the escape or euasion of deathe whrefore you oughte the lesse to be greued graunted to no man ReguÌ„ 14. All we saythe scripture shall dye and as weake water shall slyde into the grounde Dapien 7. lyke as there is one entrance for euery man into this present lyfe so one passage and departure Therfore we be monysshid of the prophette not to feare the iudgement of death Dapien but rather to remember thynges that haue happened before our tyme anv those whyche shall succede That is to â—aye that none of oure progenyâ—ours coulde euer escape the dent of deathe nether any of oure poâ—teritie shall We be admonysshed that we be duste and into â—uste we shall returne Genes 3. by the reâ—on of deathe whiche for the faut and disobedience of ure fyrste â—â—rmed parente with his ineuitable darte strykethe and deadly woundeth all men Roman 5. he woundethe deadlye not the wretchyd onelye the nedye and myserable but the fortunate also the welthye and the noble pen kynâ—ts rulars and the rycheste emperours which in power and dignite riches renoume and glâ—tye doo excell and in theyr tymâ— rule the worlde accordynge as they liste Not the vnlerned only the rude barbarous but thoâ—â— also whyche in learnyng and maâ—ners be most instructe Not thâ— ourtrummyn and careful captiues but also the puissant conquâ—rers them seâ—fes Alexader a king most victoriouse by whose poweâ— and furiouse warres Asia with Europe was manfully subdued no man being able to resyst him coulde fynde no weapon to conquere deathe The notable mysedome of Salamon the depe leaâ— nynge of Aristotle nor of Galen coulde by any meane auoid deth The cuppes of Circe nor the enchauntmentes of Medea coulde repell the violence of death Cullye his eloquence could not moue him The riches of Crass us could not corrupt him He fauoured â—ot the beauty of fayre Absalone â—ether he spared the strenght of â—â—ronge Sampson Dne uyghte saith the poete tarieth for euery body and the way of death must â—ns be troden of al men Lyke as all the â—iarres that come from the â—â—st thoughe they be neuer so â—oodly and bright yet at the last â—ey go to the west and there arâ—â—rdynge to the diueriâ—te of their â—ircles some â—owly some spedely withdrawe them selfs out of our â—yghtieuen so al men which come from the east that is to say their â—atiuite into the world although they glyster and shyne here for a â—easen yet at the last they muste â—edes some rather some later acâ—ordyng to the duratione whiche they haue receyued of god fall 〈◊〉 the west of deathe depatte and withdrawe them selfes from the syght of men Therfore the wysâ— man Simonides at suche tyâ—â— as Pausanias a noble capitain desyryd to learne some good and fruytfull lesson bad hym remember that he was mortall Therfore also Philyp the king of Mâ—cedony wallowynge in worldely wealth and prosperite commaâ—â—ded his chaumberlayne that hâ— shulde euery day at his vprismâ— sadly repete these wordes Remiberking Philip forget not that thou art a man to mortalite subiecte Esar 45. All fleshe is grasse and euery man is the flowre of grasse the grasse shal be wythered and the flowre shal be dryed awaye The man sayth Iob that is borne 〈◊〉 a woman lyueth but a short tyâ—â— replenished with many miseries â—adeth as a floure and is worne away vanisshying as a shadowe â—wherfore not withoute a cause the lyfe of man is compared of â—uciane to a buble in the water â—of Pindarus to the shadow of a dreame of Eschilus to the shadowe of vaine smoke Cruely yf that death shulde chaunce but to a fewe and to the vnluckest we shuld seme to haue a iust cause he â—uely as I think you partly do to take deathe But seynge that â—â—e dothe as well knocke at the rich mans dore as at the poore at the happye mans doore as at the vnhappy at the strong maÌ„s dore as at the weake at the kynges â—owers as at the sheperdescotes whye shulde we not take well in â—orthe a thynge importynge suche necessitic Dowe vnreasonable is it for a man to take heuely his death more than his birthe consideringe that the one is appoynted for man as well as the other the one as commune as the other the one as necessarye as the other and of them bothe death is the