¶ A frutefull treatise and ful of heauenly consolation against the feare of death Wherunto are annexed certeine sweet meditateons of the kingdom of Christ of life euerlasting and of the blessed state felicitie of the same Gathered by that holy marter of God Iohn Bradford ¶ Perused corrected augmented according to the originall Imprinted in Fletestrete neere to saint Dunstons Churche by William Powell Ecclesiasti 5. MAke no taryinge to turne vnto the lord and put not of from day to day For suddenly shal his wrathe come and in the day of vengeance he shall destroy thee Stande fast in the way of the lord bee stedfast in thine vnderstandinge and followe the word of peace and righteousnes ¶ A treatise agaynst the feare of death BEING mynded through the helpe of God for myne own comfort and encouraging of others to speake something of Deathe at whose doores thoughe I haue stande a great while yet neuer so nere to mans iudgement as I do now I think it most requisite to cal cry for thy helpe Oh blessed saut our Iesus Chryste whiche hast destroyed death by thy deathe brought in place thereof life and immortalitie as by the gospell it appereth graunt to mee true liuely fayth wherethrough men passe from deathe to eternal lyfe that of practyse and not of naked speculation I may somethynge wryte cōcernyng death whiche is dredful out of thee in it selfe to the glory of thy holy name to myne owne comfort in thee and to the edifying of al them to whō this writing shall come to be red or hearde Amen ¶ There be .iiii. kindes of death one whiche is naturall an other which is spiritual a third which is temporall and a fourth which is eternal Concerning the first and the last what they be I nede not to declare but the second and the third perchaunce of the simple for whose sake especially I wryte are not so soone espied By a spirituall deathe therfore I mean such a death as the body lyuing the soule is dead Wherof the Apostle maketh menciō in speaking of widdowes which linyng daintely being a liue in body are dead in soule Thus you see what I meane by the spirituall death Nowe by a temporall death I mean such a death wher throught the body and affections therof are mortified that the spirite may lyue Of which kynde of deathe the Apostle speaketh in exhorting vs to kyl our mēbers And thus muche of the kindes of death wherin the iudgement of the worlde is not to it approued for it careth lesse for spiritual dea the then for naturall deathe it estemeth lesse eternall death then temporal death orels wold men leaue syn which procureth both thone and the other I mean spiritual eternal death and chose temporally to dye that by naturall death they myght enter into the full fruition of eternall lyfe whiche none can enioy nor enter into that here wil not temporally dye that is mortifie their affections and crucifie their lustes and concupicences For by obeying them at the first came death as we may reade Genesis the. 3. If Eue had not obeyed her desire in eatinge the forbydden fruite wherby she died spiritually none of these kyndes of death had euer come vnto man nor ben knowen of vs. Therfore as I said we must nedes here temporally dye that is mortifie our affectiōs to escape the spiritual death and by naturall death not onely escape eternal death of soule body but also by it as by a dore enter into eternall life which Christ Iesus our Sauiour hath procured and purchased to and for al that be in him translatinge eternall deathe into a sleepe or rather into a delyueraunce of soule body from all kinde of mysery synne By reason wherof we may se that to those that be in Christe that is to such as do beleue which beleuers I meane are discerned frō others by not walking after the flesh but after the sprite to those I say death is no dāmage but a vantage no dreadfull thing but rather desierable of all messengers most mery whiles he is loked vpon with the eyes of faith in the gospell But more of this hereafter Thus haue I briefely shewed thee the kyndes of deathe what they be whence they come and what remedy for thē But now̄ for as muche as I am purposed hereafter to entreate onely of the first kynd of death that is of natural death somthing to