beloued of him so that whereas he liued amonge sinners he translated him He was taken away least wickednes shoulde alter his vnderstanding or deceit beguile his minde For wickednes by bewitching obscuteth the thinges that are good and the vnstedfastnes of concupiscence peruerteth the simple minde O howe true are these things and confirmed by daily experience Though he was soone deade yet fulfilled he much time for his soule pleased God therefore hasted he to take him away from wickednes So by the mercie of God death which to man was the punishment of sinne is made to Christians the ende of sinne and the beginning of life and righteousnes Wherefore he that loueth life and righteousnes must needes not feare but loue deathe which is the Minister of them and meane to come vnto them otherwise he shall neuer attayne neyther to lyfe nor righteousnes Nowe he that can not doe this let him praye vnto God that he may For therefore are we taught to saye Thy will be done because we of our selues are not able to doe it whoe fearinge deathe doe loue death and sinne rather then life and righteousnes For that God ordayned deathe for the abolishinge of sinne it maye hereof be gathered for that he enioyned deathe to Adam by and by after he had sinned as it were amendes of sinnes and that before he caste him out of Paradise that he might shewe vnto vs that deathe worketh no euill but all good in vs seeing that it was enioyned in paradise as it were repentance and satisfaction It is true in deede that death entred into the worlde by the malice of the Deuill but it is to be attributed to the singular goodnes of God that death being so entred he not onely suffered it not to hurt but ordayned it euen from the beginning thereof for the punishment and death of sinne For this he signified whereas when he had first denoūced death vnto Adam in his commaundement that he should not eate of the tree of knowledge he afterward notwithstanding did not holde his peace but did againe enioyne death tempered the rigour of his first denouncing yea did not so much as make mention of death in any sillable but onely sayde In the sweate of thy face shalt thou eate bread till thou be turned againe into the ground for out of it wast thou taken Dust thou art and into dust shalt thou be turned again As though he then hated death which he would not so much as name according to that saying He endureth but a while in his anger but in his fauour is life He seemed in thus speaking that vnlesse death had bene necessary for the abolishing of sinne he woulde not so much as mention or name it much lesse enioyne it So against sinne which had wrought death the emulation of God armeth no other thing but death it selfe so that here thou mayst see that saying of the Poet verified that the worker of death doth perishe by his owne worke and that sinne is destroyed by it owne proper frute and is slayne by death which it brought forth as the viper of her ofspring This is a most goodly sight to see how sinne is not by an others but by it owne proper worke destroyed slayne with it owne weapon as of Goliath so the head thereof cut of with it owne sworde For Goliath was a figure of sinne a terrible Champion to all except litle Dauid that is Christ who alone ouercame him and cut of his heade with his owne sworde If therefore we meditate vpon the ioyes of this power of Christ and vpon the giftes of his grace why should a litle euil trouble vs when as in so great an euill to come we see so great good thinges The third chapter of the third consideration which is of the good past or behind a man. THe consideration of this good is easie by the contrary consideration of the euil past we thinke it sufficient only to help him that shal cōsider hereof Herein B. Augustin doth excellently well in his confessions where in a most goodly sort he rehearseth the benefits of God bestowed vpon him from his mothers wombe The same doth Dauid in that notable 138. Psalme the beginning wherof is O Lord thou hast tried me where among other things wondering at the prouidence of God ouer him he sayth Thou vnderstandest my thoughts long before thou compassest my paths my lying downe As if he sayd Whatsoeuer I haue euer thought whatsoeuer I haue wrought and whatsoeuer I was to obtayne or possesse I see now how it was not done by mine owne industry but ordained by thy care long before Finally thou hast foreseene all my wayes and there is not a word in my tongue where then euen in thy power These thinges we learne by our owne experience For if we call to minde our life past is it not a wonderful thinge that we haue thought willed done and sayd such thinges as we neuer coulde foresee but would haue done farre other thinges if we had bene left to our owne free will which we nowe first perceiue namely we see that the hande of God hath bene so present with vs that his care hath