¶ A moste frutefull piththye and learned treatise how a Christen maÌ„ ought to behaue himself in the dauÌ„ger of death and howe they are to be releued and coÌ„forted whose deare frendes ar departed oute of thys worlde moste necessarye for this our vnfortunate age and sorowfull dayes Iohn 6. Verely verely I say vnto you he that beleueth in me hath euerlastyng lyfe Vnto all those that vnfaynedly desyer to lyue vnder the feare of god and with pacience abide the commyng of our lord and sauiour Iesus Chryste thorowe the workynge of the holy gost grace and peace be multiplyed THough al kiÌ„des of bestes haue some thynges commen one with another as in that thei see heare fele desier moue froÌ„ one place to another yet hath euery beaste also hys own speciall propertie as the birde hath another nature then the fishe the lion another disposicion then the wolfe EueÌ„ so in other my bookes heretofore by me publyshed I haue sette forth a generall comforte concerninge trouble sicknesse pouertie displeasure derth warre imprisonment death vnder the whiche I haue comprehended al the crosse and afflyccyon of man Neuertheles euerye mischaunce or aduersity hath also hys owne speciall consideracioÌ„ And forasmuch as among terrible thynges vpon earth death is estemed the most cruel of al and it can yet wyth no wysdome of man be ryghtfullye iudged how it goeth with a Christian in and after death Therefore the greatest necessitye requireth that we Christians be diligently instructed by the infallyble worde of god in especiall touchyng the ende and conclusion of our lyfe For whaÌ„ the laste houre draweth nye whyche we euerye daye yea euery twincklyng of an eye loke for whether the soule after it be departed do liue whether the corrupted body shal ryse agayn whether eternal ioye and saluacion be at hande and which way conducteth and leadeth to saluacyon therof hath the moste subtyle worldly wise man bi his owne naturall reason no knoweledge at all Plato Aristotel Cicero the gretest learned and wysest wryte of these high waightie maters very childishly and folyshli and as for consolacion that they geue it is in no sorte nor wyse to be compared vnto the holi diuine scripture which onlye ministreth the true Christian comforte in lyfe and death And though euery manne ought daily to consider his ende and at all tymes to make hymselfe ready for death seying thaâ— he knoweth not how where and whan god shal lay hys hand vpoÌ„ hym Yet neuertheles at this present tyme we haue moe occasioÌ„s to talke and treate thereof nowe that almightie god doth wyth diuers and sundry plages more greuously then here to fore visite our vnrepentant lyfe for that he all thys whyle hath perceaued in vs but litle ameÌ„dment neyther nede we to thynke that these the raigne and other plages shall ouerleape vs. CoÌ„sidering now that I though vnworthy and vnmete was called by auctoritie but specially of god to teache to exhort and to coÌ„fort I haue wyth great laboure out of the holy Scripture and out of olde and newe authours collected howe a man shoulde prepare himselfe vnto death how he is to be vsed that lyeth a dying how they ought to be coÌ„forted whose deare fredes ar departed Which thynges as they be orderly set in thys boke righte dearly beloued and louyng reader I do present dedicate and offer vnto the. And though I can consyder that this lytle boke is to small and slender a gyfte because of my persoÌ„ yet is it neyther litle nor to be despysed for the fountaynes sake that it floweth out of and by reason of theÌ„ mater wherof it is wrytteÌ„ For herein out of the vnchauÌ„geable worde of god are noted the head articles of our last conflyct and battayll wherupoÌ„ depeÌ„deth eyther eternall victorye honoure and ioye or els euerlasting losse and endles payne of the whiche thynges we canne neuer thynke talke nor treate sufficieÌ„tly Wherfore wheras this litle boke goeth forth vnto thy vse that arte an vnfayned Christian and to the coÌ„fort of al suche as are afrayed of death I praye the for Chrystes sake not onely to accept it as the testymonie of a wyllyng and louyng mynde towarde the but also to haue styll an earnest desier to that that it hath pleased god by me at thys time to coÌ„municate vnto the that wyth thy thankfulnes thou mayest moue other to the life that can do better and by thi profet styrre the haruest lord to sende more haruest men into his haruest Whych he caÌ„not but do outcept he coulde deny hymselfe that came into the worlde nother to put out the flax that smoketh nor to breake the reade that is but broosed but to open to theÌ„ that knocke to hym ¶ Loue god leue vanitye and lyue in Chryst Vale et â—iâ—eâ—â— cum fortuna ¶ The contentes of the fyrste booke ☞ The first Chapter coÌ„teineth ☞ What death is folio 1 ☞ The .2 Chapter ☞ That the tyme of death is vncertayne folio 6 ☞ The .3 Chapter ☞ That it is god whiche hath layed the burden of death vpon vs. folio 7 ☞ The 4. Chapter ☞ That god sendeth death beecause of synne folio 9 ☞ The .5 Chapter ☞ That god turneth death vnto good folio 12 ☞ The .6 Chapter ☞ That death in it selfe is greuous to the bodi and soule fo 13 ☞ The .7 Chapter ☞ That we all commenly are afrayed of death folio 22 ☞ The .8 Chapter ☞ A commoditie of death whaÌ„ it delyuereth vs from this shorte transitorye tyme. folio 26 ☞ The .9 Chapter ☞ Another commoditie whan death deliuereth vs from this miserable tyme. folio 29 ☞ The .10 Chapter ☞ Witnes that thys life is miserable folio 37 ☞ The .11 Chapter ☞ That the coÌ„sideracioÌ„ of death afore hande is profitable to all vertues folio 40 ☞ The .12 Chapter ☞ In death we learne the ryght knowledge of our selues and of god also and are occasyoned to geue ouer oure selues vnto god folio 43 ☞ The .13 Chapter ☞ That the dead ceasseth from synne folio 45 ☞ The .14 Chapter ☞ That the dead is delyuered from this vicious worlde hauiÌ„g not onlye thys aduauntage that be sinneth no more but also is discharged from others synnes folio 48 ☞ The .15 Chapter ☞ That the dead obteyneth saluacion folio 50 ☞ The .16 Chapter ☞ Similitudes that death is wholsome folio 52 ☞ The .17 Chapter ☞ Witnesse that death is wholsome folio 59 ☞ The .18 Chapter ☞ That death can not bee auoyded Item of companions of theÌ„ that dye folio 62 ☞ The .19 Chapter ☞ Of natural helpe in daunger of death folio 66 ☞ The .20 Chapter ☞ That God is able and wyll helpe for Chrystes sake foli 68 ☞ The .21 Chapter ☞ That god hath promysed his helpe and comfort folio 79. ☞ The .22 Chapter ☞ God setteth to hys owne helpyng hande in such wyse and at such time as is best of all fo 84 ☞ The .23 Chapter ☞
meanes of synne iâ— synne ouercome and vanquished of Chryst Yf it greued vs from our heartes that we dayly se and fynde howe we continuallye vse our selues against the most swetâ— wyll of oure moste deare father and were assured withal that in death we ceasse from synne and begin to bee perfect ryghteous howe were it possible that we should not set litel by death and pacientlye take it vpon vs Oute of suche a feruente gelousye and godly displeasure Paul after he had earnestlye complayned that he founde another lawe whyche stroue agaynste the law of God syghed and cryed romanes 7. Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Agayne so long as death hath so euil a tast in vs and we will perforce continue styll in the lyfe of the flesh we bewray oure selues that we doe not well nor sufficiently vnderstande our owne defaultes neyther fele them deepe inough nor abhorre theÌ„ so muche as we shoulde Yea that we bee not earnest desyrers of innocency nor feruent louers of our heauenly father ¶ That the dead is deliuered from his vicious world hauyng not onely thys aduauntage that he synneth no more but also is discharged from other synnes The .14 Chapter WHoso leaueth nothing els worthy behinde him but that he is quyte from vicious people may wel be the gladder to depart hence partly for that he can bee nomore tempted of them nor enticed by their euill ensample partly for that thoughe he could not be deceaued by others yet it greueth hym at the heart to see other foâ—kes practyse their wilfulnes Now hath vice sinne eueri where gotten the vpper hande the trueth is despised god hymselfe dishonoured the pore opprest the good persecuted the vngodly promoted to auctorite Antichrist tryumphing Great complaining there is that the worlde is euer the longer the worse Forasmuch theÌ„ as thorowe death we be discharged of so vicious a world whoÌ„ should it delite to lyue heare any more Thys meaning doeth the preacher set forth in the .4 chapter of Ecclesiastes sayinge So I turned me coÌ„sidered al the violeÌ„t wrong that is done vnder the soÌ„ne And behold the teares of such as were opprest there was no man to comforte them or that woulde deliuer and defende them from the violence of their oppressours There is at thys daye by the grace of God many a worthy Chrystian that desireth rather to dye then to bee a loker vpon such deuelyshe wylfulnes as commonly goeth forwarde ¶ That the dead obtayneth saluacion The .15 Chapter AS for vicious vnrepentant people whan they dye I knowe no comfort for theÌ„ Theyr bodyes in dede shal ryse at the last day but foule and marked to eternall payne Theyr soules shal be delyuered vnto the deuill to whom they haue done seruice An ensample hereof standeth of the rich man Luke 1â—â— agayn there is thensample of good Lazarus that al Christians are taken vp of the aungels into eternall ioie and saluacion We must not fyrste be purged in purgatory but thorow death we escape the deuill the worlde and all misfortunes that thys tyme is oppreste wythall Yf we nowe shoulde lose oure bodies and not haue them again then were death in dede a terryble thyng neyther precyous nor much worth But our body is not so litle regarded before god for euen vnto the body also hath he alreadye prepared saluacyon Yea euen for thys intente hath he laied vpon our neckes the burthen of naturall death that he myghte afterward clothe vs with a pure renewed and cleare body and to make vs gloryous in eternal lyfe Therefore death also whiche is a begynnyng of the ioyful resurreccyon ought to bee estemed deare and precyous in our eyes After death verely is the soule in it self clensed from all synnes and endewed with perfect holynes wysedome ioye honour and glory for euermore Similitudes that death is whole some The .16 Chapter IF an olde siluer goblet be melted and new fashioned after a bewtiful maner then is it better then afore neyther spilte nor destroyed Euen so haue we no iust cause to complayne of death whereby the body beeyng delyuered from all fylthynesse shall in hys due tyme be perfectly renewed The egge shell thoughe it bee goodly and faire fashioned must bee opened and broken that the yong chicken maye slip oute of it None otherwyse doth death dissolue and breake vp our bodi but to the intent that we maye attain vnto the lyfe of heauen The mothers wombe caryeth the child seuen or nyne moneths and prepareth it not for it selfe but for the world wherin we are borne Euen so thys present time ouer al vpon earth serueth not to thys ende that we must euer bee here but that we should be brought forth and borne oute of the body of the world into another euer lasting life Hereunto behold the wordes of Christ Ion. 17. a woman whaÌ„ she trauayleth hath sorowe beecause her houre is come But assone as she is delyuered of the chylde she remembreth nomore the anguishe for ioye that a man is borne into the worlde Namely lyke as a chylde oute of the small habitacion of his mothers wombe wyth daunger and anguishe is borne into this wyde world Euen so goeth a man thorowe the narowe gate of death with distresse and trouble out of the earth into the heauenly lyfe For thys cause did the olde Christians call the death of the sayntes a newe birth Therefore oughte we to note well thys comforte that to dye is not to perish but to bee fyrste of all borne a ryghte The death of the faythfull formeth in dede to be lyfe vnto the death of the vnbeleuers but verely thys is as great a difference as betwene heauen earth Our death is euen as a death Image made of wood whyche gyrneth wyth the teeth and feareth but canot deuour Our death should be estemed euen as Moyses brasen serpente whych hauynge the fourme and proporcyon of a serpent was yet wythout bytynge without mouing without poysoÌ„yng Euen so thoughe death bee not vtterly take nawaye Yet thorow the grace of god it is so weakened made voyde that the only bare proporcioÌ„ remayneth WhaÌ„ the master of the ship thynketh he is not wyde from the place where he must land discharge he sayleth on forth the more cherefully and gladly euen so the nearer we drawe vnto death where we must lande the more stowtly ought we to fighte agaynste the gostlye parels Lyke as he that goeth a farre iourney hath vncertayne lodgyng trauayll and laboure and desyreth to returne home to hys own country to his father and mother wyfe childreÌ„ and frendes among whom he is sureste and at moste quiete by meanes wherof he forceth the lesse for any roughe carefull pathe or waye homewarde euen so all we are straungers and pilgremes vpon earth Par. 30. c. â—sa 39.119 c Peter 2. b. Cor. 5. a. â—hilip 3. c. â—c 11. c. 13. b
