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
to say Into the bitter passions and were made sweet There is nothing but this passion that can make sweet y t is to say death as saith the espouse His lippê be as y e distilling lilly drawing out soueraigne mirrhe y e whiche proporcion of lillies and tippes signify the act of misticall thinges For as y e lilly is white the lippê red that is y e wurdê of the Lord Jesê° be moste white moste pure in y e whiche is no bitternes nor bloody slaughter but sweetnes plesauntnes from whom distilleth soueraine mirrhe these lippes moste pure moste sweete haue powre to put away the great bitternes of death and to conuert it into sweetnes puritie whitenes sweet sauour as the excellent mirrhe putteth away all stinckingnes of sinne that is to say When we heare that Jesus Christe the sonne of God hath clensed and sanctified by his moste holy suffringes all persecutions and passions yea the very death he hath blessed the curse hee hath glorified y e shame and ignomini and inriched the pouerty so that death is constrained to be the gate of life the curse is constrained to bee cause of blessing and the ignomini mother of glory Now how can wee be so ingrate and vnthankful that we doo not earnestly desire yea and loue all these passioÌ„s and afflictions dipped and sanctified by the moste pure flesh and moste holy blood of the Son of God the whiche be made to vs moste helthful blessinges For if by the touching of his moste pure flesh hee hath sanctifyed all the waters to be holy and needful to baptisme yea all creatures how muche more hath he sanctified by baptism of y e spirit or of blood all death all passions all iniuries all outragies all maledictions all ignomini that by the blessed touching of his flesh and blood whiche is moste precious as hee saith in the. 12. of Saint Luke of this baptisme namely the passion I shalbe baptised with a certaine baptisme and how am I pained vntil it be ended Heere we see with what ardent desire hee desired to sanctifie the passions also dooth and hath made them sweet and amiable to vs for he knew wel that wee would be astonied at the afflictions did wel foresee that we would be afraid of death and abhorre it also willing to make an end of this our euilles as a moste meek and prouideÌ„t pastor and as a moste faithful phisicion he hasted him self and prolonged not the death that hee might make y e afflictions passions yea the very death good to vs by his holy suffring so that wee may estéeme the death to a Christian as the brasen serpent of Moises whiche had the fygure of a serpent ouer all and in all pointes and yet was nothing lesse then liuing he was without venim without mouing without byting so likewise it seemeth to the eyes of the foolishe that the faithful dy but truly they be in peace we be like theÌ„ y t dy and the apparence of our death is none other but as others bee Neuerthelesse the trueth is otherwise for to vs death is dead also all our afflictions and passions bee like to their afflictioÌ„s but it is only by appareÌ„ce For verely our passions be the beginninges of impassibilitie as the death is the beginning of life And this is it that the Lorde Jesus saith in the. 8 of Saint John If any keepe my woord he shall neuer taste of death How shall he not see death Because that in dying hee beginneth to liue and so the life that he be holdeth causeth that he doothe not see death The night is heer made bright as the day for asmuche as the brightnesse of the life beginning is clearer then the death departing These thinges bee moste certaine to all those whiche beléeue in Jesus Christe but not to the vnfaithful Now if they doo kisse if they loue and embrase the apparrel the vesselles the cuppes and finally those thinges whiche Jesus Christe hath touched or that he vsed so they honour theÌ„ as great reliques with great deuocioÌ„ because they say that he hath saÌ„ctified theÌ„ by the touching therof But wherfore doo we not the embrace kisse and loue rather the the paines the shames rebukes the opprobries the euilles of the world and the very death the whiche were not onely sanctified by his holy touching but also be blessed dipped in his moste precioê° blood embrasing them with a moste ardent zeale and great charity eueÌ„ to the very death Beholde in these thingê wee haue much more reward helth goodnes then in reliques For truly by these thingê wee doo optain victory ouer death hel and all our sinnê not by reliques O good God if we might look into the hart of y e Sonne of God and se perfectly wheÌ„ he was strained on the crosse y t he might reÌ„der death dead ouercome and w t what ardent zeale affection he embrased y e death and the paines therof for those y t bee fearful for those y t abhorre death the paines therof and w t what redines wil hee hath first drunk of this moste bitteâ— cup after hath somonid y e weak diseased to drink