thee For as thou oughtest to reioyce in the iustice of God perse cuting thy sinne euen so reioice in the execution against sinners enemies to God and to man We heare now what excelleÌ„t benefites is fouÌ„d in great and horrible euelê and how we ought to reioyce in our great miseries not because of y e euelê it self but because of the inestimable goodnesse and iustice of God the which taketh vengeaunce of oure sinnes and wickednes ¶ The fift Chapiter of the fyfth consideration of the good on the left hand HEre is to be spoken of the aduersaries that be yet liuing in the world for in the Chapiter going before we haue treated of the aduersaries that be all damned made like to the deuelles but we must consider these heere with an other affection and consider them two maner of waies First they abound and prosper in temporall thingê in suche sort that the Prophetê them selues were almoste moued to enuy theÌ„ because of their felicitie as it is said in the. 73. Psalme My foot had all moste slipped my steps were almoste gone seeyng the wicked in suche prosperitie and felicitie I had euen all moste borne them enuy And in the same Psalme Beholde the wicked habunding in iniquitie haue obtayned great riches And in the. 12. of Jeremy Thou art verely righteous Lord when I doo argue against thee neuerthelesse I shall consider of the thinges that be righteous with thee Wherfore doo I see the wicked prosper the affaires of all those whiche wurk wickednesse and goe forward But y e questions is Wherefore dooth he poure vpon them so great benefites and so vndeserued but to the end to comefort vs and to shew how good he wil be to them that are of an vpright hart as it is saide in y e same Psalme He that is so good to the wicked how muche more wil he be good to the faithful and in that he dooth not tormeÌ„t the wicked with any maner euelles but the good he prooueth them by many euellê that they may know that he is good to them not onely in goodes that be present but also in riches whiche bee hidden and inuinsible that they may say with the Psalmist It is good for me to ioyne my self to the Lorde and to set my hope and trust in my God as if he had said Although I suffer seeing them deliuered and free without trouble yet I haue this confidence that God wil let me feele his clemency and goodnesse muche more then shall they And therefore the disible goodes of the wicked bee spurres to moue vs to trust in the inuisible goodê and to dispise set light by the euellê whiche we suffer It is it that y e Lord Jesus commaundeth vs in the sixt Chapiter of Saint Mathew to beholde the birdes of the ayre and the Lillyes of the feeld saying If God so clothe the grasse whiche is to day in his flowre and to morow cast into the furnace how muche rather wil he clothe you O ye of little faith Wherefore by the comparison of the goodê whiche the wicked abuse and the euelles and miseries whiche wee suffer our faith is exercised and wee obtaine consolation in God whiche is the moste holy consolatioÌ„ and comfort So necessary it is that all thingê happen to the best to y e faithful The other goodes whiche is muche more to be meruailed at is that their euelles be turned to our good and profite as GOD hath ordeined it For all though their sinnes be offensiue to y e weakest and infirm and feeble sâ—â—lê neuertheles they be exercises of vertue and of spirituall battaile and of greater helth to the strong and faithful For blessed is the man that suffreth in temptation for when he shal be tried he shall receiue a crowne of life Now is there a greater temptation then these multitude of moste euell examples And y e cheefe reason why the world is called an enemy to the faithful and electe of God is that by their enticementes and wicked wurkes they may draw vs allure prouoke and turne vs from the way of God to their wayes As is saide in y e. 6. of Genesis The Sonnes of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire and ioyned them selues to them Also in Numeri 25. Chapiter The Children of Israel are falleÌ„ with the daughters of the Moabites insomuche that it is a thing helthful to vs to be continually pressed holden down by some misfortune so that we striuing with the euell occasions of the world fall not into sinne and wickednesse we I say that be so weake Also Saint Peter in the. 2. Chapiter of his second Epistle commendeth Lot for that he suffred many wicked examples of the Sodomites so that he profited and encreaced in righteousnes thorow these thiÌ„gê Therfore it is necessary y e offences happen whiche engender warre and victory Yet notwithstanding wo bee to y e world because of offences Now if God procure