comfort my self others against y e dreade and paynes of the same I wyll speake of it as God shal instructe mee and as I accustome with my self to muse on it now̄ then the better to be prepared against the houre of temptation I haue shewed howe that this naturall death came by spiritual death y t is by obeying our affectiōs in y e trāsgressiō of gods preceptes but through the benefite of Christ to such as be in him die temporally that is to suche beleeuers as labour to mortyfie their affections it is no destruction but a plaine dissolution both of soule and body from all kynde of perils daungers miseries and therefore to such is not to be dread but to be desired as wee se in the Apostle whiche desired to be dissolued And in Simeon which desired to be losed saying dismisse or lose mee O lorde By whiche wordes he semeth plainly to teache that this life is a bōdage and nothinge to be desired as now I wyll somthing shewe First consyder the pleasures of this life what they be how long they last how painefull we come by them what they leaue behind them and thou shalt euen in thēse nothing but vauitie As for example how long lasteth the pleasure that man hath in the acte of generatiō How painfully do mē behaue theym selues before they attayne it how doth it leaue behind it a certaine lothsomnes and fulnes I wyl speake nothing of the sting of cōscience if it be come by vnlawefully Who wel seinge this and forecasting it aforehād woulde not forgoe the pleasures willingly as farre as neede wyl permyt suffer If then in this one wherunto nature is moste prone and hath most pleasure in it be thus alas how can we but thincke so of other pleasures Put the case that the pleasures of this life were permanente during this life yet in that this life it selfe is nothing in comparyson and therfore is ful wel compared to a candell light whiche is sone blowne out to a flower whiche fadeth away to a smoke to a shdowe to a sleepe to a runnynge water to a day to an houre to a momente and to vanitie it selfe who wold esteme these plesures and commodities which laste so lyttle a while Before they be begonne they are gone and past awaye Howe muche of our tyme spende wee in slepyng in eating in drinking and in talking Intancie is not perceiued youth is shortly ouerblowen
ioyful together If sinne the lawe the deuyll or any thinge would crepe into the bed and lie there then complaine to thy husband Christ and forth wyth thou sahlte see hym playe Phinees parte Thus my dearly beloued I haue geuen you in fewe wordes a summe of all the Diuinitie which a christian conscience can not want ¶ A Prayer whiche Ihon Bradford sayd a little before his death in Smithfelde MErcifull God and Father to whom our sauiour christ approched in hys feare and nede by reason of death founde comforte gracious God most bounteous Christe on whoÌ„ Stephen called in hys extreame neede receiued strength moste beninge holy spirite which in the middest of all crosses death diddest comfort the apostle s Paule with more consolations in christ then he felt sorrowes terrours in the worlde haue mercy vppon me a most miserable vile wretched sinner which nowe drawe nere the gates of death deserued both in soule body eternally by reson of my manifold horrible old newe transgressions which to thine eyes O lorde god are opeÌ„ and kuowen Oh be merciful vnto me and forgeue me for the bitter death and bloud sheddinge of thine onely sonne Iesus Christe And thoughe thy Iustice do require in respect of my sinns that nowe thou sholdest not heare me contemning thy dayly callinges yet let thy mercy which is aboue all thy works and wherwith the earthe is filled let thy mercy I say preuayle towardes me thorow the merites mediation of christ our sauiour for whose sake it pleaseth thee to bringe me forth now as one of his witnesses a record bearer of thy verity and trueth taught by him to geue my life therfore To which dignity I do acknowledge deare god that there was neuer anye so vnworthy and vnmeete no not the thefe that haÌ„ged with him on y e crosse I humbly therfore pray thee that thou wouldest accordingly ayde helpe assist me with the streÌ„gth and heauenly grace y t with christ thy sonne I