that thou neyther art modest truely nor the world truely deade vnto thée or thou to the worlde But giue eare to my words and thou shalt not passe vppon the wordes euen often thousand men Loe if all thinges were spoken against thée that coulde be imagined most maliciously what hurt should they doe thée if thou wouldest let them be borne paciently wouldest not way them any more then a straw vnder thy féete Coulde they take so much as one heare from thee But he that is of a base courage hath not god before his eies that same is soone moued with a taunt or yl report But he that putteth his trust in me dependeth not vpon his owne iudgement the same is voyde of worldly feare I am the iudge and knower of al secrets I know after what sort the thing was done I know both him that hath done the iniury him that hath suffered the wrong done vnto him This matter hath risen of me by my sufferaunce it hapneth that the mindes of many men are disclosed opened I wil iudge both the giltie and giltlesse but first I was minded to search thē both with a secret iudgement Mans testimonie doth oftentimes deceiue my iudgement is full of truth and shal likewise continue neuer to be ouerthrowne And in déede the same is hid for the most part and altogither perceiued of few but it neuer either erreth or can erre though it séeme nothing indifferent or iust vnto fooles Therfore men must flie vnto me in all iudgement neyther aught euery man to vse his own fantasie As for the iust man hée is troubled with no aduersitie of Gods sending or either passeth greatly vpō false reports or gretly reioyceth for the reasonable excuses of other men in his owne behalfe For he that considereth that I am he that searcheth the harts the raynes that I iudge not according to the sight of worldly shew and outwarde apperance For many times in mine eies the thing is found culpable that in the iudgement of men is laudable SERVANT Lord God a iust iudge strong pacient which knowest the frailty corruption of men doe thou become my strength and whole affiance or trust Neither is my conscience sufficiēt for me thou knowest the things vnknowne vnto me and therfore I ought to submit my selfe in al reproofe and to take the same paciently and quietly which thing if I haue not at any time done forgiue me fauorably bestow this benefite vpon me againe that I may hence foorth shewe my selfe more pacient For thy singuler mercy is more profitable to the attaining of pardon then is the opinion of mine owne goodnesse to the defense of my secrete and hid conscience And though I be giltie to my selfe of no sinne yet am I not therefore to be quitte bicause if thy mercy were set a side no man liuing shoulde bée iudged for righteous in thy sight That all greeuous things must be suffered paciently for the lyfe euerlasting The Lij Chapter LORDE SOnne be not eyther brought low with trauailes which thou hast taken in hand for my sake or so greatly discouraged with aduersities but that my pormise may strengthen and comfort thée in all chaunces which am apt yneugh to restore large rewards Thou shalt not labor long in this life nor shalt alwaies be vexed with sorrowes Tarie my leysure a whyle and thou shalt sée a spéedie ende of euils the time shall come when al labor and turmoile shal ceasse It is but trifling and short what soeuer hath an end in time Wherfore go forward as thou hast begon labor faithfully in my vineyard I will be thy reward Write reade sing sigh hold thy peace pray beare out aduersitie like a mā The life euerlasting is worthy al these yea and greater fights Peace shall come vppon thée one daye which is knowne vnto the Lord and it shal not then be the day or night of this time that we liue in but euerlasting light infinit brightnesse firme peace safe rest ease Then shalt thou not thus say Would God I were delyuered from the body of this death Nor yet shalt thou cry thus Alack poore soule that must dwell in thys lyfe so long For both death shal be throwne downe headlong there and there shall be health that shall neuer die no anguishe but blessed ioy swéete and honest company O that thou hadst seene the perpetual crownes of the saints in heauē and with how great glory they now also triumph and reioyce which being once despised of this world were thought then euen vnworthy of their liues Surely thou wouldest forthwith cast thy selfe downe to the grounde and haddest liesser euen to obay all men then to beare rule ouer but one man neither wouldest thou couet the merie daies of this life but rather wouldest reioyce to be pressed with aduersitie for Gods sake and wouldest count it for very great gaine to be had in no maner of regard at al among men Now if these things did like thée and were suffered to sincke soin what déepely into thy minde thou shouldest not dare so much as once to complaine Nay all painefull thinges must be borne for euerlasting life I tel you For either to attaine or to léese the kingdom of heauen is a matter of great importance Lift vp thine eies into heauen