god that we haue hard that we haue seene with our eyes Luc. 1. as they haue delyuered vs whiche from the begynnyng haue seene it with theyr eies 2. Pet. 1. But those thinges which we haue sene with our eies Al scripture heuēly inspired 2. Tim. 3. 2. Pet. 1. The prophecie in old tyme was not giuen by the wyl of man but the holy men of god spake dryuen with the holy gost Ephe. 5. As it is nowe reueled to his holy apostelles and prophetes by spirite Matt. 22. So Christ cōfirmeth Dauides wrytynges Howe doth Dauid thē in spirite call him lorde Certaynely I am fully perswaded and doute nothinge at al that the holy scriptures are inspired from heauen 22 If the temptator saye thou haste not kepte the lawe of god wherfore thou arte accursed SAy thou Christ whiche was made a curse for vs Galath 3. hath redemed vs from the curse of the lawe Agayn Ephe. 2. Euacuatyng and taking awey the lawe of commaundmentes set in decrees Colo. 2. Takynge away the handewrytynge agaynste vs which is in decrees and is contrary to vs. Roma 6. For ye are not vnder the lawe but vnder fauour delyuered from synne For the deathe of Christ hath delyuered vs from the lawe For truely by Christes deth we are now in conscience fre from the lawe that is from the wrothe of god and euerlastynge deathe For the lawe can not be fulfylled of nature for it is spirytuall as vndoubtedly the apostels decreed The yocke that neither c. Again Acto 15. Deuter. 5. Luc. 18. who can gyue them such a minde Whiche is impossible to men 23 If he say thou must forsake the worlde VVhat then Answere thou cōtrary wise I shal obteine heuen For blessed ar the dead Apoc. 14. 1. Ioh. 5. Ibidem which dye in the lorde Agayne All the world lieth in wickednes Agayn All thyng whiche is borne of god ouercometh the world and this is the victory which ouercometh the world our fayth Who is he whiche ouercometh the worlde but he that beleueth that Iesus is the sonne of god I am sure therfore in Christe All the worlde shall peryshe with his lustes and desyres Agayne 1. Ioan. 3. Loue not the worlde nother those thynges whiche are in the world We ar strangers in this worlde and citizens of heauen Ye sonnes of men howe longe are ye harde harted Psal 4. Why loue ye vanyties and seke lyes Agayne Howe lōg loue you infancy or childhode and foles desire those thinges whiche are hurtfull Agayne Vanitie of all vanities Eccles 1. and all thynges ar vanitie 1. Ioh. 2. The cause is this for all thynges whiche are in the worlde as luste of the fleshe concupiscēce of the eyes and pryde of lyfe are not of the father but of the world and the world passeth and his lust also but he that dothe the wyll of god taryeth for euer The ende ⧠THE PREPARATION TO DEATHE AND howe they which be in point of deathe shulde be comforted the .ii. boke ¶ What is deathe Cap. i. DEATHE IS NOthinge els but a separation or diuision of the soule frō the bodye It is a quiet rest from the afflyctions and troubles of this worlde in the whiche they that be deade be so refreshed and newely made that from thense they shall ryse far aboue all other most happye not into a lyfe which shall dye ageyne as it is in a slepe but into an euerlastynge life ¶ What is the cause of deathe Cap. ii THE CAVSE of deathe is synne For out of synne deth flowed and is the punishement or peyne or rewarde of synne or the reuengeaunce of yll thynges as the holy scripture beareth witnes Fyre Eccle. 39. hayle hunger and deathe be created for punishement as witnesseth the psalme For anger and dethe be in his indignation Psal 29. and lyfe in his wyl Roma 6. Hiere 3. The wages or rewarde of synne is death In what daye so euer thou shalte eate of it that is thou shalte synne therof thou shalt dye God dyd not make deathe Sap. 1. nor doth not reioyce in the destruction of the lyuynge Also Throughe the malyce and enuy of the dyuell Sap. 2. death hath entred And Paule saythe Rom. 5. By one man synne entred into the world and through synne deathe Ezech. 