¶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 [Page 2] 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 [Page 3] 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 [Page 4] death eternall damnaciō.

Of these manyfolde deathes, haue we commenlye a peruerse iudgement. We abhorre y ^e 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. [Page 5] 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. [Page 6] 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. [Page 7] 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, but also to commende and praise, the wil of the heauenly Lord & kyng. Now is it hys wyll, that we dye. For if the sparowes, wher­of two are bought for a farthing fall not on the grounde without god the father, muche lesse, we men (whom God hymselfe este­meth to be of more value thē many [Page 8] sparowes, yea for whose sa­kes other thīges were created) do fal to the groūd thorowe death, wythout y ^e wyl of god. Lyke as the souldiour tarieth in y ^e place, wherin he is appointed of y ^e chef captaine to fyght against the enemies, & if he cal him frō thēce, he willingly obeyeth: Euē so hath y ^e heauenlye captayne set vs vpon earth, Ephesi. 6. where we haue to fyghte, not wyth fleshe and bloude, but wyth wycked spretes. Therefore if he geue vs leue, and call vs frō hence, we oughte by reason to o­beye hym. Lyke as one shoulde not withdrawe himselfe frō payeng what he oweth but gentle to restore the mony: So hath God lent vs thys lyfe, and not promysed that we maye alwaye enioye it. Therfore is death descrybed [...] be, y ^e payment of natural debt.

¶That God sen­deth death because of synne. The .4. Chapter.

ACcordyng hereunto, pon­der thou the iuste iudge­ment of god: For out of y ^e third Chapter of the first boke of Moses, it is euy­dently perceaued, that death is a penaltye deserued, layed vpon vs al for the punishmēt of sinne. As the little worme that groweth out of the tree, gnaweth and consumeth the tree, of whom it hath hys begynnyng: So death gro­weth, waxeth oute of synne, and synne with the body it cōsumeth And specially y ^t venymous sicke­nes whiche they cal the pestilēce [Page 10] is sente of God as a scourge for the punishment of our naughty­nes. Herof speaketh the word of god in the fifth boke of Moises, after thys maner: Deut. 28. If thou wylte not harken vnto the voyce of the Lord thy god, to kepe and to doe all hys commaundementes and ordinaunces, which I cōmaunde thee thys day: then shal al these curses come vpon thee and ouer­take thee: The Lorde shall make the pestilence to cleue vnto thee, vntil he haue consumed thee frō the lande, whether thou goest to enioye it. The lord shal smyte the with swelling, with feuers, heat, burning, wetheryng, wyth smy­ting and blastyng. And they shal folowe thee, tyll thou peryshe.

Yet among the most gracious chasteninges, is the pestilence rekened of the holy Prophete and kyng Dauid; [...]. Reg. 14. c. who (after that he [Page 11] of a pride, 1. Par. 22. [...]. had caused the people to be numbred) whan the elecciō was geuē him, whether he would rather haue seuen yeares dearth, three monthes ouerthrowe in warre, or three dayes pestylence in the land, made this aunswere, I am in a meruelous strayt. But let me fall I praye thee, into the handes of the lord, for muche is hys mercy: and let me not fall in to the handes of men. 2. reg. 24. 1. Para. 22. Then sent the lord a pestylence into Israel that there died of thē .70000 mē. Wherefore if god ouertake thee with this horrible disease, be not thou angry with Saturnus and Mars, nor with the corrupt aier and other meanes, appoynted of god: but be displeased with thine own synnefull lyfe. And whan any fearefull ymage of death cō ­meth before thee, remember that thou wyth thy synnes, haste de­serued [Page 12] muche more horryble thinges, whych god neuertheles hath not sente vnto thee.

¶That God tur­neth death vnto good. The .5. Chapter.

ALthoughe thou haste de­serued an hundreth thou­sande greater plages, yet shalte thou comforte thy selfe before hande, after thys maner: A father dooth hys childrē good, and not euil. Now is my beleue in god, as in mi gracious father thorow Iesus christ and sure I am, that Chryste vpō the Crosse, hath made a perfecte payment for all my synnes, and with his death hath taken away [Page 13] the strengthe of my death: Yea for me hath he deserued and broughte to pas, eternall lyfe. Wherefore though death, in the syght of myne eyes, and of naturall reason be bytter and heauy: Yet by meanes of the passyon and death of Iesus Christe, it is not euill, or hurtfull: but a bene­fyte, a profitable and wholsome thyng: euen an intraunce to euer lastyng ioye.

That death in it selfe is greuous to the bodye and soule. The .6. Chapter.

WHat grefe and hurte, death doeth bring with it, I wil nowe declare: [Page 14] To the intēte that whan we haue considered the same before trou­ble come, we maye in oure dis­tresse, bee the lesse a frayed, hol­dyng agaynst it, the greate com­modities of death, that Chryste hath obtayned for all faythfull. It greueth a man at hys death to leaue the pleasaunt beholdynge of heauen and earth, hys owne yong bodi and chereful stomack hys wyfe and chyldren, house & lande, feldes and medowes, sil­uer and golde, honoure and auc­toritie, good frendes and olde companions, hys mynstrelsy, pastyme, ioye and pleasure, that he hath had vpon earth.

Afterwarde, whan death knocketh at the dore, then begynneth the greateste trouble to woorke. Whan the diseases be fallen vpō the body of man in greater nomber, they are agaynst al the members [Page 15] in the whole bodi, breaking in bi heapes with notable grefes so that the p [...]wer of the body is weakened, the mynde combred, the remembraunce astonied, reason blynded, slepe hindred, the senses all to broken. By meanes whereof, the eyes are darkened, the face is pale, the fete are colde the handes blacke, the members out of course, the brow hardened the chynne falleth down, y ^e breth minisheth, the deadlye sweate breaketh out: Yea the whole mā is takē in, and disturbed, in suche sort, that he is now past mīding of any other thing. Death also is so much the more bytter and ter­rible, because that the feble dis­comforted nature, doth print the horrible ymage of death, to depe in it selfe, and feareth it to sore. And hereunto is the deuyl lyke­wise busi, to set before vs a more [Page 16] terrible euill death, then euer we saw, heard or read of: To the in­tent that we beyng opprest with such imaginacions or thoughtes should fly and hat [...] death, and be driuen to the loue and carefulnes of thys lyfe, forgettyng the goodnes of god, and to be founde dis­obedient at our last ende. More­ouer, whoso of hymselfe is not thorowly assured, & knoweth yet synne by himselfe, he is not astonied for naughte, for asmuche as synne caryeth wyth it the wrathe of god and eternall damnacyon. Now, not only the euill, but also the good, haue greuous and ma­nifolde synnes (yea moo thē they themselues can thinke vpō) with the which, in daungers of bodye and lyfe, theyr mynd is opprest, as it were wyth a violente water that fearcely rageth and gusheth out: yea euen the same praise worthy [Page 17] and cōmendable thing which the godly haue practised alreadi, that dooe they yet perceyue, not to be perfect, but myxte wyth vnclennesse. Herof speaketh Esaye in thys wyse: Esa. 64. we offende & haue been euer in synne, and there is not one whole. We are al 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 [Page 18] 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, [Page 19] 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 [Page 20] one to the other: but in y ^e 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, y ^t 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. [Page 21] 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, y ^t 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 y ^e body commeth vtterly to naught [Page 22] 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 shalbe 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 cō ­monly are afrayed of death. The .7. Chapter.

BY meanes of the occasions aforesayde, certaine heathē men, haue geuen vncomfortable and desperate iudge­ment, [Page 23] 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 y ^t his life might bee prolōged. In the newe testament, whan the Lorde Iesus drewe nere to hys passion and death, he swet bloud [Page 24] 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 [Page 25] 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 [Page] 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 y ^e 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 [Page 27] 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 [Page 28] 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, y ^t 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 [Page 29] 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 y ^e more we consider thys presente wretched lyfe, the lesse feare shal we haue of death which delyuereth vs from all mischaū ­ces [Page 30] 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, y ^e 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 [Page 31] 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 y ^e [Page 32] 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 shalbee 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 cō ­meth oft to passe, that y ^e 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, y ^e luste rageth, the hope disceaueth, heuynes vexeth, carefulnes is full of distresse, feare disquieteth: yea the terrour of death is more greuous, [Page 33] 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 y ^e 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 y ^e 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 [Page 34] 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 [Page 35] 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 [Page 36] mans greater heuynesse. Not in vayne doth the wise manne saye: The harte is sorowefull euen in laughter, Prouer. 14. and the ende of myrthe is heuynes.

Philip the kyng of the Mace­donians, whan he vpon one daie had receaued thre glad messages (one, that the victory was hys in the stage playe of Olympus: the seconde, that his captaine parmenio, had wyth one battayle ouer come the Dardanes: the thyrde, that the Quene his wife was delyuered of a sonne:) he helde vp his handes towardes heauē, and sayed: O ye goddes, I beeseche you, that for so great and many­folde prosperite, ye wyl poynte me a competent misfortune. The wyse prudent kyng, feared the in constancye of fortune, whych (as the heathen talke therof) enuyeth greate prosperite. And therefore [Page 37] hys desyer was, that hys excea­dyng well fare myghte be sauced wyth a litle trouble.

Experience it selfe teacheth vs. Where dyd euer one liue y ^e space of a moneth, or one whole day in pleasure and ease so thorowelye, but some what hath offended or hyndred hym? Therfore earthlye ioye is not so greate, so durable, nor so pure, but that y ^e whole life of man, may wel be called a vale of misery.

VVytnesse / that thys lyfe is miserable. The .10. Chapter.

TEstimony of y ^e scripture, Iob. 9. mā is borne to miseri, as the bird is to fly. Iob. 7. The daies of mā are like y ^e daies of an hired seruaunt, [Page 38] euen a breth, & nothing but vain. Loke thorowe the whole booke, called Ecclesiastes, the preacher. Augustyne wryteth: Yf a manne were put to the choysse, that ey­ther he must die, or els liue again afreshe, and suffer lyke thynges as he had suffered already afore: he would rather dye, specially if he thorowly consider, how many daungers and mischaunces he scace yet hath escaped.

Whoso now knoweth likewise, that God thorowe death, dooeth make an end of miseri vpō earth: It bryngeth hym greate comfort and ease. Yea he shall rather desier death, then feare it. For euē holi Iob himselfe also, whā he was robbed of hys health, ryches and chyldrē, and rebuked of his wife and frendes, wished rather to die then to lyue.

[...]. 19.Helyas, beeing sure in no place, [Page 39] desyred to dye. Tobias, beeynge stryken wyth blyndenes and misintreated of his wife, praid thus: O lord, deale wyth me according to thy wyll, and commaunde my sprete to be receaued in peace, for more expedient were it for me to dye, then to lyue. If holy mē now by reason of their great troubles desyred death: It is no meruayle if we, that are weaker and of more imperfeccion, be werye of this life. Yea an vnspe­akeable foly is it, a mā to wishe for to continew still in the lyfe of mise­ry, and not to pre­pare himselfe to ano­ther and bet­ter lyfe.

¶That the consi­deracion of death afore hand, is profitable to al vertues. The .11. Chapter.

A Very mad and vnhappye man muste he nedes bee, whych thorowelye consi­dereth, that vndoubtedly he must depart hence, he knoweth not howe nor whan: (and whether he shall than haue hys ryght mynde, directyng him selfe to God and desiring grace, he cannot tell) and wyl not euen nowe oute of hande beginne to feare God, and serue hym more dilygently.

As the pecoke, whan he lo­keth vpon hys owne fethers, is [Page 41] proude: but whan he beholdethe hys fete, letteth y ^e fethers downe: euen so doeth manne ceasse from pride, whan he considereth hys ende. For in the ende he shall bee spoyled of al temporall bewtye, strengthe, power, Iob. [...] honoure and goodes. Naked came I oute of my mothers wombe, and naked shall I turne thyther againe.

Thorowe the consyderacion of death, maye a man despyse all fleshelye luste and worldly ioye.

For euen the same fleshe, that thou so pampereste wyth costly daintyes and vaine ornamentes, muste shortelye bee a porcion for wormes: neyther is there a more horryble caryon, then of man.

Mani one thorow feare of death geueth almes, exerciseth charitie, doth his busines circumspectly. [Page 42] To be shorte: the consideracyon of death, is euen as a scourge, or spurre that prouoketh forwarde, and geueth a man suffycient occasyon to auoyde eternall death, whereof, the death of the bodye is a shadowe. Therefore the Ni­niuites, Ionas. 3. fearing their owne ouer throwe and destruccion, repen­ted and fell to a perfecte amendemente.

