The fyrst Chapter.

I Call all that, trouble and affliccyon, what­soeuer is reputed to be cōtrary to y ^e desyre and appetite of mans na­ture, as the vnquyete suggestiōs of the flesh, the temptacions of the deuyll, syckenes of body, a wycked and frowarde mate in matrimony, to haue disobedient children, vnkynd and vnthanful frendes, losse of goodes, to be depryuyd of any old liberty [Page] or priuiledge losse or blemish of name and fame, the malyce & displeasure of mē, hō ­ger, dearth, pestylens, warre, imprisone­ment and death. And in this regyster do I put al kyndes of crosses and afflicciōs, whether they be bodyly or ghostlye, oure own or our frendes, priuate & singular or vniuersal & general, pryuy & secret or opē & manifest, deserued or vndeserued. In al such thinges, I saye, euery Christen man ought first of al to cōsider the very roote, groūd, & beginning, after this wise. That al thinges whatsoeuer God sendeth, we ought to take & receiue thē paciently. For this is ones true that god is our creator & maker, & we his workemā shyp, he is our kyng, our Lord & father. And lyke as it is not semyng that the put should murmur Rom. ix agaynst the po [...]maker, euen so is it much lesse cōuenient that we should murmur & grudge against Gods wil and iudgemēt Ro. ix. And although trouble & affliccion ryseth and spryngeth often tymes by the wyckednes of enemies and thorowe the instigacyon of the deuell or els by some other meane, yet ought we neuer to yma­gyne that it cometh by fortune or chaūce wythout the permyssyon, sufferance, de­mynacyon [Page] and wyll of God, but by and wyth the fore knowledge, prouydence, and appoyntement of god. And to speake properly, concernynge safegard, it is all one (su that we tempte not God) whether we lyue in pouertye, or in ryches, in the fyre or in the water, among our enemies, or among our frendes, seynge that God seyth, knowyth, dysposyth, and rulyth all thynges. As wytnessyth the fyrste booke i. re. ij. b. deu. xxxij Sa. xvi. c Tob. xiij and seconde chapter of the kynges. The Lord bryngeth death, and restoreth again vnto lyfe, bryngeth into the graue and rai seth vp agayn, puttyth downe and exal­teth also. And Iob also testyfyeth in hys myserye, the Lorde dyd geuen it, and the Iob. iij Lord hath taken it agayne. And Christ in the tenth of Mathewe, There falleth not a sparrow vpon the earth wythoute your fathers wyll, yea the heares of your head are all u [...]mbied.

Seyng then that al our troubles & afflic cions come from God, we ought to hum ble & submit our hartes and mindes vnto the obedience of god, and to suffer him to worck w ^t vs according vnto his most holy wil and pleasure. Wherfore whensoeuer vnseasonable whether shall hurte and [Page] peryshe the corne and fruite of the earth, or when a wycked man shall mysreporte vs or rayse vp anye slaunder of vs, why should we murmur & grudge against the elemētes or go about to reuenge vs of our enemies? For if we lift not vp oure min­des & consyder, that God laieth his hand vpon vs, & that it is he that stryketh vs, we are euen lyke vnto dogges and no bet ter, which if a man do cast a stone at thē, wyll byte the stone wythout any respecte who dyd cast the stone. And again no mā mat. xxv ought to be vnwilling or discōtent to ren­der againe that talent or pledge, y ^t was cōmitted to him onely, to reserue & kepe. It is that God, that geueth vs lyfe, helth of body, strength, wyfe, children, frendes riches, honor, power, auctorite, peace, rest & quietnes, for a time, so longe as plea­seth him. Now if the same God wil take again some of these things, or al, he taketh nothing, but his owne, & euen that which we did owe vnto him. For y ^t which cause to murmur against his wil, & to stryue a­gainst his iudgemēt, it can not be but an heynous and a greuous synne.

The second chapter.

NOw what thing moueth or cau­seth god, to send home vnto vs & visite vs w ^t afflicciō, trouble & ve xacion? concerning this point marke this wel. Whatsoeuer anye mā hath merited & deserued that ought he to beare & to suf­fer willingly & gladly. Let euery man ap pose & examine him selfe whether he hath not deserued to be correcte & chastened of god, (if it be not for any special thing at y ^t present instāt,) yet for other sins cōmitted at other times. Now wil our lord god in al maner of punishmētes & visitaciōs, de­clare y ^t order of his rightuousnes & his he up wrath & indignaciō against sinne & wic kednes: for he saith in y ^t. ij. cōmaundemēt: I y ^t lord which am thy god, am a gelous & an ernest god, & I wil visyte the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children, euen vntill the third & fourth generacion, if they hate Exo. xx & contemne me. ‘And in the. xxviij. chap. of the. v. boke of Moises, are all y ^e plages rehersed one after another, whych shal be poured out vpō the wicked & vngodly, & in the. xiij. of Luke it is said thus.’ If ye do not amend ye shal al perish: & y ^t we may [Page] perceiue euē before our eyes euidētly how that punishmēt & plages are the dewe re warde vnto synne, God temperyth & fra­myth the punishment, euē like vnto y ^e syn God punysheth syn with like syn. [...]. Re. xi so that they do both agree together as wel in forme & lykenes, as in proporcion & qualyte. As for an example like as Dauid de­fyled Wrias wife, euen so were his wines defiled vnto him again also. He caused W­rias to be slaine & destroied, & therfore did his sonne destroy his own brother again, & stirred a sedicion & vproure, & hunted & droue his father out of hys kingdome, so y ^t no man can sufficiently expresse y ^e great misery & punishment, y ^t Dauid & his peo ple suffered, For the shameful wichednes & abhominacion y ^t he had cōmitted. Now cōsider & wey, as it were in a true balance the righteousnes, which god requireth of vs on y ^e one syde, & again the whole trade of our life, on the other syde. If the gene­raciō of mankind had bene cōformable [...]n to the law of god, & had not swarued frō y ^e same it had bene altogether thorowlye happy & blessed euermore, & shulde neuer haue rottyd & dried away like y ^e fruit and floures of y ^e feld. But it [...]waruyd & fel a­way, at y ^e [...]irst euē frō the beginning. Our first parentes & progenitors, did neglect & Gene. iij [Page iiij] despise gods cōmaundemētes, & so we tho row their fall are corrupt & infected, our reason, senses, & vnderstāding blinded, & our will [...]. We fele & find in vs wicked lustes & affeccions, we seke in the world lust & pleasure, euē against y ^e holye word of god. And like as if an asse were trimmyd & decked in a lionsskyn & wold nedes be a lyō, yet his long eares being al wayes vpward, shuld easely descrie & be­wray him. Euē so if we adourn garnishe & set furth our selues w ^t certē glorious bew tiful workes neuer so much, so y ^t no mā cā say but y ^t we are vtterly innocēt & vnc [...]l­pable in diuers & many poyntes, yet not w ^t standing we haue filthy, vnclene & wic ked hartes, ful of securite & neglect of god altogether geuē to y ^e loue of our selues, & to al maner of dissolutenes. Now therfore if we be assaulted & visited w ^t sicknes, pouer ty, warre, sediciō, we ought not to ascribe these thinges, one to y ^e magistrat, another to y ^e preacher & minister of gods word or to the faith & religion it self, and the third to the elementes and starres, or to God in heauē hym self, as though any of these were the occasyon of suche plages: Lyke as no man oughte to accuse and blame the physycyon as thoughe he were the [Page] occasyon of the corrupt humors within y ^e body, not w ^tstanding y ^t he hath brought & dryuen them out, y ^t a man may euidently se and perceiue them, but the misbehauor & vntemperate dyeth of the man him self is the very ryght occasiō & the only roote thereof: Euen so we ought not to ascrybe any blame or faut vnto god, if he send vn to vs heuines, paine & troble, but to think that it is a medicine and remedy mete for our sinnes, & euery mā to ascribe the very cause & occasion therof vnto him self & his own sinnes, & to refer y ^e blame to nothing.

And this example dyd the holye men oure godly forefathers in old tyme shew declare & leaue vnto vs, ascrybynge all­wayes the cause & occasyon of the crosse, & of suche heuy affliccyons, as dyd hap­pen in theyr tyme, euen vnto their owne synnes. ‘As Daniel in the. ix. chap: sayth: By reason of our synnes & of the wycked nes of our fathers, is Ierusalem and thy people destroyed euen of those that dwel Dan. ix. about vs. For the which cause we ought rather to lament and bewayle,’ yea and tocrye oute alas, alas, out, out, vpon oure synnes and wickednes, then eyther vpon any infirmite sycknes or vpon any other [Page v] affliccion or tribulacyon, whych we suf­fer by reason of our synnes.

For if wee shoulde wayle, and be heauy withoute reason or measure, when God doth nothyng, but [...] iustyce and ryghtuousnes vpon hys enemyes, what were it els but to myslyke the righ­tuousnes of God, and euen to loue that thinge whiche God hateth? And what is thys els, but onely the very rightuousnes and goodnes of God, whan he punysheth marterith & vtterlye subdueth and de­stroyeth in vs here in thys worlde hys & our greatest enemyes, that is to saye, our synnes. Therfore to sorowe and mourne without measure in the myddest of affli­ction and trouble, is nothynge els but to shew thy selfe a frinde vnto synne, which is thyne & Gods hyghest enemye. Wher­fore we shulde rather laude God, and hyghlye reioyse (not specyallye, because of the myserye and affliccyon) but in the ryghteous & gracious wil of God. Righ teous, I saye, because he punysheth syn­ne. And agayne gracyous & mercyfull, for as muche as he doth punyshed it muche more easelye then we haue iust [...]ye deserued.

¶ The thyrde Chapter.

UUhansoeuer a man doth geue a small and a lyght ponyshemente vnto hym y ^t hath deserued much greater, it is reason that he receyue & take it pacientlye. As one that hath slayne and murthered a man, yf he be but beaten and whyped out of a citye or towne, he taketh it in good part, because he knoweth well ynoughe, that he hath deserued to be han­ged. The holy woman Iudyth thynketh in the▪ viij. Chapter that all these transyto ty ponyshmentes are muche lesse & farre inferyor vnto our synnes and wickednes ses. Wherfor yf thou suffer pouertye, sy [...] nesse or any other aduersyte, consider and thincke with thy selfe after this maner. Well, thy manyfold synnes haue deser­ued a thousand, thousand tymes more gre nous ponyshment, more heauye sycknes, more horrible warre, and more intollera­ble imprisonment. And yf al the miseries of the world shuld come together vpō on [...] heape vnto the, yet y ^u hast deserued much worse: For y ^t haste well deserued the full power & tiranny of the deuil, & eternal dā [Page vi] naciō, which notwithstanding God hath kept & taken from the of his mere mercy, only for Iesus christes sake. Itē he y ^t hath receiued alwaies good & prosperous thin ges ought not to meruel nor to wonder, yf somtyme he receyue also some mysfor­tune & aduersyte. Euen the chyldrē of the world can say, that there is neuer a good houre, but hath also deserued an euyll. Now so mercyful is God y ^t he suffereth no man vpō earth vnrewarded with one benefyte or other. As wel before trouble as after yea, & also in the very tyme there of, he geueth hym many hygh & excellent gystes and benefytes, as well bodyly as ghostly, corporall as spyrytuall.

As for his benefytes before trouble and affliccyō, we haue a notable exāple set be fore oure eyes in Iob, which sayth, seyng Iob. iij. we haue receyued moch goodnes of God why shuld we not be cōtent also to recey­ue the euyl lykewyse? ‘Plyny the seconde beynge an Heathen man, as he wold cō ­fort a fryude of his, whose deare spouse & wyfe was departed out of y ^e world, amōg other thīges, he wrote after thys maner. This ought to be a singular cōforte vnto the, that thou hast had and inioyed suche a precyous Iewell so longe a tyme. [Page] For. [...]iiij. yeares dyd she lyue with the, and there was neuer anystryfe, brawling or contention betwene you nor neuer, one of you ones displeased the other. Yea but now thou wylt s [...]y, so much the more loth and vnwillynge am I to forbeare & to be without her, seynge I lyued so long a tyme so quyetely with her. For we for­get sone suche pleasures & commodyties, as we haue proued & tasted, but a lytle ty me only. But to answer to this, take thou hede that thou be not founde vnthancke­full, yf thou wylt onely wey and consy­der what thou hast lost, and not remem­ber, how longe thou dedest enioye her.’

And agayne in the very tyme & myd­dest of affliccyon and trybulacyon, God geueth vs grace to consyder other good & prosperous thynges whiche we haue and enioy styll, that thorowe the rememberās & consyderacyon of them, oure smarte & payne maye be eased, mollyfyed & myty­gated. As for an example, thou art a wea ke, impotent, and a dyseased man in thy body, but yet hath God geuen the reaso­nable & conuenient goodes & possessions to susteyne y ^e with, or els yf y ^u hast scarse­nes & lack of goodes & ryches, yet thou [Page] hast no lacke of bodyly health. Nowe yf we wyl not set & wey the one agaynst the other, then are we lyke vnto lytle chyl­dren, which yf any man happen a lytle to dysturbe or hynder theyr playe & game, or to take any maner of thynge from thē, they wyll by and by cast away al the rest also, and wyl fall on wepynge. Euen so were it possyble ynough for▪ vs to do lykewyse, when so euer anye misfortune shuld happen vnto vs, to waxe angrye & displeased, and to haue no maner of luste nor desyre to vse nor to enioye it vnto that good that styll remayneth & is lefte be­hynde. Be it in case that thou werte de­pryued of all maner of bodely comforte, but yet in thy brest & hart thou haste the knoweledge of Iesus Christ which hath redemed the oute of hell and damnacyon that was dewe vnto the, in respecte of the whiche damnacyon all plages vpon earth are to be estemed as one lytle drop of water, agaynst the whole sea. ‘Besydes thys also thorow fayth, thou felest a con­fydens and assurans of euerlastynge & eternall ioye, As S. Paul doth wryte of the same in the. viij. to the Roma. saying. I suppose that the affliccyons of thys [Page] worlde are not worthy of the glorye that shall be reueled vnto vs.’ An exāple haue Luc. xv. we set before our eyes in the prodigall & desperate sonne, whiche dyd so humble and submyt hym selfe, that he desyred no more to be taken for a sonne, but to be put to labor as a daye laborer, and an hyered seruaunt, so that he myght but onelye re­mayne Ihō. viij in hys fathers house, Euen so whatsoeuer God sendeth, ought we to ta ke pacyentlye, so that we maye but onely dwell in the house of God, in heauē with God euerlastingly.

Now yf any man shulde thinke thus, God doth not ponysh other whiche haue committed muche more h [...]ynos synnes, with so great & greuous plages & dysea­ses, as he doth vs, that were vnreuerently & vnchristenly ymagyned of God. For what yf thou thy self beyst more wicked then any other. But be it so that other do lyue more wickedlye & [...] then thou, what wotest thou, howe God doth ponysh them? The greatest & most gre­uous paynes and ponyshementes are the inwarde sorowes & secrete ponyshmētes of the mynde which are not sene with the outwarde eye. And althoughe they haue [Page viij] no specyall sorowe nor singular griefe, that appereth vnto the, and thou knowest not what God meaneth thereby, yet ou­ghtest thou (as a chylde vnto the father to geue vnto hym) honor, laude, and prayse, that he dysposeth all thynges wyth such wysdome and in suche order. And when he seyth tyme, he wyll rewarde & consy­der all such thynges as haue bene wrou­ghte & committed heretofore agaynst hys most ryght & iust lawes, accordynge as they haue deserued.

The iiij. Chapter.

IT is not suffycient for vs to know that all maner of affliccyon com­meth by the permyssyon and suffe­raunce of God, of hys iuste iudgemente by reason of our synnes. For in extreme temptacyons and in greate necessyties, these are the fyrste thoughtes and ymagy nacyons that come into oure myndes. [Page] (For as muche as I haue greuouslye of­fended God wyth my synnes, therfore is he displeased wyth me, and nowe become myne enemye, and hath caste hys fauor from me). And yf we preuent not, & shyft awaye such fantasyes & ymaginacyōs in tyme, they wyll make vs to flee frō God, to forsake hym, and to abhorre & grudge agaynst hym, As Saul dyd, which yma­gyned & fully persuaded with hym self y ^t God punyshed hym of hatered & displeasure agaynst hym. And therfore Sauls hart turned from God, and forsoke him, and so he began to hate and abhorre hym as a cruell tyranne. Wherfore vnto suche poyntes and articles as are taught here­tofore, thys admonicyon doth also apper teyne. We ought to receyue wyth hyghe thankefulnes, what soeuer God of a fa­therly & louynge mynde & not of any in­dygnacyon towarde vs, sendeth vnto vs, whether it be to the fleshe pleasant or greuous. The Forde God vy [...]iteth vs with temporal & transitorye myserye, euē for the very carefull and fatherlye harte that he beareth towarde vs, and not of any hatred or indignacyon agaynst vs. For God is reconcyled, and at one wyth [Page ix] all Christen men, thorow hys sonne, and loueth them euen from the verye ground of hys harte. For the whiche cause, howe so euer, or by what maner of meane it be that God pouysheth & correcteth vs, he doth it because he hateth, as thoughe he wolde vtterlye refuse and cast vs away: but of very pyty & compassyon, onelye to receyue vs as hys chyldren, to kepe and preserue vs, to exercyse and practyse vs, to humble and to brynge vs downe, and to styrre and prycke vs forwarde, that prayer, fayth, the [...]eare of God, obedience & other vertuys maye ware and increase in vs to hys honor and our saluacyon.

‘Testymonyes for thys haue we fyrst in the xxxiij. of Ezechiel. As trulye as I lyue, I haue no pleasure in the deathe of the synner, but that he turne & liue. Here [...]owe doth God sweare that he doth po­nyshe, not to destroye but to allure, redu­ce & bryng vs vnto penans. Item. Prou. iij. Whome the Lorde loueth, hym doth he chasten, and yet not withstandinge he hath pleasure in hym, as a father in hys chylde.’ Thys is an euydent testimony, that affliccyon, trouble, and vexacyon [Page] are no tokens of the wrath and dysplea­sure of God, but rather holye tokens of hys grace mercy and fauor, whereby god assueryth vs of hys mercyfull will and fatherlye harte towarde vs. Item in the. viij. to the Romaynes. ‘We know that vn Ro. viij. to suche as loue God, al thynges serue to the best. And in the. xi. of the. i▪ to the Cho rinth. we are corrected & ponyshed of the lorde, that we shulde not be condemned with the world. All thys mayest thou also marke in the whole story of Iob thorow oute.’ Lykewyse Ioseph was solde of hys brethren, and delyuered vnto the Heathē, of very malyce and enuye by the prouoc [...] cyon and suggestion of the deuyll. But y ^e most faythfull God turned it to the pro­fyte and welth both of the house of Isra­el, and also of the whole kyngdome of E­gypt. For so dyd Ioseph hym selfe inter­prete it, in the. x [...]v. of Genesis.

Agayne the churche of Christe, that is to saye the Christen congregacyon which is Christes spowse, muste suffer vexacy­on and affliccyon here vpon earthe. But for as muche as God loueth thys hys spowse of hys sonne, namely the congre­gacyon of the faythfull, and mynded to [Page x] comforte her, and to be most benefycially vnto her, therfore lyke as he hath raysed vp Christe her brydegrome, heade, and Kynge, from deathe, euen so wyll he also delyuer her from all affliccyon, and geue her a ioyfull victorye of all suche thyn­ges as do oppresse her. But it is the infyr­myte and faulte of oure weake eyes, that we can not espye the mercyfull & louing goodnes of God in and vnder the rodde and scourge. Whansoeuer we are vysy­ted wyth affliccyon and miserye, it is our du [...]ye in dede fyrste to acknowledge and remember oure synnes, and agayne to cō syder the [...]ock & bandes of the deuill for synne, but we ought not to iudge & yma­gyne of suche affliccyon according to the purpose and wyll of the deuill (as he of a malyce & a myscheuous mynde that he beareth vs, myndeth towarde vs▪ which seketh contynually nothynge els, but the vtter destruccyon and confusyon of all mankynd) but rather we ought to esteme & cōsyder of al such troubles & afflicciōs, according as God meaneth & receyueth thē, which of his mere goodnes turneth them to our welth & profyte, workynge & fynyshing therby our perfyght saluacyō,

[Page] And wheresoeuer the harte can not conceyue thys comforte that God corre­cteth & pouysheth for very mercyfull fa­uor & loue towarde vs, there of necessyte must the temptacyon and grefe be moche the greater and the party at lengthe fall to vtter desperacyon.

¶ The. v. Chapter.

THe very ryght and onelye cause of the mercyfull and fatherly wyl of God towarde vs, haue we in the onelye merytes of Iesus Christe, vnto whome we ought to lyfte vp oure hartes towarde heauen, and to behold and con­syder hym wyth our myndes contynual­lye after thys maner. Oure synnes and mysdedes deserue honger, dearth, warre, pestilence, and al maner of plages. Now hath Christ rāsomed and made full satis­faccyon for all the synnes that we haue committed. He hath redemed, payde, di­scharged, and made harmeles vnto vs al our mysdedes wyth hys bytter deathe & victoryous resurreccyō, & hath satisfyed [Page xi] hys fathers ryghteousnes, ‘As S. Paule doth testifye verye comfortably. i. Corin. i. sayinge: Iesus is becomme and made vnto vs, our wysdome, our ryghteousnes our satisfaccyon and oure redempcyon.’ So that nowe yf affliccyons hurt vs on­ly by reason of our synnes and oure syn­nes satysfyed & dyscharged thorowe the death and passyon of Iesus, then must it nedes folowe that all oure affliccyons al so, are lykewyse harmeles vnto vs, and can not hurte vs.

Yea Christe, wyth, and thorowe hys passyon, and affliccyon, hath blessed and sanctyfyed all maner of affliccyons, that they all shulde serue and redounde vnto all faythfull Christians for their greatest welthe, vp the ordynaunce and prouysy­on of God their heauenlye father.

He is the trew physycyon whiche af­ter he perceyued, that affliccion dyd feare vs, toke vpon hym selfe to suffer all ma­ner of trouble, yea the moost greuous so­rowes and extremytyes, because he wold set and appoynt a certayne measure and ende vnto oure sorowes, and also blesse & sanctifye, yea & also make pleasaunt and delectable very death it selfe vnto vs.

[Page] Oh yf we coulde fele, beholde and cō syder the harte & mynde of Christ, whan he dyd wyllyngly hange vpon the crosse, and suffered hym self so cruelly & payne­fully to be tormented & ponyshed, for no nother cause, but that he myghte vtterlye take away the whole strength of all oure synnes, sorowe, and deathe, and destroye hell, that none of them shoulde hurt vs.

And agayne that he tasted & dranke of the cup before vs, that we beyng sycke & weake myght the rather drinck & tast of it after hym, for as muche as no euyl mis happened vnto hym therof, but immedy­atly rose vp agayne from death. Oh, yf the knoweledge and remēbraunce of thys myght remayne in our hartes vprighte, & shyne contynually before vs, then shulde we neuer syncke or faint, nor yet despaire of the mercy and goodnes of God, al [...] thoughe we should labor in neuer so dan­gerous & greuous a battell, & thoughe we oure selues shulde tast & fele the dewe po­nyshmente that oure synnes haue deser­ued, then shulde we be able to stande sty [...] felye agayuste the gates of hell. And all maner of sorowe heuynes, temptacyon, [Page xij] feare, and mysfortune shulde thereby be vtterly consumed and swalowed vp. And [...]uen thys is the hyghest & moste specyall comforte that euer was harde or red of, from the begynnynge of the worlde. He is onelye alone suffycyent (yf we consy­der hym and take holde of hym as we shulde do) to plante and grafte suche a mynde in vs, that we shall not onelye not sorowe nor be heauye, but also try­umphe and reioyse in and of oure myse­rye and affliccyon, as Paule triumpheth excellentlye and hyghlye. Roman. viij. where he sayth: ‘yf God hath not spared hys onelye sonne, but hath geuen hym vp for vs all, howe shulde he not geue vs all thynges wyth hym? What make we then wyth oure vayne fearfulnes, care, sorowe, and heauynes?’

Wherfore (yf we wil be right Christians) we muste wyth al thankefulnes set furth, extoll, and magnifye thys excellent, infy­nyte, and heauenly grace and benefyte of God, and the hyghe and singular com­forte, whyche we haue by Christe.

For all they that lacke the knowe­ledge of the benefyte that we haue by [Page] Christe, and refuse thys excellent & hygh treasure whether they be Iewes or Hea­then of Mahometis or of the Popyshe­s [...]cte they can not be able to geue anye trew, perfyght, or halsome conforte, ey­ther to them selues or to any other in any maner of feare or doubt of the conscience or in any other affliccyon and necessyte.

So longe as they are quyete and safe, and neyther fele nor consyder the payne of deathe nor any other grefe or necessite, they may well lyue securely and boldely wythoute any maner of feare, but when the euyll houre ones cometh, that the we­ther changeth a lytle, that eyther thorow the reuelacyon and openyng of the lawe they fele and perceyue the wrath of God ouer them, or els thorowe the manyfeste and euydent tokens and preachynge of the iuste ponyshmente and vengeaunce of God, and thorowe the present taste of some plage they are sodenly taken & stry­ken wyth feare, as than doth all theyr wysdome, counsell, and polycye, where­with to withstand any such euyll, vtterly fayle thē, & sodenly deceyue them. Thē fle they frō God, and can not tell, whether to runne, nor where to hyde them selues. [Page xiij] And how small soeuer their temptaciō, or plage is, theyr hart is dashyd and as sore afrayd (as Moyses sayth) of the noyse of a leafe as of a thonderclap. And wyth suche maner persous the whole trade of their former lyfe, wyth al their labor, tra uail, and a [...]ians in their supersticious, ser uing of God, and in their hard, & strayte lyfe is vtterly lost and spent in vayne.