33 And in Ezech. I wil not the deathe of a synner but rather that he conuerte and tourne from his synne and liue Also The soule whiche shall synne shal dye Therfore where deathe is there necessaryly synne dydde go before whiche dwelleth in vs whiche we haue by inheritaunce whiche is spronge forthe into vs all of the whiche synne the fyrst father to vs was Adam from whom we haue by inherytaunce origynall synne whiche is a naturall dysposytion and inclination to synne whiche hath with hym in felowship blindnesse of harte dulnesse towardes vertue the loue of hym selfe the hatred of god fleynge frome the crosse hatred of the lawe and disdaynynge of his neyghbour For by Adams disobedience our fleshe is become disobediente to god soo long as it is not enspyred with the holy gost and for the sayde synne of Adam al we be called synners And so in hym we be all deade for we be his flesshe and his chyldren of his owne substaunce He is the grayne and sede of whom all we be spronge out As he is deade so shall we dye and frome Adam is spronge into vs bothe orygynall synne and deathe the peyne of synne is come forthe And the tyranny of the dyuell to whom our nature is subiecte and in whome the dyuell vseth crueltie and doth exercise it with feare and all kyndes of myserye and also doth kyl And moreouer enforceth to al maner of vnhappines to blasphemy murther and hatred ¶ Two maner of deathes Cap. ii THE ONE is of the body or of nature to whome all men be subiecte for al haue sinned and haue broken the lawe of god that is when this bodyely lyfe is broken aweye when we gyue vp the goost and do not occupie this mortall lyfe As it is wrytten to the Hebrewes Hebre. 9. It is ordeyned and decreed that all men shall dye ones and after that iudgement By Adams synne nature is subiecte of necessitie to dye as Iesus Sirach wryteth Eccle. 40. There is a heuy yocke vppon the chyldren of Adam frome the daye of the commynge oute of theyr mothers wombe vntyll the daye of theyr burial into the mother of all The other deathe is of the soule or of fayth or of helth When the vnbeleuers drowned in theyr wyckednes not carynge for god nor desyrynge god nor askyng forgyuenes of god be made bondemen to eternall darkenesse which is called euerlastyng death Whiche is a perpetuall feare of conscience throughe the wrothe of god Sap. 5. whiche Satan doth encrece Exaumple of these two maner of deathes is the riche gloton
He hath obteyned victorye ouer hel administringe eternal glory For as in Adam all dyed soo in Christe all shall be reuyued For by Adams disobedience synne death punyshment and that moste cruell tirant Satan dyd chalenge bothe ryght and rule ouer all howe many soo euer were borne of hym The lawe of synne is to kyll the wages of synne is death the ryght of death is to damne the ryght of afflyctions is to greue make heuye the ryght of the dyuell is to destroye Into al these rightes and powers Adam by his disobedyence hath caste vs. And Adam then had ben vtterly extinct and vndone if that he hadde not be comforted ageyne reuyued with the word of grace But he was receyued vnto grace and the father dyd take from hym feare of deathe and anguyshe for he did fele and perceyue the wroth of god and god to be his ennemy and also all creatures soo that he could not tel which wey to tourne him This feare I say the father hath taken away frō him through the most swete absolution and promyse of grace when he sayde vnto the serpent Gen. 3. I wyl put enmite betwyxte the and the womanne and that sede shal al to breake thy hed This worde when Adam dyd here and beleue he was holpen and delyuered and came from hell and nowe beleued the worde of god thinkyng vnder this forme This god hath spoken whiche can not lye or deceyue In this faythe Adam dyed and after Adam all the faythfull vnto Aabraham whiche dyd also cleaue faste to this word thynkynge thus he wyl come yea suerly at the laste he wyl come bycause the lorde hath so promysed whiche canne not lye and in this faythe they were saued ¶ Althoughe the godly dye yet they shall lyue Cap. iiii THE godlye and iuste people haue most comfort although in this lyfe they be put to deathe and seme to be forsakē of god cast into hell and as shepe ordeyned to be slayne Roma 8. As scripture wytnesseth of them For thy sake we be iuged as shepe ordeined to be slayne Also I thynke veryly 1. Cor. 14. that god hath shewed that we whiche be the last apostelles are as it were apointed to suffer deathe For we 2. Cor. 4. whiche lyue be alway delyuered to death for Iesus sake yet they do not dispeyre no not in death but as they which be sure that they shall passe through deathe to life eternal and crye to god and suffer the hand of the lorde and be pacient and put theyr hope in god Also they haue this comforte that their deathe is good and precyouse They also knowe that throughe Chrystes deathe deathe is ouercome and abolyshed 1. Cor. 14. Osee 3. Gen. 3. Deathe is supped of in victory O Deathe I wyll be thy deathe The sede hath broken the heade of the serpente Therfore if any man taken in the panges of deathe do holde faste and beleue this worde in the myddel of death he shall haue lyfe for verylye the christyans doo lyue when they be estemed and thought to dye Sap. 5. 