¶In death we learne the ryghte knoweledge of our selues and of God, and are occasyoned to geue ouer our selues vnto God. The .12. Chapter.

[Page 43]MAny a man in hys lyfe time, can dissemble and shewe a fayer counte­naunce: but at the point of death no ipocrisie, or dissimulacion hath place. There verely shall we be proued and tried, what maner of fayth, loue, cō ­science and comfort we haue, and how much we haue comprehēded out of the doctryne of Christ. Then doth god let vs se our own strength, howe that all worldly strength is a thousād times lesse, thē we euer would haue thought al the daies of our life. Then per­ceyue we seingly and felingly (so to saye) that we stande in the on­ly hande and power of god, and that he alone endureth stil lorde and master ouer death and lyfe. Then learne we ryghte to fele the worthines of the passion & death of Chryste, and in oure selues to [Page 44] haue experyence of the thynges, wherof we neuer toke so diligēte hede afore in our lyfe tyme.

Then come the fittes of repen­taunce for sinnes committed, that we thynke: O If I had knowen that god would haue been so earneste, I woulde haue lefte many thynges vndone, whyche I (alas therfore) haue commytted. Then were we forced to receiue & loue the gospel, which els here to fore might not come to such stout and ioly yonkers. Then begyn we to runne to god, to call vpon hym, to magnifie and praise him, faithfully to cleue vnto hym, and vp­ryghtly to serue hym.

¶That the dead ceasseth from synne. [Page 45] The .13. Chapter.

ALl Christians desyer to bee free from sinne: for sinne and vice doth farre farre vexe the faythful, more then al misfortunes of the bodye. Nowe though one dooe kepe himselfe from synne: Yet standeth he in a slipperye place: the fleshe is weake, strong is the deuyll, of whom it is ea­selye ouercome: whoso standeth, let hym loke that he fall not. 1. Corin. 10.

Whyle the captayne yet fygh­teth, it is vncertayne whether he shall haue y ^e victory & tryumphe: euen so thoughe a man doe vale­auntly defende himselfe agaynst the lustes of the flesh & temptacyons of the deuyll, he maye yet fall, and lose the victorye. Yea if we alwaye lyued, we should doe [Page 46] more euill: synne ceasseth not, tyl we come to be bleste with a shuf­fell. Death cutteth awaye synne from vs, and delyuereth vs from vnclene sēses, thoughtes, wordes and dedes. For though death in paradise was enioined vnto mā ▪ for a penaltie of synne: Yet tho­rowe the grace of God in the merites of Chryste, it is become vnhurtefull: Yea a medicine to pourge oute synne, and a verye workehouse, wherin we are made readye to euerlastyng ryghtuou [...] nesse.

Lyke as terrible Goliath with hys own sworde was destroyed of Dauid: euen so, wyth death, [...] came by the meanes of synne, i [...] 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 swet [...] [Page 47] 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 thē so muche as we shoulde: Yea that we bee [Page 48] 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 [Page 49] 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 fo [...]kes practyse their wilful­nes. Now hath vice & sinne eueri where gotten the vpper hande: the trueth is despised, god hym­selfe dishonoured, y ^e pore opprest, the good persecuted, the vngodly promoted to auctorite, Antichrist tryumphing. Great complaining there is, that y ^e worlde is euer the longer y ^e worse. Forasmuch thē as thorowe death we be discharged of so vicious a world, whō should it delite to lyue heare any more? Thys meaning doeth y ^e preacher set forth in y ^e .4. chapter of Ecclesiastes, sayinge: So I turned me & cōsidered al the violēt wrong y ^t is done vnder y ^e sōne. And behold y ^e teares of such as were opprest: & [Page 50] 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 thē. Theyr bodyes in dede shal ryse at the last day, but foule and marked to eternall payne. Theyr [Page 51] soules shalbe delyuered vnto the deuill, to whom they haue done seruice. An ensample hereof standeth of the rich man: Luke. 1 [...] 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 [Page 52] 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 [Page 53] 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 y ^t we should be brought forth and borne oute of the body of the world, into another & euer lasting life. Hereunto behold the [Page 54] wordes of Christ: Ion. 17. a woman whā 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 [Page 55] 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 poysō yng. Euen so, thoughe death bee not vtterly take nawaye. Yet thorow y ^e grace of god, it is so weakened & made voyde, that the only bare proporciō remayneth. Whā the master of the ship thynketh, he is not wyde from the place, where he must land & discharge, he sayleth on forth y ^e more chere­fully and gladly: euen so the nearer we drawe vnto death, where we must lande, the more stowtly [Page 56] 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, childrē and frendes, among whom he is sureste, and at moste quiete: by meanes wherof he forceth y ^e lesse for any roughe carefull pathe or waye homewarde: euen so all we are straungers and pilgremes v­pon earth. Par. 30. c. [...]sa. 39.119. c Peter. 2. b. Cor. 5. a. [...]hilip. 3. c. [...]c. 11. c. 13. b 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 y ^t 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 [Page 57] and frendes, embrace thē, Hebre. 13. end dwel with them foreuer. We haue heare no remayninge citie, but we seke one to come. Psalme. 3. Our conuersaciō & burgership is in heauē.

But if any man be afrayed of death, and force not for the coun­try of heauen, onely because of tē 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 thē, euerye man may wel cōsider bi himselfe.

The lord Iesus geueth thys si­militude: except the wheate corne fall into the grounde and dye, it [...]ydeth alone, but if it dye, it bryngeth foorthe muche frute. [Page 58] Lykewyse, Paull compareth vs men vnto graynes of corne, the churcheyarde, [...] 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 deliueraūce, whō we, out of the pryson of miserye, shalbe brought before the moste amiable countenaunce of god, into [Page 59] the ioyefull fredome of heauē. Accordynge to thys dyd Dauyd pray: Psalm. 14 [...] 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 mā to goe slepe, 1. Cor. 15. Thessa. 4▪ nor whā 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 whā 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

[Page 60]FOr the strengthnyng of ou [...] fayth, I wyll alledge euy­dente testimonye of Gods worde. Ecclesia. 7. The preacher sayth▪ The day of death is better, thē y ^e day of birth. As if he would say: in the daye of thy birth, the [...] arte sente into the colde, into th [...] heat, into hūger and thirst, whe [...] in is synne and wretchednesse in the day of thy death thou shal [...] be deliuered from all euil. Agai [...] we reade: Sapien. 4. thoughe the righteous be ouertaken with death, yet shal [...] he be in rest.

Iohn. 5.Verely verely I say vnto you, he that heareth my wordes, an [...] beleueth on him that sēt me, ha [...] euerlastynge lyfe, and shall no [...] come into damnacyon, but is sca [...]ed from death vnto lyfe. Rom. 14. a. 2. Cor. 4. b Yf w [...] lyue we lyue vnto the Lorde: [...] we dye, we dye vnto the Lorde▪ Therfore whether we liue or dy [...] [Page 61] 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 (whā god wil) thorowe temporall death, to laye asyde and put of, the trauayle of thys miserable lyfe. Wyttie men haue foūde out, how hard stones may be brokē & mollified, & how wilde beastes may be tamed: but nothing could they inuent, wher­by [Page 60] [...] [Page 61] [...] [Page 62] 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 cōcerneth 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 [...] litle whyle, thou muste, whether thou wylte or no, departe hence to deathes home: for the higheste law geuer of all, tolde oure fyrs [...] father so afore.

[Page 63]In what daye soeuer thou eatest therof, thou shalte dye the death: Gene. [...] vnderstande, that y ^e 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 y ^e 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 mā, muste laye downe theyr neckes. Death is an indifferent iudge, regardeth no person, hath no pitie on the fatherles, careth not for y ^e poore, dispēseth not with y ^e rich, [Page 64] 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 parētes. 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 y ^e 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 [Page 65] 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 cō ­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 the pestylēce wyth flying awaye, leauyng his own wyfe, frendes and neyghbours: he declareth vnper­fectnes of faith, and standeth not wyth Chrystian charitie, where we owe vnto others, the same, that we in like case would glad­ly haue at theyr handes.

Graunt that the pestylence is such an infectuous sickenesse, as one taketh of another. What thā? If one stande in battayle raye to fyghte for hys country, must not he also looke for a gonne stonne, to be sente hym into hys bosome, [Page 67] to carye home? doeth it therefore beseme hym to breake the araye, and to fly? Lyke as there the ene­myes of the bodye are at hande: So here doe the gostlye aduersa­ryes besege the soule of hym that is a dying, where one Chrystyan shoulde helpe another, wyth worthy talke. Therfore is that a folish vnaduised counsayll, whan we, wyth neglectynge of oure owne members, wil flie from the wrath of god, thynkyng thorowe synne, to escape the punyshmēt of synne. Experyence also doth shew, that such folkes doe ofte perysh aswel as other: yea soner then they that fled not at al. But phisicke is permytted of god: as in the tyme of pestylence, wyth fyers and per­fumes to make y ^e ayer more wholsome from poysō, and to receaue somewhat into the bodye, for the consumyng of euil humours, and [Page 68] to hinder the infeccion. Itē whan one is taken with a dysease, to be let bloud, to sweate, to folow the phisicians instrucciō: such thīges are in no wyse to be reprehēded. So y ^t, whether it turne to deathe or lyfe, the hearte onely and hope hange vpon God. The physicion shoulde neyther bee despysed nor worshypped. For to thynke scorn to vse medecyne in syckenesse, what were that els, but euen to tempt god?

¶That god is a­ble and wyll helpe for Chry­stes sake. The .20. Chapter.

[Page 69]SPecially whā death is at hād a man fyndeth no helpe in any creature of heauen and earth, whereby he might fortunatly suppresse y ^e exceading greate feare of death, but only in god y ^e father, in Christe hys sonne, and in the ho­ly sprete of them both.

It is god that knoweth the parels of thy death, and can medle wythall. Thorowe hys power shalt thou get thorow, and drinke the bitter draught. Though we dyyet liueth god before vs, with vs after vs, and is able to preserue vs for euer. Chryst sayeth: wepe not, the damosel is not dead, but slepeth. Faythles reason vnder­standeth not the mistery of God and laugheth. But Chryst, y ^e true god, hath both y ^e woorde & worke together, & saieth no more but, a­rise, and the soule came again to y ^e bodye, & she arose. Oute of thys [Page 70] and suche lyke ensamples, ough­test thou (faynte hearted man) to vnderstande the infinite power of god, who can receaue thi soule also, and preserue it.

Not only is god able, but wil also helpe graciousli. Whi should not he lay vpon thee some greate thyng, (as death is) seyng he addeth so greate aduauntage, helpe and strēgth therto, Math. 10. d. Luke. 12. a. Psal. 34. Psal. 55. c. 1. Pet. 5. a to proue what hys grace and power maye doe? For he hath nombred all y ^e heares of our head: that is, he alwai hath hys eies vpon vs and careth euer for vs.

Yea that he loueth vs more thē we loue oure selues, and maketh better prouision for vs then we can wysh, he hath openly and euidently testified in his own deare sonne: Marke. 16. c. Luke. 22. c. whō he caused to take our miserable nature vpon hym, and therein, for the synnes of all the [Page 71] world to suffer, to dye, to ryse a­gayne, to ascende vp to heauen, Acre. 7. [...] roma. 8. [...] Eph. 1▪ c. 4. Philip. 2. a Col. 3. a 1. Pet. 3. c Heb. 1. a, 2, [...] 10, b, 12, a Psal. 110, a where he sytteth at the right hād of god the father almyghtye. A­mong the whych articles, euerye one doth helpe and comfort such as are a dying.

The naturall sonne of god him selfe from heauen, became a mor­tall man, The human [...] tie of Chry [...] to the intent that mans mortal nature, thorowe the vni­tyng thereof with the immortall nature of the Godheade, in hys owne onely person, myght be ex­alted to an immortall lyfe.

He, The passion of Chryst hauyng a natural feare of death, said: my soule is heuy euē vnto the death. He prayed also: father, if it be possible, take thys cup from me. But thys feare and terrour dyd he ouercome, Math, 26, [...] Marke, 14, [...] Io, 12, c Luke, 22, [...] for he addeth thereto and sayeth: father not my wyll, but thyne be fulfyl­led. Thorowe thys victorye of [Page 72] Chryst, maye al Chrystyans also ouercome such terrour and feare as they be in.