shal we neuer bee able to comprehende how it commeth to passe that the soule muste depart out and yet bee preserued the wormes consume the bodye and that thesame yet shal ryse agayne and lyue for euer Therefore is there required faythe in Chryste and in his word The summe her of haue we in the twelue articles of the olde aunciente vndoubted Christian belefe And though it bee our dewtye alwaye speciallye at the tyme of death earnestly to consider al the articles yet pryncipally whaÌ„ we dye we oughte to exercyse the foure last articles The communyon of saintes The Frutes of faith the forgeuenes of sinnes the resurreccion of the body and the lyfe euerlastynge For these foure in themselues compreheÌ„de al the power commoditie frute of faythe Namelye whosoeuer doeth stedfastly loke for al grace and help at gods hande thorowe the concepcion and birth death passyon resurreccyon ascensyoÌ„ intercessyon merytes of Iesus Chryst and standeth lyueth and dieth in the same faith though all synnes deuils death hel would fall vpon hym and oppresse him yet canne they not hurt hym To bee shorte it is not other wise possible he must nedes haue feloshyppe wyth God and the elect and be quite discharged from all synnes and ioyfully rise again to eternal life Yea what soeuer the soÌ„ne of god himselfe hath can do and is able that same hath thys beeleuer also obteyned neyther can it goe other wyse wyth hym but prosperously in lyfe death here and in the world to come teÌ„porally and eternally Wytnesse Whoso hath Chryst hath already the true lyfe and all blessing for Christ is the life the resurreccion and a plentefull sufficiency of all good thinges Thorowe fayth Ephesi 3. doeth Chryste dwell in our hartes Therfore thorowe fayth we obteyne all consolacion and blessyng That fayth is the true absolucyon it may be perceaued by the wordes of Chryste whaÌ„ he saith so oft in the gospell be it vnto the accordyng to thy belefe Item God wyll constauntlye stand to hys worde and promes he is of nature the trueth it selfe Heauen and earth shall passe but hys wordes shall not passe Luke 21. What are nowe the promyses of god Iohn 3. So god loued the world that he gaue hys onelye begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleueth on hym shoulde not peryshe but haue euerlastynge lyfe O howe blessed a promys is thys that if we beleue in Chryste the sonne of god we shall thorowe hym inheryte eternall lyfe Item Iohn 5. vereli verely I say vnto you he that heareth my woordes and beleueth on hym that seÌ„t me hath euerlastyng lyfe and shall not come into damnacyon but is escaped from death vnto lyfe Lorde howe comfortable a thing is thys that a faythfull beleuer by temporall death escapeth thorow yea is already escaped into euerlastyng lyfe Againe Iohn â— â–ª this is the will of my father which hath sente me that euery one whych seeth the sonne and beleueth on hym haue eternall lyfe and I shall raise him vp at the laste day As though he said Thys is the most geÌ„tle good will of god the father of god the sonne that such a man as styll endureth in stedfaste confidence vpon the grace worde of God shall bee preserued saued for euer And euen as litle shall synne hell and the deuyll be able to hurte hym as they could hurte Chryste hymselfe A pithie similitude Whan the darknes of the night falleth down it couereth the whole world dymmeth the coloure and fashion of all creatures feareth discomforteth them yet is it not of such power as to darken suppresse quenche the least light of al that is founde in the worlde For the darker the night is the clearer dothe starres shyne yea the lest lyght of a candell wtstandeth the whole night and geueth light rounde about in the middes of darknes A litle sparke also of a coale can not the darknes couer much les is it able to queÌ„ch it 1. Ihon â— Now is god the true euerlastyng heaueÌ„ly light And al they that put their truste in hym are as a burniÌ„g candle For thorow fayth doeth god dwell in our hartes we ar the liuing teÌ„ple of god Christs disciples ar called the lightes of the world Hereout foloweth it the though the prince of spiritual darknes thrust in with his noisome poisoÌ„ plages Yet shal we beholde in faith that he with his poisoÌ„ plages can neyther appreheÌ„d nor destroy any true faithful maÌ„ or womaÌ„ but shal be sinitten back dryuen away perforce A lytle vayne of water An apte similitude breaketh forth out of the grouÌ„d sometyme scace a fynger bygge and whan the water is gathered into a dyche or ponde it spryngeth neuerthelesse And though the water become heuy of certain huÌ„dreth wayght and moue about the foâ—â—tayne yet can it not dryue backe 〈◊〉 fountaine but it driueth the wholâ— waighte of the water backwardâ— and forwarde and spryngeth stâ—â— continually tyll the dyche bee sâ— full that it goe ouer And if the other water be foule and troubleâ— it can not myngle it selfe among the freshe cleare water of the foâ—â—tayne but the same remayneth puâ—â— and fayer tyll in tyme it comâ— farre from the head spryng Iere. 2. Psal 36. Nowe is god the only plentifull fountayne of all lyfe Anâ— the faythfull are verye flowyng wels For Chryste saieth Whosâ— beleueth on me Iohn 7. out of hys body as sayth the scripture shal flow streames of the water of lyfe Whyche wordes he spake of thâ— sprete that they which beleue oâ— hym should receaue Thus no mâ—â—chaunce of thys world can spoilâ— any faythful man of his comfort and lyfe forasmuche as god the eternall well spryng of life dwelleth and floweth in hys hearte and dryueth all noysome things 〈◊〉 awaye from it To the intente now The exercyse of fayth that thou mayest be partaker of al the frutes of faith thou must maÌ„fulli striue and exercyse thy belefe after this maner If any imaginacion or thoughte concernynge synne or death wil feare the though flesh and bloud tell thee otherwyse though thyne owne naturall reason woulde make thee to beeleue none other and thou thy selfe felest not the contrari but the god of very wrath wyll kyll thee daÌ„ne thee for euer yet let no dispayer plucke the noble comforte of the sauioure out of thyne hearte let not thy hart wauer in the louing and fatherly promes of god Let the terrible cogitacions passe as much as is possible Remember the comfortable gracious worde of the lord Iesu Blessed of godis he that â—ath thys â—ynde Comprehend and kepe it sure in a stedfast belefe confydence and hope Plucke vp thiâ—e heart and say O death thy false feare woulde fayne disceaue me and wyth lying cogitacions pull me awaye from Chryst the worthy I mai not harkeÌ„ to thy feare neyther accepte it I knowe of a deare
valeaunt worthi and victorious man that sayd bee of good comforte I haue ouercome the world That is to say sine deth deuyll hell and whatsoeuer cleaueth to the world And verely verely Iohn 6. he that beleueth and putteth hys trust in me hath eternal life Wyth the whyche wordes the same deare valeaunt worthy and victorious man doth applye also vnto me his victory and power With him will I continew and kepe me to hys worde and comforte whether I lyue longer or must dy Here ought we perfectly to be sure that the greater the battayll of death is the nerer is Iesus Christ to crown vs with mercy and louing kindnes Euident ensamples out of the new and olde testament Paul reioyseth and bosteth agaynste the terrour of death Death is swalowed vp in victory Death 1. Cor. 15. where is thy victory Hel where is thy styng As though he wold say To the faytâ—â—full death is a comforte O death thou mayest wel make one afrayed as a death image of wood maye doe but to deuoure thou hast no myghte For thy victorye stynge and power is swalowed vp in the victory of Chryste And thorow Iesus Christ our lord hath god geueÌ„ vs the victory agaynst thee so that all true faythfull Christians are become lordes ouer death hell Out of suche a fayth is Paul not afrayed to say Whether we liue or dye Roma 14. we are the lordes And agayne thus he speaketh exceadyng comfortably Chryste is to me lyfe Philip. 1. Oh that these wordes were printed in our hartes and death is to me aduauntage For hereby goe we froÌ„ labour to rest from shame to honoure from heuynes to ioye froÌ„ death to lyfe 1. Iohn 5. We knowe that we are translated froÌ„ death vnto life Though I walke in the valey of the shadowe of death Psal 23. yet feare I no euyll for thou lord god arte with me Vnbelefe Therfore let them feare death that know not Christ neither beleue in hym euen suche as from temporal death passe vnto death euerlastynge For God geuethe charge and coÌ„maundement that we shoulde receaue coumforte in the lord Iesu as the words souÌ„d be of good comforte How god 〈◊〉 blasphemed by our fear of death I haue ouercome the world Whoso now wil not be comforted wyth the lorde Iesu doth vnto god the father the sonne the greatest dishonour as though it were false that he byddeth vs be of a good comforte as though it wer not true that he hath ouercome the worlde The fearer oâ— death armeâ—â— the deuyll agaynst hymselfe And by this whereas the deuil sinne and death is ouercome alreadye we strengthen them to bee oure own tirannes againste the faythfull true sauiour Trust in ouâ— own streÌ„gtâ— is the way to desperacyon Hereof procede such wordes as these I wote not how to endure and abyde it alas what shal be come of me What is that els but to haue respect vnto our owne strengthe as thoughe Chryst were not at hande to take our part and to fynish the matter Item thorowe vnbelefe a man desyreth to remayne here longer whether god be content with all or no. In the sight of the worlde he is taken to bee no honeste man that vily forsaketh hys bodelye master doth not be then procure vnto hymselfe euerlastyng shame that in trouble of death pyketh hymselfe away from Chryst the heaueÌ„ly master Witnes he that beleueth not Mark 16. Iohn 3. shal be damned He that beleueth not on the sonne of god shal not see lyfe but the wrath of god abydeth on hym ¶ Of hope The .29 Chapter The worke streÌ„gth of the lyuely fayth FAyth though it be no greater then a litle sparke gendreth hope which loketh and wayteth for the deliueraunce to come and shall vndoubtedlye not come to confusion Committe thy cause vnto the lord hope vpoÌ„ hym Psal 37. and he full wel shal bryng it to passe Ipse faciet he hymselfe wyll be the doer The good Patriarck Abraham is set forth vnto vs for an ensample of fayth and hope Like as he hoped against hope that is to say there as nothyng was to hope euen so must our hope stande fast and sure agaynst al that our own naturall reason or the wycked enemye can obiect or cast in oure waye ¶ Of the Sacramentes The .30 Chapter TO the confirmacioÌ„ of faith and hope serue the holye sacramentes of baptisme and of the supper of the Lord. The vse or frute of Baptime Baptime is an vndoubted true token and euideÌ„ce of the grace of god fastened eueÌ„ vpon the bodi wyth the which god promyseth byndeth himselfe that he wil be thy god father for hys sonnes sake and wyl also preserue the with hys owne sprete in thy greateste parels for euermore The sacramente of the body bloud of Chryst muste be exercysed and practised The place of the supper and persons onely in the commyng together of the whole congregacion and church according to the ensample of the Apostles Therfore let the sycke satisfy him selfe with the generall breakinge of bread whereof he was partaker wyth the whole congregacioÌ„ But let hym diligently consyder the frute therof after this maner The frute of the supper god hath promysed me his grace in Christ and geueÌ„ me an assured token from heauen in thys sacrament that Chrystes lyfe hath in hys death ouercome my death that hys obedyence in hys passioÌ„ hath destroyed my synnes Thys godly promes token and euideÌ„ce of my saluacyoÌ„ shal not disceaue me I wyll not suffer thys to bee taken fro me to dy for it I wil rather deny al the world my selfe also then to doubt in gods token and promes Here the deuyl teÌ„pteth a man to say yea but thorow my vnworthynes I may spil the giftes of god that are offered me by the worde token and so bee spoyled of thesame for euer Our worthynes to communicate Answere God geueth thee nothynge for thyne own worthynes sake yea he buyldeth thee vnworthy vpon the worthynes of his owne sonne If thou beleue on the soÌ„ne of god thou art and continueste worthy before the face of god Item forasmuche as thou hast gone heretofore vnto the supper of the lord thou art thorowe the same sacrameÌ„t incorporated and conioyned wyth al them that are sanctified in god and art already come in to the feloweshyp of the sainctes so that they with thee in Chryst dye and ouercome Of prayer The .31 Chapter NO man shoulde presume to exercyse fayth hope or other spiritual giftes out of his owne power but humbly to prai vnto god for all suche thynges Oure sufficiency is from god as are nedeful And seing we haue nede of one mediatour and aduocate god hath geuen vs hys sonne Iesus Christ Neither is ani of our prayers acceptable vnto god Hebru 1â— but such as we offer thorowe Iesus
