Here syr.

Wright neighbor Philemon I pray you.

What is your pleasure that I should wright?

On this manner.

IEpaphroditus the vnprofitable seruaunt of God,The sicke­mans will. weke in body & notw^tstanding strong [Page 136] in mynde do willingly and with a fre hart, render and geue againe into the handes of the Lorde my God,Soule. my spirit, which he of his fa­therly goodnesse gaue vnto me, whan he fashioned this my body in my Mothers wombe, by this meanes making me a liuing creature, nothing doubting, but that this my Lord God for his mercies sake set forth in y^e precious bloud of his derely beloued sonne Christ Iesu our alone sauiour and rede­mer, will receiue my soul into his glory, and place it in the company of the heauenly aungels and bles­sed sainctes. And as concerning my body,Body. euen with a good will & fre hart, I geue it ouer, commen­ding it vnto the earth, wherof it came, nothing doubting, but that according to y^e article of our faith at the great day of the generall re­surrection, whan we shall all ap­peare [Page 137] before the iudgemēt seat of Christ, I shal receiue it again by the mighty power of God, wher­with he is able to subdue al thīgs vnto him selfe,Phil. ii. not a corruptible, mortail, weake, and vile body as it is nowe, but an vncorruptible, immortall, strong, perfect, and in all poyntes like vnto the glorious body of my Lorde and Sauioure Christ Iesu. Haue ye writtē this, neighbour Philemon?

Yea forsothe Sir. But what is your mind now, cōcerning your world [...]y possessions.

First as tou­ching my wyfe:Wife. with whome I [...]oupled my self in the fear of God, and refusing all other women, I [...]inked my selfe vnto her, liuing w^t her in the blessed state of honoura­ [...]le wedlocke, by whome also tho­ [...]owe the blessing of God, I haue [...]ad certen children, wherof part [...]re gone before me vnto the lord, [Page 138] and part yet remain a liue, albeit I dout not, but y^e god, after my de­parture according vnto his pro­mis, will be vnto her an husband, yea a father, a patrone & defēder, & will not suffer her to lack, if she go [...]orth to liue in his feare, to serue hym, and diligently to call on his holy name, yet forasmuch as God hath blessed me with worldly sub­stance, and she is mine own flesh, and whosoeuer prouideth not for his,i. Tim. v. hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidell, I bequeth & geue vnto her for tearme of her life, this house wherein I nowe dwell, with y^e appurtenances, and all the housholde stuffe contayned therein. And after her departure, I wil that my eldest sonne (whom now I only haue aliue of all my sonnes) haue the house. Let this suffice for my wiues portion, whō I doubt not, God will take into [Page 139] his protection, and so prouide for her in the tyme of her short pilgri­mage, that she shall want no good thing. Only I craue this at her hand, that she be diligent in trai­ning vp my children in the feare and doctrine of the Lorde: so shall God be vnto her an husband, and to her childrē a father. Moreouer as concerning my children, albeit I am fully perswaded that God according to his promise will be a father vnto them, & if they liue in his fear, he wil not se thē lack, yet both y^e law of God, & of nature re­quireth, y^t I should also haue some care for them.Sonne. Therfore vnto my sonne I bequeath the house & the land, which I haue geuē my wife for tearme of her life, frelye to be his owne after his Mothers de­parture. And if God so appoyn­ting, he chaunceth to departe be­fore his mother, I will that the [Page 140] house & the land,Daughters. goe to the vse of my .ii. daughters. Haue you writ­ten these thinges.

Yea syr. But what nowe for your daugh­ters.

If thei be godly brought vp, I doubt not, but if they liue, God will aboundauntly prouide for them. Notwithstāding I geue vnto eche of them .ii. C. pounds, of good & lawfull mony to be paid in the day of their mariage. And if my sonne fortune to die: I geue vnto them also my house and my land.

Sir we be all mortall, both old and yong, & God know­eth how sone we shal depart hēce. For as the common prouerbe is:

What if al your childrē die before they come to mariage?

My wil is, that in such case, all I haue geuen them, shall go to the vse of the pore. I will that they be [Page 141] mine heirs. I pray you neighbour Philemon, write so.

I haue done so.Seruantes

I thinke it con­uenient to geue to my seruauntes somwhat, that it be not said, they haue serued an vnthankfull mai­ster.

Sir that is very mete. For the wyse man saith:Eccle. vii. wheras thy seruaunt worketh truely, en­treat him not euill, nor the hire­lyng that is faithfull vnto thee. Loue a discrete seruaunt as thine owne soule, defraude him not of his libertie, nether leue him apore man.

I geue to euery one of my seruauntes .vi. pound .xiii. [...]hillinges .iiii. pence, to be paid in the daye of my buriall. Write it.

It is done.

God blesse [...]hem, and encrease them, for they haue serued me both honestly and faythfullie. The Lorde our God [...]eale w^t them, as they haue dealt with me.

They haue done [Page 142] but their dutie.

But neigh­bour Epaphroditus, wherof shall these sommes of mony be raysed?

God hath blessed me aboū dantly. Ye shal haue it in my coū ­ting house with a more summe.

Debters.But now syr, concerning your debts: what order will you appoynt for them?

The Lorde my God be thanked, I owe no mā any thing, but loue & good wyll. My chief study hath euer bene, to kepe my self out of debt. And if at any tyme I ought any thing, to labour vnto the vtter moste of my power, to dispatche my self of that debt withall expedition. I neue [...] counted other mens goodes min [...] own. That I truly got with min [...] own labour, y^t did I alway coun [...] mine owne, my debtes being onc [...] paid. I owe nothyng, many ow [...] me, but forasmuch as they be por [...] men, & can not pay that they ow [...] [Page 143] me, except it should be vnto theyr great hindrance, yea I think vnto their vtter vndoing. I freely for­geue all my debters what so euer they owe me, vnto the vttermoste farthing, euen as I would God y^e father should forgeue me all my debts for Christes sake. Wryght this, that I haue forgeuen all my debts, so that none hereafter shall demaūd any det of any mā, in my behalf.

I haue done your ap­poyntmēt.

Neighbor Epaphro [...]itus seing y^e god hath richly bles­sed you w^t the goods of this world [...]t wer very expedient to remēber [...]he pore scholers of y^e vniuersities of Cābridge & Oxford.Scholers of Cambridge and Oxford. For if they [...]e not mainteined, all learning & [...]ertue wil decay, and a very bar­ [...]ary shall brast in among vs, & at [...]he last bring this our realme into [...]estructiō. And verely the loue of many now a daies toward good [Page 144] letters is very colde, in so muche y^t we se daily many good wits com­pelled for lack of exhibition to for­sake the vniuersitie, and to becom seruing men, whiche kinde of lyfe is most abhominable, and vnwor [...]thy a good nature.

I haue not in times past bene altogether vnmindfull of the vniuersities. What benefits the students hau [...] heretofore receiued at my hands I wil not here rehearse: God an [...] they know it. And the knowledg [...] therof, I would wish rather to b [...] learned of other, then to be hear [...] of me. Surely I thincke him [...] good christian, nor frend vnto hi [...] countrey (whiche if he be able) r [...]fuseth to help forward the studie of good wittes. I pray you neigh [...]bor Philemon set in .ii. C. pound [...] of mony, one. C. to be geuen vn [...] the vniuersitie of Cambridge, th [...] other vnto Oxford.

This [Page 145] Godly and charitable dede.

Haue ye done?

Yea forsoth sir.

Let me se, what now remai­neth.

Sir, will it please you to remember the poore?Poore p [...]ple.

I ne­uer forgot them, since the Lorde my God, gaue me any portion of worldly goodes, I always consi­dred to what vse, thei were geuen me: verely, that I shuld distribute part of them to the necessitie of y^e pore sainctes. And I thanke the Lord my God, so haue I don: yea, and that with a good wyll and free hart.ii. Cor. [...]. For God loueth a chere­ [...]ull geuer, I haue not bene of the minde y^e some are, whiche, so long as they liue, gredely gather toge­ther, and bestowe nothing at all vpon the poore. But when they se nothing but present death, then [...]ash they out, and liberally geue [...]nto the pore scilicet, because they [...]an kepe it no longer, I truste, I [Page 146] haue laid vp for my selfe all ready treasures in heauen,Math. vi. where ney­ther rust nor moth doth corrupte, and where theues doe not breake through or steal. For I haue euer thought it better to send my wor­kes before me, while I liue in this world, than to haue them sent af­ter me I know not by whō, whā I am gone.Purgatorie rakers. These purgatori ra­kers shall nether rake nor scrape for me with their masses and Di­riges, when I am departed.Phil. iii. For I trust no suche workes. Neither do I any thyng regard y^e prayers of suche as haue y^e belly for theyr God. But as touching the pore. I geue vnto them .iiii. C. poundes, whiche I wil haue bestowed, no [...] vpon idle lubbers & sturdy quea [...]nes, but vpon the halt, the lame, the blind, the sick, and suche other as be comfortles. And in this nō [...]ber also of the pore, I comprehend [Page 147] prisoners, pore maides, yong mē, which haue not wherewith to set vp their occupation, & my neadie neighbours. These .iiii. C. pounds are in four seuerall bagges, lying in my countyng house by them selues, with this wryghting vp­on euery one of them. Mony for the poore. This mony I wil haue distributed with all haste, if it be possible, euen before I departe. Haue you wrytten in this monye for the pore?

I haue done it.Hie waies.

The hie wayes may not bee forgotten, whiche in many places are very foul & ieopardous. Unto the repayring of them, I geue. xl. poundes. Write it. For I thincke this also to be a dede of charitie, & a commendable worck befor God to repair hie wayes, that the peo­ple may safely and without dan­ger trauaill by the way

The [...]et is very godly w^tout all doubt.

Neighbour Philemon, I pray you, put in that. xl. pound for the hie wayes.

It is done alrea­dy.

That which I shuld chiefly haue remembred, I had almost forgotten

What is that?

Sermons.

What is your minde in that behalfe?Sermons.

This. At the tyme of my buriall, when the people be gathered together, I wold gladly haue some learned man to make a Sermon, wherin the people may be admonished of their mortalitie, and be taught, howe they ought to dispose them selues in this life, that whan the tyme come, they may yelde vp a good soule into the handes of the liuing God. For his paines I ap­poynt. x.s. to be geuen him. Also I geue for the preaching of foure score sermons at other times, whē it shalbe thought most conuenient xx. poundes. And as I with these [Page 149] Sermōs to be preached by godly & discrete learned men: so I wishe them to be preached in suche pla­ces, as the people haue most nede of doctrine and teaching. For the Lorde knoweth, the people perish for want of godly knowledge.Esa. lvi. The greatest parte of our benefi­ced men (God helpe vs) are blinde guides, and dom dogges, not once able to barke. The people are de­sirous to knowe God, and omong the great multitude of so many beneficed men, none almoste ether is able, or els endeuoreth him selfe to bring them vnto Christ. It is in these our daies found true, that is written in the gospel.Math. ix. The har­uest truely is plenteous, but the labourers are fewe. It behoueth therefore euery Christen heart to pray the Lord of the haruest, that he will send labourers (not loyte­rers) into his harnest, and to pro­cure [Page 150] so much as lieth in his pow­er, that the worde of God may be vniuersally preached, that the peo­ple may repent, turn vnto y^e Lord our God, and serue hym in holy­nes and righteousnes al the days of their life, whiche can not bee brought to passe, where the word of God is not preached.Luke. i. Rom. x. How shal they beleue on him, of whom they haue not hard? How shal thei hear without a preacher? To declare therfore my good will toward the word of God, & the saluatiō of the Christians, I geue .xx. poundes for the preaching of .lxxx. sermōs. I pray you note it in my wil,

It shall be done.

To beare all these charges, ye shall haue y^e mo­ny in my coūting house

Sir concerning the costes of your bu­rial, what order wil it please you to make in that behalf?

Ministers.Let y^e ministers with the other officers [Page 151] of the church haue their duties ac­cording to the custome.Mourning gownes.

Howe many mourning gownes sir, wil ye geue?

Of what mourning gownes speake you?

The manner is (as ye know) y^t whan a man of honest reputation departeth, & is brought to be buried, ther shuld follow him certaine in fine blacke gownes, & certain pore men & women in courser cloth.

Une­qually hādled, that the pore shuld haue the worst, & the rich or weal­thy the best. And cal ye these mourners?

So are they called.

For whō shuld they mourn.

For you.

Why for me? Because good thinges haue chaunced vnto me? Because I haue passed ouer y^e daungerous sea, and am come vnto the hauen of quietnes? Or be­cause I am deliuered from al euil and set in a blessed and ioyfull state? I thinke that at the buri­als [Page 152] of the faithfull, there shuld ra­ther be ioy & gladnes, then mour­ning and sadnes, rather pleasant songes of thankesgeuing: then la­mentable and dolefull diriges. Let the infideles mourn for their dead: the Christians ought to re­ioyse, whan any of the faithfull be called from this vale of misery vnto the glorious kyngdome of God.

i. Thes. iiii.In dede that most wor­thy Apostle S. Paule would not haue vs mourn for them that are fallen aslepe, as the Heathen doe, which know not God.Apoc. xiiii. And s. Ihō saith in his reuelation. I heard a voyce from heauen, saying vnto me: wrighte. Blessed are the dad, which die in the Lord. For from henceforth the spirit saith, y^e they are at rest frō their labours, pains and trauailes. &c. The Psalmo­graph also saith:Psal. cxvi. O full precious in the sight of the Lord is y^e death [Page 153] of his sainctes. Hereto belongeth the saying of the wyse man.Sap. iii. The soules of the righteous are in the hand of God, & the paine of death shall not touche them▪ in the sight of the vnwyse they appeare to die, but they are in peace. Againe in another place.Sap. v. The righteous shall liue foreuer more: their reward is also with the Lorde, and their re­membraunce with the highest. Therfore shall they receiue a glo­rious kingdome, and a beutifull crown of the Lordes hand. For w^t his righthād shall he couer them, and with his own holy arme shall he defend thē.Luke. xvi.

Blessed Luke declareth in his Gospell, y^e so sone as Lazarus was dead, (which in his life time, was diuersly afflic­ted, and miserable punished with many sores and diseases,) he was receiued into the bosome of Abra­hā, where he enioyed all pleasure, [Page 154] felicitie and comfort. Such as die in y^e Lord, are not to be mourned, but God is rather to be thancked for their Christen departure. For they are now in reast. They ar w^t him,Esay. xxv. in whom alone, al glory, ioy, comfort and felicitie is. God hath wiped away al teares from their eies,Apo. vii.xxi. so that they are past al sorow al mourning, all paine, why than should other mourn for them, y^e ar in so ioyful state? The eie hath not sene,Esay. lxiiii. i. Cor. ii. nor y^e eare hath hard, neither hath it entred into y^e hart of man, what ioyes god hath prepared for them that loue him.Ser. de mortalitate.

Saint Cipriane in his sermon of morta­litie hath these words: how much it profiteth to go out of the world Christ him selfe the author of our saluatiō & prophet sheweth, which whan his disciples were sad, be­cause he said,Iohn. xiiii. that he shuld depar [...] from them, spake vnto them say [...]ing: [Page 155] If ye had loued me, ye wold haue reioysed, because I goe vnto the Father: teaching and shewing by these his wordes, that whan our frendes, whome we derely loue, depart out of the worlde, we ought rather to reioyse, than to be sad. Thereof the blessed Apostle Paule, being myndfull, saieth in his Epistle:Phil. i. Christ is to me lyfe, and death is to me a vauntage. He thinketh it great auauntage to be rid out of the snares of this lyfe, when he shalbe no more sub­iect to any offence, or synne of the flesh, but be exempted from the af­flictions that do trouble vs and deliuered frō y^t in venimed chawes of the deuil, by going vnto the ioy of eternal saluation, through the calling of Christ. Also in the same sermon he saith: I my selfe, being the most simple of all other, haue through the goodnes of God di­uers [Page 156] times, aswell by Reuelation as otherwyse, receiued instructiō manifestly to affirme and preach, that our brethren, whiche be deli­uered from the worlde, by the cal­ling of God, ought not to be mourned for, seing they be not lost, but sent before to make the waye for vs that do come after. We should not therfore couet them againe which be dead, nor mourne for thē any otherwyse, then we vse to do for such as haue taken their iour­ny into a straunge lande. And for them we ought not to wear black, sence they in heauen be clothed in white. [...]po. vi. Herein we should not geue occasion vnto the gentils, y^t they might iustly reproue vs, when we mourn for them as dead and lost, whom we do affirme to be liuing with God. &c. And a litle after he saith: The Apostle Paule doth re­proue & blame such as do mourne [Page 157] at the departure of the persones y^• they loue.i. Tes. [...]. I would not brethren (quod he) that you should be igno­raunt concerning them, which be fallē on slepe, that you sorowe not as other do, whiche haue no hope. If we beleue that Iesus died and rose againe, euen so then, also thē whiche slepe by Iesus, wyll God bryng again with him. He decla­reth, that suche as be sorowfull at their frendes departure, haue no hope. Why should we that liue by hope, that beleue in God, & truste that Christ suffred for vs, & is ri­sen again, that remain in Christe, and be rysen by hym, and in hym, [...]e so vnwylling to departe out of this worlde, or els mourn & lamēt suche as be departed, as though they were lost, sence Christ our [...]ord & our God doth admonish vs, [...]aying:Iohn. [...]. I am the resurrection and [...]he life, he that beleueth on me, [Page 158] yea though he were dead, yet shal he liue, and whosoeuer liueth and beleueth in me, shall neuer die. If we beleue in Christ, and trust his wordes and his promises, we shal neuer die, but shal com with glad suerty vnto Christ, with whome we shal euer liue & raigne. And y^t in the meane season we do die, we do but therby passe to immortali­tie. For except we departe from hence, the lyfe euerlasting can not come. Death is no departure, but a passage, to y^e entent y^t this worldlye iourney once ouer runne, we may come vnto eternitie. Wh [...] will not make haste to a better e­state? Who will not desyre to bee chaunged and transfourmed into the likenes of Christ, and to come out of hand to the dignitie of the heauēly grace? which thing Paul the Apostle doth declare. Our cō ­uersacion, saith he:Phi. ii. is in heauen [Page 159] from whence we loke for a Saui­our, euen the Lord Iesus Christ, whiche shall transforme our vile body, that he may make it like vn­to his glorious body. And Christe the Lorde, doth promise, that we shalbe such, when that we may be with him, liue with him in his e­ternall seat, and reioyce with hym in his heauenly kingdom, he prai­eth vnto the father for vs on this manner: father I will that they, whiche thou haste geuen me, be w^t me wher I am, that they may see my glory whiche thou hast geuen me, for y^e didst loue me before y^e making of the worlde. Therfore we [...]ught nether to mourne nor to la­ [...]ent for cōming vnto the seate of Christ, to y^e glory of y^e heauēly king [...]ō, but ought rather according to [...]he promise of God, according to [...]he faith of the veritie to reioyce [...] our departure and transforma­tion. [Page 160] Hitherto haue I rehearsed the words of. S. Cipriane, which do manifestly declare that they whiche die in the Lorde: are in a blessed state,Apoc. xiiii. and therfore not to be mourned nor lamented. I fear least I haue bene tedius vnto you in rehersing so much of .s. Cipriās mynde concerning this matter.

You haue rather neigh­bour Theophile cōforted me, then molested me: yea, you haue ryght well confirmed my faith, & migh­tely encouraged me to goe vnto this battel, and willingly to geue ouer this my life, forasmuch as I am thorowly perswaded, that af­ter my departure from this vale of mysery, I shal come vnto a glo­rious kingdome, and shal se God, face to face. And one thing I no­ted in the wordes of. S. Ciprian, whiche you haue reheased, & tha [...] is this: y^t we ought not to wear [...] [Page 161] black clothes & mourning gowns for them, whiche are deliuered frō the world, and are gone to God, seing thei be clothed in whight, and wear ioyfull apparell, and are in heauen with God, reigning in glory and eternall felicitie.

In dede it is a poynt of fondnesse to mourn for thē that are in ioye, and to bee sory for them that are mery. The Apostle saith: Reioyce with them that reioyce,Rom. viii. & mourne with them that mourne. Seynge that the faythfull, which are deli­uered out of this worlde, are in [...]oy: it is more semely y^t we should [...]oy in God with them, thā mourn [...]nd be sory for them, as though [...]hey were in worse case now, then [...]hey were afore. Let the Heathen [...]ourne, whiche haue no hope, for [...]he departure of their frends, the [...]rue christians, which ar perswa­ [...]ed, that such as die in the Lord, [Page 162] are in muche better case then they euer were in this worlde, we ought rather to reioyce, & to singe psalmes, praises, & thākesgeuings vnto God, for the christē and god­ly departure of their brethren, and for their blessed estate, wherein God hath placed them.Apoc. xiiii. For the holy scripture pronounceth them blessed and happy, which die in y^e Lord.Psal. cxviii. And y^e Psalmograph saith: precious in the sight of the Lord, is the death of his Saintes.Sap. iii. The wise man also sayth, that y^e soules of the righteous are in peace.

They therfore which are in so blessed estate, ar not to be mour­ned nor lamented, but God is ra­ther to be thancked for them.

The holy scripture declareth, that king Dauid praied vnto the Lord for the child,ii. Reg. xii. whiche he ha [...] by Bethsabe, Urias wife, when i [...] was sicke, and that he fasted, an [...] [Page 163] lay all the night vpon the earth, in so much that the Elders of his house arose and went vnto him, to take hym vp frō the earth, but he would not, nether did he eat meat with them. But when he hearde that the childe was dead, he arose from the earth, and washed and annoynted him selfe, and chaūged his apparell, and came into the house of the lord and worshipped▪ and afterward came to his owne house, and commaūded that they shuld set bread before him, & he did eate. And whan his seruauntes maruelling at these thinges, said vnto hym: What thinge is this, that thou hast done? Thou didst fast and wepe for the childe, while it was alyue, and as sone as it was dead, thou diddest aryse vp and eate. He answered: While the childe was yet aliue, I fasted and wept. For this I thought.

[Page 164]Who can tell, whether God wil haue mercy on me, that the childe may lyue. But nowe seyng it is dead, wherfore should I fast? Can I bryng him any more? I shall go to hym, and he shal come no more again vnto me. In this history y^t godly wisdom of Dauid, is great­ly to be considred. For hereof may we learne to pray vnto the Lorde our God for our sycke frendes, so long as they be aliue, and to seke all meanes possible at the Lordes hand, to obtain health for the dis­eased. But if the good wil of God be to take them out of this world, then are we taught, here no more to mourn, to wepe, to lament, and to be sory for them, but rather w^t a ioyfull hart to worship the lord, (as Dauid did) and to geue hym moste harty thankes, that it hath pleased his goonesse to delyuer our brethren or sistern from this [Page 165] sinck of euils, I mean this world: and to receiue them into his bles­sed kyngdom. Heathen like mour­ning, therefore, is to be banished from the burialles of the Christi­ans.

The maner among the Thraciās is,The maner of the Thra­cians. that whan any child is borne, and commeth into the world, thei wepe, lamēt & mourn, but when it goeth out of y^e world, they reioyce and are mery.

What moueth them so to do?

Whan a childe commeth into the worlde, they consider into what great miseries he is lyke to fall, if he liue: contrariwise, when he de­parteth hence, they know that an end of all sorow & care, of all pain and trauail is come. Therfore the one thing moueth them vnto sad­nes, the other vnto gladnes.

Ther is great plentie of histories, whiche declare, that the very hea­ [...]hen haue taken y^e death of their [Page 166] deare frendes paciently, so far is it of, that after y^e manner of some whiche professe Christ, they immoderatly toke the death of theyr frendes, wept, wayled, mourned, wrong their hāds, tare their hear rent their clothes, and in manner killed them selues with sorowe and thought taking. Whan our Sauioure,Luk. xxiii. Christ went vnto hys death, certayne women followed hym, wepyng and mournyng, to whome he sayd: Ye daughters of Ierusalem, wepe not for me, but wepe for your selues, and for your children.

Is he to be lamē ­ted and mourned for whiche is re­moued from thraldom vnto liber­tie, from mysery vnto welth: from darknes vnto lyght: from ieopar­dy vnto safetie: from sicknesse vn­to health: frō mortalitie vnto im­mortalitie: from corruption vnto vncorruption: from paine vnto [Page 167] ioy: from transitory thinges vnto euerlasting thinges: from the cō ­pany of men, vnto the felowshyp of the blessed aungels and heauē ­ly spirites. &c? Let the Heathen whiche haue no hope of the ioyful immortalitie of the soule, nor of the glorious resurrection of the body, mourne, wepe, and lament for their diseased: let the faythfull Christians be ioyfull in the Lord, and thank God for his great mer­cy and infinite goodnes, whiche he hath shewed vpon the brethrē, by calling them from this vale of wretchednes vnto his heauenlye kingdome.Apo. xiiii. For the voyce of God euen from heauen, pronounceth them blessed, happy, & fortunate, which die in the Lord.

What is your mynde, therefore neygh­bour Epaphroditus, concerninge mourning gownes?

If it were not for offending other, and [Page 168] that it should also be some hynde­raunce vnto the poore, I woulde wysh rather to haue none, than o­therwyse. For I would haue no man mourne for me. My trust is, that so sone as my soule shalbe de­liuered out of the pryson of this my body: it shall strayght wayes possesse the blessed enheritance of the heauenly kyngdome, & raigne in glory with God for euer. What nede shall I haue then of mour­ners? Or wherfore should any mā mourn for me? Notwithstanding: I wil not striue with thē for their garmentes. Let my wyfe, and my children weare what garmentes they wyl, at my buriall, so they be such, as become the professours of true godlinesse. Only this I re­quire, that .xxx. pore men and we­men, do accompany my body vn­to the buriall, and that eche of thē haue a gowne of some conuenient [Page 169] colour. I wyll also that .xxx. poore children be there also, and that e­uery one of them haue a semelye gown. And after my burial, I wil that both those pore men, women, and children, come home vnto my house, and haue some repast, for y^e refection of their bodies. And so [...]et them depart in the name of the [...]ord. Haue you writtē this neigh­bour Philemon?

Yea syr, it is done.

I am glad of it. To se that these thinges may be done, according to my wyl, I make my wife sole executresse, & you neigh­bour Philemon, with my neigh­bours Christopher, Theophile, & Eusebius, here present, I make you fower myne ouerseers, char­ [...]ing you in the name of God, and as ye wyl answere before the high [...]udge Christ, at the dreadeful day [...]f dome: y^t ye se these my bequestes [...]ruely, diligently, and faithfully [Page 190] fulfilled.

we were twyse vn­godly, if we shuld not satisfy your desire and will, being so Christen and righteous.

I bequeath to euery one of you foure, for youre paynes taking, fiue poundes ster­ling, not to the ende to make you hearlinges, but that it may be a token of my hartie good wyll to­wards you.

Sir, wil it plese you to be buried in the churche, or in the churchyard?

All is one to me.Psal. xxiii. The earth is the Lordes, & all that is conteined in it, I am not curious of the place. Wherso [...]euer I lie,Phil. iii. I doubt not, but y^e lord our God at the last day shall raise me vp again, and geue me a body like vnto y^e glorious body of our Lorde and sauiour Christ Iesus▪ Let the body therfore returne vn­to the earth from whēce it came and the spirite vnto God,Eccle. xi. which gaue it.

Your children ar [...] [Page 171] buried in the churchyard.

Bu­ [...]y me there also. God geue vs all a ioyfull resurrection.Burials.

Sir, what solempnitie will you haue at your buriall?

What meane you

Solempne singing, de­ [...]out ringing, holy sensing, prie­ [...]es pattering, candels lightning, [...]orches brenning, Communions [...]aying, and such like.

No kind of superstitious custome do I al­ [...]ow. That is godly, I only com­mend. As touching your solempn [...]inging,Singing. it is all one to me, whi­ [...]her you sing or say. Those Psal­mes, hymnes, prayses & thankes­geuinges that be appointed to be [...]ong or said at the burial of y^e faith [...]ul, let them be done in the name [...]f God w^tal cherefulnes of mind. [...]s for your deuout ringinge,Ringing. I [...]raue no more but one [...]el to be e­ [...]her tolled or rong, for to gather [...]he people together, to heare the [Page 172] word of God, and the thankes g [...]uing. The ringing of the Belles can do my soule no good. And a [...] for your holy sensing, priestes pat­tering, candels lighting, torches brennyng: away with them, a [...] thinges superfluous and vnprofi [...]table. Now as concerning Com­munions,Commu­nion. saying or singing: the [...] serue not for the burials of them that are departed, but for the exe [...]cises of them that be alyue, tha [...] by that meanes they should call t [...] remembraūce the death of Christ and the fruites therof, as the Apo­stle sayth: [...] Cor. xi. So oft as ye shal eat o [...] this bread, and drinck of the Cup­ye shal remēber the Lords death till he come.Note. These sumpteous [...] costly burials, are not to be com­mended, nether do they profit ei­ther body or soule, but onely se [...]forth a folish, vain, and boasting pompe.

The buriall of th [...] [Page 173] [...]aithfull, ought to be done honest­ [...], but not sumptuously. Neither [...]ught the dead bodies of the chri­ [...]ians, to be vilely handled, but [...]onestly buried, for the hope of the [...]orious resurrection. So did A­ [...]aham bury his wife Sara.Gen. xxiii. and .l. Io­ [...]ph his father Iacob, and diuers [...]her, as the holy scripture men­ [...]neth. The bodies of the dead, [...]ith S. Austen,Lib. 1. de C [...] ­uitate dei. Cap. xiii. are not to be de­ [...]sed, and to be cast awaye, and [...]ecially the bodies of the righte­ [...]s, and of the faithful, whom as [...]strumentes and vessels vnto all [...]od workes, the holy ghost hath [...]ed. But as concerning sumptu­ [...]s burials, thaforesaid authour [...], [...] they rather comfort the ly­ [...]g, thē help the dead. As sump­ [...]us exequies profit nothing y^e [...]ul ritche men: so in like maner [...] or no exequies at all, hynder [...]hing the sepulture of the poore [Page 174] sainctes. That galant company o [...] the ritchemans seruauntes (o [...] whome we reade in the Gospel o [...] Luke)Luke. xvi. buried their master gorge­ously in the sight of mē, notwith [...]stāding his soul was caried down into hel fire, wher it lieth in mos [...] miserable tormentes. What pro­fited hym the gorgious, galan [...] pompous. and costly sepulture o [...] his body: seing his soule lieth w^t out redemption in those moste in [...]tollerable flames of that lake whiche burneth with f [...]re & brim [...]stone?Apo. xxi. We read not, that Lazaru [...] was so sumptuouslye buried, n [...] that he was buried at all, notw^t [...]standing the angels of God ca [...] & caried hym (not into a tombe [...] marble) but into the bosome of A­braham. And the golden mouth [...] Doctour, saieth in a certaine H [...]mily. [...]m. 84. in [...]. C [...]. 20. When thou hearest that t [...] Lord did ryse againe naked, ce [...] [Page 175] I pray thee, and leaue of the fond & vain charges that thou bestow­ [...]est vpon funerals, and burying of dead bodies. What meaneth this superfluous & vnprofitable cost, seyng that it hindreth thē greatly that doe it, & auaileth nothyng at all the dead, but rather hurteth them. &c.

Simply, not sump­ [...]uously, honestly, not honorably [...]et me be buried. I require no more. You haue wrytten all these thinges according to my desyre, [...]eighbor Philemon?

Altoge­ [...]her.

Then am I at a poynt w^t [...]he worldly possessions, & I truste [...]n a good forewardnesse towarde God

The custome in times [...]ast was,Monethes mindes and yeare minds y^t ther should be month [...]ndes & yere minds kept for the [...]ead.

To what end?

That [...]e dead might be remēbred and [...]ayed for.

Wherfore shoulde [...]ey be praid for?

That their [Page 176] sinnes (say they) might be forgeuē them.

Whiche they, saye so?

The Papistes.

I haue nothing to do with papistes, nor with their doctrine. God blesse me from them.Phi. iii. For they are enemies of the crosse of Christe, deprauers of the holy scriptures, and corrup­tours of Christen soules. I beleue that a man, euen in this worlde, hath perfect and full remission of al his sinnes, or els he shall neuer haue it. God in this worlde, doth ether forgeue all the faultes, & th [...] paine due for the same: or els h [...] forgeueth none at all. I feare no­thing at all, the Popes boylyng [...] fornace (I mean purgatory) Chr [...]stes bloud, is a sufficient purga­tory for my sinnes. The bloud [...] Christ, Gods son, hath clensed v [...] from al sinne.i. Iohn. i. Hebr. ix. The bloud of Chri [...] hath purged our conscience from dead worckes, to serue the liuin [...] [Page 177] God. We be sanctified, and made holy by the offring of the body of Iesus Christ done once for all.Heb. x. With the one only oblation of his blessed body, and precious bloud, hath Christ made perfect for euer and euer: them that are sancifi­ed. I requyre none other purga­tory to pourge & clense my snnes, but the bloud of Christ.Ephe. v. For Christ hath offred him selfe aswete smel­ling sacrifice vnto God the father [...]or my sinnes, yea and that so per­fecte, absolute, consummate, and [...]n all poyntes, so omnisufficient: [...]hat there can be found no imper­ [...]ection in it. Christ hath borne a­way all my synnes on his bodye. By the stripes of Christes body, [...]m I healed. Christ died for my [...]nnes,Esay. liii. 1. Pet. 11. Rom. iiii. and rose againe for my iu­ [...]ification. Christ is made of God [...]nto me, wysdome, righteousnes, [...]anctification, and redemption, [Page 178] that as it is written, he that re­ioyseth, shuld reioyse in the Lord,i. Cor. i. Hier. ix. Christ is inough for me. Let the Papistes seke their saluation at whose hāds they list.

Wher as the Papistes heretofore haue taught for the maintenaunce of their idle bellies, that mēs sinnes after their death be forgeuen thē, through the sacrifice of that most wicked and abhominable Popish Masse, & by pilgrimages going, by trētals, by Diriges, by y^e good dedes of other. &c. It is a plain [...] errour, & agaīst the word of God. For remission of sinnes, the fauo [...] of God, & euerlasting life, is eithe [...] gotten or lost in this worlde. H [...] whiche through his owne repen [...]tance & faith in Christes bloud [...] obtaineth not forgeuenes of hi [...] sinnes in this worlde: shall neue [...] haue it by y^e meanes of other [...] after this life.Iohn. iii. It is written, he [Page 179] beleueth on the sōne of God, hath euerlasting life. But he that bele­ueth not in him, shall not see lyfe, but the wrath of God abideth on him. So many as die, are eyther faithfull or vnfaithfull. If they be faithful, so haue they in possession straightways euerlasting life. If they be vnfaithfull, then doth the wrath of God abide vpon them, & they receiue y^e reward of infideli­tie, which is euerlasting dānatiō. And albeit this appereth manife­stly of the words aboue rehersed: yet the history of the vnmercifull [...]ich man, & of y^e pore Lazare, pain [...]eth it out very liuely.Luk. xvi. In y^e ye se, y^t [...]he faithful man, which was La­ [...]arus, so sone as he died, was re­ [...]eiued into the bosom of Abrahā. Contrariwyse, the vnfaithful mā which was the vnmerciful glotō, [...]as caried down streightwais in [...] hel fire. The like thing is ma­nifestly [Page 180] set forth in the two theues whiche died with Christ.Luk. xxiii. The one repented, beleued, and called for mercy vnto Christ, God and man saying: Lord remember me, whan thou commest into thy kyngdom, and Christ aunswered him: This day shalt thou be with me in Pa­radise. Here se we that this theife both repented & beleued, for howe shall they cal on him (sayth sainct Paule) on whome they haue not beleued?Roma. x. And therfore was recei­ued into glory. The other whiche continued in his vnbelief, and so died without repentaunce and faith, obtained the reward of vn­belief, that is to say: the wrath of God and eternall damnation. They therfore that die, are either faithfull or vnfaithfull. If they be faythfull: so haue they out of hād the reward of fayth, whiche is e­uerlasting glory, if they be vn [...]faithfull: [Page 183] than receiue they their reward of vnfaithfulnes, and misbelief, whiche is eternall damna­tion. If the Papistes can fynde the third kind of men (whiche are nether faithfull nor vnfaithfull) then wyll we consent vnto theyr Purgatorie, for such haue nether place in heauen nor in hell. But suche sort of people, the holie scrip­ture knoweth not. Therfore kno­weth it not suche a place of pur­ging after this life, as the Papi­stes haue heretofore deuised.

The blessed Apostle.Rom. ii. S. Paule sayth: God shall geue to euery one according to his owne dedes.ii. Cor. x. i. Cor. ii. A­gaine, to the Corinthians, he also sayth: Euery one shall receiue his [...]owne labour.ii. Cor. v. In an other place he also sayeth. We must all appear before the iudgemēt seat of Christ that euery man may receiue the workes of his body accordyng to [Page 182] that he hath done, whether it bee good or bad.Gala. vi. Item. Whatsoeuer a man soweth, that shall he also reape. For he that soweth in his flesh, shal of the flesh reape corrup­tion. But he that soweth in the spirite, shall of the spirite, reape life euerlasting. Let vs not bee weary of well doing. For when the tyme is come: we shall reape without wearines. While we ha­ue therefore tyme let vs doe good vnto all men, and specially vnto them, whiche are of the houshold of faith. Hereto agreeth the saying of our sauiour Christ.Math. xvi. The son of man shal come in the glory of his father with his aungels, and then shall he rewarde euery man ac­cording to his dedes. Againe, I wyll geue euery one of you accor­ding to his dedes.Apoc. ii. Out of these scriptures we learne▪ that we sha [...] not be rewarded according to o­ther [Page 183] mens dedes, but accordinge vnto our owne deedes. If we ha­ue wrought nothing at all in oure lyfe: what shall other mens dedes than do vs good, after our death? And I doubt whether any man (Christ alone excepted) haue good dedes sufficient for him self.

If we consider well the history of the tenne virgins,Mat. xxv. it shall easly be perceiued, that no mā haue scase­ly oyle inough for him selfe. Yea, wer not the great mercies of God set forth to all faithful penitēt sin­ners in y^e precious blud of Christ: we with al our oyl, should perish. For euerlasting life is the gifte of God,Rom. vi. through Iesus Christe oure Lord. If thou (O Lord) shouldest narowly loke vpō our iniquities, (saith the Psalmograph) O Lord who were hable to abide it?Psal. ciii▪ But ther is mercy with the in store. &c.