beholde where all my faints be present with me who suffred sharpe battaile in thys life Now they reioyce now they take cōfort now they are safe now they take their rest to abide with me in the kingdome of my father for euer Of the day of euerlastingnesse and the anguishes or troubles of this life The Liij Chapter SERVANT O Most blessed Mansion of the supernall Citie O most cleare day of euerlastingnesse which no night doth darcken but the hyghest truth doth alwayes spread hir beames vpon O day alwaies ioyful alwaies safe of state neuer to be changed to the cōtrary O would to God that that day had once shined ouer vs and all these mortall thinges were come to an ende No doubt the same doth shine bright vnto the saintes wyth continuall cléerenesse but yet a farre off as it were in a glasse bicause they are yet but traueilers vpon the earth The Citizens of heauen doe knowe how ioyfull those thinges bée The banished children of Eue doe sighe for that this day of this time both short wicked and full of sorrowes and anguishes is so bytter and so replenished with troubles in which man is defiled with so many sins is entrapped or entangled with so many euils is vexed with so many feares is occupied with so many carkes cares is diuersly drawen with so many curiosities is inwrapped with so many vanities is compassed about with so many errors is worne out with so many labors is thrust downe with so many temptacions is weakened with so many delicates dainties is tormented with so great pouerty
heauenlye that euerye man doth couet himselfe to be so much doth this life become the more vnpleasant vnto him to wéete the more he both féeleth and clearly seeth the offences of mans corruption For to eate to drinke to watch to sléepe to rest to traueyle and to be subiect to all the other necessities of nature is vnfainedly great miserie and calamitie to the godlye person who coueteth to be set frée and at libertie frō all maner of sinne For grieuously is a man pressed downe with the necessities of the bodie in this lyfe and therefore doth the Prophet make humble prayer in these wordes to be deliuered from them O Lorde drawe me out of my necessities But wretched are they that knowe not their owne miseries and agayne more wretched which do loue this miserie and mortall lyfe which some doe so far embrace wheras neuerthelesse through their traueyle and carefulnesse they can scant yet get themselues but necessarie thinges that if they might liue here euermore they would passe nothing at all on the kingdome of god O mad braynes and faithlesse persons who lie drowned so déepely in the earth that lyke wretches they haue naught else in their mindes but carnall things and shall once at the length féele not without torment howe vile and nothing it is that they haue loued so much But those good men of God and all the vertuous sort as many as euer were christs friendes did not looke vpon those things that did please the fleshe or that did make a goodly shew for this present tyme but with all hope and gréedinesse did breath to euerlasting good things and with their whole heart were caried vnto the highest and the inuisible things least they should be drawen down to the lowest things through the leue of the visible O brother do not dispayre in comming forward in godly thinges As yet thou hast tyme and space why then dost thou put of thy purpose from day to day Arise and begin out of hand and reason thus with thy selfe nowe is the time to be dooing now is the time to be fighting now is the time to repent and amende thy life In roughnesse aduersity is the time to deserue Thou must passe through fire and water before thou come vnto refreshing and comfort Except thou minister violence vnto thy selfe thou shalt not maister sinne So long as we beare about this frayle bodie of ours we can not liue without irkesomnesse and sorow In déede we would faine haue rest frō all wretchednesse but bicause through sinne we haue lost our innocency we haue also forgone our true happinesse and felicitie Therfore we must hold vs still vnto pacience and awaite for the mercy of God til such time as vnrighteousnesse passe away and this mortalitie of ours be swallowed vp of lyfe Lorde God how great is mans frailty which euermore is prone vnto sinning This day thou confessest thy sinnes and hauing confessed the same to morow thou cōmittest them againe Nowe presently thou determinest to beware and take héede and within an houre after thy dooings be such as though thou hadst not determined at all Therefore great cause haue we to kéepe vnder our selues and neuer to haue anye great good lyking of our selues which are so fraile vnconstant It may also be sone lost with negligēce which with much traueile hath scantlye béene attayned by the help of god What shall become of vs at the last that do wax warm so soone Wo be to vs that thus traueile vnto rest as though there were peace securitie alredy when as no token of true godlinesse doth yet appeare in our condicions Surely we haue