be the lesse to be passed vpon so that the rest maye profite which wil be more desirous to know the truth then when it is playn enough to contende aboute it and with cōtencious and capcious cauillacions to obscure and darkē it Truthe it is that out awne woorkes doo not iustifye vs to speake properly of our iustificacion that is to saie our workes do not merite or deserue remissiō of our synnes and make vs of vniust iuste before God But God of his mere mercie through the onely merites and deseruynges of his sonne Iesus Christ doth iustifie vs. Neuerthelesse because fayth doth directely sende vs to Christe for remission of our synnes that by faithe geuen vs of God we embrace the promise of Gods mercie and of the remission of oure synnes whiche thyng none other of oure vertues or woorkes properly doth therfore scripture vseth to say that faith without workes doth iustifie And for asmuch that it is al one sentēce in effecte to saye Faithe without woorkes onely fayth doth iustifie vs therfore the olde auncient fathers of the Churche from tyme to tyme haue vttered our iustificacion with this speache Onelye faythe iustifieth vs meanyng none other thing then sainct Paule meant whē he sayd faith without workes iustifieth vs. And because al this is brought to passe through the onely merites and deseruinges of our sauior christ not through our merites or through the merite of any vertue y t we haue within vs or of any worke that cōmeth frō vs therfore in that respecte of merite deseruyng we renoūce as it wer altogether agayn faith workes and all other vertues For our awne imperfeccion is so greate through the corrupciō of original synne that al is imperfect that is within vs faithe charitie hope dreade thoughtes wordes workes and therefore not apte to meryte and deserue any parte of our iustificacion for vs And this forme of speakyng we vse in the humblyng of oure selfes to God and to geue all the glory to our sauior Christ whiche is best worthy to haue it Here you haue heard the office of God in oure iustificacion and how we receyue it of him frely by his mercie without our desertes through true and lyuely faythe Now you shall heare the offyce and duetie of a christian man vnto God what we ought on oure parte to rendre vnto God agayne for his greate mercye and goodnes Oure offyce is not to passe the tyme of his present lyfe vnfruictfully and idlely after that we are baptised or iustified not caryng howe fewe good workes we do to the glory of God and proffite of our neighbors much lesse it is oure office after that we be once made Christes mēbres to lyue cōtrary to thesame makyng our selfes membres of the deuil walking after his inticementes and after the suggestions of the world and the fleshe wherby we know that we do serue the world and the deuill and not God For that faythe which bryngeth furth without repentaunce either euyll workes or no good workes is not a right pure and liuely faithe but a ded Deuilishe counterfeit and feyned fayth as sainct Paul sainct Iames cal it For euen the deuilles know and beleue that Christ was borne of a virgyn that he fasted forty dayes fortye nightes without meate and drynke that he wrought all kynde of myracles declaryng hymself very God They beleue also that Christe for oure sakes suffered moste paynfull death to redeme vs from eternal death that he rose agayn from death the thyrde daye They beleue that he ascended into heauen and that he sitteth on the right hand of the father and at the laste ende of this world shal come agayne and iudge bothe the quicke and the deade These articles of our faith the deuilles beleue and so they beleue all thinges that be writtē in the new and old Testamēt to be true yet for all this faith they be but deuilles remainyng styll in their dampnable estate lackyng the very true christian fayth For the right and true christiā faith is not onely to beleue that holy scripture all the forsaied articles of our fayth are true but also to haue a sure trust confidence in Gods mercifull promises to be saued from euerlastynge dampnacion by Christe wherof doeth folowe a louyng harte to obey his cōmaundementes And this true Christian faythe neyther any deuyll hath nor yet any man which in the outwarde profession of his mouth and in his outward receiuyng of the Sacramentes in commyng to the churche and in all other outward apparaunces semeth to be a Christian man yet in his liuyng and deedes sheweth the cōtrary For how can a man haue this true faith this sure truste and confidence in God That by the merites of Christe his synnes be remitted and he reconciled to the fauor of God and to be partaker of