better in beynge sory to dye we shall seme to lament in that oure lotte is mortall and that we be not aungels orequall wyth god Whyche is a greate poynte of folysshnes myxte wyth impyetye If we be troubled with suche as be verye calamities in dede to haue ii 02. iii. companions we count in a maâ—ner a comfort sufficiente Moche more we shoulde be conforted as touchynge death seynge that we haue not ii 02. iii. but all men of what estate or degre so euer they be of as companyons and partakers of the same yea euen the very sayntes theym selues and those that were highlye fauoured of God Moyses whych was admitted to the secretes and misteryes of God dyed Dauyd whome God pronounced to be a man after his hartes desyre dyed Ihon the euangelyste mooste tenderlye belouyd of his mayster died Ihon baptiste than whom by the sentence of Christe none greatter hath tysen among the chyldern of men died and not sayntes onelye but the dearelye beloued sonne of God Christ beyng both God and man Esai 54. a lambe mooste innocente and wythoute spotte that he myghte paye oure taunsome delyuer vs synfull wretches frome thraldome and pacyfye hys fathers wrothe was contente to dye the mooste ignomiouse deathe of the crosseâ— And shall we sinners that were begotten in syn borne in synne haue lyued in syn all the dayes of our lyues be agreued to put of these our vâ—le synful bodies Christ whan he was in the shape of god and thought it no robbetye to be egall with God made him selfe or no reputacioÌ„ taking vpon him the shape of a seruauÌ„t and became lyke an other man Phi. 3. and in apparell was founde as a man humbled hym selfe and became obediente vnto death that he might auaunce vs to the kingdome of his father and shall we beynge but wormes duste and clay be loth to dye whereby we maye enioy the same aduauncement Sisigambe the mother of Darius kynge of Persia for the very loue she bare toward Alexander for as much as he vsed hir somwhat gently in hir captiuite was wonderouse wyllyng of hyr owne accorde by death to folowe him after his deceasse ye euen to hell And shall we christians be sow to folowe Christe whiche in raptiuite hath reteynyd vs well nor euyll but brestinge vtterly at his bandes hath clearly delyuered vs Sisigambe vehemently desired to folow AlexaÌ„der whiche was hyr enemy in dede more than hyr frynde and shall we be vnwyllyng to folowe Christ which is our frinde most faithfull and assured She desyred to folowe hym whiche made hir poore and shall not we couet to
God and dye Therefore he beynge merueilouse glad toke the chylde in his armes and blessynge god cried out and sayde Now dimisse thy seruaunt o lord accordyng to thy worde in peace For myne eyes haue sene thy sauynge healthe Dere dyd Symeon proue and testify that than free tranquillite true peace and sprme securytye do happen to the seruauntes of god whan they be drawen from this troublesome worlde and brought to the porte of the euerlastinge manâ—ion Peraduenture you wyll say vnto me Syr as tor Simeon I â—an not blame hym thoughe he was well content to dye for as â—moche as he was a man of a greate age and as they saye communelye euen at the pyttes banke I am but a yonge mau I myghte haue lyued yet manye yeares wyth no small comforte of my friudes by the comâ—nune curse my tyme was not yet come I graunte in dede you be a man of no great age but what â—ay I pray you can we apoynte for any mans deathe Euery day maye be a bodies last daye yf it â—tande wyth the pleasure of god We se that some dye in theâ—â— mothers bellies some in their crâ—â— delles some in the floure of theyr age some in their olde age some whan they be riche other some whan they be poore so that we may playnlye vuderstande that god doth gyue to euery man his lyfe of that condition that he surrender it againe whan so euer it shall please him to repete it But among all other saith the great poete Menander Most happy be they and best belouid of god that dye whan they be yong The whiche sayeng as it is very wytty so it is very true And that a man may easely perceue yf he haue 〈◊〉 specte to the spirituall euyls and temporall incommodities that occupie this lyfet for they communly