whom you might delite as in your owne soule by whom you might haue the increase of godly children vnto many in deede the verye blessing of God but in this also you must submitte your selfe to the mightie hande of God knowing that he worketh diuerse wayes in diuerse vessels and those ordained to honour for to some mariage is expedient to some it bringeth ioy and gladnes but contrarily in many you may see it is a snare of the worlde a stumbling blocke and plaine diuorcement betwixt God and them And this inconuenience I knowe commeth not of mariage it selfe as the proper and principal cause which God hath ordained as holy and comfortable but by their abuse and for their iust plague Whereas some sucke hony some other meete with gall and venyme and yet the flower beautifull enough and goodly in the eye Wherefore God of his high wisedome knowing much better what is good for vs then we for our selues doth at sundrie times cut vs short from the fruition of many his good creatures benefites and ordinances least by abuse we should in maner turne the nature of them to our owne hinderance and confusion so that it may bee better for vs to lacke them then to haue thē Diuerse I thinke there be good men and honest maydens which peraduenture would be hard husbandes and shrewd wiues neither would it be any straūge case to see that some bare the first yoke honestly and godly which at the second match ouerrule weary their yoke fellows causing them with repentance to wishe their former libertie againe Such is the diuerse working of God that in some he is better pleased with mariage and other he holdeth in single life as most expedient for them Some againe he blesseth with the fruite of children other he maketh baren and fruitlesse yet both for the better both seruing to the glorie of God and cōmoditie of his chosen Looke on the comparison made by Salomon the 4. of the book of wisdome he saith that barennes is better with vertue then to haue a multitude of children Neither doe I write this as one that despaireth of your prosperitie this way I know you haue had good offers which by iudgement of man might haue bene conuenient for you to haue followed but I haue tolde you the worste and yet nothing doubting but that the best is to come Anna you may remember mentioned in the first of Sam. 1. the wife of Elkanah the happie handmaid of God how he exercised her a long time in patience with the shame of barrennes as it was coūted in those dayes But the Lorde when hee had brought her lowe enough then he raysed her againe heard her humble petition and gaue her for her comfort that iuste Iudge her sonne Samuel his true seruant In the historie of Tobias we reade in what distresse that humble mayden Sara was whom it pleased God to visite and chastise her with seuen husbandes so that she became a reproche vnto her owne fathers maydes laying to her charge that she had strangled her husbandes Thinke you Sister your case is comparable to this If it be so then take that remedie which she vsed and mistruste not of the successe that folowed as you haue in the exāple of Anna. So she made her prayer to God the almightie which is expressed in the historie desiring him to pitie her case and by some meanes to take awaye her reproche and accordingly the Lord as his eares are alwayes open to the prayers that proceede from an humble spirit gaue her to wife to good Tobias with whom she sawe many a good day and also for token of Gods blessing issue of children Euen so if we may hope for the best and why shoulde you mistrust the matter seeing that Abraham in a more desperate case hoped against hope the Lord our God I doubt not pitieth your case so farre that he will sende you a trustie Tobias to whom you may betake your selfe without feare with whom you may leade out your life in peace and comfortable quietnes by whom you may conceiue and beare some such sonne as is reported of Samuel in whome you may reioyce as in an obedient sonne and in whom God may be glorified as his seruant But if the example of Anna and Sara do not so much moue you if it be out of your hope to haue their good happe let vs then returne againe to Christ our sweete sauiour righteous redeemer at whose hand when all other aydes do faile we may be bold to fetche comfort and that most plentifully If Tobias come not yet you may wel content your selfe with Christ finding that in him you shal be sped as fully as you can wish You are of the flocke of the faithfull then will he stande you to all purposes in stead of an husband not after an earthly but after an heauenly sort Hee is the heade to defende and gouerne that bodye whereof you are a member Such as the husbād is to the wife such is Christ to those that are of the Christian Congregation as S. Paul hath made cōparison It is a great comfort in deede for Adam to haue his Eue and contrariwise but Christ it is that blessed seede that hath blessed them both There is a narrow bond and copulation betwixt the wife her husband for they are reckoned one in flesh Euen so hath Christ to make vs vnto him an holy spouse taken bone of our bones and fleshe of our fleshe Your husband would cleaue vnto you when your other friends would forsake you and Christ will accompanie and assist you when your husband hath left you He must sometimes of necessitie be absent from you death shall make a grieuous diuorcement betwixt you but no time may tye Christ from you by him it is that you liue that you liue well he shall assist you at your dying day and