the kyngdom of heauen by Christ when he liueth vngodly and denieth Christe in his dedes Surely no suche vngodly man can haue this faith trust in God For as they know Christe to bee the onely sauior of the worlde so they knowe also that wicked men shall not possesse the kyngdō of God Thei know y t God hateth vnrighteousnes that he will destroye all those that speake vntruly that those that haue doen good workes whiche can not be doen without a liuely faythe in Christe shall come forth into the resurrection of lyfe those that haue doen euill shall come vnto resurrectiō of iudgement and very well they know also that to them that be contencious to them that will not be obedient vnto the truth but wil obey vnrighteousnes shall come indignacion wrathe and affliccion c. Therfore to conclude considerynge the infinite benefites of God shewed and exhibited vnto vs mercifully withoute oure desertes who hath not onely created vs of nothyng from a pece of vile clay of his infinite goodnes hath exalted vs as touchyng our soule vnto hys awne similitude and lykenesse but also wheras we were cōdempned to hel death eternall hath geuen his awne natural sonne beyng God eternall immortall and equal vnto himselfe in power glory to bee incarnated and to take our mortall nature vpō oim with the infirmities of the same and in the same nature ▪ to suffre moste shamefull and paynful death for our offences to thintent to iustifye vs to restore vs to lyfe euerlastyng so makyng vs also his dere beloued chyldrē brethren vnto his only sonne our sauior Christ inheritors for euer with him of his eternall kyngdō of heauē These greate and mercifull benefites of God if they be well considered do neither minister vnto vs occasiō to be idle to liue without doyng any good workes neither yet stirreth vs ▪ by any meanes to do euill thinges ▪ but contrarywise if we be not desperate persones and oure hartes harder then stones they moue vs to rendre our selfes vnto God wholy with all
liue according therunto such a man clerely deceiueth himself seeth not hys awn harte if he thinketh y t he either knoweth god loueth him feareth him or trusteth in him Some peraduēture phātasie in themselfes y t thei belōg to God althouh they lyue in synne so they come to y e Church shewe thēselfes as Gods dere childrē But s Ihō sayth plaīly if we saie y t we haue any company with God and walke in darkenesse we do lye Other doo vainly thīke that thei know loue God although they passe not of his cōmaundementes But s. Ihon saieth clerely he y t saieth I know God kepeth not hys cōmaūdementes he is a liar Some falsly perswade thēselfes y t thei loue God whē they hate their neighbors But s. Ihon saieth manifestly if any mā say I loue god yet hateth his brother he is a liar He that saieth y t he is in the light hateth his brother he is stil ī darkenesse He y t loueth his brother dwelleth in the light but he y t hateth hys brother is in darkenesse walketh in darkenesse and knoweth not whether he goeth for darkenesse hath blynded hys eyes And moreouer he saieth hereby we manifestly knowe the childrē of God from the children of the deuill He that doeth not righteously is not the childe of God nor he that hateth hys brother Deceiue not your selfes therfore thinkynge that you haue faith in God or that you loue God or do truste in hym or do feare hym when you lyue in sinne for then your vngodly sinfull life declareth y e contrary whatsoeuer ye saye or thinke It perteineth to a christian man to haue this true christian fayth and to trye himself whether he hath it or no to knowe what belongeth to it how it doeth worke in hym It is not the worlde that we can trust to ▪ the world and all that is therin is but vanitie It is God that muste be oure defence and protection against all tēptacion of wickednesse sinne errors supersticiō ydolatrie al euill If al the world were on our side God agaīst vs what could y ◠worlde auaile vs Therfore let vs set our whole fayth and trust in God neither the worlde the deuil nor al y e power of thē shal preuayle agaynst vs. Let vs therfore good christiā people trie examyne our faith what it is let vs not flatter our selfes but loke vpō our woorkes and so iudge of our fayth what it is Christe hīself speaketh of this matter saieth The tree is knowen by the fruicte Therefore let vs doo good workes therby declare our faythe to be y e liuely christian faith Let vs by suche vertues as ought to spryng out of fayth shew our elecciō to be sure stable as s. Peter teacheth Endeuor your selfs to make your calling electiō certain by good workes And also he saieth minister or declare in youre faith vertue