camest into this world to call sinners vnto repentaunce and to seeke vp y t was lost thou seest in what case this oure brother lieth here visited with thy mercifull hand al weake feble sicke and redy to yealde vp his soule into thy holy haÌds O loke vpoÌ him moste gentle sauior with thy mercifull eie pitie him and be fauorable vnto him He is thy workemanship despise not therfore the worke of thine own hands Thou suffredst thy blessed body and thy precious bloud to be shed for his sinnes and to bringe hym vnto the glorye of thy heauenlye father let it not therefore come to passe that thou shouldest suffer so great paines for him in vaine He was baptised in thy name and gaue him self wholy to be thy seruaunt forsakynge the deuill the world and the flesh confesse him therefore before thy heauenly father and his blessed Aungels to be thy seruaunt His sinnes we confesse are great for who is hable to saye my heart is clene I am fre from sin but thy mercies O Lord are much greater And thou camest not to cal thâ righteous but sinners vnto repeÌtaunce To them that are diseased and ouerladen with the burden of sin doest thou promise ease Thou art that God which willest not y e death of a sinner but rather that he shuld turne and liue Thou art the sauiour whiche wishest all meÌ to bee saued and to come to the knowledge of thy truthe Withdraw not therfore thy mercy from him because of his sinnes but rather lay vpoÌ him thy sauiÌg health that thou maiest shewe thy selfe toward him to be a sauior What greater praise caÌ there be to a phisition then to heale the sicke Neither can there be a greater glory to thee being a sauior then to saue sinners saue him therfore O Lord for thy names sake Again let the law be no corsiue to his conscience but rather geue him grace eueÌin this extreme agony and conflicte of death to be fully perswaded y t thou by thy death hast takeÌ away all his sinnes fulfilled the lawe for hym and by this meanes deliuered him from the cursse of the law and paid his raunsome that he thus beinge fully perswaded may haue a quiet heart a fre conscience and a glad will to forsake this wretched world to go vnto his lord God Moreouer thou hast conquered hym that had rule of death euen sathan suffer him not therfore to exercise his tiraÌny vpoÌ this our sicke brother nor to disquiet his conscience with the terrours of sinne and paines of hell Let not Sathan nor his infernall army tempte him further then he is hable to beare but euermore geue him grace euen vnto his last breath valeantly to fight against the deuil with strong faith in thy precious bloud that he may fight a good fight and finish his course with ioy vnto y e glory of thy name and the healthe of his soule O Lord so worke in him by thy holy spirite that he with all his hearte maye contempne and despise all worldly things and set his mind wholly vpon heauenly thynges hopyng for them with a stronge and vndoubted faithe Againe let it not greue him O swete sauiour to be losoned froÌ this vile wretched âarcaâe which is now so full of sorow trouble anguishe fickenes and paine but rather let hym haue a bent and ready wyll thorowe thy goodnes to put it of yea and that with this faith that he at the last day shall receiue it again in a much better state then it is now or euer was froÌ the daye of his birthe euen a body vncorruptible immortall like to thy glorious body Let his hole heart and mynde be set only vpon thee Let the remembraunce of y e ioyes of heaueÌ be so ferueÌt in his brest that he may bothe patientlye and thanckfully take his death and euer wish to be with the in glory And when the tyme coÌmeth that he shall geue ouer to nature depart from this miserable worlde vouchafe we most huÌbly beseeche the o Lord Iesu to take his soule into thy handes and to place it amonge the glorious company of thy holy angels blessed saintes and to kepe it vnto that most ioyful day of the generall resurrectioÌ that both his body soule thorow thyne almighty power being knit agayn together at y t day he maye for euer euer enioy thy glorious kingdom sing perpetuall praises to thy blessed name Chri. Amen Epa. O God be merciful vnto me and blesse me shewe me the lighte of thy countenaunce and deale fauourably with me Lighten mine eies that I slepe not in death least myne ennemy say I haue preuailed against him For if I be cast downe they that trouble me will reioyse at it But my trust is in thy mercy my heart is ioyfull in thy saluation Phile. Sir how do you Epa. My bodely sight is gone Phi. The Lord gaue it you and the Lorde hath taken it away againe As it hath pleased the Lord so is it come to passe blessed be the name of the Lorde Now that God hath taken away the sight of your corporal eies behold the Lord your God with the eies of your faith and doubte you not but that shortly you shall see the glorious maiestie of god with the eies of your soule euen as he is face to face whiche shalbe vnto you suche ioy and so great coÌfort that no tounge is able to expresse nor no heart able to thinke it Epa. I beleue and am assuredlye perswaded that I shall see the plesures of the Lorde in the lande of the liuing Phile. CoÌtinue in this faith vnto the end and you shall surely be saued Ep. As God hath taken away my syght so do al my other senses decaye Phi. Though by the appointment of God you lose your bodely speache yet shall your soule in the heauenly kyngdom sing prayse and magnify the Lord your God worldes without end And all be it the bodely hearing be taken away from you yet shall your soule in the kingdom of God hear such swete pleasaunt delectable thinges as neuer mortall man heard nor may hear the like Againe although your going and the vse of your whole body be taken away from you and your body returne vnto the earth from whence it came yet doubte you not but your soule being once deliuered out of the prison of your body shal serue the lord your god perfectly and ioyfully follow the Lambe Christ. whither so euer he goeth Epa. O Lorde deliuer my soul out of the prison of the body that I maye come vnto thee and glorify thy holy name CoÌmaund my spirit to be receaued in peace for more expedient were it for me to die theÌ to liue Phi. Be on good comfort sir God in this your troble and bitter agony of death is present with you and when he seeth conuenient tyme
an exceading and an eternall waight of glory vnto vs while we loke not on y e things which are sene but on the things whiche are not sene For y e things whiche are seene are temporall but thinges whiche are not seene are eternall Theo. Our elder brââther Christ which neuer commiâ sinne in whom no guile nor deâceat was found entred not into glory but by the crosse as thapostle saith We se that Iesus for the suffring of his death was crowned with glory and honor Therfore may not we loke to possesse the enheritance of the heauenly kingdom by liuing all in pleasure health ioy and worldly felicitie but rather by suffring the crosse y t is laid vpon vs at gods appoyntment both paciently and thankefullie For the disciple is not aboue the master nor the seruant aboue his Lord. It is inough for the disciple y t he be as his master is and that the seruaunt be as his Lord. Whosoeuer beareth not his crosse and commeth after me saith our sauiour Christe he can not be my disciple Chri. In the reuelacion of blessed Iohn we rede that they whiche were araied with longe white garmentes and are continually in the presence of the seat of God and serue him day night in his temple came out of greate tribulation Philem. It is truthe For suche are moste mete for the kingdom of God nether can the voluptuous worldlinges be partakers of the heauenly enheritaÌce whiche in this worlde taste of no crosse but liue in all pleasure after the desires of the fleshe It is not possible that a man may liue here pleasauntly with the worlde and afterward reigne gloriously with Christe for the frendshippe of the world is enmitie with God Whosoeuer wil be a frend of the world is made the enemy of God For what felowship hath righteousnes with vnrighteousnes Or what coÌpany hath light w t darcknes Or what coÌcord hath Christ with Beliall Either what part hath he y t beleueth with an infidel worldly ioy eternall felicity can not agre together Therfore whosoeuer is fre froÌ the crosse in this world he hath no part in the kingdom of Christ of God So that you neighbor Epaphroditus haue a great occasion to thancke the Lorde our God that it hath pleased him to remeÌber you with this his louinge visitation and through this sickenesse to declare his good fatherly wyll towarde you For by laying this crosse vpon you he proueth you whether you be constant in your faith and profession or not and whether you will pacientlie and thanckefullie bâare this his worcking in you whiche is vnto your euerlasting saluation or not And after this maner doth God handle all suche as he receiueth vnto glory as the wyseman saith What soeuer hapneth vnto thee receiue it suffer in heauiues and be pacient in thy trouble For like as gold siluer are tried in the fire euen so are acceptable men in the fornace of aduersitie Again he saith the ouen proueth the potters vessel so doth temptation of trouble trie righteous men Liste wyse said Raphael the Archaungell vnto Toby Because thou wast accepted and beloued of God it was necessary y t temptacion shuld try thee And as Moses saide vnto the children of Israel the lord your God proueth you to wete whether ye loue the Lord your God withall your hart and with al your soule S. Peter also saith ye are nowe for a season in heauines thorow manifold temtacions that y e triall of your fath being muche more precious than gold that perisheth yet is tried by fire might be founde vnto the prayse glory and honoure at the appearing of Iesus Christ. Epah This comforteth well my weake mind to here of you out of y e word of God neighbor Philemon that this sicknesse which I now suffer is the louing visitation of God and a token of Gods good wyll toward me again that the faithfull and frends of God are in this world subiect to the Crosse more than the vnfaithfull and enemies of God Phile. I am hartely glad to hear you so say And doubt you not but that this your gentle God and louyng father wyll turne this your sorowe vnto your great comfort For he is a faithful God whiche will not suffer you to bee tempted aboue your strength but shall in the mids of the temtation make a way that ye may be hable to beare it as the Psalmographe sayth His wrath endureth but the twinkling of an eie and in his pleasure is life Heauines may endure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning Thou O Lord hast tourned my heauines in to ioy thou hast put of my sackcloth and girded me with gladnes Againe he saieth Thou O God hast proued vs thou also hast tried vs like as siluer is tried Thou broughtest vs into the snare and laidst trouble vpoÌ our loynes thou suffredst meÌ to ride ouer our heads We went thorowe fire and water and thou broughtest vs out into a welthy place Item O what great troubles aduersities hast thou shewed me and yet didst thou turne refresh me yea and broghtest me from the depe of the earth Thou hast brought me to great honour and comforted me on euery syde Therfore will I praise thee thy faithfulnes O God Also in another place he saith they that sowe in teares shal repe in ioy He that now goeth on his way weping bereth foorth good sede shal doutles come againe with ioy bryng his sheues with him Thauncient father Toby in his prayer vnto God saith after a storme O Lord thou makest the weather faire still after weping and heauinesse thou geuest great ioy Thy name O God of Israel be praised for euer Epa. Amen Amen good Lord I trust thou wilt doe so with me Phile. Doubt ye not neighboure but if ye call on the name of the Lord ye shall finde great comfort For as that princelike Prophet sayth The righteous cry and the Lord heareth them and deliuereth them out of al their troubles The Lord is nie vnto theÌ that are of a contrite heart and will saue suche as be of an humble spirite Great are the troubles of y â righteous but the lord deliuereth theÌ out of al he kepeth all their bones so that not one of them is broken Euseb. These are coÌfortable senteÌces neighbor Epaphrodotus Epa. Confortable in dede Phi. And no les true then coÌfortable as diuers histories of the holie scriptures do euidently declare Epa. I pray you reherse some of them for my comfort Phi. I will do it gladly As I may let passe the auncient Patriarkes What a crosse laid God vpoÌ Iosephes shoulders in Egipt yea and that for no fault that he had committed but only to proue and try his faith loue obedience pacience thankfulnes perseuerance He suffred Ioseph being a godlie and chast yong man
sicknesse Whiche thing whan he considered he was inwardly sory and wept beyond all measure greuously complaining that God had forgotten him and denied him his grace Phile. This history also sheweth howe necessary and wholsome sicknes is to a Christen man and that corporall affliction is a certaine perswasion to a faythfull coÌscience of Gods singulare good wyll and fatherly fauour towarde vs as he hym self testifieth saying as many as I loue I chasteÌ and rebuke Thâ wyse man also sayeth My sonnâ despise not the chastening of thâ Lord nether faint whan thou arâ rebuked of him For whome thâ Lord loueth him he chastneth ãâã yet deliteth in him as a father iâ ther in his owne sonne Epaphro So followeth it that they whom God visiteth with sicknes in this worlde and laieth the crosse vpon their shoulders are more dear vnto him than those whiche all their life tyme liue in all wealth ioy pleasure Phile. Yea verely so thei beare their crosse willingly paciently and thankfully For by the crosse are christen men knoweÌ as noble mens seruauntes by theyr Lordes cognisances He that beareth not the crosse is not Christes For suche as will be his disciples he coÌmaundeth them not to seeke how to flee y e crosse that they may liue al in pleasure but he biddeth them take the Crosse vpon their shoulders and folow him If any man will folow me saith our sauiour Christ let him forsake him âelf and take vp his crosse and foâow me The head bare the crosse the members also must do y e same or els pertaine they not vnto the head For there is none other way to enter into glory but the same way that our head Christ entred by which is the crosse Whosoeuer beareth not his crosse and cometh after me saith the Lorde Christ he can not be my disciple The seruant is not greater then his Lord nor the disciple aboue his master Chri. That such as bear the crosse and be tried with diuers tribulations are more dear vnto god thaÌ they which liue all in pleasure the history of the ritch and vnmerciful glotton and of poore and pacient Lazarus proueth euideÌtly For as ye hard before the welthie epicure whiche liued galantlie and pleasauntly all the daies of his life euen vnto his dying daye so sonâ as he was dead was caried of thâ Deuell and his Aungels into thâ flames of hell fire where he was miserablie tormented contrarywyse pore and sick Lazarus whoÌ the wicked worlde estemed moste vile moste abhominable yea and vtterly despised and cast away of God whome also fortune neuer fauoured but aduersitie coÌtinuallie assailed immediatly after his departure was moste tenderly ioyfully borne of the blessed Aungels of God into the bosome of Abraham wher he hath such ioyes as eie hath not sene nor eare hath heard nether is any mans hart able to thinke them Euse. Here is that fulfilled found true whiche the Psalmograph speaketh both of the death of the faithfull and of the vnfaythfull Concernyng the faythfull he sayeth preciâus in the sight of the Lorde is âhe death of his sainctes Of the ânfaithfull he also sayeth The death of sinners is worst of all As y e ioyes of Gods people begin not till after their death so lykewise the sorowes and paines of y e wicked doe chiefly begin at their death and so for euer and euer coÌtinue Epaph. Happy is that man therfore whiche hath and endeth his sorowe in this worlde that after this life he may haue the perfect and true ioy whiche knoweth no end Phi. He is thrise happy as they vse to say and greatly blessed of God Therfore s Austen praied on this manner and said O Lord burn me here cut me here in this world that thou maiest spare me for euer after Only geue me pacience pleasing vnto thee and necessary vnto me Christo. Like vnâto this are the wordes of a certain auncient father whiche saieth I know that diseases chaunce vnto men for their sinnes And it is beâter here paciently to beare afflictions and paines then after death to suffer euerlasting punishmeÌts Theo. S. Gregory saith that God sparith some in this world to torment them afterward and som he tormenteth here which he wil afterward spare This is a christen mans comforte y t by present tribulation he shall escape euerlasting damnation For according to the common prouerbe God punisheth not one thing twyse Epa. Of these your wordes I conceiue a good hope that although God punisheth me iustly for my sinnes yet he wil not take away his mercy from me Phil. No be you sure For these are his wordes by the Psalmograph If they forsake my âaw and walke not in my iudgements If they breke my statutes ând kepe not my coÌmanndemeÌts I will visite their offences with the rod their sinnes with scourges Neuertheles my louing kindnes will I not vtterly take from him nor suffer my truth to fayle My couenaunt wil I not breake nor alter the thinge that is gone out of my lips Here God our mercifull father promiseth y t though he punisheth vs for our sinne and wickednes that by this meanes he may call vs vnto repentance amendement of life yet wil not he take away from vs his mercy and louing kindnes but when so euer we turne vnto hym repent vs of our former life call on his blessed name beleue and hope to haue remissioÌ of sinnes for Christes sake and labor to frame our life according to the rule of his holy testaâmeÌt he will surely receiue vs ioyâfully pardon all our iniquities and as derely loue vs as though we had neuer offended his deuinâ maiestie God saith also by y e Prophet Ieremy when I take in haÌd to rote out to destroy or to wast away any people or kingdome if y e people against whoÌ I haue thus deuised conuert froÌ their wickednes I repeÌt of the plague that I deuised to bring vpon them The prophet Esay also saith If thungodly forsaketh his way and the vnrighteous man his owne Imaginations and turne againe vnto the Lorde he will surely be mercifull vnto him For he is very ready to forgeue He will not alway be chyding sayth the Psalmograph neither kepeth he his anger for euer Yea lyke as a father pitieth his owne children euen so is the Lorde mercifull vnto them that feare hym For he knoweth whereof we bee made he remembreth that we are but duste My thoughtes saith God are to geue you peace and not trouble Though the lord punisheth vs for our sinnes yet doth he not punishe vs to cast vs away and to condemne vs but to call vs vnto repentance to mortifie our fleshly lustes afterward to make vs the more circumspect in obseruing the rules of our profession y t is the christen profession as that princelike Prophet saith It is greatly for my wealth that thou hast punished me brought me low
