healthe amonge all nacions Turne vntoo me sayeth the LORDE of hostes and I wyll turne vnto you Zacha. 1. Remember howe fauorably God at all tymes dealte with hys people bothe whan they were captiues in Egipte and also in Babylon yea and at all other tymes whaÌ„soeuer they were in anye distresse For though he worthely plagued them for their wickednes yet so sone as they vnfaynedlye returned vnto hym he deliuered them froÌ„ their enemies and gaue them their hartes desyre For God is neuer so angry with his people but that in the myddes of hys anger he wyll remember hys mercie And though he somtyme punisheth vs yet will he be pleased agayn if he seeth oure vnfayned coÌ„uersion as Tobie sayde in his praier Tobi. 3. After a storme O Lorde thou makest the weather fayre and calme After weping and heauines thou geuest great ioye Thy name O God of Israell be praysed for euer Onely let vs returne vnto the Lorde oure God and become new men and withoute all doubt we shall se out of haÌ„de the myghtye working of God Repent betymes therfore repent humble your selfs in the sight of God beleue hys promyses call on hys holy name abyde paciently hys godly pleasure become new men in lyfe and conuersacion walke worthy your profession and so behaue youre selfes in all thinges that God maye be glorified by you Fare ye well dere Brethren and accordynge too the admonicion of the holy Apostle watche ye 1. Cor. 16 stande faste in the faythe quyte you lyke menne and be stronge The Grace of the Lorde Iesus Christe be wyth you all Amen ¶ Gyue the glorie to GOD alone ¶ Manne Howe longe o Lord Psal. 13. Christe I come quickely Apoc. 22 Manne Oh come Lord Iesu. Apo. 22. Prophet He will come and not tarye Abac. 2. ☞ The C. iij. Psalme made in Englishe meter by Thomas Becon for a thankesgeuing vnto God immediatly after hys deliueraunce out of pryson whose emprysonmente began the. 16. daye of August the yeare of oure Lorde 15 53. and ended the 22. of Marche then nexte ensuynge ¶ Psalm 103. BE thanckefull o my soule vnto the LORDE And all that within me haue theyr beynge Laude prayse magnifye with one accorde Hys holy blessed name aboue all thynge O my soule once agayn to the I saye Be thankeful vnto the Lord euer more And looke thou forget not night nor daye All hys benefites that thou haste in store For he it is yea he it is alone Which pardoneth al thy synnes both more and les He deliuereth the from all griefe mone And sendeth the health in tyme of sykenes He saueth thy lyfe from destruccion Which otherwyse should perish withoute doubte He of mere ' grace ' and tender compassion Crouneth the with louing kyndnes round aboute He with good thinges thy mouth doth satisfye To eate drinke gyuing the abundance He maketh the ioyful yonge and lustye Euen as an Egle that is ful of pleasaunce The LORD dothe minister iustice and iudgement To suche as are oppreste with violence He defendeth the good and innocent But the wicked he casteth froÌ„ his presence He shewed hys wayes vnto faythfull Moses And his workes to the sonnes of Israel That all hys people myghte knowe bothe more and les In all kynde of vertue for to excel O the Lord God eueÌ„ of his own nature Is bent vnto gentilnes and mercye Yea frendly is he aboue all measure Longe suffering eke of great petye For though oure synnes be bothe greate and many Yet wil not the Lord be alway chyding Neither will he for euer be angry But shew him self toe vs bothe gentle and louyng After our synnes he dealeth not with vs Neither according to our wickednes But lyke a father bothe gentle gracious He forgeueth al our sinnes both more les For loke how hye is the heauen supernal In comparison of the earth full lowe So great is hys mercy toward them all That feare hiÌ„ wickednes away throwe And loke howe wyde the Easte is frome the West So farre hath he set all our synnes froÌ„ vs Because oure conscience should be at rest And nomore trobled with workes odious Yea lyke as a father gentle and tender Pittieth hys owne chyldren natural Euen so is the Lorde merciful euer Unto theÌ„ that feare