vngodlie for an end of his felicitie Yea if we were called to suffer death for the name of Iesus Christ 2. Not to feare death What other thing is this death but after a long conflict the day of victorie the birth of a blessed soule after a great trauaile the hauen desired after so furious tempests the end of a dangerous and troublesome voyage the healing of all wounds and sicknes the deliuerance from all feare and terrour the accomplishment of our sanctification the gate of heauen the entrance into paradise the taking possession of the inheritance of the father the day of our mariage with the Lambe the inioying of our desires Who is it then among vs who feeling with S. Paule the bondage of sinne would not crie out with him Alas wretched man that I am Rom. 7.24 who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death And feeling the good that death bringeth vnto vs will not also say with him I desire to be dissolued Phil. 1.23 and to be with Christ If death wherewith God threatned our first parents is a feeling of the wrath of God in the soule in the body because of sinne Gen. 2.17 Wee may well say that death and life are two twinnes vnited and knit together vntill the separation of the soule and the bodie and this separation which is cōmonlie called death is rather the deadlie stroke of death the bodie beeing then exempt from paine and the soule from vice corruption waighting vntill the rest of death bee swallowed vp in victorie at the day of the resurrection It is then an abuse to call life a continual death and to call that death which is the end of a thousand deaths and the beginning of the true life It is then also against reason that wee haue horrour of that which we ought to desire and desire the continuance of that the onlie end whereof bringeth vs to eternall felicitie And to this end Saint Chrisostome saith verie well that it which is called life and death haue deceaueable visours Life deformed and accompanied with manie miseries calamities hath a faire pleasant visour which maketh it to bee desired and Death so faire happie and to be desired hath one deformed and fearefull Let vs put off then saith he these visours we will change our minds when wee shall finde vnder the faire visour of life nothing but matter of heauines and displeasure and vnder the soule hideous visour of death such a beautie and felicitie as we shall incontinently be taken with her loue So long as we liue we haue cruell enemies which neuer cease making warre with vs whome wee can neuer vanquish but by death And indeed wee cannot make the world to die in vs except we die our selues Sinne which is in vs liueth in vs and fighteth against vs vntill wee dying it also die with vs. And by death alone the deadlie assaults of Satan our chiefe enemie die foorthwith But yet why should we feare it which cannot come vnto vs but by the will of him who is our heauenlie father yea and at such a time as he appoynteth As Dauid said Lord my times that is to say Psal 31.16 all the minutes of my life are in thy hands There is no creature more enemie to man nor more able to hurt than the diuell And indeed he is called the enemie the murtherer Mat. 13.39 Iho. 8.44 1. Pet. 5.8 Iob 1. 2. and the roaring Lyon seeking whome he may deuour But the historie of Iob sheweth plainlie that GOD holdeth him brideled so as hee can attempt nothing nor goe either forward or backward more than GOD will permit him And this which is more he hath not power to enter so much as into the swine Luk. 8.32 without the leaue of Christ What is this then that wee should feare men Are not they also vnder the prouidence power and gouernment of our GOD It is GOD saith Hannah the mother of Samuel 1. Sam. 2. ◠who weigheth their enterprises so as they cannot passe one ounce of the waight ordained of GOD. It is he that slaieth and maketh aliue againe 1. Sam. 2.6 which bringeth downe to the pit and lifteth vp againe he maketh poore and maketh rich he abaseth and exalteth To bee short It is he alone as Dauid saith Psal 115.3 which doth whatsoeuer he will Now wee doubt not but he will do that which he hath promised vs and wee knowe that he hath promised vs yea and that he hath taken vpon him to make vs happie If then the doctrine of the prouidence of God importeth that he hath not onlie ordained in his eternall counsell the end and issue of his worke which is his glorie and the saluation of his elect but also the fit meanes according to his infinite wisedome and requisite for the execution and accomplishment of it let vs be assured that there is no creature that can let or alter his wil as Saint Paule saith If God be for vs who shall bee against vs. Let vs also bee assured Rom. 8.30 that whatsoeuer happen vnto vs is the way whereby he hath ordained to leade vs to life and euerlasting glorie Saint Paule speaking of Iesus Christ saith Col. 1.16 that all creatures are of him stand