Item though the Iewes blas­pheme neuer so muche, and saye: lette hym come downe from the crosse: Math, 27 Marke, 14, d Luke, 22, c he hath helped other, lette hym nowe helpe hymselfe: as though they woulde saye: There there seyft y ^e death, like a wretche must thou dye, and no man is a­ble to helpe thee: Yet dyd y ^e lorde Iesus holde hys peace thereto, as if he heard and saw them not. He made no aunswere agayne, but onely regarded the good wil and pleasure of his father. Ther­fore though we haue an horrible temptacion of death, as thoughe there were neyther comforte nor help for vs ani more, yet in Christ and with Chryst we may endure all, and wayte styll vpon the gracious good wyll of god.

[Page 73]He dyd not onely suffer the hor­rour and temptacyon of deathe, but death it selfe, yea the moste horryble death: wherby he tooke from vs the death eternall, and some deale mollified and swaged our temporall death: yea besides thys, he made it profytable and wholsome. So that death, 2, Cor, 5, [...] Phil, 1, c roma, 7, c Hebru, 2, which of it selfe shoulde els be a begin­ning of euerlastyng sorowe, is become an intraunce into eternall saluacyō. Accordyng to this meanyng are y ^e wordes of Paul: whā he sayth, that Chryst, by y ^e grace of god, tasted death for all men. Item, he became partaker offlessh and bloud, to put down thorowe death hym, that had the lordshyp ouer death, that is to say, the de­uyll: and that he myghte delyuer them, whyche thorowe feare of death, were al theyr lyfe tyme in daunger of bondage.

[Page 74] Chrystes re­surreccyon,Moreouer that Chryst is the ly­uing & immortall ymage against death, yea the very power of our resurreccyon and of lyfe euerla­styng, he hymselfe hath testifyed wyth hys owne ioyefull and victoryous resurreccion: & also with that, that in hys resurreccyon, many other sayntes that were dead, rose from death agayne. Math, 27,

Agayne howe full is it of comforte and pure treasure, that S. Paul ioyneth our resurrecciō vn­separably, 1, Cor, 15, to the resurreccyon of Iesus Christ. Lykewyse doth S. Paul comforte hys disciple Ti­mothy with the resurreccion, and sayeth. 2, Tim, 2 [...]om, 6, b, 8, b If we dye wyth Chryst, we shall lyue wyth hym: if we be pacyent, we shal also reigne with hym.

Chrystes as­censyonNo lesse must the frute of the ascension of Christ be cōsidered. For the sonne of god hath promysed [Page 75] and sayd: Father, I wyl, that where I am, they also be, whom thou hast geuen me. Seyng that Chryst now with body and soule is go te vp to heauen, what can be thoughte more comfortable for a man at hys death, then that we Chrystyans shall also after death be takē vp into the ioie of heauē?

In heauen sytteth Chryste at the ryghte hande of god, Chryste sy [...] teth at the ryghte hand of god, Lorde and kyng ouer synne, deuil, death and hel. Him we haue, in that heauenly lyfe wyth god, an assured faythfull mediator and helper. Though we must fyghte in extre­mitie of death, yet are we not a­lone in thys conflyct or battayl: euen the valeaunt heauenly cap­tayne hymselfe, who vpō y ^e crosse ouer came death and all misfor­tune for our sakes, hath respecte vnto vs from tyme to time, goeth beefore vs in oure battayle, and [Page 76] fyghteth for vs, Deut, 1, c, 20 Exo, 14, c Iosu, 23. a 1, Pat, 6, a 2, Pat, 20, 32, 4, reg, [...], d Zach, 10, a kepeth vs from all mischaunces in the way to saluacyon: so that we nede not care nor feare, that we shal sinke or fal down to the bottome.

He shall cause vs, with oure own bodely eyes, to see the glorious victory and triumphe in the resurrecciō of the dead, & to haue experyence therof in oure own body and soule. Death is euen as a darke caue in the grounde: but who so taketh Chrystes light can­dell, puttyng hys truste in hym, and goeth into the dymme darke hole, the mysre flyeth before him and the darkenesse vanysheth a­waye.

In Chryste haue we a mighty effectuous ymage of grace, of life and of saluacyon: in suche sorte, that we Chrystyans should feare neyther death, nor other misfor­tune. Summa, he is oure hope, [Page 77] our safegarde, oure triumph, our crowne.

Wrinesse of scripture: Iohn, 1 [...] I am the resurreccion and the lyfe: he that beleueth one me, yea though he were dead, yet shall he lyue. And whosoeuer lyueth and bele­ueth on me, shall neuer die. Forth wyth after he had spoken these wordes, raysed he vp Lazarus: who had lyen fouer dayes in the graue, and beeganne to corrupte and stynke.

As by Adā al die, so by Christ shall all be made aliue, 1, Cor, 13, euery one in hys order. Item oure burger­shyppe is in heauen: from whens we loke for a sauioure, Philip, 3, euē Iesus Chryste: whyche shall chaunge oure vyle bodyes, that they maie bee fashyoned lyke vnto hys glo­ryous body, accordyng to y ^e wor­king wherby he is able to subdue all thynges vnto hymself. Also: [Page 78] Ye are dead, Colossiās, 3, and your lyfe is hid wyth Chryste in god. But whan Chryst, your life, shal shewe hym selfe, then shal ye also appeare w ^t hym in glory. Here dooeth Paul declare, that our life is not in this worlde, but hyd wyth Chryste in god, and shall thorowe Chryst in hys tyme, be gloryously opened. After thys maner should Christe be prynted into y ^e feble, troubled and doubtfull consciences of the sycke. And withal diligēce ought the office of Chryst to be considered, how that he, accordyng vnto the scripture, comming into thys world for our welth, did also, for our wealth, preache, wrought miracles, suffred & died, to deliuer vs oute of thys false vnhappye worlde, to open vnto vs y ^e ryght [...] dore into eternall lyfe, & to bring vs, with body and soule, into heauen. Wherin neyther sinne, death [Page 79] nor deuill, shall be able to hynder vs, for euermore.

Who shall euer be able, sufficiently to prayse and magnify, the infinite glori of the grace of god? What would we haue the Lorde oure God to dooe more for vs, to make vs lustely steppe forth bee­fore the face of death, manfullye to fyghte in all trouble, and wyl­lynglye to wayte for the delyue­raunce?

¶That god hath promysed hys helpe and comfort. The .21. Chapter.

OVte of thys exceadynge grace of god for the blessed sedes sake, proceade gods comfortable pro­mises [Page 80] in the olde and newe testa­ment. Psal, 32 Psal, 91, Myne eyes shall still be v­pon thee, that thou peryshe not. The Lorde shall delyuer thee frō the snare of the hunter, and from the moste noysome death. Wyth hys owne wynges shall he couer thee: so that vnder hys fethers thou shalt bee safe. Hys trueth & faythfulnes shall be thy shylde & buckler: so that thou shalt neither nede to feare any inconuenyence by nyght, neyther swyfte arowe in the daye season: neyther the pestilence that crepeth in darknes, nor yet any hurt that destroyeth by day tyme. Though a thousand fall on thy lefte hande, and ten thousande on thy ryght, yet shall it not touche the.

Heare dooeth god euydently promyse, that he wyll gracyously preserue hys own chyldrē. First, from suche temptacion, phantasy [Page 81] and disceaueablenes, as come vp on a man by nyghte in the darke. Secondly, from the violence of wycked vnthriftes, and all mys­chaunces that ouertake men opē ­ly in the daye season, yea sometyme sodenly and vnwares.

Thirdly, from the pestylence, y ^t we nede not to feare it, thoughe there dye of it a thousande on the lefte hande, and ten thousand on the ryghte. The pestilence shal either not take vs, or not woūde vs vnto death, or els serue to oure e­uerlastyng welfare.

Fourthlye, from hote feuerous syckenesses, suche as commenlye growe in hote countryes, whan the sonne shyneth most strongly. Vnder these foure plages, are all mischaunces comprehended. In the ende of thys Psalme stād these words: I am w ^t him in trouble, I wil deliuer him, and bryng [Page 82] hym to honour. Whan god saith: I am with hym, cōsyder not thou thine own powers, for thei helpe nothing at al. Behold much more the power of him that is with the in trouble. Whan thou hearest: I wyll delyuer hym, thou must not be faint hearted, though the trouble doe seme longe to continewe. whan thou hearest: I wyl bryng hym vnto honour, bee thou sure, that as thou arte partaker of the death of Chryste, so shalt thou be also of hys glory.

Math, 11,Chryste calleth thee to hym, & cryeth yet styll: come to me all ye that laboure and are laden, and I wyll ease you. Take my yoke on you, and learne of me, that I am meke and lowly in hearte, and ye shall fynde rest vnto your soules. Agayn: verely vereli, I say vnto you: Iohn, 8, If any mā kepe mi sayinges he shall neuer see death. Vnder­stande [Page 83] that the light of life doeth shine clearer, then the darkenesse of death can blynde. For the faithfull, thorowe hys belefe, is after suche sorte incorporated and ioy­ned vnto the lord Chryste, y ^t true lyfe, that he shal not be separated from hym. Thoughe bodye and soule departe a sunder now for a season: yet is that done in an assu­red, vndoubted hope of the bles­sed resurreccion, that veri shortlye both bodye and soule shall come together agayne to eternall ioye. And thus the Christiā beleuer neyther seeith, feleth nor ta­steth the euerlasting death of his body and soule, that is to say, eter­nall damna­cyon.

God setteth to his owne helpyng hande, in suche wyse, and at such time as is beste of all. The .22. Chapter.

GOd now thorowe Chryst dooeth not onely promes most graciously hys comfort and helpe, but fayth­fully perfourmeth he thesame in due season, so farre, & after suche sorte, as is expediente. The verye ryghte tyme vndoutedly doth not he omitte. Death in dede is a na­rowe way, but god shorteneth it. The bitternesse of death passeth all the paynes that we haue felte vpon earth, but it endureth not longe. Death must make quy [...] [Page 85] spede wyth vs, as Ezechyas the kyng of Iuda sayeth: Esaye, 38 he shall cut of my lyfe, as a weeber doth his webbe. And whan the payne is greatest of all, then is it nere the ende. Hereunto may be applyed that Chryste sayde, it is but a modicum, a veri litle while. Iohn, 11 Though it were so, y ^t the troubles of death dyd long endure: Yet towardes the eternitie that foloweth after, is the same scace as one pointe or prycke, in comparison of a whole Circle. In the meane season, God can more comforte and helpe, thē the most horrible death of all, is able to disturbe or greue. Some­tyme taketh he frō vs y ^e greuous enemy or mortal sickenes, & so deliuereth vs out of the parelles of deathe. Els geueth he some ease or refreshyng outwardely: or yf the trouble gooe on styll, he [Page 86] sendeth hys swete gracious com­forte inwardely, so as the pacyēt (thorowe then or kyng of the ho­ly gost) doth fele a taste, a proufe and begynnynge of the heauenly ioye: by meanes whereof, he is a­ble, wyllyngly to forsake all that earthy is, and to endure al maner of payne and smerte, vntyll the ende.

[...]m [...], 8,The sprete of god certifieth our sprete, that we are the children of god. If we be chyldren, we are al so heyres (the heyres I meane of God) and heyres annexed wyth Chryste: if so bee that we suffer wyth hym, that we maye also be gloryfyed wyth hym. God com­maundeth his Aungels, that they wyth hym doe loke vnto thee (O man) whan thou dyest, & to take hede vnto thy soule, to keepe it, & to receaue it whan it shall depart out of the body. Wytnes thys is▪ [Page 87] the aungell of the Lorde pitcheth roūd about them that feare him, Psal, 34, and delyuereth thē. And: Psal, 9 [...] ▪ he hath geuen hys aungels charge concernyng thee, that they kepe thee in all thy wayes, and beare thee in theyr handes, that thou hurte not thy fote agaynste a stone.

The Aungels, Hebru, [...] whiche are ma­ny wythout nōber, be ministring spretes, sente to dooe seruyce for theyr sakes, whych shalbe heires of saluacyon. Therfore, a Christian, at his laste ende, muste bee throughlye assured, that in hys death he is not alone, but that ve­ry many eies loke vnto him. First the eies of god the father himself and of hys sonne Iesus Chryste: then the worthye aungels, and all Chrystyans vpon earth.