vs so great goodnesse in the sinnes and wickednesse of others how muche more ought we to beleeue with all our hartes that hee shall procure and turne into good our euelles and misfortunes although the sence and feeling of the fleshe iudgeth otherwise The world bringeth vs no lesse goodnesse on the other side with his euelles whiche is called aduersitie misery For those whiche he can not swallow by enticementes and incorporate to him self by offences hee assayeth to repulse and put fro him by adueruÌ„tyes and driueth them of by paines and tormentes procuring alwaies against them snares by examples of sin foining out his furies by horrible tormentes and paines This is the monster that the Poets doo call Chimery whiche hath the hedde of a damosell and gratious countenaunce the wombe of a Lion and the taile of a venemus serpent For the ende to whiche the world pretendeth what with his volupteousnes and what w t his tiranny is poisoned death and dampnation eternally So now wee see that God hath made vs to finde our cheef goodê in y e midst of the sinnâ— of y e world to thend that y e persecutious and afflictions whiche he sendeth be not to vs idle nor vaiÌ„ They be or deyned vs for the encreasing of oure benefites in suche wise that the same wherewith the world dooth noy and molest vs be constrained to profit vs. As Saint Augustine saith of the litle Children that Herod put to death That hee neuer profyted so muche by loue and good wil as hee did by hate And Saint Agathe went into the Prison very ioyously as to a banket saying thus If thou doost not tame my bodye by thy tormentors my soule shall not come into heauen for to receiue y e moste blessed crown And as the graine of wheat is not laid vp into the barnes but first is driuen out of the eare and sore beateÌ„ in the ayer barne But wherefore doe wee tary vpon thinges so small seeyng the holy scriptures and all
w tstanding a desease of young boies yea litle Children so that ther is no man what so euer hee be that can be assured to be exempt from the euilles of others what soeuer they be But all that one suffreth an other may suffer y e same also To this apperteineth all the histories and tragedies of all worldes and all the complaintê of this worlde And to this appertaineth also that some doo obâ—…rue more then 3. C. names of mala â—…es by the whiche the humain body â—…ay be tormented Now if there be 〈…〉 many maladies how many thinke â—…e that there bee of other infortune â—…f goodes freendes and finally of the â—…pirit onely whiche is the principall â—…nd subiect to all euelles and the oneâ—…y retract of sorow and misery Now â—…he force and feeling of these euilles â—…roweth so muche the more as the â—…ate is honorable which engendreth â—…t all houres to feare pouerty sicknes ignomini and all other aduersities whiche may come sudainlye in an houre as all thingê hange as it were by a thred like as it were the knife of Denis the tiraunt whiche he hung ouer the hed of his hoste And what soeuer happeneth not of these thingê may be esteemed as cleerly gotten and a great comforte to the euill whiche is present So that wee ought to say with Jeremy This com meth by the great mercye of God that we be not vtterly coÌ„sumed For whiche soeuer of these is not come vpon vs is for that the hand of the Lorde hathe kept it from vs the whiche enuironeth vs on euery side and defeÌ„deth vs so strongly that Sathan and his euilles complaine that they be so letted and preuented as it is shewed in Job wherby we se how muche we are bound to loue y e Lorde as often as none of these come vpon vs and also for that the celestiall Father is so wel affectioned toward vs admonishing vs by this onely preseÌ„t euel to consider how many euels be neer adioyning to vs whiche might take vs if he did not let them as if he should say to vs. Sathan with his confusion of euelles dooth serche thee desiring to fanne thee but I haue blind folde the sea and haue said to it Thy roring waues shall not passe nor ouerflowe but hetherto and shall be broken and consumed as it is said in Job the. 38. Chap. But when none â—…f these thingê come to vs as when â—…od willeth so to be yet at y e least he 〈…〉 at is called the greatest of all terriâ—…e thingê that is death faileth not 〈…〉 come and no thing more incerâ—…aine then the houre of death And â—…ruly this euel is so great that we se â—…any men that had rather liue with â—…ll these aforesaid euilles and misery â—…s then ones to dy end all this misery And the scripture also bringeth â—…s to this onely y t is feare saying Be mindeful of the end thou shalt â—…ot sin Let vs wel remember our selues how many Meditations