by him and are for him As also he saith in an other place that of him and by him and for him all things are Wherefore then doo wee feare our enemies Ro. 12.36 seeing euen this that they are is by the power and will of him who is our head and sauiour for asmuch as they can neither enterprise nor consult neither yet bee aliue one moment without the will of Christ And besides this seeing their life and being is for him and for his seruice that they might be to his members as fire to purifie them a rod to correct thē medicines to heale them a bridge for them to passe vpon ouer the desert of this world into the land of promise ladders to helpe them to ascend into heauen instruments to glorifie them as a knife that cutteth the cords by which we are held in the earth hindered to go vnto God to be where Iesus Christ our head is Also what threatning can the most mightie of the world threaten vs with more horrible to make vs turne from the seruice of God than those wherewith God threatneth all those that turne away from him Mat. 10.28 Luk. 12.24 Feare not saith Iesus Christ those that can kill the bodie and yet so and when GOD will and the bodie which within a verie little after must needes die and can doo nothing more but feare him who after hee hath killed the bodie hath power to throwe both soule and bodie into euerlasting hell fire him I say vnto you feare indeede In like maner what promises can the world make vs greater or more certaine to draw vs vnto it than those which our God hath made
Kingdome Hee hath suffered sayth Saint Peter 1. Pet. 2.21 Leauing vs an example that wee should followe his steps Let vs not then thinke it strange as he faith in an other place 1. Pet. 4.12 when wee are as in a fornace for our triall as if an vnwonted thing had come vnto vs. Butrather in as much as wee communicate with the afflictions of Christ Let vs reioyce that when his glorie shall appeare wee also may reioyce wath gladnes Now let vs vnderstand how he addeth that suffering iniurie for Christes sake wee are happy forasmuch as the spirit of God which is the spirit of glory resteth in vs and the feeling which we haue causeth vs to glorifie him though of the blinde worlde he is euill spoken of Seeing then the heauenly father hath vouchsafed vs such loue 1. Ihon. 3.1 that wee are called the sons of God although the world persecute vs because it knoweth neither the Father nor vs Let vs saie boldlie with S. Ihon We are now the children of God And although it dooth not yet appeare what we shal be yet we knowe as hee also addeth that when Christ shall appeare we shall be like vnto him for we shall see him as hee is Col. 3.3 Let vs be contented to be dead in this worlde and to haue our life hid with Christ in God beeing assured that when Christ our life shall appeare we shall also appeare in glorie If the Diuell will gather of our afflictions that we are not the children of GOD let vs say boldlie that he is a lyar or let him first plucke out of the ranke of God his children the Martyres the Apostles the Prophets and other of the best and most approoued children and seruants of GOD which haue beene afflicted as well as wee and more than wee Euen the holie Virgine and Christ himselfe But rather seeing that wee beare their liuerie let vs acknowledge our selues the children of GOD with them and let vs say with a holie resolution with Saint Paule Rom. 8.38 that there is neyther death nor life nor Angells nor principalities nor powers nor thinges present nor thinges to come nor heighth nor depth nor anie other creature which can separate vs from the loue of GOD which he beareth vs in Iesus Christ our Lorde That the faithfull haue the common afflictions of the children of Adam because of the excellent fruites of them testimonies of their adoption and of the loue of God toward them CAP. 9. TO bee yet better confirmed in this trueth let vs now consider how the afflictions themselues euen those that are common to the childrē of Adam serue for our profite and saluation First 1. Fruit to awake vs out of our sinnes for as much as the reliques of sinne abide still euen in the most perfect in this life which maketh them hardened in their faults and inclined to offend God We haue neede of helpes to be waked to be humbled and drawen from our sinnes to keep vs in the time to come and so to dispose vs to a perfect obedience holie and acceptable vnto God And to this ende tend the afflictions of the children of God which for this cause are called chastisements corrections and medicines of our soules The children of Jacob hauing committed a detestable crime in selling then brother Joseph Gen. 42.21 but they neuer thought of it vntill that beeing in Aegypt pressed with reproches and imprisonment they called to minde their sinne saying one to the other surely we haue sinued against our brother for we saw the anguish of his soule when hee besought vs