néede to be instructed vnto good maners afresh againe like yong beginners if happily there be any hope of amendment and greater profiting in heauenly things Of the meditacion of death The .xxiii. Chapter SEing thy life shall haue an end so quickly looke wel about thée Man flourisheth to day to morow he is no where and being taken out of the sight of the worlde is by by also forgotten of the same O blockishnesse and hardnesse of mans hart which thinking only vpō things present hath no regard to that that shall come after Thou oughtest in such wise to behaue thy selfe in al both déede and thought as though thou were ready to die by and by If thou haddest a good conscience thou wouldest not much feare death Better it is to beware of sinne than to flie death If thou bée not in a readinesse to day how wilt thou be ready to morrow The daye following is vncertaine How knowest thou whether thou shalt lyue till to morrowe or no What preuayleth it to liue a great while when wée be so little amended in oure liues Surely long lyfe doth not alwayes make a man better Nay oftentimes it increaseth sinne Woulde to God we had behaued our selues well in this life but one dayes space Many doe recken the yeares of their amendment repentaunce when oftentimes the fruite therof is but slender If it be a terrible thing to die perchaunce it is a more perillous thing to liue any longer Happie is he that hath euermore the houre of his death before his eies and frameth himselfe euerye day to die If thou hast euer séene a man dye thinke that thou must passe the same way to Be in doubte in the Morning whether thou shalt liue till the Euening And againe at night be afearde to promise thy selfe lyfe tyll Morning and alwayes bée in such a readynesse and liue in such sorte that death mays neuer fynde thée vnprouided Manye die so dainely and when they looke not for it for the sonne of man will come when we thinke not of his comming When as that last houre shall come thou shalt begin to thinke much otherwise of the whole life passed then thou didst before shalt be in déepe sorrow and heuinesse for that thou hast béene so necligent and so slacke O happie and wise man who endeuoureth now to be such a one in hys lyfe as he wisheth to be founde at the time of hys death For the perfite contempt of the world the earnest desire of commyng forwarde in vertue the loue of discipline or good forme of liuing the labour of repentaunce the readie mind to obey the deniall of himselfe and the suffering of euery calamitie for the loue of Christ are cause of great hope to die wel and happily Thou art able to doe many thynges well whilst thou art in health but being sick I knowe not what thou shalt be able to doe For fewe are made better through sicknesse they that driue of the amendement of theyr life vntill that time are seldome times made Gods seruants Better it is to repent and to liue so now whilst thou mayest as after thou mayst liue for euer Otherwise if thou forgo this occasion and oportunitie thou shalt afterwardes séeke for it to late and the tyme shall be when perhaps
thou shalt in vaine desire to haue no more but one daye one houre to amende thy lyfe Therefore bestirre thy selfe and wey déepely from how great daunger thou shalt be rid how great a mischiefe thou mayst auoyde if thou alwayes warily foresée death Endeuor so nowe presentlye to liue that at the houre of thy death thou mayst rather reioyce than bée afearde Learne now to die to the worlde that then thou mayst liue with Christ Learne nowe to contemne all things that then thou mayst fréely passe forwarde vnto Christ Subdue thy body nowe with repentance and amendment of life that thou mayst haue assured confidence and trust in Christ. Ah foole wherfore doest thou think that thou shalt liue long séeing thou hast no warrant for one day here How many haue béene deceyued and taken out of the worlde sodainly How many times hast thou heard it spoken He was slayne with the Sworde that man was drowned in the water That man fell downe and broke his neck He dyed with meate in his mouth Hée ended his lyfe in playing another with fire another wyth sworde another wyth plague or pestilence another was slayne of théeues Thus death is the ende of all and the life of men passeth away like a certaine shadow Who shall help thée when thou art deade if thou forgo the occasion when thou are alyue Now nowe I say it is time to be dooing whilst both thou art ignoraunt of the houre of death and mayst also safely looke to thy selfe against the time to tome Whilest thou hast time heape vp vnto thy selfe immortall ryches thinke vppon nothing else but vppon thy saluation and passe onely vpon heauenly things Procure thée friendes now that may receiue thee when thou art dead into euerlasting tabernacles Become a Pilgrime and stranger on the earth as vnto whome worldely businesse doth nothing belong Haue a soule frée and lyfted vpward vnto god séeing thou hast no long dwelling or aboade in this life Dyrect thy Prayers and dayly