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A03788 A riche storehouse, or treasurie, for the sicke, full of Christian counsels holesome doctrines, comfortable persuasions, and godly meditations, meete for all Christians, both in sicknesse and in health. Wherevnto is annexed a comfort for poore prisoners, and also an exhortation to repentance. Written in Dutch, by Gaspar Huberine, and Englished by Thomas Godfrie, esquire, late ... fruits and ... at the request of his dangter Marie, wife ... Iohn French, gentleman of the Inner Temple Huberinus, Caspar.; Godfrie, Thomas. 1578 (1578) STC 13905; ESTC S113094 72,574 208

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well your selues whether ye beléeue as Saint Paul saith in the 13. Chapter of his seconde Epistle to the Corinthes Try your selues saith he whether ye be in belefe proue your selues c. Specially that ye earnestly stedfastly beléeue the godly promise that is promised in the Sacrament Item wherfore that godly meate is giuen vnto you Thirdly examine your selfe well whether ye canne and will forgiue your neighbor whether they be friends or foes that haue offended or hurt you whereby ye can shewe towards al men a Christian friendly louing and courteous heart and good will. For this pray vnto our Lord God nowe once againe And if for your sicknesse you can not speake it with your mouth yet in your heart inwardly say thus My Lorde Iesus Christe I come againe as a wretched sinner vnto thée that haue many times offended thée haue deserued nothing but thy euerlasting displeasure and punishment But seeing thou art so gentle and mercifull thou willest not the death of a sinner but that he repent and liue therefore hast thou established among vs a newe Testament whiche was long before promised by thy holy prophetes that thou wouldest take our sinnes from vs through thy death and the same neuer after remember And also before thy death hast made thy last will and therein hast made vs an assured promise that thou wouldest giue vs thy body for our redemption to be slaine and shed thy bloud for remission of our sinnes For thus soundeth thy gratious promise Take eate this is my body which shal be giuen for you This is the cupp● of the newe testament in my bloud which shal be shed for you for the forgiuenesse of your sinnes This thy promise doe I beléeue stedfastly and for assurance thereof I haue before this time in my good health of body many times in the congregation of God receiued the holy Sacrament of thy very body and bloud wherof at this present I doe not doubt but am nowe certeinly and assuredly persuaded of al thy graces and mercies Be it vnto me according to thy word ¶ Here it is good to put the sicke body in remembraunce shortly what hath beene saide before after this manner Ninethly now deare friends I haue tolde you in the beginning how that all aduersities and troubles come from our Lord God and be laide vpon his of fatherly and true loue Therefore shall you be certeinely persuaded that this your sicknesse is by God therefore laide vpon you that the old man with Christ shoulde be nayled vpon the crosse that the sinfull body shoulde cease and a new and perfecte man appeare thereof whiche with Christe shall inioy euerlasting ioy and felicitie For Flesh and bloud can not enherit the kingdome of God As saint Paule witnesseth 1. Cor. 15. The olde man must full and whole be destroyed and as Christe in the 12. Chap. of Saint Iohn saith Except that the wheate corne fall into the earth and die so remaineth it but one corne But if it die it bringeth forth much fruite Thus must all both within and without vs be forsaken the olde Adam with all his wisedome reason and vnderstanding come to nought wherby a newe man may appeare at that day as Saint Paule saith 1. Cor. 15. Where he speaketh thus That whiche we see is not liuely except it first die It is sowen in corruption and shall rise againe in glorie It is sowen in dishonour and shall rise againe in honour It was sowen in weakenesse and shall rise againe in might It was sowen a naturall body and it shall rise againe a spirituall body When this corruptible body hath put on incorruption and this mortalitie hath put on immortalitie then shal be fulfilled the saying which is written Death is swalowed vp in victorie Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victorie God be praised that hath giuen vs the victorie through our Lord Iesus Christe Secondarily séeing the case standeth thus you shall nowe further resigne and forsake your owne wil and giue it ouer to Gods wil and pray as our Lord God hath taught vs to pray Matth. 