Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n
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A00019
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A letter sent from a banished minister of Iesus Christ vnto the faithfull Christian flocke in England, most necessary and co[m]fortable to al such, as be burthened with persecucion or heauinesse of mynde for the Gospel and testimonye of Iesu.
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1554
(1554)
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STC 10016; ESTC S112594
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5,073
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16
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eueri side But thei with al their malice shal not anoye vs nor yet hinder our iourney if we coÌ„tinue faithfull but rather further the same Yea the lord wil neuer forsake vs but bi day go before vs in a cloude by night in a piller of fire And although Moses for our vnworthines be taken froÌ„ vs Exo. xiiii yet will the Lord stir vp a Iosuah to lead vs into our inhentaunce in throwing out our enemyes before our faces Here is set furth brethren the tragedi of our liues Let vs be contented withal aboue al thinges let vs auoy de murmutatioÌ„s against the higher powers who are Gods instruments to worke his will whether it be life or death good or euil least we perishe with the rebellious Israelites in the desert Furthermore Nu. xiiii and .xvi. if we do depeli coÌ„sider the great vtilitie that the crosse briÌ„geth to the church of god we haue rather occasioÌ„ to wish for it to reioyce wheÌ„ it coÌ„meth theÌ„ to repine murmur For bi it our fouÌ„dacioÌ„ is tried our faith confirmed our knowledge encreased coÌ„tinuaÌ„ce in praier exercised being froÌ„ the wicked hipocrites separated wherby the drosse corruption of our life is beateÌ„ of as the rust of iroÌ„ with a haÌ„mer For if we lye still as rustye yronne be not brought vnder the haÌ„mer of aduersiti we consume away and serue to no vse For gold is not purified but by fyre wherfore if we desire to be pure let vs not theÌ„ despise that fyre wherby we at made pure For hitherto we haue experienced a christian life as Children practise the feates of warre by sygnes and shewes without any bloudy battail in triumphing before the victori but victorye is not optained wyth losse and daunger Christ our heade lost his humayne lyfe to optaine victorye for vs and to triumph ouer oure ennemies and do we thincke to optaine the same by sytting in securiti and ease at home in our houses passing our tyme in pleasures ease and ioye with our wyues children and frendes enuironed with our ryches lands and possessions without coÌ„ming to the battail without hasarding our lyues without for sakyng our countryes without passyng the seas No truli For as S. Paule saith no maÌ„ that warreth ii Tim. ii entangleth him selfe with worldly busines that he maye the better please him that hath chosen him to be a souldiour Now brethren if ther be a battail towards as we suppose let vs shew our selues worthy souldiours considering the worthines of our Captaine whom we serue who did not let to abandoÌ„ his incomparable glorye and to clothe him self with our miserable humanitie for our commodities therin optaining victory not for him but for vs. So likewise let ther be no worldli thing so dear vnto vs as may once retorte or strai vs from faithful seruing of our lord and prince whose seruauntes we ar by profession and I trust by eleccion without any mutacion Rom. viii continuing in probation the ende whereof is glorificacion VVhat is he brethren that would not be contented to haue the seede of tribulation sowen in hys lyfe when it bryngeth furth such plentye of good fruite as pacience experience hope which shall neuer be confounded These are the vtilities profites and commodities that aduersitie bryngeth to the church of God with a greate deale more which I am not able to recyte for waÌ„t of experience in that behalfe wherfore let vs not despice the crosse when it coÌ„meth considering the benefites therof but rather obey the councell of the wise man wher he saith Eccle. ii My soÌ„ne if thou wilt come into the seruice of God stand fast in righteousnes fear arme thi selfe to suffer temtacioÌ„ Settle thine hart be pacient shrincke not awaye when thou art entised Read for your coÌ„solation the hole chapter for therin is briefly described what ought to be the life of a Christian wherunto he must prepare himselfe euen to the crosse of tribulation as to the only souerigne medicine to cure al our festered diseases On the other syde brethren for our farther coÌ„fort in the dayes of our trouble let vs often cal to remembrauÌ„ce not onely the great louing kindnes of our euerlasting god father wherwith he hath alwaies loued vs but also his omnipotencie mighti haÌ„d wherbi he onli ruleth gouerneth al his creatures euerie where So that nothing is or can be don against his prouidence purpose will For all thing serue him at a becke Esaye xxxiiii yea he putteth a bridel in the mouth of tirants so that although they pretende to make a long race yet doth he stop them sodenly as it apeareth by Senacherib when he purposed to destroy Hierusalem in the time of king Ezechias For the wicked the vngodly are nothing els but the instruments of god wher by he worketh his pleasure As witnesseth the prophet Esaias Esaye x. calling them Axes Sawes Rods Staues which can procede no further then it pleaseth their owner to vse them to his glory Sathan could not molest Iob til he had licence no. Iob. i. ii The deuil could not so much Mat. viii as enter into the poore Hog without the commaundement of Christe And shall then his wicked members anoye hurt vs the children of god without the leaue and licence of our father No truly wherefore let vs comfort our selues for we ar dear vnto him â—acha ii Math. x. as the Apple of his eye The heares of oure headdes are nombred and the race of our lyfe is lymyted So that yf all the world wolde coÌ„spire to abbridge the same they shall not be able til our hour come And when it cometh it is the finall ende of all oure sorowe miserie calamitie payne and the begynning of all oure ioyes felicities and pleasures For duryng the time of this lyfe Christe promiseth vs nothing Iohn xv and .xvi. but afflictioÌ„s sorow weeping But he biddeth vs be of good cheare sayiÌ„g that oure sorow shall be turned into Ioye what nede we fear Mark iiii Luk. viii as long as we haue Christ with vs in oure bote although stormes teÌ„pestes do arise able to ouerwhelme vs And if he during the calme time do fal a sleape in oure heartes by ouer greate securitie and confydence in oure owne strength yet in the time of oure aduersitye yf we ernestly call vpon him he wil suerly awake and helpe vs not only in rebuking the windes and sees our ennimies but also bringing vs to a quiet harboure euen the kingdome of his father purchased for vs thorough hys bloudde And thus I ende beeyng bolde to touble you with this my long letter wherin are contayned many words but fewe sentences But as it is take it in woorthe and according to my rudenes I haue supplyed youre honest request in perfourming my promise And where there is no better be content to accepte a lyttle water from the handes of your frende to quenche your thurst wyth al instede of good wyne The Lorde blesse you prosper and encrease you in knowledge wisdome and vnderstanding preseruyng you faythful vnto the end Amen The spirite of Christ be with you and comfort you al to his glorye Amen