euen that I may learne thy righteous ordinances UexatioÌ„ or trouble saith the Prophet geueth vnderstanding And whaÌ„soeuer we repent cease to sinne the Lord straightwais remoueth and taketh away the crosse that he hath laid vpon our backes and poureth his blessing againe plentiously vpon vs. For though he maketh a wouÌ„d he geueth a plaster though he smite he maketh whole again The Lord killeth maketh a liue bringeth down to the graue and fetcheth vp again The lord maketh poore maketh â—ich bringeth lowe and lifteth vp again After a storm O lord saith holy Toby thou makest the weather faire calme after wepyng and heauines thou geuest great â—oy Thy name O God of Israel â—e praised for euer Euseb. If God â—oueth a man and entendeth to make him partaker of euerlasting glory he wil not cease to punishe him vntill he knowledgeth his â—ault repenteth become a newe â—an Phi Ye say truth For vnto â—his end doth God correcte suche â—s he loueth and entendeth to â—aue The Lord saith by the Proâ—het that he will punishe his peoâ—le which sinne against him and â—un on whoring after straunge Gods vntill they coÌ„fesse their falt and say I wil turne again to my first husband for at that time was I better at ease then now Chri. This is a great comfort for a christen man in his affliction to hear that God punisheth hym in this world to this end y t he may cease to sinne that he may repent turn againe vnto the Lord his God so for euer be saued Epaph. But I pray you rehearse vnto me out oâ— the holy scripture for the quietâ—nes of my conscience some histories which may declare vnto me that God punishing synners foâ— their disobedieÌ„ce doth afterwarâ— whan they repent and turne forâ—geue them and receiue theÌ„ agaiâ— into his fauour Philemon In thâ— fourth boke of Moses called Nâ—â—mery we reade that the pepole 〈◊〉 Israel murmured and grudged â—â—gainst God and against Moseâ— saying vnto Moses wherfore hast thou brought vs out of Egipt for to die in the wildernesse For here is neither bread nor water our soule lotheth this lyght bread Now se ye the sinne of the Israelites They murmur thei grudge they are vnfaithfull vnpacient disobedient against God and against his lawful magistrat now heare again the reward of sinne Wherfore the Lord sent firy Serpentes among the people whiche â—tong them muche people of Israel died Here haue ye the punishment of the sin Now hear also y e â—emedy against this punishment â—nd the salue against this plage Therefore the people came vnto Moses sayd we haue sinned for â—e haue spoken against the Lord â— against thee Make intercession â—o the Lord that he take away the â—â—rpentes from vs. Here the people of Israll repenteth confesseth their sinne turneth againe vnto the Lorde and besecheth Moses to pray for them vnto the Lorde Repentance coÌ„fession of the sinne conuersion vnto the Lorde and faithfull prayer are the meanes wherby Gods wrath is turned away from vs his plagues cease For when Moses had made intercessioÌ„ for the people the Lord said vnto him Make a brasen serpeÌ„t and set it vp for a signe that as many as are bitten may loke vpoÌ„ it and liue And Moses made a seruent of brasse and set it vp for a signe And when the Serpents had bitten any man he beheld thâ— serpent of brasse and was healed â–ª Here se you the mercy of God eâ—uen in the middes of the crosse toâ—ward penitent sinners The Isâ—raelites sinne God plagueth thâ— people repenteth God turneth aâ—way his plague and healeth theÌ„ Epa. A coÌ„fortable history Be ther no mo such in the holy scriptures Phi. Uery many Ep. Rehearse theÌ„ I pray you For I delight to hear such comfortable histories Phile. I am very glad Manasses king of Iuda was an abhominable Idolatoure He went to and built â—he hill altares whiche good king Ezechias his father had broken â—owne And he reared vp altares â—or Baal and made groues and worshipped all the hostes of heauen and serued them and he built â—ltares in the house of the Lorde wheras the Lord yet had said In Hierusalem shall my name be for euer And he builded aultares for â—l the host of heauen in the courts â—f the house of the Lorde And he â—urnt his children in the fire in â—he vally of the sonne of Hinon â—e was a sorcerer he regarded y e crying of birdes vsed enchauntments â–ª and mainteined workers with spirites seers of fortunes wrought much euill in the sight of the Lord to anger him withall And as he him self was an Idolatar forsoke the Lord God of his fathers so likewise made he Iuda and the enhabiters of Ierusalem to erre and to do worse then the Heathen c. Nowe haue ye heard how greuously king Manasses sinned against y e Lord his God Chri. His sinnes were greaâ— worthy of much punishmeÌ„t Euâ— Yea of euerlasting damnation iâ— he were handled according to his desertes Epa. I pray you what bâ—â—came of him Phi. Albeit y e sinnes of this Manasses were great yeâ— behold the louing kindnes of Goâ— toward him his people Beforâ— he sent any punishement amonâ—â— them he raised vp his Prophets which exhorted both him and his subiectes to turne from their euil to repent and to walke in the ordinaunces and lawes of God but both he and his people would not heare the gentle admonitions of God by his Prophetes nether regard them Epa. O stony hartes But how than Ph. Whan y e Lord â—aw y t by no meanes they woulde â—urne from their abhominations â— went forth stil to effeÌ„d he brouâ—ht vpoÌ„ them the captaines of the â—ost of the king of the Assirians â—hiche toke Manasses in hold â—ound him with chaines and caâ—â—ed him to Babilon Theo. O the â—â—ghteous iudgemeÌ„ts of God Epa. â—ere we heare y t Manasses was â—unished for his sinnes yea and â—â—at worthely but did God caste 〈◊〉 away for euer Phi. Ye shall â—ear WhaÌ„ Manasses was in triâ—â—lation he besought the lord his God and humbled him self exceadingly before the God of his Fathers and made intercession to him and God was entreated of hym and heard his prayer and brought him againe to HierusaleÌ„ into his kingdom And than Manasses knew y t the lord was God After this he became a new man and toke away straunge Gods Images out of the house of God and all thalters that he had builâ— in the mount of the house of God and Ierusalem and cast them ouâ— of the citie And he prepared thaâ—â—tare of the Lord sacrificed therâ— on peace offringes and thanck ofâ—fringes charged Iuda to seruâ— the Lord God of Israell Chri. 〈◊〉 happy change Epaphâ— Yea O thâ— great mercies of God Phile. Iâ— this history many notable thinâ—ges are to be learned First if aâ—â— such as God entendeth to saue 〈◊〉 offend and breake his holy
not but turne again vnto the Lord your God he will turn vnto you â–ª deliuer you saue you For he is the father of mercies God of all consolation He is riche inough for all theÌ„ that call vpon hym If you doo thus though your sinnes be as read as scarlet yet shall they be as whyte as snowe And though they were lyke purple yet shall they bee as whyte as woll Heare what God saith by the Prophet Commonly whan a man putteth away his wife and she goeth from him and marieth with an other then the question is should he resorte any more vnto her after that Is not this field then defiled vncleane But as for thee thou hast plaide y e harlot with many louers yet turn again to me saith y e Lord. c. and I will not let my wrath fall vpon you I am mercifull sayeth the Lord and I will not alway beare displeasure against thee O tourn again and I will be maried with you WhoÌ„ wold not these words encourage to come againe vnto the Lord his God and throughly to be perswaded of gods louing fauour toward him and of the forgeuenes of his sinnes be they neuer so many and greuous if he repent beleue amend Epa. These thinges comfort well my weake conscience But one thinge dothe â—reatly discourage me Phi. What â—s that Epa. I haue no merites nor plenty of good workes wherwith I may make God fauorable â—o me but I am a barren fig tree â—oyd of all good fruit Phile. The waÌ„t of merits ought not to pluck you from comming vnto god For God saueth not vs for the righteous works which we haue done but for his mercies sake If oure saluatioÌ„ came of works merits then were grace no more grace If euerlasting life were gotten by deseruinges than were it not the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord. But the Apostle saieth By grace are ye saued thorowe faith and that not of our selues It is the gifte of God and commeth not of workes least any maÌ„ should boast him self If rightousnesse come of the lawe then Christ is dead in vaine Christ came not to call the righteous but sinneâ— to repentance And we are taugâ— in the Gospell that ioye shall be 〈◊〉 heauen ouer one sinner that repâ—â—teth more then ouer ninety anâ— nine iust persones which nede 〈◊〉 repentaunce What had the wouâ—â—ded man deserued that he shoulâ— be healed What had y e strayshepâ— merited that the shephard shoulâ— so louingly fetch her home againâ— What good works brought Marâ— Magdalen when Christ receiueâ— her vnto grace forgaue her heâ— sinnes And so likewyse of diuers other If God shoulde saue vs because of our merites good workes so should we chuse god by our works and merites and not God vs by his fauor grace and mercy But Christ saith ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you And S. Iohn wondring at this great mercy of God brasteth out â—â—to these wordes â–ª and saith Beâ—olde what loue the father hathe â—hewed on vs y t we shuld be called â—he sonnes of God Againe herein â—s loue not that we loued God â—ut that he loued vs and sent his â—onne to be the agrement for our â—â—nnes And S Paul saith God y e â—ather hath chosen vs in Christ â—efore the foundatioÌ„s of the world â—ere laid God therfore did chuse â—s by his grace and not we hym â—y our workes and merits I wil â—aue mercy sayd God to Moses â—n whome it pleaseth me to haue mercy and I wil haue compassioÌ„ â—n whoÌ„ it is my pleasure to haue compassion It lieth not therfore â—n a mans will or running but in â—he mercy of God And the Psalâ—ograph saith speaking of God 〈◊〉 of him self he hath saued me beâ—ause it was his pleasure to haue â—e Againe he saith Thou shalt saue them for nothynge what 〈◊〉 to say saith S. Austen thou shâ—â— saue them for nothing but y e thâ—â— findest nothing in them wherfâ—â— they shuld be saued and yet sauâ—â— thou them Frely doest thou geâ—â— frely dost thou saue And s. Ieroâ—â— alledging y e same sentence agaiâ—â— the Pelagians saith that y e rigâ—â—teous are not saued by their owâ—â— merites but by the tender mercâ—â— of God If we shall consider ouâ—â— merites saith Chrisostom we aâ—â— not only worthy no reward bâ—â— we are also worthy punishemenâ— Let all mens merits which perâ—â—shed by Adam be still and kepe sâ—â—lence saith Saint Austen and lâ—â— the grace of God reigne which raigneth through our Lorde Iâ—â—sus Christe The redemption 〈◊〉 Christes bloud should waxe viâ—â— and become of no price sayth Sâ— Ambrose if y e iustification which commeth by grace were due vnto merites going afore Dauid sath in a certayne Psalme prayse â–ª the Lord. O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy name Prayse the Lord O my soule and forget not his benefites Whiche forgeueth all thy sinnes and healeth al thine iniquities Which saueth thy life from destruction and crowneth the with mercy and loâ—ing kindnes All good men from the beginning haue attributed geuen the whole glory of their iustification and saluation not to their own merits and good worâ—es but to the free grace and vndeserued mercy of God that God maye bee all in all and that he whiche reioyseth should reioyse in â—he Lorde For the contentation and quietnes of your conscience â—n this behalf remember y t Christ â—ame not to cal y e iusticiaries but sinners vnto repentaunce RemeÌ„â—ber that the sonne of man came tâ— seke and to saue that that waâ— lost Remember that Christ is 〈◊〉 Phisition and that the whoâ— hath no nede of a Phisition buâ— suche as are sick Remember thaâ— Christ calleth vnto him al such aâ— are diseased loden with the buâ—â—den of sinne He requireth no mâ—â—rites only come remember thaâ— Christ is called a sauiour to y e end that he should saue them which otherwise should perish Heare alâ—so what God saith by y e Propheâ— Come to the waters al ye that bâ— thirsty and ye that haue no mony Come bie y t ye may haue to eaâ—â— Come bie wine and milk withouâ— any mony or mony worth Wherâ—â—fore doo ye lay out your mony foâ— the thyng that fedeth not spenâ— your labour about the thing thaâ— satisfieth you not But harkeâ— harken rather vnto me ye shall eat of the best and your soul shall haue her pleasure in plenteousnesses Encline your eares and come vnto me take hede I say your soul shall liue Our sauiour Christ also saieth If any man thirst let him come vnto me and drinke Againe in an other place I wyll geue to him that is a thirst of the well of the water of lyfe He that ouercommeth shall enherite all thinges
my breast Therfore wyll I haue neither month mindes nor yere mindes kept for me nor no idle Papistes and superstitious Massemongers sing or say for me For I doubt not but that the Lorde my God hath prepared me a vessel vnto honoure and hath written my name in the boke of life and hath also made me his sonne and heire of eternall glory this is inough for me Chr. The righteous saith the wyseman shall liue for euermore their reward also is with y e Lord and their remembrance w t the hiest Therfore shal they receiue a glorious kingdom a beautifull crowne of the Lordes hand Epa. Neighbours now am I at a poynt with the goods of y e world yea and with the world it selfe so that I may saye with the holy Apostle The world is crucified vnto me and I vnto the world The. He is an happy man and greatly blessed which forsaketh geueth ouer the worlde before the world forsaketh him For such obey this commaundement of S. Iohn Loue not the worlde nor those thinges that are in the worlde albeit I doubt not neighbour Epaphroditus but that you shal right well recouer your health and liue yet many yeares among vs. Epa. No neyghbour Theophile The ende of my life is at hand And I moste hartely thank the Lord my God for it For I wishe to be losoned out of this life and to be with Christ. Like as the hart desireth the water brokes so longeth my soule after thee O God My soule is a thurst for God yea euen for y e liuing God When shal I come to appere before the presence of God â–ª O howe amiable are thy dwellinges thou Lorde of hostes My soul hath a desire and longyng to enter into the courtes of the Lord my hart and my fleshe reioyce in y e liuing god I had rather be a dore keper in the house of my God theÌ„ to dwell in the tentes of the vngodly O blessed are they y t dwell in thy house O Lord for they wil be alway praysing thee O lord deliuer my soul out of the prison of my body that I may come geue thanckes vnto thy blessed name Deale with me O lord according to thy will and commauÌ„d my spirit to be receiued in peace For it is more expedient for me to die theÌ„ to liue Phile. I greatly reioyce in the Lord my God good neighbor Epaphroditê° to se you in so good a mind and to hear so godly wordes procede out of your mouthe These thinges are euident testimonies of your good conscience toward God Feare you not the Lord hath sealed you with his holâ— spirit made you through his mercy a vessell vnto honor Epa. Now that an order is taken concerning my worldly possessioÌ„s I wish to haue my wyfe my chyldren with my seruaunts brought hither vnto me that I may take my leaue of them and commende them vnto y e lord my God I pray you neighbour Eusebius cal them hither Euse. It shall be done Epa. Oh howe sicke am I My wekenes encreaseth more and more Lorde be mercifull vnto me and geue me grace paciently thank fully to beare this Crosse and in the middes of this my sicknesse alwaies to say Thy wil O heauenly father be done not mine Phi. Be strong in the Lorde good neighbour and faint not and you shall see the wondrous workes of God For God will either shortly restore vnto you your health or els make an end of this your pain by taking you froÌ„ this wretched world and place you in his glorious kingdom Epa. God graunt But is my neighbour Eusebius come againe Chri. Yea sir. Epa. Where is he Euse. Here sir am I. Epa. Where is my wife my chyldren and my seruauntes Phile. They are all here present Epaphr COme hither wife You see in what case I lie here sicke weake and the prisoner of God loking euery hour for my departure out of this worlde And this visitation of God is vnto me welcome and I thanke the Lord w tal my heart for it I doubt not but that whan I am once gone out of this wretched lyfe I shal be in a far better case then euer I was in this worlde Therfore I pray thee good wife be not heauy neither take thought for me but rather pray that y e good wyll of God may be done in me And be aswell contented that I should nowe at the calling of God go from thee as euer thou wast to haue me in thy company I haue run my rase I haue passed those yeres which the Lord appoynted that I should lyue in this world And now is the time of my departure come And I geue ouer this my life willingly and with a free hart Therefore take no thought for me And doubt thou not swete wife but if y e goest forthe to liue in the feare of God and to please him God in the time of thy wyddowhod will be an husband vnto thee He wilbe thy patron and defender He wilbe thy mighty shield strong buckler He will prouide and afore see that thou and thine shall want no good thing For he hath promised in his holy worde that he wil take charge of the widowes and defend their cause He hath also geuen a strait commauÌ„dement to the magistrates head rulers to loke vnto wydowes to deliuer them from oppression And his holy Apostle saith that y e pure and vndefiled Religion before God y e father is to visit help comfort widowes Therfore I doubt not but the Lord our God will aboundantly prouide for thee and thine NotwithstaÌ„ding wife forasmuch as from the first time oâ— our mariage vnto this preseÌ„t day thou hast alway bene vnto me a true faithfull honest diligent seruiceable wife I haue made the mine Executresse and geuen vnto thee in my wyll suche a portion as shal aboundauÌ„tly satisfie thee both vnto the bringing vp of thy children and also vnto the maintenance of hospitalitie God hath sent me inough therfore I leaue vnto thee thine inough I praye God send you alwayes his feare before your face so shall you neuer uant To forbid the mariage after my departure according vnto the propertie of some husbaÌ„des I wyll not For the holy Scripâ—ure saieth the wyfe is bound vnâ—o the mariage as long as her husband lyueth If her husband die â—he it at libertie to marie wyth whome she will only in the Lord. If thou therfore after my deparâ—ure O wife hast a minde to marye agayne marry in the name of the lord our God For I know as the wyse man saith that no man can liue chast except God geueth the gift Only haue this care that he with whome thou doest determine to couple thy self in the blessed state of honorable wedlock be such a man as feareth God â–ª loueth his worde is well reported of his neighbours dealeth