2. Cor. 6. Ioh. 16. The rightuouse shal lyue for euer And soo Paule saythe Beholde we be euer as dyenge and yet we lyue Also Christ sayth Ioh. 16. In me you shal haue peace but in the worlde you shall suffer oppression And Sap. 3. The tourment of death shal not touche them Also Esai 26. Thy deade personnes shal lyue they shal ryse with theyr bodyes He shall not taste deathe Io. 5. et 11 And he whiche beleueth in me althoughe he were deade yet he shal lyue They shall not taste deathe Marc. 9. Sap. 2. The iuste man althoughe he be preuented with deathe yet he shal be refreshed Also Psal 15. Thou shalt not suffer thy holyon to se corruption Also Psal 32. Ioh. 5. et 11. et 3. That he may pulle out from deathe the soules of them He shal passe ouer from deathe to lyfe He shall not see eternall deathe He shall not dye for euer He dothe not peryshe but hath eternall lyfe Seke god Psal 68. and your soule shall lyue Esai 55. Bowe your eares and come to me here you and your sowle shall lyue ¶ These places ought to be well noted for the comforte of them before whose eies deathe is presente whiche if they beleue in Christe they be not loste but haue eternall lyfe Therfore they be not called onely deade but the deade of god as suche as dye in the lorde for suche do ryse ageyne in glory and none other Danie 12. as it apereth ī Daniel ¶ The deathe of the godly is a slepe Ca. v. CHRISTE calleth the death of the godly a slepe Lazarus our frende slepeth Ioh. 11. For by the benefyte and goodnes of Christ death is made a slepe which by his deth hath changed deathe into a slepe So Paule dothe call the feythful 1. Thes 4. whiche be deade slepers sayinge I wyll not you to be ignorante of them that slepe So Steuē slept Acto 7. And so the godly to the outwarde syght and perceuerāce dieth But withoute doubte that death is but a slepe For how many so euer dye in Christe all slepe in hym and he shall reyse them in the laste daye I haue slept and do slumber Psal 3. and I haue rysen Here slepe betokeneth deathe of the body as in Genesis Abram slepte with his father Psal 4. Psal 15. I wyll slepe and rest in peace to god with other Also My fleshe shal rest in hope Therfore in deth not so moche the deathe it selfe as suer lyfe and resurrection is to be considered to theym whiche be in Christ accordynge to Christis sayinge He that shall kepe my word Ioh. 8. shall not see deathe euerlastynge Howe shall he not see deathe shal he not fele it Shal he not dye no veryly but he shal se onely a slepe and beholdyng stedfastly with the eies of faythe in the resurrection by deathe he shall so passe awaye that surely he shall not see deathe And death veryly to hym shal not be deathe ¶ All these thynges be begonne in baptisme and be fynysshed in the ende of lyfe Rom. 6. For we be buryed with him throughe baptisme in to deathe Therfore faythe exercised with diuers passions causeth that naturall deathe to the faythefull is but a slepe For the faythful die suerly in hope and loke after the laste daye and the commynge of Christe This securitie they gette in this lyfe by the spirite of fayth that they maye saye with Paule By hope we be made safe Roma 8. Rom. 5. And agayne Hope dothe not confound That is to dwell in the Paradyse of god the kyngedome of heauen in the churche of the lyuinge god And the lord sayth Leuit. 26. Esai 31. To slepe with out feare To syt in the beautie of peace in the tabernacles of fayth and truste and
⧠OF THE PREPARATION TO THE CROSSE and to Deathe and of the comforte vnder the crosse and deathe two bokes very fruictefull for deuoute people to rede translated from latyn to englysshe by Rycharde Tracy 1534 TO THE RYGHT HONORABLE AND HIS syngular good lorde and mayster Lord Thomas Crumwel Lorde Priuy seale Rycharde Tracy desyreth and wysheth bodely prosperous helth and to the soule eternall lyfe and felycitie WHEN I consider the weake frailtie of man and howe naturallye we be subiecte to many troubles aduersities and temptations as well of the body as of the soule and also when I call to my remembraunce the wordes of Christe spoken to his elect Ioh. 16. That in this world they shulde suffer persecution and oppression and lykewyse the sayinge of the apostel Paule 2. Tim. 3. That al they whiche wyll lyue godly in Christe Iesu muste suffer persecution I thynke surely that euery chrysten man dothe expect Christes promises and constantly beleueth that the scriptures shal be fulfilled and founde true Wherfore seing there is no euasion nor meane to escape the aduersities temptations and crosse whiche god shal laye on the shulders