may finde comforte with Stephen I may see thy presence and gracious power wyth Paule and all others whych for thy names sake haue suffred afflictious and death I maye finde so present with me thy gracious coÌ„solation that I may by death glorify thy holy name set forth ratify thy verity comforte y e hartes of the heauy confirme thy church in thy truth coÌ„uert some that are to be conuerted and so depart out of this miserable world wher I do nothing but dayly heape sinne vpon sinne and enter into the fruition of thy blessed mercy wherof now geue increase in me a liuely taste sense and felinge wherthrough the terrour of death the torments of fier the pains of sin y e darts of Sathan the dolours of hell may neuer ouercome mee but may be driuen away through the working of that most gracious spirite whych now pleÌ„teously endue me withal that through the same spirite I maye offer as nowe I desire am redye to do in christ by him my self wholy soule and body to be a liuely sacrifice holy acceptable in thy sight deare father whose I am alwaies haue ben euen froÌ„ my mothers wombe yea euen before y e world was made to whoÌ„ I commende my selfe faith name familye frendes countrey and al the whole church yea euen my very ennemies accordinge to thy good pleasure besechinge thee entierly to geue once more to this realme of Englande the blessinge of thy worde againe with godly peace to the teaching and settinge forth of the same Oh deare Father now geue me to come vnto thee purge so purify me by this fier in Christes death and passioÌ„ thorowe thy spirite that I may be a burnte offeringe of swete smel in thy sight which liuest raygnest with the Sonne the holy ghost nowe and foreuermore worlde without ende Amen Ephe. v. ☞ Awake thou that slepest and arise from the Dead and Epriste shal shew light vnto thee Certein faults escaped In the 7. leafe first side reade in the margent thus By loking on our olde faulles In the 13. leafe and second syde adde to y e later note iÌ„ y e margeÌ„t Felicitie which we obtain by Death In the 43. leafe in y e title of the Introduction read Diuinitie And in the other titles for Instruction read Introduction iiij kindes of death Spiritual death what it is 2. Tim. 5 Temporal death Cols 3. Sinne is the cause of death By what meanes death came into the world Roma 8. Naturall death Death what it is to christians Philip. 1. Luke 2. This liffe is not to be loued in respect of the pleasures ther of beinge nothynge else but vanitie What this lyfe is marke here and learne This life is more to be loched for the myseries theÌ„ loued for the pleasures ther of The myseries of this life concerniÌ„g the body The miseries of this life concerniÌ„g the soule BylokiÌ„g on our olde falts teÌ„ptatioÌ„s and other mès falts we maye see what daunger we are al wais ready to fall into Great weighty causes for vs to be sadde and heauy lyttle to ioy in the pleasures of this lyfe An apte coÌ„parison betwene a ship on the sea the lif of man for what daungers are so great what so like Beholde the greate miseries mischiefs that this life is in danger of on euerye syde 1. Cor. 2. Iob. 5. Iob 8. Iaco. 4. Iohn 8. Psal 91. How short transitory and misera The life of man is the scriptures doe euerie where declare The breuitie vanitie and miserie of this life shoulde cause vs little to regarde it 1. Pet. 7 Apoc. 7. The commodities wherto death bringeth vs shoulde make vs wylling to forsake this lyfe The commodities of this lyfe mixed with discommodities lest we should loue them to muche The pleasures of this life what they are in coÌ„parison of the pleasure of the life to coÌ„e The blessed state of the life to come 1. Co. 2. Psal 84. The vehement desire and loÌ„ging of Goodes sainctes to be dissolued and to be with god Psal 24. Psal 63. Roma 8. Apoc. 22. Philip. 1. Math. 24. 1. Thes 4. Math. 2â— Apoc. 7. The glory and felicitie of Gods children in the kingdomâ— of God Death y e Hauen of eternall life The miseries and dangers we passe and the Phil. 3. Mat. 13. Dan. 12. Mat. 17. Cor. 15. Io. 3. 