haue bene made how many meanes hath bene inuented how many bookê composed how many remedyes serched for to returne man from his sinne to rendre the worlde contemptible to moderate the passions and euelles to comfort the afflicted neuerthelesse of necessity death once must come Theris no man whiche desireth not rather to suffer if it might bee all these euils mo sorowes miseryes to auoid death The saintes feared death Jesus Christe him selfe had it in suche horror that his soule was heauy yea so heauy that droppes of bloud dropped from his moste holy body insomuche that our good and merciful God sheweth that there is no euill in the whiche is more neede to comfort the feble and weak then in this euil as is to be seen heereafter As now all these thingê be common too all men as be also the benifites of helth commen in the same euilles to them Moreouer the christians haue a new and needful cause to haue in horrour and too feare the euel to come the whiche neuerthelesse dooth surmount all the euelles afore said whiche is that saint Paul deseribeth in the. 10. Chapiter of the. 1. to the Corinthians saying He that standeth let him take heed that hee fall not The way is helding and the path slippery our enemy is so puissaunt yea armed with our owne proper force and strength that is to say with our own fleshe and with all oure wicked affections garnished with a numbre of worldly armures hauing the voluptnous delites and plesures on the righthand and many wicked willes and desires on the left hand beside wicked carnall concupiscence with the whiche he is garnished and he hauing suche boldnes to noy to deceiue and destroy vs in a thousand sacions and waies We liue so that we be not assured of our good purposes nor ententes not the minute of an houre Saint Ciprian reciteth many like thinges in his booke of mortality and she with that we must think vpon death as that that commeth sudenly to dispatche these euelles Now this commeth customably to those that consider diligently in their mindes these infinit daungers of hell hauing their hartes firm constant We se that often times they desire to be losed out of this prison of the body despising life and death that is to say all these aforesaid euilles to the ende to bee deliuered from this burden of sinne in the whiche they be in as wee haue said in the first speculation and into whiche they may fall into where of wee wil heerafter speake And so these two reasons be moste true not onely to desire the death but also to dispise all the euils and more stroÌ„gly to beare easely one only euel If the Lord doth so graciously moue any man as it is verely a gift of God to be moued with these thinges for he that is a right Christian dooth not onely desire to be sick but also to dy seeing him self and feeling to be in sinne when he is in helth and also seeing him self at euery houre ready too fall into greater and a greater number of euilles and sinnes and to do without ceassing thingê contrary to the wil of his celestiall Father â—…hiche is so louing Saint Paul bee â–ª â—…g moued with suche a burning deâ—…re after he had complained that he â—…ould not finishe the good that hee â—…ould doo but to doo the euil he would â—…ot maketh an exclamation saying 〈…〉 miserable that I am who shall deâ—…iuer me from this body of death Thankes and praise to God by Jesus Christe he that preferreth this euel of sinne and miserable life before the euell of death loueth not greatly God his father seeing that God hath ordeined the death to this end to make vs an end of this euill and misery of sinne and that death should be a minister of life and rightâ—eousnesse as shall be seen heerafter ¶ The third Chapiter or third consideration whiche is the euel passed â–ª or behinde vs. IN
this euell shineth moÌ„ste excellently and aboue the others the great bountifulnes mercy of God our father mighty to comfort vs in all our anguithes and sorowes For there is not one of vs all that shall feele the hand of God more presently vpon him then when he calleth to memory the yeeres of his life past Saint Augustine saith if the choice were geuen to a man to dy or to returne againe to his first life he would rather choose the death seeing so many euilles and so great daungers that he hath passed and with how great difficulty and pain The whiche sentence is true if it be well considered For as we may se heere how often times that man without his own endeuour without any care yea with out and against his own desire hath doone and suffred many thinges of whiche if he had taken councell before they were done or that he did take councel that after the wurk being finished he