in vertue knowledge in knowledge tēperaunce in tēperaunce paciēce again in pacience Godlinesse in Godlinesse brotherly charitie in brotherly charitie loue So shall we shew in dede y t we haue y e very liuely christiā faith may so both certefie our cōscience the better that we be in the righte faith also by these meanes cōfirme other men If these fruictes do not folowe we do but mocke with God deceiue our selfes also other mē Wel maye we beare y e name of Christiā mē but we do lacke the true faith that doeth belonge thereunto For true faithe doeth euer brynge furthe good workes as s. Iames saieth shewe me thy faythe by thy deedes Thy deedes workes must be an opē testimonial of thy fayth otherwise thy fayth beyng without good workes is but the deuils faith y e faith of y e wicked a phantasy of faith not a true christian faith And like as the deuils euil people be nothyng the better for their counterfet faith but it is vnto them the more cause of dāpnacion so thei y t be christened and haue receiued knowledge of God of Christes merites and yet of a set purpose do liue idlely without good workes thinkyng y e name of a naked faith to be either sufficiēt for thē or els settyng their mindes vpō vain pleasures of this world do liue in syn w tout repentaūce not vtteryng the fruites y t do belōg to suche an high profession vpon suche presūpteous persōs wilful synners must nedes remain y e great vengeaunce of God eternal punishmēt in hel prepared for y e deuil wicked liuers Therfore as you professe y e name of Christ good christian people let no suche phantasy and imaginacion of faith at any time beguile you but be sure of your faith trie it by your liuyng loke vpon the fruites y t commeth of it marke the increase of loue charitie by it towades God and your neighbor so shal you perceiue it to be a true liuely faith If you fele perceiue suche a faith in you reioyce in it be diligēt to maintein it and kepe it stil in you let it be daily increasing and more more by wel workyng so shal ye be sure y t you shal pleace god by this faith at the length as other faithful mē haue doen before so shal you whē his wil is come to him receiue thēde and final reward of your faith as s. Peter nameth it the saluacion of your soules the which God graunt vs that hath promised thesame vnto his faithfull To whō be al honor and glory worlde without ende Amen ¶ An Homelie or sermon of good woorkes annexed vnto faithe IN the last Sermon was declared vnto you what the liuely and true faithe of a christiā man is that it causeth not a man to be idle but to be occupied in bringyng furthe good workes as occasion serueth Now by Gods grace shalbe declared the seconde thyng that before was noted of faith that without it can no good worke be doen acceptable and pleasaunt vnto God For as a braunche cannot beare fruit of it self saith our sauior Christ except it abide in the vine so cannot you except you abide in me I am the vine and you be the braunches he that abydeth in me and I in hym he bringeth furthe muche fruit for without me you can do nothyng And S. Paule proueth that Enoche had faithe because he pleased God For without faithe saieth he it is not possible to please God And again to the Romay he saith whatsoeuer worke is doen without faith it is sinne Faith geueth life to the soule and thei bee asmuche ded to God that lacke faith as thei be to the world whose bodies lacke soules Without faith al that is doen of vs is but ded before God although the woorke seme neuer so gaie and glorious before man Euen as the picture grauen or painted is but a ded
and ioye with GOD for euer To whome be laude honor and imperie for euer euer AMEN ¶ An Homelie of Christian Loue and Charitie OF all thynges that be good to bee taught vnto christian people there is nothynge more necessarye to bee spokē of and dayely called vpon then charitie aswell for that all maner of woorkes of righteousnes be cōteyned in it as also that the decay therof is the ruyne of the worlde the banishmēt of vertue and the cause of all vice And for so muche as almoste euery mā maketh and frameth to hymself charitie after hys awne appetite howe detestable soeuer his lyfe be both vnto God man yet he perswadeth hymself stil that he hath charitie therfore you shall heare now a true playn descripcion of Charitie not of mennes imaginaciō but of the very woordes and example of our sauior Iesus Christ. In which descripcion euery mā as it were in a glasse maye considre himself se plainly without error whether he be in the true Charitie or not Charitie is to loue God with al our harte al our lyfe and all our powers and strength With all