blessed spirit that he may put his whole trust in the. Ph SeÌ„d him present help froÌ„ thy holy place Th. And euermore mighteâ—y defeÌ„d him against sathan sinne desperation death hell ph Let his enemy the deuill haue none aâ—uantage of him Eu. Nor y e wicked aproche to hurt him Phi. Be vnto him o lord a stroÌ„g toure a mighty castell sure fortres Chr. To defeÌ„d him froÌ„ the face of his enemy Phi. O Lord hear our prayers Eu And let our cry come vnto thee Phi. O Lord loke down from heaâ—uen behold visit relieue thiâ— thy seruaunt Loke vpoÌ„ him with thy eyes of thy mercy geue hym comfort and sure coÌ„fidence in theâ— defend him from the daunger oâ— the ennemy and kepe him in perâ—petuall peace and safetie through Iesus Christ our Lord. The. AmeÌ„ â–ª Phi. Heare vs almighty and mosâ— merciful God and sauiour exteÌ„d thy accustomed goodnes to this thy seruaunt whiche is greued with sicknes visit him O lorde as thou diddest visit Peters wiues mother and the Capitaines seruaunt Restore vnto this sick parson his former health if it bâ— thy wil or els geue him grace so to take thy visitation that after this painfull life ended he maye dwel with the in life euerlasting Chr. Amen Phi. Arise and let vs go againe vnto our sicke brother Now neighbour Epaphroditus how do you Reioyce I pray you in the Lord and beare this crosse which God hath now laied vpon you both paciently and thanckefully Epap If I haue heretofore bene glad to receiue health at the Lordes hand why shuld not I also nowe take in good worth this his moste gentle and louing visitation The Lord gaue me health and the Lord hath taken it away againe It hath chaunced vnto me as the Lords pleasure is blessed be the name of the Lord. The. This coÌ„forteth vs greatly to hear so good and godly wordes procede out of your mouth For of the aboundance of the hart the mouth speaketh saith our sauiour Christ. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forthe good things Ep. No man is good but God alone We are al vnclene vnprofitable seruaunts If any goodnes we haue it is of God as blessed Iames saith Euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue commeth downe from y t father of lyghtes that he whiche reioyseth shoulde reioyse in the Lord. Chr. Now good neighbour how fele you your self Epa. O brother Christopher I perceiue ther is none other waye with me but one euen to depart from this lyfe Phi. Let it neuer greue you moost genle neighbour to geue ouer vnto nature and to depart from this worlde at the callynge of God There is a time to be borne and a time to die We must be as wel coÌ„tent to die as we were to liue and as wel pleased to leaue the world as we were to come into it We ar mortal we therfore must nedes die Let vs not bear heauely that necessitie importeth God creaâ—â—d vs that we shuld once die let vs not therefore repugne and striue against the good pleasure of God There shal none other thing chaunce vnto vs by death than that hathe heretofore chaunced vnto our predecessours and shall likewyse chaunce vnto our posteritie Who hath lyued that hath not died Who doth now or shall liue that shall not also tast death One the same way must nedes be troden of all Adams posteritie There is no meane to escape Adam sinned and became mortall All we haue sinned also in Adam therefore all we are made in him mortall and subiect vnto death As by one man saith S. Paule sinne entred into the worlde and death by the meanes of sinne EueÌ„ so death also went ouer al men in so muche as all we haue synned The reward of sinne is death God in dede created maÌ„ at the beginning to be immortall and not to be destroyed by death yea after the Image of his owne likenesse made he him Neuerthelesse thorow enuy of the deuil came death into the world The history of Adams fal is known in whoÌ„ we also fel. Sence that time he all his posteritie haue bene mortall haue died shal die We al ar now flesh earth dust ashes So sone as we be borne so sone begin we to die This our life is nothing els then a very passage vnto death Noble and base pore and riche faire and foule wel fauoured and il fauoured mighty and weake wise folish fortunate and wretched ruler and subiect faithfull and vnfaithfull Christian and Painim old and yong man woman and childe euery bodely creature that liueth on the face of the earth shall die Whether the life be short or long the end of it is death All the holy Patriarkes Iudges kings Priestes Prophets and all other whiche liued before the comminge of Christ died IhoÌ„ Baptist Christes mother all the disciples of Christ died Yea Christ him selfe although moste innocent without all sinne after he was once clad with our flesh and had taken on him our nature became mortall and to pay our raunsome vnto God the father and to set vs againe at libertie he suffred death euen the death of the crosse Is y e seruaunt greater then his Lorde Or the disciple aboue his maister Our Lord hath troden the way a fore vs and shall we his seruants refuse to follow him Our maister hath geuen vs an example to die and shall we his disciples disdain to practise the lyke â–ª If death had bene cast only vppon our backes which liue in this age so might y e burthen haue bene thought vnrighteous and intollerable but forasmuch as our ancestors haue already tasted of death and are gone why shuld we that now liue beare so impaciently this commoÌ„ chaunce On this condition came we al into the world y t we should leaue it agayne For we be heare but strangers and soiourners as were al our fathers Our days on thearth also are but as a shadow and there is none abiding Oure daies passe away swiftly and we are gone The dayes of man are y e daies of an hirelyng yea wynde and nothyng Man is lyke vnto vanitâ—e and his dayes passe away like a shadow Where is ther any man that liueth and shall not seâ— death man that is borne of a woman hath but a short time to liue and yet the tyme that he lyueth he is full of mysery He cometh vp and is cut down like a flower He flieth as it were a shadow and neuer continueth in one state Here haue we no continuing city but we seke one to come It is apoynted of God that all men shal once die For what is our life It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a little tyme and then vanisheth away as Iob saith
THE SYCKE Mans Salue VVherin the faithfull christians may learne both how to be haue them selues paciently and thankefully in the tyme of sickenes and also vertuously to dispose their temporall goodes and finally to prepare them selues gladly and godly to die Made and newly recognised by Maister Tho. Becon 1561. Math. 11. ¶ Come vnto me all ye that are sicke and diseased and I will comfort you CVM PRIVILEGIO per Septennium THOMAS BECONVS SACROSĀCTAE THEOLOGIAE PROFESSOR Ora expressa vides viuos imitantia vultus Quod potuit calamo pictor arte vides mentis quā nullus potuit tibi reddere pictor Effigiem scriptis praebuit ipse suis. ¶ The Names of all suche bookes as Thomas Becon hath hetherto made and set forth i. The Newes out of Heauen ii The Christmas Bancket iii. The Potation for Lent iiii The Pathway vnto Prayer v. The Cathechisme vi The Nosegaye vii The Pollecie of Warre viii The Boke of Matrimonie ix Dauids Harpe x. The New years gift xi The Inuectiue against swering xii The Gouernaunce of Uertue xiii The Dialogue of Christes birth xiiii The Inuectiue against whordō xv The Solace of the Soule xvi The Iewell of Ioye xvii The Castell of Comfort xviii The Fortresse of the faithfull xix The Flower of godly prayers xx The Principles of christen religion xxi The True vse of fasting xxii The Pomaunder of prayer xxiii The Christen knight xxiiii The Sickmans Salue xxv The Reliques of Rome ¶ TO THE RIGHT worshipful Maister Basil Felding Esquier Thomas Becon wysheth the fauour of God continual health and prosperous felicitie CHrist our Lorde and Sauiour cōsidering what and how great carnall securitie and fleshly quietnes reigneth in mortall men of all ages yea and that in them that professe godlynesse that is to saye Christians whiche by their professiō ar dead vnto the world and haue their lyfe hydden with Christ in God in somuche that they being occupied about worldlye and transitory thinges which sone perish and come to naught do vtterly neglecte the thinges that appertaine vnto the saluation of their soules in many places of his holy Gospell admonisheth vs to watche and to make prouision for our latter ende least we be found vnready whā we shall be called out of the worlde In the Gospell of blessed Mathewe he hath these words watch for you know not what hour the Lord will come Of this be ye sure that if the good man of the house knew what hour the thief would come he would surely watche and not suffer his house to be broken vp Therfore be ye also ready For in suche houre as ye thinke not wil the sonne of man come In S. Markes Gospell also he sayth Watch for ye know not whē the maister of the house wil come at euen or at midnight or at the cockcrowing or in the dauning least if he come sodenly he finde you sleping And that I say vnto you I say vnto all Watch ▪ Yea take hede watche and pray for ye know not when the time is Again in the Reuelation of blessed Iohn he sayth Behold I come as a thiefe Blessed is he that watcheth and kepeth his garmentes that he walke not naked and men see his fylthines Item Behold I come shortly and my rewarde is with me to geue euery man according as his dedes shall be The holy Apostle S. Paule lykewyse exhorteth vs that we sleepe not as other doo but that we watche be sober nether that we fall into fleshly quietnes promysing our selues long lyfe healthe and reste in this worlde least soden destruction fall vpon vs. For the day of the Lorde sayth he shall come euen as the thief in the night Certes our mortall estate declareth euidētly that we be so bound vnto death that we are not certen of our lyfe not one houre Out of hand may death oppres vs for any certentie that we haue of the contrary What thing is your lyfe sayth S. Iames It is a vapour that appeareth for lyttle tyme and then vanisheth away My dayes saith Iob are more swift then a runner yea they are passed awaye as the shyppes that bee good vnder sayle and as the Egle that flyeth vnto the pray Agayne he saith Man that is borne of woman hath but short tyme to lyue and is ful of mysery He commeth vp and is cut downe lyke a floure He flyeth as it were a shadow and neuer continueth in one state The Prophet also sayth All fleshe is grasse and all the glory thereof is as the floure of the field The grasse is withered the flower falleth away Euen so is the people as grasse when the breathe of the Lord bloweth vpon them Thus sewe the misery vanitie and shortnes of our mortall life painted out before our eies and that these thynges are true dayly experience proueth Notwithstandinge such is our blindnes fondnes and madnes that we vtterly forget the vncertentie of this our wretched and short lyfe and promyse our selues the florishyng yeares of Nestor or the long lyfe of Methuselah We may right well be lykened to that vngodly richman of whom we rede in the Gospel of Luke whiche made prouision for a great nomber of yeares promising him selfe long to liue vpon the face of the earth forgetting him selfe to be mortall and bound vnto death But when he thought least of death and was moste busily occupied in getting and gatheringe together the goodes of y e world God sayd vnto him thou foole this night wil they fetch away thy soul again frō thee Then whose shal those thinges be which thou hast prouided The Psalmograph saythe He heapeth tresure vpon treasure and yet knoweth he not for whome he gathereth it After this sort do we behaue our selues at this day We moyle and turmoyll our selues in studiyng deuising how we may come by the giftes of glassy fortune We refuse no paynes no laboures to become ritche and welthy in worldly goodes Yea so blynded are our heartes that the nerer we approche vnto the end of our life y e more studious carefull diligent are we to get the substaunce of this worlde We remember not this saying of the holy Apostle Godlines is great rytches if a man bee content with that he hath For we brought nothing into y e world neither may we cary any thinge out But when we haue fode and raiment let vs therwith be content The holy scripturs calleth vs straungers and Pilgrims in this worlde declareth that we haue here no continuyng city but we seke one to come Notwithstanding as though ther were none other life after this or els as though we should for euer here remaine and neuer departe we trauaile about y e getting of worldly substaunce Al as the Prophet saith euen from the lowest vnto the hiest set their myndes on filthy lucre They are shameles dogges that bee neuer satisfied