The holy scripture moueth [Page 184] vs to doe good whyle we are a­lyue, and not to truste other mens workes, to be done for vs, when we be dead.Eccl. xiiii. The wyseman saith: doe good vnto thy frende, before thou die, and according to thy a­bilitie, reache out thyne hand, and geue vnto the poore. Be not disa­poynted of the good daye, and let not the portion of the good day o­uerpasse the. Shalt thou not leue thy trauails & labours vnto other men? In the deuiding of thy heri­tage, geue and take, and sanctify thy soule. Worke thou ryghteous­nes before thy death, for after thy death,Eccl. xviii there is no meat to fynd. A­gain: Abide thou not in the errour of the vngodly, but geue God thā ­kes before death. As for the dead, thanckfulnes perisheth from him as nothing. Geue thou thanckes in thy lyfe, yea, whyle thou art li­uing and whole shalt thou geue [Page 185] thankes, and prayse God, and re­ioyce in his mercy. O howe great [...]s the louing kindnes of the lord, and his mercifull goodnes vnto [...]uch as turne vnto hym?Pro. iii. Salomō [...]n his prouerbes saith: withdrawe [...]o good thing frō them that haue [...]ede, so long as thy hande is able [...]o doe it. Say not vnto thy neighbour, go thy way & come againe: [...]o morowe wil I geue thee, wher [...]s thou hast nowe to geue hym. Hereto agreeth the saying of the [...]reacher:Eccle. ix. whatsoeuer thou art a­ [...]le to do, do it out of hande, for in [...]he graue that thou goest vnto: here is neither worke, counsell, knowledge nor wisdom. The pro­phet also sayth.Esa. lv. Seke the Lorde, [...]hyle he may be founde, and call [...]pon him, while he is nie. Let the [...]ngodly forsake his owne waies, [...]nd the vnrighteous his owne i­maginations, and turne againe [Page 186] vnto the Lord, so shal God be merciful vnto him. Our sauior Christ saith in the Gospell. I must worke the worckes of him that sent me,Iohn. ix. while it is daye. The night com­meth, when no man can worke. Walke while we haue light, least y^e darknes come on you.Iohn, xii. &c. While ye haue light, walke in the light, that ye may be y^e children of light. I say vnto you, make you frendes of the vnrighteous Mammō, that when ye shal haue nede,Luke. xvi. they may receiue you into euerlasting habi­tations. That seruaunt,Mat. xxv. which re­ceiued one talent of his Lord, and gained nothing therew^t, but went his way, and hid it in the ground; was cast into vtter darknes, wher [...] wepinge and gnashinge of teeth shalbe. The .v. folishe virgins, be­cause they had no Oyle in theyr lampes, were not suffred to enter into the mariage. Moreouer the [Page 187] most worthy Apostle. S. Paule saith.Gal. vi. While we haue tyme, let vs do good vnto all men, and special­ [...]y vnto them, which are of y^e hou­shold of faith. These and diuers o­ther textes of the holye scripture moue vs to doe good our selues, while we be aliue in this worlde, and not to trust the workes of o­ther to be done for vs, whē we be dead. For by our own works, and not by other mēs, shall we be iud­ged. Euery mā shall bear his own burdē. Euery man shal receiue the works of his own body according to y^t he hath done, whether it bee good or bad:Gala. vi. ii. Cor. v. euery mā shal receiue his reward according to his own dedes. Beholde I come quickely (saith our sauiour Christ) and my reward is with me,ii. Cor. iii. Rom. ii. Apoc. xxii. y^t I may geue to euerye one accordinge as his worke shalbe.

And saint Iohn pronouncing [Page 188] them blessed,Apoc. xiii. which die in y^e Lord, saith on this maner. Their wor­kes folowe thē. He saith not, other mens workes shal folow thē, whē they be dead, but their owne wor­kes do follow, and presently accō ­pany them▪ as the shadow doth y^e body, euen vnto y^e throne of Gods maiestie, to be testimonies & wit­nesses of their true and vnfained sayth. They therfore are to much fond and negligent of their owne saluation, which trust other more then them selues in matters per­tayning vnto the health of their soules.

There is an old say­ing in Latin, and as I thinck, no [...]les true thā old. It is this. Da tua, dum tua sunt, post mortē, tunc tuae non sunt.

Geue thy goodes while they be thine, for after thy death, they be none of thine.

I remember whan I was a child, I learned .ii verses of my scholemaister, which [Page 189] I haue not yet forgotten, I wyll rehearse them vnto you.

That a mā soweth for him self in y^e time of this present life, that shalbe his haruest or reape, when it is saide: Go, Come.

What meane you by that, Go: Come.

You know that to the vnfaithfull it shalbe sayd,Mat. xxv. go ye cursed in to euerlasting fire, whiche is pre­pared for y^e deuill and his angels. But to the faithfull, it shalbe said on this maner: Come ye blessed of my father, possesse the kingdome, whiche was prepared for you, frō the beginning of the world.

S. Paule hath a sentence muche lyke vnto your verses:Gala. vi. whatsoe, [...]er a man soweth, saith he: y^t shall he also reape. For he that soweth in his flesh, shall of the flesh, reape corruption. But he that soweth [Page 190] in the spirit, shall of y^e spirite reape life euerlasting.

It is not w^t ­out cause, that the holy scripture doth so diligently call vs vnto re­pentaunce, faith, and good works in this present worlde. For euer­lasting life euen in this worlde is ether gotten or loste. As God fin­deth vs, so iudgeth he vs. Euerye tree is knowen and iudged by her owne fruite, and not by the fruite of other trees. Euery man lyke­wyse is iudged by his owne wor­kes, & not by the workes of other, as Christ saith to the vnprofitable seruaunt:Luke. xix. Of thine owne mouthe wil I iudge thee, thou euil seruāt. Teophilact saith.Mat. xxv. The vertue of my neighbour shall scacely be i­nough to defend him selfe, so farre is it of,☞ that it can profit me also. For all men shall be declared to be righteous by their owne workes, and not by the workes of theyr [Page 191] neighboures.Eccle. xi.

The Preacher saieth. When the tre falleth (whe­ther it be toward the Southe or north) in what place so euer it fall there it lieth.

What is ment by that.

The tre signifieth e­uery one of vs, y^t are the children of Adam. We fal, that is to say we die, ether toward the south, or to­ward the north, that is, either in the state of saluation or damna­tiō. In what state soeuer we die, in the same remaine we. There is no chaunge after this life. Ether with poore Lazarus we goe into the bosome of Abraham,Luke. xvi. or els with that vnmercifull ryche man into the fier of hell. There are but two places after this life, hel and heauen. If we depart in the faith of Christe, we goe straighawayes vnto the glory of heauen. But if we die in vnbelief, than go we to the Deuill, as the scripture sayth. [Page 192] He that beleueth on y^e sonne, hath euerlasting life.Iohn. iii But he that bele­ueth not on the sonne, shall not see lyfe, but the wrath of God abideth vpon him.

S. Iohn Chrisostome saith, he that washeth not awaye his synnes in this present life, shall finde no comfort after­ward. &c.

The same doc­tor also hath this saying. Let vs not thinke (saith he) that whē we come thither (he meaneth vnto the iudging place of God) mercy shal be geuen vnto vs, seing we do not so behaue our selues in this world that we may deserue to haue for­geuenes, though Abraham shuld pray for vs, though Noe, though Iob, though Daniell shuld make intercessiō for vs. Therfore while we haue tyme, let vs prepare for our selues, that whiche may stand vs in steade a fore God an other day.

Hereto agreeth the say­ing [Page 193] of S. Ciprian: Then (that is to say,Tract. [...] demet after death) shall repentāce be without fruite, and the sorowe of paine, weping also shall be in vayn, and praier shalbe to no pur­pose. Therefore make prouision, while ye may, for your safegard & life. Again he saith. When we be once departed out of this worlde, there is no more place for repen­taunce, there is no effect of [...]atis­faction. In this worlde life is ei­ther lost or gotten. Here through the worshipping of God, and the fruit of fayth, prouision is made for euerlasting saluation.

I se than both by the aucthoritie of y^e holy scriptures, and of the aunciēt doctours, that the workes whiche are done for them that are depar­ted out of this worlde by other, are but vayne and vnprofitable, whether they departe in fayth, or otherwyse. For y^e faithfull departe [Page 194] straightwaies vnto glory, and the vnfaithful vnto euerlasting pain. The one sort haue no nede of prai­er, for they be already in most bles­sed state and ioyful reast. And the other are in so damnable case, that praier can do no good for them, no though Abraham, Noe, Iob, Da­niel, and all the best that euer ly­ued shuld pray for thē. For in hell there is no redemption. And Abraham said to the rich mā.Luke. xvi. There is betwene vs and you a great space set, so y^t they, whiche wold go from hēce vnto you, cānot, neither may they y^t are there come hither vnto vs.

The truth is neighbor E­paphroditus, y^e papistes haue long bewitched the eies of y^e simple,Purgatory a place of the Papistes de­uising. by making thē beleue, that the soules of the faythfull goe not straight­waies after their departure, vnto eternal glory, but rather vnto purgatory, a place of their own deui­sing [Page 195] for the maintenance of their idle bellies, there to lie miserablie puling, til they be redemed by trē ­talles, by pilgrimages going, by pardons. &c. Our sauiour Christe in the gospell teacheth & maketh mēcion of two waies. But y^e third is not found in the holy scripture. One is a straight way,Math. vii. which lea­deth vnto life, & fewe ther be that finde it. The other is a brode way which leadeth vnto destruction, & many ther be y^t go in therat.

I beleue & am throwly perswaded, y^t by y^t merits of his precious bloud, which said vnto y^e penitent thefe,Luk. xxiii. this day shalt thou be with me in paradise, my soule immediatly af­ter the departure frō this vile bo­dy, shall be receiued vnto glory, & [...]se y^e glorious maiestie of God,Psal. xxvii. face to face, as y^e Psalmograph sayth, I beleue to see the pleasures and good thinges of the Lorde in the [Page 196] land of the liuing. I fear the Po­pish purgatory & the paynes ther­of nothing at all. My pain endeth in this life. And the ende of this life is the beginning of my ioye. This hope lieth vp buried in my breast. Therfore wyll I haue nei­ther month mindes nor yere min­des kept for me, nor no idle Pa­pistes and superstitious Masse­mongers sing or say for me. For I doubt not, but that the Lorde my God hath prepared me a vessel vnto honoure, and hath written my name in the boke of life, and hath also made me his sonne and heire of eternall glory,Sap. v. this is inough for me.

The righteous (saith the wyseman,) shall liue for euer­more, their reward also is with y^e Lord, and their remembrance w^t the hiest. Therfore shal they recei­ue a glorious kingdom, & a beau­tifull crowne of the Lordes hand.

Neighbours, now am I at a poynt with the goods of y^e world, yea and with the world it selfe, so that I may saye with the holy A­postle: The world is crucified vn­to me, and I vnto the world.

He is an happy man and greatly blessed,Gala. vi. which forsaketh & geueth ouer the worlde, before the world forsaketh him. For such obey this commaundement of S. Iohn. Loue not the worlde,i. Iohn. ii. nor those thinges that are in the worlde, al­beit I doubt not (neighbour Epaphroditus) but that you shal right well recouer your health, and liue yet many yeares among vs.

No neyghbour Theophile. The ende of my life is at hand. And I moste hartely thank the Lord my God for it.Phi. i. For I wishe to be loso­ned out of this life, and to be with Christ.Psalm. xliiii. Like as the hart desireth the water brokes, so longeth my [Page 198] soule after thee, O God. My soule is a thurst for God, yea euen for y^e liuing God. When shal I come to appere before the presence of God▪ O howe amiable are thy dwel­linges,Psal. lxxxiiii. thou Lorde of hostes? My soul hath a desire and longyng to enter into the courtes of the Lord: my hart and my fleshe reioyce in y^e liuing god. I had rather be a dore keper in the house of my God, thē to dwell in the tentes of the vn­godly. O blessed are they,Psal. cxlii. y^t dwell in thy house (O Lord) for they wil be alway praysing thee, (O lord) deliuer my soul out of the prison of my body, that I may come & geue thanckes vnto thy blessed name. Deale with me (O lord) according to thy will,Tob. iii. and commaūd my spi­rit to be receiued in peace. For it is more expedient for me to die thē to liue.

I greatly reioyce in the Lord my God, good neighbor [Page 199] Epaphroditꝰ, to se you in so good a mind, and to hear so godly wor­des procede out of your mouthe. These thinges are euident testi­monies of your good conscience toward God. Feare you not, the Lord hath sealed you with his ho­l [...] spirit, & made you through his mercy, a vessell vnto honor.

Now that an order is taken con­cerning my worldly possessiōs, I wish to haue my wyfe, & my chyl­dren with my seruaunts brought hither vnto me, that I may take my leaue of them, and commende them vnto y^e lord my God. I pray you neighbour Eusebius cal them hither.

It shall be done.

Oh, howe sicke am I? My weke­nes encreaseth more and more. ‘Lorde be mercifull vnto me,A praier. and geue me grace paciently & thank fully to beare this Crosse, and in the middes of this my sicknesse, [Page 200] alwaies to say. Thy wil, O hea­uenly father be done & not mine.’

Be strong in the Lorde, good neighbour,Math. xxvi. and faint not, and you shall see the wondrous workes of God. For God will either shortly restore vnto you your health: or els make an end of this your pain by taking you frō this wretched world, and place you in his glori­ous kingdom.

God graunt. But is my neighbour Eusebius come againe?

Yea sir.

Where is he?

Here sir am I.

Where is my wife & my chyl­dren and my seruauntes?

They are all here present.

The sickmās exhortation vnto his wife COme hither wife. You see in what case I lie here, sicke, weake, and the prisoner of God, loking euery hour for my departure out of this worlde. [Page 201] And this visitation of God is vn­to me welcome, and I thanke the Lord w^tal my heart for it. I doubt not, but that whan I am once gone out of this wretched lyfe, I shal be in a far better case then e­uer I was in this worlde. Ther­fore I pray thee good wife, be not heauy, neither take thought for me, but rather pray, that y^e good wyll of God may be done in me. And be aswell contented, that I should nowe at the calling of God go from thee, as euer thou wast to haue me in thy company, I haue run my rase. I haue passed those yeres, which the Lord appoynted that I should lyue in this world. And now is the time of my depar­ture come. And I geue ouer this my life willingly, and with a free hart. Therefore take no thought for me. And doubt thou not (swete wife) but if y^e goest forthe to liue [Page 202] in the feare of God, and to please him, God in the time of thy wyd­dowhod will be an husband vnto thee. He wilbe thy patron and de­fender. He wilbe thy mighty shield & strong buckler. He will prouide and afore see, that thou and thine shall want no good thing.Psalm. cxlv. For he hath promised in his holy worde, that he wil take charge of the wi­dowes and defend their cause.Exo. xx. Esa. i.x. Iere. v.xii. Zach. vii Iames. i. He hath also geuen a strait commaū ­dement to the magistrates & head rulers, to loke vnto wydowes, & to deliuer them from oppression. And his holy Apostle saith, that y^e pure and vndefiled Religion be­fore God y^e father, is to visit, help, & comfort widowes. Therfore I doubt not but the Lord our God, will aboundantly prouide for thee and thine. Notwithstāding wife, forasmuch as from the first time o [...] our mariage vnto this presēt day [Page 203] thou hast alway bene vnto me a true, faithfull, honest, diligent, & seruiceable wife. I haue made the mine Executresse, and geuen vn­to thee in my wyll, suche a portion as shal aboundaūtly satisfie thee, both vnto the bringing vp of thy children, and also vnto the main­tenance of hospitalitie: God hath sent me inough,Psal. xxxiii. & therfore I leaue vnto thee & thine inough. I praye God send you alwayes his feare before your face, so shall you ne­uer uant. To forbid the mariage after my departure according vn­to the propertie of some husbādes, I wyll not.ii. Cor. vii. For the holy Scrip­ [...]ure saieth: the wyfe is bound vn­ [...]o the mariage, as long as her husband lyueth. If her husband die, [...]he it at libertie to marie wyth whome she will, only in the Lord. If thou therfore after my depar­ [...]ure (O wife, hast a minde to ma­rye [Page 204] agayne, marry in the name of the lord our God. For I know, as the wyse man saith,Sa [...]. viii. that no man can liue chast, except God geueth the gift. Only haue this care, that he, with whome thou doest deter­mine to couple thy self in the bles­sed state of honorable wedlock, be such a man as feareth God▪ loueth his worde, is well reported of his neighbours, dealeth ryghteoussly with all men, embraceth vertue, despiseth vice. &c. Follow not the manners of certaine olde dotinge wydowes, which for bodely luste in their old croked age, couple thē [...]selues to yonkers, whiche myght right wel haue bene their childrē, and vnto whome they might also haue geuē suck. But to what end such mariages come for the moste part, dayly experience teacheth. The one marieth for bodely plea­sure, the other for couetousnesse. [Page 205] Such mariages ar not blessed of God. Chuse thee therfore suche an husband as loueth thee, and not thy goods only, as is equall to the in condition, state, and age, as al­so will tender my children, and be a father vnto them, and see them brought vp in y^e feare of God, & in y^e knowledge of his blessed word. Pray vnto God, and he shal geue the good successe in all thy tra­uayles, loke diligently to the ver­ [...]uous education and brynging vp of my chyldren. Graffe in theyr partes so much fruit of Gods spi­ [...]it, as is possible, and wede out of [...]heir myndes all kyndes of vice & wickednes, that their brestes may [...]e made the Temples of the holy [...]host. Loke wel vnto thi seruāts. Geue them their couenauntes, & [...]uffer them not to be idle. So go­ [...]erne thy houshold, y^t there may [...]e founde in it no vice but vertue, [Page 206] no wickednes but godlines, no sinne but honestie and christen be hauour. And be thou thy selfe, an example of godly lyfe to thy chyl­dren & seruaunts: so maist thou be sure to haue obedient childrē and faithful seruants. Yea so shalt y^• be wel reported of thy neighbours, & be loued both of god & al good mē.

The sickmās exhortatiō vnto his childrēNOwe my chyldren, come ye hither vnto me, God blesse you, and sende you manye, yea and those ioyfull and quiet daies vpon the earth. Ye see in what case I am, sore, sycke, and very weake, abiding the good plesure of God. The ende of this my life is come, and I am glad of it, and most hartely thanke the lord my God. Let it not dismaye you, (my moste deare children) that I shall nowe be taken away from you. For albeit, that I being your naturall Father, shall no more [Page 207] serue you nor prouide for you, as hitherto I haue done, yet doubt ye not, but if ye goe forthe, as ye haue begonne, to feare God, and to serue hym, he wil not leaue you comfortlesse, but in my steade he will be a father vnto you, receiue you into his tuition, and prouide better for you than euer I was a­ble to doe. Therfore if ye wil haue God a mercifull and gentle father vnto you: feare him, loue him, ho­noure him, serue him, praye vnto him, call on his blessed name, be thanckfull vnto him for his bene­fites, and in all thinges seeke to please his godly Maiestie. Geue your mindes to the reading of the holy scriptures, and what so euer ye rede therein, practise it in your [...]ife and cōuersation. Be not only fauourers, but folowers also of y^e worde, not only louers but also [...]iuers of the gospel, not only pro­fessers, [Page 208] but also practisers of gods holy law, so shal God blesse you, & al good men loue you. Auoid idle­nes & to much childish pastimes. Let no time of your life passe a­way without fruit. Escheue all e­uill company, and haue nothynge to doe with them, that be vngod­ly. Desire alway the felowship of them that be good and vertuous. Haue all your whole confidence and trust in the Lorde your God. Take nothing in hande, before ye haue craued his helpe by feruent prayer. And after the thing done, geue God moste harty thanckes, knowledging him to bee the ge­uer of all good thinges. The Sa­both day, and suche other feastiful dayes, spend them holily and god­ly. Geue your selues to prayer, to hearing of Sermons, and reding the word of god. Se that ye defile not the name of y^e Lord your God [Page 209] with vaine and vnlawfull othes. Reuerence your elders, Honour your mother, be obedient vnto her pray for her, do for her, whatsoe­uer lieth in your power, that God may blesse you and geue you long and ioyfull lyfe vpon the earth. Be no euill speakers. Be courte­ous and gentle vnto all men. Let no lightnes appere in you, nether in gesture nor countenaunce. Be true and faithfull. Cast away all pride, and embrace humilitie. Auoid superfluous eating & drin­king. Use temperance in al your doinges. Be not moued vnto an­ger, but be pacient and ready to forgeue. Be merciful to the poore. Helpe all men to the vttermost of your power. Study to do good vnto all, and to hurt none. Loue all mē, yea euen your very enemies. Be not ouercome of euill,Rom. xii. but o­uercom euyl with goodnes. If ye [Page 210] obserue these few lessons, ye shall continue in the fauor of God, and God as a moste mercifull father shall blesse you and cause you to prosper on the face of the earth.

BUt now heare thou my sonne the wordes of thy father,The sickmās exhortatiō vnto his sonne. and imprint them well in thy me­mory. Of all the sonnes that God hath geuen me since I was mar­ried to this thy Mother, thou a­lone art left a liue. And I thanke God for thee. For in thee lieth the hope of my posteritie. Loke ther­fore y^t thou seruest God al the dais of thy life, y^t thou maiest be the fa­ther of many children through the blessing of God. If thou dost resē ­ble me as in countenaunce and li­neamentes of body: so lykewise in manners and conditions of life & conuersation, it shall not repente me to haue begotten such a sonne: [Page 211] nether shall it forthynke thee to haue had such a father.Tob. iiii. Take hede therfore that thou doest not dege­nerate and growe out of kynde. Honour thy mother all the dayes of her life. Pray for her, and do for her whatsoeuer lieth in thy pow­er. Remēber y^t God hath appoyn­ted thee to be the staffe of her olde age, nether forget thou what and how great paines she hath suffred for thee.Prouerb. i. Beware of riotous cōpa­ny, & haue alwais the fear of God before thine eies.Eccle. vi. Kepe companye with such as haue vnderstāding, and leane vnto their wisdom and counsell.ii. Tim. ii. Be sober mynded, and e­schewe the lustes of youthe, but followe ryghteousnes, faith, loue, and peace: with them that cal on the Lord with a pure faith. When thou shalt come to the possession of suche worldly substaunce, as I haue apoynted for thee, through y^e [Page 212] goodnes and liberalitie of God: loke that thou dost vse, and not a­buse thy goodes. Spend in mea­sure, and as present necessitie shal require. Beware of superfluous expenses. Auoide banketting and delicious fare.Prou. xxi For whosoeuer lo­ueth delicately to fare, shall come to pouertie. Thinck that wel spēt, that is honestly spent in thy owne house. Extraordinarie banket­tinges loke that thou flee, remē ­bring that, that, whiche is gotten through long tyme, is consumed in a very little space.Tob. iiii. Geue almes of thy goodes, and turn neuer thy face from the pore, so shall it come to passe, that the face of the Lorde shall not be tourned away frō the. Be mercifull after thy power. If thou hast mutch, geue plēteously, if thou hast litle, doe thy diligence gladly to geue of that litle. For so gatherest thou thy selfe a good re­ward [Page 213] in the day of necessitie. For merci deliuereth from all sinne & from death, and suffreth not the soule to come in darknes. A great comfort is mercy before y^e hie God vnto all them that shew it. In the time of thy youth take hede thou defilest not thy selfe with whore­dom, but bring an honest & chaste body vnto the blessed state of ho­norable wedlocke. And when the ripenes of thy age doth require y^e to marry: take hede whome thou chosest to be thy yokefellow. Fol­low not the corrupt manners of y^e wicked worldlings, which in cho­sing their wiues, haue their prin­cipall respect vnto the worthines of the stocke: vnto the welthines of the frendes, vnto riches, beau­ty, and suche other worldly vani­ties. Consider thou rather y^e god­lines than the worthines of the maides parentes, the honest and [Page 214] vertuous bringing vp of her, her chaste and sober behauoure, her Christen and godly manners, her modestie, grauitie, sobrietie, and womanlines, her faith, obediēce, humilitie, silence, quietnes, hone­stie, howsewiuelines, and such o­ther fruites of Gods spirite. Let her be no Papist, nor Anabaptist. nor Epicure, but one of the hous­hold of faith, and such one as fea­reth the Lorde God vnfaynedly. With suche one couple thy selfe in the feare of God,Pro. ix. and knowe her to be the gift of God, as Salomō saieth: house and richesse may a man haue by the heritage of his elders, but a discrete wyfe is the gift of the Lorde. Therfor when thou art once ioyned with her in y^e holy order of Matrimonie: seeke after no strange fleshe, beware of whoredome,Pro. v. entangle thy selfe with no other womans loue, but [Page 215] be glad with y^e wife of thy youth. Let her brestes alway satisfie thee & hold thee euer content with her loue. And if God send thee childrē thanke him for them,Ephe. vi. and study to bring them vp in the feare, nour­tour & doctrine of the Lorde, that they may learn to know God, euē from the very cradels.Colos. iiii. Order thy houshold godly and honestly. Cherish thy seruauntes, & geue them their couenauntes, remembring y^t thou also hast a maister & Lorde in heauen. Loue thy neighbours, dwell quietly among them.Luke. vi. Lend vnto thē gladly whatsoeuer they nede, if thou hast it. Oppresse not thy tenaunts. Raise not thy rents. Take no incomes nor synes. Be content with the olde and accu­stomed paimentes. Bringe vp no newe customes. Maintaine the lawfull liberties of y^e town wher­in thou dwellest. Be no vnprofitable [Page 216] mēber of the common wealth. Diffame no man, but speake well of al men. Hurt no man, but to the vttermost of thy power be benefi­ciall to all men. [...]ob. iiii. Let neuer pride haue rule in thy mind, nor in thy word, for in pride begā al destruc­tion. Who so euer worketh anye thyng for thee: immediatly geue him his hire, and loke that thy hired seruauntes wages remaine not by the ouernight.Math. vii. Luke. vi. Loke that thou do neuer vnto an other man the thing, that thou wouldest not another man should do vnto thee.Tob. iiii. Esay. lviii. Eat thy bread with the hongry & poore, and couer the naked with thy clothes. Aske euer counsell at the wyse.Col. iii. Tob. iiii. Be alwaye thanckefull vnto God, and beseche hym, that he will order thy wayes, and that whatsoeuer thou deuisest or ta­kest in hande, it may remayne in hym. My sonne do these thynges, [Page 217] and God shal blesse thee, and prosper all thy doinges.

WHat shall I say vnto you my little Daughters?The sickmā [...] exhortatiō vnto his daugh­ters. I pray God blesse you▪ and make you ioyfull mothers of ma­ny Children. Serue God. Obey your mother. Be diligent to please her. Geue eare to her wholesome admonitions and folowe them. Do nothing without her counsell and aduisement. Whan your age shal require to be maried, followe the counsel of your mother, and o­ther of your faithful frēds, which wish you to doe well, in choising your husbandes. Take hede ye be not corrupted with the giftes of noughty packes, nor deceiued w^t the flattring tongues of wicked & vnthrifty persones. For many in these our daies seeke not the wo­man, but the womans substance. [Page 218] Couple your selues with suche as feare God, loue his worde, and be of honest report. And when ye be once maried,Ephe. v. Colos. iii. [...]. Pet. iii. reuerence your hus­bands, know thē to be your heads & gouernours appointed of God, obey them, & submitte your selues vnto them.Hebr. xiii. Suffer not your loue to depart frō your husbands, nei­ther know any mā besides them, but kepe the bed vndefiled, y^t your Matrimony may be honorable & pure in the sight of God, & of his holy cōgregatiō. And if God bles­seth you with children, loke y^t you bring them vp in the glory of God in his fear and doctrin. Engraffe in their yong brests, euen frō their tender age, vertue, godlines, and good māners, loke wel vnto your houshold, and be an example vnto your maides of godlines and ho­nestie. Be no gadders abroad, nor haunters of Tauernes, but kepe [Page 219] your houses continually, except some earnest and lawfull busines prouoke you to go forth. Be no bablers nor vain talkers, but for the most part vse silence.1. Tim. ii. For silēce is an ornamēt and precious Iewell vnto a godly womā. Aparell your selues in comely aray, with shame fastnes and discrete behauioure, not with broyded hear, ether gold or pearles, or costly garmēts, but as it becommeth women y^t profes godlines thorow good workes. Let the hid man,i. Pet. iii. whiche is in the heart be without all corruption, so that y^e spirit be at rest and quiet, which spirit before God, is a thing much set by. For after this maner in the olde tyme did the holye we­men, whiche trusted in God, tier them selues, and were obedient to their husbandes, euen as Sa­ra obeyed Abrahā and called him Lord, whose daughters ye are, so [Page 220] long as ye do wel. If you obserue these fewe lessons, which I your sicke father haue now geuen vn­to you: doubt ye not, but ye shall right well prosper and liue a ioy­full & quiet life on earth. Yea God shalbe your father and defendor. Wel, stande a side a little whyle. Gods blessing be with you. Come hither ye my seruauntes.

The sickmās exhortatiō vnto his seruan­tes. i. Par. xxixSIrs, ye see in me what shal be the end of all fleshe, euen a de­parture from this world. For we are but strangers & pilgrimes on the earth, as our fathers were before vs.Hebr. xiii. and .ix. We haue no continuing citie here, but we seke one to come. The ordinaunce of God is, that all men shall once die. There ly­ueth no man,Psal. xxxix. that shall not die. A man in his time is but grasse, and flourisheth as a floure of the field. Our life is euen a vapour that a­peareth [Page 221] for a little time,Hebr. xi.ix. Psa. lxxxix. Psal. ciii. Esay. xi. Iames. iiii. and then [...]anisheth away. On this condi­ [...]ion came we into the world, that we shuld leaue it again. We haue [...]een sure of death, euer sence we were conceiued in our Mothers wombe. These thinges do ye now [...]e practised in me: y^e time of my departure out of y^e world is at hand. I thought it good therfore to send [...]lso for you, & to take my leaue of [...]ou, til we mete again in y^e king­ [...]om of God. I thanke you for the [...]ood seruice y^t ye haue done me. I [...]aue not forgotten your seruisea­ [...]le hearts and good wils toward [...]e. If the good pleasure of God [...]ad bene, that I shuld lōger haue [...]ontinued with you, I wold haue [...]onsidred your seruice better. But [...] haue geuen to euery one of you [...]uche portion of mony, as shal de­ [...]are some part of my thanckefull [...] wel willing heart toward you? [Page 222] This nowe remaineth to be cra­ued at your hands. As ye haue he­therto faithfully, truly & honestly serued me in my life time, euen so after my departure, so long as ye [...]tary here, shewe the like faithful­nes, truth & honestie toward your mistres. Consider, that as lōg as I liued, I was a stay vnto her, & vnto her thinges. But nowe her chief hope next vnto God, consi­steth in you. Therfore I pray yo [...] loke well vnto the thinges, which appertaine vnto her. Se that no­thing go to wast. Prouide that through your diligēce, her things may rather encrease then decrea­se. Ye knowe rightwell the dutie of a good seruaunt, notwithstan­ding euen at this my departure from you, I wil put you in remem [...]braunce of it, that whē I am gon [...] ye may yet remēber my admoni­tions, & the more spedely aunswe [...] [Page 223] vnto your vocatiō.The dutie of a good seruāt The duty of a good seruāt is to serue his maister and mistres willingly & with a fre courage euen for conscience sake,Ephe. vi Collos. iii. i. Tim. vi. Titus. ii. i. Pet. ii. not with the eie, but with y^e heart, to obey them, to honor thē, gently to aunswere them, not to picke or steale away their goods, but to be faithfull vnto them in all thingee. Se therfore y^t ye on this manner behaue your selues towarde your mistres: auoid al stubbernes, churlishnes, cursed speakinges, telling of tales, lying, picking, wast, idle­nes, negligence and sluggishnes. Eschue all euill and riotous com­pany. Fly dronkennes and whor­dome. Abstaine from vaine othes and folishe pastimes. So behaue your selues in all your life & con­uersation: that the name of God & his doctrine be not euil spoken of. Yea, let the lyghte of your godlye behauioure so shine before men,i. Tim. vi. [Page 224] that ye may do worship to the glo­rious gospell of our sauior Christ in al thinges.Titus. ii And in thus seruing your mistres with a glad, ready & faithfull will, thincke your selues to serue the Lorde your God, and to do that thing, whiche is plea­saunt in his godly sight, and that he also will se your paines recom­pensed,Collo. iii. as the holy Apostle saith: ye seruauntes be obedient vnto thē, that are your bodely maisters in al thinges, not with eie seruice, as men pleasers, but in singlenes of hart fearing God▪ And whatso­euer ye do, do it hartely, as though you did it to the Lorde, and not vnto men, knowyng, that of the Lorde ye shall receiue the inheri­taunce, for ye serue y^e Lord Christ. But he that sinneth, shall receiue accordynge vnto his synne. For there is no respect of persons with God. If ye serue your mistres truly [Page 225] and faithfully, hereafter when ye shall your selues be houshol­ders. God shall likewyse send you true and faithful seruauntes. But if ye serue her falsly and vngodly: then shal ye of your seruauntes be likewise serued hereafter.Luke. vi. For with what measure that ye mete withall, shall other mete to you a­gain, saith our Sauioure Christ. Liue therefore according to your vocation in the feare of God, & ye shall prosper right well. God shal blesse you, & neuer leaue you suc­courles, as the holy man Toby sayth.Tob. iiii. Be not afrayd, truthe it is, we leade here a pore life, but great good shal we haue if we fear God and depart from all sinne, and doe wel. Wel, the blessing of God be w^t you, I am very faint:

No maruell. For ye haue talked a greate while.

I trust, my talke hath not bene euil.

Forsoth it hath [Page 226] bene both good and godly. I pray God geue bothe them and all vs grace to followe these your moste wholesome and christen admoni­tions. But sir, will it please you to take your leaue of your wyfe, chyldren and seruauntes, & geue your self to reast for a litle whyle? Peraduentur it shal do you much good.

Slepe I can not. And I am lothe to let them goe from me. For the sight of them is comfortable vnto me, and as me thincketh easeth my payne.

God cōfort you & ease your payn.

Before they depart from me, I wysh greatly euen in their pre­sence to confesse my faithe, y^t both you and they may be witnesses before God & the worlde, that I die a Christen man.

Although we nothing doubt therof, yet we greatly desyre to heare the confes­sion of your faith, that we may be [Page 227] able to testifie hereafter, that you departed in y^t faith of Christ.

Heare then.

I Unfainedly beleue w^t my hart,The sick [...] faith. and frely cōfesse with my mouth that there is one only true,Esa. xiiii. i. Cor. viii. Math. xx [...] i. Iohn. [...] ly­uing, immortall and euerlasting God, God the father, God y^e sonne and God the holy gost .iii. distinct persons in the godhead, and not­withstāding one very God in sub­stāce, of like maiestie, glory, might power, iudgement and will.

As touching the first parson in the deitie,Of God the father. I vnfainedly beleue w^t my heart, and frely confesse with my mouth, y^t he is the God, which alone is the father not only of our Lorde and sauiour Christ Iesu,ii. Cor. i. Psalm. ii. Ephe. iiii. [...] whom of him self frō euerlasting, he begot his natural sonne, & therfore likewyse true and immortall God, but also of all y^e faithfull, not [Page 228] by nature but by adoption, whom he hath chosen to be his children in Christ Iesu before the founda­tions of the worlde were laide, to loue, fauour cherish, comfort, no­rish, gouern, defend and blesse thē both corporally and spiritually. This God the father I beleue & confesse to be almighty and hable to do,Gene. xvii Psal. cxv. Mat. xix. [...]ach. viii. Apoc. xvi. whatsoeuer his godly wil & pleasure is▪ With him all thinges are possible. There is nothing to hard for him to doe, neither is any thynge vnpossible in his syght. This God the father almighty I beleue and confesse,Gene. i. Psal. lxxxix. that he is the creator and maker of heauen and earth, and of all thynges contai­ned in thē. Of nothing by his wō ­derful and almighty power made he the heauens with the blessed aungels and heauenly spirites, that are in them. Thone he chose to be his glorious seate, the other [Page 229] he made to be his Ministers, to do his blessed will and holy com­maundement.

This God the father almighty made also the earth of nothinge with her encrease,Esay. xliii. & gaue breath to the people that are in it, and spi­rit to thē that dwel therein. The heauens, the earth and the sea, w^t all that euer is cōteined in them, are the creatures of this God the father almyghtye, created vnto this ende, euen that they shuld set forth, magnifie, prayse, and com­mend the maiestie, power, might and glory of this moste myghty & glorious god.Prou. viii. And whatsoeuer he made, he made it thorow his only begotten sonne, by whō al things were made and without whome was made nothing y^t was made.Iohn. i. For when he made the heauens, this his only begotten sonne was present, whan he hāged y^e cloudes [Page 230] aboue, when he fastned the sprin­ges of the depe, when he shut the sea within certaine boundes, that the water should not go ouer the marckes that he commaunded. When he laide the foundations of the earth, he was with hym, or­dring all thynges, deliting daily, and reioysing alway before hym. For the sonne of God caused the iyght that fayleth not to aryse in the heauen,Eccl. xxiiii. and couered all the earth as a cloud.Psalm. xxxiii And that prince like Prophet sayeth: By the word of the Lord (which word is Christ the natural sonne of God)Iohn. i. are the heauens made, and all the hostes of them by y^e breath of his mouth. This God the father almightye maker of heauen and earth, I be­leue & am fully perswaded, that he for Christes sake (by fayth) is my moste mercifull father,i. Pet. i. & that I am borne againe of him not by [Page 231] mortall but immortall seede tho­rowe the worde of God, which, li­ueth and abideth for euer, and so am become his sonne, and that he therfore loueth and fauoreth me, gouerneth and defendeth me, [...]ea­deth and nourysheth me, and fi­nally, hath made me his heire and fellow heir of eternall glory with his only begotten and moste dere­ly beloued sonne Christ Iesu our Lorde and sauiour.Roma. viii. Now haue ye heard my fayth concerning God the father.

It is a faith both true and christen, and from the beginning receiued of all godly par­sons. Will it please you likewyse to reherse your faith concerning Iesus Christ y^e sonne of God, yea God and man.

This it is.

I vnfainedly beleue,Of God the sonne. with my heart and frely confesse wyth my mouth y^e, Iesus Christ the seconde persone in the godhead is the on­lyMath. viii and .xvii. [Page 232] begotten sonne of God,Iohn .i. yea and true, immortall and euerlasting God,Rom. i. begotten of God the father before any beginning,Hebr. i. of lyke ma­iestie, myght, power, & glory with God the father,Collos. i. of the same na­ture, essence, being and substance.Iesus. I beleue that this Iesus Christe whiche is the very brightnesse of his fathers glory, and the very image of his substance, first begotten before all creatures, is oure Lord, euen the Lord of all y^e faith­full.Math. i. And I beleue that as he is called Iesus, that is to saye, a sa­uiour: so likewyse he is both able and will saue me frō al my sinnes. A God that is righteous,Esay. xlv. & suche one as saueth, there is none but he.Act. iiii. There is saluation in none o­ther.Iere. xvii. Neither is there any other name vnder heauen geuen vnto men, wherein we may be saued, but only the name of Iesus. Of [Page 233] hym therfore alone as of an al­mighty sauiour doe I loke for my saluation.Psal. ixx. For vain is the sauing health that is loked for of any o­ther. And as he is called Christ,Christ. y^e is to saye, annoynted, because he is the Kyng and Priest of all the people of God, and is annoynted with the true oyntment,Iohn. iii. euē with the fulnes of the holy ghoste (for God geueth not the spirite by me­ [...]ure vnto him,Psa. xlv. but he hathe an­noynted him with the oyl of glad­nes aboue his fellowes) euē so do I beleue, that out of hym euen as out of a liuely spring and flowing fountaine, this oyle of gladnes, I meane the holy ghoste, come forth vpon all the members of Christ, and they also in him, & tho­ [...]om him are made Christes, that [...]s to say, the annointed of the lord. For of his fulnes haue all we re­ceiued, euen grace for grace.Iohn. i. And [Page 234] whosoeuer beleueth on hym (as sayeth the scripture)Iohn. vii. flouds of ly­uing water shall flowe out of his belly. As I am of this Christ cal­led a christian: so do I beleue, that this Christ hath annoynted me w^t his holy spirite, and therwith also sealed me vp vnto euerlasting life▪ For they that are led with the spi­rit of God, are the sonnes of God. For the same spirit certifieth our spirite,Math. viii. that we are the sonnes of God. If we be sonnes, then ar we also heires, the heires I meane o [...] God, & fellow heires with Christ of eternall glory.