and wee woulde not heare him and therefore is this trouble hapned vnto vs. Manasses King of Iuda hauing set vp Idolatrie againe persecuted those that woulde purelie serue the Lorde 2. Chro. 33 so as Ierusalem was full of blood and hauing shut his eares to the admonitions of the Lorde at the last was taken by the army of the king of the Assyrians bound with manacles fettered in chaines and carried prisoner into Babylon Then being in affliction he was exceedingly humbled before God hee prayed to the Lord and was heard and caried backe vnto Jerusalem Then hee pulled downe all Idolatrie reformed the seruice of God and commanded Iuda to serue the Lorde the God of Israell Yea the poore pagane marriners of whom the historie of Ionas maketh mention seeing the continuaunce of the tempest concluded to cast lots to know who was the cause of that affliction and God making it to appeare that it was the sinne of Ionas Ion. 1.7 thereof is come a common Prouerb in a daungerous tempest that there is some fonas in the ship And this proceedeth of a feeling and apprehension of the prouidence and iustice of GOD this little sparke yet still remaining in man of the image of God whereby we thinke that it is hee that afflicteth that he is iust doth nothing but iustlie and so that afflictions are corrections of our sinnes Therefore Jeremie iustly reproueth the blockishnesse of the people of Israel in this that being afflicted Ierem. 8.6 no man saide what haue I done See now why God to make vs more liuelie feele his iudgements to the intent to wake vs vp to conuert vs vnto him sendeth vs oftētimes afflictions which after a sort answere haue some conformitie to our sins As for example EZechias king of Iuda sinned by ambition or vain confidence in shewing all his treasures to the Embassadors of the king of Babel and GOD tolde him by the Prophet Esay that all his treasures should be transported into Babel Esa 39 Dauid offended God in committing adultery 2. Sam. 11 and in putting to death Vriah and GOD chastised him in this 2. Sam. 13 that Amnon his sonne defiled his sister Thamar and that Amnon was slaine by his brother Absolom that Absolom laie publikely with his fathers Concubines 2. Sam. 16. 22 according to that which God had saide vnto him 2. Sam. 12 11 Thou hast done it in secrete and I will doo it in the sight of all the people The child borne in adultry died 2. Sam. 12 10 he was threatned that the Sword should not depart from his house Now as the afflictions bring vs to the feeling of our sinnes 2. Fruit amendment of life and first in workes to wake vs vp and to humble vs so therof riseth the resolutions and protestations to fall into them no more but to amend them And this is it that is seene in those that by tempest of sea or some grieuous disease are in manifest danger of death They examine their cōsciēce their sinnes infirmities then come before them they aske pardon and make protestations to liue better in time to come The same also we see in children that are beaten of their fathers This is it which the Apostle to the Hebrewes teacheth vs saying That no chastisement for the time seemeth pleasant
and your endles comfort Your Honors in the Lord most humble A.P. To the faithfull of the Low Countrie IT is not without reason right deare and worshipfull bretheren that the Church of Christ is called militant vpon earth and compared as well to a woman in trauaile of child from the beginning of the world as to a ship vpon the sea tossed with tempests and to a field tilled vpon which the plowe is drawne to cut it The present estate of the Church exercised by so manie dissipations assailed so mightelie by continuall warres the mother and nurse of all calamities and afflicted by reuolts by Libertines by people prophane and by so many heretiques is to vs a liuelie mirrour a manifest seale and an example good to be marked Now as the infirmitie of the flesh which dieth not in the verie children of God but at their death taketh from thence and from other matter occasion of temptations most dangerous and many assaults so the bounden duetie affection which I beare towards you driueth me to testifie vnto you the feruent desire which I feele continuallie in my heart of your comfort constancie and perseuerance in the way of saluation For this cause it is that in my voiage frō Germanie I made this little treatise Of the markes of the children of God of their consolations in their afflictions the which being GOD be thanked returned J was willing with the aduise of my brethren and fellowes in the holie Ministerie to put to light dedicate vnto you to the end that reading it you might knowe and feele more and more the incomprehensible grace of GOD towards you by the testimonies of your adoption and the full assurance of the certaintie of it and that in the middest of your so long and heauie afflictions you might bee partakers of the vnspeakable