of his electe and nature is so inconstant frayl and weake that of our own myght and power we are not able to resyste nor can not wyllyngely and paciently susteyne and beare such aduersities and crosse it behoueth euery christen man to serch out and prouide some godly consolation and remedy to comforte and make stronge his mynde that he may paciently suffer all tribulation all temptation al aduersitie which god shal sende to hym alwaye reknowlegynge that there is no power but of god and that god wyl not send to his electe any suche crosse but therwith he wyll also gyue grace and meane paciently to suffer the same so that he shall not be found disobediēt to the good wyl of god Of the cōfortes agaynst the crosse of tribulation one in especiall of late I founde Not a yere paste it pleased God to sende me some aduerse tribulations whiche were to stronge for Nature to suffer and beare pacientely but my chaunce was so good throughe the mercifull prouydence of god that in my troubles this lyttel boke was sent me from a frende whiche when I had red ouer and delyberately perused it animated made me strōg not onely paciētly to suffer al mine aduersities but also for theym to gyue god ryghte hartye thankes that it wolde please hym of his abundante mercy and goodnesse to remembre me his miserable creature with his so ernest a token and moste sure pledge of his godly fauour and loue accordynge to his promyse Hebr. 12. which is whom the lord loueth hym he chasteneth yea and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receyueth For in the readynge of this boke I receyued suche consolation and cōfort that I thought it moste necessary yea and expedient seinge I haue by experyence felte what good fruyte commeth therof to translate the same in to englyshe and so to put it forthe in printe that it myghte be the more common and that many chaunsynge to fall into lyke crosse of aduersitie maye be partakers and optein like consolation as I haue receiued therby And I haue dedicated this boke to you my synguler good lorde master for as moche as I euydently perceyue that you are endewed not onely with godly knowledge and doctryne but also haue a right feruēt zeale good mynd and desyre to set forth all suche thynge as may be for the vtilitie helpe and comforte of the hole congregation and churche of this realme Therfore with al humilitie I desyre your accustomed benignitie to accept this the firste fruite and labour of me your pore seruant which am and shall be euer redy and glad with al diligēce to do you the seruice that I can dayly pray almyghty god to preserue you in longe lyfe welth honour and prosperitie Amen ⧠THE PREPARATION TO THE crosse and howe it muste be paciently borne FOR as moche as Christe commandeth vs to denye ourselues and to folowe hym and suffer the crosse he commaundeth vs also to prepare vs to suffer the crosse paciently sayinge Matth. 16. If any man wyll come after me let hym denye hym selfe and take vp my crosse and folowe me And who so euer doth not beare my crosse and folowe me can not be my discyple Soo councelleth the wise man saying Eccle. 2. Sonne whan thou doest come to the seruice of god stande in righteousenes and feare and prepare thy soule to suffer temptation but bycause there be dyuers crosses ne lest a man paraduenture shuld take a straunge crosse which perteyneth not to hym that is to say shulde feine to him selfe newe turmentes as prescript dayes of fastynge vowed chastitie shurtes of heare disgysed garmentes and such other trifles which god hath not commaunded therfore Christ hath put to this terme sciliceth his owne whiche is as moche to saye that euery man study to mortifie his owne fleshe the synne whiche reygneth in him beinge euer redy to suffer what soo euer god dothe sende hym ¶ What the crosse is Cap. i. A CROSSE is euery affliction and tribulation or euery aduersitie and heuines sent by god to euery kynde of lyuynge throughe faythe and the word of god when that euery thyng doth not prospere euen as a man wold haue it whiche in some place is called lernynge or correction and temptation a rodde and a staffe Wherfore it is a folishe and an heuy crosse whiche we by our owne presumption do take vpon vs not commaunded of god as the priestes of Ball and all hypocrites do take vppon them But that is the trewe crosse whiche god doth lay vpon vs whiche when it is layed vpon vs we suffer paciently euery body in his vocation and kynd of lyuinge as to gette our breade with the sweate of our countenance and women to bring forthe theyr chyldren in peynes to suffer paciently the good wil of the