departe not yet infected with so muche malyce entangled with so moche vice corrupted with so much wyckednes as theyr elders be Not yet so surre seperate from god by the reson of syn and made members vtterlye and lyms of the dcuyll It chaunseth for the moost that men after they come to a rype and complete age be cleane drawne from god frome vertue from symplicite and integrite of lyfe to syn wychednes vngodly lyuynge The riche by iniuriouse handlynge the poore by oppression ingurgitation and beastly incontinency The poore by pyckinge lyinge desperation and blasphemynge the name of God I speake of many but not of al The wytty by craft deceat and subtilte The learned oft by â—eresy ambition and deuylysshe â—octrines I wyll not speake of â—nuy malice rankor adulterye whiche at the type age encrease in growynge and as Scilla and Charibdis hurle the greateste part of men into the hoxrible sea of perdytion The holye ghoste teacheth by Salamon that they whyche please God best be quickely and rathe taken frome this world lest they shuld be polluted with the wyckednes of the same He was taken awaye sayeth he leste malice shulde chaunge his vnderstandynge for his soule dydde please god and he hath made haste to brynge hym from the myddes of miquitie Enoche dydde please God and he was not founde afterwarde for God hadde taken hym awaye Therefore to please God is to be counted worthye of hym to be delyuered from this worlde and to be broughte thyther as the de noute soule of the prophet couyted to come sayenge Howe derelye belouyd be thy habytations o God of vertues my soule desirethe and makethe hasie to thy hawles Those trees be not beste the be most durable but of whome â—oth spring most profitable fruit Netther be those songes most coÌ„mendable that be longest but the most delite the eares of men Eue â—o the longest lift is not chefest but that which is moosle bertuâ—us and lest with vice defaced Further let vs ponder these temporal displeasures and incommo â—ities and than iudge whether â—â—at death whan or in what age â— euer it chaunsethe be better â—â—an lyfe accordynge to the worâ—es of Ezechiell or no. Consider sf what calaniyties chaunces â—yseryes and perelles men be in daunger No man lyuynge is happy on euery part No man is vtterly content with his lote who ther that reason or chaunce as saith Horace hath ofâ— ered it vnto hym wherfore no maÌ„ according to Solons wordes is happye in dede before he be buried For this cause Socrates with other of his secte desyred euer desirouslye to dye estemynge death not to be miserable but the ende of al miseries Not troublous Ezechi 30. but the ende of all troubles Better saith Ezechâ— ell is death than lyfe and eternal resie than continuall sorowes For euery part of this lyfe doutles is replenisshed with vnpleasantnes full of sorowe inquietâ—â— with cares troublescme and vâ— ed with diseases What trade â— lyfe so euer a man shall foloâ— sayth Crates he shal be suer â— fynde bytternes therein In the fildes be laboures at home cares In a straunge countre feare of a man haue ought In the sea feare with Ieopardies Inyouth foolyshaes in age feblenes in mariage vnquietues in lacking a myfe solitarines yf a man haue thyldren he hath care yf he haue none he is halfe mamed So that one of these two saith he is to be mysshed Eyther not to be borne or quicklye to dye The wretchednes of this worlde hath compelled euen the holye â—e men beyng weryed therewith to wysh for deathe Ionas in his trauell said that it was better for him to bye than to lyue Helyas in his â—yfe tyme often coueted and not â—naduisedly to yeld by the ghost Neither can I se any cause why â—hat all of vs which haue anye hope of an other lyfe to come shoulde not wysshe for the same thing seing that no man lyueth which laboureâ—h not of the indigeÌ„cy both of spirituall and temporall thinges nothing truelye though a ma haue neuer so much excellencye in honours aboundaunce is riches delite in pleasures can satisfie hym or brynge a flepeâ—â—â—s desires appetites and insatiable luâ—â—es no more than the doughters of Danaus can fyl their bottomles tubbes Is it not better therfore to chauÌ„ge this life to leue