with thy iudgements doest shake all my lims with feare trembling doest out of measure terrifie my hart This doe I ponder vpon amazedly that the very Heauens are not cleane in thy sight And if thou haue founde sinne in the very aungels themselues hast not spared them what shal then become of me If the Starres themselues haue fallen from heauen what may I being dust hope for They haue fallen down to the lowest places whose works did séeme laudable and praise worthy and they that did eate the bread of Aungels those sawe I to be delighted with Hogs meate and draffe Therefore Lorde there is no holinesse if thou once plucke backe thy hande No wisedome preuaileth if thou cease to gouerne No strength helpeth if thou leauest to kéepe and preserue No chastitie is in safetie vnlesse thou defende it No kéeping of a mans selfe doth profite vnlesse thy holye watching go withall For being once forsaken we are drowned and doe perysh and when thou doest take care ouer vs then we liue erected and lyfted vp We are in our owne respect but vnconstant Of thée we be confirmed and strengthned we are but warme of our selues of thée we are kindled Surely I must thinke of my selfe most humbly and basely must altogither way my selfe at nothing if that I séeme to haue any goodnesse in me I say again that I ought to submit my selfe most lowlye vnto those thy vnsearchable iudgments wherin I find that I am nought else but nothing of nothing O waight without mesure O sea that cannot be passed thorow wherein I finde my self to be nothing but altogither of nothing Where is then the couert of glory Where is then the confidence of glorie for the which thou hast bargayned Al vaine glory is swallowed vp in the gulfe of thy iudgements that thou hast of me What are all mortal men in thy sight Clay may boast it selfe against the Potter belike Can he ware prowd with vaine praises whose mind is subiect vnto god in the truth No though the whole worlde doe extol him after that the truth hath once made him subiect vnto it I say he shal be mooued with no bodies prayses that hath fixed his whole hope in god For euen al they that do speake are but nothing and shall fade away with the sounde of their owne wordes But the truth of the Lorde abideth for euer How we must be minded and what we ought to saye in such things as we desire to haue The .xvi. Chapter LORDE SOnne thus must thou saye in all thinges Lorde if it shall please thee let it bee euen so Lord if this shal be to thine honour bee it done in thy name Lorde if thou see that this shall be expedient and profitable for me bring it to passe that I maye vse it to thine honour but in case thou know that it shall not be for the health of my soule but hurtfull therevnto take this desire from me For euery desire is not of the holye spirite although it séeme right and good vnto man but harde it is to iudge whether a good or a wicked spirite doe enforce thée to couet after this or that or whether thou bée mooued rather within thine owne spirite Many men haue béene deceyued at the last which dyd séeme to be stirred at the first with a good spirit Therefore we must alwayes couet with the feare of God lowlinesse of mind whatsoeuer commeth into our heads by occasion to wishe for and the whole matter must bée committed to God with vnfained chiding of our selues and thus must we say Lord thou knowest whether of both is more expediēt for me do thou whether of both thou wilt thy self Giue me that thou wilt and as much as thou wilt and at what time thou wilt Deale with me as thou knowest it méete for me to be delt with al and as it liketh thée and as the thing may procure greatest glorie vnto thée Place me there where thou wilt deale fréely with me in al things I am in thy hands turne me and tosse me euery way Beholde I thy seruant am prest vnto al things for as much as I desire to liue I pray God accordingly and perfitely not vnto my selfe but vnto thee Pryaers to performe Gods will. The .xvij. Chapter SERVANT GRaunt vnto me O most bountifull Iesu thy fauour which may be assistant vnto me may labour with me may continue wyth mée to the verye ende Graunt vnto me euermore to will and couet the thinges which are acceptable and deare vnto thée Let thy will be my wil and let my will away follow thine and iustly agrée with thine Let one willing one nilling be common vnto vs both in such wise that I maye will or nill nothing but that which thou wyllest or nillest Graunt me to die vnto al things that are in the worlde and to loue to be contemned and not knowne in this world for thy sake Graunt me aboue all my wishes to repose and rest my self in thée and to haue a quiet and contented minde Thou art the true peace of the heart Thou art the onely rest out of thée are al things difficult and vnquiet In this peace that is to say in thée onely being the chiefest and euerlasting goodnesse will I sléepe and take my rest That true comfort must be sought for in God onely The xviij Chapter WHatsoeuer comfort I can wish for or imagine the same doe I not looke for here in this world but in the world to come Now if I alone had euen all the comforts that are any where and coulde enioy all maner delicates and dainties certaine it is that the same could not long continue or endure Therfore O my soule thou canst not attaine full comfort be perfitely refreshed sauing onely in God the comforter of the néedie and the helper of the modest Looke a litle while O my soule looke a little while after Gods promise and then thou shalt attaine plentie of all good things in heauen Now if thou wilt somewhat