6. and say Father thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen And as Christe Gods sonne him selfe at the houre of his death hath done and hath set forth vnto vs an example to be followed where he saide vpon mount Oliuet Matth 26. Father not my will but thy will be done So shall ye also doe vnto him conforme your selfe in all thinges to God him selfe our Lord and giue ouer all thinges to him our body our life our soule our estimation our goods friendes wife children and all c. and say thus NOw my Lord and God wil it none otherwise be but that I must at this time néedes drinke the cuppe of my passion that thou haste filled for me to drinke let thy will be done As thou willest so will I also I am willing and readie I am thy childe and thou arte my louing father thou wilt not destroy me that I knowe right well Oh onely giue thou me grace strength power mercie patience to suffer all thinges willingly that I may to thée kéepe a right holy day continually holde fast by thée and willingly to suffer thée to doe with me according to thy fatherly good will and pleasure Then shall I thrée dayes long rest lie with Christe in the graue hope for a ioyfull resurrection of all beléeuers at domes day according to the comfortable promise of Christe Iohn the 6. where Christe saith thus This is the will of him that sent me that he that seeth the sonne and beleeueth on him haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the latter day Thirdly ye shall also further vnderstande and beléeue certeinely that this your sicknesse howe great howe sore howe gréeuous to suffer howe long and painefull soeuer it bée yet is it not sufficient to appease pacifie Gods wrath to take away your sinnes and to purchase you euerlasting life For ye shall stedfastly beléeue this that deseruing of any Saint nor your owne worke how precious so euer it bée or may bée can gett you heauen or can deserue it For Saint Paule saith Rom. 8. That All the sufferinges in this worlde be not worthie of that glorie that shal be shewed vnto vs. Fourthly ye shall vndoubtedly beléeue that the onely passion and death of our Lorde Iesus Christe is a sufficient oblation for your sinnes For The Lorde Iesus is made for vs from God to be our wisedome our righteousnesse our sanctification and deliuerer as the Apostle saint Paul witnesseth in the first to the Corinthians the first Chapter For there is none other name giuē to men nor there is in none other helth wherin we shal be saued then only in the name of Iesus Christe c. As likewise witnesseth Saint Peter Acts the fourth For God hath made him that neuer knewe sinne for our sakes to
great darknes though they knew nothing of the brightnesse of Gods holy light and knowledge and yet confessed and dyed in this Christian beleefe and haue inioyed euerlasting life Therfore shall we bestowe our possible diligence to bring young children to be baptised those that be elder to be taught and those that bee at the point of death to be comforted euery man according to his measure and gift wherby as much as lyeth in vs no body shall bee taken tarde be vnprouided or dye in his errour and vnbeleefe But so to vse our selues that euery body may come vnto the knowledge of the truth be blessed and saued and so at the last commend in our prayer euery man one with an other vnto God which can mightily bring to passe al that we desire or require according to his power that worketh in vs To him be prayse in the congregation which is in Christe Iesus for euer and euer Amen Last of all now when the last pang commeth when the sick body beginneth to scrocle and shrincke vp his bodie as when one biteth vppon a sowre apple as the biting of Adams apple teacheth vs séeing the same bit and sinne is runne ouer vs all and therefore we all must raunsome it with our skinne and with death then may a man to conclude say to the sicke as followeth Lord into thy hand I commend my spirite Almightie God lead thy soule into euerlasting peace and blessednesse And our Lorde Iesus Christe raise vp againe at the last day this dead body to euerlasting honour and glorie Amen A short exhortation to them that be present and shall attend vppon the dead body WElbeloued in our Lord you haue nowe seene for a time the course of this departed bodie and howe like a good Christian and warriour it is departed out of this life Yea rather howe fatherly and gratiously our Lord God hath visited it how at the last he hath deliuered it from al aduersitie and trouble wherevnto the old Serpent of all mans progenie had brought vs Therefore séeing this dead person is so Christianly departed out of this life full of miserie let vs to the euerlasting praise thankes of God say ioyfully We praise thee ô God c. And to conclude inwardly with all our heartes call vppon him pray vnto him that he wil vouchsafe wh●n we shal be in extremitie and perill of death gratiously defende vs and blesse vs and giue vnto vs a blessed houre thorough Christ his onely begotten sonne Therefore wéepe not as the heathen and infidels that beléeue not the resurrection and haue no hope thervppon For If we beleeue as witnesseth S. Paule 1. thess. 