1. Cor. 15 Now folish sensles are thei which in respecte pect of so glorious a state will not gladly forsake so miserable a lyfe 1. Cor. 2. Apo. 44. The claritie and brightnes of Gods children in his kingedome aboue the seuen told brightnes of the suÌ„â— Apoc. 22. Apoc. 21. Lacke of fayth is y e cause whi we do so lyttle desire to be out of this synfull lyfe An obiection procedinge of the sense of synne reason whiche is an aduersary to fayth 1. Iohn 1 Iob. 25. Psal â—â—â— Psal 141 Thre thinges wher by the afflicted conscieÌ„ce may be assured of pardon forgeuenes Esay 43. Esay 1. Ezech. 33 Iohn 3. Philip. 2. Math. 11 Iohn 3. Luke 5. Iohn 15. Heb. 5. 1. Tim. 1. Act. 16. Heb. 9. Act. 8. Mark 6. Luke 17. 1. Iohn 1 1. Iohn 2 Luke 1. Rom. 5 Rom. 8. Rom. 10. 1. Thes 4. 1. Cor. 15. The greatest dishonor to god is to dout of his mercy Luke 1. in y e word only wee beholde gods loue fauoure towardes vs therfore wee shold geue credit to it against al our sense reasoÌ„ and iudgmeÌ„t * Iohn 12 Psal 130 Deathe what it is by y e word of god 2. Cor. 5 whi death oughte to be premeditate and thoughte often vpoÌ„ Iob. 14. Luke 12. Luke 11. The .iiij. last Artycles of the fayth ofteÌ„ to be meditate and thoughte vpon No synne or wante of anye thynge what so euer it bee shoulde cause vs to dispaire of Gods finall fauour and mercy That we are partakers of this communion felowship wee maye not doubt beinge receued ther vnto by baptysme None so greate or grenous a sinner but there is mercy for him wyth the Lord. Cantic 5 Philip. 3 1. Cor. 15 Exod. 34 1. Cor. 13 Roma 6. Iohn 18. Iohn 17 Rom. 8. Esay 12. Esay 11. Psal 44. Iohn 16. 2. Tim. 3 2. Thes 2 1. Peter 2 1. Dan. 7 Psal 45. Luke 17 Math. 13 Esay 53. Daniel 9 1. Cor. 16 Where this eternal life is 1 Iohn 4 1. Tim. 6 Act. 8. 7 What maner of thing this euerlastiÌ„g life is 1. Cor. 2. Iob. 19. 1. Cor. 13 Heb. 11 1. Iohn 3 1. Cor. 19 Psal 16. Psal 17. Apoca. 5. Apoc. 21 Rom. 7. Luke 2. Psal 142 1. Cor. 2. Apoca. 4 Apoca. 5. Psal 84. Psal 24. Psal 13. Roma 8. Apoc. 22. Philip. 3. Math 14 Math 25 Math. 12 Math. 13 Apoc. 7. Psal 77 ☞ 2. Pet. 1. ☞ Math. 26 Actes 7. 2. Cor. 1.
middle age is nothyng olde age is not long and therfore as I said this lif through the consideratioÌ„s of the pleasures and commodities of it shoulde little moue vs to loue it but rather to lothe it God open our eies to see these thinges and to wey them accordingly Secondly coÌ„sider the miseries of this life that if so be the pleasures and coÌ„modities in it shuld moue vs to loue it yet y t miseries might counteruaile and make vs to take it as we shoulde doe I meane rather to desier to be losed and disâ—â—ssed hence then otherwise Loke vpon your bodies se in howe many perils and dauÌ„gers you are Your eyes are in daunger of blindnes and blerednes your eares in danger of deaf nes your mouthe and tongue of cankers tothache and dumnes your head in danger of rewmes megrims your throte in danger of horsenes your handes in daunger of goutes palseys c. But who is able to expresse the nuÌ„ber of disseases wherto mans body is in daunger seynge that somme haue written y t more then ¶ ¶ ¶ diseases may happen vnto man I speake nothing of the hurte that maye come to our bodies by prisons venemous beastes water fier horses men c. A gayne loke vpon your soule se howe many vyces you are in daunger of as heresie hypocriidolatrye courtouines idlenes securitie enuie aÌ„bition pride c. Howe many temptations maye you fall into But this shal you better se by lokinge on your olde falles foily and temptatioÌ„s and by loking on other mens faules for no maÌ„ hath done any thinge so euil but you may do the same Moreouer loke vpoÌ„ your name and se howe it is in daunger to sciaunders false reportes Loke vpon your gâ—oâ—es se what danger they are in for theues for 〈◊〉 c. Loke vopon your wyse children parents bretherne systers kinsfolkes seruantes frendes and neighbours and behold howe they also are in daunger both soule body name goodes as you are Loke vpon the common weale and contrey loke vppon the churche vpon the mynisters and maiestrates se what great dangers they are in so that if you loue them you can not but for the euyll whiche may come to them be heauy and sadde You knowe it is not in your power nor in the power of any man to hinder all euyll that maye come Howe many perils