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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13837	The exercise of the faithfull soule that is to say, prayers and meditations for one to comfort himselfe in all maner of afflictions, and specially to strengthen himselfe in faith: set in order according to the articles of our faith, by Daniell Toussain, minister of the worde of God: with a comfortable preface of the author, vnto the poore remnant of the Church of Orlians; containing a short recitall of extreme and great afflictions which the said church hath suffered. Englished out of French, almost word for word, by Ferdenando Filding.; Exercice de l'âme fidele. English.	Tossanus, Daniel, 1541-1602.; Filding, Ferdenando.	1583 (1583)	STC 24144; ESTC S100748	160,179	397

THE Exercise of the faithfull soule That is to say Prayers Meditations for one to comfort himselfe in all maner of afflictions and specially to strengthen himselfe in faith Set in order according to the Articles of our faith By Daniell Toussain Minister of the worde of God With a comfortable Preface of the Author vnto the poore remnant of the Church of Orlians containing a short recitall of extreme and great afflictions which the said Church hath suffered PSAL. 90. Turne thee againe O Lord at the last How long be gracious vnto thy seruants Comfort vs againe after the time that thou hast plagued vs and for the yeeres wherein we haue suffered aduersitie Englished out of the French almost word for word by Ferdenando Filding Imprinted at London by Henrie Middleton for Henrie Denham 1583. To the right worshipfull and his especiall good master Walter Raleigh esquier RIght woorshipfull the great and good affection which I haue borne to you euer since J was first acquainted with you hath alwaies bin a stirring mee forward to bewray the force of my inward good will by some outward shew and now at length it hath compassed that which it coueted of long and offereth vnto you in value more than great first written in French by a woorthie man whose name and profession it beareth now denized in English almost word for word by a well willer of yours though scant able to reach to the originall depth of the natiue writer Yet J thought it good rather to hazard my owne credite with some note of infirmitie than to haue this argument vnharboured in English with the infinite losse of so great a commodity For what is more profitable to a Christian man than to haue his soule continually exercised in the traine and practise of a liuely faith the performance whereof this treatise vndertaketh whose recommendation I will not meddle with least by saying either too too little or too too base J impaire that which will commend it selfe beyond comparison To the English Christian I discharge my selfe by vttering that in zeale which J conceiue to be most profitable for eche his soule To your worship I recommende my labour as the true signe of a trustie mynde wherein if it shall please you to bestowe some though the least time I dare assure you of great profite for the comfort of your conscience and beautifying of your soule Almightie God prosper you in all your good and vertuous attempts and send you that good which both J wish you and this booke pretendeth London the 14. of Iune 1583. Your obedient seruant Ferdenando Filding PRINCIPALL matters conteined in this booke 1 A Preface brieflie reciting the calamities of the Church of Orlians and the comfortes that wee ought to oppose against the same euill 2 The principall Creedes and confession of the vniuersall Church 3 Manie notable places of the olde newe testament fitly applied to euerie article of our faith inriched with considerations meditations and praiers 4 A comfortable discourse of death 5 Praiers for diuers necessities 6 A Treatise of S. Cyprian concerning praier FINIS ❧ VNTO THE poore remnaunt of the Church of Orlians which are scattered here and there groning with true faith after the Lord grace health comfort and peace from and through our Lorde Iesus Christ ABout tenne yeares past when the Church of Orlians was in her flowers and I then hauing this honour to be one of the Ministers thereof then I set forth certaine Prayers and Meditations vppon certaine notable places of the scripture which I had gathered out and laid aside for mine owne priuate vse yet notwithstanding being requested of sundrie good and godlie men I was content that manie others should inioy the same And that they might be pricked forwardes to ardent prayer and to all holie and Christianlike Meditations who were accustomed to waxe cold or at least but leukewarme in time of prosperitie foreseeing likewise that all the rest wherewith the Church doeth glad her selfe in this world was but a truse and small respit and that it behooued