was constrained and abasshed in him selfe and to say Too what purpose are these thinges happened to me or how are they come to passe contrary to my entent and thought or that I haue purposed far other wise So that this prouerbe is true Man purposeth and God disposeth That is to say he dooth it otherwise and clean contrary to that maÌ„ hath purposed So that if we had but onely this to beholde we can not deny but our operations oure life and our actes to be gouerned by the counsaile and bountifull puissaunce of God not by our owne prudence Heer wee may see how often times God hath bene w t vs when we saw him not nor felt him and how veritable it is that SaiÌ„t Peter hath said That the mercifull God hath care for vs all Wherefore if wee had nother bookes nor preaching yet our owne liues caried and led thorow so many euelles and daungers would shew vs sufficiently the deuine bountifulnes of God is very neer vs as though he had borne and kept vs in his bosome without our deliberation and without any feeling of vs in any thingê as saith Moises in DeuteronominuÌ„ 32 Chap. The Lord hath maiÌ„teined and defended him as the apple of an eye Hee hath led him ouer all and borne him vpon his shoulders And froÌ„ thence commeth these exhortations whiche be conteined in the Psalmes I haue remembred the daies past I haue meditatid all thy woorkes and I haue thought vpon the woorkes of thy handes I doo remembre all the meruailes whiche haue beene from the beginning I haue bene mindefull of thy iudgementê and haue bene comforted Now these thingê and all other like tend to this end that we may know this that God hathe bene euen then present with vs when we thought not of him and specially when it semed he was absent from vs for hee that hathe receiued vs into his protection without vs yea in so many necessities yea in small thingê and yet while it seemed that he had forsaken and left vs neuertheles he hath not throwen vs of as it is said in Esay I haue forsaken thee for a litle time but I will gather thee againe in my great mercy And let vs ioyn this to it Who is it that hath had care for vs in so many nightes while wee haue slept Who hath cared for vs so ofteÌ„ and so many times as we haue felt our selues greeued when wee wandred about in our owne folies and haue doone numbers of thinges in the whiche wee haue not had respect to our selues or since what time haue we had care or taking charge of our selues When the auaritius man is in care and study to gather great heapes of mony hee dooth diligently and earnestly study and care to seek and heap vp together Also seeing how all our care wil wee or nil we retorneth to God onely and that we be scarsly at any time left to our owne councelles And yet God dooth this onely to instruct vs and to learne vs to reknowledge his great bountifulnes and that sometime we may vnderstand how great difference there is betweene his care and oures By this meanes it happeneth that sumtime he permitteth that we be assailed with some light euil making as though he cared not for vs but truely there is neither day night nor houre but he careth for vs not withstanding yet he letteth and stoppeth that all the euelles whiche bee neere vs come not all at once to tempt vs and proue vs as his deere and welbeloued Children to learne vs to commit all our care to him and to call to remembraunce our life past and considre how muche our care and study is vnprofitable and impuissaunt What doo we profit or what may we profit our selues in all â—ur life Beholde we can not heale a â—ittle hurt on our legge or finger no â—ot in a good space Wherefore doo wee torment our selâ—es then in such great anxiety and â—orow at the pricke of one euell or â—aunger And wherefore doo wee not â—ommit to our good God the care of â—s seeing hee hath chastesed vs by â—o many miseryes and euilles and â—ath preserued vs without our dilygence yea and also our life We can wel witnes the same to knowe these thinges is to knowe the woorkes of God to meditate therin is to be coÌ„â—orted but those that bee ignoraunt â—n those thinges fall into this inconâ—enieÌ„ce of whom it spoken in the. 27. Psalme saying Because they haue â—ot vnderstand nor knowen the wurkes of God nor the wurkes of his handes thou shalt destroy them and not build them vp For those whiche doo not commit vnto God their care â—ea in smal pointes be very vnkinde for all the care that God hath had for them in all their life ¶ The fourth Chapiter of the fourth consideration whiche is the euel or misery vnder vs. HEtherto we haue seene no other thing in all the euilles and miseries whiche we suffer but the goodnes of God is so fauourable