Hereto agreeth the saying of the Apostle all seke their owne auauntage and not that whiche shuld set forth the glory of Iesus Christ. And as in couetousnes so lykewyse in all other abhominable sinnes do we moste wickedlye walke And all thinges come to passe because we remember not the shortnesse of this lyfe and forget our latter end This considered the wiseman right well when he saith Whatsoeuer thou takest in hand remember thy end and thou shalt neuer do amisse Moses also saith O that men would ones be wyse and vnderstande and make prouision for their latter end There is not a strōger bit to brydle our carnall affectes nor a better scholemaister to keepe vs in an order then the remembraunce of our latter end then to remember that we shall not alway here remaine y t we ar but straungers and pylgrims in this world that we shall leaue behynde vs whatsoeuer worldly substaūce we haue here ether painfully gotten or carefully kept that we shal die the death that we shal appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ and receaue accordinge to the workes whiche we haue doone in this lyfe either euerlasting glory or perpetuall payne But these thinges seeke we not to remember but rather to forget and therfore fall we into all kynde of vngodlynes and dissolution of lyfe And when the tyme cōmeth that God visiteth vs with sickenes or otherwyse plageth vs for our euill behauour then doo we not prepare our selues vnto the crosse as we ought submitting our selues to the good pleasure of God and beyng contented paciently and thanckfully to receaue what so euer is layde vpon vs at the appoyntment of God but we rather murmur and grudge against God and with vnwillyng hartes suffer that louing visitation of God almoste wishinge that there were no God to plage and punishe vs but that we myght here liue continually and go forth to sinne frely without punishement And when death approcheth no remedy can be found against y e violence therof then doo the vngodly wicked liuers beholding the miserable face of their conscience which presenteth vnto them nothing but sin y e wrath of God hel fyre euerlasting damnation begin to despaire strayght yeld them selues to the pleasure of Sathan to bee for euer and euer tormēted in that lake that burneth with fire brimston thē selues their soules and consciences consenting and assentinge thereunto For what other end can be loked for of a wicked vngodly lyfe Is it to be thought that he whiche thorow sinne hath serued the deuill all the tyme of his lyfe can at his latter end loke for the enheritaunce of euerlasting glory wherewith God rewardeth thē y e painfully labour to serue him in holynes and righteousnes al the dayes of their lyfe S. Paul saith So run that ye may obtayn that is to say so trayne your lyfe in all Godlynes and vertue to the vttermost of your power whyle ye lyue in this worlde y t after ye haue finished your course here ye may enioy y e glorious reward of eternal life A corruptible crowne is not obtained without great pains taking shall we loke for an euerlasting crown by leding an vngodly and wanton lyfe No man is crowned sayth the apostle except he fighteth lawfully In this world therfore wherein our life is nothing but a knighthod or warfar must we lawfully valeantly mightely fight striue against our ennemies y e deuill the world the flesh and by feruent and diligent prayer vnto God so triumphe ouer thē thorow the help of our graund captain Christ y t we may haue a glorious spoill of our ennemies garnishe our selues with al kind of victorious roial robes I meane all good workes godly vertues Wher such a life is led there must a good end be and euerlasting life may with a fre conscience and assured hope be loked for And to bring this to passe Who laboureth not to the vttermoste of his power namely if he be of God loketh for a better and more blessed lyfe after this How we shuld fight against our aduersaries and leade a good life in this world I haue declared aboundantly heretofore in many of my bokes In this treatise whiche I haue nowe in hand entitled The Sickemans Salue my mynd is to shew vnto the faithfull christians how they ought to make prouision for their latter end that they may depart in the faythe of Christ and be of the nūber of those of whome it is written Blessed are the dead whiche die in the Lord. Again Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his sainctes For what shuld it profit a man to wyn all the worlde if at the last he loseth his soule Therefore in this my worke I haue declared first of all how the faithfull christians ought to behaue them selues paciently and thankefully in the tyme of syckenesse Secondly howe they should vertuously dispose their temporall goodes Thirdly after what manner they ought to prepare them selues gladly Godly to die Finally I haue enterlased many cōfortable exhortations vnto the sycke and diuers godly necessary prayers some to be sayd of them that are sicke some of other for suche as are diseased This treatise after that I had finished it calling to remembraunce howe greatly I am bound to your right worshipfull Maistership considering also your most harty zeale and feruent affection toward the true and Christen religion all superstition and papistry layd asyde I thought it my bounden dutie to sende vnto you as a testimonie of my good wyll and thankefull hart toward you moste entirely desiryng you to accept and take in good part this my lyttle gift although much more base then it may seme in any part worthy to recompence the least poynt of your vnfayned frendship dyuers wayes heretofore declared vnto me God preserue your right worshypfull Maistershyp with the moste vertuous Gentlewoman your wyfe and all your godly chyldren in continuall health and prosperous felicitie Amen A PLENTIFVL table conteyning all the principal matters of this worke for the spedier finding of the same A ADā cause why we all perished 300 Amos y e Prophet killed 317 Admonishions profiteth 226 Against the fear of death remedies 313 Against the stinges of death 316 B Bankettinge chyldren ought to beware 212 Baptisme 418 Belefe what it is 444 Belefe in hart 418 Body committed vnto the earth 136 Bodies shal rise immortall 137 Bodies of the faithfull ought not to be vylye handled 173 Brasen Serpent 76 Burialles 173 C Call continually on the Lorde 45 Cayin repented but lacked faith 378 Chaunge lead for syl uer 323 Cherefull geuer 40 Children fearing God he will not leaue them comfortles 270 Children ought to beware of il cōpany 208 Childrē must beware of swearing 209 Children must loue and help their mothers 211 Christ author of our saluation 154 Christ prayed for an habitation for
the wycked 57 Praiers ought to be made fo whome 149 Praier for the syck 116 131.150.295.341.451 Prayer theffect 138 Promyses of God comforteth 354 Psalmes of thancks for them taat be departed 162 Publican humbled him selfe 387 Punished in this world why 55 Purgatory rakers 146 R Remedies agaynste thuught taking 320 224 Against desperatioÌ„ 229 Against temptations of Sathan 331 Agaynst the lawes curse 361 Agaynst synne 372 Agaynst want of merites â–ª 403 RepeÌ„taunce 415.374 It obteineth mercy 399 It commeth by preaching 150 Reward of synne 57 Resurrection of the body 287.257 Riche gloton 19 Riotous sonne repenteth 91 S Satan tempted diuers and many wayes 360 Satan moste busiest at our laste ende 332 Sathan ouercome by prayer 339 Schollerslare to be holpen 143 Scriptures calleth vs to repentaunce 190 Seace froÌ„ labours 152 Seke the Lorde whyle he may be found 185 Seruaunts ought not to be forgotten that serue well 221 Seruauntes 141 Sermons to be preached 148 Sickmans wyll 135 Sicke man taketh his leue 292 Sycke ought to geue thancks to God 43 Scripture sheweth vs the great mercies of God 84 Sycke in sinne what to do 105 Sicke visited a godlye deed 8 Sycke what to be learned 9 Sycke comforted how idem Sycke sone disquieted 294 Syck exhorted willingly to dye 198 Sickmans exhortation vnto his wyfe 200 Sickmans exhortation to his children 206 Syckmans exhortation to his sonne 210 SyckmaÌ„s exhortatioÌ„ to his daughters 217 Sickmans exhortation to his seruaunts 220 Syckmans fayth 227 Siâ—nnes a messenger of death 131 Sicknes irksome to maÌ„ 10 Sycknes taketh away ioye 13 Sycknes no token of Gods anger 20 Synnes forgeuen 283 Synnes forgeuen for Christes sake 286 Syngyng 171 Slepe not in death 345 Soule yelded into the handes of God 136 SteueÌ„ stoned to death 138 T Thersians mourn wheÌ„ theyr childreÌ„ are borne 165 The thefe found mercy 100 They that cry in trouble are holpen 113 Things happen for the best to the pacient 36 Toby euer feared God 39 Toby full of good workes idem Toby an example to vs 40 Toby content to suffer the plague 41 Trouble bryngeth vnderstandidg 72 Tromperies for to fede theyr bellyes 178 Trust in Christes promyses and thou shalt not dye 147 Trust of the life to come 168 The tree as it falleth fo it lyeth 191 W Water of lyfe 481 Wemen wept for christ 169 Wyfe of the sycke 137 A wyfe discrete is the gyft of God 214 Wycked lyfe to the riotous sonne 91 Wycked sonne repeÌ„teth idem Wicked sonne coÌ„fesseth his faultes 92 Wicked sonne furgeuen 93 Wicked people receyue payne 290 wicked a terrible end 56 Wicked seruauntes rewarded how 186 Wydowes howe they ought to mary 204 Wounded man spoyled 101 Worldly frendship slippery 325 Worldlinges lyue all in pleasure 18.24 Worldly ioye 25 Workers in the vyneyarde 359 Worke whyle it is day 186.187 Y Riotous myndes 175 Youth ought to beware of whordome 213 Youth muste take hede how they mary idem Yong wemen ought to be obedient to theyr husbandes 218 Yong wemeÌ„ shold bring vp theyr chyldren in norture idem Yong women ought to be no gudders â–ª 291 Yong women comly apareled idem FINIS ¶ THE SICK MANS SALVE PhilemoÌ„ Eusebius Theophilus Christopher Epaphroditus the sick man talke together Philemon OH ful truli is it said of the holy man Iob that noble myrroure of perfecte pacience Man that is borne of a woman hathe but a short tyme to liue and yet in the time that he liueth he is replenished with many miseries He cometh vp and withereth awaye agayne lyke a floure He flieth as it were a shadow and neuer continueth in one state â–ª It is not yet two daies since I sawe my neighbour Epaphroditus as me thoughte well and â—usty yea and in perfecte healthe and beholde he sent vnto me euen now his seruant Onesimus that I should come vnto him with all expedition all other businesses set a part If I euer entend to se him a liue oh good god what a world is this Ah moste louing Christe what a sodeine chaunge is this Oure life is not withoute a cause compared of the holy Apostle S. Iames to a vapoure whiche appereth for a little time and then vanisheth away Who wyl trust a life so fraile so transitory so bond vnto mortalitie Who can iustlye perswade him selfe to liue manye yeres in this worlde seing that in it so sodenly helthe is turned into sicknes valeaunce into imbecillitie streÌ„gth into weakenes ioy into sadnes comforte into desperation lyfe into deathe The ryche man perswaded him selfe that he should liue long in this world as blessed Luke declareth in his holy Gospell when he said considering the greate aboundaunce of his reuenewes that came yerely in what shall I doo because I haue no rome wher to bestow my frutes This will I do I wil destroy my barnes and build greater therin will I gather all my goods that are growen vnto me and I wil say vnto my soule soule thou hast much goodes laid vp in store for many yeares take thine ease eate drink be mery But god saide vnto him thou foole this nighte will they fetche away thy soule again from the. TheÌ„ whose shall those thinges be which thou hast prouided The continuance of our lyfe is not certeine so much as one houre neither is any man â—able to say I shall liue til to moâ—ow For albeit nothinge is more â—erten then death yet is nothinge â—ore vncertayne than the houre of death It shall therfore become all christen men that tender theyr owne healthe diligently to mark and coÌ„tinually to remember this frendly admonition and louinge watchword of our Lord and Sauioure Christ Iesu watch saith he for you know not what houre youre Lord will come Of this be ye sure that yf the good man of the house knew what houre he thief wolde come he wolde surely watch and not suffer his house to be broken vp Therfore be ye also ready for in suche an houre as ye thinke not will the sonne of man come Again he saieth Watch for ye knowe not when the master of the house will come whether at euen or at midnighte whether aâ— the cocke crowing or in the dawning least yf he come sodenly hâ— finde you sleping And that I saâ— vnto you I say vnto all Watcheâ— Also in an other place he saythe beholde I come as a theif Happy is he that watcheth and kepeth his garments least he walke naked and men see his filthines Ah Lord God not yet two daies past whole and strong and now sycke and weake O the vnstedfastnes of mans life WhoÌ„ wold not thys prouoke to watch and to considre his latter ende as the godly man Moses admonisheth saying Ah wold God men wold be wise and vnderstande and make prouision for their latter ende So shuld nether sicknes nor death be soden vnto them so shuld all dissolucion of life be reiected and godlines of coÌ„uersacion embraced
saith as many as I loue I rebuke and chasten The wise man also saith My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lorde neither fainte when thou arte rebuked of him For whom the Lorde loueth hym he chasteneth and yet delyteth in him as a father in his owne soÌ„ne What sonne is he saith S. Paul whom the father chastneth not If ye be not vnder correction wherof all are partakers than are ye bastardes and not sonnes Epa. Ther is no father that so haÌ„dleth his sonne as I am handled Oh what a chaunge is this yea and that within two daies For from gladnes to sadnes from pleasure to sorow from healthe to sicknes from quietnes to trouble from strength to feblenes yea in a maner from life to death am I sodenly fallen O miserable wretch that I am Phile No maner chastising for the presente time semeth to be ioyous but greuous as the Apostle sayth neuertheles afterward it bringeth the quiet frute of rightuousnes vnto them whiche are exercised therby Blessed is the maÌ„ saith saincte Iames that suffreth temptation for when he is tried he shal receyue the crowne of life whiche the Lorde hathe promised to them that loue hym Epa. Me thoughte I was in case good ynoughe before I was oppressed with this sicknes For theÌ„ I liued pleasauntlye but now I lye here weping and mourning and full of sorow and care Phile. Thys is the iudgement of the flesh whiche â—uer lusteth against the spirit Against suche careles fleshli liuers â—eare what our Sauiour Christ saith Wo be vnto you that are rich for you haue your consolacyon Wo be vnto you that are full for ye shal hoÌ„ger Wo be vnto you that now laugh for ye shall wayle and wepe Heare what he saythe on the contrary part Blessed are they that mourne for they shal receiue comfort And also in a nother place he saithe Uerely Uerely I say vnto you ye shal wepe and lameÌ„t but contrariwise the worlde shall reioyce Ye shall sorow but your sorow shalbe turned to ioye The blessed Apostle saith also If we be dead with Christe we shall also liue with him If we suffer with him we shal also reigne with him Christo. Brother Epaphroditus the way to enter into glory is the Cros. For by that way did oure elder brother Chryste enter into the kingdome of his father And the blessed Apostle saythe By many tribulacions muste we enter into the kingdome of God Epaphro What meane you by the crosse Chri. Temporall affliction as penury honger euil report vndeserued persecution enprisonment los of Goodes sicknes and whatsoeuer mortifieth the olde man Epaphro I can not easly be parswaded that these things are sent of God to suche as he loueth but rather to suche as he hateth Christoph. Not so neighbor Epaphroditus For the righteous and godly tast more of the cros in this worlde then the wicked and vngodly Abel Iacob Ioseph Moses Dauid Helias