heare you gladly Epa. I vnfainedly beleue with my harte and frely confesse with my mouthe that the holy ghost is one and equal God in glory maiestie power and might with the father and the sonne proceading from the father and the son after an vnknowne and vnexpresseable maner This spirite of God and God him selfe is he by whom God the father through his sonne Christe and in Christ worketh and quickneth all thinges All the benefites and graces which God the father bestoweth vppon vs for Christes sake this holy ghost bringeth thē vnto vs and maketh vs new vessels to receyue them which otherwise euen of nature are so fleshly minded that we perceiue nothing at all of those thinges which pertayne vnto the spirite of God neyther are we able to thinke a good thoughte of our selues For this godly spirite worketh in vs newe motions and new affectes and geueth vs grace both to will and to doo good He is a teacher of al the faithfull and leadeth them into al truth He is a confortour of weake and sorowfull mindes He kepeth the true christians vnmoneable in one faith and openeth their senses to vnderstand y e misteries of God aright He doth clothe them with his giftes and geueth to euery one a seueral gift euen as he wyll He is the ruler of the Christen congregation He is the anoyntment wherwith all the faithful are anoynted and thereof are called the annoynted of the Lord. He is geuen vnto the faithfull to be the earnest of their enheritaunce for the recouering of the purchased possession vnto y e praise of his glory He with his godlie breath quickeneth maketh aliue and conserueth all thinges He of carnall maketh vs spirituall of worldly godly of wicked blessed of the bond slaues of Sathan the dearly beloued sonnes of God of sinnefull sinckes his owne moste pleasaunt and holy temple of cruell meke of proud humble of malicious charitable of contentious quiet of couetous liberal of hard harted meke spirited of froward gentle of stubburne obedient of dissolute temperat and sober of false true of folish wyse of idle godly occupied of vnchast pure and cleane of the haters of God the frendes of God of the louers of pleasures the louers of godlines to ende he maketh vs of earthy heauenlye Whatsoeuer goodnes we haue he is the alone author worker and geuer of the same Therfore I beleue and confesse that this holy spirite is one and equal God with God the father and God the sonne proceading from them bothe with lyke maiesty glorie might and power I beleue that this holy gost is my comforter and that he prayeth for me renueth me dwelleth in me and hathe sealed me vp vnto euerlastyng glorye Now haue ye hard my faith and my beilefe in the father and in the sonne and in the holy ghost which .iii. I beleue and confesse to be one God whose seat the heauen is and whose fotestole is the earth He is an euerlastyng and almighty God whiche alone is to be honoured serued in spirit and truthe For he alone can helpe vs forasmuche as he is almighty will helpe vs because he his mercifull true and faithful yea and that not for our rightousnes but for his names sake To this one true liuing euerlastyng immortal inuisible alone wise God king of kinges and Lorde of Lordes be all honoure and glory worlds without end Thi. Amen Epa. Thou art worthy O Lord to receyue glory and honour and power for thou haste created all things and for thy wils sake they are and were created Blessing glory and wisdome and thankes and honor and might be vnto our God for euermore Chr. So be it Epa. Simply and plainely haue I here before you all rehearsed my faithe and belief in God and in the thre parsons of the Godhead as I haue here tofore learned it of gods moste holy worde I confesse that many thinges mo mighte be spoken of the wonderfull misteries of this most blessed and holy Trinitie but they farre exceade my vnderstanding and therefore I dare not meddle with them For it is written he that is a searcher of the Maiestie of God shall be oppressed of the glorye thereof Againe Seke not oute the thinges that are aboue thy capacitie and serche not the ground of suche thinges as ar to mighty for thee but loke what God hath cōmaunded thee think vpon that alway and be not curious in many of his workes For it is not neadeful for thee to se w t thine eies the thinges that are secreat The. The holy Apostle also counselleth vs to be modest sober and that we be not curious to searche after the knowledge of things which passe our capacitie Eu. The holy psalmograph semeth to haue followed this coūcel wel whiche saieth on this manner of him selfe Lord I am not hie minded I haue no proud lokes I doe not exercise my self in great matters which are to hie for me But I refrain my soule kepe it lowe like as a child that is weaned frō his mother yea my soule is euen as a wened childe O Israel trust in the Lorde from this time forth for euermore Phil. Neighbour Epaphroditus there remain yet behind mo articles of the Christen faith Haue you forgotten them Epap No good brother Philemō God forbid I should forget them For in them next vnto God lieth now my chief consolation comfort Should I being in this case forget the holye congregation of God whiche is the company and felowship of the sainctes chosen people of God of whome Christ y e Lord is the head ruler and gouernour Should I in this my sickenes forget the hie and singulare benefites of God whiche of his own fre mercy and mere goodnes he liberally geueth to al faithfull penitent sinners namely remission of sinnes the Resurrection of the body and lyfe euerlasting God forbid God forbid For the remembraunce of these thynges comforteth me greatlye I wyll therfore although my winde beginneth to waxe shorte and it is painefull vnto me muche for to speake declare my faithe concerning these Articles Eusebi God strengthen you Chri. Amen Epa. As I vnfainedly beleue with my heart and freely confesse with my mouth that there is but one God in whome alone I put al my confidence truste and hope of saluation and at whose hand only I loke for all good thinges pertayning either vnto the bodye or vnto the soule so lykewyse I bothe beleue and confesse that there is but one holy vniuersal churche or congregation of the faithefull all be it they be despersed and scattered abrode thorow out the world in diuers and sondry places which are gathered knit together through the operation of the holy ghost in the vnitie of the spirite and ioyned together in one faith as members of one bodye whereof Iesus Christe is the
more worthy to be called thy sonne â–ª Cry with the Publicane and say O God be merciful to me a sinner Cry with the Leper and saye O Lord if thou wilt thou art hable to make me cleane Cry with the blinde man and saye O Iesu the sonne of Dauid haue mercye on me Cry with the woman of Canane and sayâ— haue mercy on me O Lord thouâ—â—ne of Dauid My doughter is greuously vexed of y e deuil Cry with the Centurion say I am not worthy that thou shouldest entre vnder my rofe but speke the word only and my soÌ„ne shalbe heled But vnto this your harty repentaunce humble confessioÌ„ of your sinnes you must put mighty strong faith beleuing y t God y e father for his promise sake made vnto all penitent sinners in Christes bloud wil frely merciâ—ully forgeue you all your sins be â—hey neuer so manye or greuous for without this faith all y t euer you do is nothing worth as thapostle saith Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Cain repented and confessed his fault saying my sin is greater then I may deserue to be forgeuen But because he wanted faith he fell into desperation was dampned Iudas repented confessed his sinne saying I haue synned betraying the innocent bloud yea he also made satisfaction suche as it was but not withâ—standinge because he added noâ— faith vnto his repentaunce conâ—fession and satisfaction all was in vaine Peter his fellowe discipleâ— sinned also greuously but becausâ— he earnestlye repented and alsâ— faithfully beleued to haue remisâ—sion of his sinnes by the precious bloud of his maister whome he â— fore had both denied forsworne he was forgeuen and receiued iâ— to fauour againe For by faith arâ— we made of the children of wrath the sonnes of God By faith are we maried vnto Christ. By faith are our hartes purified By faith sathan is ouercome By faith the world is vanquished By faith we are preserued from dampnation By faith we are iustified made righteous By faith the wrath of God is asswaged By faith we worke the will of God By faith our praiers are heard and our requestes graunted By faithe we please God By faith we be made the children of light By faith we are borne a new of God By faith we are made the temples of the holy ghost By faith we vnderstand the misteries of God By faith we preuaile againste the gates of hell By faith we are made the heyres of God and fellow heyres with our Lord and sauiour Christ Iesu of euerlasting glory Faith as S. Austen saith â–ª is the beginning of mans saluation Without faithe no man can reache or come vnto the nomber of the sonnes of God Withoute faith al the labour of man is frustrate and voyde Faith saieth S â–ª Ambrose is y e rote of all vertues â–ª and whatsoeuer thou buyldest oâ— this foundation that alone profiteth vnto the reward of thy workâ— frute and vertue Fayth saith he â–ª is ritcher then all treasures stroÌ„ger then all corporall power and more healthfull then all Phisitions Therfore loke that you hauâ— this true faythe in you and thaâ— you cleue both toth and nayle as they vse to say to the merciful and comfortable promises of god So may you be sure to haue remission and forgeuenes of your synnes Epa. I beleue O Lord helpe thoâ— my vnbelief O Lord encrease my saith O heauenly father my God and my Lorde I with an assured perswasion of thy goodnesse toward me most humbly besech the for Iesus Christes sake mercifully to behold me a moste miserable sinner and clearly to forgeue all those sinnes wickdnesses which I wretched creature haue committed against thee my Lord God from the houre of my byrth vnto this present tyme. Forgeue me all my sins for thy names sake they â—e bothe many and great Oh remember not the sinnes and offenâ—es of my yougth but accordynge vnto thy mercy thynke vpon me O Lorde for thy goodnes Oh remember not mine old sinnes but â—aue mercy on me yea and that â—â—ghtsone for I am come to great â—iserie Helpe me O God of my â—â—luation for y e glory of thy name O deliuer me and be merciful vnto my sinnes for thy names sake So shall I geue thee thankes for euer magnifie thy blessed name worldes without end EU. Amen â–ª Phi. Doubt not neighbour Epaphroditus but that god hath graciouslye heard this your humble sute also graunted your request â–ª He hath forgeueÌ„ you al your sins He will neuer laye them to yourâ— charge He hath cast them awayâ— behynd his back so that he wil nâ—â—uer remember them more as hâ— saith by y e Prophet I will forgeue their misdedes and wil neuer remember their synnes any more â–ª Againe If the vngodly wil turâ— away from all his sinnes that hâ— hath done and kepe all my comâ—maundementes and do the thinâ— that is equall and right doubtleâ— he shall lyue and not die As for 〈◊〉 his sinnes that he did before thâ— shall not be thought vpon but in his righteousnes y t he hath doone he shal liue For haue I any pleasure in the death of a sinner saith y e Lord God and not rather that he conuert and liue Item Repent turne you from al your wickednesses so shal ther no sinne do you harme Cast away froÌ„ you al your vngodlines that ye haue doone Make you new harts and a new spirit Wherfore will ye die O ye house of Israel seing I haue no pleasure in the death of him that dieth sayeth the Lorde God Turn you then and ye shal liue Therfore feare not good brother but coÌ„tinue faithfull repentant vnto thend ye shall surely be saued Epa. Sinne is an heauy burden very displeasaÌ„t vnto the lord our God and maketh sinners to â—le froÌ„ the face of God forasmuche as they know that God hateth sin and al theÌ„ that do commit it Phi. I confesse synne to bee an heauy burden and displeasant vnto God yet as heauy as it is Christ hath taken it on hym and born it away as the Prophet saieth he hath taken on him oure infirmities and borne oure sycknesses This witnesseth S. Peter sayinge Christ hym selfe bare oure synnes in his body on the tree that we beyng delyuered from synne should liue vnto righteousnes And where as ye say that synne maketh sinners to flie from the face of God I answere It driueth in dede the obstinat and desperate sinners from God but not the penitent whiche repent in faith and turne vnfaynedly vnto the Lorde theyr God being perswaded that he is a father of mercies and God of al consolation and that he for Christes sake wyll forgeue them Doe they whiche fele them selfe sick and diseased flie and run away from the phisition They rather make hast vnto
nothing but raise them vp againe at the last day And this is y e wil of him that sent me that euery one whiche seeth the sonne and beleueth on him haue euerlasting life And I will rayse him vp at y e last day I am the resurrection life he y t beleueth in me though he be dead yet shall he lyue euery one that liueth and beleueth iâ— me shal neuer die To him christâ— geue all the Prophetes witnes saith S. Peter that through his name whosoeuer beleueth in him shall receiue remission of sinnes If thou knowledge w t thy mouth that Iesus is the Lorde and beleue in thine heart that God raysed hym vp from death thou shalâ— be saued For to beleue with thâ— hert iustifieth and to knowledge with the mouthe maketh a man safe For the scripture saith Whosoeuer beleueth on him shall not be confounded Thus se you that faith dooth assure your conscience of y e fauor of God of euerlasting life Doubt you not therfore but that you are counted in the number of Gods elect and chosen people and shall enherit the glorious kingdom of God Epa. I was baptised in the name of God y e father â—nd of god the sonne of god the â—oly ghost Phi. This is also a sure â—â—keÌ„ of the fauour of God toward â—ou and that you are predestinate â—nto euerlasting life seyng that according to your profession you do beleue and vnto the vttermost of your power frame your life For it is wrytten he that beleueth is baptised shalbe saued And s. Peter said vnto the Iewes Repent you of your sinnes be baptised euery one of you in y e name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receiue the gift of the holy ghost â–ª And Saint Paule saieth All ye that are baptized haue put on Christ. And you know there is no dampnation to them that are in Christ Iesu. For as when you wer baptised ye forsoke the deuill the world and the flesh withal their workes poÌ„pes and vanitie and gaue your selfe only vnto the seruice of God taking him for your Lord maister euen so hath God likewise taken you to be his seruaunt loueth and fauoureth you and wil defend you against al your ennemies and neuer forsake you vntyll he hathe brought you vnto euerlasting life By baptisme is he your lord God therefore wyll not he suffer you to pearishe By baptisme is he your father and you are born of him so become his sonne therfore can he none otherwyse then loue tender and fauour you and geue you the enheritaunce of his heauenly kingdome By baptisme are you made the brother of Christ heyre of God and fellow heire w t Christ of euerlasting glory theÌ„ may you be certen to be of that noÌ„ber that shall enherit eternall life By baptisme is the holy ghost geuen you then are you the sonne of God and â—an not pearysh For it is written They that are led with the spirite â—f God are the sonnes of God Baptisme is a continuall signe of â—he fauour of God towarde vs of â—he fre remission of sinnes of our â—econciliatioÌ„ vnto God for Chriâ—tes sake and that we be by adopâ—ion the sonnes of God heires of â—uerlasting glory Epa. In tymes â—ast I haue also many tymes reâ—eiued the misteries of the Lordes â—ody and bloud in the temples of â—he Christians with the congreâ—ation of God wherin I confesse I haue founde great comfort and â—erye muche quietnesse vnto my â—eake and synnefull conscience Phi. The often comming with a â—eruent de syre vnto the Lords taâ—le by true faythe to fede vpon the â—isteries of the Lordes body and â—loud is a manifest argument y t God hath chosen you to be his hath written your name in y e bokâ— of life and predestinate you vntâ— euerlasting glory For in so doinâ— you haue not only called vnto reâ—membraunce the moste healthfuâ— death of our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ and so bene thankeâ—ful for it but you haue also shewâ—ed your selfe a lyuely member 〈◊〉 that holy body whereof Christ iâ— the head You haue professed opeÌ„â—ly in the face of the Christen conâ—gregation that God the father iâ— your father y t Christ is your Lorâ— and sauiour that by the one onlâ— oblation of his blessed body on thâ— altare of the Crosse all your synâ—nes are put away and forgeueâ— and you made the enheritour 〈◊〉 euerlasting glory WheÌ„ you thuâ— came vnto the Lordes Table aâ— the fruites benefites and meritâ— of Christes passioÌ„ were geuen yoâ— namely the fauour of God remiâ—â—sion of sinnes the holy ghost quietnes of conscience new affectes victory ouer Sathan death and hell and finally euerlasting lyfe so that nowe ye are incorporated in Christ become a true liuely member of that misticall bodye wherof he is the head yea you ar fleshe of his fleshe and bone of his bones as the Apostle saith Is not the cup of blessing whiche we bles partaking of the bloud of Christ Is not the bread whiche we breake partaking of y e body of Christ c. Epa. As I haue had many times an earnest and feruent minde to come reuerentlye vnto the Lordes table and to be partaker of the holy misteries of Chriâ—tes body and bloud with the congregation so likewise haue I at all times bene glad to repare vnâ—o those places wher the word of God hath bene preached and the doctrine y t hath there bene taughâ— I marked diligeÌ„tly kept it in meâ—mory and to the vttermost of mâ— power I laboured to frame mâ— life according vnto the same thaâ— I might bee no forgetfull heareâ— but a diligent doer of those worâ—kes whiche I learned of the holâ— scriptures to bee acceptable vntâ— the Lord my Lord that I mighâ— serue him in holines and righteâ—ousnes all the dayes of my lyfe Phi. As there is not a more euideÌ„â— testimony and a surer argumentâ— that that man is in the state of eâ—uerlasting dampnation whichâ— hath no mynd to hear the word oâ— God nor to traine his lyfe according vnto the doctrine therof sâ— likewise is there not a more cerâ—taine signe that any man is preâ—destinate to be saued then wheÌ„ hâ— hath a mynd to heare the word oâ— God as our sauiour Christ testiâ—fieth saying He that is of god heareth gods words ye therfore hear theÌ„ not because ye are not of God Here se you how Christ putteth a difference betwene them that are of God and them that are of the deuill They that are the children of y e deuil haue no minde to heare the worde of God But they that are the sonnes of God haue a feruent delite and singulare great pleasure to hear gods word yea as the Prophet saieth to exercise them selues in it daye and night In an other place our Sauioure Christ saith also My shepe heare