thy blessed pleasure Lord encrese my faith Lorde helpe my vnbelief Lord remeÌber 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 meââfull vnto you so will coÌtinue vnto thend doubt you not Ep. That is my only comfort And Lord I most humbly pray thee coÌfirme 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 âerely y t the lord my God hath seÌt 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 therâfore 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 enduâed with the goodes of the worlde âhould before their departure set a godly order and quiet stay in their âemporal possessions Epaph. You âay truth neighbour Theophile âherfore I pray you bring hether âen inck paper withal expediâion and let my will be written âor I thank the Lord my God I ãâã 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 noÌbre 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 iudgemeÌt seat of Christ I shal receiue it again by the mighty power of God wherwith he is able to subdue al thiÌgs 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 coÌcerning your world ây possessions Epaph. First as touching my wyfe with whome I âoupled my self in the fear of God and refusing all other women I âinked my selfe vnto her liuing w t her in the blessed state of honouraâle wedlocke by whome also thoâowe the blessing of God I haue âad certen children wherof part âre 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 defeÌder will not suffer her to lack if she go âorth 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 noÌâber 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 âet 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 SermoÌs 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. sermoÌs 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 couÌting 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 haÌdled 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 ⪠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 righthaÌd 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 sayââing If ye had loued me ye wold haue reioysed
also least that SathaÌ will shortly returne vnto me and assaile mâ with newe temptations Phi. Inâdede the propertie of Sathan isâ whan he can not get his purpose one waye to attempt some other meanes But whereof are ye afraid Epa. Christ saith in the Gospel If thou wilte enter into lyfeâ kepe the commaundementes Again do this and thou shalt lyue He speaketh of fulfilling the lawe And s. Paule saieth Not the hearers but the doers of the law shaâ be iustified before God Moses also pronounceth theÌ cursed whiche abideth not in all thynges that ar written in the lawe What if Sathan should lay the lawe againste me and proue euidently that I haue not fulfilled the law of God and therfore I can not enter into eternall life but must neades be dampned Phi. The holy scriptur of God consisteth of two partes of the lawe and of the Gospell If sathan obiect y e lawe against you laye you againste him straighte-waies the Gospell For the lawe was geuen by Moses but y e Gospell that is grace fauour remission of sinnes truthe faithfulnes and euerlasting life came by Iesus Christe The lawe maketh afrayd but the Gospel comforteth The law troubleth but the Gospel quieteth The law vttreth sin but the Gospell pardoneth and forgeueth sinne The lawe declareth the fearse wrathe of God againste synners but the Gospelâ preacheth the great and exceding mercies of God toward penitenâ synners The law woundeth buâ the gospel healeth The lawe maketh sicke but the gospell maketh whole and stronge The law driueth to desperation but the gospel ministreth consolation comfort The lawe killeth but the gospel quikneth The lawe throweth downe to hel but y e gospel lifteth vp to heauen Therfore if SathaÌ be busy and lay the lawe againsâ you and that vnto you deathâ and dampnation aunswere him with the Gospell which bringeth lyfe and euerlasting saluation For the law was not geuen vs oâ God to iustifie and saue vs but to be a doctrine vnto vs what wâ should either do or leaue vndone and to be a scholemaister to leade vs vnto Christe that of hym we might obtaine that whiche by no meanes may be gotten of y e lawe I meane the grace fauoure and mercy of God remission and forgeuenes of sinnes the quietnes of conscience a newe life the gift of the holy ghost and euerlasting life Flie you therefore from the heauy burden of the lawe whiche depresseth and wayeth downe the conscience and take on you the swete and comfortable yoke of the gospel and so shall you finde reast vnto your soul. For the yoke therof is easy and the burden light After this manner euen from the beginning haue all the godly in the conflicte of conscience fledde from the doctrine of the lawe vnto the mercifull promises of the Gospel as blessed Peter testifieth saying Now why tempt ye God to put on the disciples neckes the yoke whiche neither our fathers nor we were able to bear But we beleue that through the grace of the Lorde Iesu Christ we shal be saued as they were Our sauioure Christ said vnto the Iewes hath not Moses geuen you a law and yet none of you kepeth the lawe The doctrine of the law is such a burden that the holiest that euer liued Christ alone except was neuer hable to bear it No maruell for the lawe is spirituall but we are carnall Who among vs all is able to say my heart is cleane and I am free from sinne The holy scripture pronounceth vs all sinners and oure owne consciences beare witnes of y e same And how commeth it to passe but only that we do not obserue the lawe of the Lord our God but rather ar traÌsgressours breakers of that same in so much y t if our sauiour Christ had not come in the fleshe fulfilled the law for vs ⪠euen to the vttermoste so pacified the fathers wrath we had bene dampned for euer and euer But Christ is come and hath fulfilled the lawe with suche perfection as the law requireth euen at the full and his fulfilling is our fulfilling Whosoeuer beleueth this taketh Christ to be his wisdome rightuousnes sanctifying and redemption he cannot pearyshe but haue euerlasting life Epa. I pray you declare vnto me some comfortable sentenses out of the holy scripture that my conscience may be ascertained of Christes fulfillyng of the lawe for me Phile. Christ saieth in the Gospell Thinke not that I am come to destroy the law or y e Prophetes no. I am not come to destroy but to fulfill All we are destroyers and breakers of the law but Christ is a perfect fulfiller of the same not for him selfe but for vs and his fulfilling is our fulfilling The holy Apostle in his epistle to the Romaines sayeth There is no damnation to them whiche are in Christ Iesu which walke not after the fleshe but after the spirite For the lawe of the spirit of life through Iesus Christ hath made me fre from the law of sinne and death For what the law could not do inasmuch as it was weake because of the fleshe that parformed God and sent his sonne in the similitude of synnefull fleshe and by synne damned synne in the fleshe that the righteousnes of the lawe might be fulfilled in vs whiche walke not after the fleshe but after the spirite Here see you that where as none of vs was able to fulfyll the lawe Christ the sonne of God hath fulfilled it for vs and by this meanes deliuered vs froÌ the lawe of sinne and deathe Againe in the same Epistle Christe is the perfect fulfilling of y e lawe to iustifie all that beleue So many therefore as beleue are iustified and for them Christe hath fulfilled the lawe to the vttermoste To the Galathians he also saieth Christ hath deliuered vs from the cursse of the lawe in as much as he was made accursed for our sake For it is writen Cursed is euery one that hangeth on a tree c. It Christ by his death and passion hath deliuered vs from the cursse of the law how than can the lawe condemne vs Item in the same Epistle when the time was full come God sent his sonne made of a woman and made bonde vnto the lawe to redeme them which were bond vnto the law that we through election might receiue thinheritaunce that belongeth vnto the naturall sonnes If Christ became maÌ and was made bond vnto the lawe to redeme and deliuer vs from the lawe what power than hath the lawe ouer vs that it may condeÌpn vs If we be through y e fre choyse of God admitted to be the sonnes of God theÌ are we no more slaues vnto the law nor any more bound to the subiection thereof that it may cast vs away as wicked traÌsgressours and heirs of eternal daÌnation For it is fulfilled for vs in
more worthy to be called thy sonne ⪠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 thouââne 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 soÌne 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 merciâully forgeue you all your sins be âhey 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 withâstandinge because he added noâ faith vnto his repentaunce conâfession and satisfaction all was in vaine Peter his fellowe discipleâ sinned also greuously but becausâ he earnestlye repented and alsâ faithfully beleued to haue remisâsion 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 ⪠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 ⪠Ambrose is y e rote of all vertues ⪠and whatsoeuer thou buyldest oâ this foundation that alone profiteth vnto the reward of thy workâ frute and vertue Fayth saith he ⪠is ritcher then all treasures stroÌger 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 âe bothe many and great Oh remember not the sinnes and offenâes of my yougth but accordynge vnto thy mercy thynke vpon me O Lorde for thy goodnes Oh remember not mine old sinnes but âaue mercy on me yea and that ââghtsone for I am come to great âiserie Helpe me O God of my ââluation 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 ⪠Phi. Doubt not neighbour Epaphroditus but that god hath graciouslye heard this your humble sute also graunted your request ⪠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 nââuer remember them more as hâ saith by y e Prophet I will forgeue their misdedes and wil neuer remember their synnes any more ⪠Againe If the vngodly wil turâ away from all his sinnes that hâ hath done and kepe all my comâmaundementes and do the thinâ that is equall and right doubtleâ he shall lyue and not die As for ãâã 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 coÌtinue faithfull repentant vnto thend ye shall surely be saued Epa. Sinne is an heauy burden very displeasaÌt vnto the lord our God and maketh sinners to âle 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
THE SYCKE Mans Salue VVherin the faithfull christians may learne both how to be haue them selues paciently and thankefully in the tyme of sickenes and also vertuously to dispose their temporall goodes and finally to prepare them selues gladly and godly to die Made and newly recognised by Maister Tho. Becon 1561. Math. 11. ¶ Come vnto me all ye that are sicke and diseased and I will comfort you CVM PRIVILEGIO per Septennium THOMAS BECONVS SACROSAÌCTAE THEOLOGIAE PROFESSOR Ora expressa vides viuos imitantia vultus Quod potuit calamo pictor arte vides mentis quaÌ nullus potuit tibi reddere pictor Effigiem scriptis praebuit ipse suis. ¶ The Names of all suche bookes as Thomas Becon hath hetherto made and set forth i. The Newes out of Heauen ii The Christmas Bancket iii. The Potation for Lent iiii The Pathway vnto Prayer v. The Cathechisme vi The Nosegaye vii The Pollecie of Warre viii The Boke of Matrimonie ix Dauids Harpe x. The New years gift xi The Inuectiue against swering xii The Gouernaunce of Uertue xiii The Dialogue of Christes birth xiiii The Inuectiue against whordoÌ xv The Solace of the Soule xvi The Iewell of Ioye xvii The Castell of Comfort xviii The Fortresse of the faithfull xix The Flower of godly prayers xx The Principles of christen religion xxi The True vse of fasting xxii The Pomaunder of prayer xxiii The Christen knight xxiiii The Sickmans Salue xxv The Reliques of Rome ¶ TO THE RIGHT worshipful Maister Basil Felding Esquier Thomas Becon wysheth the fauour of God continual health and prosperous felicitie CHrist our Lorde and Sauiour coÌsidering what and how great carnall securitie and fleshly quietnes reigneth in mortall men of all ages yea and that in them that professe godlynesse that is to saye Christians whiche by their professioÌ ar dead vnto the world and haue their lyfe hydden with Christ in God in somuche that they being occupied about worldlye and transitory thinges which sone perish and come to naught do vtterly neglecte the thinges that appertaine vnto the saluation of their soules in many places of his holy Gospell admonisheth vs to watche and to make prouision for our latter ende least we be found vnready whaÌ we shall be called out of the worlde In the Gospell of blessed Mathewe he hath these words watch for you know not what hour the Lord will come Of this be ye sure that if the good man of the house knew what hour the thief would come he would surely watche and not suffer his house to be broken vp Therfore be ye also ready For in suche houre as ye thinke not wil the sonne of man come In S. Markes Gospell also he sayth Watch for ye know not wheÌ the maister of the house wil come at euen or at midnight or at the cockcrowing or in the dauning least if he come sodenly he finde you sleping And that I say vnto you I say vnto all Watch ⪠Yea take hede watche and pray for ye know not when the time is Again in the Reuelation of blessed Iohn he sayth Behold I come as a thiefe Blessed is he that watcheth and kepeth his garmentes that he walke not naked and men see his fylthines Item Behold I come shortly and my rewarde is with me to geue euery man according as his dedes shall be The holy Apostle S. Paule lykewyse exhorteth vs that we sleepe not as other doo but that we watche be sober nether that we fall into fleshly quietnes promysing our selues long lyfe healthe and reste in this worlde least soden destruction fall vpon vs. For the day of the Lorde sayth he shall come euen as the thief in the night Certes our mortall estate declareth euideÌtly that we be so bound vnto death that we are not certen of our lyfe not one houre Out of hand may death oppres vs for any certentie that we haue of the contrary What thing is your lyfe sayth S. Iames It is a vapour that appeareth for lyttle tyme and then vanisheth away My dayes saith Iob are more swift then a runner yea they are passed awaye as the shyppes that bee good vnder sayle and as the Egle that flyeth vnto the pray Agayne he saith Man that is borne of woman hath but short tyme to lyue and is ful of mysery He commeth vp and is cut downe lyke a floure He flyeth as it were a shadow and neuer continueth in one state The Prophet also sayth All fleshe is grasse and all the glory thereof is as the floure of the field The grasse is withered the flower falleth away Euen so is the people as grasse when the breathe of the Lord bloweth vpon them Thus sewe the misery vanitie and shortnes of our mortall life painted out before our eies and that these thynges are true dayly experience proueth Notwithstandinge such is our blindnes fondnes and madnes that we vtterly forget the vncertentie of this our wretched and short lyfe and promyse our selues the florishyng yeares of Nestor or the long lyfe of Methuselah We may right well be lykened to that vngodly richman of whom we rede in the Gospel of Luke whiche made prouision for a great nomber of yeares promising him selfe long to liue vpon the face of the earth forgetting him selfe to be mortall and bound vnto death But when he thought least of death and was moste busily occupied in getting and gatheringe together the goodes of y e world God sayd vnto him thou foole this night wil they fetch away thy soul again froÌ thee Then whose shal those thinges be which thou hast prouided The Psalmograph saythe He heapeth tresure vpon treasure and yet knoweth he not for whome he gathereth it After this sort do we behaue our selues at this day We moyle and turmoyll our selues in studiyng deuising how we may come by the giftes of glassy fortune We refuse no paynes no laboures to become ritche and welthy in worldly goodes Yea so blynded are our heartes that the nerer we approche vnto the end of our life y e more studious carefull diligent are we to get the substaunce of this worlde We remember not this saying of the holy Apostle Godlines is great rytches if a man bee content with that he hath For we brought nothing into y e world neither may we cary any thinge out But when we haue fode and raiment let vs therwith be content The holy scripturs calleth vs straungers and Pilgrims in this worlde declareth that we haue here no continuyng city but we seke one to come Notwithstanding as though ther were none other life after this or els as though we should for euer here remaine and neuer departe we trauaile about y e getting of worldly substaunce Al as the Prophet saith euen from the lowest vnto the hiest set their myndes on filthy lucre They are shameles dogges that bee neuer satisfied