comforts which GOD setteth forth to his children in his word whereby also you feeling your selues truelie happie you maie constantlie perseuer in his holie trueth and obedience of his will aspiring with contētment and ioy of the holie Ghost to the inioying of that kingdome of glorie the right and possession whereof is purchased for you and kept in your head Iesus Christ Finallie J pray God with all my heart to shewe me this fauour that this my little labour may bee acceptable vnto you and that it will please him to blesse it by the efficacie of his holie spirit to your comfort and saluation and to the aduancement of the Kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ Harlem 15. September 1586. Your humble brother and seruant in Christ Iohn Taffin Minister of the holie Gospell in the French Church at Harlem The matters that are handled in this Treatise 1 OF the great and incomprehensible happines of the life euerlasting promised to the children of God 2 How wee knowe that wee are the children of God 3 How euerie member of the Church ought to applie to himselfe the markes of it to assure himselfe of his adoption and saluation 4 How wee ought may assure our selues that wee are the children of GOD although the markes of our adoption be in vs but small and weake 5 That the Apostacie and reuolt of some who haue made profession of the true religion ought not to cause vs to call in doubt either the doctrine or our adoption 6 That afflictions ought not to make vs doubt of our adoption but rather to confirme vs. 7 That the afflictions which come vnto vs were foretold and therfore they ought to confirme vs in the assurance of our adoption 8 That the children of GOD haue at all times been afflicted and yet beloued of God 9 That the common afflictions of the children of Adam are to the faithfull because of the excellent fruites of them testimonies of their adoption and of the loue of GOD towards them 10 Of the afflictions for Christes sake and of the fruites of them 11 Other fruites of the afflictions for the name of Christ 12 An exhortation to perseuer constantlie in the trueth of the Gospell in the time of persecution not to feare death for man to keepe himselfe from Apostacie and dissimulation To vse the holie Ministerie To walke in the feare of God and to pray vnto him 13 Holie meditations and praiers Of the markes of the children of God and of their consolations in their afflictions To the faithfull of the Low Countrie Of the great and incomprehensible felicitie of the euerlasting life promised to the children of God CAP. 1. SAint Paul hath verie aptlie set forth vnto vs the incomprehensible excellencie of the felicitie of the childrē of GOD saying That the eye hath not seene 1. Cor. 2.9 the eare hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what things God hath prepared for those that loue him According to this sentence Saint Augustine tending to the same butt saith of the goodnes of grace Aug. Enarrat 2. Psal 26. Tom. 8. Let your hearts goe beyond all that you are able to comprehend and stay not your selues at the greatnes and excellencie of it which you imagine but say yet this is not it for if it were it it could not enter into thy thought and heart This happines then cannot bee comprehended by vs according to the greatnes and excellencie of it so long as wee dwell in these earthlie mansions 2. Cor. 5.1 1. Cor. 13.9 where we knowe God but in part and darkly Notwithstanding seeing the same Apostle addeth that the holie Ghost who searcheth the most deep things of God 1. Cor. 13.12 hath giuen vs some reuelation 1. Cor 2.10 Seeing also he praied to God for the Ephesians That he would open the eyes of their vnderstanding Ephe. 1.18 that they might knowe what is the hope of their vocation and what are the riches of the glorie of his inheritance among the Saints we should be too vnthankful to God and enemies of our owne comfort if wee should make curtesie or refuse to vnderstād that which it pleaseth him to reueale vnto vs by his word Now in it this felicitie is oftentimes signified by the promise of life euerlasting and not without reason For in our felicitie Life euerlasting comprehendeth the felicitie of the childrē of God two poynts may and ought speciallie to bee considered first the greatnes and excellencie of the good thing secondlie the long continuance and surenes of it Now both the one and the other is noted by these words life euerlasting For by life is signified the greatnes of the felicitie and by euerlasting the infinite length of it As touching life wee may consider three degrees as wel in the bodie Three degrees of life to the body and to the soule as speciallie in the soule The first degree of life as touching the soule The first degree of life is ment by this peace of conscience and ioy of the holie Ghost which wee receiue and feele being reconciled to God in