them 2. Timo. 3. ver 12. The late M. Caluin in his preface vpon Daniel 61. truelie aduertised the Churches that they should haue as yet great fightes Psal 66.27 Psal 42. The said Churche was of number a seuen thowsand persons in time past Iames 5. which were determined to serue God purelie to make their account that they must suffer great persecutiōs during which prayer is the verie stay and comfort to the faithfull soule As alas long since wee haue well prooued when that all the billowes and stormes of the Lord sith these x. yeares haue passed not alonelie generallie through out all Fraunce but particularlie vppon this poore Church of Orlians which in times past wee haue seene a garden of great pleasure a retraite to manie good men and of all sortes and conditions to bee short it was as the repaire and fould of the Lordes sheep in the middest of all Fraūce Now wee doe see it turned into dust and ashes and to become the dwelling place of Dragons and Scorpions we I say vnto whome God hath giuen this grace to escape so manie blouddie Alaroms yea so manie fearefull deathes that we haue perceiued of what force earnest praiers be and what satisfying contentation the faithfull soule hath with God when as all other thinges doe seeme to faile him in such sort as we haue matter to say with the Prophet Dauid in the 119. Psal verse 92. Had it not bin that thy lawe was my delight I had euen then perished in my afflictions Now as the true seruantes of God haue a zeale vnto the ashes and ruines of Sion when it is turned into dust Psal 10● 9. and forsaken of all the world So cannot I so long as the soule panteth within me cease euer with a burning desire to pray vnto God or to haue care of this so desolate a Church of Orlians willing truelie to say with the prophet Esaiah in the 62. Chap. For the loue of Sion I will not keepe silence and as cōcerning Ierusalem I will not cease vntill her righteousnesse shine out as the light that her saluation be kindled as a Lampe in such sort as setting before my eies that at no time praiers were euer more necessarie than in these dayes being on euerie side full of calamitie neither yet the vse thereof better vnderstood of the true faithful than whē as men are in their true schoole that is to say vnder the Crosse And being likewise since the decease of this second Iosias so Christiā a prince as the late my Lord Elector Palatine Federick vnder whom I haue had this honor to preach the word of God more thā 4. yeares being as it were into mine owne wildernesse a part drawen to meditate lamēt the miseries of our time I tooke againe into my handes these prayers that heretofore I had set forth brought to light dedicated to the Church

that that which is an offence vnto the worlde 1. Cor. 1. to wit the Gospell of the crosse may bee my comfort and my treasure that I may feele the vertue power and strength of this thy woorde euen in all the partes of my soule from this time foorth and for euer more So be it Of the vse of the holie Scripture Out of the 3. Chap. of the 2. Epistle of S. Paul vnto Timothee The whole scripture is geuen by the inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes The first vse of the scripture is to teach vs for where is it that a man shall finde in other bookes the secretes that the scripture teacheth vs It learneth vs on the earth a science which shall remaine in heauen as S. Ierome sayth it teacheth vs to knowe Christ and in him the life euerlasting The Angelles doe woonder at this same doctrine as it is sayde in the 1. Chap. of the 1. Epistle of S. Peter We ought therefore to bring our children vnto this schoole and the eldest also haue to learne in this science all the daies of their liues The scripture is also giuen to confute the gaine sayers to ouercome heretiks to correct vices and to hew them downe as it is sayde in Hosea Hoseah 6. for in teaching that which is good it turneth vs from euill It is also fitte to instruct vs and to giue manie aduertisementes for the gouernement of our liues towardes magistrates fathers of houshouldes and vnto other particular persons A meditation vpon the holy supper whereby we do grow in the Church and doe strengthen our faith drawen for the most part out of S. Cyprian WHen as this good sauiour went to take the cuppe and drinke so bitter of his death and passion his pleasure was to ordaine and offer vnto vs the sweete wholesome lyquor of his bloud with the partaking of his body He raised vp Lazarus going to death and appointed the supper to make our soules to liue Hee then that gaue life vnto others could he not well defende himselfe against death could it haue beene any other than a willing obedience whereby hee would so fulfill our redemption O howe great was the prouidence of this good sauiour which hath