the wycked 57 Praiers ought to be made fo whome 149 Praier for the syck 116 131.150.295.341.451 Prayer theffect 138 Promyses of God comforteth 354 Psalmes of thancks for them taat be departed 162 Publican humbled him selfe 387 Punished in this world why 55 Purgatory rakers 146 R Remedies agaynste thuught taking 320 224 Against desperatioÌ 229 Against temptations of Sathan 331 Agaynst the lawes curse 361 Agaynst synne 372 Agaynst want of merites ⪠403 RepeÌtaunce 415.374 It obteineth mercy 399 It commeth by preaching 150 Reward of synne 57 Resurrection of the body 287.257 Riche gloton 19 Riotous sonne repenteth 91 S Satan tempted diuers and many wayes 360 Satan moste busiest at our laste ende 332 Sathan ouercome by prayer 339 Schollerslare to be holpen 143 Scriptures calleth vs to repentaunce 190 Seace froÌ labours 152 Seke the Lorde whyle he may be found 185 Seruaunts ought not to be forgotten that serue well 221 Seruauntes 141 Sermons to be preached 148 Sickmans wyll 135 Sicke man taketh his leue 292 Sycke ought to geue thancks to God 43 Scripture sheweth vs the great mercies of God 84 Sycke in sinne what to do 105 Sicke visited a godlye deed 8 Sycke what to be learned 9 Sycke comforted how idem Sycke sone disquieted 294 Syck exhorted willingly to dye 198 Sickmans exhortation vnto his wyfe 200 Sickmans exhortation to his children 206 Syckmans exhortation to his sonne 210 SyckmaÌs exhortatioÌ to his daughters 217 Sickmans exhortation to his seruaunts 220 Syckmans fayth 227 Siânnes a messenger of death 131 Sicknes irksome to maÌ 10 Sycknes taketh away ioye 13 Sycknes no token of Gods anger 20 Synnes forgeuen 283 Synnes forgeuen for Christes sake 286 Syngyng 171 Slepe not in death 345 Soule yelded into the handes of God 136 SteueÌ stoned to death 138 T Thersians mourn wheÌ theyr childreÌ are borne 165 The thefe found mercy 100 They that cry in trouble are holpen 113 Things happen for the best to the pacient 36 Toby euer feared God 39 Toby full of good workes idem Toby an example to vs 40 Toby content to suffer the plague 41 Trouble bryngeth vnderstandidg 72 Tromperies for to fede theyr bellyes 178 Trust in Christes promyses and thou shalt not dye 147 Trust of the life to come 168 The tree as it falleth fo it lyeth 191 W Water of lyfe 481 Wemen wept for christ 169 Wyfe of the sycke 137 A wyfe discrete is the gyft of God 214 Wycked lyfe to the riotous sonne 91 Wycked sonne repeÌteth idem Wicked sonne coÌfesseth his faultes 92 Wicked sonne furgeuen 93 Wicked people receyue payne 290 wicked a terrible end 56 Wicked seruauntes rewarded how 186 Wydowes howe they ought to mary 204 Wounded man spoyled 101 Worldly frendship slippery 325 Worldlinges lyue all in pleasure 18.24 Worldly ioye 25 Workers in the vyneyarde 359 Worke whyle it is day 186.187 Y Riotous myndes 175 Youth ought to beware of whordome 213 Youth muste take hede how they mary idem Yong wemen ought to be obedient to theyr husbandes 218 Yong wemeÌ shold bring vp theyr chyldren in norture idem Yong women ought to be no gudders ⪠291 Yong women comly apareled idem FINIS ¶ THE SICK MANS SALVE PhilemoÌ Eusebius Theophilus Christopher Epaphroditus the sick man talke together Philemon OH ful truli is it said of the holy man Iob that noble myrroure of perfecte pacience Man that is borne of a woman hathe but a short tyme to liue and yet in the time that he liueth he is replenished with many miseries He cometh vp and withereth awaye agayne lyke a floure He flieth as it were a shadow and neuer continueth in one state ⪠It is not yet two daies since I sawe my neighbour Epaphroditus as me thoughte well and âusty yea and in perfecte healthe and beholde he sent vnto me euen now his seruant Onesimus that I should come vnto him with all expedition all other businesses set a part If I euer entend to se him a liue oh good god what a world is this Ah moste louing Christe what a sodeine chaunge is this Oure life is not withoute a cause compared of the holy Apostle S. Iames to a vapoure whiche appereth for a little time and then vanisheth away Who wyl trust a life so fraile so transitory so bond vnto mortalitie Who can iustlye perswade him selfe to liue manye yeres in this worlde seing that in it so sodenly helthe is turned into sicknes valeaunce into imbecillitie streÌgth into weakenes ioy into sadnes comforte into desperation lyfe into deathe The ryche man perswaded him selfe that he should liue long in this world as blessed Luke declareth in his holy Gospell when he said considering the greate aboundaunce of his reuenewes that came yerely in what shall I doo because I haue no rome wher to bestow my frutes This will I do I wil destroy my barnes and build greater therin will I gather all my goods that are growen vnto me and I wil say vnto my soule soule thou hast much goodes laid vp in store for many yeares take thine ease eate drink be mery But god saide vnto him thou foole this nighte will they fetche away thy soule again from the. TheÌ whose shall those thinges be which thou hast prouided The continuance of our lyfe is not certeine so much as one houre neither is any man âable to say I shall liue til to moâow For albeit nothinge is more âerten then death yet is nothinge âore vncertayne than the houre of death It shall therfore become all christen men that tender theyr owne healthe diligently to mark and coÌtinually to remember this frendly admonition and louinge watchword of our Lord and Sauioure Christ Iesu watch saith he for you know not what houre youre Lord will come Of this be ye sure that yf the good man of the house knew what houre he thief wolde come he wolde surely watch and not suffer his house to be broken vp Therfore be ye also ready for in suche an houre as ye thinke not will the sonne of man come Again he saieth Watch for ye knowe not when the master of the house will come whether at euen or at midnighte whether aâ the cocke crowing or in the dawning least yf he come sodenly hâ finde you sleping And that I saâ vnto you I say vnto all Watcheâ Also in an other place he saythe beholde I come as a theif Happy is he that watcheth and kepeth his garments least he walke naked and men see his filthines Ah Lord God not yet two daies past whole and strong and now sycke and weake O the vnstedfastnes of mans life WhoÌ wold not thys prouoke to watch and to considre his latter ende as the godly man Moses admonisheth saying Ah wold God men wold be wise and vnderstande and make prouision for their latter ende So shuld nether sicknes nor death be soden vnto them so shuld all dissolucion of life be reiected and godlines of coÌuersacion embraced
to be falsly accused of his whorish mystres and to be cruelly throwne of his master into prison where he continued certen yeares in captiuitie and thraldom But behold y e mercifull dealing of God with his faithfull seruaÌts Afterward whaÌ God by prouing him had fouÌd him faithful coÌstant pacient he deliuered Ioseph out of prison restored him vnto his libertie won him into y e kings fauor in so much y t the king toke of his ring from his hand put it vpoÌ Ioseps hand araied him in cloth of rains put a golden chain about his necke and set him vpon the best charet y t he had saue one And they cried before him bow the kne And king Pharao made hym ruler ouer all the land of Egipt Ep. O y e great mercies of God Phi Before God quietly satled king Dauid in his kingdom of whom he reporteth in this maner I haue found Dauid y e son of Iesse a man after mine owne âart which shal fulfil al my wyll how hunted he him by king Saul euen as the ferret hunteth the cony yea after the death of Saule what trouble disquietnes had he thorow the wicked conspiracie of his children against him being so louing gentle and naturall a father NotwithstaÌding afterward God brought him vnto great honour glory ritches quietnes and al kind of wealth wherin he coÌtinued vnto his death whiche was both glorious and full of yeares Epap A blessed end Phi ⪠To whoÌ is the history of pacient Iob vnknowne His Crosse was so greuous that I knowe not whether the like trouble hath chaunsed to any mortall man since his tyme or afore Al his substance in one moment almost was lost all his cattel were driueÌ away .vii. M. shepe iii M. Camels .v. C. yoke of Oxen and v. C. she asses All these were taken away sodenly His house fel downe his childreÌ that wer within were slaine Of all that euer he had nothing remained vntouched that might comfort him any thing at all but only his wife and she semeth to be left of the deuill only to this purpose euen to mock and scorne her husband and to moue him to blaspheme the name of God Whiche thing without al doubt greued the holy maÌs minde more then all his calamities and wretchednesses Furthermore his frendes whiche came out of farre countries to comfort hym seyng his sorowe and paine to be moste âehement being also woÌderfully astonied with the horrible greatnesse of the plage by the space of âii daies spake not one comfortaâle worde vnto hym For they âhought although not truly that God had cast this most greuous paines vpon Iob worthely euen for his sinful life wicked conuersation And did they not at the last fall to mocking and taunting of that good maÌ and tolde hym that those plages happened vnto hym for his sinnes by the righteous iudgement of God for they thought it a matter of hie iniquitie and vnworthy Gods righteousnes y t so great calamities and miseries shuld causeles chaunce vnto any holy and innocent man Moreouer after the losse of al his goodes after the driuing away of his cattell the casting down of his house the cruell death of his children seruaunts which al the most pacient man very quietly suffered what intollerable pains suffereâ he on his body Did not Sathaâ thorow Gods suffrance smite Ioâ with maruelous sore biles froâ the sole of his fote vnto y e crownâ of his head so that he sate vpon the grounde in the ashes and scraped of the filth of his sores with a potsherd Oh who is hable to expresse what paines he suffred And notwithstanding being on euery side moste miserably plaged his mind continued still constant and perfect in abiding the good pleasure of the Lord his God being thorowly perswaded that all those plagues and punishmentes were not tokens of Gods anger but rather of his singuler good wyll and fatherlye fauoure toward hym For as he moste paciently suffered the losse of all his goodes and the death of his children so with lyke constancie and lusty courage did he bear the most greuous woundes and bitter sorowes of his body speakinge no blasphemous impacient or vnreuerent worde against God in all his trouble but mekely paciently and thankefully brast oute into these and suche like wordes Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I tourne thither againe The Lord gaue the Lord hath taken away Euen as it hath pleased the Lorde so is it come to passe blessed be y e name of the Lord If we haue receiued prosperitie at the hand of the lord why should we not abide aduersitie also Epa. Oh God graunt me the like pacience Christo. Doubt ye not of y e goodnes of God neighbor Be strong and stedfast in the Lord your God abide pacientlie his good pleasure he shall work al things for the best as the Psalmograph saieth O tary thou the Lordes leisure be strong and he shall comfort thine heart therfore put thou thy trust in the Lorde In silence and hope shall youre strength be saieth the Prophet O how good is the lord vnto theÌ that put their trust in him and to the soule that seketh after hym The good man with stilnes and pacience tarieth for the sauinge health of the Lorde The righteous haue cried and the Lord hath graciously heard them and deliuered them out of all their troubles Phi. But nowe neighbour marke the end of the history Epa. Saye on in the name of God Phile. After that God by dyuers kindes of punishmentes had thorowly tried this holy perfect and pacient man Iob and had found him in all pointes a constant and âaleaunt souldiour not hable to âe ouercome with any kynde of âlague that Sathan could lay on âim the Lorde greatly coÌmended âis coÌstant faith and faithfull conâancie and gaue vnto him twyse twyse so muche as he had afore For he had nowe .xiiii. M. shepe vi M. camels a M. yoke of OxeÌ and a M. asses He had .vii. soÌnes also and .iii. doughters And after this he liued an C. .xl. yeres in muche ioy and quietnes so that he sawe his childrens children into the .iiii. generation and died being old and of a perfect age Epa. Oh blessed be God For he is euer good to his seruauntes and neuer forsaketh theÌ that put their trust in him Euse. Of this holie man Iob saynt Iames also maketh mencion saying Ye haue heard of the pacience of Iob and haue knowne what end the Lord made For the Lorde is very pitifull and mercifull Phile. Will it please you neighbor to hear the history of thauncient father Toby ⪠whiche is also very comfortable ⪠Epa. Yea very gladly For it doth me much good and easeth wel my pain to hear your godly talke Phi. This Toby was a faithfull man and euen from his very childhod feared God and
led a vertuous life He forsoke not y e way of truth nether defiled he him selfe with any kynd of Idolatry He worshipped the Lord God of Israel faithfully offring of all his first frutes and tithes Whatsoeuer he might get he departed it daily with his felow prisoners brethreÌ He was ful of good works he gaue largly vnto the pore he fed the hoÌgry he gaue drink to y e thirsty he clothed the naked he lodged the harborles he visited the sick he redemed the captiues prisoners he buried the dead Ther was no work of mercy that he had left vndone He was rich plenteous in all good works And whatsoeuer he did he did it with a ioyfull ready hart For God saith S. Paule loueth a cherefull geuer Epa. A blessed man and a faithfull seruaunt of God Phi. And yet mark what followeth It hapned vpon a day y t he had buried the dead and was weary came home and layd hym down by the wall and slept And whyle he was a slepe there fell downe vpon his eies warm dong out of the swalowes nest so that he became blind Epaphr A pitiful chauÌce Phile. This tentacion did God suffer to happen vnto hym y t they whiche came after myght haue an example of his pacience like as of holy Iob. Epaphro But how did Toby take this teÌtacion Phile. Uery Godly quietly paciently and thankefully For in so muche as he euer feared God froÌ his yougth vp and kept his commaundementes he grudged not against God that the plague of blindnes chaunsed vnto him but remained stedfast in the feare of God and thanked God al y t daies of his life Epaphr But what was the end of the matter Continued he blind vnto his dying day Did not God deale mercifully with Toby as we heard afore of Iob Phile. Yes verely for God scourgeth and healeth God ledeth vnto hel and bringeth out again God killeth and maketh aliue God after a storme maketh the weather faire calm God after weping heauinesse geueth great ioye When God had throughlye tried Toby and found him constant in his faith he restored vnto him his sight againe For the which Toby moste humbly thanked hym and said O Lord God of Israell I geue the prayse and thanks for thou hast chastened me and made me whole again Christo. O praised be the Lord our God which is maruelous in his Sainctes and holy in all his workes Epa. Liued Toby long after his sight was restored vnto him Phi. Toby saith the scripture after he had gotten his sight againe liued .xlii. yeres in great ioy and wealth and saw his childrens children And when he was C. and .ii. yeares olde he departed in peace and was honorably buried Epaphro A blessed end Phi. Of a good life cometh a good end Thus haue you heard out of the holy scriptures brother Epaphroditus that the Crosse that is to saye corporall affliction is not a token of Gods anger but of his fauour and that he layeth temporall punishement more customably vpon his frendes than vpon his ennemies yea and that not to destroy them but to proue and try them euen as the fire trieth the gold For as thaungel Raphaell sayd vnto Toby Because thou wast accepted and beloued of God it was necessary that temtacion should try thee You haue heard also the louing kindnesse of God toward his faithfull constant seruauntes how after a iust triall made he restoreth them vnto a more blessed state than they were in a fore Therfore take a good heart vnto you faint not Be strong in the Lord. Be faithful vnto the end Be pacieÌt in this your sicknes Be thaÌkeful for this louing visitation of God Abide the good pleasure of God Suffer him quietly to do with you what soeuer his good wil is If you wil thus do dout ye not but that god wil be merciful vnto you bring that thing to passe which is most for your comfort and profit For whatsoeuer is written is written for our learning that through pacience and the comfort of the scriptures we may haue hope Epaph. The Lordes will be done in me He knoweth what is moste mete for me a wretched synner let him therfore worke his good pleasure in me come lyfe come death For if we liue we liue to bee at the Lordes will and if we die we die at the Lordes will Whether we liue therfore or die we are the Lordes Only O heauenly father I beseche thee for Christes sake to geue me a pacient and thankefull hart that I neuer grudge against thy blessed will but be obedient vnto it in all thinges that whan the pains of my sicknes be most bitter I may lift vp my hart vnto thee cal on thy blessed name and say O Lorde rebuke me not in thy indignation nether chasten me in thy displeasure Haue mercy on me O Lorde for I am weake O lord heale me for my bones are vexed My soule also is sore troubled but Lord how loÌg wilt thou punish me Turne thee O Lord deliuer my soule oh saue me for thy mercies sake O my God saue thy seruant that putteth his trust in thee Be mercifull vnto me O Lord for I wil cal daily vpoÌ the. Comfort the soul of thy seruaunt âor vnto thee O Lord do I lifte âp my soule For thou Lorde art good gracious of great mercy ânto all them that cal vpon thee Theo. Neighbour Epaphroditus his is vnto vs a singuler pleasur ând great comfort to hear so godây wordes proceade out of youre âouth Be diligent continually ãâã call on the Lorde and he in all our afflictions troubles shall ãâã vndoubtedly your stroÌg tower our mighty shield and inuincible fortres He will not leaue you nor forsake you but assist you and be present with you in your sicknesse according to this his promesse Because he hath trusted in me I wil deliuer him I will defend him because he hath known my name He shall cal vpon me I will gratiously hear him yea I am with him in trouble I wil deliuer him and glorifie him With long life wil I satisfie him shew him my saluation Ep. I must nedes coÌfesse most geÌtle neighbors that I haue receiued muche consolation and great coÌfort of youre company and specially that ãâã haue thus enarmed yea and fortressed my brest with the coÌfortaâble sentenses and histories of thâ holy scriptures against the bitteâ stormes of aduersitie and I hartâly thank you for your pains Notâwithstanding this must I nedeâ say vnto you that I finde not my self in my conscience to be of suche godlines and vertue that I dare compare my selfe with Ioseph Dauid Iob and Toby whome ye recited vnto me but muche inferior bothe vnto them and vnto their godlines of life so that although they being righteous of the very loue which God bare toward them wer assailed with aduersitie to this ende y
