shall bothe slepe and rest And a ryghtuous man yf he be subdewed of deth he shall be in colenesse And contrary to theyme that are wyked / deth is the begynnyng of euyll As it is saide the death of synners is worst / and euylles shall take an euell man in hys deth So Lazarus shall be comforted whyche hath receyued here his euylles / where as the gloton shall be punysshed bycause he hath receyued here his goodes So it feloweth that a chrysten whether he die or lyue is euer in better takyng / suche a blissed thyng is it to be a chrysten and to beleue in chryst wherfore as Paule saieth To lyue it is Chryst to me / and to dye it is auauntage / and in the .xiiij. to the Roma he that lyueth he lyueth to god / and he that dyeth he dyeth to god / whether we lyue therfore or dye we are the lordes This surenesse hath christ obteyned for vs bycause that he died and rose agayn / that he shulde be lorde both of quykke and dede whiche was a bill to make vs sureâ— bothe in life deth as the prophete sayeth in the xxij psalme If I walke in the myddes of the shadowe of deth I will not feare euilles bicause thou art with me And yf that this adauauÌ„tage of deth do but lytell moue vs / it is a signe that oure faith in Christ is verey weke with vs / for he that doth not well exteme the pryce and value of a good deth / or elles that deth is good / he doth not yet beleue but is ouer moche letre by the olde adam / and the wysdome of the fllesshe yet reynyng in hym / we must therfore laboure that we may be promoted to knowe and loue thys benefyte of deth It is a greate thyng that death whiche is to other the greatest euyll is made to vs the greatest auauntage / and except that Cryst had gotten that for vs / whate grete thyng had he done by gyuyng hym selfe for vs. Truely it was a godly worke that he dyd therfore it was no merueyle to hym to make the euyll of deth most proufitable for vs Therfore deth is nowe dede to faythfull men / and hath nothyng to be feared for / but hys visar and outward face And ys euyn lyke to a serpent whyche ys kylled for he hath the ferefull shape that he had byfore / howe be it yn verey dede there is nothing left but the figure / the euil is dede / and can do no more harme And as in the .xxi. of Numery God coÌ„maunded the brasen serpent to be lyft vp by whose sight the quykke serpentes dyd perisshe Lykewise oure deth by the faithfull beholdyng of the deth of Christ doth perisshe and doth not nowe appere but a certeyn figure of deth So the mercy of God hath figured all thinges to vs that are weke / that he hath destroyed the power of deth / and bycause it can not be vtterly put awey hath made it but a verey figure / for the whiche cause it rather called slepe inscripture then deth The secunde goodnesse of deth is that it doth not onely fynisshe the euilles paynes of this life / but also whyche is letter it maketh an ende of all vice and synne the whiche to theym that be good faithful maketh deth moche more to be desyred then these present goodes wherof we haue spoken / for the euilles of the soule whiche are synnes are without coÌ„parison worse theÌ„ the euylles of the body These onely sinnes yf we dyd sauoure theyme wolde make deth verey acceptable and loued vnto vs / whiche thyng yf they do not / it is a sygne that we do not wel perceyue nor hate the euylles of oure soule Therfore sith thys lyfe is full of perylles / and that synne doth besâ—ge vs on euery syde / and sith we can not lyue without synne / deth is best and most expedient whiche loseth vs from the seperilles / and cutteth synne clene awey from vs therfore in the prayse of a ryghtuouse man it is spokeÌ„ / in the .iiij. of Sapience He that pleased god is made beloued / he lyuing emong synners is translated rauysshed / that malice shulde not chaunge his vnderstoÌ„ding / nether that fayning shulde deceyue his soule for the bewitching of tryfeling doth darken goodnesse / the vnstablenesse of concupisceÌ„ce doth ouerwhelme the witte wyth out malyce O howe true these wordes are and dayly â—ene it is fone roted and hard to be dystroyed But his soule pleased god and for that he hasted to bryng hym out from the myddes of iniquite Euen so thorough the mercy of god deth whiche was to man the payne of