sighyngs wyth teares vnto that place that thy spirite after death may blessedly flit vnto God. Of the last iudgement of God and punishment of sinners The .xxiiij. Chapter IN all things haue an eye to the ende and after what sort thou shalt stande before that seuere Iudge from whom nothing is hid who neither is pacified with bribes nor alloweth vnreasonable excuses but doth iudge according to vprightnesse and truth O wretched foolish art thou O thou sinfull man what aunswere wilt thou make vnto almightie God which knoweth all thy sinnes who sometimes fearest the countenaunce of an angrie man why doest thou not looke vnto thy self against the day of that iudgement wherin no body can be excused or defended by his Attorney For euery man shall haue ynough to aunswere for himselfe Nowe is thy labor profitable if thou list now is thy mourning accepted now may thy sighing be harde and thy repentance pacifie God and purge thy selfe And wholy is the pacient man purged after a healthful sort who receiuing iniury is more sory for the wickednesse of an other man than for the wrong that is done vnto himselfe and gladly craueth pardō for his enimies and forgyueth them with his hart and doth not slacke or foreslow the time himselfe to aske forgiuenesse of them and sooner pittieth than is angrie and oftentymes doth vse violence and compulsion to his owne selfe and endeuoreth to make his fleshe wholye subiect vnto the spirite Now these things are not to bée dryuen off from time to time but must be practised in this life and that also quickely Howbeit we surely doe deceyue our selues through the inordynate loue of our flesh I pray you what else shall that fire burne than sinnes The more thou shalte now fauourably yéelde vnto thy selfe shalt obey thy fleshe so much the more gryeuous punishement shalt thou suffer afterwarde and so much the more plentifull matter shalt thou heape vp to thy selfe to be burned For looke in what things euery man hath sinned in the same shal he be punished againe according to the greatnesse of the sinne There shall the slouthfull be pricked wyth hote burning prickes There shall the Gluttons be tormented wyth bytter hunger and thyrst There shall the lecherous and louers of pleasures be bathed in burning Pitch and stincking Brymstone There shall the enuious howle out like mad Dogges and euery vice shall bée punished wyth hys owne torment There shall the prowd be ouerwhelmed with all reproche and rebuke the couetous persons shall be vexed with most my serable néedinesse To be shorte there one houre of punishment shall be more tedyous and paynefull than was a long time here in the betteryng of our manners There the wretches haue no rest no comfort but here yet is somewhat a pawse of sorrowe and the comforting of our friendes doth quiet our hearts Wherefore be carefull now and be sorie for thy sinnes that in the day of that iudgement thou mayest safely reioyce wyth the blessed For then shall the iust stand with great constancie agaynst those of whome they haue béene vexed and oppressed Then shall he sit as Iudge which nowe humblye submytteth hymselfe to the iudgement of menne Then shall the poore and modest person bée of great fayth and trust whilest the prowde bée in feare altogyther Then shall he séeme to haue béene wise in this lyfe which learned to be a foole and an abiect for Christ his sake Then shall the remembraunce of miserie paciently suffered be pleasant when as all the vnrighteous in the meane time shal be mute and silent Then shall all the godly reioyce all the vngodly shall mourne and sorrowe Then shall the man that before was vexed more triumph reioyce then if he had béene brought vp in continuall dainties then shall course apparell glister and fine garments be dimmed and disgraced Then shall the poore cottage be more praysed then is now the gilded Pallace Then shall constant pacience helpe more then all the power of the world Then shall simple obedience be more extolled then all the subteltie of men Then shal a cleane and good conscience more reioyce a man then learned philosophie Then shal the contempt of riches be of greater price then the whole treasure of all the worlde Then shall godly prayer cause greater comfort vnto thée then the eating of dayntie meates Then shalt thou more reioyce for kéeping of silence than for long bablyng Then thy Godly déedes shall be of more power than aboundant eloquence Then shall straight lyfe and austeritie in correctyng of maners be more pleasaunt than all earthly delectacion Wherefore learne nowe to suffer small trifles that then thou mayst be able to be deliuered from the heauier burthens Examine before in this lyfe what afterwardes thou canst well abyde And in case thou canst not nowe beare so small things howe shalt thou bée able then to suffer euerlasting torments And if nowe so little a payne doe make thée impacient what will