lord to mortifie our mortall membres vppon the erthe to be euer busily occupied in the commaundementes of the lord and for the word of god to suffer al scornes and mockes lyes persecutions and not to feare the moste cruell ye euen the most shameful death Therfore to suffer a crosse is nothing els then to suffer pacientely what so euer come to vs by the godly and beneuolent wyll of the lorde ¶ Two kyndes of crosses Cap. ii THERE BE two kyndes of crosses the oone a straunge crosse the other our owne the one of the faythefull the other of the wycked for the vnfeythful be punished that they may be an example of theyr owne iniquytie and that they be perpetually condemned but the feythful be punished that they maye be made stronge and that the lorde be gloryfied in them So strange punishementes be a warninge to put the faythful in mynde of the good wyll of the lorde For the lorde doth punyshe some in this lyfe that he may prouoke
Luc. 16. which beinge deade was buried in hell and Lazarus the begger beinge deade and caryed of angelles into the bosome of Habram This man hath comforte and contrary wise the ryche man was punyshed and buried in hel that is he died with an yll conscience he sawe in his deathe his owne wyckednesse and damnation as al wicked men do This is the worme Esai 66. whiche dothe not dye Euen then the folishe virgins do first see Matt. 25. that the wise haue oyle Then it commeth to remembrance to whom they haue doone bothe good and euyll There the lawe dothe fyrste shewe hym selfe the gospell beinge taken awaye thenne they seke for grace but all to late and in vayne Prouer. 1 There god dothe cut of all hope of recouerye of helthe or fauoure the sentence of the cruell iudgement of god is then as sayth saynt Iames Iaco. 2. Iugement without mercy shall be to them whiche haue not done mercy I haue hūgered Matt. 25. and you haue not gyuen me c. Therfore the worde of god doth teache vs how we shulde avoyde eternal punishment and howe we shal be saued whiche if we neglect set nought by there is no cause why we shuld haue any further hope Of these two kyndes of dethes the psalmes make mention Psal 33. The deathe of sinners is yl And contrarywyse The deathe of saynctes is preciouse in the syght of god Psal 113. Psal 6. Matt. 7. Matt. 11. Also Go frome me all you workers of iniquitie I knowe you not Come to me all you that do labour and be burdened and I wyll refreshe you Also In theyr synne they shall dye And Paule sayth Philipp 3. Whose ende is death Also of the feythefull is wrytten They shall not faute al they whiche truste in hym Psal 33. The Lord doth kepe theyr bones and one of them shall not perysshe or be broken Rom. 8. There is no damnation to theym whiche be in Christe Iesus Apoc. 14. Blessed be the deade whiche die in the lorde As there is two lyues a yerthely and an eternall lyfe soo there is two deathes the one a temporall the other an euerlastynge deathe The erthly lyfe hath a begynnynge and a endynge and is subiect to many miseries and this lyfe no christen man dothe greatly esteme but saith daily with Paule Christ is my lyfe Philipp 1. and death is lucre And if it fortune me to lyue in the fleshe then it is profytable to me to worke and what I shall chose I know not I am constrained of these twayne desyrynge to be dissolued and to be with Christ whiche thynge is moche better for me but to lyue in the flesshe is more nedefull for you Galath 6. Soo in an other place God forbeade that I shulde reioyce in any thynge but in the crosse of our lorde Iesus Christ by whom the world is crucyfyed vnto me and I vnto the worlde I lyue but not I onely Gala. 2. but Christ liueth in me for in that that I lyue in the fleshe I lyue in the faithe of the sonne of god whiche loued me and gaue hym selfe for me Therfore he that knoweth not Christe nor doth not truste in hym feareth death as that which threteneth and bryngeth eternall ruine and destruction but he whiche knoweth Christ and hath him doth not feare death whom Christ beinge victor hath ouercome and ouerthrowen ¶ To the efecte and faythfull eternall deathe by Christe is ouercome Cap. iii. THIS is the great comfort of them that be in the painges of deathe whiche comforteth and lyfteth vp the fearefull myndes that is that Christe hath vtterlye abolysshed deathe takyn awaye synne and that surelye throughe Christe they shall obteyne remyssion of synne be reputed ryghtuouse and haue euerlastynge lyfe Therfore Christ the promised sede the sonne of god came downe frō heuen and became manne by his crosse deathe and resorrection hath saued vs and delyuered vs from eternall deathe and he payed for vs all our dette as it is written in the epistle to the Hebrewes Ones he is offered Hebre. 