Zachari Ieremie Miche Iob Toby Ihon Baptist StepheÌ„ Paule Iames Peter with many other whiche wer theâ—chosen people and frends of God wer not fre from the cros in so muche that many of them were moste cruelly put to deathe where as the wicked worldlings liued all in pleasure and had all thinges according to their hartes lust Eusebius This is also proued true by the saying of oure sauiour Christ ye shall wepe and lament saith he but contrariwise y e world shall reioyce And the Apostle saieth all that will lyue Godly in Christe Iesu shall suffer persecution Hither pertaineth the saying of S. Peter The time is come that iudgement must begin at the house of God If it first begin at vs what shal the ende of them be whiche beleue not the Gospell of God And if the rightous scarsely be saued where shall the vngodly and the sinner appere Wherfore let them that are troubled according to the will of God commit their soules to him with well doing as vnto a faithfull creatour Phi. This thing caÌ„ by no meanes better be perceiued then by considering the history whiche blessed Luke telleth in his Gospell of the vnmerciful riche man and of pore Lazarus The riche gloton was Gods enemy and an aduersary to all good meÌ„ vnkind churlish and vnmerciful and yet how plesantly and wealthely liued he all his life time We do not rede that he tasted any thing at all of the cros but that he was riche welthy galantly apparelled fared daintely euery day and liued in all kind of pleasures according to his hartes lust and yet thende of him was euerlastyng damnation that thys saying of our sauior Christ might be founde true Wo be vnto you that are riche for you haue youre consolation Wo be vnto you that are ful for ye shal hoÌ„ger Wo be vnto you that now laugh for ye shal waile and wepe Contrariwise Lazarus being Gods frende and dearly beloued of God was plaâ—ged with pouerty honger thirst colde nakednes sores sicknes diuers mortal diseases which neuer departed from him so long as he liued and notwithstandinge bothe paciently and thanckfullye did he beare this his Crosse euen vnto the deathe being perswaded that prosperitie aduersitie life and deathe pouerty wealth are of God and therfore immediatly after his departure oute of thys world he was receiued into euerlasting glorye This history brother Epaphroditus declareth euidentely that sicknes or trouble sent of God vnto the godly is not a token of Gods wrath and heauy displeasure but rather a sure argumente and manifest signe of his good will loue and fauour towarde vs. Blessed is he saithe the Psalmograph whome thou O Lord nourterest Again he saith it is highly for my wealth that thou O Lord hast corrected me that I may learne thine ordinances Hereto agreeth the saying of S. Paul When we are iudged of the Lord we are chastened that we shuld not be damned with the worlde In the history of Iob it is also written blessed is the man whom God punisheth therefore refuse not thou the chastening of the almighty For though he maketh a wouÌ„d he geueth a plaster though he smite his hand maketh hole again God is faithfull saith the Apostle whiche wil not suffer you to bee tempted aboue youre strength but shall in the mids of the temptacion make away that â—e may be able to beare it For he â—s the father of mercies and God of all consolacion whiche comforteth vs in all our trouble whiche knoweth also howe to deliuer the godly out of temtation All these textes borowed out of the holy scriptures with many other do euidently declare that the crosse is laid vpon the godly at Gods appoyntment and that not for their hurt and destruction but for their health and saluation For though our outward man perish yet thinward man is renued day by day For our trouble whiche is short light prepareth
sicknesse Whiche thing whan he considered he was inwardly sory and wept beyond all measure greuously complaining that God had forgotten him and denied him his grace Phile. This history also sheweth howe necessary and wholsome sicknes is to a Christen man and that corporall affliction is a certaine perswasion to a faythfull coÌ„science of Gods singulare good wyll and fatherly fauour towarde vs as he hym self testifieth saying as many as I loue I chasteÌ„ and rebuke Thâ— wyse man also sayeth My sonnâ— despise not the chastening of thâ— Lord nether faint whan thou arâ— rebuked of him For whome thâ— Lord loueth him he chastneth 〈◊〉 yet deliteth in him as a father iâ— ther in his owne sonne Epaphro So followeth it that they whom God visiteth with sicknes in this worlde and laieth the crosse vpon their shoulders are more dear vnto him than those whiche all their life tyme liue in all wealth ioy pleasure Phile. Yea verely so thei beare their crosse willingly paciently and thankfully For by the crosse are christen men knoweÌ„ as noble mens seruauntes by theyr Lordes cognisances He that beareth not the crosse is not Christes For suche as will be his disciples he coÌ„maundeth them not to seeke how to flee y e crosse that they may liue al in pleasure but he biddeth them take the Crosse vpon their shoulders and folow him If any man will folow me saith our sauiour Christ let him forsake him â—elf and take vp his crosse and foâ—ow me The head bare the crosse the members also must do y e same or els pertaine they not vnto the head For there is none other way to enter into glory but the same way that our head Christ entred by which is the crosse Whosoeuer beareth not his crosse and cometh after me saith the Lorde Christ he can not be my disciple The seruant is not greater then his Lord nor the disciple aboue his master Chri. That such as bear the crosse and be tried with diuers tribulations are more dear vnto god thaÌ„ they which liue all in pleasure the history of the ritch and vnmerciful glotton and of poore and pacient Lazarus proueth euideÌ„tly For as ye hard before the welthie epicure whiche liued galantlie and pleasauntly all the daies of his life euen vnto his dying daye so sonâ— as he was dead was caried of thâ— Deuell and his Aungels into thâ— flames of hell fire where he was miserablie tormented contrarywyse pore and sick Lazarus whoÌ„ the wicked worlde estemed moste vile moste abhominable yea and vtterly despised and cast away of God whome also fortune neuer fauoured but aduersitie coÌ„tinuallie assailed immediatly after his departure was moste tenderly ioyfully borne of the blessed Aungels of God into the bosome of Abraham wher he hath such ioyes as eie hath not sene nor eare hath heard nether is any mans hart able to thinke them Euse. Here is that fulfilled found true whiche the Psalmograph speaketh both of the death of the faithfull and of the vnfaythfull Concernyng the faythfull he sayeth preciâ—us in the sight of the Lorde is â—he death of his sainctes Of the â—nfaithfull he also sayeth The death of sinners is worst of all As y e ioyes of Gods people begin not till after their death so lykewise the sorowes and paines of y e wicked doe chiefly begin at their death and so for euer and euer coÌ„tinue Epaph. Happy is that man therfore whiche hath and endeth his sorowe in this worlde that after this life he may haue the perfect and true ioy whiche knoweth no end Phi. He is thrise happy as they vse to say and greatly blessed of God Therfore s Austen praied on this manner and said O Lord burn me here cut me here in this world that thou maiest spare me for euer after Only geue me pacience pleasing vnto thee and necessary vnto me Christo. Like vnâ—to this are the wordes of a certain auncient father whiche saieth I know that diseases chaunce vnto men for their sinnes And it is beâ—ter here paciently to beare afflictions and paines then after death to suffer euerlasting punishmeÌ„ts Theo. S. Gregory saith that God sparith some in this world to torment them afterward and som he tormenteth here which he wil afterward spare This is a christen mans comforte y t by present tribulation he shall escape euerlasting damnation For according to the common prouerbe God punisheth not one thing twyse Epa. Of these your wordes I conceiue a good hope that although God punisheth me iustly for my sinnes yet he wil not take away his mercy from me Phil. No be you sure For these are his wordes by the Psalmograph If they forsake my â—aw and walke not in my iudgements If they breke my statutes â—nd kepe not my coÌ„manndemeÌ„ts I will visite their offences with the rod their sinnes with scourges Neuertheles my louing kindnes will I not vtterly take from him nor suffer my truth to fayle My couenaunt wil I not breake nor alter the thinge that is gone out of my lips Here God our mercifull father promiseth y t though he punisheth vs for our sinne and wickednes that by this meanes he may call vs vnto repentance amendement of life yet wil not he take away from vs his mercy and louing kindnes but when so euer we turne vnto hym repent vs of our former life call on his blessed name beleue and hope to haue remissioÌ„ of sinnes for Christes sake and labor to frame our life according to the rule of his holy testaâ—meÌ„t he will surely receiue vs ioyâ—fully pardon all our iniquities and as derely loue vs as though we had neuer offended his deuinâ— maiestie God saith also by y e Prophet Ieremy when I take in haÌ„d to rote out to destroy or to wast away any people or kingdome if y e people against whoÌ„ I haue thus deuised conuert froÌ„ their wickednes I repeÌ„t of the plague that I deuised to bring vpon them The prophet Esay also saith If thungodly forsaketh his way and the vnrighteous man his owne Imaginations and turne againe vnto the Lorde he will surely be mercifull vnto him For he is very ready to forgeue He will not alway be chyding sayth the Psalmograph neither kepeth he his anger for euer Yea lyke as a father pitieth his owne children euen so is the Lorde mercifull vnto them that feare hym For he knoweth whereof we bee made he remembreth that we are but duste My thoughtes saith God are to geue you peace and not trouble Though the lord punisheth vs for our sinnes yet doth he not punishe vs to cast vs away and to condemne vs but to call vs vnto repentance to mortifie our fleshly lustes afterward to make vs the more circumspect in obseruing the rules of our profession y t is the christen profession as that princelike Prophet saith It is greatly for my wealth that thou hast punished me brought me low
e throne of Gods maiestie to be testimonies witnesses of their true and vnfained sayth They therfore are to much fond and negligent of their owne saluation which trust other more then them selues in matters pertayning vnto the health of their soules Chri. There is an old saying in Latin and as I thinck noâ—â—les true thaÌ„ old It is this Da tua dum tua sunt post morteÌ„ tunc tuae non sunt Geue thy goodes while they be thine for after thy death they be none of thine Euse. I remember whan I was a child I learned .ii verses of my scholemaister which I haue not yet forgotten I wyll rehearse them vnto you Quod sibi quisque serit praesentis teÌ„pore vitae Hoc sibi messis erit cum dicitur Ite Venitae That a maÌ„ soweth for him self in y e time of this present life that shalbe his haruest or reape when it is saide Go Come Epap What meane you by that Go Come Eu. You know that to the vnfaithfull it shalbe sayd go ye cursed in to euerlasting fire whiche is prepared for y e deuill and his angels But to the faithfull it shalbe said on this maner Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome whiche was prepared for you froÌ„ the beginning of the world The. S. Paule hath a sentence muche lyke vnto your verses whatsoe â—er a man soweth saith he y t shall he also reape For he that soweth in his flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption But he that soweth in the spirit shall of y e spirite reape life euerlasting Phil. It is not w tout cause that the holy scripture doth so diligently call vs vnto repentaunce faith and good works in this present worlde For euerlasting life euen in this worlde is ether gotten or loste As God findeth vs so iudgeth he vs. Euerye tree is knowen and iudged by her owne fruite and not by the fruite of other trees Euery man lykewyse is iudged by his owne workes not by the workes of other as Christ saith to the vnprofitable seruaunt Of thine owne mouthe wil I iudge thee thou euil seruaÌ„t Teophilact saith The vertue of my neighbour shall scacely be inough to defend him selfe so farre is it of that it can profit me also For all men shall be declared to be righteous by their owne workes and not by the workes of theyr neighboures Euse. The Preacher saieth When the tre falleth whether it be toward the Southe or north in what place so euer it fall there it lieth Epap What is ment by that Euse. The tre signifieth euery one of vs y t are the children of Adam We fal that is to say we die ether toward the south or toward the north that is either in the state of saluation or damnatioÌ„ In what state soeuer we die in the same remaine we There is no chaunge after this life Ether with poore Lazarus we goe into the bosome of Abraham or els with that vnmercifull ryche man into the fier of hell There are but two places after this life hel and heauen If we depart in the faith of Christe we goe straighawayes vnto the glory of heauen But if we die in vnbelief than go we to the Deuill as the scripture sayth He that beleueth on y e sonne hath euerlasting life But he that beleueth not on the sonne shall not see lyfe but the wrath of God abideth vpon him Christo. S. Iohn Chrisostome saith he that washeth not awaye his synnes in this present life shall finde no comfort afterward c. Theph The same doctor also hath this saying Let vs not thinke saith he that wheÌ„ we come thither he meaneth vnto the iudging place of God mercy shal be geuen vnto vs seing we do not so behaue our selues in this world that we may deserue to haue forgeuenes though Abraham shuld pray for vs though Noe though Iob though Daniell shuld make intercessioÌ„ for vs. Therfore while we haue tyme let vs prepare for our selues that whiche may stand vs in steade a fore God an other day Eus. Hereto agreeth the saying of S. Ciprian Then that is to say after death shall repentaÌ„ce be without fruite and the sorowe of paine weping also shall be in vayn and praier shalbe to no purpose Therefore make prouision while ye may for your safegard life Again he saith When we be once departed out of this worlde there is no more place for repentaunce there