contrary at the first chop to be auoyded It is sometime also expedient to brydle good affects and desires least either thou passé measure with the importunitie of minde or be an offence vnto other through thine owne vnrulinesse or whilst the same do resist thou as one troubled sodainely doe fal Sometime it is méete to vse violence to fight against the appetie and desire and not to make accoumpt what the flesh woulde either haue or not haue but rather endeuor that it maye be obedient to the spirit whether he will or no and that shée may be so long kept vnder and suffer bondage vntill such time as she be plyant and readie vnto all things and learne to be content with a fewe thinges and to be delighted with a simple state and condition and not to mutter or grutch against any incommoditie or aduersitie Of the maner of pacience and the fight against desires The .xiij. Chapter SERVANT WHy then O my Lorde God as farre as I doe perceiue pacyence and sufferance is very necessary for me For many aduersities are incident vnto this life of ours in so much that when I desire peace by all meanes possible yet can it not be brought about that I may leade ouer my life without warre and sorow LORDE It is euen as thou doest saye sonne Nay I will not haue thée to séeke after that peace that is voyde of temptacions or which féeleth not aduersities but to thinke with thy selfe that euen then also thou hast founde thy selfe peace when as thou shalt be searched and tryed with sundrye and manye turmoyling calamities of miseries and aduerse chaunces Now if thou wilt plead that thou art not able to beare or suffer so manye things how then shalt thou be able to abyde the euerlasting torment of Hell fire Of two euilles the lesse is alway to be chosen Therefore studie to take paciently for Gods sake thy present euilles that thou mayest escape those euerlasting punishmentes that are to come And thinkest thou that the men of this worlde either suffer no euill at all or little or none Thou shalt well finde that euen those that are most delicate and fine are not without their incommodities Thou wilt say peraduenture but these worldlings are incyted with many pleasures and obeye their owne will or sensualitie and therefore make little account of their miseries Put case al things happen vnto them as their heart would haue it how long will that indure and abide trow yée Forsooth those shall perishe like dung which in this life haue such wealth and abundaunce in such wise as no maner of remembrance of ioyes passed shall remaine Nay euen while they be aliue to they doe not enioy them without bitternesse and griefe feare For looke of what things they doe take pleasure of the very same manye times they receiue sorrow and reason good they shoulde so doe that they which intemperately hunt after pleasures shoulde likewise attaine vnto the same not without tartnesse and trouble I wisse they be all but very short and false or counterfeyte and inordinate filthie or dishonest yet doe not they sée this through drunkennesse and blindenesse but that they wyll néedes purchase themselues death of the soule like vnto brute beastes for a small or triflyng delight of this mortall life Wherfore sonne doe not thou follow the sensuall desires but turne thy wil away from them Be delighted in the Lorde and so shall he graunt thée the requestes of thy soule For if thou wilt be delighted in déede and haue large and plentifull comfort of me Wéete thou that felicitie and the ample rewarde of comfort doth consist in thy renouncing of all worldly things and of these féeble and weake pleasures and the further thou shalt pull thy selfe from all solace of humaine thinges so much the more sweete and the greater comfort shalt thou finde in mée But in déede thou shalte not attaine vnto those comforts without sorowfulnesse and labour of fighting For rooted custome doth stande against it howbeit shée shall be matched and maystred with better custome The fleshe will mutter against it Howbeit shée shall be bridled with the feruentsye of the spirite The olde Serpent will stirre thée forewarde and sharpen thée Howbeit he shall be chased away with prayers And againe with profitable labour a great entraunce shall bée stopped vp from his temptacions Of obeying our betters according to the example of our Lorde Iesus Christ. The .xiiij. Chapter LORDE SOnne hée that withdraweth himselfe from obedience the same withdraweth himself frō the fauor of God and he that séeketh after priuate thinges doth forgo the common He that doth not submit himselfe vnto his superior gladly and of his owne accorde the same in so doing declareth that he hath not yet so wholy tamed and schooled his owne fleshe but that it doth oftentimes wince mutter against him Wherefore learne spéedily to submit thy selfe to thy superior if thou couet to tame thy flesh For the outwarde enymie is the sooner maistred if the inwarde enimie be once ouerthrowne There is no more troublesome or woorse enimy vnto the soule than thou art vnto thy self whilest thou doest not agrée with thy spirite For thou must practise an vnfeined contempt of thy selfe if thou