Yea what comforte soeuer they haue sought, besyde Christ, it is al nothing els but an augmentacion of their sorowfull feare and a traynyng of them, towardes desperacion. So that wythoute and besy­des the Lord Iesus, there is no maner of comforte, ayde nor succor at all to be lo­ked for.

The. vi. Chapter.

UUhen as allmightye God for the merites of his son, not of any ire­full mynd or displeasure, but of a good wyll and louynge hart towardes [Page] vs, doth correcte and punysh vs, he maye be comparyd and lykenyd vnto a father, a mother, a maister, a physycyon, an hus­band man, a goldsmyth, and suche lyke, after thys sense. Lyke as the naturall fa­ther, God a father. fyrst teacheth his dere beloued child: and afterwarde gyuyth hym warnynge and monycyon, and than correcteth hym at laste: euyn so the eternall God assayth all maner of wayes wyth vs, whych are well growen and old in yeares, but yong and teuder in fayth. Fyrst he teacheth vs hys wyll thorowe the preachynge of hys word, and gyuyth vs warnyng. Now, if so be, that we wyll not folow hym, than he beateth and gierketh vs a lytle wyth a rodde, as some tyme wyth pouerty, some tyme wyth sycknes and dyseasys or with other afflyccyons, whych shoulde be na­myd & estemyd as nothyng els, but chyl­derns roddys or the wandys of correc­cyon.

Now if suche a rodd or wand wyl not helpe, nor do anye good, than takyth the father a whyp or a styck. As in case, hys sonne waxeth stubburn, & wyl spend hys mony, and thryfft wantonly and ryotosly at the typplyng hows wyth euyll com­panye, [Page xiiij] than comyth the father, pullyth hym oute by the heare of the heade, byn­dyth hys handes and fete, and beateth hym tyll hys bones crack, and sendyth hym into pryson, or banysheth hym oute of the countrye.

Euen so whan we waxe obstynate and stubburne, and care in maner neyther for wordes nor for strypys, than sendeth God vnto vs more heuy and vnyuersall plages, as pestylens, dearth, sedycyon, vproure, casualtye of fyre, murther, warre, losse of vyctory, that beynge ta­ken of oure ennemyes we are sed awaye prysoners and captyues &c. And all thys he doeth, to feare and to tame vs, as it were wyth vyolence, and so to dryue and euen to force vs vnto repentance & amen­dement of our lyues.

Nowe, trueth it is, that it is agaynste the fathers wyll to stryke hys chylde, he woulde muche rather do hym all the good that euer he coulde. But thorowe longe sufferance, and ouer muche chery­shyng the chyldren waxe rude and forget all nurture.

¶ Therefore doeth he punish them, but yet in the myddes of all hys anger [Page] and punishment, hys fatherly hart brea­ [...]eth out.

In case that he putteth his sonne away from him, for some greuous faulte, yet he sendeth hym not awaye alltogether com­fortles, but geueth hym some garmentes and some comfortable wordes, and so sen deth hym from hym, not to remayne for euermore in banyshment, but when he is ones a lytle humbled, mekenyd, & amen­dyd, to returne home agayn. And thys is only the fathers mynd to turne and kepe from hys sonne all suche thynges as my­ght hurt and destroy hym, and neuer min deth to cast away or vtterly to forsake his chyld. Euen so certainely, when God sen deth mysery and affliccyon vpon our ne­ckes, there lyth hidden vnder that rodde, a fatherly hart and affeccion. For the pe­culyar and naturall property of God is to be louynge and frendelye, to heale, to helpe, and to do good to mankynd.

Adam and Eue when they were put into paradyse, were they not plentuously endued wyth all good thynges? But they could not order nor vse them ryghtly, as [...]oue of as all can, but assone as we haue all thynges, at pleasure and lack nothing [Page] that we coulde despre, then furth wyth waxe we faynt, neglygent and slouthful.

And therefore God sendeth vs euyll, that he maye do vs good, and yet in the myddes of all affliccyon and punishment he sendeth some mytygacyon comforte and succor.

As we maye take example by our for­sayd fyrst parentes Adam and Eue, when as God was fullye determyned vpon y ^t very poynt, to exclude and banishe them out of paradyse: Fyrste he clothed them agaynst the frost and vyolence of the we­ther. And he comforted them also wyth the promes of the blessed sede, whych ma­keth al maner of affliccion, not only easy & harmles, but also holsome & profitable vnto vs. And this same nature doeth the immutable god neuer change but kepeth it cōtynually, he wyll not vtterly forsake vs, but only suffer vs a lytle to smart for the synnes, that we haue committed, and so preserue vs from synne afterwarde, that we runne not into the daunger of eternall payne.

Furthermore, be it in case, that the fa­ther hath two sonnes, wherof the one be­hauyth hym selfe wyckedly, and yet hys [Page] father punisheth or correcteth hym no­thing at al, the other for the leaste fawt is taken vp, & correct by & by. What thing els, is the cause of this, but that the father hath no hope of amendement at all of the one, & therfore myndyth to put him clere­ly frō his heritage, & to geue him no part therof. For the heritage perteinyth whol­ly vnto that sunne, that is chastenyd & cor rectyd. And yet the same poore sonne, that is thus chastenyd, thinckyth in his mind, that his brother is much more happy thē he, for as much as he is neuer beaten nor strykē. And therfore he sythes and mour nyth by him selfe, & thynketh thus: well, my brother doth what he will against my fathers will, & without his leaue, and yet my father gyuyth hym not one fowle word, he suffreth him to take his pleasure & to ronne where he will: and towardes me he shewyth not so muche as a good looke, but is euer in my top, if I do but looke [...] wrye &c. Here nowe mayest thou marke the folyshnes and ignorance of the child, which hath respecte only vnto the present grefe, & neuer remēbryth nor con­syderyth what is reseruyd & kept in store for him: euen such thoughtes and yma­gynacyons [Page xvi] haue Christen men & wemen also, whan as they suffer much trybulaci­on, and see on the other syde how prospe­rously it goyth wyth the wycked and vn godlye sorte.

Where as they ought rather to com­fort them selues wyth the remembrance of the heritage that is reseruyd for them in heauyn, whyche apperteynyth vnto them as good and vertuos chyldern. As for the other that hopp and spryng, make mery and take their pleasure nowe for a whyle, they shall be depryuyd of the heri­tage euerlastingly, as strangers, and shal haue no part thereof. And thys prouyth Saynct Paul, Heb. xij. where he saieth: ‘My sonne, feare not whan thou art cor­rectyd of the Lorde, but receyue hys pu­nyshment thanckfully, and wyth a good wyll. For whom so euer the Lord louyth, hym doeth he chastyse and punysh, and scourgyth euery chyld, that he receiuyth.’ Nowe if ye be partakers of correccion, than doth God offer and shewe hym self vnto you as a father. And if al those that be chyldren, be correctyd and ye wyth­out correccyon, are ye not than bastar­de [...], and not chyldern? [Page] In thys words doth S. Paul euydentely compare and lyken the punyshemente of the Lord vnto the correccyon of a natural fathe [...].

And whom shoulde not these wordes make to tremble and quake, where as he sayth: those are bastardes, and not ryghte and lawfull chyld [...]n, whych are not pu­nished? And again, whom should not this thyng reioyse and comforte, where as he sayth, they that are punished, are childrē. Wherfore although the allmighty Lorde sheweth hym self displeased wyth vs, it is nothyng els but a displeasure of a most kynd and louynge father, whyche seketh not our destruccyon, and vndoynge, but onely our reformacion, amendement and welth. Geue ouer thy selfe therfore pacy­ently vnto the wyll of God thy faythfull father. Reioyse in the correccion of the Lord, for as muche as thou art sure and certain thereby, that he beareth a gracy­ous, and a fatherly hart, mynd, and wil, towardes the.

Furthermore, God is also in this be­half, cōpared to a mother. The mother fe­dyth God is takē for a mother and norysheth the chyld, and all the good she can do vnto it, that doeth she, [Page xvij] eue of a tender and motherly harte. And yet thorow the frowardnes and vnruly­nes of the chyld is she sometyme so mo­uyd ☜ and prouokyd that she is angry with it, chydyth it, rebukyth it, and beatyth it. Euen so were it the very nature and pro­pertye of God, to suffer no maner of mis­fortune to happen vnto vs, but yet tho­row our manifold synnes he is prouokyd to punysh and chasten vs. Nowe as lytle as the mother denyeth, forsakyth or gy­ueth ouer the chyld, though she be angry wyth it & dysplesed it, Euen as lytle doth God forsake or geue ouer vs in our nede and necessyte, myserye and afflyccyon though he seme neuer so muche to be dys­pleased wyth vs. Scrypture for thys haue we Esay. xlix. ‘If a mother can for­get her chyld, than maye I forget the al­so sayeth the Lord: but if she shoulde for­get her chylde, yet wyll I not forget the.’

There is neuer a scholemayster, nor handy craftes man, whyche takyth anye God a schole­maister. scholer or prentes vnto hym to teache, but he wyll make these condycyons with him expressely, that the ladd shall not be selfe wyllyd, nor stubburn, nor folowe [Page] hys owne brayne and mynde. Butwyth all possyble diligence shall marke and take hede vnto that whiche hys may­ster teacheth hym. And if he wyll be ne­gligente or playe the troon [...], and not geue hym selfe vnto hys busines as he ought to do [...], If he beynge hys mayster, should beate and punishe him therefore, that he be content and take it pacientelye and with a good will.

Nowe, the maister doeth not correcte and punish his scolar or seruant, for anye intent to hurte him or for any malyce and euyll will, towards hym, but onelye that he shoulde learne better afterwarde, be more diligent and take better hede. Euen so lykewyse Christ receyueth no scholer or disciple vnto hym, but he makyth cōdi cions wyth him most necessary for euery Christen man, whyche are expressyd in in the. xvi. chapter of Mathew.

The worde of God oughte to be the rule, whereby we should be orderyd: but we had rather to folow our own heade & oure own brayne, by the meanes whereof oft tymes we go a w [...]ye and misse the ry­ght waye, and therfore the heauenly scho [Page xviij] lemaister [...]nappeth vs on the fyngers, [...]yll we apprehende and learne it per­ [...]ytely.

Lykewyse the physycion or surgen God a physicy­on. must cut away and burne out the rotten and deade fleshe wyth hys yron and in­strument, that the whole body be not in­fectyd and poisonyd and so perysh. Euen so doth God sometyme plage our bodyes sharpely and greuously, that oure soules maye be preseruyd and healyd. And how depe soeuer God thrustyth hys yron into our flesh and bodyes, he doth it onelye to remedy and to heale vs. And if it be so that he killyth vs, than doth he first gyue vs the ryght lyfe.

The physycyon in makinge of hys [...]yakle, occupyeth serpentes and adders and suche lyke poyson, to dryue oute one poyson wyth another: ‘Euen so God in afflictinge and correctinge of vs, oc­cupyeth and vseth the deuyll and wy­cked people, but yet all to doo vs good wyth all.’ As longe as the physycy­on hath anye hope of the recouerye of hys pacyente, he assayeth all maner of meanys and medycynys wyth hym [...] well sower and [...]harpe as swete. [Page] But assone as euer he begin [...]yth to doubt of hys recouerye, he sufferyth [...] haue, and to take all maner o [...] thynges, what so euer the pacyent hym selfe desy [...] ­ryth. Euen so the heauenlye physycyon, as longe as he takyth vs Christians for hys, and hath anye hope to recouer or to heale vs, he restreyuyth vs from our wyll, and wyll not allwayes suffer vs to haue, what we moost desyre, but as sone as he hath nomore hope of vs, and geuyth vs ouer, than he suffryth vs for a tyme to haue and enioye all our owne wyll and pleasure.

‘Thys symylytude and comparyson is taken out of the fyst chapter of Iob: If the Lord God doth wound, than doth his hand heale agayne, &c.’

‘Furthermore, whan the horsse brea­ker geueth vnto a lustye freshe younge horsse, to muche of the brydle, he is wyld and wanton, and goyth not well as he shoulde doo, and by chaunce in a slyp­pery, and slydynge place he myghte fall headlynges ouer and ouer:’ Euen so if our creator and maker shoulde suffer vs, ouer muche and geue vs to large ly­bertye, we should sone waxe wylde and [Page xix] proude thereof, and it myghte happen, that we should vndoe and destroye oure selues, therefore he geuyth vs a sharpe [...]ytt in our mouthes, and helpyth vs to [...]rydle, and to tame our flesh, that the no­ble and precious soule perysh not.

Agayn lyke as the carte [...] or foore man yerketh hys horsse wyth the whypp, and strykyth them sharpelye whan they wyll not drawe nor goo forwarde, and yet fa­uoryth and sparyth them also that he may enioye them the longer: Euen so God strykyth and whyppyth vs, whan we doo not ryghte as we shoulde do, and yet neuerthelesse sparyth vs, and wyl not make vtterly an end of vs.

Lyke as the poore shepard also, whan God a shepe­herde. hys folyshe shepe straye abroade in the wyld wyldernes amonge the wolues, he dryuyth them from strang waies into the righte way, & huntyth thē into theyr sure shepe fold, where they maye be in safe­gard. Euen so we lykewyse for as much, as we myxe oure selues oft tymes among the worldlynges, and haue felowshyppe wyth those that are ennemyes vnto oure Christen and true relygion, therefore god comyth vnto vs, and dryuyth vs wyth [Page] sorowe and repentaunce from them, that we shoulde not be destroyed and perishe together wyth them.

Th [...] herd man will suffer such calue [...] as are appointed shortelye to the slaugh­ter, to ronne and spring about [...] in the pa­sture [...]t pleasure, and againe suche as are reseruyd to labor, are kepte and vsed vn­der the p [...]cke: Euen so allmighty God doeth suffer and permitte vnto those vn­godly parsoons, whose destruccion is at hand, to haue all pleasure and luste vpon earth, and to fulfill and accomplish their pleasures and desyres, but the Godlye whom he will vse to his honor and glory those kepyth he vnder the pocke, and [...] them from the pleasante Iusty [...] of the world.

A wyse and skylfull husbande m [...] doth not cast nor so we his se [...]de in a feld [...] God a husband man. or grounde, that is not broken [...] [...]yllyd: as it ought to be, but he [...] hys dren, and goeth to the [...] ▪ & cast [...] [...]p the earth wyth hy [...] plowe share; and so tillyth and [...] wyth it, and than first of all, he so wyth it, that if any rayne [...], the sede maye be [...], [...] into the earth, and take hold & wa [...] therin. Euen [Page xx] such an husbandman is God, and we are his tyllage i Corin. iij. ‘And he bestowyth not hys spyryte and trueth vpon suche as are wylde and past all feare of god. sa. i.’

Moreouer, lyke as the gardener hed­gyth hys garden round aboute and fen­syth it wyth thornys and brerys, that no [...]eastys nor noysom catel h [...]t i [...], Euen so God defendyth, hepyth and preseruyth vs from euyil company, and from al ma ner of sinne, thorow thornys and brerys, th [...]t is to say, thorow the crosse and tho­row affliccions, as Ose sayeth in the. ij. cha. ‘I wyll beset theyr wayes wyth thor­n [...]s, & theyr foote pathys wyll I hedge.’

If the gardener cut of the knobbys, & the crokyd bowys from the treys in his garden, and loppyth them a lytle, yet as long as the rotes remayne the treys are [...] the worsse, but ware neuer the lesse, [...]nd bringe forth fruit also: Euen so doeth God lopp and hewe the crabbye olde [...], wyth the crosse, not to the intente to hurte or harme vs, but to kepe vs in [...], & to teache vs godly maners. And [...] as longe the rote of faye [...]h remay­ [...]th wyth [...], thoughe we be spoyled [...]nd [...] of all ryches, and of all ma­ner

to serue to proue and to trye vs withall.

TRouble and affliccions do pr [...]e, trye, instruct, confyrme, & stre [...]g­then the fayth, prouoke and styr [...] vp prayer, dryue & fo [...]e vs to amend [...]t of lyfe, to the feare of God, to mekenes, to pacyence, to constancy, to gentlenes, to sobernes and temperancye, and to all m [...] ner of vertues, and are the occasyon of ex [...]dynge moche good as well transitorye as [...]ternall, in thys world as in the world to come.

By affliccyon and trouble wyll God [...] and assaye, marke and spye howe [...] thy harte hath entered wyth God, howe muche thy fayth is able to suffer & to beare, whether thou canst▪ forsake Mat. x. xv. ma [...]. vii [...] Luk. ix. xiiij. Ioh. xij. both thy selfe and all other creatures in the worlde for hys sake? In summa to be shorte, he wyll trye howe thou wylt b [...] haue thy self, when he taketh vtterlye frō the, and oute of the syght, that wherein thou moost delyghtest and hast any plea­sure vpon earthe. God knoweth well y­nough before, howe thou wilt take it, and behaue thy selfe, but he wyll shewe and declare to thy self and to other also, what [Page xxij] is in the. For oft tymes people do [...]o ex­toll a man and make suche boaste of him, to be the wysest, most circūspecte, manly [...] honest man in a countrey, &c. but wha [...] the tyme of tryall cometh, there appea­reth no suche thynge in hym, as was thoughte and loked for.

A man can not learne to knowe a lu­stye and a stoute man of warre in the ty­me of pe [...]ce, but best of all in the tyme of warre when the cruell and fearse ene myes do inuade and assaulte hys capten.

When a greate tempeste aryseth in the sea, then doth it appeare whether the [...] be connynge in rulynge the [...] or [...].

Agayne, those are the moost honeste and mooste chaste matrones, whiche be­ynge fo [...] [...]empted, assawlted, and prouo­ked vnto wyckednesse, do neuerthelesse kepe theyr [...]pows faythe towarde theyr [...] vndefyled: Euen so can nomā know nor proue perfytely how the chri­sten church kepeth her spoustayth & fide [...] towards [...]er spouse and brydegrome [Page] Iesus Christe, [...]ntyll suche tyme as Anti christe assaulteth and tempteth her wyth false doctryne, tyrannye and persecucyō.

Suche trees, as haue strong and depe rotes, and suffycyent naturall sappe, can [...]o vyolent heate of the sonne hurte nor harme. But suche as are felled and cut doune, are sone drped vp wyth the heate of the sunne, lyke as the grasse also that is mowne doune doeth sone wyther. [...] [...]o lykewyse suche faythfull parsons as are roted in Christe Iesu, can not trou­bles nor affliccyons hurte, they growe & war grene not withstandynge: but the vn faythful do betray them selues, and shew what they are, as sone as they se any heat of trouble or persecutyon commynge.

Wyth one flayle are bothe the stalkes and eares of the corne beaten, and also the corne it selfe thre shedd and pourged oute: Euen so wyth one maner of trouble and affliccyon are the faythfull pourged and prouoked to praye vnto God, and to laude & magnifye him, And the vnfaythfull also to [...] and curse, and so are they both tryed, proued, and knowen.

Whan the co [...]e is threshed, the [...] [Page xxiij] uell lyeth myxed amonge the cha [...], and af terwarde are they dysseuered a sonde [...] wyth the fa [...]e or wyndle. Euen so the pe ople in the church do fyrste heare the prea chynge of Gods worde. Nowe some stō ­ble repyne, & are offended at it, and other are not offended, and yet they dwell toge­ther, one with another, but when they are faimed or wyndled, and when the wynde of trouble and affliccyon begynneth ones a lytle to blowe, then is it easy to sonder, and to knowe the one from the other, the faythfull from the vnfaythfull.

Arte thou pure corne? what nedes [...] thou then to feare, eyther the flayle or the wynde? In the threshynge & in the wynde thou shalt be delyuered and sondered frō the chaf, and shalt be made more pure thē thou waste before. Let them feare that are chaffe whiche are not able to abyde nor to continue the wynde, but must be blowen awaye, and caste oute.

A rotten and an olde weake house stā ­deth a whyle for a tyme, but as sone as a wynde cōmeth and bloweth, it appeareth vnto all men howe feble the foundacyo [...] and stey of it was. Euen so are there such Christen men wythoute grounde or foun [Page] dacyon whiche as longe as all thyng [...] go well and prosper wyth them, they are good Christianis: but in the tyme of trou­ble and persecucyon, theyr dissimulacyō is knowen, and breaketh oute.

‘Sapient. iij. As golde is tryed in the o­uen wherein it is molten, euen so hathe God tryed and pourged them.’

Now yf thou beyst golde what nedest thou to feare the fyre, whiche doth more profyte then hynder or hurte the?

To thys purpose doth thys trewe prouerbe serue, In nede doth a man trye whiche be hys fryndes.

Examples, Almyghtye God dyd tempte and proue Abraham, and [...]ad hym offer vp, and kyll hys onelye sonne. Then was Abraham in a greate dystresse [...] and heauynes, he had rather haue loste all hys goodes and possessyons, and all that euer he had vpon earthe, then he shulde slaye, hys deare sonne. But pet thoughe it were agaynst nature, and an vntollerable thynge, yet he caryed hys sonne forthe thre dayes iourney to kil him with hys owne handes, he ouercame hys fleshe by faythe, and wolde be [...] vnto God. Than say [...] God vnto [...] [Page xxiiij] nowe I knowe that thou fearest God, & ha [...]t not spared thy onlye deare sonne for my sake, Genes. xxij. ‘And Moses sayth Deut. [...]. remēber all the wayes thorow the whiche the Lorde thy God hath ledde & guyded the these. x [...]. yeares in the wyl­dernes,’ because he wolde chasten & proue the, that it mighte appeare, & be knowne what was within thy hart, whether thou woldest kepe hys commaundementes or [...]o. ‘Set Pharao and Dauid together the one agaynst the other, ij. notable kynges. Pharao perseuereth and continueth ob­stynately, stubburnly & peruersely in hys’ wycked purpos, notwithstanding the ma nyfolde plages that dyd fall and lyghten vpon him. Exo. vij. viij. ix. Contrariwise howe sone dyd Dauid geue ouer, & breake out with all meakenes, submissyon, pacy­ [...]ns, and acknowleginge of hys whoredō when as he fledde from Absalon, Sem [...]y rebuking and reuyling hym most shame­fullye. ij. of the kynges. xvi.

Iob was stryken with many grenous [...], that there was nothinge sounde nor whole in hym. From the soole of his fote to the toppe of hys heade, not that he [...]ad deserued such he [...]uy [...] more [Page] then other men, but that God wolde de­clare to all the worlde, hys pacience and faythfulnes.

‘But hys wyfe dyd than shewe her weake fayth and wycked corrupt nature Iob. i. ii.’

Who was more faythfull & more fer­uent than Peter? And yet he denyed & for­soke Christ before a symple womā. Who ought not therfore to feare hym selfe, ex­cept he hath before in the tryal bene foūd faythfull, stedfalte, and constant.

In lyke maner dayly experyens tea­cheth vs to knowe the faythfull and vn­faythfull a sonder in persecucyon and af­fliccyon.

There are some that cleaue to the Go­spell for a tyme: but whan they see, they can not atteyne that they sought and lo­ked for, than they forsake it, and fall from it agayne, yea and in the tyme of tempta­cyon they fall to blasphemynge of the ho ly Gospell. But the Godlye which haue it fixed in theyr hartes, stande stedfastlye by God both in lyfe and death.

¶ The. viij. Chapter.

BEsydes thys it is a profytable and a good thynge for a man to knowe hym selfe wel. Felicyte & prospery­te blyudeth a man, but when he is vnder the crosse he begynneth to marke the fray lenes of hys body, the vncertentye of hys lyfe, the feblenes of hys vnderstandynge, the infyrmpte and weakenes of mannes strength and power. [...]e shall spye & per­ceyue howe farre he is entred in the waye of vertu, how the matter stādeth betwene God & him, whether he be a champyon of Gods or of the deuyls. For a man thyn­keth himselfe oftymes to be well groun­ded and stablyshed, but in the tyme of tē ­ptacyon he feleth, howe lyghtly & easelye he is tossed & turned of euery blaste of the wynde.

Item by affliccyon & mysfortune God wyll put the in remembraunce, howe ma­nye thousand perels are yet hanging ouer thy heade, whiche shulde lyghten & fall vpon the, yf he dyd not kepe and preserue the from them And the same God saith thus vnto the. The wycked enemy wyth [Page] a notable and infynyte heape of all euyl & myschiefe doth assault & laye watche for the to subdewe the, and to swalowe the vp but I haue appoynted hym hys boun­des ouer the whiche he can not passe.

The longer thou arte vnder the crosse The ri­ght kno weledge of God. the better mayest thou learne all the ver­tues and goodnes of God.

As hys iust iudgement and straythe iu stice whereby he sheweth hys wrath and displeasure agaynst the wycked and vn­godly. And sendeth vpon theyr neckes ter ryble plages, And the obstinate and vnre pentant he condemneth euerlastingly.

Item hys infynyte power whereby he can helpe and confortethe in most extr me myserye and necessyte.

Item hys mutable truth, wherebye he doth faythfully performe all hys pro­myses, and bringeth to passe all hys threa tenynges.

Item hys excedynge mercy and free grace, whereby he preuenteth all euyll to warde vs and wyll not suffer vs to be caught and oppressed wyth anye mysfor­tune.

Item hys eternall and euerlastynge prouidence, wherebye lyke a father he ta­keth [Page xxvi] charge and care ouer vs and gouer­nyth i. Petr. v oll thynges moost wysely.

Item hys glory magnyfycens & lawdes for the forsayde vertues, which do shyne moste clearly in affliccyon and aduersite.

For the whiche cause S. Bernarde wryteth thus: ‘whereby do we knowe that he that dwelleth aboue, is among vs here beneth? Forsoth by thys that we do styke in trouble and affliccions. For who could be able to susteyne, beare and abyde them withoute God?’