is no effect of â—atisfaction In this worlde life is either lost or gotten Here through the worshipping of God and the fruit of fayth prouision is made for euerlasting saluation Epa. I se than both by the aucthoritie of y e holy scriptures and of the auncieÌ„t doctours that the workes whiche are done for them that are departed out of this worlde by other are but vayne and vnprofitable whether they departe in fayth or otherwyse For y e faithfull departe straightwaies vnto glory and the vnfaithful vnto euerlasting pain The one sort haue no nede of praier for they be already in most blessed state and ioyful reast And the other are in so damnable case that praier can do no good for them no though Abraham Noe Iob Daniel and all the best that euer lyued shuld pray for theÌ„ For in hell there is no redemption And Abraham said to the rich maÌ„ There is betwene vs and you a great space set so y t they whiche wold go from heÌ„ce vnto you caÌ„not neither may they y t are there come hither vnto vs. Phi. The truth is neighbor Epaphroditus y e papistes haue long bewitched the eies of y e simple by making theÌ„ beleue that the soules of the faythfull goe not straightwaies after their departure vnto eternal glory but rather vnto purgatory a place of their own deuising for the maintenance of their idle bellies there to lie miserablie puling til they be redemed by treÌ„talles by pilgrimages going by pardons c. Our sauiour Christe in the gospell teacheth maketh meÌ„cion of two waies But y e third is not found in the holy scripture One is a straight way which leadeth vnto life fewe ther be that finde it The other is a brode way which leadeth vnto destruction many ther be y t go in therat Ep. I beleue am throwly perswaded y t by y t merits of his precious bloud which said vnto y e penitent thefe this day shalt thou be with me in paradise my soule immediatly after the departure froÌ„ this vile body shall be receiued vnto glory â—se y e glorious maiestie of God face to face as y e Psalmograph sayth I beleue to see the pleasures and good thinges of the Lorde in the land of the liuing I fear the Popish purgatory the paynes therof nothing at all My pain endeth in this life And the ende of this life is the beginning of my ioye This hope lieth vp buried in
euen that they shuld set forth magnifie prayse and commend the maiestie power might and glory of this moste myghty glorious god And whatsoeuer he made he made it thorow his only begotten sonne by whoÌ„ al things were made and without whome was made nothing y t was made For when he made the heauens this his only begotten sonne was present whan he haÌ„ged y e cloudes aboue when he fastned the springes of the depe when he shut the sea within certaine boundes that the water should not go ouer the marckes that he commaunded When he laide the foundations of the earth he was with hym ordring all thynges deliting daily and reioysing alway before hym For the sonne of God caused the iyght that fayleth not to aryse in the heauen and couered all the earth as a cloud And that prince like Prophet sayeth By the word of the Lord which word is Christ the natural sonne of God are the heauens made and all the hostes of them by y e breath of his mouth This God the father almightye maker of heauen and earth I beleue am fully perswaded that he for Christes sake by fayth is my moste mercifull father that I am borne againe of him not by mortall but immortall seede thorowe the worde of God which liueth and abideth for euer and so am become his sonne and that he therfore loueth and fauoreth me gouerneth and defendeth me â—eadeth and nourysheth me and finally hath made me his heire and fellow heir of eternall glory with his only begotten and moste derely beloued sonne Christ Iesu our Lorde and sauiour Now haue ye heard my fayth concerning God the father Phil. It is a faith both true and christen and from the beginning receiued of all godly parsons Will it please you likewyse to reherse your faith concerning Iesus Christ y e sonne of God yea God and man Epaph. This it is I vnfainedly beleue with my heart and frely confesse wyth my mouth y e Iesus Christ the seconde persone in the godhead is the only begotten sonne of God yea and true immortall and euerlasting God begotten of God the father before any beginning of lyke maiestie myght power glory with God the father of the same nature essence being and substance I beleue that this Iesus Christe whiche is the very brightnesse of his fathers glory and the very image of his substance first begotten before all creatures is oure Lord euen the Lord of all y e faithfull And I beleue that as he is called Iesus that is to saye a sauiour so likewyse he is both able and will saue me froÌ„ al my sinnes A God that is righteous suche one as saueth there is none but he There is saluation in none other Neither is there any other name vnder heauen geuen vnto men wherein we may be saued but only the name of Iesus Of hym therfore alone as of an almighty sauiour doe I loke for my saluation For vain is the sauing health that is loked for of any other And as he is called Christ y e is to saye annoynted because he is the Kyng and Priest of all the people of God and is annoynted with the true oyntment eueÌ„ with the fulnes of the holy ghoste for God geueth not the spirite by meâ—ure vnto him but he hathe annoynted him with the oyl of gladnes aboue his fellowes eueÌ„ so do I beleue that out of hym euen as out of a liuely spring and flowing fountaine this oyle of gladnes I meane the holy ghoste come forth vpon all the members of Christ and they also in him thoâ—om him are made Christes that â—s to say the annointed of the lord For of his fulnes haue all we receiued euen grace for grace And whosoeuer beleueth on hym as sayeth the scripture flouds of lyuing water shall flowe out of his belly As I am of this Christ called a christian so do I beleue that this Christ hath annoynted me w t his holy spirite and therwith also sealed me vp vnto euerlasting life â–ª For they that are led with the spirit of God are the sonnes of God For the same spirit certifieth our spirite that we are the sonnes of God If we be sonnes then ar we also heires the heires I meane oâ— God fellow heires with Christ of eternall glory Furthermore I beleue thaâ— Iesus Christe the onlye begotten sonne of God is called our Lord not only because he is Lorde of alâ— thinges in asmuche as he is Goâ— and hath all thinges in subiection vnto hym by the ryght of his diâ—uine nature but also because hâ— is the Lord ruler gouernour of all the elect and chosen people of God myghtely deliuereth them from the power violence and tiranny of Satan sinne and death by this meanes making them his owne and peculier people continually defendeth and preserueth them against all euils and perils wherunto they should dayly fall thorow the deceitfull suttelties of Satan the vaine perswasions of the world the poysonfull entisements of the flesh if by the mighty power of him they wer not preserued For althogh there be many lords yet haue we but one lord eueÌ„ Iesus Christ by whoÌ„ ar althings we by him And this Iesê° Christ y e only begotteÌ„ son of god I faithfully beleue to be my lord my protector my mighty shield bukler defender and y t he hath deliuered me froÌ„ the tirany of SataÌ„ from y e law of sin and death and broughâ— me in thorowe faithe vnto this grace wherin I staÌ„d and reioysâ— in hope of the glory of God Moreouer I vnfainedly beleue with my heart frely confesse w t my mouth that this Iesus Christ the only begotten sonne of God is also very true and naturall man of the same flesh bloud with vs and like vnto vs in all poyntes sinne alone except And he became man not after the maner of other men but by the wonderful operation and aboue natural working of Gods naturall spirite For he was conceiued of the holy ghost borne of the Uirgin Mary That which was conceiued in her was not of man but it came of the holy ghost For y e holy ghost came vpoÌ„ that godly maid and the power of the hiest ouershadowed her so conceiued she and brought forth Christ her true natural sonne a pure and vndefiled Uirgin before the birth in the birth after the birth It was necessary that Iesus Christ shuld be so both conceiued and borne that by this his pure and cleane birth he myght washe and put away the corruption and filthinesse of our nature which was distained in the fall â—inne of Adam For it was not coÌ„â—enient that he which was come â—o purge the world from all sinne â—huld in any point be spotted with â—iune
my dayes are more swift then a runner yea they passe away as the shippes that be good vnder sayle and as the Egle that flieth to the praye Seing it is Gods will pleasure and ordinaunce that wee should dye why do we which dayly pray on this manner Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen shew our selues vnwilling to haue y t thyng chauÌ„ce vnto vs for the which we haue so often times praied It is naturall to die why then labour we to degenerate and growe out of kind Our auÌ„cestours the most holy and moste perfect haue died why disdaine we then to followe their steps It is highly for our profit to die why are we than ennemies to our selues We can not cease to sinne except we die why do we than not hast to fle from so great an euil We shal neuer come vnto the true life where felicitie bothe ioyfull and eternall is except we die why than make we so litle spede to hast thither wher so many good thinges shalbe geuen vs We shal neuer haue y e fruition of Gods maiestie the blessed company of the heauenly spirits except we die why theÌ„ do we not pray daily vnto y t lord our god to deliuer vs from this stincking sinck of euils I mene this world that we may come and enioye his most glorious presence The very Heathen which knew not God a right but only dreamed of the immortalitie of the soule loked for a better lyfe after this they knew not why they should feare death but wyshed death and died bothe valeantly and ioyfully and shall we being christians which know God and his holy word and vnto whom so much comfort hope and euerlasting life is promised refuse gladly and willingly to die What a saying of an Ethnicke is this O immortall God howe is that pleasant and ioyfull iourney to be wished for which being once done and past there remaineth no sorow no care no pensiuenes Again O that goodly and pleasant day whan it shall be my chaunce â—o leaue this filthy troublesome world and come to their company that inhabit the heauens Iâ— God wold suffer me that I being of this age might become an infant and sucking child againe I woulde vtterly refuse it neyther would I by any meanes call the rase that I haue run back again that I might again be yong For what pleasure commoditie hath this life yea rather what displeasure incommoditie pain trauel trouble hath it not But let it be graunted that it hathe pleasure certes yet hath it ether satietie or mesure And nature in this world hath geuen vs a place to tary in for a while but not to dwell to continue in it The Heathen wryters in their monumeÌ„ts cal death a changing for a better life a quiet slepe a remouing from mortalitie vnto immortalitie from trouble vnto quietnes from y e shadow of a life vnto a very vncounterfet life from sorow vnto ioy from euill vnto good an haueÌ„ of rest a solace of the mind an end of all euill and wickednesse and a beginning of all true ioy felicitie pleasure Of these things may we easly learne what opinion the very Heathen conceiued of death and shal we that professe Christ know God beleue his word and cal our selues dead vnto y e world recouÌ„t death an euill thing and be lothe to go vnto it wheÌ„ God calleth vs as though there were no resurrection of the body no immortalitie of the soule no life after this no felowship with god and with the heauenly spirites The Iewes also beyng perswaded of the resurrection of the body and of thimmortalitie of the soule die ioyfully with a lusty courage whiche notwithstanding for their vnbelief in Christ are damned and shal we whiche are christians tremble and shake at y e name of death as though after our death we should be in worse case then we be nowe whan to say the truthe the faithfull christians do than chiefly begin to liue when thei depart from this world All good men haue euer desired to depart froÌ„ this vile and wretched life and to go vnto that ioyful and blessed state of immortalitie Dauid that Prince-like Prophet crieth out and saith Wo is me and sory am I for it y t I must yet longer abide in this world Again Like as the hart desireth the water brokes so loÌ„geth my soule after thee O God My soul is a thurst for God yea euen for the liuing God when shall I come to appeare before the presence of God Also in an other place he saith O howe amiable are thy dwellinges thou Lord of hostes My soule hath a desire longing to enter into the courtes of y e Lord my heart my fleshe reioyse in the liuing God Blessed are they that dwel in thy house they shalbe alway praising thee One day in thy courtes is better then a thousand I had rather be a dorekeper in y e house of my God then to dwell in the tentes of vngodlines In another Psalme he praieth on this maÌ„â—er Deliuer my soule out of pryâ—on that it may come and prayse â—hy name The holy man Tobias made his praier vnto God said O Lord deale with me according â—o thy will and commaunde my â—pirit to be receiued in peace For more expedient were it for me to â—ie then to liue How desirous the â—oly Apostle S. Paul was to go â—rom this vale of misery vnto the â—eauenly kingdom these his worâ—es declare manifestly Christe is to me life and death is to me aduauntage Againe I desire to bee losed and to be with Christ. What shall I speake of that auncient godly father Simeon whiche so sone as he had sene Christ knowing him to be the sauioure of the world was very desirous to die brast out into these wordes said â–ª Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy promes For mine eyes haue sene thy saluation whiche thou haste prepared before the face of al people A light to lighten the gentils and the glory of thy people Israel Of the like affection with these tofore rehearsed were without doubt all godly parsons from the beginning then being moste ioyfull whan they sawe the time of their departure from this wretched world to be come so likewise brother Epaphroditus ought both you and we to reioyse and be glad whan death approcheth and commeth vpoÌ„ vs. For then beginneth our felicitie welth quietnes safetie ioy pleasure comfort glory as the voyce from heauen sayde Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. For from henceforth the spirite saieth that they shall be at reast from their labours paines trauailes Precious and ryghte dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of his sainctes saith y e Psalmograph The soules of the righteous saieth the wiseman are in the hand