Furthermore I beleue, tha [...] Iesus Christe the onlye begotten sonne of God, is called our Lord not only because he is Lorde of al [...] thinges, in asmuche as he is Go [...] and hath all thinges in subiection vnto hym by the ryght of his di [...]uine nature, but also because h [...] [Page 235] is the Lord, ruler & gouernour of all the elect and chosen people of God, & myghtely deliuereth them from the power, violence and ti­ranny of Satan, sinne and death by this meanes making them his owne and peculier people, & continually defendeth and preserueth them against all euils and perils, wherunto they should dayly fall thorow the deceitfull suttelties of Satan, the vaine perswasions of the world, & the poysonfull entise­ments of the flesh, if by the mighty power of him they wer not preser­ued.i. Cor. viii. For althogh there be many lords yet haue we but one lord, euē Iesus Christ, by whō ar althings & we by him. And this Iesꝰ Christ y^e only begottē son of god, I faith­fully beleue to be my lord, my pro­tector, my mighty shield, bukler & defender, and y^t he hath deliuered me frō the tirany of Satā from y^e [Page 236] law of sin and death,Rom. viii. Rom. v. and brough [...] me in thorowe faithe vnto this grace, wherin I stād and reioys [...] in hope of the glory of God.

Of Christes humanitie.Moreouer I vnfainedly beleue with my heart, & frely confesse w^t my mouth that this Iesus Christ the only begotten sonne of God,Hebr. iiii. is also very true and naturall man, of the same flesh & bloud with vs, and like vnto vs in all poyntes, sinne alone except.Esay. vii. And he became man not after the maner of other men, but by the wonderful opera­tion, and aboue natural working of Gods naturall spirite.Math. i. For he was conceiued of the holy ghost, & borne of the Uirgin Mary. That which was conceiued in her, was not of man, but it came of the holy ghost.Luk. i. For y^e holy ghost came vpō that godly maid, and the power of the hiest ouershadowed her, & so conceiued she and brought forth [Page 237] Christ her true & natural sonne, a pure and vndefiled Uirgin before the birth, in the birth, & after the birth.Psalm. ii. It was necessary, that Ie­sus Christ shuld be so both concei­ued and borne,Rom. v. that by this his pure and cleane birth,Ephe. ii. he myght washe and put away the corrup­tion and filthinesse of our nature, which was distained in the fall & [...]inne of Adam. For it was not cō ­ [...]enient,Iob. xiiii. that he which was come [...]o purge the world from all sinne, [...]huld in any point be spotted with [...]iune,Eccl. xxxiiii. but that both his conceptiō [...]nd natiuitie should be so pure & [...]ithout blemish,Psal. ii. that by the pure­ [...]es therof, the filthines & corrup­ [...]ion of our conception and nati­ [...]itie might be put awaye.Ephe. ii. For of [...]e vncleane, who can be clensed? [...]ll we be vncleane in Adam both [...]ncerning our conception and [...]rth, for after y^t God had made [Page 238] man like vnto his own similitud [...] and Image,Gene. i he placed hym in pa­radise,Gene. ii. and gaue him lybertie t [...] eat of all the fruites in the garden of pleasure, except y^e tree of know­ledge of good and euill.Gene. iii But ma [...] disobeyed the Lorde his God, and transgressed his holy commaund [...]ment.Roma. v Thorow the whiche disobe­dience and transgression of God [...] holy cōmaundement, Ephe. lisinne, curse and death came ouer al mankind so that nowe in Adam so many a [...] are borne after the commō cours [...] of nature, are begotten, cōceiued and borne in sinne.Iohn. iii They are th [...] children of wrath, & defiled wit [...] all vnclennes both bodely & gho [...]ly.Psal. ii Now whan there was no he [...] nor comfort for man, whereby [...] might be redemed out of Satan power, and deliuered from his i [...]tollerable miseries,Gene. vi. wherewith [...] was to muche wretchedly wra [...]ped [Page 239] and brought into slauery (for now man w^tal his thoughts, ima­ginations, deuices, words, dedes, enterprises. &c. is become thorowe the sin of Adam: wicked, vnpure, [...]ilthy and synfull) then God that mercifull father had pity vpō mā ­kind, and promised them a sede, e­uen Iesus Christ his only begot­ten sōne,Gene. iii which shuld tread down the head of the serpent, ouercome [...]he deuill with al his power, & re­ [...]tore vs to life againe.Psalm. ii. Psalm. cxiv Titus, [...] And lyke­wise as god is righteous in al his wayes, & holy in all his workes, & [...]rue & faithfull in all his wordes: [...]uen so hath he kept al his promi­ [...]es truely.Gala. iiii For whē the time was [...] he sent his only begotten [...] dearely beloued sonne into the [...]ombe of the virgin Mary,Math. i. Luk. i. wher of whome thorowe the working [...]f the holy ghost, he became fleshe, [...]at is to saye, true and naturall [Page 240] man, as the scripture witnesseth saying:Iohn. i. The word became fleshe, & dwelt among vs, and we saw his glory, as the glory of the only be­gotten sonne of the father full o [...] grace and veritie. He brought no [...] his body with him from heauen (as certain heretikes affirme) bu [...] as he receiued all his deuine na­ture and substance of God the fa [...]ther alone: euen so likewyse did h [...] take all his humaine nature and substance of the pure virgin Ma­ry alone, through the wonderful operation of the spirite of God,Rom. i. a [...] S. Paule saithe, he was borne o [...] the sede of Dauid after the fleshe Againe he sayth,Hebr. ii. he that sanctif [...]eth, and they whiche are sanctif [...]ed, are all of one. For which ca [...]ses he is not ashamed to call the [...] brethrē,Psalm. xxii. saying: I wil declare th [...] name to my brethren, and in th [...] mids of the congregation wyll [Page 241] praise thee. And againe I wil put my trust in hym.

And again.Esay. viii. Behold here am I, and the children which God hath geuen me. Forasmuch therfore as the childrē were partakers of flesh and bloud, he also him selfe lyke­wyse toke part with them, for to put downe (thorow death) him, y^e had lordship ouer death, that is to say, the deuyll, and that he myght deliuer them, which through fear of death were all their life time in daunger of bondage. For he in no condition taketh on him the aun­gels, but the sede of Abraham ta­keth he on hym, wherefore in all thinges it became him to be made lyke vnto his brethren, that he myght be mercifull, and a faith­full hie Priest in thinges concer­ning God for to pourge the peo­ples sinnes.Hebr. iiii. &c. This only begot­ten sonne of God by takyng fleshe [Page 242] of the Uirgin Mary, became lyke vnto vs in all things, sinne alone except.Psa. ii. I beleue that by his pure conception and vndefiled natiui­tie, my conception, and my byrth, whiche cōming from Adam,Ephe. ii. was altogether vnpure and defiled,Iohn. iii. is clensed, and that no parte of that sinfull birth is imputed vnto me,Iohn. i. but y^e thorowe faith in this moste blessed sede of the Uirgine,Rom. viii. I am born a new & begotten of God, so that he is my father, & I am his sonne, and therfore enheritor also of his heauenly kingdome.

Furthermore I vnfainedly be­leue with my hart, and frely con­fesse with my mouth, y^t this seede of the woman Iesus Christ, at the commaundement and wyll of his heauenly father (whiche from e­uerlasting by his godly prouidēce ordained his only begotten sonne, to be a sacrifice for the sinnes of [Page 243] his people, that through his only oblation they myght for euer and euer bee saued) suffred many gre­uous paynes on his bodye vnder the Heathen ruler Pontius Pi­lat, and that he was crucified, di­ed and was buried. All those bit­ter paines and greuous torments he suffred, not for him selfe, but for vs, for our iniquities, sinnes and wickednesses, that he might recō ­cile vs vnto God the father. His paines satisfied for the paines due vnto vs for our faultes,Esay. iii [...] as y^e pro­phet saieth, he only hath taken on him oure infirmities, and borne our paines.Mat. xxviii. He was wounded for our offences, and smitten for our wickednesses.

For the chastisement of oure peace was layde vpon him, and with his strypes are we healed.i. Pet. ii. As for vs, we haue goone all a­stray (lyke shepe) euery one hath [Page 244] turned his own way. But y^e Lord hath heaped together vpon hym the iniquitie of vs all. He was cut of from the ground of the liuinge, whiche punishment did come vpō hym for the transgression of my people, saieth God, which in dede had deserued that punishement.

Ephe. ii.He was crucified and nailed to the crosse, that by the suffraunce of his fleshe, he might put away the cause of hatred, euen the lawe of commaundementes contained in the lawe written, and so wyn vs againe vnto the fauoure of God. For it pleased the father,Collos. i. y^t in him shuld all fulnes dwell, and by him to reconcile all thynge vnto hym selfe, & to set at peace by hym tho­rowe the bloud of his crosse, bothe thinges in heauen and thinges in earth.Collo. i. His blessed body crucified, and nayled to the crosse, buffeted, beaten and scourged was a swete [Page 245] smellyng sacrifice & a right deare offring vnto God the father,Ephe. v. suf­ficient inough and hable to the vttermoste to put away all the syn­nes of the faythfull and all the paynes due for the same. It satis­fied at the full the iustice of God, and apeased his wrath, sturred vp through sinne agaynst the poste­ritie of Adam, and made God of an angry Lord & righteous iudge a most merciful father and gentle sauiour. Nether nede the faithfull go for saluation vnto massemon­gers, vnto iusticiares vnto mon­kish hipocrites, nor yet vnto sain­ctes. The sacrifice of Christes bo­dy, which he him self that euerla­sting priest offred on the altare of the crosse to God the father, is a plenteous, full, perfect, and suffi­cient satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole worlde, if they repent, beleue & amend. We nede no such [Page 246] daily sacrifices, as the Papistes hearetofore for lucres sake haue deuised. As Christe Iesus is an euerlasting Bishoppe,Hebr. ix. so abideth his sacrifice, whiche he once for all offred on the Crosse, of ful vertue, power, might and strength, euen vnto the ende of the world. Iesus Christ yesterday,Hebr. xii. and to daye, and the same continueth for euer. For asmuche therfore as Christ endu­reth for euer and hath an euerla­sting Priesthode:Hebre. vii he is able also e­uer to saue them to the vttermost and vnto the full, that come vnto God by hym, seyng he euer liueth to make intercession for vs. For he is not entred into the holy places that ar made with handes (which are similitudes of true thinges) but is entred into very heauen for to appeare nowe in the sighte of God for vs, not to offer hym selfe often, as the hie priest entreth in [Page 247] to the holy place euery year with straunge bloud, for then must he haue often suffred sence the world began. But nowe in the ende of the world hath he appeared once to put sinne to flyght by the offe­ring vp of him self. And as it is a­poynted vnto all men, y^t they shall once die, and then commeth the iudgemēt:ii. Pet. iii euē so Christ was once offred to take away the sinnes of manye, and vnto them that loke for him shall he appeare again w^t out sinne vnto saluation. We are sanctified and made holye by the offeringe of Iesus Christes bodye done once for all.Hebr. [...] With one only oblation hath Christ Iesus made perfecte for euermore them that are sanctified. Adue therfore to all newe counterfaict and straunge sacrifices deuised for lucres sake, by the crafty conueyance of man through the subtile suggestion of [Page 248] slie Satan, let the faithfull peo­ple of God embrace that sacrifice, that offringe of Christes blessed body, which he him self offred vn­to God the father on the altare of the crosse once for al, for the sinnes of the worlde. Let them cleue and sticke vnto that. Let them repose their whole affiaunce, and put all trust in that swete smelling sacri­fice, and saye with the holy Apo­stle, God forbid,Gala. vi. that I should re­ioyse in any thing, but in y^e crosse, passion, and death of our Lord Iesu Christe. So may they be sure neuer to perishe, but to haue euer­lasting life.

Againe. This Iesus Christ the sonne of God, and the sonne also of the glorious virgin, after that he had suffred many bitter paines and greuous tormentes hauing vpon the crosse, died the death of the body & was buried. I beleue [Page 249] that Christ by his death hath con­quered,Hebr. ii. vanquished, subdued and ouercome him that had Lordship ouer death, that is to saye, the de­uill, that he myght deliuer them, which thorow fear of death were all their lyfe tyme subdued vnto bondage. Yea by his death Sa­thans power is so broken, and the violēce of death so weakened, that we may be bold to saye. Death is swalowed vp into victory. Death where is thy sting?i. Cor. xv. Hell, where is thy victory. The sting of death is sinne, and the strength of sinne is y^e law. But thankes be vnto God whiche hathe geuen vs wictorye through our Lord Iesus Christ.

Christe after the death of his body went downe in his soule to hell,Of Christes going downe to hell. Psal. xv. Act. ii. zach. ix. as clearely appeareth by the [...]criptures, not that he shuld there [...]uffer mo paines (whiche had all ready on the crosse suffred to the [Page 250] vttermoste and done whatsoeuer was nedefull for our redemption)Osee. xiii i. Pet. iii but to breake the pride of Sathan and to destroy the fury of the hel­lishe powers againste the chosen people of God, that al the faithful thereby might be deliuered from death and hell,Ose. xiii. and triumphant­ly say with the Prophet, O death I wyll be thy death, O hell, I wil be thy destruction.

Of Christes resurrection. Rom. iiii Psalm. iii. Ose. vi. Act. iii. Rom. i.And lykewyse as Christe died for our synnes, so I vnfaynedlye beleue with my hearte, and frely confesse with my mouthe, that he rose agayn the third day through the power of his father, for oure iustification according to the scri­ptures. And by this his resurrec­tion and lyfe, he hath not only she­wed hym selfe a glorious and tri­umphante conquerour ouer Sa­than,ii. Tim. [...] death and hell, but he hath also brought lyfe and immortall­tie [Page 251] vnto light, and assured vs of the resurrectiō of our bodies, that as he is rysen from the dead, so li­kewyse shall we with our bodies ryse agayne out of the earth at the last daye.i. Cor. x [...] And therfore is he cal­led the fyrst frutes of them that ar fallen aslepe.

Moreouer I vnfaynedlye be­leue with my heart,Of Christes Ascention. and frely con­fesse with my mouth that as Ie­sus Christ the sonne of God, & the sonne of the Uirgin Mary, shew­ed him selfe oftentimes after his resurrection vnto his disciples:Mark. xvi Luke. xxiiii Act. i. Rom. viii▪ so likewise he ascended vnto heauen in their presence perfect God and perfect man, & sitteth at the right­hand of God y^e father almighty, a­boue all rule, power, might & do­minion,Ephe. i. & aboue all y^t may be na­med, not only in this worlde,Collos. ii. but also in y^e worlde to come. For God the father hathe put all thynges [Page 252] vnder his feete, and hathe made him aboue all thinges the head of the congregation,Math. xxviii whiche is his body, and the fulnes of hym, that filleth all in all. Al power is geuē vnto him bothe in heauen and in earth.Apo. xix. He is a lord aboue al lords, and a king aboue all kinges.i. Timo. vi. Yea he is an almighty God with his father, of y^e same Maiestie, might, power and glory, and not withstā ­ding inasmuche as he is man, he is also our intercessour,Rom. viii. i. Tim. vi. i. Iohn. ii. mediator, and aduocate. For he is not gone vp into heauen to be an idle ga­ser, nor to neglect his churche, but to pray for the faythfull to make intercessiō for them vnto God the father, to be our mediatour & ad­uocate, and to appease the wrath of God the father, if at any tyme through sinne it waxeth whote a­gainst vs, and to wynne vs again vnto his fauoure, and to kepe vs [Page 253] in the same vnto thende.Christ is a sufficient me­diatour, aduocate, & inter [...]cessour. We nede not seke helpe of other, neither yet call on the sainctes departed that they may pray for vs, and pleade our cause before God. The man Christ Iesus alone,i. Tim. ii. i. Iohn. ii. Rom. viii. Hebr. vii. whiche gaue him self a raunsom for all men, is our sufficient mediatoure, aduo­cate and intercessour as the holye scripture teacheth in diuers pla­ces. Whosoeuer therefore refuseth to pray vnto this man Christ Ie­sus to be his mediatoure and ad­uocate vnto God the father, and [...]leeth vnto other: w^tout all doubt, he is an ennemy vnto Christ, and to the vttermoste of his power, he [...]aboureth to make Christ (as they [...]se to saye) Iacke out of office. For since the time of his ascention [...]is chief and principall office is to [...]e our intercessoure, mediatoure, [...]nd aduocate.

He ascended also into heauenPsal. lxvi. [Page 254] to leade captiuitie captiue, and to geue giftes vnto men.Ephe. iiii Satan that old enemy of mankind had taken vs captiue, made vs his bond sla­ues through sine, caried vs away with his craft & subtiltie from the Lord our God, and brought vs in to his kingdō of darcknes, whiche is the dreadful kyngdom of sinne, death and hell. Thus were we in great misery, and should for euer haue bene damned, if we had not bene holpen by some other mea­nes, then we withall oure wittes could deuise.Luke. xi. Therfore euen of ve­ry pity & tender compassion came one, which is much stronger the [...] Satan,Apoc. v. euen Christ that mighty Lion of the tribe of Iuda, a ryght conquerour,Osec. xiii. a strong Sampson, a valeant subduer of death, sinne, & hell, a puissaunt vanquisher of Satan.i. Cor. xv. &c. He as a king of glory mightely brast into Satās kyng­dome, [Page 255] brake open the gates of hel toke the Prince of darknes,Hebr. ii. boūd hym, toke him prisoner, made him his bound slaue, destroied his Empire, ledde away his prysonners, bringing them againe into moste ioyfull and blessed libertie, so that al they, which beleue in this most mighty Emperour and valeaunt conquerour Christ Iesus:Iohn. iii.x [...] are de­liuered from the tyranny of Sa­tan, and from the power of sinne death and hell.Roma. [...] ▪ There is no dam­nation nowe vnto them, whiche are engrafted in Christ Iesu. Satan, sinne, death and hell withall the infernall army cannot hurt y^e elect and chosen people of God. Who shall lay any thynge to the charge of Gods chosen?Roma. [...] It is God [...]hat iustifieth▪ who is he that can [...]ondemne? It is Christ, whiche died, yea rather whiche is rysen a­gaine, whiche is also on the right­hād [Page 256] of God and maketh interces­sion for vs. Who shal then seperat vs from the loue of God? &c.

Psal. lxviii.And as Christ by his most glo­rious and triumphant Ascension hath led captiuite captiue: so like­wyse hath he geuen giftes vnto men,Ephe. iiii. euen that holy ghost, that spirite of truthe, that comfortoure, whiche worketh in the heartes of the faithfull newe mocions and spiritual affectes,Ioh. xiiii.xv. faith, hope, loue, feare, humilitie, modestie, meke­nes, pacience,Gala. v. Roma. viii. long suffring, ioye, peace, quietnes of conscience, tem [...]peraunce, goodnes, mercy. &c. It mortifieth the old man, and quie­neth the newe man, whiche is re­nued vnto the knowledge and I­mage of him,Collos. iii. Ephe. iiii. y^t made him▪ whiche after God is shapen in righteous­nes and true holines.

Againe Christ ascending vp in [...]to heauen by y^e power of his god­head, [Page 257] hath prepared in the kingdō of his father euerlasting and ioy­full dwelling places, for so manye as beleue in hym, as he him selfe witnesseth,Ioh. xiiii. saying: I goe to pre­pare a place for you, and I wyll come agayn vnto you, & take you vnto my self, that where I am, ye also maybe. He hathe also ascer­tained vs of our ascension, and going vp into heauen, not onlye in soul but also in body. He corporally is rysen agayne and gone before into the glorious kingdom of his father, to declare that we also af­ter the generall resurrection shall both body and soule be caried into heauē. The members must nedes be lyke the head. Christ our head is risen againe, therfore shall we his members ryse agayne. Christ our head is ascended and gone vp into heauen both body and soule: therfore shal we his members as­cend [Page 258] and go vp into heauen bothe body and soule also, Christ our hed was taken vp into Heauen in a cloud bothe body and soule, there­fore shall we his members also be taken vp in a cloude to meete the lord, and so shal we both body and soule dwel with the Lord Christe our head for euer and euer,i. T [...]. iiii. as the holy Apostle testifieth, saying: If we beleue that Iesus died, & rose againe, euen so them whiche slepe by Iesus, God will brynge again with hym.i. Cor. xv. For this say we vnto you in the worde of the Lord, that we whiche shall liue, and shall re­maine in the comming of the lord, shall not come yer they whiche slepe.Math. xxiiii. For the Lorde him selfe shal descend from Heauē with a shout, and the voyce of the Archaungell and trompe of God.Dan. xii. And the dead in Christe shall aryse fyrste: then we, which shal liue (euē we which [Page 269] shall remaine (shalbe caughte vp with them in the cloudes to mete the Lorde in the ayre. And so shall we euer be with the Lorde.

Finally I vnfainedly beleue with my hearte,Of Christes comming vn­to the iudge­ment. and frely confesse with my mouth, that as the Lord Christ is ascended into heauen: so shall he come agayne from hea­uen with power and muche glo­ry, nobly accompanied with thou­sands of blessed▪ Aungels and heauenly sainctes, for to iudge the quicke and the dead, the faithfull and vnfaithfull, and to geue▪ eue­ry man his rewarde according to that he hathe donne,Actes. i. whether it be good or badde.Ephe. Ind. And when he thus gloriously shall come vnto the iudgemente,Apo. i. Acte [...]. x. ii. Corin. v all that are in the graues, shall heare his voyce, and shall come forthe: they that haue done good,Ihon. v. vnto the resurrection [...]f life, and they that haue done e­uil, [Page 260] vnto the resurrection of dam­nation.Math. xxv The faithfull shal go into eternall life,Dan. xii. the vnfaithfull into euerlasting damnation.Roma. iii Euery man shall be reward according to his dedes, that is to say: prayse, honor & immortalitie to them which continue in good doyng, and seke immortalitie. But vnto thē, that are rebels, and that doe not obeye the truthe, but followe vnrighte­ousnes, shall come indignation & wrath, tribulation and anguishe, vpon the soule of euery man that doth euell.

Now haue ye heard of my faith cōcerning Iesus Christ God and man. And I beleue al things that I haue spoken to be vndoubtedly true.Note. And I am fully perswaded, that Iesus Christ my lord and sa­uiour wrought all the thinges y^t euer he did in his humanitie for me and for my saluation. To saue [Page 261] me to reconcile me vnto God the father, to make me enheritour of euerlasting glory, he came downe from heauen, was incarnate by the holy ghoste, and borne of the virgin Mary. Yea he [...]uffred, was crucified, died, went down to hel, rose agayn the third day from the dead, ascended vnto heauen, and shall come again vnto iudgement for me, for my sake, for my glory, & saluatiō. Thus haue ye heard my fayth concerning God the father, and God the sonne, whiche also is man, receuing his humain nature of the glorious virgin Mary.Rom. [...]

Whosoeuer this beleueth and con­fesseth of God the father, and of his sonne Christ:Iohn. xvii the same can ne­uer perishe. For as our sauioure Christ saide vnto God the father in his praier: This is euerlasting life, euen to know thee y^e alone tru God, and whom thou hast sente [Page 262] Iesus Christ.

The wise man also saieth:Sap. xv. To know the (O god) as perfect righteousnes.

God sayth by the Prophet, yea to know thy rightousnes and pow­er, is the roote of immortalitie.

By the knowledge of him,Esdr. iiiii whiche is my righteous seruaunt, he shal iustify the multitude.

God graunte vs the true know­ledge of his sonne Christe, so may we be sure to be iustified, saued & gloryfyed.

Amen.

But now heare also my faythe concerning the third parson in the deity, which is the holy gost,

We heare you gladly.

Of God the holy Ghost. Genesis. i Psalm. ii. Math. iii.I vnfainedly beleue with my harte, and frely confesse with my mouthe, that the holy ghost is one and equal God in glory, maiestie, power and might with the father and the sonne, proceading from the father and the son after an vn­knowne [Page 263] and vnexpresseable ma­ner.Iohn. i. This spirite of God and God him selfe is he,Mat. xxviii by whom God the father through his sonne Christe and in Christ worketh and quick­neth all thinges.Iohn. xv and. xvi. All the benefites and graces which God the father bestoweth vppon vs for Christes sake,i. Ihon. v. Iohn. iii this holy ghost bringeth thē vnto vs, and maketh vs new ves­sels to receyue them, which other­wise euen of nature are so fleshly minded,i. Cor ii. that we perceiue nothing at all of those thinges,ii. Cor. iii which per­tayne vnto the spirite of God,Gala. v ney­ther are we able to thinke a good thoughte of our selues.Phill. ii For this godly spirite worketh in vs newe motions and new affectes,Iohn. xiiii xv. and. xv [...] and geueth vs grace both to will and to doo good. He is a teacher of al the faithfull, and leadeth them into al truth. He is a confortour of weake and sorowfull mindes.

[Page 264]He kepeth the true christians vn­moneable in one faith,i. Cor. xii and ope­neth their senses to vnderstand y^e misteries of God aright.Act. x. He doth clothe them with his giftes, and geueth to euery one a seueral gift euen as he wyll. He is the ruler of the Christen congregation. He is the anoyntment,i. Iohn. ii Psal. ciiii. Ephe. i. wherwith all the faithful are anoynted, and thereof are called the annoynted of the Lord. He is geuen vnto the faith­full to be the earnest of their enhe­ritaunce for the recouering of the purchased possession vnto y^e praise of his glory. He with his godlie breath quickeneth, maketh aliue, and conserueth all thinges. He of carnall maketh vs spirituall, of worldly godly, of wicked blessed, of the bond slaues of Sathan, the dearly beloued sonnes of God, of sinnefull sinckes, his owne moste pleasaunt and holy temple, of cru­ell [Page 265] meke, of proud: humble, of ma­licious: charitable, of contenti­ous: quiet, of couetous, liberal, of hard harted: meke spirited, of fro­ward: gentle, of stubburne: obedi­ent, of dissolute: temperat and so­ber, of false: true, of folish: wyse, of idle: godly occupied, of vnchast: pure and cleane, of the haters of God: the frendes of God, of the lo­uers of pleasures: the louers of godlines, to ende, he maketh vs of earthy: heauenlye. Whatsoeuer goodnes we haue, he is the alone author, worker and geuer of the same. Therfore I beleue and confesse that this holy spirite is one and equal God with God the fa­ther and God the sonne, procea­ding from them bothe with lyke maiesty, glorie, might and power. I beleue that this holy gost is my comforter, and that he prayeth for me, renueth me, dwelleth in [Page 266] me, and hathe sealed me vp vn­to euerlastyng glorye. Now haue ye hard my faith and my beilefe in the father, and in the sonne, and in the holy ghost, which .iii. I beleue and confesse to be one God, whose seat the heauen is, and whose fote­stole is the earth.Esay. [...]xvi Actes. vii. Psal. cxlv. Deuter. vi. Iohn. iiii. Esa. xliiii. He is an euerla­styng and almighty God, whiche alone is to be honoured & serued in spirit and truthe. For he alone can helpe vs forasmuche as he is almighty, & will helpe vs because he his mercifull true and faithful, yea and that not for our rightous­nes, but for his names sake.i. Timo. i. To this one, true, liuing, euerlastyng immortal, inuisible, & alone wise God, king of kinges and Lorde of Lordes, be all honoure and glory, worlds without end.Apoca. iiii

Amen.

Thou art worthy (O Lord) to receyue glory and honour, and power, for thou haste created all [Page 267] things, and for thy wils sake they are and were created. Blessing & glory and wisdome,Apoca. vii. and thankes and honor and might, be vnto our God for euermore.

So be it.

Simply and plainely haue I here before you all rehearsed my faithe and belief in God and in the thre parsons of the Godhead, as I haue here tofore learned it of gods moste holy worde.

I confesse that many thinges mo mighte be spoken of the won­derfull misteries of this most bles­sed and holy Trinitie, but they farre exceade my vnderstanding, and therefore I dare not meddle with them.Pro. xxv. For it is written, he that is a searcher of the Maiestie, (of God) shall be oppressed of the glorye (thereof.Eccle. i [...]) Againe: Seke not oute the thinges that are a­boue thy capacitie, and serche not the ground of suche thinges as ar [Page 268] to mighty for thee, but loke what God hath cōmaunded thee: think vpon that alway, and be not cu­rious in many of his workes. For it is not neadeful for thee, to se w^t thine eies the thinges that are se­creat.

The holy Apostle also counselleth vs to be modest,Rom. xii. & so­ber, and that we be not curious to searche after the knowledge of things, which passe our capacitie.

The holy psalmograph semeth to haue followed this coūcel wel, whiche saieth on this manner of him selfe:Psal. cxxxi. Lord I am not hie min­ded, I haue no proud lokes, I doe not exercise my self in great mat­ters, which are to hie for me. But I refrain my soule, & kepe it lowe, like as a child that is weaned frō his mother, yea, my soule is euen as a wened childe, O Israel trust in the Lorde from this time forth for euermore.

Neighbour E­paphroditus, [Page 269] there remain yet be­hind mo articles of the Christen faith, Haue you forgotten them?

No good brother Philemō, God forbid I should forget them. For in them (next vnto God) lieth now my chief consolation & com­fort. Should I being in this case forget the holye congregation of God, whiche is the company and felowship of the sainctes & chosen people of God, of whome Christ y^e Lord is the head, ruler and gouernour? Should I in this my sicke­nes forget the hie and singulare benefites of God, whiche of his own fre mercy and mere goodnes he liberally geueth to al faithfull penitent sinners, namely remis­sion of sinnes, the Resurrection of the body, and lyfe euerlasting? God forbid. God forbid. For the remembraunce of these thynges comforteth me greatlye. I wyll [Page 267] therfore (although my winde be­ginneth to waxe shorte, and it is painefull vnto me muche for to speake) declare my faithe concer­ning these Articles.

God strengthen you.

Amen.

As I vnfainedly beleue with my heart,Of Christes Church or congregatiō. and freely confesse with my mouth, that there is but one God, in whome alone I put al my con­fidence, truste and hope of saluati­on, and at whose hand only I loke for all good thinges, pertayning either vnto the bodye or vnto the soule:Canti. vi. so lykewyse I bothe beleue and confesse, that there is but one holy vniuersal churche or congre­gation of the faithefull, all be it they be despersed and scattered a­brode thorow out the world in di­uers and sondry places,i. Corin. i which are gathered & knit together through the operation of the holy ghost in the vnitie of the spirite,Roma. xii. and ioy­ned [Page 271] together in one faith, as members of one bodye,Collos. [...]. whereof Iesus Christe is the heade. This holy Churche or congregation lynked together in the felowship of the holy Ghoste is a spirituall house,i. Peter. ii. builded of liuing stones, a chosen generation, a royall Priesthod to offer vp spiritual sacrifices accep­table to God by Iesus Christe, an holy nation, a people whiche are won that they should shewe forth the vertues of hym, whyche called them oute of darkenesse into his maruelous lighte, this Churche is the congregatiō of the liuing god, the pillar and ground of truthe.i. Tim. iii. This holy company are Citizens with the Saincts and of the housholde of God,Ephes [...]. ii. and are builte vpon [...]he foundation of the Apostles [...]nd Prophets, Iesus Chryst him selfe being the hed corner stone.

Thys Churche is the spouse [Page 272] of Christ, and knoweth none other husband & head but Christ alone.Iohn. x. This blessed company are these shepe whiche gladly heare y^e voyce of their shepehard Christ, but they flie from the voyces of straūgers.

Ephe. iiii. And as they are one body and one spirite, so confesse they on [...] Lord, one faithe, one Baptisme [...] one God and father of all.

i. Cor. i. There is among them no dissen [...]tion, but thei maintain one truth preache one doctrine, speake on [...] thing, are of one minde and of on [...] meaning. This holy Catholik [...] churche or vniuersall congregatiō is that holy city,Apoc. xii. that newe Hieru [...]salem, whiche came downe fro [...] God out of heauen, prepared as [...] bride garnished for her husband And because no man shall doub [...] of what Churche I speake,What the churche is. I con [...]fesse that to be the holy Catholik [...] and Apostolike Churche, which [...] [Page 273] is the company and felowship of the sainctes, that is to saye of the faithfull, whiche are sanctified & made holy by the spirite of God, and by the bloud of Christ our sa­uiour,i. Cor. vi. whiche haue the pure word of God truely and sincerely prea­ched,Math. xviii. and the Sacramentes due­ly and faithfully ministred amōg them,i. Cor. v. whiche excommunicate all disobedient notable sinners,ii. Cor. [...] and receiue into their felowship suche as vnfainedly repente and tourne from their wickednes,i. Tim. i [...] which stu­dy in all things to please the Lord God, and to liue in all godlinesse and honestie. This church and cō ­pany Christ loued so dearly,Ephe. v. that he gaue him self for it to sanctifie it, and clensed it in the fountaine of water thorow y^e word to make it vnto him selfe a glorious con­gregation without spot or wrin­cle,Cant. iiii. or any suche thinge, but that it [Page 274] shoulde be holy & without blame. Whosoeuer is in this church and congregation: he may be sure to besaued. But whosoeuer is not in it, he is without all dout dam­ned.Gene. vii. For like as in y^e time of Nohe no man escaped with his life,ii. Peter. ii, but was drowned in the floud, excepte he entred into the Arcke of Nohe:Iohn. xv Euen so whosoeuer is not founde in this felowship or Catholicke Churche, agreing with it in one faith, doctrine, hope, loue, and sa­cramentes, he shall pearish and be lost. For without the Churche of Christe there is no saluation, no forgeuenes of sinnes, no fauoure of God, no quyetnes of conscience no true Gospell, or glad tidinges of eternall healthe.

Therfore in this holy Churche & blessed felowship of the sainctes and faithfull, I vnfainedly beleue with my harte and frely confesse [Page 275] with my mouthe that there is re­mission and forgeuenes of sinnes,Of the for­geuenes of sinnes. and that withoute it, no sinne is forgeuen, nether is there any hope of saluation. For as it is vnpossi­ble that a member can liue which is not in the body, so it is vnpossi­ble that any man may lyue in hys soule, and be released out of death by remission of synne, whyche is not a mēber of the body of Christ.Ephesi. [...] For Christe hathe reconciled vs al vnto God his father in one body.Ephesi. i. And therfore must all they stande at variance with God,Ep [...]. [...] that ar no mēbers of this body of the which Christe is the head, to the whiche also he geueth saluation. This therfore is a great conforte to the faithfull congregation, that all­though thorowe infirmitie of na­ture or otherwise they doo fall, of­ [...]end God & break the Lords com­maundements: yet in this cōpany [Page 276] there is remission and forgeuenes of sinnes, so sone as euer they re­pent, be sory for their synne, and beleue to haue remissiō of all their sins for Christes precious bloudes sake. Synne we neuer so oft and neuer so greuously, yet being mē ­bers of this holy company, we ar straight waies forgeuen and deli­uered a paena & culpa, frō the pain and the fault,Math. ix Mark▪ ii Luke. v. so sone as we turne vnto the Lord our God. And these our sinnes be not forgeuē of men, but of God alone, neither forge­ueth he part and reserueth part, but he forgeueth all or els none at all. Again he forgeueth not the fault, and reserueth the paine, but with the faulte he also forgeueth the pain due for the fault, that he may be an whole and perfect sa­uiour, as s. Iohn saith: If we say we haue no sinne, [...]. Iohn. i. we deceiue our selues, and the truthe is not in vs. [Page 277] But if we cōfesse our sinnes. God is faithfull and righteous to for­geue vs our sinnes, and to make vs cleane from all iniquitie. And God himself saith by the Prophet:Iere. xx [...] I wil forgeue their misdedes, and wil neuer remember their sinnes any more.Esay. xliii. Againe, I am he, yea I am he alone, which put away thy iniquities, yea, and that for myne own sake, and I wil remēber thy sinnes no more. And king Ezechi­as in his praier vnto God said: it is thou (O Lord) that cast all my sinnes behind thy back.Esay. xxxviii The Pro­phet Miche also saith:Miche, vii Where is there such a God as thou art? that pardonest wickednes, and forge­uest the offences of the remnaunt of thine heritage? He kepeth not his wrath for euer. And why? his delite is to haue compassion. He shal turne agayne and be merciful to vs. He shall put down our wic­kednes, [Page 278] and caste all oure sinnes into the bottom of the sea.

I faithfully beleue that I am a member of Christes church, and I am also fully perswaded, that al my sinnes be forgeuen me of God the Father,Iohn. i not for my merites, whiche are none, but for Iesus Christes sake,Iere. xxxi Esay. xliii for Christes merits passion, death, and bludshedding. For grace and truthe came by Ie­sus Christe sayth the holy Euan­gelist.Mich. vii And I beleue,Psal. xxxii. that God fo [...] his sonnes sake hathe so frely and wholy forgeuen me all my sinnes, that he wil neuer remembre them more, neuer impute thē vnto me, nor lay them to my charge, but so receyue me into his fauoure, as though I had neuer offended him and make me his sonne, and heyer of euerlasting glory.Roma. vi. For euerla­sting life is the gift of god through Iesus Christe oure Lorde sayeth [Page 279] the Apostle. Thys is the stay and quientes of my conscience at thys presente. This maketh me not to feare deathe,Philem. i but ioyfully to loke for it,Psal. xlii. and louingly to embrace it, when soeuer it commeth. For I wish to be losoned from this mor­tall body, and to be with Chryste.Psal. cxix. My soule hath a feruent desire to God euen vnto the Lord my god. Deliuer my soule, O Lord, out of prison, that I may come vnto the, and glorify thy holy name.

For albeit this my weak, feble, sicke and mortall body shall geue ouer to nature, and die, yet I vn­famedly beleue with my hart, and frely confes with my mouth, that at the last day it shall rise agayn, as the bodies of all other,Of the resur­rection of the body. both mē and women, that haue died, shall likewise do. There shalbe a gene­rall resurrectiō of the flesh.Esdr. xxvi. Al that are dead, shall rise agayne, some [Page 280] to euerlasting life,Eze. [...]xxvii Dan. xii and some to e­uerlasting paine and damnation, as our sauiour Christ saith:Iohn. v The hour shall come, in the which all y^t are in the graues, shall heare the voice of the sonne of God, and shal come forthe, they that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life, and they that haue done euill vn­to the resurrection of damnation.ii. Cor. xv Yea they that shall lyue and re­maine vntill the comming of oure Lord & sauiour Christ Iesu, shall all be chaunged, yea and that in a moment, in the twinckling of an eie by the last trompe. For the trompe shall blowe, and the dead shall rise vncorruptible, and we shalbe chaunged, for this corrup­tible body must put on vncorrup­tibilitie, and this mortall bodye must put on immortalitie. Ther­fore I fear nothing at all the put­ting of of this body: for although [Page 281] it slepeth in the earth for a time & according to the ordinance of god be turned into dust, yet shall it a­wake and ryse againe out of the earth: so that I shall receiue it in a far better state, then euer I had in it this world, euen like vnto the glorious body of our Lord and sa­uiour Christ Iesu.Phil. iii. Wherfor I say with the holy man Iob,Iob. ix. I beleue that my redemer liueth, and that I shall rise out of the earth in the [...]atter day, and that I shall be clo­ [...]hed again with this skin, and se God my sauiour in my flesh. Yea, I my selfe shall beholde him, not with other eies, but with these [...]ame eies. This hope is stedfastly [...]et in my heart.

To ende,Of euerla­sting life. I vnfainedly beleue with my heart, & frely cōfesse with my mouth, that after my body & soul be vnited and knit together, I with all the faithful that haue [Page 282] liued from the beginning vnto the very end of y^e world shall through the benefit of Christ Iesu, enioy e­uerlastyng lyfe.