this straunge countre and god where is all excellencye of honoures aboundance of all good thinges where perpetuall plesures shal euer be in thy right hand eueÌ„ to the ende Where thy diuinitie shal be sene loued reserued for euer Death of it selfe in dede is somewhat formidable and the way to death as saith the Philosopher paynful Yet if we consider the premisses and the deth is nothing elles but a gate wher by meÌ„ do enter into lyfe we shall see it amiable and moch to be embraced I maruayle what euil spi rite hath so blinded and ve witched the myndes of men and made theÌ„ madde so shamefullye dotinge Forasmuch as they can persmade them selfes to be best here to lyue still in these rotten tentes open to all sharpe wyndes and bytter stor mes In these ruinous houses in these stinkyng
prisones I meane our bodies and to hate death as it were a venemous poison serpent seynge it is so frendlye a thinge inferring a great sea of coÌ„ modities pleasures seing it is only it the finisher of our filthy and painful emprisonment a consummation of our laboures and greuous warres and arriuyng at the safe haue nan ende of oure peregrynacyon a leynge away of an heuy bourdeÌ„ a terminarioÌ„ of all sicknes an euasion of all daungers a rerourne into oure countre an entrance into glow If we be wyse let vs be well content to dye and cherefully gyue a fayrewell to this myserable worlde continuallye vnquieted with troubles and troubled with vnquietnes subiecte to sundrye euyls and the false illusiones of vayne fortune For truly it hath moch more gall than hony moch more bytternes than swetenes The which thing is wel signified by this wyttye fable of Homere Iupiter sayth he syttynge in he uen and hauynge before hym ii great toÌ„nes the one of felicytie the other of myserie agaynst a lytle sponefull of happines powrethe out a greate ladlefull of vnhap Meanynge therby that fortune and misfortune amonge men do not egally part the stayke Eschiâ—us recontyng with him selfe the continuall tossyng and tormoyâ—ing of mens bodies and myndes â—ryeth out after this sorte Oh howe vniust be those men howe folyshe that hate death seinge it is a temedy moost present for all euyls and the chefest expeller of al anxieties Many of the infidels for this cause thought death of al thynges most to be desyred as it doth appere by the notable history of Cleobis and Bito by the maner of the ChraciaÌ„s by the Epi grams of Crates and suche lyke thinges How much more ought the same to be embraced of vs whiche be well assured by holye scripture of the immortalitie of the soule of a better lyfe to come ad that death is none other but a very enteraunce into that lyfe whiche is true parmanente and constante Let the wycked Saduceans whyche denye the resurrection of the flesshe take heuely their deathe For they looke for none other lyfe after this Lette vs whyche be sure that oure bodies shall aryse agayne freshlye renewed esteme deathe as a thynge mooste pleasaunte Let those whyche haue hadde no seole maister but Aristotle that affirmeth death of all terrible thinges to be mooste terrible feare death Let vs whiche haue learned of saynte Paule that to dye is a gayne That whether we lyue oâ— dye we be of the lorde And that Christ hath dyed that he myghte be rular bothe ouer the quycke the deade Hartely say with Dauyd Delyuer o lorde deliuer our soules oute of pryson that they maye confesse thy name Besydes a thousande incomniodities and displeasures of this presente slyperie lyfe This doth also accede that oure synnes dayly renewed augmented and encreased we more and more prouoke the lorde to ire And the innocencye of lyfe yf we haue anye rather than the whyche shoulde decaye saint Paule desyred to dye better sayeth he it is for me to dye then anye man shoulde euacuate my glorye is hoorely indaungered Therefore lette vs not loue the worlde for in deede it wyll not loue vs verye muche yf wee be true chrystians neyther the thinges that be therin or elles the charitie of the father caÌ„ not abide in vs. For al thinges in the world whiche is holy sette in malyce be other concupiscency of the flesh concupisceÌ„cy of the eyes or pride of lyfe To conclude vf