wilt be maister ouer flesh bloud for as much as thou doest yet loue inordinately and therfore art afearde to commit thy self altogither to the will of another But what great matter doest thou thou doest nothing if thou become subiecte to another man for Gods sake Whereas I béeing that Almightie and that Highest who haue made all things of naught haue humbly submitted my selfe vnto man for thy sake becommyng the veriest vnderling and basest of all other to the ende that thou mightest ouercome thys pride and hautinesse of thine with that humilitie and lowlinesse of mine Learne to obey thou dust learne to depresse thy selfe thou earth and stime and to put thy trust vnder al mens féete learne to breake thine owne will and to shewe thy selfe subiect vnto all men Waxe earnest against thy selfe and suffer not pryde or hautinesse to lyue in thée but make thy selfe so lowlye and simple that all men may go ouer thée and treade vppon thée like mire in the stréete What hast thou thou vaine man that thou canst rightly complain off What is there thou sincke of sinne that thou canst iustly reply vnto thē that dispraise and deface thée in asmuch as thou hast so oftentimes deserued hel torments by offending of God so many times And yet haue I gently spared thée hauing a care of thy soule to the intent that thou mightest alwaies shewe thy selfe thankefull for my benefites my loue beyng once knowne vnto thée and being euermore bent vnto true obedience and modesty mightest paciently beare the contempt of thy selfe Of considering the secret iudgements of God least we shoulde aduaunce our selues to much in prosperitie The .xv. Chapter SERVANT LOrde thou thundring agaynst me
with him doth speak vnto him in this wise Lord Iesus be assisting vnto me in all places and at all times Let thys be my comfort to be voyde of all mans comfort with a good will. Or if thy comfort shall be lacking at any time let thy will and due tryall of me be in steade of thy chiefest comfort vnto me For thou art not he that euermore art angry or makest afearde That all carefulnesse is to be committed to god The .xix. Chapter SOnne let mée deale with thée as I will my selfe I doe know what is for thy profite Thou imaginest as a man and doest so thinke in manye thinges as thy fleshly minde doth counsell thée SERVANT Lorde thou sayest truth thou hast greater care ouer me than I could haue of my selfe For he standeth but after a sickle sort vndoubtedly which committeth not hys whole care vnto thée Lorde vse me as thou list so that my will toward thée doe continue right and stedfast For it can not be but good whatsoeuer thou shalt determine of me Therfore whether thou wilt haue me to be in darknes stil I praise it or whether thou wilt haue me to enioy light that doe I also praise Or whether thou vouchsafe to comfort me I praise it or whether thou wilt haue me to be pressed downe with aduersity I praise this also LORDE Sonne so thou must be myuded in déede if thou desire to haue to doe wyth mée neyther oughtest thou to be lesse chéerefull to suffer than to reioyce more vnwillingly néedie and poore than full and welthie SERVANT Lorde I will willingly suffer for thy sake whatsoeuer thou wylt haue to happen vnto mée and I wyll receyue at thy hands alike both good and euill both swéete and sower both ioye and sorrowe and giue thée thanks to for all things that haue chaunced vnto mée Preserue mée from all sinne and so shall I feare neyther death nor Hell and so that thou doe neuer tourne mée off or blot me out of the booke of life there shall bée no calamitie that shall hurt mée That the miseries of this life must be suffered paciently according to Christs example The .xx. Chapter LORDE SOnne I descended from Heauen for thy sake and tooke thy miseries vpon me not for any necessity but for very loue that moued me thervnto to the intent that thou mightest learne pacience and sufferance and mightest take temporall miseries without disdayne grutch From the hower of my birth till such time as I ended my life vpon the crosse there were neuer sorrows wanting to be suffered I tooke paciently the great lack of necessary things I oftentimes heard sundry complaints of me I toke slaunders reproches in good worth I had vnkindnesse for benefits Curssing and euill speakings for miracles reproofes and fault findeings for my doctrine SERVANT Lord for as much as thou hast shewed thy self pacient in this life Wherin surely thou diddest most of al do the cōmaundement of thy father méete reason it is that I wretch and sinful man should shew my self pacient according vnto thy will and shoulde beare the burthen of this mortall lyfe for my soule health sake so long as thou wilt haue it so For though this present life be left burdensome yet hath it béene made alreadye more light by thy benefite and both by thy example more tollerable and famous vnto the weakelings and also by the footesteps of thy saints yea much more full of comfort also then it was once in the olde Law when both heauen gate