Then accordyng to y ^e cōtentes of the sacrament of baptyme and of the supper of the lord, al Chri­stians, [Page 88] as a whole body to a mē ­ber thereof, resort vnto him, that is a dying: by hauing compassiō and prayer to helpe hym by, that at hys death, he maye ouer come death, synne and hell.

¶Examples of Goddes helpe. The .23. Chapter.

IN the tyme of the Prophetes and apostles, God raised cer­tayne from death: to the intēte that oure weake feable nature myght haue the more helpe, to beleue the resurreccion & eternal lyfe. For the dead could not haue been raysed, if death dyd bryng man vtterly to naught. Abraham fell sicke, Gene, 25, and died in a good age, [Page 89] whan he was olde and had liued inoughe and was put vnto hys people: that is, hys soule came to the soules of the other saynctes, which died afore, So is it also of Isaac. Gene, 3 [...] Word was brought to kīg Ezechias, that he should lyue no lōger. But after he had made his earneste prayer vnto God, there were added fiftene yeares vnto lyfe. Whan Lazarus dyed, Luke, 16 hys soule was caryed of the aungels into Abrahams bosome. The murtherer vpon the crosse, hearde in hys extreme trouble, that Chryst sayed vnto hym: thys daye shalte thou be wyth me in paradyse. Luke, 23, Dayly experyence testifieth, that god forsaketh not hys own. Therfore vndoubtedlye, he that hath begonne hys kyngdome in vs, shall graciously perfourme and finishe it.

¶That it is necessarye to prepare for thys iourneye. The .24. Chapter

IF we could fynde in our hert [...] gladlye for to heare, howe vnhurtefull, yea wholsome and vincible death is become tho­row Chryst: we would not be idell, and lynger styll tyll y ^e tyme came, that we must nedes dye.

A good housholder maketh prouision for hymselfe and hys familye, and bieth afore hande, fewel and victualles, and such thynges as he hath nede of, for a whole yeare or for a moneth &c. accor­dyng as he is able. Muche more oughte a Christian to prouyde y ^t, whyche concerneth not onely one [Page 91] moneth or one yere, but an eternitye that hath no ende. Lyke as faythfull seruauntes wayte for theyr master, so ought we to loke for the commyng of Chryst, whā he shall call vs out of thys tyme. Luke, [...] If the housholder knewe, what houre the thefe woulde come, he woulde watch, and not suffer his house to be broken vp. math. 24. Therfore be ye also ready: for in the houre that ye thynke not, wyll the sōne of man come.

Whoso hath perfecte knowe­ledge of death, as it is hetherto descrybed and set forth: he, in makyng prouision afore hande, hath fyrste thys aduauntage, that it is good fyghtynge wyth a knowne enemye. Contrary wyse on the o­ther syde: what shall an vnmete warryour doe, that knoweth not the nature, subtiltie, weapons and polycy of the enemye?

Prouisyon concer­nyng temporall goodes, children and frendes, which must bee lefte behynde. The .25. Chapter.

AGayne, concernyng temporall goodes: Let the ryche who hath wyfe and chil­dren, or other heyres, make prouision for them in good ord [...] vnder wrytyng, accordyng as i [...] euery place the custome is. But i [...] honour and auctoritie, substaūc [...] or goodes go to nere thi stomack, then consyder, that they be no [...] true, but vncertayne, transitory [...] and vayne goods: whyche bryn [...] more vnquietnesse then rest. Co [...] syder also, that many moe rych [...] myghtye Prynces, kynges an [...] Lordes, muste bee spoyled of [...] [Page 93] theyr glorye, and bee faine to contente themselues with a shorte, narrowe place of the graue.

Thoughe we here lose all, yet dooe we scace lose one far­thynge. And in the other lyfe, we haue not kyngedomes, nor empi­res, but GOD hymselfe and e­uerlastynge goodes. In comparison whereof, all minstrelsye, pa­styme, pompe, myrthe and chere vpon earthe, is scace to bee este­med, as castynge counters, to­wardes the fyneste coynes of golde. Therefore oughte we to learne, specyallye in syckenes, to geue all temporall goodes theyr leaue, and to byd them fare wel. And if any manne wyll further more disquyete and trouble vs, in tellynge vs styll of them, then muste we requyer hym to depart and let vs alone.

[Page 94]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 y ^e 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 [Page 95] frendes. And therefore the holye patriarke Iacob sayed, Gene. 49. whan he should dye: I shalbe 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 y ^e pro­tection, helpe and cōfort of god, wyth an earnest prayer, y ^t he wyl graciously take the gouernaunce [Page 96] 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 y ^e 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 y ^e holy gospel. In this cōsideracion [Page 98] 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 [Page 99] sent Iesus Christ. With this euā gelicall 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 y ^e horrible ymage of death would make vs afrayed, we must not vnquiet our selues, w ^t 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 y ^e 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 [Page 100] 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 y ^e more depely and stedfastly we do set, prynt, and beholde Christ before vs, the more shal death bee despysed and deuoured in lyfe: y ^e 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 [Page 101] of fyerye serpentes, myghte not struggle w ^t thē, but behold y ^e 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

[Page 102]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, y ^t we pooresely wormes, feble and weake in body and soule, shoulde be able to endure the stormy waues and [Page 103] 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 cō ­forte of man, yea from all [Page 104] creatures to the only creator, tho­rowe Iesus Chryst, and to geue our selues ouer wholly vnto him. Wyth all our naturall reason and wysdome, shal we neuer bee able to comprehende, how it commeth to passe, that the soule muste de­part out, and yet bee preserued: y ^e 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 whā we dye we oughte to exercyse y ^e foure last articles: The communyon of saintes, The Frutes of faith the forgeuenes of sinnes the resurreccion of the body, and [Page 105] the lyfe euerlastynge. For these foure in themselues comprehēde 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 & ascensyō, intercessyon & merytes of Iesus Chryst, and standeth, lyueth and dieth in y ^e 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 sōne of god himselfe hath, can do and is able, that same hath thys beeleuer also obteyned: neyther can it goe other wyse wyth hym [Page 106] but prosperously in lyfe & death, here and in the world to come, tē ­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, whā 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 [Page 107] 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 sēt 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. [...] ▪ 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 [Page 108] at y ^e laste day. As though he said: Thys is the most gētle good will of god y ^e father & of god y ^e 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 y ^e darknes of y ^e night falleth down, it couereth y ^e 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 y ^e least light of al that is founde in the worlde. For the darker y ^e night is, y ^e clearer do­the starres shyne: yea y ^e lest lyght of a candell, w ^tstandeth y ^e whole night, and geueth light rounde a­bout in the middes of darknes. A litle sparke also of a coale can not [Page 109] the darknes couer, much les is it able to quēch it. 1. Ihon [...] Now is god the true, euerlastyng & heauēly light. And al they, y ^t put their truste in hym, are as a burnīg candle. For thorow fayth doeth god dwell in our hartes, & we ar y ^e liuing tēple of god, & Christs disciples ar called y ^e lightes of y ^e world. Hereout foloweth it, y ^e though y ^e prince of spiritual darknes thrust in, w ^t his noisome poisō & plages: Yet shal we beholde in faith y ^t he w ^t his poisō & plages, can neyther ap­prehēd nor destroy any true faithful mā or womā, but shalbe sinit­ten back & dryuen away perforce.

A lytle vayne of water, An apte similitude brea­keth forth out of the groūd some­tyme scace a fynger bygge: and whan the water is gathered into a dyche or ponde, it spryngeth neuerthelesse. And though y ^e water become heuy of certain hūdreth [Page 110] wayght, and moue about the fo [...]tayne, yet can it not dryue backe [...] fountaine, but it driueth y ^e whol [...] waighte of the water backward [...] and forwarde, and spryngeth st [...] continually, tyll the dyche bee s [...] full, that it goe ouer. And if the other water be foule and trouble [...] it can not myngle it selfe among the freshe cleare water of the fo [...]tayne: but y ^e same remayneth pu [...] and fayer, tyll in tyme it com [...] farre from the head spryng.

Iere. 2. Psal. 36.Nowe is god, the only plentifull fountayne of all lyfe. An [...] the faythfull are verye flowyng wels. For Chryste saieth: Whos [...] 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 th [...] sprete, that they, which beleue o [...] hym, should receaue. Thus no m [...] chaunce of thys world can spoil [...] [Page 111] 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 y ^e frutes of faith, thou must māfulli 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 y ^e god of very wrath wyll kyll thee & dāne 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 [Page 112] the terrible cogitacions passe, as much as is possible. Remember y ^e comfortable gracious worde of y ^e lord Iesu. Blessed of godis he that [...]ath thys [...]ynde. Comprehend and kepe it sure in a stedfast belefe, confy­dence and hope. Plucke vp thi [...]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 harkē 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. [Page 113] 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 y ^e 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 fayt [...]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 geuē vs, y ^e victory agaynst thee, so that [Page 114] 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 frō labour to rest, from shame to ho­noure, from heuynes to ioye, frō death to lyfe. 1. Iohn. 5. We knowe, that we are translated frō death vnto life Though I walke in the valey of y ^e 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 cōmaundement, that we shoulde receaue coumforte in [Page 115] the lord Iesu, as the words soūd 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 y ^t he byd­deth vs, be of a good comforte: & as though it wer not true, that he hath ouercome the worlde. The fearer o [...] death arme [...] 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 ou [...] own strēgt [...] is the way to desperacyon Hereof procede such wordes as these: I wote not how to endure and abyde it: alas what shalbe 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 y ^e matter? Item, thorowe vnbelefe, a man desyreth to remayne here longer, [Page 116] 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 heauēly master: Witnes: he that beleueth not, Mark. 16. Iohn. 3. shalbe damned. He that beleueth not on the sonne of god, shal not see lyfe, but y ^e wrath of god abydeth on hym.

¶Of hope. The .29. Chapter.

The worke & strēgth 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, [Page 117] and shall vndoubtedlye not come to confusion. Committe thy cause vnto the lord, hope vpō 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.

[Page 118]TO y ^e confirmaciō 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 euidēce of y ^e grace of god, fastened euē vpon y ^e bodi: wyth the which god promyseth & byndeth himselfe, that he wil be thy god & father for hys sonnes sake, and wyl also preserue the w ^t 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 y ^e 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 congregaciō. But let hym diligently consyder [Page 119] the frute therof, after this maner: The frute of the supper. god hath promysed me his grace in Christ, and geuē me an assured token from heauen in thys sacra­ment that Chrystes lyfe, hath in hys death ouercome my death, & that hys obedyence in hys passiō hath destroyed my synnes. Thys godly promes, token and euidēce of my saluacyō, 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 tēp­teth 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 [Page 120] sonne. If thou beleue on the sōne 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 sacramēt, 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 [Page 121] 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. 1 [...]. but such as we offer thorowe Iesus Chryst. Therfore must we wyth draw our selues frō al creatures, praying and desyryng all things at gods hande, onely thorow the name of Iesu.

How oughte a man to call vpō god thorowe Chryste? What is to call vpon god in Chryste. Wyth be­lefe, that we doubt not but oure prayer is heard already. To such a fayth and confydence are we occasioned, in that God hath com­maunded vs to pray, and promy­sed that he wyl graciouslye heare vs: knocke and it shall bee opened vnto you▪ &c.

For what thynge oughte we to make our prayer vnto god? [Page 122] For y ^e vnderstandīg of his word, for remissiō of sinnes, for increace of fayth, for loue euen towardes our enemyes, for helpe, pacience, comforte, and all spiritual giftes. To pray for health and long lyfe, The moderacion of praier for temporal thynges. is not vnryghte, so farre as we cō mitte and referre it vnto the holy wyl of god. For we can not make it better, then the faithful father, that knoweth best of all. And to pray for a long lyfe, is oft tymes nothyng els, then to desyer, to be kept long in miserye. Esai. 38. Good Eze­chyas yet prayed wyth teares, y ^t he myght lyue for a season.

Chryst, the most perfect ensā ple of al, did pray: Father, if it be possible, take thys bitter draught fro me: neuertheles, not my wyll but thyne bee done. Lyke as he nowe prayed thus, y ^e seconde and third time, moste earnestlye: So ought we also without ceassynge [Page 123] to cal vnto god. Some appoynte god afore hande, what death he must suffer them to dye. But they doe best of all, that prescrybe vn­to the lord theyr god neyther fa­shyon of death, nor tyme, neyther other circumstaunce: but referre al vnto him, who knoweth what is profitable and good, better then we ourselues.