is infancie in danger of what danger is youth subiect vnto mans state is ful of cares age is full of diseases and sores If thou be ryche thy care is the greatter if thou be in honour thy perilles are the more if thou be pore thou art the more in daunger to oppression But alas what tongue is abie to expresse the myserablenes of this lyfe the which considered shuld make vs little to loue it I can compare our lyfe to nothing so fytly as to a shyp in the middes of the sea In what danger is the shippe and they that be in it Here are they in dauÌ„ger of tempest there of quicke sandes on this syde of pyrates on that side of rockes now may it leake now may the mast breake nowe maye the master fall sicke nowe may diseases come amongste the maryners nowe maye there dissension fall amongst them selues I speke nothing of want of fresh water meate drinke and suche other necessaries Euen such an other thinge is this life Here is the diuyll there is the world on this side is the sleshe on that syde is synne which thurowly cleaueth vnto our rybbes and wyll do so long as we be in this flesh and natural life so that none but blind men can se this life to be so muche so greatly to be desired but rather as the men that sayle are most glad when they approch to the hauen euen so should wee be most glad when we aproch to the hauen that is death whiche setteth vs a land whose commodities no eye hath seene no toung can tell no harte can conceiue in any poynt as it shoulde Happy oh happy were wee if wee sawe these thinges accordingely God open our eies to se them Amens If any man would desire testimonies of these things although experience a sufficient mistres is to be credyted yet wyll I here marke certaine places wher vnto the reader may resorte finde no lesse then I saye but rather much more if that with diligeÌ„ce he reade wey the places Iob the .v. calleth this life a warfare In the .vii. chapter he paynteth it out something liuely vnder diuerse similitudes Saint Iames compareth it to a vapour Al the booke of Ecclesiastes teacheth it to be but vanitie Sainct Iohn saith it is altogether put in euill Daniell sayth the best thynge in this lif is but vanitie labour and sorow But what go I her about seinge that almeste euery leafe in the scripture is ful of the breuitie and miserie of this lyfe So that I think as sainct Augustine doth write that ther is no man y t hath liued soo happely in this worlde that wold be content when death commeth to goo backe againe by the same steppes wherby he hath come into the worlde and lyued except the same be in dispaire and looke for nothinge after this lyfe but confusion Thus I trust you se y t though the commodities of this life were suche as could cause vs to loue it yet the breuitie vanitie and miserie of it is such as should make vs little to regarde it which beleeue and knowe death to be the ende of all myseries to them that are in Christ as we all ought to take our selues to be being baptised in his name for our baptisme requireth this faith vnder peyne of damnation although we haue not obserued our profession as we should haue done if so be we nowe repente and come to amendment To suche I say as are in Christ death is to be desired euen in respect of this that it deliuereth vs from so miserable a lyfe so daungerous a state as we now be in Do that I maye well say they are senseles without wyrte voyde of loue to god voide of al hatted sense of sinne wherwith this life floweth that rather desire not to departe hense out of al these miseries theÌ„ here still to remaine to their continuall greefe But if these thynges wyll not moue vs I would yet wee beheld the commodities whervnto death bryngeth vs. If we be not moued to leaue this lif in respect of the miseries wherof it is full yet we should be moued to leaue it in respecte of the infinite goodnes which the other lyfe wherto death bryngeth vs hath moste plentifully Men though they loue thinges yet for things whiche are better can be contente to forgoe them euen so we now for the good things in the lif to come If we consider them shall and wil be content to forgoe the most commodious thinges in this present life