t their faith and constancy might be proued tried vnto the example of other yet I fynd in my selfe such imperfection yea such aboundaunce of âin that it may iustly be thought that this sicknesse whiche is laid vpon me commeth from suche a God as is angry with me for my âinnefull life and therefore is his heauy hand thus laide vpon me What thinke ye good neighbors Philemon Brother Epaphroditus this humbling of your self in the sight of the Lord our God is a certain argument and sure token of your euerlasting saluatioÌ For he that exalteth him self shall be made lowe but he that humbleth hym selfe shall be exalted God is an enemy to y e proude but he is a frende to the humble and lowly Truth it is that in y e sight of God no man is pure and cleare from sinne Who is hable to saie My heart is cleane and I am freâ from sinne In many thinges we all offend If we saye we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truthe is not in vs. All hauâ sinned and waÌt the glory of God We all are vnprofitable seruauÌts Euery man is a lier We were beâgotten in sinne conceiued in sinnâ and borne in sinne Our heart ãâã leude and vnsearchable All our righteousnes are as cloth polluâted with menstrue Al haue swarued and gone out of the way they are altogether become vnprofitable there is not one that doeth good no not one The moste perfect among vs all may well say w t the sinnefull Publicane O God be mercifull to me a synner We may worthely pray as our sauiour Christ taught vs forgeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue theÌ that trespasse againste vs God found no truth in his seruaunts and in his angels ther was folly How much more in them y t dwell in the houses of clay and whose foundations are but dust The stars are vncleane in the sight of God How much more then man that is but corruption and the sonne of man whiche is but a worme And albeit Ioseph Dauid Iob and Toby be set forth in âhe holy scriptures with greate commendations yet may we not thincke that they wanted theyr faultes For no man that is borne of a woman is clene before God although he be but one day olde How oft doth Dauid coÌfesse hym selfe a sinner How oft doth he fle vnto God and pray for the remission of his sinnes Howe oft doth he cast away his own righteousnes with strong faith lay hand on Gods mercy Among many other are not these his wordes Haue mercy on me O God according to thy great mercy And according to the multitude of thy mercies do away myne offences Wash me thorowly from my wickednes and cleanse me from my sin For I knowledge my faultes and my sinne is euer before me Against thee only haue I synned and done euyll in thy sight c. Also in another place Oh rememâber not the sinnes and offenses of my youth but according vnto thy mercy thincke thou vpon me O Lord for thy goodnesse For thy names sake O Lord be merciful vnto my synne For it is great Loke vpon mine aduersitie misery forgeue me all my sinnes Againe Out of the depe haue I called vnto the Lorde Lord hear my voyce Oh let thyne eare consyder well the voyce of my complaint If thou Lorde wilt be extreme to marcke what is done amysse oh Lorde who may abyde it But ther is mercy with thee c Item Enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunt O Lorde for no man liuing shall be iustified in thy syght Thus see you howe holy Dauid whome the scripture commendeth so greatlye bosteth not his owne righteousnesse but humbleth him selfe in the syghte of God and wholy betaketh hym vnto Gods mercy Nowe hear what Iob whom the scripture so greatly commendeth saith of him self If I wil iustifie my self mine own mouth shall condemne me If I will put forth my selfe for a perfect man he shall proue me a wicked doer Again If I washe my self with snow water make mine hands neuer so cleane at the well yet shalt thou dip me in the mire and mine owne clothes shal defile me And as concerning the godly maÌ Toby how litle he trusted in his owne innocency and righteousnes these his words do manifestly declare O Lord saith he be mindfull of me and take no vengeauÌce of my sinnes nether remember my misdedes nor y e misdedes of mine elders for we haue not bene obedient to thy coÌmaundements c. And as Dauid Iob and Toby humbled them selues in the sight of God so lykewyse doth the whole company of al the faithful that the glory of our saluation may be Gods alone as he saith by the Prophet Thi destruction O Israell commeth of thy self but thy saluation commeth only of me Therfore though ye fele synne to be in you as who is without it yet despair not nether be dismaide but with strong faith make haste vnto the glorious throne of Gods great mercy lament your sorowfull case craue fauor and remission of sinnes in Christes name of Gods most hie maiestie and without doubt you shall haue your hartes desire For the Lorde is gracious and merciâul ⪠long suffring of great goodâes The Lord is louing vnto euery man and his mercy is ouer all his workes O truste in the Lord for with the Lorde there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption And he shall redeme Israell from all his sinnes Epap Oh my hart Ah what a greuous paine did I fele nowe euen at my very heart God be mercifull vnto me Euseb. Be on a good comfort neighbour I pray you God shal worke all thinges for the best Ye may se what frail vessels we are and how litle a pain doth greatly trouble vs. Epa. Ye say truth But to you neighbor PhilemoÌ once again Me thincke if God shuld punish me in this world for my sinne so shuld it be a token rather of his anger then of his fauour towarde me Phi. Nay not so neighbor Iâ is rather an euident token of his singular loue hartie good wil toâward you which louingly correcteth you in this world that ye maâ repent knowledge your fault aâmend your life call for mercy and so liue worthy your profession again that through this temporall paine ye may be fre from euerlasting plagues neuer come into that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone This witnesseth s. Paul saying Whyle we are punished we ar corrected of the lord that we should not w t this world be condempned Whan God suffereth the wicked in this world to florish like a bay tree and licenciously to sinne without any punishement as he suffred the ritche glotton of whome ye reade in the Gospell of blessed Luke it is an euident argument that suche one is reserued vnto the paines
euen that I may learne thy righteous ordinances UexatioÌ or trouble saith the Prophet geueth vnderstanding And whaÌsoeuer 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 wouÌd 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 âich 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 âoy Thy name O God of Israel âe praised for euer Euseb. If God âoueth a man and entendeth to make him partaker of euerlasting glory he wil not cease to punishe him vntill he knowledgeth his âault repenteth become a newe âan Phi Ye say truth For vnto âhis end doth God correcte suche âs he loueth and entendeth to âaue The Lord saith by the Proâhet that he will punishe his peoâle which sinne against him and âun on whoring after straunge Gods vntill they coÌfesse 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 quietânes of my conscience some histories which may declare vnto me that God punishing synners foâ their disobedieÌce doth afterwarâ whan they repent and turne forâgeue them and receiue theÌ agaiâ into his fauour Philemon In thâ fourth boke of Moses called Nââmery we reade that the pepole ãâã Israel murmured and grudged ââgainst 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 âtong them muche people of Israel died Here haue ye the punishment of the sin Now hear also y e âemedy against this punishment ând the salue against this plage Therefore the people came vnto Moses sayd we haue sinned for âe haue spoken against the Lord â against thee Make intercession âo the Lord that he take away the âârpentes 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 coÌfession 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 serpeÌt 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 ⪠Here se you the mercy of God eâuen in the middes of the crosse toâward penitent sinners The Isâraelites sinne God plagueth thâ people repenteth God turneth aâway his plague and healeth theÌ Epa. A coÌfortable 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 âhe hill altares whiche good king Ezechias his father had broken âowne And he reared vp altares âor Baal and made groues and worshipped all the hostes of heauen and serued them and he built âltares 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 âl the host of heauen in the courts âf the house of the Lorde And he âurnt his children in the fire in âhe vally of the sonne of Hinon âe was a sorcerer he regarded y e crying of birdes vsed enchauntments ⪠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 punishmeÌt Euâ Yea of euerlasting damnation iâ he were handled according to his desertes Epa. I pray you what bââcame 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 amonââ 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 âaw y t by no meanes they woulde âurne from their abhominations â went forth stil to effeÌd he brouâht vpoÌ them the captaines of the âost of the king of the Assirians âhiche toke Manasses in hold âound him with chaines and caââed him to Babilon Theo. O the ââghteous iudgemeÌts of God Epa. âere we heare y t Manasses was âunished for his sinnes yea and ââat worthely but did God caste ãâã away for euer Phi. Ye shall âear WhaÌ Manasses was in triââlation 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 thaââtare of the Lord sacrificed therâ on peace offringes and thanck ofâfringes charged Iuda to seruâ the Lord God of Israell Chri. ãâã happy change Epaphâ Yea O thâ great mercies of God Phile. Iâ this history many notable thinâges are to be learned First if aââ such as God entendeth to saue ãâã offend and breake his holy
commaundementes the Lord wil not suffer them to escape vnpunished but he visiteth them with his louing rod of fatherly correction that by this meanes he may call them to repentaunce saue them Secondly we learne that whan the Lorde correcteth vs casteth vs into trouble than as we see in Manasses we make haste vnto y e Lord seke him pray vnto him huÌble our selues before his deuine maiestie become new men as y e psalmograph saith When he slue theÌ they sought him and turned them early enquired after God And they remembred that God was their strengthe and that the âhie God was their redemer God him self also saith by the Prophet In their aduersitie they shall earây seke me say come let vs turn again vnto the Lorde for he hath smitten vs and he shall heale vs he hath wounded vs and he shall bind vs vp againe Thirdly it setteth forth vnto vs the great and exceding mercies of God toward penitent sinners whome so sone as they coÌuert turn he receiueth into his fauor forgeueth them taketh away his plagues and restoreth them to their former or els muche better state accordinge to this saying of the Prophet If the vngodly will forsake his waies thunrighteous his imaginations turn again vnto y e lord the Lord will surely haue pity on him for he is very ready to forgeue Forthly we learne of this history what the duty of such is whom God to fore hath plagued and now restored to their former state Uerely to become newe men to walke for euer after in the feare of God to mortify their carnall affectes to fle from sinne as from a venomous Serpent to garnishe their conuersation with godly and christen manners and to serue the Lord God in holines and righteousnes all the daies of their lyfe So saith the Psalmograph It is greatly for my profit that thou O Lord hast corrected me that I may learn thine ordinances Here to perteineth the saying of y e Prophet Uexation geueth vnderstanding O Lord thou hast corrected me and thy chastning haue I receiued as an vntamed calf saith the prophet Ieremy Turne thou me and I shalbe turned for thou art my Lorde God yea as assone as thou turnest me I shall refourme my self when I vnderstand I shal smite vpoÌ my thigh Epaph. Many godly lessons haue you taught vs out of this history brother PhilemoÌ They that rede and consider the histories of the holy scriptures on this manner they are no vayne readers but they read with much profit Phile. This is the true vse of histories otherwyse to read them auaileth litle In the histories of the holy scriptures as in moste pleasaunt mirrors goodly glasses we behold our frail nature our wicked wyll our beastlyke manners and sinful life We se Gods iustice punishment vengeaunce vpon the disobedient and stifnecked transgressers of his holy commaundements Again we behold his tender mercy and louing kindnes toward penitent sinners and howe ready he is to forgeue whansoeuer we tourne vnto hym Moreouer in holy histories we consider what our dutie is toward God after we haue receiued benefites of him Uerely to labour vnto the vttermoste of our power to be thaÌkfull vnto him and to liue worthy his kindnes These and suche like thinges must the godly reader coÌsider when he readeth the histories of the holy scripture or els his reading auaileth little Theop. It is truly sayd Ep. I remember that I heard once y e praier which Manasses king of Iuda praied vnto God whan he was a prisoner in Babilon I would gladly hear it again Phi. Is there not a bible here Eusebius Here is one Ep. I pray you turn vnto y e praier and read it vnto me Eusebi The praier is this O Lord almighty God of our fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob and of the righteous sede of them whiche haste made heauen and earth withall thornament therof whiche hast ordeined the sea by the worde of thy commaundemeÌt which hast shut vp the depe and hast sealed it for thy fearfull and lawdable name which al men feare tremble before the face of thy vertue for the anger of thy threatning whiche is notable to be borne of sinners But y e mercy of thy promes is great vnserchable for y e art the Lord God most hie aboue al thearth long suffring exceading merciful and repentant for the malice of men Thou lord after thy goodnesse hast promised repentaÌce of the remissioÌ of sins and thou that art the God of the rightous hast not put repeÌtance to the righteous Abraham Isaac and Iacob vnto theÌ that haue not sinned against thee but because I haue sinned aboue the number of the sandes of the sea and that mine iniquities are exceding many I am brought low with many bondes of Iron and there is in me no breathing I haue prouoked thine anger and done euil before thee in coÌmitting abhominatioÌs and multiplying offeÌces And now I bow y e knees of my hart requiring goodnes of the O Lord I haue sinned lord I haue sinned and I knowledge mine iniquitie I desire thee by praier O Lorde forgeue me forgeue me and destroy me not with mine iniquities nether doe thou alwais remember mine euils to punishe them but saue me which am vnworthy after thy great mercy I wil praise the euerlastingly al the daies of my life for all the power of heauen prayseth the vnto thee belongeth glory world without end AmeÌ Epa. A fruteful godly prayer God geue me grace so to repent and to pray that I may haue the lord my God mercifull vnto me For I haue also greuously offended my Lord God and I most humbly beseche him for his names sake to haue mercy on me and to forgeue me Phile. Be on good coÌfort wepe not God seing your repentaunt and faithfull heart hath frely forgeuen you al your sinnes and cast them away behind his back so y t he wil neuer remember theÌ more The bloud of Iesus Christ Gods son hath made you clene from all sin By thoffring of Iesus Christs body done once for all you ar sanctified and made holy Ye are the blessed of God for your iniquities are forgeuen your sinnes are couered and no vnrightousnes shall be layde to your charge Epa. God graunt Phile. It is most certen Where repentaunce and faith is there is also Gods mercy fauor louing kindnes and remission of sinnes Thou O lord saith y e wise man makest thee as though thou âawest not the sinnes of men for âepentance sake And the Prophet âaieth All that beleueth on him âhe speaketh of Christ shal nat be âonfounded And Christ saith of âim selfe I am the resurrection âhe life He that beleueth on me âea though he were dead yet shall âe liue And whosoeuer liueth and âeleueth on me he shall neuer die âlso in another place he