Moreouer we must praye for wife and childe, for frende and e­nemy, and for the whole congre­gacion of the Chrystians, y ^t god may graciouslye take thē all into hys own proteccion. Vnto praier belōgeth it also, cherfulli to geue god thankes, for all bodelye and gostly benefites.

¶The fourme of prayer. [Page 124] The .32. Chapter.

Praier to god the father. O Almightie euerlastynge god, mercyful father of heauē, thou hast created me after thyne owne i­mage, and endewed me wyth exceadyng plentiful giftes. Confessyon. Yet not wythstandyng all thy benefites, I haue many and sondry wayes contemned and transgres­sed thy commaundementes. All my dayes are passed foorth with greuous synnes. I feare and flye from thee, as from a righteous iudge. Althys, what soeuer it be, I freelye knowledge and confes and am sory for it, frō the ground of my heart. Desyre of grace. But, O heauenly fa­ther, I cry and call for thy large and great mercy: O enter not w ^t me into iudgemente, remember not the synnes of my youth. O [Page 125] thynke vpon me accordyng to thi mercye, for thy names sake, and for thy goodnes, which hath ben from euerlastyng. Vouchesafe to graunt me thy mercy, which thou according to the contentes of the gospel, hast promised and opened thorow thy beloued sōne: in such sort, that whoso beleueth on him, shal haue euerlastyng lyfe. Now is my belefe in Iesu Christ, euen in the only redemer of the whole worlde. I vtterly refuse all other comforte, helpe and assistaunce, and my hope is, onely thorowe Chryste, to haue pardon of my sinnes & eternal life. Thi wordes are trewe, be it vnto me accordīg to thy wordes: O let me enioye y ^• passion and death of thyne onely begottē sonne. Take for my sīnes the satysfaccion and paymente of our lord, Iesus Chryste: accordīg to the tenour of my belefe. [Page 126] Of thys my fayth, thou shalt thy selfe O Lord be wytnesse, and al thine elect. My last wil also shall it be, vpon thy mercy to dy in this fayth. Though I now, by occasiō of pain, lacke of reasō, or thorowe tēptaciō should happen or would fall awaye: suffer me not yet, O lorde, to sticke fast in vnbelefe & blasphemy, but helpe myne vn­belefe, strength and increace my fayth, that synne, death, the deuil and hel dooe me no harme. Thou art strōger and mightier thē thei: that is onely my trust and confy­dence.

O lord, the flesh is feble, & vnpacient: laye not thou my weake­nes to mi charge, but burne, smit, prycke and plage as thou wylte thy selfe: Pacience and lowlynes is the signe of a Chrystyan. only Ibesech the graūt me pacience and lowelynesse of mynde. Be thou y ^e strength of my soule in this farre iournei, which [Page 127] I haue now to go in an vnknowē lande. Now shewe thy selfe vnto my poore soule so, as it may fele that thou art my refuge, my help, proteccyon, defence, comforte, castel, my sure stony rocke, my safegarde, my treasure, prosperyte, health and wellfare. I yelde my selfe wholy vnto thee with soule and body, let me neuer bee con­founded. Helpe also, Prayer for the enemy. o heauēly father, that accordyng vnto thy cō ­maundement, I may loue myne enemyes, and pray for them that haue hurte me. Math, 5. c roma, 12, b. c. And bryng to pas thorowe thy holy sprete, that all thei, whō I haue done harme vn­to, may also forgeue me, to the cō moditie and health of their owne soules. For it reweth me, and sory I am, that at any time I haue broken Christian loue and charytie, and begiled desceaued, or offēded any man wyth euill ensample, or [Page 128] with to fewe benefites. I besech the O lord, thorow Iesus Christ, forgeue thou all them, that euer haue hurt me, in thought, worde or dede.

Praier for eueri manTo thy faythfulnes and proteccion, O dearest father, I commit all that concerneth me, speciallye wyfe, children, frendes & all such as thou hast put vnder my gouernaunce. Comfort and helpe thou all those, that ly in bandes and ar persecuted for thy wordes sake. Haue mercy vpon al such, as are in prison, pouertie, sickenes and heuines. O bring thou the whole world to the knowledge of thi holy word, that they may liue accordyng to thy godly wyl, and (tho­row out all troubles) to endure & continue styll in y ^e Christiā faith. O Lorde Iesu Chryste, Praier to god the sonne. I besech the thorowe thine owne merites, haue mercye vpon me. Seinge [Page 129] I my selfe can not make satisfaccion or sufficient amēdes towards the father for my synnes, I laye thē vpō the, in hope that y ^u haste already taken them awaye. For y ^u hast payed that we ought, & oure woundes hast thou healed. O in­creace thou, in me and other men, fayth, pacyence and consolacion, what aduersitie or trouble soeuer we be in.

Thou, lord Iesu, in thy passion diddest pray: Father, if it be pos­sible, let thys cup passe fro me: neuertheles, not my wyll, but thine be done: and that is my praier al­so. Vpō y ^e crosse y ^t dydst pray: Fa­ther, forgeue thē. Euē so lord, for­geue I al those, y ^t euer haue done any thing agaīst me. Thou didst cry: my god, my god, why hast y ^u forsakē me. O lorde forsake not y ^u me then, in my deadlye trouble. Vpon the crosse, y ^u saidst: into thī [Page 130] handes I commende my sprete. Euen so now lord, commende I my poore soule into thy handes. O thou holy sprete. Praier to god the holy gost Great is the anguish and distresse of my hert: haue mercye vpon me for Iesus Christes sake. I am afflicted, & so are many moe: O vouchsafe thou to illuminate, comfort & strēgthē me and them vnto al goodnes: cō uey thou and bryng vs out of all trouble, and fayle vs not, neither forsake vs for euermore. Amen.

¶A fourme of prayse and thankes geuyng. The .33. Chapter.

Thankes ge­uyng to god the father. O Almightie, eternal, merciful god and father, I laude and [Page 131] prayse the, that thou hast created me a reasonable man, and as a father haste preserued me to thys houre: keping me from great daū gers euer sithens I was borne, & doing me more good, then euer I was or am worthy. Specyally, I geue thee thankes for thy endles grace, whiche thou shewest vnto me and all faythfull, thorowe thy moste deare beloued sonne: In y ^t he for my synnes, would be tempted so many wayes, and suffer so vyle a death: to the intente that I from hence forth, myght be assu­red of faythfull assistaunce.

Magnified and blessed be thy name, that thou sufferest me not to dye, wythout knoweledge of y ^e holy gospell. I thanke thee also dearest father, that thou visiting me wyth thys syckenes and daunger, doest not forgette me. For in the meane season also, thou com­fortest [Page 132] fortest and helpest, and full gra­ciously shalt thou bryng the matter to an ende.

Thankesgeuing to the sonne.Honour, prayse and thankes be vnto thee, my most deare lord Iesu Christ, for thy holy incarnacion, for thy martirdom and byt­ter passyon: wherby I am perfectly assured, that thou art my rede­mer and Sauiour. Vpon y ^t onely set I my building: thither warde standeth my hope: there wil I be founde. Rom. 6. b. rom. 8. b. 2. Timo. 2. b Cherefully and gladli w ^t thy helpe, wil I depart hēce: trustyng, that as I am partaker of thi troubles so shall I also haue my part in thy euerlastyng glorye. Namely, that at y ^e last daye, thou shalt raise vp this my poore mor­tall body, takyng my soule vnto thee immediatly at my departing hence. Thankesgeuing to the holi goost. O y ^e holy sprete, I rēder vn to the prayse and thākes, for the true vnderstandyng, belefe, comfort, [Page 133] pacience, & al giftes, whiche thou graciously doest minister & geue, by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ.

That the praier is harde. The .34. Chapter.

HEre vnto serue al psalmes of prayer and thankesgeuing. Howbeit, whatsoeuer cōcerneth prayer, it is all cōprehended w ^t few wordes in the holy pater noster, if it be diligētly & earnestly considered. Notwithstādyng no Christian prayer can be done in vayne, y ^t it should not be fayth­fully heard. God sayth: Psal. 91. He hath a desier vnto me, and I wyl deli­uer him. Whan he calleth vpō me I shal heare hym: yea I am with him in his trouble, whereoute I wyll delyuer hym, and bring him to honour. He knoweth my name therfore wil I defende hym. [Page 134] Wyth longe lyfe wyll I satisfye hym, and shewe hym my saluaciō Yea y ^e whole psalter is ful of such cōfortable promyses. Luke. 23. d. Ensample: if y ^u pray w ^t the murtherer vpō the crosse, that Chryst wil remember thee in his kyngdome, thou shalte also in thy heart, he are the gracy­ous comfort: thys day shalt thou be wyth me in paradyse. Neuer­theles, whosoeuer is in trouble, heuines or aduersitie, ought ear­nestly to desyer, the intercessions & prayers of faythfull beleuers.

¶That the word of God oughte to bee practysed and vsed. The .35. Chapter.

FArthermore, he ought alwaye to haue gods word before his [Page 135] eyes, and feruētly to exercise him selfe therin. For wheras he faythfully calleth vnto god, he dooeth it vpon hys worde: and in y ^e word of god he is taughte howe to be­haue himselfe towardes al, what soeuer commeth in his waye. If a man now can not geue hymselfe true informacion out of the holye scripture, whether it be cōcernīg synnes committed, or other tēptacyons: then ought he to aske counsayll of hys learned soule shepe­heard, or of some other mē of godly vnderstandyng. The lord saith not for naught: My shepe heare my voice, and I know them, Iohn, 10. and they folowe me, and I geue thē eternall lyfe, and they shal neuer peryshe.

¶Amendement of lyfe neces­sarye. [Page 136] The .36. Chapter.

THe trewe faith bryngeth wyth it naturally, a sted­fast purpose, to liue from hence forth, accordyng vnto all the cōmaundemēts of god.

Chryst lykewise exhorteth euery man, rightly to exercise, and well to vse the giftes of god. Hereof bryngeth he in a parable. A cer­tayn man, taking a iourney into a straunge countrye, Math. 25. called his ser­uauntes, and deliuered vnto thē, his goodes. And vnto on he gaue fiue talētes: to another, two: and to the third, one &c. Vpon y ^e same doth the lorde appointe the faythful seruaunt his reward: and pu­nysheth the slougish and euil ser­uaunt. The righteousnes of faith cōprehēdeth the feare of god, loue of thy neyghbour, pacience, & all [Page 137] vertue. Of thys feare, Prou. 14. it is wryt­ten: The feare of god is a foūtain of lyfe, to auoyde the snares of death. Neyghbourly loue doeth first and principalli require, that we frendlye and vnfeynedlye for gods sake forgeue all them, that euer haue offended vs: and again to vndertake (as much as lieth in vs) to reconcyle al our enemyes. Then dooeth charitie require, to geue almes, to comforte the heuy hearted, and to practyse al works of mercy: and loke who hath done the good in thi sicknes, it is requisite that thou geue them thankes. Among benefites, this is not the lest, whan one moueth and exhorteth another, to kepe himselfe frō al filthines. As for bodeli thīgs, the sycke shoulde dyspatche thē wyth fewe woordes: but such as concerne nourtour honesty, y ^e fear of god, safegard in hym, and the [Page 138] homage, which is due vnto hym, that ought to be done with more deliberacyon. For loke what one speaketh at the poynt of death, y ^e same goeth deper to the hearte of such as heare it: partly because it cannot be thought that a mā on hys death bed, beyng in greatest trouble, wyl vse ipocrisye, or dis­semble: partly, for that, whan the soule begynneth to be discharged of the bodi, it oft times sheweth some token of the fredome & ioy, wyth the which it shall (euē now forthwith) be perfectly endewed. Ensample: the deare worthy pa­triarkes in the olde testament, before theyr departyng out of thys lyfe, sent and called for theyr children and other folkes, instructīg and exhortyng them, to submitte themselues vnto the law of god, and diligently to walke therein. How faythfully dyd Mathathi­as [Page 139] at hys death, 1, Mach. [...] speake to his no­ble sonnes, comfortyng them out of gods worde agaynst all theyr enemyes?

Exhortacyon vnto pacyence. The .37. Chapter.

FInally, we can not doe better, than wyth gods helpe beeyng pacient in all aduersitie, and stedfast in al temptacions, most gently and mekely to geue ouer oure wils into the wil of god. I spake not of such a pacience & valeaūt­nes, 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 [Page 140] Christē man ouercome, and with faythful confidence vpon y ^e grace of god, cherefully steppe foorthe before the eyes of death. In y ^e 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 geuē 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 thē, for they wote not what they doe.