giuen vnto vs the partaking of his body before his death to shewe vnto vs that by death hee should not be destroyed and that he would neuer leaue his Church But how What banquet is this heere to eate the flesh of the Lorde and to drinke his bloud Truely it is a woonderfull thing as we doe see in the 6. Chap. of S. Iohn that the Capernaits coulde not comprehende But beholde the secret Iesus Christ spake of his flesh notwithstanding he did not speake fleshlie he spake to eate but it was not for our teeth neither for our bellies concerning the substance of this sacrament his wordes are spirite and life So as these sacred meates be of none other tast nor of any other sauour vnto a carnall and sensuall man But whereas humane sense cannot pearce through there can faith enter and the maner of speaking which seemeth harde vnto vs at the first sight we shall finde them fitly applyed if wee doe vnderstande the language of the scripture Therefore the worde of God sometimees calleth this sacrament bread and sometimes bodie and flesh that by the helpe of these knowen thinges and visible we may comprehende the thinges that are inuisible and spirituall For as the bread nourisheth the bodie euen so doth Christ nourish the soule As the flesh is a substance so is it not by imagination that our soules are nourished but the sonne of GOD incarnate is the cause of this so substantiall a foode of our soules because that he was crucified for vs. As the life is in the bloud so Christ also by his bloud hath giuen vnto vs life and is our life our fleshe our bloud and our life was of a wretched condition but by Christ all the partes of our life are restored But from whence commeth this newe commaundement to partake with the bloud of Christ Was it not forbidden in the lawe to eate the bloud of any beast because that the life was in the bloud Beholde also the vndefiled Lambe The bloud of beastes did shewe vnto vs that our life ought not to be brutish or that we should be giuen to crueltie And the bloud of Christ which wee are commaunded to drinke teacheth vs howe our liues ought to be Christian like and pure that wee might say with S. Paul in the 2. Chap. to the Galathians It is not I that liue but Christ liueth in me Therefore this communion is not a consubstantiation with the Trinitie for there is but the father the sonne and the holy Ghost which are consubstantiall It is not a confusion of persons in Christ but it is an vnion of the heade with the members it is an vnion of affections and of willes a partaking together of the euerlasting riches and in the life of Christ This is a warning to be short that we must not liue vnto our selues but vnto God And as they that haue eaten some excellent meate that hath in it some good sauour doe feele there in a good nourishment and sweetenesse of breath euen so must it be that they which are sedde with this sacred meate and wherein Christ dwelleth that in all their wordes and deedes a man may feele a good smell and that may increase to edification and that all that which they doe may bee vnto the glorie of this great GOD. And so we doe see that it is not the teeth which wee doe sharpen comming vnto this holy banquet but that we do bring hither faith to distinguish the sacramēt from the thing of the sacrament the earthly element from that which is diuine and heauenly and so to consider in one onely Christ the vnion of two natures diuine and humane For altogether like as in the person of Christ Note this comparison of S. Cyprian the humane nature was seene here belowe and the diuinitie was not seene yet did it not leaue to worke great thinges without the chaunging of one nature into another so in the supper we doe see bread and wine but the bodie of Christ we doe not see yet doth it not leaue to worke in vs nowe that he is ascended into heauen And as the bodie of the light which is on high is intire in himselfe howe so euer it be spreade abroade heare beneath So is Christ intire there on high and yet leaueth hee not to partake himselfe fully to euery one of vs without lessening himselfe when as hee giueth himselfe vnto vs which be weake without being inclosed in the bread whē as he is notwithstanding receiued by vs without darkening his maiestie when hee entereth into our small tabernacle and when he will that