and so great that among so many euelles with the whiche we be enuironed in this worlde and be wholy emprisoned in the same yea they bee scarcely permitted to assail vs very seldome so that what soeuer euel or misery it be whiche dooth presently assail vs yet neuertheles it is an aduertisement of a certaine great gain or great goodnes y t God wil honour vs with all when hee dooth not suffer that we be oppressed with the multitude of euels in the whiche we be in For what a benefite is it of God that when one is tempted with a number of miseries and troubles and yet is scant touched with one Yea it is meruail that he is not hurt of all yea and a grace that he is not stricken and ouercome vtterly The first euel that is vnder vs is death the secoÌ„d is hel For if we consider the horrible death of others by the whiche the wicked bee punished we shall see easely what a gaine and benefite it is not to suffer that
auaunce to know and to loue this benefite of death It is a hard saying and difficul to say that the death which is to others the greatist of all euelles shalbee to vs the moste excellent gaine and profit And if Iesê° Christe had not wrought this good in vs what profit were it for vs to habandon and forsake our selues But this wurke that he hath wrought in vs is a singuler deuine wurk For this cause no man ought to dismay for he hath made the euel of death to bee turned to moste good and profit Wherefore death is now to the faithful dead and is not terrible but only the outward apparence euen as a slaine serpent hath yet remaining the terrible figure or apparence of a serpent that hee had and yet is it but the figure or image So there is but one euel dead and it may no more noy or hurt vs. And also as Moyses coÌ„maunded to make a serpent of brasse and to beholde and looke vpon it did put away the stinging of the quicke serpentê as it is said in the. 21. of Numery likewise if our death be looked vpon with a godly eye and stedfast in the faith of Christe it perisheth and nothing appereth but onely y e figure of death So louingly dooth the bountifulnes and mercy of God entreat vs which yet be weaklinges and infirme thorow these and suche like figures because of necessitie death must take vs away Neuerthelesse he hath so ouercome and brought to nought the strength and powre of death that to vs remaineth no more but the onely figure and for this cause the scriptures doo rather call it a sleepe then a death The second benefite of death is that not only it maketh an end of paines and euelles of this present life but also bringeth a more excellent thing that is an end of vice and sin the whiche cheefly maketh death moste desirable to the faithfull soulê yea more then dooth any worldly felicitie as wee haue treated heere before For truly the euellê of the soule whiche is vice and sinne be without comparison worse then the euelles of the body for if we were wise these onely euelles in deede should make to vs death more desirable and more louingly to embrace it whiche if it doo not it is a signe that we feel not that we ought to feel nor yet doo sufficiently hate the euelles of our soulles considering that this life is subiect to many daungers and the falliÌ„g and sliding of sinne dooth compasse vs about with snares on euery syde And finally wee cannot liue without synne Beeholde then that death is a moste singuler good remedy for it deliuereth vs from these daungers it cutteth vs away and deliuereth vs wholy from sinne and therefore the authour of the booke of Sapience concludeth in the praise of the righteouse in the. 4. Chapiter saying Being made at one and beloued of God liuing amongest sinners was taken away and traÌ„sported to the end that sinne and euell should not chaunge his vnderstanding or that deceitfulnesse should not begile his soule for the bewitching of lies and dremes maketh good thinges darke the vnstedfastnes of volupteous desire turneth away the vnderstanding of the siple O how true be these thingê how doo we se this to come pas daily And in an other text Though he was soone dead yet fulfilled hee muche time for his soule pleased God therfore he hasted to take him away froÌ„ among the wicked So it coÌ„meth to passe by the mercy of God that the death whiche was the paine of sinne to man is now made the ende of sin and the beginning of life and righteousnesse to the Christian Therfore of necessitie hee that loueth life and ryghteousnesse loueth also death whiche is the minister and the shop of life and is in no cace afraid of it For otherwise he shall neuer attaine to life nor righteousnes and he that cannot so doo let him be diligent to pray to God