inordinately couet these present things thou shalt léese the euerlasting and heauenly things Let temporall thinges be in vse and occupying but let the euerlasting things be in thy desire Thou canst not be filled with anye temporall good thing bycause thou wast not created to enioye the same Albeit thou haddest all good things that are created yet couldest thou not be blessed notwithstanding Nay thy felicitie consisteth in God the creator of all things I meane not such as is thought so and praised of the folish worldlings but such as the good faithfull Disciples of Christ doe looke after such as the spiritual and cleane of hart whose conuersation is in heauen do sometime foretaste in this life Vaine and short is all mans comfort blessed and true is that which is receyued inwardly from the truth The godly person both euery where cary Iesus Christ hys comforter about
roauing abroade but after the tyme is once past what good hast thou gotten thereby vnlesse it be déepe repentance and vayne wandring about of the Soule A merrie goyng foorth is oftentimes cause of a sorrowfull returning and a ioyfull Euening watch doth cause a sad Morning Thus the whole ioye of the fleshe doth enter in wyth a flatteryng countenaunce but at length it nyppeth and stayeth What canst thou sée else where that thou mayest not beholde here in thy Cell Loe where the Heauen and the Earth and all the Elementes are For of these are all thinges created What canst thou sée anye where that doth long endure in hys beyng is Perchaunce thou thinkest to be satisfied with such contemplation but that shalt thou neuer attaine vnto If thou couldest beholde presently euen all things that euer are what shoulde they be else but a vaine spectacle and sight Life vp thine eâ—â—â— aloft vnto God and craue pardone for thy sinnes and offences Gyue ouer vayne thynges vnto vayne persones and busye thou thy selfe aboute those which GOD doth commaunde to meddle wyth Shut thy selfe close within thy house and call thy beloued Iesus vnto thée Abyde stil with him in thy selfe for elsewhere shalt thou neuer fynde so great peace If thou haddest not gone abroade nor hearde anye rumours of thynges thou shouldest sooner haue continued styll in quyet peace Now séeyng that it doth sometime delyte thée to heare noueltyes it falleth out that thou muste bée fayne to beare the trouble and vnquyetnesse of the soule Of Chastising thy soule and keeping the same in awe The xxi Chapter IF thou wylte any thyng come forwarde hold fast the feare of God and bée not ouer dissolute or retchelsse but kéepe in all thy powers vnder discipline and yéelde not thy selfe vppe to vayne and transitorye ioye of the worlde Addicte thy selfe to a correcting and chastinyng of thy soule whereby thou shalt finde godlynesse Great is the commoditye of such chastisement and exercyse which slouthfulnesse and sluggerdy is went soone to destroy A wonder it is that any man can euer reioyce truely in this world which considereth and waieth thorowly hys owne banishment and so manye daungers of his soule For the lacke of due consideration and by meanes of our dulnesse we doe not féele the sorowes of our minde in our offences but many times doe laugh with lightnesse when rather we had good cause to wéepe if we did looke well vnto it There is no true libertie or substantiall ioye in anye thing sauing in the feare of God ioyned with a good conscience Happie is the man that is able to cast awaye the impediments and lets of all worldely thynges and yéelde himselfe wholy to the chastining of hys soule Happie is he that renounceth and putteth from hym whatsoeuer may staine and burthen his conscience Fight like a man Custome is maistred wyth custome If thou canst perswade thy selfe not to meddle in other mens matters they lykewise shall not haue to doe with thyne Procure not thy selfe another mans charge or inwrap not thy selfe with the causes of thy betters Haue chiefely thine eyes alwayes bent vpon thy selfe and admonishe or warne thy selfe more than all other of thy deare friendes besides are woont If thou be boyde of the fauour and good will of men doe not admonishe thy selfe wyth an euill wyll but rather take it grieuously that thou doest not so wel and circumspectly behaue thy selfe as it becommeth the seruant of God and the person vertuous in déede It is both more profytable and more safe for a man manye times to haue few comforts in this life especially worldely for in that wée eyther haue not or doe seldome féele such coÌ„forts as God doth minister we our selues are therefore to blame which neither séeke after the prickes of conscience nor yet wholy cast away vaine and outward comforts Wéete thou wel that thou art not onely vnworthy of diuine comfort but also worthie of great myserie If a man be at any time pricked with the true sorowes of heart it commeth to passe thereby that the whole worlde is bitter and yrkesome vnto him The good man findeth sufficient causes to bée sorye and to wéepe or mourne For whether he consider himself or else looke vpon an other man he séeth that no body lyueth wythout calamitie in this worlde and the more déepely be considereth hymselfe so much the more grieuouslye hoth hée sorrowe Now the causes of due sorrow and pricke of conscience are our owne sinnes and vices in the which we doe so lie weltred and wrapped that we are seldome times able to behold the heauenly things If thou wouldest more oftentimes muse vpon thy death than thinke vpon longnesse of lyfe there is no doubt but that thou wouldest worke the amendement of thy selfe the more