that deth were onely an abolysher of worldly displeasures it were a thinge not vtterly to be abhorred But for as moche as with worldly miseries it putteth away those that be spirituall and further leadeth vs to eternall blessednes whye shulde we not moche wyssh for it couette and desire it Curtius the two Decii of rome affectinge the vaine glory of the world vowed them selues no man coÌ„maun dynge willyngly to deathe Ind shall we christians whereby we may attayne to the true and heauenly glory god commaunding and calling vs dye impaciently or shall we rather tolowynge the example of saint Paule wysshe for the dissolution of our bodies and to be with Christ or of Cato which was wont to say Oh that happy and pleasaunt daye whan it shal be my chaunce to leaue the colluuion of this lowsy worlde and come to their companye that inhabite the heaueÌ„s What thing in the worlde is of suche excellency that it may iustly so allure you being a wyse and as I take you a faythfull man that you shulde be loth to leaue it Riches Incer tain false and vayn the vse wher of is vanitie whiche shal not pro fyt you in the daye of obduccion and vengeance to be short verye smoke Frindes vntrusty dissem blers fooles inwhom is no helth euery man is is an hiporrite and wycked and euerye mouth hath spoken foolysshenes Parentes you shall haue a father in heauen whyche louethe and tendeteth you more than these earthly parentes doo Wyte brethren and thyldren you shall dwell with youre brother Christe that loueth and careth for you moche more than all those care whiche hathe spente not his moneye or other externe thynges for youre sake but his mooste precyouse bloude So muche hathe he estemed you so vehementelye hath he loued you before the begyunynge of the worlde yea and louethe you styll Pleasures you shall haue the presence of God whyche so farre passethe all other pleasures as the brightnes of the sonne excellethe the lyghte of a talowe candell Honoures Mayne and inconstant For all thyngrs here is vanitie Youre bodye A corruptible â—rysonne whyche aburdenethe â—he soule and depressethe the ense musynge on many thinges Frome the whyche prysonne the oule beynge the verye man it elfe for the bodye is but a case â—esprethe more to be delyuered han the prysonners frome their â—nprysonmente and chaynes And as feruentlye couytethe arâ—esse vnto god as the chaufed â—atte boylynge with heate desiâ—eth the swete flowynge water â—oure countrye A straunge â—ountry for so longe as we lyue â—ere we be straunge freme Christe here we haue no cytye â—ermanente but looke for one that is to come Here we be aliaÌ„tâ— as Dauyd sayd none otherwisâ— than was all oure forefathers aâ— biding in the reigne of the tyranâ— the deuyll that is to saye in the worlde beset with a thousand enâ— mies Fyrst the foule crokyd serpent hym selfe a fur of and nyghoy foyns and strokes with alâ— kyndes of weapoÌ„s neuer ceasseth endeuouringe to oppugne vs. The worlde disquieteth vs and laboureth styll to subuerte vs The flessh as moch as lyethe in hym couardly betrayeth vs and aideth busyly the foresayd enemâ— es No we pouerty no we riches and care of thinges gotten moâ— lest vs nyght and day with hoâ— many greuous siknesses be mâ—â— bodies vered what iniuriessclaâ— ders despites doo vsually greue vs No we we muste prepare out selues to fight with auarice and vuclen lines now with ire ambition and
bene safe yf they hadde be diligentlye obserued Or whan we fall into diseases whereof we myghte haue bene cleare if that vnholesome meates and diet infected places or persons had ben auoided Or when we be robbed or suffer other losses by neglygeÌ„ce of our seruauÌ„tes or euil wil of our neighbours Or wher we se that we myghte haue ben in good case yf this chaunce o that chaunce had be escaped yf this thinge or that thynge had not ben done Fynally whan we se oure selues by suche or lyke chaunces as I haue spoken of comme to myserye we thinke it rather to be imputed to euyll fortune then to the hand of god by the same meane sekynge or workynge oure wealth Truelye who soeuer is of this opynyon in my iudgemente semeth to be ignoraunte that God is prouidente and carefull for