at the latter day he shall rayse you againe Your husbande peraduenture would thinke no money no meate no apparell to deare for you and so doing you would thinke him a good husband but whether he would die for you I doubt But Christ Iesus that good shepheard hath shewed you so much loue that he hath layd downe his life for you he hath shed his bloud for you he died euē the death of the crosse he died for your sinnes and rose againe for your iustification and now maketh intercession for you which he will continue vntill the time he hath placed you in his kingdome to reigne with him for euer Thus Sister as my simplicitie serueth me I haue attempted that which I feare I haue not obtained if it might be to comfort you or rather to tell you where you may seeke and finde comforte then of my self to make you any deede of gift For God is called the authour of al consolation therefore I referre you to him by your prayer and by resort vnto his worde written for all
one that sought his bloud And likewise Absolon that wicked childe vnnatural sonne with what a fatherly affection did he pitie his case crying whē he heard the certaintie of his death in such sort as is expressed in the 2. of Sam. 18. My sonne Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had died for thee So verely ought our cases and calamities to be common and I especially haue iuste occasion to beare the burthen with you being vnto me a true Sister a Sister by naturall natiuitie a Sister by heauenly regeneration one with whome I haue enioyed the sweete and who with me hath not refused the sowre wherefore as I cannot but with brotherly affection be sorie for your sadnes so when I somewhat lift vp mine eyes toward heauen haue in consideration the infinite mercies and marueilous working of God our heauenly Father concerning his chosen children and sanctified Sainctes here on earth then me thinkes I receiue so plentifull ioye of spirit and prouision of patience against those stormes and tempestes of aduersities and afflictiōs which I know I haue in the way of my pilgrimage to passe and which I know by the course of Gods working abyde certainly for all true stedfast Christians that in vttering the same vnto you it may be I shall giue you some occasion of comfort God therefore I beseeche him guide my hand and direct my heart and so beholde you with his Fatherly eye and cherefull countenance that we may both receiue comfort of his holy Spirit the true cōforter promised by our Sauiour that we may reioyce one with another and both in the Lord. Now there are diuers meanes that God hath ordeined prouided for the cherishing and refreshing of heauie heartes and sorowful soules for some there are which are proper to the bodie as earthly and temporall other concerne the minde as Ghostly and continual which wheras they are to be had neither of them are to be refused forasmuch as God therein with our vse and commoditie looketh to reape the fruite of his owne glorie S. Paul alloweth Timothie and counselleth him for his weake stomaks sake moderately to drinke wyne and Salomon lykewise Giue the strōg drinke vnto him that is readie to perishe and wine vnto them that haue griefe of hearte Concerning these although they be somewhat besides my care yet this I may truely saye that you haue to thanke God with a most chereful spirit that he hath not left you so destitute in this behalf as he hath thousands of other our brethren Howe many are there not far from you if you list as I thinke you doe to beholde them and consider them with some comparison in respect of whom you must nedes cōfesse your selfe and happie handmaid of God as whose hope is their cōfort patience their pleasure their wine a cuppe of colde water and whom for their apparel necessitie alloweth no more then their bare naked skin how many poore Lazars are there that would be glad to gather vp the crummes vnder that table where your hand is free without grudging You say peraduenture sometimes in your fit I am a miserable woman But what may they saye that haue neither cloth nor clout to defend them from the bitter byting colde what may they say which many times haue neither bitte of bread neither droppe of drinke wherewith to satisfie the griedie worme of hunger or to quenche the drie disease of thirst How many are there which in comparison of you and me although peraduenture the leaste of xiiii who being driuen to the draffe of hogges may say with the prodigal sonne In how farre better case are the hired seruantes of that house then we seely soules are doutlesse hauing as we haue although we did get it hardly buye it dearely yet should we be in farre better state then a great number which by experience knowe what the want of those necessaries are which God of his gratious goodnes hath with a liberall hand bestowed on vs his euill deseruing seruantes and who for any thing to be sene in our selues deserue as euill and worse thē many of those nedy naked soules which at sundrie times faint for want of foode as the bare beastes stand open to all winde and weather subiect to all aduentures free from no aduersitie Dauid well considered these benefites of God which we because that we haue not felt the lacke of them make litle accompt of God satisfieth saith he the thirstie sottle and filleth the hungrie soule with good things and numbring diuers other the like benefites which Gods people dayly receiue at his hande hee crieth out twise or thryse with earnest zeale O that men woulde acknowledge before the