Sapien. iiiSo many as haue truely bele­ued on Christe Iesu,Dani. xii Mat. xxii shall enioy continuall and blessed peace, gli­ster as the shining of heauē, [...]e as the stars world without end, [...]poca. iiii yea they shall be clad with white gar­ments, and haue golden crownes vpon their heades.Psal. lxxxiiii They shal glo­rify God and doo seruice day and nighte before the glorious throne of his maiesty. They shall se God face to face,Apo. iiii.v. and for euer and euer enioy the presence of Gods moste excellent Maiesty, [...]. Cor. xiii. and the compa [...]ny of all the heauenly Angels and blessed sainctes.

Of the ioyes of euerlasting life, whiche God hathe in store for all faithfull beleuers, can no man ey­ther write, speake, or thincke at [Page 283] [...]he full,Esai. lxiiii. as it is written: the eye hathe not sene, and the eare hathe not heard, nether haue entred in­to the hearte of man,i. Cor. ii the thinges whiche God hath prepared for thē that loue him.Roma. v [...] And this euerla­sting life is the gift of god thorow Iesus Christ our Lord, to whom be all honoure and glory for euer and euer.

Amen.

Thus haue I declared before you my faith concerning God and his holy misteries, grounded, I trust, on the true and vndeceyue­able worde of God. And I faith­fully beleue, that God my heauen­ly Father will be mercifull vnto me, and forgeue me all my sinnes for Christes sake, and receyue me into his heauenly kingdome, and geue me euerlasting life, whiche I now most entirely desire, wish and longe for, counting my selfe then most happy, whiche through [Page 284] death I shall take my passage to­ward that most glorious and hea­uenly kingdom.ii. Cor. v For I know and am fully perswaded, that if my earthy mansion of this dwellinge were once destroied, I shuld haue a building of God, an habitation not made with handes, but euer­lasting in heauen.

God geue vs all that heauenly mansion.

Amen.

Well, come thou hither myne owne deare wife,Wife. let me kisse thee, and bid thee farwel. God kepe thee & defend the.Children. Come ye hither also my most swete chil­dren, that I may kisse you also be­fore I die. God blesse you, & sende you prosperous daies on thearth. God geue you his spirite, that ye may liue in his faith, feare, and loue,Luk. i. and serue him in holines & righteousnes al the daies of your life.Seruauntes Ye my seruaunts, draw nere, geue me your hands. Far ye wel. [Page 285] God make you his seruauntes, & send you obedient harts vnto his holy and blessed lawe. Wepe not for me, but praye for me, that the wil of God may be done in me, & that I may bothe paciently and thankefully abide the good plea­sure of God. I trust we shal haue a ioyfull meting againe together in the kingdome of our heauenlye father, where we shall reigne one with an other in ioye and glorye worldes without ende,i. Cor. xii [...] and se the glorious maiestie of God face to face,i. Iohn. iii. vnto our exceding consolati­on and comfort. Wel, depart in the name of God: The grace of oure Lord Iesu Christ, the loue of god and the felowship of the holy gost be with you all.i. Cor. xi [...]

Amen. Nowe good brother Epaphrodi­ [...]us how do you.Math. xxv Mark. xiiii

The spirit is willing and ready, but the flesh is weake.

I pray you sir be [Page 286] on good confort.

The Lord is my confort. He ful gratiously dea­leth with me.

Do you lack any [...]thing sir?

Nothing but stren­th frō aboue that I may paciently abide and suffer the good plesure of God. Thy wil be don, o heauen [...]ly father in erth,Math. vi. as it is in heauē Let me lie somwhat hier with my head. It is well: a litle thing, god knoweth, disquieteth this my sick & weake body. I trust, that with­in fewe houres it shalbe paste al [...] sicknes and misery, and shal bothe [...] quietly & swetely slepe in the harte [...] of the earth, vntill the great daye of the generall resurrection. In y^e meane season shall my soule be in glory with Christ,Luke. xxiii. Iohn. xvii. Philip. i i. Cor. xiii. i. Iohn. iii and ioyfully be [...]hold the glorious maiesty of God. I will cease talking for a little whyle with you, and fall to cōmu­nication with my lord God in my hart. I pray you pray for me, that [Page 287] I may continue faithfull vnto the end. For it is written: Be faithfull vnto the death, & I will geue thee the crown of life.Apoca. [...]

Neighbors [...]om aside a little while, and let vs fall to prayer.

Most gladly

Lord heare our praiers.

And let our cry com vnto thee.

Saue this thy seruaunt O Lord,Prayers for the sick. thou father of mercies & God of all consolatiō.ii. Cor. i.

And so worke in him by thy blessed spirit that he may put his whole trust in the.Psal, xi [...]

Sēd him present help frō thy ho­ly place.

And euermore mighte [...]y defēd him against sathan, sinne, desperation, death & hell.

Let his enemy the deuill haue none a­ [...]uantage of him.Psal, lxxxi.

Nor y^e wicked aproche to hurt him.

Be vnto him o lord,Psal. lxi a strōg toure, a mighty castell & sure fortres.

To de­fēd him frō the face of his enemy.

O Lord hear our prayers.

[Page 288]And let our cry come vnto thee.

O Lord loke down from hea [...]uen,A praier. behold, visit, & relieue thi [...] thy seruaunt. Loke vpō him with thy eyes of thy mercy, geue hym comfort and sure cōfidence in the [...] defend him from the daunger o [...] the ennemy, and kepe him in per [...]petuall peace and safetie through Iesus Christ our Lord.

Amē ▪

‘Heare vs almighty and mos [...] merciful God and sauiour,A praier. extēd thy accustomed goodnes to this thy seruaunt, whiche is greued with sicknes, visit him (O lorde,) as thou diddest visit Peters wi­ues mother,Math. viii and the Capitaines seruaunt. Restore vnto this sick parson his former health (if it b [...] thy wil) or els geue him grace so to take thy visitation, that after this painfull life ended, he maye dwel with the in life euerlasting.’

Amen.

Arise and let vs [Page 299] go againe, vnto our sicke brother. Now neighbour Epaphroditus, how do you? Reioyce I pray you in the Lord, and beare this crosse which God hath now laied vpon you,Phi. iii. both paciently and thancke­fully.

If I haue heretofore bene glad to receiue health at the Lordes hand,Iob. ii. why shuld not I al­so nowe take in good worth this his moste gentle and louing visi­tation? The Lord gaue me health,Iob. i. and the Lord hath taken it away againe. It hath chaunced vnto me as the Lords pleasure is, bles­sed be the name of the Lord.

This cōforteth vs greatly to hear so good and godly wordes procede out of your mouth.Mat. xii. For of the a­boundance of the hart the mouth speaketh, saith our sauiour Christ. A good man out of the good trea­sure of the heart, bringeth forthe good things.Math. xix

No man is good [Page 300] but God alone. We are al vnclene & vnprofitable seruaunts.Esay. lxiiii If any goodnes we haue, it is of God, as blessed Iames saith: Euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue, & commeth downe from y^t father of lyghtes, that he whiche reioyseth,Luke. xvii. i. Cor. iiii. Iames. i Iere. ix. i. Corin. i shoulde reioyse in the Lord.

Now good neighbour how fele you your self?

O bro­ther Christopher. I perceiue ther is none other waye with me but one, euen to depart from this lyfe.

Let it neuer greue you moost genle neighbour to geue ouer vn­to nature,An exhorta­tiō to the sick to die willingly. and to depart from this worlde, at the callynge of God. There is a time to be borne,Eccle. iii. and a time to die. We must be as wel cō tent to die, as we were to liue, and as wel pleased to leaue the world, as we were to come into it.

We ar mortal, we therfore must nedes die. Let vs not bear heaue­ly, [Page 301] that necessitie importeth. God crea [...]d vs, that we shuld once die let vs not therefore repugne and striue against the good pleasure of God. There shal none other thing chaunce vnto vs by death, than that hathe heretofore chaunced vnto our predecessours,Psal. lxxxix. and shall likewyse chaunce vnto our poste­ritie. Who hath lyued, that hath not died? Who doth now or shall liue, that shall not also tast death? One & the same way must nedes be troden of all Adams posteritie. There is no meane to escape. A­dam sinned and became mortall.Roma. v All we haue sinned also in Adam, therefore all we are made in him mortall and subiect vnto death. As by one man (saith S. Paule) sinne entred into the worlde, and death by the meanes of sinne? Euē so death also went ouer al men, in so muche as all we haue synned.Roma. vi. [Page 302] The reward of sinne is death. [...]. ii God in dede created mā at the be­ginning to be immortall and not to be destroyed by death, yea after the Image of his owne likenesse made he him. Neuerthelesse tho­row enuy of the deuil came death into the world. The history of A­dams fal is known,Gene. iii in whō we al­so fel. Sence that time he & all his posteritie haue bene mortall,Iohn. iii haue died & shal die. We al ar now flesh earth,Eccle. x dust & ashes. So sone as we be borne, so sone begin we to die. This our life is nothing els then a very passage vnto death. Noble and base, pore and riche, faire and foule, wel fauoured and il fauou­red, mighty and weake, wise & fo­lish, fortunate and wretched, ru­ler and subiect, faithfull and vn­faithfull, Christian and Painim, old and yong, man, woman and childe, euery bodely creature that [Page 303] liueth on the face of the earth shall die. Whether the life be short or long, the end of it is death. All the holy Patriarkes, Iudges, kings, Priestes, Prophets, and all other whiche liued before the comminge of Christ, died. Ihō Baptist, Chri­stes mother, & all the disciples of Christ died. Yea, Christ him selfe although moste innocent & with­out all sinne, after he was once clad with our flesh, and had taken on him our nature, became mor­tall, and to pay our raunsome vn­to God the father,Phil. ii. and to set vs a­gaine at libertie, he suffred death, euen the death of the crosse.Math. [...]. Is y^e seruaunt greater then his Lorde? Or the disciple aboue his maister? Our Lord hath troden the way a fore vs, and shall we his seruants refuse to follow him? Our maister hath geuen vs an example to die, and shall we his disciples disdain [Page 304] to practise the lyke▪ If death had bene cast only vppon our backes, which liue in this age, so might y^e burthen haue bene thought vn­righteous and intollerable, but forasmuch as our ancestors haue already tasted of death and are gone, why shuld we that now liue beare so impaciently this commō chaunce? On this condition came we al into the world, y^t we should leaue it agayne.i. Par. xxix. For we be heare but strangers and soiourners, as were al our fathers.Psalm. xc. Our days on thearth also are but as a shadow, and there is none abiding. Oure daies passe away swiftly, and we are gone.Ioh. vii. The dayes of man are y^e daies of an hirelyng, yea wynde and nothyng.Psal. cxliiii Man is lyke vnto vanit [...]e, and his dayes passe away like a shadow.Psal. lxxxix Where is ther any man that liueth, and shall not se [...] death?Ioh. xiiii. man that is borne of a wo­man, [Page 305] hath but a short time to liue, and yet the tyme that he lyueth, he is full of mysery. He cometh vp and is cut down like a flower. He flieth as it were a shadow, and neuer continueth in one state.Hebr. xiii. Here haue we no continuing city, but we seke one to come. It is apoyn­ted of God, that all men shal once die. For what is our life? It is e­uen a vapour,Hebr. ix. that appeareth for a little tyme, and then vanisheth away,Iacob. iiii. Iob. ix. as Iob saith, my dayes are more swift then a runner, yea they passe away as the shippes that be good vnder sayle, and as the E­gle that flieth to the praye. Se­ing it is Gods will, pleasure and ordinaunce that wee should dye: why do we, which dayly pray on this manner. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen, shew our selues vnwilling to haue y^t thyng chaūce vnto vs,Math. vi. for the which we [Page 306] haue so often times praied? It is naturall to die, why then labour we to degenerate and growe out of kind? Our aūcestours the most holy and moste perfect haue died, why disdaine we then to followe their steps? It is highly for our profit to die, why are we than en­nemies to our selues? We can not cease to sinne, except we die, why do we than not hast to fle from so great an euil? We shal neuer come vnto the true life where felicitie bothe ioyfull and eternall is, ex­cept we die, why than make we so litle spede to hast thither, wher so many good thinges shalbe ge­uen vs? We shal neuer haue y^e fruition of Gods maiestie, & the bles­sed company of the heauenly spi­rits, except we die: why thē do we not pray daily vnto y^t lord our god to deliuer vs from this stincking sinck of euils (I mene this world) [Page 307] that we may come and enioye his most glorious presence? The very Heathen, which knew not God a right, but only dreamed of the im­mortalitie of the soule, & loked for a better lyfe after this, they knew not why they should feare death, but wyshed death and died bothe valeantly and ioyfully, and shall we being christians which know God and his holy word, and vnto whom so much comfort, hope, and euerlasting life is promised, re­fuse gladly and willingly to die? What a saying of an Ethnicke is this?Lib. [...]. [...] ­tuseul. O immortall God, howe is that pleasant and ioyfull iourney to be wished for, which being once done and past,Lib. de sence there remaineth no sorow, no care, no pensiuenes. A­gain, O that goodly and pleasant day, whan it shall be my chaunce [...]o leaue this filthy & troublesome world, and come to their compa­ny [Page 308] that inhabit the heauens. I [...] God wold suffer me, that I being of this age, might become an in­fant and sucking child againe, I woulde vtterly refuse it, neyther would I by any meanes call the rase that I haue run back again, that I might again be yong. For what pleasure & commoditie hath this life? yea rather what displea­sure, incommoditie, pain, trauel & trouble hath it not? But let it be graunted that it hathe pleasure, certes: yet hath it ether satietie or mesure. And nature in this world hath geuen vs a place to tary in for a while, but not to dwell & to continue in it. The Heathen wry­ters in their monumēts cal death a changing for a better life, a qui­et slepe: a remouing from morta­litie vnto immortalitie, from trou­ble: vnto quietnes, from y^e shadow of a life: vnto a very & vncounter­fet [Page 309] life, from sorow: vnto ioy, from euill: vnto good, an hauē of rest, a solace of the mind, an end of all e­uill and wickednesse, and a begin­ning of all true ioy, felicitie & plea­sure. Of these things may we eas­ly learne, what opinion the very Heathen conceiued of death, and shal we that professe Christ, know God,Rom. [...]. beleue his word and cal our selues dead vnto y^e world, recoūt death an euill thing,Collos. ii [...] and be lothe to go vnto it, whē God calleth vs, as though there were no resurrection of the body, no immortalitie of the soule, no life after this, no felowship with god, and with the heauenly spirites? The Iewes also beyng perswaded of the resur­rection of the body, and of thim­mortalitie of the soule, die ioyful­ly & with a lusty courage, whiche notwithstanding for their vnbe­lief in Christ are damned: and shal [Page 310] we whiche are christians tremble and shake at y^e name of death, as though after our death we should be in worse case then we be nowe, whan to say the truthe, the faith­full christians do than chiefly be­gin to liue, when thei depart from this world. All good men haue e­uer desired to depart frō this vile and wretched life, and to go vnto that ioyful and blessed state of im­mortalitie. [...]. Dauid that Prince-like Prophet crieth out and saith. Wo is me, and sory am I for it, y^t I must yet longer abide in this world. Again. Like as the hart desireth the water brokes, [...]salm. lxii so lōgeth my soule after thee, O God. My soul is a thurst for God, yea euen for the liuing God: when shall I come to appeare before the presence of God? [...]sal. lxxxiiii. Also in an other place he saith. O howe amiable are thy dwellinges thou Lord of hostes? [Page 311] My soule hath a desire & longing to enter into the courtes of y^e Lord my heart & my fleshe reioyse in the liuing God. Blessed are they that dwel in thy house, they shalbe al­way praising thee. One day in thy courtes is better then a thousand. I had rather be a dorekeper in y^e house of my God, then to dwell in the tentes of vngodlines. In ano­ther Psalme he praieth on this mā [...]er.Psal. [...]x [...] Deliuer my soule out of pry­ [...]on, that it may come and prayse [...]hy name.Tobi. i [...]. The holy man Tobias made his praier vnto God & said: O Lord deale with me according [...]o thy will, and commaunde my [...]pirit to be receiued in peace. For more expedient were it for me to [...]ie, then to liue. How desirous the [...]oly Apostle S. Paul was to go [...]rom this vale of misery, vnto the [...]eauenly kingdom, these his wor­ [...]es declare manifestly:Phillip. Christe is [Page 312] to me life, and death is to me ad­uauntage. Againe,Philip. i I desire to bee losed and to be with Christ. What shall I speake of that auncient & godly father Simeon, whiche so sone as he had sene Christ, know­ing him to be the sauioure of the world: was very desirous to die, & brast out into these wordes & said▪ Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace,Luke. ii. according to thy promes. For mine eyes haue sene thy saluation, whiche thou haste prepared before the face of al peo­ple. A light to lighten the gentils,Esry. xlix. and the glory of thy people Isra­el.Actes. xiii. Of the like affection with these tofore rehearsed, were without doubt all godly parsons from the beginning, then being moste ioy­full, whan they sawe the time of their departure from this wret­ched world to be come: so likewise brother Epaphroditus ought both [Page 313] you and we to reioyse and be glad whan death approcheth and com­meth vpō vs. For then beginneth our felicitie, welth, quietnes, safe­tie, ioy, pleasure, comfort & glory, as the voyce from heauen sayde: Blessed are the dead, which die in the Lord.Apoca. xiiii. For from henceforth the spirite saieth, that they shall be at reast from their labours, paines & trauailes. Precious and ryghte dear in the sight of the Lord, is the death of his sainctes,Psal. cxix. saith y^e Psal­mograph. The soules of the righ­teous, saieth the wiseman,Sapi. iii. are in the hand of God, and the paine of death shall not touch them. In y^e sight of the vnwyse they appeare to die, but they are in peace. Let vs not therfore fear death. To the infidele and vnfaithful mā, death is both fearefull and terrible, but to a faithfull man, it is bothe plea­saunte and amiable. Therefore [Page 314] neighbour Epaphroditus, as you haue hitherto in all your wordes shewed your selfe a faithful man, and wel contented to obey the wil of God: so likewise practise y^e same now in your workes. If the good pleasure of God be through this sicknes to cal you out of this val [...] of misery, stryue not against the wil of God, but submit your selfe to Gods holy working, & dout no­thing, but it shalbe to your great commoditie and singulare profit. For all thinges worke for the best vnto them y^t loue God.Rom. viii. God hath appoynted the boundes of your lyfe,Iob. xiiii. and beyond that ye can not go.Iohn. xi. When the twelfth houre com­meth, then shall ye make an ende. Labour therfore to make suche an end, as God therwith may be plea [...]sed, seing you know and are fully perswaded,Math. [...]. y^t not an here doth fal [...] from your head without the good [Page 315] wil of god,Luke. xii. much les shal your life be taken away frō you, til the ve­ry hour cōmeth, which God hath appoynted,Apoc. i. Psal. xxxi. in whose handes on­ly are the keyes bothe of lyfe and death.Eccle. x [...]

Death is terrible and fearfull.

The wyse man saith,Remedies a­gainst y^e feare of death. O death how bitter is the remembraunce of thee to a man that se­keth rest and comfort in his sub­staunce and riches, vnto the man that hath nothing to vexe him, & y^t hath prosperitie in all thinges, yea vnto him, that setteth all his mynde on belly cheare? O death, how acceptable and good is thy iudgement vnto the nedefull, and vnto him whose strength faileth, and that is nowe in his last age? &c. Be not thou afraide of death, remember them that haue ben be­fore thee, & that come after thee. This is the iudgemēt of the Lord [...]uer al flesh. And why wouldest y^t [Page 316] be against this pleasure of the hi­est. &c. To the vnfaithful death in dede is terrible and fearfull. For then begin their sorowes and mi­series, their plages and torments, as we may se in the historie of the richman,Luke. xvi. but to the faithfull and true beleuers death is pleasant & amiable, as it is written,Psal. cxvi. precious in the sight of the Lord is y^e death of his sainctes.Apoca. xiiii For then cease all their miseries and trauayles, and begin their ioyes and pleasures. Whosoeuer is a true Christian & fixeth y^e eies of his minde through true faith on the death of Christe,Sap. iii. he shall not greatly be afrayde o [...] death, but he shall rather triumph ouer death and with a lusty cou­rage saye thus vnto death:Ose. xii. O de­ath I wil be thy death. For death is swalowed vp into victorye through Iesus Christ our Lorde [...] i. Cor. xvThe sting of death can nowe no [Page 317] more hurt the faithfull, as our sa­uiour Christ testifieth, verely, ve­rely I saye vnto you: he that hea­reth my worde & beleueth on hym that sent me,Iohn. v. hathe euerlastinge life, and shall not come into dam­nation, but is scaped from death vnto life. Again, verely, verely I say vnto you:Iohn. vi. he that putteth his trust in me, hath euerlasting lyfe. I am that liuinge bread whiche came down from heauen. If any man eat of this bread, he shall liue for euer.Iohn. viii. Item, verely, verely I say vnto you: If a man kepe my saying he shal neuer tast death: al so in an other place, I am the re­surrection & life, he that beleueth in me, although he be dead, yet shal he liue.Iohn. xi. And euery one that li­ueth & beleueth in me, shall neuer die.

Death is painefull.

Who will not be content to suffer a little and shorte paine, that he [Page 318] may for euer after enioy continu­all quietnes and euerlasting rest?Remedies a­gainst the paines of death. ii. Tim. ii Roma. viii Nothing is gotten without paine and trauaile. No man is crowned except he striue lawfully The af­flictions of this life are not wor­thy of y^e glory, which shalbe shew­ed vpon vs.ii. Tim. ii. Notwithstanding if we die with Christ: we shall also lyue with hym. If we suffer, we shall reigne with him. Therefore be on good comfort, God is faith­full, which wil not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you are able to beare.ii. Cor. i. The Lord our God is a father of mercies, and God of all consolation, whiche will without all doubt be present with you and comfort you in all your sicknesses and paines. For as the afflictions of Christ are plenteous in vs: euē so is our consolation plenteous by Christ. As you are partaker of the afflictions: so shall ye be par­taker [Page 319] also of the consolation.ii. Cor. iiii. For this short and lyght trouble, sick­nes and pain prepareth an excea­ding & an eternal waight of glory vnto you, whyle you loke not on the thinges whiche are sene, but on y^e thinges whiche are not sene. For y^e thinges which are not sene, are eternall. If you consider the great & intollerable paines, that many good and godly men haue suffred on their bodies for Chri­stes sake, it shal the les greue you to beare this your sicknes, yea de­ath and the paines thereof. The Prophet Esaye for the hope of e­uerlasting life, suffred his body to be cut a sonder with the saw of wood. Ieremy was stoned vnto death. Amos after many greuous torments was thrust into the temples of the head with a great nail of yron, and so shortly after died. Iohn Baptist was cast into prisō Math. xiiii. [Page 320] & beheaded. Iames the brother of Iohn was slaine with the sword.Act. xii. Act. vii. Math. xxvii. Stephen was stoned vnto death Christ our Lord & sauour suffred most bitter pains & died the death of the crosse. I passe ouer many o­ther both of the old & newe Testa­ment, whiche refused no kinde of pains, so that they might obtain y^e reward of euerlasting life, some (as y^e blessed apostle saith) wer tri­ed w^t mockings & scourginges,Hebr. xl w^t bonds & prisonmēt,ii. Par. xxiiii. some wer sto­ned, some were hewen a sunder, some were slaine w^t swerd,iii. Reg. i. al wer trobled & vexed. How glad ioyfull & ready the holy Apostle S. Paul was to suffer al kinde of paines, & tormētes for y^e glory of God, these his words do aboundantly shew.Act. xx. The holy ghost doth testifie in e­uery citie, saying, that bonds and troubles doe abide me but I care not for them, nether is my life dere [Page 321] vnto me, so that I may finish my course with ioy.Act. xxi. &c. Againe, I am ready not only to be bound but al so to die at Hierusalē for y^e name of the Lorde Iesu. What shall I speake of the other blessed Mar­tirs, where of some were deuou­red with wild beastes, some burnt with fire vnto ashes, some broyled vnto the death vpon whot coales some slaine with the sweard, some hanged vpon Iebbets, some pearsed to death with arrowes, some beaten to death with stones, some boyled, some rent a peaces with whot burning yron cromes, some racked, some drowned, some cru­elly murthered in prysons. &c. Who is hable to declare the moste bitter paines & greuous torments which they gladly suffred on their bodies for the glory of God, and the fruition of his Maiestie? If ye consider these thinges wel, [Page 322] you shall easly finde, y^t the paines which you now suffer, are nothing to be compared vnto the most bit­ter and intollerable tormentes, whiche the men of God suffred. And not withstanding if you a­bide these light paines ioyfully, paciently & thankefully, you shall moste certainly enioy and possesse that heauenly kyngdome, whiche they haue already obtained. Faynte not therfore good neygh­bor Epaphroditus, but abide the good pleasure of God, & his bles­sed workyng, so shall he without fail bring all thing to suche passe, as shalbe most vnto his glory and vnto your comfort.

Death ta­keth me away from my gorgious and pleasaunt houses,Remedies a­gainst thou­ght taking, for departing from worldly goodes. Gen. xlvii. Psalm. xxxix. and from al the tēporal things that I haue.

In this world we all are but straungers & Pilgrims, we haue here no dwelling City, but loke [Page 323] for an other that is to come.i. Pet. ii. The houses that you leue behinde you here,Hebr. xiii. be they neuer so gorgious & pleasaunt, are but earthy made of clay, and wether beaten stones, & shall in proces of time decay & re­turne vnto dust & become thinges of nought. But after your depar­ture frō this vale of wretchednes you shall haue a building of God,ii. Cor. v an habitatiō not made with han­des, but euerlasting in heauen. You shall dwell in a city, that is of pure gold, like vnto clear glas, and the foundations of the wals of this city are garnished withall manner of precious stones,Apoc. xxi. the gates are of fine pearle. Yea the streates of this heauenly city are pure gold. It hath no nede of the sunne, nether of the Mone to lighten it, for y^e brightnes of God doth lightē, and the lambe is the light of it. And as touching your other [Page 324] tēporall things, frō the whiche, as you saye, death taketh you away, you haue no cause to be sory for y^t. For as concerning your galant aparel, whiche if they be not worne wil sone be motheaten, if they be worn,Apoc. iii. they wil shortly fal to rags in y^e steade of them you being once placed in the heauenly city, shalbe clothed of God with white gar­ments, which shal neuer wax old, but alwaies abide glorious & incorruptible. You shall also haue a golden crown vpon your head, & you shall sit with Christ vpon his seat. And in the stead of your deinty fare, which how vile it is after the digestion you knowe, ye shall eat in the kingdom of God Man­na y^t is hid,Apoc. iii. yea ye shall eat of the tre of life, which is in the mids of the Paradise of God. And this meat shal abide for euer most pleasaunt and vncorruptible. As tou­ching [Page 325] your gold & siluer & suche o­ther worldly treasures, wherwith God blessed you in this worlde for a season, neuer remember thē any more, but bid them farewell. For what other thyng are they (seme they neuer so precious, pleasaunt & goodly) then red & white earth, & hereafter shall returne vnto vile dust. In the stead of them God in his kingdō shal geue you such treasures, as neuer man with mortall eies saw y^e like. You also shal haue such ioyes & plesurs,Esay. lxiiii. i. Cor. ii. as nether eie hath sene the like, nor ear hard the like, nether is any man able to cō ­ceiue them in his heart, so great are the treasures, so infinite are the pleasures, which God hath prepared for thē that loue him. Who wil not be glad to change lead for siluer, & copper for gold, corrupti­ble & earthly things for immortall & heauenly treasures. Here se you [Page 326] that you lose nothing by death, but get very muche, so y^t you may now saye with the holy Apostle, Christ is to me life,Phil. i. and death is to me auauntage.Remedies a­gainst thou­ght taking for departing frō frende [...].

Death ta­keth me away from my deare frē ­des, in whose company I greatly delight.

In worldly frēdship ther is no certaintie nor assurāce. He which this day is a frend, is tomorow an enemy. This is proued true among men almost by dayly experiēce.Eccle. vi. Ther are diuers kinds of frendes, as the wyse man tea­cheth. Some be frendes but for a time, such will not abide in y^t daye of trouble.Of worldly frendship, Some be frendes for the table sake, and when a man falleth into pouertie, they conti­nue not. Some be frendes only in countenaunce, and in heart hate most extremely. Some be earnest and harty frendes, whiche will a­bide by man, whē fortune is moste [Page 327] froward. But of these there are very few. And they which now such be, may sodenly thorowe some oc­casion be made a mans vtter ene­my. Therfore saith Dauid:Psal. cxl [...]. put not your confidence in Princes nor in the children of men, in whom ther is no health. Also the Prophet: Cursed be he that trusteth in mā,Iere. xvii and maketh flesh his strength. Ye [...]e in the Gospel, that they whiche [...]o dearly loued Christ,Iohn. v [...] that they would haue made hym a kynge, shortly after for no occasion fell a­way from him, & followed him no more. Again those people whiche very ioyfully receiued Christ whē he came ryding into Hierusalem,Math. [...]xi. cut down bowes, strowed them in the wayes, yea and spread theyr garmentes in the waies and cried with a loud voyce, sayinge: Good lucke vnto the sonne of Dauid.Luke. ix. Iohn. xii. Blessed is he that commeth in the [Page 328] name of the Lorde, within few [...] dais after cried with a stout voic [...] and said: To the crosse with him to the crosse with him.Mat. xxvii. Iohn. xix. Iohn. xviii If y^e lettes [...] him go thou art not Cesars frend if he were not a noughty pack, w [...] would neuer haue deliuered hym vnto thee. Behold the frendship o [...] this worlde. Nether let any man promise him self better thinges o [...] his now most dear frend. Men a [...] vain & liers, fliting and vnstable. But when you come into the kingdom of God,Psalm. lxii Psalm. cxvi. you shall haue suche frendes as shall for euer continue faithfull, louing and cōstant. God the father,Psal. cii. Malac. i. God the sonne, & God the holy ghost shalbe your frends, which do neuer chāge but always abide one. All the glorious angels & blessed spirits of heauen shall be your frendes also. Who will not gladly change vncertaine frendes for such as are moste certain, most [Page 329] faithfull? Haue you now lost any thyng by departing from worldly vnto heauenly frendes.

But I shal neuer more se thē, nor haue y^e cōpany of thē, y^t we may reioyce & be glad againe together.Of know­ing one ano­ther after this life.

If your frendes liue in the feare of God, & depart in the christē faith, they may be sure to come thither, wher you shalbe, euē vnto y^e glori­ous kingdō of God, wher you shal both see them, know them, talcke with them, and be much more me­ry with thē than euer you were in this world.

Many doubt of that.

Why so? Shall y^e know­ledge of Gods electe and chosen people be lesse in the kingdome of God, then it is in this world? We beinge in this corruptible bodye know one another, whan we see not God but with the eies of our faith,ii. Cor. xii. i. Iohn. iii. & shall we not know one another after that we haue put of [Page 330] this sinfull body, and se God fac [...] to face in the sight of whom is the knowledge of al things? We shall be lyke the glorious Aungels of heauē,Math. xxii. whiche know one another, can it than come to passe that one of vs may not knowe an other? Shal we be equal with y^e angels in other thinges,i. Iohn. iii. Hebr. i & inferiour vnto them in knowing one an other? We shal know and se Christ as he is,Roma. xii. whiche is the wysdome, image and brightnes of the heauenly fa­ther, and shall the knowledge of one another be hyd from vs?i. Cor. xii. Collos. i. Ephe. ii. Apoc. xxi We are members all of one body, and shall we not knowe one another? we know our head which is christ & shall we not knowe our selues? we shalbe citezins of one heauen­ly city, wher continuall light shall be, and shall we be ouerwhelmed with suche darkenes, that we shal not see and know one another?Psal. lxxxiii. Apoc. iiii.v [Page 331] They that in this worlde be syn­ging men continuing together in a place but for a season know one an other,Apoc. iiii.v.vii.xi.xii. and shall we, which for euer shall continue together syn­ging praysing and magnifying y^e Lord our God, not know one another? They that are in houshold & serue one Lorde or maister, know one another in this world, & shall not we know one another, which in the kingdome of heauen, shall continually serue the Lorde oure God together with one spirit, and with one mind? There is a certen knowledge one of an other here in the earth, euen among the vn­reasonable and brute beastes, and [...]hall our senses be so darkened in the life to come, that we being im­mortall, incorruptible, and lyke [...]nto the angels of God, yea seing God face to face, shall not knowe [...]ne another? We shall know God [Page 332] as he is, [...]. ii▪ & shal we not knowe one another? Adam before he synned, beyng in the state of innocencie, knew Eua, so sone as god brought her vnto hym, and called her by her name, and shall not we being in heauen, where we shalbe in a [...] muche more blessed and perfecte state then euer Adam was in P [...]radise, knowe one another? Shal our knowledge be inferiour to A­dams knowledge in Paradise [...] Whē Christ was transfigured i [...] mount Thabor, his disciples, Pe [...]ter, Iames, & Iohn, did not only know Christ, but also Moses and Helias,Math. xvii. whiche talked there with Christ, whome notwithstanding they had neuer seene nor known in y^e flesh.Mark. ix. Luke. ix. Wherof we may learne [...] that when we come to behold th [...] glorious maiestie of y^e great God we shall not only know our sau [...] our Christ, and such as with wh [...] [Page 333] we wer acquainted in this world, but also all the electe and chosen people of God, whiche haue bene from the beginning of the world, as the holy Apostle saith: Ye are come to the mount Sion, and to the citie of the liuing God,Hebr. xii the ce­lestiall Hierusalem, and to an in­numerable sight of aungels, and vnto the congregation of the first borne sonnes, which are writtē in heauen, and to God the iudge of all, and to the spirites of iust and perfect men, and to Iesus the me­diatour of the new testament. &c. When we are once come vnto that heauenly Hierusalem, we shal w^t ­out al doubt both se and know A­dam, Noe, Abrahā, Isaac, Iacob, Ioseph, Moses, Samuel, Dauid, Iosias, Ihon Baptist, Mary the Mother of Christe, Peter, Iohn, Iames, Paule, and all the moste blessed cōpany of the Patriarkes, [Page 334] prophets, apostles, martirs, with al other the faithful. As we are al members of one body, wherof Ie­sus Christ is the head: so shall we knowe one another, reioyse toge­ther & be glad one with another. Moreouer the history whiche we read of the rich vnmercifull man and of Lazarus,Luke. xvi. declareth euidētly, y^t in the lyfe to come we shall know one an other. In that we se that the riche glotton beyng in hel did knowe bothe Abraham, and Lazarus, being in ioye, and that Abraham also knew that vnmercifull riche man, although the o­ne was in glory, the other in pain. If that they whiche are in hell, doth both se and know them that are in heauē, and they whiche are in heauen, know thē also that are in hell, the one place beyng so far distant from thother: muche more do they knowe one another that [Page 335] be Citezins in one City, fellowe heirs of one kingdome, members of one body, and fellowe seruants in one houshold seruing one lorde & God. If there be mutual know­ledge, after this life betwene good & euil, much more shall y^e sainctes and the holy ones of God knowe one another in the kyngdome of our heauenly father.Math. xix. Our sauiour Christ said to his disciples: when the sonne of man shall sitte in the seat of his maiestie, you also shall sit vpon the .xii. seates, iudging the .xii. tribes of Israell. If after the generall resurrection▪ and at the iudgemente one shoulde not know another, how shal thē the apostles iudge thē vnto whom thei preached? They can not iudge nor be witnesses of the condemnation of them, whome they knowe not. Hereof also it manifestlye appea­reth,Iohn. xxi. that after this life one of vs [Page 336] shal know another. After y^e Christ was risen again & had a glorified body, thapostles knew him, yea, & that so perfectly, y^t none of thē ne­ded to saye vnto hym: what art y^•? For they knew well y^t he was the Lord. Hereof also may it truely be gathered, y^t the faithfull shall as perfectly knowe one an other in y^e life to come, as the apostles knew Christ after his resurrectiō ▪ or as Peter, Ihō, & Iames, knew Mo­ses & Helias in the moūt Thabo [...], whē Christ was trāsfigured.Math. xvii. Many other thinges might be alled­ged out of the holy scripture to de­clare y^t we shall know one another after this life, but these for this present may seme to any indifferent person aboundantly to suffice. If I shuld reherse to you all the say­ings both of thancient & late wri­ters concerning this matter, I shuld spēd a great part of this day & to much t [...]ouble you, notw^tstan­ding [Page 337] I will reherse one saying of s. Gregory in his Dialoges, & bid al the other farwel.Lib. 4. cap. [...] There is a certain thing (saith he) in gods elect & chosen people, which is to be mar­ueled at, for they (being in heauē) do not only know thē, whom they knew in this world, but thei know also the good people, whō thei ne­uer sawe, euen as perfectlye as though they had afore both sene & known thē. For whē thei in y^t euer lasting enheritance shall se than­cient fathers, they shal not be vn­knowne to thē in sight, whō they always knew in work. For when al there, w^t one clearnes do behold God, what is it, that they shoulde not ther know: where they know him that knowe all thinges?

This is a cōfortable hering.

No les true then cōfortable.

I trust then within fewe houres to se al the faithfull, whiche before [Page 338] me haue departed in the Lord, my children also and all my other ac­quaintaunce.

You shall both se them, know them, reioyse and be meary with them.

I maruell y^t any man shuld doubt of thys doc­trine, beynge so clearlye set forthe both by the authority of the holye scriptures, and by the testimonyes of the godly wryters: seynge that the very heathen, which knew not God a right, beynge parswaded [...] the immortality of the soule, neuer doubted of it, but were thorowlye resolued that such as lyued in this world iustly and vprightly, and deserued wel of the common wealth. whan so euer they departed from this life, should go vnto the blessed company of the immortal Gods, & there not only se & know the gods, but also all those noble, good and vertuous parsons, that euer liued in this world, as wel suche as they [Page 339] neuer knew, as also those, whome in this world they dyd moste per­fectly know. And they beyng thus perswaded, desyred deathe, at the leaste when the tyme of theyr de­parture came, they toke their dea­the the more ioyfully and pacient­ly, I wil rehearse vnto you y^e wor­ [...]es of [...]ne or two of them. I haue [...] desire (said Cato the elder) [...]o se your fathers,Lib. de sence. whom I honou [...]d and loued. But I wish not on­ [...]y to talke wyth them, whome I haue knowen in thys worlde, but with such also, as of whom I haue [...]eard and red, yea and I my selfe [...]aue wrytten. If I were once go­ [...]ng thitherward, I woulde neuer [...]aue mynde to retourne hyther a­ [...]ain. Againe he saith, O that no­ [...]le and pleasant day, when it shall [...]e my chaunce to come vnto that [...]eauenly company and blessed fe­ [...]owship, and depart frō this trou­blous [Page 340] & stincking world. For the [...] shall I go not only vnto those mē [...] of whom I spake vnto you befor [...] but also vnto my Cato, whiche was as worthy a man as euer li­ued, and as noble. And it is writ­ten of Socrates, y^t when he wen [...] vnto his death amōg many other thīgs he said, y^t it is a most blessed & goodly thing for thē to come to­gether, which haue liued iustly & faithfully: o saith he what a grea [...] pleasure thinke you it to be, frēdl [...] to talk w^t Orpheus, Lib. 1. [...]us. quest. Musaeus Home [...]rus, Hesiodus, & such like? verely I wold die ful oft, if it were possibl [...] to get those things y^t I speake of Thus se we y^t many among y^t ve­ry Heathē, which wer perswade [...] of thinmortality of y^e soul, beleue [...] y^t they whiche in this world liue [...] godly, iustly, vprightly & honestly should al go vnto a ioyful place o [...] rest, & ther hauing y^e blessed comp [...]ny of y^e immortal gods, they shul [...] [Page 341] know one another, talk & reioyce one w^t an other.