where and when he wyll vinde vp the wouÌ„des of his people and heale theyr plagues Oh that we might haue some liuely sight hereof that we might reioyce ouer the vndefyled unmortall inheritaunce whervnto God hath called vs whiche he doth kepe for vs in heaueÌ„ that wee might heare the sweete songe of his saued people crying saluatioÌ„ be vnto him that sitteth on the throne of our God vnto the lamb that we might â–ª with y e elders and Angels sing and say praise and glory and wysedome and thankesgeuing and honour and power and might be to thee our god for euermore that wee mighte be couered with a whyte stole haue a palme in our handes to stand befort Gods throne night and day to serue him in his temple and to haue him dwel in vs that we might heare y e greate voice saying from heauen behold the tabernacle of the lord is with men and he wil dwel with them and they shall be his people and God hym selfe wil be with them their god Oh happy were they that nowe myghte haue a little she we of that holy citie new Ierusalem descending from heauen prepared of god as a bride decked for her husband which he shewed to his seruaunt saincte Iohn Trewely this should we se if we were with him in the spirite but this can not be so longe as wee are in the fleshe Alas then and well away that we loue this life as we do It is a signe we haue lyttle faith for els how could we but night and day desire the messenger of the lord death I mean to delyuer vs out of all miseries that we might enter into the fruition of eternall felicitie But here wyll some man saye Oh Sir If I were cerrayn that I should depart from this miserable life into that so great felycitie then coulde I be right glad and reioyce as you will mee and byd death welcome but I am a synner I haue greuously transgressed and broken Gods wyll and therfore I am afraide I shal be sent into eternall woe perdition and mysery Here my brother thou doest wel that thou doest acknowledge thy self a sinner to haue deserued eternal death for doubtles if wee say we haue no sinne wee are lyars and the trueth is not in vs. A chylde of a nightes birth is not pure in goddes syghte In sinne were wee borne and by birth or naâ—â—re we are the chyldren of wrath and her brandes of hell Therfore confesse our selues to be sinners wee needes must For if the lord wyl obserue any mannes iniquiries none shall be able to abide it yea we must nedes all cry enter not into iudgement O Lorde for in thy syghte no fleshe nor man lyuing can be saued In this point therefore thou hast done well to confesse that thou art a synner But now where thou stantest in doubte of pardon of thy sinnes and thereby arte afrayde of damnatioÌ„ my deere brother I wold haue thee answere mee one question that is whether thou desirest pardon or no whether thou doest repent or no whether thou doest vnfainedly purpose if thou sholdest liue to amende thy life or no. If thou doest euen before god so purpose desirest his mercy then harken my good brother what the lord saith vnto thee I am hee I am hee that for my owne sake wyll doe away thyne offences If thy sinnes bee as redde as scarlet they shalbe made as whyte as show for I haue no pleasure in the death of a sinner As surely as I lyue I wyll not thy death but rather y t thou sholdest liue and be coÌ„uerted I haue so loued the worlde that I wold not spare my dearelye beloued Sonne the Image of my substauÌ„ce and brightnes of my glorye by whome all thinges were geuen but gaue hym for thee not onely to be man but also to take thy nature and to purge it from mortalitie sinne and al corruption and to adorne and endewe it with immortalitie eternal glory not onely in his owne person but also in thee and for the wher of nowe by faith I woulde haue thee certein as in very dede thou shalte at length feele and fully enioye for euer This my sonne I haue geuen to the death that a muste shameful death euen of the crosse for thee to destroye death to satisfie my iustice for thy sins therefore beleue and accordinge to thy faith so be it vnto the. Harken what my sonne himselfe sayeth vnto thee Come vnto mee al ye that laboure and are laden I will refreshe you I came not into the worlde to damme the world but to saue it