4. that Iesus died and is raised vp againe likewise also shall God with him lead all those that bee departed through Iesus Heare may we sée what it is to die well namely the death of Christ that of necessitie died for vs wretched sinners whereby through his death he hath purchased that we shal neuer die but sleepe only Out of which sléepe Christ a mightie Lorde and king shall at the last day raise vs vp if we beléeue vppon him and lead vs with himselfe into euerlasting blisse and peace Therefore suffer this sléeping bodie lie and rest and his soule in the meane season refresh it selfe and reioyce vntill that day when body and soule shall come againe together and enioy euerlasting felicitie Whervnto our Lord Iesus nowe helpe vs all together Amen Secondarily it is not possible that man may so much bridle nature that we should not be heauie and complaine after the death of our friendes And also Syrach saith the 38. chapiter My sonne powre foorth ●eares ouer the dead and beginne to mourne as if thou haddest suffered great harme thy selfe and then couer his body according as he hath appointed and neglect not his buriall Make a greeuous lamentation and be earnest in mourning and vse lamentation as he is worthie and that a day or two least thou be euil spoken on and then comfort thy selfe for thine heauinesse For of heauines commeth death the heauines of the heart breaketh the strength Of the afflictions of the heart commeth sorrow and the life of him that is afflicted is according to his heart Take no heauines in heart driue it away and remember the last end Forget it not for there is no turning againe thou shalt do him no good but hurt thy selfe Remember his iudgement thine also shal be likewise Vnto me yesterday and vnto thee to day Seeing the dead is at rest let his remembrance rest and comfort thy selfe againe for him seeing his spirite is departed from him Thus we sée that also the good Patriarches and holy people haue after this maner mourned as Abraham Ioseph Dauid c. But at the length they haue layd mourning aside and comforted themselues with the ioyefull resurrection Yea Christ himselfe mourned for dead Lazarus Iohn 11. Thirdly and last of all you shal worshipfully bring this dead body to the earth and shewe vppon it such manner of worke of loue as Syrach willeth vs in the vij Chapter saying Shewe thy good will vpon the dead specially worshipfully accompanie him conuey him and help him to his graue for the resurrection sake As Syrache also saith in the 38. Chapter When any dyeth burie him decently and bring his body worshipfully to the graue As did good Tobie Dauid and many moe to giue vs example how we ought to behaue our selues towardes the dead Our Lord God graunt vs his grace that euery of vs each one for other may be diligent in this behalfe whereby we all to the prayse of God and to the profit of our neighbours without let or offence may begin goe forward and happily end through Christe our Lorde in the holy Ghost Amen Thus you sée welbeloued in Christe our Lord vpon this dead body the earnest and high iudgement of GOD and what an extreme horror our Lorde God hath vpon sinne For who hath thus iudged this dead body taken from him his comely countenaunce giuen vnto him such an ougly looke face Onely death But wherfore Only bicause Death is the wages for sinne But if this dead man since his birth had not sinned then had sinne neuer had suche power ouer him But from whence hath death this power Only from Gods wrath and iudgment Therefore tremble looke vp to GOD auoyde sinne for this dead body maye be a warning vnto you that ye kéepe your selues from sinne Christ Iesus kéepe and defend vs altogether Amen ¶ To the Reader FRiendly and Christian Reader hitherto haue ye perceiued in plaine simple manner howe sicke persons are to be comforted I haue also shortly shewed you first of Repentaunce then of Faith and afterward of Good workes which I haue not done only for the sick and for such as be ready to dye but also for them that be in health to the intent that they that be whole in the
muche offended against sinne not only with temporall punishment but also with euerlasting Therefore you shall vnderstande well knowe and learne that you by meanes of your doings and sinne haue wrought and deserued not only a temporall but also an euerlasting death For if God would deale with you acording to his earnest and vttermost iudgment then should your punishment be euerlasting and neuer haue end But séeing that God hath forséene you from the beginning and hath taken and receiued you through his fatherly correction in the time of grace but specially nowe at this time he will turne your euerlasting punishment into temporal punishment cut short his euerlasting anger and displeasure to a timely and tēporal anger And yet the same before him is no anger but a fatherly visitation whereby he will make you leape ouer the way to euerlasting damnation and lead you out of it and by this crosse he will bring you to the right way to heauen Therefore our Lord GOD of grace and fauour by meanes of the innocent death of his welbeloued sonne our Lord Christ will take from you the euerlasting punishment and take the same from your soule and lay it vppon your body so that both your body and your soule may at the length be made frée and deliuered wholy both from worldly and euerlasting