The preacher sayth remember thy maker in thy youth Eccle. 11. or euer the dayes of aduersitie come and afore the yeares drawe nye when thou shalt saye I am wery of my lyfe Agayne we reade examine correcte thy selfe Sirac 1◠afore the iudgement come so shalte thou fynde grace in the syght of god Hūble thy selfe afore thou be sycke and declare in season that thou wylte ceasse from sinne Be not hindred to pray in due tyme and differre not thy amendement vntil death No man knoweth the time place or maner how he shall ende this lyfe Many one hopeth yet longe to liue thynketh I am yet yōg I wil folow the world Whā I am olde or haue a wife kepe house then wyl I begynne to frame my selfe But o thou fooll who hath promysed thee that thou shalt be an old man yea that thou shalt lyue to morow As nothynge is more certayn then death so is nothing more vncertayne then the houre of death whiche the Lorde hath not opened to hys best frendes Therfore euery daye thynke thou none other in thy mynd but that thy glasse is runne out A frendly warnyng let euerye day be vnto thee the last day seyng thou wotest not whether that shalt lyue tyll to morowe Learne to beware by the example of other men vpon whom stretche legge came sodenly and slewe them euen whan they thought nothing lesse then to dye Yea of death ought we to thinke as of that whiche is presente for we haue death by the fote and carye hym aboute wyth vs in oure whole body Lyke as one in a shyppe whether he syt stande awake or slep is euer styll borne and caryed forwarde althoughe he marke it not greatly neyther fele it so our life in a continuall mocyon dooeth euery twynklyng of an eye steale forth and priuely crepe to the end thoughe we marke not howe the tyme passeth Dauid sayeth oure tyme goeth foorth swiftlye Psal 90. as though we did flie As if he wold saye there can nothyng runne or flye awaye more swiftlye And Sirac sayeth Sirac 14. remember the death taryeth not Paul sayeth I dye dayly 1. Cor. 15. For euen in the middest of lyfe ar we in death yea death dayly assone as we are borne taketh awai som what of our life After thys meanīg writeth Augustine The time of thys lyfe is nothyng els but arounyng vnto death Moreouer death is daylye set before our eyes we heare the sighing and lamentable voyces of thē that dye we see the coarses caryed to the buriall we gooe by the graues of the dead we bee styll talkyng of those that ar dead and buryed If the ensample of others touch vs but a litle then lette vs consyder our selfes Where is there one of vs that hath not somtyme ben in daunger of lyfe either thorow tempest sicknes pestylence murthur warre or other misfortune Therefore seeyng death waiteth for vs on euery side we doe wisely whan we also on euery syde wayte for him that he take vs not vnprepared or catche vs sodenly Though a man perfectly know as no man doth in dede that it should belonge afore he dyed yet were it exceadyng daungerous to differ the preparaciō til thā And more profitably could not one hāble the matter then by tyme and in due season to directe himselfe vnto that place where he desireth euerlastynglye to remayne For vncertayne he is whan the laste houre cōmeth whether he shall conuerte hymselfe to God and whether he shal haue hys ryhgte mynde or not Thoughe he bee not robbed of hys ryghte mynde yet in deadlye sicknes he hath so muche to doe wyth the trouble that it is heard than for hym to learne that he hath not comprehended learned afore The vnspeakeable payne of the bodye the horryble syght of thyne owne synnes the terrible feare of gods iudgement and the cruell temptacyon of the deuill come altogether vpon one heape in the perturbaunce and cōbraunce of death and hynder exceadyng much in euerye thynge that one ought to thynke speake or doe Yf thou now hast lightly regarded al warning and so diest in thy synnes thou shalt not bee able after death to amende any more Al repentaunce sorowing from that tyme forth shall bee in vayne Prou. 11. Whan the vngodly dyeth hys hope is gone Forasmuch thē as it is so that in death we must abyde the sorest and most daungerous cōflict and battayl euery reasonable man may wel perceue that we ought by tyme and in season yea all our lyfe tyme to prepare afore hande agaynste the sayd battayll ¶ That the foresayed thynges oughte by tyme and in due season to bee taken in hande The .40 Chapter THy laste wyll and testament The frute of makyng thy testamente in tyme of health beyng made while thy bodye is whole and sounde causeth not thee to dye the soner as oure feble vnderstanding ymagineth but is an occasion that thou diest the more quietly and that thou then goeste not firste aboute suche thornes whā thou liest vpon thy death bed Well don is it whan one that dyeth dooeth restore euyll gotten goods But vnto god it is an hundreth tymes more acceptable if thou restore it thy selfe while thou art whol and soūd in body It is wel don to bestow one porciō of goods for the relief of the poore But yet is it a muche more acceptable offerynge vnto God whan one hymselfe in hys lyfetyme geueth vnto the poore For that whych thou vpon thy death bead apoyntest for them is not alwaye distributed and though it be yet is it nomore thyne Some do euē as the wyfe that would geue none of her potage to any body tyll her pot was ouerthrown then called she that pore vnto it It is well done in the ende to forgeue all men and to pray vnto god that he also will forgeue all thyne enemies ▪ but much more cōmendable is it to forgeue them afore while thou hast thy health and not doe it for feare of death but for the very loue of Chryste As for other wayghtye makers wherewyth thou arte wrapped concernyng wyfe children neighbours debtes frendes or enemyes those lykewyse oughteste not thou to differre tyll the laste daye wherein thou haste inough to dooe wyth the worlde whych thou arte lothe to forsake wyth deathe whom naturallye thou hateste wyth the deuyll who practyseth all hys crafty falshod and subtyltie wyth the feare of hell the terroure whereof is horrible By meanes of such things an vnprepared manne dooeth oft forgette the grace of GOD and the souls health For if thou hauynge alwaye a louynge frend in estymacyon dooeste contrarye wyse litle regarde a poore neyghbour It were no wonder if thou shouldest forget the same neyghbour in the meane season whan thy deare frende is departed Euen so whan one now hath alway cast what maye dooe the bodye good howsoeuer it goeth wyth the soule no meruayll that the soules health is
depart geuyng all temporal things ther leaue hauyng a ryght vnderstandyng of the holy gospell and exercising the true belef therof by feruente prayer charitable loue and pacyence Turne thee for gods sake froÌ„ all creatures to the creator and maker turne thee from wyfe and chylde turne thee from temporal goods and honour consyderyng that none of them can helpe the neyther from siÌ„ne nor froÌ„ death All that thou leauest behynd the the lord accordyng to his almighty prouideÌ„ce shal wel and fatherli take care for theÌ„ He that hath created thy wyfe and children shal also prouide them a lyuing as he hath sente vnto thee al thyngs necessary eueÌ„ vnto thys houre Afterwarde ought not the minde of the sick to be disturbed or pointed hether thether vp down as the more pitie they vse to do in the Papistry but onelye vnto God the father thorowe Iesus Chryst accordyng to the coÌ„teÌ„tes of the whole ghospell after thys meanyng The spirituall comfortâ—â— Doest thou beleue and confes from the grounde of thy heart that there is but one onely god who hath geuen thee bodye and soule meate and drynke lodgyng and clothyng with al other necessaryes graciously helped thee out of many greuous mischaÌ„ces and miseryes The sicke Then lette the syck say yea that I knoweledge and confesse Doest thou also confesse The coÌ„forteâ— that thou oughtest aboue al thynges to haue feared and worshypped this thy gracyousse maker and father and to haue loued hym wyth al thy heart with al thy soule wyth al thy streÌ„gth and for his sake thy neyghboure also as thy selfe Hath not god deserued that at thy hande The sicke Then let hym saye O Lorde god I shoulde in dede haue done so The comforter Knowledge thou lykewyse that thou oft and many a tyme haste wyttyngly and willingli of very vngraciousnes done against god and thy neyghboure by meanes wherof thou hast iustli deserued the euerlastyng wrath plage and indignacion of god in bodye and soule Then let hym saye Oh sir it is al to true The sicke I yelde my self giltie and confesse it before God Well The coÌ„forter greater and more horrible synnes then these couldeste not thou doe if thou wouldeste styll not regarde the wrath and rigorous iudgement of god as thou haste done heretofore How arte thou mynded Doest thou desier and pray from the grounde of thy heart that God wyl preserue the from such slender regardynge of thyne owne synnes and of hys iust wrath and iudgement Desireste thou also wyth thy whole hearte that God wyll not deale wyth thee after hys diuyne iudgement and iustice but accordiÌ„g to hys fatherly mercye and that he wyll remitte and forgeue thy synnes and trespaces Then let hym say Yea that is my desyer The sicke from the botome of my hearte God from heauen dyd sende vnto thee hys deare and only begotten sonn The coÌ„forter who toke vpon hym the nature of manne and in hys death vpon the crosse he bare not only our trespace but the paine also and punishment due for the same makyng ful payment and satisfactioÌ„ for vs. Iohn the Baptist with hys fynger poynteth vnto Christ and sayeth lo thys is gods laÌ„be that taketh away the synne of the world And Iohn the Euangelist sayth 1. Iohn 1. The bloud of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from all synne Doest thou now confesse that Iesus Chryst the sonne of God dyed and rose agayne for thee also And wylt thou as one parcell of the world one brokeÌ„ rede one pece of smoking flax and one lost shepe cast al thy siÌ„nes vpoÌ„ him embracyng thys comforte of the gospell in thy heart and comprehendyng it wyth a stroÌ„g stedfast belefe Then let hym say O lord Iesu The sicke my heartes desyer is of the to be healed coÌ„forted and refreshed And thankes be vnto God for euermore that I maye haue him my mediator and redemer I wyl wholly committe and yelde my selfe vnto hym Then vpon thys The coÌ„foâ—â— â–ª the Lord Iesus Chryst by hys godlye worde and gospel sendeth thee this message Thy sinnes are forgeueÌ„ the and in hys syght all are taken away not onely the synne but the payne also due for the same namely euerlastyng death hel and daÌ„nacyon So that thou shalte be receaued agayne as a deare acceptable chylde and heire of eternal lyfe Beleuest thou thys comfortable promes of Iesu Chryste Then let hym saye yea The sicke but O mercyfull god strength thou my weake belefe The coÌ„fortâ—â— The summe of all thys is conteyned in the articles of the Christian belefe whyche wyth the aforesayed interpretacion maye bee rehearced vnto the sycke And to the intente that thy hearte maye bee sette at reste and the assured in thy fayth therefore hath Chryst instituted his holy supper and sacrameÌ„t of his body and bloud wherein he dooeth signifie wytnesse and put to hys seale that euen thou also art one of those many for whom he gaue his body and shed hys bloude Now whan synne death hel deuill and gods wrath teÌ„pteth and turmoileth thy conscience thou must wyth the same sacrament as with the word of god comforte thy coÌ„science that Chryst Iesus with hys body and lyfe is thy suertye and that hys soule and bloud and all that he is standeth for thee and on thy syde agaynste al bodelye and gostly enemyes Moreouer thou must byd the sick call vpon god for fayth pacience and other spirituall giftes Some tyme recite before hym the Lordes prayer with a shorte exposicion that he may direct his prayer the better Exhorte also al suche as staÌ„d about the sick to praye for hym consideryng that our lorde hath made a rich and faithful promes Where two or three are asseÌ„bled in hys name he hymselfe wyl be in the myddes among them and graunt them their desyer And for asmuch as al instructions must be taken of the word of god therfore before the sick these parcels folowyng may bee read The .6 Psalme which begineth Lord rebuke me not in thyne anger c. The .22 Psalme Mi god my god c. The .25 Psalme Vnto thee O Lorde c. The .27 Psalme The lord is my lyghte c. The .42 Lyke as the harte longeth c. The .51 Haue mercye vpon me c. The .91 Whoso dwelleth c. The .116 I am well pleased c. The .139 O lord thou searchest me c. The .143 Heare my prayer O Lorde c. The prayer of kyng Ezechias Esay 38. The Psalme of Simeon NuÌ„c dimittis Luke 2. The .11 Chapter of Iohn Of Lazarus The .14 and .17 of S. Iohns gospell The passion of Chryst and specyally concernyng the one of the two murtherers The .8 Chapter to the Romaines The .1 Corinthians 15. Al which places serue to make the prayer feruente and to strengthen true belefe Furthermore the sicke oughte to be told of the fruites of fayth because of prouokyng thankefulnes