‘A man hath nede at all tymes of wisdome, circumspeccyon, prudence and so­bernes.’ To lear ne wys­dome in aduersy te. Lyke as prosperyte shutteth and blyndeth the eyes of men, euen so doth ad uersyte open them.

Lyke as the salue that remedyeth the dysease of the eyes, doth fyrste byte and greue the eyes, and maketh them to wat­ter, but yet afterwarde the eysyght is clea rer and more sharpe then it was, ‘Euen so trouble and affliccyon do greue and vexe men wonderfullye at the fyste, but afterwarde it helpeth and lyghtened the eyes of the mynde, that it is afterwarde more reasonable, wyse, and circumspecte.’

‘For trouble bryngeth experience, [Page] And experyens bryngeth wysdome.’ Eccl. xxxiiij. Prouerb. xxix. ‘The rodde and po­nyshmente do brynge wysdome.’ And of thys dyd these prouerbes fyrst spryng vp, the more plentyfull lande, the more folysh and wicked people.

‘And agayne aduersyte causeth men to loke well and farre aboute them.’

‘Item there is no man wyse, but wyth hys hurte and losse.’

Item that man maye well learne to swymme, whiche hathe the water at hys mouthe.

Dauid sayth in the. cxviij. Psalm. ‘O Lorde howe good and profytable is it vn­to me that thou hast chastened & humbled me, that I might learne thy ryghtuousnes and thy commaundementes?’

¶ The. ix. Chapter.

GOd requyreth that the knoweledge of oure poysoned & corrupt nature and of the wrathe of God shulde waxe & increase in vs, whereby we myght [Page xxvij] conceyue an harty sorowe and repentaūce for our synnes, and so daylye amende and waxe better. Now truthe it is that in oure hartes naturally stpketh a roughe secure­nes and carefulnes, whereby we do lytle regarde and esteme the inwarde fylthynes of oure hartes. And specyallye when we fele no maner of tast of the crosse and affli ction we do not consyder the myserable wretchednes of oure synnes nor the iuste iudgemēt of God, and the terryble ponysh ment dewe for the same. But whan the hand of God doth humble & pluck downe some specyall persons or an whole congre­gacyon, then remember we the greatnes & heauynes of synne, that Gods wrath and indygnacyon is not so sore, wythoute some specyall and moost iuste causes.

And then breake we oute into suche wordes as these. O Lorde, we haue deser­ued these plages a thousande wayes. O good & most iust God, thou rewardest the mysdeedes and transgressyons of the fa­thers in the chyldren, yf they folowe theyr fathers steppes, euen vnto the thyrde and fourth generacyon.

Lyke as the harde copper and synne do melte in the fyre, euen so in trouble & afflic­cyō [Page] the hard rough & stubborne hartes do melt & fall to myslyking & loothyng their synnes. A trespasser doth than first of all perceyue hys fautes ryghtely when he is brought vnto the iudgement to be pony­shed, and is adiudged and condemned vn to death. And for thys cause doth God vse suche rough and harde meanes with vs. And bothe the comon and generall, & also the perticular specyall plages and aduersityes maye well be called a part of Gods lawe, and as it were Gods prea­chynge whiche testyfye and declare vnto vs, that God is heuyly displeased against all maner of wickednes and abhomyna­cyon that reygneth in the worlde, that all men shulde humble and submytte them selues vnto God, bewayle and lamente theyr synnes vnto hym wyth a sorowfull and a ryghte penitente harte, and despre hys grace and mercye.

‘For an example Genes. xlij. Iosephs brethren in Egypte dyd than fyrste of all spye theyr wickednes cōmitted agaynste their brother, when as very nede & necessi te dyd vexe them in a strange contrey.’

Numer. xxi. When as the Lorde dyd sende into the wyldernes among the Isra [Page xxviij] elytes, vene mous serpentes whiche dyd byte them, and set them on fyre, then came they fyrste to Moyses and sayd: We haue synned, for as muche as we haue spoken agaynst the Lorde and agaynste the.

When the pestylence dyd rage, then i. Para, xxij. c. sayde Dauid vnto the Lorde, ‘beholde it is I that haue synned, what haue these shepe done?’

Nowe therfore yf it be so, that know ledge of the synne and an harty dysplea­sure agaynste it be profytable and neces­sarye, ‘then can we not well forbeare trou­ble and aduersyte.’

¶ The. x. Chapter.

THat oure fayth is proued & tryed thorowe the crosse and thorow ad uersyte, it is declared before. And nowe shal it be euidently proued, that our fayth is then fyrste ryght stablyshed, exer cysed and augmented when aduersyte cō meth. The very true Christē fayth is groū ded onelye vpon the grace, mercy, power and helpe of God thorow Christ.

[Page] Which thynge can not be ryght cōpre­hended. Wyth vayne thoughtes, ymaginacyons and speculations, but God cometh vpon the myserable synners with heapes of myseryes. Whatsoeuer they attempte, go aboute or take in hande it goeth back­warde with them, and theyr whole lyfe is made bytter wyth gall vnto them that they can no where fynde anye reste. And why? Forsoth it is drye for thys purpose that they shulde vtterlye neglecte and despyse all maner of councell & comforte of man, that they shulde be pluckt from all maner of truste in the polycyes and powers of y ^e worlde, and that they shulde vtterlye des­payre of all helpe in anye creature. And in the steade of that, that they shulde set & fyxe theyr hartes and myndes onelye in God, and that nothyng at all shuld els remayne in them, but onelye vnspeakable syghtning vnto God procedyng out of a true faythe, in whose helpe and mercy only altogether consisteth.

‘Testymonyes of scrypture, Moyses in the. viij. of Deuter. wytnesseth that God suffered the Israelytes to be dyuerselye ve­xed, & to be brooght into greate dystresse & yet preserued thē wōderfully,’ for this cause [Page xxix] that whan they should come into the land of promes they shoulde not saye: ‘Myne owne power and the strength of myne owne handes were able to brynge thys to passe,’ but thou shouldest thyncke vpon the Lorde thy God: For he it is, whyche gyuyth the such power, wherby thou art able to performe, and brynge any thynge to passe.

And so dyd God deale afterward with the chyldern of Israell, whych of theyr owne brayne and wysdom sought helpe, succor and mayntenance at the kynge of the Assyrians, and at the kyng of Egypt, whych the very same were they that after ward dyd besyge them, slaye them and caryed them awaye prysoners. And so after that they felt and prouyd, that there was none that coulde succor and helpe them, but only the Lorde vnto whom they yel­dyd and gaue ouer them selues at length.

‘Ierem. x. Ose. ij. iiij. vi. & Paul. ij. Co­rinth. i. I lokyd for no nother, but that I should dye. But it was done for this purpose, that we should not put anye trust in our selues, but in God, whych rayseth vp the deade agayne.’

Itē whatsoeuer styrryth vp & exercy­syth [Page] our fayth, of that ought we not to be afrayed, but rather to rei [...]e in it.

Whan we lyue in ydlenes in all luste [...]nd pleasure, the deuyll s [...]appyth vs vp quyckly, and blyndyd our owne weake­nes, that we thynck God doth not regard vs, all thynges in the worlde do happy [...] wythout anye workynge or foresyght of God. But as well in specyall as in gene­rall aduersyteys, there is greater matter & occasion to practyse & to exercise y ^e faith.

God sufferyth the to fall into pouerty, or thy mooste deare fryndys to be taken frō the, by death, or some other dysquyet­nes to happen vnto the.

As than hast thou a great occasyon to awake and to practyse thy fayeth: And fyrst to call to remembrance the promy­ses of God, contey [...]yd in hys word, and than to call vpon hym for hys grace and assystens, and so to resyst and wythstand all maner of naturall dowtfulnes and despayre, that hangyth in thy flesh, howe greuous soeuer thy necessyte seme to be, & how soeuer any man doth ymagyne, that God hath wythdrawyn hys face from the, and wyl not help the at all.

In like maner in all comon necessytyes [Page xxx] and generall, th [...]s is the ryght exercise of fayth, & ‘the most holy seruyce of God, y ^t we fyrst consyder & wey er [...]estlye all ma­ner of perels & assawtys of the churche & of the comon welth.’ And after that, y ^t we pray vnto god wyth a constant & a lyuely fayth, that he wyll delyuer & preserue the church from false doctrine, supersticion & hypocrysy, & that he will gracyously rule & gouern it. And that he wyl alsopreserue the comon welth in good order & quyet­nes, & will grant helsom ayer and ceaso­nable whether, And will also restrayne & lett the wyld & dissolute behauor & conuersacyon of th [...] [...]mon sort of people & wyll grant, maynteyne, and preserue a Christē dyscyplyne, behauor and honestye, wher­by hys holye and Godly name maye be la [...]dyd & magnyfyed, hys kyngdom, aug mentyd, increasyd & cōfyrmyd & the kyngdom of y ^e deuyll subu [...]rtyd & cōfoundyd.

And remember thys also, whansoeuer thou consyderyst thy aduersyte, for­gette not to desyre of God, hope and truste for comforte, ayde and succor, And looke that thou stryue & fyght myghtyly and manfully agaynst all maner of mys­trust, and put away al maner of despayre [Page] how greuously soeuer thy aduersyte and sorow doth increase, and thus is thy faith well ryghtly practysyd and exercysyd.

An example: From holye Iob was ta­ken all that euer anye man myghte take an [...] comfort in wyfe, chyldern, goodes & ☞ frendes, and one trouble, sorowe, and he­uy message came styll in anothers neck, and he had not one dropp of bloud in his bodye, that was not consumyd and wa­styd: And he sate in the syghte of all the world, was there laughyng stock, and so exercysyd and practysyd hys fayeth, and [...]aue ouer hym selfe onlye and whollye vnto God.

Unto Abraham was promised a seede whych shuld be in multytude as the sand of the sea, and as the starres in the shye, and yet was hys wyfe baren and vnfruit full, and he alsowaxen old and agyd, that after the iudgement of naturall reason it was not possyble, that that promes shuld be fulfylled and come to passe. By the meanes where of Abraham dyd exercyse, trye and practyse hys fayth.

And thus dyd Ioseph, Dauyd, Da­nyel all patryarkys, prophetes and apost les as well in the comon and general ad­uersytes [Page xxxi] of the churche, as in their owne pryuate and peculyar affliccious exercyse and practyse theyr fayeth, and thys was theyr hyghest Gods seruyce, wherewyth they honoryd and seruyd god. Wherfore in oure tyme: also God gyuyth vs greate and meruelous occasyon, thorow trouble and aduersyte to awake, styrre vp and to exercyse our fayth. And by suche exercyse is the fayeth increasyd and confyrmyd, yea and shynyth more bryghtlye, and is made more bewtyfull and glorious. For whatsoeuer a man hath prouyd and tryed hym self, that beleuyth he afterwarde the more stedfastly. ‘Nowe he that is a Chri­sten man or woman prouyth and felyth in dede, that in the myddes of hys sorowe and affliccion he is rulyd, defendyd, comfortyd and preseruyd of God.’ For hope can not be confounded. Roma. v

And therfore the Christen & the fayth­full man, thorow troble and aduersyte is made more bold and hartye and conclu­dyth wyth hym selfe, more than euer he dyd before, that God hath a specyall re­gard and consyderacyon of those that are in trouble and myserye and wyll gracy­ [...]sly help and delyuer them oute. Lyke [Page] as one that hath sayled oft vp on the sea, and prouyd and escaped great and daun­gerous tempestyes, and hath bene sore tossyd wyth y ^e fearfull wauys, afterward he is the more bolde & hardy to goo vnto the sea, for as much as he hath euer esca­ped well, & hath had good fortune before.

Euen so a christe man, whan the crosse hath ofte assaulted and exercysed, for as much, as he hath allwayes founde com­fort, ayde and helpe at God, afterwarde he trustyth God, the longer the more, though the same affliccion and aduersyte come agayn vnto him that he had before.

And to thys purpose heare and marke ij. specyall & u [...]table examples: One oute of y ^e old, & another out of y ^e new testamēt.

i. Of the kynges. xvij. chapt. Dauyd whan he preparyd hym selfe to fyghte a­gaynst the valyant gyant Golpath, sayd these wordes: The Lorde whych hath de­lyueryd ☞ me from a lyon, & from a beare, shall delyuer me also from thys Phyly­styan. ‘And agayn Paul. i [...]. Corin. i. sayth: God hath delyueryd vs from so greate a death, and delyueryth vs daylye, and we hope that he wyll delyuer vs from hence forth also.’

[Page xxxij] And to this same purpose doth thys al so apperteyne to consyder, that the crosse assueryth those that beare it in the Lorde, of the grace and fauor of God, whereby they knowe certenly, that they are of the nomber of the electe and the chyldern of God, for as muche as he lokyth vpon them fatherly, to reforme and to correcte them.

‘For as much as it is wrytten, Iudith. viij. Yea all those that euer dyd please God haue bene prouyd and tryed by many and dyuers troubles and haue bene found constant and stedfast in fayth.’

‘Item, ij. Tymoth. iiij. All those that wyll lyue Godly in Christ Iesus, muste suffer persecucyon and affliccyon.’

The. xi. Chapter.

EUery Christen man knowyth thys y ^t it is very necessarye & profytable for hym to praye, and to call vpon god most feruently & deuoutly. Now whā a mālyuyth in all prosperyty thā he pray eth very lytle, or very slenderly & coldly, he hath no great affecciō or mynd vpō it. [Page] That prayer that is not pressed and thrust oute wyth the crosse, flowyth not oute from the depth and botom of the harte. But sorow, heuynes, and aduersite [...]ynd­lyth vp the mynd and settyth it on fyre, dryuyth, chasyth and huntyth it vnto God and compellyth it to call vpon God feruently and ernestly. For at suche tyme we se and perceyue well, that we can doo nothing of oureselues, and what greate nede we haue of God, that he will wote saue to gouerne, ayde and defend vs.

Lyke as the water as longe as it flow­yth and ronnyth ouer the euen playne, ☞ wyde and broade feldes, it breakyth not oute by no violence, but dyspersyth and spreadyth it selfe abroade euerye where a lyke: But whan it is gathered together by connynge & scye [...]s and conueyed into a narow roumith, as into a pype or cōduit, than it springyth and spowtyth oute an hygh. Euen so the mynd of man, as longe as it is quyet, ydle, and wythoute sorowe or trouble, it walkyth and wandreth a­broade at large and at lybertye, but whan it is brought in, restrained and dryuyn a strayght and a narowe yssewe thorowe trouble and aduersyte, it breakyth oute a [Page] lo [...]t vnto God in heauen wyth an ear­nest, harty and seruent prayer for grace, ayde and comfort: Wherevpon there is a comon proverb sprong, Nede and necessy te teachyth men to praye.

‘Esay. xxvi. O Forde, whan trouble & aduersyte is at hande, than doo men seke the, whan thou chastenyst and punyshyst them, than cal they vpon the lamentably.’ ‘Examples. i. boke of the kynges. vij. cha. whan the chyldern of Israell hard of the comyng of theyr ennympes the Philisti­nes, they were afrayed & sayed vnto Sa­muel, cease not to crye vnto the Lord our God for vs, that he may helpe vs oute of the handys of the Phylystynes.’

‘Manasses (whych all the dayes of his lyfe was a very bloud hound & a tyran) was bound wyth chaynes, and sed away vnto Babylon.’ And whan he was in ex­treme iiij. Reg. xxi. a i [...]. Para. xxxiij. a anguysh and necessyte, he made his humble prayer and supplycacyon before the Lorde hys God, and God harde hys humble prayer, and broughte him agayn to Ierusalem. ij. boke of the Cro. xxxiij.

Math. viij. When there arose a great tempest vpon the sea, in so muche that the shypp was ouerwhelmyd wyth the wa­uys, [Page] and Christ slept, than the dyscyples hastyd vnto hym and wakyd hym vp sai­yng, ‘Lord help vs for we peryshe.’

‘Math. the. xv. the example of the hea­then, woman doeth teache the howe the Lord prolongyth and dysserryth his ayde and helpe sometyme for the nonys, that we shuld be kyndlyd vp to crye the more feruently, and to continue importunately in ernest prayer.’

[...]. Austen wrytyth thus. ‘They that are Godlye, are oppressyd and veryd in the church or congregacyon for this purpose that whan they are pressyd, they shoulde crye, and whan they crye that they shuld be harde, and whan they are harde, that they should laude and prayse God.’

And lyke as the crosse, and aduersyte Co laud God. doth further and prycke vs forwarde vn­to the fyrste parte of prayer, whyche is to desyre and craue of God, euen so doeth it also further and prouoke vs also vn­to the seconde parte of prayer whyche is to laude GOD, and to geue hym thankys.

The almighty power, wysdom, rightu­ousnes, mercy & trueth of god, these hygh and excellent Godly vertues worthye of [Page] all laude and honor doo appeare in the crosse, afflyccyon and aduersyte of Chri­sten men, whan God vysytyth mysera­ble synners, comfortyth those that are in dystresse and mysery, helpyth and delyue ryth them oute of all maner of necessyte. At these thinges doo all Christen people wonder and meruel hyghly, and therfore breake they out to magnyfye, prayse and extolle God wyth vnspeakable laudes and prayses.

‘ij. Corinth. iiij. We haue suche a treasure in earthly vessels, that the power that ly­eth aboue, and hath the vyctorpe myghte appere to be of God and not of vs:’ that is to saye, we are weake and miserable vessels, that Gods honor and glory shuld be furtheryd and not ours.

‘For an example take the story of Da­niell in the thirde chapter. Howe the im­prysonement and captyuyte of the Iewes dyd serue wonderfully to the glorye and prayse of God.’

‘Iohn. ix. Oure sauyour Christe shew­yth the cause why the man was biynde from hys verye natyuyte and byrth:’ na­mely that the workes of God should ap­peare and be made manifest in hym.

[Page] Moreouer all the Prophetes, apostle [...] and elect of God, vp whom God wrou­ght wounderfull and meruelous thyngs, were contemnyd and despysed, yea and sometyme slayne and murtheryd, that all men myght spye and perceyue that their fayeth and workynge, whyche dyd not shryncke but contynuyd vpryghte, was a worcke of God, and no power of man. And therfore that God muste be [...] and praysed about all.

The. xij. Chapter.

THe crosse and trybulacyon do b [...] ­nysh and dryu [...] away the former synnys and hynder and resyste those that are to come hereafter and help to plante, exercyse and increase all maner of vertues, that the vngodly may be pro­uokyd & furtheryd to repentance & amen dement, and reformacyon of theyr lyue [...] and the Godly to further vertue and god▪ lynes. For what afflyccyon soeuer the flesh doth suffer, it greuyth it very sor [...], it wold rather be [...]ery, at rest and quy [...]t. [Page xxxv] Nowe euerye one that hath anye reason knowyth thys ryght well that he thorow hys owne i [...]ys and behauor bringeth much aduersyte and afflyccyon vpon his owne necke. And therfore in consydera­cyon of that, he begynnyth to bewar and to take hed [...] afterward of all inordynate & dyssolute lyuyng, as the cause grounde and occasyon of all myserye and sorowe, ☜ that besyde thys presente afflyccyon he be not plagyd also eternally, Whych I wyl declare and proue fyrste wyth symylytu­des, secondarylye wyth testymonyes of holy scripture, and thyrdly by examples.

A water that is contynually, standing how cleare soeuer it seme, yet it is corrupt and naught. But that water whych hath hys cōtynuall coursse, the more▪ it russyth & strougglith ouer the stonys and sandys the more lyuely fresh and better it is. [...]uē so a godly man in the absence of the crosse is sluggysh dull and lytherly, but thorow the crosse and afflyccyon he is quycke­ [...]yd and exercysyd and increasyd in all goodnes.

The rusty and cankard yron, thorowe the fyle is made bryght and smoth. Euen [Page] so the old rusty Adam hath nede of [...] and aduersyte, to [...]yle and pourge him from the cankard rust of synne.

A [...] though it be neuer so smoth, if it be not vsed, it wa [...]eth rusty, and the same ruste frettyth it and marryth it. But the more that it is occupyed, though it be somewhat worne thereby, yet it is the more bryght. Euen so although some parson hath a good nature and inclyna­cyon, if he be not occupyed and exercy­sed wyth trouble and aduersyte, he wax­eth rusty, cankard and rotten, but thorow the crosse and trybulacyon, thoughe the rust haue wonne somewhat of hym be­ynge a man and weake, yet he shall ther­by be made more bryght, cleare and bew­tyfull agayne.

The seede that is caste into the felde must suffer the wynd, rayne, snowe, frost and all maner of tempestyes, and yet it waxeth and bryngeth furth fruyte: Euen so the spyrytuall sede, whych is the word of God, beyng receyuyd of a deuout and a feruent harte, is not destroyed thorowe trouble, but bryngeth furth ryghte good and profytable fruyte.

A [...] tree the [...] it is beaten, [Page xxxvi] the better it is, and not the worsse. Euen so man thorow many strypes and muche aduersyte waxyth good.

For the thyck and hard shynne of an horsse or an asse, is nothynge better than a very sharpe whyp to gyrke hym wyth. Euen so for oure stubburne and hawtye fleshe, there is nothynge more [...] and profytable, than muche sorowe and vexa­cyon, whereby it maye be stryppyd and pryckyd forward.

Cloth must be oft beatyn and brushed, wherevpon there is a prouerb, Thus muste wollynge cloth be vsed, that there breade no mothys in it. Euen so shall spi rytuall mothys▪ and wor [...]ys, wyckyd­nes, synne and abhomynacyon haue the lesse power to brede in vs, if we be well brushed and beatyn in tyme wyth afflyc­cyon and aduersyte.

The fleshe that comyth freshe oute of the shambles vnsaltyd, waxyth soone [...]sauerye, and wormes brede in it, but the salte wyth hys sharpenes kepeth it swete from corrupcyon. Euen so doeth God caste and sprynckle salte vpon vs thorowe dyuers temptacyons and afflic­ciōs, that they may byte & ceason vs y ^t we [Page] corrupt nor peryshe not in synne.

That body that is alwayes ydle, and neuer mouyth nor hath no exercyse, is ea­syly subiect vnto syckenes and infyrmy­ties. But those bodies that haue theyr ex­ercise and labor are more lusty and sound and can better contynue. Euen so that soul that is well exercysyd and occupyed wyth trouble and affliccyon hath occasy­on & cause to be bewtiful sound & cleare.

It is a verye true saiynge, the sharper that the ley is, the cleaner takyth it away all maner of fylth. Euen so oure corrupte and poysonyd nature had nede of a sharp and a bytynge medycyne. The greater and sharper the trouble and aduersyte is the more fylth and inconuenyence it by­tyth away.

For a rawe and weake stomake, which is of a naughty dysgestion, bytter worm­woode is very good and holsom. Euen so for the weake and feble soule is bytter trouble and afflyccyon very holsom and necessarye.

Remember thys prouerb, After the syck man had recoueryd hys sore, he lyued worsse than euer he dyd before. And ther­fore sycknes is more necessarye for him y ^t [Page xxxvij] he waxe not worsse and liue not more wic kedlye.

‘Nowe wyll I alledge scrypture, Leui. xxvi. God threateneth to sende a plage seuenfold greater, yf a man wyl not amend at the lyghter and easyer ponishment that he sente fyrste.’ Whereby the Lorde hym selfe declareth thorowe Moyses, ‘that trouble and aduersyte shuld teache vs an alteracyon and amendement of oure lyues.’

In the. xx. of the Prouerb. ‘strokes and woundes do pourge and clense oute euyll and corrupcyon, and strypes puryfye the inwarde partes of man.’

Hebre. xij., ‘No maner of chastenyng for the presente tyme semeth to be ioyous, but heauye and greuous, but afterwarde it bryngeth a quyete frute of ryghtuous­nes vnto those that are exercysed therein.’

i. Petr. iiij. ‘He that suffereth in the flesh ceaseth from synne, that from henceforth’ (the tyme that is remnaunt in the fleshe) ‘he maye lyue, not after the lustes of men, but after the will of God.’

And thys shall examples make more manyfeste. ‘Vnder Iosue had the chyldrē of Israell manye battels, and were dryuē to fyght agayust theyr enemyes,’ and they [Page] dyd neuer fall nor swarue from y ^t Lord, vntyll afterwarde that they came vnto reste, and had all thynges plenty. Iosu. i. Iudg. ij. ‘Thys is an example of an whole multytude.’ Nowe take examples of specy all parsons.

‘The Prophete Ionas beyng in the whalles belly, remembred hys synnes, altered hym selfe, turned and was obedient vnto God.’ Ion. ij. c

‘The loste and desperate sonne did then fyrst, of all r [...]ne home agayne vnto hys father, when he sawe & felt hys myserye & pouertye,’ Luk. xv.

Marke the dayly experience. We y­magyne oft tymes thus with oure selues, Oh, yf I were ones whole & restored a­gayne, I wolde surely behaue & order my selfe well as I oughte to do, and wolde helpe and serue euerye man.

Oh, yf I were ryche, I wolde glad­ly distribute vnto the poore people fayth­fully. But assone as we come oute of the daunger in dede, we haue cleane forgottē altogether. As long as we haue no maner of nede, no man can hinder nor restrayne onre wickednes.

For an example ymagyne, ij. sondry hou [Page xxxviij] ses, whereof in the one is celebrate & kept a maryage, where there is myrthe, ioye, & good chere, And in the other is one sycke on his dead bed. In the bryde house wher there is daunsyng, is vsed all maner of lightnes & dissolutenes, grosse & fylthye wordes, baudy songes & ballets, shameles behauour & maners, & wantō & light appa rel, one leapeth & wynseth lyke an horsse, Another stāpeth lyke an asse, The thyrde drinketh him self dronkē, And the fourthe doth nothinge that honest is, so that a mā myght say the people were become verye brute beastes. But by him that lyeth on hys dead bedde, is all styll, not a worde Eccl. vij spoken, but honest & semelye. All thinges are done sadly, demurely and discretelye. And at that tyme not onelye the men, but also the wemen & children, & al that are in the house, are godly occupyed, they pray, they comforte, and breake out into suche wordes as these: ‘What is man? how tran sitory & vayne are al thinges that we haue here vpon earth? but in the lyfe to come, it shall be farre otherwyse.’