bene so constant ouer vs that we could neither haue spoken neither willed nor thought those thinges which we haue vnles he had giuē abilitie as it is sayd in the booke of wisedom chap. 7 In his hande are both we and our wordes And Paule saythe who worketh all thinges in vs Why then are we not ashamed being senslesse and hard harted who being taught by our owne experience doe see howe careful the Lorde hathe bene for vs vntill this howre and hath giuen vs all good things and yet we can not committe the same care of vs to him in a small present euill but we so behaue our selues as thoughe he had forsaken vs or coulde by any meanes forsake vs Dauid did not so in the 39. Psalme where he sayeth As for me him For we see this most manifestly appeare vnto vs commonly in all infantes so that so many examples let forth to our folly hardues ought worthely to make vs greatly ashamed if we dout that euen the least good or euill commeth vnto vs without the singular care of God. Blessed Peter sayth Cast all your care on him for he careth for you And Dauid sayth Psal. 36 Cast thy care vpon the Lorde and he shall feede thee Moreouer B. Augustine sayth vnto his soule in his confessions Why stādest thou vpon thy selfe and standest not in deede cast thy selfe vpon him for he will not withdrew his hand that thou maist fal And againe Peter sayth 1. Pet. 4 Wherfore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit their soules to him in wel doing as vnto a faithfull Creator O if a man knew his God after this sort how secure how quiet how pleasāt should he be Such a one should haue God truely knowing assuredly that all his thinges
euer Amen The seuenth chapter of the seuenth consideration which is of the good aboue vs. I Speake nothing of the eternall and heauenly good thinges which the blessed enioy in the manifest sight of God or at the least I speake of them in faith and as they may be comprehended of vs So this seuenth consideration is of Iesus Christ the King of glorye raysed from the deade as the seuenth consideration of euills was of him suffering dead and buried Here we may see the chiefe ioy of our hart and certaine and sure good thinges here is no euil at all because Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more dominion ouer him This is the furnace of loue and the fire of God in Sion as Esai sayth For Christ is borne vnto vs and not onely that but also giuen vnto vs Wherefore his resurrection is mine and all thinges that he hath wrought therby And as the Apostle most notably glorieth Rom. 8 Howe shall he not with him giue vs all thinges But what hathe he wrought by rysing agayne He hath destroyed sinne set vp righteousnes swallowed vp death restored life ouercome hell and purchased eternall glorie These thinges are inestimable so that the minde of man dare scarce beleeue that they are giuen vnto him as Iacob Gen. 45 when he hearde that his sonne Ioseph was aliue and gouernour ouer the lande of Egypt as it were awaking out of a deepe sleepe he did not beleeue them that tolde him vntill they telling vnto him all the wordes of Ioseph which he had sayd vnto them shewed him also all the charretts which Ioseph had sent to carie him So surely it is harde to beleeue that so great good thinges are in Christ bestowed vpon bs that are vnworthye vnlesse in many wordes he declare the same vnto vs and as he made him selfe manifest to his Disciples by often appearing vnto them so he teach vs so to beleeue as it were by charrets that is by vse and experience It is a most goodly and pleasaunt charret that of God he is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption as the Apostle sayth 1. Cor. 1. For I am a sinner but I am caried in his righteousnes which is giuen vnto me I am vncleane but his holines is my sanctification wherein I am sweetely caried I am foolish but his wisedom carieth me I am damnable but his liberty is my redemption so that a Christian which beleueth may glory of the merits of Christ and of all his good thinges no otherwise then if he him self had done them so properly do they belong vnto him so that he dare now quietly looke for euen the iudgement of God which notwithstanding is intolerable So great a thing is faith so great good things doth it obtaine for vs so glorious sonnes of God doth it make vs For we can not be sonnes vnlesse we inherit the good thinges of our father A Christian therefore may boldly say Death where is thy victorie death where is thy stinge that is sinne for the stinge of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law but thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ that is the lawe maketh vs sinners sinne maketh vs guiltie of death Who hath ouercome these two Our owne righteousnes our owne life No surely but Iesus Christ raysed from death who hath condemned sinne death hath imparted his righteousnes vnto vs hath giuen