Lord his louing kindnes and his wonderous workes before the sonnes of men Let vs likewise acknowledge the goodnes of God toward vs in this behalfe And me thinkes Sister if these outward earthly thinges may anie thing make in the matter you haue iust cause to reioyce Dauid you know complaineth often times that his familiars and kindred started from him in his aduersitie for beside the multitude of his enemies which as he maketh his accoūt were more then heares vpō his head he saith also I am become a stranger vnto my brethren euen an aliant vnto my mothers sons In another place he vttereth as a part of his griefe that he was bereft of his Father and Mother Concerning those pointes you are not so farre in as Dauid was you haue brethren you haue sisters I know that account your case their common case That God hath visited our Father I craue as great part of that plague as the best or the worst of you that God hath so preserued our Mother the mirrour of al mothers therein you haue as great part as the best of vs As for open enemies that seeke your hinderance or that reioyce at your aduersitie I know none you haue but you know your self a number of your friends that vnfainedly wishe your prosperitie Our Sauiour you may remember complained that the Foxes had holes where to couch them and the birdes of the aire haue their place of rest but the Sonne of man had not where to hide his head O that we could that we would compare our selues in our aduersities with our Sauiour the Sonne of man the verie Sonne of God of him to learne patience then no doubt but by him we should receiue comfort Cōsider therfore the goodnes of God how he hath prouided for vs by the gentlenes of our deare Mother a place which we vse as an home and habitation and that no Foxe hole but thankes be to God a warme and wel feathered neste where we haue free egresse and regresse This scripture was fulfilled in our Sauiour They of a mās owne house are his enemies and he thereof complaining saide He that eateth bread with mee hath lift vp his heele against me but thankes be vnto
A MOST Excellent and comfortable Treatise for all such as are any maner of way either troubled in minde or afflicted in bodie Made by Andrew Kingesmyl Gentleman sometime fellowe of Alsolne Colledge in Oxforde Whereunto is adioyned a verie godly and learned Exhortation to suffer patiently al afflictions for the Gospel of Christ Iesus And also a conference betwixt a godly learned Christian an afflicted consciēce wherein by the holy Scriptures the sleights of Satan are made manifest and ouerthrowen with a godly prayer thereunto annexed Imprinted at London by Christopher Barkar ANNO 1577. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER HAVING diuers papers and writings committed vnto me by a deare friend of myne whom it pleased God not long since after manie yeeres trauaile very profitably bestowed in the ministerie and preaching of the Gospell to call out of this miserable wretched and wicked world And finding amongst the said writings this Treatise and the Exhortation annexed thereunto I read both the one and the other all ouer to mine owne great profite and comfort I must needes confesse And therefore perswaded by mine owne experience in the reading of both these treatises that the publishing of them in print might be no lesse profitable and comfortable to many others then to my selfe I founde them I thought good not to holde them longer in my priuate custodie as things dead and buried with the Authours but to commit them to the Printer so to haue them communicated to this Church of England and as manie as vnderstand the Englishe to the prayse and glorie of God for his gratious giftes in the writers and for the comfort and instruction I doubt not of so many as shall reade them Of the Authour of the Exhortation I can say nothing more then that as I coniecture by that he writeth he liued in the late raigne of Q. Marie being then an exile in foraine partes for the Gospel which at that time also was banished from hence as touching the open profession thereof in any common and publike places And as for the matter of his Exhortation I shall not neede to say anie more in commendation thereof to stirre men vp to the reading of it then the bare title giuen to the same importeth which with the shortnesse of the Treatise it selfe may suffice to allure any godly and well disposed person to peruse the same As touching the Authour of the Treatise whose name I haue expressed though I could of him saye verie much to his great commendation and that of mine owne knowledge for that liuing together in one house we were long time and familiarlye acquainted Yet I will for some respectes forbeare to prayse him for his whole life and death referring thee to that which is briefly said of him and printed before in a litle booke of his entituled The view of mans estate c of which booke though by an other name him selfe maketh mention in this treatise and had I knowen so much before the impression thereof as I coulde not this comming so lately and long after to my handes it shoulde haue borne no other name then nowe I well perceyue the Authour him selfe called it by though the title it nowe hath be not I trust improper and impertinent to the matter he handleth therein To whom he writte this Treatise of comfort and vpon what occasion thou mayest easely perceyue if thou reade the whole all ouer And though shee to whome he writte the same be yet liuing and the occasion thereof such as