I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance I praie not sayth he for these mine Apostles only but also for al them that by theyr preachiÌ„g shal beleue in me Now what prayed hee for suche Father saith he I will that where I am they may also be that they maye see and enioye the glorye I haue and alwaies had with thee Father saue them and kepe them in thy truth Father saith hee I sanctifie my selfe and offer vp my selfe for them Loe thus thou hearest how my sonne prayeth for thee Marke nowe what my Apostle Paule sayeth we know saieth he that oure Sauiour Christes prayers were hearde Also this is a true saying that Iesus Christ came into the worlde to saue sinners HarkeÌ„ what he saieth to y e Iaylor beleue in the Lorde Iesus thou shalte be saued For hee by his owne self hath made purgacioÌ„ for our sinnes To him saith Peter beareth all the prophetes witnes that whosoeuer beleueth in his name shal receiue remissioÌ„ of their sins Beleue man pray Lorde helpe mine vnbelefe lorde increase my fayth aske and thon shalt haue Harken what s Iohn saith If we confesse our sinnes God is righteous to forgeue vs al our iniquities and the blood of our lord Iesus Christ shal wash vs froÌ„ our sinnes For if we sin we haue an aduocate sayeth he with the father Iesus christ the righteous and he is the propiciation for our sins Harken what Christe is called Call his name Iesus saith the Angel for he shal saue his people from their sinnes So that where abundance of sin is there is abundaunce of grace Say therefore who shal lay any thinge to my charge It is god y t absolueth me who then shal condempne me It is Christ which is dead for my sinnes yea which is risen for my righteousenesse sitteth on the righte hande of the father prayeth for me Be certayne therfore and sure of pardon of thy sinnes be certain and sure of euerlasting life Do not nowe say in thy hart who shall descend into the depe that is dobute not of pardon of thy sinns for that is to fetch vp Christ againe neither say thou who shal ascende vp in to heuen that
is doubt not of eternall blisse for that is to putte Christ out of heauen But mark what the lord saith vnto thee the worde is nighe thee euen in thy mouth and in thy hart and thys is the worde of faith which wee preach If thou confesse with thy mouth that Iesus Christ is the lord beleue with thy hart that God raysed him vp from y e dead thou shalt be safe If thou beleue that Iesus Christe died and rose againe euen so shalt thou be assured saith the lord god that dieng with christ I wil bringe thee agayne with him Thus deare brother I thought good to wryte to thee in y e name of the Lorde that thou fearinge death for nothing els but because of thy sinnes mightest be assured of pardon of them so embrace death as a deare friend insulte against his terrour stinge power sayinge death where is thy stinge hel where is thy victory Nothinge in all the worlde so displeaseth the lorde as to doubte of his mercie In the mouth of two or thre witnesses we shoulde be content Therefore in that thou haste hearde so many witnesses howe that in dede desiring mercye with the Lorde thou art not sente empty a waye geue credite thereto and saye wyth the good Virgin Marye beholde thy seruaunt Oh Lorde be it vnto me according to thy word Vpon the which word see thou set thine eie only and wholy For otherwise here thou seest not god thy father but iÌ„ his worde which is y e glasse wherin now we behold his grace and fatherly loue towards vs in Christe therfore herewith we should be content and geue more credit to it then to all our lenses to al the world besides The worde saith our Sauiour shall iudge According to it therfore not according to any exteriour or interiour shew iudge both of thy selfe of al other things els Concerning thy selfe if thou desire in dede Gods mercy and lamentest that thou hast offended loe it pronounceth y t there is mercye with the lord for thee plenteous redemption It telleth thee which wouldest haue mercy at y e lordes hand that the Lorde willeth the same and therfore thou art happy for he woulde not thy death It telleth thee that if thou acknowledge thy faultes vnto the lorde he will couer them in his mercye