him both great smal For he beyng our maker knoweth cerâ—…es Of what mater we be made and formed He remembreth we are but dust and ashes All of vyle and slymye earth created A man in his lyfe is like vnto grasse Hys dayes are few but a whyle endure Lyke the floure of the felde awaye he passe Floriâ—…ing for a tyme but nothing sure For as a flour with fears wâ—…d assayled Fadeth shortly away cometh to nought So dothe man of cruel death oppressed Departe heÌ„ce vnto nothing is brought But the mercifull goodnes of the Lorde Dothe continew for euer and euer Upon theÌ„ that feare him with one accorde And hys iustice vpoÌ„ their chylders chylder I meane vpon such as kepe his coucnauÌ„t And do them selfs diligently applye To kepe hys preceptes likewise do grauÌ„te To frame their whole lyfe accordingly In heaueÌ„ hath the Lorde a seat prepared For him self both glorious and royall And his prince like power is so outstretched That it raygneth ruleth ouer all O prayse the Lorde all ye aungels of hys Ye that excel bothe in strengthe and vertue Ye that do hys will without any mys Ye that harken to hys voyce that ensue O prayse the Lorde our God omnipoteÌ„t All ye hys hostes and armies supernall Ye seruauntes of hys whiche alwayes are bent To do hys wil o prayse the Lord aboue all Yea all thinges that euer God created Prayse ye the Lorde that God of myghte and poure But thou o my soule with hart vnfayned Looke that thou prayse the LORDE at euery houre ¶ Geue the glory to God alone ¶ Psal. 112. O Blessed is the man at eche season That feareth the LORDE God omnipotent For suche one hath all his delectation To accomplysh the Lordes commauÌ„demeÌ„t Hys sede vpon the earth shall be mighty Florishing aye lyke the grene olyue tree The generacion of the godly Shall be blessed in euery degree Suche a man in hys house shall haue alwaye Of honour and ryches great abundaunce And hys righteousnes shall neuer decaye But in all ages haue continuaunce Whan that other in darkenes do remain Unto the godly pleasaunt light shal spyne For such one dothe loue mercy to mayntain To kyndnes iustice his hart he enclyne A good man is bent all vnto mercy And gladly lendeth to such as haue nede As for his talke he ordreth discretly So that his wordes vnto vertue do lede From hys place shal he neuer be moued But alway abyde both constante sure The remeÌ„braunce of the iuste true harted Shall for euer and euer styll endure The righteous shal be nothinge afrayde Of any euel tidinges whaÌ„ they be brought For hys hart on the Lord is wholy stayde Thorow stronge faythe that God therein hath wrought Yea his hart is so throughly stablished That he wil not thrynke in no condicion Untyl he seeth hys desyre satisfyed On hys enemies and their destruccion He disperseth abrode plenteously And geueth to the pore their nede to sustain Remembred therfore continually Shal he be his prayse euer remayn The vngodlye seynge these thinges shall ware woode Gnathe with hys teeth consume away Yet shal the vngodly with all his moode Shortely come to nought perish decay ¶ Geue the glorie to GOD alone
singular comfort and vnto the vtter confusion and destruccion of Anti christ and of hys kyngdome ¶ The. viij Chapter ANd albeit that ye do not perceauâ—… ContinuaÌ„câ—… in praiâ—…r Psal. 12â—… remedy straight wayes yet cease not to praye but as the eyes of seruauntes looke to the handes of their masters as the eyes of a mayden vnto the hande of her maystresse euen so let your eyes wayte vpon the Lorde youre God vntill he haue mercy on you He will vndoubtedly come Abac. 2 Heb. 10 not tarrye whan his godly wisdome seeth the tyme yea that on suche sorte as shall make moste for his glory and your coÌ„forte For the poore shall not alway be forgotten the pacient abiding of the meke shal not perish Psalm 9. for euer The Lord will be a defence for the oppressed euen a refuge in due tyme of trouble as he hym selfe witnessâ—…th sayeng For the comforteles troubles sake of the nedye and because of the depe syghynge of Psal. 12. the poore now will I vp sayth the