punishment Therfore this worldly correction is laid vpon the body but as it were the space of the twinckling of an eye whereby you being warned of your vnpenitent life might leaue off to sin which otherwise will not be and you would still haue continued in sinne and thereby at the last haue fallen into the feareful anger of God and euerlasting torment plague Howbeit God of his great mercy hath taken mercy of your fall and will deliuer you from his great mightie strong and euerlasting iudgement The righteousnesse and iustice of God hath earnestly sought and required to haue her right vpon you that is to say euerlasting punishment and paine but the mercy of God hath on your behalfe stept in the middle and hath foughten against iudgement and mercy hath obteined the victorie and driuen iudgement backe so that she shal neuer hereafter lay any thing to your charge how be it so that righteousnesse is partly agréed with all and satisfied but onely temporally as farre as concerneth the body but not the soule This is a wonderfull battel and on your side maruellously brought aboute through grace For what is this temporal transitorie suffering enduring as it were but the twinckling of an eye in comparison of the euerlasting tormentes where you should haue abidden the euerlasting death and paine Therefore is this a tollerable yea rather an acceptable and pleasaunt exchaunge séeing we by our sinne haue deserued the euerlasting wrath of God punishment that this punishment now shall endure but for a time yea rather but the twinkling of an eye which else should haue béene euerlasting and fearefull if God in his anger would haue delt with vs Therefore nowe welbeloued you shall doe like one that hath his house a fire and burneth all in a flame so that it is vnpossible to be quenched Then wil he throwe out and fetche from thence all his treasure iewels And if he can saue them from burning he may with them build vp an other house Thus must you likewise do Your house I meane your body is of a light flame it so burneth with sinne that there is no hope to quench it you must now let your old house burne and now looke about and bethinke you howe to saue and deliuer your treasure and iewels that is your soule through a true faith in Christ your deliuerer then shall you wel at Doomes day thorough that iewel come to a new house where you shal haue a new bodie in the blessed resurrection of the elected and chosen people of God which neuer dieth nor thorough fire can be consumed But you shal then haue such a bodie as shal neuer die nor at any time suffer any griefe punishment paine harts sorrow trouble or néed neuermore forsakē but enioye euerlasting peace and blessednes Therefore praye now that he wil rule and turne the harts of the magistrates that they will lay vpon you of fauour such correction as shal be most séemely in this case that you may quietly suffer and beare For God ruleth the heartes of the magistrates and sitteth amongst them in their counsel iudgements And séeing the great magistrate is of your side you haue altogether and can lacke nothing Thirdly marke also further welbeloued that Gods iudgement euer beginneth at his owne children For whensoeuer he purposeth to correcte the world with his displeasure and earnest punishment first of all he séeketh out his owne and visiteth them and correcteth them first of all with his fatherly rodde whereby he may saue and deliuer them from the endlesse and euerlasting damnation as S. Peter sheweth in his first Epistle and 4 Chap. out of the holy prophet Ieremie in the 25. Chapter The iudgement of God saith he beginneth at Gods house And as Dauid saith Psa. 75. The Lord hath a cuppe in his hand which is full of mightie wine he skinketh and filleth out of it But godlesse people must drincke all out and make a carrouse and suppe vppe the very dregges of Gods wrath It is hereby ment GOD giueth euery bodie their measure that they shal suffer but the grounds and dregges remaine for the vngodly especially for the stubborne froward and vnpenitent world which will néedes perishe in their stubbornes But the iudgement anger correction and visitation which God of his grace layeth vppon his children is after many sortes God correcteth some of his children with sicknes some with pouerty some with imprisonment some with contempt that they be not regarded nor any accompt made of them some other with temporal death by the magistrate as he hath now purposed to correct you therefore it appeareth outwardly that God sheweth himselfe as thoughe he were angrie with you But With him there is no anger for his anger lasteth but the twinkling of an eye after that he taketh vppe his againe with euerlasting grace and mercie As the prophet Esaias in his 54. Chapter saith And as Dauid remembreth in his 89. Psalme If the children of grace breake and forsake Gods commandementes and keepe not Gods lawes then will God with his rodde seuerely visite them But hee will not turne his grace from them The cause is the mercifull couenaunt which God hath by meanes of his onely begotten sonne made and established with his children Fourthly thus you shall earnestly beléeue that this your suffering care shame martyrdome and death is not sufficient thereby to purchase euerlasting life For if you by your death and paines might before God do penance and satisfie then dyed our Lord Christe in vaine but séeing he dyed he hath by that his suffering passion and death done