Agayne frō the mariage or brydehouse goeth many one home heauy and sad, vex ed in hys mynde, and dysdaynefull that he is not so happy and fortunate as other [Page] And sodenlye is rauyshed wyth the bew­tye of some wyfe or mayden, that he sawe at the daunsyng, which hath wounded & stryken hym to the harte. And when he co meth home, he loketh sowersye on hys wyte, is frowarde towarde his chyldren, and teasty agaynste all the housholde, so that no man can please hym.

But he that goeth home from the mour­nynge house, thynketh hym selfe wel bles Eccl. vij sed and happye that he hym self lyeth not in anye suche extreme necessite. If he hath had anye sycknes or vexacyon in tyme paste, nowe he is able to beare it the more easely and pacientlye when he compareth it to the greuous and intollerable payne of the man that lyeth in the pangys of de­ath. By reason whereof he is the more pa cyent gentyll and fryndely towarde hys wyte, chyldren and hys whole houshold: yea he taketh occasion thereby to reforme and amend hys lyfe.

The. xiij. Chapter.

TRouble and affliccyon do ingen­der the feare of God in thē, which [Page xxxix] suffer it, and in other lykewyse which [...]o heare and knowe of it, so that manye take example and instruccyon therebye and afterwarde attempte not anye thyng temerouslye and rasshely agaynst the wil and pleasure of God. For he is lawfullye to be feared and dred whiche can brynge math. [...]. and laye vpon vs all maner of plages, & also hath iuste cause and ryghte towarde vs so to do. Nowe we beynge feble and weake, are in no wyse able to resyste and wythstande the strong and myghty God, no we are not able to wythstand or put of the least yll daye of an agewe, Yea we cā not chose but suffer the leaste and mooste contemptuous and feble creatures to pla­ge and dysquyete vs, as lyse, flees, flyes, Exo. vij viij. ix. x and suche lyke vermyne, whiche dyd ma­ster and ouercome the myghtye puysante kynge of Egypte.

It is a uery true Prouerbe. ‘a Burnthāde breadeth the fyre, For in the same sense & meanynge spake Moses vnto the feare­full people: God is come to tempte and proue you, that the feare of hym maye be before youre eyes to consyder and remem ber that ye synne not’

As for an example, the more the forde [Page] byd exercyse and hunt about, Dauid, the more dilygently dyd he loke vpon y ^e lord, and feared hym. ij. of the kinges. xv. And ij reg. xv not only Dauid but other also, ‘when ther sawe & perceyued theyr myserye & wret­chednes,’ they toke occasyon thereby to feare God more then they did before. And specyally when they sawe afterward how God ponyshed Dauids manslaughter & ij. reg. xi xiij. xiiij xv. xvi xvij. xviij. &c. horedom, with sedycion, vprour, murther & with losse of muche people.

Holye scripture setteth before our eyes dyuers lyke terryble examples, that we shulde not esteme the feare of God for a lyght thynge, but shulde be afrayed of all maner of wickednes, synne, and abhomy nacyon.

When a trespasser is led oute to be headed, hanged, burnt or otherwyse to be ponyshed, other that see hym do learne to feare and to be warre of that thing which brought hym to hys laste ende. Euen so when God sendeth any plage eyther vpō some specyall parson or els vpon some whole commynaltye, all other oughte so to consyder the same, as thoughe they them selues were in the place of the afflic ted parson, as thoughe hys trouble and so [Page xl] rowe were theyr owne, that they maye the rather feare GOD, and take hede that they fall not into lyke vengeaunce of God.

And in very deed as well the good & faythful as the wicked & vnfaithful haue cause to feare. For the faythfull can consi Pro. xi d der therby, that these trāsitory plages are tokens & euident testimonyes of the eter­nall ponyshmentes that are to come, whi che are a thousand thousande tymes more i. Petr. iiij. c. greuous and neuer haue ende. Therfore both theyr owne and other mens affliccy­ons & sorowes do geue them occasyon y­nough to redresse and forsake that thynge whereby all men do brynge eternall pla­ges vpon theyr neckes.

The wicked and vnfaythfull, yf they Ieremi. xxv. d. &. xlix. b. [...]zechiel ix. d. Prouer. xi. d. i. Petr. iiij. c. be not vtterlye obstynate & peruers, but haue any vse of reason at al, do also begin to feare God, and to thincke thus wyth them selues, Yf God vysiteth, scourged, & assauteth wyth trouble & vexacyon, the good and faythful which are nothinge so wicked as we, howe shall it then go wyth vs, which haue deserued, x. yea. xx. tymes more greuous punyshment then they.

[Page] Ierem. the. xxv. ‘Marke and beholde I begyn to plage the cyty wherevnto my name is geuen, thinck ye then that ye shal escape free and vnponyshed? ye shall not go quyte and free.’

Luke. xxiiij. ‘Yf thys be done in the gre [...] n [...] woode what shall be done in the drye?’

i, Petr. iiij. ‘It is tyme that iudgemente begynne at the house of God, seynge the [...] [...]at. xi. [...]. x▪ [...]xi it begynneth fyrste wyth vs, what an end shall they haue whiche beleue not the go­spell of God?’

‘An innocent dogge that hath not of­fended is beaten before the lyon, that the lyon whan he knoweth that he hathe an­gr [...]d and dyspleased hys mayster shulde be put in the more feare. S. [...]regory wry teth thus, Yf God stryketh those so sore whume he fauoureth, how sharpelye and sore wyll he stryke them whiche he fauou reth not?’

The crucyfyed and afflicted Christi­ans, do loue God the more feruentlye, for Loue of God. as muche as in the myddest of the crosse they fele the swete conforte that commeth from their heau [...]ly father, of whose mer­cyfull wyll they can not doubte nor mys­trust.

[Page xli] A dogge that is of a good nature, yf hys mayster stryke him, yet he loueth his mayster, not withstandyng and [...]awnyth agayne vpō hym. A good chyld although it be beaten, yet it loueth the father or mo­ther neuerthelesse, and des [...]ereth to haue theyr fauour agayne. Euen in lyke maner are the true Christians mynded towarde theyr heauenly father, but suche chyldren as be wicked, and of an euyll dysposycy­ [...]n, when they be a lytle scourged, they ronne awaye from theyr father, and mur­mur agaynste hym.

¶ The. xiiij. Chapter.

PRyde is a dangerous thynge, whereof commeth no maner of good. Nowe felycyte and prospe [...]rte al at pleasure, ingendreth pryde, and contempte of other people: But the crosse and affliccyon ingendreth mekenes & lon lynes, that a man is not to proude in hys owne conceyte, but is contente that other be estemed as well as he, confessynge him selfe to haue nede of theyr helpe & coūcel. [Page] Lyke as men vse to clyppe and cut shorter the fethers of byrdes or other foules whē they begyn to flye to hygh or to farre frō them, Euen so doth God [...]ynishe oure ryches, possessyons, estimacion, honor, [...] toryt [...] and power that we shulde not passe oure boundes & glorye to muche of suche gyftes.

Lyke as the body when it is weryed and consumed with labor & trauell desye­reth ease, and rest that it maye lye styll, Euen so the soul beyng ladyn & oppressed wyth trouble and affliccyon, is broughte to a narowe [...]ssewe, & then it hasteth after reste and quyetnes and nothynge, [...]exeth it lesse then pryde.

Nabuchodouosor dyd glorye of hys power, victoryous actes, and costly buyl Dan. iij. dynges, and was wonderfully proude of them, but after hys fall and aduersite he learned to ascrybe all laude, honor, & glo­rye Dan. iii [...] vnto God.

Paule. ij. Chor. xij. confesseth ‘that a buffet was geuen hym of the messenger of Sathan, that he shulde not glorye oute of measure in theabundaunce of reuelaci [...]s.’

Experiens it selfe teacheth, that whē ryche, famous, notable, and proude men [Page xlij] are robbed and spoyled of theyr goodes, they are afterwarde more humble meke & gentyll. For than they perceyue the [...]ncer tentye and vnstablenes of temporall and transytorye thynges. And so learne the lō ger they liue, the lesse to trust them selues. Therfor trouble an affliccion is oft times as necessary vnto men, as meat & drin [...]ke.

The crosse, aduersyte, and affliccyon Meke­nes and lowly­nes. maketh a man soft, buxom, tame, pa [...]ient, sober, louynge, and frindly both towar­des hym selfe, & towardes all other also.

A pece of yron or of syluer stryken or beaten with an hammer, waxeth broader, thynner, smother, and soffter. Euen so the stony & harde hartes of men, thorow hea uynes and aduersyte are made more bux­om and p [...]yant, that a man maye wynd them (as a man myght saye) euen rounde aboute hys fynger.

A curst wylde colt hath a suaffel put in hys mouthe, that he byte not him that handleth him. Euen so the suaffell of the crosse and aduersite doth let & hynder [...]s, (beyng frowarde, furyous, and full of spyte, malyce & reuengeaunce) that we cō mit the lesse wickednesse, abhomynacyon [...] in oure lyues.

[Page] For an example the furyous ragin [...] kynge, manasses, was meke, styll & tame [...]iij. [...]e. xxi. a ij. Par. xxxiij. a Act. ix. a ynough after that he was onys bounde, taken prysoner, and led awaye captyue.

Paule before Damascus was stryken doune, as a ragynge and rauynge wolfe, but he rose vp agayne a meke lambe.

¶ The. xv. Chapter.

TO haue pytye and compassyon of people that are in myserye and Iohan. xiij. [...] Roma. xv. a Gal. v [...]. Ecclesi. vij. a Mathe. xi. [...] dystresse is a Christen and a neces saryeve [...]tu. But he that neuer felt no tēp­tacyon, aduersyte nor affliccyon hym self can haue but lytle pyty & cōpassyon of o­ther. One sycke man can tell the lacke & necessyte of another, one poore man lyke­wyse another, and also one that is in my­serye and affliccyon hym selfe knoweth the better the grefe of another, that is i [...] lyke case.

As for an example, why and for what cause can oure hye pryeste Christe, hau [...] suche pytye and compassyon vpon vs my serable wretches, that we dare be bolde t [...] [Page xliij] come vnto him chearfully withoute fear [...] & to loke for succour, helpe, & comforte at hys handes: Forsoth euen for this cause & by this meanes, as saith s. Paule, Hebr. ij. v. that he was also tempted & suffered moost bytter payne & grefe hym selfe.

And very experience doth teach euen the selfe same thing also, For whosoeuer hath ones lyen sycke in a spyttell house hym selfe, can hau [...] the more compassyon of other that are in lyke case afterwarde, and is euer after the more readye & prōpt to helpe those that be in suche case.

The noble and precyous vertu called Pacy­ence. pacyence, hath no place to put her heade in in the tyme of prosperyte. Whan a man hath bene a longe ceason helthfull & with oute any maner of sycknes, he cānot take sycknes by & by so pacientlye as he ought to do. And likewyse he that neuer felt any affliccyon or aduersyte, whensoeuer anye happen vnto hym, he is sore vexed with impacientnes. But aduersyte teacheth mē pacyence, and practyseth therein. Fyrste when a man seyth y ^t all goeth backward, & agaynst him, & that it will be no better, but rather worsse & worsse. What doth he but of this [...]ecessyte maketh a vertu, and [Page] so is content, and at a point, howsoeuer it goeth w ^t him. Secōdarely when a man is cōtinually vsed to trouble & afflicciō, this same vse & custome maketh it lyght & easy vnto hym, specyally consyderyng y ^t God wyll also helpe, ayde and comfort hym.

Paule sayth, Roman. v. ‘Trouble or affliccyon bryngeth pacience, & pacyence bryngeth experyence, &c.’

The desperate & lost sonne, Luke. xv. learned suche pacience in his miserye and affliccyon, that he sayde to hys father, ‘Take nor vse me not from henceforth as a sonne, but as an hyred seruaūt, I desyre no more but that I maye remayne in thy house.’ Euen so ought we also to suffer all thynges wyllingly and pacientlye, what soeuer they be, so that God wil not banish and put vs oute of hys house.

Vnto that noble Hethen man Socra tes dyd his curst & shre [...]de wyfe serue for this vse and purpose, that he learnyng pa ciens at home, might the better suffer, and the more pacientlye beare the people that he had to do with, abroade.

Trouble & aduersyte maketh men hard & The. xvi Chapt. strōg, & teacheth thē sobernes & tēperācy. ANnxe getteth him selfe harder hoofys [Page xliiij] vpon rough stubble & crabbed grounde, and is able to drawe and to labor better, then yf he were fedde in rancke pasture. Those children that are nursed, by frē [...]d mennes fyres are for the moost part more harde and stronge then they whiche are day [...]tyly brought vp in all excesse, & wan tonnes, and superfluyte in their owne fa­thers houses. Euen so the wyttes & myn­des of men thorowe pleasure and aboun­daunce waxe tender & weake & effeminate and wylde, but beyng restrayned thorow some payneful necessyte & affliccion, they waxe harder, stronger, and more manly & sober. For an examyle. ‘The deare holye Apostles the more persecucyon & afflicciō they had, the more bolde, stronge, & con­stant were they, as the actes of the Apo­stles do testifye thorowout.’

Paul. ij. Chor. xi [...]. sayeth: ‘I am content & thincke my selfe wel, in infirmities, in rebukes, in persecucyons, in anguyshes for Christes sake. For whan I am in such weakenes, then am I stronge.’

The phisycion when he perceyueth that hys pacyente will eate ouer muche, and Tempe­rancy & measure wyll waxe to fatte, he measyreth and re­strayneth him, and by breaking somwhat [Page] from hym he restoreth hym to hys health agayne and so saueth hym. Euen so when we do shamefliy misuse wyne, corn [...]bread and drynke and other gyftes & creatures of God, to mayntayne drōkennes, surffet tyng, excesse and ryot, then doth God pu nyshe vs wyth honger, dearth, penury & wyth other plages, that we shulde lerane there by to be temperate and to kepe me a sure and to vse hys benefytes thanckful­ly. Iesus syrach. xi, sayth, The houre of punyshment and of correccyō maketh vs to forgette all maner of pleasure and lust. As dauyd soune forgate hys lusty plea­sures ij. re. xiij xiiij. xv. xvi. xvij. xviij. &c. and wantonnes vtterly, when Ab­salon draue hym oute of hys kyngdome

¶ The. xvij. Chapter.

THe crosse and aduersyte taketh f [...] vs the loue of the worlde, and dry ueth awaye all maner of dange­rous and delycious lustes and pleasures. of thys transytory lyfe, we woulde fayne be ryche, but God gyueth vs pouertye. [Page xlv] we desyre health of body, but God gyuet vs sycknes, And so murteryth & murseth vs in mysery and with affliccyon that we can no more tell what a delycous and ten der plesant lyfe in thys worlde meaneth, and thus begin we to contemne and looth all trāsytory thynges & to desyre an other more better, precyous and an eternal lyfe, where all maner of mysery shall haue an end.

He that taketh a yourny in hand and goyth into a strange contry, whan he co­myth into a pleasaunte towne where he metyth mery company and good compa nyons, parauenture he spendyth awaye the tyme & taryeth to long amonge them and so forgettyth his houshold and thyn­ges at home. But if one hard mischaunce after another happen vnto hym, than he makyth the more haste home agayne to hys wyfe and chyldern, where he hath more rest and quyetnes. Euen so whan these transytorye thynges, as ryches, health, bewty, much prosperte, honor and dygnyte happen vnto vs, if we wyl ones gape vpon them and delyght so muche in them that we do the lesse regard & esteme the heauenly lyfe, than will God make [Page] the waye roughe and crabbyd vnto vs here in thys lyfe, that we should not take and esteme thys transytorye lyfe in thys world for oure ryghte naturall countrye towardes the, whyche we take oure yourneye.

For example. The chyldern of Is­rael had lytle luste to synge and to playe vpon anye pleasant instrumentes, whan they sate as prysoners by the ryuers in Babylon. Psal. cxxxvi.

And this may a man see and proue by those that are in any dangerous sycknes, or in any hard pryson, or in any anguishe and mysery, how fond they are, vpon ea­tyng, drynckyng, gallant apparell, dan­syng, toyeng, playnge and gamynge or v­pon any maner of worldly felicyte. I sup pose the crosse and theyr heuynes haue wyped away and lyckyd of, all such thin ges, as cleane as the hoote sunne lyckyth and meltyth away any snowe. Further­more they that be poore and in dystres and heuynes they are allwayes redyer to forsake this world & are more desyeros to depart hence to god, than those that haue riches, helth & felycyte at pleasure.

And therefore S. Austyn in hys boke de [Page xlvi] symbolo wrytyth thus. ‘Behold how god hath replenyshed and fyllyd the worlde wyth so manye affliccions, and wyth so muche troublesom aduersyte. It is byt­ter, and yet is it louyd: It is ruynose and redy to fall, and yet it is inhabyted. Oh thou my deare derlynge worlde: what should we doo, if thou weryst swete, sta­ble and permanente, seynge we doo thys nowe?’ O thou foule and vncleane worlde, if thou arte bytter and yet decey­uyst and begylyste vs, whom woldeste thou not deceyue and begyle if thou we­rest swete.

And the crosse doth not onelye dryue and set vs forward to all mauer of vertue Dyly­gence & feruency and puttyth vs in mynd of al Godlynes, but it quyckenyth and kyndelyth also a diligence and feruencye in vs, to procede and goo forward in all goodnes lustyly, stowtly, earnestly, manfully and not ly­therly or sayntly.

Lyke as a man sometyme must spurre hys horsse, although he be a good and a quycke horsse, that he may goo and ronne the faster and spedyer: Euen so we can not goo forwarde in oure vocacyon & callyug so spedyly, nor so well as we oughte [Page] to do, except we be [...] forwarde wyth sharpe spurres and scourges, when the mayster stryketh hys slouthfull dull and s [...]epy seruaūt, then he laboureth the more [...]ylygentlye, and is more profytable vnto hym. Euen so we all for the most part, of vs haue the nature of suche slouthful and sluggyshe seruauntes which will do no­thynge well excepte, we be dryuen by cō ­pul [...]yon and [...]uen whyped and beaten vnto it.

Althoughe those be euyll seruaunte [...] whiche wil do nothynge wel onlesse a mā be euer vpon theyr bon [...]s with a [...]udgel, and yet then will do nothynge well ney­ther, yet notwithstandynge must a m [...] neuer cease dryuinge and forsy [...]ge of thē vntyll suche tyme as they begyne to a­mende and to serue willinglye and with a good harte: Euen so although no compel led seruyce, that is vyolently wronge ou [...] of a man, doth please God, yet the conty­nual invringe and exercysing in goodne [...] maye make it at length so pleasaunt and delectable vnto vs, that we shall haue a delyght therein.

The. xviij. Chapter.

HEtherto haue we taughte of the spyrytuall profyte of aduersyte, whereby the soule of man is i [...]de wed and garnyshed with wisdom and all kyndes of vertu, nowe let vs see what trā sytorye commodities do o [...]e accompanye or folowe after, trouble and aduersyte.

Suche as dwell in valeys and in depe and lowe habytacions are not lyghtlye Su [...]. hurt by any lyghtning, Euē so that state of lyfe that is lowe and meane, kepeth & maynteyneth it selfe most sure and wyth leaste danger agaynst all maner of stor­ [...]es.

Lyke as precyous and costlye spe [...]y­es and odours do smell, and sauor beste, [...]. when they are brosed, brokē or set on fyre Euen so the prayse and commendacion of vertu thorowe cōtynuall vse and exercyse and thorowe aduersite is sprede wyde a­broade and made manyfest and knowen euery where.

For an example what an excellente and singular honor, renowne, prayse and cōmendacyon what it is vnto Abraham [...]t lengthe, that he wente oute of hys natu [Page] rall country into banyshmente, and there Ge. xx. a xxvi. xi [...]. Exod. v. Exo. xiii [...] sufferyd great trouble & much aduersyte, The childern of Israel were sore kept vn der & oppressyd in Egipte: But they were led out & set free again with such glory & renown as neuer was hard nor red y ^e like.

The banishment of W lisses for the space of. x. yeares, was an occasyon vnto him, to exercise and practyse his wysdome and other vertues, in the meane tyme, so that he obteynyd thereby an immortall name among all the heathen.

And to speake after the comon practyse and experyence, There is no exceadinge Ioye. yoye or tryumphe, but some sorowe or he­uynes goyth before it. The spryng tyme, folowyng and coming immediatelye vpō the rough & hard wynter is the more ac­ceptable, pleasant and welcome vnto vs.

In battel, the sorer our ennymyes doo assault and fyght agaynst vs, the greater is the ioy and tryumph at the victory and ouerthrow of them.

He that hath kept hys bed a long tyme and lyen syck a great ceason, afterwarde whan he is recoueryd helth is a more pre­cious treasure vnto him, tha [...] euer it was before that he felt what syckenes was: [Page xlviij] And also such as mour [...]yd and were sory for hys sycknes, doo receyue an infynyte ioy & an exceadyng reioysing at hys resto ryng vnto helth again. Euen so doth God depryue vs for a tyme, of ryches, welth, prosperyte, our naturall [...]outry, bodylye helth and such other transytorye benyfy­tes, For this purpose that whā he geuyth them again vnto vs, we may the more re­ioyse and be the gladder of them.

An example haue we of the lost shepe & of the lost & desperate sonne, for the which Mathe. xvi [...]. [...] Lu. xv. [...] there was suche ioye at the fyndynge of them agayne as neuer had b [...]ne, if they had not haue bene loste, where as before there was neuer thought nor sorow taken for them.

Now in case we neuer fynde nor haue restoryd vnto vs again here in this world that thing whyche we haue lost, yet oure conscyence is both quyet and also ioyfull in God. Whych quyetnes and ioye farre exceadyth all the pleasurys of the whole worlde.

In summa, to be shorte after trouble & aduersyte folowyth al maner of goodnes welfare and [...]ely cyte. and felycyte. First, for as much as God here in this world doth plentyfullye and [Page] [...]ychelye rewarde and recompense, godly ues, pacyence, and godlye constancye. Se condarelye, for as muche as thys is the nature and propertye of God, to throwe downe that he maye rayse vp agayne, & Deute. [...]xxij. f [...]. re. ij. v Psalm. cxij. a Sa. xvi. Co. xiij. to brynge vnto death [...] dore, that he maye restore vnto lyfe agayne.

Roosys whiche are the mooste plea­saunt floures, do sprynge and waxe oute of thornes. Euen so of harde and greate trauel springeth the most pleasaunt frute.

The litle bee gathereth the most swea teste honye oute of the mooste bytter blo­mes and floures Euen so men of wysdō and vnderstandynge receyue muche vty­lytye and frute of the present sorowe and affliccyon.

For example. Ioseph was hated of his brethren, and solde of them into a stran̄ige and foren countreye. Whiche banyshmēt of hys turned to his greate honor, welth, [...]eue. x [...]xvij. xxxix. xli. and profyte, for as muche as he was sord and gouernou [...]e ouer the whole kingdom of Egypte.

The more the greate tyran Pharao wente aboute to oppresse and rydde the chyldren of Israell oute of his lande, the more dyd they prosper and increase to an [Page xlix] infynyte nomber. Exod. i.

The deuyl lefft nothing vnto the god­ly man Iob, but depryuyd and spoyled hym of all that he had, but the Lorde re­storyd hym all agayn doble, euen in thys world.

He that markyth and consideryth wel, shall perceyue that some tyme a man be­yng of no reputacyon at home where he is knowen, is banyshed awaye and com­myth to other people, whych doo hyghly esteme him, and make muche of hym, yea and hyghly honor hym. So that oft ty­mes a mans aduersyte hath turnyd to his syngular commodyte and welth.

The. xix. Chapter.

THe trouble and aduersyte of the Godlye do gyue an exceadynge great testymony vnto them of im mortalyte, of a generall iudgemente, and also of an euerlastyng lyfe. For it is im­possyble that the beste creatures onelye shoulde be ordeynyd and creatyd to all [...]ow and trauell, and the moste wyckyd [Page] & vngodly to escape and remayne vnpo­nished. It were dyrectly agaynst the righ tuousnes of God. Now it is euident, that here vpon earth apperyth no difference ve twene Paul and Nero, hauyng respect to the reward of them both. Yea the moste godly and vertuous haue most comonlye worst luck and least reward, wherfore of necessyte there must nedes be another life to come, where euery one shall receyue ac cordynge to the demerytes of hys lyfe here vpon earth.

And agayn the crosse way is poynted to be the very ryght way vnto eternall lyfe. Lyke as the corne is fyrst, thresshed, fau­nyd and rydd from the chaff, & than layd Ps. xliiij Ro. viij. ij. cor. iiij vp & reseruyd in the barn or in the spyke, euen so Christen men vpon earth are bea­ten, mishandled, euyll intreatyd, whereby they are purgyd and ryd of many wylde and light mauers and so are brought into the euerlastynge barne or spyke of the kyngdom of heauen.

Lyke as no man can tryumph or be crowned, excepte he hath foughten and warryd manfullye, whyche can not be wythout great danger, labor and trauell, Euen so can no man atteyue to the crown [Page l] eternall lyfe, excepte he hath fyrste suffe­red much trouble, sorowe and aduersyte.

The man that is sycke, muste receyue the purgacyon and medycyne, how sowr or bytter soeuer it be, that he may recouer agayne and not dye: Euen so whan we suffer the hand of God to rule and order vs, beyng content and pacyent therwith, allthough it smartyth and greuyth vs, yet it shall profyte and helpe vs to euer­lastyng helth and sowndnes.

Testymonyes and wytnes of scryp­ture to proue this. Math. v. ‘Blessed are they that mourne, for they shall be com­fortyd.’