beeing able to containe himselfe no longer Gen. 45. made himselfe knowne to his brethren and how weeping and crying out hee saide vnto them I am Joseph is my father yet aliue and causing thē to come neere vnto him said I am Ioseph your brother whō ye sold but be not sorie Shew to my father al my glorie Then throwing himselfe vpō the neck of Beniamin his brother he wept and in like manner Beniamin wept vpon his necke after kissing all his brethren hee wept vppon them Who is he I say which is not touched and weepeth not with them But because this is a historie of the fact of an other these motions feelings soon passe away so as hauing turned the lease or talked of another matter all these feelings are vanished and gone So is the feeling of the reprobate hearing or reading the testimonies of so great a mercie of God towards men and of the greatnes of the happines of the kingdome of heauen The vnderstanding apprehension of these things causeth some motions or feelings in them as the Apostle saith But for as much as these good things appertaine not vnto them neither do the feelings that they haue take anie seate or roote in their hearts but are easilie quenched and vanish away On the contrary the feeling that the children of God haue is as of the good things that appertaine vnto them therefore it may well bee colde and drowsie but not die As also the feelings that Ioseph and his brethren had were such as although they had thē not when they slept yet when they awaked they returned againe And although that by the death of their father they were as it were interrupted yet the benefite and the comfort abode by them still Following this that is aboue said we say boldlie that what feelings what illuminations or apprehensions so euer the reprobate haue so it is that they neuer feele the holie ghost in them giuing thē testimonie that they are the children of God For according to this testimonie they should be and should abide the children of God seeing the holie ghost can neither deceiue nor lie As also after that God hath made vs once feele by the testimonie of his holie spirit that wee are his children wee are certaine that wee cannot perish but that wee are indeed and shall continue the children of God For it is the testimonie and reuelation of the spirit of trueth Also he that giueth faith Mal. 3.6 doth not change therefore his gifts are without repentance Ro. 11.29 The second difference may bee taken from this word Heb. 6.4 tast which the Apostle vseth To wete that the reprobate are like to him who hauing tasted a good peece of wine making shewe as if he would buy it vnderstanding the price not willing to giue so much leaueth it there without buying or drinking of it any more So the reprobate hauing tasted the heauenlie good things finding them good and praising them exceedingly after they vnderstād the price that is that they must renounce themselues and beare the crosse of Christ to goe to take possession of the kingdome of heauen which he hath purchased for thē with his precious bloud They will none of it at this price so renounce these good things without drinking or imoying them But the children of God on the other side hauing neuer so little a taste of these heauenlie treasures desire in such sort to haue the enioying of them that they make resolution to forsake all to inioye it We will adde this third reason That as those that haue their stomackes charged with euill humours cease not to eate sometimes for all that yea and to find tast in some good meates but are constrained after through the euill disposition of their stomacke to cast it vp againe to vomit So some reprobates hauing within them an euill conscience may well taste the good heauenlie gifts but this euil cōscience not being able to agree with the true sure faith of the hart stoppeth that these gifts take no root to fructifie to saluation so that finallie they cast it off or let it wither come to nothing And this reasō with those before are the principall causes for the which many that seemed to bee the children of God do reuolt as we will shew hereafter more at large On the cōtrarie those who haue faith are assured that though the graces of the holy ghost are oftē weak in thē like fire couered with ashes trees in the winter yet it cā neuer come to nought or die rather they recouer strength at the last whereby they are certaine to be and to continue the children of GOD and heires of euerlasting life Furthermore let vs remember that these foule and grosse faults of Dauid and of S. Peter of others are set before vs first that they should bee to vs as a mirrour of the fragilitie of man to acknowledge that if we be exempted it is by the grace of our God Secondlie that wee should so much the more stand vppon our garde As if in walking thou shouldest see him fall that goeth before thee thou goest not to fall with him but thou art to be so much the more circumspect that