therof to the end y t they should not feare to drink after him Beholde se that no euell is happened vnto him but rather a great inestymable benefyte hath followed in that he rose again It is moste certain that this pretious mirrhe is made moste sweet and amiable distilling by the lippes and the woordes of Jesus Christe praising them as the sweet sauour and beauty of lillies Also Saint Peter saith in his 4. Chapiter in his 1. Epistle For asmuche as Christe hath suffred in the fleshe arme your selues with the same minde And to y e hebrewes 12. Chapiter Thapostle saith Consider diligently him that hath suffred suche gaine saying of sinners against him self to the end that you should not bee wery nor slack in youre mindes Wherfore if we haue learned to suffer paciently the euellê that be about vs and enclose vs beholde in this last considerations of our afflictions shadowed in Jesus Christe surmountith all euelles and maketh y t we not onely endeuouring our selues to suffer but also to loue to wish and serch for it And the farther that one is from this affection and zeale the lesse strength hath the passion of Jesus Christe in him And those that wil worship the Roodes Baners and Crosses of Christe for to put away death and afflictions that they may not suffer them and so not to dye beholde they vse meanes cleane contrary to the crosse of Christe and his death And for this cause it is necessary in this seuenth consideration y t all y e afflictions whiche we suffer should bee consumed that it may not greeue vs to suffer but rather to pleasure in sufferiÌ„g This ought euer to bee in our hartes and to be liuely rooted in our
wee haue wel merited and deserued For how many be there whiche be strangled on the gallowes drowned in the water or whiche haue their heddes cut of whiche parauenture haue coÌ„mitted lesse offences then wee So that the Sonne of God himself dooth propose and paint forth their death and ignominy before our eyes as in a glasse in the whiche we may beholde that wee haue iustly deserued for he saith in the .13 of Saint Lake after that they had spoken to him of certaine Galileaus whose blood Pylat mengled with y e sacrifices Think you saith hee that those Galileans were greater sinners then the other because they suffred these thingê I say not so but I say to you that if ye repent not ye shall all like wise perishe As also he spake of the .18 men vpon whome the toure of Silo fell and slew theÌ„ Think ye saith he that these same were more culpable then all the inhabiters of Iherusalem I say not so but if ye repent not I tell you that ye shall all pearish For let vs not think that lighter euelles and plagues be dew to vs when we doo commit sinnes greater and more abhominable or at the least the like sinnes And the trueth of God shall not be vntrue and his iustice shall not be vnrightwise because of vs y t whiche hath disposed to rendre to euery one according to his wurks if we doo not preuent our selues or at the least it â—…e doo not endeuour our selues paciâ—…ntly to suffer small and light euell and troubles Yea how many thousandes be there in hel and in eternal damnation which parauenture had not the thousand part of our sinnes How many yung wenches and yung boyes and those whiche wee call innocentes How many Munkê Friers Hermittes Preestes maried folks which seemed to serue God all their liues longe and parauenture be damned for lesse offences then we haue doone Let vs not dissemble heerein There is but one iustice of God for all offences and sinnes He hateth and condemneth egally sinne in whome soeuer he findetk it Doo we not see heere the inestimable bountifulnes of God and great mercy the whiche hath not damned vs so greatly so many and so often times as we haue deserued I pray you what great thing is it that wee may suffer in all our life in respect of the eternall paine whiche they suffer and namely haue not deserued but for lighter offences yet y t not withstanding wee be free and preserued from so many euelles and miseries the whiche God seemeth not to see Now when we doo lightly passe ouer the benefites of God or that wee doo not wurthely esteeme them it is a villain ingratitude and an insencible hardnesse of hart and incredulitie Moreouer heere must we bring in How many Infidelles How many Jewes Gentils Painims and how many of their infantes to whome if the thinges had bene geuen that bee geuen to vs they had not bene in hel but in heauen and had lesse offended if it be lawful so to say Jesus Christ himself setteth before our eyes this mirrour in Saint Mathew saying Wo be to thee Bethsaida wo be to thee Corazim for if y u bertnes which haue bene doone in you had bene doon in Tire and Sidon they had repented long agone in sacke and asshes Neuertheles I say to you that in the day of iudgement it shalbe caâ—ier for them then for you Wo be â—o thee O Capernaum whiche art â—…ifted vp to