Math. vij. ‘Narowe is the gate, and strayte is the waye that leadyth to lyfe.’

Luke. vi. ‘Blessed are they that wepe here, for they shall laugh. But woo vnto you that be ryche &c. Act. xiiii. We muste enter into the kyngdome of god thorowe muche trouble and afflyccyon.’

Roma. viij. ‘If we be childern than are we heyres, namely, the heyres of god and felow heyres of Christe, so that we suffer wyth hym that we maye also be glorified together wyth him. By these words doth [Page] Paul euydently declare that he that will reygne wyth Christ, must also ron [...] tho­row the fyre wyth hym. i. Co. xi. Wha [...] we are iudged we are chastenyd of y ^e lord y ^t we shuld not be cōdemnyd w ^t y ^e world.’

The. xx. Chapter.

HEtherto haue we entreated of the corporall and spyrytuall, tempo­rall and eternal profyte and com modyte, whych Christen men receyue by the crosse, trouble and aduersyte. Which is not to be takēafter this sense as though the crosse or aduersyte of it selfe, & of her own natur could bring & work such hygh commodytyes: For than shulde Pharao and other wycked parsons in their trou­ble and aduersyte haue bene co [...]uertyd, and so sauyd also: but the spyryte of God restyth secretely and lyeth hydden in the faythfull vnder the shadow and back of the crosse and pourg [...]th, reformyth, com­forteth and strengh [...]yth them & [...]rkyth [Page li] all these forsayd commodyteys in them.

Now lyke as the holy scrypture attri­butyth a certen rewarde vnto oure good worckes, whych worckes not wythstan­dyng, it is not we that worcke them, but the Lord only, whych vsyth vs as an in­strument of hys, Philip. [...]. ij. Corin. iij. Euen so is the crosse an instrumente of God, wherby he subduyth our fleshe, ke­pyth vs in the schole of correccyon, and forcyth vs as it were, by vyolence from euyll to goodnes? Nowe wheresoeuer the holy ghost wyll take hys restynge place, for the muste parte he sendyth before hys puruyors & forronner whych are, sorowe and affliccyou, trouble & aduersyte, that they maye vere, comber, humble, meken, and vtterly ouerthrow and bryng downe the hart of man, whereby the holy ghoste may fynd the more place and so work all goodnes therein. And therefore whatso­euer is hether to spoken, specyally of the spirituall commodyteys of the crosse and aduersyte it is, & so remaynyth all true, so that it be vnderstād of the faythful & god­ly which are induyd wyth the spirite of God, to whom all thynges turne to their comfort and saluacyon.

[Page] And now on the contrary partfo [...] the better vnderstandyng of y ^e matter, I will declare & shewe, what the crosse worketh in the vnfaythfull and vngodly, whyche lack the spyryte of god. The vnfaythfull do ascribe their prosperyte and felicyte to The crosse of the vn­faythful their own wysdom workyng & pollycy & not to god. And their mysfortune and ad­uersite, they ascrybe to blynd fortune, As though fortune had a certē powr to work of her self without the workyng of god.

Take Sermachery [...] the lord & ruler of y ^e Assyrians for an example, whiche by the sufferance of god brought y ^e whole world in maner, in [...]. Whych thynge he ascrybed to his own power & polycye & not to god. For he dyd both hate & blas­pheme the very true god of Israell. But shortelye after dyd God sende an aungell which slew in one night an. C. iiij. score & fyue of his men. And here woulde he not confesse that it was god that dyd it. But parauenture he thought that it was [...] ne, mischance or some other thinge y ^t was the occasyon. For if he had knowledgy [...] this punishmente to haue comme & bene sent of god, he would not afterward haue worshipped & done his deuocyon in the [Page lij] ydolatres temple of the false god & ydoll Mesrach. i [...]. [...]e. xix. as he dyd. In lyke maner, whan any mysfortune hapnyth to the vngodly, they put all the f [...]t only in the next mydle, or meane y ^t they fantasy them selues, or els verye wyckedly they ascrybe it vnto all those that are not of their fayth and sect.

As for example, ‘Whan as it raynyd not for the space of. iij. yeares &. vi. mone­thes in the tyme of Achab the kyng of Is­raell. iij. reg. xviij. The king [...] the cause vnto the godly Prophete [...]elpas.’

Lykewyse in our tyme whan any tēpest hurteth the co [...]n, wyne & other fruytes of the earth, many there are that crye, This may we thancke this newe lernyng & this new fangle fayth &c. As though they thē selues were so holy that god durst not or ought not to punish them. It can be none but the poore shepe y ^t disturbyth the wa­fer that the wolff can not drynck, y ^e po [...]re [...]hepe comyth not nerer to the ryuer, but only to the very drynck, but at the verye brynck of the ryuer thereof, & there drin­keth. Yea euen they also whyche haue some tast of the gospel, can not wel beare aduersite pacientlye, nor confesse them [Page] selues gyltye, but woulde fayne shy [...]the faute from them selues, & would lay it ei­ther vpon the rulers or the preachers, or els vpō some other thyng. And although theyr synnes be an excedyng heape, & that God would fayne dry ue them to repen­taunce by ponyshyng & chastisyng of thē, yet can not they consyder the heuy burthē of their synne, nor spye the cleare daye of the ryghtuousnes of God, whych can suf fer no synne vnponyshed. And therefore for as muche as they will not take thys small & lyght ponyshment thanckfullye, but woulde goo free & haue no maner of plage at all, if they myght chose: for that cause doth God send vnto thē afterward plages & paynfull ponyshmentes by hea­pys, so that it happenyth vnto them as it dyd vnto the asse, whose s [...]yn beynge put ouer a dromm or a taber, as he wyshed & Lack of fayth is the mo­ther of all blas­phemy­es & ab­homina cyon. desyeryd was beatyn & strykē more than euer it was before, as Esope sayth in his fables. And for as much as thorow incre dulyte & lack of fayth (whiche is the mo­ther of all blasphemyes & abhominaciō,) they wyll not consyder nor call toremē ­berance, who it is y ^t hath layd hys hande vpon thē: Or els knowing y ^t it is y ^t hand [Page liij] of god, yet wil not take it in good worth, nor amende no otherwyse, but as sowr ale in somer, by this meanys they become lyke vnto desperate chyldren, which wyll neyther turne and amende with threate­nynge, nor yet with beatinge.

And therfore the scripture testyfieth very well, Prouerb. xvij. ‘that one sharpe worde of reproche doth more good to him that hath vnderstanding than an hūdreth strypes to a fole.’

As for exāple. ‘The longer & the sharper y ^t God ponished Pharao the more obstinatelye dyd he swarue & declyne frō him.’

The wicked and vngodly do not on lye take no maner of occasyon to reforme and amende theyr lyues by theyr crosse & sorowe, but also they spew oute all maner of impacientnes, bytternes, and spytefull poison agaynst the rightuousnes of god, sayinge: theyr crosse is greater then theyr transgressyon, and that they haue wronge & are ponyshed to sore, as for an example of this, we haue one of the theues hāging vpon the crosse with Christe, which blas­phemed Lu. xxi [...] Christe very spytefully sayinge: ‘yf thou beist Christe, helpe bothe thy selfe and vs.’ By the whiche wordes he decla­reth [Page] that he iudgeth him self, euen as wor thy of helpe, as Christ the sonne of God, euen as thoughe God must forget all hys ryghtuousnes & help by & by euerre blas­phemous wretche, and loke thorowe the fyngers vpon the wicked world. Which is one of the greatest blasphempes vnto God that can be.

When they haue tumbled & waltered in their miserie (For God wil not help them because they haue no trust nor confydence in him) And haue sought helpe hy creatu­res i. Reg. xxviij. both in heauen & earthe, and founde none, then beginneth their crosse & aduer­syte to open their eyes so wyde, that they must nedes spye and acknowlege y ^t wrath and hande of God ouer them. And then doth thys outwarde crosse & sorowe euen kyndle in them an inwarde tremblynge & doutfulnes, oute of the whiche spryngeth i. Reg. xx [...]i. ij. Reg. xvij. the hyghest desperacyon, in so muche that they crye oute to the deuyll to helpe them, yf God will not. For althoughe they be broughte to the knoweledge of their sinne & also to sorow & repentaunce for the same thorowe the crosse, as Layn & Iudas also ge. iiij. b Matth. xxvij. [...] were, yet haue they no trust nor confidēce that the same synne shalbe taken from thē [Page liiij] and forgeuen them, but raue & rage & geue them selues ouer to the deuyll, & so depart wretchedly out of this worlde: of whose destruccyon yet & confusion these commo diteys do insewe. First that they muste of force cease any longer to make any distur bance by the wicked example of the lyfe in the churche & regiment of God. Secon darely, that they whiche remayue alyue after them maye learne by their terryble example, to repent and amende by times. So that by thys that we haue hetherto de clared euerye Christen man maye knowe in hys trouble and aduersyte, whether he be a marter of God, or of the deuyll, And what greate profyte and singular commo dyte all those that are Gods martyrs do receyue by the meanes of their crosse, tro ble and marterdome.

The. xxi. Chapter.

UVhy shulde any man shewe and behaue him impaciently in suffe­rynge that thynge which he cā by no polycye, councell, nor laufull meane a­ [...]oyde, alter, turne, remedy oramēd? He y ^t [Page] is wyse, maketh of suche a necessyte as cā by no remedy be auoided, a very vertew. Now trouble & aduersite doth so happen vnto man, that he can not helpe nor auoid it, thoughe he wolde turne it vp se doune, or the inwarde syde outewarde. Man must nedes suffer trouble and aduersyte vpon earthe, there is no remedye. And a­gayn why shulde any man withoute mea sure becomber hym selfe about that thing which is comon vnto all men, or to the moost parte, and not to hym alone. By na turall reason, that burdē is lighter which many do beare together. Nowe is the life of man a very miserable and lamentable thynge. When another man prospereth, so that all thynges go wel with hym, yet Psalm. c. iij. b. lxxv [...]ij d xc. a Esa. xl a Ecclesi. xiiij. b. i. pet. i. d [...]ac. i. v. it fareth with hym euen as with a bloome or a floure in the felde, whiche florysheth for a whyle, and is pleasaunt and delecta ble to loke vpon, wyth in a lytle whyle af ter it dryeth vp, and fedeth awaye.

As long as we are vpon earth we are, as it were in a campe, or a sege, where we must euer be skyrmysshing and fyghting, and knowe neyther who shall breake out and geue the onset agaynst vs, nor where Iob. vij. nor howe, nor whan. Sometyme a man is [Page lv] attached and assaulted in hys body, in his goodes, in hys name and fame Somtime happen vnto hym comon myschancys as dearthe, pestylence, warre, whiche some tyme continue verye long, so that he may well saye, No mysfortune commeth alone but bringeth one or other companiō with hym. Yf not at that present, yet hereafter it maye. And there is no mysfortune so greate, but maye happen and lyght vpon anye of vs all. At leaste wayes we muste all loke for death, as it was sayde longe a go vnto oure fyrste parentes, Genes. iij.

To rehers examples it were but folpe and superfluous, for as muche as there is no man, but maye laufullye complayne of one thynge or other. And althoughe some thynges happen after oure myndes yet it is not withoute some sower sauce. Marke well. And specyally at thys present, how are al Christen realmes cōpassed with sorowes troubles, and myseryes on euerye syde? Loke but vpon oure owne countreye?

There is neyther good nor badde, godlye nor vngodlye, but hath one crosse or other. And although some thereby that can shyfte for a whyle, & can make prouy­syon for themselues for a tyme, by crafte [Page] and dissimulacion, or by some falshede in felowshyp, as they cal it, yet they brynge themselues at length into the highest daū ger, confusyon and shame bothe in thys worlde and in the worlde to come.

And seinge that all the troubles & ad­uersiteys Ro. viij c i [...]. Cor. iiij. b. i Iohan. iij. a Matth. xxv. d esa. xxx. f Dan. vij b. ij. Cor. v [...]. in this worlde are a thousande tymes lyghter and easyer, yea nothinge, in respect of the eternal vnquēchable fyre whiche is prepared and alreadye kindled for the vnfaythfull and wicked enemyes of God: all faythfull and godlye parsons oughte to beare and suffer theyr transito­ry affliccyons and aduersyties, the more pacyentlye, willingly, & thankefully, con syderynge and remembryng all the deare beloued fryndes of God, which were wō derfullye vexed and plaged of their enne myes. Abraham of the Chaldeys. Lot of the Sodomytes, Isaac of Ismaell, Iacob Gen. xij xx. Gen. xix Ge. xxxij xxxiij. Numer. xx. &c. of Esan, Moyses of hys people, Dauid of Saule, and of hys owne sonne. As for Iob had not one droppe of bloude in hys body vnconsumed.

Iohn Baptist the holyest that euer was naturallye borne of a woman, was withoute any maner of forme or order of i. Re. xv. Iob. ij. b lawe, ryght or reason beheaded in the pry [Page lvi] son, as though God had knowen nothing at all of hym.

We haue manye thousande felowe martyrs & companyons of oure myserye and aduersyte, in respecte of whose impri sonement, rackynge, chaynes, fyre, wylde beastes, and other meanes wherwith thei are tormented, all that we suffer, is but a wynde or a pastyme.

But specyallye this is to be consyde red aboue all other in our trouble & aduer syte, that we haue Iesus christ for a felow and companion with vs therein, whiche suffered vpon earth in hys body al maner Esa. liij. Matth. xxvij. Mar. xv Math. x Ioh. i. ro. viij. v i. Cor. i c v. a Galiiij a Eph. i. b of smarte and payne. Now is not the ser­uaunt aboue the mayster. What reason were it that the naturall sonne of God be ynge vtterlye innocente, shulde be so cru­elly intreated and myshandeled, And we which are his chyldren not by nature, but by adopcion and eleccyon, and in all poin tes gyltye, shulde escape quyte and free? Therfore now whosoeuer is ashamed of the crosse, & aggreued therewith, the same is ashamed, & aggreued to haue Christ for hys fellowe and companyon, and there­fore shall the Lorde Iesus Christe be [Page] ashamed of hym agayne at the latter day.

The. xxij. Chapter.

FYrst and formest no man oughte to meddle wyth other mens mat­ters, whiche appertayne nothyng vnto hym, nor to caste hym selfe into pe­rell and daunger wythout any nede. For that were as muche as to tempte God, & were cleane cōtrary to the examples both of oure sauyoure Christe, and also of the holye Apostles, whiche by the commaun dement of Christ, Math. x. dyd sometime flee and auoyd perels, and daungers. But a man can not alwayes honestlye and cō ­ueniently auoyde them.

Therfore for the second poynt, lyke as a waterman wyll neuer set oute his fayle so farre, but that he maye sone pull it in agayne: Euen so euerye man as longe as all thynges stande well and vpright with hym, let hym foresee and prepare in tyme [Page lvij] for the contrary. For the which cause the Math. xvi. c xvij. d xx. b. Marke. viij. d. ix d. x. d. Luc. ix. c xviij. d. Lorde dyd tell hys disciples of his crosse, death, and passyon before, that they seyng hym, suffer anguishe and sorowe, mighte the lesse quayle and shr [...]ke at it. In lyke maner did he also declare before vnto thē that they muste be persecuted, and suffer trouble that they myght loke for it, and ve the more hardye, bolde, and stronge in per secucyon, whensoeuer it shulde happen.

Thyrdly a great weyght & substaunce of the matter dependeth and hangeth vpō thys pointe, that a man conceyue a right iudgemente and opynion of all thynges that happē and chaunce. For euery thing appeareth so vnto vs, euen as we in oure thoughtes and mindes do fansy ymagine and conceyue it. Yf a man esteme world­ly goodes for a lyghte thynge (as they ought in very deede to be estemed) then cā he forbeare the same with the lesse grefe & payne. Contrariwyse yf he make a God of them, and esteme them hyghly, then he trembleth, quaketh, and taket [...] on vnmea surably when he is spoyled and depryued of them.

In lyke maner in other thynges, a mā [Page] of tymes fansyeth and ymagyneth in him selfe, that he can abyde and suffer no ma­ner of misfortune, when as yf it were wel considered, it shuld sone seme but a tryfle and no mysfortune, but rather a blessynge or a good turne. And thoughe it be not lyght and small in deede, yet let it be este­med and taken for lyght, for as muche as it cometh alone, and bryngeth not. ij. iij. or an hundreth companyons with hym. For it is a wōder & a syngular myracle of god that amonge suche infynyte and innume­rable perels, as the worlde and Sathan i. Pet. v. haue readye prepared, and euen bent ouer vs, that we are not vtterlye headelynges ouerwhelmed and sodenlye destroyed of them all. And yet God sendeth & myxeth all wayes some goodnes and comfort be­twene. As thou hast parauenture a syckly & dyseased bodye, but yet thy minde and harte is sounde and stronge. Or thou arte vexed and combered in thy mynde, yet haste thou an whole and a sounde body, Or parauenture thou arte robbed, spoy­led and depryued of thy temporall and worldlye goodes and other transitorye pleasures, yet thou haste manye and dy­uers [Page lviij] Christen vertues and syngular gyf­tes of grace, wherein is a thousande ty­mes more felicyte then in al helth, bewty, strength, ryches, frendshypp, wyfe, chyl­dren, honor, dignite, or power. For it is not wrytten in vayne in the, ciiij. Psalm. ‘O Lorde the earth is ful of thy goodnes.’ Here shulde an harte and mynde that is vexed and combered cease, and leaue of from the consyderacyon of the presente myserye and affliccyon, and call to remē ­braunce what other benefytes of God do yet remayne, or what other we haue had, or at leaste what are yet to come, and to happen to all faythfull Christians. And therfore there is an olde comon prouerbe good to be remembered. In aduersyte re­member prosperyte, and agayne in pro­speryte thyncke vpon aduersyte.

Agayne oft tymes many a losse & my­schaunce wereth lightly away again, and is sone remedyed another way. As yf so­me specyal frind of thyne be takē frō y ^u by death, y ^u maiest happen vpon another as good for him, or els some other benefytes may happen vnto the for y ^t losse wythin a [Page] And be it in case that thy miserye and mis­fortune continue a longe whyle, yet is all maner of trouble, that we suffer vpon earthe, transitorpe, euerpassynge awaye, and not durable nor perpetuall.

The lengthe and processe of tyme doth mytygate, ease, assuage, and lyghten all maner of smarte, payne and grefe, yf the mynd be a whyle vsed vnto it, & somwhat exercysed and waren harde in it. Yet such as be wyse, ought not to tary tyll smarte and greafe weare and fret away of it self, but to preuente the tyme by suche meanes as we haue hetherto taught, & here after shall folowe.

Fourthlye ordinarye meanes are not to be contemned, despysed nor refu­sed. Lyke as a shypmayster beynge vpon the water and foreseynge a tempest to be at hande, calleth vpon Gods ayde and helpe, and yet for all that he hath also a Ac xxvij sure eye to the ster [...]e to rule, that as han­somlye & connyngly as he can. Euen so in all maner of necessyties and perels it is laufull, and men ought also to vse all ma­ner of honest and conuenient meanes, As physyke & medycynes in sicknes, labor & Ge. iii. d [...]at. ix. [...] trauel w ^t the sweat of our brow [...]sin pouer [Page lix] tye, the power & auctoryte of the magistra te in wrong, iniury, debate, and dissensiō: ij. Reg. x i. Mach iij. iiij. v. vi. vi [...] viij. ix. &c. battell aray agaynst the enemyes of oure countrey, and suche lyke, so that no man buylde, nor truste in any maner of thynge sauynge in the very lyuynge God onelye whiche can helpe, delyuer and remedye al thynges withoute any myddell or meane yf there were none at hande.

Fysthlye when a man wayteth, ten­deth vpon, and serueth hys honest crafte, sciens, vocacyon, or offyce, wherevnto God hath called hym, and studyeth to ex­ecute, performe, and folowe it diligentlye as he ought to do, it dryueth awaye many [...]uyl & vayne fansyes frō a troubled mind that is combred with any grefe or afflicci on. Sixtly lyke as weake tender, and diffe ased eyes are refreshed and quickened w ^t grene and freshe pleasant colours. Euen so cōvered & troubled mindes are wonder fully, refreshed, reuyued, and restored to strength thorowe semely honest and mea­surable myrth and pastyme: As thorowe hearynge of instrumentes of musyke, By walkynge abroade, by alterynge & chaun­chynge of the [...]yer, and by goyng oute of such places as be obscure and darke, into [Page] suche as be very lightsow. And specyally for a mā in hys troble to visite his special frindes: or to be visited of them, bringeth a doble cōfort & ease [...]t vnto hys sorowful & vnquyet mynd. Fyrst in declarynge thy grefe & dysease vnto thy frynd & opening thy whole hart, & pouring out thy whole mynd before him, thou fyndest a singular easement in thy mynd therby. And again a true & a faythful frynd, thorow hys py­tye and bemonynge of the, helpeth the, as it were, to beare thy burdē, and although he can take awaye no parte of the substaū ce of thy sorowe, yet his good harte & wyl and fryndly wordes are a greate comfort vnto the.

The xxiij. Chapter.

NOw wyll I open & declare, that God both can, may & wyll helpe & succour sufficiêtly for Christes sake, in respect of whom he promyseth vs al maner of helpe ayde & comfort, & per­formeth it. And I will also shew by what meanes, & in what measure he worketh the same. God seyth & loketh vpon vs, howe we styke and wrastle in perell and daunger, & he knoweth best of all howe & [Page lx] when to remedye helpe & delyuer vs, that hys glorye and our welthe may be moste furthered. And he is not one that [...]nelye knoweth al thinges, but he is also almigh ty, and can worck & bringe to passe al thin ges. And yf oure afflicciō, and aduersyte waxe and increase frō daye to daye, the lō ger the worsse, yet is God alwaies a thou sande tymes myghtyer & stronger then it.

But so myghty can not God be, but he is as gracious and mercyfull also, and hath a greater luste and desyre to shewe & declare hys trewe harte and loue toward vs, then we can wyshe or desyre. And al­though he semeth in our syght to take vt­terlye awaye all maner of lyghte of hys grace out of our eyes, yet he remayneth gracyous & fauourable toward vs pryuy ly, & as it were in secret, & certenly he wyl not forsake vs, gene vs ouer, nor suffer vs to styke & continue in suche heauynes and daunger. And it is not oure good workes, merytes & desertes that moue hym there­vnto, but the infinite & endlesse meryte & desert of Iesus christ, which hath purcha sed vnto vs thorowe his bitter death and passyō, remyssyō of our synnes, the hea [...] ly gyftes of the holy goost & mitigaciō or [Page] easement of al our [...]roubles & aduersities. And it is not possyble that anye man that Ro. viij. Psalm. xxxiii [...]. xxxvij. & cx [...]v. [...] Proue [...]. xxiiij. c taketh holde of Christ, & hath him can be oppressed or ouerthrowen either of synne, the deuyll, the worlde, or of all the creatu res in heauen and earth, but shal continue and remayne for euer vnder the wynge & defence of God.

Furthermore, almyghty God beynge pacifyed & reconcyled with mankind, The promes of God to ayd and help vs. thorowe Iesus Christ, hath promysed b [...]the vnto the children of Israel, & to al that be in any dystresse & vexacyon thorowe hys mynysters euermore from time to tyme, ‘helpe, succoure, and comforte.’

Psal. xxxiiij. ‘The Lord is nye vnto them y ^t are of a contrite & broken hart, and wyl Psalm cxlvij. a. helpe thē that haue sorowful and humble mindes. Ps. xci. He despreth me, & hath set hys loue vpon me, therfore wyl I deliuer him. I am by him & with him in his trouble, I wyllbring him out, & set hym in ho nor &c. Oh howe comfortable a thyng, & what an hyghe honor is it to haue such a mightye and so faythfull a felow [...] com­panyon whiche wyll so louinglye stande by vs, and ayde vs.’

Now as for the tyme, God wil help in [Page lxi] dewe and co [...]uenyeut ceason, & we muste suffer hym to take hys tyme and leyser. Whan god will helpe. For lyke as God seyth the trouble and affliccion of hys church, how it is ve [...]ed, euen so hath he appoynted a iu [...]e tyme how longe he wyll suffer the wycked to take their pleasure, a [...]d howe farre they shall goo and attempte.

And whan that is erpyryd, no longer nor further can they goo. As the captyu [...] ­te of Babylon was appoynted to conty­nue. ij. Para. xxxvi. d. Ierem. xxv. [...] lxx. yeares. Ierem. xxix. and than to cease. Yea wh [...] the sorowe and heuines is [...] the hyghest, & euery one of vs thyn­kyth that God hath vtterly forsaken vs, tha [...] is God most redy to helpe vs & hys ayd [...] is most nygh vnto vs.

Y [...]a and to speake certenly as y ^e trueth is, God comfortyth vs contynuallye in Ps. [...]. Math. [...]. c. Ioh. xiiij the myddys of all oure trouble and heuy­nes and is neuer from vs. For the fayth­full man hath in hys harte, the spyryte of God, the fountayn and spryng of the hea neuly water, of the whych he is euermore moysteryd, reuyuyd and refreshyd to hys syngular comfort. Ioh iiij. Howe God hel pyth.

And the more that oure sorow and ad­uersyte augmentyth and increasyth the [Page] greater ayde and assystence shall we fynd and perceyue. i. Cor. x. ‘God wyll not suf­fer you to be tēpted aboue your strength, but together wyth youre temptacyon, he wyll make a way out that ye shall be able to beare it.’ By these wordes doeth Paul teache very comfortably that God wyll not tempt, tast nor assaye vs harder nor sorer than we maye awaye wyth, and be able to beare.

ii Cor. i. ‘As the affliccyons of Christe are plentyfull and aboundant in vs, euen so is the cōsolacyon thorow Christ also plen tyfull and aboundant.’