thou fall not as he did Thirdlie that vnderstanding that faith abideth in them although very weake feeble thou maiest take courage beleeuing certainlie that faith which was once giuen thee cannot bee quenched nor die And therefore continue in assurance that thou art the child of God raising vp thy selfe by their example and resoluing with thy selfe to walke constantlie as the child of God in true holines and righteousnes before him all the daies of thy life Luke 1.75 See how wee ought to bee resolued that although the markes feelings and testimonies of our adoption set forth here aboue be in vs but small and weake and accompanied with great infirmities conflicts yet wee may and ought to assure our selues that these marks are truelie in vs and that therefore wee are certainlie the children of God inheritours of euerlasting life That the Apostacie and reuolt of some hauing made profession of the true religion ought not to make vs call in doubt neither our religion nor our adoption CAP. 5. WE haue vnderstood here before how we may and ought to resist the doubts of our adoption proceeding from our selues Now we must shewe how wee may ouercome the temptatiōs which come from others There are two things principallie which trouble the consciēces of many to make them doubt whether they be the children of God and in the way of saluation of eternall life or no. First the horrible offence or stumbling blocke of those which abandon this church renouncing the doctrine of it and returning to the puddle of idolatrie and speciallie when any persons hauing sometimes held any honorable place in the Church do reuolt and become persecutors of the doctrine which they haue
thornes He was condemned to die and hanged vpon a crosse betweene two theeues And besides these persecutions and outward torments what anguishes did he feele when he swet bloud and water for distresse and feare When hee cast his face vpon the earth when he cried on the crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken me let vs adde to this example Act. 9.16 that of S. Paule that vessell of election When he was conuerted Iesus Christ said vnto him that he would shewe him what he should suffer for his name And so it came to passe as he himselfe doth brieflie recite making comparison of his owne person with some of the false Apostles 2 Cor. 11.23 Are they the ministers of Christ I am aboue them in trauailes more aboundant in stripes more than they in prisons more in deaths often Of the Iewes I haue receiued saith he fiue times fortie stripes sauing one I haue been three times beaten with rods once I was stoned three times I suffered shipwracke night and day haue I bin in the deepe sea in iornies often in perills of floods in perills of theeues in perills of mine owne nation in perills of the Gentiles in perills in the Citie in perills in the deserts in perills in the sea in perills among false brethren in labour trauaile in watching often in hunger in thirst in fasting often in cold and in nakednes besides the things that happen to me without there is that which combereth me euerie day euen the care that I haue of all the Churches Now The vse of the afflictions of the church and of the members thereof let vs applie these exaÌ„ples to our purpose When the Church is persecuted and the members thereof afflicted the flesh calleth in doubt whether we bee the true Church and children of God or no. But what afflictions indure we that the most excellent seruants and children of God haue not suffered before vs as it appeareth by the examples here before alledged And where is it that we find that troubles the crosse are markes of the false Church and of the children of the world and not rather the contrarie as it hath been shewed aboue The people of Israel beeing so grieuouslie afflicted in the captiuitie of Babilon and that for their sinnes God by Esay calleth them his welbeloued one Esay 41.8 4â— â—3 and his elect and protesteth that hee can lesse forget them than the mother her child And that he had them grauen in his hands hauing them alwaies before his eyes And speaking of them to Ezechiel he saith Ezec. 11.15 Thy brethren thy brethren the men of thy kindred He contenteth not himselfe to call them once his brethren but doubleth the word saying Thy brethren thy brethren and addeth men of thy kindred that he should not thinke because they were in this miserable condition that they were cast off of GOD but that he should acknowledge them for his brethren In like manner the Holie ghost speaking of those that were murthered and cast to wild beastes Psalm 79.2 calleth them the seruants of God and his faithfull ones The Apostle to the Hebrues speaking of the faithfull which were tormented and afflicted after sundrie manners and cruellie put to death saith Heb. 11 3â— That the world was not worthie of them It is as if he should say that they being the welbeloued