vs his merites hath layed his hand vpon vs so that we are in good case and doe fulfill the law and ouercome sinne and death for which honour prayse and thankes be to God for euer Amen This therfore is the last consideration whereby we are now lifted vp not onely aboue our owne euills but also aboue our owne good thinges and doe now enioy the good thinges of an other gotten by an others labour who before were oppressed with the euills caused by the sinne of an other and increased by our owne We enioy I say the righteousnes of Christ wherby he him selfe is righteous because we cleaue vnto it by which he pleaseth God and maketh intercession for vs maketh him selfe wholy ours being our most gratious Priest and Patron As vnpossible therefore as it is that Christ in his righteousnes should not please so vnpossible is it that we should not please by our faith whereby we cleaue to his righteousnes Whereby it commeth to passe that a Christian is omnipotent Lorde of all possessing all thinges doing all thinges wholy without any sinne And although it so be that he haue sinnes yet can it not be that they should hurt him but they are remitted because of the inuincible righteousnes of Christ which swalloweth vp all sinnes whereunto our faith trusteth firmely beleuing that Christ is such a one vnto vs as we saye For he that doth not beleue that heareth in vaine acknowledgeth not Christ neither knoweth whereunto he profiteth or serueth Wherefore euen this one consideration if there were no other may minister vnto vs so much comfort if it be well and duely had that we may not onely not be grieued at our euils but also reioyce in tribulations scarce feeling them by reason of the ioy which we haue in Christ Of which ioy our Christ our Lorde and God blessed for euer make vs partakers Amen By these my cogitations most famous Prince witnessing after a sort the duety of my small abilitie I commende me to your most noble grace being ready to performe greater thinges if the power of my spirit were according to my desire For I will alwayes be a dettour both to euery of my neighbours but especially to your most noble Grace whom our Lord Iesus Christ by his gracious goodnes long preserue among vs at the last bring to him selfe by a blessed and happy ende Amen Your Graces most humble and obedient subiect MARTIN LVTHER * That is fourteen or that which consisteth of that number Man hath hell in him selfe which is the greatest euill in him VVhy God scourgeth euery sonne whom he receiueth Godsuffereth not maÌ„ to feele his greatest euill and why The comfort of the first consideration Frutes of the greatest euill which is in man. Feare what it is The euil to come It ought greatly to comfort vs moue vs to loue and praise God that we being in dauÌ„ger of so many euils few or none come vnto vs. Death the most terrible most certaine euil to come yet the time of the comming therof most vncertaine VVhat euil to come Christians ought to feare True Christians conâ—ene death all euils that they may be deliuered froÌ„ the euill of sinne VVe shall then chiefly perceiue the goodnes of God toward vs the care which he hath ouer vs when we coÌ„sider our life past VVe ought greatly to be comforted in the present euil when we coÌ„sider from how many euills God hath preserued vs in our life
whatsoeuer of these do not come it is to be counted for aduasitage for no smal cōfort against that euill that chaunceth so that thou art here compelled to say with Ieremie it is through the mercies of the Lorde that we are not destroyed For whatsoeuer of them doth not chaunce it chaunceth not the right hand of the Highest letting or prohibiting it which mightely preserueth vs on euery side as it is declared in Iob so that Satan and euils doe euen grudge and beare it vnpatiently that they are letted and prohibited Wherfore we see how sweetely the Lord is to be loued as often as any thing chaunceth vnto vs forasmuch as by this one euil our most louing father admonisheth vs to consider howe many euils are ready to assaile vs if he did not stay and let them as if he sayd Satan and a huge heape of euills desire to sifte thee but I haue set boundes to the sea and haue sayd vnto it hitherto shall thy swelling waues come and here shall they stay as he sayth in Iob chap. 28. But none of them shall come perhaps the will of God being so howbeit that which of all terrible things is sayd to be the greatest namely death shall most certainely come and nothing is more vncertaine then the hower thereof Which euil is so great that we see that many men had rather liue euen with all the foresayd euils then they being ended to dye once And to this one the Scripture also wheras it contemneth the rest referreth feare saying Remember the end and thou shalt neuer do amisse Consider how many meditations howe many bookes how many meanes and remedies are ordained