earnestlye Agayne if thou wouldest throughly waye in thy minde the tormentes that shall be in hell gladly I thinke thou wouldest sustaine labour and sorrowe and wouldest not be afearde of any seueritie and streightnesse applied to thy selfe But bicause those things are not suffered to sincke déepely into our mindes and for that we are yet in loue with flattering shewes of the worlde it hapneth that we continue styll to remaine colde and slow many times poore and néedie of the spirite of God whereby our wretched bodie taketh occasion quickly to coÌ„plaine and mone Wherfore make thy praier vnto God with humblenesse of heart that he will stirre vp his heauenly sparkes and motions in thy soule and saye thus wyth that Prophete Feede me O Lord with the bread of teares and wash away my Cup with mourning The consideration of mans miseries The .xxij. Chapter THou art a wretch whersoeuer thou bée and whither soeuer thou turne thy self vnlesse thou turne thy selfe vnto god Wherfore art thou troubled or disquieted when things frame not according to thy harts desire What is he vnto whome all things fall out as he wisheth It is not I it is not thou it is not any man liuing beside I say there is no man lyuing voyde of all calamitie and traueyle no not the King no not the Pope himselfe Who is then in the best case of all others euen he that is able to suffer some thing for Gods sake Most of them that are weakelings and fraile doe commonly say Ah sée how happily he lyueth yonder how welthy he is how mightie he is in how great honour he is what a big man he is what a well fauoured man he is But looke thou vpon the heauenly good things and thou shalt sée that all these good thinges of this mortall life are nothing to be accounted of bring altogither vncertayne burdensome as the which we neuer doe possesse without carefulnesse and feare The felicitie of man doth not consist in the plentie of such maner of good things but rather a measure ought to be sufficient vnto him therein For to lyue bent vnto the earth is very miserie indéede The more diuine or
wyth our whole heart and mouth and to doe his commaundements Would to God we being frée from all worldly affaires would care only for heauenly things for after that man is once come to that point that he séeketh for comfort of no worldly thing then at the length it commeth to passe that GOD doth begin in déede to smatter and sauour vnto him and that hée taketh all things in good woorth howsoeuer they fall out and neyther in prosperitie is puffed vp with gladnesse nor yet in afflictyons is disgraced with heauinesse but committeth himselfe altogither wyth confidence vnto God which is all in all vnto whome nothing perisheth or dyeth but all things doe liue and are obedient at his beck or call without any delay Looke euer to thine ende and remember well that lost time shall neuer returne againe thou shalt neuer attaine vnto vertue surely wythout carefulnesse and dilygence And if it shall chaunce thée to waxe warme thou shalt styll be in case woorse and woorse but if thou wilte applie thy worke wyth a zealous Soule thou shalt finde perfit peace and shalt féele thy labour to bée more slight both for the fauor of God towards thée also for thyne own loue of vertue A feruent and diligent man is readye to all thinges It is greater labor to resist vices troublesome affections of the mynde than to sweate with bodily labors And he that auoydeth not small offences the same by lyttle and lyttle falleth into greater faultes Thou shalt alwayes reioyce at night if thou hast bestowed the daye fruitefully watch vnto thine owne selfe stirre vp and admonish thine owne self despise not thyne one selfe whatsoeuer at any time doth happen vnto other men So much good shalt thou doe herein after as thou shall enforce and compell thy selfe The seconde Booke Of the Inwarde life of man The first Chapter THE Kingdome of GOD is within you saith the lord Turne thy selfe wyth thy whole hart to the Lorde forsaking this wretched worlde and thy soule shall finde rest Leare to contemne outward thinges and to giue thy selfe to the inwarde things so shalt thou sée the Kingdome of God to come into thée For the Kingdome of God is peace and ioye in the holy Ghost which is not gyuen to the godlesse or wicked Christ will come vnto thée to giue thée his comfort so that thou wilt prouide him a dwelling place méete for hym within thée For the whole beautie and brauerie thereof remayneth within there is hée willingly conuersaunt he maketh often repaire to the inwarde man To the inwarde man he hath swéete communication acceptable comfort much peace singuler familiaritie Come of thou faithfull soule prepare thy heart vnto thys Bridegrome to thintent he may vouchsafe to come vnto thée and inhabite within thée For thus he sayth If any man loue me the same will keepe my sayings and I and my father will come vnto him and dwell wyth him Therefore giue a place vnto Christ denying to all other any entraunce vnto thée If thou shalt haue him thy guest thou shalt then be ryche and welthie He will looke vnto thée and so faithfully doe all thine affayres that there shall be no néede for thée to put thy hope in men for men are quickly altered and swiftly breake frendship but Christ abideth stil by it for euer and is a constaunt helpe vnto his seruaunts vnto the verye ende There is neither great trust nor affiance to bée put in a frayle mortall man though he be profitable and thy deare fryend neither must thou greatly be sory if the same at sometime withstande thée gaine say thée Possible it is