outwarde man perish yet thinward man is renued day by day and that this our tribulation whiche is short light prepareth an exceding and an euerlasting waight of glorye vnto vs while we loke not on the thinges whiche are sene but on y e thinges whiche are not seene For the thinges whiche are seene are temporall but things whiche are not sene are eternall Chr. God kepe you in this mind euen vnto thend Eu. AmeÌ„ Epa. Confirme make that perfect o lord which y â— hast begon to worke in me vnto the glory of thy blessed name and vnto the saluation of my soule The. AmeÌ„ Epa. Neighbors I pray you tourne me that I may lye on my right side Chr. The Lord our God graunt that ye may syt in his kingdome on the right hande of his glory Ep. Yea that shortly Euse. So be it Phile. Sir howe do you nowe Epaphro Well God be thanked but I trust to doo better euen anone Phile. Lacke you any thing sir Epa. My paine approcheth nearer vnto my heart wherby I perceiue the end of my life not to be far of I beseche you pray for me that I may continue faithfull constaunt and stedfast in the faith of the Lorde my God euen vnto the very end of my life Phi. We wil do it gladly Neighbors let vs knele down and pray Lord we moste humbly besech thee heare our prayer Chri. And let our crye come vnto thee Ph. O lord Iesu Christ thou only sonne of the heauenly father our alone redemer and omnisufficicieÌ„t sauiour we moste humbly beseche thee deliuer this sicke and weake parson now being in great pains and at the point to departe out of this worlde from all vgsome and terrible assaultes and temptations of the deuill synne and hell Deliuer him O Lord as thou deliueredst Noe froÌ„ the raging waues of the sea Lot from the destruction of Sodome Abraham from the feare of the Chaldees The children of Israell from the tiranny of Pharao Dauid from the hand of Goliah The thre men from the violence of the firy fornace in Babilon Daniel from the mouth of the Lions Ionas from the belly of the whalefishe Peter from the prison of Herod euen so O gratious Lord God deliuer the soul of this person both nowe and whensoeuer he shall departe hence from all pearill daunger OpeÌ„ vnto him at y e hour of death the dore of Paradise the gates of heauen the entry of euerlasting life O Lord Iesu Christe forgeue him all his synnes and lead him with ioye into the kingdom of thy heauenly father eueÌ„ vnto the bosom of AbrahaÌ„ and appoynt him vnto euerlasting rest that he may reioyse with thee and with all the elect childreÌ„ of God in euerlasting life Eu. Amen Epa. Neighboures I thanke you Nowe will I also pray vnto the Lord my god while I may speake and I trust he wil for Christes sake gratiously heare me Th. Doubt you not neighbor God hath so promised Epa. Lorde harken vnto my prayer and geue ear to my most humble requestes O moste mercifull God O father of all mercies the father of oure Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ be mercifull to me a sinner Haue pitie on me and quickely healpe me poore wretche for the moste bitter passion and moste precious death of Iesus Christ thy only begotten sonne and oure alone redemer and Sauioure Enter not into iudgemeÌ„t with thy seruaunt O Lord. Handle me not according to my desertes and merites neither rewarde me after mine iniquities but for thine infinite and vnmeasurable bountie and exceading gret merci receiue me and take me into thy fauour I miserable weake creature am in thy hand I am thy bonde seruaunt and thy depter O most gentle God o most fauorable father forsake me not cast me not away pore wretch that I am For I am thine withal that euer I caÌ„ make No man is able to strengtheÌ„ me no man is able to deliuer me no man is able to help me but thou alone Thou art the true helper in aduersite Thou art y e most sure present comfort in all necessitie Thou alone art our helper oure bulwarke our fortres our most mighty strongly defenced tour Thou o god art our refuge Thou art our strengthe Thou art our helper in all our tribulations In the O Lord do I trust let me not be coÌ„fouÌ„ded Let me neuer be put to shame let me not be deceiued of my hope but preserue me for thy rightousnes sake Bow doun thine ear vnto me make haste to deliuer me Be my defeÌ„der O god my stroÌ„g hold y t thou maist saue me For y u art my strength and my refuge Yea thou art my God and my destinies are in thy handes Lighten thy countenaunce vpon thy seruaunt and saue me for thy mercies sake O Lord. And forasâ—much O swete father as it is thy godly pleasure to call me now froÌ„ this miserable life and wretched worlde I most entirely besech theâ— so to defend me in this agony oâ— death that neither sathan nor his ministers preuaill against me but that I continue faithful and constant vnto thend in the confessioÌ„ of thy holy name loking for full remission of all my sinnes in the precious bloud of thy welbeloued sonne and my only sauiour Iesus Christ and that I departing in this faith and perfect trust maye be placed among thy blessed saintes and heauenly spirites and so for euer and euer remaine with y e in glory Graunt this O moste mercifull father for thy dear sons sake Iesus Christ our alone mediatour and aduocate Chr. AmeÌ„ Epa. Me thinke good neighbours I begin to waxe very coulde and numme in my limmes Euse. Syr discomfort not your selfe Be content with the good workynge of God This cold is a present tokeÌ„ that the death of your body is not far of Epa. My fleshe is consumed and wasted away Eu. That is y e end of all fleshe Earth thou art saith God and vnto earth shalt y u retourne Epa. My feling is gone and my tasting decaieth All my senses grow out of course Eu. To that end wer they geuen you that you shuld lose them againe With the body al bodely thinges decay Phi. Brother Epaphroditus let y e care of the body of bodely thiÌ„gs passe You doo beleue the resurrection of the body Epa. I beleue that my redemer liueth and that I shall ryse out of the earth in the latter day and that I shalbe cloâ—hed again with this skin and see God my sauiour in my flesh Yea I my sef shall beholde him not w t other eyes but with these same eies This hope is stedfastly set in my hart Ph. Beleue this earnestly and it shal not greue you to depart froÌ„ your body For wher as it is now mortal incorruptible sick weake vile lothsome it shal at y e generall resurrection be immortal vncorruptible
of man â— the thinges whiche God hath prepared for them that loue hym My heart is nowe so enflamed with y e desire of those heauenly and blessed treasures which you haue named to me out of the infallible true word of God y t I most entirely wysh to be losoned froÌ„ this life to enioy these ioyfull pleasures Oh who wold not be glad to chaÌ„ge lead for siluer copper for golde transitory mortall and corruptible thinges for certain immortall vncorruptible thinges earth for heauen sinne for godlines darkenes for light fear for securitie trauel for quietnes sicknes for helth death for life the coÌ„pany of men for y e coÌ„pany of the most hie God his heauenly Aungels and blessed spirites the vile pleasures of this worlde for the inestimable ioyes of the glorious kingdom of God Oh like as the heart desireth the waterbrokes so longeth my soule after the O God My soule is a thurst for God yea euen for the liuing God Oh when shal I come to appere before y e presence of my God O God thou art my god early wil I seke thee My soule thursteth for thee my flesh also longeth after thee in a barren and dry laÌ„d where no water is Thus haue I loked for thee in thy holy place y t I might beholde thy power and glory For thy louing kindnes is better then life it selfe my lippes shal praise thee As long as I â—â—ue wil I magnifie thee on this manner and lift vp my handes in thy name Euse. We reioyse good brother Epaphroditus and geue god most harty thankes that he hath by his holy Spirite wroughte so good and glad will in you to die and to leue this wretched worlde Epa. I moste hartely wyshe to bee losed from this life and to be with Christ. It greueth my soule loÌ„ger to liue in this mortall body And now O Lord dele with me according to thy will and commaunde my spirit to be receiued in peace For more expedient were it for me to die then to liue Chri. Sir how do you fele your selfe Epa. In my body weaker and weaker but I trust in my soule stronger stronger I pray you lay me vp hier in my bed For I begin to waxe very faint and my wynde decreaseth waxeth shorter I thanke you it is wel Neighbours I am troblesome vnto you but I trust I shal not be so long The. It is vnto vs great ioy and comfort to be with you being so godly mynded For in you as in a cleare mirrour we beholde our selues and see what shall become of vs hereafter Of you as of a liuely scholemaister do we learne howe we shall behaue our selues when God layeth the crosse on vs. And we most humbliÌ„ besech God to geue vs the like pacience and thankfulnes Epa. The spirite is willing but the fleshe is weake For in asmuch as I fele in my self present tokens of death am not certain how long y e â–ª Lorde will suffer me to liue or to enioy y e vse of speche I thinke it conuenient to pray again vnto the lorde my God and to commend my sinful soul into his merciful handes Phi. Godly forsoth Epâ— Lord vouchsafe I most humbly beseche the to hear me sinfull creature Chri. The Lorde is nye vnto all them that call on hym yea that call on him in truthe Epa. O Lorde Iesu Christ whiche art the only health of all men liuing and the euerlasting life of them which die in thy faith I wretched sinner geue and submit my self wholy to thy moste blessed wil. And I being sure that the thing can not perishe whiche is committed vnto thy mercye most humbly besech thee o Lord to geue me grace that I maye nowe willingly leaue this frayle and wicked flesh in hope of the resurrection whiche in better wyse shall restore it to me again I beseche thee O most mercifull Iesu Christe y t thou wilt by thy grace make stronge my soule against all temtations that thou wilt couer and defende me with the buckler of thy mercy against al thassaults of the deuill I see knowledge that there is in my selfe no helpe of lyfe and saluation but all my confidence hope and trust is in thy moste mercifull goodnes I haue no merites nor good workes whiche I may alledge before thee Of sinnes and euill workes alas I se a great heape but thorow thy mercy I trust to be in the nomber of them to whome thou wilt not impute their sinnes but take and accept me for righteous and iuste and to bee the enheritoure of euerlasting glory â–ª Thoâ— O moste mercifull Lorde wast borne for my sake Thou diddesâ— suffer both hunger and thirste for my sake Thou diddest preach and teach thou diddest pray faste foâ— my sake Thou diddest all good workes and deedes for my sake Thou suffredst most greuous paiâ—nes and tormentes for my sake And finally thou gauest thy most precious body to die and thy most blessed bloud to be shed on y e crosse for my sake Now most mercifull sauiour let all these thinges profit me whiche thou frely hast geuen me whiche hast geuen thy selfe for me Let thy bloud cleÌ„se and wash away the spottes and foulnes of my sinnes Let thy righteousnes hide couer my vnrighteousnes Let the merits of thy passion and bloud bee the satisfaction for my sinnes Geue me Lorde thy grace that my faith and perswasion in thy bloud wauer not in me but euer be firme and constant that the hope of thy mercy and life euerlasting neuer decay in me that charitie waxe not colde in me finally that the weakenes of my fleshe be not ouercome with the feare of death Graunt me also O moste merciful sauiour that wheÌ„ death hath shut vp the eies of my body yet that the eies of my soule may stil behold and loke vpoÌ„ thee and that when death hath takeÌ„ away the vse of my tongue speche yet that my heart may cry say vnto thee O Lorde into thy handes I geue and commit my soule Lord Iesu take my spirit The. Amen Eu. Sir how is it with you now Epa. Euen as with a ship whiche is tost with the waues of the sea I trust shortly to come vnto the heauen and then shall I be quiet and without all daunger I pray you pray for me Phi. Most gladly Let vs knele down neighbors and beseche the Lord our God for his tender mercies to preserue this our sicke brother from the assaultes of Sathan to kepe him constant and stedfast in his faithe vnto his liues ende that he maye geue vp a good a faithfull soule into the mercifull handes of God Geue me hither the flower of godly Prayers that I in the name of vs al may rede that prayer which is to be said for them that lie at y e point of death The. Here is it Philemon O Moste louing Sauiour gentle redemer whiche
far of and to them which were nie For through him we both haue an entraunce in one â—pirit vnto the father Nowe therâ—ore ye are not straungers and foâ—einers but citezins with y e sainâ—es and of the houshold of God â—re built vpon the foundation of 〈◊〉 Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ him self being the head corâ—er 〈◊〉 stone in whome what builâ—â—ng soeuer is coupled together 〈◊〉 groweth vnto an holy temple 〈◊〉 the Lord in whome ye also are builded together to be an habitation of God through y e holy ghost Epa. Blessed be the Lord our God whiche hath made vs gentils also partakers of his heauenly blessinges But brother Philemon hetherto haue ye rehearsed out of the newe Tastament but one history Your promise was to recite two at the least Fulfill your promis I pray you Phi. In the gospell of Iohn we read that there was a certaine man whiche had bene diseased .xxxviii. yeares plaâ—ged of God without doubt foâ— his sinnes So sone as our sauiâ—our Christ perceiued that he haâ— a mynde to be made whole he saiâ— vnto him Rise take vp thy bed 〈◊〉 walke And streightways the 〈◊〉 was made hole Afterward Chrâ—â—â— found him in the temple and 〈◊〉 vnto him Behold thou art 〈◊〉 whole loke thou sinne no 〈◊〉 after this least a worse thynge chaunce vnto thee These wordeÌ„s of our sauiour Christ doe playnly declare that this man was a greuous sinne that this his longe disease sicknes and trouble was cast vpon him for his sinne disobedieÌ„ce against the Lord his god And yet note so sone as he had a mind to be made hole euen before he made his mone vnto Christ or knew whot Christ was this most louing gentle sauior made hym hole bad him sin no more Euse. Here is y e fulfilled which God speketh by the Prophet It shall be that or euer they call I shall anâ—were them Whyle they are yet but thinking howe to speake I shal heare them Phi. The history of y e thefe which was put to death with Christ is not to be let passe What a malefactour and wicked persone he was the holy scripture doth declare NotwithstaÌ„ding so sone as he humbled him selfe repented him of his former life coÌ„fessed his sinne and called vpon Christ for mercy saying Lord remember me whaÌ„ thou comest into thy kyngdom he was straightwaies receiued into fauor hard these most comfortable wordes at the mouth of Christ Uerely I say vnto thee this day shalt thou be with me in paradise Chri. Here is also the saying of God by the Prophet founde true at al times when a sinner turneth vnto me saith y e Lord I wil no more beare his iniquities in minde but frely forgeue them Epa. Here is than a good and comfortable lesson that whensoeuer we turn froÌ„ our wickednes the Lord our God wil forâ—geue vs our sinnes and geue vs fauor grace mercy life and euerlasting glory Phi. Truth it is brother Epaphroditus Beleue it all thinges shal go wel with you You shal find muche comfâ—rt and great ioy in your coÌ„science A quiet and mery heart shall you haue within you as s. Paul saith We being iustified by saith haue peace that is to say quietnes of conscieÌ„ce toward God through our Lord Iesus Christe by whome also it chaunced vnto vs to be brought in thorowe faith vnto this grace wherin we stande and reioyce in hope of the glory of God Howe greatly also do the histories of the wounded man of the lost shepe â–ª as I may let other passe set forth gods exceading mercy toward penitent sinners be they neuer so greuously wounded and diseased A certain man saieth our sauiour Christ descended from HierusaleÌ„â—o Hierico and fel among theues whiche robbed him of his raimeÌ„t and wounded him and departed leauing him halfe dead And it chaunced that there came down a certaine Priest that same waye when he sawe hym he passed by And likewyse a Leuite when he went nie to the place came and loked on hym passed by But a certain Samaritan as he iourneyed came vnto hym and when he saw him he had compassion on him and went to him and bound vp his woundes and poured in oyle and wyne and set him on his own beast and brought him to a common Inne made prouision for him-And on the morowe wheÌ„ he departed he toke two pence gaue them to the host said vnto him take cure of hym and what soeuer thou spendest more wheâ— I come again I wil recompencâ— thee Ep. Ther was small charitiâ— both in the Priest and in the Leâ—uite Phi. You say truth Epa. But who was that Samaritan For he was very gentle and louinge Phi. Christ Iesus the Lord which is the self gentlenes loue which also refuseth no labour no paine no cost in seking our saluation He it is alone which as the Prophet saieth hathe taken on hym our infirmities and borne our pains He him self as Peter saith bare our sinnes in his body on the tree that we being deliuered from sinne should liue vnto righteousnes By whose stripes ye wer heaâ—ed For as ye were as shepe going astray but are nowe tourned vnto the shepeheard and Bishop of your soules Epaphroditus You â—pake of the lost shepe also Phile. Truth Blessed Luke telleth the parable on this manner What man of you hauing an C. shepe if he lose one of them doeth not leue ninety and nine in the wildernes and goe after that whiche is lost vntill he fynde it And when he hath found it he laieth it on his shoulders with ioye And assone as he commeth home he calleth together his louers and neighbours saying vnto them reioyse with me for I haue founde my shepe whiche was lost Hereof our sauiour Christe concludeth I say vnto you that lykewyse ioye shalbe in heauen ouer one sinner that repenteth more then ouer ninety nine iust persones which nede no repentance This parable with the other of the woman that lost a grote setteth forth maruelouslye the louinge kyndnesse of Christ toward penitent synners For of that he also coÌ„cludeth and saith Likewyse I say vnto you shall there be ioy in the presence of the aungels of God ouer one sinner that repenteth Epaph. Great comfort is there for penitent synners and weke coÌ„sciences in these histories and parables which you neighbour Philemon haue full gently declared vnto me Phile. I â—m glad brother Epaphroditus â—o heare you so say And be ye wel â—ssured they are no lesse true than â—omfortable Perswade your self â—hat Christ is a moste louing and â—aithfull Phisition to so many as â—ele them selues diseased yea he so â—uche tendreth our health that â—e calleth vs vnto hym and proâ—iseth that he wyl ease vs of our â—rief if we will come vnto hym â—eal all our diseases They that â—e strong nede no Phisition but â—â—ey y t are sicke And Christ came â—â—t