whot burning yron cromes some racked some drowned some cruelly murthered in prysons c. Who is hable to declare the moste bitter paines greuous torments which they gladly suffred on their bodies for the glory of God and the fruition of his Maiestie If ye consider these thinges wel you shall easly finde y t the paines which you now suffer are nothing to be compared vnto the most bitter and intollerable tormentes whiche the men of God suffred And not withstanding if you abide these light paines ioyfully paciently thankefully you shall moste certainly enioy and possesse that heauenly kyngdome whiche they haue already obtained Faynte not therfore good neyghbor Epaphroditus but abide the good pleasure of God his blessed workyng so shall he without fail bring all thing to suche passe as shalbe most vnto his glory and vnto your comfort Epa. Death taketh me away from my gorgious and pleasaunt houses and from al the teÌ„poral things that I haue Phi. In this world we all are but straungers Pilgrims we haue here no dwelling City but loke for an other that is to come The houses that you leue behinde you here be they neuer so gorgious pleasaunt are but earthy made of clay and wether beaten stones shall in proces of time decay returne vnto dust become thinges of nought But after your departure froÌ„ this vale of wretchednes you shall haue a building of God an habitatioÌ„ not made with handes but euerlasting in heauen You shall dwell in a city that is of pure gold like vnto clear glas and the foundations of the wals of this city are garnished withall manner of precious stones the gates are of fine pearle Yea the streates of this heauenly city are pure gold It hath no nede of the sunne nether of the Mone to lighten it for y e brightnes of God doth lighteÌ„ and the lambe is the light of it And as touching your other teÌ„porall things froÌ„ the whiche as you saye death taketh you away you haue no cause to be sory for y t. For as concerning your galant aparel whiche if they be not worne wil sone be motheaten if they be worn they wil shortly fal to rags in y e steade of them you being once placed in the heauenly city shalbe clothed of God with white garments which shal neuer wax old but alwaies abide glorious incorruptible You shall also haue a golden crown vpon your head you shall sit with Christ vpon his seat And in the stead of your deinty fare which how vile it is after the digestion you knowe ye shall eat in the kingdom of God Manna y t is hid yea ye shall eat of the tre of life which is in the mids of the Paradise of God And this meat shal abide for euer most pleasaunt and vncorruptible As touching your gold siluer suche other worldly treasures wherwith God blessed you in this worlde for a season neuer remember theÌ„ any more but bid them farewell For what other thyng are they seme they neuer so precious pleasaunt goodly then red white earth hereafter shall returne vnto vile dust In the stead of them God in his kingdoÌ„ shal geue you such treasures as neuer man with mortall eies saw y e like You also shal haue such ioyes plesurs as nether eie hath sene the like nor ear hard the like nether is any man able to coÌ„ceiue them in his heart so great are the treasures so infinite are the pleasures which God hath prepared for theÌ„ that loue him Who wil not be glad to change lead for siluer copper for gold corruptible earthly things for immortall heauenly treasures Here se you that you lose nothing by death but get very muche so y t you may now saye with the holy Apostle Christ is to me life and death is to me auauntage Epa. Death taketh me away from my deare freÌ„des in whose company I greatly delight Phi. In worldly freÌ„dship ther is no certaintie nor assuraÌ„ce He which this day is a frend is tomorow an enemy This is proued true among men almost by dayly experieÌ„ce Ther are diuers kinds of frendes as the wyse man teacheth Some be frendes but for a time such will not abide in y t daye of trouble Some be frendes for the table sake and when a man falleth into pouertie they continue not Some be frendes only in countenaunce and in heart hate most extremely Some be earnest and harty frendes whiche will abide by man wheÌ„ fortune is moste froward But of these there are very few And they which now such be may sodenly thorowe some occasion be made a mans vtter enemy Therfore saith Dauid put not your confidence in Princes nor in the children of men in whom ther is no health Also the Prophet Cursed be he that trusteth in maÌ„ and maketh flesh his strength Ye â—e in the Gospel that they whiche â—o dearly loued Christ that they would haue made hym a kynge shortly after for no occasion fell away from him followed him no more Again those people whiche very ioyfully receiued Christ wheÌ„ he came ryding into Hierusalem cut down bowes strowed them in the wayes yea and spread theyr garmentes in the waies and cried with a loud voyce sayinge Good lucke vnto the sonne of Dauid Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lorde within fewâ— dais after cried with a stout voicâ— and said To the crosse with him to the crosse with him If y e lettesâ— him go thou art not Cesars frend if he were not a noughty pack wâ— would neuer haue deliuered hym vnto thee Behold the frendship oâ— this worlde Nether let any man promise him self better thinges oâ— his now most dear frend Men aâ— vain liers fliting and vnstable But when you come into the kingdom of God you shall haue suche frendes as shall for euer continue faithfull louing and coÌ„stant God the father God the sonne God the holy ghost shalbe your frends which do neuer chaÌ„ge but always abide one All the glorious angels blessed spirits of heauen shall be your frendes also Who will not gladly change vncertaine frendes for such as are moste certain most faithfull Haue you now lost any thyng by departing from worldly vnto heauenly frendes Ep. But I shal neuer more se theÌ„ nor haue y e coÌ„pany of theÌ„ y t we may reioyce be glad againe together Phi. If your frendes liue in the feare of God depart in the christeÌ„ faith they may be sure to come thither wher you shalbe eueÌ„ vnto y e glorious kingdoÌ„ of God wher you shal both see them know them talcke with them and be much more mery with theÌ„ than euer you were in this world Chr. Many doubt of that ph Why so Shall y e knowledge of Gods electe and chosen people be lesse in
This is a coÌ„fortable hering Phi. No les true then coÌ„fortable Epa. I trust then within fewe houres to se al the faithfull whiche before me haue departed in the Lord my children also and all my other acquaintaunce Phi. You shall both se them know them reioyse and be meary with them Eu. I maruell y t any man shuld doubt of thys doctrine beynge so clearlye set forthe both by the authority of the holye scriptures and by the testimonyes of the godly wryters seynge that the very heathen which knew not God a right beynge parswaded 〈◊〉 the immortality of the soule neuer doubted of it but were thorowlye resolued that such as lyued in this world iustly and vprightly and deserued wel of the common wealth whan so euer they departed from this life should go vnto the blessed company of the immortal Gods there not only se know the gods but also all those noble good and vertuous parsons that euer liued in this world as wel suche as they neuer knew as also those whome in this world they dyd moste perfectly know And they beyng thus perswaded desyred deathe at the leaste when the tyme of theyr departure came they toke their deathe the more ioyfully and paciently I wil rehearse vnto you y e worâ—es of â—ne or two of them I haue 〈…〉 desire said Cato the elder â—o se your fathers whom I honouâ—â—d and loued But I wish not onâ—y to talke wyth them whome I haue knowen in thys worlde but with such also as of whom I haue â—eard and red yea and I my selfe â—aue wrytten If I were once goâ—ng thitherward I woulde neuer â—aue mynde to retourne hyther aâ—ain Againe he saith O that noâ—le and pleasant day when it shall â—e my chaunce to come vnto that â—eauenly company and blessed feâ—owship and depart froÌ„ this troublous stincking world For theâ— shall I go not only vnto those meÌ„â— of whom I spake vnto you beforâ— but also vnto my Cato whiche was as worthy a man as euer liued and as noble And it is written of Socrates y t when he wenâ— vnto his death amoÌ„g many other thiÌ„gs he said y t it is a most blessed goodly thing for theÌ„ to come together which haue liued iustly faithfully o saith he what a greaâ— pleasure thinke you it to be freÌ„dlâ— to talk w t Orpheus Musaeus Homeâ—rus Hesiodus such like verely I wold die ful oft if it were possiblâ— to get those things y t I speake of Thus se we y t many among y t very HeatheÌ„ which wer perswadeâ— of thinmortality of y e soul beleueâ— y t they whiche in this world liueâ— godly iustly vprightly honestly should al go vnto a ioyful place oâ— rest ther hauing y e blessed compâ—â—ny of y e immortal gods they shulâ— know one another talk reioyce one w t an other The. As touching y e Ethnickes which in this world led a iust vpright life in the sight of meÌ„ I pronouÌ„ce nothing but leue theÌ„ vnto gods iudgmeÌ„t but as concerning the faithful christians which beleue in God feare loue God are perswaded of their saluatioÌ„ in Christes blud frame their life vnto the vttermost of their power according to the coÌ„maundements of God as they shall al obtain one glorious kingdome be Citezins of one Citie so likewyse shal they se know one an other talke reioyse be mery one with another This is my belief Ph. I agre w t you in opinioÌ„ concerning this matter Therfore good neighbor Epaphrodit be of good â—here take a good hart vnto you faynt not nether feare you death For y e time is at hand that you leauing this wretched worlde and the inhabitantes therof shall come vnto that most glorious and heaueÌ„ly kingdom where you shall haue the sight and knowledge not only of God and of his holy angels but also of al Gods elect and chosen people Al your dear frendes which are gone afore you shal gloâ—riously come and mete you ioyfully receiue you gladly present you vnto the maiestie of God and so shall you altogether remain in al glory and ioy for euer and euer Epa. Amen God grauÌ„t Chr. Sir how do you Epa. As God wyll Chri. I truste you do remember what my neighbour Philemon hath sayd vnto you Epa. Yea right wel I thanke God Chr. Then sir I praye you be of good comforte Epa. I am well content to forsake the worlde and all that is in the world and to go vnto the lord my God Eu. I trust y t there is none other thinge that troubleth you Epa. Yes not outwardly but inwardly Eu. Inward trouble is y e greatest griefe in the worlde Declare I pray you what it is we will doe the best we can to quiet your mind Epaph. Let me alone a little and pray for me Euse. Well content Neighbours let vs commend this our sicke brother vnto God with our prayers For he desireth it Phi. God commaundeth vs by his holy Apostle saying If any be diseased amonge you let him call for the elders of the congregatioÌ„ let theÌ„ pray ouer him annoint him w t oyle in the name of the Lord. And y e praier of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lorde shall rayse him vp and if he haue committed sinnes they shalbe forgeuen him Knowledge your fautes one to another and praye one for an other that ye may be healed The prayer of a righteous maÌ„ auaileth muche if it be feruent Let vs therfore knele downe and praye O Lorde heare our praier Eu. And let our cry come vnto theâ— Phi. O almighty and euerlasting God which lightnest al men that come into this world we besethe thee lighteÌ„ the heart of this sicke weake and diseased persone with the beames of thy deuine grace mercy y t al his thoughtes wordes workes may so be directed that he may be acceptable to thy godly maiestie in true faith and perfect loue thorow thi only sonne Iesus Christ our Lord sauiour Chr. Aâ—men Phi. O eternall and merciful God loke down from heaueÌ„ and visit this thy weake seruaunt as thou diddest visit Toby Sara Peters wiues mother the Captaines seruaunt Blesse hym as thou didst blesse Abraham Isaac and Iacob Behold him O Lord with the eies of thy mercy Replenish his hart with all ioye kepe from him al sinful thoughtes and wicked imaginations And sende downe thy angell of peace that he may kepe and defend him in euerlasting peace through Iesus christ thy deare sonne our Lorde sauiour Eu. Amen Phi. O Lord Iesu Christ thalone sauiour of y e world and the true phisitioÌ„ both of body and soule we most humbly besech thee mercifully to behold this our sicke brother which is a meÌ„ber of y e mistical body wherof thou art y e head and a braunche of the which y â— art the true vine Be thou vnto hym that moste