9. that he shulde take awaye the synnes of manye Also 1. Pet. 3. He hath ones suffered for our synnes And 1. Ioh. 1. The bloude of Iesu Chryst hath made vs cleane from all our synne And Matth. 1. Thou shalte call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people frome theyr synnes Also Hebr. 2. That through death he shulde put awaye hym whiche had rule ouer death that is the diuell that he myght delyuer them whiche all theyr lyfe were brougte in bondage through feare of deth For verylye he hath delyuered vs from the power of Synne that it shulde not kyll vs frome the power of deathe that it shoulde not condemne vs from the power of affliction that it shulde not greue vs from the power of the dyuell that he shoulde not destroye vs hath restored vs to iustice ioy lyfe and to the beste and mooste myghty god that is he hath made vs fre men and partakers of god whiche before were captyues and bondmen to the deuyl So our iniquities dyd cast vs hedlynge into the depenesse of hell and there did drowne and bury vs but god moued with mercy hath caste all our iniquities vpō the shulders of his sonne delyuerynge vs all frome synne deathe and hell hath satisfyed for vs whiche of god is made to vs wysedome iustice holynes 1. Cor. 1. and redemption Whiche hath giuen hym selfe for our synnes that he myghte delyuer vs frome this present yll world And vnder such forme by Christe we be delyuered frome deathe synne and hell that they vtterlye haue noo maner of ryght in vs nor can not destroye and damne vs As Osee sayth Osee 13. I wyll delyuer them from the hand that is from the power of hel frō deathe I wyll redeme them O deathe I wyll be thy deathe O hell I wyll be thy bytte Deathe 1. Cor. 15. where is thy stynge Hell where is thy victory Thankes be to god whiche hath gyuen vs vyctorye throughe our lorde Iesus Christe So great is the power of faythe and we be broughte into so greate lybertie throughe fayth We fele punishemente in this worlde but through fayth we peryshe not We be kylled but we shal not dye We bren in hel fyer but we be not consumed in dede and soo of all the reste whiche be not taken awaye frome the beleuer Ioh. 16. In the worlde saith he ye shal haue affliction c. Nor the beleuers be not delyuered from the felynge of theym in this world but they be delyuered from the power and rule of them and the stynge is taken from theym wherby all men dyd peryshe The christen man is therfore sure that as deathe eternall coulde not preuayle agaynste Christ so lykewise ageynst him it hath no power For Christ hath taken away sinne bringynge in iustice he hath strangeled deathe gyuynge lyfe
and sette Also many dye by tempestes or hayle And yet do not thou condemne as wycked suche as be smytten with lightning For the iugemētes of god be rare and vnknowen in priuate personnes whiche for as moche as perteineth to hym careth not whether oone dye of this deathe or that Many tymes innocentes and baabis do dye But thou wylt saye that many dye wylfullye throughe theyr own rashenes the whiche myght haue lyued lenger Somme haue cast away them selfes hedlong c. Coulde they not haue preserued theyr lyfe I aunswere noo God gaue that houre that meane and that kynde of deathe which thing experyence dothe teache Some deadely wounded are lyghtly healed and do lyue Some other are scarselye hurte and yet they die Some Astronomers ascrybe this to the sterres and some to fortune but holy scripture attributeth it to god with whom the tyme both of our lyfe and deathe is lymytted who also careth not whether thou dye of a great or smal wound that he maye confounde all wysedome and mannes imagination Soo that it is a thynge most like madnesse vayne and frustrate to be afrayde or curiouse of any maner of deathe For there is noo cause why it shuld make any man aferd For other the appoynted tyme of deathe is not yet come or elles if it be come he ouer whom it hāgeth wolde nat prefer any pleasure before deathe For death as I haue sayde hathe his apoynted tyme lyke as Christ sayth Luce. 21. The heares of your heade doo not fall If che heares of your heade doo not fall without the apointed wyl of god by what meane maye the hole body dye without the fire wyl of god So great is the care of god ouer the godly whose lyfe death yeres dayes houres and mynutes of houres he hath in his hand which can not die but at the houre apointed of god ¶ Notwithstandyng the vngodly shall not liue out halfe theyr dayes Cap. viii AS holy scripture