that he may haue suche aminde For the cause why God teacheth vs to say thy will be doone is that we can not desire this of our selues but we rather doo abhorre death so that wee doo rather loue sinne and death then life and righteousnesse Therfore did God ordeine death for the destruction of sinne For we may gather by this that incontinent after sin hee set ordeined death to Adam as a deliuerance from sin and that before hee cast him out of Paradice to the ende that hee would shew vs that death neither dooth nor wurketh any euell in vs but is the causer of all good for it was set forth in Paradice in maner of a satisfaction But trueth it is by the enuy of the deuel death is entred into the world but thorow the mercy and goodnesse of God hee dooth cause that death is not hurtful to vs but hath ordeined it from the beginning to bee the punishement and death of sinne for he signified the same when he spake before of death to Adam in the coÌ„maundement Neuertheles he stayed not in his wurds but pronounced death and qualifyed the rigour of the commaundement But GOD did not in plaine wurdê declare death but only said thou art dust and into dust thou shalt return Item thou shalt return into earth froÌ„ the which thou art come As euen then hating death would not name it as it is said Wrath is in his indignation and life in his wil. Now it may be said that if death had not bene necessary to put away sin God would not haue pronounced it But God taketh no other wepons against sinne whiche hath engendred death but death it self Heere is fulfilled that one said properly that the inuentor of death is dead by his owne inuencion also the sinne is destroyed by his owne frute and slaine by the death that he hath engeÌ„dred As a viper is slain by her owne yung serpentê Beeholde a thing moste pleasaunt to heere and vnderstand that sinne is destroyed by no other meanes but by her own proper wurk and her throte cut by her owne knife and her hed cut of by her owne swoord as was Goliath Goliath was the figure of sin This Giaunt was fearfull to all men except to little Dauid that is to say the Sonne of GOD Jesus Christe the whiche hath ouerthrowen this terrible Giant and hath cut of his hed with his owne swoord Now it may be said that there is no swoord meter theÌ„ Goliath owne swoord 1. Samuel 21. Chapiter If now wee doo meditate these ioyes of the vertue of the SoÌ„ne of GOD and the giftê of his grace how should any little euell torment vs seing so great euellê whiche may happen is turned to so great good ¶ The third Chapiter of the third consideration whiche is the good passed or after vs. THis good is easy to consider by his opposit or contrary euel passed onely it is a help to him y t would consider heere Saint Augustine in his confessions
supper Who is he that dooth despise the least porcion of the bread the whiche likewise may not be saide that he hath despised the holy communion or supper Wherefore if wee be angred if we suffer yea if we dy cast our eyes vpon this and beleeue firmly be wee certaine that it is not wee that be sadde or heuy or that doo suffer or that doo dy no we be not alone but Jesus Christe and his Churche suffreth with vs. So is it that Jesus Christe hath willed that the way of death should bee to vs comfortable and that we should passe ouer all our miseries by the same the whiche all meÌ„ haue in horrour and be afraid of But now wee entring into the way of the passion and of the death hauing all the Churche to accompany vs and the Church dooth suffer more constantly then we can our selues so that we may truly appropriat take to our selues that whiche Elie sayde to his seruaunt Giezi whiche was taken with feare in the second of Kinges the sixt Chapiter Feare not for there are more on our sides then of our ennemies And after Elie had praied hee said Lorde y t it may please thee to open the eyes of this Lad that he may se and then the Lord opened the eyes of Giezi and he saw and beholde the mountaine was ful of souldiers and of Chariottes round about Elie. And now their lacketh no more to vs but that wee pray that God wil open our eyes that wee may see the Churche or congregation of GOD round about vs yea the eyes of our faith theÌ„ ther shalbe nothiÌ„g so horrible nor fearful that shall make vs a fraid as is said in the. 134. Psalme As the hye mountaines are round about him euen so standeth the Lorde about his people from this time forth for euermore Amen ¶ The seuenth Chapiter of the seuenth consideration of the good whiche is aboue vs. I Doo not speake of the eternall and celestiall goodê whiche the blessed doo enioy as in a clear light and vision of God