louing Samaritane Poure wyne and oyle into his woundes binde them vp laâ—e him vpon thy beast neuer leaue him vntill thou hast brought hym into that Inne whiche is the gloâ—rious kingdome of thy heauenly father Remoue from him all vnfaithfulnes and mistrust graue in his hart true earnest faith in the in thy moste precious bloud Suffer him not to dispaire nor to doubt of thy godly grace Let y e remeÌ„brance of thy most mercifull promises setforth in thy holy gospel neuer be out of his hart Suffer not SataÌ„ to preuaile against him Let not his conscience be coÌ„bred with the terrours either of sinne or death Be thou his strong castell and mighty fortresse Assist him now in this his greuous affliction let not his soule be a pray vnto his ennemies neither geue thou him ouer into the cruel handes of hys terrible aduersaries â–ª but shewe vpon him presently thy bountifull goodnes that he thorowe thy helpe hauinge the ouerhand of Sathan may finishe his course with ioy and so after his departure from this troublous world come vnto the blessed hauen of quietnes where thou with the father and the holy gost liuest and raignest one true and euerlasting God worldes without end The. Amen Epa. O Lord rebuke me not in thine indignation nether chasten me in thy heauy displeasure Haue mercy on me O Lorde for I am weake heale me O Lord for all my bones are sore troubled yea my soule is greuously vexed but Lord how longe O how long wilt y â— defer thy helpe Turne the O Lord deliuer my soule oh saue me for thy mercies sake Phi. O neighbour how is it with you Epa. Nowe that I had thorow your godly exhortations well digested my departure from this world was well content to go hence wheÌ„soeuer the Lord my god calleth me now am I so troubled in my conscience that I begin almoste to dispayre of Gods mercy toward me yea and wish y t there were no God nor no life after this Phi. Gentle brother faint not in your faith neither dispaire you of the great mercies of God but cal on the lord your God with strong faith and he full gratiously will send present remedy for you froÌ„ his holy temple Epa. O my coÌ„science is greuously vexed troubled disquieted while I behold the fearce wrath of God againste sinne and consider how wicked a life I haue led how oft I haue broken Gods holy commaundemeÌ„ts Phi. Fear not dear brother for though you be neuer so sinfull God is mercifull Though youre synnes be great yet are the mercies of God muche greater God saueth not vs because we are righteous and withoute synne but for his mercie and promyse sake when he seeth vs repente beleue and seeke for remedy at his hande for Christes precious bloud sake Epaphrod Sathan nowe in this my sicknesse doeth so moleste and trouble me that me thinke I fele a very hel within my brest Phile. The manner of Satan which is the common aduersary of all men is wheÌ„ any maÌ„ is greuously sicke like to die straightways to com vpon him at the beginning very fearcely to shew him selfe terrible vnto him to cast before his eies suche a mist that except he taketh hede he shall see nothing but the fearce wrath terrible iudgement of God against sinners again synne desperatioÌ„ death and â—el and whatsoeuer maketh vnto vtter confusion of the sickmans conscieÌ„ce Epa. So is it now with me Phi. Feare not It is his olde propertie If you had led as holy as perfect a lyfe as euer did man in this world yet would he deale on this manner w t you He knoweth right well y t the tyme of your departure is at hande that God will shortly call you from this sorowful mortal lyfe vnto a blessed and immortal lyfe therfore laboureth he vnto the vttermoste oâ— his power to plucke you from so ioyfull a state and to make you his pray But be you not afrayde For whome of Gods elect hath he let pas vnassailed vntempted or vnproued He feared not to assay the sonne of God after he had put on our nature and thincke you to escape fre His nature disposition and desire is to destroy maruelâ— you therefore if he goe aboute to seke your destruction His properâ—tie is to disquiet wonder you therfore if he trouble you He is a lier what truthe therfore can come out of his mouth If he saye vnto you that God is angry with you and wil destroy you know him to be a lier and whatsoeuer he sayth against your saluation beleue it not but knowe it to be a lye He is a murtherer what lyfe then can come from hym He is an accuser of the brethren how than can he speake anye good or comfortable thyng vnto you He is your vtter enemy how theÌ„ is it possible that he may be your frende and seeke your quietnesse Feare hym not therfore He is but a cowarde and a very slaue They be but brags whatsoeuer he threatneth He may well hisse at you but he can not styng you He may loke vpon you with a terrible fearful countenaÌ„ce but he caÌ„ do you no harme He may go about to teÌ„pt you but to ouercome you it lieth not in his power Hear what s. Iames saith Resiste the deuill and he shall fliâ— from you Drawe nie vnto God he shal draw nie to you Epa. Yea but how shal I resist y e deuel Phi â–ª Not as the supersticious papistes were wont to do with casting oâ— holy water about your chamberâ— w t laying holy bread in your window with pinning a Crosse madâ— of halowed Palmes at your beds head nor with ringing of the hallowed bel or such other beggarly superstitious Popishe deuelish ceremonies Epa. How then Philâ— With faith with prayer and with the word of God Epa. Howe with faith Phile. Cast the eies of yourâ— mind with strong faith on the sedâ— of the woman which hath trodeâ— downe the serpents head and destroyed his power as he saieth by the Prophet O hel I wyll be thy destruction which by death hath put him to flight that had Lordeshippe ouer death euen the Deuill that he might deliuer them whiche throughe feare of death were all their lyfe tyme subdued vnto bondage whiche also as the Apostle saith hath spoyled rule power hath made a shew of theÌ„ openly and hath triumphed ouer them in his own persone So shal you be sure to escape his greuous assaultes For the sonne of God apeared for this purpose euen to destroy the workes of the Deuill Christ was figured by that brasen serpent which God commauÌ„ded Moses to set vp in the wildernes adding this promise vnto it that whosoeuer beyng stricken of the firy Serpentes did loke on that he shoulde be healed After this maner is it betwene
of the opinion of the Papistes whiche say that y e souls of the faithfull go not strait vnto heauen but vnto purgatory there to be boyled in the fyry fornace of the B. of Rome til they haue made satisfaction for theyr sinnes either by them selues in suffringe saye they the most bitter paines of purgatory or els by their frendes in this worlde thorowe Masses Pardons Pilgrimages c. Ep. I beleue that there is none other purgatory for my soule helth but only the precious bloud of my Lorde and Sauiour Christ Iesu. And I beleue y t Christ through his innocency of life and the most greuous paines that he suffred on the crosse hath aboundauntly satisfied for all my synnes hath vnto the vttermost paid al the det that I ought vnto god the father so that nowe through faith in the bloud of Christ I walke with a clear conscience before God forasmuche as there is no dampnacion to them that are in Christ Iesu and that they also are blessed whose sinnes are remitted whose iniquities are couered and vnto whose charge God laieth no wickednes Chr. Ye agre not w t such in opinion as affirme y t the soules of both the faithfull and vnfaithfull slepe vntill the day of iudgement and then shall awake out of slepe so that then the faithfull shall go vnto euerlasting glory the vnfaithfull vnto eternall dāpnation Epa. I beleue that the soul slepeth no more then this my bed sted waketh and talketh with vs. I am fully perswaded y t so sone as the souls of the faithfull are departed from the bodies wherein they were as in a prison enclosed they are straightwaies placed in the glorious kingdome of God And contrariwyse the soules of y e vnfaithfull goe straight vnto the deuil euen vnto hel fire vnto that lake that burneth with fier and brimstone where weping gnashing of teeth is where the worme that gnaweth their consciēce neuer dieth and the moste greuous fier wherwith they are without ceasing intollerably tormented is neuer quenched Is it not thus neighbor Philemon Phi. Yes verely sir. For so ar we taught in the holy scriptures as the history of the ritche glotton and of pore Lazarus with diuers other doo manifestly declare Epa. I faithfully beleue that immediatly after my departure out of this worlde I shall haue a place in the kingdom of God and se the glorious maiestie of god face to face And I pray you good neighbor Philemon rehearse vnto me some comfortable places out of the holy scripture cōcerning y e ioyfull and blessed state of the faithfull soules after this life that I may be confirmed in my faith and be the more willing to depart Phi. I wil do it gladly Balaam said I pray god that my soul may die the death of the righteous and that my last end may be like vnto theirs The Psalmograph saith O howe amiable are thy dwellings thou lord of hosts My soul hath a desire and lōging to enter into the courts of y e lord my heart my fleshe reioyce in the liuing God Blessed are they that dwel in thy house they will be alwaies praysing thee One day in thy courtes is better then a thousand I had rather be a dorekeper in the house of my God then to dwel in the tents of the vngodly The Prophet Esay saith The redemed of the lord shall turn again and come with ioye vnto Sion ther to endure for euer that mirth gladnes might be with thē that sorow wo might flie from them My people saith God shall dwel in pleasant peace in safe holdes and shal haue continual rest with out disturbaunce They shall nether hunger nor thurst heat nor Sunne shall not hurte them For he that fauoureth them shall lead them and geue them drinke of the spring wels They shal eat drink be mery and reioyse for very quietnes of heart Yea their gladnes and their ioy shall continue for euer and euer Daniell saith The wise suche as haue taught other shall glister as the shining of heauen and those that haue instructe the multitude vnto godlines shal be as the starres world without end Esdras saith Be redy to the reward of the kingdome for the euerlasting light shall shine vpon you for euermore Fle the shadow of this worlde receiue the ioyfulnes of your glory O receiue the gift that is geuen you be glad geuyng thankes vnto hym that hath called you to the heauenlye kingdom The author of the boke of wisdom saith The soules of the righteous are in the hand of God the pain of death shall not touch them In the sight of the vnwise they appeare to die and their end is taken for very destruction the way of the righteous is iudged to be vtter destruction but they are in reast And though they suffer pain before men yet is their hope full of immortalitie They are punished but in few thinges neuertheles in many thinges shall they be wel rewarded For god proueth them and findeth them mete for him self yea as the gold in the fornace doth he try them and receiueth them as a brent offring and whē the time commeth they shall be loked vpon The rightous shall shine as the sparckes that runne through the rede bush They shall iudge the nations and haue dominion ouer the people their Lord shall raigne for euer Again The faithfull are counted among the children of God and their portion is among the sainctes The righteous shall liue for euermore their reward also is w t the lord their remembraunce with the hiest Therfore shall they receiue a glorious kingdome and a beautifull crowne of the Lordes hand The holy father Toby prayed on this maner to God O Lord dele with me according to thy wyll and cōmaund my spirit to be receiued in peace For more expedient were it for me to die thē to liue The preacher sayeth The daye of death is better then the day of byrth For precious and right deare in the sight of the Lorde is the death of his sainctes Our sauiour Christ saith The righteous shall shyne as the sunne in the kingdome of theyr father They shall haue the enheritaunce of euerlasting lyfe Thei shal haue a kingdom which was prepared for them from the beginning of the world Thei shal be as the aungels of God They shall be in the bosome of Abrahā Thei shal haue such ioy as no mā shalbe able to plucke it from thē They shall eate and drinke in the kingdom of God the father They shalbe where Christ is and see his glory The holy Apostle S. Paul saith The eie hath not seene and the eare hath not heard neyther haue entred into the heart of mā the thinges which God hath prepared for them that loue him He◠saith also that if our earthy mansion of this
of man â— the thinges whiche God hath prepared for them that loue hym My heart is nowe so enflamed with y e desire of those heauenly and blessed treasures which you haue named to me out of the infallible true word of God y t I most entirely wysh to be losoned froÌ„ this life to enioy these ioyfull pleasures Oh who wold not be glad to chaÌ„ge lead for siluer copper for golde transitory mortall and corruptible thinges for certain immortall vncorruptible thinges earth for heauen sinne for godlines darkenes for light fear for securitie trauel for quietnes sicknes for helth death for life the coÌ„pany of men for y e coÌ„pany of the most hie God his heauenly Aungels and blessed spirites the vile pleasures of this worlde for the inestimable ioyes of the glorious kingdom of God Oh like as the heart desireth the waterbrokes so longeth my soule after the O God My soule is a thurst for God yea euen for the liuing God Oh when shal I come to appere before y e presence of my God O God thou art my god early wil I seke thee My soule thursteth for thee my flesh also longeth after thee in a barren and dry laÌ„d where no water is Thus haue I loked for thee in thy holy place y t I might beholde thy power and glory For thy louing kindnes is better then life it selfe my lippes shal praise thee As long as I â—â—ue wil I magnifie thee on this manner and lift vp my handes in thy name Euse. We reioyse good brother Epaphroditus and geue god most harty thankes that he hath by his holy Spirite wroughte so good and glad will in you to die and to leue this wretched worlde Epa. I moste hartely wyshe to bee losed from this life and to be with Christ. It greueth my soule loÌ„ger to liue in this mortall body And now O Lord dele with me according to thy will and commaunde my spirit to be receiued in peace For more expedient were it for me to die then to liue Chri. Sir how do you fele your selfe Epa. In my body weaker and weaker but I trust in my soule stronger stronger I pray you lay me vp hier in my bed For I begin to waxe very faint and my wynde decreaseth waxeth shorter I thanke you it is wel Neighbours I am troblesome vnto you but I trust I shal not be so long The. It is vnto vs great ioy and comfort to be with you being so godly mynded For in you as in a cleare mirrour we beholde our selues and see what shall become of vs hereafter Of you as of a liuely scholemaister do we learne howe we shall behaue our selues when God layeth the crosse on vs. And we most humbliÌ„ besech God to geue vs the like pacience and thankfulnes Epa. The spirite is willing but the fleshe is weake For in asmuch as I fele in my self present tokens of death am not certain how long y e â–ª Lorde will suffer me to liue or to enioy y e vse of speche I thinke it conuenient to pray again vnto the lorde my God and to commend my sinful soul into his merciful handes Phi. Godly forsoth Epâ— Lord vouchsafe I most humbly beseche the to hear me sinfull creature Chri. The Lorde is nye vnto all