For example. The holy Apostles were so strēgthnyd that they reioysed that they Acto. iiij v. etc. might suffer any thyng for Christes sake. And at this present day, god sendeth more comfort than all deuyls and al the world are able to send heuines, sorow & discōfort.

Lyke as a captain in warre, geuyth his God helpeth and comfor­tyth tho­row hys worde & spyryte. sowdgers that are vnder him a great co­rage by speakyng manfully & comforta­bly vnto them: Euen so God wyll haue hys comfortable word dayly to be publyshed & proclamed abrode to the intente to incorage his sowdgers that fyghte vnder hys baner. And yet he is not so satisfyed [Page lxij] that we should be incoragyd wyth bare & symple wordes, but he him self is present Matth. xxviij by vs wyth his spirite. which spiryt as a sure warant & an ernest peny, certifyeth & assueryth our hartes, of the grace, fauor & Ro. viij. ayde of god. And thus he comfortyth & reioysyth oure hartes vnfaynedly, & geueth vs wysdom, boldnes and strength to skimmysh and fpght against al maner of enuy myes, as well ghostly as bodyly.

Although in wynter the trees seme and appeare not onelye vnfruytefull, but also vtterly dead, yet the sonne wyth her com­ming, whan the winter hath takē her lea­ue, doth so mollifye resolue & warme both Mathe. xxiiij. the earth it selfe, & the trees that they bud out agayn, waxe grene and brynge furth fruite: Euen so whan the faithful are estemed & seme as though they were depriuyd & destitute of al help & vtterly forsakē, yet doth y ^e heuenly spirit of god hyghtē, warm & strengthen their hartes to all goodnes.

Lyke as the yonge infant is not able to goo of him self for very tendernes & lack of strength, but must be susteined, holden vp, & led with the hand of the norse, And like as a syck woman wekened [...] much & long sycknes is not able to go one stepp, [Page] but some whole and strong wemen must take her vnder the arme, guyde and leade her that she may goo wyth them: Euen so are we not able to go of our selues. There is some kynd of sorow and marterdome, that we tremble & quake for feare, whan we doo but heare of it, muche lesse were we able to suffer and to beare it, but God wyth hys myghty hand & presente power strengthnyth, susteynyth & preseruyth vs. Ro. viij. ‘The spyryte succouryth and hel­pyth our weakenes and infirmityes.’ And if the deuyll thorowe hys spyryte doeth dryue and moue the people, that they are ready and wyllynge to all wyckednes & abhomynacyon though it cost them their lyues, why should not God thorowe hys spyryte make vs as lusty and wyllyng to all goodnes, whatsoeuer sorowe or afflic­cyon we suffer.

Sometyme God mytygatyth and ea­syth the ponyshmentes, that men may the more easyly ouercome them.

The captayne gyueth sometyme hys sowdgers lyberty to take their reast, ease and pastyme, that they may somewhat re­fresh them selues, and afterwarde fyghte the more manly and freshly: Euen so our [Page lxiij] spyrytuall captayne grantyth oft tymes vnto hys Christians a certen recreacyon, case and rest whereby they maye refreshe and reuyue them selues, that they maye afterwarde handle them selues the more valiantly in their spirituall affayres. And sometyme he dischargyth vs vtterly of al mauer of trouble and vnquyetnes, and re storyth all oure lossys and hynderances agayn, and deliueryth vs to our singular preemiuence prayse and commendacyon and kepyth and sauyth vs from all ma­ner of mysery and vnquyetnes in tyme to come.

And to performe thys thing God vsyth not only his spirite, but also other mea­nes, Psalm. ciiij. Heb. i. b as the angels, the starres, the elemen tes, beastes, men and all maner of crea­tures.

Lyke as a man of warre hath a luste and a corage to fyght hauyng dyuers va­lyant seruantes about him, whyche wyll suffer hym to take no wrong, Euen so the ps xxxiiij iiij. Reg. vi. xix. Iosue. [...] holye angels do compasse vs aboute and defende vs that in all maner of affliccion & aduersite we are bold and able to stand and continue valiantly.

In the, iiij. of the kinges. vi. Helyseus [Page] sayd to hys boye, be not afrayd. For they that are wyth vs are moo than they that are wyth them. &c.

The red sea and the flood of Iordan Ex. xiiij. Iosu. iij. wythdrewe them selues that the childern of Israell myghte goo ouer drye, and ne­uer wett their fete.

The sonne & moone stode styll for Iosu Iosu. x es pleasure and neuer mouyd vntyll such tyme as he had slaine the fyue kynges.

Helias was wonderfullye fedd of the iij. Reg. xvij. Hest vi. vij. viij. [...]c. rauens.

Thorow the hand of a woman the Is­raelytes were delyuered from a terrible & cruel host of their eumyes. Iudyth. x.

And comonly god comforteth and de­lyuereth man thorow other men.

And specyallye thys is a comfortable thyng, that all faythfull and holye Chri­styans vpon earth haue felowshypp and partycypacyon together in all maner of thynges, both good and bad, as well one as other. And therfore whansoeuer I suf­fer any smart, payne or sorow, both christ and all true Christyans suffer wyth me. For in the. xxv. of Mathewe. The Lorde sayth not, they were hongry, and thyrsty, Esa. lviij eze. xviij. &c. But he sayeth I was hongrye and I [Page lxiiij] was thyrstye, &c. And furthermore the whole congregacyon of Christ doth help me to beare my burden, For they that are the members of one bodye take care and Gal. vi. sorow one for another. If the sole of the fote be hurt, doeth it not greue the whole body?

Now Saint Paul callyth all Christen men one body. i. Corinth. vi. and also one breade and one cupp. And therfore all o­ther faythfull Christians haue compassy­on and are heauy and sorowfull for me, And whatsoeuer is light vnto them is al­so lyght vnto me.

Take a manyfest example by the god­ly prophet Ieremy, Which complaynyd so sore, and was in suche distresse whan for no nother cause. But that the Iewes hys country men were so euyll handelyd and vexed.

The. xxiiij. Chapter.

TO thys ende and purpose oughte we to cōsyder & to call vnto mind the exāples both of the old & new testament. If God had euer forsaken hys [Page] faythfull elect in their trouble and nede, than mighte we haue a iuste and lawfull excuse to mistrust him. But for as muche as none that euer sought vpon God was forsaken of him soughte not that to com­fort Psalm. xxxvij. d and strengthen vs, that he will also mercpfully stande by vs in all oure nede and necessyte?

Gene. vij. The Godly man Noe with hys sonnes and sonnes wyues were pre­serued of God thorow an Arke or a shyp where as the whole worlde besyde were destroyed wyth the synne flood. Nowe if we with Noe beleue in the blessed sede, so shall we also wyth hym be reputed for vertuous and good before God and be preserued as he was.

Loth was also deliuered from the plage and punishmente of the Sodomites Ge­nes. xix.

Iacob was fayne to flee from his bro ge. xxxij xxxi. ther I sau and to suffer great wrong and iniury of hyps fatker in lawe Laban, and yet he was neuerthelesse blessyd and pre­seruyd of God.

Ioseph beyng sold of hys brethren: be­cause Genes. xxxvij. he would not commytte fylthynes and abhominacyon wyth hys maysters [Page lxv] wyfe, was caste into pryson, but God de­lyuered ge. xxxi [...] hym and exalted hym to hyghe honor.

Kyng Pharao threatenyd Moyses ve ry sore, and the chyldern of Israell also Ex. xiiij. xvi. xvij. them selues woulde haue stonyd hym to death, but god preseruyd hym vnder hys proteccyon.

Unto the chyldern of Israell God gaue water out of an harde rocke of stone, and Nu. xx. Exo. xvi xvi [...]. Num. xx breade from heauen and quaylys & other necessary thynges for the comfort of their necessyte, wonderfully in the wyldernes.

How graciously dyd god preserue kyng Dauid & Ezechias in their trouble and i. Re. xix xxiiij. xxvi xxviij. ij. Para. xxxij. d Dan. vi. i. Mac. ij Act. xxiij Rom. xv necessyte: And also che prophetes Ezechi­el and Danyel among the heathen.

And lykewyse Iudas Machabeus wyth other at that tyme. Forty men had made a solemne vowe neyther to eate nor drynck till they had kylled Paul, but god dyd not suffer it to come to passe. These and other lyke examples are wrytten for thys purpose, that we shoulde geue lyke iudgement, and haue lyke opynyon of o­ther lyke examples whyche are not ex­pressyd.

Besyde thys, it is also euydente & hath [Page] bene markyd, that somtyme such as haue bene the moost tymerous weake & feare­full, afterward being strēgthuyd in faith thorow the myghte & power of god, haue sufferyd marterdom, banishment & death most wyllyngly & ioyfully, and also haue [...]omforted boldly suche as haue sufferyd wyth them, euen agayust the nature & di­sposycyon of the flesh of man. Yea there is neuer one of vs all, but haue oft felt & prouyd the help, proteccyon and apte of god. For who can make his boast that he hym selfe dyd help any thing at all to the matter whan he was formyd in hys mo­thers womb? Of the whiche matter Da­uid speaketh Psal cxix. Who hath kepte vs hetherto whyle we haue bene a slepe? Who hath sorowyd and taken care for vs, whan we haue labored or taken oure Psalm. cxxvij. pastyme, or els done some other thinge & neuer toke thought the least moment for our selues. It may well happen that god may sometyme suffer vs to swym, but he wyl neuer suffer vs to synck or to drown.

To be shorte if there were not so manye examples before our eyes, if we wold, but loke a litle backward & consider, how we haue passed & auoyded the tyme y ^t is past, [Page lxvi] which surely hath ben alweys ful of great perels & dangers, whether we will or wil not me shall be cōpelled to cōfesse & grant y ^t the merciful goodnes of god hath borne vs in his bosom, & hath preserued vs frō diuers dangeros perels ouer & aboue al y ^t euer we could thynk, ymagyne or dyuyse. Now if god hath thus holpen & deliuered vs many & dyuers wayes without any la bor or study of our selues, yea w ^t oute any mauer of care or sorow of our parts, whā as we neither knewe nor thought that he was present with vs, we muste nedes be very obstinate, dull & mad, If we do not frō hence forth in anye maner of troble or Ps. iv. [...] Mat. vi Lu. xij. [...] i. Pet. [...] necessyte cast our sorow vpon him & suf­fer him to care for vs, but wy begynne to dowt & feare least he hath allredy forsakē vs or wyll frō henceforth geue vs ouer.

Item if God of hys naturall loue bene­fycyalnes and free lyberalite geuyth here in this transytory lyfe, health, strength, ry ches, welth, frendshyp, power, auctoryte & honor & such like, euē vnto the wicked & vngodly: Why shuld not we determine & cōclude vpon the same y ^t he wil deale & di stribute a. M. times hygher & greater be­ [...]yfites vnto y ^e godly & right faithful chri­stians, [Page] although they neyther see nor re­ceiue those gyftes at that present instant?

Besydes thys the Lorde also comfor­tyth [...]u. xii. c vs Math. vi. If God take care for the foules of the ayer and the floures of the feld, and prouydeth norishmente and clothinge for them, truelye he wyll deale as faythfully wyth vs men, whyche ex­cell Math. x many wayes the fowles of the ayer and grasse of the felde.

The. xxv. Chapter.

HEtherto hath it bene declaryd, y ^t the very ryght and true help suc­cor and comforte restyth in God thorow Christ and for his sake: now shall it consequently be taught, howe we shuld order and behaue our selues agayn wyth fayth, hope, prayer, repentance, amende­mente of lyfe, and pacyence, that God ma [...] party [...]ypate dystrybute and extend hys grace and myghty mercyfull hande toward vs.

Fyrst of all although we must vtterly [Page lxvij] despayre of all maner of help and succor of man, and can in no wyse diuyse or yma gyne what way or after what sorte God wyll or may help & ayde vs, yet not with­standing we must vtterly resyste and ba­nysh all maner of heuy, sorowful and de­sperate fansyes and ymagynacyons of the mynde, and geue no place vnto them, but conceyue stedfastlye thys sure truste and confydence in god, that he both kno­wyth and wyll take and hytt the ryghte tyme measure and meanes to help vs and wyll valyantly & gloriously delyuer vs. Let vs commyt altogether yoyfully and boldly wythout feare vnto god, & let hys mercy & gracyous goodnes more reioyse & comfort vs than all the mysery & sorow vnder heauen, vpon earth, or in hell maye feare vs. Yea we nede to care & sorow for nothing so muche as for this y ^t we be not to carefull & sorowfull for oure selues as though god had geuen ouer all his care & sorow for vs. For lyke as the gouerner fa ther, or good man of the house takyth al y ^e care & sorowe vpon him self how he shall fynd feede & susteyne his famyly, and the houshold seruantes ough [...]e to loue theyr maisters, to haue a good trust & opinyon [Page] of them. And also to labor and [...]o do such seruyce as they are appoynted vnto, faith fully: Euen so all maner of care & sorowe for vs belongyth vnto god, And our par­tes and duty is no more, but to trust and beleue in hym, and to serue in that voca­cyon & condycyon of lyfe wherevnto we are called & appointed of god, faithfully.

Now if god be most victorios & inuyn­ [...]ible, and his deare beloued sonne also an euerlasting strength that can neuer fayl [...] against the deuyll and the world: & again both Christ & god him self, thorow faith, are ours and dwel in vs, Ephe. ii [...]. Tha [...] is there no cause why the faythfull Chri­sten man shuld feare neyther hys owne feble fle [...]h and body nor hys weake & im­potent age, nor yet the whole powr of the deuyll though he be armed and weapo­neth [...]. Pet. v wyth a thousand thousand craftes and suttel [...]yes. For if so be that in god be all maner of ioy blessednes and felycyte, And we thorow fayth do proue and fynd hym a gracious and mercyfull god vnto vs, than may we lawfully reioyse in god euen in the myddest of the hyghest sorow and aduersyte that can be:

To wy [...]esse▪ Psalm. xxv. There shall [Page lxviij] none be confounded and put to shame, that hopeth in the.

Psal. [...]. ‘Cast thy care and sorow vpon the Lord, and he shall defend and susteine the, what can be thought or ymagyned more swete or comfortable?’

For example. Math. xv. ‘The heathnish woman of Ca [...]any all hope and comfort in the remedy & concell of man sett apart, des [...]ryth help and succor of Christe,’ And although the lord geueth her at the fyrste rough and sharpe answers yet she is no­thing abashed nor will not so be answe­red: Euen so hold thou on lykewyse wyth the heathnysh woman, sayinge and cry­eng Mat. x [...] styll, O thou sonne of dauyd, haue mercy vpon me: And so shalt thou heare at length thys comfortable Gospell and absolucyon, Thy fayth is great, be it vn­to the as thou desyeryst.

S. Barnard she wyth very comfortably what a fayth he had, in these goodly wor­des. O lord it is much better for me to suf fer trouble, so that thou onely mayest be by me▪ than to rule and lyue pleasantly & costly wythout the. It is better and more pleasant vnto me to be in an hote bur­ning and flaming ouen wyth the, than to [Page] be euen in heauen wythout the.

‘And who dyd euer trust in the Lorde, whom he euer forsoke.’

‘Besydes all this, almightye god com­mandeth Hope. that we should hope, truste and loke fo [...] help at hys hande. Whych hope bryngeth wyth her a mytygacyon & ease­ment of the smart & sorow. Psal. xxvi. I hope in the lord, therfore shal I not fall.’

Psal. xxviij. ‘Hope thou only in God, so shalt thou be holpen.’

Roma. v. ‘Hope is neuer confoundyd nor put to shame.’

The, xxvi. Chapter.

THe holye scrypture teacheth vs, in all maner of necessytyes as wel bodylye as ghostlye, to call vpon god and to flee vnto hym. And here doth it profyte very much if one be myndefull of another [...] hys prayer.

But what shuld a man pray for? Fyrste and most specyally for remissyon of hys sinnes. For whan we haue ones obteined of god pardō of our sinnes, than certenly shal the sycknes, aduersyte or ponyshmēt eyther clearelye cease, or els thorowe the [Page lxix] gracyous wyll and goodnes of God it shall redounde to the furtheraunce of our saluacyon.

Secondarelye, we muste also praye ey­ther that God will helpe and delyuer vs n [...]t after the deuyse and fansy of our own braynes, but after such wyse as shal seme vnto hys godlye wysdome, or els that he wyl mytigate and ease oure payne and po nyshment, that oure weakenes maye not vtterlye faynt and sinck doune to the bot­tem.

Lyke as a sycke parson althoughe he doute nothynge of the faythfulnes, hone­stye, and tendernes of hys Phisycyon or surgen towardes hym, yet for all that, he desyereth hym to handle his wounde, and to dresse hym as easely and tenderly as is possyble for hym. Euen so in lyke maner maye we call vpon God, that yf it be not agaynst hys honor & glory, he wyl vouch saue to geue some mytygacyon and ease­ment of the payne. And specyallye let vs desyre of hym, to grant vs strengthe that we faynt not nor be ouercomme w [...]th the feare or greatnes of oure sorowe & gre [...]e, whereby we myght forsake hym, and fall to some wickednes, but that we maye ra­ther, [Page] after the example of the holye ma [...] ­ters, Ro. viij, suffer death, & moste intollerable tor­mentes, then eyther to forsake and denye [...]ure faythe, or el [...] to [...] anye maner of thynge agaynst the wyll of God. And it is very expedyent for vs to pray with the loste & desperate sonne, Luk. x [...]. ‘I am no moreworthy from henceforth to be called thy sonne, make me as one of thy hyered seruauntes. I wyll gladlye with all my harte haue sorowe and trouble vpō earth, euen as an laborynge seruaunte that goth for hys hyre, so that thou wylte but suffer me to dwell and remayne in thy house for euer.’ But nowe how shulde we [...]ray? Z. Iame [...] in his fyrst chap. teacheth vs, that [...]. xxi c. [...]. xi c we shulde praye in faith without waue­ryng & nothinge doute, but y ^t God doeth mercifully heare vs. We must cōtinually loke vpon the promes of god, & haue that alwayes befor [...] our eye [...], that we do not only [...]ke helpe & remedye at hys handes, but also hope & loke surely for it, commit­tynge both body & soule with a good wil, vnto him. Psa. l. ‘call vpon me in thy [...]ede & I will helpe and delyuer the, & so shalte thou prayse me. Psal. xci. Let him call vpon the, sh wyll I hea [...] hym, I am by [Page lxx] hym in his trouble, I wyll delyuer hym oute, and brynge hym to honor.’

Iohn. xvi. ‘Veryly veryly I saye vnto Ioh. xiii [...] b. xv. [...] you, whatsoeuer you shall praye for, vnto the father in my name (that is to saye in y ^e trust & confidence vpon my merytes) he shal geue it vnto you. For example. Whē Moyses helde vp hys handes vnto God & prayed, hys enemyes the Amalechytes were ouercome. Exod. x [...]ij. The. ij. blynd men which dyd crye after the Lorde, Oh sonne, of Dauid haue mercye vpon vs, were hearde. Math. ix. Of such lyke exā ­ples are the Gospels full.’

Item in trouble & aduersyte we oughte to prayse God, & to geue him thanckes y ^t Prayse or th [...] kes ge­uyng to God. he hath not forgotten vs, but thorow hys fatherly vysitacyon calleth & draweth vs vnto him, & graciously helpeth vs to bear all maner of burdens. Euen so dyd Paul in hys aduersyte prayse God, ij. Chor. i. ‘praysed be God the father of oure Forde Iesus Christ, the father of mercye & God of all consolacyon whiche comforteth vs in all oure troubles and affliceyons.’

The. xxvij. Chapter.

NOwe there must go wyth al this repentaunce, heauynes, & sorowe for the synnes whiche we haue cōmitted in time past, amendemēt of life, the loue of God, y ^t fear of God, al vertu & god [...]yues. Manasses was sory & penitent iiii. Reg xxi. ij. Para. xxxiij. for hys wicked lyfe & cruell tyrannye, & therfore dyd God delyuer hym out of the bandes and captyuyte of the kinge of Ba bylon, and restored hym agayne to hys kyngedome in Israel. By Ionas was it preached and proclaymed vnto the greate cytye of Nyniue, that God shuld destroy Ion. iij. and ouerthrowe it within. r [...]. dayes. The Niniuites beleued this proclamacion and preachynge, and began to repente and a­mende theyr lyues wyth a greate and a syngular humblenes and submyssyon, And so God of his mercye spared them. Nu. xi. e Esa. l. a lix. a Nowe is Gods mercifull harte nothyng diminished, yf we do as the Nynyuytes dyd, he both can and wyll pardon & spare vs as he dyd them.

The. xxviij. Chapter.

AMonge all other vertues, in aduer­syte, pacyence is mooste necessarye. Not suche a pacyence as to suffer all thinges to passe, whether they be good or bad, ryght or wrong, settinge all on sixe and seuen, but when we are in troble and aduersyte, and can auoyde it by no lauful meane, where as after the desyre and lust of oure fleshe, we wolde mur [...]ur, forsake and geue ouer both God and al maner of ryghtuousnes, then to resiste and stryue agaynst oure ryghtuousnes and affeccy­ons and sorowful thoughtes, and as a mā wolde saye, to speare vp, and to captyuate and subdewe oure naturall eyes, wytte, & reason vnder & vnto the obedience of god yeldinge and submitting our selues vnto him, sufferinge whatsoeuer it be, wyth a good and redye wyll, euen though it were most bytter and cruell deathe rather then we wold sware ufrom the word of God: Luke. ix yea and moreouer to prayse God, and to geue him thāckes, that he wyl vouchsaue so fatherlye to vysyte vs, and that he hath not forgotten vs: Thys is called a ryghte [Page] Christen paciēce. For it is Gods precept and cōmaundement, that we shulde not murmur or grudge agaynst him, when he chasteneth vs, but that we shulde submit oure selues most humbly vnto hys holye wyl, and after a certen maner to wyshe, y ^t is to saye, willingly to suffer & beare such ponyshment & correccyon, whereby we re mayne and continue obedyente vnto hys godly ryghtuousnes. i. Chor. x. ‘murmur not as certen murmured, & were destroy­ed of the destroyer.’ Num. xxi. Wherfore we ought to shewe pacience in all thinges as a poyut of oure deuty. And it is a gre­nous synne to murmur & grudge against the iudgement of God, and to resiste and stryue agaynst Gods wyll.

And God doth not onlye commaunde pacience, but also is hym selfe paciente & longe sufferyng, whiche destroyeth not at Deuter. xxxij. e [...]s the hore [...]ouger, the extorcyouer and other suche lyke wicked and damnable people wyth a lyghtnyng or thonderbolt, althoughe, hys holy and strayght ryghtu ousnes requyreth no lesse, He geueth ty­me and space suffycyent for the man to re pente and to returne to grace agayne. Roman. xij. ‘Dost thou despyse the aboundaunt [Page lxxij] ryches of hys goodnes, hys pacy­ence and longe sufferynge? knowest thou not, that the goodnes and geutylnes of God calleth the to repentaunce?’ Accor­dynge vnto thys Godly example, though it be so that we muste suffer somewhat a­gaynst oure wyll, and contrarye to oure myndes and affeccyons, yet shuld we not murmur and grudge, but amende oure ly ues, and paciently loke and wayte for bet ter.

And specyallye the vnspeakeable fy­delyte and loue of God towardes vs ou­ghte laufully to moue and perswade vs to suffer God to worke wyth vs euen ac­cordynge to hys wyll and pleasure. For by thys meanys we geue God thys ho­nor, that he doth vs no wronge nor iniu­ry, but dysposeth all thynges moste wyse ly and wyll dyrecte them to a good ende. On the contrarye parte the vnpacyente man murmureth and grudgeth agaynste God, and is angrye with hym, as though hys iudgementes and workes were not iuste and ryghte, for as muche as the wic ked & vngodlye lyue in pompe, pleasure and all dissolutenes and the vertuous & Psalm. xxxvij. Godly in pouertye, sorowe, and myserye. [Page] He may parauenture fansy and ymagine wyth him self, that God ouercharged his faythful chyldrē to hard & will suffer thē to remayne in perell necessite & dan̄ger, & wil not heare thē. And thus he is so poyso ned w ^t bitternes and obstinacy that he be­gynneth to hate and to blaspheme God in heauen and seketh vnlaufull meanes to helpe and remedye hym self, lyke as Saul i. Reg. xxviij. dyd, runnynge after wytches and sothsai ers, Wherfore let euery christē man take hede that no such rauyng fearsenes & bit­ternes come vpon hym, or at leaste that it remayne long by hym, but in suche temp­tacyon let him fighte manfully as in the face and sight of the heauenlye captayne, whiche both seyth and knoweth all thing, and also most faithfullye rescueth his sou dyers and is as it were, a felow and one amonge them, and will recompence all their labor and trauell a thousand fold in the lyfe euerlastinge.

Moreouer, we haue an euydent and perfect ymage and spectacle of all paci­ence in oure Lorde Iesus Christ, as he An exā ­ple of Christe. hym selfe poynteth vs vnto hymselfe, Math. xvi. saiynge, ‘whosoeuer wyll fo­lowe me, let hym forsake hym selfe, and [Page lxxiij] take hys crosse vpon hys backe, and fo­low me.’ When hys vnspeakable marter­dom and passion beganne, he prayed:

O father yf it be possybyle, take this M [...]th. [...]xb. mar xiiij Luk xxii Iohn. vi xvi [...]. Esai. liij cuppe from me, but thy wyll & not myne be done. Where did he euer ones murmur or grudge, or caste oute so muche as one vntowarde and vnpacyente worde, when he was mocked and scorned, scourged & beaten & most cruellye mysordered & delt wythall? Prynt thys well and surelye in thy minde, that he dyd pray vpon y ^e crosse for hys greatest enemyes, and sayde, Fa­ther, forgeue them, for they knowe not, what they do. Iohn. xix.