where may we abide in safetie to the Lord Christe alone Thou hast shead thy bloud that hath satisfied for our sinns oh holy Lord God oh holy mightie God oh holy mercifull sauiour oh thou euerlasting God let vs not fall backe from the comfort of our faith Lord haue mercy vpon vs. Behold thus shall we reioyce in our greatest daunger and withall our heart Sing vnto our Lord God a song of thankesgiuing which is the right sacrifice of thankes Psal. 50. These be the right singers to God when the whole armie of heauen singe with vs and giue vnto God prayse and thankes Therefore nowe without all feare and trembling hope vppon the endlesse mercy of God that this your trouble and heauinesse and dangerous gronings and sighings commeth vp to Gods compassion and commeth neare inough to his heart But herein shall you stay your self and hope and so shall you be strengthened Esaie 30. And thus shal you conclude in your heart and earnestly hope and with S. Paule say thus Rom. 8. I knowe certeinly that neither death nor life neither Angel nor principalitie neither power present or to come neither aboue nor beneath nor none other creature may remoue vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. To be short Who will accuse the elected of God God is hee that doth iustifie who can condemne vs Christe is hee that died yea rather that is risen againe which sitteth on Gods right hand and forgiueth vs. Nowe if death sinne diuel hel all trouble aduersitie and plague fall vpon me in heapes yet will I before you all abide still in my God and still remaine a childe of euerlasting ioy and felicitie Amen The eleuenth though welbeloued that ye do persuade your selfe as though God himselfe were against you and were angrie with you by reason of forepassed sinnes yet ye shall not be afraid nor dismaye your selfe For God many times doth proue his appeareth vnto them outwardly as though he were verie angrie with them as thoughe he would lay hands on them punish them and vtterly condemne them Therefore séeing God first will make you to liue he wil before hūble you seeing he will bring you to heauen he will first caste you downe into hel For Our Lord sleyeth and reuiueth God doth cast vs into hel and leadeth vs out againe As holy Anna saith the first of Samuel the 2. Therefore in this temptation learne rightly and properly to knowe the nature and propertie of god He meaneth not euil towardes you but by this meanes he tryeth your faith and your hope that ye may be found to be perfect Surely it is a hard fight to wage battel with God him selfe as the good Patriarch Iaacob did a whole night long but at the length he had the victorie and lay aboue And therefore was he called Israel Likewise also must the spirituall Israel doe and in spiritual fight preuaile and haue the ouerhand And to be short at length it must come to passe with you thus that you must nowe onely beléeue vpon hope where no hope is Rom. 8. For True faith is a certeine assuraunce to obteine those things and not doubt on the whiche we can neither beholde nor see Heb. 11. This is your case for in outward appearance and féeling ye sée nothing but death him selfe but the eyes of your faith looke further for they sée life in the middest of death in the middest of sinne true ioy and perfection in the middest of hell heauen in the middest of Gods anger and punishment grace and euerlasting welfare This is surely a strang and wonderfull sight and this is also an excellent passing and fine knowledge a cunning aboue all cunnings whiche declareth vnto vs howe we shall find in death perfect life howe we in the déepest miserie shall be comforted how we in the greatest doubtes shall be instructed to be short when it appeareth vnto vs that we are vtterly vndone euery body hath forsaken vs euery body withdraweth their succour from vs and before our eyes there appeareth nothing but destruction and vtter vndoing we shall make much adoe and wonderfully busie our selues and in our reason and opinion knowe not whether to goe we seeme to liue and yet we dye we sée and féele and yet be in the middest of death But here we must lay aside all féeling seeing vnderstanding wisedome and reason and vtterly forsake them and with these comforts to be merrie in the middest of death and slide through it as through sléep to the blessed hope that God will through his mercy in the promise of Christe euerlastingly kéepe vs and make vs inioy his blessings What so euer Gods wil be let things appeare outwardly as they will let thinges goe and stand with vs as God will yet beleue we stedfastly that Gods grace and goodnesse will defende vs for euer contrarie