our harte that is to say that our hartes mynd and studye be set to beleue his worde to trust in him and to loue hym aboue al other thynges that we loue best in heauen or in yearth With al your lyfe that is to saye that our chief ioye delight be set vpon him his honor our whole lyfe geuē vnto the seruice of hym aboue all thynges with hym to lyue dye and to forsake all other thynges rather then hym For he that loueth hys father or mother sonne or daughter house or lāde more then me sayeth Christ is not worthy to haue me With all our powers that is to saye that with our handes fete with our eyes and eares our mouthes tongues and with all other partes powers both of body soule we should be geuen to the kepyng fulfillyng of his cōmaundementes This is the fyrste principall parte of charitie but it is not the whole for charitie is also to loue euery man good euil frende foo and whatsoeuer cause be geuē to the cōtrary yet neuertheles to beare good wil and harte vnto euery man to vse our selfes wel vnto them aswell in woordes countenaunce as in all our outwarde actes and deedes For so Christ himself taught so also he performed in dede Of the loue of God he taught in thys wyse vnto a doctor of the law that asked hym which was the great and chiefe commaundemente in the lawe Loue thy Lord God saied Christ with all thy hart with all thy lyfe and with al thy mynde And of the loue that we ought to haue emōg our selfes eche to other he teacheth vs thus you haue heard it taught in tymes paste thou shalt loue thy frende and hate thy foe but I tell you loue youre enemyes speake wel of them that diffame you speake euill of you do well to theim that hate you praye for them that vexe and persetute you that you maye be the chyldren of your father that is in heauē For he maketh hys sunne to ryse both vpon the euyl and good and sendeth rayne to iuste and vniuste For yf you loue them that loue you what rewarde shall you haue Do not the Publicans likewyse And if you speake well onely of them that be your brethren and derebeloued frendes what great matter is that Do not the Heathen thesame also These be the very woordes of our sauior Christ himself touchyng the loue of our neighbor And for asmuche as the Phariseis with their moste pestilente tradicions false interpretacions gloses had corrupted and almost clerely stopped vp this pure wel of Gods liuely worde teachyng that this loue and charitie perteyned onely to a mannes frendes that it was sufficiente for a man to loue them which do loue hym to hate his fooes therfore Christ opened thys welle agayn pourged it scoured it by geuyng vnto his Godly lawe of charitie a true clere interpretacion which is this that we ought to loue euery mā both frende and fooe addyng thereto what commoditie we shal haue thereby and what incōmoditie by doynge the contrary What thyng can we wishe so good for vs as the eternall heauenly father to repute take vs for hys chyldren And this shal we be sure of sayeth Christe if we loue euery man withoute exception And if we doo otherwyse saieth he we be no better then the Phariseis Publicans Heathen and shal haue our rewarde with them that is to be excluded from the number of Gods electe chyldren and from hys euerlastynge inheritaunce in heauen Thus of true Charitie Christ taught that euery man is bounde to loue God aboue all thynges and to loue euery man frend fooe And thus likewyse he did vse hymselfe exhortynge hys aduersaries rebukynge the faultes of hys aduersaryes and when he coulde not amende them yet he prayed for them Firste he loued God hys father abouee all thinges so muche that he soughte not hys awne glory wil but the glory and wyl of hys father I seke not said he myne awne wyl but the wyl of hym that sent me Nor he refused not to dye to satisfie his fathers wil saiyng if it maye be let this cuppe of death go frō me if not thy wyll be doen and not myne He loued not onely hys frendes but also hys enemyes which in their hartes bare exceeding great hatred agaīst hym in their tongues spake all euill of hym and in their actes and dedes pursued hym with all their might and power euen vnto death Yet al this notwithstandynge he withdrewe not hys fauor from them but styll loued them preached vnto theim of loue rebuked theyr false doctryne theyr wycked liuyng and did good vnto them paciently accepting whatsoeuer they spake or did agaynst hym When they gaue hym euill woordes he gaue none euyll agayn when they did stryke hym he did not smyte agayne when he suffered death he dyd not sle them nor threaten them but prayed for them and referred all thinges to hys fathers wyl And as a shepe that is led vnto the shambles to be slayn and as a lambe y t is shorne of hys fleese make no noyse nor resistēce euē so wente he vnto his death without any repugnaunce or openynge of his mouth to saye any euil Thus haue I described vnto you what charitie is aswel by y e doctryne as by the exāple of Christ himself Wherby also euery man maye without error know hymself what state and condiciō he standeth in whether he be in Charitie so the chyld of the father in heauen or not For althoughe almoste euery man perswadeth hymself to be in charitie yet let hym examine none other man but his awne hart his life conuersacion and he shal not be deceiued