Examples of gods helpe folio 88 ☞ The .24 Chapter ☞ That it is necessari to prepare for thys iourney folio 90 ☞ The .25 Chapter ☞ Prouision concernyng temporal goodes chyldren and frēdes whyche muste be lefte behynde folio 92 ☞ The .26 Chapter ☞ Preparacion concerning gostly maters wyth what cogitaciō◠the mynde oughte moste to be exercysed folio 97 ☞ The .27 Chapter ☞ Of repentaunce and sorowe for synne folio 102 ☞ The .28 Chapter ☞ Of trewe fayth folio 103 ☞ The 29. Chapter ☞ Of hope folio 116 ☞ The .30 Chapter ☞ Of the sacramentes fol. 117 ☞ The .31 Chapter ☞ Of prayer folio 120 ☞ The .32 Chapter ☞ The forme of prayer fo 124 ☞ The .33 Chapter ☞ A forme of prayse and thākesgeuyng folio 130 ☞ The .34 Chapter ☞ That the prayer is harde fol. 133 ☞ The .35 Chapter ☞ That the word of god is to be practised and vsed fol. 134. ☞ The .36 Chapter ☞ Amendment of lyfe necessarye foli 136 ☞ The .37 Chapter ¶ Exhortacion vnto pacyence folio 139 ☞ The .38 Chapter * The original and frute of pacyence folio 145 * The .39 Chapter * That a man whyle he is yet in health ought to prepare himself afore hande folio 147 * The .40 Chapter * That the foresaid things ought by tyme and in due season to bee taken in hande fol. 155 ¶ The contentes of the seconde booke * The .1 Chapter * How the sicke oughte to be spoken vnto if nede shall require folio 164 * The .2 Chapter * Of the buriall and what is to be done towardes those that are departed hence folio 180 ¶ The contentes of the thirde boke * The .1 Chapter * How they oughte to be comforted whose deare frendes are dead foli 186. * The .2 Chapter * That vnto such as dye it is profitable to depart out of this lyfe foli 195 * The .3 Chapter * What profit the death of frēds bryngeth to such as are lefte behynde alyue foli 204 * The .4 Chapter * Companions that suffer like heuines of hart folio 212 * The .5 Chapter * Thorowe gods helpe all hearte sorowes are eased fol. 214 * The .6 Chapter * We muste furnyshe oure selues wyth prayer and pacience folio 217 * The .7 Chapter * Ensamples of pacience in lyke case folio 222. The .8 Chapter * The commoditie of pacience folio 228 The .9 Chapter We oughte so to loue our children and frendes that we maye forsake them folio 231 The .10 Chapter * Of the death of yonge persons in especiall folio 234 * The .11 Chapter * Of the death of the aged fo 24◠* The .12 Chapter * Of straunge death fo 244 The firste boke of death declarynge what death is ¶ The .i. Chapter HOly scripture makethe mencion of foure maner of deathes and lyues 1. The firste is called a naturall lyfe so longe as the soule remayneth with the bodye vpon earth The naturall death is it that separateth the soule from the body 2. The seconde is a spirituall vnhappye death here in tyme of lyfe whan the grace of God for our wyckednesse sake is departed from vs by meanes wherof we were deed frō the Lorde our God and from all goodnes allthoughe as yet we haue the lyfe natural Cōtrary vnto this there is a gostly blessed lyfe whā we thorowe the grace of the Lorde our God lyue vnto hym and to all goodnesse Ephe. 2. Hereof wryteth Paull after thys maner God whych is riche in mercy thorow hys great loue wherewyth he loued vs euen whan we were ded in synnes hath quickened vs together in Christ 3. The thirde is a gostly blessed death here in tyme whan the fleshe beyng euer the longer the more separated from the spirite dyeth away from hys own wycked nature Contrari hereunto is there a gostli vnhappy life whā the fleshe wyth hys wycked disposicion continuallye breakethe forth and liueth in al wilfulnes Agaynst thys doth Paul exhort vs saying Collossiās Mortyfye therefore your members whyche are vpon earth fornicacion vnclennesse vnnatural lust euil concupiscēce couetousnes c. 4. The fourth that the scripture maketh mencyon of is an euerlastyng lyfe an euerlasting death Not that the bodi soule of man shall after thys tyme lose their substaunce and be vtterlye nomore For we beleue vndoubtedly that our soule is immortal and that euen thys present body shal arise againe But forasmuch as we our selues graunt that life is swete death a bitter herbe thys word lyfe by a figuratiue speche is vsed for mirth and ioy Thys worde death for heuines and sorowe Therefore eternall lyfe is called eternall ioye and eternall death eternall damnaciō Of these manyfolde deathes haue we commenlye a peruerse iudgement We abhorre the death of the body and hast on a pace to the vnhappy gostli death which yet in it self is a thousand times more terrible then any death corporall For whan a man delyteth in hys owne wyckednes though as yet he lyue vpon the earth he is neuertheles dead before god and the soule must continew stil damned for euermore In thys boke my handelynge is of naturall death which beefore our eyes semeth to be an vtter destruccion and that there is no remedy wyth the dead euen as whan a dogge or horse dieth and that god hath nomor respect vnto them Yea the world swimmeth ful of such vngodly people as haue none other meanynge Els doubtles woulde they beehaue themselues otherwyse towardes god Death vereli is not a destruccion of man but a delyueraunce of bodi soule Where as the soule beeyng of it selfe immortall dooeth eyther out of the mouth ascende vp into heauen or els from the mouth descēdeth into the pit of hel The body losyng hys substaunce tyll domes daye shall than by the power of god bee raysed from death and ioyned agayne to the soule that afterwarde the whole man with body and soule maye eternallye inherite either saluacion or els damnacyon ¶ That the time of death is vncertayne The .2 Chapter THe body of mā is a very frayle thyng Sickenesse maye consume it wylde beastes may deuoure it the fyer may burne it the water maye drowne it the ayer may infect it a snare maye choke it the prickyng of a pynne maye destroye it Therefore whan hys temporall lyfe shall ende he can not tell The principall cause why we knowe not the tyme of death is euen the grace of god to the intēt that we by no occasiō should lynger the amendemente of oure lyues vntill age but alway feare god Luke 12. as though we should dye to morowe But assone as the houre commeth no man shall ouerleape it Hereof speaketh Iob Iob. 14. whan he sayeth that god hath appointed vnto man hys bondes which he cannot goe beyonde ¶ That it is God which hath layed the burden of death vpon vs. The .3 Chapter IT becommeth all Christians not only to suffer
as an vncleane thyng all oure righteousnesses are as a cloth stayned wyth the flouers of a woman Dauyd prayed Psal 143. Lorde enter not into iudgemente wyth thy seruaunt for in thy syght shal no man lyuing be iustified Gregory wryteth wo vnto the commendable life of men if it be led wythout mercy Item the Apostell Peter geueth warnyng youre aduersarye the deuil goeth about as aroring lyen seking whō he may deuour If one that is about to shote a gonne be vnsteady at the letting of it goe he mysseth all together and all that he prepared for it afore is in vayne Euen so at the ende of thys lyfe are the deuyls most busy to turne vs from the ryght marke that our former trauayle and laboure maye be loste forasmuche as they knowe that there remayneth but a very small tyme of lyfe So that if the soule escape them now they shall afterwarde goe wythoute it for euermore Euen as myghtie enemyes do besege and lay assaulte to a citie So the deuels compace the soule of man wyth violence and subtiltie to take possession of the pore soule to apprehende it and bring it to hel Whan we are yet in prosperitie the deuils would haue vs to make but a small matter of it as thoughe we were in no daunger to godwarde albeit we blaspheme be dronken and committe whordome breake wedlocke c. But in the daunger of death they bryng forth those wycked sinnes in most terrible wyse putting vs in mynde of the wrath of God how he in tymes paste here and there dyd punishe and destroye wycked doers to the intente that our soules might be hindred snared shut vp bounde and kepte in prison from repētance and faith and neuer to perceiue any waye how to escape to be deliuered And by reason therof wholye to dispayre and to beecome the deuils porcion Furthermore good frendes companyons are loth to departe a sunder speciallye suche as are new knit and boūde together one to another as two maryed persons Now is the bodi and soule nerest of all bounde and coupled one to the other but in the distresse of death the payne is so greate that it breaketh thys vnitie and parteth the soule from the body for the whych cause a man at his death doth naturally sygh in him selfe Good companyons vpon earth though they departe one from another haue an hope to come together agayne But whā the soule ones departeth frō the bodi it hath no power to returne agayne to the body here in thys tyme. Iob. 14. Whereof Iob geueth two similitudes A tree if it bee cutte down there is some hope yet that it will budde and shute forth the braunches agayne Lykewise the floudes whan they be dryed vp and the riuers whan thei be emptye are fylled agayne thorow the flowynge waters of the sea But whan man slepeth he risethe not agayne vntill the heauen perysh Thys vnderstande that after the commen course one commeth not agayne in thys presente lyfe one cannot die twise and after death cannot a man accomplyshe any more that he neglected afore tyme. How goeth it now both wyth the body and soule after death Assone as the soule from the body is departed the body is spoyled of all hys powers bewtye senses and beecome a miserable thynge to loke vpon Augustyne sayeth a man that in his life time was exceadyng bewtiful pleasaunt to embrace is in death a terrible thing to beholde How nobly and preciouslye so euer a man hath lyued vpon earth hys body yet begynneth to corrupte and stynke and becommeth wormes meate by meanes whereof the worlde is of thys opinion that the body commeth vtterly to naught for euer The world also knoweth nothyng concernyng the immortalitie of the soule they whiche already beeleue that the soule is immortall doubte yet whether it shal be saued Yea they say plainly it were good to dy if one wist what chere he should haue in yonder worlde To them is death like vnto a misty darke hole where one woteth not what wil become vpon hym ¶ That we al cōmonly are afrayed of death The .7 Chapter BY meanes of the occasions aforesayde certaine heathē men haue geuen vncomfortable and desperate iudgement concernyng the passage of death In the Poet Euripides in oreste one sayth It is better to lyue il then to dye well Which wordes are very vnchristenli spoken Yet are there founde ensamples euen of holy men that they had a natural feare of death The holy Patriarke Abraham thinkyng that he stode in daunger of death by reason of his wifes beutie woulde rather suffer all that els was exceadyng heuy and bitter He iudged it a smaler mater to call hys wyfe hys sister then to be destroyed hymselfe Ezechias an vpright valeaunt kynge Esay ◠whan the Prophet tolde hym he shoulde not lyue was afraide of death and praied earnestly that his life might bee prolōged In the newe testament whan the Lorde Iesus drewe nere to hys passion and death he swet bloud for very anguishe and sayd My soule is heuy euē vnto the death And thus he prayed Father if it be possible Math. 26. take thys cuppe fro me The Lorde sayeth vnto Peter Verely verely I saye vnto thee Whan thou wast yonge Iohn 21 thou girdedst thy self and walkedst whither thou wouldst but whā thou art olde thou shalt stretche forth thy hādes and another shal girde thee and leade thee whither thou wouldest not Loe Peter beeing excellentlye endewed wyth the spirite of God and stedfaste in fayth had yet in hys age a naturall feare of death for the Lorde said vnto him afore that another shoulde leade hym whether he woulde not Therefore wryteth gregory not vnright whā he saith Yf the pilours treble what shall the bordes doe Or if the heauēs shake for suche feare howe wyll that be vnmoued which is vnder That is if famous saynctes dyd feare to dye it is much lesse to be maruayled at when we poore Christians are afrayed Experience wytnesseth howe febly we set oure selues againste death Many an olde or otherwise vexed man can neither liue nor dye for in hys aduersytie he ofte tymes wysheth death Note And whā death approcheth he would rather suffer what soeuer els vpō earth if he mighte therebi escape death Many of vs haue hearde the gospell a long season and studyed it throughly so to say yet are we so afrayed of the death of oure selues and of oure frendes as though there were none other lyfe more to loke for euen lyke as thei that be of Sardanapalus sorte doe imagyn or els mistrust the promes comforte and helpe of god ▪ as thoughe he were not able or would not succour and deliuer vs. Yea some there be that if death be but spoken of thei are afrayed at it ¶ The commoditie of death whan it delyuereth vs from thys shorte transitorye tyme. The .8 Chapter AL the aforesayd disprofites and grefes doe iustlye vanyshe
and are nothing estemed in comparyson of these commodities whan death deliuereth vs from this ruinous miserable lyfe frō all enormities and vicious people and conducteth vs to eternall ioye and saluacion whyche thyng shall hereafter be playnly declared Firste a shorte transitorye and shiftyng lyfe oughte not to make vs sorye Though thys lyfe had nothing els but pleasure what is yet shorter and more in decaye then the lyfe of man Halfe the tyme do we slepe out Childhode is not perceaued youth flyeth away so that a man doth lytle consider it Age crepeth on vnwares afore it is loked for We can reckē well that whan children growe they increase in yeares and daies but properlye to speake in theyr growyng are theyr dayes mynyshed For let a man liue thre score or foure score yeares looke nowe howe muche he hath lyued of the same dayes or yeares so much is abated of the tyme appoynted Is it not now a foli that a mā can consyder whan hys wyne a minisheth in the vessell A lyuelye similitude and yet regardeth not howe hys lyfe doth dayly vanyshe awaye Among all thinges most vndurable and most frayle is mannes lyfe whyche innumerable waies mai be destroied Psal 103. It is compared vnto a candle lyghte that of the wynde is soone easely blowen out A man in hys tyme is as the grasse and florysheth as a flouer of the felde For assone as the wynde goeth ouer it it is gone The heathen Poete Euripides called the lyfe of mortall menne Dieculam that is a lytle daye But the opynyon of Phalerius Demetrius is that it ought rather to bee called one poynte of thys tyme. Thys similitude soundeth not euyll among Christians For what is the whole summe of our lyfe but euen one poynte in comparyson of the eternitie that vndoubtedlye foloweth hereafter Psal 90. Dauid hymselfe sayeth that oure yeares passe away sodenli Man is lyke vnto a thynge of naught hys tyme goeth awaye as doth a shadowe ¶ Another commoditie whan death delyuereth vs from thys miserable tyme. The .9 Chapter OVr desyer is to bee free from all werynes and miserye Yea the more we consider thys presente wretched lyfe the lesse feare shal we haue of death which delyuereth vs from all mischaūces and grefes of thys tyme. Heapes of troubles happen vnto vs and vnto other men yea to speciall persons and whole nacyons in body soule estymacyon goodes wiues children frendes and natiue countryes Bodely health is sone lost but harde to obteyne agayne And whan it is alreadye gotten the doubte is how long it wyll continewe There bee moe kyndes of diseases then the beste learned