them that call on hym yea that call on him in truthe Epa. O Lorde Iesu Christ whiche art the only health of all men liuing and the euerlasting life of them which die in thy faith I wretched sinner geue and submit my self wholy to thy moste blessed wil. And I being sure that the thing can not perishe whiche is committed vnto thy mercye most humbly besech thee o Lord to geue me grace that I maye nowe willingly leaue this frayle and wicked flesh in hope of the resurrection whiche in better wyse shall restore it to me again I beseche thee O most mercifull Iesu Christe y t thou wilt by thy grace make stronge my soule against all temtations that thou wilt couer and defende me with the buckler of thy mercy against al thassaults of the deuill I see knowledge that there is in my selfe no helpe of lyfe and saluation but all my confidence hope and trust is in thy moste mercifull goodnes I haue no merites nor good workes whiche I may alledge before thee Of sinnes and euill workes alas I se a great heape but thorow thy mercy I trust to be in the nomber of them to whome thou wilt not impute their sinnes but take and accept me for righteous and iuste and to bee the enheritoure of euerlasting glory â–ª Thoâ— O moste mercifull Lorde wast borne for my sake Thou diddesâ— suffer both hunger and thirste for my sake Thou diddest preach and teach thou diddest pray faste foâ— my sake Thou diddest all good workes and deedes for my sake Thou suffredst most greuous paiâ—nes and tormentes for my sake And finally thou gauest thy most precious body to die and thy most blessed bloud to be shed on y e crosse for my sake Now most mercifull sauiour let all these thinges profit me whiche thou frely hast geuen me whiche hast geuen thy selfe for me Let thy bloud cleÌ„se and wash away the spottes and foulnes of my sinnes Let thy righteousnes hide couer my vnrighteousnes Let the merits of thy passion and bloud bee the satisfaction for my sinnes Geue me Lorde thy grace that my faith and perswasion in thy bloud wauer not in me but euer be firme and constant that the hope of thy mercy and life euerlasting neuer decay in me that charitie waxe not colde in me finally that the weakenes of my fleshe be not ouercome with the feare of death Graunt me also O moste merciful sauiour that wheÌ„ death hath shut vp the eies of my body yet that the eies of my soule may stil behold and loke vpoÌ„ thee and that when death hath takeÌ„ away the vse of my tongue speche yet that my heart may cry say vnto thee O Lorde into thy handes I geue and commit my soule Lord Iesu take my spirit The. Amen Eu. Sir how is it with you now Epa. Euen as with a ship whiche is tost with the waues of the sea I trust shortly to come vnto the heauen and then shall I be quiet and without all daunger I pray you pray for me Phi. Most gladly Let vs knele down neighbors and beseche the Lord our God for his tender mercies to preserue this our sicke brother from the assaultes of Sathan to kepe him constant and stedfast in his faithe vnto his liues ende that he maye geue vp a good a faithfull soule into the mercifull handes of God Geue me hither the flower of godly Prayers that I in the name of vs al may rede that prayer which is to be said for them that lie at y e point of death The. Here is it Philemon O Moste louing Sauiour gentle redemer whiche
camest into this world to call sinners vnto repentaunce and to seeke vp y t was lost thou seest in what case this oure brother lieth here visited with thy mercifull hand al weake feble sicke and redy to yealde vp his soule into thy holy haÌ„ds O loke vpoÌ„ him moste gentle sauior with thy mercifull eie pitie him and be fauorable vnto him He is thy workemanship despise not therfore the worke of thine own hands Thou suffredst thy blessed body and thy precious bloud to be shed for his sinnes and to bringe hym vnto the glorye of thy heauenlye father let it not therefore come to passe that thou shouldest suffer so great paines for him in vaine He was baptised in thy name and gaue him self wholy to be thy seruaunt forsakynge the deuill the world and the flesh confesse him therefore before thy heauenly father and his blessed Aungels to be thy seruaunt His sinnes we confesse are great for who is hable to saye my heart is clene I am fre from sin but thy mercies O Lord are much greater And thou camest not to cal thâ— righteous but sinners vnto repeÌ„taunce To them that are diseased and ouerladen with the burden of sin doest thou promise ease Thou art that God which willest not y e death of a sinner but rather that he shuld turne and liue Thou art the sauiour whiche wishest all meÌ„ to bee saued and to come to the knowledge of thy truthe Withdraw not therfore thy mercy from him because of his sinnes but rather lay vpoÌ„ him thy sauiÌ„g health that thou maiest shewe thy selfe toward him to be a sauior What greater praise caÌ„ there be to a phisition then to heale the sicke Neither can there be a greater glory to thee being a sauior then to saue sinners saue him therfore O Lord for thy names sake Again let the law be no corsiue to his conscience but rather geue him grace eueÌ„in this extreme agony and conflicte of death to be fully perswaded y t thou by thy death hast takeÌ„ away all his sinnes fulfilled the lawe for hym and by this meanes deliuered him from the cursse of the law and paid his raunsome that he thus beinge fully perswaded may haue a quiet heart a fre conscience and a glad will to forsake this wretched world to go vnto his lord God Moreouer thou hast conquered hym that had rule of death euen sathan suffer him not therfore to exercise his tiraÌ„ny vpoÌ„ this our sicke brother nor to disquiet his conscience with the terrours of sinne and paines of hell Let not Sathan nor his infernall army tempte him further then he is hable to beare but euermore geue him grace euen vnto his last breath valeantly to fight against the deuil with strong faith in thy precious bloud that he may fight a good fight and finish his course with ioy vnto y e glory of thy name and the healthe of his soule O Lord so worke in him by thy holy spirite that he with all his hearte maye contempne and despise all worldly things and set his mind wholly vpon heauenly thynges hopyng for them with a stronge and vndoubted faithe Againe let it not greue him O swete sauiour to be losoned froÌ„ this vile wretched â—arcaâ—e which is now so full of sorow trouble anguishe fickenes and paine but rather let hym haue a bent and ready wyll thorowe thy goodnes to put it of yea and that with this faith that he at the last day shall receiue it again in a much better state then it is now or euer was froÌ„ the daye of his birthe euen a body vncorruptible immortall like to thy glorious body Let his hole heart and mynde be set only vpon thee Let the remembraunce of y e ioyes of heaueÌ„ be so ferueÌ„t in his brest that he may bothe patientlye and thanckfully take his death and euer wish to be with the in glory And when the tyme coÌ„meth that he shall geue ouer to nature depart from this miserable worlde vouchafe we most huÌ„bly beseeche the o Lord Iesu to take his soule into thy handes and to place it amonge the glorious company of thy holy angels blessed saintes and to kepe it vnto that most ioyful day of the generall resurrectioÌ„ that both his body soule thorow thyne almighty power being knit agayn together at y t day he maye for euer euer enioy thy glorious kingdom sing perpetuall praises to thy blessed name Chri. Amen Epa. O God be merciful vnto me and blesse me shewe me the lighte of thy countenaunce and deale fauourably with me Lighten mine eies that I slepe not in death least myne ennemy say I haue preuailed against him For if I be cast downe they that trouble me will reioyse at it But my trust is in thy mercy my heart is ioyfull in thy saluation Phile. Sir how do you Epa. My bodely sight is gone Phi. The Lord gaue it you and the Lorde hath taken it away againe As it hath pleased the Lord so is it come to passe blessed be the name of the Lorde Now that God hath taken away the sight of your corporal eies behold the Lord your God with the eies of your faith and doubte you not but that shortly you shall see the glorious maiestie of god with the eies of your soule euen as he is face to face whiche shalbe vnto you suche ioy and so great coÌ„fort that no tounge is able to expresse nor no heart able to thinke it Epa. I beleue and am assuredlye perswaded that I shall see the plesures of the Lorde in the lande of the liuing Phile. CoÌ„tinue in this faith vnto the end and you shall surely be saued Ep. As God hath taken away my syght so do al my other senses decaye Phi. Though by the appointment of God you lose your bodely speache yet shall your soule in the heauenly kyngdom sing prayse and magnify the Lord your God worldes without end And all be it the bodely hearing be taken away from you yet shall your soule in the kingdom of God hear such swete pleasaunt delectable thinges as neuer mortall man heard nor may hear the like Againe although your going and the vse of your whole body be taken away from you and your body returne vnto the earth from whence it came yet doubte you not but your soule being once deliuered out of the prison of your body shal serue the lord your god perfectly and ioyfully follow the Lambe Christ. whither so euer he goeth Epa. O Lorde deliuer my soul out of the prison of the body that I maye come vnto thee and glorify thy holy name CoÌ„maund my spirit to be receaued in peace for more expedient were it for me to die theÌ„ to liue Phi. Be on good comfort sir God in this your troble and bitter agony of death is present with you and when he seeth conuenient tyme
and an euerlastinge agremente betwene God and you It deliuereth you from death and bringeth you vnto eternall glory It maketh you a Citezin of the newe heauenlye Hierusalē where if you continue stedfast in this faith you shall remaine for euer and euer in a most blessed and ioyfull state hauinge the fruition of Gods glorious maiestie in perfecte glorie worldes without end vnto your exceading ioy and vnspeakeable comfort Euse. Sir Behold the life of this our brother beginneth to drawe vnto an end Phi. Yea rather he now begīneth to chaūge a mortal life for an immortal life The life that is led in this world is rather a shadow of a life then a very life indede Now brother be strong in the faithe of Christe Remember Christ crucified Remēber Christe to be your alone sauiour Remember God y e father to bee your merciful father Forget not y t all your sinnes are washed away in Christes precious blud that by y e vertue of his death passion you are made heire of euerlasting saluation Brother if you can speake aunswere If you can not speake shew some outward signe token that it may be a testimonye vnto vs of your faith godly departur Chr. Lo he holdeth vp his hand Eu. God be thāked Phi. He semeth yet to heare Perswade your selfe moste dere brother y t God euen now calleth you out of this vale of wretchednes vnto the ioyful enheritance of his euerlasting kingdom wher you shall not liue miserably w t sinfull men as you haue done in this world but you shall gloriously reigne with that moste mighty God with his holy aungels and blessed saincts Now begins your ioy your solace your cōfort Now begīneth your true life which shalbe euerlasting Now is the end of al your sorowes come now beginneth your vnfained ioy and true felicitie Now shal ye se y e glorious maiestie of God face to face Now shall you behold perfectly know al y e godly y t haue ben from the beginning of the world and be mery and reioyse with thē Now shall you se your sauior and elder brother Christ as he is Now shall you bee clothed w t the white garments of immortalitie Nowe shal you haue a crown of gold set vpon your head Now shall ye eat of the tree of life whiche is in the mids of the Paradise of God and drinke of the fountains of liuing water Now shall you be a pillare in the temple of your God and sit with him on his seat And these your ioyes shall be euerlasting neuer haue end Unto these ioyes shal you straight waies go for euermore enioy them Th. Our brother is euē now departed frō this world vnto the Lord our God as you spake these words vnto these ioyes shal you straightways go for euermore enioy them he gaue vp the ghost and now reasteth in the Lord. Phi. The Lord our God be praysed Our brother hath made a godly end He hath geuen vp a good spirit into the hands of the liuing God He is I doubt not of the nomber of them of whose death it is written Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his sainctes Blessed are they that die in the Lorde His life before men was vnrebukeable and blameles He liued iustly and vprightly with his neyghbours He was frendly to al godly men and ennemy to no man He was both a sincere fauourer and a diligent folower of Gods most holy word He abhorred all sectes Papistes Anabaptistes Libertins c. Not withstanding alway praying for their amēdment that they knowledging theyr errors might with vs confesse one God one truthe in the vnity of the spirit He was a deare frende to suche as were studious of good letters to widdowes to fatherles children to pore yonge maides mariages to yong mē that had not wherwith to set vp theyr occupations to the prisonners to those poore people which wer not hable to get theyr liuing to pore housholders to the reparing of hie wayes such like What a will he made ye knowe His end also ye know Chr. A christen and godly end made he God geue vs al grace to make the like Phile. Of a good life commeth a good death if the departure of the godly may be called a death not rather a passage vnto a better life Wel his body now slepeth in the Lorde and his soule raigneth in glory with God Euse. God graūt him vs al a ioyfull resurrection The. Amen Phi. Neighbours before we departe let vs all kneele down geue God the father thākes for y e godly departure of this our christen brother Chri. It is conuenient so to do Phi. Geue me hither the Flower of Godly prayers I will rehearse the thankes geuing vnto God for y e departure of the faithfull out of this worlde Eu. Lo here is the boke Phil. The name of the Lord our God be glorified Chr. Both nowe and euer Amen Phi. O how can we moste louing father rendre vnto the sufficient thanckes for thyne inestimable goodnes toward thy faithful seruants whome thou calling out of this wretched worlde vouchestsafe to place in thy heauenlye kingdom among the glorious cōpany of thy holy angels and blessed saincts O full precious is the death of thy faithfull in thy sight Blessed are y e dead that die in thee O Lord For they are at rest from their painfull trauails labours The soules of the righteous ar in thy hand O God and the pain of death shal not touche thē In the sight of the vnwise they appeare to die but they are in peace They shine as the sparckes that runne thorow y e redde bush They glister as the shining of heauē They are as y e starres worlde without end They are as the aungels of God They are clad w t white garmēts haue goldē crownes vpon their heds They do seruice day night before the glorious throne of thy deuine maiesty They neither hōger nor thirst anye more neyther doth the sun or any heat fal vpon them for the lambe which is in y e mids of y e throne gouerneth thē and ledeth them vnto the liuinge foūtains of waters They folowe the lābe whithersoeuer he goeth They haue such ioyes as eie hath not sene nor eare hath heard nether is there any heart hable to thincke them Infinite and vnspeakeable are the treasures O Lord whiche thou haste laide vp for them that depart in thy faith For these thy fatherly benefites toward the souls of the faithfull and for that it hathe pleased the to call this our Christen brother from this vale of misery vnto thy heauenly kingdome we geue vnto the moste harty thankes humbly beseching thee that thou wilt take like care for vs so gouerne vs with thy holy spirite bothe in sickenes and in healthe that we may liue a good and godly life in this