synne made to the chrysten the ende of synne and the begynning of lyfe and ryghtuousnesse wherfore it is necessary that he whiche louith lyfe and ryghtuousnesse shulde not abhorre deth whiche is the minyster gate of theym both but rather to loue it / or elles he can neuer come to lyfe ryghtuousnesse / and he that can not loue it / let hym pray god that he may For therfore are we taught to say / thy will be fulfilled / because we whiche fearing deth do rather fauoure loue synne then iustice of oure power be not abyl to fulfil it And that god dyd ordeyn deth to be the destruccyon of synne / it maybe gathered of this / that after synne he put deth vppon Adam by and by / ye byfore he cast hym for the of Paradise / to thinteÌ„t to shewe vs that deth shuld worke none euyl but all goodnesse toward vs syth it was put on hym as a penaunce and satisfaction in paradice Truth it is that by the enuy of the deuil deth entered into al the worlde / but in this was declared the hyghe and godly goodnesse toward vs / that it was ordyned euen at his first begynnyng / not to hurte vs but to be the payne and destruction of synne to oure grete proufit This was signyfyed when be had tolde Adam byfore in the precept / that what houre so euer he dyd tast of that frute he shulde dye / yet after the traÌ„gression he dyd moderate the extremyte and rygoure of the precept / nether dyd he speke one syllable of deth / but sayde onely Thou art erth / and shalt retourne into erth / vntyll thou come ageyne into the londâ— out of the whiche thou art taken And as though he had hated deth wolde not vouthesaus ones to name it / according to the Prophete layng / for there is wrathe in his indignacyon and lyfe in his wyll And semed so to speke / that except deth had byn necessary to the distruction of synne he wolde neuer haue put it vpon man / no / nether yet haue named it ☞ Euen so ageynst synne whiche brought forth deth / the prouysyon of God dyd so arme deth / that here thou mayst se fulfylled the saying of the Poete The maker of deth /
doctrine whyche pretende a coloure of thy name / may sodeynly vanisshe a wey Make that all hypocrisye or fayning of truth ryghtuousnesse or holynesse deceyue no man Make that no man swere by thy name / lye / or disseyue Kepe vs from all falce hope / whiche vnder coloure of thy name offereth it selfe vnto vs. Kepe vs from spirytuall pryde / from the vaine honoure of worldly glorie and name Graunt vs that in all perylles and hurte we may call vppon this thy holy name Graunt that in the straytenesse of conscience / and ieoberdie of deth we neuer forget thy blissed name Graunt / that in oure good wordes and workes we mai onely prayse and magnifye the / so that we nether seke nor chalenge to oure selfe any name or honoure / but to the onely whose alone are all thinges kepe vs from the most dampnabill synne of vnkindnesse Graunt that by oure lyfe / and good workes all other may be mouel to good / and that they wurshyppe and prayse nor vs / but thy name Graunt that by oure euell workes and synnes no man may take occasion to slaunder thy name / or dyminysshe thy prayse Kepe vs that we desire nothing eyther corruptyble or euerlasting / whiche shulde not retourne to the honoure / and prayse of thy name And yf we are anisuche here thou not oure folysshenesse Make that oure life be suche that we may truely be founde thy chyldren / so that this thy name father be not called in vayne or falsly in vs. To this perte of prayer specially perteyn all psalmes and prayers / with whiche we prayse / wurschippe / syng / gyue thankes to god and fynally all the prayse of god ¶ The secunde peticyon Let thy kyngdome come THis wretched lyfe is the kyngdome of all synnes / myscheffe whose lorde is the euell sprete / chief author / gruÌ„de of all malice synne / But thy kingdome is the kingdome of all grace vertue / whose lorde is thy best beloued sonne Iesus crist the heede begynnyng of all grace vertue / wherfore helpe vs most dere father / come agayn in fauoure with vs. Gyue vs bifore all thinges true and constaunte faithe in Christ hope without feare in thy mercy / agaynst all infirmytes of oure weake conscyence / and pure loue towardes the / and all men Kepe vs from infydelyte / desperatyon / and malyce / whyche at the last myght be the cause of oure destructyon Make vs to auoyde the soule desyre of lechery Gyue vs loue to virgynyte / and to all clennesse Delyuer vs from dissentions bateylles / dyscorde and stryfe Make the vertues of thy kyngdome to come and reygne withyn vs. Gyue vs peace / concorde and tranquylyte so that wrathe / or any other vytternesse haue not hys kyngdome in vs / but rather through thy grace the symple swetnesse / and brotherly fayth / all kind of frendshyppe / good maner / gentylnesse and kindnesse Graunt vs that the inordinate trouble and sykenesse of minde haue no place in vs / but make the reioysyng and pleasure in thy grace and mercy rule / and haue dominion And to be shorte / that all synne may be alienate from vs / and that we replenyssed wyth thy grace / vertue and good workes may be made thy kyngdome / that all oure hert / mynde / and sence / with all oure strength inward / and outward may suffer theym selfe to be ruled by the / to serue the / thy commaundementes and thy wyll / not theym selfe or the flesshe the worlde or the deuell Make that this thy kyngdome ones in vs begonne / may be encreasid / go forwarde dayly and growe lest the subtyll malyce / or fleuthe that we haue to goodnesse oppresse vs / lest we loke backe agayne and falle in to synne Gyue vs a stable purpose and streyngth / not onely to begynne thys good lyfe / but rather to ê“cede boldly in it and to ê‘forme it / as the prophete sayeth Lighten myn ces lest I slepe or bewery iÌ„ the good lyfe ones begonne / and so myne enemye do bryng me agayn into his power Graunt / that we may so continue And that thy kyngdome whiche shall come / may fynysshe and perfourme this kyngdome whiche is begonne by the. Delyuer vs from this parylouse / synful life Make vs desyre the other lyfe to come / and to hate this present lyfe Gyue vs grace not to feare death / but rather to desire it Put from vs the loue and desyre of this lyfe / that so thy kyngdome may fully be perfect in vs. Of this peticion are al psalmes / verses / and prayers in the whiche grace and vertue is desyred of god ¶ The thirde petycion ¶ Thy wyll be fulfylleth in erth as it is in heuen IF oure will be compared with thyne it can neuer be good / but is euer euell Thy wyll is euer best specially / and muche to be loued and desyred wherfore haue compassion vppon vs most deare father / and suffer nothing to be as we wolde haue it Gyue vs / and teache vs / true and stable pacyence / when oure wyll is let and broken Graunt vs that when eny man speaketh / holdeth his peace / doth / or leueth vndone / any thyng contrary to oure will / that therfore we be not wrothe or angry / nether curse / compleyn / crye / or murmure nether iudge / nor condeÌ„pne / ye that we defend not oure selfe Graunt that we may mekely gyue place to oure aduersaryes / theym whiche let oure wyll / and so to dysanull oure will / that we may prayse / say well / and do to theym / as to chose whiche do perfourme thy godly and best will against ours Endowe vs with thy grace that we may gladly suffrer all diseases / pouertie dispysinges / persequutions / crosse / and aduersites knoweleging that it is thi wil to crucyfye oure wil. Gyue vs grace that we may suffer iniury and that gladly Kepe vs from auengement Make vs that we quyte not euyll for euyll / nether to auoyde violence / by violence But rather that we delyte in thy will whiche bryngeth vs al these thinges prayse the / and gyue the thankes Make vs that we impute it not to the deuell or euell men / when any aduersyte chaunseth but that we attrybute all vnto thy godly will / whiche ordyneth all suche thynges / that oure will may beleefe / and that blissednesse may encrease in thy kyngdome Gyue vs grace that we may be glad / meryte to dye / that for thi wyll we may take oure deth gladli so that by feare nor infirmyte we be not made disobyent vnto the Make that all oure membres eyes / tongue / herte / handes and fete / be not suffred to folowe they re desyres nether that we be at any tyme subdewed vnder theym but that we eueÌ„ as takeÌ„ and emprysoned may be brokeÌ„ in thy will pleasure