If he thorowe hys heauenly and dy­uyne might & power had rydde him selfe of all hys payne, sorowe, and daunger, And that we in oure sorowe, anguysh, & necessite had not felte any heauenly stren­gthe nor power from God, then could we not haue comforted our selues at all with oure sauyoure Iesus Christ. But he wold not put of his bitter passyon thorowe hys almyghtye power, but rather ouercome it thorowe weakenes. Nowe then, yf he Ps. xc [...] ciiij. a whome all angels and creatures in heauē and earthe do beholde and loke vpon, yea Hebr. i. [...] [Page] whome they all must serue & feare, bothe suffer innocentlye vndeserued with al pa­cience & mekenes more then euer any chri sten man was attempted wyth, it oughte laufully to make euen an hart of stone or yron to yerne & melte, & to take these small affliccyons well deserued most paciently & wyllingly, and to suffer and beare them most mekelye.

And thys practyse dyd the holy electe of God in y ^e old tyme not onely inculc [...]e & Exam­ples of the holy fathers & sayn­tes. teache with wordes, but also expresse and performe in dede. It was an heuye crosse vnto Abraham to slaye, and offer vp hys moste deare sonne, and yet he wolde wyth all pacyence shewe hym selfe obedyent vn to God therein.

And Isaac perceyuynge, that it stode vpon hys lyfe, and that he shulde dye, we trade not that he dyd resist, nor ones open hys mouthe agaynst it Gene. xxij.

Ioseph when he was delyuered of Genes. xxxvij. his brethren vnto the Hethen, which were fremde and straungers vnto hym, yet he forgaue it hys brethren, and dyd thē good Gene. xlv. &c. for it.

Moyses beynge reuyled of the Isra elytes, as a deceyuer and a betrayer, pet Exod. [...]ij. [Page lxxiiij] had he suche compassyon of them that he prayed for them. Exo. xxxij. sayinge: ‘O Lorde eyther forgeue them, or els wipe me oute of thy boke.’ Here is he wyllyng Ro. ix. [...] and readye to take all the Israelytes syn­nes and offences vpon hym selfe, y ^t God shulde ponyshe hym for them.

Dauid was fayne to be a banyshed i. Reg. xviij. xix xx. xxi. xxij. xxiij xxvi. xxvij. &c ij. re. xv. xvi. xvij. xviij. oute caste a longe tyme, and to flee euery where from Saule, whome notwithstan­dynge he might ones as easelye haue de­stroyed & kylled as he myght haue eaten a bytte of bread. i. Reg. xxiiij. And after that he was put to flyght of hys owne sonne, and yet he sayde pacyentlye, [...]f I synde grace and fauor before God, then wyll he restore me agayne. But yf he saye, ‘I haue no pleasure nor delight in the, behold here I am, let hym make wyth me, as pleaseth hym best. Iob, the spectacle of pacyence, Iob. i. [...] beynge full of sorys, in hys bodye, spoy­led of hys goodes, and depriued of hys chyldren, sayde thus, God gaue it, & God hath taken it agayne, the name of the lord be praysed.’

Item in the. xiij. chap. ‘If he shuld kill me [Page] yet wyll I put my truste in hym.’

Mathathias in the verye hyghest pe­rell and daunger of hys bodye and lyfe, at suche tyme as they wolde haue com­pelled and forced hym vnto Idolatry he [...]. Mac. ij made thys aunswere vnto the seruauntes and mynisters of Antiochus, ‘We wyll not swarue nor departe from oure fayth, neyther to the ryghte hande nor to the lefte.’

‘The Apostles, Actes. v. dyd reioyse that they were worthy to be scourged, be­aten and reuyled for the name of Iesus.’

‘We shulde learne to crye wyth Paul I am sure, that neyther death nor lyfe, ney ther heygth nor depth nor any other creature Ro. viij. can separate vs frō the loue of God whiche is in Christ Iesus oure Lorde.’

‘After the tyme of the holye Prophetes and Apostles, manye thousande marters (amonge whome were dyuers notable [...], chaste virgynes, and other yonge people) dyd suffer moste greuous tormentes and affliccyons for the truthes sake.’

But now here myght some man ob­iecte and sa [...]e, It i [...] no meruell that the holye sayntes dyd suffer ioyfully, & boldely, [Page lxxv] for they dyd suffer innocently, vnworthy­ly, and wythoute deserte, But as for me, I muste nedes complayne that I am a wretchet sinner, and that which I suffer, is for my desertees and synnes, so that I suffer worthylye. And therfore my crosse and affliccyon can in no wyse be compa­red or lykened vnto the crosse of the holy sayntes, &c.

This obieccyon maye be aunswered in fewe wordes. The holy sayntes, euery one of them, concernyng them selues, and theyr owne nature, were myserable syn­ners, but agayne they were holye & righ­tuous thorowe Iesus Christe, which had dystributed and geuen vnto the also, tho­row true fayth, his holynes & rightuous­nes. Furthermore, these. ij. vertues, true Fayth helpeth to pacy­ence. fayth, and Christen pacience are so nighe of affynyte, and so annexed and kuptte in feloweshyppe together, that alwayes the one helpeth the other. Faith is stirred vp, exercysed, put in vre and practyse, and re­ceyueth increasement & more strength tho row pacience in sorowe and affliccion, when as we, for Christes sake, [...]o bothe desyre and also wayte for helpe & strength of God against oure nature, whiche can [Page] nothynge, but doute and despayre, & als [...] agaynste the weakenes of the fleshe, a­gaynst the temptacyon of the deuyll, and agaynst the assawltes of the worlde. And agayne, pacience is exercised, proued and made stronger thorowe true faythe. For whosoeuer knoweth, and is fully persua­ded, that he hath a gracyous and a mer cyfull God wyth whome, after thys my­serable lyfe, he shall lyue euerlastinglye: The same shall suffer all maner of trou­ble and aduersyte pacyently, Christenlye Ro. iiij. v. vi. viij Gal. iiij Ephe. ij. and thankefullye. Agayne, thorowe fayth in Christe, we are set at one, and reconcy­led wyth God, and assured of hys grace mercy and fauor for Iesus Christes sake, and the merytes of hys passyon. For ex­ample. Dauid, for as much as he beleued trulye and stedfastlye in God, he spake boldely wyth a courage in the. xivi. Psal. ‘God is oure hope and strengthe, a verye presente helpe in all the sorowes and ne­cessytes that haue assaulted vs, Therfore wyll we not feare, thoughe the worlde shulde syncke, and thoughe the hylles shulde be caryed awaye in the myddeste of the sea &c.’ Yea euerye Christen man [...]f it were possyble (shulde be contente [Page lxxvi] to lose a thousande bodyes and lyues, yf it were for no nother thynge, but that he hath hard, tasted, and beleued the holye Gospell. But for anye man to be impaci [...]nt, and so to remayne, It is an euydente token, that the same parson neuer had any true faythe, or els, yf he had, that it is quē ched and gone agayne. For impacyencye falleth vnto murmurynge and disobedy ence agaynste God, and begynneth to hate God, and to blaspheme hym.

Also Christen prayer is a greate helpe & furtheraunce to pacyence. For in Prayer helpeth to pacy­ence. prayer we desyre the sanctyfycacyon of the name of God. Nowe is the name of God most praysed and sanctyfyed, when we being in the highest danger & necessite do depende and hang vpon God (thorow fayth and pacience) as vpon one that wyl dyspose all thynge well & to a good ende. Agayne in prayer we desyre that the king Mat. vi Luk. xi. dome of God maye come vnto vs. Nowe yf God will confounde and destroy in vs the kyngedome of the deuyll and of the flesh [...], or els wolde vtterlye leade & drawe vs into hys godlye and heauenly kingdō [Page] thorowe the crosse, were it not as muche as to pray against or use Iues, yf we shuld be impacient vnder the same? We pray ly kewyse, that Gods will be done. Now yf Mat. vi Luk. xi. it be Gods will that we shulde haue so­rowe, trouble and aduersite vpon earthe, howe dare or can we resyst or grudge a­gainst hys will?

The. xxix. Chapter.

IF there were no holye Scripture at all, yet might a man of his owne reason take example of brute bea­stes, of naturall thynges, as of the body & soule & the naturall partes vnto them be­longing, Also of hethen men, Iewes and handycraftes men, & of all maner of sta­tes and degrees of men, & lykewyse of the angels, and of the deuyll, whereby they myght conclude & learne, that they ought to be haue them selues pacientlye, boldlye & manfullye in aduersite & mysfortune.

A lambe or a shepe is ledde vnto the Exam­ples of slaughter, and neuer crye, nor open the [Page lxxvij] mouth, but suffer and abyde it pacyentlye brute cre atures & natu­ral thin­ges. Mat. v. and mekely. Euen so ought the holy elect of God, whan they are cursyd and reuy­led, not to curse or reuyle agayne, whan they are smytten not to smyte agayn, but to suffer all maner of smart and payne, & not ones to blere or to open their mou­thes agaynst it.

Our body is but very wormes meate: And if we coulde bestowe the same to the honor of our redemer and sauyor Christe ought we not to be glad and to reioyse if we myght so doo?

Lyke as they that are syck and dysea­sed can be content to suffer and abide any of their members of theyr body to be cut of, and to be burnte so that they maye be anye thyng releuyd and easyd thereby of their great smart and contynuall payne, (whych is yet but transytorye) & be made whole and sownd agayn: Euen so ought we gladlye and wyllyngly to suffer oure Lord god, and to be styl and quyet, whan he sendeth vs aduersyte, wherby we may be releuyd & discharged of eternall payne and obteyne helth, blesse and saluacyon for our soules.

If thou canst consyder the order and [Page] course of nature that is naturallye wryt­ten in thy harte, thou shalt thereby lerne and conclude that a man oughte to be so strong and stedfast that he oughte not to be moued by anye smart, payne or other temptacyon to doo any thyng that is vn­semyng or agaynst honesty.

And out of thys honestye wronghte & Exam­ples of the hea­then. planted in nature, spronge the learnynge and examples of the wyse and notable heathen men, whych we cal Philosophers, Amonge whom thys was a comon pro­uerb and sentence, Beare and forbeare:

The fy [...]ste worde where of teacheth that we shuld suffer the crosse pacyently, Beare and to be styll and meake whan we are vysyted therewyth.

And the seconde sygny [...]yeth that we shuld hate, flee and auoyde all maner of [...]orbeare examples, wordes or deedes that myghte geue anye maner of occasyon to anye euyll.

Aristotle in hys boke of maners tea­theth that felycyte and blessednes consy­steth not specyally in helth of bodye, in a­boundance of goodes, or in worldlye ho­nor, dignyte and estymacyon, but rather in the exercyse and practyse of vertue: [Page lxxviij] Oute of the whyche it folowyth that a man that is vertuous maye be blessed though he haue neuer so much trouble or aduersyte. And he reckenyth and takyth troble and aduersyte for the verye mater and occasyon, whereby vertue is moste styrryd vp and exercysed and wherein it doth moste shyne and appeare. And the­same Arystotle also comparyth an honest and vertuous man vnto a good capten. For lyke as a good capten leadyth and orderyth hys host, accordyng as the occa syon requyryth: Euen so a vertuous man behaueth hym selfe pacyentlye and well in aduersyte and maketh the beste of it.

The Stoykes dyd teach playnelye that it was not to be rekenyd for an euyll thynge to lyue in pouertye, syckenes and myserye, but thys only to be euyll, to for­sake vertue, and shewe any poynt of dis­honestye.

Lycero one of the moste notable and excellent Romanes wryteth thus, Re­member and persuade thys wyth thy selfe, that besydes synne and dyshone­stye, nothynge can happen to a man, where at he oughte to be astoynyd or a­bashed.

[Page] And accordinge to thys example dyd one heathen man oft comforte another by all maner of circu [...]stances of thyngs, as these folowynge and other. It besemyth not a man to wepe and wayle like a child or a woman. And Seneca wryteth thus. It is easyer to subdewe and ouercome an whole [...]acyon than one onely man.

Item: Thou arte nomore a chylde of a yeare, but thou hast age and yeares, And therfore more is requyred of the, than of a chyld.

Thou haste bene broughte vp and in­struct from thy youth in godly wysdome and knowlege, the same must thou nowe practyse and shewe furth.

Before thys tyme thou couldeste com­fort and geue good councell vnto other: Doo not therfore now lyke the euyll phy sy [...]yons, Whych boost and pretende that they can help other men and can not help them selues.

Before thys tyme hetherto thou haste shewed and behauyd thy self manfullye, therfore be now lyke vnto thy selfe and goo not backward. It were an vnsemyng thyng to wa [...]e from daye to daye worsse, and weaker: and such lyke.

[Page lxxix] Although thys doctrine of the heathen men in this and such other poyntes is to be commendyd, yet the storyes doo make mencyon of manye vnsemely actes that they did. As this y ^t Coriolianus for desyre of reuengeaunce dyd warre agaynst hys own naturall contry. Also Cato and An­tonyus for sorow and heuynes dyd kyll and murther them selues. But the verye reason of man can dyscer [...]e & iudge that such thinges are against nature & against all vertu and honesty. But the very ryght and the moste notable heathen men haue commended and set furth pacyence not only wyth wordes, but also haue shewed the same in example and deede.

Among the greciaus Arystides an excel lent vertuous man, beynge banyshed out of hys countrye dyd take and suffer hys mysery very manfully and pacyently.

Among the Romaynes Camyllus and Attylyus Regulus were hyghly commen ded and praysed for their excellente pacy­ence and stowtenes, whych they shewed in aduersyte.

Scypio coulde haue defended and re­uenged hym selfe of the sedycyous rebel­les wyth force and strong hand. But of [Page] an excellent pryncely hart, he wente onte of the syghte of hys enemyes for a tyme, and suffered much trouble and iniurye of them, for the profyte of hys lande, lesse he shoulde geue them occasyon to more byt­ternes and fearcenes.

Yea we reade of certen wemen, as of Cornelia, whych in afflyccyon and aduer syte dyd shewe manlye hartes and greate stowtnes.

But we must alweys marke the right dyfference betwene the heathenysh & the Christen pacyence. As Socrates in hys aduersyte dyd wonder of the vnrigh­tuousnes of men, and thought that it was but a chance & fortune that he was afflyc­ted. But dauid knew & confessed that his visitacion & afflyccyon came from God. ij. Reg. xxiiij. [...]. pa. xxij

Socrates for as muche as he sufferyth innocently & wythout a cause, he can not fynd by hys reason, that he shuld wysh & desyre ponyshmente and afflyccyon, But Dauyd (after a certen maner) wysheth & i [...]. Reg. xxiiij. desyeryth the crosse, for he knowyth that it is Gods wyll to testyfye, and to open manyfestly, thorow the crosse and aduer­syte, hys wrath and dyspleasure agaynste synne.

[Page lxxx] Socrates in hys manly sufferance and [...]cyence, neyther desyeryth, nor lokyth for any helpe, comforte or mitigacyon of hys afflyccyon, from God. Yea the nota ble Cato, hearyng that Pompeius beyng a good man, was ouercomne and subdu­yd of Iulyus, whyche was a wycked man he beganne to dout and to despay [...]e. But Dauid in hys pacyence and obedy­ence calleth vpon God for helpe and de­linera [...]nce, Psal. [...]. and is certen and sure that the allmighty lord doth assyst hym for the ho ly and blessed seedes sake, whereof the Gen. iij. heathen haue no knowledge nor vnder­standyng. Thus by comparynge the one to the other, we shall fynde and perceyue that the doctryne of the Gospell is more pleasant and acceptable, and mouyth vs vnto more thanckfulnes towards the go spell of Iesus Christ, thorow whom and by whose meanes we obteyne an whole and a perfyte comforte.

Now from the old ethnykys & heathen men, let vs descend & come to the turkes, Iewes & to other degreys of men. Many [...] Turk & Iewe would suffer him selfe to be marteryd and tormented most cruelly [...]ather than he woulde denye or forsake [Page] mohemetys relygyon and hys peruerse & naughty fayth, And why shuld not a chri stian, than much more be content to suffer stowtly, if nede shuld requyre. for the chri sten relygyon and fayths sake?

A marchaunt man, maketh farre vya­ges and great iorneys and venteryth bo­dy & goodes, and nothing is to hard and sowr for hym, only for worldly and tran­sytory gayne and luker, And yet his hope is vncerten, whether hys chance shall be good or euyll. And though he hapnyth ne uer so well, yet he bringeth home nothing but frayle and transytory goodes whych shal haue an end. Now al we haue a long vyage to make, also euen frō earth to hea­uen. And should not we be as wel cōtent as prompt glad & willyng to suffer al ma ner of perels and dangers that may hap­pen by the waye, seynge that we haue an infallyble and sure hope of eternall and euerlasting riches for Iesus christes sake.

A wayfarynge man that goeth from home, although he passeth many pleasant houses and goodly meadys, yet minding altogether homewarde agayne, all suche thynges d [...] nothynge tempte nor greue hym. Euen so whansoeuer we haue not [Page lxxxi] all our pleasure and delyght here, lett vs comfort our comfort and delyght oure sel ues wyth our countrye and habytacyon in heauen.

Whan a man of an hygh and noble byrth is contemned and myshandled in a strange land, where he is not knowen, it greueth hym nothyng so much as if the lyke shuld happen vnto hym at home in hys owne naturall contry. Nowe is oure naturall contry in heauen, vpon earth we Heb. xiij Phi. iij c i. Pe. i. i [...] are but strangers and pylgroms. There­fore we ought the rather to suffer all thin ges pacyently here, onelye that we maye haue rest among the inhabytantes in our ryght eternall land and contry.

A man of warre prepareth and weapo neth hym self wyth all maner of thynges apperteynyng to warfare, and thoughe hys enmye be neuer so strong, yet he for­gettyth all feare, & neuer ones thynckyth vpon the strokys and woundys but only vpon the victorye and tryumph, and go­yth hys waye and fyghteth manfullye lyke a gyant agaynst hys ennemyes only for worldlye glorye and luker: Whyche thyng maye redound to the great slander and shame of Christen people. If they for [Page] the honor glory and pleasure of god shuld not as promptly, wyllynglye and man­fully ☞ fyght agaynst their ghostly enmyes for hygher and greater tryumph, luker [...] commodyte. A plowman or an husband­man goyth to the feld, dougeth, plowyth, sowyth and harrowyth hys ground, and hath much sorow therew [...]h and wayteth for fruyt and profyte therof. By the same Iam. v. example doth the holy Apostle S. Iames moue and exhort vs vnto pacience.

Turn a fowre corneryd stone how thou wylt, and it wyl allweys stand ryght vp. Euen so howsoeuer a right Christiane be tempted and assaulted, he will euer not wythstandyng remayne vpryghte.

Whan a man playeth at the tables, he can not alweyes cast what he wold haue, but whatsoeuer he hath cast he must ma­ke ☞ the belte of it. To [...] [...]ame doth Pla to lyken oure lyfe. Wherein happen ma­ny thynges contrary to our wyll, whych we must take and turne al to the best, and neuer despayre.

Wha [...] [...] chylde that can scarselye god, chausyth to stomble vpon a stone, he falleth down by and by in the same place & there lyeth styll wepyng & cryenge tyll [Page lxxxij] some body take hym vp. But people of reason and vnderstanding muste not doo lyke chyldern, but must vse and indeuour them selues what syknes or inconueny­ence soeuer happen, by & by (so farr as is possyble) to heale, ease and remedye it.

A vertuous chyld wyll not forsake hys father in hys nede or troble, nor an ho­neste Ec [...] wyfe her husbande and spouse, nor yet a faythfull seruaunte hys mayster: And why than shoulde we forsake God our father, or Christ oure spouse and hea­uenly Lorde and mayster in trouble and aduersyte.

Such as are coueto us mony marchan­tys, ambycyous and vayne glorious, for­ [...]ycators, whoremongers and murthe­rers, care neyther for shame nor for anye thynge els, and spare no labor or tra­uell, so that they maye brynge to passe theyr wycked luste and desyre. And yet oft tymes they mysse also. And why than should not a right godly ma [...] be constant paynefull and pacyent in honeste & good thynges: As Saynct Barnarde wryteth verye well, sayinge, ‘What a fayntnes, sluggyshnes and dullnes is thys that [Page] such as are wycked and vngodly shoulde be more seruent to wyckedues and abho­mynacyon than we shuld be to honestye and goodnes? Yea that they should ro [...]n more swyftly to the deuyll and to death, than we should to god and to lyfe?’

Furthermore thy fearefulnes and im­pacyency is a great pleasure and comfort to thy [...]ooes, and a great heuynes and dys comfort to thy fryndes. For dowtles all that wyshe the good, doo reioyse in thy strength and constantnes.

Thynck also that thou fyghtest in the The an­gels. presence of the holy angels, whyche by the prouysyon and appoyntmente of god do dwell wyth the, and moue and exhort the to [...]sted fastnes, ‘And they reioyse whan thou cōtynuyst stedfast in goodnes.’ i. Co. iiij. And agayn we shuld to the vttermost of our power flee and abhorre all suche The de­uyll. thynges as myghte delyghte and reioyse the deuyll, For he is the deadly arch en­mye of God, and of all mankynd. i. Pet. v.

Nowe this is the verye purpose of hys temptacions and suggestions and al that he sekyth, that we, whan we are poore, should steale, and whan we are syck, that we should murmur agaynst god, And in [Page lxxxiij] warre, afflyccyon and aduersyte that we should forsake our Christen fayth and re­lygyon. Constantnes, faythfulnes & sted­fastnes towarde God and the Christen churche, doeth greue and displease hym. Therfore we to reioyce the angels, and to greue the deuyll ought y ^t rather to be con stant and pacyente in the myddest of all aduersyte.

The. xxx. Chapter.

NOt wythstanding that we know and perceyue that pacyence is so profytable and fruyteful a thing vnto vs, yet we fele in oure flesh a certen myslykynge, & grudge toward the crosse. Who can be content and glad to see hym self depryuyd, of hys lyfe, honor, estyma­cyon, goodes, chyldern or wyfe? The re­memberance of the pleasure and prospe­ryte that we haue had in tymes past, doth so greue vs, that wyth Loths wyfe we syghten & loke back after Sodoma. Gen. xix. ‘And wyth the children of Israell, we lust after the fleshpottes in egipt.’ Ex. xvi.

And lyke weakenes do we also fynde in [Page] the noble kyng and prophete Dauyd, as he hym selfe sayeth, Psall. lxxvi. ‘Manye saye vnto my soule, he hath no god, My soul would receyue no comfort, my spirit is waxen weake and feble.’

Item our sauyour Iesus in hys inno­cent flesh, dyd shewe and declare the fear fullnes and angwysh of the fleshe, whan as he knelyng vpon the mount Olyuete, consydered hys passyon and marter­dom Luc. xxij that was commynge and at hande, and swett for sorowe and angwyshe, so that the droppes of hys swett gusshed v­pon the earth lyke droppes of blood, and he prayed vnto hys father, that if it were his wyll, that cupp myght be taken from hym. In lyke maner beynge vpon the crosse he sayd, my god, my god, why hast Ps. xxij a Mathe. xxvii. e. thou forsaken me, howe longe wylt thou thus deale wyth me.

But it is not to be vnderstande as though Christ dyd dowt of hys fathers fauor and grace, but the weakenes of his fleshe could haue bene contente to haue sufferyd no more. Nowe lyke as the spy­ryte forepasseth and ouercommyth the fleshe in Christe, Euen so muste it doo in vs also, that we haue more respecte [Page lxxxiiij] vnto God and vnto the lyfe euerlastynge than vnto thys wormeeten fleshe. And therefore nowe wyll we declare by most sure and infallyble reasons, by what meanes and wayes a man maye may­ster and ouercome hys fleshe in the tyme of the crosse and afflyccyon and so shewe and declare true and perfyte pacyence. Whyche vertue (lyke as all other) hath her fyrste begynnyng and increase of the grace, power and spyryte of God, wyth­out whom we can worke nothynge that good is, neyther yet resyste or ouercome anye euyll.

i. Macha. iii. it is wrytten, ‘The vycto­ry consisteth not in the multitude of men, but the power and strength comyth from heauen.’

Item Paul sayeth Philipp. iiij. ‘I am able to doo all thynges thorow hym that maketh me myghtye, whyche is Christe.’ Wherfore allthough my fleshlye reason synckyth, waueryth and fayleth neuer so muche, yet doth God contynuallye pre­serue and vpholde my spyryte that it doo not vtterly faynt, but contynewe prompt and wyllynge tyll suche tyme as it maye be delyueryd and eased. [Page] But now, howe shoulde we order and be­haue our selues that God maye grant vs his strength, and true pacience and bold­nes? Forsoth thorow fayth, hope, prayer, loue, trueth, faythfulnes, vertue and god­lynes we may obt [...]yne it of god.

Fyrste we must fur [...]ysh and comforte Fayth workyth pacyēce. our hartes and myndes wyth fayeth to­warde god. For whosoeuer doeth knowe perfytely and is certen that god whyche is the lord of al happes and myshappes, of prospe [...]te and aduersyte is pacyfyed and reconcyled wyth him, and that he for that cause ca [...]ot be depryued of eternal saluacyon: the same shall be able to con­temne and to defye all worldlye honor pomp and lustes. And agayn there can be no pay [...] so bytter, sharp & greuous vnto hym that can bryng hym out of pacieuce. In o [...]r Christen faith we confesse and be­leue an holy vnyuersall churche and that we haue felowshyp and partycypacyon wyth all sayntes and electe of god, & also we confesse & beleue remissyon of synnys, resuerec [...]yon of the flesh, and lyfe euerla­styng. And Christe geueth vnto euery one that hath fayth, thys absolucyon. Ioh. [...]. ‘Whosoeuer hearyth my word & beleueth [Page lxxxv] hym that hath sent me, thesame hath euer­lastynge lyfe, and cometh not to iudge­ment, but passeth thorowe from deathe to lyfe. Wherfore thorow fayth a man ob­teyneth power, strength, pacyence, con­stancye, and stedfastnes in all goodnes.’