that those which be on thy side to daye be to morrow against thée and so cōtrarilye bicause they are often altred like the winde Put thy whole trust and confidence in the Lorde so demeane thy selfe that thou mayest feare him and that thou mayest loue him He it is that wil handle thy cause aright set the same in verye good order Thou hast no permament dwelling place and aboade in this life but whersoeuer thou become thou art but a forreiner and a traueiler that shall neuer attaine to rest vntil thou be nighly ioyned with Christ. Why dost thou gaze about thee here séeyng thys is not the place of thy rest Thy dwellyng ought to bée in heauenlye thinges and all thynges earthly must be looked vpon by the way onely that is how al things doe passe and vanishe and thou lykewyse wyth the same Beholde them in such wise that thou doe not cleaue fast vnto them least thou being entrapped doe perishe Let thy thoughts be directed vnto almighty God call vpon Christ Iesus wyth praiers wythout intermission and ceassing If thou canst not tell how to occupie thy minde in the contemplacion of hygh and heauenlye thynges yet rest or staye in the passion of Christ and dwell gladly vpon his woundes For if thou shalt relygiouslye flye to those healthsome wounds and stripes of Christ thou shalt féele a great strengthning in thy aduersitie and shalt not much passe vppon the contempt of men but shalt with facilitie beare their false and craftie accusations Christ himself in the worlde was taken but for an abiecte among men and was in the middest of his rebukes forsaken of his acquaintaunce and friends at his greatest néede Christ hymselfe woulde suffer and be despised and wilt thou dare to complaine and moane for any thing Christ had aduersaries and euill reporters wylt thou haue all men to be thy friends speake well of thée Howe shall thy pacience bée exercised if no aduersitye shall happen vnto thée If thou wylte suffer nothyng that is contrarye vnto thée howe wylt thou be the friend of Christ Thou must suffer aduersitye both wyth Christ and for Christ if thou wilt raigne wyth christ If thou hast truely entred but once into the bowels of Chryst and hadst but a little tasted of the feruentcie of hys loue thou wouldest not onely nothyng passe vppon thine owne commodities or incommodityes but also wouldest reioyce at thyne infamye or slaunder For the loue of Iesus causeth a man to contemne hymselfe I say the louer of Iesus and the true inward man and one voyde of inordinate desires is able fréely to turne himselfe vnto God being lifted vp in spirite aboue himselfe to enioy the same God quietly He which wayeth all things as they be in déede and not as they be called or supposed the same is truely wise and rather taught at Gods hande than of men Hée that can tell how to lyue inwardelye and lyttle to waye outwarde thynges the same doth neyther requyre places nor yet looke after tymes to practyse hys religious or Godly exercyses The inwarde man doth quickely call home hymselfe bycause he neuer outwardely sheweth what hée is altogyther The outewarde labour is no iet vnto him or hys necessarie businesse for the tyme But rather as all thyngs doe
receiue the sounde of that noyse that God maketh vnto them and take no héede at all vnto the noises of this world Blessed altogither are the eares which harcken not vnto the voyce that soundeth outwardelye but heareth the truth and speakeing inwardlye Blessed are the eyes which being shut vnto outward thinges are wholly bent vpon inward things Blessed are they that pierce vnto inward things and doe more and more endeuor to prepare thēselues by daily exercises to receiue heauenly secrets Blessed are they that take it ioyefully to giue themselues vnto god and to ridde themselues from all worldely let Marke these things O my soule and shutte foorth desires that thou mayest able to heare what thing the LORD God doth speake in thée Thy friende speaketh these things I am thy health and saluation I am thy peace I am thy lyfe cleaue first vnto me and thou shalt finde peace Let passe all worldly things and séeke for euerlastyng things For what are all temporall thinges but onely very deceites Or what doe all the Creatures profite thée if thou be forsaken of the Creator Wherfore reiecting al things make thy selfe accepted and faythfull to thy Creator that thou mayest be able to attayne vnto true blessednesse That the truth doth speake within vs without noyse of wordes The .ij. Chapter SPeake Lorde for thy seruant doth hearcken I am thy seruant giue me vnderstanding that I maye learne thy lawes and decrées Incline my soule to the wordes of thy mouth bicause thy talke floweth lyke vnto dewe The Israelites sayd to Moyses in olde time Speake thou vnto vs and wee will heare thee but let not the Lorde speake least we shoulde die Howbeit I pray not so O Lorde I pray not so but rather with the Prophet Samuell doe humbly and earnestly beséeche thée thus speake on Lorde For thy seruaunt doth hearken And let not Moyses or any other of the Prophets speake vnto mée but doe thou rather speake vnto me O God being the inspirer and gyuer of life vnto al the Prophets who art able alone without them to instruct me Whereas they on the other side wythout thée can preuayle nothing In déede they may vtter and sounde foorth the wordes but the spirite they doe not giue They speake in déede very trimlye but if thou holde thy peace they doe not kindle and stirre vp the soule They teache the letters but thou openest the meaning They speake foorth the secretes but thou vnlockest the vnderstanding