but rather or at the least I speake of those according to faith and after the meanes by the whiche these thinges may bee comprehended of vs. Also this seuenth consideration is Jesê° Christ the king of glory rising from death For as we reade in the seuenth consideration of euelles he suffred died was buried so heerewe may beholde y e souerein iÌ„estimable ioy of our hartê and the strength of our felicitie and comfort The Sonne of God beeing raised froÌ„ death dieth no more death shall no more reigne nor haue domination ouer him This is the furnace of Charitie and the fire of GOD in Sion as saith Esay For Jesê° Christ is born to vs and not onely so but is also geuen to vs and therfore his resurrection is mine and all that he hath accomplished by his moste glorious resurrection And as Saint Paul in the. 8. to the Romaines dooth glory and reioyce saiyng How shall he not geue vs all thinges with him Now what hath hee doone in rising from death He hath destroyed sinne he hath raised the righteoê° and iust hee hath swalowed vp death he hath brought life hee hath obtained victory ouer hel and prepared for vs euer lasting glory Beholde the inestimable goodes so that the vnderstanding of man can very hardly perceiue oâ—beleeue that they be geuen to him As Jacob in the. 45. Chapiter of Genesis hearing that his Son Joseph reigned in Egipt he as rising from a deepe and profound dreame myght not beleeue those whiche tolde him those thinges vntil they shewed him the Chariottes with stuffe sent from Joseph Also as difficil and hard a thing it is to vs to beleeue y t so great goodes is prepared for vs by Jesus Christe to vs whiche be so vnwurthy except he him self doo make vs beleue it by his wurd in many sure textes places And as he did appeere and declare him self to his disciples by many apparitions Also he dooth now allure and draw vs to him as by Chariottes by long experience and vsage and this is a Chariot moste gratioê° louing that he is made of God to vs righteousnes wisedome sanctification and redemption As Saint Paul saith 1. Corinthians the. 1. Chapiter I am a sinner but I am borne and lifted vp in his righteousnesse which is made mine I aÌ„ filthy shameful and miserable but his holinesse is made to me my sanctification and my purgation in the whiche I am moste graciously and louingly trained and brought vp I am foolish but his wisedome dooth sustaine and bear me I am wurthy of damnation but his liberty is my sufficient rauÌ„some O Chariot moste sure so that y e Christian and faithful person whiche beleueth the same may asmuche glory and reioyce in all these goodes and merites of our Lorde Jesus Christe as him self had doone them They be his owne proper so that now he may boldely abide the iudgement of God the whiche without this is of all men importable This faith is a thing moste excellent for it bringeth to vs suche inestimable goodes so glorioê° that it dooth constitute vs the glorioê° Children of God for wee can not bee Children but wee must possesse and obtaine the goodes of our father and the enheritaunce Now the Christians may boldely say death where is thy victory O death where is thy sting that is to say sinne for the â—â—ing of death is sinne â–ª and the strength of sinne is the lawe Thankes bee to our Lorde God whiche hathe made vs to obtaine victory by Jesê° Christe our Lord y t is to say The law dooth constitute and declare vs sinners sin maketh vs culpable of death and daÌ„p nation Now who hath vanquished these thinges Is it our righteousnes Is it our good life No truly it is the Lord Jesus rising from death coÌ„demning death and sin making vs partakers of his righteousnesse resigning to vs his merites putting his hand vpon vs and taketh vs to him and fulfilleth the law and ouercommeth sinne and death Now for all these thinges honour geuing of thankes and praise bee to our good God for euer and euer Amen This is the moste souereigne consideration in the whiche we be all redy so by lifted vp not onely aboue our euelles but also aboue our goodnesse and be all ready in possession of the goodes of others gotten by the labor of other in place where we were couched before in the euells of other and conquered by the sinnê of other and augmented by our owne â–ª We be now couched and set in the place of the righteousnes of Jesus Christe y t whiche is to him righteousnes for as muche as we are ioyned to hi which is agreable to God and as a mediatour dooth intercede make request for vs and this moste holy sacrificator and aduocate is made whole altogether oures These thing doo make the Christian to be ful of all strength Lorde of all thinges hauing all â—â—â—nges