ynough for all that call on him so that whosoeuer calleth on the name of y e Lord he shall be safe For none shalbe confounded y t putteth his trust in hym This poore maÌ„ cried saith Dauid the Lord hard him saued him from al his troubles For the aungell of the Lord pitcheth his tent round about them that fear him deliuereth them O tast therfore se how geÌ„tle gratious louing the Lorde is blessed is the man y t trusteth in hym Euse. Brother Epaphroditus all these sentences and histories which our neighbor Phiâ—lemon hath here recited vnto you out of the holy scriptures ought to encourage you to pray vnto the Lord God in this your sicknes w t a strong and vnshaken faith and to be fully perswaded that God will both gratiously heare you also worke that in you which shal turn moste vnto his glory and vnto the saluation of your soul For behold the Lordes hand is not so shortned that it can not helpe nether is his eare so stopped that it may not hear Our God is such a God as saueth With the lord our God there is health he laith his blessing vpon his people Whome did God euer despise that called faithfully vpon hym For God is gratious merciful he forgeueth sinnes in the tyme of trouble is a defender for al them that seke after him The. The wise man saith sonne in thy sickenesse despise not thy self but pray to the Lord he shall heale thee Here is a coÌ„maundement geuen to pray vnto God in the tyme of our sicknes also a promise added that he wil hear heale and help vs as he saieth by the Psalmograph Call on me in the day of thy trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt honor me Chri. S. Iames in his Epistle also saieth If any be diseased among you let hym call for the elders of the congregation and let them praye ouer him and anoynt him with oyle in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith shall saue the sick and the Lorde shall raise him vp and if he haue committed sinnes they shall be forgeuen him Phile. That God being faithfully called vpon wyll helpe in the time of sicknesse we haue many examples in the holy scriptures whiche may worthely comfort vs stir vp our faith toward God lokyng for helpe at his most mercifull hand But for this present let this one example of kyng Ezechias suffice whome being apoynted to die after he had called â—n the name of the Lord the lord our God graciously heard his request restored him to his health gaue him .xv. yeares mo to liue in this world after that his sicknes Notwithstanding brother Epaphroditus all be it we doubt not but that you praying vnto God in this your sicknes God wil mercifully heare you and worke that in you whiche shall be moste vnto his glory and the health of your soule yet forasmuch as you know not what is most expedieÌ„t for you be content in all your prayers to submit your will do the good will of God whiche without all doubt tendereth the health of your soule more than any mortall frend tendereth the healthe of your body In al temporal worldly things that you craue of God in your praiers prefer the wil of God vnto your owne will and be content to receiue at the hand of God as shall be his godly pleasure to appoynte For whether we lyue or die we are the Lordes An example hereof haue you of our sauiour Christe whiche a little before his passion being greatly dismaid w t the terrours and feares of death praied vnto his heauenly father that these bitter paynes and tormentes whiche were at hand for him to suffer myght be remoued from hym so that he myght not suffer them but be fre from them Notwithstanding knowing that the will of his heauenly father is euer best and moste perfecte and that all willes of men oughte tâ— geue place vnto his godly will hâ— wyshed rather the will of God tâ— be done then the wyll of hym beâ—yng man and so submitted hyâ—â— selfe to Gods holy wil being conâ—tented to suffer in his body whaâ—soeuer should be his godly pleasure to appoynt The wordes of Christes praier in this behalf are these O my father if it be possible let this cup depart from me notwithstanding not as I wyll but as thou wilt Again O my father if this cup can not goe from me but that I must drincke it thy wil be done That we ought in al our praiers for temporall things to submit our wil to the good wil and pleasure of God and no more to desire of him then may stande with his blessed wyll Christ our Lord and sauiour teacheth vs in that common prayer whiche we call the Pater noster where we praye on this manner Thy wyll be done in earth as it is in heauen This manner of praying practised the Leper which came vnto Christ to bee healed of hys Leprosy Lorde saith he if thou wilt thou art hable to make me whole Here this faithfull Leper confessed Christ thorow y e almighty power of his Godhead to be able for to clense him and to make him whole not withstanding he submitted his will to the will of Christ that if the Lorde Christe thought it not mete to make hym whole but y t it was better for his saluation to continue a leper still he refused not to suffer that plague of leprosy vpon his body euen vnto the very death Thus affected neighbor Epaphroditus must we all be whansoeuer we aske anye teÌ„porall or worldly thing of God And this trade folow you in this your sicknes wheÌ„ you pray vnto God Desire God to remoue this your disease froÌ„ you and to blesse you agayne with the benefite of health that you may liue long se good daies on earth yet in these your prayers be content to submit your will to his godly wyll yea though death should follow knowing that if death doe ensue of this your sicknesse it shalbe no losse but auauntage vnto you as saint Paul saieth Christe is to me life and death is to me auantage On this manner did Christ our elder brother submit his will vnto the wil of his heauenly father as you afore heard and so huÌ„bled himself that he became obedient vnto death euen y e death of y e cros Note now what foloweth wherfore God hath also exalted him on hie and geuen him a name which is aboue al names that is y e name of Iesus euery kne should bowe bothe of thinges in heauen and thinges in the earth and thinges vnder the earth that all tonges should confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord vnto the praise of God the father He that humbleth him self shall be set hie For the Lord is a frend to them that be humble
submit their willes to his godlye wyll and pleasure Epa. O Lorde thy will be done and not mine I confesse O heauenly father that my manifold wickednesses and vnnumerable sinnes haue not only deserued this sickenesse which is thy most gentle fatherly and louing correction but also very hell and the bitter paines thereof if thou shouldest handle me according to my desertes I haue sinned I haue synned O lord God against thy holy lawes and I haue broken thy blessed commaundementes moste greuously offending thy glorious maiestie Whatsoeuer I suffer I worthely suffer ah wretch that I am My sinne I confesse and with an humble heart and broken spirit I fle vnto the throne of thy fauorable mercy most humbly besechinge thee for Iesus Christes sake to forgeue me all my synnes which I haue coÌ„mitted against thy deuine maiestie froÌ„ the houre of my birth vnto this preseÌ„t time and to receiue me into the holy felowship of those thy blessed and chosen people whome before the beginning of y e worlde thou diddest appoint heires of thi heaueÌ„ly kingdom in Christ Iesu our lord that they might for euer and euer raigne with thee in glory Ah lord geue me grace to bear this crosse both paciently thankfully Suffer me not once to murmur grudge or spurne against thy holye wil but with a pacient thankefull heart to waite on thy blessed pleasure being alway content to beare whatsoeuer burdeÌ„ thou laiest on my shoulders with this perswasioÌ„ and assured faith that whatsoeuer I suffer is vnto the glory of thy name and vnto the health of my soule O Lord thy will be done and not mine Amen Amen Neighbours I am very sicke and my paine encreaseth more more Phi. The Lords wil be done in you neighbour Epaphroditus Feare not no although present death were at hand For whether you liue or die ye are the Lordes God hath sealed you vp in Christes bloud vnto euerlasting lyfe Your name doubt ye not is written in the booke of life Ye are of y e nombre of those whome God before the foundations of the world were layd hath chosen in Christe to be his sonnes and heires ye are the dearly beloued sonne of God Ye are enheritours of Gods glorious kingdom God for your earnest faithes sake in the bloude of Christ hath forgeuen you al your sinnes that euer ye committed against him from the daye of your birthe vnto this houre He hath cast away all your iniquities â—ehind his backe so that he wyl neuer remember them any more Ye are counted among theÌ„ whose vnrighteousnesses are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered vnto whome the Lorde imputeth no sinne God loueth you God careth for you God is on your syde who then can endomage or hurte you Who can lay any thyng vnto your charge It is God that iustifieth you who then can condemne you ye nede not fear ether sathan or sinne or any other thinge that should trouble your conscience For there is no damnation to theÌ„ that are in Christ Iesu whiche walke not after the fleshe but after the spirite For the lawe of the spirite of life thorow Iesus Christ hath made you fre froÌ„ the lawe of sinne and death For what y e lawe could not do inasmuch as it was weke because of the flesh that performed God and sent his sonne in the similitude of sinfull fleshe by sinne damned synne in the fleshe that the ryghtedusnes of the lawe myght be fulfilled in vs whiche walke not after the flesh but after the spirite Epa. I thaÌ„ke you neighbor Philemon for your gostly and comfortable instructions For I am wel comforted with these your wordes and I faithfully beleue that God the father for his promise sake made vnto all faithfull peniteÌ„t sinners in Christes bloud hath so frely and wholy forgeuen me all my sinnes that he will neuer remember them more nor lay them vnto my charge but so loue me and tender my saluation as though I had neuer offended his fatherly goodnesse And in this faith I submit my self my body and soule all that I haue vnto his godly wil to do with me in al things whatsoeuer his good plesure shallbe For liue we die we we ar the Lords And lord I most humbly besech thee call to remeÌ„brance thy tender mercies thy louing kindnesses whiche haue bene euer of olde Oh remember not the sinnes and offences of my youth but accordyng vnto thy mercy thinke y â— vpon me O lord for thy goodnes Turne the vnto me haue mercy vpon me for I am desolate in misery The sorowes of my hart ar enlarged O bring thou me out of my troubles Loke vpon mine aduersitie and misery and forgeue me al my sinne O kepe my soule and deliliuer me let me not be confounded for I haue put my truste in the. Phi. I much reioyce to see in you these workes of faithfull repentance This humbling of your self before y e maiestie of God this lamenting of your sinnes this faithfull and hartie calling on the Lordes name for remission of sins in Christes bloud for the tranquilitie peace quietnes and reast of conscience for the fauour grace of God for gods wil to be done in you is without doubt a sure seale vnto your conscience that God loueth fauoureth and tendereth you yea and that muche more theÌ„ any natural father maketh of his sonne Who so serueth God saith the wise man after his pleasure shalbe accepted and his praier reaâ—cheth vnto the cloudes The praier of him that humbleth him self goeth thorowe the cloudes till she come nie She wil not be comforted nor go her way vntill the hyghest God haue respect vnto her The Lord is nie vnto them y t are of a contrite heart saith the Psalmograph will saue suche as be of an humble spirite The sinfull Publican thus huÌ„bling him self obtained the fauor of God remission of sinnes went home more righteous than the proud Pharisey So likewise the Centurion coÌ„fessing his vnworthines for the receiuing of Christ into his house obtained health for his sicke seruaÌ„t Likewise the Leper with diuers other humbling them selues before Christe obtained their hartes desire For God saith Dauid hath respect vnto the prayer of the humble suche as be destitute despiseth not their desire but heareth â—heir mournings y t he may deliuer â—hem and saue them Euseb. Now neighbour how do you I pray you bee strong in God reioyce in his sauing health Epa. O neighboure Eusebius my body is weake my heare is faint my wits are feble my memory almost faileth me no part of me is fre from sicknes and paine But Lord I beseche thee strengtheÌ„ thou me endue me w t power from aboue that as y e spirit is ready so likewyse the flesh which is euer weake vnready may be obedieÌ„t to thy godly wyl frely consent to the working of
thy blessed pleasure Lord encrese my faith Lorde helpe my vnbelief Lord remeÌ„ber not mine olde sinnes but haue mercy vpon me and that sone for I am come to great misery Healpe me O God my Sauiour for the glory of thy name O deliuer me be merciful vnto my sinnes for thy names sake Euse. God hath euer be meâ—â—full vnto you so will coÌ„tinue vnto thend doubt you not Ep. That is my only comfort And Lord I most humbly pray thee coÌ„firme y t whiche thou hast begon to worke in me and kepe me blamelesse against the comming of thy deare sonne But where is my louing neighbour Philemon I wold be glad to haue his counsell in a certaine matter Where is he Phile. Neighbour here at hand What is your pleasure Epa. I perceiue right well y t my sicknesse doth not discrease but encrease so y t I can not long continue in that state wherin I am now And I thinke â—erely y t the lord my God hath seÌ„t this sicknes vnto me as a messenger to afore warne me of my departure from this world y t whan he come he may not finde me vnprepared or vnready And I most hartely thanke him for it Therfore neighbor Philemon neighbors al I think it best euen out of hand to dispose my temporall possessions and to set an order in such worldly goodes as God hath lent me that after my departure there be no dissension nor strife for theÌ„ among suche as I most wishe to be linked together with perpetual amitie and continuall frendship It shall also I trust be a great quietnes vnto my mynd Phile. If you haue not already brother Epoporoditus disposed and set an order in your temporal things I wishe it to be done with all expedition For suche thinges ought to be considred when we be most perfect in health forasmuche as our life is vncertaine we know not howe sone death commeth Epa. I thought not that the tyme of my life had bene so short therâ—fore I deferred the matter But I se now that no man is certain of his life vntill to morowe therfore ought we all to watche to prouide that we be not found vnready wheÌ„ the Lord commeth The. Whan that godly king Ezechias was sicke God sent the Prophet Esaias vnto him and willed him to saye vnto hym on this wyse Thus saieth the Lord God Set thi house in an order for thou shalt die and not liue Here learne we y e good will of God whiche is that they whome the Lord hath enduâ—ed with the goodes of the worlde â—hould before their departure set a godly order and quiet stay in their â—emporal possessions Epaph. You â—ay truth neighbour Theophile â—herfore I pray you bring hether â—en inck paper withal expediâ—ion and let my will be written â—or I thank the Lord my God I 〈◊〉 aswell contented to leaue the goodes of y e world as euer I was to enioy them And in this behalf I haue to thank the lord my God that since I came to the vse of reason and had any worldly possessions at all I haue alwayes made them to serue me and I neuer serued them but at all times coulde be contented to depart from them whansoeuer the glory of god and the commoditie of my neighbour did require Christ. Than did you vse your goodes aright And you were not ritch in the world but in the Lorde of the noÌ„bre of those of whom it is written blessed are the poore in spirit for vnto theÌ„ belongeth the kingdome of heauen The Psalmograph saith If ritches do abound set not thy heart vpon them And the holy Apostlâ— commaundeth that they which vse the world should be as thougâ— they vsed it not For the fashioâ— of this world goeth away Saint Iohn also saieth Se that ye loue not the world nether the thinges that are in the worlde for all that is in the worlde as the lust of the fleshe and the luste of the eies and the pryde of life is not of the father but of the worlde And the worlde passeth away and the lust therof but he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth for euer Epa. God graunt al men to follow this doctrine O Lord how sick am I Where is the pen Incke and paper Euse. Here syr Epaph Wright neighbor Philemon I pray you Phile. What is your pleasure that I should wright Epaphrodi On this manner IEpaphroditus the vnprofitable seruaunt of God weke in body notw tstanding strong in mynde do willingly and with a fre hart render and geue againe into the handes of the Lorde my God my spirit which he of his fatherly goodnesse gaue vnto me whan he fashioned this my body in my Mothers wombe by this meanes making me a liuing creature nothing doubting but that this my Lord God for his mercies sake set forth in y e precious bloud of his derely beloued sonne Christ Iesu our alone sauiour and redemer will receiue my soul into his glory and place it in the company of the heauenly aungels and blessed sainctes And as concerning my body euen with a good will fre hart I geue it ouer commending it vnto the earth wherof it came nothing doubting but that according to y e article of our faith at the great day of the generall resurrection whan we shall all appeare before the iudgemeÌ„t seat of Christ I shal receiue it again by the mighty power of God wherwith he is able to subdue al thiÌ„gs vnto him selfe not a corruptible mortail weake and vile body as it is nowe but an vncorruptible immortall strong perfect and in all poyntes like vnto the glorious body of my Lorde and Sauioure Christ Iesu. Haue ye writteÌ„ this neighbour Philemon Phi. Yea forsothe Sir But what is your mind now coÌ„cerning your world â—y possessions Epaph. First as touching my wyfe with whome I â—oupled my self in the fear of God and refusing all other women I â—inked my selfe vnto her liuing w t her in the blessed state of honouraâ—le wedlocke by whome also thoâ—owe the blessing of God I haue â—ad certen children wherof part â—re gone before me vnto the lord and part yet remain a liue albeit I dout not but y e god after my departure according vnto his promis will be vnto her an husband yea a father a patrone defeÌ„der will not suffer her to lack if she go â—orth to liue in his feare to serue hym and diligently to call on his holy name yet forasmuch as God hath blessed me with worldly substance and she is mine own flesh and whosoeuer prouideth not for his hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidell I bequeth geue vnto her for tearme of her life this house wherein I nowe dwell with y e appurtenances and all the housholde stuffe contayned therein And after her departure I wil that my eldest sonne whom now I