of the thinges signified They vtter the commaundements but thou helpest to performe the same They shewe the waye but thou giuest strength to walke ouer the same they handle the matter outwardlye but thou instructest and gyuest lyght vnto the minds They water outwardly but thou giuest the fruitfulnesse They cry out in words but thou giuest vnderstanding to the hearer Wherfore let not Moises speak vnto me but thou O Lorde my God beyng the euerlasting truth least I die and be made vnfruitefull or least if I shall be admonished outwardly onely and not also kindled or inflamed within thy worde being hearde not practised knowne not loued beléeued and not kept make but vnto my punishment Therfore do thou speake O Lord for thy seruant doth giue eare For thou hast the words of euerlasting life Speake vnto me I saye that thing which may bring both comfort vnto my soule and amendement vnto my whole life and also may cause glory and immortall honour vnto thée That the wordes of God are to be heard humbly and that the same notwithstanding be not pondred and weyed of most men The thirde Chapter LORDE SOnne heare my words being wordes most swéete and pleasant and such as doe excell all the wysedome of the Philosophers and wise of this worlde My words are spirite and life and not to bée wayed with mans wit and policie nor yet to be drawn vnto vaine pleasure but to be hard with silence and to be receiued with all modestie and godlynesse SERVANT Blessed is he whome thou instructest and traynest vp in knowledge O Lorde and doest teache thy lawe that thou mayest helpe him in time of trouble that hée perish not LORDE I both haue taught the Prophets long since in olde time and euen yet also now doe not cease to speake vnto all men Howebeit many are deafe and hard hearted at my voyce Most men doe more willingly heare the worlde than God and doe sooner obey the appetite and desire of their owne fleshe than the wyll of god The worlde promyseth but temporall and small thyngs and yet is it serued with great gréedinesse I doe promise excéeding great and euerlasting things yet are the hearts of men heauy and dull What is he that serueth and obeieth me in al things wyth so great care as the worlde and the LORDE of the worlde are serued Bée ashamed of it and if thou wouldest knowe why hearken and giue eare vnto me Many men doe run a great iourney for a little wages or hier and there be scarcely a fewe that will once step forward a fote to get euerlasting life A vile rewarde is painefully sought for men doe shamefullye go to lawe togither sometime for a small péece of money and men doubt not both day and night to be tryed for a vaine tryfle and small promise but it yrketh them to traueyle euen the least thing in the worlde for a good thing vnchaungeable for a rewarde vnestimable for honor excéeding and for glory immortall Therefore be thou ashamed thou slow complayning seruant bycause they are more ready and quicke vnto destruction than thou art vnto lyfe and doe more reioyce in vanitie than thou in truth And as for them they are disappoined of their hope sometime but my promise deceiueth no man nor sendeth any man away vnspedde of his erraunt putting his trust in mée That which I promise and prouounce in words the same doe I performe and fulfill in déede in case a man doe perseuere stil vnto the ende in the loue of me I am the rewarder of all good thinges I am also an earnest searcher and tryer of all the godly Wryte my wordes in thy heart and occupie thy selfe diligently about the same For they shall bée verye necessary in the time of thy trouble The things that thou vnderstandest not when thou readest them the same shalt thou knowe in the time of thy curyng and healyng And after two sortes am I woont to cure and heale my elect that is wyth temptacyon and wyth comforte and the same I dailye scoole twoo wayes Fyrst in fynding faulte wyth theyr sinnes then with exhorting and stirring them vp vnto the increase of vertues He that hath my words and despiseth the same he hath that of which he shall be cōdemned in the last day ¶ A prayer by which heauenly doctrine and religion is called for The .iiij. Chapter SERVANT O My God which art my whole goodnesse who am I that I dare bée so bolde as to speake vnto
to morrow is no where Feare God and thou shalt not feare men What hurt can any man doe with his words or wrongs He hurteth himself rather than thée and cannot escape the iudgement of God whosoeuer hée be Haue thou God before thine eies striue not with quareling words If thou think thou be oppressed presently with infamy vndeserued take not the same heauilye or diminishe thy crowne with impacience but rather looke vp vnto me in heauen which am able to deliuer man from all rebuke and wrong and rewarde euery man according to his dooings Of the pure and entire yeelding vp of himselfe to the attaining of the libertie of minde The .xlij. Chapter LORDE SOnne forsake thy selfe and thou shalt finde me Sée that thou chalenge nothing vnto thy selfe sée thou haue nothing peculiare and proper vnto thy selfe and so shalt thou be alwayes a gainer For ouer and aboue this thou shalt haue greater giftes giuen thée as soone as thou shalt yéelde vp thy selfe neuer to looke backe againe SERVANT Lorde how oftentimes shall I yéelde vp my selfe and wherein shall I forsake my selfe LORDE Alwaies and at all howres both in smal and great matters I except nothing but that I wil haue thée founde naked made bare in all things Else how couldest thou bée mine and I thine vnlesse thou were spoyled of all thine owne will both