Phisicians dooe knowe amonge the same some are so horrible and paynfull that if one do but heare thē named it maketh hym afraid As the falling sickenes the gowte fransy the sodayne stroke such like Besides sickenes a man thorowe out hys whole lyfe cōmeth into daunger by a thousande meanes wayes Consider wyth how great carefulnes the chylde is caried in the mothers wombe Mans 〈◊〉 lyfe how daungerously it is brought forth into the world The whole chyldehode what is it els but a contynual weping and wailyng After seuen yeares the childe hath hys tutours scholmasters to rule hym and beat hym wyth roddes whan he is come to mans stature all that he suffered in his youth doth he counte but a smal trauaile in comparison of it that he now from henceforth must endure The old man thynketh that he caryeth an heauye burthen or mountayne vpon his necke Therfore weye well the miserable bodye and the myerie sacke of thy fleshe towardes thy helper and be not so sore afrayed of death that easeth thee of thys wretched carcase Accordynge hereunto is the mynde combered and vexed thorowe sickenes and grefes of the body by reasō that the body and soule are ioyned together And how precyous a thyng I praye you is our naturall reasō Childhode knoweth nothing cōcerning it selfe Younge folkes take vayn and vnprofitable thīges in hād supposyng all shal bee golde and consider neyther age to come neither yet death and euen as the commen saying is thus wyll the world be begiled Wheras a mā the longer he lyueth should euer be the more and more wyse it cōmeth oft to passe that the more he groweth in yeares the mor he doteth and afterwarde becommeth euen a very chylde yea twyse a chylde The disquietnes of mans lyfe The mynde is tempted the luste rageth the hope disceaueth heuynes vexeth carefulnes is full of distresse feare disquieteth yea the terrour of death is more greuous then death it selfe It can not be expressed howe a man is sometyme plaged wyth worldly fauour afterward vexeth he himself with care of tēporal thinges Many one marreth himself with vyce and wickednes getteth him an euil conscience and a gnawing heart The vertuous also haue their blemyshes temptacions which vnto them are heuier more hurtfull then the blemyshe of the body Wherfore in the misery of this tyme thys muste not be estemed the leaste porcion that we and other folkes doe daylye commytte greuous synnes agaynste God Whych thyng thorowly to consider maketh a good hearted parsō the more desirous of death whiche delyuereth vs from thys synfull lyfe Moreouer all condicions estates of mē haue their grefes The grefes of all estates Riches that wyth great care and trauayle are gathered together possessed bee sometyme loste by storme fyer water robberye or theft He that is in honoure and prosperitie hath enemyes and euill wyllers Whoso hath the gouernaūce and rule of mani must also stande in feare of manye thynges And what occupacyon or handy crafte can a manne vse but he hath in it wherof to complayne Not onely hath a man trouble on hys owne behalfe but a verye stony stomacke and an yron hart must it be that is not sory whan hurte doth happen to hys father and mother to hys owne wyfe children frendes or kynsfolkes Furthermore the vniuersall troubles is manyfolde and pyteous specially now at this presēt wyth noysome diseases diuisiōs warres sedicions vprours Like as one water waue foloweth vpon another and one can scace auoyde another Euē so oft times commeth one mischaunce in anothers necke And in this short life vpon one onely daye to haue no trouble it is a great aduauntage therefore ought we to be the lesse sory whan the time of our deliueraunce approcheth Now might one obiect against thys and saye that thys presente lyfe hath many pleasures and pastymes wythall Oure troubles moe thē ioyes Neuerthelesse a man must open the other eye also and behold that in this life there is euer more sorowe then ioye behynd Worldly ioye is myxte defiled spotted and peruerted with sorowe and bitternesse It maye well begynne in a soroweful matter to bryng a short fugytiue pleasure but sodenlye it endeth to a mans greater heuynesse Not in vayne doth the wise manne saye The harte is
Cor. 15. Our home is paradise in heauen our heauenly father is god the earthy father of al men is Adam oure spirituall fathers are the patriarkes prophetes and apostles whiche altogether wait and long for vs. Seyng nowe that death is the path and waye vnto them we ought the lesse to fly it to the intente that we maye come to oure righte home salute our fathers and frendes embrace theÌ„ Hebre. 13. end dwel with them foreuer We haue heare no remayninge citie but we seke one to come Psalme 3. Our conuersacioÌ„ burgership is in heaueÌ„ But if any man be afrayed of death and force not for the country of heauen onely because of teÌ„poral pleasures thesame dealeth vnhonestlye euen as dooe they that wheras they ought to go the next way home set them down in a pleasaunt place or among companions at the tauerne Where they lying styl forget their owne country and passe not vpon their frendes and kynsfolkes Howe euill thys becommeth theÌ„ euerye man may wel coÌ„sider bi himselfe The lord Iesus geueth thys similitude except the wheate corne fall into the grounde and dye it â—ydeth alone but if it dye it bryngeth foorthe muche frute Lykewyse Paull compareth vs men vnto graynes of corne the churcheyarde â— Corin. 15 to a felde To dye he sayeth is to be sowne vpon Gods felde The resurreccyon with the life that foloweth after resembleth he to the pleasaunte grene corne in Sommer If a man laie in a darke miserable pryson wyth thys condicion that he should not come forth tyl the walles of the tower were fallen down vndoutedly he would be right glad to see the walles begynne to fall our soule is kept in wythin the body vpon earth as in captiuitie and bondes Nowe assone as the body is at a poynt that it muste nedes fall why woulde we be sory For by thys approcheth the deliuerauÌ„ce whoÌ„ we out of the pryson of miserye shal be brought before the moste amiable countenaunce of god into the ioyefull fredome of heaueÌ„ Accordynge to thys dyd Dauyd pray Psalm 14â— Bryng my soule out of pryson O Lorde that I maye geue thankes vnto thy name Item in many places of scripture to dye is called to slepe death it selfe aslepe Lyke as it is no grefe for a maÌ„ to goe slepe 1. Cor. 15. Thessa 4 â–ª nor whaÌ„ he seith hys parentes and frendes laye them downe to reste for he knoweth that suche as are aslepe doe soone awake and rise again so whaÌ„ we or our frendes depart awaye by death we oughte to erecte and coumforte oure selues with the resurreccion VVytnesse that death is holsome The .17 Chapter FOr the strengthnyng of ouâ— fayth I wyll alledge euydente testimonye of Gods worde Ecclesia 7. The preacher sayth â–ª The day of death is better theÌ„ the day of birth As if he would say in the daye of thy birth theâ— arte sente into the colde into thâ— heat into huÌ„ger and thirst wheâ—in is synne and wretchednesse in the day of thy death thou shalâ— be deliuered from all euil Agaiâ— we reade Sapien. 4. thoughe the righteous be ouertaken with death yet shalâ— he be in rest Iohn 5. Verely verely I say vnto you he that heareth my wordes anâ— beleueth on him that seÌ„t me haâ—â— euerlastynge lyfe and shall noâ— come into damnacyon but is scaâ—â—ed from death vnto lyfe Rom. 14. a. 2. Cor. 4. b Yf wâ— lyue we lyue vnto the Lorde 〈◊〉 we dye we dye vnto the Lorde â–ª Therfore whether we liue or dyâ— we are the Lordes Behold how comfortably thys is spoken of all Christians That death can not be auoyded Item of companyons of them that dye The .18 Chapter VPon thys condicion are we borne into the worlde into thys light not to continewe alway therin but whaÌ„ god wil thorowe temporall death to laye asyde and put of the trauayle of thys miserable lyfe Wyttie men haue fouÌ„de out how hard stones may be brokeÌ„ mollified how wilde beastes may be tamed but nothing could they inuent wherby death myght bee auoyded It is not vnwyselye sayd Goddes hande maye a man escape but not death Metrodorus wryteth that against bodeli enemies there may be made fortresses castels bulworkes but so farre as coÌ„cerneth death all men haue an vnfensed citie In other daungers power money flight counsayll and policy mai helpe But as for death it can neyther be banyshed with power nor boughte wyth moneye nor auoyded wyth flying away nor preuented wyth counsayle nor turned backe wyth polycye And though thou be now delyuered from syckenes yet wythin â— litle whyle thou muste whether thou wylte or no departe hence to deathes home for the higheste law geuer of all tolde oure fyrsâ— father so afore In what daye soeuer thou eatest therof thou shalte dye the death Gene. â— vnderstande that the death of the soule bryngeth with it the death of the body Whoso now grudgeth and is not contente to dye what is that els but that he forgettyng hymselfe and hys owne nature complayneth of God in heauen that he suffered hym to be borne and made hym not an aungell Why should we refuse the thing that we haue commen with other men Nowe doeth death touche not onely vs but highe and lowe estate younge and olde man and woman master and seruaunte As many as came of the first maÌ„ muste laye downe theyr neckes Death is an indifferent iudge regardeth no person hath no pitie on the fatherles careth not for the poore dispeÌ„seth not with the rich feareth not the myghtie passeth not for the noble honoureth not the aged spareth not the wyse pardoneth not the folyshe For like as a riuer is poisoned in the well spryng or fountayne so was the nature of man altogether in our first pareÌ„tes And forasmuch as they themselues were maymed thorow sinne they haue begotten vnright and mortal children roman 5. Touching this saieth Paul by one man came death vpon all men Now let vs consider what excellent companions and holi feloshyp they also haue that ar dead Paul wryteth that we muste bee lyke shapen vnto the ymage of the sonne of god If he nowe that of nature was immortall and innocent became mortal for our sakes euen Iesus Chryste our sauiour why would we then that manye and sondry wayes haue deserued death continewe here styll and not dye Abraham the faythful Sampson the stronge Salomon the wyse Absalom the fayer one yea all the Prophetes and Apostles kynges and Emperours thorowe death departed oute of thys lyfe A very deintie and tender body must that be whych coÌ„sydering so great multytudes of coarses doth yet out of measure vexe hymselfe beecause the lyke shall happen vnto him That wer euen like as if one woulde take vpon hymselfe to be better then all ryghtuous and holy men that euer were sithens the begynnyng of the worlde Of naturall helpe in daunger of death The .19 Chapter WHoso wyll helpe hymselfe from
them then muste we requyer hym to depart and let vs alone Whoso hath a trayne hanging vpon hym as father mother sisters brothers wyfe chyldren frendes the same is the sorer laid at For naturally we all are lothe to depart from them Math 10 Here muste we remember the words of Christ He that loueth father or mother mor thē me is not worthy of me And he that loueth sōne or daughter more then me is not mete for me And whoso taketh not vp his crosse and foloweth me is vnapt for me Therfore must thou breke thyne own wil take vp thy crosse and geue ouer thy selfe vnto the will of god Specialli forasmuch as euen they whom thou art loth to leaue behynde thee vpō earth shall shortelye come to thee And in the meane seasō whan thou departeste from thy frendes thou goest the nexte waye and spedest thee vnto better and more louing frendes And therefore the holye patriarke Iacob sayed Gene. 49. whan he should dye I shal be gathered to my people Item vnto Moyses and Aaron sayd god Thou shalt goe to thy people and vnto thi fathers Hereby is it declared that death is a passage to many mooe folkes and better frendes thē we leaue here There is God our father hys sonne our brother hys heauen our enherytaunce and al aungels and sainctes our brethrē systers and kinsfolkes with whō we shal enioie eternal goodes for euer Agayne whoso leaueth behynde hym a poore wyfe chyldren not brought vp and frendes that are in necessitie muste also dooe hys best commyttyng them to the protection helpe and cōfort of god wyth an earnest prayer that he wyl graciously take the gouernaunce of them For our wiues children and posteritie doeth the seconde commaundement sette in goddes tuicion whan it saith mercy and kindnes shew I vnto thousandes of thē that loue me and kepe my commaundementes Exod. 22. Psal 145. Item god wryteth hymselfe a father of the wedowes and fatherles and taketh them into his own proteccyon Nowe if thou receaue not thys godly consolaciō and comfort then to thyne owne greate notable hurte thou disquietst thy selfe so greuously that thou canste consider nothīg that is right and iust eternall or heauenly Preparacion concernyng gostly maters with what cogitacions the mynd ought most to be exercysed The .26 Chapter MOreouer the sicke must geue all other worldlye matters theyr leue that the soule be not tangled wyth any earthye busynes but directed vpwarde into heauen where it desyreth euerlastingly to liue Heare shal it be nedeful that our mynd haue an assured vnderstandīg of the holy gospel In this cōsideracion endure thou styll hang thou thereupon wyth stedfaste faythe where oute growe these fruites prayer ryghteousnes pacyence and all goodnes After the doctryne of the true gospell without thyne owne and religious mens workes without the merites of saynctes arte thou iustified made ryghteous and saued onely thorowe Chryst who alone is thy mediatour aduocat helper satisfaccion hope cōforte