they re hell and mysery Euyn so wolde euery man do / yf he eyther knewe or did beleue suerly his inward euyll he wolde of his owne wyll call vnto hym outward euylles / ye / reioyse in theym / and be no more sadde for theym / then though he were in all prosperyte and felt no tribulacyon as some holy men haue done / emong the whiche Dauid was â—â—e Psalme C.vi Therfore the fyrst coÌ„fortable ymage â—s / to say vnto hym self O thou man yet thou fealest not thyne euyll / be glad gyue thâ—nkes that thou act not coÌ„pelled to feale 〈◊〉 so thyne euyll in comparyson of that gâ—â—â—t euyll is but lyght and easy / that it is tâ—â—t some say I haue deserued moche worsâ—â—e helle / whiche is sone sayd / but it is intoâ—erable to felt And this euell / though it â—eâ—ruer so hydde and secret / yet he bryngâ—â—h forth his frute sensibly / whiche is fearâ—â—â— wauering of the fearfull coÌ„sciences / by â—â—e whiche faythe is fore beseged and assaâ—â—â—ed whyle that man douteth and is vncertâ—â—n whether god be mercyful vnto hym or not and the weaker this frute is / the more â—â—tter is this frute And this onely infyrmite / yf he be well coÌ„sydered and loked on / syth it is spirituall doth ferre passe al bodyly trouble / and maketh it to seme but a trifell / yf that they be well compared to gither Besides this all that the churche speaketh of when she reherseth so oft vanite afliction of the sprete / perteyne to the inward euilles What counseyles do we take in vayn â—howe many of oure purposes are mockeâ— howe many thinges se we howe many heare we that we wolde neither se nor heare / these thynges that some tyme make for oure purpose some time are agaynst it 〈◊〉 so moche that nothing is hole perfait Furthermore / the more honoure dignite â— man is set in the more and greater are his traÌ„sgressions / the more is hes vexed with hetes / waues / and other stormes aboue all other / so that the C.iij. psalme may wel say The reare in the see of this world 〈◊〉 bestes / and greate / and treapyng worâ—â—â— / without nombre that is to say / infinite â—indes of temptations / so that for this cause Iob in the .vij. calleth a mannes lyfe no thing but temptacyon And these are not therfore the lesse euilâ— bicause they be but lytel fealt but bicause they are so in vse and familier with vs we sette the lesse by theym And therfore as god wold also it shuld be they moue trouble vs but seide / all though we can not fully dispyse forget theym And trewe it is that we feale perceaue scaÌ„t the thousand part of dure euylles And yet we feale not those accordyng to the truth and greuousnesse of theym / but measure theym by oure opinion / affection / and mynde ¶ The secunde chaptre of the secuÌ„de image / whiche is the euyll to come or bifore a man IT shall not a lytell easy thy present euyll what soeuer it be if thou turne thy mynde to consyder thynges to come / whiche are so manye of suche efficacyte / that vnto them is onlye ascribed the greate greuous passyoÌ„ of mynde called feare For thus some diffine it Feare is a passyoÌ„ of the mynde about euyll to come iÌ„ so moche that cappostel sayeth / go not about to sa fauoure hyge thynges but feare And the more vncerteyn this euil is / the greater it is / in so moche that it is a comon prouerbe there is none age paste the stable altough this disease belonge to chylder and babes Do that by this ye may gather / that there is no maÌ„ sure fre / from any other mannes infirmyte But what soeuer one man suffereth the same may an other suffer also To this pertayne all storyes tragedyes of all worldes / all the compleyntes of this worlde To this also maye be applyed that certeyn men haue obserued more then iij. hundreth diseases with the whiche maÌ„nes bodi mai be vexed If theÌ„ there be so mani diseases / how many accydentes thinkest thou are there that may chauÌ„ce vpoÌ„ oure goodes vpoÌ„ oure freÌ„des Howe many encoÌ„brauÌ„ces turmeÌ„tes of the soule whiche is the princpall grouÌ„de wherin consist all these euylles / the onely receauer of sorowe sadnesse And the greater a man is in the more dignite / the more the streyngth fealinge of this euyll encreaseth And were rayneth pouertie / slaunder suche other syth they may sone chaunce it is nedefull that they be feared euery houre / euen as though they did hang ouer vs / by a lytell threde Lyke as the