and suche other as be comfortles And in this noÌ„â—ber also of the pore I comprehend prisoners pore maides yong meÌ„ which haue not wherewith to set vp their occupation my neadie neighbours These .iiii. C. pounds are in four seuerall bagges lying in my countyng house by them selues with this wryghting vpon euery one of them Mony for the poore This mony I wil haue distributed with all haste if it be possible euen before I departe Haue you wrytten in this monye for the pore Phile. I haue done it Epa. The hie wayes may not bee forgotten whiche in many places are very foul ieopardous Unto the repayring of them I geue xl poundes Write it For I thincke this also to be a dede of charitie a commendable worck befor God to repair hie wayes that the people may safely and without danger trauaill by the way Chr. The â—et is very godly w tout all doubt Ep. Neighbour Philemon I pray you put in that xl pound for the hie wayes Phi. It is done already Epa. That which I shuld chiefly haue remembred I had almost forgotten Euse. What is that Epi. Sermons Phile. What is your minde in that behalfe Epa. This. At the tyme of my buriall when the people be gathered together I wold gladly haue some learned man to make a Sermon wherin the people may be admonished of their mortalitie and be taught howe they ought to dispose them selues in this life that whan the tyme come they may yelde vp a good soule into the handes of the liuing God For his paines I appoynt x.s. to be geuen him Also I geue for the preaching of foure score sermons at other times wheÌ„ it shalbe thought most conuenient xx poundes And as I with these SermoÌ„s to be preached by godly discrete learned men so I wishe them to be preached in suche places as the people haue most nede of doctrine and teaching For the Lorde knoweth the people perish for want of godly knowledge The greatest parte of our beneficed men God helpe vs are blinde guides and dom dogges not once able to barke The people are desirous to knowe God and omong the great multitude of so many beneficed men none almoste ether is able or els endeuoreth him selfe to bring them vnto Christ. It is in these our daies found true that is written in the gospel The haruest truely is plenteous but the labourers are fewe It behoueth therefore euery Christen heart to pray the Lord of the haruest that he will send labourers not loyterers into his harnest and to procure so much as lieth in his power that the worde of God may be vniuersally preached that the people may repent turn vnto y e Lord our God and serue hym in holynes and righteousnes al the days of their life whiche can not bee brought to passe where the word of God is not preached How shal they beleue on him of whom they haue not hard How shal thei hear without a preacher To declare therfore my good will toward the word of God the saluatioÌ„ of the Christians I geue .xx. poundes for the preaching of .lxxx. sermoÌ„s I pray you note it in my wil Phi. It shall be done Epa. To beare all these charges ye shall haue y e mony in my couÌ„ting house Chr. Sir concerning the costes of your burial what order wil it please you to make in that behalf Epa. Let y e ministers with the other officers of the church haue their duties according to the custome Eu. Howe many mourning gownes sir wil ye geue Epa. Of what mourning gownes speake you Eu The manner is as ye know y t whan a man of honest reputation departeth is brought to be buried ther shuld follow him certaine in fine blacke gownes certain pore men women in courser cloth Epaph. Unequally haÌ„dled that the pore shuld haue the worst the rich or wealthy the best And cal ye these mourners Eu. So are they called Epa. For whoÌ„ shuld they mourn Euse. For you Ep. Why for me Because good thinges haue chaunced vnto me Because I haue passed ouer y e daungerous sea and am come vnto the hauen of quietnes Or because I am deliuered from al euil and set in a blessed and ioyfull state I thinke that at the burials of the faithfull there shuld rather be ioy gladnes then mourning and sadnes rather pleasant songes of thankesgeuing then lamentable and dolefull diriges Let the infideles mourn for their dead the Christians ought to reioyse whan any of the faithfull be called from this vale of misery vnto the glorious kyngdome of God Phi. In dede that most worthy Apostle S. Paule would not haue vs mourn for them that are fallen aslepe as the Heathen doe which know not God And s. IhoÌ„ saith in his reuelation I heard a voyce from heauen saying vnto me wrighte Blessed are the dad which die in the Lord. For from henceforth the spirit saith y e they are at rest froÌ„ their labours pains and trauailes c. The Psalmograph also saith O full precious in the sight of the Lord is y e death of his sainctes Hereto belongeth the saying of the wyse man The soules of the righteous are in the hand of God the paine of death shall not touche them â–ª in the sight of the vnwyse they appeare to die but they are in peace Againe in another place The righteous shall liue foreuer more their reward is also with the Lorde and their remembraunce with the highest Therfore shall they receiue a glorious kingdome and a beutifull crown of the Lordes hand For w t his righthaÌ„d shall he couer them and with his own holy arme shall he defend theÌ„ Chri. Blessed Luke declareth in his Gospell y e so sone as Lazarus was dead which in his life time was diuersly afflicted and miserable punished with many sores and diseases he was receiued into the bosome of AbrahaÌ„ where he enioyed all pleasure felicitie and comfort Such as die in y e Lord are not to be mourned but God is rather to be thancked for their Christen departure For they are now in reast They ar w t him in whom alone al glory ioy comfort and felicitie is God hath wiped away al teares from their eies so that they are past al sorow al mourning all paine why than should other mourn for them y e ar in so ioyful state The eie hath not sene nor y e eare hath hard neither hath it entred into y e hart of man what ioyes god hath prepared for them that loue him Theo. Saint Cipriane in his sermon of mortalitie hath these words how much it profiteth to go out of the world Christ him selfe the author of our saluatioÌ„ prophet sheweth which whan his disciples were sad because he said that he shuld deparâ— from them spake vnto them sayâ—â—ing If ye had loued me ye wold haue reioysed
euen that they shuld set forth magnifie prayse and commend the maiestie power might and glory of this moste myghty glorious god And whatsoeuer he made he made it thorow his only begotten sonne by whoÌ„ al things were made and without whome was made nothing y t was made For when he made the heauens this his only begotten sonne was present whan he haÌ„ged y e cloudes aboue when he fastned the springes of the depe when he shut the sea within certaine boundes that the water should not go ouer the marckes that he commaunded When he laide the foundations of the earth he was with hym ordring all thynges deliting daily and reioysing alway before hym For the sonne of God caused the iyght that fayleth not to aryse in the heauen and couered all the earth as a cloud And that prince like Prophet sayeth By the word of the Lord which word is Christ the natural sonne of God are the heauens made and all the hostes of them by y e breath of his mouth This God the father almightye maker of heauen and earth I beleue am fully perswaded that he for Christes sake by fayth is my moste mercifull father that I am borne againe of him not by mortall but immortall seede thorowe the worde of God which liueth and abideth for euer and so am become his sonne and that he therfore loueth and fauoreth me gouerneth and defendeth me â—eadeth and nourysheth me and finally hath made me his heire and fellow heir of eternall glory with his only begotten and moste derely beloued sonne Christ Iesu our Lorde and sauiour Now haue ye heard my fayth concerning God the father Phil. It is a faith both true and christen and from the beginning receiued of all godly parsons Will it please you likewyse to reherse your faith concerning Iesus Christ y e sonne of God yea God and man Epaph. This it is I vnfainedly beleue with my heart and frely confesse wyth my mouth y e Iesus Christ the seconde persone in the godhead is the only begotten sonne of God yea and true immortall and euerlasting God begotten of God the father before any beginning of lyke maiestie myght power glory with God the father of the same nature essence being and substance I beleue that this Iesus Christe whiche is the very brightnesse of his fathers glory and the very image of his substance first begotten before all creatures is oure Lord euen the Lord of all y e faithfull And I beleue that as he is called Iesus that is to saye a sauiour so likewyse he is both able and will saue me froÌ„ al my sinnes A God that is righteous suche one as saueth there is none but he There is saluation in none other Neither is there any other name vnder heauen geuen vnto men wherein we may be saued but only the name of Iesus Of hym therfore alone as of an almighty sauiour doe I loke for my saluation For vain is the sauing health that is loked for of any other And as he is called Christ y e is to saye annoynted because he is the Kyng and Priest of all the people of God and is annoynted with the true oyntment eueÌ„ with the fulnes of the holy ghoste for God geueth not the spirite by meâ—ure vnto him but he hathe annoynted him with the oyl of gladnes aboue his fellowes eueÌ„ so do I beleue that out of hym euen as out of a liuely spring and flowing fountaine this oyle of gladnes I meane the holy ghoste come forth vpon all the members of Christ and they also in him thoâ—om him are made Christes that â—s to say the annointed of the lord For of his fulnes haue all we receiued euen grace for grace And whosoeuer beleueth on hym as sayeth the scripture flouds of lyuing water shall flowe out of his belly As I am of this Christ called a christian so do I beleue that this Christ hath annoynted me w t his holy spirite and therwith also sealed me vp vnto euerlasting life â–ª For they that are led with the spirit of God are the sonnes of God For the same spirit certifieth our spirite that we are the sonnes of God If we be sonnes then ar we also heires the heires I meane oâ— God fellow heires with Christ of eternall glory Furthermore I beleue thaâ— Iesus Christe the onlye begotten sonne of God is called our Lord not only because he is Lorde of alâ— thinges in asmuche as he is Goâ— and hath all thinges in subiection vnto hym by the ryght of his diâ—uine nature but also because hâ— is the Lord ruler gouernour of all the elect and chosen people of God myghtely deliuereth them from the power violence and tiranny of Satan sinne and death by this meanes making them his owne and peculier people continually defendeth and preserueth them against all euils and perils wherunto they should dayly fall thorow the deceitfull suttelties of Satan the vaine perswasions of the world the poysonfull entisements of the flesh if by the mighty power of him they wer not preserued For althogh there be many lords yet haue we but one lord eueÌ„ Iesus Christ by whoÌ„ ar althings we by him And this Iesê° Christ y e only begotteÌ„ son of god I faithfully beleue to be my lord my protector my mighty shield bukler defender and y t he hath deliuered me froÌ„ the tirany of SataÌ„ from y e law of sin and death and broughâ— me in thorowe faithe vnto this grace wherin I staÌ„d and reioysâ— in hope of the glory of God Moreouer I vnfainedly beleue with my heart frely confesse w t my mouth that this Iesus Christ the only begotten sonne of God is also very true and naturall man of the same flesh bloud with vs and like vnto vs in all poyntes sinne alone except And he became man not after the maner of other men but by the wonderful operation and aboue natural working of Gods naturall spirite For he was conceiued of the holy ghost borne of the Uirgin Mary That which was conceiued in her was not of man but it came of the holy ghost For y e holy ghost came vpoÌ„ that godly maid and the power of the hiest ouershadowed her so conceiued she and brought forth Christ her true natural sonne a pure and vndefiled Uirgin before the birth in the birth after the birth It was necessary that Iesus Christ shuld be so both conceiued and borne that by this his pure and cleane birth he myght washe and put away the corruption and filthinesse of our nature which was distained in the fall â—inne of Adam For it was not coÌ„â—enient that he which was come â—o purge the world from all sinne â—huld in any point be spotted with â—iune
nede no such daily sacrifices as the Papistes hearetofore for lucres sake haue deuised As Christe Iesus is an euerlasting Bishoppe so abideth his sacrifice whiche he once for all offred on the Crosse of ful vertue power might and strength euen vnto the ende of the world Iesus Christ yesterday and to daye and the same continueth for euer For asmuche therfore as Christ endureth for euer and hath an euerlasting Priesthode he is able also euer to saue them to the vttermost and vnto the full that come vnto God by hym seyng he euer liueth to make intercession for vs. For he is not entred into the holy places that ar made with handes which are similitudes of true thinges but is entred into very heauen for to appeare nowe in the sighte of God for vs not to offer hym selfe often as the hie priest entreth in to the holy place euery year with straunge bloud for then must he haue often suffred sence the world began But nowe in the ende of the world hath he appeared once to put sinne to flyght by the offering vp of him self And as it is apoynted vnto all men y t they shall once die and then commeth the iudgemeÌ„t eueÌ„ so Christ was once offred to take away the sinnes of manye and vnto them that loke for him shall he appeare again w t out sinne vnto saluation We are sanctified and made holye by the offeringe of Iesus Christes bodye done once for all With one only oblation hath Christ Iesus made perfecte for euermore them that are sanctified Adue therfore to all newe counterfaict and straunge sacrifices deuised for lucres sake by the crafty conueyance of man through the subtile suggestion of slie Satan let the faithfull people of God embrace that sacrifice that offringe of Christes blessed body which he him self offred vnto God the father on the altare of the crosse once for al for the sinnes of the worlde Let them cleue and sticke vnto that Let them repose their whole affiaunce and put all trust in that swete smelling sacrifice and saye with the holy Apostle God forbid that I should reioyse in any thing but in y e crosse passion and death of our Lord Iesu Christe So may they be sure neuer to perishe but to haue euerlasting life Againe This Iesus Christ the sonne of God and the sonne also of the glorious virgin after that he had suffred many bitter paines and greuous tormentes hauing vpon the crosse died the death of the body was buried I beleue that Christ by his death hath conquered vanquished subdued and ouercome him that had Lordship ouer death that is to saye the deuill that he myght deliuer them which thorow fear of death were all their lyfe tyme subdued vnto bondage Yea by his death Sathans power is so broken and the violeÌ„ce of death so weakened that we may be bold to saye Death is swalowed vp into victory Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is y e law But thankes be vnto God whiche hathe geuen vs wictorye through our Lord Iesus Christ. Christe after the death of his body went downe in his soule to hell as clearely appeareth by the â—criptures not that he shuld there â—uffer mo paines whiche had all ready on the crosse suffred to the vttermoste and done whatsoeuer was nedefull for our redemption but to breake the pride of Sathan and to destroy the fury of the hellishe powers againste the chosen people of God that al the faithful thereby might be deliuered from death and hell and triumphantly say with the Prophet O death I wyll be thy death O hell I wil be thy destruction And lykewyse as Christe died for our synnes so I vnfaynedlye beleue with my hearte and frely confesse with my mouthe that he rose agayn the third day through the power of his father for oure iustification according to the scriptures And by this his resurrection and lyfe he hath not only shewed hym selfe a glorious and triumphante conquerour ouer Sathan death and hell but he hath also brought lyfe and immortalltie vnto light and assured vs of the resurrectioÌ„ of our bodies that as he is rysen from the dead so likewyse shall we with our bodies ryse agayne out of the earth at the last daye And therfore is he called the fyrst frutes of them that ar fallen aslepe Moreouer I vnfaynedlye beleue with my heart and frely confesse with my mouth that as Iesus Christ the sonne of God the sonne of the Uirgin Mary shewed him selfe oftentimes after his resurrection vnto his disciples so likewise he ascended vnto heauen in their presence perfect God and perfect man sitteth at the right-hand of God y e father almighty aboue all rule power might dominion aboue all y t may be named not only in this worlde but also in y e worlde to come For God the father hathe put all thynges vnder his feete and hathe made him aboue all thinges the head of the congregation whiche is his body and the fulnes of hym that filleth all in all Al power is geueÌ„ vnto him bothe in heauen and in earth He is a lord aboue al lords and a king aboue all kinges Yea he is an almighty God with his father of y e same Maiestie might power and glory and not withstaÌ„ding inasmuche as he is man he is also our intercessour mediator and aduocate For he is not gone vp into heauen to be an idle gaser nor to neglect his churche but to pray for the faythfull to make intercessioÌ„ for them vnto God the father to be our mediatour aduocate and to appease the wrath of God the father if at any tyme through sinne it waxeth whote against vs and to wynne vs again vnto his fauoure and to kepe vs in the same vnto thende We nede not seke helpe of other neither yet call on the sainctes departed that they may pray for vs and pleade our cause before God The man Christ Iesus alone whiche gaue him self a raunsom for all men is our sufficient mediatoure aduocate and intercessour as the holye scripture teacheth in diuers places Whosoeuer therefore refuseth to pray vnto this man Christ Iesus to be his mediatoure and aduocate vnto God the father and â—leeth vnto other w tout all doubt he is an ennemy vnto Christ and to the vttermoste of his power he â—aboureth to make Christ as they â—se to saye Iacke out of office For since the time of his ascention â—is chief and principall office is to â—e our intercessoure mediatoure â—nd aduocate He ascended also into heauen to leade captiuitie captiue and to geue giftes vnto men Satan that old enemy of mankind had taken vs captiue made vs his bond slaues through sine caried vs away with his craft subtiltie from the Lord
our God and brought vs in to his kingdoÌ„ of darcknes whiche is the dreadful kyngdom of sinne death and hell Thus were we in great misery and should for euer haue bene damned if we had not bene holpen by some other meanes then we withall oure wittes could deuise Therfore euen of very pity tender compassion came one which is much stronger theâ— Satan euen Christ that mighty Lion of the tribe of Iuda a ryght conquerour a strong Sampson a valeant subduer of death sinne hell a puissaunt vanquisher of Satan c. He as a king of glory mightely brast into SataÌ„s kyngdome brake open the gates of hel toke the Prince of darknes bouÌ„d hym toke him prisoner made him his bound slaue destroied his Empire ledde away his prysonners bringing them againe into moste ioyfull and blessed libertie so that al they which beleue in this most mighty Emperour and valeaunt conquerour Christ Iesus are deliuered from the tyranny of Satan and from the power of sinne death and hell There is no damnation nowe vnto them whiche are engrafted in Christ Iesu. Satan sinne death and hell withall the infernall army cannot hurt y e elect and chosen people of God Who shall lay any thynge to the charge of Gods chosen It is God â—hat iustifieth â–ª who is he that can â—ondemne It is Christ whiche died yea rather whiche is rysen againe whiche is also on the righthaÌ„d of God and maketh intercession for vs. Who shal then seperat vs from the loue of God c. And as Christ by his most glorious and triumphant Ascension hath led captiuite captiue so likewyse hath he geuen giftes vnto men euen that holy ghost that spirite of truthe that comfortoure whiche worketh in the heartes of the faithfull newe mocions and spiritual affectes faith hope loue feare humilitie modestie mekenes pacience long suffring ioye peace quietnes of conscience temâ—peraunce goodnes mercy c. It mortifieth the old man and quieneth the newe man whiche is renued vnto the knowledge and Image of him y t made him â–ª whiche after God is shapen in righteousnes and true holines Againe Christ ascending vp inâ—to heauen by y e power of his godhead hath prepared in the kingdoÌ„ of his father euerlasting and ioyfull dwelling places for so manye as beleue in hym as he him selfe witnesseth saying I goe to prepare a place for you and I wyll come agayn vnto you take you vnto my self that where I am ye also maybe He hathe also ascertained vs of our ascension and going vp into heauen not onlye in soul but also in body He corporally is rysen agayne and gone before into the glorious kingdom of his father to declare that we also after the generall resurrection shall both body and soule be caried into heaueÌ„ The members must nedes be lyke the head Christ our head is risen againe therfore shall we his members ryse agayne Christ our head is ascended and gone vp into heauen both body and soule therfore shal we his members ascend and go vp into heauen bothe body and soule also Christ our hed was taken vp into Heauen in a cloud bothe body and soule therefore shall we his members also be taken vp in a cloude to meete the lord and so shal we both body and soule dwel with the Lord Christe our head for euer and euer as the holy Apostle testifieth saying If we beleue that Iesus died rose againe euen so them whiche slepe by Iesus God will brynge again with hym For this say we vnto you in the worde of the Lord that we whiche shall liue and shall remaine in the comming of the lord shall not come yer they whiche slepe For the Lorde him selfe shal descend from HeaueÌ„ with a shout and the voyce of the Archaungell and trompe of God And the dead in Christe shall aryse fyrste then we which shal liue eueÌ„ we which shall remaine shalbe caughte vp with them in the cloudes to mete the Lorde in the ayre And so shall we euer be with the Lorde Finally I vnfainedly beleue with my hearte and frely confesse with my mouth that as the Lord Christ is ascended into heauen so shall he come agayne from heauen with power and muche glory nobly accompanied with thousands of blessed â–ª Aungels and heauenly sainctes for to iudge the quicke and the dead the faithfull and vnfaithfull and to geue â–ª euery man his rewarde according to that he hathe donne whether it be good or badde And when he thus gloriously shall come vnto the iudgemente all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce and shall come forthe they that haue done good vnto the resurrection â—f life and they that haue done euil vnto the resurrection of damnation The faithfull shal go into eternall life the vnfaithfull into euerlasting damnation Euery man shall be reward according to his dedes that is to say prayse honor immortalitie to them which continue in good doyng and seke immortalitie But vnto theÌ„ that are rebels and that doe not obeye the truthe but followe vnrighteousnes shall come indignation wrath tribulation and anguishe vpon the soule of euery man that doth euell Now haue ye heard of my faith coÌ„cerning Iesus Christ God and man And I beleue al things that I haue spoken to be vndoubtedly true And I am fully perswaded that Iesus Christ my lord and sauiour wrought all the thinges y t euer he did in his humanitie for me and for my saluation To saue me to reconcile me vnto God the father to make me enheritour of euerlasting glory he came downe from heauen was incarnate by the holy ghoste and borne of the virgin Mary Yea he â—uffred was crucified died went down to hel rose agayn the third day from the dead ascended vnto heauen and shall come again vnto iudgement for me for my sake for my glory saluatioÌ„ Thus haue ye heard my fayth concerning God the father and God the sonne whiche also is man receuing his humain nature of the glorious virgin Mary Eus. Whosoeuer this beleueth and confesseth of God the father and of his sonne Christ the same can neuer perishe For as our sauioure Christ saide vnto God the father in his praier This is euerlasting life euen to know thee y e alone tru God and whom thou hast sente Iesus Christ. Chr. The wise man also saieth To know the O god as perfect righteousnes God sayth by the Prophet yea to know thy rightousnes and power is the roote of immortalitie Theo. By the knowledge of him whiche is my righteous seruaunt he shal iustify the multitude Phi. God graunte vs the true knowledge of his sonne Christe so may we be sure to be iustified saued gloryfyed Epa. Amen But now heare also my faythe concerning the third parson in the deity which is the holy gost Chr. We