and lyfe It is Chrystes wyll to conueye thee awaye from synne from the world from the deuyll and from hell and to take thee to hys grace into the eternall paradyse though all creatures were agaynste thee Probacyon oute of the scripture Iohn 17. Thys is the lyfe eternall that they knowe thee to be the onely true God and whom thou haste sent Iesus Christ With this euāgelicall doctrine with nothing els must our heart be occupyed what temptacions soeuer happē whyche vndoubtedly will not tary behynde While we go about yet mery and in health it bryngethe excedynge great profit if we exercyse oure selues wyth the cogitacyons of death But in sickenes and whan we must dye that is whan the horrible ymage of death would make vs afrayed we must not vnquiet our selues with heuy remembraūce of death We should not beholde or consider death in it selfe nor in our own nature neyther in them that ar slayne thorow the wrath of god But principallye in Chryste Iesu and then in hys saynctes whyche thorowe hym ouercame death and dyed in the grace of god From thys syght maye not we suffer our selues to be dryuē though all aungels and all creatures yea though god hymselfe in our opinion would laye other thynges before our eyes whiche they doe not Howbeit the euyll sprete maketh such an appearāce For Chryst Iesus is nothyng els but lyfe saluacion Yea the more depely and stedfastly we do set prynt and beholde Christ before vs the more shal death bee despysed and deuoured in lyfe the harte also hath the more rest and maye quietly dye in Chryste Therfore sayth Christe Ion 16. In the world that is also in your selues ye shal haue trouble but in me peace Be ye of good comforte I haue ouercome the worlde Apoc. 14. Nu 21 Ion. 3. Blessed are thei that dy in the Lorde Thys aforetyme was figured and signified Whan the children of Israell betyng bitten of fyerye serpentes myghte not struggle with thē but behold the brasen serpente namely Chryst So the quicke serpentes fell away of themselues and vanyshed Whan we now beholde death and the panges of death in it self wyth our own feble reason with out Chryst without gods worde specially out of season that is to say in the daunger of death then hath death his whole power and strength in our feble nature and kylleth vs wyth the greater pain so that we forgette God and are lost for euer ¶ Of repentaūce and sorowe for synne The .27 Chapter TO the intent that our wil hearte and mynde maye ryghte and truly receaue and apprehende the lorde Chryste We must fyrste be throughly sorowfull for oure synnefull lyfe and confesse that there was no remedy but of oure selues we should haue been damned for euer Thys shryft or confession of synnes must not forth with be done to the priest but vnto god wyth harty sorow and repentaunce after the ensample of the poore sinner And of the Publycane Luke 7. ◠18. Therefore muste we also acknoweledge that wyth all our own power and workes we are able to preuayle neyther againste death nor other mischaunce For how were it possible that we pooresely wormes feble and weake in body and soule shoulde be able to endure the stormy waues and intolerable burthen of death yf the ryghte hande of god himself were not presente to helpe our infirmitie Ful truli spake a certain kyng in Fraunce whan he lay on hys death bed I haue been very riche I haue had exceding much honoure my power was passing greate and yet for all my ryches power and frēdes I am not able to obteyne of death so muche as one houres respyte ¶ Of trewe faith The .28 Chapter TO suche a confessyon bee longeth the Chrystian belefe that we turne oure selues awaye from al cōforte of man yea from all creatures to the only creator thorowe Iesus Chryst and to geue our selues ouer wholly vnto him Wyth all our naturall reason and wysdome
in al temptacions most gently and mekely to geue ouer oure wils into the wil of god I spake not of such a pacience valeauÌ„tnes as vtterly to fele no more terrour of death For that is a verye blockishe vnsensiblenes of wylde madde barbarous people but al suche feblenes as is felte must a ChristeÌ„ man ouercome and with faythful confidence vpon the grace of god cherefully steppe foorthe before the eyes of death In the passion and death of Chryst we haue a perfecte ensample not onli of pacience but also of eueri other thyng that hitherto is written concerning preparacion vnto death 1. Cor. 1. Colossi 2. For he is geueÌ„ vnto vs of god not only to be oure redempcyon but also to be vnto vs wysedom wherby we must learne al that is necessary for our health The seuen words that the lord spake vpon the crosse are specyally to be pondered weied and consydered The first father forgeue theÌ„ for they wote not what they doe The seconde woman loe there is thy sonne The thyrde thys daye shalte thou be wyth me in paradyse The fourth my god my God why hast thou forsaken me The fift I am a thirst The sixt It is fynished The seuenth Father into thy handes I commende my sprete Thorowe the knowledge of Iesus Chryst Ensamples of saynctes dyd all holye fathers and seruauntes of god in the olde and new testament geue ouer theÌ„selues wyllyngly vnto death the waye of al fleshe Luke 2. Holy Simeon sayth lord now lettest thou thy seruaunt depart in peace accordyng to thy word For mine eyes haue seen thy saluacyon whyche thou haste prepared beefore the face of al people c. Seeyinge than that euerye faythfull Christian A lesson to learne to dye dooeth no lesse see Chryst with the eyes of his heart he ought with prayse and thankes to saye forasmuche as I am assured and doe constaÌ„tly beleue that I am redemed and deliuered by Iesus Chryste and not destroyed but onelye chaunged thorowe the death of the body I am ryght wyllyng and wel contente to departe hence and to dye whan soeuer nowe it shall please the lord my god The murtherer vpon the crosse dyd wyllingly suffer the death that he had deserued and so he obteyned the euerlastyng tryumphe of a Martyr Actes 7. Holy Steuen was content to suffer the fearce crueltye of the enemyes for in hys laste trouble he kneled downe and cryed wyth a loude voyce Lord Iesu receaue my sprete lord lay not this sinne to their charge Philip. 1 Paul the chosen vessel of god speaketh thus very comfortably My desyer is to bee loosed to departe hence out of misery and to be wyth Chryst whyche thynge is best of all for Chryst is to me lyfe and death is to me aduauntage These and such noble ensamples of other holi martirs should by reason prouoke vs feble sluggishe Christians to bee the more hardy and stoute and to thynke thus well goe to Thou haste as yet suffered no great thyng for the lord Christes sake therfore now eueÌ„ as a lambe geue ouer thy self cherefullye vnto death for hys names sake Thou haste daylye made thy prayer Prayer requireth pacieÌ„ce as Chryste hath taughte thee that god wyll take thee oute of thys wycked worlde into hys kyngedome Mathe. 6. and that his wyll be done Now if he wyll gracyously conuey thee into his kingdom thou oughtest froÌ„ the botome of thy heart to reioyse and as hys owne chylde willinglye to obeye them Forasmuch as the famous heathen man Socrates being before the seate of iudgement where the mater touched his body and life desyred no aduocate neyther submitted hymselfe to the Iudges but valeauntly disputed beefore them and proued that there is no euil in death It should sound very euil If we which oute of the infallible worde of God are instructed coÌ„cernyng a better lif shoulde forsake thys lyfe of misery with les pacieÌ„ce and with more vnquietnes of mind theÌ„ dyd the heathen maÌ„ The original and fruyte of pacyence The .38 Chapter TO the inteÌ„t that the feblenes of our nature which quaketh at death as at a thyng terrible may shew ChristiaÌ„ pacieÌ„ce we must cleaue vnto Iesus Chryste wyth true fayth which shal warme our hartes to haue a loue and desyre after the heauenly glori and euerlastyng saluacion Yea rather to lose an hundreth bodies if it wer possible then to bee destitute of the holy gospell wherby we are assured of deliuerauÌ„ce from siÌ„ne deuil hel by meanes of the bloud shedding of Iesus Chryste VnpacieÌ„t folkes grudge against god pouryng out al vnthankefulnes for that they wer not created immortal and so imagen thei in theÌ„selues a terrible cruell god Gene. 13. b roman 4. Galathi 3. a. Gene. 12. c 10. a. .26 a. b Yea al maner of vices grow oute of impaciency Abraham who other wyse is set forth for an ensaÌ„ple of fayth and ryghteousnesse fearyng death to sore synned greuously denying Sara to be hys wyfe Note thys wel What ChristeÌ„ hart can read this withoute â—eares In these later dayes the more pitie god bee mercyful vnto vs it is become a commen thynge for feare of death to cary the true belefe only in hart secret outwardely to deny the holi gospel with mouth behauour gesture to serue Antichrist ¶ That a man whyle he is yet in health oughte to prepare hymselfe afore hande The .39 Chapter THis preparacion ought no man to lynger or dyffer tyll another tyme thoughe he beeÌ„ neuer so whole and sounde but euery one forthwyth and dayly to begynne to make hymself for death to the intente that at all houres he maye be founde ready Lyke as a stoute and valeaunte souldier whan he muste bee vp and fyght wyth the enemyes ouerslepeth not hym selfe but kepeth hys standyng and hath his weapons and harnes alreadye vpon hym so muche more oughte we ChristiaÌ„s at al tymes to wait vpon our heaueÌ„ly captayne whaÌ„ he bloweth the trompe that we mai be readi to pas forth with him Let your loynes be girded about and your lyghtes brennyng Luke 12. and ye your selues lyke vnto me that wayte for theyr master whan he wyll returne from the weddyng that assone as he commeth and knocketh they may opeÌ„ vnto him immediatly Happy are those seruauntes whom the lord whaÌ„ he commeth shal fynde wakinge Wyth thys similitude doethe Chryst exhorte euery man that at all tymes we prepare our selues agaynst his comminge whan he knocketh thorowe sycknes and other dauÌ„gers whan he calleth vs out of thys lyfe and whan he shal come agayne out of hys heaueÌ„ly palace to iudge the lyuiÌ„g and the dead The ryghte preparacyon is true faith feruent loue and charitie the cleare shyne of al vertues and specially a gentle wyllynge mynde to open vnto the lord to let hym in and with him to passe forth into hys royal and matrimonial palace of the euerlastyng ioifull kyngdome
that they came of one father beyng borne vnder one motherly hearte broughte vp in one house eating and drinking at one table If it were els a mans companion he thynketh he was my faythfull deare frende he dyd no man hurt nor harme but desired to doe euery mā seruice and that so honestlye that a man myghte haue trusted hym with his owne soule If he were a good ruler we thynke he was to hys owne natyue country trew and faithfull and excellently well enclyned to the welfare therof who hath not then good cause to be sory for his departyng Thys is the cause that the bloud naturally gathereth together so that we are sorier for the death of suche one then of another priuate man Suche heuynesse pitie and compassion dooeth GOD alowe For he hath not created vs to bee stones and blockes but hath geuen vs fyue senses and made vs an hearte of fleshe that we myghte haue feling and loue oure frendes beeyng sorye whā they suffer trouble and dye Yea GOD hateth vnfrendlye and vnmercyfull people and whose heartes are not moued whan theyr frendes are vexed or taken awaye from them Therefore the holy Patryarck Abraham Gene. 23. lamented and mourned for Sara his wife whan she was dead Good Ioseph made great lamentacyon for Iacob hys father Gene. 50. Paull lykewyse Philip. ◠wryteth thus My helper and felow souldyar Epaphroditus was deadly sycke but GOD had mercye vpon hym and not onelye vpon hym but also vpon me that I shoulde not haue one heuynes vpon another But as in all thynges so in thys there oughte a measure to be kepte that we continue not in fleshly vnordynate heuynes but styll resyste the sorowe and cōforte oure selues with thys accoūpt folowyng what dooe we meane thus to mourn and lamēt What wyll we dooe The Lorde is great and doeth no man wrōg And thesame is an honeste good wyll that conformeth it selfe to the wyll of god A notable saying For the good heathen mā Seneca wrote vnto his scholar Lucillus after thys maner a mā ought to bee contente with euery thing that god is pleased wythall only because it pleased god Nowe is euery thyng ordred by the prouidence of god as holi Augustyne de ciuitate dei saieth Lib. 5. cap. 11 without an orderly diuision and conueniente ioyning together of the partes hath not God lefte so much as the bowels of any best how vile or smal so euer the same be nor the fethers of a birde nor the floure of the herbe neyther the leafe of the tree so that there can nothynge bee founde that is not subiect to the prouidence of god neyther can there any litle birde dye wythoute his deuice charge and commaundemente Yf god now haue so diligent respect to such small things how then could thy frende whō thou mournest for departe awaye by death wythout the prouidence of god Therefore if we speake against the lordes works and cry agaynst hys wyll what is that els but euen as though we therefore lyued vpon earth that we as lordes rulers should prescrybe lawes for the almightie Which thyng to thynke I wil not say to speak were yet horrible Whan thou geuest foorth thy chyld to a nource she hath kept it long inough thou takest it home agayne the nourse hauīg no reasonable cause to complayne vpon the for takyng agayn thine own Yet muche les cause haue we to grudge against god our creditor whā he by death taketh his own agayn For as for father and mother brother and sister