As touching y^e Ethnickes, which in this world led a iust & vpright life in the sight of mē. I pronoūce nothing, but le­ue thē vnto gods iudgmēt, but as concerning the faithful christians which beleue in God, feare & loue God, are perswaded of their saluatiō in Christes blud, & frame their life vnto the vttermost of their power, according to the cōmaunde­ments of God, as they shall al ob­tain one glorious kingdome & be Citezins of one Citie: so likewyse shal they se & know one an other, talke, reioyse, & be mery one with another. This is my belief.

I agre w^t you in opiniō concerning this matter. Therfore good neighbor Epaphrodit. be of good [...]here, take a good hart vnto you, faynt not, nether feare you death. For y^e time is at hand, that you leauing [Page 342] this wretched worlde and the in­habitantes therof, shall come vn­to that most glorious and heauē ­ly kingdom, where you shall haue the sight and knowledge not on­ly of God and of his holy angels, but also of al Gods elect and cho­sen people. Al your dear frendes, which are gone afore you, shal glo [...]riously come and mete you, ioy­fully receiue you, gladly present you vnto the maiestie of God, and so shall you altogether remain in al glory and ioy for euer and euer.

Amen. God graūt.

Sir how do you?

As God wyll.

I truste you do remember, what my neighbour Philemon hath sayd vnto you.

Yea right wel, I thanke God.

Then sir I praye you be of good comforte.

I am well content to forsake the worlde and all that is in the world, and to go vnto the lord my [Page 349] God.

I trust y^t there is none o­ther thinge that troubleth you.

Yes, not outwardly but in­wardly.

Inward trouble is y^e greatest griefe in the worlde. De­clare I pray you what it is, & we will doe the best we can to quiet your mind.

Let me alone a little, and pray for me.

Well content. Neighbours, let vs com­mend this our sicke brother vnto God with our prayers. For he de­sireth it.

God commaundeth vs by his holy Apostle,Iacob. [...] saying: If any be diseased amonge you, let him call for the elders of the con­gregatiō, & let thē pray ouer him, & annoint him w^t oyle in the name of the Lord. And y^e praier of faith shall saue the sicke, and the Lorde shall rayse him vp, and if he haue committed sinnes, they shalbe for­geuen him. Knowledge your fau­tes one to another, and praye one [Page 344] for an other, that ye may be hea­led The prayer of a righteous mā auaileth muche, if it be feruent. Let vs therfore knele downe and praye.A praier. O Lorde heare our praier.

And let our cry come vnto the [...]

O almighty and euerlasting God, which lightnest al men that come into this world: we besethe thee lightē the heart of this sicke, weake and diseased persone, with the beames of thy deuine grace & mercy, y^t al his thoughtes, wordes & workes may so be directed, that he may be acceptable to thy godly maiestie in true faith and perfect loue, thorow thi only sonne Iesus Christ our Lord & sauiour.

A [...]men.

O eternall and merciful God,A praier. loke down from heauē, and visit this thy weake seruaunt, as thou diddest visit Toby & Sara, Peters wiues mother & the Cap­taines seruaunt. Blesse hym as [Page 345] thou didst blesse Abraham, Isaac and Iacob. Behold him, O Lord, with the eies of thy mercy. Reple­nish his hart with all ioye, & kepe from him al sinful thoughtes and wicked imaginations. And sende downe thy angell of peace, that he may kepe and defend him in euerlasting peace through Iesus christ thy deare sonne our Lorde & saui­our.A prayer.

Amen.

O Lord Iesu Christ, thalone sauiour of y^e world and the true phisitiō both of body and soule, we most humbly besech thee, mercifully to behold this our sicke brother,Collo. [...]. which is a mēber of y^e mistical body, wherof thou art y^e head and a braunche of the which y^• art the true vine.Iohn. xv. Be thou vnto hym that moste louing Samari­tane.Luke. x. Poure wyne and oyle into his woundes, binde them vp, la [...]e him vpon thy beast, & neuer leaue him vntill thou hast brought hym [Page 346] into that Inne, whiche is the glo [...]rious kingdome of thy heauenly father Remoue from him all vn­faithfulnes and mistrust, & graue in his hart true & earnest faith in the & in thy moste precious bloud. Suffer him not to dispaire, nor to doubt of thy godly grace. Let y^e remēbrance of thy most mercifull promises, setforth in thy holy gos­pel neuer be out of his hart. Suf­fer not Satā to preuaile against him. Let not his conscience be cō ­bred with the terrours either of sinne or death. Be thou his strong castell and mighty fortresse. Assist him now in this his greuous af­fliction, let not his soule be a pray vnto his ennemies, neither geue thou him ouer into the cruel han­des of hys terrible aduersaries▪ but shewe vpon him presently thy bountifull goodnes, that he tho­rowe thy helpe hauinge the ouer­hand [Page 347] of Sathan, may finishe his course with ioy, and so after his departure from this troublous world, come vnto the blessed ha­uen of quietnes, where thou with the father and the holy gost liuest and raignest one true and euerla­sting God, worldes without end.

Amen.

O Lord rebuke me not in thine indignation, ne­ther chasten me in thy heauy dis­pleasure. Haue mercy on me,Psalm. [...]. O Lorde, for I am weake, heale me, O Lord, for all my bones are sore troubled, yea my soule is greuous­ly vexed, but Lord, how longe? O how long wilt y^• defer thy helpe? Turne the (O Lord) & deliuer my soule, (oh saue me for thy mercies sake.

O neighbour, how is it with you?Remedies a­gainst despe­ration.

Nowe that I had thorow your godly exhortations well digested my departure from this world, & was well content to [Page 348] go hence, whēsoeuer the Lord my god calleth me: now am I so troubled in my conscience, that I be­gin almoste to dispayre of Gods mercy toward me, yea and wish y^t there were no God, nor no life af­ter this.

Gentle brother faint not in your faith, neither dispaire you of the great mercies of God, but cal on the lord your God with strong faith, and he full gratiously will send present remedy for you frō his holy temple.

O my cō ­science is greuously vexed, trou­bled, & disquieted, while I behold the fearce wrath of God againste sinne, and consider how wicked a life I haue led, & how oft I haue broken Gods holy commaunde­mēts.

Fear not dear brother, for though you be neuer so sinfull: God is mercifull. Though youre synnes be great: yet are the mer­cies of God muche greater. God [Page 349] saueth not vs because we are righteous and withoute synne:Tit. ii. but for his mercie and promyse sake, when he seeth vs repente, beleue and seeke for remedy at his hande for Christes precious bloud sake.

Sathan nowe in this my sicknesse doeth so moleste and trouble me, that me thinke I fele a very hel within my brest.

The manner of Satan,Remedies a­gainst the tē ­tatiōs of Sathan. which is the common aduersary of all men, is,Note. whē any mā is greuously sicke & like to die, straightways to com vpon him at the beginning very fearcely, & to shew him selfe terri­ble vnto him, & to cast before his eies suche a mist: that except he ta­keth hede, he shall see nothing but the fearce wrath, & terrible iudge­ment of God against sinners, a­gain, synne, desperatiō, death and [...]el, and whatsoeuer maketh vnto vtter confusion of the sickmans [Page 350] consciēce.

So is it now with me.

Feare not. It is his olde propertie. If you had led as holy & as perfect a lyfe, as euer did man in this world, yet would he deale on this manner w^t you. He know­eth right well, y^t the tyme of your departure is at hande, & that God will shortly call you from this so­rowful & mortal lyfe, vnto a bles­sed and immortal lyfe: therfore la­boureth he vnto the vttermoste o [...] his power, to plucke you from so ioyfull a state, and to make you his pray. But be you not afrayde. For whome of Gods elect hath he let pas vnassailed, vntempted, or vnproued?Math. iiii. He feared not to assay the sonne of God, after he had put on our nature: and thincke you to escape fre? His nature, disposition and desire, is to destroy: maruel [...] you therefore, if he goe aboute to seke your destruction? His proper [...]tie [Page 351] is to disquiet: wonder you therfore if he trouble you?Iohn. viii. He is a li­er: what truthe therfore can come out of his mouth? If he saye vnto you that God is angry with you, and wil destroy you, know him to be a lier, and whatsoeuer he sayth against your saluation, beleue it not: but knowe it to be a lye. He is a murtherer: what lyfe then can come from hym?Iohn. viii. He is an accuser of the brethren, how than can he speake anye good or comfortable thyng vnto you?Apoca. xii. He is your vtter enemy: how thē is it possible, that he may be your frende, and seeke your quietnesse? Feare hym not therfore,i. Pet. v. He is but a cowarde and a very slaue. They be but brags, whatsoeuer he threatneth. He may well hisse at you, but he can not styng you. He may loke vpon you with a terrible & fearful countenāce, but he cā do you no harme. [Page 352] He may go about to tēpt you, but to ouercome you, it lieth not in his power.Iacob. iiii. Hear what s. Iames saith Resiste the deuill, and he shall fli [...] from you. Drawe nie vnto God, & he shal draw nie to you.

Yea, but how shal I resist y^e deuel.

Not as the supersticious papistes were wont to do,How to resist the deuell. with casting o [...] holy water about your chamber [...] w^t laying holy bread in your win­dow, with pinning a Crosse mad [...] of halowed Palmes at your beds head, nor with ringing of the hal­lowed bel, or such other beggarly superstitious, Popishe, & deuelish ceremonies.Of Faith.

How then?

With faith, with prayer, and with the word of God.

Howe with faith.

Cast the eies of your [...] mind with strong faith on the sed [...] of the woman, which hath trode [...] downe the serpents head, and de­stroyed his power, as he saieth by [Page 353] the Prophet:Osc. xiii. O hel, I wyll be thy destruction,Hebr. ii. which by death hath put him to flight that had Lorde­shippe ouer death, euen the De­uill, that he might deliuer them, whiche throughe feare of death were all their lyfe tyme subdued vnto bondage, whiche also (as the Apostle saith) hath spoyled rule & power,Collo [...]. i. & hath made a shew of thē openly, and hath triumphed ouer them in his own persone.i. Iohn. iii. So shal you be sure to escape his greuous assaultes. For the sonne of God a­peared for this purpose, euen to destroy the workes of the Deuill. Christ was figured by that brasen serpent, which God commaūded Moses to set vp in the wildernes, adding this promise vnto it,Num. xxi. that whosoeuer beyng stricken of the firy Serpentes did loke on that, he shoulde be healed. After this maner, is it betwene Christe and [Page 354] vs. If that firy serpent the deuill hath striken and wounded vs, let vs loke vpon Christ with stronge faith, and we shal surely for Gods promise sake be made whole, as Christe him selfe testifieth, saying: As Moyses lyfted vp the serpent in the wildernes:Iohn. iii. so must the son of man be lyfted vp, that all that beleue on hym should not peryshe, but haue euerlasting life. For god sent not his sonne into the worlde to condemne the worlde, but that the world shold be saued through him. If Sathan therfore hath ei­ther wounded you already, or els goeth about so to do, feare not, re­pare vnto Christ, loke on him with the eies of your faithe, so shall you be fre from his venomus chause. For as you are nowe tempted,Hebr. xi. so were al godly men, but they ouer­came y^e tēpter through strōg faith in Christ. Therfore saith s. Peter. [Page 355] Be ye sober and watche, for your aduersary the deuill goeth about like a roring Lion,i. Pet. v. seing whome he may deuoure, whome resist ye strong in faith.i. Iohn. v Saint Iohn also saith, this is the victory, which o­uercommeth the worlde euen our faith. Not only all godly & faith­full men were tempted, but also our sauiour Christ.Math. iiii. And this is a great comfort for vs. For in that it fortuned him selfe to be temp­ted,Hebr. ii. he is hable to succour them, also that are tempted. Christ be­ing tempted, ouercame his temp­tations to get vs the victory ouer the tempter.Note. His triumphe is our victory, and his victory is our tri­umphe. Whatsoeuer he did & got in his humanitie, he did and got it not for him self, but for vs. And God is faithfull (saith the apostle) whiche will not suffer you to be tempted aboue your strength,i. Cor x. but [Page 356] wil in the mids of the temptation make away, that ye may be able t [...] beare it. Beleue therfore in Christ & you are without al danger.Mark. ix.

I beleue, O Lord, help thou min [...] vnbeliefe.Luke. xiii. O Lorde encrease my faith.

Fear you not, but God both will & doth hear your pray­ers,Psal. cxiv. for y^e Lorde is nie vnto all thē that cal on him in truth.Of prayer.

You made mention also of praier, say­ing that y^t is also a mean to resist [...] Sathan.

I reioyse greatly & I geue God moste harty thankes y^t in this your sicknes your memo­ry cōtinueth stil stedfast & perfect.

I praise God for it.

That prayer is a necessary remedy for the auoyding of Sathans temp­tations, the holy scriptures teache manifestly in diuers places. Our sauior Christ saith,Math. xxvi. watch & pray, that ye fal not into temptation. A­gaine. This kind of deuils is not [Page 357] cast out, but by prayer & fasting.Mark. ix. To represse y^t temtatiōs of Satā all godly men euen frō the begin­ning fled vnto faithfull praier, as a mighty & sure defence againste sathan and al his crafty assaultes. And God hath commaunded vs to pray, whensoeuer we are trou­bled, and doeth also promise vs, y^t he wyll both heare and helpe vs. Call on me,Psal. [...]. sayeth he in the tyme of thy trouble, and I wyl delyuer thee, and thou shalt honoure me. The Lorde is nie vnto them that are of a troubled heart,Psal. xxxiii. & he wyll help thē that be broken in spirite.

Now good neighbors pray for me.

Uery gladly. Let vs knele down together and pray.

Lo here are we.A prayer.

O heauenly and moste mercifull father, we moste humbly besech thee for thy sonnes sake Iesus Christ our Lord, haue pitie vpon this thy creature, and [Page 358] succoure him in these horrible as­saultes and temptations of the de [...]uill. Deliuer his soule in these ex­treame necessities from all the in­ternall army. Sende him downe strength from aboue, that he may be able to resiste his ennemy, and to stande stedfaste in the tyme of this his temptation. Be thou his strong rocke, castell, shield, tower, and defense, that he in this greate trouble being preserued from the tyranny of his ennemies▪ through thy godly grace assistence & helpe: may continue in the true and chri­sten faith vnto his liues end, and afterward be receiued into thy heuenly kingdome, through Iesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Now will I pore & wratched sin­ner offer my prayers also vnto the Lord my God in Iesus Christes name, trusting and beleuing vn­doubtedly, that he gratiously wyl [Page 359] heare me, and defend me against mine enemies.Mark. xi.

These are the words of Christ: What things so euer ye desyre whan ye praye: be­leue that ye receiue them, and ye shall haue them.

Out of the depth do I cry vnto thee,Psal. cxxx. O Lord O Lord hear my praier. Saue me O God,Psal. lxix. for the waters of trouble are come in euen vnto my soule.A praier. I stick fast in the depe myre, where no groūd is: I am come into depe waters, so that the [...]loudes run o­uer me. Take me out of the myre that I sinck not. Oh let me be de­liuered from them that hate me, & out of the depe waters. Let not the water floud drown me, nether let the depe swalowe me vp, & let not the pit shut her mouthe vpon me. Heare me, O Lord, for thy lo­uing kindnes is cōfortable: turne me vnto thee according vnto the multitude of thy mercies, & hyde [Page 360] not thy face from thy seruaunt, fo [...] I am in trouble, O hast thee, and hear me. Draw nie vnto my soul, and saue it, oh deliuer me because of mine ennemies. For y^t knowest my reprofe, my shame, and my dis­honoure. Mine aduersaries are ful in thy sight. So shal I, beyng deliuered from these great mise­ries through thy gratious benefit prayse and magnifie the name of thee my Lord God for euer and e­uer.

So be it.

Neighbor Philemon.Of Gods worde.

Here sir.

As I remember, you told me, that besides faythe and prayer, the word of God also is a goodly help and a strong fortresse against the cruell assanites of the Deuill.

It is truthe.Luke. xiii. For so are we taught in the holy scripture. Our sauioure Christ, when the time of his Pas­sion began to drawnie, knowing that his Disciples shoulde for his [Page 371] [...]ake be greuously tempted bothe of the deuill, the world, & the flesh: commaunded thē to bie a sworde. This was no materiall but spiri­tuall sword,Ephe. [...] ▪ as S. Paul declareth vnto y^e Ephesiās, saying: aboue all thinges, take to you the shield of faith, wherwith ye may quenche all the firy dartes of the wycked. And take the helmet of saluation, and the sword of the spirit, which [...]s the word of God. And praye al­wayes with all manner of prayer & supplication in the spirit.Math. iiii. With [...]he worde of God Christ droue a­way Sathan and resisted all his wicked temptacions.Rom. i. For it is the power of God to saue so many as beleue. In the word of God plēte­ous & present remedies are founde against Satan, and al his subtile suggestions. Therfore said y^e psal­mograph. I haue hyd thy spea­ [...]hes, O Lord in my heart,Psal. cxix. that I [Page 372] might not sin against thee.Iohn. xv. Now are ye cleane sayde Christe, for th [...] word, whiche I spake vnto you. Hereto parteineth the sayinge o [...] the wyseman.Sap. xvi. Nether hearbe, no emplasture hath healed them, O lord, but thy worde which healet [...] all thinges. Like vnto this is [...] sentence in a certaine Psalme,Psal. cvii. h [...] sent his word, and deliuered the [...] from destructiō.

God deliue [...] me from destruction.

Enar [...] your self w^t faith, praier and wit [...] the word of God, & doubt ye not For these kyndes of armoures o [...] weapons, sathan can by no mea [...]nes abide.

The Lord preseru [...] and defend me. Neighboures, I wil pray once againe vnto y^e Lord my God, while I haue time.

It is a godly exercise.

I per [...]ceiue Sathan to be still busy, and to seke my dānation.

Striu [...]fully, & you shall haue the crowne [Page 373] of glory▪

How long wilt thou forget me (O Lord) for euer?A praier. How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?Psalm. xiii. O how long shal I seke coun­cell in my soule, and be so vexed in my heart? How long shall mine e­nemy triumph ouer me? Consider & here me (O Lord, my God) ligh­ten mine eies that I sleepe not in death, least myne ennemy saye, I haue preuailed against him. If I be cast downe, they that trouble me will reioyse at it. But my trust is in thy mercy, & my hart is ioy­ful in thy saluation. I againe for this thy louynge kyndnesse, wyll prayse thy holy name.

So be it.

Unto the wil I cry, O Lord my strēgth,Psal. xxviii thinck no scorn of me, [...]east if thou make thee,A prayer. as though thou heardest not, I become like them, that go downe into the pit. Here the voyce of my humble pe­ [...]icions when I cry vnto the, whē [Page 374] I cry vnto the, whē I hold vp my handes toward the mercy seat of thy holy temple.Psal. xxvii O hyde not thou thy face from me, nor cast thy ser­uaunt awaye in thy displeasure. The sorowes of death haue com­passed me round about,Psal. xviii. and the o­uerflowings of vngodlines made me afraid, The pains of hel came about me, y^t snares of death haue ouertaken me. Be not thou farre from me▪ Psal. xxii O Lord, thou art my succour, hast thee to helpe me. Dely­uer my soul from the swearde, my dearling frō the power of y^e dog. Saue me from the Lions mouth. So shal I declare thy name vnto my brethren, and in the middest of the cōgregation wil I praise thee [...]

I doubte not brother Epa­phroditus, but y^t God hath heard these your moste humble prayers & lamentable supplications, and will, (when he seeth conuenient [...] [Page 375] time,) send you remedy, and geue you a ioyfull and mery hearte, so that you shall leape vpō Sathan, and saye: The Lord is my light & my saluation,Psal. xxvii whom then shall I feare? The Lorde is the strength of my lyfe, of whome then shall I be afrayde? Though an hoaste of men were layde against me, yet shall not my heart be afrayd. And though there rose vp war against me, yet wyll I put my truste in hym.i. Cor. xv. Again, death is swalowed vp into victory.Ose. xiii. Death where is thy stynge? Hell where is thy vic­tory? The sting of death is synne, and the strengthe of synne is the lawe. But thankes be vnto God, which hath geuen vs the victory. through our Lord Iesus Christ,A praier.

O whan will the Lord haue mercy on me, and deliuer me from the greuous assaultes of mine en­nemyes, O Lorde, why hast thou [Page 376] forgottē me?Psal. xlii. Why go I thus hea­uely, whyle the enemy oppresseth me? Up Lord, why sleapest thou? Awake,Psal. xliiii. and be not absent frō me for euer. Wherfore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest my miserie & trouble? My soule is brought low euen vnto the dust, my belly clea­ueth vnto the grounde.Psalm. xxvii Arise and help me O Lorde, and deliuer me for thy mercies sake.

Fainte not, nether despaire you of Gods mercy, but take a good heart vnto you & abide the Lordes pleasure. Be of like mynd with him, which praid on this manner vnto God, saying: Unto thee lift I vp myne eies,Psal. cxxii. thou that dwellest in the heauens. Beholde, as the eies of ser­uaunts loke vnto y^e hande of their maisters: and as the eies of a maiden, vnto the hand of her mistres: euen so our eies wayte vpon the Lord our god, vntil he haue mer­cy [Page 377] vpon vs.Thren. iii. It is good to be quiet saith the Prophet, and pacientlye to abide the sauing healthe of the Lord▪ For y^e Lord wyl not forsake for euer, but though he punyshe you now, and suffre satan to trou­ble you a little while, for the triall of your faith, yet according to the multitude of his mercies will he receiue you to grace again, & not cast you out of his heart for euer. He is a father of mercies and God of all consolation.ii. Cor. i. Psal. cxliii. He wyll not be alwayes chiding, neither wyll he for euer be angry with vs. For like as a father pitieth his owne chil­dren: euen so is the Lord mercifull vnto thē y^t feare him. For he kno­weth whereof we be made, he re­membreth that we are but duste.

Lorde be thou mercifull vnto me.A prayer. Hide not thy selfe in a cloude, but shew me thy louing and gen­tle countenaunce, that I may be [Page 378] saued. Send me present helpe frō aboue,Ephe. vi. or els I perysh. For I wrastle not against bloud and fleshe, but against rule, against power, against worldly rulers, euen go­uernours of the darcknes of this worlde,Math. iiii. against spirituall crafti­nes in heauenly thynges. This greuous conflict, O Lord, is with such an ennemy, as feared not to assail thee, whom thou thy self cal­lest the Prince of this world,Iohn. xiiii. and the holy Apostle tearmeth hym, the God of this worlde. Arise therfore O Lorde,i. Cor. iiii. and take my part. Be thou, O God, my defender, my house of defence and my Castell. Deliuer me out of y^e snare, whiche myne ennemy hath layde for me, that I being set at libertie, maye syng prayses to thy blessed name, and magnifie thee my Lord God for euer and euer.

Amen.

Neighbour, take a good hart [Page 379] vnto you, and you shall shortly see the wonderfull working of God.Psal. cxvi. For behold, he that kepeth Isra­ell, doth nether slomber nor slepe. The Lord him self is your keper, the Lord is your defence, the lord shall preserue you from all euill: yea, the Lord shal kepe your soule. For as he casteth down, so lifteth he vp againe. As he killeth: so he quickeneth.ii. Cor. i. As he nowe for a lit­tle tyme suffreth Sathan to dis­quiet you, for the exercise, proba­tion, and triall of your faythe: so likewyse will he deliuer you oute of this agonie, & geue you againe a ioyfull, mery, and quiet consci­ence. For the nature and property of God is to woūd:The proper­tie of God in his elect. before he hea­leth, to throwe downe: before he lifteth vp, to kyll: before he quick­neth, to condemne: before he sa­ueth. Therfore feare not. For the lord dealeth none otherwise with [Page 380] you, than he doeth with his other saincts. This your trouble he wil turn to ease, and this your sorowe wyl he turne to ioy, as he sayth in the Gospell,Iohn. xvi. verely verely I saye vnto you: ye shal wepe & lament: but contrariwise the worlde shall reioyse. Ye shall sorowe, but your sorow shall be turned into ioye. A woman when she traueleth hath sorow, because her houre is come, but assone as she is deliuered of y^e childe, she remembreth no more y^e anguishe for ioy that a mā is born into the world. And ye now therefore haue sorow, but I wil see you againe, and your heartes shal re­ioyse and your ioye shall no man take away from you. In this your heauy cōflict God semeth to haue withdrawn the glorious beames of his fatherly grace frō you, but he will straightways lighten his godly countenaūce vpon you, and [Page 381] worke suche ioyes in your heart, through his holy spirit, as hereto­fore you felt neuer the lyke. And this your ioy, shall neuer be taken from you. Therefore whatsoeuer sathan that old canckred ennemy of mankinde goeth about to per­swade you,i. Pet. v. beleue hym not, but resiste him with strong faith, euer remembring that he is both a lier and a murtherer. You are a mem­ber of that congregation,Iohn. viii. whiche is built vpon the rocke Christe,Math. xvi. a­gainste whome the gates of hell, shall not preuayle. You are a ly­uing stone of the blessed building and spiritual house,Math. vii. wherof Christ is the head corner stone, though y^e windes blow, the shours of raine descend, and the cruell tempestes [...]eate on the house, yet it falleth not, for it is grounded not vpon y^e and,Luke. xxii. but vpon the rocke. Sathan [...]n this temtation hath desired to [Page 382] sifte you, as it were wheate, but Christ hath praied for you, y^t your faith failed not. You are one of the shepe,Iohn. x. whiche God the father hath geuen to his sonne Christe, therfore can you not peryshe, ney­ther shall any creature plucke you out of his hande, but he shall geue you euerlasting life.

Now per [...]ceiue I most gētle neighbor Phi­lemon, that to be true, whiche I haue many tymes heard the god­ly preachers rehearse in their most comfortable Sermons.

What is that I pray you?

That one faythfull Preacher, which is able with the swete pro­mises of the holy scriptures to cō ­fort the weake and desperate con­science: is better then ten thou­sande mumbling Massemongers whiche promise with their Mas­singe mountaines of golde, but perfourme molhilles of glasse. [Page 383] I haue also many times heard it saide, that though the companye of a learned man be good and profitable at all times, yet chiefly in the tyme of syckenesse, and whan the weake creature is ready to de­part from this wicked worlde, for asmuche as than Sathan is most busy and without ceasing labou­reth to disquiet the conscience of [...]he sickman, that by this meanes he may driue him to desperation, and finally to damnation.

What meane you by that?

I thanke God moste hartelye, that suche a learned man as you are, haue nowe vouchedsafe to visite me in this my sickenesse.

No learned man, but a louer of lear­ninge, and suche one, as hathe a good will well to doe, and enuieth no man that can doe better.

In the tyme of this your godlye communication had with me, the [Page 384] Lord my God be thancked for it I felt the heauines, trouble, and disquietnes of my conscience, by little and little to goe away, and certaine swete mocions of true & inward ioye to arise in my heart▪ so y^t nowe Sathan with his wic­ked temtations semeth to haue ta­ken his flight, and the holy ghost [...] with his most godly and comfor­table inspirations to haue entred into my breast. Wheras before m [...] thought, I was in hell, nowe m [...] thinck I am in heauen so great [...] quietnes, rest, ioy, and confort do I finde in my conscience. Sainc [...] Paule wysheth not in vain to th [...] Philippiās this tranquilitie and quietnes of conscience,Phil. iiii. saying: th [...] peace of God which passeth al vn­derstanding kepe your hearts and mindes in Christ Iesu. Again t [...] the Collossians.Colloss. iii. The peace of god mought rule in your heartes, t [...] [Page 385] the whiche peace ye are called in one body. For no man knoweth what a precious Iewell and hea­uenly treasure this peace of con­ [...]cience is, but suche as fele it. Ne­ [...]her can any man feele it a ryght, except he hath felt afore the grief, [...]ain, and disquietnesse of consci­ence. I may now right wel say w^t [...]he Psalmograph:Psal. xxxi. O howe great and plentifull is thy goodnesse, which thou hast laide vp for them [...]hat feare thee, and that thou hast [...]repared for them that put theyr [...]rust in thee?Psal. [...]xxi. O what great trou­ [...]les and aduersities haste thou [...]hewed me? And yet thou diddest [...]urne & refresh me, yea, & brough­ [...]est me from the depe of the earth [...]gaine? Thou hast broughte me [...]o great honour, and cōforted me [...]n euery syde. Therfore wyll I [...]raise thee and thy faithfulnes, O God.

Here see you that fulfil­led [Page 386] in your selfe, whiche you ha [...] full oft red in the holy Scriptur [...] The Lorde killeth and make [...] aliue,i. Reg. ii. bryngeth downe to hell, an [...] fetcheth vp againe. Great are t [...] troubles of the righteous,Psalm. xxxiii but t [...] Lord deliuereth them out of the [...] all.

The holy man Toby [...] his praier vnto God,Toby. iii. saieth: Wh [...]soeuer loueth thee & serueth thee [...] right: is sure of this, that if his li [...] be tempted and proued, it stāde [...] in the trying, & if he endure in pa [...]cience, he shal haue a reward, an [...] be highly crowned, and if he be i [...] trouble that God (no doubt) sha [...] delyuer hym, and if his lyfe be i [...] chastning, that he shall haue le [...] to come vnto thy mercy. For tho [...] hast no pleasure in our damnat [...]on. And why? After a storme tho [...] makest the weather fair and stil [...] after weping and heauines tho [...] geuest great ioy. Thi name O go [...] [Page 387] of Israell be praysed for euer.

Amē.

The Psalmograph al­so saith:Psal. cxxv. They that sowe in tears, shall reape in ioye. He that nowe goeth on his way weping, and be­reth forth good seede, shall doubt­les come againe with ioy, & bring his sheues with him.Psal. cxxiii [...].

If the Lord him selfe had not bene of my side, when Satan rose vp against me, he had swalowed me vp quik. But praysed be the Lorde, whiche hath not geuen me ouer for a pray vnto his teeth. My soule is esca­ped, euen as a byrde oute of the snare of the fouler: the snare is broken and I am deliuered. My helpe standeth in the name of the Lorde, whiche hath made heauen and earth. But neighboure Phi­lemon, it is good in the tyme of calme to prouide for tempest. We are taughte of Iob,Iob. vii▪ that a mans [...]ife in this worlde, is a warfare [Page 388] or knighthode, and that we ther­fore ought to watche & praye,Math. xxvi. tha [...] we fail not into temptation. The scripture declareth, that after Sa [...]than had tempted Christ, & was confounded by the worde of God [...] the deuil departed from Christ for a season.Luke. iiii. Wherof we may learne▪ that he returned afterward vnto Christ, and tempted him. I feare also, least that Sathā will shortly returne vnto me, and assaile m [...] with newe temptations.

In [...]dede the propertie of Sathan is [...] whan he can not get his purpose one waye, to attempt some other meanes.Of the lawe. But whereof are ye a­fraid?

Christ saith in the Gos­pel:Math. ix. If thou wilte enter into lyfe [...] kepe the commaundementes. A­gain, do this,Luke. x. and thou shalt lyue. He speaketh of fulfilling the lawe. And s. Paule saieth.Rom. ii. Not the hea­rers but the doers of the law, sha [...] [Page 389] be iustified before God.Deut. xxv [...]. Moses also pronounceth thē cursed, whiche abideth not in all thynges that ar written in the lawe. What if Sa­than should lay the lawe againste me, and proue euidently that I haue not fulfilled the law of God, and therfore I can not enter into eternall life, but must neades be dampned?Remedies a­gainst y^e curse of the lawe▪

The holy scriptur of God consisteth of two partes, of the lawe and of the Gospell. If sathan obiect y^e lawe against you: laye you againste him straighte­waies the Gospell.Iohn. i. For the lawe was geuen by Moses, but y^e Gos­pell, that is, grace, fauour, remis­sion of sinnes, truthe, faithfulnes, and euerlasting life, came by Ie­sus Christe.Of the lawe and the Gos­pell. The lawe maketh a­frayd: but the Gospel comforteth. The law troubleth: but the Gos­pel quieteth. The law vttreth sin, but the Gospell pardoneth, and [Page 390] forgeueth sinne.Rom. iii. The lawe decla­reth the fearse wrathe of God a­gainste synners:Gala. iii. but the Gospel [...] preacheth the great and exceding mercies of God toward peniten [...] synners. The law woundeth, bu [...] the gospel healeth. The lawe ma­keth sicke:ii. Cor. ii. but the gospell maketh whole and stronge. The law dri­ueth to desperation: but the gos­pel ministreth consolation & com­fort. The lawe killeth: but the gos­pel quikneth. The lawe throweth downe to hel: but y^e gospel lifteth vp to heauen. Therfore if Sathā be busy and lay the lawe agains [...] you, and that vnto you death [...] and dampnation, aunswere him with the Gospell, which bringeth lyfe and euerlasting saluation. For the law was not geuen vs o [...] God to iustifie and saue vs,why the law was geuen. but to be a doctrine vnto vs what w [...] should either do or leaue vndone [Page 391] and to be a scholemaister to leade vs vnto Christe,Gala. iii. that of hym we might obtaine that, whiche by no meanes may be gotten of y^e lawe, I meane, the grace, fauoure, and mercy of God, remission and for­geuenes of sinnes, the quietnes of conscience, a newe life, the gift of the holy ghost, and euerlasting life. Flie you therefore from the heauy burden of the lawe, whiche depresseth and wayeth downe the conscience, and take on you the swete and comfortable yoke of the gospel, and so shall you finde reast vnto your soul.Math. xi. For the yoke ther­of is easy, and the burden light. After this manner euen from the beginning haue all the godly in the conflicte of conscience fledde from the doctrine of the lawe vn­to the mercifull promises of the Gospel,Act. xv. as blessed Peter testifieth saying: Now, why tempt ye God, [Page 392] to put on the disciples neckes, the yoke, whiche neither our fathers nor we were able to bear. But we beleue, that through the grace of the Lorde Iesu Christ we shal be saued,Iohn. vii. as they were. Our sauioure Christ said vnto the Iewes, hath not Moses geuen you a law, and yet none of you kepeth the lawe? The doctrine of the law is such a burden, that the holiest that euer liued (Christ alone except) was neuer hable to bear it.Rom. vii. No maruell, for the lawe is spirituall, but we are carnall.Prou. xx Who among vs all is able to say, my heart is cleane, and I am free from sinne? The holy scripture pronounceth vs all sin­ners, and oure owne consciences beare witnes of y^e same.Roma. iii. And how commeth it to passe? but only that we do not obserue the lawe of the Lord our God,Psalm. xi. but rather ar trās­gressours & breakers of that same, [Page 393] in so much y^t if our sauiour Christ had not come in the fleshe & fulfil­led the law for vs▪ euen to the vt­termoste, & so pacified the fathers wrath, we had bene dampned for euer and euer.Rom. viii. But Christ is come and hath fulfilled the lawe with suche perfection as the law requi­reth,Roma. x. euen at the full, and his ful­filling is our fulfilling.Gala. iii.iiii. i. Cor. i. Whosoe­uer beleueth this, & taketh Christ to be his wisdome, rightuousnes, sanctifying and redemption, he cannot pearyshe but haue euerla­sting life.

I pray you declare vnto me some comfortable senten­ses out of the holy scripture, that my conscience may be ascertained of Christes fulfillyng of the lawe for me.

Christ saieth in the Gospell.Math. v. Thinke not that I am come to destroy the law or y^e Pro­phetes, no. I am not come to de­stroy, but to fulfill. All we are de­stroyers [Page 394] and breakers of the law, but Christ is a perfect fulfiller of the same, not for him selfe, but for vs, and his fulfilling, is our ful­filling. The holy Apostle in his e­pistle to the Romaines, sayeth. There is no damnation to them,Rom. viii. whiche are in Christ Iesu, which walke not after the fleshe, but af­ter the spirite. For the lawe of the spirit of life through Iesus Christ hath made me fre from the law of sinne and death. For what the law could not do (inasmuch as it was weake because of the fleshe) that parformed God, and sent his sonne in the similitude of synne­full fleshe, and by synne damned synne in the fleshe, that the righte­ousnes of the lawe might be ful­filled in vs, whiche walke not af­ter the fleshe but after the spirite. Here see you, that where as none of vs was able to fulfyll the lawe, [Page 395] Christ the sonne of God hath ful­filled it for vs, and by this meanes deliuered vs frō the lawe of sinne and deathe.Rom. x. Againe in the same Epistle, Christe is the perfect ful­filling of y^e lawe to iustifie all that beleue. So many therefore as be­leue, are iustified, and for them Christe hath fulfilled the lawe to the vttermoste. To the Galathi­ans he also saieth,Galat. iii. Christ hath de­liuered vs from the cursse of the lawe, in as much as he was made accursed for our sake.Deut. xxi. For it is wri­ten. Cursed is euery one that han­geth on a tree. &c. It Christ by his death and passion hath deliuered vs from the cursse of the law, how than can the lawe condemne vs? Item, in the same Epistle, when the time was full come,Galat. iiii. God sent his sonne made of a woman, and made bonde vnto the lawe, to re­deme them, which were bond vn­to [Page 396] the law, that we through elec­tion might receiue thinheritaunce that belongeth vnto the naturall sonnes. If Christ became mā and was made bond vnto the lawe, to redeme and deliuer vs from the lawe: what power than hath the lawe ouer vs, that it may condēpn vs? If we be through y^e fre choyse of God admitted to be the sonnes of God: thē are we no more slaues vnto the law, nor any more bound to the subiection thereof, that it may cast vs away as wicked trāsgressours and heirs of eternal dā ­nation. For it is fulfilled for vs in Christ.Ephe. ii. To the Ephesians he wri­teth on this manner. Christe is oure peace, whiche hath made of both one (he speaketh of y^e Iewes and Gentiles) and hath broken downe the wal that was a stoppe betwene vs, and hath also put a­way through his flesh the cause of [Page 397] hatred euen the law of commaū ­dementes contained in the lawe writtē. &c. Here haue we the cause why god was angry with vs. Uerely because we fulfilled not the law. Now is Christ come, & hath put away the cause of this anger and hatred, that is to saye, he hath fulfilled the law for vs, and recō ­ciled vs vnto God, so that nowe the father for his sake hateth vs no more, but loueth vs, is no more angry, but wel pleased with vs, & accepteth his fulfilling of the law, as our own fulfulling.Collo. ii. Also to the Collossians, Christ saith he, hathe put out the hand wryting y^t was against vs contained in the lawe written, and that hath he taken out of the waye, and hath fastned it to his crosse, and hathe spoyled rule and power, and hath made a shew of them opēly, and hath tri­umphed ouer them in his owne [Page 398] person. If Christ hanging on the Crosse, hath by the vertue of his passion & death put out the hande wryghting that was against vs contained in the lawe than is our bond made frustrate and voyde, & we set at libertie, forasmuche as Christe by his bloude hathe bothe paid our debt vnto God y^e father, and also subdued and brought vn­der fote al our ennemies.Hebr. vii. The au­thour of the Epistle to y^e Hebrues, hath these wordes. The cōmaun­dement that went afore, is disa­nulled, because of weakenes and vnprofitablenesse. For the lawe brought nothynge to perfection, but was an introduction to a bet­ter hope, by the whiche we drawenie vnto God. Here ar we taught also, that forasmuche as by y^e lawe no man can be made perfect (for who amōg vs fulfilleth the law?) we haue our perfection in Christ [...] [Page 399] [...]y whome for our sake the law is fulfilled, and remission of synnes and euerlasting lyfe is frely geuē vnto vs. This is the hope, profit and libertie, whiche so many as beleue, receiue in Christ. Let ther­fore the terrours and cursse of the lawe neuer trouble you, though Sathan do neuer so muche lay it vnto your charge: but remember what the Apostle saieth: ye are no more vnder the lawe,Rom. vi. but vnder grace. Againe. Now are we deli­uered from the law,Roma. vii. and dead vn­to it, whereunto we were in bon­dage, that we shoulde serue in a newe conuersation of the spirit, and not in old conuersation of the letter. For if righteousnesse com­meth by the law, then died Christ in vaine.Galat. ii. But we know, saieth the Apostle, that a man is not iusti­fied by the dedes of the lawe, but by the fayth of Iesus Christ. [Page 400] And we haue beleued on Iesus Christ, that we might be iustified by the faith of Christe: and not by the deedes of the lawe, because by the deedes of the law, no flesh sha [...] be iustified. Againe: as manye o [...] you as are iustified by the lawe, a [...] fallē from grace. We loke for and hope in the spirite to bee iustifed thorow faith.Gala. v. For in Christ Iesu [...] neither is circumcision any thing worth, nether yet vncircumcision but faith, which worketh by loue▪ Comfort your selfe, neighbour E [...]paphroditus, against the assaults of Sathan with these swete say­inges of the holy scripture, and s [...] shal nether the feare nor the curss [...] of the lawe hurt you.Remedies a­gainst sinne.