the heaueÌ„ but thou shalt be thrust down into hel for if the vertues whiche haue bene doone in thee had bene doone in Sodom parauenture they had remained to this day Neuertheles I say to you that they shalbe entreated more easely in the day of iudgement then thou We see then what thankes and louing praises we owe to our good God in what soeuer misery or euel y t may come to vs in this life for scarsely there commeth not one droppe of the euilles that we haue meritid the whiche Job compareth to the sand of the sea ¶ The fist Chapiter of the fift consideration whiche is the euell or misery on our left hand HEere let vs set before our eyes the great numbre of the wicked aduersaries and consider first in them how many euelles miseries and shreud turnes they would haue doone vnto vs and yet haue not neither to our bodies goodes renoum nor our soules the whiche they would haue doone but that the permission of God would not suffer them And the greater that one hathe his estate spred forth and set in hy degree somuche the more is hee subiect to escarmisshes conspirations deceiptes detractions and temptations of ennemies so that in all thinges we may know and perceiue the present hand of God and his fauourable kindnes toward vs. Is it then meruail if we be then sumtime striken and scourged with one of these euelles Also let vs consider theyr euell purpose and ententes and lament and pitie them for they bee commonly geuen â—p and subiect to all euelles euen as â—…e be as is to be seene heere before not withstanding they be in this cace muche more miserable then we that is to weete without the society and brotherly felowship of the Churche as well corporall as spirituall And these euelles that we doo suffer is nothing in coÌ„parison of that they be in In sin infidelity vnder the wrath of God vnder the powre of the deuil bond slaues accursed ful of iniquity sin so that if all y e world should curse them it could not be said to be more execrable horrible whiche if we coÌ„sider well all these thingê as apperteineth we shall see by and by how great is the benignitie of God we sufferiÌ„g a certain little incommodity or euel of our bodies beeing in faith in y e kingdome of Jesê° Christe vnder y e moste blessed yoke of God y t which incommodity we can not scacely perceiue so great is the abundaunts of the true good thingê But the christian and faithfull hart ought to bee moued and greeued with the missery of others esteeming their anguishes to be his own For as Saint Paul in the .2 to the Phillippians commaundith vs to doo likewise saying Let none of you looke vpon the thinges that bee his owne but of others Let ther be suche affection in you as was in Jesus Christe whiche although he were in the forme of God neuertheles hath taken the shape of a seruaunt c. That is to say with moste humble affection hee hathe clothed him self with our shape none other wise behauing him self in our euels then as they had been his owne proper so forsaking and forgetting him self and his glory that he was formed wholy to be a perfect man seased and taken with our euelles The faithful saintes beeing taken with this affectioÌ„ and stirred vp with this consideration haue accustomably praied namely for the euellê of their enemyes and to doo all thinges after
be engraued within our hartê and a singuler coÌ„fort of great powre in our temptations For certainly Job did not onely suffer but with the same hee was tempted with impatience of his owne wife the whiche said to him contemptuously Thou remainest stil in thy siÌ„plicity Blaspheme the Lorde and dye as if shee had said All meÌ„ may plainly see that there is no God that wil leaue thee so and forsake thee Wherefore then doost thou put thy trust in him and doost not rather deny him And in suche sort after shee had angred him said Wherfore doost thou not knowledge thy self to be mortall and that nothing is left vnto thee after this life There is none of vs the whiche his owne wife that is to say sensualitie shal not furnish inough of suche matters for the sensuall man vnderstandeth not the thinges that â—e of God Now all goodes that be corporall be common to all but the Christian and faithful hath other goodes muche more excellent whiche be inward goodê that is to weet the faith of Jesus Christ of whom it is said in the Psalme 44. The kinges daughter is all glorioê° within her clothiÌ„g is all of wrought golde For as yeâ— haue seene the euelles in the first coÌ„sideration that there is no euell so greate in man as the euell within him Also the faithful may not nor caÌ„not se the inestimable great goodnes or felicitie that is with in him for if he felt it be holde hee should bee incontinent in heauen for y e kingdome of heauen is within vs as saith Jesê° Christe For to haue faith is to haue the trueth the wurd of God Now to haue the wurd of God is to haue God the creator maker of all thiÌ„gê And