examples of holy scripture we maye knowe that as we forsake God so shall he euer forsake vs. And what miserable state doth cōsequently and necessariely folow therupon a man maye easely consider by the terrible threatenynges of God And although he considre not al the sayde miserie to the vttermost beyng so great that it passeth any mans capacitie in this lyfe sufficiētly to cōsydre thesame yet he shal soone perceyue somuch therof that if his hart be not more then stony or harder then the Adamant he shall feare tremble and quake to call thesame to hys remembraunce Fyrste the displeasure of God towardes vs is commonly expressed in the scripture by these twoo thinges by shewynge hys fearefull countenaunce vpon vs and by turnyng his face or hiding it from vs. By shewyng his dreadful countenaunce is signifyed his great wrath but by turnynge hys face or hidinge therof is many tymes more signified that is to saye that he clerely forsaketh vs geueth vs ouer The whiche significacions be taken of y e properties of mens maners For men towardes them whome they fauour commōly beare a good a chearefull and a louing countenaūce so that by the face or countenaūce of a man it doth commonly appere what wyl or minde he beareth towardes other So when God doeth shew hys dreadfull countenaunce towardes vs that is to say doeth send dreadful plagues of sword famyne or pestilence vpon vs it appereth that he is greatly wroth with vs. But when he withdraweth from vs hys woorde the righte doctryne of Christe hys gracious assistence and ayde which is euer ioyned to hys worde and leaueth vs to our awne wit our awne wyll and strength he declareth then that he beginneth to forsake vs. For where as God hath shewed to all them that truely beleue his Gospel his face of mercy in Iesus christ whiche doeth so lighten theyr hartes that they if they beholde it as they ought to do be transformed to hys Image bee made partakers of the heauenly light and of hys holy spirite and bee fashioned to him in all goodnes requisite to the childrē of God so if they after do neglecte thesame if they bee vnthankefull vnto hym if they ordre not their lyfes accordynge to hys example and doctryne and to the settyng furth of hys glory he wyll take awaye from them hys kyngdō his holy word wherby he should reigne in thē because they bryng not furth the fruit therof that he loketh for Neuertheles he is so mercifull of so long sufferaūce that he doth not shewe vpon vs that great wrathe sodainly But when we beginne to shrinke from his worde not beleuing it or not expressing it in oure liuinges firste he doeth send hys messengers y e true preachers of his worde to admonish vs of our dutie that as he for hys part for y e great loue he bare vnto vs deliuered his awn sonne to suffre death that we by hys death myghte be deliuered frō death be restored to the lyfe eternall euermore to dwel with hym to be partakers and inheritors with hym of hys euerlastyng glory and kingdome of heauen so agayn that we for our partes shoulde walke in a godly lyfe as becōmeth hys chyldrē to do And if thys wyl not serue but stil we remayne disobedient to hys worde and wyll not knowyng him not louing him not fearing him not puttyng our whole trust confidēce in him and on the otherside to our neighbors behauing vs vncharitably by disdayne enuye malice or by cōmittyng murther robbery adultry gluttony deceipt liyng swearyng or other like detestable workes vngodly behauioure then he threateneth vs by terryble cōminacions swearynge in great angree that whosoeuer doeth these workes shall neuer entre into his reste whiche is the kyngdome of heauen Now if this gentle monicion and comminacion together do not serue then god will shewe his terrible countenaūce vpō vs he will powre intollerable plagues vpon our hedes after he wyll take away frō vs all hys ayde assistence wherwith before he did defend vs from all such maner of calamitie As the Euāgelical prophet Esaye agreyng with Christes parable doth teache vs saiyng