to all mans reason and imagination for he will not ascribe our saluation nor giue the honour glory prayse thereof vnto vs or our workes eyther to our indeuour but vnto his endlesse mercy that at the last day we should must confesse that our saluation was not in our power in our doings in our will and might but onely in the mercy and onely grace of God which we haue obteined through Christ our onely Sauiour For which grace and good will we are bound to giue to God continual thankes and only laude and prayse his holy name and ascribe vnto him all honour power might and maiestie behold thus shal you fight and striue with God against god and push and enforce your selfe as it were through very thistles thornes to enter into heauen and there againe beginne in your heart to sing the comfortable song of the holy Dauid Psalme 73. where he thus singeth If I haue onely thee my Lord and my God I passe of nothing neither in heauen nor in earth though my body and my soul be in contempt yet art thou my God alway my heartes comfort and my health And then will GOD comfort you and say thus Esaie 41. Be not afraid I am with thee be not faint hearted for I am thy God I will strengthen thee I will helpe thee out I will holde thee vppe through the strength of my righteousnesse Twelfthly if welbeloued many assaultes and temptations fall vpon you as it were by heapes yet let them not ●ismay or discourage you for sathan ●oth willingly bestowe all his cunning when the matter commeth to the push ●r extremitie If he could not ouercome you in your life time whilest ye were ●n perfect health then wil he now more ●trongly withstande and assault you now in your weaknesse Therfore now ●earne and be expert in deede what the ●ubtiltie and craft of the wicked fiende ●s what sleightes and deuises he vseth and practiseth against you for his nature and condition is with great rage and fiercenesse to set vpon men he commeth to
time of their prosperitie and good health maye learne how to vse and behaue them selues and learne in time to dye For nothing is more certeine then death and nothing more vncerteine then to come vnto the right knowledge to dye Therfore ought euery man before to prepare himselfe and to make ready to take this iourney in hand and go forward wherby he may be carefull for that that will necessarily followe But specially ought we to remember these thinges before-hand and cōtinually exercise our selues in the crosse of warre specially nowe in the sore daungerous warre against the cruell enimie of Christendome the Turke which if he haue the victorie spareth no man but without all mercy heweth downe the miserable Christians striketh them and shooteth them through where many times the wounded bodies a long time lye in the gréene medowes before they be brought into the slaughter house in great daunger of desperation if he were not before well prepared and exercised in Gods worde So that this souldier must fight with his body against the Turke and with his soule against the Diuell him selfe Howbeit this shall be their comforte out of the Prophet Daniel the 7. Chapter That these murtherers of christians bloudhoundes doe onely by this meanes prepare Christian soules and doe further them to euerlasting life For he setteth him selfe with all his might in greate force against the Saintes of God and chiefly warreth against them Wherefore without all question when so euer a Christian man is slaine and ouercom by the Turke yet dyeth he with a safe cōscience in that that he is a Christian for he séeth that this warre is against the Saintes of GOD without cause For the Turke hath no lawfull occasion to fight against the Christians and so miserably to spill Christian bloud Thus therfore dye they so much the ioyfuller séeing they go foorth in the obedience of their superiours and do not only defend their owne countrie and people but also with their owne bloud help to preserue Christian religion Therefore good Christian learne in time to dye for thou knowest neither time nor houre neither place nor manner when howe either what maner of death thou shalt haue specially in this last and dangerous time Therefore deferre not till the last pushe least that you tarrie too long Learne learn this cunning while thou hast time memorie and oportunitie therevnto Then shall you go the surest way séeing the daye must néedes come yeald thy selfe in time with desire and will therevnto for it can not be avoyded Wherevnto our Lorde GOD giue vs grace that we may well and happily depart Amen Howbeit no man is to be tied and bound to vse euery matter as it is herein conteined but if any other can or haue better much good do it them for I haue here remembred certeine temptations wherein I my selfe like a poore simple plaine man haue bene tempted and assaulted with and haue experienced if I may boast my self of my weaknesse for I haue thrise béene at that point that euery man gaue me ouer and despaired of my life in this worlde yet at the last our Lorde GOD by his great power reuiued me wherefore I giue