If strong and myghty enemyes shuld come vpon the assaulte and belege the, & thou haddest on thy syde one whom thou ☜ knewest certenlye to be Lorde, & to haue power ouer al thyne enemyes, thou migh test laufully be bolde and wyth [...]t feare. Nowe haue we (thorowe faythe) Christe on oure syde, which is Lorde ouer all Lor des whiche hath full power ouer all for­tune and mysfortune, prosperyte and ad­uersyte. Therfore thou muste not longe thyncke and looke vpon the weakenes of thy fleshe, but thou muste styrre aboute wyth thy fayth, that is to saye, thou must earnestlye and dylygently consyder the myghte and true loue of Iesus Christe, whiche bothe can and wyll comforte and reioyse the more, then all mysfortune is a­ble to dyscomforte the, or to make the heauy.

Peter sayth. i. Petr. v. ‘Your enemy the deuyll goeth aboute lyke a roaryng lyon, [Page] and se [...]yth whom he may deuour, whom resp [...] ye stedfastly with faieth.’

Item S. Iames sayth that your appro­uyd fayth worketh [...]. Iam. i.

‘The holy and faythfull apostles dyd euydentlye declare that accordinge to the inward man, it was a ioy and [...] comfort [...] vnto them to be [...] and scourged for the lordes sake. [...]ct. ii [...]. v.’

Agayne all troubles and afflyccyon [...] are greuous by reason of [...]ure weake fayth, whyche is yet but lytle exercysed, and hath not well and fullye talled the ryches and treasure of the chyldern of God. Yet not wythstandynge no man oughte to despayre, thoughe he haue not a perlyghte stronge fayeth. It happe­nyth oft tymes, that the fayth beynge lyt­le and weake in the tyme of necessyte and afflyccyon draweth back, and is lyke to a b [...]and and [...] that hath but a lytle fyre vpon it, whyche the lorde Iesus [...]yll not quench but increase, so that we doo but praye wyth the deare Apost­les and saye. ‘O Lorde strengthen our [...] Mar. ix. fayth.’

But wha [...] a man is vtterlye desty­tute of fayth, as he that knoweth of no [Page lxxxvi] nother nor of no better lyfe than thys, it is no meruell at all though he despayre at length.

Yea the more he trustyth in hym selfe or in anye worldlye or transytorye thynge, the more vnable is he to resyste and contynewe in trouble and aduersyte. For there is no ryght comfort nor su [...]or in any maner of thyng besydes the Lorde Ac. iii [...]. [...] Iesus.

There are two kyndes of hope, the one is of nature, and the other commyth Hope makyth men [...] cye [...]e. of fayeth. The naturall hope is a spe­cyall gyfte and benyfyte of God, whych [...]fter a certen maner, do [...]th helpe and comforte a man that is troubled and [...], that he doo not viterlye despayre, but in the myddeste of all aduersyte, ho­peth, that it wyll, wythin a whyle, be bet­ [...]er, and so way [...]th and [...] tyll the aduersyte be ouerblowen. Now if this na turall h [...]e haue such a strength and ver­tue, shuld not the other hope, whyche the spyryte of God doeth newly inspyre tho­ [...]we sayrth, worke a [...] greater and perfyghter pacyence and strength, that a man in the myddeste of hys crosse, [Page] shall hope and wayte for heauenlye com­f [...]rte and ayde of God for Christes sake? And althoughe the natural hope doth of [...] and manye tymes fayle and deceyue, and is alwayes vncerten, yet thys Christe [...] hope doth neuer fayle nor deceyue.

The husband man consydereth not on lye hys labor and trauayle, and what tem ☞ pest and myschaunce of wether maye for tune, but for as muche as he trusteth and hopeth that the frute shal wa [...]e and come forthe when the tyme is, therfore he labo­reth stowtely and wyth a good wyll. Fuē [...]o in the spyrytuall vyneyarde vnder the yock of the Lorde, the hope and truste of honor and rewarde maketh men pacyent and wyllynge, and geueth them courage. Roman. vi [...]. Yf we hope for that thynge which we see not, we wayte for it thorow pacyence.

Furthermore, we muste seke vpon God feruentlye and wythoute ceasynge, Prayer [...] to pacy­ [...]. Math. xxiiij. thorowe prayer, that he wyll geue vs a bolde and a stronge spyryte to suffer all thinges, and to contin [...]e stedfast vnto the ende. Thus doynge he wyl surely heare v [...] [...] accordynge to hys [Page lxxxvij] promes, and faythfully geue vs hys spy­rituall gystes, moste specyallye. When a man maketh hys complaynte, & openeth hys nede & grefe vnto hys specyal friude, he seketh a certen ease afterwarde, so that hys payne and grefe (by the rehersynge thereof) is after a certen maner releued, remedyed and taken awaye: Moche more comforte and ease shall we receyue by tel­lynge and openynge oure grefe and com­playnte vnto God. For man is sone wery and yrk of oure complaynynge. But yf we shulde spende the whole daye in pray­enge, cryeng and complaynyng to God, he wolde loue comfort and strengthen vs the more, Luk. xviij.

Agayne, to searche, heare and learne the worde of God, & for a man to exercyse To hear y ^e worde of God, helpeth to pacy­ence. hym selfe therein, is a great furtheraunce and help to pacyence. For God hath not reueled and opened hys worde in vayne vnto vs, but hath shewed & set before vs in the same most swete and louynge pro­mises and comfortable examples, that we myghte lear [...]e therby, hys goodnes, faith fulues and louynge kyndnes, and so com forte and strengthen oure selues by the­same, [Page] in all maner of trouble and ad­uersyte.

For an example, doth the holy word of God sownde. ‘In the worlde ye shall Ioh. xvi haue sorowe and trouble, but be of good comfort, for I haue ouercome the world.’

Ite [...] God is our hope and strength. O Lorde thou forsakest not them that Ps. xxv [...] xxxi. a Esay. xxviij. Ro. ix. d seke the &c.

Many suche god lye promyses and ex­cellente comfortable sayinges haue we, whyche we oughte to seke and to fetche, thoughe it were euen from Ierusalem, vpon oure kneys, and neuer to cease, lau­dynge and praysynge of God, that he in these latter dayes hath made vs parta­kers of the eternall and infallyble com­fort of oure sowlys in hys worde and go­spell. Whyche worde is nothynge [...] pure vertue and lyfe, as all faythful ha [...] tes doo [...]le and perceyue: And it ough [...] no nother wyse to be receyued of [...], but as thoughe we hearde the ve [...] ☞ [...]yce of GOD hym selfe from [...] uen [...] all suche thynges [...] [...]e heare [...] o [...] the olde and newe [...].

[Page lxxxviij] Agayne the loue whyche waxeth Loue in­warde God, worketh paciēce. and spryngeth oute of fayth worketh pa­cyence in aduersyte, and constan [...]ye and [...] fastnes in goodnes.

Iacob seruyd seuen yearys for the damsell Rachell, Gene. xxix. And by rea­son of the hartye loue that he bare vnto her, the ty [...]e was but shorte vnto hym: ☜ And the dayes that he seruyd for her se­myd but fewe vnto hym. Euen so who­soeuer louyth God, shall beare and take pacyentlye whatsoeuer GOD layeth vpon hym, and whatsoeuer he sufferyth for Gods sake. Nowe syckenes and other plages doo not happen vnto vs wythoute the wyll and prouydence of God: Therefore if we loue God harty­lye (as we oughte to doo, for as muche as he is oure mercyfull father, and we hys childern and heyres) we can not mur mur agaynste hys vys [...]tacyon, no [...] be dyscontente wyth it, but we shall ra­ther ronne after hym thorowe all ma­ner of wayes be they neuer so roughe and shall contemne all thynges, be they neuer so hard and greuous and euermore prease vnto him thorow thycke & thynne [Page] vntyll suche tyme as we come to perfyte reste in hym, accordynge to the example of the holye Apostles and martyrs whose loue towarde God dyd mytygate & ease all theyr sorowe, crosse and aduersyte.

Item to geue almes, and to exercyse The ex­ercyse of vertu, worketh pacyēce. Ecclesi. xxxv. Matth. xxv. al kyndes of vertu and godlines worketh pacyence, and that specyally for these two causes. Fyrst because God doth increase hys spyrytuall gyftes in them, whiche do well vse and bestowe them. For to hym that hath, shall more be geuen. And secon­darelye, whosoeuer behaueth hym selfe godlye and vertuouslye, the same hath a better and a more quyete conscyence, and so muche more boldnes and confidence, but yet onelye buyldyng and steynge vpō the ryghtuousnes of Iesus Christe.

Item lyke as a soudger, (fyrste for feare of pryson and of the shameful death whiche he shulde suffer yf the battel shuld be soste: And agayne in hope of the hyghe rewarde & excellente honor and reudwne yf the vyctorye go on hys syde) wyl fight the more boldelye and lustelye. Euen so euerye true Christiane is styrred and pro [Page lxxxix] noked to more faythfulnes and pacyence, when he consydereth the excedynge pro­fyte and commodyte of pacyence, and a­gayne the greate hurte and dyscommody te of impacience.

The. xxxi. Chapter.

LAst of all, pacyence serueth to the honor and glory of God, and to the welth and profyte of man, both in soule, bodye, and in transiturye goodes and possessyons, and also in worldlye ho­nor and commendacyon. For the fayth­full do resist and wythstande theyr payne and smarte, and pacyently withoute anye gradgynge suffer the lorde to deale wyth them, accordynge to hys owne wyll: Not for any vayne glory nor for any worldlye or transitorye gayne or luker, but onelye & specyallye to she we them selues obedyent to God, and to land and prayse hym.

As for example, God was as hyghlye [Page] praysed and gloryfyed whan the. iij. com­panyons of Danyell sufferyd them sel­ues By paci ence god is glory­fyed. so pacyently and manfully to be cast into the hoate burnynge ouen, as he was by the excellent wysdom of daniel, which he declared in ‘that he could open vnto the kyng, his dreame.’ danye. ij. iij.

Furthermore, the pacyent is lesse syck, & whan he is syk, he is soner whole agayn: pacyēce is profi­table for y ^e body & goo­dys. Where as thorow impacyency the hart is pressyd, vexed, guawen, consumed & eaten vp. Prouer. xvij. ‘A merye and a quyete harte is an helpe and furtheraunce to helth, but an heuy and sorowfull mynde maketh the marye and naturall strength to consume. Prouerb. xxv. Lyke as the motthys doo hurt the garmentes, & wor­mes the wood, euen so doth sorow and he uynes hurte the hart of man.’

Whan a chyld beyng corrected and ponyshed of hys father, suffereth it pacy­entlye, hys father hath the more pytye vpon hym, and holdyth hys hande, and ceasyth the sooner: But if the chyld shewe hym selfe frowarde, crye anye thynge lowde or murmur and gru­dge agaynste hym, than is the father the more angrye and fearse ouer hym and [Page xc] beateth hym the more sharpely. Euen so the heauenlye father ponysheth the pacy­ent man the more easylye, and healeth hym soone agayn.

‘But towarde them that murmur a­gaynst hym, he shewyth hym selfe sharpe and fearse. Prouerb. xv. A gentle and fryndlye aunswere doeth styll & pacyfye wrath, but rough and stubborn wordes doo prouoke to anger and dyspleasure.’

‘The pacyent man Iob obteyned his Iob. xlij. goodes doble agayne, and was plenty­fully recompensed of the Lord, euen here in thys lyfe.’ The fayethfull haue expery­ence and profe in verye deede, that it is good for them to be pacyente, and to suf­fer the Lorde to worcke hys wyll. And agayne manye by reason of theyr impa­cyencye and murmurynge, doo loose that thynge, that they shoulde els haue had. paci [...]ce is profytable for y ^e sowle & mynd & a fur­therans to al ver tues.

Prouerb. xiiij. Sufferance and pacy­ence is a token of wysdome vnmeasura­ble heuynes is a token of folyshnes, whā we wepe and complayne lyke chyldern sayinge: I would neuer haue thoughte, I would neuer haue beleuyd that it shoulde haue come thus to passe, and suche lyke. [Page] Item impacyencye intanglyth and insna­ryth the mynde, and maketh a man some­tyme dull, and at hys wyttes ende.

Whan a man submittyth and geuyth ouer hym selfe humblye vnto the wyll of God, althoughe hys aduersyte can not be remedyed, yet it shall be easyer and lygh­ter vnto hym. Yea there is nothynge so bytter, sower, harde or terryble to a man, but by thys meanes, shall be easye, swete, lyghte, and comfortable vnto hym. And agayne so longe as a man doth not vtter­lye geue ouer and yelde hym selfe to the good wyll of God, and wyll not suffer hym to worke hys pleasure wyth hym, cō tente whatsoeuer he sendeth, hys grefe is the worsse, and the more harde and bytter vnto hym, hys mynde neuer ceaseth gna­wynge and frettynge, and of one sorowe he maketh. iij. or. iiij. yea he maketh hys owne lyfe bytter & sower vnto hym with infyuyte sorowes and vnquyetnes.

Lyke as the byrde that is caughte [...] wyth the lyme rode, the more it stryueth to delyuer it selfe, the more do the fethers cleaue and hange to the lyme: And in lyke [Page xci] maner the more the fyshe that is caughte in the net, seketh to come oute, the more it wyndeth it selfe in, And agayne he that is bounde wyth chaynes or fetters of yron, the more he strayeth abroade, the morehar me he doeth to hym selfe: Euen so suche as are frowarde and vnpacyent do incre­ase theyr sorowe, and hurt them selues the more.

He that hath an heauye burthen vpō hys backe, the more he shuttlyth and mo­ueth the same, y ^e more doth it greue hym. Euen so the more frowarde and vnpacy­ent a man is vnder the crosse, the more gre uous and paynefull is it vnto hym.

It is not vnwysely spoken of the he­then man Plyny whiche saythe. A good harte in aduersyte, taketh awaye the half thereof. And it is a comon prouerbe of the hethen men, The feare of aduersyte and payne, before it cometh, is worsse then the payne it selfe.

Al maner of ponyshment and aduer syte whiche, accordynge to the meryte & deserte of man, shulde be vnto hym a tast and begynnynge of euerlastynge payne [Page] and dampnacyon: the pacyente man ta­keth and vseth it for an occasyon to ex­ercyse thereby all kyndes of vertu, wher­by the spyrytuall gyftes of grace doo waxe and increase more and more. For they that are paciente doo kepe the true fayth towarde God, crye and call vpon GOD thorowe feruente prayer, honor, laude and prayse God, not onelye for that he rulyth and dysposyth all thynges, but also that he bryngyth all thynges to a good ende and successe, and that he wyll so contynuallye doo. And thus thorowe pacyence, is pacyence increased.

And contrary wyse the vnpacyente man decayeth daylye in all kyndys of vertuys, and is daylye more and more spoyled and depryued of all goodnes. For whosoeuer is content and can suffer hym selfe to be prouoked of the deuyll and of the fleshe, and geueth place vnto them, the same forsaketh fayeth, prayer and obedyence towarde God, and suffe­ryth them to depart, and so is vnthancke­full to hys true and fayethfull GOD, whom he can not be contente to suffer, and to commytte hym selfe vnto hym [Page xcij] for a whyle, that he maye the more de­fende and preserue hym afterwarde. He thynckyth that God doeth not regarde hym, and that it is in vayne to truste and to wayte for helpe, comforte and delyue­rance of God. He ymagyneth wyth hym selfe nothynge els, but that God is vt­terlye wrath and dyspleased wyth hym. And can fynde in hys harte to curse and to blaspheme God, as thoughe he were a cruell, vnmercyfull and an vnryghtuos God, shewynge more loue and fauor and doyng more good to the wycked than to the godlye.

And by thys occasyon he sekyth for ayde helpe and comfort at creatures, and maketh vowes vnto sayntes, and to pyl­grymagys, that is to saye, to chappels of Idolatry and of false goddes, and ma­keth wicked comuantys agrementes and promyses agaynst God. Some, for feare, doo forsake and deuye the Chrysten faith, and receyue the wycked popysh relygy­on consentynge to manyfeste Idolatrye, and make God a lyar as though he could or woulde not helpe anye more in thys or that thyng, accyrdyng to hys manyfolde promyses in the old and newe testament.

[Page] Furthermore impacyencye is augmen ted and increased thorow impacyency, so that a man that is vnpocient is euery day more sorowfull and desperate then other, fleyth and showeth where he shulde sted­fastlye continue, and fyndeth neyther rest case nor quyetnes in hys harte. And ma­nye one because he wyll not suffer and abyde pouerte and other lyke extreme ne­cessyte, he falleth to naughtynes, mur­ther, whoredome, lyenge, stealynge, extor cyon, ryot, cuttynge of pursys, & to suche other detestable abhomynacyon.

Item they that be vnpacyent do en­uye and dysdayne at others mēnes welth and prosperyte, for they ymagyne that to be the cause of theyr crosse and sorowe, and they frette agaynste it enuyenge dys­daynynge and hatynge oftymes, the inno cente wythoute anye cause, yea they rage and raue runnynge headelonge, to re­uenge them selues. By the reason where­of oftetymes (as manye storyes do testy­fye) contencyon, hatred, warre, vproure, sheddynge of bloude, decaye and destruc cyon of the churche, of relygyon, and of the comon welthe, haue rysen: [Page xciij] As Coriolianus, to reuenge hym selfe, as an enmy dyd procure warre agaynst hys own naturall contry.

Besydes thys, it is an hygh honor and commendacyon before men, before the angels, paciēcy is a co­menda­cyon & honor before men. before the holy sayntes, and also be­fore god hym self, whan a man shewyth pacyence, boldnes and strength in aduer­syte. And agayne whan a man behauyth hym self vnsemely, vnpacyentlye and de­speratly, it is a shame and a dyshonor for hym both before all creatures, and also before the creator hym selfe. For it is no hygh nor hard thyng for a man to shewe a bold and a strong hart, and to be cōtent wyth Gods workyng, whan all thynges happen prosperouslye and accordynge to hys mynd: But this is a vertu & a poynt of connynge whan a mans mynde is not mouyd nor broken in aduersyte and mys­fortune, Iob. i.

Lyke as in a schole or a place of fence, he that hath shewed the most manly tow che, and hath wonne the victorye, hath greate commenda [...]yon and hyghe honor: Euen so is it much more commendable & a greater honor to ouercome and to sub­due oure spyrytuall enemyes and to haue [Page] the vyctorye agaynste the assaultys of the fleth and the deuyll. Be that forsaketh his bodyly maister wythoute a iuste cause, is taken before the world for a man that lac­keth fayth, trueth and honesty: And shuld it not than be a greater poynte of dysho­nestye and of vnfaythfulnes, in the tyme of afflyccyon vnder the crosse to forsake Christ and his word and thorow impacy ency to worke and to do against thesame?

Prouer. xij. Be that subdewyth the tēp­tacions of the mynde is to be preferred & more to be commendyd than he that hath beseged & ouercome a strong cytye. For the which cause as well among the Chri­stians as amonge the heathen dyuers no­table parsons haue goten hygh commen­dacyon and prayse for their trustines fy­delyte, & excellent constancy, whiche they haue shewed at an hassarde & at the tyme of nede.

And specyally the example of oure sa­uyor Iesus Christe is to be consyderyd, wherof Paul makyth mencyon. Ro. viij. to thys end, sayinge: If Christe after hys afflyccion and obedience euen vnto death was exalted to hygh honor and glorye, It shall be a furtherance lykewyse vnto vs [Page xciiij] to great honor, if we take our crosse dayly vpon vs and folow hym boldly & manly.

Experyence teacheth also whan a man wyll shyft a way the crosse from hym by vnlawfull meanys, and wyll not wyth honesty and to hys commendacyon suffer it, for gods sake, oft tymes he is compel­lyd and dryuen by force to suffer as much or more wyth shame and dyshonestye for the deuyls sake, and to haue great dysho­nor and confusyon thereby.

Moreouer vnpacyente people do shortē theyr own lyues. Iudyth in the. viij. cha­pter paciēce is profytable for the length­ning of a mans lyfe. declaryth the storyes of the. xi. &. xxi. of the boke of nombers and sayeth, They that haue not taken their crosse and temptacyon in the feare of god. But thorowe murmuryng and grudgyng agaynst god haue shewed themselues vnpacyent, they were destroied of the destroyer, and were murtheryd of serpentes. And some tho­row vnmeasurable sorow haue fallen in­to greuous dyseasys and deadly sycknes­ses, And gnawe and frett them selues to death, or els murther them seluys as king i. re. xxxi Saul dyd.

Item whether a man doo suffer worthly or innocentlye if he contynewe in mur­muryng [Page] and vnpacyent, it seruyth to hys Paciēce may further a man to euerla­stynge lyfe. eternall dampnacyon. And agayne whe­ther a man suffer worthyly or innocently, if he take it pacyently as he ought to doo it is merytorios vnto hym, and a furthe­rance to euerlastynge lyfe. And all the so­rowes and paynes vpon earth in respecte of the blesse and saluacion that is to come are but as the bytynge of a gnat or a flea, whych is easy to ouercome.

Whan men in warrfare lyeng in camp wyl play y ^e sluggards & be slouthful, and ☞ not resyst the ennemyes stowtly and manfully their feldes are destroyed, theyr houses spoyled, their vyllages sett on fyre, theyr mannes parsonnes murtheryd and stayne, and theyr wyues and doughters defyled and rauyshed, and all goyth to hauock and is full of mysery. Euen so in the spyrytuall warrfare and feld, if we yeld vnto the flesh and the deuyll, and resyste them not manfullye and constantlye, we cast our selues into perpetual danger, mysery and vnquyetnes. But if we fyght a­gaynst eph. via the ghostly enemies stowtely and pacyently, we may atteyne to perpetuall rest and quyetnes.

He that is syck, if he wyll not receyue [Page xcv] the medycyne, because it is bytter & sowr, or if he haue a sore or a wounde and wyll not suffer it to be searchyd and cutt & the corrupt flesh to be cut away, because it is very paynefull, It is no meruell nor won der if the same man perysh in his sycknes and dysease: But if he woulde suffer hym selfe to be handled after the mynd & coun cell of the physycyon or surgen, he myght ouercome the smart and payne and haue good hope to be curyd and remedyed and to be restored to hys helth agayn: Euen so all ryght and faythful Christyans that are pacyent in aduersyte may conceyue a muche more stedfaste & sure hope y ^t they shall atteyne to euerlastyng restitucion & helth of body & soule: Where as cōtrary wyse they which remayne & contynue in their frowardnes & impacyencye against god the heauenly physycyon, must smart for it euerlastyngly, both in body & sowl.

Scrypture to confyrme and proue this, houe we. Iac. i. Happy is that mā whych sufferyth temptacyon. For after that he Iob. v. [...] Pro. iij [...] Ose. vi a i. Pe. ii [...] Heb. xij [...] is prouyd, he shall receyue the crowne of lyfe. But no man may gather or conclude vpon thys, that we meryte or deserue eter nall saluacyon for our pacyence, whyche [Page] thynge only Christ alone hath done, And yet shall we be rewarded for oure pacy­ence and aduersyte, and they shall profite vs euerlastyngly.

[...]ast of al, pacyence is profytable and bryngeth syngular commodyte, not only to hym that hath the same vertue, but also to other people. For whan another per­ceyuyth thy constant trueth, fydelyte and stedfastnes, he taketh example and occa­syon to exercyse lyke pacyence and sted­fastnes.

It is manyfest by dyuers true and cre dyble storyes whan as the Christians haue dyed manfullye and boldlye for the Christen fayeths sake, that certen of the persecutors and enemyes of Christe haue wonderyd so sore there at, that they by that and no nother occasyon were conuer tyd and turnyd to the fayth and relygyon of Christ.

Item, pacyence and stedfastnes haue wroughte peace and quyetnes in comon welthys, in the church and in many naci­ons, cyteys and townys. As Scipio a wyse and noble ruler, for as muche as he dyd resrayne hym self and woulde rather forsake the cyte of Rome than to subdewe [Page xcvi] and oppresse his ennemyes wyth force of armes, it turnyd to the syngular welth and commodyte of the whole comon welth. And contrarywyse a bytter, cruell and vnpacyente mynde, bryngyth, wor­kyth and occasionyth infynite harme, de­struccion in comon welthys & heresyes in the church of god. For Marius as he came agayne to Rome, and coulde not re­frayne hym self, thorowe hys vnpacyent­nes, wrought great tyrannye and shewed muche cruellnes, causynge dyuers of the pryncypall people of the contrarye parte that helde agaynste hym, moste cruellye to be murtheryd and put to death, where­vpon dyd folowe and insewe muche in­connenyence. Also Arrius, because he could not obteyne hys purpose nor bryng hys dyuyse to effect, for very frowardnes and impacyency he vexed and dysquye­ted the church of Christ with horrible he­resyes. In lyke maner thorow our vnpa­cyentnes in the crosse a [...]d aduersyte we geue occasyon to them that be weake in the fayth to dowt, whether our fayth and relygyon be the true fayeth and relygy­on or [...], whan we confesse & saye of god that he is our comfort and refuge both in [Page] thys world and in the world to come, and yet we shewe our selues so desperate and heuy in aduersyte as though God had vt terly forsaken vs & as though there were no better lyfe after thys.

Wherfore we oughte to arme and pre­pare our selues to all maner of aduersyte in tyme, whyle we are here in good welth and prosperyte, and not to depend & hang ouer much vpon transytorye goodes and prosperyte, that whansoeuer nede shall re quyre, we may be content wyth pacience to forgoo and forbeare them and con­tynue stedfast in the true fayth, wherein whosoeuer shal cōtinue vnto the end, shalbe sauyd, Mat. xxii [...]. x

AMEN.