Be mercifull after thy power If thou hast mutch geue pleÌ„teously if thou hast litle doe thy diligence gladly to geue of that litle For so gatherest thou thy selfe a good reward in the day of necessitie For merci deliuereth from all sinne from death and suffreth not the soule to come in darknes A great comfort is mercy before y e hie God vnto all them that shew it In the time of thy youth take hede thou defilest not thy selfe with whoredom but bring an honest chaste body vnto the blessed state of honorable wedlocke And when the ripenes of thy age doth require y e to marry take hede whome thou chosest to be thy yokefellow Follow not the corrupt manners of y e wicked worldlings which in chosing their wiues haue their principall respect vnto the worthines of the stocke vnto the welthines of the frendes vnto riches beauty and suche other worldly vanities Consider thou rather y e godlines than the worthines of the maides parentes the honest and vertuous bringing vp of her her chaste and sober behauoure her Christen and godly manners her modestie grauitie sobrietie and womanlines her faith obedieÌ„ce humilitie silence quietnes honestie howsewiuelines and such other fruites of Gods spirite Let her be no Papist nor Anabaptist nor Epicure but one of the houshold of faith and such one as feareth the Lorde God vnfaynedly With suche one couple thy selfe in the feare of God and knowe her to be the gift of God as SalomoÌ„ saieth house and richesse may a man haue by the heritage of his elders but a discrete wyfe is the gift of the Lorde Therfor when thou art once ioyned with her in y e holy order of Matrimonie seeke after no strange fleshe beware of whoredome entangle thy selfe with no other womans loue but be glad with y e wife of thy youth Let her brestes alway satisfie thee hold thee euer content with her loue And if God send thee childreÌ„ thanke him for them and study to bring them vp in the feare nourtour doctrine of the Lorde that they may learn to know God eueÌ„ from the very cradels Order thy houshold godly and honestly Cherish thy seruauntes geue them their couenauntes remembring y t thou also hast a maister Lorde in heauen Loue thy neighbours dwell quietly among them Lend vnto theÌ„ gladly whatsoeuer they nede if thou hast it Oppresse not thy tenaunts Raise not thy rents Take no incomes nor synes Be content with the olde and accustomed paimentes Bringe vp no newe customes Maintaine the lawfull liberties of y e town wherin thou dwellest Be no vnprofitable meÌ„ber of the common wealth Diffame no man but speake well of al men Hurt no man but to the vttermost of thy power be beneficiall to all men Let neuer pride haue rule in thy mind nor in thy word for in pride begaÌ„ al destruction Who so euer worketh anye thyng for thee immediatly geue him his hire and loke that thy hired seruauntes wages remaine not by the ouernight Loke that thou do neuer vnto an other man the thing that thou wouldest not another man should do vnto thee Eat thy bread with the hongry poore and couer the naked with thy clothes Aske euer counsell at the wyse Be alwaye thanckefull vnto God and beseche hym that he will order thy wayes and that whatsoeuer thou deuisest or takest in hande it may remayne in hym My sonne do these thynges and God shal blesse thee and prosper all thy doinges WHat shall I say vnto you my little Daughters I pray God blesse you â–ª and make you ioyfull mothers of many Children Serue God Obey your mother Be diligent to please her Geue eare to her wholesome admonitions and folowe them Do nothing without her counsell and aduisement Whan your age shal require to be maried followe the counsel of your mother and other of your faithful freÌ„ds which wish you to doe well in choising your husbandes Take hede ye be not corrupted with the giftes of noughty packes nor deceiued w t the flattring tongues of wicked vnthrifty persones For many in these our daies seeke not the woman but the womans substance Couple your selues with suche as feare God loue his worde and be of honest report And when ye be once maried reuerence your husbands know theÌ„ to be your heads gouernours appointed of God obey them submitte your selues vnto them Suffer not your loue to depart froÌ„ your husbands neither know any maÌ„ besides them but kepe the bed vndefiled y t your Matrimony may be honorable pure in the sight of God of his holy coÌ„gregatioÌ„ And if God blesseth you with children loke y t you bring them vp in the glory of God in his fear and doctrin Engraffe in their yong brests euen froÌ„ their tender age vertue godlines and good maÌ„ners loke wel vnto your houshold and be an example vnto your maides of godlines and honestie Be no gadders abroad nor haunters of Tauernes but kepe your houses continually except some earnest and lawfull busines prouoke you to go forth Be no bablers nor vain talkers but for the most part vse silence For sileÌ„ce is an ornameÌ„t and precious Iewell vnto a godly womaÌ„ Aparell your selues in comely aray with shame fastnes and discrete behauioure not with broyded hear ether gold or pearles or costly garmeÌ„ts but as it becommeth women y t profes godlines thorow good workes Let the hid man whiche is in the heart be without all corruption so that y e spirit be at rest and quiet which spirit before God is a thing much set by For after this maner in the olde tyme did the holye wemen whiche trusted in God tier them selues and were obedient to their husbandes euen as Sara obeyed AbrahaÌ„ and called him Lord whose daughters ye are so long as ye do wel If you obserue these fewe lessons which I your sicke father haue now geuen vnto you doubt ye not but ye shall right well prosper and liue a ioyfull quiet life on earth Yea God shalbe your father and defendor Wel stande a side a little whyle Gods blessing be with you Come hither ye my seruauntes SIrs ye see in me what shal be the end of all fleshe euen a departure from this world For we are but strangers pilgrimes on the earth as our fathers were before vs. We haue no continuing citie here but we seke one to come The ordinaunce of God is that all men shall once die There lyueth no man that shall not die A man in his time is but grasse and flourisheth as a floure of the field Our life is euen a vapour that apeareth for a little time and then â—anisheth away On this condiâ—ion came we into the world that we shuld leaue it again We haue â—een sure of death euer sence we were conceiued in our Mothers wombe These thinges do
ye now â—e practised in me y e time of my departure out of y e world is at hand I thought it good therfore to send â—lso for you to take my leaue of â—ou til we mete again in y e kingâ—om of God I thanke you for the â—ood seruice y t ye haue done me I â—aue not forgotten your seruiseaâ—le hearts and good wils toward â—e If the good pleasure of God â—ad bene that I shuld loÌ„ger haue â—ontinued with you I wold haue â—onsidred your seruice better But â— haue geuen to euery one of you â—uche portion of mony as shal deâ—are some part of my thanckefull â— wel willing heart toward you This nowe remaineth to be craued at your hands As ye haue hetherto faithfully truly honestly serued me in my life time euen so after my departure so long as yeâ—tary here shewe the like faithfulnes truth honestie toward your mistres Consider that as loÌ„g as I liued I was a stay vnto her vnto her thinges But nowe her chief hope next vnto God consisteth in you Therfore I pray yoâ— loke well vnto the thinges which appertaine vnto her Se that nothing go to wast Prouide that through your diligeÌ„ce her things may rather encrease then decrease Ye knowe rightwell the dutie of a good seruaunt notwithstanding euen at this my departure from you I wil put you in rememâ—braunce of it that wheÌ„ I am gonâ— ye may yet remeÌ„ber my admonitions the more spedely aunsweâ— vnto your vocatioÌ„ The duty of a good seruaÌ„t is to serue his maister and mistres willingly with a fre courage euen for conscience sake not with the eie but with y e heart to obey them to honor theÌ„ gently to aunswere them not to picke or steale away their goods but to be faithfull vnto them in all thingee Se therfore y t ye on this manner behaue your selues towarde your mistres auoid al stubbernes churlishnes cursed speakinges telling of tales lying picking wast idlenes negligence and sluggishnes Eschue all euill and riotous company Fly dronkennes and whordome Abstaine from vaine othes and folishe pastimes So behaue your selues in all your life conuersation that the name of God his doctrine be not euil spoken of Yea let the lyghte of your godlye behauioure so shine before men that ye may do worship to the glorious gospell of our sauior Christ in al thinges And in thus seruing your mistres with a glad ready faithfull will thincke your selues to serue the Lorde your God and to do that thing whiche is pleasaunt in his godly sight and that he also will se your paines recompensed as the holy Apostle saith ye seruauntes be obedient vnto theÌ„ that are your bodely maisters in al thinges not with eie seruice as men pleasers but in singlenes of hart fearing God â–ª And whatsoeuer ye do do it hartely as though you did it to the Lorde and not vnto men knowyng that of the Lorde ye shall receiue the inheritaunce for ye serue y e Lord Christ. But he that sinneth shall receiue accordynge vnto his synne For there is no respect of persons with God If ye serue your mistres truly and faithfully hereafter when ye shall your selues be housholders God shall likewyse send you true and faithful seruauntes But if ye serue her falsly and vngodly then shal ye of your seruauntes be likewise serued hereafter For with what measure that ye mete withall shall other mete to you again saith our Sauioure Christ. Liue therefore according to your vocation in the feare of God ye shall prosper right well God shal blesse you neuer leaue you succourles as the holy man Toby sayth Be not afrayd truthe it is we leade here a pore life but great good shal we haue if we fear God and depart from all sinne and doe wel Wel the blessing of God be w t you I am very faint Ph. No maruell For ye haue talked a greate while Epa. I trust my talke hath not bene euil Phil. Forsoth it hath bene both good and godly I pray God geue bothe them and all vs grace to followe these your moste wholesome and christen admonitions But sir will it please you to take your leaue of your wyfe chyldren and seruauntes geue your self to reast for a litle whyle Peraduentur it shal do you much good Epaphro Slepe I can not And I am lothe to let them goe from me For the sight of them is comfortable vnto me and as me thincketh easeth my payne Chri. God coÌ„fort you ease your payn Epa. Before they depart from me I wysh greatly euen in their presence to confesse my faithe y t both you and they may be witnesses before God the worlde that I die a Christen man Phile. Although we nothing doubt therof yet we greatly desyre to heare the confession of your faith that we may be able to testifie hereafter that you departed in y t faith of Christ. Epa. Heare then I Unfainedly beleue w t my hart and frely coÌ„fesse with my mouth that there is one only true lyuing immortall and euerlasting God God the father God y e sonne and God the holy gost .iii. distinct persons in the godhead and notwithstaÌ„ding one very God in substaÌ„ce of like maiestie glory might power iudgement and will As touching the first parson in the deitie I vnfainedly beleue w t my heart and frely confesse with my mouth y t he is the God which alone is the father not only of our Lorde and sauiour Christ Iesu whom of him self froÌ„ euerlasting he begot his natural sonne therfore likewyse true and immortall God but also of all y e faithfull not by nature but by adoption whom he hath chosen to be his children in Christ Iesu before the foundations of the worlde were laide to loue fauour cherish comfort norish gouern defend and blesse theÌ„ both corporally and spiritually This God the father I beleue confesse to be almighty and hable to do whatsoeuer his godly wil pleasure is â–ª With him all thinges are possible There is nothing to hard for him to doe neither is any thynge vnpossible in his syght This God the father almighty I beleue and confesse that he is the creator and maker of heauen and earth and of all thynges contained in theÌ„ Of nothing by his woÌ„derful and almighty power made he the heauens with the blessed aungels and heauenly spirites that are in them Thone he chose to be his glorious seate the other he made to be his Ministers to do his blessed will and holy commaundement This God the father almighty made also the earth of nothinge with her encrease gaue breath to the people that are in it and spirit to theÌ„ that dwel therein The heauens the earth and the sea w t all that euer is coÌ„teined in them are the creatures of this God the father almyghtye created vnto this ende