within without The more spedily thou shalt thus do so much the better shall it go with thée and the fullier and more sincerely that thou go about it both so much the more shalt thou please me the more shalt thou gaine by it Some in déede do yéelde vp themselues vnto me but yet they doe it with some exception For they doe not put their trust in me fully and wholy therefore endeuor to sée prouide for themselues Other also at the first doe yeelde themselues altogither but afterwards when temptacion once knocketh they come to their olde condicions againe and therefore doe very litle profite in vertue These men shall neuer aspyre vnto the true lybertie of a pure hart to the most pleasant benefite of my familiaritie vnlesse an entire yéelding vp and a daily offring and sacrificing of themselues haue gone before without the which it happeneth not nor will be that thou mayest enioy the coniunctiō of god I haue sayde many times vnto thée and nowe I say againe Forsake yéelde vp thy selfe and thou shalt enioy déepe peace of minde Giue all for all require nothing aske nothing againe abide in me méerely without sticking at it and so shalt thou haue me shalt be frée of minde and voyd of darknesse Endeuor this praye for this labor to wish for this that being wholy turned out of thy selfe thou maiest being naked follow Iesus naked and mortified vnto thy selfe liue vnto me for euermore Then both vaine imaginations and wicked troubles and superfluous cares depart awaye Then also shall immoderate feare be gone and loue inordinate die Of conuenient dealing in outward things and flying vnto God in daungers The .xliij. Chapter SOnne thou must looke vnto this diligentlye that in euery place and outwarde action and businesse thou haue a frée mind and maister ouer it self and do put all things vnder thy subiection not thy self vnder them and be not the slaue or bondman of thine owne déedes but a Lord but a Ruler but one truely set at libertie an Hebrue translated into the lot and libertie of the children of God who despising present things doe beholde things euerlasting and looke vpon mortal things with the left eie but things heauenly with the right eye whome temporall things doe not draw to cleaue vnto them but they themselues doe rather draw them to serue their tourne aright according as they were made of God and the chiefest workmā who did leaue no disordred thing in thinges of his creation Now if in euery chaunce thou shalt not cleaue vnto the outwarde shewe of the matter nor behold the thing séene or hard within a carnall eye but in euery thing shalt forthwith enter with Moyses into the tabernacle to aske counsell of the Lorde thou shalt sometime heare God make thée an answere and shalt returne as one taught in manye things both present and to come For Moyses did alwaies repaire to the tabernacle in assoiling of doubts and questions and he fled vnto the helpe of prayer to driue away the perils wickednesse of men Euen so oughtest thou to flie into the secret place of thy hart in calling earnestly vpon Gods help For it is recorded in the scriptures that Iosua the other Israelites were therefore deceyued of the Gabaonytes bicause they did not first aske counsell of the Lord but were deluded with the swéetnesse of words as men light of credite vnder the shewe or pretence of godlinesse That man be not importunate in his businesse The .xliiij. Chapter LORDE SOnne commyt thy cause vnto me alwaies I wyll frame the same aright Looke for my decrée and determination thou shalt féele a profiting thereby SERVANT Lorde I commit euery thing vnto thée with a good wil bicause my thought doth little preuaile about it And woulde to God I were not carefull thus for the chaunces to come but did submit my selfe without stay vnto thy will and pleasure LORDE Sonne man oftentimes desirous of some thing doth couet the same and then hauing once gotten it hée beginneth to bée of another mynde bycause the desires of one thing are not dureable but force you to dyuers and sundrie things Therefore it is not the least thing of all to forsake himselfe in the least things and the true profiting of a man consisteth in the denying of himself so that he that hath done that once the same is most frée and in most safety But that olde enimy aduersarie to all good men doth neuer cease frō temptacion but day and night worketh high treasons or deceytes if perchaunce he maye thereby throwe downe the vnwary headlong into the snare of guile Wherfore watch pray saith the Lord lest you enter into temptation That man hath no goodnesse of himselfe nor that he can boast of any thing The .xlv. Chapter SERVANT LOrd what is man that thou art mindefull of him What is the sonne of man that thou earest for him what hath he deserued to be had in fauor of thée Lord what can I complain of if thou shalt forsake me Or wherein can I iustly blame thée if thou graunt me for my requestes Surely this may I rightly thinke and say to my self Lorde I am nothing I haue no goodnesse of my self but being voyd of all things doe euer tende vnto nothing And if I be not holpen of thée and instructed of thée wythin my minde I am made altogither warme and dissolute But thou O Lorde art alwayes one and doest abide one for euer more alway good iust holy bicause thou doest