God b [...] thanked, I trust, I am nowe we [...] enarmed against Sathan for this matter. But what, if he laye my sinfull life vnto my charge, and so burden my conscience with that, [Page 401] that I know not what to do, but am like to fall vnto desperation? What shal I aunwere? How shal I escape? For I confesse vnto you that I haue bene all my lyfe time a very greuous sinner, and haue greatly offēded the Lord my God.

Discomfort not your selfe, but take a good heart vnto you. You are in this behalfe in none o­ther case then all the sainctes and faithfull people of God haue bene before you,Roma. iii. & are at this daye. For all haue sinned, and want the glo­ry of God.Esay. liii. All haue gone astraye lyke lost shepe. We are vnprofita­ble seruauntes.Luke. xvii. Esay. lxiiii. All our righteous­nesses are as a clothe defiled with menstrue.1. Iohn. i. If we saye we haue no sinne, we deceiue our selues, and the truthe is not in vs. But if we confesse our sinnes, God is faith­full and righteous to forgeue vs our sinnes, and to clense vs from [Page 402] al vnrighteousnes.

What [...] I do than, that synne may be [...] clog vnto my conscience?

Repentance.Let it repēt you, that euer you of [...]fended so louing a father, and s [...] gentle a Lord. Be hartely sory fo [...] your misdoings. Lament and in [...]wardly bewail your wretchednes [...]ses, which so wickedly haue trans [...]gressed & brokē the holy cōmaun [...]dements of the Lord. For this ha [...]ty and vnfained repentaunce is a goodly preparatiue to saluation▪ and without it none can be [...]aued Therfore Iohn Baptist,Math. iii. Christ & his Apostles begā their preaching of repentaunce.Mark. i. Act. iii. Math. ix. Esay. lxvi. For whosoeuer is not brought into the knowledge of hym selfe, he shall neuer haue delyghte to come vnto Christe▪ For suche as thynke them selues whole, haue no pleasure in a phi­sition, but they that are sycke.

And will God accept this [Page 403] my repentaunce?

Hear what God saith by the Prophet Whom shall I regard? Euen hym that is pore and of a lowly troubled spi­rit, & standeth in awe of my wor­des. The Psalmograph also saith:Psal. li. A sacrifice vnto god is a troubled spirite, a broken and a contrite heart: O God, shalt thou not de­spise. Again:Psal. xxxiii. the Lord is nie vnto them that are of a troubled heart, and he will saue them that are of a broken spirite.A prayer.

O Lord take away from me that stony heart, whiche can not repent, and geue me that fleshly heart, which glad­lye and willingly lamenteth her synnes and miseries,Ezech. xi. and vnfai­nedly delyghteth in a newe lyfe. But what? is repētance ynough?

As you ernestly and from the very heart do repent you of your former sinnefull lyfe:Confession of sinnes vnto God. so likewyse hūble your self in y^e sight of God, [Page 404] and confesse your selfe vnto him a moste wicked & miserable sinner Crie in your heart with Dauid, & say: haue mercy vpon me, O God after thy great goodnes. Accor [...]dinge vnto the multitude of thy mercies, do away myne offences Wash me thorowly from my wic [...]kednes,Psal. li. & clense me from my syn For I knowledge my fautes, and my sin is euer before me. Against thee only haue I sinned, and don [...] euill in thy sight. O turn thy fac [...] from my sinnes, and put oute al [...] my mysdedes. Make me a clean [...] heart, O God, and renue a righ [...] spirite within me. Cast me not a [...]way from thy presence, and tak [...] not thy holy spirite from me. Cry [...] with that lost sonne and say:Luke. xv. O fa [...]ther I haue sinned against heauē and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne▪ Cry with the Publicane and say:Luke. xviii [Page 405] O God be merciful to me a sinner. Cry with the Leper and saye:Math. vii. O Lord, if thou wilt thou art hable to make me cleane. Cry with the blinde man and saye:Mark. x. O Iesu the sonne of Dauid, haue mercye on me.Math. xv. Cry with the woman of Ca­nane and say [...]: haue mercy on me O Lord thou [...]ne of Dauid: My doughter is greuously vexed of y^e deuil.Math. v [...]. Cry with the Centurion & say: I am not worthy that thou shouldest entre vnder my rofe, but speke the word only, and my sōne shalbe heled. But vnto this your harty repentaunce & humble con­fessiō of your sinnes, you must put mighty & strong faith, beleuing y^t God y^e father for his promise sake made vnto all penitent sinners in Christes bloud,Faith. wil frely & merci­ [...]ully forgeue you all your sins, be [...]hey neuer so manye or greuous. for without this faith all y^t euer [Page 406] you do, is nothing worth, as tha­postle saith.Roma. xiiii. Whatsoeuer is not of faith,Gene. iiii. is sinne. Cain repented and confessed his fault, saying: my sin is greater, then I may deserue to be forgeuen. But because he wanted faith, he fell into desperation & was dampned:Math. xxvii. Iudas repented & confessed his sinne, saying: I haue synned, betraying the innocent bloud, yea he also made satisfac­tion: suche as it was, but not with [...]standinge because he added no [...] faith vnto his repentaunce, con [...]fession and satisfaction, all was in vaine. Peter his fellowe disciple [...] sinned also greuously,Math. xxvi. but becaus [...] he earnestlye repented, and als [...] faithfully beleued to haue remis [...]sion of his sinnes by the precious bloud of his maister, whome he [...] fore had both denied & forsworne he was forgeuen, and receiued i [...] to fauour againe.Ephe. i. For by faith ar [...] [Page 407] we made of the children of wrath, the sonnes of God.Iohn. i. By faith are we maried vnto Christ.Galat, iii. By faith are our hartes purified. By faith sathan is ouercome. By faith the world is vanquished.Ose. ii. By faith we are preserued from dampnation. By faith we are iustified & made righteous.Act. xiii. i. Pet. v. By faith the wrath of God is asswaged. By faith we worke the will of God.i. Iohn. v. By faith our praiers are heard, and our re­questes graunted. By faithe we please God.Rom. v. By faith we be made the children of light. By faith we are borne a new of God.Iohn. vi. By faith we are made the temples of the holy ghost.Mark. xi. Roma. xi. By faith we vnder­stand the misteries of God.

By faith we preuaile againste the gates of hell.Iohn. xii i. Iohn. iii [...] i. Cor. iii. Math. xxvi Rom. viii. By faith we are made the heyres of God, and fel­low heyres with our Lord and sa­uiour [Page 408] Christ Iesu, of euerlasting glory.Lib. de fide ad Petrum. Faith, as S. Austen saith▪ is the beginning of mans salua­tion. Without faithe no man can reache or come vnto the nomber of the sonnes of God. Withoute faith al the labour of man is fru­strate and voyde. Faith, saieth S▪ Ambrose,Lib. de Cain & Abel. is y^e rote of all vertues▪ and whatsoeuer thou buyldest o [...] this foundation, that alone profi­teth vnto the reward of thy work [...] frute and vertue. Fayth, saith he▪ is ritcher then all treasures: strō ­ger then all corporall power: and more healthfull then all Phisiti­ons. Therfore loke that you hau [...] this true faythe in you, and tha [...] you cleue both toth and nayle (as they vse to say) to the merciful and comfortable promises of god: So may you be sure to haue remission and forgeuenes of your synnes.

I beleue, O Lord, helpe tho [...] [Page 409] my vnbelief.The sick mās confession of his sinnes. Mark. ix. Luke. xvii. O Lord encrease my saith, O heauenly father my God and my Lorde, I with an assured perswasion of thy goodnesse to­ward me, most humbly besech the for Iesus Christes sake, merciful­ly to behold me a moste miserable sinner, and clearly to forgeue all those sinnes & wickdnesses, which I wretched creature haue com­mitted against thee my Lord God from the houre of my byrth vnto this present tyme. Forgeue me all my sins for thy names sake,Psalm. xxv they [...]e bothe many and great. Oh re­member not the sinnes and offen­ [...]es of my yougth, but accordynge vnto thy mercy thynke vpon me, O Lorde,Psal. lxxx [...]. for thy goodnes. Oh re­member not mine old sinnes, but [...]aue mercy on me, yea and that [...]ghtsone, for I am come to great [...]iserie. Helpe me, O God of my [...]luation, for y^e glory of thy name. [Page 410] O deliuer me, and be merciful vn­to my sinnes for thy names sake. So shall I geue thee thankes for euer, & magnifie thy blessed name worldes without end.

Amen▪

Doubt not neighbour Epa­phroditus, but that god hath gra­ciouslye heard this your humble sute, & also graunted your request▪ He hath forgeuē you al your sins He will neuer laye them to your [...] charge. He hath cast them away [...] behynd his back, so that he wil n [...]uer remember them more, as h [...] saith by y^e Prophet,Iere. xxxi. I will forgeue their misdedes, and wil neuer remember their synnes any more▪ Againe.Ezech. x [...]iii. If the vngodly wil tur [...] away from all his sinnes that h [...] hath done, and kepe all my com [...]maundementes, and do the thin [...] that is equall and right: doubtle [...] he shall lyue and not die. As for [...] his sinnes that he did before, th [...] [Page 411] shall not be thought vpon, but in his righteousnes y^t he hath doone, he shal liue. For haue I any plea­sure in the death of a sinner, saith y^e Lord God, and not rather that he conuert and liue? Item. Repent, & turne you from al your wicked­nesses: so shal ther no sinne do you harme. Cast away frō you al your vngodlines that ye haue doone. Make you new harts, and a new spirit. Wherfore will ye die, O ye house of Israel? seing I haue no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, sayeth the Lorde God. Turn you then: and ye shal liue. Therfore feare not good brother: but cōtinue faithfull & repentant vnto thend, & ye shall surely be sa­ued.

Sinne is an heauy bur­den,Of sinne. Psal. vi. & very displeasāt vnto the lord our God, and maketh sinners to [...]le frō the face of God, forasmuche as they know that God hateth sin [Page 412] and al thē that do commit it.

Esay. iii.I confesse synne to bee an heauy burden and displeasant vnto God yet as heauy as it is,Math. viii Christ hath taken it on hym and born it away as the Prophet saieth, he hath ta­ken on him oure infirmities, and borne oure sycknesses.i. Pet. ii. This wit­nesseth. S. Peter, sayinge. Christ hym selfe bare oure synnes in his body on the tree, that we beyng delyuered from synne, should liue vnto righteousnes. And where as ye say that synne maketh sinners to flie from the face of God, I ans­were. It driueth in dede the ob­stinat and desperate sinners from God, but not the penitent whiche repent in faith, and turne vnfay­nedly vnto the Lorde theyr God, being perswaded that he is a fa­ther of mercies and God of al consolation, [...]. Cor. i. and that he for Christes sake wyll forgeue them. Doe they [Page 413] whiche fele them selfe sick and dis­eased, flie and run away from the phisition? They rather make hast vnto the Phisition, being nothing afraid of him, because they ar sick & diseased, but rather somuche the more doo they desire to come vnto him, to shew him their woundes and to disclose their diseases, that they may be made whole. Now is Christ a phisitiō,Math. ix. & all we through sinne are diseased, shal we therfore runne away from Christ, and not rather make hast vnto him? what Phisition is so ready to heale the body, as Christe our Phisition is to heale the soule? Who euer came vnto him with a faithfull and pe­nitent heart, and was refused? Who euer sought remedy at his hand, and was not holpen? Who euer opened vnto hym his disea­ [...]es, and was not cured? he calleth all without exception, be they ne­uer [Page 414] so diseased and loden with th [...] burden of sinne vnto him, and pro [...]miseth that he will ease them of their burdens, & make thē whole, & is it to be thought, that he wyl [...] refuse sinners, when they come vn [...]to him?Math xi Come vnto me, sayth he, al ye that labour and are loden, & I wil refreshe you. Take my yoke vpon you, and ye shall find rest for your soules. For I came not to ca [...] y^e righteous, but sinners vnto re­pentance.Math. ix The sonne of man came to seke and to saue that was lost. How frequented he the cōpany of synners,Luk, xix when he was in this world, & that to this end only, tha [...] he might call them through his godly sermons vnto repentance,Math. ix vnto the fauour of God, and vnto the felowship of the sainctes, in so muche that he was called a frend of open sinners and whores?Mrth. xi.x How defended he alway the humble & [Page 415] penitēt sinners against the proud and stifnecked Pharises and Iu­sticiaries?Luke. vii When Zache being a sinner & the Prince of the Publi­cans sought to see Christ,Luke. xix. how lo­uingly did Christ speake vnto him and frendly came into his house, eat & dranck with him?Luke, vii Whē Ma­ry Magdalē being a greuous sin­ner came vnto Christe, he refused not her company, but talked most gently with her, cōforted her, re­ceiued her into his fauour, quieted her cōsciēce, healed her diseases, & gaue her euerlasting life.Luke, xvii Whan the poore Publicane, whiche had both ofte and greuously offended the Lord his God, came into the temple to pray, and in his praiers hūbled him self before the maiestie of God, and cōfessed him self a sin­ner, was he not ioyfully receiued into the fauour of God, and pro­nounced more righteous euen by [Page 416] the mouth of Christ then y^e proude▪ Pharesy for all his glistring wor­kes? How ioyfully was that vn­thrifty,Luke. xv. prodigal & wastfull sonne receiued home again?Luke. xxii. What frēd­ship founde that theif, whiche was crucified with Christe, at the hand of Christ, when he saide, Lord re­member me when thou comest in­to thy kingdome? Did not Christ straightways aunswere him and say: This day shalt thou bee with me in Paradise? And yet was he both a thief, a seditious persone and a murtherer. Christe refuseth none although neuer so greuous a synner, if we come vnto hym. Turn ye vnto me, [...]acha. i. and I wil turn vnto you, saith the Lord of hostes. Thou disobedient Israel.Iere. iii. Turne again (saith the Lord) and I will not let my wrath fall vpon you I am mercifull (saith the Lord) and I wil not alway bear displeasur against [Page 417] thee: but this I will y^e thou know thy great blasphemy, namely that thou hast vnfaithfully for­saken the Lord thy God, and hast made thi self partaker of straunge Gods vnder all greene trees, but hast had no wil to hear my voyce, saieth the Lorde. O ye disobedient chyldren, turne againe saieth the Lord, and I will be maried with you. &c. O ye disobedient childrē, turne agayne, saying: Lo, we are thyne: for thou art the Lorde our God, and so shal I heal your back turninges. Who wyll not boldely come vnto so mercifull a Lord & most louing father, seing he so gē ­tely calleth all men vnto hym, be they neuer so greuous synners, & promiseth that he wyll not refuse them, but louingly receiue them, neuer lay their offences vnto their charge: but to forget them and cast them behinde his backe, that [Page 418] he wyll neuer ether remember th [...] or loke vpon them more.

Ioel. iiThe Lord is merciful, gentle and louing, pacient, long suffring, & o [...] muche kindnes, and ready at all tymes to forgeue, yea euen wha [...] he is at the poynt to punyshe. Th [...] Lord is louing vnto euery man,Psalm. cliiii & his mercy is ouer all his workes▪ The lord is good and gracious, & of great mercy vnto all them that call vpon him.Psal. lxxxvi The Lord is ful of tender compassion and great mer [...]cy, long sufferyng and of muche goodnes.Psal. ciii. He wil not alway be chi [...]ding, neither kepeth he his anger for euer. He dealeth not with vs after our synnes, neither rewar­deth he vs accordyng to our wic­kednesses. For loke how hie y^e hea­uen is in comparison of the earth: so great is his mercy also toward them that feare him. Loke howe wide also the East is from y^e west: [Page 419] so far hath he set our sinnes from vs. Yea lyke as a father pitieth his owne children: euen so is the Lord mercifull vnto thē that feare him. For he knoweth whereof we be made, he remembreth y^t we are but dust.Psal. cxxx With the Lorde there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeme Israel frō al his sinnes.

The great kindnes & dere hearty loue of God toward vs, appeareth not only in this, y^t he both willingly and gladly admitteth and recei­ueth synners, whensoeuer they repent and tourne vnto hym, but [...]n that he also most diligently se­keth them vp, fetcheth them home again, and geueth them grace to repent and turne, that they maye [...]e saued.Luke. xv This thinge is verye [...]yuelye described and set forthe in [...]he parables of the straid shepe,Luke. x. of the lost groat, and of the woun­ded [Page 420] man. Herein is loue, saith S▪ Iohn,i. Iohn. iii. not that we loued God, bu [...] that he loued vs, & sent his sonn [...] to be the agrement for our sinnes Saint Paule saieth:Roma. v. God settet [...] out his loue toward vs, seing tha [...] while we were yet sinners. Christ died for vs. Much more thē now [...] we that are iustified by his blud [...] shalbe saued from wrath throug [...] him. For if when we were enne [...]mies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne: much [...] more seing we are reconciled, we shalbe preserued by his life.

I beleue y^t God is a mercifull father for Christes sake to all them tha [...] do truly repente, beleue and con [...]uert vnto him, but is it not to be [...] feared, that my repentaunce and conuersion is to late?Remedies a­gainst late repentaunce & cōuersion vnto God.

Be on good comfort neighbor Epaphro­ditus, there is no repentaūce and conuersion to late in this worlde▪ [Page 421] so that it be true & proceadeth frō a contrite heart & humble spirite. For at whatsoeuer hour a sinner dooth mourne and lamente for his sinnes,Iere. xxx [...] ▪ God promyseth, that he will so forgeue him his iniquities that he will neuer remember thē more.Ezech. xv [...] ▪ And Christe saithe.Math. v. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shal be comforted. In the holy scrip­tures God doth very often call vs vnto repentaunce, but he appoyn­teth not ether this or y^e time, day & hour, but he willeth vs to repent, and promiseth that whensoeuer we returne vnto him, we shall bee safe and escape from death vnto life.Math. [...] Our sauiour Christ also bid­deth al that are diseased, come vn­to him, and promiseth that he wil ease thē, but he assigneth no time, but at all houres he promyseth grace, mercy, fauour, help, and cō ­ [...]ort. Christ is a sauior for al ages, [Page 422] & refuseth no cōuersion, although neuer so late. If we come in childhode, in yougth, in middle age, or in olde age, whensoeuer we come, we shall be receiued. Only let vs come. It is better late then neuer. God is a like merciful, in al ages. Christ is a sauiour able inough to saue at all tymes.Math. i. He ceaseth not to be called Iesus, that is to say, a sauiour: niether ceaseth he at a­ny time to saue, as y^e Apostle saith, Iesus Christ yesterday & to daye,Hebr. xiii. and the same continueth for euer. If Christ were appoynted of God the father a sauioure for certaine times, & not for all times: so shuld he be no perfect sauiour. [...] Note. If he could not as effectually saue at the hour of death as at the hour of the birth: he were vnworthy y^e name of a sauiour. But he abideth a sa­uiour for all ages and for all kind of people, so that they vnfainedly [Page 423] repent, beleue, and turn. Set be­fore your eyes the parable,Math. xx. whiche we read in the gospel, of them that were hired to worke in the vine­yard. Some came early in y^e mor­ning, some about the third hour, some about the .vi. and .ix. houre, and some about the .xi. hour. And when night once came, that they shuld receiue their wages, all had like reward. Whē they that came first saw that they that came laste & wrought but one houre, were e­qual vnto thē, whiche had borne y^e burthen and heat of the day, & re­ceiued like reward: one of thē murmured & grudged at y^e matter: but it was answered. Frend I do the no wrong. Take that is thine and go thy way. I will geue vnto this last euen as vnto thee. Is it not lawful for me to doo as me listeth with mine owne goodes? Thus se you that they, whiche came at [Page 424] the latter end of y^e day & wrought in the vinyard but an hour, were not refused but receiued the lyke reward with thē that came first. Only let vs be labourers and no loiterers, only let vs come into the Lordes vineyarde, and not runne away backward, and at whatso­euer hour we come, we shalbe welcome, & receiue our reward with the first.Luke. xxii. Againe the history of the thief, that hanged on the right­hand of Christ, whiche thief was full of wicked dedes, & neuer tur­ned vnto God vntil the very hour of his death, declareth manifestly that there is no conuersion in this life to late, if it bee accompanied with true repentaunce and vnfai­ned faith. The thiefe hangyng on the crosse, & at the poynt of death only said vnto Christ: Lord remē ­ber me, when thou commest into thy kingdom. And Christ wel ac­cepting [Page 425] his conuersion, saide vnto him: Truly I saye vnto thee: this day shalt thou be with me in Pa­radise. Who will now dispaire of the good wil and fauourable mercy of God, seing that this thief cō ­uerting at the very last houre of his death, was not of Christ reiec­ted: but receiued, & made a fellowe citizin with Christ of ioyfull Pa­radise?

But I haue many ti­mes greuously offended the Lord my God, and broken his holy cō ­maundementes.

This is no let vnto your saluation, so that your conuersion be vnfained.Prou. xxiii The righteous man sinneth .vii. times in the day.Eccle. vii. Psal. xiii. Math. xix Who liueth & sinneth not. All go astray. There is none good but God alone. All our righ­teousnesses ar as a cloth polluted with mēstrue.Esay. lxiiii, If God shuld deale with the moste holy and most per­ [...]ect accordinge to their desertes, [Page 426] they should find nothing in them selues but worthy dampnation▪ Dauid with other very many of the old Testament oftentimes sinned and offended God with theyr wicked actes,ii. Reg. i. Gen. 2.9.19 20.27.36.31 34.37. Exod. ii iii. Reg. xi Mat. xx.xxvi yet forasmuche as they repented and vnfainedly turned vnto God, they were receiued into fauour and saued. The Dis­ciples of Christ, Peter and his fe­lowes were sinners also, and ma­ny tymes did that, whiche is not righteous in the sight of God, yet they be wayling their miseries, & truly returning vnto God, were admitted into the nūber of gods elect.Math. xviii. God is that Lord, which forgeueth not only one talent but the whole debt of .x. M. talentes, if we come truly vnto hym & know­ledge our beggary, yea our no­thing. If God would y^t we should forgeue one an other, so oft as we [Page 427] offend, doubtles God wil also for­geue vs whansoeuer we offend, if we vnfainedly turn vnto him, be our sinnes neuer so many and greuous. Mary Magdalē sinned ful oft, yet was she forgeuen, as it is written of her:Luke. vii. Many sinnes are forgeuen her, because she hath lo­ued much.Luke, xviii The Publican was w^t out doubt a very greuous sinner, and had many times broken the cōmaundemēts of god, yet so sone as he humbled him self before the throne of gods maiestie, & apealed vnto his mercy: he was receiued [...]nto fauor & pronoūced of christes [...]wn mouth more righteous then [...]he Pharisy for all his glistring workes & outward holines of life. [...]ing Manasses in his praier con [...]essed vnto God, that he had syn­ [...]ed aboue the nomber of y^e sandes [...]f the sea, and that his iniquities [...]ere innumerable, yet after he returned [Page 400] vnto the Lord, they were all forgeuen and he receiued into fauour. If there be not dayly re­mission of daily synnes at the hād of God for Christes sake,Math. vi. why are we commaunded daily to pray for the forgeuenes of our sinnes?Luke. xi. If the fauour of God be promised at all houres to suche as vnfainedly turne vnto their Lorde God,Iere. xviii. Ezech. xviii. and .xxxiiii. and seke him in singlenes of heart, thē followeth it, that sin we neuer so oft and neuer so greuously: yet if harty repentaunce come, there is hope of remissiō of sinnes through the bloud of Christ.Psal. cix. If Christ bee an euerlasting Bishop, than is he able at all tymes to saue euen at the full those, whiche come vnto God through hym.Hebr. vii If Christ go forth to be called Iesus,Math. i. that is to saye: a sauiour, then ceaseth he not to saue sinners.Rom. viii. If Christ be our intercessour, mediatour and ad­uocate [Page 429] vnto God the father euen vnto the worldes ende,i. Tim. ii. then may we be sure thorow him to haue remission and forgeuenes of all oure sinnes euē vnto thend of y^e world,i. Iohn. ii. yea & that at all times, sinne we neuer so oft & greuously, if we re­pent, beleue and amend. Therfore though you haue many times greuously offended y^e Lord your God and broken his holy commaunde­mentes, yet despair not but turne again vnto the Lord your God, & he will turn vnto you▪ deliuer you & saue you.ii. Cor. i. For he is the father of mercies & God of all consolation. He is riche inough for all thē that call vpon hym.Rom [...]. x. If you doo thus, though your sinnes be as read as scarlet, yet shall they be as whyte as snowe. And though they were lyke purple, yet shall they bee as whyte as woll. Heare what God saith by the Prophet: Commonly [Page 430] whan a man putteth away his wife and she goeth from him,Iere. iii. and marieth with an other, then the question is: should he resorte any more vnto her after that? Is not this field then defiled & vncleane? But as for thee: thou hast plaide y^e harlot with many louers, yet turn again to me, saith y^e Lord. &c. and I will not let my wrath fall vpon you. I am mercifull, (sayeth the Lord) and I will not alway beare displeasure against thee. O tourn again and I will be maried with you. Whō wold not these words encourage to come againe vnto the Lord his God, and throughly to be perswaded of gods louing fauour toward him, and of the for­geuenes of his sinnes, be they ne­uer so many and greuous, if he re­pent, beleue & amend?

These thinges comfort well my weake conscience. But one thinge dothe [Page 431] [...]reatly discourage me.

What [...]s that?Remedies a­gainst y^e want of merites.

I haue no merites, nor plenty of good workes, wher­with I may make God fauorable [...]o me, but I am a barren fig tree [...]oyd of all good fruit.

The wāt of merits ought not to pluck you from comming vnto god.Tit. iii. For God saueth not vs for the righte­ous works, which we haue done, but for his mercies sake. If oure saluatiō came of works & merits: then were grace no more grace.Rom. xi. If euerlasting life were gotten by deseruinges:Rom. vi than were it not the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord.Ephe. ii But the Apostle saieth.

By grace are ye saued thorowe faith, and that not of our selues. It is the gifte of God, and com­meth not of workes, least any mā should boast him self. If rightous­nesse come of the lawe:Galat. ii. then Christ is dead in vaine. Christ came not [Page 432] to call the righteous: but sinne [...] to repentance.Math. ix. And we are taug [...] in the Gospell, that ioye shall be [...] heauen ouer one sinner that rep [...]teth,Luke. xv more then ouer ninety an [...] nine iust persones, which nede [...] repentaunce.Luke. x. What had the wou [...]ded man deserued, that he shoul [...] be healed?Luke. xv. What had y^e strayshep [...] merited, that the shephard shoul [...] so louingly fetch her home again [...] What good works brought Mar [...] Magdalen,Luke. v [...]. when Christ receiue [...] her vnto grace & forgaue her, he [...] sinnes? And so likewyse of diuers other. If God shoulde saue vs be­cause of our merites & good wor­kes, so should we chuse god by our works and merites, and not God vs by his fauor, grace and mercy. But Christ saith,Iohn. xv. ye haue not cho­sen me, but I haue chosen you.Iohn. iii. And S. Iohn wondring at this great mercy of God, brasteth out [Page 435] [...]to these wordes▪ and saith: Be­ [...]olde, what loue the father hathe [...]hewed on vs, y^t we shuld be called [...]he sonnes of God.i. Iohn. [...]. Againe herein [...]s loue, not that we loued God, [...]ut that he loued vs, and sent his [...]onne to be the agrement for our [...]nnes. And S Paul saith, God y^e [...]ather hath chosen vs in Christ,Ephe. i. [...]efore the foundatiōs of the world [...]ere laid. God therfore did chuse [...]s by his grace, and not we hym [...]y our workes and merits:Exod. xxxiii. I wil [...]aue mercy, sayd God to Moses, [...]n whome it pleaseth me to haue mercy,Roma. ix. and I wil haue compassiō, [...]n whō it is my pleasure to haue compassion. It lieth not therfore [...]n a mans will or running, but in [...]he mercy of God. And the Psal­ [...]ograph saith,Psal. xvi [...] speaking of God, [...] of him self: he hath saued me, be­ [...]ause it was his pleasure to haue [...]e.Psal. lvi. Againe he saith: Thou shalt [Page 434] saue them for nothynge: what [...] to say,De verb. Apo. serm. 15. saith S. Austen, thou sh [...] saue them for nothing? but y^e th [...] findest nothing in them wherf [...] they shuld be saued, and yet sau [...] thou them.Lib. 2. contra Pela. Frely doest thou ge [...] frely dost thou saue. And s. Iero [...] alledging y^e same sentence agai [...] the Pelagians, saith, that y^e rig [...]teous are not saued by their ow [...] merites, but by the tender merc [...] of God. If we shall consider ou [...] merites,In Ioan. cap. 3 Home. 25. saith Chrisostom, we a [...] not only worthy no reward, b [...] we are also worthy punishemen [...] Let all mens merits, which per [...]shed by Adam be still and kepe s [...]lence, saith Saint Austen,De predest. Sanctorum. and l [...] the grace of God reigne, which raigneth through our Lorde I [...]sus Christe.De vocat. Gene. lib. 1. Cap. 5. The redemption [...] Christes bloud should waxe vi [...] and become of no price, sayth S [...] Ambrose, if y^e iustification, which [Page 435] commeth by grace were due vnto merites going afore.Psal. ci [...] Dauid sath in a certayne Psalme, prayse▪ the Lord. O my soule, and all that is within me, praise his holy name. Prayse the Lord, O my soule and forget not his benefites. Whiche forgeueth all thy sinnes, and hea­leth al thine iniquities. Which sa­ueth thy life from destruction, and crowneth the with mercy and lo­ [...]ing kindnes. [...] Note. All good men from the beginning haue attributed & geuen the whole glory of their iu­stification and saluation, not to their own merits and good wor­ [...]es:i. Cor. xv. but to the free grace and vn­deserued mercy of God,i, Cor. i that God maye bee all in all, and that he, whiche reioyseth, should reioyse in [...]he Lorde. For the contentation and quietnes of your conscience [...]n this behalf, remember y^t Christ [...]ame not to cal y^e iusticiaries, but [Page 436] sinners vnto repentaunce. Remē [...]ber that the sonne of man,Luke. xix. came t [...] seke and to saue that, that wa [...] lost. Remember that Christ is [...] Phisition,Math. ix and that the who [...] hath no nede of a Phisition, bu [...] suche as are sick.Math. xi. Remember tha [...] Christ calleth vnto him al such a [...] are diseased & loden with the bu [...]den of sinne.Math. i. He requireth no m [...]rites, only come, remember tha [...] Christ is called a sauiour to y^e end that he should saue them, which otherwise should perish.Luke. ii Heare al [...]so what God saith by y^e Prophe [...] Come to the waters al ye that b [...] thirsty and ye that haue no mony Come,Esay. lv. bie, y^t ye may haue to ea [...] Come bie wine and milk withou [...] any mony, or mony worth. Wher [...]fore doo ye lay out your mony fo [...] the thyng that fedeth not, & spen [...] your labour about the thing tha [...] satisfieth you not? But harke [...] [Page 437] harken rather vnto me, & ye shall eat of the best, and your soul shall haue her pleasure in plenteousnes­ses. Encline your eares, and come vnto me, take hede (I say) & your soul shall liue. Our sauiour Christ also saieth.Iohn. vii. If any man thirst, let him come vnto me and drinke. A­gaine in an other place, I wyll geue to him that is a thirst, of the well of the water of lyfe.Apoca. xxi He that ouercommeth shall enherite all thinges, and I will be his God, & he shalbe my sonne.Apoca. xxi [...] Itē. Let him that is a thirst, com. And let who­soeuer wyll, take of the water of lyfe, fre. Here is the fauor of God, remission of sinnes, the gift of the holy ghost, quietnes of conscience, and euerlasting life promised fre­ly without merits or deserts to so many as wil come vnto Christ w^t a repentāt hart & faithfull minde.Esay. ixi. For Christe was sent of God the [Page 438] father to preach good tidings vn­to the pore,Luke. iiii. that he might bind vp the woūded hartes, that he might preache deliueraunce to the capti­ue, and open the pryson to them that are bound, declare the accep­table yeare of the Lord, and comfort al them that are in heauines. He came into this worlde to saue sinners.i. Tim. i. Therefore let it not dis­may you, though you find in your self plenty of sinnes & good wor­kes very few. Cast rather y^e eies of your mind w^t strōg faith on Christ & on his righteousnes, on his me­rites, passiō, & death, on his blessed body breking, & his precious blud shedding.Cor. i. Iere. ix. Beleue him to be ordai­ned of God the father to be youre wisdom, & righteousnes, your sāc­tification & redemption, that as it is written, he y^t reioyseth, shuld re­ioyse in the Lorde.Phil. iii. Count all your merites, good works, & righteous­nesses, [Page 439] vile and of no price, for the excellēcy of y^e knowledge of Christ Iesu our Lord. Labour to winne Christ, and to be found in him, not hauing your owne righteousnes, which commeth of the law, but y^t that, which is through y^e faith of Christ euen y^e rightousnes whiche commeth of God through faith, y^t you may knowe him and the ver­tue of his resurrection and fellow­ship of his passions. He y^t through true faith hath gotten Christ, put him on his back withall his righ­teousnes and holines, he is not altogether without merites, nei­ther walketh he naked in y^e sight of God.Rom. xiii. Unto this exhorteth S. Paule, when he saieth. Put ye on the Lord Iesus Christe, that is to saye. Clothe your selfe throughe saith with al the merits and wor­kes of Christ. Take his righteousnesse, holinesse, perfection, pray­ing, [Page 440] fasting, watching, law fulfil­ling, miracles working, preching passion, death, resurrection, assen­tion, and al that euer he hath to be yours. Beleue him to be geuē you of God, withal that euer he hath. Christ is yours, all therfore that euer Christ merited in his flesh is yours also, as the Apostle saieth. God spared not his owne sonne,Rom. viii. but gaue him for vs al, how can it be than, that with him he shoulde not geue vs all thinges also? If you on this manner put on Christ his merites and good works tho­rowe true faith,Math. xxi you shall not ap­peare before God an vnfrutefull figge tree, neither shall the cursse of God fall vpon you. Hear what S. Austen saith:In mantali. Cap. xxii. All my hope is in the death of my Lord. His death is my merit & my refuge, my helth life and resurrection. The tender mercy of the Lorde is my merit. [Page 441] I am not without merits, so long as that Lorde of mercies fayleth not. And if the mercies of the Lord be plenteous, then am I also plē ­teous in merites. The mightier that he is to saue, the better is my state and condition, and the more fre am I from all daunger. Here se you that this godly man. Saint Austen knoweth none other me­rites that may doo him good, but the merites of Christes death and passion. He counteth Christes me­rites his merites, and saieth that he is not without merites, so long as that Lorde of mercies fayleth not.Lib. medit. Cap. 14. In an other place he also say­eth, all my hope, and assuraunce of my whole trust is in the precious bloud of Christ, whiche was shed for vs and for our saluation. In that is all my comfort, and repo­sing the whole affiance of my sal­uation. In that I desyre to come [Page 442] vnto thee (O heauenly father) not hauing mine own righteousnes, but that righteousnes, which commeth by thy sonne Iesus Christe our Lorde. Item. Brethren, that we may be healed from sinne, let vs beholde Christe crucified. For as they that did beholde the bra­sen Serpent in the wyldernsse, did not die through the stinging of the serpentes: so lykewyse they y^t do loke vpon the death of Christ with faithe, are healed from the bitinges of sinnes. Here to agre­eth the saying of saint Barnarde,In cantica. what is of so mighty force & great strength to heale the woundes of the conscience, as the diligent re­mēbraunce of Christes woundes? Again, when I am troubled and put in feare of my sinnes, than do I hide me in the bloudy woundes of Iesus Christ. Loke y^t you ther­fore likewise flie vnto the merites [Page 443] of Christes death and passion, and so shall neither sinne, death, hell, desperation, lawe, or anye other thing hurt you.

I beleue that whatsoeuer Christ did in his hu­manitie, he did it for me & for my saluation. And in thee, O Lorde God, is my whole trust, let me ne­uer be confounded. But neighbor Philemon.

What is youre mind sir.Of predesti­nation.

What if I be not of the nomber of those, whome God hath predestinat to be saued?

Feare you not. God withoute all doubt hath sealed you by his holy spirite vnto euerlasting life. Your name is written in the boke of life. You are a citizin of the new glori­ous and heauenly Hierusalem. Yow shall remaine with God in glory after your departure for e­uer & euer.Of repentāce

It sore repenteth me, y^t I haue at any time offended the lord my God.

This repen­tance [Page 444] is an euident testimonye of your saluation, and that god hath predestinat and tofore appoynted you vnto euerlasting lyfe.Math. ii For it is written, repent you of your for­mer life,Eze. xviii for the kingdome of God is at hand. Again: If the vngodly shall repent him of al his sinnes y^t he hath done. &c. Doubtles he shal liue and not die. As for al his sins that he did before,Of Faith. they shall not once be thought vpon.

I haue an earnest fayth in the bloud of Christ, that God the father will forgeue me al my sinnes for Chri­stes sake.