if these thinges were reueled to the soule in suche perfection as they be in deede shee would spring out of the body incontinent for the great abundaunce of ioy and sweetnesse Wherfore of good right the louing corrections of whiche we haue spoke before be called aduertisementes of the goodes whiche wee haue within vs the whiche our good God declareth to vs by the same because this life can not bear nor suffer that they vereueled to it but thorow the great goodnes and mercy of God they bee hidde to vs vntil toey bee growen in their perfect measure This is it that the Fathers and Mothers doo geue to their Children sometimes little Horses Tabors Pipes and other trifels by the whiche they doo incite and stur vp the mindes of their children to greater and more excellente thinges Neuertheles they doo break foorthe and shew them selues sometimes as when the conscience reioiceth and triumpheth in the confideÌ„ce and sure trust of God and when shee speaketh willingly and frely of God when shee heareth his wurd with a gratioê° eare and an attentife heart when she is brought to be ready and diligent to serue him obey him to doo good wurkes and to suffer aduersities the whiche thinges be certain tokens of an inestimable good which is therein hidden the whiche springeth out thorow a certain conduit by small droppê although it happeneth sometimes that this is reueled more fully at large vnto those spirites whiche be geuen to contemplation so they finde them selues as it were swallowed vp y t they wot not where they be as Saint Augustine confesseth him self to be and many others ¶ The second Chapiter of the second consideration the which is the good to come or before vs. THose that be no Christians can finde no great comefort in hope of the good to come in the middes of their troubles because all thinges be to them vncertaine For this affection and vaine hope dooth bring to them a certaine tumult but thorow faith wee doo comfort one an other freendly And wee doo hope for better thinges but the weaker doo at tempt clime vp to great thingê and ofteÌ„ in vncertitude yet they be ofteÌ„ deceiued voyd of their hope as Jesus Christe sheweth in y e. 12. of S. Luke of him y t said to his soule I wil pul down my barns make theÌ„ greater say to my soule Take thy rest driÌ„k eat make good cheer for y u hast goodê inough for many yeers but God said Fool this night shal thy soule be taken froÌ„ thee the goodê that y u hast heapid together whose shall they be theÌ„ Euen so is it w t him y t gathereth treasure is not riche in God But y e Christians haue a more excelleÌ„t felycitie whiche commeth certainly but it is thorow afflictions death Also they reioice in a certaine sure hope so that the present euel endeth and contrary y e good augmenteth whiche is the verity in Jesus Christe where in they prospet and profit from day to day and for the loue thereof they liue in hope and ouer aboue these thinges they haue two moste great commodities in the death to come First the death is an end of all the tragedy of euelles of this present life as it is written The death of the faithfull is pretious before the face of God againe I shall sleepe in peace and rest me If the righteous be preuented by death hee findeth quickening and comfort And contrary the death to the wicked and Infidels is the beginning of euelles as it is said The death of the wicked is moste vnhappy also the euel dooth ouertake and katche y e wicked in his death In this maner was Lazarê° coÌ„forted y t which hath receiued heere his euel and the riche glotton vnhappy was tormented because hee receiued his goodes heere in this life By this meanes also it commeth that the Christian findeth him self alwayes better and encreasing in goodnesse whether he liue or whether he dye so blessed a thing it is to be a Christian and to beleue in Jesus Christe and therefore Saint Paule saith Christ is to me aduauntage whether I liue or whether I dy And to the Romaines 15. Hee that liueth liueth to the Lorde and he that dieth dieth to the Lorde be it whether we liue or whether we dy we be the Lordes Jesus Christe hath begotten vs this assurance For he is dead and risen againe to thend that he might be Lorde of the quicke and the dead hauing powre to make vs sure and to certify vs aswel in the death as in the life as is said in the. 23. Psalme Though I should walke in the middest of the shadow of death yet wil I feare no euel for thou art with mee But if we be not certified of this aduauntage of death it is a sign that the faith of Jesê° Christ is in firm and weak in vs the whiche doo not wurthely esteeme the gaine and price of his moste precioê° death They cannot beleue yet the death to be good because that is letted by the olde man and the wisedome of the fleshe whiche hath yet to muche vigour and strength and therfore wee ought to assay and
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