Lorde will helpe euery one froÌ„ him that swelleth againste hym and will set hym at rest Remember this sayeng of the prophete Esaye Esa. 30 In silence and hope shall your strenght be And thise sentence also of Ieremye It is Thre 3. good with sylence to tarrye for the sauyng healthe of God Murmure not agaynste God nor appoynte hym not hys tyme but paciently abyde hys working referring all Pacience thinges to hys godly pleasure and submittinge your wil to his blessed will whiche alwayes both willeth and doeth that thing that is best for hys glory and for oure salua cion In your pacience sayeth our sauiour Christe shall ye possesse your soules We Luc. 21. are commaunded too heare the woorde off God with an honeste and good harte too Luc. 8. kepe it faste and to bringe forthe the frute therof with pacience The tryall of youre fayth sayeth s. Iames bringeth forthe pacience but let your pacience haue a perfect Iac. 1. worke that ye maye be perfecte and whole and sounde on euery parte To the Hebrues Heb. 10 also it is written Caste not awaye youre confidence whiche hath greate rewarde to recoÌ„pence For ye haue nede of pacieÌ„te that after ye haue done the will of God ye might receaue the promyse For yet a littell whyle and he that shal come will come wil not tarry Pray therfore with pacieÌ„ce pacieÌ„tly abyding the good pleasure of God and his most gracious working Let youre fayth hope neuer departe from God but whan thinges become to moste extremitie reasoÌ„ iudgeth hauocke vtterly to be made and all thinges too be paste remedye than sâ—…eke moste faste to God to his promises let not your holde go but in the middes of death hope for lyfe loke for deliuerauÌ„ce at the Lordes haÌ„de Be lyke vnto hym that Iob. 13 sayde Though he kylleth me yet wil I put my trust in hym Saye with the Psalmographe the Lorde is my light my sâ—…luacioÌ„ whom then shall I feare The Lorde is the Psal. 27. strength of my lyfe of whome then shall I be afrayde When the wicked euen myne enemies and my foes came vpoÌ„ me to eate vp my flesh they stoÌ„dled and fell Thoughe an hoste of men were layde agaynst me yet shal not my hart be afrayd though there rose vp warre against me yet wil I put my trust in him For know ye this to be the pro Gods propertie in his seruauntes pertie of God He first casteth doun before he lifteth vp as we may se by Ioseph Dauid Daniel such other And whaÌ„ thinges seme to be past all remedy thaÌ„ he setteth to his haÌ„d maruelously helpeth that he mai shew hiÌ„ self to be an almighty Lord valeauÌ„t ruler of all creatures that there is no wysdome no forecast no couÌ„sâ—… that caÌ„ Prou. 21 preuayle against the Lord as Dauid sayth The Lord bringeth the counsaylles of the Psal. 33. Heathen to nought and maketh the deuyses of the people to be of none effect and casteth out the counsailes of princes But the counsayl of the Lorde shal endure for euer and the thoughtes of hys harte from generation to generation ¶ The. ix Chapter THat God sheweth hys present helpe In greatest extremities God chiefly helpeth moste of all in greatest extremities diuers histories declare euidentlye in the holy scriptures whereof parte briefly to touche it shall not be oute of the waye that we may learne in the middest of greatest euels not to despayr of the mighty workyng of God but to conceaue asure hope and to loke for all good thinges at the haÌ„de of the Lorde our God Who knoweth not vnto what great extremitie the chyldreÌ„ of Exod. 14 Israel were brought after their deliuerauÌ„ce out of Egipte Came they not to this point in their iourneye that before theym there was no waye to go into but the readde sea wherin they must nedes be drouned if they wente forwarde and behynde them was kynge Pharao with all his armye redy to slea them if they tarryed Here naturall reason sawe nothinge but presente deathe Before them was the readde sea vnable to be passed thorowe and behynde them theyr mortals foâ—… with his bloudy cruel hooste redy to kyll them Oh to what extremities are the Israelites come Yet beholde Psal. 145 1. Cor. 10 