some singuler things to some againe I appeare pleasantly in signes and figures to other I open my secrets with much light The saying or voyce of Bookes is all one which instructeth not all men alike But I am the teacher of the truth within the searcher of minds the vnderstander of thoughts the setter forward of déedes and the giuer of so much to euery man as I doe thinke right and reasonable Of not drawing outward things vnto a man The .xlix. Chapter LORDE SOnne thou must in manye things be ignorant and vnskilfull and accoūt thy selfe but for a dead man vpon the earth and for hym to whome the whole worlde is crucified For many things must be passed by with a deafe care those must be pondered and thought vpon which do belong vnto thy peace It is more profitable to turne thine eyes from those things which mislyke thée to let euery man haue his own saying than to follow contencious talking of words If thou agrée well with God and looke vpon his owne iudgement thou shalt beare it the bett 〈…〉 r to be ouercome in such things SERVANT O Lorde to what passe is it come Beholde a short dammage or losse is lamented men trauell and runne for a little gaine and scantly are able to come home againe at night but the spirituall losse is quite and cleane forgotten Men apply themselues to this that profiteth little or nothing at all negligently passe ouer that which is most necessarie of all So greatly both a man wholly wast his time about outward things vnlesse he spéedily repent doth willingly welter still in outward things That we must not beleeue all men that we soone fall and offende in wordes The L. Chapter HElpe me O Lorde in this calamitie For the ayde of men is surely but vaine How manye tymes haue I not founde faith there where I thought to haue had it And againe haue there found it where I would not haue looked for it So greatly is that hope in men and vaine and in thée only O God is the health of the iust standing We giue thée thanks O Lord God for all things which doe happen vnto vs weakelings vnstable which are soone deceyued and chaunged What is he that can behaue himselfe so warily circumspectly in all things that the same doth not somtime come into some snare and distresse But Lorde he that putteth his trust in thée and doth study to haue a simple minde he doth not offende so soone or if he do fall into any calamity with how great diffycultie and distresse soeuer he be wrapped and entangled he is either quickely deliuered frō it by thée or else strengthned with comfort bicause thou doest not forsake them at the last which haue their hope in thée Surely faithful friendes are rare such as will bide still by a man in al kind of aduersities thou O Lord thou onely art most faithfull in all things there is none like vnto thée O howe wise was that holy soule which saide My mind is confirmed hath his foundation in Christ. If it went so well with me worldely feare shoulde not so soone trouble me nor the darts of words moue me But who can foresée all things who can beware of euils that come after Nowe if things fore séene do yet oftentimes hurt one how much more gréeuously will things neuer thought on come néere vnto the heart But why haue I not better looked vnto my selfe siely wretch Or why haue I beléeued other men so soone Howbeit we are men and that frayle brittle though we be iudged called angels of many And whome shalt I beleeue Lord Whom but thée which art the selfe truth and neuer deceyuest nor canst be dececeyued For in déede all men are but liers weake vnstable fraile most of all in words so that it ought not forthwith to be beléeued rashly whatsoeuer pretendeth a colour shew of truth wherby it hapneth that thou wisely hast premonished to take héede of men that euery one of a mans houshold are his enimies and that we must not beléeue them that saye Here he is or there he is I am taught to my cost I praye God I be made the more warye therby not the more foolish Be wary saith one be wary and kéepe it close to your selfe that I tell you Afterward when I helde my tong and thought that the same was counsel he on the other side coulde not kéepe silence in that which he bade no words to be made off but forth with betraying both me himselfe went his wayes From such counterfaites vnwary persons deliuer me O Lord that I neuer fal into their hands or commit such follies Minister true and stedfast sayings vnto my mouth and put far from me a wyly and deceitfull tong For I ought altogither to beware that I do not the same to another man which I woulde not haue done vnto my selfe How good how quiet a thing is it to saye nothing of others and not to beléeue all things without any respect or readily to speak much and to vtter or open himselfe but to few alwayes to séeke for thée that knowest the minds not to be caried about with blast of wordes but to desire that all inwarde and outwarde things may be done according to thy pleasure and commaundement How safe is it to the kéeping still of the fauor of God to flie worldly brauery not to coueth those things which with their gay shewe are had in admiration but rather to folowe those things with all diligence which doe bring amendement of life zeale of godlinesse How many hath vertue known ouer hastily praised done hurt vnto Again how many hath so the same done good to being kept in silēce in this fraile life which is said to be nothing but tēptacion warfare Of putting thy trust in God if thou be assayled with the darts of euill tongues The Li. Chapter LORDE SOnne shewe thy selfe constant haue thy hope set in me For what are wordes but wordes which flying through the ayre doe not hurt a stone if thou bée guiltie or sinfull sée thou be willing to correct thy self If thou be guiltie of no sin endeuor to beare paciently slaūderous reports for Gods sake and at the leastwise beare words sometymes though thou canst not yet abyde the sharpenesse of strypes And why doé so small things mooue thy minde disquieted it but bicause thou art as yet carnall hast greater regarde of men then thou oughtest to haue For bicause thou fearest to be dispised thou wilt not be reprooued for thy faultes séekest for starting holes of excuses But looke somewhat narrowly vpon thy selfe and thou shalt well perceiue that the worlde is yet alyue in thée a vaine loue to please men For when thou refusest to be bored and shamed for thy faults thereby it is plaine