You thus beleuing can not perish, but this your faith is an vndoubted assuraunce vnto your conscience, that you are pre­destinate to be saued. For it is written, God hath so derely loued the worlde, that he gaue his only be­gotten sonne, that all that beleue on hym, shoulde not pearishe, but [Page 445] [...]aue euerlasting lyfe.Iohn. iii. For God [...]ent not his sonne into the worlde [...]o condempne the world, but that [...]he world should be saued by him. He that beleueth on him, is not [...]ondempned. He that beleueth on [...]he sonne, hath euerlasting lyfe. Uerely, verely I say vnto you, he [...]hat heareth my worde,Iohn. v. and bele­ [...]eth on him that sent me, hath e­ [...]erlasting lyfe, and shall not come [...]nto dampnation, but is scaped [...]rom death vnto life. This is the [...]athers will, that sent me, that of [...]l which he hath geuen me, I shal [...]ose nothing, but raise them vp a­gaine at the last day.Iohn. vii. And this is y^e wil of him that sent me, that eue­ry one whiche seeth the sonne and beleueth on him, haue euerlasting life. And I will rayse him vp at y^e last day. I am the resurrection & life,Iohn. xi he y^t beleueth in me, though he be dead, yet shall he lyue & eue­ry [Page 446] one that liueth and beleueth i [...] me,Iohn. xi. shal neuer die. To him (christ [...] geue all the Prophetes witnes saith S. Peter,Act. x. that through his name whosoeuer beleueth in him shall receiue remission of sinnes If thou knowledge w^t thy mouth that Iesus is the Lorde,Rom. x. and be­leue in thine heart that God ray­sed hym vp from death, thou shal [...] be saued. For to beleue with th [...] hert iustifieth, and to knowledge with the mouthe, maketh a man safe.Esay. xxviii For the scripture saith: Who­soeuer beleueth on him, shall not be confounded. Thus se you, that faith dooth assure your conscience of y^e fauor of God & of euerlasting life. Doubt you not therfore, but that you are counted in the num­ber of Gods elect and chosen peo­ple, and shall enherit the glorious kingdom of God:Of baptisme

I was bap­tised in the name of God y^e father, [Page 447] [...]nd of god the sonne, & of god the [...]oly ghost.Math. xxviii

This is also a sure [...]kē of the fauour of God toward [...]ou, and that you are predestinate [...]nto euerlasting life, seyng that according to your profession, you do beleue, and vnto the vttermost of your power frame your life. For it is wrytten,Mark. xvi. he that beleueth & is baptised,Act. ii. shalbe saued. And s. Peter said vnto the Iewes: Re­pent you of your sinnes, & be bap­tised euery one of you in y^e name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes, and ye shall receiue the gift of the holy ghost▪ And Saint Paule saieth:Gala. ii. All ye that are bap­tized, haue put on Christ. And you know, there is no dampnation to them that are in Christ Iesu.Rom. viii For as when you wer baptised, ye for­soke the deuill, the world, and the flesh, withal their workes, pōpes, and vanitie, and gaue your selfe [Page 448] only vnto the seruice of God, ta­king him for your Lord & maister euen so hath God likewise taken you to be his seruaunt, loueth and fauoureth you, and wil defend you against al your ennemies, and ne­uer forsake you, vntyll he hathe brought you vnto euerlasting life. By baptisme is he your lord God, therefore wyll not he suffer you to pearishe. By baptisme, is he your father, and you are born of him, & so become his sonne, therfore can he none otherwyse, then loue, ten­der and fauour you, and geue you the enheritaunce of his heauenly kingdome. By baptisme are you made the brother of Christ, heyre of God, and fellow heire w^t Christ of euerlasting glory, thē may you be certen to be of that nōber, that shall enherit eternall life. By bap­tisme is the holy ghost geuen you, then are you the sonne of God and [Page 449] [...]an not pearysh. For it is written. They that are led with the spirite [...]f God,Roma. viii. are the sonnes of God. Baptisme is a continuall signe of [...]he fauour of God towarde vs, of [...]he fre remission of sinnes, of our [...]econciliatiō vnto God for Chri­ [...]tes sake, and that we be by adop­ [...]ion the sonnes of God, & heires of [...]uerlasting glory.Of y^e Lordes supper.

In tymes [...]ast I haue also many tymes re­ [...]eiued the misteries of the Lordes [...]ody and bloud in the temples of [...]he Christians, with the congre­ [...]ation of God, wherin I confesse, I haue founde great comfort, and [...]erye muche quietnesse vnto my [...]eake and synnefull conscience.

The often comming with a [...]eruent de syre vnto the Lords ta­ [...]le by true faythe to fede vpon the [...]isteries of the Lordes body and [...]loud: is a manifest argument, y^t God hath chosen you to be his, [Page 450] hath written your name in y^e bok [...] of life, and predestinate you vnt [...] euerlasting glory. For in so doin [...] you haue not only called vnto re [...]membraunce the moste healthfu [...] death of our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ, and so bene thanke [...]ful for it, but you haue also shew [...]ed your selfe a lyuely member [...] that holy body, whereof Christ i [...] the head. You haue professed opē [...]ly in the face of the Christen con [...]gregation, that God the father i [...] your father, y^t Christ is your Lor [...] and sauiour, that by the one onl [...] oblation of his blessed body on th [...] altare of the Crosse, all your syn [...]nes are put away and forgeue [...] and you made the enheritour [...] euerlasting glory. Whē you thu [...] came vnto the Lordes Table, a [...] the fruites, benefites and merit [...] of Christes passiō were geuen yo [...] namely, the fauour of God, remi [...]sion [Page 451] of sinnes, the holy ghost, qui­etnes of conscience, new affectes, victory ouer Sathan, death and hell, and finally euerlasting lyfe, so that nowe ye are incorporated in Christ, & become a true & liuely member of that misticall bodye, wherof he is the head,Ephe. [...]: yea, you ar fleshe of his fleshe, and bone of his bones, as the Apostle saith.

Is not the cup of blessing,i. Cor. [...] whiche we bles, partaking of the bloud of Christ? Is not the bread, whiche we breake, partaking of y^e body of Christ? &c.

As I haue had many times an earnest and feruent minde to come reuerentlye vnto the Lordes table, and to be parta­ker of the holy misteries of Chri­ [...]tes body and bloud with the con­gregation:Of hearing Gods word. so likewise haue I at all times bene glad to repare vn­ [...]o those places, wher the word of God hath bene preached, and the [Page 452] doctrine y^t hath there bene taugh [...] I marked diligētly, kept it in me [...]mory, and to the vttermost of m [...] power I laboured to frame m [...] life according vnto the same,Iacob. i. tha [...] I might bee no forgetfull heare [...] but a diligent doer of those wor [...]kes, whiche I learned of the hol [...] scriptures to bee acceptable vnt [...] the Lord my Lord,Luke. i. that I migh [...] serue him in holines and righte [...]ousnes all the dayes of my lyfe

As there is not a more euidē [...] testimony and a surer argument [...] that that man is in the state of e [...]uerlasting dampnation, which [...] hath no mynd to hear the word o [...] God, nor to traine his lyfe accor­ding vnto the doctrine therof: s [...] likewise is there not a more cer [...]taine signe, that any man is pre [...]destinate to be saued, then whē h [...] hath a mynd to heare the word o [...] God, as our sauiour Christ testi [...]fieth, [Page 453] saying: He that is of god, heareth gods words,Iohn. viii. ye therfore hear thē not, because ye are not of God. Here se you, how Christ putteth a difference betwene them that are of God, and them that are of the deuill. They that are the children of y^e deuil haue no minde to heare the worde of God. But they that are the sonnes of God, haue a fer­uent delite and singulare great pleasure to hear gods word, yea, & as the Prophet saieth,Psal. i. to exercise them selues in it daye and night. In an other place our Sauioure Christ saith also. My shepe heare my voyce and I know them,Iohn. x. and they follow me, and I geue vnto them euerlasting life, & they shall neuer perishe, neither shal any mā plucke them out of my hande. In this sentēce ye se, that they whiche hear the voyce of theyr shepheard Christ, are the shepe of Christ, and [Page 454] that they shall neuer pearishe, but haue euerlasting life.Iohn. xviii. Christ also said vnto Pilate: Euery one that is of the truth, heareth my voyce. You hauing a minde to heare the word of God & to heare the voyce of Christ that hie shepheard: haue shewed your self to be of y^e truthe. So beyng, you cannot perish, but obtain euerlasting life.Luke. xi For Christ him self pronounceth them blessed which hear the word of God, and kepeth it, that is to saye: beleue it and study to frame their life according vnto y^e same.Of Prayer.

Moreouer I haue euer had a desire (I thāke y^e Lord my God for it) to pray vn­to the Lord my God, and to call on his holy name, although, I cō ­fesse, not so feruently as I ought.

This thing also doth fully certifie your conscience, y^t you are of the nūber of Gods elect, and to fore appoynted vnto euerlasting [Page 455] saluation.Ioel. ii. For it is written. Who­soeuer doth cal on the name of the Lord,Psal. ix▪ shalbe safe. Againe, he hath cried vnto me, & I will gratiously heare him, yea I am with him in trouble, and I will deliuer him, & glorifie him. With long life wil I satisfy him, and shew him my sal­uation.

God be thanked, I am now wel quieted in my cōscience, and fear Sathan nothing at all. I thinke my self at this present so strong and so thorowly enarmed against the deuill and all his wic­ked army: that I am nothing a­fraid to enter battaill with hym, but am fully perswaded that by the help and power of my graund captaine Iesu Christ, I shal ouer throw him. One doubt remaineth & that once dispatched, I trust I shalbe in some redines for y^e Lorde my God, whēsoeuer he sendeth for [...]e, & calleth me out of this wret­ched [Page 456] worlde.

What is that?

Of the certē ­tie of Gods fauour to­ward vs and of our salua­tion.I haue heard many times at the mouth of diuers men, whiche haue a good opinion of thē selues of their owne wit, doctrine & lear­ning, that no man in this worlde is certain of his saluation, niether can any man say with a safe con­science and vndouted faith, I am of the nūber of Gods elect, I am a vessell of mercy, I shal be saued. My name is registred in the boke of life. &c. but all men euen y^e most godly and faithful, must doubt of their saluation, of the remission of their sinnes, of the fauour of God toward them, and of euerlastinge life.

This is the doctrine of y^e Papistes both wicked and damp­nable. The Papistes in teaching this doctrine doth not only trou­ble, disquiet, make afraid, wound▪ kill, and slea the consciences of the simple people, and of suche as [Page 457] credit their deuelish doctrine: but as muche as in them lieth, they make God a lier, his holy worde false, and our faith frustrate, void and vain. Take away the certen­tie of saluation from any man: and to what poynt serueth the mercy­ful promise of God, and the faithe whiche apprehendeth and layeth hād on the most louing promises of God? This doctrine openeth a very path vnto hell, and bringeth vnto desperation.

Yet y^e Pa­pistes alledge the Scripture for them.The manner of the papists in alledging the scripturs

I thinke that: for so is their accustomed propertie. They alledge many times y^e scrip­tures of God to defend and to sta­blish their errours and heresies, & [...]o blear the simple peoples eyes, whiche are not able to discerne A. frō B. nor to iudge betwene truth and falshode, but are easly led that waye, wherunto the subtile and [Page 458] wily papist perswadeth. If I had leasure to declare vnto you, what Iuglīg y^e vngodly Papistes haue vsed and yet doo vse in wryting & wrestting, incorrupting and abu­sing that holy worde of God, ye would not a little maruell at the matter: But I wold gladly hear, what the papistes can alledge ou [...] of the word of God for the confir­mation of their wicked opinion in this behalfe.Eccle. ix.

The sentence whereunto they stick and cleue as vnto an inuincible bulwarke is this: A mā knoweth not whether he bee worthy loue or hatred, bu [...] althinges are kept vncerten vnto the time to come.

The kyng­dome of the Papistes is not without a cause called the kingdom o [...] lies, and the Papists them selues may rightwel be resembled to the beast which rose out of the sea,Apoca. xiii vn­to whom was geuen a mouthe to [Page 459] speake great things and blasphe­mies, yea to speake blasphemy a­gaīst god, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle, and thē that dwel in heauen. &c. But as concerning the text which they alledge (although the learned in the He­brue tounge know right wel how greatly this text after the cōmon Latin translation differeth from the truth of the Hebrue) it is abu­sed of them, and wrasted contrary to the minde both of the authoure and of the translatour as the wor­des that immediatly followe, doo manifestly declare. When Salo­mon saieth, a man knoweth not whether he be worthy loue or ha­tred, he speaketh not of the know­ledge and iudgement of the cōsci­ence toward God, for who know­eth not, that he is worthy hatred which sinneth against the Lorde his god, contrariwise, that he pleareth [Page 460] god, & god loueth him, which dooth that thing, that is pleasaunt in his godly sight, but he speaketh of the outward and carnall iud­gement and knowlede which men haue of them selues, of their owne strengthes, wisdome or free wyll concerning thinges which chaūce to them outwardly. As though he should saye. If a man should only beholde and consider the outward face of thynges, and iudge the fa­uour or the disfauour of God to­ward any man of the things that outwardly chaunce vnto any mā, he were not able to affirme and to parswade his conscience, whe­ther God loueth him or not. For God indifferently without anye respect had to ether of the parties, geueth as aboundantly to the vngodly, as to the godly, to the vn­faithfull, as to the faithfull, to the sainctes as vnto the wycked his [Page 461] temporall and outward giftes, as beauty, strength, rytches, healthe of body, reason, wisdom, eloquēce, honor, nobilitie, wealth, glory. &c. yea many times the ennemies of God haue more plenteously geuen vnto them of God the ritches and pleasures of this lyfe, then the frendes of God. Therfore if a na­turall man not being regenerat nor borne a newe of the spirite of God, considreth the outward face of thinges, and iudgeth of them y^e fauour or disfauour of God, vere­ly so knoweth he not, who is wor­thy Gods loue or hatred, so is he not certain whom God loueth, or whom he hateth. This is thafor­said text of Salomon (as it is trā slated) to be vnderstand. And that this is the meaning of the author, y^e words that folow do manifestly declare. It happeneth, saith he, vnto one as vnto an other: it go­eth [Page 462] with the righteous as with vngodly,Luke. ix. with the good & cleane as with the vncleane: with him that offreth, as with hym that offreth not, like as it goeth with th [...] vertuous, so goeth it also with th [...] sinner. As it hapneth vnto the pe [...] iured, so hapneth it also vnto hym that is afraide to be forsworne. A­mong all thynges that come to passe vnder the Sunne, this is a misery, that it hapneth vnto all a­like. Of these wordes it euidently appeareth, that Salomon spea­keth of the knowledge which a naturall man hath by the outwarde gifts of god, wherof, because they be indifferently geuen aswell to y^e good as to the bad, he is not able to iudge, whō God loueth, & whō he hateth. Now wher as the Pa­pists wrest this text vnto y^e know­ledge or iudgement of the consci­ence, which commeth of the spirite [Page 463] of God and of his holy word, and would that Christen men in theyr cōscience shuld dout whether God loue thē or not, whether they be in the fauour of God or not, whether their sinnes be forgeuen thē or not whether they shalbe saued or not­thei teache a deuelishe errour, and leade y^e receiuers of their doctrin, the right way to hell fire. For he y^t douteth of the mercifull good wil & fauorable grace of God toward him, & beleueth not that God for christes sake is louing vnto him & forgeueth him al his syns, verely he is no true christian, but dying in this his doubtfulnes and vn­belief he shall surely be dampned acording to this saying: he that doth not beleue on the sonne, shall not se life,Iohn. [...] but the wrath of God a bideth on hym. This erroneous doctrine of the Papistes maketh God false of his promyse, quen­cheth [Page 464] fayth, blotteth out hope, de­stroieth loue, disquieteth the con­science, filleth y^e hart with whole seas of vnreastfull and wycked i­maginations, and so driueth the doubtful parson vnto desperation and finally vnto dampnation. O murtherers. O soule s [...]ears. If no man can be certaine in his consci­ence, whether he be in the fauour of god or no, whether god for chri­stes sake wil forgeue him his sins or not, and geue him euerlasting lyfe, to what poynt serue all the promises of Gods tender mercies made to all faithfull penitent sin­ners in Christes bloud? vnto what end doth faith serue? If faith cer­tifieth not our conscience of Gods good wyl toward vs, and so brin­geth peace and quietnes vnto it: what is then the office of fayth? If a man, whose credit is appro­ued, promiseth vs any thinge, we [Page 465] surely loke for it, & nothing doubte of the performance therof,Psalm. cxlv & shall we doubt of the accomplishment of the promises of God,Titus. i whiche is faithful in all his wordes,Iohn. xiiii. whiche can not lie, which is not only true but also the self truth?Roma. iii. Let al men be liers,Ezech. xxxiii and let God abide true. God hath promised, that at whatsoeuer hour we tourne vnto him, he will forgeue vs al our sinnes, & neuer remember them more, but so frely fauour vs, and so tender­ly loue vs, as though we had ne­uer offended him. This is the pro­mise of him, which can nether de­ceiue nor be deceiued, and shal we doubt of the performance therof? Shall we doubt, whether y^e Lord oure God wyll be as good as his word? whether our sinnes be for­geuen and we receiued againe in­to fauor or not? God hath promi­sed, that in Christ all nations of y^e [Page 466] earth shalbe blessed. And shal we, which loke for our whole saluati­on in the bloud of Christe, doubt whether we shall bee blessed in Christ,Galat. iii. y^t is to say, fauoured of god the father for Christs sake or not? Christ our Lord & sauiour,Math. xi. calleth all that labour and be loden vnto him, and promiseth y^t he will ease, remedy, comfort and helpe them. And shal we doubt of this his promise? What other thynge is it to doubt of the promises of god▪ then to doubt whether God be true or no, iust & faithfull or no, y^e same in his dede that he is in his word or no? O the to much vnfaithfulnes of the wicked Papistes.Iohn. iii. The scripture saith, he that beleueth on the sōne of god, hath euerlasting life. The faithful christians beleue on Christ the sonne of God, embrase him with strong faith as their a­lone sauiour, redemer, atonement [Page 467] maker, intercessour, mediatour & aduocate, and shal they doubt of y^e [...]nheritaunce of euerlasting lyfe? Ether they that do beleue & so cō ­tinue vnto thēd, haue euerlasting life at their departure out of this life, or els God is not true of his promise.Psal. cx [...]v But God is faithful in al his wordes, therfore doo the faith­ful christians receiue according to gods promises & their faith. If all thinges be possible to him y^• bele­ueth, if al things chance to a faith­full man according to his faith,Mar [...] [...] w^t what whorish & shameles forheds dare the proud and vngodly Pa­pistes teache vs to doubt of the grace and fauoure of God, of the [...]emission of sinnes, and of the en­heritaunce of euerlasting lyfe? Where doutfulnes is, there is no [...]rue faith but rather misbeliefe, [...] to such a doubting faith, yea ra­ [...]her no faith, nothinge is promi­sed, [Page 468] but the fearce wrath and ven­geaunce of God and euerlasting [...] dampnation. Se to what poyn [...] the wicked Papistes bryng they [...] whelpes with their deuelysh doc [...]trin. Saint Iames saith:Iacob. [...]. If any man lack wisdom, let him aske i [...] of him, that geueth it: euē God. & But let him aske in faith and wa [...]uer not. For he that doubteth, i [...] like a waue of y^e sea, which is to [...] of the wyndes, and caried wit [...] violence. Nether let y^e man think [...] that he shall receiue any thyng o [...] the Lorde. A wauering minde [...] man is vnstable in all his wayes Are not they that professe Christ much boūd to the papistes,The scholing of the Papi­stes. whic [...] teach their scholers to doubt of th [...] mercy of God, & not to be through [...]ly perswaded in their conscience [...] that God loueth them, pardonet [...] them for Christes sake, & maket [...] them enheritours of euerlasting [Page 469] glory? Is this anye other thynge then to say, despair, die, be damp­ned? O deuils incarnat. God ligh­ten the eies of the simple, that thei may once see the iugling castes of these wily wicked Papistes, and come vnto the vnfained truthe of gods word, whiche is able to saue their soules, whiche also is the mighty power of God to saue euery one that beleueth.Iacob. i. Roma. i.

Amen.

Al the godly euē from the be­ginning haue beleued the promi­ses of God, and nothing doubted of them, whether they concerned temporall or spirituall things, and according to their fayth, so recey­ [...]ed they. Yea when God seamed most to be angry with them & vt­ [...]erly to cast them from his fauor: [...]uen then did they nothing doubt [...]f his mercifull goodnesse, but w^t [...]rong faith cleaueth to the promi [...]es of God, as a certain mā saith: [Page 470] Though he kil me,Iob. xiii. yet will I put my truste in hym. The Psalmo­graph also saith:Psal. xxvii. Though an host of men were laid against me, yet shall not my heart be afraide. And though ther rose vp war against me, yet wil I put my trust in him. If ether Abrahā, Isaac, Iacob, or any other saintes of the olde testa­mēt had doubted of the promises whiche God made vnto them, so had they neuer found fauour at y^e maiestie of god, nor obteined those thinges, which God had promised them.Hebr. xi. For without faith it is im­possible to please God. He y^t doub­teth of the promises of God, shall obtain no good thing at the hand of God. To what end ar we so of­ten in the holy scripture exhorted to beleue God and his promises, if it were lawfull for vs to doub [...] of them? If to beleue and to doub [...] be one thing, why is euerlasting saluation promised to the one, and [Page 471] eternall dampnation to thother? Whosoeuer therfore wilbe saued, let him cast away al vnbelief and doubtfulnes, and with tothe and [...]ayle (as they vse to say) clene to y^e promises of God, nothing doub­ting, but according as God hath promised, so shall it chaunce vnto him. If we doo repent and beleue his worde, God hath promised vs for christes sake to fauour vs, to forgeue vs all our sinnes, and to bring vs vnto euerlasting life, let vs not therfore doubt of this his promise, but with strong and vn­shaken faith beleue it, and looke for boldly that is promised, so we may be sure to haue the grace and [...]auour of God, to haue remission and forgeuenesse of oure synnes, [...]nd finally to haue euerlasting [...]ife. Let vs therfore approch with [...]oldnes, and not with doubting [...]nd wauering,Hebre. iiii▪ vnto the throne of [Page 472] Gods Maiestie, as thapostle warneth that we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to helpe in y^e tyme of nede.

If a man after the Papistes shuld doubt of the grace and fauour of God toward him, with what conscience could he be bold to say the Lordes praier,Math. v. & to desire the forgeuenes of his tres­passes? Or how could he say with a true faith, I beleue the forgeue­nes of sinnes and euerlasting life? To beleue,What it is to beleue. is it to doubt of the pro­mises of God? or rather to be tho­rowly perswaded of the promises of God, that as God hath promy­sed, so shal it vndoubtedly chaunce vnto vs.

When a man bele­ueth the gospel he is certaine of y^e remission of his sinnes, he is cer­ten of the fauour and good will o [...] God, and he is certaine also of e­uerlasting life. And he that lettet [...] go this faith, and falleth to doub [...]ting, [Page 473] he shall neuer enioy thafore­said benefites, but be cast into e­uerlasting dampnatiō.

This considred the holy Apostle right­wel, when he without any doub­ting being throughly perswaded and assured of Gods good will toward him,ii. Tim. [...] (set forth in his holye promises,) saide on this maner, I know & am sure, that he (in whom I haue put my trust) is hable to kepe that, which I haue commit­ted to his keping against that dai. Againe,ii. Tim. i [...]i▪ I haue fought a good fight, I haue fulfilled my course. I haue kept the fayth. From hēce­forthe there is layde vp for me a [...]rowne of righteousnes, which y^e Lord (that is a righteous iudge) [...]hall geue at that daye, not to me only, but vnto all them also y^e loue [...]is comming.Psal. xx [...].

When that Dauid saide these wordes: I be­ [...]eue verely to see the pleasures of [Page 474] the Lord in the land of the liuing▪ doubted he of the enheritaunce of the heauenly kingdom, or was he rather thorowlye perswaded by stronge faithe in the promises of god, y^e he shuld without all doubt raigne with God in glory?Phi. i. If the godly Apostle S. Paule had not bene sure of the fauor of God, and of a better life after this, would [...] he haue wyshed to bee deliuered from this worlde, and to be with Christ?Actes. vii With what coūtenaunc [...] durst the blessed martir S. Ste­phen haue commended his spirit [...] vnto Christe, if he had not ben [...] perswaded of gods fauor towar [...] him, and of the ioyful enheritanc [...] of the euerlasting kingdom? An [...] so likewise of al the other saincts The spirit of God certifieth our spirit,Rom. viii. saith the Apostle, that w [...] are the sonnes of God. If we be sonnes, then are we also heyres. [Page 475] I meane of God & fellowe heyres with Christ.i. Iohn. iii. Hereto agreeth the saying of S. Iohn. Dearely belo­ued, nowe are we the sonnes of God, and yet it doth not appeare, what we shalbe. But we knowe, that when it shall appeare, we shall be like him. For we shall see him as he is. Againe: We knowe, that we are translated and caried from death vnto life.

Here you se that the holy scrip­tures teache vs to be certaine of our saluation throughe fayth in Christes bloud, and not to be doutfull of it, as the Papistes trifle. A­way therfore without al doutful­nes, and lay hand by strong faith on the promises of God, lokynge w^t assured hope for all those hea­uenlye and blessed thynges, that God hath promysed vs in his ho­ly worde. So maye we be sure to receiue according to our fayth.

Without wauering or doub­ting I faithfully beleue and am assuredly perswaded, that God y^e father is a mercifull father vnto me, that he hath forgeuen me all my sinnes, receiued me into his fauor and made me heir of his euer­lasting glory. And all this hath he done vnto me not for my merites & deserts (which are vtterly none) but for Christes sake, in whom I beleue, whome also I confesse to be my alone sauiour & redeamer.

Neighbor Epaphroditus, you thus beleuing cannot pearishe. Therfore be on good comfort, quiet your conscience,Iohn. iii. and sattle your minde. For it is written. He that beleueth on y^e sonne of God hath euerlasting life.

Brother Philemon I thanke you and my other neighbours here for the great cō ­fort, whiche I haue receiued by this your godly communication. [Page 477] I fele my selfe nowe in muche bet­ter case, then I was, when you came first vnto me. I fele muche quietnes and ease in my consci­ence. The Lord hath driuen away mine enemies, and geuen me rest in my mynde. If I had not had your company, God knoweth to what poynt my ghostly enemy the deuil would haue brought me. But I praise God for you. For by your godly and christē talke. God hath wrought in me a good and glad wil to die. I haue in my hart bidden the world and all worldly thinges adue. My mind is all to­gether fixed, on the lord my God, and on the ioyes whiche he hath prepared in his glorious kingdom for all them that loue him, I fele such inward ioy in my heart, and such a feruent desire to see y^e Lord my God face to face, y^t the paines, which I now suffer on my body, [Page 478] although they be very greuous in dede, seme litle or nothyng to dis­quiet me.Roma. viii. For I am fully perswa­ded, that the afflictiōs of this life, are not worthy of the glory which shall bee shewed vppon vs: A­gaine,ii. Cyr. iiii that though the outwarde man perish, yet thinward man is renued day by day, and that this our tribulation whiche is short & light prepareth an exceding, and an euerlasting waight of glorye vnto vs, while we loke not on the thinges whiche are sene, but on y^e thinges whiche are not seene. For the thinges whiche are seene, are temporall, but things, whiche are not sene, are eternall.

God kepe you in this mind, euen vnto thend.A Praier.

Amē.

Confirme & make that perfect (o lord) which y^• hast begon to worke in me vnto the glory of thy blessed name, and vnto the saluation of my soule.

Amē.

Neighbors I pray you tourne me that I may lye on my right side.

The Lord our God graunt, that ye may syt in his kingdome on the right hande of his glory.

Yea & that short­ly:

So be it.

Sir howe do you nowe?

Well, God be thanked, but I trust to doo bet­ter euen anone.

Lacke you any thing sir?

My paine ap­procheth nearer vnto my heart, wherby I perceiue the end of my life, not to be far of: I beseche you pray for me, that I may continue faithfull, constaunt and stedfast in the faith of the Lorde my God, euen vnto the very end of my life.

We wil do it gladly. Neigh­bors let vs knele down and pray.

Lord,A Pray [...] for the sicke man. we moste humbly besech thee heare our prayer.

And let our crye come vnto thee.

O lord Iesu Christ thou only [Page 480] sonne of the heauenly father, our alone redemer and omnisufficiciēt sauiour, we moste humbly beseche thee, deliuer this sicke and weake parson now being in great pains and at the point to departe out of this worlde from all vgsome and terrible assaultes and temptati­ons of the deuill, synne and hell.Gene. vii. Deliuer him (O Lord) as thou deliueredst Noe frō the raging wa­ues of the sea.Gene. xix. Lot from the de­struction of Sodome. Abraham from the feare of the Chaldees.Gene. xx. Exod. xxiii.xxiiii.xxv. i. Reg. xvii. Dan. iii. The children of Israell from the tiranny of Pharao. Dauid from the hand of Goliah, The thre men from the violence of the firy for­nace in Babilon.Dani. vi. Daniel from the mouth of the Lions.Ionas. ii. [...]et. xii. Ionas from the belly of the whalefishe, & Pe­ter from the prison of Herod: euen so, O gratious Lord God, deliuer the soul of this person, both nowe [Page 481] and whensoeuer he shall departe hence from all pearill & daunger. Opē vnto him at y^e hour of death the dore of Paradise, the gates of heauen, & the entry of euerlasting life. O Lord Iesu Christe forgeue him all his synnes, and lead him with ioye into the kingdom of thy heauenly father euē vnto the bo­som of Abrahā, and appoynt him vnto euerlasting rest, that he may reioyse with thee, and with all the elect childrē of God in euerlasting life.

Amen.

Neighboures I thanke you. Nowe will I also pray vnto the Lord my god, while I may speake, and I trust, he wil for Christes sake gratiously heare me.

Doubt you not neighbor, God hath so promised.The sicke mans prayer▪

Lorde harken vnto my prayer, and geue ear to my most humble requestes, O moste mercifull God, O father of all mercies, the father of oure [Page 482] Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ, be mercifull to me a sinner. Haue pitie on me, and quickely healpe me poore wretche, for the moste bitter passion and moste precious death of Iesus Christ, thy only begotten sonne, and oure alone redemer and Sauioure.

Psal. cxiiii.Enter not into iudgemēt with thy seruaunt, O Lord. Handle me not according to my desertes and me­rites, neither rewarde me after mine iniquities, but for thine in­finite and vnmeasurable bountie, and exceading gret merci, receiue me and take me into thy fauour, I miserable & weake creature, am in thy hand.Math. xviii. I am thy bonde ser­uaunt and thy depter. O most gentle God, o most fauorable father, forsake me not, cast me not away pore wretch that I am. For I am thine withal that euer I cā make. No man is able to strengthē me, [Page 483] no man is able to deliuer me, no man is able to help me, but thou alone. Thou art the true helper in aduersite. Thou art y^e most sure & present comfort in all necessitie. Thou alone art our helper, oure bulwarke, our fortres & our most mighty & strongly defenced tour. Thou o god, art our refuge. Thou art our strengthe. Thou art our helper in all our tribulations. In the (O Lord) do I trust, let me not be cōfoūded. Let me neuer be put to shame, let me not be deceiued of my hope, but preserue me for thy rightousnes sake. Bow doun thine ear vnto me, make haste to deliuer me. Be my defēder O god & my strōg hold, y^t thou maist saue me, For y^u art my strength, and my refuge. Yea thou art my God, and my destinies are in thy handes. Lighten thy countenaunce vpon thy seruaunt,Psal. xxxi. and saue me for thy [Page 484] mercies sake, O Lord. And foras [...]much (O swete father) as it is thy godly pleasure to call me now frō this miserable life and wretched worlde, I most entirely besech the [...] so to defend me in this agony o [...] death, that neither sathan nor his ministers preuaill against me, but that I continue faithful and con­stant vnto thend, in the confessiō of thy holy name, loking for full remission of all my sinnes in the precious bloud of thy welbeloued sonne and my only sauiour Iesus Christ, and that I departing in this faith and perfect trust, maye be placed among thy blessed sain­tes and heauenly spirites, and so for euer and euer remaine with y^e in glory. Graunt this, O moste mercifull father, for thy dear sons sake. Iesus Christ our alone me­diatour and aduocate.

Amē.

Me thinke good neighbours [Page 485] I begin to waxe very coulde and numme in my limmes.

Syr discomfort not your selfe. Be con­tent with the good workynge of God. This cold is a present tokē, that the death of your body is not far of.

My fleshe is consumed and wasted away.

That is y^e end of all fleshe.Gen. iii [...] Earth thou art, saith God, and vnto earth shalt y^u retourne.

My feling is gone, and my tasting decaieth. All my senses grow out of course.

To that end wer they geuen you, that you shuld lose them againe. With the body, al bodely thinges decay.

Brother Epaphroditus, let y^e care of the body & of bodely thīgs passe. You doo beleue the resurrection of the body?Of the resur­rection of the body.

I beleue that my redemer liueth, and that I shall ryse out of the earth in the latter day,Iohn. xix. and that I shalbe clo­ [...]hed, again with this skin, and see [Page 486] God my sauiour in my flesh. Yea I my sef shall beholde him, not w^t other eyes, but with these same eies. This hope is stedfastly set in my hart.

Beleue this earnest­ly, and it shal not greue you to de­part frō your body. For wher as it is now mortal, incorruptible, sick, weake, vile, & lothsome, it shal at y^e generall resurrection, be immor­tal, vncorruptible, whole, strong, precious, and in al poynts lyke to the glorious body of our Lorde, & sauiour Christ Iesus.Phil. iii. Hear wha [...] the Apostle saith: our conuersati [...]on is in heauen, from whence we loke for a sauiour, euen the Lorde Iesus Christ, which shal chaung [...] our vile body, that he may mak [...] it like vnto his glorious body, ac­cording to the working, whereby he is able also to subdue al things vnto him selfe.ii. Cor. v Agayne: We know that if our earthy mansion of this [Page 487] dwellinge were destroyed, we haue a building of God, an habi­tation not made with handes, but euerlasting in heauen. For there­fore sighe we, desiring to be clo­thed with our mansion, whiche is from heauen, so yet, if that we be founde clothed and not naked. For we that are in this taberna­cle, sighe, and are greued because we woulde not be vnclothed but woulde be clothed vpon, that im­mortalitie might bee swallowed vp of lyfe. He that hath ordained vs for this thing, is God, whiche very same, hath geuen vnto vs the earnest of the spirite. Therfore we are alway of good cheare and knowe, that as longe as we are at home in the body, we are ab­ [...]ent from God. For we walke in [...]ayth, not after outwarde appe­raunce. Neuerthelesse we are of [...]ood comfort, and had rather to [Page 488] be absent from the body, and to be present with God

This is cō ­fortable doctrine. I can be con­tēt with al my heart to make such a chaūge, whensoeuer the Lordes good pleasure shalbe.Sentences concerning y^e resurrection of the body. But I pray you rehearse some wholsome say­inges oute of the holy scriptures concerning the resurrection of the body for strēgthning of my faith, and for the comfort and quietnes of my conscience.

In the pro­phet Esay we read on this man­ner:Esay. xxvi. Thy dead men shall liue, euen w^t my body shall they rise againe. Awake and sing ye that dwell in dust. For thy dewe is euen as the dew of herbes, and the earth shall cast out them, that be vnder her. Againe,Esay. lxvi. your bones shall floryshe like an herbe.Ezec. xxxvii. The Prophet Eze­chiell, hath these words: The hād of the lord came vnto me and ca­ried me out in the spirit of y^e Lord [Page 489] & let me downe in a playne field, that lay full of bones, and he led me round about by them, and be­holde the bones that lay vpon the fielde, were very many, and mar­uelous dry also. Then sayd he vn­to me. Thou sonne of mā, thinkest thou these bones may liue again? I aunswered: O Lord God thou knowest. And he sayd vnto me: prophecy thou vpon these bones, and speake vnto them. Ye drye bo­nes, heare the worde of the Lord. Thus saith the Lorde God vnto these bones: Beholde, I will put breth vnto you, that ye may lyue, I will geue you sinowes & make fleshe grow vpon you, & couer you ouer with skinne: and so geue you breath, that ye may liue, & knowe that I am the Lord. So I Pro­phecied as he had cōmaūded me. And as I was prophecying, ther came a noyse, and a great motion, [Page 490] so that the bones ran euery one to an other. Nowe when I had lo­ked, behold, they had sinnowes, & flesh grewe vpon them, and aboue they were couered with skin, but there was no breath in thē. Then said he vnto me. Thou sonne of man, prophecy thou towarde the wind: prophecie & speake vnto the wind. Thus saith the Lord God: Come (O thou ayr) from the foure windes, & blowe vpon these slaine that they may be restored to life. So I prophecied, as he had com­maūded me: then came the breath into them, and they receiued life, and stode vp vpō their fete a mar­uelous great nomber. Againe: Thus saith the Lord god: behold, I wyll open your graues (O my people) and take you out of youre sepulchres. The wordes of the Prophet Daniel are these:Daniel. xii. Ma­ny of them that slepe in the dust [Page 491] of the earth, shall awake, some to euerlasting life, some to perpetual shame and reprofe. God saieth by Esdras:iiii. Esdr. ii. those that be dead will I rayse vp againe from their pla­ces, and bryng them out of theyr graues. Moreouer Christ saide to the Saduces, which denied the resurrection of the body:Math. xxii As tou­ching the resurrectiō of the dead, haue ye not red, what is said vnto you of God, which saith: I am A­brahams God, & Isaacks God, & Iacobs God. God is not the God of the dead, but of the liuing. Al­so in an other place: The houre shall come,Iohn. v▪ in the whiche all that are in the graues, shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God, and shall come forthe, they that haue done good, vnto the resurrection of life, and they that haue done e­uil vnto the resurrection of damp­nation.Iohn. xi. Martha said vnto Christe [Page 492] of her brother Lazarus, when he was dead: I know y^t my brother shall rise againe at the latter day. The holy Apostit s. Paul is plen­teous in the doctrine of the resur­rection of the dead. I wyll reherse one or two of his sentences, [...]. Cor. xv. & byd the other farewell. The trompe, saith he, shall blowe, and the dead shall ryse incorruptible, and we shalbe chaunged. For this corrup­tible must put on incorruption, & this mortall must put on immor­talitie. [...] Again the Lord Iesus shal chaūge our vile bodies, that they maye bee fashioned like vnto his glorious body. Also in an other place: I would not brethren haue you ignoraunt concerning them, which are fallen aslepe, [...]. Thes. iiii. that ye sorow not as other do, whiche haue no hope. For if we beleue, y^t Iesus Christ died & rose againe, euen so they also, whiche slepe by Iesus, [Page 493] will God bring againe with him. Diuers examples of the resurrec­tion of our bodies haue we bothe in the old and new testament. Helias the Prophet raised vp from death vnto lyfe the sonne of y^e wi­dow of Sarepta.iii. Reg. xvii The like thinge read we of Heliseus the Prophet.iiii. Reg. iiii. Christ raised frō death the daugh­ter of a certain ruler,Math. ix. the sonne of a certayne widowe,Luke. vii. and Lazarus w^t many other.Iohn. xi. Christ rose again, and the bodies of many sainctes whiche slept, arose also, and came out of their graues after their re­surrection and came into Hierusalem and appeared vnto many. Peter raysed vp Tabitha from death.Mat. xxviii. Mark. xxvii [...] Act. ix.xx. S. Paul restored vnto life a certaine yong man named Eu­tichus. Al these are euident exam­ples of our resurrection. There­fore good brother Epaphroditus, feare not to geue ouer this your [Page 494] body and frely to commend it vn­to the earth. At the great daye of the generall resurrection, you shal receiue it in a far better case, then euer you had it in this world.

I leue this my vile body willing­ly, yea and that with this hope, that at the last day, I shall take it againe immortall and vncorrup­tible.Philip. i. I beleue the resurrection of the fleshe. I wish to be losoned frō this body, and to be with Christe.

Of y^e immor­talitie of the soule & of the blessed state of the faithful after this lyfe.You doubt nothing of the bles­sed state of y^e godly departed, and of the immortalitie of the soule?

I beleue euerlasting lyfe.

You are not of the opinion of the Papistes, whiche say that y^e souls of the faithfull go not strait vnto heauen, but vnto purgato­ry, there to be boyled in the fyry fornace of the B. of Rome, til they haue made satisfaction for theyr sinnes, either by them selues in [Page 469] suffringe, saye they, the most bit­ter paines of purgatory, or els by their frendes in this worlde tho­rowe Masses, Pardons, Pilgri­mages.i. Iohn. ii. &c.

I beleue that there is none other purgatory for my soule helth, but only the precious bloud of my Lorde and Sauiour Christ Iesu.