that mercifull God whiche is euer true faythful in his promises founde a way for them to escape where all reason witte wisedome discrecion experience and pollecye of man coulde do nothing in the matter He caused the sea to diuide it self so that in the middest therof he made a drye pathe for his people safely to passe thorow the sea standing on bothe sydes of them lyke two walles and the Israelites beynge once passed thorowe that whiche was a safegarde too Gods people was an vtter destruccion to their enemies For the sea ate the commauÌ„dement of God closed agayne together and drouned Pharao with all his companye O the wonderful workes of God Agayn when they were come into the wildernes Exo. 16. 17. where neither meate nor drincke was to be gotteÌ„ and they iudging after na turall reason thoughte that euery one off them shoulde there moste miserablye haue dyed for wante of socour how dyd the heauenly father in that extremitie prouide for his people by sending them meate froÌ„ heauen and geuinge them moste pleasaunte swete waters euen out of the harde rocke 〈◊〉 drincke O the excedinge greate ryches of the Lord our God To whome is the historye of Ioseph vnknowen Gene. 39 who beyng miserably kept in pryson certayne yeares withoute iuste cause euery man despayred of hys deliueraunce at any tyme. But whan all thinges semed to be paste remedy and the matter brought to vtter desperacion concerninge his commynge out God setteth too hande dothe not onely deliuer Ioseph out of
to escape came vnto Chryste awoke hym and sayde Master saue vs we peryshe Christe aunswered Why are ye afrayde O ye of littell faythe Then he arose and rebuked the wyndes and the sea there folowed a great calme O the tender mercye of the Lorde oure God towarde all suche as in the time of theyr trouble fie vnto his name as vnto a stronge bulwarke Thys historye teacheth vs that thoughe the seas and the wyndes yea though the deuel the worlde ryse rore rage ruffle against vs neuer so much yet if we fie vnto God with harty faythfull praier he wil surely helpe vs so that nothinge shal hurte vs seme oure case neuer so miserable our daunger neuer so perillous The waues of the sea are mightye sayeth the Psalmographe rage horri Psalm 93 bly yet the Lorde that dwelleth on hye iâ—… mightier The lyke historye rede we of Peter whiche whan he saw Christe walkinge on Math. 14 the sea sayde Lorde bid me come vnto the on the water Christ sayde come And whâ—… Peter was come doune out of the shippe he walked on the water to go to Iesus But whan he sawe a mighty wynde he was afraide And whan he beganne to syncke he cryed sayeng Lord saue me And immediat lye Iesus stretching forth his haÌ„de caught hym and sayde vnto hym O thou of litle fayth wherefore dedist thou doubte O the merciful fauour of the Lorde oure God towarde his weake feble creatures Here fynde we the sayeng of the Prophete true A broosed rede shall he not breake smoking Esay 42. flaxe shal he not quenche But as I maye at the laste come too the history of our Sauiour Christ Who seeth not â—…he mightie power of God in raisinge vp Christe crucifyde dead whan all reason and wisedom of men thought it a thing Mat. 27. impossible The Iewes now promised theÌ„ selfs many fayre holy daies great safegard muche quietnes and continuall rest seynge they had brought Christ their head enemye to his long home as they vse to say Euen as oure Papistes at this present daye promise them self many good morowes greate Papistes assuraunce of their wealthy liuinges long rest perfect establishement of their kyngedome and sure saffetie for euer forasmuche as they haue now gotteÌ„ agayn their deuelishe and abhominable Masse their vnfruteful Latin seruice their beggarly ceremonies c. haue so handled the matter that the true preachers beyng put to silence thei alone both at Paules crosse and els where are the trompet blowers not of Christes Gospell but of that Romishe Antichrâ—…es dyrtie deuelish decrees as their sermons if thei be worthy that name now of late haue manifestly declared vnto the great derogation of Gods glorie the dishonoure of hys holy Gospell and the vnspekeable sorowe of all faithful and Christe hartes The Iewes but specially the Bishops the Priestes Mat. 26. 