God euen vnto the Lord my god Deliuer my soule O Lord out of prison that I may come vnto the and glorify thy holy name For albeit this my weak feble sicke and mortall body shall geue ouer to nature and die yet I vnfamedly beleue with my hart and frely confes with my mouth that at the last day it shall rise agayn as the bodies of all other both meÌ„ and women that haue died shall likewise do There shalbe a generall resurrectioÌ„ of the flesh Al that are dead shall rise agayne some to euerlasting life and some to euerlasting paine and damnation as our sauiour Christ saith The hour shall come in the which all y t are in the graues shall heare the voice of the sonne of God and shal come forthe they that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life and they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of damnation Yea they that shall lyue and remaine vntill the comming of oure Lord sauiour Christ Iesu shall all be chaunged yea and that in a moment in the twinckling of an eie by the last trompe For the trompe shall blowe and the dead shall rise vncorruptible and we shalbe chaunged for this corruptible body must put on vncorruptibilitie and this mortall bodye must put on immortalitie Therfore I fear nothing at all the putting of of this body for although it slepeth in the earth for a time according to the ordinance of god be turned into dust yet shall it awake and ryse againe out of the earth so that I shall receiue it in a far better state then euer I had in it this world euen like vnto the glorious body of our Lord and sauiour Christ Iesu. Wherfor I say with the holy man Iob I beleue that my redemer liueth and that I shall rise out of the earth in the â—atter day and that I shall be cloâ—hed again with this skin and se God my sauiour in my flesh Yea I my selfe shall beholde him not with other eies but with these â—ame eies This hope is stedfastly â—et in my heart To ende I vnfainedly beleue with my heart frely coÌ„fesse with my mouth that after my body soul be vnited and knit together I with all the faithful that haue liued from the beginning vnto the very end of y e world shall through the benefit of Christ Iesu enioy euerlastyng lyfe So many as haue truely beleued on Christe Iesu shall enioy continuall and blessed peace glister as the shining of heaueÌ„ â—e as the stars world without end yea they shall be clad with white garments and haue golden crownes vpon their heades They shal glorify God and doo seruice day and nighte before the glorious throne of his maiesty They shall se God face to face and for euer and euer enioy the presence of Gods moste excellent Maiesty and the compaâ—ny of all the heauenly Angels and blessed sainctes Of the ioyes of euerlasting life whiche God hathe in store for all faithfull beleuers can no man eyther write speake or thincke at â—he full as it is written the eye hathe not sene and the eare hathe not heard nether haue entred into the hearte of man the thinges whiche God hath prepared for theÌ„ that loue him And this euerlasting life is the gift of god thorow Iesus Christ our Lord to whom be all honoure and glory for euer and euer Theo. Amen Epa. Thus haue I declared before you my faith concerning God and his holy misteries grounded I trust on the true and vndeceyueable worde of God And I faithfully beleue that God my heauenly Father will be mercifull vnto me and forgeue me all my sinnes for Christes sake and receyue me into his heauenly kingdome and geue me euerlasting life whiche I now most entirely desire wish and longe for counting my selfe then most happy whiche through death I shall take my passage toward that most glorious and heauenly kingdom For I know and am fully perswaded that if my earthy mansion of this dwellinge were once destroied I shuld haue a building of God an habitation not made with handes but euerlasting in heauen Chri. God geue vs all that heauenly mansion Euse. Amen Epa. Well come thou hither myne owne deare wife let me kisse thee and bid thee farwel God kepe thee defend the. Come ye hither also my most swete children that I may kisse you also before I die God blesse you sende you prosperous daies on thearth God geue you his spirite that ye may liue in his faith feare and loue and serue him in holines righteousnes al the daies of your life Ye my seruaunts draw nere geue me your hands Far ye wel God make you his seruauntes send you obedient harts vnto his holy and blessed lawe Wepe not for me but praye for me that the wil of God may be done in me that I may bothe paciently and thankefully abide the good pleasure of God I trust we shal haue a ioyfull meting againe together in the kingdome of our heauenlye father where we shall reigne one with an other in ioye and glorye worldes without ende and se the glorious maiestie of God face to face vnto our exceding consolation and comfort Wel depart in the name of God The grace of oure Lord Iesu Christ the loue of god and the felowship of the holy gost be with you all Phile. Amen Nowe good brother Epaphrodiâ—us how do you Epaph. The spirit is willing and ready but the flesh is weake Chr. I pray you sir be on good confort Epa. The Lord is my confort He ful gratiously dealeth with me Eu. Do you lack anyâ—thing sir Epa. Nothing but strenth froÌ„ aboue that I may paciently abide and suffer the good plesure of God Thy wil be don o heauenâ—ly father in erth as it is in heaueÌ„ Let me lie somwhat hier with my head It is well a litle thing god knoweth disquieteth this my sick weake body I trust that within fewe houres it shalbe paste alâ— sicknes and misery and shal botheâ— quietly swetely slepe in the harteâ— of the earth vntill the great daye of the generall resurrection In y e meane season shall my soule be in glory with Christ and ioyfully beâ—hold the glorious maiesty of God I will cease talking for a little whyle with you and fall to coÌ„munication with my lord God in my hart I pray you pray for me that I may continue faithfull vnto the end For it is written Be faithfull vnto the death I will geue thee the crown of life Phi. Neighbors â—â—om aside a little while and let vs fall to prayer Chri. Most gladly Phi. Lord heare our praiers Euse. And let our cry com vnto thee Ph. Saue this thy seruaunt O Lord thou father of mercies God of all consolatioÌ„ Chr. And so worke in him by thy
my dayes are more swift then a runner yea they passe away as the shippes that be good vnder sayle and as the Egle that flieth to the praye Seing it is Gods will pleasure and ordinaunce that wee should dye why do we which dayly pray on this manner Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen shew our selues vnwilling to haue y t thyng chauÌ„ce vnto vs for the which we haue so often times praied It is naturall to die why then labour we to degenerate and growe out of kind Our auÌ„cestours the most holy and moste perfect haue died why disdaine we then to followe their steps It is highly for our profit to die why are we than ennemies to our selues We can not cease to sinne except we die why do we than not hast to fle from so great an euil We shal neuer come vnto the true life where felicitie bothe ioyfull and eternall is except we die why than make we so litle spede to hast thither wher so many good thinges shalbe geuen vs We shal neuer haue y e fruition of Gods maiestie the blessed company of the heauenly spirits except we die why theÌ„ do we not pray daily vnto y t lord our god to deliuer vs from this stincking sinck of euils I mene this world that we may come and enioye his most glorious presence The very Heathen which knew not God a right but only dreamed of the immortalitie of the soule loked for a better lyfe after this they knew not why they should feare death but wyshed death and died bothe valeantly and ioyfully and shall we being christians which know God and his holy word and vnto whom so much comfort hope and euerlasting life is promised refuse gladly and willingly to die What a saying of an Ethnicke is this O immortall God howe is that pleasant and ioyfull iourney to be wished for which being once done and past there remaineth no sorow no care no pensiuenes Again O that goodly and pleasant day whan it shall be my chaunce â—o leaue this filthy troublesome world and come to their company that inhabit the heauens Iâ— God wold suffer me that I being of this age might become an infant and sucking child againe I woulde vtterly refuse it neyther would I by any meanes call the rase that I haue run back again that I might again be yong For what pleasure commoditie hath this life yea rather what displeasure incommoditie pain trauel trouble hath it not But let it be graunted that it hathe pleasure certes yet hath it ether satietie or mesure And nature in this world hath geuen vs a place to tary in for a while but not to dwell to continue in it The Heathen wryters in their monumeÌ„ts cal death a changing for a better life a quiet slepe a remouing from mortalitie vnto immortalitie from trouble vnto quietnes from y e shadow of a life vnto a very vncounterfet life from sorow vnto ioy from euill vnto good an haueÌ„ of rest a solace of the mind an end of all euill and wickednesse and a beginning of all true ioy felicitie pleasure Of these things may we easly learne what opinion the very Heathen conceiued of death and shal we that professe Christ know God beleue his word and cal our selues dead vnto y e world recouÌ„t death an euill thing and be lothe to go vnto it wheÌ„ God calleth vs as though there were no resurrection of the body no immortalitie of the soule no life after this no felowship with god and with the heauenly spirites The Iewes also beyng perswaded of the resurrection of the body and of thimmortalitie of the soule die ioyfully with a lusty courage whiche notwithstanding for their vnbelief in Christ are damned and shal we whiche are christians tremble and shake at y e name of death as though after our death we should be in worse case then we be nowe whan to say the truthe the faithfull christians do than chiefly begin to liue when thei depart from this world All good men haue euer desired to depart froÌ„ this vile and wretched life and to go vnto that ioyful and blessed state of immortalitie Dauid that Prince-like Prophet crieth out and saith Wo is me and sory am I for it y t I must yet longer abide in this world Again Like as the hart desireth the water brokes so loÌ„geth my soule after thee O God My soul is a thurst for God yea euen for the liuing God when shall I come to appeare before the presence of God Also in an other place he saith O howe amiable are thy dwellinges thou Lord of hostes My soule hath a desire longing to enter into the courtes of y e Lord my heart my fleshe reioyse in the liuing God Blessed are they that dwel in thy house they shalbe alway praising thee One day in thy courtes is better then a thousand I had rather be a dorekeper in y e house of my God then to dwell in the tentes of vngodlines In another Psalme he praieth on this maÌ„â—er Deliuer my soule out of pryâ—on that it may come and prayse â—hy name The holy man Tobias made his praier vnto God said O Lord deale with me according â—o thy will and commaunde my â—pirit to be receiued in peace For more expedient were it for me to â—ie then to liue How desirous the â—oly Apostle S. Paul was to go â—rom this vale of misery vnto the â—eauenly kingdom these his worâ—es declare manifestly Christe is to me life and death is to me aduauntage Againe I desire to bee losed and to be with Christ. What shall I speake of that auncient godly father Simeon whiche so sone as he had sene Christ knowing him to be the sauioure of the world was very desirous to die brast out into these wordes said â–ª Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy promes For mine eyes haue sene thy saluation whiche thou haste prepared before the face of al people A light to lighten the gentils and the glory of thy people Israel Of the like affection with these tofore rehearsed were without doubt all godly parsons from the beginning then being moste ioyfull whan they sawe the time of their departure from this wretched world to be come so likewise brother Epaphroditus ought both you and we to reioyse and be glad whan death approcheth and commeth vpoÌ„ vs. For then beginneth our felicitie welth quietnes safetie ioy pleasure comfort glory as the voyce from heauen sayde Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. For from henceforth the spirite saieth that they shall be at reast from their labours paines trauailes Precious and ryghte dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of his sainctes saith y e Psalmograph The soules of the righteous saieth the wiseman are in the hand
cleane sayde Christe for thâ— word whiche I spake vnto you Hereto parteineth the sayinge oâ— the wyseman Nether hearbe no emplasture hath healed them O lord but thy worde which healetâ— all thinges Like vnto this is 〈◊〉 sentence in a certaine Psalme hâ— sent his word and deliuered theâ— from destructioÌ„ Epa. God deliueâ— me from destruction phi Enarâ— your self w t faith praier and witâ— the word of God doubt ye not For these kyndes of armoures oâ— weapons sathan can by no meaâ—nes abide Ep. The Lord preseruâ— and defend me Neighboures I wil pray once againe vnto y e Lord my God while I haue time Chr. It is a godly exercise Epa. I perâ—ceiue Sathan to be still busy and to seke my daÌ„nation Phi. Striuâ—â—fully you shall haue the crowne of glory â–ª Epa. How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for euer How long wilt thou hide thy face from me O how long shal I seke councell in my soule and be so vexed in my heart How long shall mine enemy triumph ouer me Consider here me O Lord my God lighten mine eies that I sleepe not in death least myne ennemy saye I haue preuailed against him If I be cast downe they that trouble me will reioyse at it But my trust is in thy mercy my hart is ioyful in thy saluation I againe for this thy louynge kyndnesse wyll prayse thy holy name Euse. So be it Ep. Unto the wil I cry O Lord my streÌ„gth thinck no scorn of me â—east if thou make thee as though thou heardest not I become like them that go downe into the pit Here the voyce of my humble peâ—icions when I cry vnto the wheÌ„ I cry vnto the wheÌ„ I hold vp my handes toward the mercy seat of thy holy temple O hyde not thou thy face from me nor cast thy seruaunt awaye in thy displeasure The sorowes of death haue compassed me round about and the ouerflowings of vngodlines made me afraid The pains of hel came about me y t snares of death haue ouertaken me Be not thou farre from me â–ª O Lord thou art my succour hast thee to helpe me Delyuer my soul from the swearde my dearling froÌ„ the power of y e dog Saue me from the Lions mouth So shal I declare thy name vnto my brethren and in the middest of the coÌ„gregation wil I praise theeâ— Euse. I doubte not brother Epaphroditus but y t God hath heard these your moste humble prayers lamentable supplications and will when he seeth conuenientâ— time send you remedy and geue you a ioyfull and mery hearte so that you shall leape vpoÌ„ Sathan and saye The Lord is my light my saluation whom then shall I feare The Lorde is the strength of my lyfe of whome then shall I be afrayde Though an hoaste of men were layde against me yet shall not my heart be afrayd And though there rose vp war against me yet wyll I put my truste in hym Again death is swalowed vp into victory Death where is thy stynge Hell where is thy victory The sting of death is synne and the strengthe of synne is the lawe But thankes be vnto God which hath geuen vs the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ Epa. O whan will the Lord haue mercy on me and deliuer me from the greuous assaultes of mine ennemyes O Lorde why hast thou forgotteÌ„ me Why go I thus heauely whyle the enemy oppresseth me Up Lord why sleapest thou Awake and be not absent froÌ„ me for euer Wherfore hidest thou thy face and forgettest my miserie trouble My soule is brought low euen vnto the dust my belly cleaueth vnto the grounde Arise and help me O Lorde and deliuer me for thy mercies sake Chri. Fainte not nether despaire you of Gods mercy but take a good heart vnto you abide the Lordes pleasure Be of like mynd with him which praid on this manner vnto God saying Unto thee lift I vp myne eies thou that dwellest in the heauens Beholde as the eies of seruaunts loke vnto y e hande of their maisters and as the eies of a maiden vnto the hand of her mistres euen so our eies wayte vpon the Lord our god vntil he haue mercy vpon vs. It is good to be quiet saith the Prophet and pacientlye to abide the sauing healthe of the Lord â–ª For y e Lord wyl not forsake for euer but though he punyshe you now and suffre satan to trouble you a little while for the triall of your faith yet according to the multitude of his mercies will he receiue you to grace again not cast you out of his heart for euer He is a father of mercies and God of all consolation He wyll not be alwayes chiding neither wyll he for euer be angry with vs. For like as a father pitieth his owne children euen so is the Lord mercifull vnto theÌ„ y t feare him For he knoweth whereof we be made he remembreth that we are but duste Epa. Lorde be thou mercifull vnto me Hide not thy selfe in a cloude but shew me thy louing and gentle countenaunce that I may be saued Send me present helpe froÌ„ aboue or els I perysh For I wrastle not against bloud and fleshe but against rule against power against worldly rulers euen gouernours of the darcknes of this worlde against spirituall craftines in heauenly thynges This greuous conflict O Lord is with such an ennemy as feared not to assail thee whom thou thy self callest the Prince of this world and the holy Apostle tearmeth hym the God of this worlde Arise therfore O Lorde and take my part Be thou O God my defender my house of defence and my Castell Deliuer me out of y e snare whiche myne ennemy hath layde for me that I being set at libertie maye syng prayses to thy blessed name and magnifie thee my Lord God for euer and euer Theo. Amen Phi. Neighbour take a good hart vnto you and you shall shortly see the wonderfull working of God For behold he that kepeth Israell doth nether slomber nor slepe The Lord him self is your keper the Lord is your defence the lord shall preserue you from all euill yea the Lord shal kepe your soule For as he casteth down so lifteth he vp againe As he killeth so he quickeneth As he nowe for a little tyme suffreth Sathan to disquiet you for the exercise probation and triall of your faythe so likewyse will he deliuer you oute of this agonie geue you againe a ioyfull mery and quiet conscience For the nature and property of God is to wouÌ„d before he healeth to throwe downe before he lifteth vp to kyll before he quickneth to condemne before he saueth Therfore feare not For the lord dealeth none otherwise with you than he doeth with his other saincts This your trouble he wil turn to ease and this your