That God had made a goodly vineyarde for hys beloued children he hedged it he walled it rounde about he plāted it with chosen vynes made a Turret in the myddes therof therein also a wine presse And when he loked that it should bryng hym furth good grapes it brought furth wylde grapes and after it foloweth Now shall I shew you saieth God what I will do with my vyneyarde I wil pluck doune the hedges that it may perysh I will breake downe the walles that it may be trodē vnder fote I wil let it lie wast it shall not be cutte it shall not be didged but briers and thornes shall ouergrowe it I shall cōmaunde the cloudes that they shall no more rayne vpon it By these threatenynges we ar monyshed y t if we whiche are the chosen vyneyarde of God bryng not furth good grapes y t is to say good workes y t may be delectable pleasaūt in hys sight whē he loketh for thē when he sendeth his messengers to cal vpon vs for thē but rather bring furth wyld grapes y t is to say sower workes vnswete vnsauery vnfruictfull thē wil he plucke away all defence suffre greuous plagues of famyne battaile dearth death to light vpō vs. Finally if these do not yet serue he wil let vs lie wast he wil geue vs ouer he wyl turne away frō vs he will dygge delue no more aboute vs he wil let vs alone suffre vs to brynge furthe euen such fruite as we wyl to bryng furth brābles bryers and thornes all naughtynes all vice that so abundantlye that they shal cleane ouergrow vs suffocate strangle vtterly destroye vs. But they that in thys worlde lyue not after god but after theyr awne carnal libertie perceyue not thys greate wrath of god towardes them that he wyll not dygge nor delue any more about them that he doeth let them alone euen to them selfes But they take thys for a great benefite of god to haue all theyr awne libertye so they liue as carnall libertye were the true libertye of the Gospel But god forbidde good people that euer we should desyre such libertie For although god suffre sometymes y e wicked to haue their pleasure in thys world yet the end of vngodly liuyng is at length eternall destruction The murmuryng Israelites had that they longed for they had quayles enough yea til they were wery of thē But what was y e end therof their swete meate had soure sauce euē whiles the meat was in theyr mouthes y e plague of God lighted vpō thē sodainely they died So if we liue vngodly God suffreth vs to folowe our awne wylles to haue our awne delightes pleasures correcteth vs not w t some plague it is
saluacion and gracious redempcion and beleue hys worde serue hym frō our hartes loue obeye hym and whatsoeuer we haue done heretofore contrarye to hys moste holy wyll now let vs repent in tyme and hereafter study to correct our lyfe doubt not but we shall finde hym as mercifull vnto vs as he was either to Lazarus or to y e thefe whose exāples are written in holy scripture for the comfort of thē that be sinners and subiecte to sorowes miseries calamities in this worlde that thei shoulde not despayre in Gods mercy but euer truste therby to haue forgiuenesse of their synnes lyfe euerlastinge as Lazarus and the thefe had Thus I trust euery christen man perceyueth by the infallible woorde of God that bodiely death cannot harme nor hinder theim that truly beleue in Christ but contrary shal profit promote the christen soules whiche beynge truly penitēt for their offences departe hēce in perfect charitie and in sure truste that God is mercifull to thē forgiuinge theyr synnes for the merites of Iesus Christe hys onely naturall sonne The seconde cause why some do feare death is sore sickenesse and greuous paynes whiche partly come before death and partely accompayneth deathe whensoeuer it cometh This feare is the feare of the frayle fleashe and a naturall passion belonginge vnto the nature of a mortall man But true fayth in Gods promyses and regarde of the paynes and pangues whiche Christe vpon the crosse suffered for vs miserable synners with consideracion of the ioye and euerlastyng lyfe to come in heauen wil mitigate those paynes and moderate thys feare y t it shall neuer be able to ouerthrowe the hartie desire and gladnesse that the christian soule hath to be seperated from thys corrupt body that it maye come to the gracious presence of our sauiour Iesus Christ. If we beleue stedfastly the woorde of god we shal perceyue that suche bodiely sickenesse pangues of death or whatsoeuer dolorous paynes we suffre either before or with death be nothynge els in Christē mē but the rodde of our heauenly and louynge father wherwith he mercifully correcteth vs either to trie and declare the faythe of hys pacient