wife and childe frende and louer yea and all other thynges that we haue what are they els but lent goods and free gyftes of god whych he hath cōmitted vnto vs whiche we as long as he lendeth vs thē ought to esteme as aduaūtage Whan a Lorde hath lente vs a fayer costelye table whether should we gladly wyth thankes restore it hym agayne whan he requireth it or braull wyth hym after thys maner O thou terryble lord how happeneth it that thou hast robbed vs of so costly a table How cōmeth it that thou hast taken it from vs agayn so sodenly Vpon such a complaynte might not he with good ryghte answer Is that now mi reward for lending you so costly a table whyche I did of loue vndeserued on youre parte that ye mighte haue commoditie pleasure ther of a while Yea the more worthi the gift was that I lent you to vse the more thākful should ye be vnto me Yea with rougher wordes myght god iustly rebuke vs that bee so vnpaciente When the house fell vpon Iobs x. lyuing childrē vii sonnes .iii. daughters and whan his .vii. M. shepe wer brēt wyth fyer from heauen and his enemyes caryed awaye hys fyue hundreth yoke of oxen and fyue hundreth asses as the other enemyes droue away three hūdreth Camels slew also his seruātes in al this misery hurt Iob comforteth h̄imself thanketh God who had lent him such thynges and taken them away again The lord saith he hath geuen thē the lord hath takē thē euē as it hath pleased the lord so is it com to pas blessed be the name of the lorde Let vs therefore also saye wyth Iob the Lorde gaue vs this father that chylde such a frende the Lord hath taken hym agayn blessed be hys name But whā thou shouldst laude and prayse god it hyndereth the exceadyngly if thou feare that god of a wrath and enemitie agaynst thee hath taken away frō thee thy sonne or thy wyfe c. Such an opinion cōmeth not of god but is euen a practyse of the deuyll And herewyth agreeth our feble nature what soeuer is song or sayed we thynke in trouble that god is angrye and that our wyll is good and profytable and not gods wyll Contrary hereunto are we instructed by holy scripture that thoughe we knowe not perfectly for what cause God sendeth vs thys or that punishmente yet ought we to bee satisfied in this that god is gracious and fauourable vnto vs for hys beloued sonne our Lord Iesus Christes sake Neuertheles to the intente that we maye both the better vnderstande and be the more glad to receaue the good wyl of God I wyll declare what profite such a death bryngeth to hym that departeth and to those that remain ¶ That vnto such as dye it is profitable to departe oute of thys lyfe The .2 Chapter IF thei that be dead from hēce hadde not suffered trouble in thys world whan thei were alyue it were no maruaill to se vs mourne out of measure for theyr departyng As for all their ioye and pastyme vpō earth thei are scace to be accōpted dreāes in comparyson of the true ioyes and treasures aboue Agayne who wyll vndertake to nomber the aduersities that al menne of what estate so euer they be must be possessours of We may well say wyth Iob man that is borne of a woman lyueth but a shorte time and is replenished with
many miseries Agaynst the whych there helpeth nether gold nor syluer nether power nor nobilitie nether policy nor natural wytte To day we are whole sound tomorowe sick to day mery to morow sory to day rich to morowe poore to day honored ▪ to morow despysed to day alyue tomorow dead Moreouer vice cōmenly hath so the vpper hande that none can lyue vpon earth but he must displease eyther god or man or els them both Therefore seeyng thy louing frend is gotten out of the myre and gone out of the sweate bath that thou yet sittest in arte thou sory now that he is releaced vnburdened of so much misery Thou shouldst rather geue thāks and prayse vnto god for it specyally forasmuche as death dooeth vtterly destroye nether bodi nor soule nether honesty nor vertue wherin he that is now departed dyd here exercyse hymselfe in tyme. For loke what good thīg on hath done it shal not be quēched out thorow death but the prayse and commendaciō therof among al such as are good doth rather increase then minish after death The soule departing in true faith passeth strayghte to the ioye of heauen The lest parcell of the bodye doth not vtterly peryshe but the whole body shal at the laste day be called to immortalitie where our frendes shal be a thousande tymes better richer more pleasaunt and more blessed then euer they were vpon earth whan we all shall come to them agayn see them knowe them and haue perpetuall company wyth them and all saynctes After this sort dyd Adam and Eue trust that Abel who was slayne should bee restored agayne vnto them beecause of the sede that was promised A similitude if a great Lorde had called the and thy sonne and promised you much welth good shouldest thou wepe whan thy sonne goeth to hym and thou thy selfe wylte shortly folowe after No verely but thou wouldest order thy matter so that thou mightest be there out of hande Why vnquietest thou thy selfe then so sore for the death of thy sonne or frende The almightie Lorde hath called hym and thee to hys eternall kyngdome to place thee and hym amonge the prynces of heauen Thy sonne passeth hence thorowe the gates of death he shall ryse againe to honour Why vexest thou then thy selfe Why ordrest not thou thy selfe ioyfully to folowe him For thou haste not loste hym but only sent hym afore If it were possible that thy sonne knewe of thy vnmeasurable waylyng and howlyng and could speake vnto thee wythout all doubt he hymselfe would rebuke it and say why will ye vexe your age with vnprofitable yea wyth vnreasonable mournyng Wherfore wil ye blame god his ordinaunce and prouydēce Will ye enuy me the greate honor and ioye that I am promoted vnto Thinke ye it is a thyng to be bewayled and lamented that I am brought out of daunger into safgarde out of misery into welfare and oute of the wycked worlde into the cōpany of angels I wil goe some what nerer vnto you I pray you if it lay in your strēgth and power to sende for me into the tēporal lyfe agayn would ye calme down agayn into the misery of yours With what greate faulte haue I deserued such vnfaithfulnes at youre handes And if ye shoulde not call me agayne why mourne ye then so and lamente Vpō such words we must nedes be ashamed of our vnmeasurable sorow heuynes That we ought thus to iudge of faythfull Chrysten men that are departed we may learne bi the words of Christ who testifieth vnto Martha I am the resurreccion and the lyfe Iohn 1◠He that beleueth on me shal liue although he dye And he that lyueth and beleueth on me shal neuer dye How deare precious Psal 11◠in the sight of the lord is the death of hys saintes Vnderstand that god doth faythfulli take them in to hys proteccyon and hath respect vnto their soules to receaue them into eternall lyfe Nowe sayest thou Alas if I knewe that my wyfe chylde or frende were saued I coulde the better awaye wyth hys death As for a thefe he nede not to be glad whan he is caryed from prison to the galows Thys manne hath been all hys lyfe a chylde of the world he neuer feared God but dyed in synne happly wythout repentaunce and peraduenture from the carte of thys miserye he is yoked in the charet of eternall fyer Answere no man can tel how he behaued hymselfe at hys last ende happly he repented and is pardoned We ought euer to hop the best tyll we haue suffycyent euidences that the man is lost Secondly though his damnacyon were open and manyfeste yet ought a faythfull man to reioyce in the righteousnes of god The rauens muste haue dogges garbage partriches must be sette vpon the borde beefore lordes a murthurer muste be laied vpon a whele It is as mete for Iudas to sitte in hell as for S. Peter to be in heauen Thirdly thou saiest if he had lyued longer he would peraduēture haue amended Whereupon take thys answer he might haue happened assoone to ben worse A prudente mā loketh for no better but feareth the worse in thys blasphemous worlde S. Iohn Chrisostome testyfieth playnly that assoone as God taketh away a mā thorow death the same man from thence forth shoulde neuer haue been better Verely God is to bee praysed and thanked whan he taketh awaye the vngodly For the more a man heapeth vp synne vpon synne the greater punyshmente muste he suffer afterwarde for gode rightuous iustice sake The vngodly synneth euer the longer the more vpō earth but by death doth god plucke him down from hys synnefull lyfe thoughe not spiritually and inwardly yet with exterior members the same must ceasse from synne Therefore to such as are hard hearted and disordered there is nothyng better then to dye the soner ¶ Vvhat profyte the death of frendes bryngeth to suche as are lefte beehynde alyue The .3 Chapter THat the death of the vngodly doeth profyt other men it is easy to perceiue for therby are the wycked vpon earth some what minished and swepte out and other poore wretches faer the better But that the death of the righteous shoulde bryng any commoditye to suche as remayne alyue it soundeth straung in our eares therefore shall it be declared Whan a man endewed wyth excellent gyftes is made an idol Almightie God cannot suffer it For God hymselfe wyll bee he of whom all good thynges vndoutedly must be hoped and loked for and vnto hys dyshonour it serueth if the heart cleane not only vnto hym And blessed is the man that setteth hys loue comforte and hope vpon the Lorde Agayne cursed be the manne as the Prophete sayeth that vpon man doeth put hys trust Now commeth it lightly to pa◠that we set to muche by riche parentes by fayer children honourable frendes and men of good propertyes Therefore god plucketh them away frō vs to draw vs awaye from creatures and that we myght perceaue hys
frēdes louers of thys Fabius that stode about hym whan they heard thys wepte very sore But he alone being vnmoued wēt forward stoutly in the busines that concerned the cōmē welth Here because of shortnesse I leaue out a multitude of ensamples of sondry mē named Galli Pisōes Sceuole Metelli Scauri Marcelli whō in such pointes to folowe it is laudable worthy of commendacyon I wyll yet shewe one ensample of the vertuous woman Cornelia whych was daughter vnto Scipio Aphricanus Whan she vnderstode that her two sōnes Tiberius Gracchus and C. Gracchus who beyng Magistrates had honourably and well behaued themselues were slayn and she of her frendes was called miserable she sayed I wyll neuer thynke my selfe a miserable womā forasmuch as I haue broght forth such men Thys woman now ouercame her owne naturall feblenes and motherly heart should not thē a man whyche woorde noteth the stronger kynde and more valeāt stomack declare hymselfe euen as stout That an heithnish vnbeleuynge woman coulde despyse should that make a faythful Christen man so vtterly faynt herted That she wyllyngly gaue againe vnto nature wilt not thou suffer god to haue it whā he requireth it of thee She toke vpon her with an vnbroken mynde the death of many childrē and wilt not thou that forgoest but one chyld be cōforted agayne The heathny she womā knew none other but that after death there remayneth nothyng behynde yet made not she an vnmeasurable howlīge Thou knowest that after thys tyme there remayneth an euerlastynge lyfe so much the worse then besemeth it a Christen man to vnquiet hymself wyth excesse of heuynes ¶ The commoditie of pacyence The .8 Chapter VNsemely sorow for thee sakes that are dead is vnprofitable and hurtfull Vnprofitable for assone as the soule is once departed out of the bodye it commeth either into heauen or into hel and wyth no crying shall it bee called back agayne or altered Neyther canste thou serue the dead wyth any thyng more then that hys remembraunce be deare and had in honoure with thee The heithnishe Poete Sophocles writeth if the dead might with teares be called agayne thē should wepīg be cōpted more worth thē golde But O my good olde mā it may not be that he which once is buried should come agayne to the lyghte For if weping myght help mi father had ben aliue agayn Hurtful herof hath the heithnish poet Philemon written ryght wisely many of them thorowe ther own fault increace misfortune to thēselues make the same more greuous then it is of nature Example whan one hath hys mother chyld or frēd dead if he thought thus he was a man and therfore he dyed thys aduersitie should be no greater then nature bryngeth wyth it But if he cry I am vndone I shall see hym no more he is gone loste for euer suche one heapeth vp yet more sorow to that he hath already But who so consydereth euery thyng with discrecion maketh the aduersity to be lesse vnto hymselfe and obteyneth the more quietnes It were a veri scornful thing if whan a man hath hurt on fote he would therfore marre the other also or if whan one part of hys goodes is stollen away he wold cast the rest into the see and say that he so bewayleth hys aduersitie No les folyshly dooe they that enioy not such goodes as ar presente and regarde not theyr frendes that be alyue but spyl marre themselues because theyr wyues chyldren or frendes bee departed Though one of the husbande mans trees doth wyther awaye he heweth not down therfore al the other trees but regardeth the other so much the more that they maye wynne the thynge agayne whyche the other loste Euen so learne thou in aduersitie wyth suche goodes as are lefte thee to comforte and refresh thy selfe agayne ¶ Vve oughte so to loue oure chyldren and frēds that we maye forsake them The .9 Chapter AL suche thynges oughte of vs to be consydered taken in hande and exercysed while our wiues and frendes are yet aliue Namely if thou haue father or mother husbande or wyfe chyld or frēdes lay not thyne heart