far of and to them which were nie For through him we both haue an entraunce in one âpirit vnto the father Nowe therâore ye are not straungers and foâeiners but citezins with y e sainâes and of the houshold of God âre built vpon the foundation of ãâã Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ him self being the head corâer ãâã stone in whome what builââng soeuer is coupled together ãâã groweth vnto an holy temple ãâã 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 plaâged of God without doubt foâ his sinnes So sone as our sauiâour Christ perceiued that he haâ a mynde to be made whole he saiâ vnto him Rise take vp thy bed ãâã walke And streightways the ãâã was made hole Afterward Chrâââ found him in the temple and ãâã vnto him Behold thou art ãâã whole loke thou sinne no ãâã after this least a worse thynge chaunce vnto thee These wordeÌs 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 disobedieÌce 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 anâwere 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 NotwithstaÌding so sone as he humbled him selfe repented him of his former life coÌfessed 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 forâgeue 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 comfârt and great ioy in your coÌscience 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 conscieÌce 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 ⪠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 HierusaleÌâo Hierico and fel among theues whiche robbed him of his raimeÌt 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 Leâuite 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 heaâed For as ye were as shepe going astray but are nowe tourned vnto the shepeheard and Bishop of your soules Epaphroditus You âpake 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 coÌcludeth 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 coÌsciences in these histories and parables which you neighbour Philemon haue full gently declared vnto me Phile. I âm glad brother Epaphroditus âo heare you so say And be ye wel âssured they are no lesse true than âomfortable Perswade your self âhat Christ is a moste louing and âaithfull Phisition to so many as âele them selues diseased yea he so âuche tendreth our health that âe calleth vs vnto hym and proâiseth that he wyl ease vs of our ârief if we will come vnto hym âeal all our diseases They that âe strong nede no Phisition but ââey y t are sicke And Christ came âât
to call the righteous but synâârs vnto repentance If ye therââe fele your selfe sick and greued âith the burdeÌ of sinne come vnto the Phisition Christ shew him your woundes and he will vndoubtedly heal them as ye heard afore of the wounded man Despaire not though your sinnes bee neuer so great and innumerable For the sonne of man came to seke vp and to saue that was lost Christ is that lambe of God whiche taketh away the sinne of the world This is a true saying and worthy of all men to be receiued that Christ Iesus came into this worlde to saue sinners Whosoeuer beleueth on him shall not bee ashamed Because he hath puâ his trust in me sayth God by thâ Psalmograph I will deliuer yeâ I will defende hym because hâ hath knowne my name Epaphroâ Than I trust whether the Lord my God punisheth me for the trââall of my faith or for my sinnes that by this meanes he may caâme vnto repentaunce it is no token of his wrath and heauy displeasure toward me Phile. No be âe well assured For whome the Lorde loueth him he chastneth yet delighteth in him as a father ân his owne sonne What sonne âs he whome the father chastneth not If ye be not vnder correctioÌ saith S. Paul wherof all are âartakers then are ye bastardes and not sonnes And God himself âaith As many as I loue I reâuke and chasten So that this âour sicknesse is the louing visiâation of God sent vnto you not âor your destruction but for your âaluation Epaphro I may then âe bolde to call vpon the Lord my God in this my sicknesse Phile. Why not God hath commaunâed you so to do and hath also proâised to heare you Epaphroditus Where is that commaundement and promise of God Ph. It is written in a certaine Psalme by that Princelike Prophet Dauid Epa. Let me heare it Phil. Call on me saith God in the time of thy trouble and I wil deliuer thee thou shalt honoure me Here God doth not only commaund vs to call oâ him in the tyme of our trouble but he also promiseth graciously to heare vs and to graunt vs ouâ request And for this his benefitâ he requireth nothinge of vs buâ thankes geuing Chri. Ful gratiâous is the Lord a strong hold iâ the time of trouble he knowetâ them that put their trust in hym ⪠The Lord is nie vnto them thaâ are of a troubled hart will sauâ suche as be of an humble spiritââ The Lorde healeth those that aââ broken in hart and geueth mââdecine to heale theyr sickenesse The Lord remembred vs saith Psalmograph when we were in trouble for his mercy endureth for euer Unto whom shal I haue âespect or whome shall I fauour âaith God by the prophet Uerely âuen him that is miserable poore âow brought troubled in spirite ââandeth in awe of my woordes âhi Truth it is that the Lorde is âood and gratious vnto theÌ that âut their trust in hym and to the âule that seaketh after hym âherfore brother Epaphroditus âre not in this your sicknes diliâently and without ceasing to flee ânto God with harty and faythââll prayers nothing doubtinge ãâã that he will fauourably heare ãâã and graunt you whatsoeuer ãâã aske according to his will as s. âohn saith this is the trust that âe haue in him that if we aske ây thyng according to his wyll ãâã heareth vs. And if we know y t he heare vs whatsoeuer we aske we knowe that we haue the petitions that we desire of him For the Lorde is nie vnto all that call on hym yea that call on hym in truth After this manner did all good men women behaue them selues whansoeuer they were assailed with any kynde of trouble or aduersitie King Ezechias whaÌ he was greuously sicke and had receiued a commaundemeÌt from God that he should set his housâ in an order for he should die anâ not liue tourned his face to thâ wall and prayed vnto the Lord the Lorde hearde hym made hiâ whole and saued hym aliue xvââ yeares after The thre chyldreâ Sidrach Misach Abednagâ when they were cast into the fyârie fornace because they would not worship the golden Image ãâã the commandement of kyng Nââbuchodonosor praied vnto y e Lord and he both graciously heard theÌ and deliuered them Daniell being in the den of Lions praid vnto God and was preserued Susanne forsaken of all men and at the poynt to be stoned vnto death thorow the vniust and false accusations of twoo wicked Iudges praid vnto the Lord her God and she was both heard and safely deliuered Our sauioure Christ in the time of his trouble and passioÌ prayed so feruently vnto his heauenly father that his sweat was lyke droppes of bloud trickeling downe to the grounde Blessed Stephen when the stones came batteryng about his body prayed earnestly When Peter was in prysone there was Prayers made of the Congregation for hym Manie other suche lyke examples haue wee in the holye Bible whiche declare vnto vs y t all good men and women in their aduersitie haue alway fled vnto God by feruent prayer for remedy neither haue they bene deceiued of their purpose For God is faithfull which wil not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strengthe but shall in the mids of the temptation make away that we may be able to beare it For the Lorde hym selfe saith forasmuche as he hath put his trust in me I wyll delyuer hym I wyll be good to hym because he hath knoweÌ my name He hath cried vnto me and I ãâã graciously heare him I am witâ him in trouble I wil deliuer hiâ and bring him to honour Witâ long life will I satisfie hym anâ shewe him my saluation When I was in trouble sayeth Dauid I called vpoÌ y e Lord he heard ãâã Again he saith I wil cal vpon ãâã Lord whiche is worthy to be praised so shall I be safe from mine enemies The sorowes of death coÌpassed and the ouerflowinges of vngodlines made me afrayd The pains of hell came about me the snares of death ouertoke me But in my trouble I called vpon the Lord and made my complaint vnto my God and he full gratiously hard my voyce from his holy temple and my complaint came before him so that it entred euen into his eares And as the Psalmograph in all his trouble cried vnto the Lord and was holpeÌ âª so did all his faithful ancestors as these his words do declare and they al so were hard Our fathers hoped in thee they trusted in thee thou diddest deliuer them They called vpon thee and were helped they put their trust in thee and were not confounded And vnto this day haue all y t faithful in their aduersitie cried vnto y e Lord haue receiued help For ther is one lord of all rich
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 geÌtle 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 Phiâlemon 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 coÌmaundement 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 ân 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 expedieÌt 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 beâyng man and so submitted hyââ selfe to Gods holy wil being conâtented to suffer in his body whaâsoeuer 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 teÌporall 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 huÌbled 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
would not nether did he eat meat with them But when he hearde that the childe was dead he arose from the earth and washed and annoynted him selfe and chauÌged his apparell and came into the house of the lord and worshipped ⪠and afterward came to his owne house and commauÌded that they shuld set bread before him he did eate And whan his seruauntes maruelling at these thinges said vnto hym What thinge is this that thou hast done Thou didst fast and wepe for the childe while it was alyue and as sone as it was dead thou diddest aryse vp and eate He answered While the childe was yet aliue I fasted and wept For this I thought Who can tell whether God wil haue mercy on me that the childe may lyue But nowe seyng it is dead wherfore should I fast Can I bryng him any more I shall go to hym and he shal come no more again vnto me In this history y t godly wisdom of Dauid is greatly to be considred For hereof may we learne to pray vnto the Lorde our God for our sycke frendes so long as they be aliue and to seke all meanes possible at the Lordes hand to obtain health for the diseased But if the good wil of God be to take them out of this world then are we taught here no more to mourn to wepe to lament and to be sory for them but rather w t a ioyfull hart to worship the lord as Dauid did and to geue hym moste harty thankes that it hath pleased his goonesse to delyuer our brethren or sistern from this sinck of euils I mean this world and to receiue them into his blessed kyngdom Heathen like mourning therefore is to be banished from the burialles of the Christians Euse. The maner among the ThraciaÌs is that whan any child is borne and commeth into the world thei wepe lameÌt mourn but when it goeth out of y e world they reioyce and are mery Epaphr What moueth them so to do Euse. Whan a childe commeth into the worlde they consider into what great miseries he is lyke to fall if he liue contrariwise when he departeth hence they know that an end of all sorow care of all pain and trauail is come Therfore the one thing moueth them vnto sadnes the other vnto gladnes Phi. Ther is great plentie of histories whiche declare that the very heaâhen haue taken y e death of their deare frendes paciently so far is it of that after y e manner of some whiche professe Christ they immoderatly toke the death of theyr frendes wept wayled mourned wrong their haÌds tare their hear rent their clothes and in manner killed them selues with sorowe and thought taking Whan our Sauioure Christ went vnto hys death certayne women followed hym wepyng and mournyng to whome he sayd Ye daughters of Ierusalem wepe not for me but wepe for your selues and for your children Theo. Is he to be lameÌted and mourned for whiche is remoued from thraldom vnto libertie from mysery vnto welth from darknes vnto lyght from ieopardy vnto safetie from sicknesse vnto health froÌ mortalitie vnto immortalitie from corruption vnto vncorruption from paine vnto ioy from transitory thinges vnto euerlasting thinges from the coÌpany of men vnto the felowshyp of the blessed aungels and heaueÌly spirites c Let the Heathen whiche haue no hope of the ioyful immortalitie of the soule nor of the glorious resurrection of the body mourne wepe and lament for their diseased let the faythfull Christians be ioyfull in the Lord and thank God for his great mercy and infinite goodnes whiche he hath shewed vpon the brethreÌ by calling them from this vale of wretchednes vnto his heauenlye kingdome For the voyce of God euen from heauen pronounceth them blessed happy fortunate which die in the Lord. Phi. What is your mynde therefore neyghbour Epaphroditus concerninge mourning gownes Epaphr If it were not for offending other and that it should also be some hynderaunce vnto the poore I woulde wysh rather to haue none than otherwyse For I would haue no man mourne for me My trust is that so sone as my soule shalbe deliuered out of the pryson of this my body it shall strayght wayes possesse the blessed enheritance of the heauenly kyngdome raigne in glory with God for euer What nede shall I haue then of mourners Or wherfore should any maÌ mourn for me Notwithstanding I wil not striue with theÌ for their garmentes Let my wyfe and my children weare what garmentes they wyl at my buriall so they be such as become the professours of true godlinesse Only this I require that .xxx. pore men and wemen do accompany my body vnto the buriall and that eche of theÌ haue a gowne of some conuenient colour I wyll also that .xxx. poore children be there also and that euery one of them haue a semelye gown And after my burial I wil that both those pore men women and children come home vnto my house and haue some repast for y e refection of their bodies And so âet them depart in the name of the âord Haue you writteÌ this neighbour Philemon Phile. Yea syr it is done Epa. I am glad of it To se that these thinges may be done according to my wyl I make my wife sole executresse you neighbour Philemon with my neighbours Christopher Theophile Eusebius here present I make you fower myne ouerseers charâing you in the name of God and as ye wyl answere before the high âudge Christ at the dreadeful day âf dome y t ye se these my bequestes âruely diligently and faithfully fulfilled Chr. we were twyse vngodly if we shuld not satisfy your desire and will being so Christen and righteous Epa. I bequeath to euery one of you foure for youre paynes taking fiue poundes sterling not to the ende to make you hearlinges but that it may be a token of my hartie good wyll towards you Chr. Sir wil it plese you to be buried in the churche or in the churchyard Epa. All is one to me The earth is the Lordes all that is conteined in it I am not curious of the place Whersoâeuer I lie I doubt not but y e lord our God at the last day shall raise me vp again and geue me a body like vnto y e glorious body of our Lorde and sauiour Christ Iesus ⪠Let the body therfore returne vnto the earth from wheÌce it came and the spirite vnto God which gaue it Euseb. Your children arâ buried in the churchyard Ep. Buây me there also God geue vs all a ioyfull resurrection Theo. Sir what solempnitie will you haue at your buriall Epa. What meane you The. Solempne singing deâout ringing holy sensing prieâes pattering candels lightning âorches brenning Communions âaying and such like Ep. No kind of superstitious custome do I alâow That is godly I only commend As touching your solempn âinging it is all one to me whiâher you sing or say
but that both his conceptioÌând natiuitie should be so pure âithout blemish that by the pureâes therof the filthines corrupâion of our conception and natiâitie might be put awaye For of âe vncleane who can be clensed âll we be vncleane in Adam both ââncerning our conception and ârth for after y t God had made man like vnto his own similitudâ and Image he placed hym in paradise and gaue him lybertie tâ eat of all the fruites in the garden of pleasure except y e tree of knowledge of good and euill But maâ disobeyed the Lorde his God and transgressed his holy commaundâment Thorow the whiche disobedience and transgression of Godâ holy coÌmaundement sinne curse and death came ouer al mankind so that nowe in Adam so many aâ are borne after the commoÌ coursâ of nature are begotten coÌceiued and borne in sinne They are thâ children of wrath defiled witâ all vnclennes both bodely ghoâly Now whan there was no heâ nor comfort for man whereby â might be redemed out of Satan power and deliuered from his iââtollerable miseries wherewith â was to muche wretchedly wraââped and brought into slauery for now man w tal his thoughts imaginations deuices words dedes enterprises c. is become thorowe the sin of Adam wicked vnpure âilthy and synfull then God that mercifull father had pity vpoÌ maÌkind and promised them a sede euen Iesus Christ his only begotten soÌne which shuld tread down the head of the serpent ouercome âhe deuill with al his power reâtore vs to life againe And lykewise as god is righteous in al his wayes holy in all his workes ârue faithfull in all his wordes âuen so hath he kept al his promiâes truely For wheÌ the time was ãâã he sent his only begotten ãâã dearely beloued sonne into the âombe of the virgin Mary wher of whome thorowe the working âf the holy ghost he became fleshe ââat is to saye true and naturall man as the scripture witnesseth saying The word became fleshe dwelt among vs and we saw his glory as the glory of the only begotten sonne of the father full oâ grace and veritie He brought noâ his body with him from heauen as certain heretikes affirme buâ as he receiued all his deuine nature and substance of God the faâther alone euen so likewyse did hâ take all his humaine nature and substance of the pure virgin Mary alone through the wonderful operation of the spirite of God aâ S. Paule saithe he was borne oâ the sede of Dauid after the fleshe Againe he sayth he that sanctifââeth and they whiche are sanctifââed are all of one For which caââses he is not ashamed to call theâ brethreÌ saying I wil declare thâ name to my brethren and in thâ mids of the congregation wyll praise thee And againe I wil put my trust in hym And again Behold here am I and the children which God hath geuen me Forasmuch therfore as the childreÌ were partakers of flesh and bloud he also him selfe lykewyse toke part with them for to put downe thorow death him y e had lordship ouer death that is to say the deuyll and that he myght deliuer them which through fear of death were all their life time in daunger of bondage For he in no condition taketh on him the aungels but the sede of Abraham taketh he on hym wherefore in all thinges it became him to be made lyke vnto his brethren that he myght be mercifull and a faithfull hie Priest in thinges concerning God for to pourge the peoples sinnes c. This only begotten sonne of God by takyng fleshe of the Uirgin Mary became lyke