peraduenture some will mislike of the publishing thereof Yet being certainly perswaded that neither the writer if he were nowe liuing or she to whom he writte woulde haue any thing concealed for priuate respectes that may serue so well as this Treatise will I am assured to the edifying and comfort of manie I haue aduentured to be a meane that it might be imprinted with the approbation of such as by good order in this behalfe are appointed to allowe of all such matters to be published Wherefore gentle Reader accept in good part both this Treatise and the Exhortation adioyned thereunto which if they may serue for thy instruction and comfort as no doubt they will thou hast great cause to prayse God both for the writers and things by them written * ⎠* f. mylles ⧠A most Comfortable Treatise written by Andrew Kingesmill to his sister very profitable for all men especially for such as are any maner of way afflicted in body or minde c. God forbid that I should reioyce in any thing but in the Crosse of our Lorde Iesus Christ whereby the world is crucified vnto me and I vnto the worlde Gal. 6.14 DEare sister in our Lord and Sauiour Christe Iesus wheras I vnderstād of your present state and condition that it hath pleased God our heauēly Father somewhat to visite touch you with his heauie hand to chastize you with the rodde of his correction and to lay vpon you some part of the crosse of his Christ Had I a farre better talent then I haue which God knowes is but simple yet I thought I could not any otherwise better bestowe occupie the same then so as it were to lay it with you in exchange bāke as by the grace of God to vtter vnto you some saying or sentence whereout you might receiue some piece of relief or comfort for this vsurie and those that haue any so to occupie their talents as to visite the afflicted to comfort the comfortlesse and to bestow although as it were but one poore penie to strengthen the pensiue in patience euen as our Sauiour commended the deuoute womans worke for bestowing her oyle vpon him toward his burial So I doute not but this taske which it hath pleased God now to set me shall appeare vnto him a lawful and gaineful vsurie a wel bestowed oyntment and such a worke that as it lacketh not his charge so it shal not be either to you fruitlesse either with him altogether thankelesse Reioyce with them that reioyce sayth the Apostle and weepe with them that weepe And the sonne of Sirach likewise Let not them that weepe be without comfort but mourne with such as mourne Now Sister considering such the like sayings calling to minde howe we haue reioyced together enioying the good dayes that God of his goodnesse hath heretofore giuen vs and nothing doubting but he will driue away those stormie cloudes and cause againe his cherefull sunne to rise and shine vpon vs and that which I can not forget what a mourner you were with me in the time of my mourning verely now in the time of your distresse if my heauinesse would ease you or my sorow might turne to your ioye I thinke my heart be not so harde but that I should bestowe some teares vpon you although that I foresee mine owne portion in the worlde to be none other but paines without pleasure Dauid we reade lamēted Sauls death although
without al doubt the mistrust in Gods prouidēce wherewith all fleshe is naturally infected feare of the great painfull bitternes that hunger imprisonment persecution bringeth alwayes obiected and propounded by the delicate fleshe doth moue the heart of man to hate and flye by alwayes the crosse and to inuent and pretende excuses and causes which it should be better to refuse thē to enter into trouble among which this is not the least that the flesh not regarding Gods working in the middes of afflictiō far aboue the capacitie of mans witte pretendeth as though it would gladly for trueths sake enterprise great matter but that it hath not power giuen able to go thorow withal accordingly And this excuse is pretēded euen by them that yet wil not seme to be fleshly but spirituall not flattering the world for feare but fauouring the trueth of loue so deceiue them selues where they vtterly forsake refuse that thing they would seeme most gladly to obtayne Wherein they cōmit double offence of hypocrisie whē they would seeme to be that they are not and of incredulitie for that they declare plainely in this saying that they thinke either that God can not or els that he will not cōfort strengthen and deliuer them forth of all miseries not esteeming his promises wherein he hath declared his will neither marking his wonderous working for his children from time to time in their afflictions wherein his power most manifestly appeareth neyther yet considering his fatherlie care which is more mindfull and tender ouer his then the mother can be ouer her onely beloued childe It sufficeth betwixt man and man specially if they be of honestie credit that things passe by word and writing we persuade our selues that the thing so promised confirmed ought and also shal be performed Vpon this persuasion if the Prince promise to the subiect the noble man to the meane the father to the sonne and among marchants one to another it is accounted so sure that we will make our reckoning thereof as though we had it in possessiō such trust we giue one vnto another and shall we then doubt in Gods promise which hath not only past by words but also by writing sealed confirmed with the bloud and death of his onely Sonne Is there any man so mindfull of his