did continue shut and the way did séeme somewhat hard to finde so fewe did passe to séeke for the kingdome of heauen Nay also euen those which then were iustified and in the state of saluation could not enter the kingdom of Heauen before thy passion and the merite of thy precious death How great thanks am I bound to render vnto thée in that thou hast vouchsafed to shew the straight and good way to thy euerlasting kingdome both to me and to all them that put their trust in thée For thy way is our way and through godly pacience doe we earnestly traueyle to come vnto thée our crowne and rewarder who vnlesse thou hadst gone before vs and haddest taught vs what man woulde haue passed to follow How many woulde not only haue bidden behind but also a great way off except they had behelde and looked vpon these thy notable examples Lo if when we haue heard so many of thy miracles and commaundements yet are but warme howe woulde it be then if wee had not so great light to followe thée Of the bearing of iniuries and wrongs who it is that is pacient in deede The .xxi. Chapter LORDE SOnne what is this that thou speakest Ceasse from cōplaint and moane consider both my passion and the martirdome of other saints Thou hast not yet resisted vnto death It is but little that thou sufferest if thou be compared with thē which haue suffered so many things haue ben tempted so vehemently haue béene afflicted so greuously haue béene tried and exercised so many waies Therefore other mens cases being more gréeuous must bée called to minde of thée that thou maiest take this more tolerable case in better part or if thou doe not think it so tollerable sée that thine own impacience be not cause hereof and in fine whether it bée tolerable or intolerable endeuor thou to take it paciently throughout For the better that thou shalt setle thy selfe to be pacient both by so much shalt thou deale the more wisly in the matter and shalt deserue the greter things and shalt more easily beare thy case as one not slouthfully framed readie in minde vse therevnto Neither shalt thou thus say to thy self I neither am able nor ought to bere this thing at that mans hands For he hath both done me a great displeasure or hurt slaundereth me with other things that I neuer thought In déede I can be content to beare that at another mans hands that I shal sée good to be borne This is the thought of foolishnesse it neyther considereth the vertue of pacience nor yet of whome it must be crowned and rewarded but rather wayeth the persons the wrongs done vnto it He is not truly pacient that will suffer but as much as he list and of whome he listeth but the man that is pacient in déede maketh no account of whome hée is vexed and troubled whether he be his better his equall or his inferior whether he be good and godly or else peruerse and wicked Nay whatsoeuer aduersity is done vnto him of any man liuing looke how much and how oftentimes soeuer the same be done he receyueth the same thankfully as it were from Gods hands reckneth it for gaine bicause nothing is so great or so smal if a man suffer the same for Gods sake but that it deserueth reward Wherfore be thou in a readinesse to battaile
swéetely solace themselues with most pleasant thoughts and thinke themselues present among the companies of angels farre otherwyse than the world thinketh of them Their cogitacions are alwayes busied in the misterie of mans redemption in that Lambe which was slayne from the beginning of the world in the forgiuenesse of sins reuealed and promised by almightie God for the deliuerer to come in that séede of the woman dreading downe the head of the serpent in the séed of Abraham which is Christ as the apostle saith in that Prophet of whom Moses maketh mention in Deuteron briefly in our Lord Sauiour Iesu Christ promised vnto the fathers alreadie giuen vnto vs that is in him onely to whome all the Prophetes doe beare witnes that who so euer doth put trust of his saluatiō in him shal obtain forgiuenesse of sins by his name who came into the world to saue sinners to séeke out saue that which was lost to giue his life for the redemption of many who was sent to bring the glad wished message or Gospel vnto the poore afflicted to heale the contrite of hart to preach deliueraunce to the captiue to comfort them that mourne to deliuer the oppressed who in fine is our aduocate with the father our enterpretour and pacifier betwéene God and men the throne of grace the high bishop the greatest priest to make intercession cōtinually for vs the propitiacion for the sinnes of the world our hope lyfe righteousnesse sanctification and redemption The cōsideration of these things abandoneth heauynesse out of the mindes of the Godly and maketh them to reioyce at all tymes more than one woulde beléeue And now howe great gladnesse doe they at large enioy whiles they set before theyr eyes the holy Catholyke apostolyke right beléeuing true Christian Church or cōgreation whiles they remember that communion or felowship