whereby the true Church of God is discerned from that false and bastard Church which wanteth both true faith Ephe. 3.14 true inuocatiō Now I bowe the knees of my soule to the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ to the end that according to the riches of his glorie The Pastors of the Church of Orlians that were preserued M. Gallars M. Anton. Chanorrier M. Robert Mason M. Pet. Baron Daniel Toussain he will graunt vs that wee may be strengthened by his spirit that Christ may dwell in you through faith through the which you may be rooted and grounded in all true knowledge of his will And as it hath pleased him in the middest of so manie floudes miraculouslie to keepe the Pastors of your Church whom God be praised he employed alwayes to his seruice that it will please him to shewe you this fauour raysing vp your estate as from death to haue strength to reioyce againe and that quicklie to the end that we may altogether as it were created anew sing vnto him a newe song to his honor vnder the protectiō of the shadow of his winges Frō S. Lābert within the coūtie Palatine this 20. of Iuly 1578. Daniel Toussain THE FOVNDATION and spring of all holy prayers and christian meditatiōs ought to be faith Behold where fore we shall set heere in the entrie the articles of our faith which some call the symbole of the Apostles as in deede they conteine a summarie of the Apostles doctrin as is to be sene of that which is written in the 15. Chap. of the 1. vnto the Cor. vers 3. elswhere it is to be seene by the writings of the elders as by the cathechisme of Cyrill and the treatise of S. Ambrose of Cayne and Abell and in the 8. Chap. of S. Augustines booke named Enchiridion that is to say Manuel that these Articles of the faith were holden amongest them as the true beginninges and foundation of Christian religion I Beleeue in God the Father almightie maker of heauen and earth And in Iesus Christ his onelie sonne our Lord. Which was conceiued by the Holie Ghost borne of the virgine Marie Suffered vnder Ponce Pilate was crucified dead buried he descended into hell The thirde day he rose againe from the dead He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almightie From thence shall he come to iudge the quicke and the dead I beleeue in the Holie Ghost The holie Catholike Church The communion of Saints The forgiuenesse of sinnes The resurrection of the bodie And the life euerlasting Amen IN the yeare of our Lord 273. in the Synode of Antioch was condemned the heresie of Samosatenus who would not auowe Iesus Christ to be the worde subsisting but made thereof a sound or decree of God not a seconde person of his diuinity in such sort as against his errours was published a confession by George Neocoefariensis as is to be seene in the 3. booke of Eusebius IN the yeare of our Lord about 332. 1. Synode called vniuersall was vnder Constantine the Great assembled a Synode or Councel to the assisting whereof there were 328. Bishoppes at Nice a citie in Bythinia there where was chieflie condemned the heresie of Arrius who dinied the true sonne of God equall with the father and of the same substance In this Synode were made plaine and cleare against Arrius the Articles of faith which concerne Iesus Christ by a confession as followeth 1 I Beleeue in one God The Symbol of Nice the Father Almightie maker of heauen and earth and of all things visible and inuisible 2 And in one Lorde Iesu Christ the onely begotten sonne of God begotten of his Father before all worldes 3 God of God light of light verie God of verie God begotten not made beeing of one substance with the Father by whome all thinges were made 4 Who for vs men and for our saluation came downe from heauen 5 And was incarnate by the Holie Ghost of the virgin Marie and was made man 6 And was crucified also for vs vnder Poncius Pilate he suffered and was buried 7 And the thirde day he arose againe according to the Scriptures and ascended into heauen and sitteth at the right hand of the Father 8 And he shal come againe with glory to iudge both the quicke and the dead whose kingdome shall haue none ende 9 And I beleeue in the holie Ghost the Lorde and giuer of life who proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne who with the Father and the Sonne together is worshipped and glorified who spake by the Prophets 10 And I beleeue one Catholike and Apostolike Church 11 I acknowledge one Baptisme for the remission of sinnes 12 And I looke for the resurrection of the dead the life of the world to come Amen IN the yeare of our Lorde 386. Seconde Councell there assembled at Constantinople the second Synode called vniuersall which confirmed and ratified the confession made at Nice adding onely that which followeth against the heretike Macedonius who denied the true diuinitie of the holie Ghost We beleeue in the holy Ghost Lorde and giuer of life proceeding from the father and the sonne who with the father the sonne together is worshipped and glorified HEere followeth the Symbole or confession of Athanasius Bishoppe of Alexandria being chosen fiue monthes after the Councell held at Niece who hath abiden great combats for the pure doctrine of the sonne of God against the Arrians WHosoeuer will be saued before all things it is necessarie