The seconde: woman, loe there is thy sonne.

The thyrde: thys daye shalte [Page 141] 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 thē 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 [Page 142] and thankes to saye: forasmuche as I am assured, and doe constātly 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 y ^e crosse, dyd wyllingly suffer the death y ^t 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 y ^e 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: [Page 143] 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 y ^e lord Christes sake: therfore now, euē as a lambe, geue ouer thy self cherefullye vnto death for hys names sake.

Thou haste daylye made thy prayer, Prayer requireth paciēce. 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, [Page 144] thou oughtest frō 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 y ^e 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 cōcernyng a better lif) shoulde forsake thys lyfe of misery, with les paciēce, and with more vnquietnes of mind, thē dyd the hea­then mā.

The original and fruyte of pa­cyence. The .38. Chapter.

TO the intēt that the feblenes of our nature (which quaketh at death, as at a thyng terrible) may shew Christiā paciēce, 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 deliueraūce from sīne, deuil & hel, by meanes of y ^e bloud shedding of Iesus Chryste. [Page 146] Vnpaciēt folkes, grudge against god, pouryng out al vnthankefulnes, for that they wer not crea­ted immortal, and so imagen thei in thēselues 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 ensā ple of fayth and ryghteousnesse, fearyng death to sore, synned greuously, denying Sara to be hys wyfe.

Note thys wel What Christē hart can read this withoute [...]eares.In these later dayes (y ^e 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 & w ^t 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 beē 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 [Page 148] hym: so muche more oughte we Christiās, at al tymes to wait vpon our heauēly captayne, whā he bloweth the trompe, that we mai be readi to pas forth w ^t 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 opē vnto him immediatly. Happy are those seruauntes, whom the lord, whā 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 daūgers, whan he calleth vs out of thys lyfe, and whan he shal come agayne out of hys heauēly palace, to iudge the lyuīg and the [Page 149] 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.

The preacher sayth: remember thy maker in thy youth, Eccle. 11. or euer y ^e 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. [Page 150] 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 y ^e 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 y ^t 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 y ^t shalt lyue tyll to morowe. Learne to beware by y ^e example of other men, vpon whom stretche legge came sodenly, and slewe them, e­uen [Page 151] 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 y ^e 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 y ^e death taryeth not.

Paul sayeth: I dye dayly. 1. Cor. 15. For [Page 152] 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 y ^e 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, [Page 153] 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 hā ble 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, [Page 154] 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 cō braunce 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 [Page 155] (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 y ^u then goeste not firste aboute suche thornes, whā thou liest vpon thy [Page 156] death bed. Well don is it, whan one y ^t dyeth, dooeth restore euyll gotten goods. But vnto god it is an hundreth tymes more acceptable, if y ^u 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 y ^e poore. For y ^t, whych y ^u vpon thy death bead a­poyntest for them, is not alwaye distributed: and though it be, yet is it nomore thyne. Some do euē as y ^e wyfe, y ^t would geue none of her potage to any body, tyll her pot was ouerthrown: then called she y ^t 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 cō mendable [Page 157] 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 [Page 158] 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 neglected, whan the body fayleth.

After thys meanynge, dooeth holy Augustine earnestly threatē sayinge: with this penaltye is a synner punished, that whan he dieth, he forgetteth hymselfe, who in hys lyfe tyme thought not vpō God. Therefore whyle a man is in his floures of health, he ought in such sort to learne the comfor­table sayinges of the gospel, that in his trouble, they may of themselues fall into hys mynde: or if other men aduertise hym of thē, [Page 159] he maye be the better aquaynted wyth them, and haue them on his fyngers endes, as them that he hath knowne, exercised, and vsed before.

Moreouer, fayth, wherby we ouercome death and hel, hath her begynning, increace and strēgth, and is direct, not only aboue, but also agaynst al the naturall reasō of man, that the infinite eternall god, should frely of a very graci­ous fauour thorow his dear sōne take our part y ^t are most greuous synners. Therfore by tymes and in due season, thorow y ^e preachīg of the worde, thorowe the prayer and sacrament, should faith in vs be planted, increaced, practysed and made perfecte.

In the meane tyme as long as we lyue, ought we to praye and beseche god, of a gracious houre and blessed ende. And whan the [Page 160] end draweth nye, to put God in remembrance of the same prayer as wel, as of his commaundemēt and promes: in y ^t he hath not only charged vs to pray, but promised also that he wil graciouslie heare vs.

Oh, moste gracious god geue vs grace to doe thys & wyth vnfay­ned heartes to put it in practise.Dailie ought we to haue remorce of conscience, where as we haue failed, to repent and be sorye, to craue of God forgeuenes, and to take vpon vs immediatlye, to amende al such thynges as are a­misse. For in the sight of god, it is a thousande tymes more accepta­ble, to ceasse from euil by tyme in due seasō, afore trouble come, thē that presente daunger and feare should force vs to amendmente. He that is fallen into a depe fog­gy wel, and sticketh fast in it, wil he not strayght way call vnto euery mā, to helpe hym out, one way or other? Wyll he not make a soremone, [Page 161] howsoeuer men hast to de­lyuer hym: Out of doubt, he that goeth aboue with synne and vice, hangeth by a bare weake threade (so to saye) aboue the pit of hell: yea he is now in hel alreadi, forasmuch as he turneth not from sīne to the grace of god.

Then muste it nedes bee an horrible, deuelysh and obstinate blindnesse, whan one sticketh faste in suche a state of lyfe, as is altoge­ther cursed, and yet wyl appoint a day, a greate whyle hence for to come, and therein thynke to begynne to geue the deuyll hys leaue: whē he knoweth not him­selfe, whether he shall lyue tyll that daye, and whether he shall then haue a mynde to conuerte. For to haue a wyll vnto true re­pentaunce, is a free gyfte of god, whyche oughte of hym daylye to bee desyred: that the commen [Page 162] prouerbe bee not verified in vs: vicious lyfe, vnhappye death: he that wil lye wel and softe, muste make hys bed thereafter. Yet for al thys, it is not my mynd to shut vp the grace of god into a narow strayte, or to byd any manne dis­paire. Whā an euil disposed mā, that feareth not god, lyeth vpon hys death bed, beyng afrayed of hel and damnacyon, he may hap­pen to desyer of god longer lyfe, for thys intente, that he mai afterwarde amende, beecome a better man, and more directed to dye. But let not such vayn thoughtes trouble thee. For though y ^u shoul­dest lyue yet an hundreth yeares longer, thou mighteste, thorowe thyne own perfectnesse, deserue nothyng towardes god: But bee thou of thys assured wythout all doubt, that there can no true re­pentaunt come to late. Turne thee [Page 163] yet, euen thys present daye, vnto god: be hartely and vnfaynedlye sory for thy synnes: be of a good mynd and whole purpose, that if god help thee vp agayne, y ^u wyle amende al thyngs. Neuertheles comforte thy selfe by that onelye meane, whyche God hath pre­scrybed: namely the Lorde Iesus. So shalte thou bee sure, with the murthurer vpon y ^e crosse, to haue gracyous fauoure for euer.

¶Howe the sicke oughte to be spoken vnto, yf nede shall re­quire. The .1. Chapter.

HEtherto haue we decla­red, how one oughte to vse hymselfe in the daungers of body and lyfe. Now foloweth, how we shuld behaue our selfes towards [Page 165] them that be in lyke case. Hereof hath dauid sung these wordes in the .40. Psalme: blessed is he that considereth or thynketh vpon the poore, for in the tyme of trouble, the Lorde shal delyuer him. The Lord shall preserue him and saue hys lyfe: he shall make hym pros­per vpon earth, and shal not delyuer hym into the wyll of hys ene­myes. Whan he hymselfe lyeth sycke vpon hys bedde, the Lord shall refreshe hym. Yea thou lord makest hys bed in al his sicknes. Item, he that is iudge of vs all, shall at the latter daye pronounce thys sentence: come ye blessed of my father, possesse the kingdom, that hath been prepared for you, from the beginning of the world. For I was sick, & ye visited me. O what a wicked vnbelef is thys, y ^t we ar more afraid at a litle aduersite & vncertaine daūger, then encouraged [Page 166] by suche a Godly, sure and faythfull promes?

Therfore among the greateste workes of mercy, thys is rekened to visite the sicke, to haue compassion on them, to geue them good counsayll, and to comforte them. Which thyng must be done with reason and discrecyon, to the in­tente that neyther to litle, nor to muche, be medled withall. To li­tle were it, to cause the sicke styll to beleue, y ^t he shall shortlye come vp agayne and recouer. For such fonde hope haue men already of theyr owne nature, and thereby sometime they ouer see thēselues.

Agayne, it were to muche, to deale roughly wyth one, that is weake of fayth, and sodenlye to feare hym wyth death: that were euen as much, as to breake y ^e bru­sed rede, Esay. 42. Math. 12. and vtterlye to quenche the smokyng flax, contrary to the [Page 167] ensample of Chryst our Lorde.

A whole instruccyon oughte to be geuē vnto such sicke persōs, as haue nede therof, to make thē strong and wiling vnto the crosse and death. And so should they also be put in mynde, what deathe is, whence it came and wherfore, what it doeth thorowe the grace of god for Christs sake: bi whose sprete and power the most horrible death of all is ouercome. Her of is spoken sufficīentlye in the Chapters goyng before.

Out of the whych foundaciō, it maye thus be spoken vnto the sycke: thou hast the almighty god thy deare father, & Iesus Christe thyne intercessour and sauioure, who hath taken all thy cause in hande: let hym alone wythall, he wyll not suffer the to perysh, but geue thee hys holy sprete, which shall conducte thee, into eternall [Page 168] ioye and saluacion. Onely direct thou thy selfe euen nowe at thys presente, and prepare thee to 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, frō 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 sīne, nor frō death. All that thou leauest behynd the, the lord, accordyng to his almighty prouidēce, shal wel and fatherli take care for thē. He y ^t hath created thy wyfe and children, shal also prouide them a lyuing, as he hath sente vnto thee al thyngs necessary, euē vnto thys houre. [Page 169] 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 cōtētes of the whole ghospell, after thys meanyng: The spiritu­all comfort [...] 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 mischā ces and miseryes? The sicke. Then lette the syck say: yea, that I knoweledge and confesse.

Doest thou also confesse, The cōforte [...] that thou oughtest aboue al thynges, to haue feared and worshypped this thy gracyousse maker and father, and to haue loued hym [Page 170] wyth al thy heart, w ^t al thy soule, wyth al thy strēgth, and, for his sake, thy neyghboure also as thy selfe? Hath not god deserued y ^t at thy hande? The sicke. Then let hym saye: O Lorde god, I shoulde in dede haue done so.

The comfor­ter.Knowledge thou lykewyse, y ^t 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 cōforter 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 [Page 171] 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 accordīg 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 cōforter who toke vpon hym the nature of manne, and in hys death vpon the crosse he bare, not only our trespace, but y ^e paine also and punishment due for the same, makyng ful payment and satisfactiō for vs. Iohn the Baptist with [Page 172] hys fynger poynteth vnto Christ and sayeth: lo, thys is gods lābe, 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 brokē rede, one pece of smoking flax, and one lost shepe, cast al thy sīnes vpō him: embracyng thys comforte of the gospell in thy heart, and compre­hendyng it wyth a strōg stedfast belefe? Then let hym say: O lord Iesu, The sicke my heartes desyer is, of the to be healed, cōforted and refre­shed. And thankes be vnto God for euermore, y ^t I maye haue him my mediator and redemer. I wyl wholly committe and yelde my selfe vnto hym.

[Page 173]Then vpon thys, The cōfo [...] ▪ the Lord Iesus Chryst by hys godlye worde and gospel, sendeth thee this message: Thy sinnes are forgeuē 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 dā 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 cōfort [...] 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, [Page 174] and y ^e assured in thy fayth, there­fore hath Chryst instituted his holy supper and sacramēt 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 tēpteth and turmoileth thy conscience, y ^u must wyth the same sacrament, as w ^t the word of god, comforte thy cōscience: that Chryst Iesus w ^t 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 [Page 175] exposicion, that he may direct his prayer the better.

Exhorte also al suche as stād about the sick, to praye for hym, consideryng that our lorde hath made a rich and faithful promes: Where two or three are assēbled 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.