vnto him euerlasting prayse and thankes in Christ our Lorde I will not say that in my days I haue gone to many Christian people I haue comforted them and haue bene at their end whose names be written in the booke of life where I haue experienced diuers and many temptations GOD graunt both thée me his godly grace that we may also blessedly sléepe at the last in Christe our Lorde and through Gods power at the last day may be raised vp to euerlasting life Amen How to aduise and comfort them that lye in prison and be by the Magistrate iudgged to dye FIrste welbeloued Almightie God giue you his grace and true patience whereby you may beare and patiently suffer this your deserued crosse layde vpon you séeing the matter is come thus far with you that Gods iudgment and the punishment of the magistrate is falne vpon you yeald your self willingly therevnto and thinke that this correction commeth from God him selfe Therefore refuse not the correction of the Almightie as it is written in Iob the 5. Séeing then that euery mans iudgement commeth from God our Lord as it is in Solomon the 29. of his Prouerbes receiue such iudgement and punishment vp from our Lord God as a fatherly correction as the Epistle to the Hebrues witnesseth Chapter 12. where the text saith thus My sonn make not light of the correction of the Lorde and despaire not when thou art punished by him For the Lord doth correct him whom he loueth and he beateth euery sonne which he taketh to him selfe And so it commeth to passe as Solomon saith in his highe song the 8. Chapter that the loue which the Lorde beareth vs is as strong as death It appeareth vnto the world as though the loue of God were very misfortune death and destruction Howbeit there is vnder such loue great mercy goodnesse life and blessednesse hidden For If we be iudged we be corrected by the Lorde to the intent that we should not be damned with the world as saith S. Paule in the first epist. to the Corinthians the 10. Chap. Therefore learne here with spirituall eyes to beholde that you vnder punishment may sée grace vnder correction peace and vnder death life Thus shal not this crosse layd vpon you be very sore and fearfull but you may beare it and you also shal patiently suffer it For God can soone end this crosse that you shall be able to carrie it For as much then as God our Lorde hath appointed to euery man a certeine end of his life which he shall not passe Iob. 14. thinke you nowe that your appointed time by God is nowe come and this day is by God appointed vnto you for a certeine end of your life Trouble not your selfe much therefore after what maner you haue taken your life from God and that you shall so soone deliuer it him againe But set your will to Gods will and say Father thy will be done and not mine if it be thy pleasure that I shall drinke this cuppe which thou hast filled for me giue me thy grace thervnto that I may continue in a true Christian belefe vnto mine end and that I may vnder this my crosse and suffering in perfect patience passe through it to euerlasting life Amen Secondarily For as muche as you haue now heard that this crosse and punishment commeth from God him selfe and is laide vpon you by God through an ordinarie magistrate you shall vnderstand nowe further well learne to knowe the great and earnest anger of God ouer sinne for it is no smal matter before God when a man behaueth him selfe contrarie to Gods lawe and continually without ceasing offendeth and prouoketh God with his vnpenitent liuing GOD is very angrie with suche déedes and is
vs in Christ Iesus Therefore let no man driue off too long to better his life but let euery man remember and thincke vppon the wrathe of God and vppon his punishment in time preuent or come before them driue not the time off till your death bed for you are not sure howe it will frame and fall out with you whether you shall haue then your reason your wittes or whether you shall be able to heare or speake your selfe or whether you shall dye soudenly and dye in the twinckling of an eye wherefore albeit we be all subiect to death and that therefore we must all dye yet doth our Lord God many times shorten many a mans life before his time chiefly bicause such a man doth not remember his sinfull and vnpenitent liuing that he may let him smart whereby he may win vnto him a good purpose to amend and better his life I am afraide there be very fewe that God taketh away before their time bicause they be vertuous whereby he may saue and deliuer them from great mischaunces and from the plagues at hand and therefore God can take but small pleasure of such people as then only call vpon God and sue vnto him in the time of their mishappes and punishmentes and by and by as soone as God our Lorde hath taken his correction from them againe they also by and by forget it and afterwarde become worse then euer they were before Experience daily teacheth this therefore when so euer God helpeth vp such a man he helpeth a great offender only vp againe vpon his sound limmes so that afterwarde