vnto vs in all things sinne alone except I beleue that by his pure conception and vndefiled natiuitie my conception and my byrth whiche coÌming from Adam was altogether vnpure and defiled is clensed and that no parte of that sinfull birth is imputed vnto me but y e thorowe faith in this moste blessed sede of the Uirgine I am born a new begotten of God so that he is my father I am his sonne and therfore enheritor also of his heauenly kingdome Furthermore I vnfainedly beleue with my hart and frely confesse with my mouth y t this seede of the woman Iesus Christ at the commaundement and wyll of his heauenly father whiche from euerlasting by his godly prouideÌce ordained his only begotten sonne to be a sacrifice for the sinnes of his people that through his only oblation they myght for euer and euer bee saued suffred many greuous paynes on his bodye vnder the Heathen ruler Pontius Pilat and that he was crucified died and was buried All those bitter paines and greuous torments he suffred not for him selfe but for vs for our iniquities sinnes and wickednesses that he might recoÌcile vs vnto God the father His paines satisfied for the paines due vnto vs for our faultes as y e prophet saieth he only hath taken on him oure infirmities and borne our paines He was wounded for our offences and smitten for our wickednesses For the chastisement of oure peace was layde vpon him and with his strypes are we healed As for vs we haue goone all astray lyke shepe euery one hath turned his own way But y e Lord hath heaped together vpon hym the iniquitie of vs all He was cut of from the ground of the liuinge whiche punishment did come vpoÌ hym for the transgression of my people saieth God which in dede had deserued that punishement He was crucified and nailed to the crosse that by the suffraunce of his fleshe he might put away the cause of hatred euen the lawe of commaundementes contained in the lawe written and so wyn vs againe vnto the fauoure of God For it pleased the father y t in him shuld all fulnes dwell and by him to reconcile all thynge vnto hym selfe to set at peace by hym thorowe the bloud of his crosse bothe thinges in heauen and thinges in earth His blessed body crucified and nayled to the crosse buffeted beaten and scourged was a swete smellyng sacrifice a right deare offring vnto God the father sufficient inough and hable to the vttermoste to put away all the synnes of the faythfull and all the paynes due for the same It satisfied at the full the iustice of God and apeased his wrath sturred vp through sinne agaynst the posteritie of Adam and made God of an angry Lord righteous iudge a most merciful father and gentle sauiour Nether nede the faithfull go for saluation vnto massemongers vnto iusticiares vnto monkish hipocrites nor yet vnto sainctes The sacrifice of Christes body which he him self that euerlasting priest offred on the altare of the crosse to God the father is a plenteous full perfect and sufficient satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole worlde if they repent beleue amend We
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 theÌ 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 coÌmaunded 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 couÌcel 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 froÌ 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 PhilemoÌ 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
of God and the paine of death shall not touch them In y e sight of the vnwyse they appeare to die but they are in peace Let vs not therfore fear death To the infidele and vnfaithful maÌ death is both fearefull and terrible but to a faithfull man it is bothe pleasaunte and amiable Therefore neighbour Epaphroditus as you haue hitherto in all your wordes shewed your selfe a faithful man and wel contented to obey the wil of God so likewise practise y e same now in your workes If the good pleasure of God be through this sicknes to cal you out of this valâ of misery stryue not against the wil of God but submit your selfe to Gods holy working dout nothing but it shalbe to your great commoditie and singulare profit For all thinges worke for the best vnto them y t loue God God hath appoynted the boundes of your lyfe and beyond that ye can not go When the twelfth houre commeth then shall ye make an ende Labour therfore to make suche an end as God therwith may be pleaâsed seing you know and are fully perswaded y t not an here doth falâ from your head without the good wil of god much les shal your life be taken away froÌ you til the very hour coÌmeth which God hath appoynted in whose handes only are the keyes bothe of lyfe and death Epa. Death is terrible and fearfull Ph. The wyse man saith O death how bitter is the remembraunce of thee to a man that seketh rest and comfort in his substaunce and riches vnto the man that hath nothing to vexe him y t hath prosperitie in all thinges yea vnto him that setteth all his mynde on belly cheare O death how acceptable and good is thy iudgement vnto the nedefull and vnto him whose strength faileth and that is nowe in his last age c. Be not thou afraide of death remember them that haue ben before thee that come after thee This is the iudgemeÌt of the Lord âuer al flesh And why wouldest y t be against this pleasure of the hiest c. To the vnfaithful death in dede is terrible and fearfull For then begin their sorowes and miseries their plages and torments as we may se in the historie of the richman but to the faithfull and true beleuers death is pleasant amiable as it is written precious in the sight of the Lord is y e death of his sainctes For then cease all their miseries and trauayles and begin their ioyes and pleasures Whosoeuer is a true Christian fixeth y e eies of his minde through true faith on the death of Christe he shall not greatly be afrayde oâ death but he shall rather triumph ouer death and with a lusty courage saye thus vnto death O death I wil be thy death For death is swalowed vp into victorye through Iesus Christ our Lordeâ The sting of death can nowe no more hurt the faithfull as our sauiour Christ testifieth verely verely I saye vnto you he that heareth my worde beleueth on hym that sent me hathe euerlastinge life and shall not come into damnation but is scaped from death vnto life Again verely verely I say vnto you he that putteth his trust in me hath euerlasting lyfe I am that liuinge bread whiche came down from heauen If any man eat of this bread he shall liue for euer Item verely verely I say vnto you If a man kepe my saying he shal neuer tast death al so in an other place I am the resurrection life he that beleueth in me although he be dead yet shal he liue And euery one that liueth beleueth in me shall neuer die Epa. Death is painefull Phi. Who will not be content to suffer a little and shorte paine that he may for euer after enioy continuall quietnes and euerlasting rest Nothing is gotten without paine and trauaile No man is crowned except he striue lawfully The afflictions of this life are not worthy of y e glory which shalbe shewed vpon vs. Notwithstanding if we die with Christ we shall also lyue with hym If we suffer we shall reigne with him Therefore be on good comfort God is faithfull which wil not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you are able to beare The Lord our God is a father of mercies and God of all consolation whiche will without all doubt be present with you and comfort you in all your sicknesses and paines For as the afflictions of Christ are plenteous in vs eueÌ so is our consolation plenteous by Christ. As you are partaker of the afflictions so shall ye be partaker also of the consolation For this short and lyght trouble sicknes and pain prepareth an exceading an eternal waight of glory vnto you whyle you loke not on the thinges whiche are sene but on y e thinges whiche are not sene For y e thinges which are not sene are eternall If you consider the great intollerable paines that many good and godly men haue suffred on their bodies for Christes sake it shal the les greue you to beare this your sicknes yea death and the paines thereof The Prophet Esaye for the hope of euerlasting life suffred his body to be cut a sonder with the saw of wood Ieremy was stoned vnto death Amos after many greuous torments was thrust into the temples of the head with a great nail of yron and so shortly after died Iohn Baptist was cast into prisoÌ beheaded Iames the brother of Iohn was slaine with the sword Stephen was stoned vnto death Christ our Lord sauour suffred most bitter pains died the death of the crosse I passe ouer many other both of the old newe Testament whiche refused no kinde of pains so that they might obtain y e reward of euerlasting life some as y e blessed apostle saith wer tried w t mockings scourginges w t bonds prisonmeÌt some wer stoned some were hewen a sunder some were slaine w t swerd al wer trobled vexed How glad ioyfull ready the holy Apostle S. Paul was to suffer al kinde of paines tormeÌtes for y e glory of God these his words do aboundantly shew The holy ghost doth testifie in euery citie saying that bonds and troubles doe abide me but I care not for them nether is my life dere vnto me so that I may finish my course with ioy c. Againe I am ready not only to be bound but al so to die at HierusaleÌ for y e name of the Lorde Iesu. What shall I speake of the other blessed Martirs where of some were deuoured with wild beastes some burnt with fire vnto ashes some broyled vnto the death vpon whot coales some slaine with the sweard some hanged vpon Iebbets some pearsed to death with arrowes some beaten to death with stones some boyled some rent a peaces with
This is a coÌfortable hering Phi. No les true then coÌfortable Epa. I trust then within fewe houres to se al the faithfull whiche before me haue departed in the Lord my children also and all my other acquaintaunce Phi. You shall both se them know them reioyse and be meary with them Eu. I maruell y t any man shuld doubt of thys doctrine beynge so clearlye set forthe both by the authority of the holye scriptures and by the testimonyes of the godly wryters seynge that the very heathen which knew not God a right beynge parswaded ãâã the immortality of the soule neuer doubted of it but were thorowlye resolued that such as lyued in this world iustly and vprightly and deserued wel of the common wealth whan so euer they departed from this life should go vnto the blessed company of the immortal Gods there not only se know the gods but also all those noble good and vertuous parsons that euer liued in this world as wel suche as they neuer knew as also those whome in this world they dyd moste perfectly know And they beyng thus perswaded desyred deathe at the leaste when the tyme of theyr departure came they toke their deathe the more ioyfully and paciently I wil rehearse vnto you y e worâes of âne or two of them I haue ãâ¦ã desire said Cato the elder âo se your fathers whom I honouââd and loued But I wish not onây to talke wyth them whome I haue knowen in thys worlde but with such also as of whom I haue âeard and red yea and I my selfe âaue wrytten If I were once goâng thitherward I woulde neuer âaue mynde to retourne hyther aâain Againe he saith O that noâle and pleasant day when it shall âe my chaunce to come vnto that âeauenly company and blessed feâowship and depart froÌ this troublous stincking world For theâ shall I go not only vnto those meÌâ of whom I spake vnto you beforâ but also vnto my Cato whiche was as worthy a man as euer liued and as noble And it is written of Socrates y t when he wenâ vnto his death amoÌg many other thiÌgs he said y t it is a most blessed goodly thing for theÌ to come together which haue liued iustly faithfully o saith he what a greaâ pleasure thinke you it to be freÌdlâ to talk w t Orpheus Musaeus Homeârus Hesiodus such like verely I wold die ful oft if it were possiblâ to get those things y t I speake of Thus se we y t many among y t very HeatheÌ which wer perswadeâ of thinmortality of y e soul beleueâ y t they whiche in this world liueâ godly iustly vprightly honestly should al go vnto a ioyful place oâ rest ther hauing y e blessed compââny of y e immortal gods they shulâ know one another talk reioyce one w t an other The. As touching y e Ethnickes which in this world led a iust vpright life in the sight of meÌ I pronouÌce nothing but leue theÌ vnto gods iudgmeÌt but as concerning the faithful christians which beleue in God feare loue God are perswaded of their saluatioÌ in Christes blud frame their life vnto the vttermost of their power according to the coÌmaundements of God as they shall al obtain one glorious kingdome be Citezins of one Citie so likewyse shal they se know one an other talke reioyse be mery one with another This is my belief Ph. I agre w t you in opinioÌ concerning this matter Therfore good neighbor Epaphrodit be of good âhere take a good hart vnto you faynt not nether feare you death For y e time is at hand that you leauing this wretched worlde and the inhabitantes therof shall come vnto that most glorious and heaueÌly kingdom where you shall haue the sight and knowledge not only of God and of his holy angels but also of al Gods elect and chosen people Al your dear frendes which are gone afore you shal gloâriously come and mete you ioyfully receiue you gladly present you vnto the maiestie of God and so shall you altogether remain in al glory and ioy for euer and euer Epa. Amen God grauÌt Chr. Sir how do you Epa. As God wyll Chri. I truste you do remember what my neighbour Philemon hath sayd vnto you Epa. Yea right wel I thanke God Chr. Then sir I praye you be of good comforte Epa. I am well content to forsake the worlde and all that is in the world and to go vnto the lord my God Eu. I trust y t there is none other thinge that troubleth you Epa. Yes not outwardly but inwardly Eu. Inward trouble is y e greatest griefe in the worlde Declare I pray you what it is we will doe the best we can to quiet your mind Epaph. Let me alone a little and pray for me Euse. Well content Neighbours let vs commend this our sicke brother vnto God with our prayers For he desireth it Phi. God commaundeth vs by his holy Apostle saying If any be diseased amonge you let him call for the elders of the congregatioÌ let theÌ pray ouer him annoint him w t oyle in the name of the Lord. And y e praier of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lorde shall rayse him vp and if he haue committed sinnes they shalbe forgeuen him Knowledge your fautes one to another and praye one for an other that ye may be healed The prayer of a righteous maÌ auaileth muche if it be feruent Let vs therfore knele downe and praye O Lorde heare our praier Eu. And let our cry come vnto theâ Phi. O almighty and euerlasting God which lightnest al men that come into this world we besethe thee lighteÌ the heart of this sicke weake and diseased persone with the beames of thy deuine grace mercy y t al his thoughtes wordes workes may so be directed that he may be acceptable to thy godly maiestie in true faith and perfect loue thorow thi only sonne Iesus Christ our Lord sauiour Chr. Aâmen Phi. O eternall and merciful God loke down from heaueÌ and visit this thy weake seruaunt as thou diddest visit Toby Sara Peters wiues mother the Captaines seruaunt Blesse hym as thou didst blesse Abraham Isaac and Iacob Behold him O Lord with the eies of thy mercy Replenish his hart with all ioye kepe from him al sinful thoughtes and wicked imaginations And sende downe thy angell of peace that he may kepe and defend him in euerlasting peace through Iesus christ thy deare sonne our Lorde sauiour Eu. Amen Phi. O Lord Iesu Christ thalone sauiour of y e world and the true phisitioÌ both of body and soule we most humbly besech thee mercifully to behold this our sicke brother which is a meÌber of y e mistical body wherof thou art y e head and a braunche of the which y â art the true vine Be thou vnto hym that moste