children of God and brethren of Iesus Christ the world full of abominable people was not worthie that they should be conuersant and be any more among them And so farre off was it that S. Paule entred into doubt of himselfe for his troubles that contrariwise he alledged them to prooue that he was a more excelleÌ„t seruant of Christ thaÌ„ the others 2. Cor. 11.23 hauing indured more than they al. And if this senteÌ„ce pronounced by the father touching Iesus Christ Mat. 17.5 This is my welbeloued sonne in whom I am well pleased bee true euen then when he swet bloud water for distresse and then when he thought he was forsaken of GOD Luk. 9.31 so as being in this hell he continued still the dearelie beloued sonne of GOD what occasion haue we then when wee are afflicted with our head to doubt of our adoption Let vs set before vs the great number of faithfull which were before the throne in the presence of the Lambe clothed with loÌ„g white robes holding palmes of victorie in their hands and let vs vnderstand by the testimonie of the holie Ghost Reue. 7.9 who they be These are they saith he which are come from great tribulation and haue washed their long robes haue made them white in the bloud of the Lambe Therfore are they before the throne of God and serue him day and night in his temple And he which sitteth vppon the throne will ouer shadowe them they shall neither haue thirst nor hunger and the Sunne shall beate vpon theÌ„ no more neither any heate for the Lambe which is in the midst of the throne shall gouerne them and leade them to the fountains of liuing waters and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes When S. Peter exhorted his disciples to constancie saying 1. Pet. 5.9 That they knew well that the same afflictions were accomplished in the companie of their brethren which were in the worlde And when Iesus Christ said to his Apostles Mat. 5.12 ye are happie when you suffer iniuries and reproches for so haue they persecuted the Prophets which were before you The intention neither of Christ nor of Saint Peter was to set before them the comfort of miserable persons as it is saide to haue companions in their miseries but rather to shew them that the afflictions which they indured were proper to the seruants and children of GOD and that therefore they ought to comfort themselues beeing honoured with the liuerie of their other brethren and members of Christ yea the most excellent seruaunts of God as the Prophets were Rom. 8.28 And indeede seeing those whom God had foreknowne those hee hath predestinate to be fashioned like vnto the Image of Christ Let vs not doubt for so Saint Paule saith that it is a true saying that if we die with him 2. Tim. 2. 11 we shall liue also with him and if wee suffer with him wee shall also raigne with him Let vs remember the saying of Christ to his Apostles Iho. 15.20 The seruant is not aboue his Master If they haue persecuted mee they will also persecute you if the world hate you know that they haue hated mee before you And this should be a thing monstrous to see Iho. 15.18 vnder a head crowned with thornes members handied delicatelie Shall wee doubt then of our adoption beeing called vnto the same condition which the welbeloued Sonne of GOD tooke vpon him going to the inioying of his glorie Will wee refuse to follow him ascending vp by the crosse into his
Let vs giue our neckes to Iesus Christ to receiue his yoake and the honour of his order How manie great Lords of the world trauaile all their life to come to this honour to be Knights of the Order of any Prince And hauing attained to it they accompt themselues happie men And what bee the ensignes or such Orders The one shall haue a Fleece the other a Garter and the ensigne of the Order of Christ is prison bannishment losse of goods reproaches beatings death This is the Order that Saint Paule receiued and whereof he gloried saying I beare in my bodie the markes of Iesus Christ Gal. 6.17 Now although that a Fleece a Garter are in themselfes vile or base things yet are they honorable and to be desired in the world because princes take them for the ensigne of their Order acknowledging and calling them brethren that weare thē The ensigne then that Christ the King of kings hath taken for his order shall not it be honourable Shal we not accompt our selues happie to attain vnto it Let vs folow cheerfully this glorious troupe marching before vs with triumph honoured with this Order of the Prince of Glorie IESVS Christ Let vs suffer our selues to be guided by him who is infinitely wiser than we and loueth vs better than wee loue our selues And let vs receiue this fauour of GOD that so seruing his glorie our glorie may also be aduaunced Let vs not be troubled nor shaken with feare whē we see the persecutors come to the ende of their enterprises and the children of GOD afflicted That is to them sayth Saint Paule a manifest token of destruction Philip. 