of saints which being euen from the very beginning of the worlde after the promise giuen touching the Messias or Sauiour to come doth continue on still euen to this daye spreade first abroade in the fathers and Prophetes afterwards in the Apostles and Martyrs then by and dyuers degrées orders of Christians professing all one faith displayed throughout the whole worlde Whyles they waye and consider that Christ the sonne of God our Lorde and Redéemer doth rule this same spouse or congregation of his with his worde and Gospell doth helpe it with the holy Ghost defende and maintaine it continually against the Deuill whiles they plesantly and swéetely remember that they are adioyned vnto this fellowship of the Godly true Christian congregation by fayth wyll meaning inuocation prayer and by confession which hath the sonne of God for heade principall Aungels for defenders the holye Ghost for a sanctifier the godly and chosen of all ages for companions I say whiles they remember that they are the members of the people of God and mysticall bodye whose chiefe captaine is Christ Whiles they occupie their heades about thinking vppon that most blessed familiarity in time to come with all the Saintes in the kingdome of Heauen vnto the which they trauaile and labour tooth and nayle with excéeding great desire Therfore howe great ioye thinkest thou that they haue large fruition of whiles they are fixed vpon these and such other cogitacions And surely it behooued Christians alwayes to occupie their mindes about such things and being as it were astonied with the consider atiō of them to brast out into the prayses of God into Psalmes and Hymmes into spirituall songs singing and making melodie in theyr harts vnto the Lord giuing thanks alwayes for all things vnto God the father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ as the Apostle teacheth And bycause the Godly doe this contynually what woonder is it if they alwaye reioyce in the Lorde And what then is there that can euer make heauy and sad can trouble or faare one that in such wise reioyceth Is it the breache of the lawe But the Apostle doth comfort vs Christ sayth he hath he redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe becomming himselfe a curse for vs. Is it sinne But S. Iohn doth comfort vs If anye man haue sinned we haue an Aduocate wyth the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiacion for our sinnes Is it death The Godly wote full well that it is the gate of life euerlasting a certaine passage out to thys worlde vnto the Father Is it the wrath and the iudgement of God But we are reconcyled vnto God through Christ as Paule sayth Is it Satan Christ hath conquered him already and hath triumphed ouer him being conquered as sayth the same Paule Is it hell fire and the tormentos of hell Nay Christ when he had ouercome hell dyd open a waye vnto Heauen to the Godly And in the Prophet Osea the Lorde sayth I wil be thy death O death I wil be thy destruction O hell Likewise Dauid also in his Psalmes doth testifie that Christ did leade Captiuitie captiue when he ascended into heauen that is as much to say did as a man woulde saye leade the enymies of mankinde prisoners in hys shewe of Triumph the deuill I meane sinne death hell Briefly in all terrours and temptacions of Sathan in all heauinesse in the most sorrowfull cogitacions many tymes of death of the last iudgement of the iudgement seate of the Lorde among the other comfortes of the holy Ghost the godly doe chiefely stay themselues with the wordes of the Apostles Créede I beleeue say they the Communion or fellowship of Saints the remission of sinnes the resurrection of this fleshe and the life euerlasting They leaning vpon this fayth chasing all feare and heauinesse from them if that the deuill doe minister any doe reioyce alwayes in the Lorde Howbeit some man will here obiect that considering they are men it can not be otherwyse chosen but that they should be troubled with passions mourne and be sorowfull oftentimes For they can not lay the nature of mankinde from them renounce as it were the féele of flesh and bloude which all men haue in them I graunt that the godly are distressed with heauinesse many a time and oft and that their minds are sometimes troubled and mazed and that it can not bée otherwise in these tumults of worldly affaires Howbeit the same doe foorthwith come to themselues againe and disquietnesse of mind being setled or appeased they so facion themselues in Gods regard and prouident care toward them that with ioy they take all things very quietly and reioyce in their afflictions reposing themselues in thapprooued loue of God towarde them doe conceyue such gladnesse and pleasure in their minds therof that the same sorrow of theirs is soone ouerwhelmed withall if happily these outwarde things as commonly it comes to passe haue caused any in them For like as a very little sparkle falling into a great riuer is forthwith quenched and come to nothing euen so whatsoeuer euill