louing Samaritane Poure wyne and oyle into his woundes binde them vp laâe him vpon thy beast neuer leaue him vntill thou hast brought hym into that Inne whiche is the gloârious kingdome of thy heauenly father Remoue from him all vnfaithfulnes and mistrust graue in his hart true earnest faith in the in thy moste precious bloud Suffer him not to dispaire nor to doubt of thy godly grace Let y e remeÌbrance of thy most mercifull promises setforth in thy holy gospel neuer be out of his hart Suffer not SataÌ to preuaile against him Let not his conscience be coÌbred with the terrours either of sinne or death Be thou his strong castell and mighty fortresse Assist him now in this his greuous affliction let not his soule be a pray vnto his ennemies neither geue thou him ouer into the cruel handes of hys terrible aduersaries ⪠but shewe vpon him presently thy bountifull goodnes that he thorowe thy helpe hauinge the ouerhand of Sathan may finishe his course with ioy and so after his departure from this troublous world come vnto the blessed hauen of quietnes where thou with the father and the holy gost liuest and raignest one true and euerlasting God worldes without end The. Amen Epa. O Lord rebuke me not in thine indignation nether chasten me in thy heauy displeasure Haue mercy on me O Lorde for I am weake heale me O Lord for all my bones are sore troubled yea my soule is greuously vexed but Lord how longe O how long wilt y â defer thy helpe Turne the O Lord deliuer my soule oh saue me for thy mercies sake Phi. O neighbour how is it with you Epa. Nowe that I had thorow your godly exhortations well digested my departure from this world was well content to go hence wheÌsoeuer the Lord my god calleth me now am I so troubled in my conscience that I begin almoste to dispayre of Gods mercy toward me yea and wish y t there were no God nor no life after this Phi. Gentle brother faint not in your faith neither dispaire you of the great mercies of God but cal on the lord your God with strong faith and he full gratiously will send present remedy for you froÌ his holy temple Epa. O my coÌscience is greuously vexed troubled disquieted while I behold the fearce wrath of God againste sinne and consider how wicked a life I haue led how oft I haue broken Gods holy commaundemeÌts Phi. Fear not dear brother for though you be neuer so sinfull God is mercifull Though youre synnes be great yet are the mercies of God muche greater God saueth not vs because we are righteous and withoute synne but for his mercie and promyse sake when he seeth vs repente beleue and seeke for remedy at his hande for Christes precious bloud sake Epaphrod Sathan nowe in this my sicknesse doeth so moleste and trouble me that me thinke I fele a very hel within my brest Phile. The manner of Satan which is the common aduersary of all men is wheÌ any maÌ is greuously sicke like to die straightways to com vpon him at the beginning very fearcely to shew him selfe terrible vnto him to cast before his eies suche a mist that except he taketh hede he shall see nothing but the fearce wrath terrible iudgement of God against sinners again synne desperatioÌ death and âel and whatsoeuer maketh vnto vtter confusion of the sickmans conscieÌce Epa. So is it now with me Phi. Feare not It is his olde propertie If you had led as holy as perfect a lyfe as euer did man in this world yet would he deale on this manner w t you He knoweth right well y t the tyme of your departure is at hande that God will shortly call you from this sorowful mortal lyfe vnto a blessed and immortal lyfe therfore laboureth he vnto the vttermoste oâ his power to plucke you from so ioyfull a state and to make you his pray But be you not afrayde For whome of Gods elect hath he let pas vnassailed vntempted or vnproued He feared not to assay the sonne of God after he had put on our nature and thincke you to escape fre His nature disposition and desire is to destroy maruelâ you therefore if he goe aboute to seke your destruction His properâtie is to disquiet wonder you therfore if he trouble you He is a lier what truthe therfore can come out of his mouth If he saye vnto you that God is angry with you and wil destroy you know him to be a lier and whatsoeuer he sayth against your saluation beleue it not but knowe it to be a lye He is a murtherer what lyfe then can come from hym He is an accuser of the brethren how than can he speake anye good or comfortable thyng vnto you He is your vtter enemy how theÌ is it possible that he may be your frende and seeke your quietnesse Feare hym not therfore He is but a cowarde and a very slaue They be but brags whatsoeuer he threatneth He may well hisse at you but he can not styng you He may loke vpon you with a terrible fearful countenaÌce but he caÌ do you no harme He may go about to teÌpt you but to ouercome you it lieth not in his power Hear what s. Iames saith Resiste the deuill and he shall fliâ from you Drawe nie vnto God he shal draw nie to you Epa. Yea but how shal I resist y e deuel Phi ⪠Not as the supersticious papistes were wont to do with casting oâ holy water about your chamberâ w t laying holy bread in your window with pinning a Crosse madâ of halowed Palmes at your beds head nor with ringing of the hallowed bel or such other beggarly superstitious Popishe deuelish ceremonies Epa. How then Philâ With faith with prayer and with the word of God Epa. Howe with faith Phile. Cast the eies of yourâ mind with strong faith on the sedâ of the woman which hath trodeâ downe the serpents head and destroyed his power as he saieth by the Prophet O hel I wyll be thy destruction which by death hath put him to flight that had Lordeshippe ouer death euen the Deuill that he might deliuer them whiche throughe feare of death were all their lyfe tyme subdued vnto bondage whiche also as the Apostle saith hath spoyled rule power hath made a shew of theÌ openly and hath triumphed ouer them in his own persone So shal you be sure to escape his greuous assaultes For the sonne of God apeared for this purpose euen to destroy the workes of the Deuill Christ was figured by that brasen serpent which God commauÌded Moses to set vp in the wildernes adding this promise vnto it that whosoeuer beyng stricken of the firy Serpentes did loke on that he shoulde be healed After this maner is it betwene
Christe and vs. If that firy serpent the deuill hath striken and wounded vs let vs loke vpon Christ with stronge faith and we shal surely for Gods promise sake be made whole as Christe him selfe testifieth saying As Moyses lyfted vp the serpent in the wildernes so must the son of man be lyfted vp that all that beleue on hym should not peryshe but haue euerlasting life For god sent not his sonne into the worlde to condemne the worlde but that the world shold be saued through him If Sathan therfore hath either wounded you already or els goeth about so to do feare not repare vnto Christ loke on him with the eies of your faithe so shall you be fre from his venomus chause For as you are nowe tempted so were al godly men but they ouercame y e teÌpter through stroÌg faith in Christ. Therfore saith s. Peter Be ye sober and watche for your aduersary the deuill goeth about like a roring Lion seing whome he may deuoure whome resist ye strong in faith Saint Iohn also saith this is the victory which ouercommeth the worlde euen our faith Not only all godly faithfull men were tempted but also our sauiour Christ. And this is a great comfort for vs. For in that it fortuned him selfe to be tempted he is hable to succour them also that are tempted Christ being tempted ouercame his temptations to get vs the victory ouer the tempter His triumphe is our victory and his victory is our triumphe Whatsoeuer he did got in his humanitie he did and got it not for him self but for vs. And God is faithfull saith the apostle whiche will not suffer you to be tempted aboue your strength but wil in the mids of the temptation make away that ye may be able tâ beare it Beleue therfore in Christ you are without al danger Epa. I beleue O Lord help thou minâ vnbeliefe O Lorde encrease my faith Phi. Fear you not but God both will doth hear your prayers for y e Lorde is nie vnto all theÌ that cal on him in truth Epa. You made mention also of praier saying that y t is also a mean to resistâ Sathan Phi. I reioyse greatly I geue God moste harty thankes y t in this your sicknes your memory coÌtinueth stil stedfast perfect Epa. I praise God for it Phi. That prayer is a necessary remedy for the auoyding of Sathans temptations the holy scriptures teache manifestly in diuers places Our sauior Christ saith watch pray that ye fal not into temptation Againe This kind of deuils is not cast out but by prayer fasting To represse y t temtatioÌs of SataÌ all godly men euen froÌ the beginning fled vnto faithfull praier as a mighty sure defence againste sathan and al his crafty assaultes And God hath commaunded vs to pray whensoeuer we are troubled and doeth also promise vs y t he wyll both heare and helpe vs. Call on me sayeth he in the tyme of thy trouble and I wyl delyuer thee and thou shalt honoure me The Lorde is nie vnto them that are of a troubled heart he wyll help theÌ that be broken in spirite Ep. Now good neighbors pray for me Ph. Uery gladly Let vs knele down together and pray Chr. Lo here are we Phi. O heauenly and moste mercifull father we moste humbly besech thee for thy sonnes sake Iesus Christ our Lord haue pitie vpon this thy creature and succoure him in these horrible assaultes and temptations of the deâuill Deliuer his soule in these extreame necessities from all the internall army Sende him downe strength from aboue that he may be able to resiste his ennemy and to stande stedfaste in the tyme of this his temptation Be thou his strong rocke castell shield tower and defense that he in this greate trouble being preserued from the tyranny of his ennemies ⪠through thy godly grace assistence helpe may continue in the true and christen faith vnto his liues end and afterward be receiued into thy heuenly kingdome through Iesus Christ our Lord. Euse. Amen Epa. Now will I pore wratched sinner offer my prayers also vnto the Lord my God in Iesus Christes name trusting and beleuing vndoubtedly that he gratiously wyl heare me and defend me against mine enemies Phi. These are the words of Christ What things so euer ye desyre whan ye praye beleue that ye receiue them and ye shall haue them Epaph. Out of the depth do I cry vnto thee O Lord O Lord hear my praier Saue me O God for the waters of trouble are come in euen vnto my soule I stick fast in the depe myre where no grouÌd is I am come into depe waters so that the âloudes run ouer me Take me out of the myre that I sinck not Oh let me be deliuered from them that hate me out of the depe waters Let not the water floud drown me nether let the depe swalowe me vp let not the pit shut her mouthe vpon me Heare me O Lord for thy louing kindnes is coÌfortable turne me vnto thee according vnto the multitude of thy mercies hyde not thy face from thy seruaunt foâ I am in trouble O hast thee and hear me Draw nie vnto my soul and saue it oh deliuer me because of mine ennemies For y t knowest my reprofe my shame and my dishonoure Mine aduersaries are ful in thy sight So shal I beyng deliuered from these great miseries through thy gratious benefit prayse and magnifie the name of thee my Lord God for euer and euer Chr. So be it Epa. Neighbor Philemon Phi. Here sir. Epa. As I remember you told me that besides faythe and prayer the word of God also is a goodly help and a strong fortresse against the cruell assanites of the Deuill Phile. It is truthe For so are we taught in the holy scripture Our sauioure Christ when the time of his Passion began to drawnie knowing that his Disciples shoulde for his âake be greuously tempted bothe of the deuill the world the flesh commaunded theÌ to bie a sworde This was no materiall but spirituall sword as S. Paul declareth vnto y e EphesiaÌs saying aboue all thinges take to you the shield of faith wherwith ye may quenche all the firy dartes of the wycked And take the helmet of saluation and the sword of the spirit which âs the word of God And praye alwayes with all manner of prayer supplication in the spirit With âhe worde of God Christ droue away Sathan and resisted all his wicked temptacions For it is the power of God to saue so many as beleue In the word of God pleÌteous present remedies are founde against Satan and al his subtile suggestions Therfore said y e psalmograph I haue hyd thy speaâhes O Lord in my heart that I might not sin against thee Now are ye
sorowe wyl he turne to ioy as he sayth in the Gospell verely verely I saye vnto you ye shal wepe lament but contrariwise the worlde shall reioyse Ye shall sorowe but your sorow shall be turned into ioye A woman when she traueleth hath sorow because her houre is come but assone as she is deliuered of y e childe she remembreth no more y e anguishe for ioy that a maÌ is born into the world And ye now therefore haue sorow but I wil see you againe and your heartes shal reioyse and your ioye shall no man take away from you In this your heauy coÌflict God semeth to haue withdrawn the glorious beames of his fatherly grace froÌ you but he will straightways lighten his godly countenauÌce vpon you and worke suche ioyes in your heart through his holy spirit as heretofore you felt neuer the lyke And this your ioy shall neuer be taken from you Therefore whatsoeuer sathan that old canckred ennemy of mankinde goeth about to perswade you beleue hym not but resiste him with strong faith euer remembring that he is both a lier and a murtherer You are a member of that congregation whiche is built vpon the rocke Christe againste whome the gates of hell shall not preuayle You are a lyuing stone of the blessed building and spiritual house wherof Christ is the head corner stone though y e windes blow the shours of raine descend and the cruell tempestes âeate on the house yet it falleth not for it is grounded not vpon y e and but vpon the rocke Sathan ân this temtation hath desired to sifte you as it were wheate but Christ hath praied for you y t your faith failed not You are one of the shepe whiche God the father hath geuen to his sonne Christe therfore can you not peryshe neyther shall any creature plucke you out of his hande but he shall geue you euerlasting life Epa. Now perâceiue I most geÌtle neighbor Philemon that to be true whiche I haue many tymes heard the godly preachers rehearse in their most comfortable Sermons Phile. What is that I pray you Epaph. That one faythfull Preacher which is able with the swete promises of the holy scriptures to coÌfort the weake and desperate conscience is better then ten thousande mumbling Massemongers whiche promise with their Massinge mountaines of golde but perfourme molhilles of glasse I haue also many times heard it saide that though the companye of a learned man be good and profitable at all times yet chiefly in the tyme of syckenesse and whan the weake creature is ready to depart from this wicked worlde for asmuche as than Sathan is most busy and without ceasing laboureth to disquiet the conscience of âhe sickman that by this meanes he may driue him to desperation and finally to damnation Phile. What meane you by that Epa. I thanke God moste hartelye that suche a learned man as you are haue nowe vouchedsafe to visite me in this my sickenesse Phil. No learned man but a louer of learninge and suche one as hathe a good will well to doe and enuieth no man that can doe better Epa. In the tyme of this your godlye communication had with me the Lord my God be thancked for it I felt the heauines trouble and disquietnes of my conscience by little and little to goe away and certaine swete mocions of true inward ioye to arise in my heart ⪠so y t nowe Sathan with his wicked temtations semeth to haue taken his flight and the holy ghostâ with his most godly and comfortable inspirations to haue entred into my breast Wheras before mâ thought I was in hell nowe mâ thinck I am in heauen so greatâ quietnes rest ioy and confort do I finde in my conscience Saincâ Paule wysheth not in vain to thâ PhilippiaÌs this tranquilitie and quietnes of conscience saying thâ peace of God which passeth al vnderstanding kepe your hearts and mindes in Christ Iesu. Again tâ the Collossians The peace of god mought rule in your heartes tâ the whiche peace ye are called in one body For no man knoweth what a precious Iewell and heauenly treasure this peace of conâcience is but suche as fele it Neâher can any man feele it a ryght except he hath felt afore the grief âain and disquietnesse of conscience I may now right wel say w t âhe Psalmograph O howe great and plentifull is thy goodnesse which thou hast laide vp for them âhat feare thee and that thou hast ârepared for them that put theyr ârust in thee O what great trouâles and aduersities haste thou âhewed me And yet thou diddest âurne refresh me yea broughâest me from the depe of the earth âgaine Thou hast broughte me âo great honour and coÌforted me ân euery syde Therfore wyll I âraise thee and thy faithfulnes O God Phi. Here see you that fulfilled in your selfe whiche you haââ full oft red in the holy Scripturâ The Lorde killeth and makeâ aliue bryngeth downe to hell anâ fetcheth vp againe Great are tââ troubles of the righteous but tââ Lord deliuereth them out of theâ all Chr. The holy man Toby ãâã his praier vnto God saieth Whââsoeuer loueth thee serueth thee â right is sure of this that if his liâ be tempted and proued it staÌdeââ in the trying if he endure in paââcience he shal haue a reward anâ be highly crowned and if he be iâ trouble that God no doubt shaâ delyuer hym and if his lyfe be iâ chastning that he shall haue leââ to come vnto thy mercy For thoâ hast no pleasure in our damnatââon And why After a storme thoâ makest the weather fair and stilâ after weping and heauines thoâ geuest great ioy Thi name O goâ of Israell be praysed for euer Ep. AmeÌ Chr. The Psalmograph also saith They that sowe in tears shall reape in ioye He that nowe goeth on his way weping and bereth forth good seede shall doubtles come againe with ioy bring his sheues with him Epa. If the Lord him selfe had not bene of my side when Satan rose vp against me he had swalowed me vp quik But praysed be the Lorde whiche hath not geuen me ouer for a pray vnto his teeth My soule is escaped euen as a byrde oute of the snare of the fouler the snare is broken and I am deliuered My helpe standeth in the name of the Lorde whiche hath made heauen and earth But neighboure Philemon it is good in the tyme of calme to prouide for tempest We are taughte of Iob that a mans âife in this worlde is a warfare or knighthode and that we therfore ought to watche praye thaâ we fail not into temptation The scripture declareth that after Saâthan had tempted Christ was confounded by the worde of Godâ the deuil departed from Christ for a season Wherof we may learne ⪠that he returned afterward vnto Christ and tempted him I feare