27. the Scribes the Lawers the Phari seis the Saduceis founde the meanes to laye hande on Christ to bynde him to cary him vnto the hye powers to accuse hym to condemne him to crucifie him to kyll Note him Yea beynge buried and a greate stone rolled to the bodre of the sepulche they sealed the stone and sette watch men with bylles halbardes gleyues sâ—…aues speares pyâ—… kes all manner of weapon to kepe Christ doune that he shoulde ryse nomore and trouble the holy religious and spirituall fathers with hys doctrine as he dyd afore But what is the power of this worlde before God very weakenes and the wysedome 1. Cor. 3. playne folishenes For whan they thought them selfes sure ynough of Christ for euer rysing agayne and them selfes set in suche a goodly staye as no misfortuyne coulde chaunce to them and to their kyngedome Christe by the power of hys Godhead Math. 28 rose agayne a tryumphante and victorious conquerour of all his enemies and raygneth nowe in the glorye of hys father for euer and euer And shortlye after the doctrine of Chryste whyche they soughte by all meanes possible too destroye and for the whyche they so hated Christe that they thoughte hym vnworthye too lyue dyd so aryse spryng growe encreace prosper and floryshe that it was not onelye taughte in Iewrye and Samaria but also in all the partes of the worlde and the Iewes for theyr vnthankefulnes and disobedieÌ„ce after certayne yeares with theyr countrye vtterly peryshed and came to noughte After Bevvare ye papistes thys sorte without all doubte shall it come to passe with oure papistes For where as they thynke prosperously longe too raygne by suppressynge the worde of God and hol dynge doune yea quenchyng the glorious light of Christes Gospell the Gospell off Rom. 1 Christe whiche is the power of God shall moste triumphantly ryse agayne maugre the enemies florysh and prosper and they with all theyr pompe pryde vanitie super sticion papistrye hypocrisye Idolatrye ceremonies masses decrees constitucions counsayles customes c. shall perishe and come to nought For God hymself sayeth I will honour them that honour me and I wyll brynge them to shame that do dishonoure 1. Reg. 2. me And oure Sauioure Christe sayeth He that falleth vppon thys stone shall be broken Math. 21. on peces but vppon whomesoeuer it fall it shall crushe hym all to pouder Here to pertayneth the sayenge of sainct Paule 2. Tim. 3. They resiste the trueth beynge men of a corrupte iudgement and lewde as concerning the fayth but they shall preuayle no lenger For their madnes shall be knowen too all men Agayne the God of peace shal treade Rom. 16. sathan vnder your fete â—…hortly ¶ The. xi Chapter MOreouer in the Actes of the Apâ—…stles Acto 12. we rede that after king Herode had kylled Iames the brother off Ihon with the swearde he layde hande on Peter and put him in pryson committing him to foure quaternions of souldiours to be kept entendinge after Easter to bringe him forth to the people and so to kyll him But prayer was made without ceasing of the congregacion to God for him Here Peter was apprehended caste into pryson bounde with chaynes warders appointed to kepe him all thinges so handled that he should by no meanes escape but all tymes be redy at the firste call to be broughte forth vnto death Peter loked continually for present deathe Herode and the Iewes perswaded them selfs to be sure of Peter to kyll him at their pleasur as though thei had slaine him all redy But beholde the mightye power of God whiche fyndeth a meanes to deliuer his seruauÌ„tes whan reason seeth no way to escape The night before that Peter should be brought forth to death there was a very diligente watche because they wolde be sure of him Peter him self was bounde with twoo chaynes Two souldiours also kepte him in the pryson one on the one side of him and another on the other syde Besydes this there were