that he holde the Catholike faith Which faith except euerie one doe keepe holy and vndefiled without doubt hee shall perish euerlastingly And the Catholike faith is this that we worship one God in Trinitie and Trinitie in vnitie Neither confounding the persons nor diuiding the substance For there is one person of the Father another of the Sonne and another of the Holie Ghost But the Godhead of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holie Ghost is all one the glorie equall and the maiestie coeternall Such as the Father is such is the Sonne and such is the Holie Ghost The Father vncreate the Sonne vncreate and the Holie Ghost vncreate The Father incomprehensible the Sonne incomprehensible and the Holie Ghost incomprehensible The Father eternall the Sonne eternall and the Holie Ghost eternall And yet they are not three eternalles but one eternall As also there bee not three incomprehensibles nor three vncreated but one vncreated and one incomprehensible So likewise the Father is almightie the Sonne almightie and the holie Ghost almightie And yet they are not three almighties but one almightie So the Father is God the Sonne is God and the Holie Ghost is God And yet are they not three Gods but one God So likewise the Father is Lord the Sonne Lorde and the Holie Ghost Lorde And yet not three Lordes but one Lorde For like as wee be compelled by the Christian veritie to acknowledge

therefore will I deliuer him I will exalt him because he hath knowen my name When he calleth vppon mee I will heare him I will bee with him in trouble I will deliuer him and glorifie him with long life will I satisfie him and shew him my saluation The 118. Psalme The Lorde is with mee therefore I will not feare what man can do vnto me The Lorde is with me among them that helpe me therefore I shall see my desire vpon mine enemies It is better to trust in the Lord than to haue any confidence in man I shall not die but liue and declare the workes of the Lord. The Lord hath chastened me sore but he hath not deliuered me to death Thou art my god and I wil praise thee euen my God therfore will I exalt thee The 125. Psalme They that trust in the Lord shal be as mount Sion which cannot bee remoued but remaineth for euer As the mountaines are about Ierusalem so is the Lord about his people from hence foorth for euer A MEDITATION PRAIER as concerning Faith and inuocation drawen out of certaine Psalmes SAint Paule in the 3. Chap. to the Rom. sayth That all haue sinned are depriued of the glorie of God But because that by faith wee doe put on vs Christ who dwelleth in our heartes wee bee so pleasing vnto him as his wisdome as it is saide in the 8. Chap. of the Prouerbs and tooke his delight in the childrē of men Therefore are young and olde great and litle bidden to praise the Lorde euen as we doe see in the 148. Psalme O what an honour is this vnto vs that God will be praised by vs Who is he sayth S. Chrysostom that to be honored and praised by the wormes doth much care for it We be such yet notwithstanding hee will haue vs praise and glorifie him From whence commeth this honor except it be by faith which yeeldeth vs pleasing and setteth vs in honor Yea so pleasing Psal 145. as the Lord offereth himselfe to worke the desires of those that call vppon him in trueth What is it to call vppon him in trueth vnlesse to pray in Faith and to confirme our requestes and desires vnto the word of GOD which is the onelie trueth Wherefore soundeth not out thē the whole world the praises of the Lord Why then goe so manie people roming after strange Gods that cannot saue them What iniquitie haue men found in the liuing God that they digge pittes where there is no water Ieremie 2. and forsake the fountaine of life Is not our helpe in the name of the Lord Psal 124. who hath made both heauen and earth Is this he who hath giuē vs occasion and assurance to trust in him euen from the time that we sucked our mothers pappes And though that he chastice vs holdeth he not dailie the affection of a Father when as in chasticing vs he correcteth vs and in correcting vs aduaunceth our saluation in such sort as Dauid himselfe confesseth that it was good for him to be chasticed Psal 11● to learne the iudgementes of the Lorde Yea and albeit that death should be before our eyes Psal 68. is it not he that hath the issues of death in his hand O Lord suffer vs not to be led away by them that goe farre from thee A prayer Neither yet let vs at anie time communicate with the bloudie Sacrifices of Idolaters Psal 125. Psal 16. Rather graunt mercie vnto the poore bringing them with vs vnto thy sheepefold Make strong the weake and keepe vs from being too presumptuous Rom. 11. seeing that it is by faith and by grace that we stand fast Keepe vs O good Father standing that