the Phisition being nothing afraid of him because they ar sick diseased but rather somuche the more doo they desire to come vnto him to shew him their woundes and to disclose their diseases that they may be made whole Now is Christ a phisitioÌ all we through sinne are diseased shal we therfore runne away from Christ and not rather make hast vnto him what Phisition is so ready to heale the body as Christe our Phisition is to heale the soule Who euer came vnto him with a faithfull and penitent heart and was refused Who euer sought remedy at his hand and was not holpen Who euer opened vnto hym his diseaâes and was not cured he calleth all without exception be they neuer so diseased and loden with thâ burden of sinne vnto him and proâmiseth that he will ease them of their burdens make theÌ whole is it to be thought that he wylâ refuse sinners when they come vnâto him Come vnto me sayth he al ye that labour and are loden I wil refreshe you Take my yoke vpon you and ye shall find rest for your soules For I came not to caâ y e righteous but sinners vnto repentance The sonne of man came to seke and to saue that was lost How frequented he the coÌpany of synners when he was in this world that to this end only thaâ he might call them through his godly sermons vnto repentance vnto the fauour of God and vnto the felowship of the sainctes in so muche that he was called a frend of open sinners and whores How defended he alway the humble peniteÌt sinners against the proud and stifnecked Pharises and Iusticiaries When Zache being a sinner the Prince of the Publicans sought to see Christ how louingly did Christ speake vnto him and frendly came into his house eat dranck with him WheÌ Mary MagdaleÌ being a greuous sinner came vnto Christe he refused not her company but talked most gently with her coÌforted her receiued her into his fauour quieted her coÌscieÌce healed her diseases gaue her euerlasting life Whan the poore Publicane whiche had both ofte and greuously offended the Lord his God came into the temple to pray and in his praiers huÌbled him self before the maiestie of God and coÌfessed him self a sinner was he not ioyfully receiued into the fauour of God and pronounced more righteous euen by the mouth of Christ then y e proude ⪠Pharesy for all his glistring workes How ioyfully was that vnthrifty prodigal wastfull sonne receiued home again What freÌdship founde that theif whiche was crucified with Christe at the hand of Christ when he saide Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdome Did not Christ straightways aunswere him and say This day shalt thou bee with me in Paradise And yet was he both a thief a seditious persone and a murtherer Christe refuseth none although neuer so greuous a synner if we come vnto hym Turn ye vnto me and I wil turn vnto you saith the Lord of hostes Thou disobedient Israel Turne again saith the Lord and I will not let my wrath fall vpon you I am mercifull saith the Lord and I wil not alway bear displeasur against thee but this I will y e thou know thy great blasphemy namely that thou hast vnfaithfully forsaken the Lord thy God and hast made thi self partaker of straunge Gods vnder all greene trees but hast had no wil to hear my voyce saieth the Lorde O ye disobedient chyldren turne againe saieth the Lord and I will be maried with you c. O ye disobedient childreÌ turne agayne saying Lo we are thyne for thou art the Lorde our God and so shal I heal your back turninges Who wyll not boldely come vnto so mercifull a Lord most louing father seing he so geÌtely calleth all men vnto hym be they neuer so greuous synners promiseth that he wyll not refuse them but louingly receiue them neuer lay their offences vnto their charge but to forget them and cast them behinde his backe that he wyll neuer ether remember thâ or loke vpon them more Theo. The Lord is merciful gentle and louing pacient long suffring oâ muche kindnes and ready at all tymes to forgeue yea euen whaâ he is at the poynt to punyshe Thâ Lord is louing vnto euery man his mercy is ouer all his workes ⪠The lord is good and gracious of great mercy vnto all them that call vpon him The Lord is ful of tender compassion and great merâcy long sufferyng and of muche goodnes He wil not alway be chiâding neither kepeth he his anger for euer He dealeth not with vs after our synnes neither rewardeth he vs accordyng to our wickednesses For loke how hie y e heauen is in comparison of the earth so great is his mercy also toward them that feare him Loke howe wide also the East is from y e west so far hath he set our sinnes from vs. Yea lyke as a father pitieth his owne children euen so is the Lord mercifull vnto theÌ that feare him For he knoweth whereof we be made he remembreth y t we are but dust With the Lorde there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption And he shall redeme Israel froÌ al his sinnes Phi. The great kindnes dere hearty loue of God toward vs appeareth not only in this y t he both willingly and gladly admitteth and receiueth synners whensoeuer they repent and tourne vnto hym but ân that he also most diligently seketh them vp fetcheth them home again and geueth them grace to repent and turne that they maye âe saued This thinge is verye âyuelye described and set forthe in âhe parables of the straid shepe of the lost groat and of the wounded man Herein is loue saith S ⪠Iohn not that we loued God buâ that he loued vs sent his sonnâ to be the agrement for our sinnes Saint Paule saieth God settetâ out his loue toward vs seing thaâ while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs. Much more theÌ nowâ we that are iustified by his bludâ shalbe saued from wrath througâ him For if when we were enneâmies we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne muchâ more seing we are reconciled we shalbe preserued by his life Epa. I beleue y t God is a mercifull father for Christes sake to all them thaâ do truly repente beleue and conâuert vnto him but is it not to beâ feared that my repentaunce and conuersion is to late Phi. Be on good comfort neighbor Epaphroditus there is no repentauÌce and conuersion to late in this worlde ⪠so that it be true proceadeth froÌ a contrite heart humble spirite For at whatsoeuer hour a sinner dooth mourne and lamente for his sinnes God promyseth that he will so forgeue him his iniquities that he will neuer remember theÌ more And
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 ând of god the sonne of god the âoly ghost Phi. This is also a sure ââkeÌ of the fauour of God toward âou and that you are predestinate ânto 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 ⪠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 poÌpes 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 noÌber that shall enherit eternall life By baptisme is the holy ghost geuen you then are you the sonne of God and âan not pearysh For it is written They that are led with the spirite âf God are the sonnes of God Baptisme is a continuall signe of âhe fauour of God towarde vs of âhe fre remission of sinnes of our âeconciliatioÌ vnto God for Chriâtes sake and that we be by adopâion the sonnes of God heires of âuerlasting glory Epa. In tymes âast I haue also many tymes reâeiued the misteries of the Lordes âody and bloud in the temples of âhe Christians with the congreâation of God wherin I confesse I haue founde great comfort and âerye muche quietnesse vnto my âeake and synnefull conscience Phi. The often comming with a âeruent de syre vnto the Lords taâle by true faythe to fede vpon the âisteries of the Lordes body and âloud 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 reâmembraunce the moste healthfuâ death of our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ and so bene thankeâful for it but you haue also shewâed your selfe a lyuely member ãâã that holy body whereof Christ iâ the head You haue professed opeÌâly in the face of the Christen conâgregation 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 synânes are put away and forgeueâ and you made the enheritour ãâã 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 remiââsion 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 Chriâtes body and bloud with the congregation so likewise haue I at all times bene glad to repare vnâo those places wher the word of God hath bene preached and the doctrine y t hath there bene taughâ I marked diligeÌtly kept it in meâmory 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 worâkes whiche I learned of the holâ scriptures to bee acceptable vntâ the Lord my Lord that I mighâ serue him in holines and righteâousnes all the dayes of my lyfe Phi. As there is not a more euideÌâ testimony and a surer argumentâ that that man is in the state of eâuerlasting 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 cerâtaine signe that any man is preâdestinate to be saued then wheÌ hâ hath a mynd to heare the word oâ God as our sauiour Christ testiâfieth 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
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 testameÌt 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 âayle 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 âauour of God to haue remission and forgeuenesse of oure synnes ând finally to haue euerlasting âife Let vs therfore approch with âoldnes and not with doubting ând 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 doubâting 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 heÌceforthe there is layde vp for me a ârowne of righteousnes which y e Lord that is a righteous iudge âhall geue at that daye not to me only but vnto all them also y e loue âis comming Phile. When that Dauid saide these wordes I beâeue verely to see the pleasures of the Lord in the land of the liuing ⪠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 couÌtenauncâ 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 coÌfort 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 afflictioÌs of this life are not worthy of the glory which shall bee shewed vppon vs Againe that though the
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 omnisufficicieÌt 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 iudgemeÌt 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 coÌfouÌded 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 defeÌder O god my stroÌg 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 forasâmuch 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 thiÌgs 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 cloâhed 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
whole strong precious and in al poynts lyke to the glorious body of our Lorde sauiour Christ Iesus Hear whaâ the Apostle saith our conuersatiâon is in heauen from whence we loke for a sauiour euen the Lorde Iesus Christ which shal chaungâ our vile body that he may makâ it like vnto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able also to subdue al things vnto him selfe Agayne We know that if our earthy mansion of this dwellinge were destroyed we haue a building of God an habitation not made with handes but euerlasting in heauen For therefore sighe we desiring to be clothed with our mansion whiche is from heauen so yet if that we be founde clothed and not naked For we that are in this tabernacle sighe and are greued because we woulde not be vnclothed but woulde be clothed vpon that immortalitie might bee swallowed vp of lyfe He that hath ordained vs for this thing is God whiche very same hath geuen vnto vs the earnest of the spirite Therfore we are alway of good cheare and knowe that as longe as we are at home in the body we are abâent from God For we walke in âayth not after outwarde apperaunce Neuerthelesse we are of âood comfort and had rather to be absent from the body and to be present with God Epa. This is coÌfortable doctrine I can be conteÌt with al my heart to make such a chauÌge whensoeuer the Lordes good pleasure shalbe But I pray you rehearse some wholsome sayinges oute of the holy scriptures concerning the resurrection of the body for streÌgthning of my faith and for the comfort and quietnes of my conscience Phi. In the prophet Esay we read on this manner Thy dead men shall liue euen w t my body shall they rise againe Awake and sing ye that dwell in dust For thy dewe is euen as the dew of herbes and the earth shall cast out them that be vnder her Againe your bones shall floryshe like an herbe The Prophet Ezechiell hath these words The haÌd of the lord came vnto me and caried me out in the spirit of y e Lord let me downe in a playne field that lay full of bones and he led me round about by them and beholde the bones that lay vpon the fielde were very many and maruelous dry also Then sayd he vnto me Thou sonne of maÌ thinkest thou these bones may liue again I aunswered O Lord God thou knowest And he sayd vnto me prophecy thou vpon these bones and speake vnto them Ye drye bones heare the worde of the Lord. Thus saith the Lorde God vnto these bones Beholde I will put breth vnto you that ye may lyue I will geue you sinowes make fleshe grow vpon you couer you ouer with skinne and so geue you breath that ye may liue knowe that I am the Lord. So I Prophecied as he had coÌmauÌded me And as I was prophecying ther came a noyse and a great motion so that the bones ran euery one to an other Nowe when I had loked behold they had sinnowes flesh grewe vpon them and aboue they were couered with skin but there was no breath in theÌ Then said he vnto me Thou sonne of man prophecy thou towarde the wind prophecie speake vnto the wind Thus saith the Lord God Come O thou ayr from the foure windes blowe vpon these slaine that they may be restored to life So I prophecied as he had commauÌded me then came the breath into them and they receiued life and stode vp vpoÌ their fete a maruelous great nomber Againe Thus saith the Lord god behold I wyll open your graues O my people and take you out of youre sepulchres The wordes of the Prophet Daniel are these Many of them that slepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life some to perpetual shame and reprofe God saieth by Esdras those that be dead will I rayse vp againe from their places and bryng them out of theyr graues Moreouer Christ saide to the Saduces which denied the resurrection of the body As touching the resurrectioÌ of the dead haue ye not red what is said vnto you of God which saith I am Abrahams God Isaacks God Iacobs God God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing Also in an other place The houre shall come in the whiche all that are in the graues shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and shall come forthe they that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life and they that haue done euil vnto the resurrection of dampnation Martha said vnto Christe of her brother Lazarus when he was dead I know y t my brother shall rise againe at the latter day The holy Apostit s. Paul is plenteous in the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead I wyll reherse one or two of his sentences byd the other farewell The trompe saith he shall blowe and the dead shall ryse incorruptible and we shalbe chaunged For this corruptible must put on incorruption this mortall must put on immortalitie Again the Lord Iesus shal chauÌge our vile bodies that they maye bee fashioned like vnto his glorious body Also in an other place I would not brethren haue you ignoraunt concerning them which are fallen aslepe that ye sorow not as other do whiche haue no hope For if we beleue y t Iesus Christ died rose againe euen so they also whiche slepe by Iesus will God bring againe with him Diuers examples of the resurrection of our bodies haue we bothe in the old and new testament Helias the Prophet raised vp from death vnto lyfe the sonne of y e widow of Sarepta The like thinge read we of Heliseus the Prophet Christ raised froÌ death the daughter of a certain ruler the sonne of a certayne widowe and Lazarus w t many other Christ rose again and the bodies of many sainctes whiche slept arose also and came out of their graues after their resurrection and came into Hierusalem and appeared vnto many Peter raysed vp Tabitha from death S. Paul restored vnto life a certaine yong man named Eutichus Al these are euident examples of our resurrection Therefore good brother Epaphroditus feare not to geue ouer this your body and frely to commend it vnto the earth At the great daye of the generall resurrection you shal receiue it in a far better case then euer you had it in this world Ep. I leue this my vile body willingly yea and that with this hope that at the last day I shall take it againe immortall and vncorruptible I beleue the resurrection of the fleshe I wish to be losoned froÌ this body and to be with Christe Eu. You doubt nothing of the blessed state of y e godly departed and of the immortalitie of the soule Epa. I beleue euerlasting lyfe The. You are not
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 HierusaleÌ 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 begiÌneth to chauÌge 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 RemeÌber 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 thaÌked 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 coÌfort Now begiÌneth 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 theÌ 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 eueÌ now departed froÌ 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 ameÌdment 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 meÌ 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 grauÌt him vs al a ioyfull resurrection The. Amen Phi. Neighbours before we departe let vs all kneele down geue God the father thaÌkes 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 coÌpany 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 theÌ 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 heaueÌ They are as y e starres worlde without end They are as the aungels of God They are clad w t white garmeÌts haue goldeÌ crownes vpon their heds They do seruice day night before the glorious throne of thy deuine maiesty They neither hoÌger 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 theÌ and ledeth them vnto the liuinge fouÌtains of waters They folowe the laÌbe 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
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 iudgemeÌt 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 violeÌce 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 âcriptures not that he shuld there âuffer 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 withstaÌding 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 âleeth vnto other w tout all doubt he is an ennemy vnto Christ and to the vttermoste of his power he âaboureth to make Christ as they âse to saye Iacke out of office For since the time of his ascention âis chief and principall office is to âe our intercessoure mediatoure ând 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 SataÌs kyngdome brake open the gates of hel toke the Prince of darknes bouÌd 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 âhat iustifieth ⪠who is he that can âondemne It is Christ whiche died yea rather whiche is rysen againe whiche is also on the righthaÌd 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 temâperaunce 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 ⪠whiche after God is shapen in righteousnes and true holines Againe Christ ascending vp inâto 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 ⪠Aungels and heauenly sainctes for to iudge the quicke and the dead the faithfull and vnfaithfull and to geue ⪠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 âf 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 coÌcerning 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 âuffred 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