[Page 176]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: Nūc 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 y ^e Romaines The .1. Corinthians. 15. Al which places serue to make the prayer [Page 177] feruente, and to strengthen true belefe.

Furthermore, the sicke oughte to be told of the fruites of fayth, because of prouokyng thankeful­nes for the vnspeakable grace of god: wyth exhortacyō to forgeue hys enemyes, to doe euery man good accordyng to hys power, & in euery point to amend his own lyfe and conuersacyon: but specyally wyth a pacyente, gentle, qui­ete and good wyllyng mynde, to wayte for delyueraunce.

Namly, thou mayst say thus: Take vp thy crosse vpō thy necke pacyentlye and folowe Chryst, thy Lorde. Remember and beholde Chryste, hangynge in great Martyrdome vpon the crosse. He suffered pacyently, vntyll hys fathers wyll was fulfylled in him. Euen so thou al­so, holde styll vnto the Lorde [Page 178] thy god, that he maye perfourme hys wyl in the: if it be hys good pleasure, now to take the stinkīg transitory fleshe from thee, to purifie it, and to make an eternall gloryfyed body of it, thou haste great cause to reioyes.

At the pointe of death.Whan the sick is drawynge a way, and specheles, hauynge yet vnderstandyng, thou maist speke vnto hym these wordes: fyght valiauntly as a worthy Christian, & dispayer not: be not afrayed of y ^e rigorous iudgement of god: hold thee faste to the comfortable pro­mes of Chryst, there as he sayth: I am the resurreccion and y ^e lyfe. He that beleueth on me, shal liue though he were dead: and whoso lyueth and beleueth on me, shall neuer dye. In hym is thy belefe▪ therfore, shalt thou liue with him for euer. Chryst thy sauiour shall neuer forsake thee. There can no [Page 179] man plucke thee out of hys hand. Iohn. 10. Heauen an earth shall passe, but gods worde endureth for euer. Haue thou therefore no doubte, Luke. 21. thou shalt, after thys batayll, re­ceaue the crowne of euerlastynge lyfe.

Aske now the mā, whether he vnderstande and beleue: desyer a token of hym, and crye vnto hym fayer and softly: good brother, v­pon thy soules health depart not, shrencke not awaye from Iesus Chryst, committe thy soule vnto thy faythfull god and louyng fa­ther. Speake from thy heart rote wyth Chryst thy brother vpō the crosse: Father, into thy handes, into thy proteccyon and defence, I commit my sprete.

Whan hys vnderstandyng is paste, committe hym vnto god. Make thy prayer alone, or wyth others, that god wyll take thys [Page 180] sicke man into eternall lyfe, and graunte hym a ioyfull resurreccion at the laste daye, onely for the Lorde Iesus Chrystes sake. A­men.

¶Of the buryall and what is to be done towards those, that are depar­ted hence. The .2. Chapter.

THe soule of the dead, as­sone as it is departed frō hence, cōmeth into a state there as prayers (if one woulde make thē for him afterward) haue no place, and ar eyther vnprofitable or els vayn: yea, offēsyue also and hinderāce, to our Chrystyan belefe.

[Page 181]The body of hym, that is de­parted, ought reuerently and so­berly to bee conducted vnto the earth and buryed. For that is the last seruice, that we can dooe for suche as are departed, and ther­bi mai we declare our charitable loue towardes them. In y ^e meane season, whan we reuerently commit the body (as the wheat corn) vnto the earth, we testifie our belefe of y ^e resurrecciō for to come. The scripture also commendeth those, that faythfully wyll haue to doe wyth burying of the dead after the ensample of Tobias. Of misordring the bodies of the dead, wryteth Plato, the heithen Philosopher. Lib. 7. De repub.

Is it not a bonde, gredye and voluptuous thyng, to spoyle the deade coarse, and to rage againste the bodye as an ene­my, whan the enemy that fought [Page 182] in the body, is departed awaye? What differre they frō dogges, which bite the stone that is caste at them, and let hym goe fre that cast it: There is no dyfferēce. Of such points ought we to be ware, for they bryng hurt vnto victory. Of gorgeous graues and sepul­cres, it is wrytten in the Poete Euripides: mennes myndes are mad, whan they beestowe vayne cost vpon dead bodyes. For if we consider y ^e matter ryght, we must nedes greatly meruaill, that euer a man should fall into suche a frē sy, as to vse pryde after death.

Touchyng the place of Burial it is to be noted, that by such ordinary meanes, as be permitted vs, we are bounde to auoyde sicknes and all hurt. Now out of graues there come naturalli euil sauours or vapours, which alter & chaung the ayer, and increase the disease [Page 183] of the pestilence, whā the church yarde or place of burial standeth in y ^e myddes of Cities or townes. Therfore both the Iewes heathē and Christians, were wonte to haue theyr Burials wythout the Cities. For what tyme as Christe raysed the wedowes sonne from death, y ^e Euangelist saieth: Whā he came nye vnto the gate of the Citie, beholde, there was caryed out one dead, who was the only sonne of hys mother, Luke. 7. she beeyng a wedowe, and much people of y ^e Citie wyth her. Moreouer the se­pulcre of our Lorde Iesu Chryst was wythout the Citie. But the Pope and hys adherentes, wyth theyr money market, found here a treasure bagge, otherwise per­swadyng the people: as though to lye here or there, dyd further or hynder saluacyon.

Afterwarde, let the dead rest [Page 184] quietly, no euill beyng spoken of them of malice but good, Good coun­sayll. though they were our enmyes (of malice I say) for otherwyse muste vyce and synne, aswel of the dead as of the liuing, be declared and re­buked, that others may beware. The olde Poete Mimnermus wryteth: we al are enclyned to enuye an excellent famous mā, but after death to prayse hym. Ther­fore doe they not onely agaynste Christiā charitie, but also agaīst mans nature, that disdayne to geue vnto the dead, theyr due prayse and commendacyon.

Specially whā one, that hath shewed vs frendshype and kind­nes, is departed, we oughte ne­uer to forget hys benefytes, but to declare our thankfulnes to his kynsfolkes or frendes. But if we cary the remembraunce of them to the graue, and bury it with the [Page 185] coarse, thynkīg nomore vpō their gentlenes: Then are we like vnto wilde beastes, that are hote and burnyng in desyer, but assone as the thyng desyred is out of sight, the loue is quenched. Herof cō ­playneth the Poete Euripides: seldome are there founde faithful constaunte frendes after death, thoughe afore tyme they were ioyned neuer so nere together. The thankfulnes, that is shewed to him y ^t is presēt, passeth away and vanisheth, whan one is caryed out of the house.

How they oughte to bee comforted, whose deare frendes are deade. ¶The .1. Chapter

NAturallye we mourne, wepe and lament, whan our kynsfolkes & frēdes departe. Whan father & mother dyeth, the sonne and y ^e daughter remēbreth, howe many a fote step the elders went [Page 187] faythfully and worthely to pro­uide them their liuinge: yea if it had been possible, they woulde haue shewed the chylde theyr owne soule, and geuen them the hearte in theyr body.

Againe, the parentes consider, howe good obediente chyldren they haue had of theyr sonnes or daughters: and what honoure and ioyefulnesse more thei might haue had of theyr chyldrē, if they should haue lyued longer.

The sisters and brothers re­member, 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 [Page 188] 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, y ^t the bloud naturally gathereth together, so that we are sorier for y ^e 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 [Page 189] 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 cō ­forte oure selues with thys ac­coūpt folowyng: what dooe we meane thus to mourn and lamēt? [Page 190] 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 y ^e leafe of the tree: so that there can nothynge bee founde, that is not subiect to the prouidence of god, [Page 191] 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 y ^t els, but euen as though we therefore lyued vpon earth, y ^t 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, y ^u 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 [Page 192] 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, y ^t 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 [Page 193] for lending you so costly a table, whyche I did of loue (vndeser­ued on youre parte) y ^t ye mighte haue commoditie & pleasure ther of a while? Yea the more worthi the gift was y ^t 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 y ^e 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 [Page 194] lord hath takē thē: euē as it hath pleased y ^e 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 [Page 195] 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.

[Page 196]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 [Page 197] 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, y ^t 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 [Page 198] 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 shalbe 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 [Page 199] 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 [Page 200] 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 y ^e tēporal lyfe agayn, would ye calme down agayn into y ^e misery of yours? With what greate faulte haue I deserued such vnfaithfulnes at youre handes? And if ye [Page 201] 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 y ^e 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 y ^e 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. [Page 202] 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 [Page 203] 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 peraduē ­ture 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 [Page 204] the more vpō earth: but by death doth god plucke him down from hys synnefull lyfe: thoughe not spiritually and inwardly, yet w ^t 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 [Page 205] 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 y ^e 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. [Page 206] 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 y ^t we myght perceaue hys feruente loue towardes vs, in that he is gelous ouer vs, that he taketh oute of our sight, whatsoeuer we gape vpon besydes hymselfe. And al­so, to the intente we myghte per­ceaue, that whatsoeuer is in the worlde, it is but temporall, and lasteth but the twynklyng of an eye: and that onelye the father of heauen wyll, can and maye helpe in all troubles.

Moreouer, what a number is there of thē, that of an inordinate loue towardes theyr chyldren, parentes and frendes (to make pro­uision for them, and to bring thē [Page 207] aloft) iopard theyr souls for thē, fall into greate vnquietnes, and fret within themselues, beeynge vnmercyfull, couetous, brybers, vsurers, lyers, disceauers. Fran­ciscus petrarcha wryteth: Thou hast lost thy sonne, yea but thou haste loste wyth hym also muche feare, and an infinite matter of careful sorowes: by reason of the whych cares, that thou mightest be deliuered from thē, it behoued either thee or thy sonne to die.

Therfore geue god thākes for hys grace, whan he dischargeth thee of those thynges that hinder thee in hys free seruice: and whā he taketh frō the thy wyfe, child, frende or others, vpon whō thou haste hanged to muche, and for whose sakes thou hast done wrōg many a tyme.

That thou mayest vnderstād thys thyng the better, take for ensample [Page 208] mercye towardes the poore. We see that they, whose children and frendes are depar­ted, geue almes richlye, whyche, whyle theyr wyues, childrē and frendes were aliue, woulde not haue geuen one penye, for feare that their frendes, after their death should haue had nede, and ben destitute of mony thēselues. Yea rich folkes, whych (as God sometyme appoynteth) haue no chyldren nor heyers of their own bodyes, become fathers and vp­holders of many poore men. Whych thing vnto them, and vnto al Christēdom, is more profi­table and more worthy of com­mēdaciō, thē .x. sōnes of a naughty lyfe, such as cōmenly there be many: among whom scace one of x. spedeth wel, I meane of those that inherite their fathers riches and goods: for shamefullye they [Page 209] waste and consume them, to the hurt of themselues and of others

Item, though one know, that he ought to loue no man in suche sorte, as to displease god for his sake: yet many a tyme is one mo­ued, thorow hys frendes, to doe agaynst hys owne conscience, if he wyl not displease them. Therfore graciouslie doth God pluck awaye those frendes, whose presence serueth vnto thy destruc­cyon.

Moreouer thou sayest: howe shoulde not I mourne, seeyng I am nowe robbed of suche helpe and sucour, as I should stil haue if he were yet alyue. Answere: suche complayning commeth not of a free loue towardes y ^e dead, but of a seruyle and bonde sto­mack, y ^e loketh & hath respect to it selfe, and desireth to woorke hys own profit w ^t another mās hurt. [Page 208] [...] [Page 209] [...] [Page 210] Now if thy sonne or frende, that myght haue been thy comforte in thyne age, be departed, god may sende thee others in their place: Yea there be some at hande alre­dy, y ^t offer theyr helpe & coūsayll to the and thyne, & wyl not fayle thee at thy nede. And thoughe it were so, that thou hadest none other chylde nor frende in theyr steade, but werst destitute of all bodely helpe, yet hast thou a gracyous god thorow Iesus Christ, wyth the spirituall giftes, which shall continue wyth thee for e­uer.

But some say (and speciallye great yonkers) mi mourning and sorow is, because my kīred, name and stock, myne armes & badge perysheth, now that I leaue no heyres of my body behynde me. O thou great ydiote, thou lamē ­test, that thy name and honoure [Page 211] perysheth in thys transytorye worlde, and forcest litle, how thy name and honour may continue for euer more in the kyngdom of heauen.