Christ. To the Ephesians he writeth on this manner Christe is oure peace whiche hath made of both one he speaketh of y e Iewes and Gentiles and hath broken downe the wal that was a stoppe betwene vs and hath also put away through his flesh the cause of hatred euen the law of commauÌ„dementes contained in the lawe writteÌ„ c. Here haue we the cause why god was angry with vs. Uerely because we fulfilled not the law Now is Christ come hath put away the cause of this anger and hatred that is to saye he hath fulfilled the law for vs and recoÌ„ciled vs vnto God so that nowe the father for his sake hateth vs no more but loueth vs is no more angry but wel pleased with vs accepteth his fulfilling of the law as our own fulfulling Also to the Collossians Christ saith he hathe put out the hand wryting y t was against vs contained in the lawe written and that hath he taken out of the waye and hath fastned it to his crosse and hathe spoyled rule and power and hath made a shew of them opeÌ„ly and hath triumphed ouer them in his owne person If Christ hanging on the Crosse hath by the vertue of his passion death put out the hande wryghting that was against vs contained in the lawe than is our bond made frustrate and voyde we set at libertie forasmuche as Christe by his bloude hathe bothe paid our debt vnto God y e father and also subdued and brought vnder fote al our ennemies The authour of the Epistle to y e Hebrues hath these wordes The coÌ„maundement that went afore is disanulled because of weakenes and vnprofitablenesse For the lawe brought nothynge to perfection but was an introduction to a better hope by the whiche we drawenie vnto God Here ar we taught also that forasmuche as by y e lawe no man can be made perfect for who amoÌ„g vs fulfilleth the law we haue our perfection in Christâ— â—y whome for our sake the law is fulfilled and remission of synnes and euerlasting lyfe is frely geueÌ„ vnto vs. This is the hope profit and libertie whiche so many as beleue receiue in Christ. Let therfore the terrours and cursse of the lawe neuer trouble you though Sathan do neuer so muche lay it vnto your charge but remember what the Apostle saieth ye are no more vnder the lawe but vnder grace Againe Now are we deliuered from the law and dead vnto it whereunto we were in bondage that we shoulde serue in a newe conuersation of the spirit and not in old conuersation of the letter For if righteousnesse commeth by the law then died Christ in vaine But we know saieth the Apostle that a man is not iustified by the dedes of the lawe but by the fayth of Iesus Christ. And we haue beleued on Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Christe and not by the deedes of the lawe because by the deedes of the law no flesh shaâ— be iustified Againe as manye oâ— you as are iustified by the lawe aâ— falleÌ„ from grace We loke for and hope in the spirite to bee iustifed thorow faith For in Christ Iesuâ— neither is circumcision any thing worth nether yet vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue â–ª Comfort your selfe neighbour Eâ—â—paphroditus against the assaults of Sathan with these swete sayinges of the holy scripture and sâ— shal nether the feare nor the curssâ— of the lawe hurt you Epa. God bâ— thanked I trust I am nowe weâ— enarmed against Sathan for this matter But what if he laye my sinfull life vnto my charge and so burden my conscience with that that I know not what to do but am like to fall vnto desperation What shal I aunwere How shal I escape For I confesse vnto you that I haue bene all my lyfe time a very greuous sinner and haue greatly offeÌ„ded the Lord my God Phi. Discomfort not your selfe but take a good heart vnto you You are in this behalfe in none other case then all the sainctes and faithfull people of God haue bene before you are at this daye For all haue sinned and want the glory of God All haue gone astraye lyke lost shepe We are vnprofitable seruauntes All our righteousnesses are as a clothe defiled with menstrue If we saye we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truthe is not in vs. But if we confesse our sinnes God is faithfull and righteous to forgeue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from al vnrighteousnes Epa. What 〈◊〉 I do than that synne may be 〈◊〉 clog vnto my conscience Phile. Let it repeÌ„t you that euer you ofâ—fended so louing a father and sâ— gentle a Lord. Be hartely sory foâ— your misdoings Lament and inâ—wardly bewail your wretchednesâ—ses which so wickedly haue transâ—gressed brokeÌ„ the holy coÌ„maunâ—dements of the Lord. For this haâ—ty and vnfained repentaunce is a goodly preparatiue to saluation â–ª and without it none can be â—aued Therfore Iohn Baptist Christ his Apostles begaÌ„ their preaching of repentaunce For whosoeuer is not brought into the knowledge of hym selfe he shall neuer haue delyghte to come vnto Christe â–ª For suche as thynke them selues whole haue no pleasure in a phisition but they that are sycke Epaphr And will God accept this my repentaunce Phi. Hear what God saith by the Prophet Whom shall I regard Euen hym that is pore and of a lowly troubled spirit standeth in awe of my wordes The Psalmograph also saith A sacrifice vnto god is a troubled spirite a broken and a contrite heart O God shalt thou not despise Again the Lord is nie vnto them that are of a troubled heart and he will saue them that are of a broken spirite Epa. O Lord take away from me that stony heart whiche can not repent and geue me that fleshly heart which gladlye and willingly lamenteth her synnes and miseries and vnfainedly delyghteth in a newe lyfe But what is repeÌ„tance ynough Phi. As you ernestly and from the very heart do repent you of your former sinnefull lyfe so likewyse huÌ„ble your self in y e sight of God and confesse your selfe vnto him a moste wicked miserable sinner Crie in your heart with Dauid say haue mercy vpon me O God after thy great goodnes Accorâ—dinge vnto the multitude of thy mercies do away myne offences Wash me thorowly from my wicâ—kednes clense me from my syn For I knowledge my fautes and my sin is euer before me Against thee only haue I sinned and donâ— euill in thy sight O turn thy facâ— from my sinnes and put oute alâ— my mysdedes Make me a cleanâ— heart O God and renue a righâ— spirite within me Cast me not aâ—way from thy presence and takâ— not thy holy spirite from me Cryâ— with that lost sonne and say O faâ—ther I haue sinned against heaueÌ„ and before thee and am no
Though an host of men were laid against me yet shall not my heart be afraide And though ther rose vp war against me yet wil I put my trust in him If ether AbrahaÌ„ Isaac Iacob or any other saintes of the olde testameÌ„t had doubted of the promises whiche God made vnto them so had they neuer found fauour at y e maiestie of god nor obteined those thinges which God had promised them For without faith it is impossible to please God He y t doubteth of the promises of God shall obtain no good thing at the hand of God To what end ar we so often in the holy scripture exhorted to beleue God and his promises if it were lawfull for vs to doubâ— of them If to beleue and to doubâ— be one thing why is euerlasting saluation promised to the one and eternall dampnation to thother Whosoeuer therfore wilbe saued let him cast away al vnbelief and doubtfulnes and with tothe and â—ayle as they vse to say clene to y e promises of God nothing doubting but according as God hath promised so shall it chaunce vnto him If we doo repent and beleue his worde God hath promised vs for christes sake to fauour vs to forgeue vs all our sinnes and to bring vs vnto euerlasting life let vs not therfore doubt of this his promise but with strong and vnshaken faith beleue it and looke for boldly that is promised so we may be sure to haue the grace and â—auour of God to haue remission and forgeuenesse of oure synnes â—nd finally to haue euerlasting â—ife Let vs therfore approch with â—oldnes and not with doubting â—nd wauering vnto the throne of Gods Maiestie as thapostle warneth that we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to helpe in y e tyme of nede Chri. If a man after the Papistes shuld doubt of the grace and fauour of God toward him with what conscience could he be bold to say the Lordes praier to desire the forgeuenes of his trespasses Or how could he say with a true faith I beleue the forgeuenes of sinnes and euerlasting life To beleue is it to doubt of the promises of God or rather to be thorowly perswaded of the promises of God that as God hath promysed so shal it vndoubtedly chaunce vnto vs. Euse. When a man beleueth the gospel he is certaine of y e remission of his sinnes he is certen of the fauour and good will oâ— God and he is certaine also of euerlasting life And he that lettetâ— go this faith and falleth to doubâ—ting he shall neuer enioy thaforesaid benefites but be cast into euerlasting dampnatioÌ„ The. This considred the holy Apostle rightwel when he without any doubting being throughly perswaded and assured of Gods good will toward him set forth in his holye promises saide on this maner I know am sure that he in whom I haue put my trust is hable to kepe that which I haue committed to his keping against that dai Againe I haue fought a good fight I haue fulfilled my course I haue kept the fayth From heÌ„ceforthe there is layde vp for me a â—rowne of righteousnes which y e Lord that is a righteous iudge â—hall geue at that daye not to me only but vnto all them also y e loue â—is comming Phile. When that Dauid saide these wordes I beâ—eue verely to see the pleasures of the Lord in the land of the liuing â–ª doubted he of the enheritaunce of the heauenly kingdom or was he rather thorowlye perswaded by stronge faithe in the promises of god y e he shuld without all doubt raigne with God in glory If the godly Apostle S. Paule had not bene sure of the fauor of God and of a better life after this wouldâ— he haue wyshed to bee deliuered from this worlde and to be with Christ With what couÌ„tenauncâ— durst the blessed martir S. Stephen haue commended his spiritâ— vnto Christe if he had not benâ— perswaded of gods fauor towarâ— him and of the ioyful enheritancâ— of the euerlasting kingdom Anâ— so likewise of al the other saincts The spirit of God certifieth our spirit saith the Apostle that wâ— are the sonnes of God If we be sonnes then are we also heyres I meane of God fellowe heyres with Christ. Hereto agreeth the saying of S. Iohn Dearely beloued nowe are we the sonnes of God and yet it doth not appeare what we shalbe But we knowe that when it shall appeare we shall be like him For we shall see him as he is Againe We knowe that we are translated and caried from death vnto life Here you se that the holy scriptures teache vs to be certaine of our saluation throughe fayth in Christes bloud and not to be doutfull of it as the Papistes trifle Away therfore without al doutfulnes and lay hand by strong faith on the promises of God lokynge w t assured hope for all those heauenlye and blessed thynges that God hath promysed vs in his holy worde So maye we be sure to receiue according to our fayth Epa. Without wauering or doubting I faithfully beleue and am assuredly perswaded that God y e father is a mercifull father vnto me that he hath forgeuen me all my sinnes receiued me into his fauor and made me heir of his euerlasting glory And all this hath he done vnto me not for my merites deserts which are vtterly none but for Christes sake in whom I beleue whome also I confesse to be my alone sauiour redeamer Ph. Neighbor Epaphroditus you thus beleuing cannot pearishe Therfore be on good comfort quiet your conscience and sattle your minde For it is written He that beleueth on y e sonne of God hath euerlasting life Epa. Brother Philemon I thanke you and my other neighbours here for the great coÌ„fort whiche I haue receiued by this your godly communication I fele my selfe nowe in muche better case then I was when you came first vnto me I fele muche quietnes and ease in my conscience The Lord hath driuen away mine enemies and geuen me rest in my mynde If I had not had your company God knoweth to what poynt my ghostly enemy the deuil would haue brought me But I praise God for you For by your godly and christeÌ„ talke God hath wrought in me a good and glad wil to die I haue in my hart bidden the world and all worldly thinges adue My mind is all together fixed on the lord my God and on the ioyes whiche he hath prepared in his glorious kingdom for all them that loue him I fele such inward ioy in my heart and such a feruent desire to see y e Lord my God face to face y t the paines which I now suffer on my body although they be very greuous in dede seme litle or nothyng to disquiet me For I am fully perswaded that the afflictioÌ„s of this life are not worthy of the glory which shall bee shewed vppon vs Againe that though the
dwelling wer destroyâ—ed he meaneth the body we haue a building of God an habitation not made with handes but euerlasting in heauen We shalbe with Christ. We shalbe with the Lorde for euer We shalbe vessels vnto honour We shall haue the crown of righteousnes We shall come to the citie of the liuing God the celestiall Hierusalem and to an innumerable sight of Aungels and to the Congregation of the firste borne sons whiche are written in heauen and to God the iudge of al and to the spirits of iust perfect men and to Iesus the mediatour of the newe testament We shal receiue the crown of life saith S. Iames which the Lord hath promised to theÌ„ y t loue him WheÌ„ Christ y e chief shepherd shall apere saith S. Peter ye shall receiue an incorruptible crowne of glory We are nowe the Sonnes of God saith saint Iohn and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be We knowe that if it once appeare we shalbe like vnto him for we shal se him as he is In the Reuelation of S. Iohn we finde these Sentences concerning the blessed state of the faithfull after this life To him that ouercommeth I wyll geue to eat of the tre of life whiche is in the mids of the Paradise of God Be faithfull vnto the death and I shall geue thee the crowne of life Him that ouercommeth will I make a piller in the temple of my God and he shal go no more out c. To him that ouercoÌ„meth will I graunt to sit with me in my seat The .xxiiii. Elders that sate vpon the seates were clothed in white raiment had on their heades crownes of gold They are in the presence of the seate of God serue him daye and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the seat will dwell among them They shal hoÌ„ger no mâ—re nether thirst nether shall y e sonne light on them neyther anye heat For the Lambe which is in the mids of the seat shall fede theÌ„ and shall lede theÌ„ vnto fountains of liuing water God shall wine away all teares from their eyes They follow the Lambe whither soeuer he goeth They are without spot before the throne of God I heard a voice from heauen saying vnto me Wryght Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Euen so saith the spirite that they reast from their labors but their workes folow them Blessed are they whiche are called vnto the supper of the Lambes mariage I saw a new heauen and a new earth For the first heauen and the first earth were banished awaye â–ª and there was no more sea And I IhoÌ„ saw the holy Citie newe Hierusalem come down from God out of heauen prepared as a bride garnished for her husbande And I heard a great voyce out of heauen saying Behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwel with them And they shalbe his people and God him selfe shall bee with them and be their God And God shall wipe awaye all teares from theyr eyes And there shalbe no more death neither sorow â—â—ther â—â—ying neither shall there be any more paine for thold thinges are gone And he that sat vpon y e seat sayd â–ª Beholde I make all things now â–ª And he sayd vnto me wryte for these wordes are faith full and true And the Angell caried 〈◊〉 way in the spirite â—o a great 〈◊〉 hie mountaine and he â—â—e wedâ—â—e the great Citie holyâ— Hierusaâ—â—â— descendinge out of heauen 〈◊〉 God hauing y â— brightnes of God And her shining waâ— lyke vnto 〈◊〉 stone most precious eueÌ„ like a Iasper clere as Christall had wals great hie had xii gates at the gates .xii. angels and names written whiche are the names of the .xii. Tribes of Israell On the â—ast side .iii. gates and on y e north side .iii. gates and towardes the south .iii. gates from the weast iii. gates and the wal of the Citie had .xii. foundations in theÌ„ the xii names of the LaÌ„bes .xii. Apostles he that talked with me had a goâ—den rede to measure the citie withal the gates therof and the wall therof And y e citie was built iiii â–ª square and the length was as large as the bredth he measured the citie with the golden rede .xii M. furlonges the length and y e bredth the height of it were equall And he measured the wall therof an C. xliiii the measure y t the angel had was after the measure that maÌ„ vseth And the building of the wall of it was of Iasper And the citie was pure gold like vnto cleare glasse the foundations of the wal of the city wer garnished with al maner of precious stones â–ª The first foundation was a Iasper the seconde a Saphir the third a Calcedony y e .iiii. an Emerald the .v. a Sardonix the .vi. a Sardius the .vii. a Chrisolite the .viii. a Berall the .ix. a Topas the .x. a Crusoprases the xi a Iacint the .xii. an Amathist The .xii. gates were .xii. pearles euery gate was of one pearle and the streate of the Citie was pure gold as through shining glasse And I sawe no temple therin For the Lord God almighty and the Lambe are the temple of it And the citie hath no nede of the sunne nether of the moone to lighten it For y e brightnes of God did light 〈◊〉 and the Lambe was the light of it And the people which are saâ—ed shall walke in the light of it And the kinges of the earth shall bringe their glory and honoure vnto it And y e gates of it are not shut by daye For there shalbe no night there And there shall enter into it none vncleane thing neyther whatsoeuer worketh abhomination or maketh lies but they only whiche are wrytten in the Lambes booke of life And he shewed me a pure riuer of water of life clere as Christall proceading out of the seat of God and of the Lambe In the mids of the streat of it and of ether syde of the riuer was there wood of life whiche bare .xii. maner of fruites and gaue fruit euery moneth and the leaues of the wood serued to heale the people withall And ther shalbe no more cursse but the seat of God and the Lambe shalbe iâ— it and his seruauntes shall seruâ— him And they shal se his face and his name shalbe in their foreheds â–ª And there shalbe no night therâ—â— and they nede no candle â— neytheâ— lyght of the Sunne for the Lordâ— God geueth them lyght and they shall raigne for euermore And he sayde vnto me these thinges are faithfull and true Epâ— God be praised for that true ioye and singuler comfort which the faithfull finde in his holy worde It is not without a cause sayd of the holy Apostle The eie hath not sens and the eare hath not heard neither haue entred into the heart