men Also to lacke the knoweledge of his mooste holy and holesome scryptures Math. 10. writeth that a sparowe which is a byrde of small estimacion can not fall to the grounde withoute oure heauenly father neyther a heere of a mans heade And shall we whiche be the shepe of his pasture his people and his soÌ„nes whom he regardeth a thowsand tymes more then the sparowes thinke that the losse of those thinges whiche we haue enioyed be it riches helth or any other worldlye thinge eyther the misse of them whiche we haue desyred can chaunce withoute his wyll and godlye prouydence Who is so folysh to thinke that god regarding the heere 's of our heades which be neither greatly profitable nor necessary wyll contemne and neglecte thinges which pertayne to the susteining and necessitie of the whole bodies Who knoweth not that Iobs substaÌ„ce decaied by diuerse chauÌ„ces as by tempestes thonders by theues robbers his frendes destroyed by the fallynge of an house which thinges to the infidele shulde haue semed bare chaunce and not inflicted by any godly power yet in dede as it is manifest in the history these were nothing els but meanes or instrumentes which the lorde vsed to the perfourmaunce of his wyll The holy Iob of all christen men muche to be folowed after that he hadde lost all and brought in maner to extreme miserye dyd not accuse his carpenters for buyldyng of a ruynous house neyther he cryed oute of fortune as the vnfaithful do nor yet founde faute at his herdemen in that they droue not his cattell diligentlye into the safe stables but considering the true cause of his calamitie and wretchidnes sayd these wordes Naked I came frome my mothers wombe and naked I shall go hence The lorde dydde gyue me welth and the lord hath taken it awaye As it pleased the lorde so it is done his name be blessed The blindnes of the elder Toby happening by swalowes donge that fell into his eyes as he laye slepinge and the pouertie which dyd succede semed to be ascribed onelye to chaunce But the aungel declared at the last that god dyd make hym both blynde and beggerly and that for a purpose Dauyd in his Psalmes doth euidently shew that our calamities come none otherwise but by the wyll and permission of god whiche tryeth vs as the golde is tryed in the fyry fornace beynge neuer the worse therfore but better purer Thou sayth he O lorde hast proued vs and as siluer is wont with fier hast examined vs thou hast brought vs into snares and layde tribulations vpon our backes Thou hast made men our enemies and set them in our neckes we haue passed by fyer and water Hieremye in the. 3. of his lamentations confirmeth this pronouncynge suche wordes Who sayth that it shulde be done the lorde not commaundynge Do not good and euill procede from the mouth of the highest The gentyles as blynde as they were of this thinge were not al together ignoraunte The Greake poete Hesiode in the begynnynge of his worke asketh what is the cause that some meÌ„ be vyle some noble some ryche other some poore he maketh aunswere hym selfe and sayth The wyll of the â—nyghty god The which sayeng I worde wisshe to be so well beâ—eued of Christen men as it was truely spoken of a blynde ethnyke Seyng therfore that misfortunes lacke or losse of ryches health and such other come not rashly but by the prouydence of our Celestrall father why shuld we not take them well in worth and after the example of Iob blessynge his name gyue hym thankes for them specialy consideringe that aduersities chaunsynge to them whiche loue the lord be not tokens of his yre neither argumentes that he casteth vs of but of a fatherly loue rather frendly care Thou shalte perceiue if thou reade diligeÌ„tly the holy histories that the more parte of them whom god hath chosen to be of his lytle flocke haue ben wretchyd in the respecte of the worlde and myserable tosâ—e and tormoyled with manyfolde mysfortunes distracte and vnquieted with continuall sorowes Let Hely the prophet be for an example whome God loued so well that he wolde vouchsafe to communicate his counsel and misteries vnto him What quietnes I praye you or welth what riches or surety had he for al the frendeshyp that was betwyxte