wee doe not fall 1. Cor. 10. Let vs prooue our selues if we be in faith and let this faith increase that it may shine as gold in the middest of afflictions that it be also stirred vp in vs without ceasing and strengthened by a dailie hearing of thy word meditating of thy bounties and by supplications and prayers that in this fraile and olde ruinous age of the world Psal 62. ● since that the infidels are as an old tottering wall we may be strong sure constant dailie leaning vpon this strong tower and rocke thy sonne Iesus Christ So be it A consideration vppon this which is spoken of the vse of Gods word taken out of the 30. Chap. of the Prouerbes EVerie word of the Lorde is purged and is as a bucklar vnto those that haue proofe in the same Dauid speaketh almost the same in the 12. Psalme Now for a trueth the wordes of the Lord are pure wordes as the siluer be it that we behold his subiect for it interpreteth not of worldlie vanitie as dooth other doctrine but of holie and heauenlie thinges be it that a man consider his effectes And they which doe receaue it by faith feele by it their heartes purged of earthlie thoughtes be it that a man respect the Author of this word which is pure and faithfull in his holy promises more purer than anie fined siluer But as concerning mankinde there is in them no assurance nor no faith as it is said in the first of Esai Thy siluer is become drosse in short there is nothing in men but corruption and deceite And if a man would behold the manifold fires persecutions wherethrough the word of the Lord hath passed it should be seene how much shee hath made triall in that it can consume nothing nor hinder the course of Gods word Great a doe haue they that striue or storme against the word of GOD when they shal persecute it it will shine so much the more and will be alwayes a bucklar vnto the children of God against all manner of temptations euen as Iesus Christ hath shewed vs a godlie example in the 4. Chap. of S. Matthew when he was tempted of the Diuill how we must be holpen with this bucklar Certaine godlie textes taken out of the Prophetes concerning Faith and the assurance that we ought to haue in God The 7. of Esai ver 9. IF you beleeue not Iames. 1. sure you shall not be established For he that wauereth is like a waue of the Sea tost and caried away of the winde The 12. of Esai The faithfull feeling their deliuerāce by Christ shall say Lord I giue vnto thee thankes and albeit thou hast bin angrie with me thy wrath is turned away and thou hast comforted me Behold God is my saluation I wil trust and will not feare for the Lord God is my strength and song he also is become my Saluation Therefore with ioy shall you drawe waters out of the welles of saluation The 25. of Esai The manner of the faithfuls thankesgiuing O Lord thou art my God I will exalt thee I will praise thy name for thou hast doone woonderfull thinges according to the counsels of olde with a stable trueth For thou hast beene a strength

experience and amongest manie temptations learned the deceites of the Diuell oftentimes said that one day he would put hand to penne to write a great volume against Satan to discouer his wiles and craftes and all the kindes of temptations wherewith hee was accustomed to fight against vs. Besides this hee did dailie aduertise the people both priuatelie and openlie that it was not a thing so light as men thought it to haue dailie Satan at our heeles and an enemie so craftie that spied out but the occasion to sift vs and to destroy vs. Now on a time Luther being requested by a good man who suffered manie tēptations and other vnquietnesse for some comfort Hee wrote this vnto him that followeth in a booke brieflie expounding this sentence of S. Iohn set downe before Satan from the beginning of the world was a lyar and through lyes hath a desire to tempt mankinde Behold how Adam and Eue our first parentes were ouertaken and caught which were created vnto the Image of God For hauing beguiled them through lies hee was therein also a murtherer in that that of the immortall they became mortall Not long after hee set Caine against his Brother Abel and did thrust forward the brother to imbrue his handes with the bloud of his brother And this is the manner and guise of all Satans kingdome Hee began through lying to seduce men afterward hee ceaseth not to stirre vp persecutions against the true faithfull which would not cleaue vnto his lies In the meane while hee bringeth his maintainers to dispaire as it is to be seene of Caine Iudas and others Therefore it is for vs to beware of so cruell and craftie an enemie Let vs also beware and take good heede of his false and dreaming doctrines which commeth forth out of his shoppe the end whereof is vtter destruction To be short let vs take