swerde whyche dyonisius the tiraunt dyd haÌ„ge ouer his geestes hedes Of all these thiÌ„ges whatsoeuer doth not chaunce vnto the count it for a vanurage / and as it were for a comforte of the euil whiche thou art striken with al / that also here thou mayst be compelled to say with Hieremas It is the merci of god that we are not consumed For whiche so euer doth not come vnto vs / it is kept of by the strong hond of god / whiche compasseth vs with suche power and might as it is shewed in Iob that SataÌ„ and other euylles are wroth that they are kept from vs Therefore we se howe swetely god shuldt be loued when any thyng chaunceth to vs For this most louing father warneth vs bâ— this one euyll to beholde howe many euylles are aboute to subdue vs / if he dit not defend vs as though he shulde say / sathan and the hole hell of euylles persue to subdue the / but I haue prescribed set the ende of the see / haue sayd vnto hym / hyther shall thy swelling waues and come here shal they ceate / and be broken / as he sayeth in the .xxxviij. of Iob. But be it paraduenture that god wil that none of them shall come / yet at the lest that which is called most fearfull of all that is death shall suerlye come and nothing so vnsuer as hys tyme and houre / whyche euyll truely is so greate that we may se many meÌ„ whiche had leuer lyue and continue with al those euilles / them ones do dye to haue theym all fynisshed And to thys one contempnyng all other scripture putteth feare / saying / remembre thy last ende thou shalt neuer synne To this se howe many meditacyons howe many bokes howe many meanes howe many remedies are ymagined / that by the memorye of this one euil they may feare vs from synne / make vs dispyse the world / alleuiate oure passyons / euylles / and coÌ„fort theym that are vexed / by the comparyson of this horrible greate euyll / whyche for all that is necessarye There is no man whiche wolde not desyre to suffer all euylls / yf he myght by those auoyde death /
he may se And the Lord opened hys yies / and he dyd se / and behelde a mountaynefull of horses and charettes of fyre about Helyseus we lacke nowe nothyng but to pray / that oure yies may be opened and that we may fethe churche rounde about vs wyth the yies of the faith Then haue we noting to feare As the Psalme sayeth Mountaynes are about it and the Lord in the compasse of his people from thys tyme present and perpetually / Amen ¶ The seuenth Chapeter of the seuenth ymage which is the good aboue vs. I Speake nothyng of the euerlastyng and heuynly goodes whiche the blyssed haue in the clere syght of god Or at the lest yf I touche theyme / it is in the fayth / by the meanes wherof we may onely obteine theyme But this seuenth ymage is Iesus Chryst kyng of glorye / rysing froÌ„ deth euin as he was the seuenth ymage of euylles / sufferyng / dying / and beyng buryed / here may we se the hyghe and chief ioy of oure hart / and goodes parmanent and stable Here is none euylles at all / for Crist ones reysed from deth / dyeth no more / deth hath no more power ouer hym This is the chemney of charyte / the fire of god in Syon As Esay as sayeth cryst is borne for vs / and not that onely but also gyuen vnto vs. Wherfore his resurrection is myne / ye and all thynges whyche he wrought thorough his resurreccion And as tappostell vnto the Romayns .viij. most copyously gloryeth sayng howe shall he not wyth hym gyue vs all thynges whate wrought he by hys resurrectyon truely he dystroyed synne and raysed ryghtuousnesse confirmed deth and restored lyfe / ouercame hell and brought euerlastyng glorye These thinges are inestimable and suche as maÌ„nes vnderstonding scarce can beleue to be gyuen vnto hym No more then Iacob whyche amased eueÌ„ as though he had wakened out of a grete slepe when he herd sey that his sonne Ioseph dyd reygne iÌ„ Egipt coude not beleue it vntyll they rehersyng all did shewe hym the waynes that were sent from Ioseph So truely it had byn very harde to beleue that suche greate benefytes had byn by Iesu Chryst geuen to vs whiche were vnworthye except that bi many wordes / by many wayes and apperinges he had shewed hym selfe to hys dyscyples So that at the last by great vse and experyence of hys shewyng and