God and hym Trulye so much welth that he had neuer a house to put his head in Such plenty of meate and drynke that if the rauen and the aungell had not fedde hym he hadde perysshed â—w hunger Such quietnes that he coulde not tell whiche waye to turne him nor whyther to flee from the persecution of Achab Baales preistes and cruel Iesa bell Suche Ioye in this world that he desired oft to dye before he dyed What shuld I speake of Helise Hieremy and Hieu to be short of the greatest part of gods prophets which were euer wrapped in wo and deadly anguishe the worlde seldome or neuer ministringe any cause of gladnes comforte or solace I wyll not speake of the Apostels which be sides that they were poore and beggerlye all the dayes of their lyfe for gods worde were troubled threatned mocked scourged and at the laste to the syght of men myserablye dyed Oure mayster Christ the sonne of god wolde be an abiecte amonge the people and subiecte to afflictions innumerable shewyng theâ— by that his kyngdome neyther the kyngedome of them whiche be of his houshould is in this worlde He saith to his apostels Bycause ye be not of the worlde the world doth hate you Ihon. 15. which douteles loueth cheifly fauoureth them that be hyr naturall chyldren and chyldren of darknes regardinge more this temporal lyfe then the lyfe whiche is promysed to them whiche cieue wholy to the lord our god Scripture not dyssemblynge with vs but tellynge playnlye whereto we shal sticke teacheth that they whiche be of god shall as in the stead of a recognisauÌ„ce suffer afflictions aduersities troubles All they that wyll line vertuouslye in Christ shall be afflicted 2. Timoth. 3. Hieremye speakyng in the person of god Hieremy 25. sayeth In the citie wherein my name is inuocate I
wyll begyn to punysshe As for you meanynge the wycked shal be as inuocentes not touched The tyme is that iudgemente muste begynne at the house of god 1. Petri. 4. Christe suffred for vs leauynge vs an example that we shuld folowe his fotesteppes 2. Oh that we might haue sene that kynde harte of Christ whan he was punished hanged crucified not for his owne cause but for ours howe willingly he suffred giuing vs an exāple that we myght folow his fotesteps doutlesse we shuld with much more corage and stomacke for our ownesakes suffre troubles than we do Lo we that liue be mortified for christ that the life of christ may appere in oure carnall bodies 2. Cor. 4. Yf any man saith Christ wyl come after me let him forsake him self take his crosse on his backe folowe me For otherwise he is not mete for me Euery membre doubt ye not of Christes body shall haue the crosse either of pouertie or persecusiō sicknes or imprisonmēt iniuries or sclaunders or of like thynges Happy is he that folowethe christ manfully faileth not for he at the lengthe shall be eased of his heuye burthen he at the length shal fynd perpetual rest eternal quyetnes We must be here not as inhabitours home dwellers but as Paule saith as straungers Not as straungers onely but after the mynd of Iob as paynefull souldiers appoynted of our captayne Christe to fyght agaynste the deuyll the worlde flesshe and synne In the whiche fyght except we behaue our selfes lawfully and strongly by the sentence of scrypture we shal not be crowned Let vs therfore arme our selfes with the weapons prescribed of saint Paule to the Ephesians 6. and of other places of scripture to Christes souldiers and with a bolde corage contemne the dartes of the deuyll and worldly miseries endeuouryng to ouerthrowe oure myndes and weaken our fayth towarde God For ones our captayne with a glorious victorye shal gloriouslye delyuer vs. In worldly warres there be haue ben many of stomacke not vnlyke to Iason Hercules Theseus which couyt to enterprise vpō daūgerous places perlous enemies wherby they may haue by their manful conflyct prayse or a gareland of baye bowes he nour or temporall promocions And shal we whose reward shal be not a gareland made of grene bowes that lyghtly wythereth but with a crowne of glory that euer shall florish not temporall preferremētes which endure not but enheritaunce in heauen that shall be continual be loth stoutly