And I beleue y^t Christ through his innocency of life,Hebr. ix. and the most greuous paines, that he suffred on the crosse, hath aboundauntly satisfied for all my synnes, & hath vnto the vttermost paid al the det that I ought vnto god the father, so that nowe through faith in the bloud of Christ,Roma. viii. I walke with a clear conscience before God, foras­muche as there is no dampnaci­on to them that are in Christ Ie­su, and that they also are blessed, whose sinnes are remitted, whose iniquities are couered,Psal. xxii. and vnto [Page 496] whose charge God laieth no wic­kednes.

Ye agre not w^t such in opinion, as affirme, y^t the soules of both the faithfull and vnfaith­full slepe vntill the day of iudge­ment, and then shall awake out of slepe, so that then the faithfull shall go vnto euerlasting glory, & the vnfaithfull vnto eternall dāp­nation?

I beleue that the soul slepeth no more, then this my bed sted waketh and talketh with vs. I am fully perswaded, y^t so sone as the souls of the faithfull are de­parted from the bodies, wherein they were as in a prison enclosed, they are straightwaies placed in the glorious kingdome of God. And contrariwyse the soules of y^e vnfaithfull, goe straight vnto the deuil,Apoc. xxi, euen vnto hel fire, vnto that lake that burneth with fier, and brimstone, where weping & gna­shing of teeth is, where the worme [Page 497] that gnaweth their consciēce,Math. xiii. ne­uer dieth, and the moste greuous fier, wherwith they are without ceasing intollerably tormented,Esay. lxvi. is neuer quenched. Is it not thus neighbor Philemon?

Yes ve­rely sir. For so ar we taught in the holy scriptures, as the history of the ritche glotton,Luke. xvi. and of pore La­zarus, with diuers other, doo ma­nifestly declare.

I faithfully beleue, that immediatly after my departure out of this worlde, I shall haue a place in the kingdom of God, and se the glorious maie­stie of god face to face. And I pray you good neighbor Philemon, re­hearse vnto me some comfortable places out of the holy scripture cō ­cerning y^e ioyfull and blessed state of the faithfull soules after this life, that I may be confirmed in my faith, and be the more willing to depart.

I wil do it gladly. [Page 498] Balaam said:Num. xxiii. I pray god that my soul may die the death of the righ­teous, and that my last end may be like vnto theirs. The Psalmo­graph saith: O howe amiable are thy dwellings,Psal. lxxxiiii. thou lord of hosts? My soul hath a desire and lōging to enter into the courts of y^e lord: my heart & my fleshe reioyce in the liuing God. Blessed are they that dwel in thy house, they will be al­waies praysing thee. One day in thy courtes, is better then a thou­sand. I had rather be a dorekeper in the house of my God, then to dwel in the tents of the vngodly. The Prophet Esay saith:Esay. ii. The re­demed of the lord shall turn again and come with ioye vnto Sion, ther to endure for euer, that mirth & gladnes might be with thē, that sorow & wo might flie from them. My people,Esay. xxxii saith God, shall dwel in pleasant peace, & in safe holdes, [Page 499] and shal haue continual rest with out disturbaunce.Esay. xlix. They shall ne­ther hunger nor thurst, heat, nor Sunne shall not hurte them. For he that fauoureth them, shall lead them and geue them drinke of the spring wels.Esay. xlv. They shal eat, drink, be mery and reioyse for very quietnes of heart. Yea their gladnes and their ioy shall continue for e­uer and euer.Dan. xii. Daniell saith: The wise (suche as haue taught other) shall glister as the shining of hea­uen, and those that haue instructe the multitude vnto godlines, shal be as the starres, world without end.iiii. Esdr. ii. Esdras saith: Be redy to the reward of the kingdome, for the e­uerlasting light shall shine vpon you for euermore. Fle the shadow of this worlde, receiue the ioyful­nes of your glory. O receiue the gift that is geuen you, & be glad, geuyng thankes vnto hym that [Page 500] hath called you to the heauenlye kingdom. The author of the boke of wisdom saith. The soules of the righteous are in the hand of God,Sapi. iii & the pain of death shall not touch them: In the sight of the vnwise they appeare to die, and their end is taken for very destruction: the way of the righteous is iudged to be vtter destruction, but they are in reast. And though they suffer pain before men, yet is their hope full of immortalitie. They are pu­nished but in few thinges, neuer­theles in many thinges shall they be wel rewarded. For god proueth them, and findeth them mete for him self: yea as the gold in the for­nace doth he try them, and recei­ueth them as a brent offring, and whē the time commeth, they shall be loked vpon. The rightous shall shine as the sparckes, that runne through the rede bush. They shall [Page 501] iudge the nations, and haue dominion ouer the people, & their Lord shall raigne for euer. Again: The faithfull are counted among the children of God,Sap. v. and their portion is among the sainctes. The righ­teous shall liue for euermore: their reward also is w^t the lord, & their remembraunce with the hiest. Therfore shall they receiue a glo­rious kingdome,Toby. iii. and a beautifull crowne of the Lordes hand. The holy father Toby, prayed on this maner to God: O Lord, dele with me according to thy wyll, and cō ­maund my spirit to be receiued in peace. For more expedient were it for me,Eccle. vii. to die thē to liue. The prea­cher sayeth. The daye of death is better then the day of byrth.Psal. cxvi. For precious and right deare in the sight of the Lorde, is the death of his sainctes.Math. xiii. Our sauiour Christ saith: The righteous shall shyne [Page 502] as the sunne in the kingdome of theyr father.Math. xix. They shall haue the enheritaunce of euerlasting lyfe.Math. xxv Thei shal haue a kingdom, which was prepared for them from the beginning of the world.Marke. xii Luke. xvi. Iohn. xvi. Thei shal be as the aungels of God. They shall be in the bosome of Abrahā. Thei shal haue such ioy, as no mā shalbe able to plucke it from thē. They shall eate and drinke in the kingdom of God the father.Luke. xxii. They shalbe where Christ is, and see his glory. The holy Apostle S. Paul saith. [...]. Cor. ii.v The eie hath not seene, and the eare hath not heard, neyther haue entred into the heart of mā, the thinges which God hath pre­pared for them that loue him. He [...] saith also,Phil. ii. that if our earthy man­sion of this dwelling wer destroy [...]ed (he meaneth the body) we haue a building of God, an habitation not made with handes, but euer­lasting [Page 503] in heauen. We shalbe with Christ.Thes. iiii. We shalbe with the Lorde for euer. We shalbe vessels vnto honour.ii. Ti. ii.iiii▪ Hebr. xii We shall haue the crown of righteousnes. We shall come to the citie of the liuing God, the ce­lestiall Hierusalem, and to an in­numerable sight of Aungels, and to the Congregation of the firste borne sons whiche are written in heauen; and to God the iudge of al, and to the spirits of iust & per­fect men, and to Iesus the media­tour of the newe testament.

We shal receiue the crown of life,Iacob. i. saith S. Iames, which the Lord hath promised to thē y^t loue him. Whē Christ y^e chief shepherd shall apere (saith S. Peter) ye shall re­ceiue,i. Pet. [...]. an incorruptible crowne of glory. We are nowe the Sonnes of God (saith saint Iohn,) and it hath not yet appeared,i. Iohn. lii. what we shall be. We knowe that if it once [Page 504] appeare, we shalbe like vnto him, for we shal se him as he is. In the Reuelation of S. Iohn, we finde these Sentences, concerning the blessed state of the faithfull after this life.Apoca. ii. To him that ouercom­meth I wyll geue to eat of the tre of life, whiche is in the mids of the Paradise of God. Be faithfull vn­to the death, and I shall geue thee the crowne of life. Him that ouer­commeth will I make a piller in the temple of my God,Apoca. iii. and he shal go no more out. &c. To him that ouercōmeth will I graunt to sit with me in my seat. The .xxiiii. Elders that sate vpon the seates, were clothed in white raiment,Apoca. iiii. & had on their heades, crownes of gold.Apoca. vii. They are in the presence of the seate of God, & serue him daye and night in his Temple, and he that sitteth on the seat, will dwell among them. They shal hōger no [Page 505] m [...]re, nether thirst, nether shall y^e sonne light on them, neyther anye heat. For the Lambe, which is in the mids of the seat, shall fede thē, and shall lede thē vnto fountains of liuing water, & God shall wine away all teares from their eyes. They follow the Lambe whither soeuer he goeth.Apoc. xiiii. They are without spot before the throne of God. I heard a voice from heauen, saying vnto me: Wryght. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Euen so saith the spirite, that they reast from their labors, but their wor­kes folow them. Blessed are they, whiche are called vnto the supper of the Lambes mariage.Apo. xix.xxi. I saw a new heauen and a new earth. For the first heauen, and the first earth were banished awaye▪ and there was no more sea. And I Ihō saw the holy Citie, newe Hierusalem come down from God out of hea­uen, [Page 506] prepared as a bride garnished for her husbande. And I heard a great voyce out of heauen, saying: Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwel with them. And they shalbe his people, and God him selfe shall bee with them,Esay. xxv. and be their God. And God shall wipe awaye all teares from theyr eyes. And there shalbe no more death, neither sorow, [...]ther [...]ying, neither shall there be any more paine, for thold thinges are gone. And he that sat vpon y^e seat, sayd▪ Beholde, I make all things now▪ Esay. lxii [...]. And he sayd vnto me: wryte, for these wordes are faith full and true.The descrip­ [...]ion of y^e new and heauenly Hierusalem. And the Angell caried [...] way in the spirite, [...]o a great [...] hie mountaine, and he [...]e wed [...]e the great Citie holy [...] Hierusa [...] descendinge out of heauen [...] God, hauing y^• brightnes of God. And her shining wa [...] lyke vnto [...] [Page 507] stone most precious, euē like a Iasper, clere as Christall, & had wals great & hie, & had xii. gates, & at the gates .xii. angels, and names written, whiche are the names of the .xii. Tribes of Israell. On the [...]ast side .iii. gates,Appo. xxi. and on y^e north side .iii. gates, and towardes the south .iii. gates, & from the weast iii. gates, and the wal of the Citie had .xii. foundations, & in thē the xii. names of the Lābes .xii. Apo­stles & he that talked with me, had a go [...]den rede to measure the citie withal & the gates therof, and the wall therof. And y^e citie was built iiii▪ square, and the length was as large as the bredth, & he measured the citie with the (golden) rede .xii M. furlonges, & the length, and y^e bredth, & the height of it, were e­quall. And he measured the wall therof, an. C. xliiii. the measure y^t the angel had, was after the mea­sure [Page 508] that mā vseth. And the buil­ding of the wall of it, was of Ias­per: And the citie was pure gold, like vnto cleare glasse, & the foun­dations of the wal of the city wer garnished with al maner of preci­ous stones▪ The first foundation was a Iasper, the seconde a Sa­phir, the third a Calcedony, y^e .iiii. an Emerald, the .v. a Sardonix, the .vi. a Sardius, the .vii. a Chri­solite, the .viii. a Berall, the .ix. a Topas, the .x. a Crusoprases, the xi a Iacint, the .xii. an Amathist. The .xii. gates, were .xii. pearles, euery gate was of one pearle, and the streate of the Citie was pure gold, as through shining glasse.. And I sawe no temple therin. For the Lord God almighty, and the Lambe,Esay. lx. are the temple of it. And the citie hath no nede of the sunne nether of the moone to lighten it. For y^e brightnes of God did light [Page 509] [...], and the Lambe was the light of it. And the people which are sa­ [...]ed, shall walke in the light of it. And the kinges of the earth shall bringe their glory (and honoure) vnto it. And y^e gates of it, are not shut by daye. For there shalbe no night there. And there shall enter into it, none vncleane thing, ney­ther whatsoeuer worketh abho­mination or maketh lies, but they only, whiche are wrytten in the Lambes booke of life.

And he shewed me a pure riuer of water of life,Apoc. xx [...] ▪ clere as Christall, proceading out of the seat of God, and of the Lambe. In the mids of the streat of it, and of ether syde of the riuer, was there wood of life, whiche bare .xii. maner of fruites, and gaue fruit euery moneth, and the leaues of the wood, serued to heale the people withall. And ther shalbe no more cursse, but the seat [Page 510] of God and the Lambe shalbe i [...] it, and his seruauntes shall seru [...] him. And they shal se his face, and his name shalbe in their foreheds▪ And there shalbe no night ther [...] and they nede no candle [...] neythe [...] lyght of the Sunne: for the Lord [...] God geueth them lyght, and they shall raigne for euermore. And he sayde vnto me, these thinges are faithfull and true.

God be praised for that true ioye and singuler comfort, which the faithfull finde in his holy worde. It is not with­out a cause sayd of the holy Apo­stle: The eie hath not sens,i. Cor. ii. and the eare hath not heard; neither haue entred into the heart of man [...] the thinges, whiche God hath prepa­red for them that loue hym. My heart is nowe so enflamed with y^e desire of those heauenly and bles­sed treasures, which you haue na­med to me out of the infallible & [Page 511] true word of God, y^t I most entirely wysh to be losoned frō this life, & to enioy these ioyfull pleasures. Oh, who wold not be glad to chā ­ge lead for siluer, copper for golde, transitory, mortall and corrupti­ble thinges for certain, immortall & vncorruptible thinges, earth for heauen, sinne for godlines, darke­nes for light, fear for securitie, tra­uel for quietnes, sicknes for helth death for life, the cōpany of men, for y^e cōpany of the most hie God, his heauenly Aungels and blessed spirites, the vile pleasures of this worlde, for the inestimable ioyes of the glorious kingdom of God.Psal. xlii. Oh, like as the heart desireth the waterbrokes, so longeth my soule after the, O God. My soule is a thurst for God, yea euen for the li­uing God.Psal. lxiii. Oh, when shal I come to appere before y^e presence of my God, O God, thou art my god, early [Page 512] wil I seke thee. My soule thur­steth for thee, my flesh also longeth after thee, in a barren and dry lād, where no water is. Thus haue I loked for thee in thy holy place, y^t I might beholde thy power and glory. For thy louing kindnes is better then life it selfe: my lippes shal praise thee. As long as I [...]ue wil I magnifie thee on this man­ner, and lift vp my handes in thy name.

We reioyse (good bro­ther Epaphroditus) and geue god most harty thankes, that he hath by his holy Spirite, wroughte so good and glad will in you to die, and to leue this wretched worlde.

Philip. 1.I moste hartely wyshe to bee losed from this life, and to be with Christ.Iob. x. It greueth my soule lōger to liue in this mortall body. [...]ob. iii. And now, O Lord, dele with me according to thy will, and commaunde my spirit to be receiued in peace. [Page 513] For more expedient were it for me to die then to liue.

Sir how do you fele your selfe?

In my body weaker and weaker, but I trust, in my soule stronger & stron­ger. I pray you, lay me vp hier in my bed. For I begin to waxe very faint, and my wynde decreaseth & waxeth shorter. I thanke you, it is wel. Neighbours I am troble­some vnto you, but I trust, I shal not be so long.

It is vnto vs great ioy and comfort, to be with you being so godly mynded. For in you as in a cleare mirrour we beholde our selues, and see what shall become of vs hereafter. Of you as of a liuely scholemaister do we learne, howe we shall behaue our selues, when God layeth the crosse on vs. And we most humblī besech God to geue vs the like pa­cience and thankfulnes.Mat. xxvi.

The spirite is willing, but the fleshe is [Page 514] weake. For in asmuch as I fele in my self present tokens of death, & am not certain how long y^e ▪ Lorde will suffer me to liue, or to enioy y^e vse of speche, I thinke it conue­nient to pray again vnto the lorde my God, and to commend my sin­ful soul into his merciful handes.

Godly forsoth.

Lord vou­chsafe I most humbly beseche the,The sicke mans praier. Psalm. xiiii. to hear me sinfull creature.

The Lorde is nye vnto all them that call on hym, yea that call on him in truthe.

O Lorde Iesu Christ, whiche art the only health of all men liuing: and the euerla­sting life of them, which die in thy faith: I wretched sinner geue and submit my self wholy to thy moste blessed wil. And I being sure that the thing can not perishe, whiche is committed vnto thy mercye, most humbly besech thee, o Lord, to geue me grace, that I maye [Page 515] nowe willingly leaue this frayle and wicked flesh, in hope of the re­surrection, whiche in better wyse shall restore it to me again, I be­seche thee (O most mercifull Iesu Christe) y^t thou wilt by thy grace make stronge my soule against all temtations, & that thou wilt couer and defende me with the buckler of thy mercy against al thassaults of the deuill. I see & knowledge, that there is in my selfe no helpe of lyfe and saluation, but all my confidence, hope and trust is in thy moste mercifull goodnes. I haue no merites nor good wor­kes, whiche I may alledge before thee. Of sinnes and euill workes (alas) I se a great heape, but tho­row thy mercy I trust to be in the nomber of them, to whome thou wilt not impute their sinnes, but take and accept me for righteous and iuste, and to bee the enheri­toure [Page 516] of euerlasting glory▪ Tho [...] O moste mercifull Lorde, wast borne for my sake. Thou diddes [...] suffer both hunger and thirste for my sake. Thou diddest preach and teach, thou diddest pray, & faste fo [...] my sake. Thou diddest all good workes and deedes for my sake. Thou suffredst most greuous pai [...]nes and tormentes for my sake. And finally, thou gauest thy most precious body to die, and thy most blessed bloud to be shed on y^e crosse for my sake. Now most mercifull sauiour, let all these thinges profit me, whiche thou frely hast geuen me, whiche hast geuen thy selfe for me. Let thy bloud clēse and wash away the spottes and foulnes of my sinnes. Let thy righteousnes hide & couer my vnrighteousnes. Let the merits of thy passion and bloud, bee the satisfaction for my sinnes. Geue me Lorde thy grace, [Page 517] that my faith and perswasion in thy bloud wauer not in me, but e­uer be firme and constant, that the hope of thy mercy and life euerla­sting neuer decay in me, that cha­ritie waxe not colde in me, finally that the weakenes of my fleshe be not ouercome with the feare of death. Graunt me also (O moste merciful sauiour) that whē death hath shut vp the eies of my body: yet that the eies of my soule may stil behold and loke vpō thee, and that when death hath takē away the vse of my tongue & speche: yet that my heart may cry & say vnto thee: O Lorde, into thy handes I geue and commit my soule. Lord Iesu, take my spirit.

Amen.

Sir how is it with you now?

Euen as with a ship, whiche is tost with the waues of the sea. I trust shortly to come vnto the heauen, and then shall I be quiet, [Page 518] and without all daunger. I pray you, pray for me.

Most glad­ly. Let vs knele down neighbors and beseche the Lord our God for his tender mercies, to preserue this our sicke brother from the as­saultes of Sathan, & to kepe him constant and stedfast in his faithe vnto his liues ende, that he maye geue vp a good & a faithfull soule into the mercifull handes of God. Geue me hither the flower of god­ly Prayers,The Flowre of godly prayers. that I in the name of vs al may rede that prayer, which is to be said for them, that lie at y^e point of death.

Here is it.

O Moste louing Sauiour, & gentle redemer, whiche ca­mest into this world to call sinners vnto repentaunce, and to seeke vp y^t was lost,Math. ix. Luke. ix. thou seest in what case this oure brother lieth here: visited with thy mercifull [Page 519] hand al weake, feble, sicke, and re­dy to yealde vp his soule into thy holy hāds. O loke vpō him (moste gentle sauior) with thy mercifull eie, pitie him and be fauorable vn­to him. He is thy workemanship, despise not therfore the worke of thine own hands. Thou suffredst thy blessed body, and thy precious bloud to be shed for his sinnes, and to bringe hym vnto the glorye of thy heauenlye father, let it not therefore come to passe, that thou shouldest suffer so great paines for him in vaine. He was baptised in thy name, and gaue him self who­ly to be thy seruaunt, forsakynge the deuill, the world, and the flesh, confesse him therefore before thy heauenly father and his blessed Aungels to be thy seruaunt.Prou. xvi. His sinnes, we confesse are great (for who is hable to saye, my heart is clene & I am fre from sin) but thy [Page 520] mercies,Math. ix. O Lord, are much grea­ter. And thou camest not to cal th [...] righteous, but sinners vnto repē ­taunce. To them that are diseased and ouerladen with the burden of sin, doest thou promise ease. Thou art that God,Math. x which willest not y^e death of a sinner, but rather that he shuld turne and liue. Thou art the sauiour, whiche wishest all mē to bee saued,i. Thess. ii. and to come to the knowledge of thy truthe. With­draw not therfore thy mercy from him because of his sinnes, but ra­ther lay vpō him thy sauīg health that thou maiest shewe thy selfe toward him to be a sauior. What greater praise cā there be to a phi­sition then to heale the sicke? Nei­ther can there be a greater glory, to thee being a sauior, then to saue sinners, saue him therfore, O Lord for thy names sake. Again, let the law be no corsiue to his conscience [Page 521] but rather geue him grace, euēin this extreme agony and conflicte of death,Roma. x. to be fully perswaded y^t thou by thy death hast takē away all his sinnes, fulfilled the lawe for hym, and by this meanes, deli­uered him from the cursse of the law,Gala. iii. and paid his raunsome, that he thus beinge fully perswaded may haue a quiet heart, a fre con­science, and a glad will to forsake this wretched world: & to go vnto his lord God. Moreouer thou hast conquered hym that had rule of death,Hebr. vii. euen sathan, suffer him not therfore to exercise his tirāny vpō this our sicke brother,Ose. xiii. nor to dis­quiet his conscience with the ter­rours of sinne and paines of hell. Let not Sathan nor his infernall army tempte him further,i. Cpr. xv. then he is hable to beare, but euermore geue him grace euen vnto his last breath, valeantly to fight against [Page] the deuil with strong faith in thy precious bloud, that he may fight a good fight, and finish his course with ioy vnto y^e glory of thy name and the healthe of his soule. O Lord, so worke in him by thy holy spirite, that he with all his hearte maye contempne, and despise all worldly things, and set his mind wholly vpon heauenly thynges, hopyng for them with a stronge and vndoubted faithe. Againe: let it not greue him, O swete sauiour to be losoned frō this vile & wret­ched [...]arca [...]e, which is now so full of sorow, trouble, anguishe, ficke­nes and paine, but rather let hym haue a bent and ready wyll, tho­rowe thy goodnes, to put it of, yea and that with this faith, that he at the last day, shall receiue it again in a much better state then it is now,Phil. iii. or euer was frō the daye of his birthe, euen a body vncor­ruptible, [Page 523] immortall, & like to thy glorious body. Let his hole heart and mynde be set only vpon thee. Let the remembraunce of y^e ioyes of heauē be so feruēt in his brest:ii. Cor. xv. that he may bothe patientlye and thanckfully take his death, and euer wish to be with the in glory. And when the tyme cōmeth, that he shall geue ouer to nature, & de­part from this miserable worlde: vouchafe we most hūbly beseeche the, o Lord Iesu, to take his soule into thy handes, and to place it a­monge the glorious company of thy holy angels & blessed saintes. and to kepe it vnto that most ioy­ful day of the generall resurrectiō that both his body & soule thorow thyne almighty power being knit agayn together at y^t day, he maye for euer & euer enioy thy glorious kingdom, & sing perpetuall prai­ses to thy blessed name.

[Page 524]Amen.Psal. lxvii.

O God be merciful vnto me and blesse me, shewe me the lighte of thy countenaunce, and deale fauourably with me. Ligh­ten mine eies, that I slepe not in death, least myne ennemy say: I haue preuailed against him. For if I be cast downe,Psal. xii. they that trou­ble me will reioyse at it. But my trust is in thy mercy, & my heart is ioyfull in thy saluation.

Sir how do you?

My bodely sight is gone.Iob. i.

The Lord gaue it you, and the Lorde hath taken it away againe. As it hath plea­sed the Lord, so is it come to passe, blessed be the name of the Lorde. Now that God hath taken away the sight of your corporal eies, be­hold the Lord your God with the eies of your faith, and doubte you not, but that shortly you shall see the glorious maiestie of god with the eies of your soule, euen as he [Page 525] is, face to face, whiche shalbe vnto you suche ioy, and so great cōfort, that no tounge is able to expresse, nor no heart able to thinke it.

I beleue and am assuredlye perswaded that I shall see the ple­sures of the Lorde in the lande of the liuing.Psal. xxvii.

Cōtinue in this faith vnto the end, and you shall surely be saued.

As God hath taken away my syght, so do al my other senses decaye.

Though by the appointment of God, you lose your bodely speache, yet shall your soule in the heauenly kyng­dom sing, prayse and magnify the Lord your God, worldes without end. And all be it the bodely hea­ring be taken away from you, yet shall your soule in the kingdom of God hear such swete, pleasaunt, & delectable thinges, as neuer mor­tall man heard, nor may hear the like. Againe, although your go­ing, [Page 526] and the vse of your whole bo­dy be taken away from you, and your body returne vnto the earth from whence it came, yet doubte you not, but your soule being once deliuered out of the prison of your body, shal serue the lord your god perfectly,Apoc. xiii. and ioyfully follow the Lambe Christ. whither so euer he goeth.Psa. cxix.

O Lorde, deliuer my soul out of the prison of the body, that I maye come vnto thee, and glorify thy holy name.Toby. iii. Cōmaund my spirit to be receaued in peace, for more expedient were it for me to die thē to liue.

Be on good comfort sir, God in this your tro­ble and bitter agony of death is present with you, and when he seeth conuenient tyme, he will de­liuer you out of all your paynes, take you vnto him,Psa. xxii. and place you in his glorious kingdom.

O Lorde, deliuer my soule from the [Page 527] sweard,Psal. lxxi. my dearling frō the pow­er of the dogge. Saue me from y^e Lions mouth. Bow downe thine eare to me, make haste to deliuer me. Be thou my Protectoure, O God, and house of defence, that y^e maiest saue me. Be thou my strōg rocke and my castell. Be thou my guide, and leade me for thy names sake. Drawe me oute of the net, thot they haue layde preuely for me, for thou art my strengthe. Into thy handes I commend my spirite, for thou hast redemed me, O Lord thou God of truthe.

Fear not brother Epaphro­ditus, God is your louing father and moste gentle sauiour.

He hath hearde your humble requestes, and graunted your pe­ticions. He hathe and wyll de­fend you from all euill euen vn­to the end. He will not suffer you to be deuoured of that hellish Li­on [Page 528] and cruel dog y^e deuill. He hath sent his holy Angels hether vnto you, euen into this your chambre. They are here presente for youre great cōfort.Psal. xxxiiii. They haue pitched their tents round about you, that they may kepe you harmles and safe from the deuouring tethe of Sathan.Psal. xci. Thei wait vpon you di­ligently for your defence, and wil neuer depart frō you,Hebr. i. till they re­ceiue your soule, and cary it vp lo­uingly as a most precious relique into the kingdome of heauen: and moste ioyfully present it vnto the glorious throne of gods maiestie. Fixe y^e eies of your faith on Christ and Christes merits, on Christes passion and death, on Christes blessed body breakyng, and his moste precious bloud sheddinge, on his triumph and victory ouer sathan & his hellish army, beleue Christe to be your alone sauioure, and all [Page 529] his works to be your good works and so shall ye not perish, but haue euerlasting lyfe.The sicke mans praier.

Hast the O Lord to deliuer me, for it is hie time. In thee O Lord Christ my most mercifull sauiour, and only redemer, in thee, in the alone is al my trust, let me neuer be confounded. O Iesu. Mercy Iesu mercy▪ O Christ. Mercy Christ mercy. O God the Father, O God the sōne, O God the holy Ghost. O moste blessed Trinitie, thre persons and one God, haue mercy on me. Re­ceiue my soule into thy handes. Place it for thy mercies sake in thy heauēly kingdom among thy holy angels and blessed sainctes. O my good God. O father, O my most merciful father. Mercy, mercy.

God the father, whiche made you: blesse you. God y^e sonne which redemed you: preserue you. God the holy ghost, which sancti­fieth [Page 530] you, confirme and strengthē you. The blessing▪ defence and sa­uing health of the allmighty god: the father, the sonne, and the ho­ly ghost preserue you from al euyl and bringe you vnto euerlastinge lyfe.

Amen.

Me thinck he hath geuē vp the ghost.

No, he is yet a liue. God comfort him. Lord, shewe him the light of thy louing countenaunce.

When shall I come to appere before the presence of my God?An exortatiō to the sycke man.

God be thancked, he yet speaketh, yea he godly speaketh. Brother Epaphroditus, take a good hert vnto you, shrincke not. Fight a good fight. Be not discouraged, nether with the terroures of sathan, nor with y^e pains of death. God is on youre syde. God is your graūd captain. You fighte vnder the banner of that most mighty and victorious Emperour Iesus Christ.

[Page 531]Only continue, as you haue be­gon, and the daye is yours. Sa­thā with al his army, like misera­ble cowardes shalbe put to flight and vanquished. You shall haue a ioyful victory ouer thē. The paine of the battell, is short and lyght, but the glory of your triūphe shal abide for euer & euer.Mat. xxiiii. Heare what your graunde captaine saithe: he that continueth vnto the end shall be saued.Apoca. ii. To him y^t ouercommeth I will geue to eate of the tree of life, which is in the middes of the Paradise of God.Apoca. iii. Be faithful vn­to the death, and I shall geue the the crowne of life.Apoca. iiii. Him that ouer­commeth, will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shal go no more out. Yea to him that ouercommeth, will I graunte to sit with me in my seate. Here see you, what precious and mooste noble rewardes are set forth vn­to [Page 532] you, if you go forth valeauntly to fight against your ennemies, which seke your destruction. On­ly beleue, only fixe y^e eies of your faith on Christ crucified. Only en­graue in your heart depely a sure and vndoubted confidence in the mercifull promises of God the fa­ther, whiche he hath made vnto you in the precious bloud of his dearly beloued sonne, and our a­lone sauioure Iesus Christe, and you shall moste certainly haue the victory, and obtain the reward of ioyfull immortalitie. Here what your graund captain Christ saith: God hath so dearly loued y^e world that he gaue his onelye begotten sonne, that euery one that bele­ueth on hym, should not pearyshe, but haue euerlasting life. For god sent not his sonne into the worlde to condempne the world, but that the world shuld be saued by hym. [Page 533] He y^t beleueth on him, is not dam­ned Iohn Baptist saithe. He that beleueth on y^e sonne of God, hath euerlasting life.Iohn. [...] My shepe saith Christ heare my voyce, & I know them, and they followe me, and I geue them euerlasting life, nether shall they perishe for euer, nor yet shall any man plucke them out of my hand. My father which gaue them to me, is greater then all, & no man can pluck them out of my fathers hande. I and my father, am one.Iohn. xi. Againe, I am the resur­rection and life. He that beleueth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he liue. And euery one that liueth and beleueth in me, shall neuer die.Iohn. xiiii. I am the way, y^e truthe and the life. Follow Christ, & you cā not erre, nor go out of the way, for he is the waye. Beleue Christ, and you can not be deceiued, for he is the truthe. Abide and remaine [Page 534] in Christ, and you can not die the death euerlasting, for he is the life. Wherefore (O most dere brother) cleane with strong faithe to these most swete and comfortable pro­myses of Christe youre Sauiour. Beleue to obtayne, whatsoeuer is promysed. So may you be sure to be Gods sonne, and heyre of his euerlasting kingdome, neuer to perishe, but to haue eternall lyfe.

I beleue to haue remission of all my synnes thorowe faithe in Christes bloud. Lorde Iesu take my spirite.Act. vii. O heauenly father. I cōmend my spirit into thy hādes.

This faith (deare brother) maketh you the Sonne of God,Luke. xxiii. and heyre of his glorious kingdome, yea it maketh you Christes bro­ther and fellow heyr with him of euerlasting glory. It purchaseth for you fauor at the hand of God, and forgeuenes of al your sinnes. [Page 535] It bringeth vnto you peace and quietnes of conscience. It maketh a perfect reconciliation and an e­uerlastinge agremente betwene God and you. It deliuereth you from death, and bringeth you vn­to eternall glory. It maketh you a Citezin of the newe & heauenlye Hierusalē, where (if you continue stedfast in this faith) you shall re­maine for euer and euer in a most blessed and ioyfull state, hauinge the fruition of Gods glorious ma­iestie in perfecte glorie, worldes without end vnto your exceading ioy and vnspeakeable comfort.

Sir, Behold, the life of this our brother beginneth, to drawe vnto an end.

Yea rather, he now begīneth to chaūge a mortal life, for an immortal life. The life that is led in this world, is rather a shadow of a life, then a very life indede. Now brother be strong in [Page 536] the faithe of Christe. Remember Christ crucified.An exhorta­tiō to the sick man. Remēber Christe to be your alone sauiour. Remem­ber God y^e father to bee your mer­ciful father. Forget not y^t all your sinnes are washed away in Chri­stes precious blud, & that by y^e vertue of his death & passion, you are made heire of euerlasting salua­tion. Brother, if you can speake aunswere. If you can not speake, shew some outward signe & token that it may be a testimonye vnto vs of your faith & godly departur.

Lo, he holdeth vp his hand.

God be thāked.

He semeth yet to heare. Perswade your selfe (moste dere brother) y^t God euen now calleth you out of this vale of wretchednes, vnto the ioyful en­heritance of his euerlasting king­dom, wher you shall not liue mise­rably w^t sinfull men (as you haue done in this world) but you shall [Page 537] gloriously reigne with that moste mighty God, & with his holy aungels and blessed saincts. Now be­gins your ioy, your solace, your cō fort. Now begīneth your true life, which shalbe euerlasting. Now is the end of al your sorowes come, & now beginneth your vnfained ioy and true felicitie. Now shal ye se y^e glorious maiestie of God face to face. Now shall you behold & per­fectly know al y^e godly y^t haue ben from the beginning of the world, and be mery and reioyse with thē. Now shall you se your sauior and elder brother Christ as he is. Now shall you bee clothed w^t the white garments of immortalitie: Nowe shal you haue a crown of gold, set vpon your head. Now shall ye eat of the tree of life, whiche is in the mids of the Paradise of God, and drinke of the fountains of liuing water. Now shall you be a pillare [Page 538] in the temple of your God, and sit with him on his seat. And these your ioyes shall be euerlasting, & neuer haue end. Unto these ioyes shal you straight waies go, & for e­uermore enioy them.

Our brother is euē now departed frō this world, vnto the Lord our God, as you spake these words: vnto these ioyes shal you straightways go, & for euermore enioy them: he gaue vp the ghost,The cōmen­dation of the man departed and now reasteth in the Lord.

The Lord our God be praysed. Our brother hath ma­de a godly end. He hath geuen vp a good spirit, into the hands of the liuing God. He is, I doubt not, of the nomber of them,Psal. cxvi. of whose death it is written: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his sainctes.Appo. xiiii. Blessed are they that die in the Lorde. His life be­fore men was vnrebukeable and blameles. He liued iustly, and vp­rightly [Page 539] with his neyghbours. He was frendly to al godly men, and ennemy to no man. He was both a sincere fauourer, and a diligent folower of Gods most holy word. He abhorred all sectes, Papistes Anabaptistes, Libertins. &c. Not withstanding alway praying for their amēdment, that they know­ledging theyr errors, might with vs confesse one God, & one truthe in the vnity of the spirit. He was a deare frende to suche as were studious of good letters, to wid­dowes, to fatherles: children, to pore yonge maides mariages, to yong mē that had not wherwith to set vp theyr occupations, to the prisonners, to those poore people which wer not hable to get theyr liuing, to pore housholders, to the reparing of hie wayes & such like. What a will he made ye knowe. His end also ye know.

A christen [Page 540] and godly end made he. God geue vs al grace to make the like.

Of a good life commeth a good death, if the departure of the godly may be called a death, & not rather a passage vnto a better life. Wel, his body now slepeth in the Lorde, and his soule raigneth in glory with God.

God graūt him & vs al a ioyfull resurrection.

Amen.

Neighbours, be­fore we departe, let vs all kneele down & geue God the father thā ­kes for y^e godly departure of this our christen brother.

It is conuenient so to do.

Geue me hither the Flower of Godly pray­ers.The Floure of godly prayers. I will rehearse the thankes geuing vnto God for y^e departure of the faithfull out of this worlde.

Lo here is the boke.

The name of the Lord our God be glo­rified.

Both nowe and euer. Amen.

O how can we (moste [Page 541] louing father) rendre vnto the suf­ficient thanckes, for thyne inesti­mable goodnes toward thy faith­ful seruants, whome thou calling out of this wretched worlde,Psal. cxv. vou­chestsafe to place in thy heauenlye kingdom among the glorious cō ­pany of thy holy angels and blessed saincts.Dan. xiii. O full precious is the death of thy faithfull in thy sight. Blessed are y^e dead that die in thee O Lord: For they are at rest from their painfull trauails & labours. The soules of the righteous ar in thy hand. O God: and the pain of death shal not touche thē.Sap. ii. In the sight of the vnwise they appeare to die,Apoc. xxiii but they are in peace. They shine as the sparckes that runne thorow y^e redde bush. They glister as the shining of heauē. They are as y^e starres worlde without end. They are as the aungels of God. They are clad w^t white garmēts, [Page 542] & haue goldē crownes vpon their heds. They do seruice day & night before the glorious throne of thy deuine maiesty. They neither hō ­ger nor thirst anye more, neyther doth the sun or any heat fal vpon them, for the lambe which is in y^e mids of y^e throne gouerneth thē, and ledeth them vnto the liuinge foūtains of waters. They folowe the lābe whithersoeuer he goeth, They haue such ioyes,Esay. lxiii. i. Cor. iii as eie hath not sene, nor eare hath heard, ne­ther is there any heart hable to thincke them. Infinite and vn­speakeable are the treasures, O Lord, whiche thou haste laide vp for them, that depart in thy faith For these thy fatherly benefites toward the souls of the faithfull, and for that it hathe pleased the to call this our Christen brother from this vale of misery vnto thy heauenly kingdome, we geue vn­to [Page 543] the moste harty thankes, hum­bly beseching thee, that thou wilt take like care for vs, & so gouerne vs with thy holy spirite, bothe in sickenes and in healthe, that we may liue a good and godly life in this present world, and when soe­uer it shalbe thy good pleasure to call vs hence, we may with strong faith in thee, & in thy sonne Christ Iesu our Lorde, commende bothe our bodies & soules into thy mer­ciful hādes, and thorow thy good­des be placed in thy glorious kingdome, among thy faithfull chosen people, and so for euer and euer prayse and magnifie thee our hea­uenly father, to whome with thy derely beloued sonne Iesu Christ our Lord and sauiour, and the holy gost that most swete cōfortour, be all glory and honoure, worldes without end.

Amen.

Rise let vs go and cōforte our frendes, [Page 544] that they doo not to muche sorowe for the departure of this our most deare brother, which now resteth in ioyfull peace. That done, neighbour Christopher, repare you vn­to some godly learned man, and desire hym to prepare a Sermon for the buriall of this our brother against to morowe about y^e ninth houre.

It shalbe done.

Neighboure Theophile, & neigh­bor Eusebius, go ye your waye, & prouide all thinges necessary for the comely furniture of the burial that nothing be wanting, when the tyme commeth.i. Tess▪ v.

We will do it gladly.

The very god of peace sanctify vs thorow out, & so wholy preserue vs both spirit, and soule and bodye, that we may be blamed in nothynge at the com­ming of our Lord Iesus Christe.i. Thess. ii.

Amen.

Our Lord Iesus Christ him self, & God our father. [Page 545] (which hath loued vs, & hath ge­uen vs euerlasting consolation, & good hope thorow grace) comfort our heartes, and stablish vs in all good saying and doing.

Amē.

Peace be vnto the brethren & loue with faith from God the fa­ther and from the Lorde Iesus Christ. Grace be w^t al them, which loue our Lorde Iesus Christ vn­fainedly.

Amen.

Bles­sing and glory, and wisdome and thankes, and honour, and power, and might. be vnto our God for euermore.

Amē. Amen.

Gyue the glorie to God alone.