loue and affeccyon to much vpon thē how good profitable and honest so euer they be Loue thy frendes beecause god hath commaunded the to loue them and not for affeccyon to them and thē wylt thou be contented wyth gods good wyll and pleasure Note the saying of an heathen man gretly to our shame but remember alwaye that they are transitorye thynges which thou mayest lose and forgoo whā time requireth Loue him most of all whō thou canst not lose euen thy redemer who to drawe the vnto his loue and to delyuer the from the loue of the world stretched oute hys armes and suffred the most vile death for thee vpon the crosse Seneca sayeth not vnwysely I lende my selfe vnto the thynges of the world but I doe not geue my selfe vnto thē He saith more ouer that nothyng is possessed as it ought to bee except one be ready at all tymes to lose it But if we fasten our heartes so to say vpon our children and frendes that is if we loue them to muche and not god aboue all thynges then hath our sorow no measure as ought as they are altered or taken awaye Therefore if thou hast not prepared thy self to aduersitie by tymes and arte once ouertaken wyth vndiscrete heuynes then let it be vnto the a warnyng from hēce forth to kepe thee from the greater loue of trāsitorye thynges whyche hath brought thee into such heart sorow to the intent that at other tymes thou mayst take the deth of thi wife and childrē in good parte and wyth more constanci of mind ¶ Of the death of younge personnes in especiall The .10 Chapter AFter the generall instruccyon concernynge death must certayne obiecciōs be answered that hetherto are not resolued If a yong man or if a yong daughter dye Lorde what a greate mournyng begynneth there to be alas he is taken awaye in hys younge dayes afore hys tyme he shoulde fyrst haue been maried and had a good wyfe vpon earth and in hys last age haue dyed in peace and rest Herof commeth it that we thynke the death of chyldren to be vnnaturall euē as whā the flame of fyer thorow water is violently quenched The death of the aged we thinke to be natural as whan the fyer quencheth of it selfe accordyng to the saying of Cicero Item the death of young persons is compared to vnripe apples that wyth violēce ar pluckt of from the tree the death of the aged is thoughte to be as whā rype apples fall downe of themselues Item As it is hard to vndoo two bordes newly glewed together but olde ioininges ar lightly broken a sunder so we cōplain that young folkes dye with greater payne then the olde Yea it greueth the fathers and mothers heart whan as they counte it the mater is turned vpse down that chyldrē depart out of this world afore olde
folkes The answer is taken oute of the fore rehearced grounde The wyll of God Yf god who hath al in his owne power had promysed euery one a long lyfe then mightest thou complayne at the shortnyng of the lyfe of thy selfe or of thy frendes agaynste gods promes Now hath god compared clothed the soule wyth the body that what day or what twinklīg of an eye soeuer he cōmaundeth it to depart it kepeth the same time wherin one finisheth his course Therefore hath no man cause to complayn of an vntimely death but loke whatsoeuer one hath lyued ouer and beside the first day of hys birth it is an increace Moreouer god knoweth much better then thou and we al whan it is beste for euerye one to dye And so faithful is he for the lord Iesus Chrysts sake that he in no wyse wyll be to hasty vpon vs. Secondli The shortne◠of this tyme ▪ though we remain a long season in thys fickle transitory lyfe yet is al our tyme but short specially towards the endlesse eternitie Therefore it hath but a slender differēce to depart hence in youth or in age Thyrdly Misery thorowe death is a yong person wythdrawen away fro many troubles whyche els were at hys dore For commenly the longer a man liueth the more miserable is he Take ensamples oute of olde storyes Yf Themistocles after the most gloryous victory agaīst Xerxes whan all the Grekes aknowledged and cōmended him for their redemer and delyuerer had dyed shoulde it not haue serued hym to a perpetuall prayse and honoure Then shoulde not he afterwarde haue been rated as a betrayer of Grekelande then neded not he to haue been in bōdage not to haue fallen downe at the foote of the kyng of Barbarye as beefore a god whom he before had dryuē out of grekelande Howe thrall and vile a thyng was it to be estemed before the world that The misrocles must nedes come beefore kyng Xerxes What is to be said of Marcus Cicero who confesseth hymselfe that if he had died sooner he had escaped exceadīg great troubles And forasmuche as he so sayed whyle the mater was yet tolerable howe woulde he fyrste haue thought and lamēted in his age to see wyth his eyes the drawne swordes ouer the senatours and Citizens heades and whan the moste principall mennes goods were parted among murtherers Catilina was a sedicious man yea whā wheras afore tyme ther was one catilina the citie was now become full of suche sedicious persons The ensamples of dayly experience declare sufficiently before our eyes whereby we maye euidently perceyue that death though they call it vntimeli deliuereth yet from great misfortune and aduersitie Fourthlye the innocency and clennes of youth is of their own nature and thorowe euyll ensamples defyled and stayned with the life and cōuersacion that foloweth after Augustine sayeth the older the worse Therfore whan a yonge man falleth on slepe knowe thou that God sheweth greate grace vnto hym in that he suffereth him not as many other to remaine long in thys blasphemous worlde to the intente he should no more bee hyndered and defyled wyth it but hath called hym from hence to a right good state He speaketh of Henoch that wyth hymself and al the electe he might possesse the kyngdome of heauē Witnes of the scripture Sapience 4. sodenly was he taken away to the intēte that wickednes shoulde not alterhys vnderstandyng Hys soule pleased god therefore hasted he to take hym awaye from among the wycked Similitudes He that is vpō the sea and wyth a good stronge wynde is caryed soone to the hauē or lande where he woulde be is happier then he that for lacke of wynde is fayne to sayll stil many yeares and dayes vpon the sea with much trouble and werines Euē so the more happy is he whō death taketh awaye from the stormy and raging sea of this world Seyng there is set before vs an vniuersal natiue country and he that is long in goyng thyther obteyneth nomore then he that is spedely gone thither before hād should not one wishe that he had soone ouercome the foul daungerous way that leadeth to the heauenly harborow The sooner one payeth hys debt the better it is If there were none other remedi but thou with an hundreth moo must nedes be beheaded and thou arte the fyrste that is put to execucion art thou not then the fyrste that is dispatched of the payne Fynally if thou consyder the mischaunces of other folkes thou hast the lesse cause to complaine One dyeth in the mothers wōbe afore he be borne Another dyeth in the very birth The thirde in hys florishynge youth whan he fyrst delyteth to lyue falleth away as a bewtiful rose Among a thousand is there not one that commeth to the perfect age ¶ Of the death of the aged The .11 Chapter VvHā old aged folkes are gredye of thys wretched life they doe euen as those the whan the wyne is all spent wyll nedes drynke out the wyne lyes also Whoso dwelleth in an olde rotten house that synketh down nedeth not lōg to seke proppes to vnder set it but should rather be glad to get him out of it euen so old aged folks by reason of theyr decaied body should rather be cōtēt to departe from it And thys aduauntage they haue that their death is not so fearce and paynful as the death of yong folkes Thys is chefely to be considered that the lord our god wil not haue vs carefull whyche thynge belongeth vnto hym alone but to be faythfull and true and diligently to laboure Olde fathers and mothers are not able to trauayll any more and yet wyth erneste carefulnesse they thynke to bryng all thynges to pas Thys special fault they haue that they thynke they shal euer lacke Therfore vnto them verely it is beste that god take them away from al care sorowe and trouble place them in quiete reste wyth other faythfull Chrysten folkes ¶ Of straunge death The .12 Chapter VvHoso is taken with the pestilence or dyeth els of sycknes in hys bed ought gladly to suffer the hand of god for euery bodi hath deserued a farre worse death And a very small rod is thys towards it that god sendeth ouer the vngodlye yea ofte tymes ouer hys own deare children whan one is beheaded Psal 44.1 Roma 8. c. ◠Cor. 4. b. another burnt the third drowned c. where they altogether may syng with Dauid for thy sake are we kylled euery day and cōpted as shepe appoynted to be slayn But if one dye an vnwont death as one is destroied by the hangmā another dyeth a sodain death the third as happly a mans chylde falleth down dead frō an hyghe place thys take we for aterrible death cannot tell els what to say of it as though eueri kind of death in it selfe were not terrible vnto the nature of man Though one dyeth vpon the whele for murther there is some tyme more
hope of hym that he hath founde grace at gods hand then of many one that dyeth at home in hys bed Ensāples also are to be cōsidered for a great sort of gods elect died not a ryghte death as we vse to terme it Abel was murthured of his own naturall brother The prophet beeyng sent to Hieroboam was destroied of a Lyon Esaye was sawne a sonder thorowe the myddes Hieremy lyke as Steuen also was stoned to death Iames being thrown downe from the pulpet was slayne of a fuller Peter at rome was fastened to a crosse Vpon Paul was execucion done wyth the sworde such like ensamples hast thou Heb. 11. Item the most excellent heithē men came miserably out of thys world The good Socrates was poysoned Euripides was all to torne of dogges Sophocles was choked wyth a litle stone of a grape bury very sorowfull combraunce dyd fret out the heart of Homerus Innumerable ensamples declare that there happeneth no new thing vnto vs what death soeuer we or oure frendes dye Specially let vs obserue this rule death is terrible to thē that haue no god but of vs which ar gods children ought not the horible ymage of death to be feared but to bee welcome vnto vs. For god himselfe comforteth vs with these wordes folowyng I lyue Iohn 14. and ye also shall lyue Of this ar we assured in Christ Iesu who vpon the crosse dyed the most horrible deth for our sakes to whō with the father the holy goste be all honor and glori for euer and euer Amen ¶ Onely vnto God geue the praise An exhortacion wrytten by the Lady Iane the night before she suffred in the end of the new testamente in Greke whych she sent to hir sister Ladye Katherine I Haue here sent you good sister Katherin a booke whych although it be not outwardly trymmed with golde yet inwardlye it is more worth then precyous stones It is the booke deare sister of the law of the lord it is hys testament last wyll whyche he bequethed vnto vs wretches whyche shall leade you to the path of eternal ioye And if you with a good minde reade it and with an earnest desier folowe it it shal bryng you to an immortal and euerlasting life It wil teache you to lyue learn you to dye it shall wynne you more then you shoulde haue gained by the possessions of youre wofull fathers landes For as if god hadde prospered hym you should haue inherited his lādes so if you apply diligentlye thys boke sekyng to directe your lyfe after it you shal be an inheritour of suche ryches as neyther the couetous shal wythdrawe frō you neyther the thefe shall steale nether yet the mothes corrupte Desyer wyth Dauid good sister to vnderstande the lawe of the Lorde your God Liue styl to dye that you by death maye purchace eternall lyfe or after your death enioie the life purchaced you by Christes death And truste not that the tendernes of youre age shall lengthen your life For assone if god call goeth the yonge as the olde and labour alwaye to learne to dye deny the world defye the deuyll and despyse the fleshe and delite your selfe only in the Lorde Be penitent for your synnes and yet despayre not Be strong in faith and yet presume not And desyer wyth S. Paul to bee dissolued to be wyth Chryste wyth whom euen in death there is lyfe Bee lyke the good seruant and euen at midnight be waking lest whā death commeth and stealeth vpō you like a thefe in the nyght you be wyth the euill seruaunt found slepinge and leaste for lacke of oyle ye be founde lyke to the fine folysh wemen and like him that had not on the weddyng garment and then be cast out from the maryage Reioyce in Chryste as I trust ye doe And seyng ye haue the name of a Chrystian as nere as ye can folowe the steppes of your master Chryst and take vp your crosse laye your synnes on hys backe and alwayes embrace him And as touching my death reioyce as I dooe good sister that I shal be deliuered of this corrupcyon and put on vncorrupcyon For I am assured that I shal for losyng of a mortall lyfe wynne an immortall lyfe The whych I praye god graunt you sende you of his grace to liue in his feare and to dye in the true Chrystyan fayth From the whyche in gods name I exhorte you that ye neuer swarue neyther for hope of lyfe nor feare of death For if ye wil deny hys trueth to lengthen your lyfe god wyll denye you and yet shorten your dayes And if ye wyll cleaue to hym he wil prolonge your dayes to your cōforte and hys 〈…〉 the whyche glory god bring me now and y◠hereafter whan it shall please God to call you Fare well good sister and put youre onely trust in god who only must helpe you Your louing sister Iane Dudley