promise or so able to performe the same as our heauēly Father is of that he promiseth to vs It is cōmonly seene among men that leagues couenantes and bargaines can not be so wisely made nor so surely confirmed but that with wyelie falshoode and false vnfaithfulnes they are defeated of none effect But God is so faithful in performing the thing to vs which he promiseth that heauen and earth shal rather come to nothing thē one title of his promise shal be vnperformed Yea they that mistrust or doubt of the suretie of his promise are no lesse in doubt whether there be a God or no. For to doubt or denie his trueth and fidelitie is to mistrust or denie him to be god A Prince noble man for his owne honour sake a Father for his father like affection to his childe a Marchaunt for his credit sake will kepe their promise would not our heauenly Prince who as he hath made all things to serue to his owne glorie so will not giue the same to any creature haue his honour herein aduanced and most highly regarded that he is most sure iuste and true of promise Would not our heauenly Father we should persuade our selues that his loue towardes vs doth farre surmount the affection of a carnal father to his childe Can any man so much esteeme his owne credite and estimation of trustines as he who is faithful trueth it selfe regardeth so to be knowen to his creatures It is the greatest dishonestie among men to be so vnthankfull to suspect or mistrust him whose friendlie fidelitie and faithfull friendship we haue bene sure of at al times whensoeuer we haue bene in distresse much more shame is it to suspect mistrust or doubt of Gods faythful assistance whēsoeuer we shal haue need for so much as his faithful friendship friendly loue is farre aboue the trustines of man as heauē aboue the earth fine golde aboue filthie drosse precious pearles aboue dirtie doung Yea there is no engine wherwith the deuil worketh so forcibly mans destructiō which draweth so many frō god doth wring forth of Gods iustice his fearfull vengeance as mistrust in gods promise incredulity On the other part nothing attaineth saluation bringeth men nere to Gods presence draweth forth of gods mercie his fauourable loue but only fayth constant affiance in his most sure faithfull promises The losse of riches landes earthly possessions is a sore grief but is not the winning of an hundred fould so much and the obtaining of an euerlasting kingdome a good salue for this sore If we gaine with the losse of transitorie things heauenly treasures with the forsaking of worldly friēds Christ to be our deare sure friend and with refusing father mother brother sister wife childrē purchase God to be our most mercifull Father Christ our most louing brother to be loued of the Sōne of God as his deare dearlings only beloued spouse what haue wee lost what greater gain can we haue or what more profitable exchāge can be made This bargaine and profite hath our heauenly Father promised vnto vs by a byl of his owne hand sealed with the bloud of his only Sōne testified by the witnes of his Apostles and left with vs in our owne custodie to be paide at the sight whensoeuer we shall require it whereof this is the content Who so hath forsaken house brother sister father mother wife children or landes for my Names sake he shall receiue an hundreth folde and the inheritance of euerlasting life Who will denie but that hunger colde nakednes extreme pouertie want of things partly necessarie are an heauie burden for man to beare but the weight hereof is lightned and made easie to thē that with right eye vnfainedly do beleue Gods promise and cast their care on him Cast thy care vpō the Lord for he hath care ouer thee Your heauenly Father knoweth that you haue neede of all these things meate drinke and clothes he ministreth these things in due time to the beastes of the earth the fouls of the aire the fishes in the sea he clotheth and decketh with beautifull apparell the flowers of the fielde according to his promise and wil he not keepe his promise vnto vs for whose sakes he hath made these creatures and hath made vs lords ouer them What cause haue we rather to mistrust his promise thē the birde that flieth forth in the morning vpon this natural persuasion that she shal finde foode not douting but he who made her wil not suffer her to sterue with hūger Haue we seene such as haue put their
thus deuided Gods enemies the Philistims who had lyen long in wayte therfore shoulde snatche vp from both the parties the kingdome of Israel and not onely vtterly banishe Gods true religion from among the Israelites but also bring thē their countrey and their posteritie into most miserable bondage and thraldome and that to Gods enemies the most vile people and hated of all the world Dauid in all these perilous daungers of his owne lyfe losse of his kingdome vtter destruction of Gods people did not discourage himself but vnderstāding all this to be the worke of Gods owne hande acknowledging the true cause vnfainedly did perswade him self that the Lord after a time when his good wil should be woulde giue a cōfortable end to al these stormes and bitter pāgs His whole behauiour he himself describeth in a Psalme which is left in writing for vs to learne therafter how to behaue our selues in the like persecutions Whē he was fled from Ierusalem the priestes were departed frō him with the Arke of the Lords Couenaunt he went vpon mount Oliuet barefoote wept as he went and had his head couered and so did all the people