1.28 and to vs of saluation There is no greater curse sayth Saint Augustine than the prosperitie and felicitie of the wicked because it is as a strong wine to make them drunke in their iniquities and to make a heape and tresure as it were of the wrath of GOD vpon them It seemeth to vs that the worlde goeth to confusion and disorder when the wicked triumph and the children of God weepe But on the contrarie that is to vs a manifest token of the iust iudgement of GOD as Saint Paule sayth 2. Thess 1.5 That wee are also made worthy of the kingdome of GOD for which also wee suffer For it is a iust thing saith hee with God to render affliction to those that afflict vs and to vs that are afflicted deliueraunce then when the Lord Iesus shall shewe himselfe from heauen with the Angels of his power and with the flame of fire to doo vengeance vpon those that did not know God obeyed not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ the which shal be punished with an euerlasting punishmēt from the face of the Lord and from the glorie of his power when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints to be made wonderfull among all the faithfull Wee are so impatient so hot or so foolish that wee consider nothing but the beginning of the workes of our God but wee must ioyne them together and consider the accomplishment of thē as S. Iames teacheth vs Ye haue heard the patience of Iob Ia. 5.11 and haue feene the ende which the Lord made and that the Lord is verie mercifull and full of pitie He that shall set himself to consider in his minde how poore Ioseph was handled sold of his brethren how refusing to consent to the shamefull and detestable request of his Mistres he was cast into prison Gen. 37.39 and kept there 2. yeres surelie a man would take pitie on him as on a miserable person but let vs see the accomplishment of the worke of God let vs cōsider him by this meanes exalted to the gouernment of al the Kingdome of Aegipt then we shall count him happie Aboue all if we behold Iesus Christ mocked scourged crowned with thornes crucified between 2. theeues who would not be offended that the Prince of glorie Sauior of the world shuld so be hādled But let vs behold him risen againe ascēded into heauen sitting at the right hand of God aboue al principalities power inioying a glory incomprehensible and we will admire and praise the worke of God So if we behold his mēbers persecuted banisht mocked spoiled imprisoned entering into the fire what will we say is this a father which handleth his childrē in this sort But if we ioyne to the crosse the glorie the resurrection to the death to bee short if wee beholde them in that estate wherein we shall be when Iesus Christ meeting vs in his maiestie glory shal lift vs vp aboue al the heauens into the house of GOD his father to liue with him euerlastingly and that the Crosse shall be to vs as a ladder to go vp vpon to the inioying of such a glory Who is he then amōg vs that would not shout out for ioy seing this wonderful worke of God Who is he that wold not count himself happie Who is he that would haue bin more daintily hādied Who is he that would not be rauished with the bounty wisedome loue of God towards his children He that neuer saw a haruest seeing the plowman taking so much paine to till the earth to spread it with dung and after to cast faire wheat into the field so tilled he would thinke that this man were mad that a childe were to be whipt that should do such a thing but seeing after the haruest that should come of it he woulde chaunge his minde and acknowledge that the husbandman had doone an excellent worke Now this is the time to til to dung to sowe the haruest shal folow Let not vs change the course of the seasons neither yet let vs seperate them the one from the other but let vs ioyne the time of the death with the day of the resurrection and let vs assure our selues Psal 126 6 as it is written in the Psalmes that hauing sowed with teares wee shall reape with ioye He that in old time had seene poore Lazarus full of sores at the gate of the rich man Luk. 16.19 the rich man at the table in all delights and pleasure he would not haue chosen to bee Lazarus but the rich man But if tarrying a while he sawe the soule of Lazarus carried straight by the Angels into heauen and the rich mans soule goe to the fire of hell he would change his mind and would desire to be Lazarus Let vs then detest the glistering state of cursed riches and let vs compt the poore and afflicted condition of the Lazarusses of our time waighting to be carried vp into euerlasting glorie happie The wicked haue nothing in heauen nor we in the world Psal 94.12 Blessed is the man saith Dauid whom the Lord instructeth by the power of his spirit and by the doctrine of his lawe to haue contentment and rest in the time of aduersitie while the graue is digged for the