witnesseth in all places In the psalm The deceytefull shall not liue out halfe theyr days Also Iob Psal 54. Iob. 16. In the tyme whiche is not his he shall make an ende And The feare of the lorde prolongeth the lyfe the yeres of the wycked be short For the godly be euer redy watchyng whē the lorde shall come whether it be in the first watche or in the fourth they in the meane tyme folowe theyr callynge as long as the lord wyll nothynge determyninge for them selfe nothynge carynge for theyr lyfe whether it shall ende on the morowe or .x. yeres after for they haue lyued all theyr tyme althoughe they dye yonge Sap. 4. As the wyse manne saythe Thoughe the rightuouse be ouertakē with deth yet shall he be in rest The vngodly do appoynte vnto them selues longe tyme as he whiche sayde in Luke Luce. 12. My soule thou hast moch goodes layde vp in store for many yeres They do so and lyue so as they shuld liue a long season but in the myddel of theyr lyfe beyng voyde of faythe they be taken awaye in the daye whiche they dyd not loke for and the houre whiche they dyd not knowe Matt. 25. So the foolyshe virgins beinge vnredye in the myddell of theyr dayes were called away So for the most part alwayes the iudgemente of god dothe catche the vngodly carelesse negligent and not watching So in Daniel Daniel 5. Balthasar the kīg was slayne in the nyght of his ennemies Also in the gospell The tumultuous seruauntes the Sodomytes and they whiche were in the tyme of the flodde the vngodly deathe dothe alwaye fynde vnredy but all the godly tary vntyll theyr full tyme that is they be euer redy ¶ The godly also in the tyme of hunger pestilence and warre be punyshed and dye with the wycked Cap. ix IT IS trewe that the godly be punysshed with the vngodlye where the wrothe of god is consūmate For the iudgemente of god when he is angrye is gyuen vpon all bothe good and bad but the godly conceyue a hope of felycitie and fauor Psal 76. He shall not withdraw his mercye for euer And soo they that be punished suffer iugement and at the laste shall opteyne mercy For the godly do knowe that god dothe punishe sinners which doo repente in this lyfe as he punished Dauid that he myght humble them enstructe theym in lernynge and make them more ware and circumspecte And althoughe they dye in the tyme of hunger pestilence or warre with the wicked yet they knowe it to be done by the good wyll of god And bycause they know that they ones shal die Therfore they offer them selues to the good wyll of god which dothe al thinges after the councel of his wyll Ephe. 1. And they knowe that they haue a tyme apoynted to dye and they desyre to be dyssoluyd in the tyme of dienge appoynted by god and to be with Christ Otherwise Nother pestylence hunger nor warre can hurte the godly except the appoynted tyme of deathe ordeyned of god be present For god can well delyuer his as he dyd in tymes paste delyuer Lothe Noe Daniel Ieremy and other as Iacob being caryed with his children in to Egipte And lyke wyse the Israelytes in Egipt 2. Pet. 2. For these coulde not dye but in theyr houre So al the feythful can not dye although they be in the greattest peryll and in extreme desperation but in theyr houre Then wherfore shall they feare deathe They can not lyue lenger then the lorde hath appoynted nor die any soner ¶ To whom they that dye oughte to commytte theyr spirite Cap. x. STEVEN dydde yelde vp his spirite into the hādes of Christ For it is he that hath ouercome deathe Acto 7. in death he doth quicken vs. This is he which sayd Matt. 12. Come vnto me al you that labour and be burdened and I wyl refreshe you And farther this is he whiche oughte to be called vpon that he delyuer vs in afflyction and receyue our spiryte in the houre of deathe Luc. 23. So dyd Chryste Father I commende my spiryte in to thy handes Psal 30. So Dauid Lord I commende my spirite into thy handes There it shall be suer vnder the shadowe of thy winges thou shalt kepe it vnhurte and that whiche is taken away thou shalte restore Let the spirite retourne to the lord whiche dyd gyue it Eccle. 12. Also Christ to the thefe Luc. 23. This daye thou shalte be with me in Paradise This Paradise is a true and perfyte quietnes in Christ amiable ioyful and moste swete And so Lazarus rested in the bosome of Abraham to whom Lazarus soule was caryed by angelles that is he is conteyned in the handes of our god and of the lorde Iesu Christe and leadeth the moste pleasante lyfe For the bosome of Abraham is the promise made to Abraham of the sede whiche is Christe in whom all the godly from Abraham vnto Christ were kepte and