that were with him And he made his mone vnto the Lord saying O Iehoua how are they encreased that trouble me how many are they that rise against me howe many are there that saye of my soule There is no helpe for him in his God Selah Wonder not though this good King with an heauie hearte and sorowfull cheare doeth lament and bewaile his dolorouse estate Woulde it not grieue a King when he thinketh of no such matter sodainly to be cast out of his Royall seate and brought in daunger of his lyfe and that by his owne naturall Sonne Can the displeasure of any enemie so much pearce the heart of a kinde father as the vnnaturall crueltie of the sonne to seeke his death of whom he himselfe had his life It grieued him no small deale to perceiue such as had bin his wise Counsailours whom he much trusted whose duetie it had bin with the spending of their owne liues to haue defended the common weale brought to good and quiet order both in matters of policie of Gods true religion to be the supporters and mainteiners of an hypocrite who had neither respect to Gods true honour nor yet consideration of duetie to his most honourable Father neither yet regarde to the prosperous weale of his natiue countrey But nothing of all these grieued him so much as this one thing the remembrance and true acknowledging in himselfe that he himselfe was the only cause of all these euils He called to his remembrance that these plagues fell vpon him sent from God whose worke it was and that for his sinnes which were the cause thereof and this made him weepe and mourne For so soone as the Prophet Nathan had warned him of his offence he cryed peccaui I haue sinned and afterward when hee sawe this grieuous and sodaine chaunge folowe he perceiued it came partly for his sinne by the worke of God and therefore submitted him self wholy to Gods will saying If I shall finde fauour in the eyes of the Lorde he will bring me againe and shew me both his Arke and the Tabernacle thereof but and the Lorde thus saye I haue no lust vnto thee behold here am I let him doe with mee what seemeth good in his eyes Thus the worthie man of God acknowledgeth his troubles to be of Gods hande his sinnes to be the cause and therefore humbly and faithfully submitteth himselfe to Gods ordering wel content to receiue whatsoeuer should be layd vpon him He assured himselfe that when he himselfe were most weakest then God would declare his strength for his owne glories sake and after he were reduced to a faithfull repentaunce by the correction of his mercifull Father then the rod should be cast into the fire This consideration of plagues both to priuate men particularly and also of Realmes whole common Wealthes is diligently to be weyed that as they come from God so haue they this ende that they tende partly to his owne glorie partly to our profit and amendement For although sinne is the generall cause wherefore all mankinde generally was is shal be molested with many and sundrie kindes of troubles and calamities yet the calamities afflictions are not to all kinde of men alike nor yet for one end and purpose For the wicked and reprobate are punished whipped of God to a farre other end and meaning then the godly and chosen children who are the true church of God the liuely mēbers of Christ such as shal be neuer separated frō God and his louing fauour in Christ Iesu These although they be neuer without trouble in this world but alwayes exercised vnder the crosse yet the cause and cōsideration why God will haue them thus exercised is either for the glorie and honour of his owne Name or the profite commoditie and exceeding benefit of them whom he thus afflicteth either els for both these considerations together for that there is no trouble that cōmeth to Christes church or any mēber therof which appeareth not plainly to redound to Gods glorie the profit of the afflicted if it be wel iustly cōsidered These two causes considerations doth the Scripture teach in all calamities of the church whether they be generall or particular which being wel marked will easily put out of the way this stūbling block wherat many stumble fal marueyling wherfore God wil suffer his word his chosen childrē thus to be vsed euil dealt withall The childrē of Israel were in Egypt most cruelly dealt withal 400. yeeres oppressed with most painfull labours most seruile exactions their infants slaine they cried vnto the Lord their griefs encreased for God had hardened Pharao his heart that he shoulde not ease or deliuer his people Wherefore did God thus afflict his people and stirred this cruell tyrant so grieuously to vexe thē truely for his own glorie their profit God rehearseth this cause and cōsideratiō in the scripture of the hard cruel hearts of the Egyptians towards his people The Egyptians shal know that I am the Lord and that I will deliuer my people by strong hand frō among thē For this purpose saith God to Pharao haue I raysed thee vp that in thee I may declare my power thorowout the whole world This profit they receiued the exercise of their faith the triall of their patience and the confirming of their hope for deliueraunce which was not deceyued Thus S. Paul noteth and collecteth of this historie the one end to be Gods glorie for the honourable fame and renowme of his Name throughout the whole world and also the profit that the afflicted receiue which is the exercise of faith as he noteth of Moses and his parents to the Hebrues But much more plainly doth S. Paul note teach these two