hereunto so that with the remembrance of this onely euill it is vsual to fray men from sinnes and make the world contemptible to lighten sufferings and euills and to comfort the afflicted by comparing their euills with so horrible great an euill which shall at one time or other of necessitie come There is no man who would not wish to suffer all euills if thereby he might auoide the euill of death This the Sainctes also haue feared this Christ suffered with feare and sweat like dropps of blood So that the diuine mercy hath bene careful to strengthen comfort the weake faint harted in nothing more then in this euill as we shall see hereafter As for Christians they haue a speciall and proper cause to feare the euill to come which exceedeth all the other euils this is that which the Apostle setteth forth I. Cor. 10. saying Let him that thinketh he standeth take heede lest he fal So slipperie is the way so mighty is the enemy being armed with our owne proper strength that is with the aydes of the flesh of all euill affections accompanied with infinite hands companies of the world with delights pleasures on the right hand with troubles the euil wils of men on the left beside that art a thousand wayes to hurt seduce destroy whereof he is most kilfull We liue so that we are not sure of our good purpose so much as a moment Cyprian speaking of many such things in his epistle of mortalitie teacheth that death is to be wished as a speedy helper to auoyde these euils And for the most part where men haue a good hart duely reuolue in their minde these infinite perils we see them despising life and death that is all the aforesaide euills wish to be losed that they may be also losed from this euill of sinnes wherein they are as we haue sayd in the first chapter and into which they may fall whereof we speake nowe And surely these are two most weighty reasons to moue vs not onely to wish for death but also to contemne all euills not to beare one euil onely lightly if the Lorde shall giue to any to be moued with them for it is the gift of God to be moued with them For what true Christian will not wish euen to dye and not only to be sicke who seeth and feeleth that he while he liueth in healthe is not onely in sinnes and continually may and daily doth fall into moe and so without intermission doth contrary to the moste louing will of his most louing Father With this vehemencie of indignation Paule beinge moued as it is declared Rom. 7. when he had complayned that he did not the good which he woulde but the euill which he would not cryed out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodye of this death The grace of God sayth he by Iesus Christ c. He litle loueth God his Father who doth not choose rather the euill of death then this euill of sinning seing that he hath ordayned death hereunto that this euil may at the last haue an ende and death may be the minister of life and righteousnes whereof shal be spoken hereafter The third chapter of the third consideration which is of the euill past or behind vs. HErein more then in the rest notably shineth the sweete mercye of God the father which is able to comfort vs in all our distresse For euery man neuer feeleth the hand of God more present vpon him then when he calleth to minde the yeares of his life past Sainct Augustine saith If a man should choose either to dye or to leade againe his life past he would choose rather to die considering so great perills euils which he hath scarce and hardely auoided Which saying is most true if it be well duely weyed For here a man may see how often he hath without his owne studye without his owne care yea without and contrary to his desire done and suffered many thinges whereof he did not so much as thinke before they were done or in doing that the worke being ended he is then first compelled to say Howe hath it come to passe that I haue done these thinges which I did not thinke on or thought of other thinges so that the prouerbe is true Man purposeth but God disposeth that is altereth and bringeth to passe an other thinge then man purposeth that euen in this one thinge we can not denie that our life and actions are gouerned directed not by our owne wisedom but by the maruelous power counsel goodnes of god Hereby we perceiue howe often God hath bene with vs when we neither saw nor felt it and how truely Peter sayd Cast all your care on him for he careth for you Wherfore if there were no bookes nor sermons yet our life it selfe led through so many euills and perills if it be well considered doth abundātly commend the goodnes of God to be present with vs most sweete vnto vs who hath farre otherwise then we either thought or felt borne vs as it were in his bosome and as Moses sayth Deut. 32 The Lord hath kept him as the apple of his eye he hath led him about and caried him on his shoulders And hereunon came those