to withstande the worlde It chaunceth ofte that the presence of a mans concubyne shal moue him to contend and fyght fiersly with his aduersarye litle or nothing regarding his life but rather careful leste with shame he take a foile in hir presence which he loueth And shall the presence of our spouse Christ whose eyes continually loke on the hartes myndes nothing moue vs For him to haue taken a foyle before his louer had ben no losse of body nor soule but a lytle shaine that not durable But to take a foyle of pouertye miseryes syckenesse losses lacke or other mysfortunes and not to kepe oure mynde styll aboue them with the contempte of their assaultes besides that the presence of god shal shame vs not the body but the soule except the grace of god after erecte vs shal vtterly perysshe Loke therefore that we fyght meryly and boldely despise all misfortunes that hurte or threaten hurt to our mortall bodyes But eyther I am deceiued or I here you saieng Syr it is quickly spoken but it is not so lightly done It is hard and by the sentence of philosophers againste nature for men to be cōtent with those thinges which hurt make for the damage of their bodies as you require with cōtempt to fight against them doutles it is very harde for our strength power a thing impossible What than shall we playe the parte of Demosthenes caste awaye oure weapens and dispayre No not so but mystrusting oure owne power let vs flye to god as vnto and holye anker and safe refuge desiringe helpe of hym whiche by promyse made shall ayde assist defend vs. Call on me sayth be in the daye of trouble and I shal delyuer the. The lorde is nye to al them that be of a troubled harte and feare him In thyne infirmitie despise not the lorde but praye vnto him he shal heale the. Eccl. 8. There is no dout therfore but we shal haue his helpe yf we faithfully call for it And in him that comforteth yf the wordes of Paule be true we shall be able to do 〈◊〉 thinges and nothynge shall be impossible for vs beinge faythfull Therefore let vs saye with Ezechias 2. Parilipom 32. Play we the men comfort our selues for the lorde is with vs our helper fighteth for vs. The lorde as he sayth in the thyrde of the kinges 22 is our rocke and our strēgth our sauiour and refuge our buckeler our auauncer and the horne of our health Let vs then not feare nor cease constantly to withstand the cruel enforce mētes of aduersitie euer keping our myndes and faith towarde god vnwounded harmed or discoraged by them thinkinge styll that they be sente of god whiche worketh by infirmitie strength by ignominie glow by pouertie perpetuall riches by death lyfe whiche doth wound heale stry keth maketh whole as it is in the Psalme And for none other ende but as they were sente to Iob and Toby to exercyse and proue vs that his glorye maye appeare in vs and that we may auoyde the greater euyls synne thraldome to the deuyl and hel The afflyctions beleue me that we count euils encombring our flesh be nothinge in the respecte of those euyls wherewith the vngodly be combred lyuing in infidelitie and synne vnder the yre of god vnder the Imperie of the deuyll beinge seruauntes to iniquitie to whome sayth the lord is no peace whose mindes and conscience as Isai writeth be euer lyke to a feruent sea that can not reste whose floudes redounde to conculcacyon and mournynge 57. That these greater I saye and more haynous euyls maye be auoyded these lytle or rather not to be estemed euyls at all be inflycted of god also that we maye at the length after all oure stryfe myth oure captayne Christe ryallye tryumphe Yf we wold well considre for what purpose God hath create vs we shuld beare with afflictions and aduerse fortune muche more than we do All thinges in this worlde are made to serue man The sheepe to clothe hym the oxe to feede hym the horse to carye him the herbes and trees some to norish him some to cure him being diseased some to delite him the sōne mone to giue him light so in conclusion all other thinges vnder heauen in one of fice or other serue man and as all these thynges were made to serue man so man to serue God in holynes and purenes of lyfe And to this ende doutles pouertye