he is worse then he was before Therfore is this the cause that God many times hath little pleasure lust or will to helpe suche people turne their punishment from them or to take it from them It is better they ly there sick or else buried in their graue then that they shoulde more grieuously offend God or any longer hurt good mē Howbeit if it so come to passe that God lay hand vpon his owne that is to say weaklings and straglers and take them vnder his fatherly correction looke well whether you be one of those or not and that ye doe not suffer such correction in vaine but rather imagine learne what our Lord GOD meaneth thereby and what profite and good our Lord God purposeth to set foorth by you First you shall knowe that by this meanes God will lead you to true repentance after that giue you cause that you earnestly séeke vnto him and with your heart call vpon him and from him onely looke for helpe and comfort which be the very good and precious woorkes of the second commaundement where you are commaunded that you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vaine which is then done when you inwardly call vppon God in your necessitie haue all your refuge for succour to him looke for all goodnes at his hands Those be most precious good woorkes that doe passingly please god After that as soone as God hath helpen you that you thancke him for his gratious helpe thanke and praise his holy name which is the right offering vp of thanks of the newe testament As holy Dauid witnesseth Psal. 50. That is then the right true Gods seruice to which Gods seruice our Lord God sometime without our minde and will must force or driue vs with great crosses and smarts or else we would neuer walke in any such good woorkes Also we must lastly with holy Dauid in the 119. Psalme acknowledge and say O Lord it is very profitable for me that thou hast humbled and brought me lowe that I might know thy lawes And hereof it commeth to passe that our Lord God suffereth Sathan to trouble to vexe his that he doth tempt them somtime with some special sinne and plagueth them therewith whereby they be moued or driuen first to knowe themselues their weake nature frailtie then to sigh vnto God to call vppon him and flie vnto him they be our spurs and prickes whereby wée be driuen to god And againe that is our comfort that God is so good and that he can shew himselfe so almightie that he can turne the wickednes of his to the best For he is such a God that he wil suffer no euil to be done whereof he doeth not worke some good But our Lord God is so cunning and many times doth shew it vnto his to shame the diuell whereby he doeth very often breake and hinder Sathans purpose and vtterly destroy it To this onely God and Lord he euerlasting thankes and praise in Christ our lord Amen Exhalt mich durch dein wort Keepe me according to thy promise Psalm 119. An instruction to teache children howe they ought to goe to the Lordes Table I haue herein something varied from mine Authour both because hee is not named in the booke and also for that it did in the woordes varied something sound contrary to our English Churche I thought it meete to be added because it was bound with the former Dutch bookes and necessary to be read to them that be in extremitie if time will serue for it FIrst you must beléeue if you will receiue the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ to your commoditie After that must you trye or proue your selues whether you doe worthily eate it or take commoditie by it ¶ Faith. First of all you must well embrace the wordes of our louing Lord God Iesus Christ wherein he hath appointed vnto you his body and bloud to be a testament whereby you may be assured and certeined of his grace and blessed inheritaunce for euer and with Christ and al good Christians to enioy their felowship in all thinges and that you doe belong to the fellowship of Christ For Christian faith hath in it these 2. partes First that by Gods grace we are made frée from all our sinnes and miseries Againe that we be partakers and felow woorkers of all the goodnes of God in Christ Iesus These two partes be promised vnto vs in the Gospel belong to as many as beléeue the Gospel Howbeit to the intent euery man should be the more sure of his faith and better certified that it belongeth vnto him whatsoeuer is conteyned and promised in the Gospel Christ our Lord hath ordeined two Sacraments or outward signes So that euery man that should receiue them in a fast and perfect faith thereby should be assured that the two before remembred parts do belong vnto him which he hath bound and tyed to no time place or person so that wheresoeuer it be receiued it is sure that the faithfull receiue those partes Therefore beléeue stedfastly that through Baptisme almightie God worketh forgiuing of all sinnes as we pray in our beliefe I beléeue one Baptisme for the forgiuenes of sinnes That is to say I beléeue that through Gods mercy by Iesus Christ in the holy Ghost only my sinnes altogether be forgiuen me whereby I am