teachyng as Iacob was by the waynes we be taught so to beleue Truely Chryst is to vs a true and notable sygne / and wayne whyche is made of god / oure wisdome / ryghtuousnesse / sanctifyeng and redempcion As thappostell sayeth I am a sâ—nne / but I am caryed in his rightuousnesse whiche is gyuen vnto me I am vnclene but hys holynesse is my sanctifieng / wheryn I am swetely caryed / I am folisshe / but hys wysdome caryeth me / I am synfull and dampnabyll but hys innocency is my redempcion hys goodnesse is a sure charyot that caryeth me out of perdycion Thus may euery Chrysten / this stoÌ„ding that he haue feith bost of all the goodnesse merites of Christ nether nedeth he more nor lesse to reioyse in theym then yf he had done theym hym self / and euen so are they hys owne So that nowe he may ioyfully abyde the iugement of god whyche eyles were intollerable Suche a noble thyng is faith Suche profites is getteh for vs. Suche glorious children of god it maketh vs. Nether can we be chylder except we enheryte oure fathers goodes Let then euery Cristen sey with sure trust and confydence deth / where is thy victory deth / where is thy stynge / that is to sey synne for the styng of deth is synne / aÌ„d the power of synne is the lawe Thankes be to god whyche hath gyuen vs the victory / thorough Iesu Chryst oure Lorde / fynally The lawe maketh vs synners / And synne maketh vs subiect vnto the senteÌ„ce of deth who hath ouercome these .ij. oure iustyce oure lyfe nay truely / but Iesus Chryst ryssing from deth â—ondempnyng synne deth gyuyng vs his rustyce / and distributing to vs hys merytes / whyche also by puttyng hys bond vpon vs hath healed vs and geuen vs power to fulfyll the lawe to ouercome deth / to exile synne and to bothe chyldren of god / to whome be honoure / prayse / and thankes wyth out measure / and ende Ammen Thys is the last ymage in the whyche nowe we not onely lylt vp aboue oure euylles / but also aboue oure goodes lately also sittyng in the euylles and perylles to vs purchased by the synne aÌ„d offence of an other / and encreased by oure owne nowe fitte and rest vs in the goodes gotten by the rightuousnesse of an other that is of Iesus cryst onely for vs crucfied we are iustified in his iustice and euen as he is iust ryghtuous / euen so are we that are alyed knytte / and clene vnto hym by fayth This is he that hath gyuen hym self hole to vs. This is he that pleaseth god Thys is the most chyef prest / the true bysshop / the good aduocate oure onely mediator / that continually neuer ceassing in the presence of hys father prayeth for vs. And loke howe impossible it is that he in his iustice shuld not please Euen so impossible it is that we by fayth wherby we cleue vnto his ryghtuousnesse shulde not please And bi these meanes a Chrysten is almyghty / Lord of all thynges / aÌ„d clene without all synne And yf it chaunce that he falle ynto synne yet is it necessary that they hurt not / but are forgeuen for the iustyce of Christ whyche is not a bill to be ouercome whyche dryeth vp and putteth awey all synne / on the whiche also oure fayth doth lene surely beleuyng that Christ is suche a one vnto vs as we haue spoken of hym / and moche better then we are able to declare / for he that beleueth not this / knowith not Christ nether vnderstondeth whate Chryst proufiteth / neither whate he is good for Wherfore euen this one ymage yf there were none other / may encrease suche comfort in vs yf we behold it with a good aÌ„d dylygeÌ„t hert that we shall nothing be sory in oure troubles but rather as though we felt theym not reioyse be glade in Chryst that we haue tribulacions with the whiche reioysing instruct vs chryst hiÌ„ self oure Lordes god whiche is blissed for euer And ¶ A deuoute frutefull and godlye remembraunce of the passion of oure sauioure Christ Iesu THere are certeyne which when they exercyse theÌ„ selues in the meditacion or remembraunce of the passyon which Christ suffered for man kynde / do nothynge elles but were wode and furious agenst the blinde Iues and Iudas theyr gyde thorow whom he was betrayed as an innocent lambe into theyr bloudye and cruell handes Euen as it is the comen maner of them whych are wonte to lament and bewayle the myseâ—ye of theyr