What is become of the migh­ty kynges & emperours, whyche foughte for the greatest honour and magnificence, y ^t they mighte neuer be forgotten vpon earth? The memoriall of them is paste long ago, they haue their reward already, as our lord sayeth. Con­trarye wyse: the deare worthy saynctes, whych despysed al glo­rye of thys mortall lyfe, haue at thys day greater honoure, praise and commendacyon, then they y ^t trauayled to obteine the glori of thys world. Now therfore wyll god helpe thee, not to passe vpon temporall honoure and pompe: but most of all to care, howe thy name may remayne in remem­braunce [Page 212] before god, wyth those, that vnto him haue done faith­full seruyce.

¶Companyons that suffer lyfe heuynesse of hearte. The .4. Chapter.

IF any thyng were practysed agaynst thy chylde or frend, that necessaryly must not com to pas, so that he mighte well haue escaped it, then haddest thou iuste cause to howle and la­mente. But now behoued it him, as a mortal man, to end this lyfe, euen accordyng to the first ordi­naunce of God. Thou hast thou­sandes & thousandes of compa­nyons, whose deare frendes de­parted [Page 213] hēce by death. Why wilte thou then disquiete thy selfe? What tyme as Abrahā was cō ­maunded of god to sacrifice hys own onely beloued sonne, what mynd had he (thīkest thou) whā he now drew y ^e swerd, & thought to slay his sōne? greater sorowe had he for hys sonne y ^t yet was aliue, thē y ^u for thi sōne y ^t is dead. In what case was the holy patriarck Iacobs heart, whan tidings came to him, that hys deare sōne Ioseph was torne of wild bests? Where was there euer father in greater heuines, then euen Da­uid, whan by hys own sonne Absalom (whom he yet exceadingly loued) he was expelled frō hys kyngdome? Doubtles he was in none other case, then as though y ^e hert in his body shronck and melted lyke waxe. These & suche lyke ensamples, oughteste thou to set [Page 214] before thyne eyes: wherby thou shalt perceaue that thy sorowe is to be estemed but small towards these: and therefore thorowe the contemplacyō therof vndoubtedly it shalbe asswaged.

¶Thorowe gods helpe, all hearte sorowe is eased. The .5. Chapter.

VNhandsome phisicians are they, that well can se the greatnes of the sicke­nes, and braule wyth the pacyent for hys excesse, but can not shew a remedy, wherby the blemyshe may be healed. Therefore nowe that I haue he­therto reproued vnmeasurable sorow [Page 215] & heuynes, I will not leaue the matter so bare, but declare now also a medicine, wherby vnreasonable mournyng (if it bee not cleane takē away) may yet be eased and minished.

The tyme of it selfe, maketh al combraunce lyghter. For there be many men and women which in tymes past haue set fynger in the eye, knocked vpō ther brests, pulled the heer out of their own heades, ranne agaynst the wall, disfigured their whole bodyes, and horribly howled for y ^e dead. But now they haue their pastim in all kynde of minstrelsye, as thoughe they neuer had ayled a­ny thyng. Not wythstandynge to wayte styll tyl heuines forget it selfe, is a wynishe thynge: and agayne, to brydle it by tymes, be semeth the naturall reason and sobernes of a man.

[Page 216]What is thē to be done? It lieth not in thy power, wythout y ^e spe­ciall helpe of god, to expel sorowful mourning. First & principalli ponder thou the power & grace of god. The power: in that the almighty is able many hundreth wayes, faythfully to ease thee of thy sorowe. The grace: in that he is willyng & ready (for the wor­thynes of hys sonne) to make the ioyfull agayne, here and in the world to come, so as is moste for thy profit and welth. Adā & Eue had vnspeakable sorowe, whan their obediēt and rightuous sōne Abel was murthured. God than did wel put them in remembrāce of their synne. But they, beeyng also myndfull of the promes of y ^e blessed sede, were therby erected and comforted agayne: howbeit in such an exceadyng heuynes, it was very hard to withstand desperacion, [Page 217] and to ouercome al mischaunce. Therfore let vs cōsider, that thoughe we Chrystians bee not altogether called to the plea­sures of thys tyme, but stoutli to stryue and valeauntly to fyghte agaynst them: yet shal not Christ leaue vs comfortlesse, but accor­dyng to his promes, he shal faithfully be with vs vntill the ende of the world.

¶Vve must fur­nishe oure selues wyth praier and pacience. The .6. Chapter.

TO y ^e intent y ^t god may assiste vs w ^t his mighte & grace, we must ernestly pray vnto him that w ^t hys holy sprete, thorowe hys godly worde, he wyll com­forte [Page 218] vs, y ^t we may render thākes vnto hym, whan he hath delyuered our frendes from the daylye battayll of the soule, agaynst the fleshe, the deuill and the worlde, and from all discommodities of thys vayle of miserye.

For lyke as one, that hath fa­red well at a dynner, doth thāke hys hoost, thoughe the hoste let hym departe agayne, yea y ^t geste reioyseth afterwarde to remem­ber it: euen so, forasmuch as god for a season, hath lente vs wyfe, chylde and frendes (whyche is more then he oughte vs) though he suffer them to departe, we ought neuerthelesse to geue him most hygh thankes.

Specyally there is requyred a willing and stoute mind: wherof holy S. Paul hath writtē this very comfortably. I woulde not brethren, 2 Thessa. 4. that ye should be igno­rant [Page 219] concernyng them whyche ar fallen a slepe, that ye sorow not as other do which haue no hope. For if we beleue that Iesus died and rose agayne, euen so them also, whych slepe by Iesus, wyll god bryng agayne wyth hym.

By these wordes may we perceaue, that there bee two maner of mourners for the deade. The heathen and vnbeleuers mourne wythout hope of the resurrecciō: theyr opinion is, that seing their nere frendes are dead, there is no more of them, but that they haue vtterly lost them for euer. Thys heathnyshe sorowe, wyll not S. Paul haue of Christians.

The Christians mourne also, but wyth a lyuyng hope of the ioyfull resurreccyon. For lyke as god the father lefte not Chryste the lord in death, but raysed him vp agayne, and placed hym in e­ternall [Page 220] life: Euē so vs that beleue shall not he leaue in death, but bryng vs oute, into euerlastynge lyfe. For thys cause doth the A­postle speake of the dead, as of those that slepe, which rest from all trauayll and labour, that they may ryse agayne in better case.

Lyke as the floures wyth all theyr vertue, smell and bewty, lyeth al the winter in the roote, sle­pyng and resting, tyll they be a­waked wyth the pleasaunt tyme of may, whan they come foorthe wyth al their bewty, smel & ver­tue: Euen so oughte not we to thynke, that our frendes whyche be departed, are in eny combrāce or sorowe, but ther strength and vertue, beyng drawen in, lyueth in god and wyth god. They lye & rest tyll the last daye, whan they shall awake agayne, fayre, bewtiful and glorious in soule & bodi. [Page 221] who wyll not nowe reioyce at thys comforte of Paul, and set asyde all vnprofitable sorowe, for thys exceadyng ioyes sake. Faith, that is confessed wyth the mouth, must not be destroyed w ^t a contrary dede. Now is our be­lefe sette thus: I beleue forgeue­nes of synnes, the resurrecciō of the body, and the life euerlastīg. Therefore remayneth there no­thyng behynde, for the whych y ^e soule of the faythfull shoulde be tormented in the world to come, or shut out from euerlasting ioy. In the law .13.9.2. vbicūque, it is noted: vnsemely heuynes for the dead, spryngeth out of dispaire of the resurrec­cyon for to come: & ra­ther of fayntnes of minde, then of mercy or godlynesse.

¶Ensamples of pacience in lyke case. The .7. Chapter.

IF the wyse famous heathen could be numbred, which toke the death of their frendes and chyldren in good parte, and wyth a stoute stomack, should it not be compted a shame vnto vs Chrysten menne, that declare lesse constancye in that behalfe?

Pericles, the captayne of the Athenians (who for hys wyse­dome and vertue, was called O­lympius, one of heauen) whā he had lost hys two sonnes Parali­us and Zantippus w ^tin the space of foure dayes, was no more so­rye nor vnquieted in the same sodayne [Page 223] chaunce, but that on y ^t day folowynge, he came clothed in whyte before the whole multi­tude, and consulted of the presēt warres: so discretely and manfully, that euery man wōdred at him and honoured hym.

Xenophō a disciple of Socra­tes, whan he vnderstode that his only sonne Grillus had foughtē valiauntlye, and vpon the same was slayne of the enemyes, he sayd vnto those that brought him the message: I made my prayer vnto the gods, not y ^t they should geue me an immortall sonne, or y ^t he myght be a long lyuer (for I knew not whether that were profitable for hym) but that of my sonne they woulde make a good man, and a louer of hys own na­tyue country: whyche prayer (as I perceyue) they haue graunted, and therefore I thanke them. [Page 224] Yf thou haddest rather heare ensamples of the romaynes, thē cō sider Paulus Emilius (who o­uercame the Macedonians and triumphed gloriously ouer thē. Whan he within seuen dayes, had lost both hys sonnes, he was not therefore brokē mynded, but as he went forth to the multitud without both his sonnes (which afore tyme alwaye led hym, and stayed hym, the one on the right hande, the other on the lefte) the people of Rome, hauyng pitie on the olde honourable man, began to lament and wepe. But he, be­ing nothyng moued, stode there and sayed: I besought y ^e godes, if our commēwealth, for y ^e great prosperitie therof, haue any euill wyll among those whiche bee in heauen, that I my self, and not y ^e whole multitude, myght recom­pence and beare it. And seyng it [Page 225] is so, I geue god great thankes. M. Fabius Maximus also, not wythout iust cause, belongeth vnto the nomber of deare worthye men. Whan he vpon a tyme had to doe wyth the office of y ^e may­ster of woorkes, there came vnto hym a message: first, y ^t his house was fallen downe, and had alto brused hys wyfe a vertuous ho­nourable woman: secondly slain hys mother, who in waighty af­fayres had oft geuen hym good counsayll, which he folowed to y ^e greate cōmoditie of the commen wealth: Thirdly, it was told him thesame day, y ^t hys yong sōne, of whō he had an expectacyon and hope of al goodnes, was dead in Vmbria. The frēdes & louers of thys Fabius, y ^t stode about hym, whan they heard thys, wepte very sore. But he alone being vnmoued, wēt forward stoutly in y ^e busines y ^t concerned y ^e cōmē welth.

[Page 226]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 [Page 227] 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, w ^t an vnbroken mynde, the death of many childrē: and wilt not thou, that forgoest but one chyld, be cō forted 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 y ^e 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 w ^t thee. The heithnishe Poete Sophocles writeth: if y ^e dead might w ^t teares be called agayne, thē should wepīg [Page 229] be cōpted more worth thē golde. But O my good olde mā, it may not be, y ^t he which once is buried should come agayne to y ^e 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 thē selues, & 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 [Page 230] 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 y ^e 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 y ^e other so much the more, that they maye wynne the thynge agayne, whyche the other loste. Euen so learne thou in aduersitie, wyth [Page 231] 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 [Page 232] 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 [Page 233] 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 trā sitorye thynges, whyche hath brought thee into such heart sorow: to the intent that at other tymes thou mayst take y ^e 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 [Page 235] 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) y ^e mater is turned vpse down, that chyldrē depart out of this world [Page 236] 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 y ^e 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 [Page 237] 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?

[Page 238]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 [Page 239] 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, y ^t 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 [Page 240] 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 y ^e electe, he might possesse the kyngdome of heauē. Witnes of the scripture: Sapience. 4.soden­ly was he taken away, to y ^e 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 y ^e 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 y ^e sea, with much trouble and werines. Euē so, y ^e more happy is he, whō death taketh awaye from y ^e stor­my [Page 241] 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 y ^e hea­uenly harborow?

The sooner one payeth hys debt, y ^e better it is. If there were none other remedi, but y ^u 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.

[Page 242]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, y ^e 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 [Page 243] 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 y ^e 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 [Page 244] 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, y ^e third drowned &c. where they altoge­ther may syng w ^t Dauid: for thy sake are we kylled euery day and cōpted as shepe, appoynted to be [Page 245] slayn. But if one dye an vnwont death (as one is destroied by the hangmā, another dyeth a sodain death, y ^e 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 y ^e whele for murther, there is some tyme more hope of hym, that he hath founde grace at gods hand, then of many one y ^t 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. [Page 246] 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 [Page 247] 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 y ^e 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.