Againe concerning death it telleth thee that it is but a sleepe that it is but a passinge vnto thy father that it is but a deliuer aÌ„ce out of misery that it is but a putting of of mortality corruption that it is s putting on of immortalitie incorruption that it is a putting a way of an earthy tabertabernacle that thou mayest receiue an heaueÌ„ly house or maÌ„sioÌ„ that this is but a callinge of the home from the watching standing in the warfare of this miserable life According to this 〈◊〉 worde I meane do thou iudge of death thou shalt not be afraide of it but desire it as a moste holsome medecine and a frendly messenger of the lordes iustice mercy Embrace him therfore make hym good chere for of al enemies he is the leaste In ennemy quod I nay rather of all frendes he is the beste for he bringeth thee out of all daunger of ennemies into y e most sure safe place of thy vnfained frende for euer Let these things be ofteÌ„ thought vpon Let death be premeditated not only because he commeth vncerteinly I meane for the time for els he is most certeyne but al so because he helpeth much to the contempt of this worlde out of y e which as nothinge wil go with thee so nothinge canste thou take with thee because it helpeth to y e mortifying of the fleshe whyche when thou fedeste thou doest nothinge els but feede wormes because it helpeth to the well disposing due ordering of the things thou haste in this lyfe because it helpeth to repentaunce to bringe thee vnto the knoweledge of thy selfe that thou arte but earth and ashes and to bring thee the more better to knowe God But who is able to tel the coÌ„modities that come by the often and true consideration of death whose time is therefore lefte vnto vs vncertein and vnknowen although to god it be certein and the bounds ther of not only knowne but appointed of the Lorde ouer the whych none can passe because we should not prolonge and put of from day to day y e amendement of our life as dyd the riche man vnder hope of longe life And seinge it is the ordinance of god commeth not but by the will of god euen vnto a sparrow much more then vnto vs which are incoÌ„parably much more deare theÌ„ many sparowes and in that this wil of god is not only iuste but also good for he is our Father let vs if there were nothing els but this submit our selues our senses iudgements vnto the pleasure of him beynge content to come out of the roume of our souldership whensoeuer he shal send for vs by his purseuant death Let vs render vnto him that whiche he hathe lente vs so longe I meane life leaste we be â—ounted vnthankful And in that death commeth not but by sinne in that wee haue sinned so often and yet the Lorde hathe ceassed from exacting this tribute punishment of vs vntil this preseÌ„t let vs with thankefulnes prayse hys pacience and pay our det not doubting but that he being our father our almighty father can will if deathe were euil vnto vs as god knowech it is a chiefe benefite vnto vs by Chryst coÌ„uert turne it into good But deathe being as before I haue shewed not to be dred but to bee desired let vs lift vp our heades in thinking on it and know that our redemption draweth nigh Let our mindes be occupied in the consyderation or often coutemplation of the four last articles of our beliefe y t is the coÌ„munioÌ„ of saincts or the holy catholike Church remission of sinnes resurrection of the fleash the life euerlasting By faith in Christ be it neuer so saint little or cold we are meÌ„bers in very dede of the catholike holy church of Christe that is we haue coÌ„munion or feloweship with al the saints of God that euer were bee or shalbe Wherby we may receaue great comforte For though our faith be feble yet the Churches faith wherof our Sauiour Christ is the heade is mighty enough though our repeÌ„tance be littel yet the repentance of y e churche wherwith we haue communion is sufficient though our loue be languishinge yet the loue of the church of the spouse of the church is ardent and so of al other thinges we wante Not that I meane this as though any man shold think that our faith shoulde be in any or vpon any other then only vpon god the Father the sonne the holy ghostener ther that any