chyldren that they maye be founde laudable glorious and honorable in hys sight when Iesus Christ shalbe openly shewed to be the Iudge of al the worlde or els to chastise and amende in them whatsoeuer offendeth hys fatherly and gracious goodnesse lest they shoulde peryshe euerlastingly And this hys correctynge rodde is common to all them that be truly hys Therfore let vs caste away the burden of synne that lyeth so heuye in our neckes and returne vnto God by true penaunce and amendemente of our lyfes Let vs with paciēce runne thys course that is appoynted sufferyng for hys sake that dyed for our saluacion al sorowes and pangues of death and death it selfe ioyfully when God sendeth it to vs hauynge our eyes fixed euer vpon the heade and capitayn of our fayth Iesus Christe Who considerynge the ioye that he shoulde come vnto cared neyther for the shame nor payne of deathe but willingly conformyng hys wyll to hys fathers wyll moste paciently suffered the moste shamefull and paynefull deathe of the crosse beyng innocent And now therfore he is exalted in heauen and euerlastingly sitteth on the rigtht hande of the throne of God the father Let vs call to our remembraunce therfore the lyfe and ioyes of heauen that are kepte for al them that paciently doo suffre here with Christe and cōsider that Christe suffered all hys paynfull passion by synners and for synners and then we shall with pacience and the more easyly suffre suche sorowes and paynes when they come Let vs not set at light the chastisinge of the Lorde nor grudge at hym nor fall from hym when of hym we be corrected for the Lorde loueth them whom he doth correcte and beateth euery one whom he taketh to be hys chylde What chylde is that saieth saincte Paule whome the father loueth and doth not chastice If ye be without Gods correctiō which al hys welbeloued and true children haue then be you but bastardes finally regarded of God not hys true chyldren Therfore seynge that whē we haue in earth our carnall fathers to be our correctors we do feare them and reuerently take their correction shall we not much more be in subieccion to God our spirituall father by whome we shall haue eternal lyfe And our carnall fathers some tyme correct vs euen as pleaseth thē without cause but this father iustely correcteth vs either for our synne to the intēt we should amende or for our commoditie wealthe to make vs therby partakers of his holynesse Furthermore all correction whiche God sendeth vs in thys present tyme semeth to haue no ioye and comforte but sorowe and payne Yet it bringeth with it a taste of Gods mercye and goodnes towardes thē that be so corrected a sure hope of Godes euerlastyng consolacion in heauē If then these sorowes diseases and sickenesses and also death it selfe be nothyng els but our heauenly fathers rod wherby he certifieth vs of hys loue gracious fauor wherby he trieth and purifieth vs wherby he geueth vnto vs holynesse certifieth vs that we be hys children and he our mercifull father shall not we then with all humilitie as obedyent louyng chyldren ioyfully kysse our heauenly fathers rod and euer saye in oure harte with oure sauior Iesus Christe Father if this āguishe and sorowe wich I fele and death which I se approche maye not passe but that thy wyll is that I muste suffre them thy wyll be done Now the thirde and speciall cause why death in deede is too be feared is the miserable state of the worldly and vngodly people after their death But this is no cause at all why the godly and faytheful people should feare death but rather contrariwise their godly conuersacion in thys lyfe and beliefe in Christ cleauing continually to hys merites should make them to longe sore after that lyfe that remayneth for them vndoubtedly after this bodely death Of this immortall state after thys transitory lyfe where we shal liue euermore in the presence of god in ioye and reste after victory ouer all sickenes sorowes sinne and death there be many bothe playn places of holy scripture which confirme the weake conscience agaynst the feare of al suche dolours sickenesses synne and death corporal to asswage such trembling and vngodly feare and to encourage vs with comforte and hope of a blessed state after thys life Sainct Paule wissheth vnto the Ephesians y t God the father of glory woulde geue vnto theim y e spirite of wisedome and reuelacion that the eyes of their hartes might haue light to knowe him and to perceyue how great thinges he had called thē vnto and how riche inheritaunce he hath prepared after this life for thē that perteyne vnto hym And sainct Paul himself declareth the desire of his hart which was