he will deliuer you out of all your paynes take you vnto him and place you in his glorious kingdom Epa. O Lorde deliuer my soule from the sweard my dearling frō the power of the dogge Saue me from y e Lions mouth Bow downe thine eare to me make haste to deliuer me Be thou my Protectoure O God and house of defence that y e maiest saue me Be thou my strōg rocke and my castell Be thou my guide and leade me for thy names sake Drawe me oute of the net thot they haue layde preuely for me for thou art my strengthe Into thy handes I commend my spirite for thou hast redemed me O Lord thou God of truthe Phile. Fear not brother Epaphroditus God is your louing father and moste gentle sauiour He hath hearde your humble requestes and graunted your peticions He hathe and wyll defend you from all euill euen vnto the end He will not suffer you to be deuoured of that hellish Lion and cruel dog y e deuill He hath sent his holy Angels hether vnto you euen into this your chambre They are here presente for youre great cōfort They haue pitched their tents round about you that they may kepe you harmles and safe from the deuouring tethe of Sathan Thei wait vpon you diligently for your defence and wil neuer depart frō you till they receiue your soule and cary it vp louingly as a most precious relique into the kingdome of heauen and moste ioyfully present it vnto the glorious throne of gods maiestie Fixe y e eies of your faith on Christ and Christes merits on Christes passion and death on Christes blessed body breakyng and his moste precious bloud sheddinge on his triumph and victory ouer sathan his hellish army beleue Christe to be your alone sauioure and all his works to be your good works and so shall ye not perish but haue euerlasting lyfe Epaphro Hast the O Lord to deliuer me for it is hie time In thee O Lord Christ my most mercifull sauiour and only redemer in thee in the alone is al my trust let me neuer be confounded O Iesu. Mercy Iesu mercy ▪ O Christ. Mercy Christ mercy O God the Father O God the sōne O God the holy Ghost O moste blessed Trinitie thre persons and one God haue mercy on me Receiue my soule into thy handes Place it for thy mercies sake in thy heauēly kingdom among thy holy angels and blessed sainctes O my good God O father O my most merciful father Mercy mercy Phile. God the father whiche made you blesse you God y e sonne which redemed you preserue you God the holy ghost which sanctifieth you confirme and strengthē you The blessing ▪ defence and sauing health of the allmighty god the father the sonne and the holy ghost preserue you from al euyl and bringe you vnto euerlastinge lyfe Chr. Amen Eu. Me thinck he hath geuē vp the ghost The. No he is yet a liue God comfort him Lord shewe him the light of thy louing countenaunce Epa. When shall I come to appere before the presence of my God Phi. God be thancked he yet speaketh yea he godly speaketh Brother Epaphroditus take a good hert vnto you shrincke not Fight a good fight Be not discouraged nether with the terroures of sathan nor with y e pains of death God is on youre syde God is your graūd captain You fighte vnder the banner of that most mighty and victorious Emperour Iesus Christ. Only continue as you haue begon and the daye is yours Sathā with al his army like miserable cowardes shalbe put to flight and vanquished You shall haue a ioyful victory ouer thē The paine of the battell is short and lyght but the glory of your triūphe shal abide for euer euer Heare what your graunde captaine saithe he that continueth vnto the end shall be saued To him y t ouercommeth I will geue to eate of the tree of life which is in the middes of the Paradise of God Be faithful vnto the death and I shall geue the the crowne of life Him that ouercommeth will I make a pillar in the temple of my God and he shal go no more out Yea to him that ouercommeth will I graunte to sit with me in my seate Here see you what precious and mooste noble rewardes are set forth vnto you if you go forth valeauntly to fight against your ennemies which seke your destruction Only beleue only fixe y e eies of your faith on Christ crucified Only engraue in your heart depely a sure and vndoubted confidence in the mercifull promises of God the father whiche he hath made vnto you in the precious bloud of his dearly beloued sonne and our alone sauioure Iesus Christe and you shall moste certainly haue the victory and obtain the reward of ioyfull immortalitie Here what your graund captain Christ saith God hath so dearly loued y e world that he gaue his onelye begotten sonne that euery one that beleueth on hym should not pearyshe but haue euerlasting life For god sent not his sonne into the worlde to condempne the world but that the world shuld be saued by hym He y t beleueth on him is not damned Iohn Baptist saithe He that beleueth on y e sonne of God hath euerlasting life My shepe saith Christ heare my voyce I know them and they followe me and I geue them euerlasting life nether shall they perishe for euer nor yet shall any man plucke them out of my hand My father which gaue them to me is greater then all no man can pluck them out of my fathers hande I and my father am one Againe I am the resurrection and life He that beleueth in me though he were dead yet shall he liue And euery one that liueth and beleueth in me shall neuer die I am the way y e truthe and the life Follow Christ you cā not erre nor go out of the way for he is the waye Beleue Christ and you can not be deceiued for he is the truthe Abide and remaine in Christ and you can not die the death euerlasting for he is the life Wherefore O most dere brother cleane with strong faithe to these most swete and comfortable promyses of Christe youre Sauiour Beleue to obtayne whatsoeuer is promysed So may you be sure to be Gods sonne and heyre of his euerlasting kingdome neuer to perishe but to haue eternall lyfe Epa. I beleue to haue remission of all my synnes thorowe faithe in Christes bloud Lorde Iesu take my spirite O heauenly father I cōmend my spirit into thy hādes Ph. This faith deare brother maketh you the Sonne of God and heyre of his glorious kingdome yea it maketh you Christes brother and fellow heyr with him of euerlasting glory It purchaseth for you fauor at the hand of God and forgeuenes of al your sinnes It bringeth vnto you peace and quietnes of conscience It maketh a perfect reconciliation
and an euerlastinge agremente betwene God and you It deliuereth you from death and bringeth you vnto eternall glory It maketh you a Citezin of the newe heauenlye Hierusalē where if you continue stedfast in this faith you shall remaine for euer and euer in a most blessed and ioyfull state hauinge the fruition of Gods glorious maiestie in perfecte glorie worldes without end vnto your exceading ioy and vnspeakeable comfort Euse. Sir Behold the life of this our brother beginneth to drawe vnto an end Phi. Yea rather he now begīneth to chaūge a mortal life for an immortal life The life that is led in this world is rather a shadow of a life then a very life indede Now brother be strong in the faithe of Christe Remember Christ crucified Remēber Christe to be your alone sauiour Remember God y e father to bee your merciful father Forget not y t all your sinnes are washed away in Christes precious blud that by y e vertue of his death passion you are made heire of euerlasting saluation Brother if you can speake aunswere If you can not speake shew some outward signe token that it may be a testimonye vnto vs of your faith godly departur Chr. Lo he holdeth vp his hand Eu. God be thāked Phi. He semeth yet to heare Perswade your selfe moste dere brother y t God euen now calleth you out of this vale of wretchednes vnto the ioyful enheritance of his euerlasting kingdom wher you shall not liue miserably w t sinfull men as you haue done in this world but you shall gloriously reigne with that moste mighty God with his holy aungels and blessed saincts Now begins your ioy your solace your cōfort Now begīneth your true life which shalbe euerlasting Now is the end of al your sorowes come now beginneth your vnfained ioy and true felicitie Now shal ye se y e glorious maiestie of God face to face Now shall you behold perfectly know al y e godly y t haue ben from the beginning of the world and be mery and reioyse with thē Now shall you se your sauior and elder brother Christ as he is Now shall you bee clothed w t the white garments of immortalitie Nowe shal you haue a crown of gold set vpon your head Now shall ye eat of the tree of life whiche is in the mids of the Paradise of God and drinke of the fountains of liuing water Now shall you be a pillare in the temple of your God and sit with him on his seat And these your ioyes shall be euerlasting neuer haue end Unto these ioyes shal you straight waies go for euermore enioy them Th. Our brother is euē now departed frō this world vnto the Lord our God as you spake these words vnto these ioyes shal you straightways go for euermore enioy them he gaue vp the ghost and now reasteth in the Lord. Phi. The Lord our God be praysed Our brother hath made a godly end He hath geuen vp a good spirit into the hands of the liuing God He is I doubt not of the nomber of them of whose death it is written Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his sainctes Blessed are they that die in the Lorde His life before men was vnrebukeable and blameles He liued iustly and vprightly with his neyghbours He was frendly to al godly men and ennemy to no man He was both a sincere fauourer and a diligent folower of Gods most holy word He abhorred all sectes Papistes Anabaptistes Libertins c. Not withstanding alway praying for their amēdment that they knowledging theyr errors might with vs confesse one God one truthe in the vnity of the spirit He was a deare frende to suche as were studious of good letters to widdowes to fatherles children to pore yonge maides mariages to yong mē that had not wherwith to set vp theyr occupations to the prisonners to those poore people which wer not hable to get theyr liuing to pore housholders to the reparing of hie wayes such like What a will he made ye knowe His end also ye know Chr. A christen and godly end made he God geue vs al grace to make the like Phile. Of a good life commeth a good death if the departure of the godly may be called a death not rather a passage vnto a better life Wel his body now slepeth in the Lorde and his soule raigneth in glory with God Euse. God graūt him vs al a ioyfull resurrection The. Amen Phi. Neighbours before we departe let vs all kneele down geue God the father thākes for y e godly departure of this our christen brother Chri. It is conuenient so to do Phi. Geue me hither the Flower of Godly prayers I will rehearse the thankes geuing vnto God for y e departure of the faithfull out of this worlde Eu. Lo here is the boke Phil. The name of the Lord our God be glorified Chr. Both nowe and euer Amen Phi. O how can we moste louing father rendre vnto the sufficient thanckes for thyne inestimable goodnes toward thy faithful seruants whome thou calling out of this wretched worlde vouchestsafe to place in thy heauenlye kingdom among the glorious cōpany of thy holy angels and blessed saincts O full precious is the death of thy faithfull in thy sight Blessed are y e dead that die in thee O Lord For they are at rest from their painfull trauails labours The soules of the righteous ar in thy hand O God and the pain of death shal not touche thē In the sight of the vnwise they appeare to die but they are in peace They shine as the sparckes that runne thorow y e redde bush They glister as the shining of heauē They are as y e starres worlde without end They are as the aungels of God They are clad w t white garmēts haue goldē crownes vpon their heds They do seruice day night before the glorious throne of thy deuine maiesty They neither hōger nor thirst anye more neyther doth the sun or any heat fal vpon them for the lambe which is in y e mids of y e throne gouerneth thē and ledeth them vnto the liuinge foūtains of waters They folowe the lābe whithersoeuer he goeth They haue such ioyes as eie hath not sene nor eare hath heard nether is there any heart hable to thincke them Infinite and vnspeakeable are the treasures O Lord whiche thou haste laide vp for them that depart in thy faith For these thy fatherly benefites toward the souls of the faithfull and for that it hathe pleased the to call this our Christen brother from this vale of misery vnto thy heauenly kingdome we geue vnto the moste harty thankes humbly beseching thee that thou wilt take like care for vs so gouerne vs with thy holy spirite bothe in sickenes and in healthe that we may liue a good and godly life in this
present world and when soeuer it shalbe thy good pleasure to call vs hence we may with strong faith in thee in thy sonne Christ Iesu our Lorde commende bothe our bodies soules into thy merciful haÌ„des and thorow thy gooddes be placed in thy glorious kingdome among thy faithfull chosen people and so for euer and euer prayse and magnifie thee our heauenly father to whome with thy derely beloued sonne Iesu Christ our Lord and sauiour and the holy gost that most swete coÌ„fortour be all glory and honoure worldes without end Th. Amen Ph. Rise let vs go and coÌ„forte our frendes that they doo not to muche sorowe for the departure of this our most deare brother which now resteth in ioyfull peace That done neighbour Christopher repare you vnto some godly learned man and desire hym to prepare a Sermon for the buriall of this our brother against to morowe about y e ninth houre Chr. It shalbe done Phile. Neighboure Theophile neighbor Eusebius go ye your waye prouide all thinges necessary for the comely furniture of the burial that nothing be wanting when the tyme commeth Euse. We will do it gladly Phi. The very god of peace sanctify vs thorow out so wholy preserue vs both spirit and soule and bodye that we may be blamed in nothynge at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christe The. Amen Phi. Our Lord Iesus Christ him self God our father which hath loued vs hath geuen vs euerlasting consolation good hope thorow grace comfort our heartes and stablish vs in all good saying and doing Eus. AmeÌ„ Phi. Peace be vnto the brethren loue with faith from God the father and from the Lorde Iesus Christ. Grace be w t al them which loue our Lorde Iesus Christ vnfainedly Chri. Amen Ph. Blessing and glory and wisdome and thankes and honour and power and might be vnto our God for euermore Theo. AmeÌ„ Amen Gyue the glorie to God alone Although death doth daily draw nere Yet his sting past vertue shinth clene Imprinted at London by Iohn Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate beneath Saint Martins Cum gratia priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis per Septennium ¶ These books are to be solde at his shop vnder the Gate Colos. iii. Math. xxiiii â–ª Mark xiii Apoca. xvi Apoca. xxii i. Thes. v â–ª Iacob iiii Iob. ix Iob. xiiii Esay xl Gene. v. Luke xii â–ª Psal. xxxix i. Tim. vi Psal. xxxix i. Pet. ii Heb. xiii Iere. viii Esay lvi Philip. ii Eccle. vii Deut. xxxiâ— Apoca. xxi i. Cor. ix ii Tim. ii Iob. vii Apoca. xiiii Psal. cxvi Mat. xvi The contentes of this boke Iob. 14. Iames. iiii Luke xii Mat. 24. Mark 13. Apoc. 16. Dout. 32. Eccl. 7. Iere. xviii Math. vi Math. xxvi Mat. 25. Eccle. 7. Rom. 12 Eccl. 7 Iere. xx Gene. xix Iob. xxx Iere 15. Iob. 3. Iob. 10. Apoca. iii. Pro. iii. Heb. xii Hebr. xii Iam. i. Gala. v. Luke 6. Mat. 5. Iohn 16. 2. Titu 2. Luke 24. Act. xiiii What the Crosse is Ihon. xvi i Ti mo iii i. Pete iiii Luke xvi Luke vi Eccle. xi Psal. xciiii Psal. cxix i. Cor. xi Ioâ— v. i. Cor. x. ii Cor. i. ii Peter ii i. Cor. iiii Esay â—ii i â–ª Peter ii heb ii math x Lu. xiiii Apoca. vii Iacob iiii ii Cor. vi Eccle. ii Eccle. iii. Eccle. xxvii â—ob xii â—eâ—t xiii i. Pet. i. i. Cor. x. Psal. xxx Psalm lxvi Psalm lxxi Psal. cxxvi Tobi. iii. Psal. xxxiiii Gen. xxx xix i. Reg. xvi Act. xiiii iii. Reg. ii Iob. i. ii Iob. ii Iob. i. Iob. ii Psal. xxxvii Esay xxx Iames. iii â–ª Psal. xxxiiii Iob. xiii Iames. v. Tob. i. ii Cor. ix Tob. ii i. Reg. ii Deut. xxxii Tob. xiii Sap. xvi Tob. xi Tob. xiiii Tob. xii Rom. xv Româ— xiiii A praier Psalm vi Psal. lxxxvâ—â—â— Psal. xci Mat. xxiii i. Pet. v. Prou. xx Iaco. iii i. Iohn i. Rom. iii Luk. xvii Psal. cxvi Psalm li. Ier. xvii Esay lxiii Psal. xiiii Luke xviii Math. vi Iob. xiii Iob. xxx Iob. xxv Psalm ii Psalm xxv Psalm cxxx Psal. cxiiii Iob. ix Tob. iii. Ose. xiiii Psal. cxlv Psalm cxxx Apoc. xxi i. Cor. xi Psal. xxxvii Luk. xvi Mat. xâ—â—â— Luke xvi Luke vi Hebr. xii Sap. ii Sap. vi Psal. 37. An historie Psalm xxxvii Hebr. vii Act. xiiii Iudit viâ—â— Iames. i. An history Apoc. iii. Prouerb iii. Math. xvi Luke xiiii Luke xvi Esay lxiiii i. Cor. ii Psal. cxv Psal. xxxiiii Psal. lxxxiâ— Iere. xviii Esay lv Psalm ciii Ier. xxix Why God punisheth vs Psal. cxix Esay xxviii Iob. v. i. Reg. iii â–ª Tob. iii. Ose. ii Num. xxi ii Pet. xxxâ—â—â— Psal. lxxviii Ose. vii Esay lv Luke i. Psal. cxix Esa. xxviii Ier. xxxi The true vse of reading the holy scriptures The prayer of Manasses Esay lxiii i. Iohn i. Hebr. x. Psal. xxxiii Sap. xi Esay xxviii Rom. x. Iohn xi Iohn iii. Luk. xv Iere. iii. Esech 33 Esech 18 Act. x. Rom. iii. Rom. ii Roma x. Iohn ii Rom. xv Ephe. ii Iohn v. Esa. lxv Luke xxiii Rom. x. Luk. x.xv. Esay liii i. Pet. ii Luke xv Mat. xix Math. ix xi Luk. x. Luke xx Iohn i. i. Tim. ii Esay xxviii Roma x. Psalm xci Prouerb iii. Hebr. xii Apoc. iii. Psalm i. Math. i. Psal. 33. Psal. 147. Psal. cxxxvii Esay lxxvi zach i. i. Iohn v. Psal. cxlv iii. Reg. xx Dan. iii. Dan. vi Dan. xiii Luke xxiii Act. vii Act. xii i. Cor. x. Psalm xci Psalm cxx Psal. xxiii Rom. x. Ioel. ii Act. ii Esay xxviii Psa. xxxiiii Esay lâ—â— â–ª Psal. lxviii â–ª Psal. iii. Eccl ii Eccl. xxxviâ— Psalm i. Iames. v. iiii Reg. xx Rom. xiiii Math. xxvi Mark xiiii Luk. xxii Math. xxvi Math. vi Mat. xxviâ— Phil. i. Phil. ii Luk. xviii â— Pet. v. A praier Rom. xiiii Luk. x. Ephe. ii Psal. 3â— Rom. â— Rom. 8. Rom. xiiii A praier Psal. xxv Eccle. xxxv Psal. xxxiiiiâ— Luk. xviii Math. viii Psalm ci A praier Math. xxvi Luk. xvii Mark ix Psal. lxxix A praier Psal. lxviii Mar. xxiiii Mark xiii Apoc. xvi iiii Reg. xx The true vse of ritches Math. v. Psa. lxii i. Cor. vii i. Iohn ii The sicke-mans will Soule Body Phil. ii Wife i. Tim. v. Sonne Daughters Seruantes Eccle. vii Debters Scholers of Cambridge and Oxford Poore pâ—â—ple ii Cor. â— Math. vi Purgatorie rakers Phil. iii. Hie waies Sermons Esa. lvi Math. ix Luke i. Rom. x. Ministers Mourning gownes i. Thes. iiii Apoc. xiiii Psal. cxvi Sap. iii. Sap. v. Luke xvi Esay xxv Apo. vii xxi Esay lxiiii i. Cor. ii Ser. de mortalitate Iohn xiiii Phil. i. â—po vi i. Tes. â—â—â— Iohn â—â— Phi. ii Apoc. xiiii Rom. viii Apoc. xiiii Psal. cxviii Sap. iii. ii Reg. xii The maner of the Thracians Luk. xxiii Apo. xiiii Psal. xxiii Phil. iii. Eccle. xi Burials Singing Ringing Communion â—â— Cor. xi Note Gen. xxiii and .l. Lib. 1. de Câ—uitate dei Cap. xiii Luke xvi Apo.