heede of lying and crueltie seeing both the one and the other commeth of the Diuell Moreouer let vs marke that our comfort is that Iesus Christ was giuen vnto vs who appeared to ouerthrow and destroy the workes of the diuell And in deede hee was found the stronger that did buind his enemie Satan and draue away the Prince of the world Against his leinges he hath armed vs with the trueth of his Gospell Against death hee gaue vs life giuing himselfe to bee our Emanuel that is to say God with vs. What greater comfort should wee know to desire For if a man would say yea but Christ is in heauen Behold that which Iesus saith If anie man keepe my word hee shall not perish The doctrine of the lawe accuseth vs and setteth downe before vs our condemnation But the Gospell is the word of life and power of GOD to saluation O miserable and wretched world that forsaketh this pretious word The auncient Fathers haue woondred at a hearbe called Panacea which as some say healed all maner of diseases And seeing manie times we doe see that men esteeme more of some little experience of Phisicke that they shall haue against anie sicknes Why then doe they not commend and praise aboue all the doctrine of the Gospell which healeth vs against death Is it because that the world is so earthlie and lustfull which is not otherwise guided but by fleshlie considerations and neither trusteth in God nor in his promises But wee must feare the iudgementes of God For as they which doe keepe this word shall not feare death So contrariwise they that keepe it not shall see the first and the second death And howsoeuer it seeme vnto men that they passe away with eies closed vp vnto death yet neuerthelesse they doe see death whē the bitternesse thereof and the wrath of God present themselues before their eyes Now concerning the children of GOD they see them dailie dying and themselues also doe die But because their soules learne the word of GOD they see not death For hee teacheth them euen as those that doe goe into darke places by the light who see not the darknesse which is ouercome by the light So a faithfull man which possesseth Gods grace doeth not behold death in his nature and as Gods iudgement but as a sweete sleepe whereby wee doe passe into heauenlie rest and how much the more wee beleeue so much the more are wee assured and certaine against death But the more wee be negligent to heare the word of God so much the more wee lie open to terrours and feares O how strong is therefore the faithfull man who is a member of the Church which staieth himselfe vppon the word of God The great warriers Alexander Iulius Caesar and others hauing braued in the world haue beene famous for their onlie prowes they are dead and those commonlie are the most astonied when death commeth as it is read of Adrian the Emperour The Sorrowes of Adrian the Emperour who at the point of death made such like mournings O poore soule naked and a vacabond into what place goest thou now to yeelde thy selfe Alas what shall become of thee thou companion and ghest of my bodie Thou from hence forewardes shalt haue no more pastime Loe this is the vnquietnesse and vnsetlednesse of the people of this world Let vs pray therefore as in the 90 Psalme that God will giue vs grace to consider the shortnesse of our dayes to the ende we may applie our heartes vnto wisedome A prayer vpon this place Out of the 14. of S. Iohn If any man loue me he will keepe my worde and my father will loue him and we will come vnto him and will dwell with him O Lord who is he which will not loue thee syth that thou hast so loued vs to haue giuen thy sonne for vs Nowe because that thou discernest those which do loue thee in deede from hypocrites when as they loue and keepe thy worde giue me grace yea vnto mee that naturally loue but vice and vanitie to loue thy word vnto me that can doe nothing but in thee and by thee to keepe thy worde and to yeelde obedience vnto thee For what a benefite is it to haue thy companie yea this sweete companie of thee and of thy sonne Iesus and of thy holie spirite which thou hast promised to them that wil yeeld themselues affectionated vnto thy worde What greater mischiefe could happen than to be thrust backe and depriued of such a companie For whosoeuer is not with thee it behoueth that hee be with Sathan that is to say with all euill Because that in as much as thou giuest peace felicitie and life vnto them with whome thou dwellest euen so also is sathan the authour of all euill and of all mischiefe Therefore O Lorde giue me grace to abide in thee as the braunch in the vine to bring foorth the fruites of thy glorie to liue in thee and vnto thee to feele thee daily with all the comfortes that thou giuest vnto thine Let thy good spirite succour mee in my weakenesse Rom. 8.