that thou neyther art modest truely nor the world truely deade vnto thée or thou to the worlde But giue eare to my words and thou shalt not passe vppon the wordes euen often thousand men Loe if all thinges were spoken against thée that coulde be imagined most maliciously what hurt should they doe thée if thou wouldest let them be borne paciently wouldest not way them any more then a straw vnder thy féete Coulde they take so much as one heare from thee But he that is of a base courage hath not god before his eies that same is soone moued with a taunt or yl report But he that putteth his trust in me dependeth not vpon his owne iudgement the same is voyde of worldly feare I am the iudge and knower of al secrets I know after what sort the thing was done I know both him that hath done the iniury him that hath suffered the wrong done vnto him This matter hath risen of me by my sufferaunce it hapneth that the mindes of many men are disclosed opened I wil iudge both the giltie and giltlesse but first I was minded to search thē both with a secret iudgement Mans testimonie doth oftentimes deceiue my iudgement is full of truth and shal likewise continue neuer to be ouerthrowne And in déede the same is hid for the most part and altogither perceiued of few but it neuer either erreth or can erre though it séeme nothing indifferent or iust vnto fooles Therfore men must flie vnto me in all iudgement neyther aught euery man to vse his own fantasie As for the iust man hée is troubled with no aduersitie of Gods sending or either passeth greatly vpō false reports or gretly reioyceth for the reasonable excuses of other men in his owne behalfe For he that considereth that I am he that searcheth the harts the raynes that I iudge not according to the sight of worldly shew and outwarde apperance For many times in mine eies the thing is found culpable that in the iudgement of men is laudable SERVANT Lord God a iust iudge strong pacient which knowest the frailty corruption of men doe thou become my strength and whole affiance or trust Neither is my conscience sufficiēt for me thou knowest the things vnknowne vnto me and therfore I ought to submit my selfe in al reproofe and to take the same paciently and quietly which thing if I haue not at any time done forgiue me fauorably bestow this benefite vpon me againe that I may hence foorth shewe my selfe more pacient For thy singuler mercy is more profitable to the attaining of pardon then is the opinion of mine owne goodnesse to the defense of my secrete and hid conscience And though I be giltie to my selfe of no sinne yet am I not therefore to be quitte bicause if thy mercy were set a side no man liuing shoulde bée iudged for righteous in thy sight That all greeuous things must be suffered paciently for the lyfe euerlasting The Lij Chapter LORDE SOnne be not eyther brought low with trauailes which thou hast taken in hand for my sake or so greatly discouraged with aduersities but that my pormise may strengthen and comfort thée in all chaunces which am apt yneugh to restore large rewards Thou shalt not labor long in this life nor shalt alwaies be vexed with sorrowes Tarie my leysure a whyle and thou shalt sée a spéedie ende of euils the time shall come when al labor and turmoile shal ceasse It is but trifling and short what soeuer hath an end in time Wherfore go forward as thou hast begon labor faithfully in my vineyard I will be thy reward Write reade sing sigh hold thy peace pray beare out aduersitie like a mā The life euerlasting is worthy al these yea and greater fights Peace shall come vppon thée one daye which is knowne vnto the Lord and it shal not then be the day or night of this time that we liue in but euerlasting light infinit brightnesse firme peace safe rest ease Then shalt thou not thus say Would God I were delyuered from the body of this death Nor yet shalt thou cry thus Alack poore soule that must dwell in thys lyfe so long For both death shal be throwne downe headlong there and there shall be health that shall neuer die no anguishe but blessed ioy swéete and honest company O that thou hadst seene the perpetual crownes of the saints in heauē and with how great glory they now also triumph and reioyce which being once despised of this world were thought then euen vnworthy of their liues Surely thou wouldest forthwith cast thy selfe downe to the grounde and haddest liesser euen to obay all men then to beare rule ouer but one man neither wouldest thou couet the merie daies of this life but rather wouldest reioyce to be pressed with aduersitie for Gods sake and wouldest count it for very great gaine to be had in no maner of regard at al among men Now if these things did like thée and were suffered to sincke soin what déepely into thy minde thou shouldest not dare so much as once to complaine Nay all painefull thinges must be borne for euerlasting life I tel you For either to attaine or to léese the kingdom of heauen is a matter of great importance Lift vp thine eies into heauen beholde where all my faints be present with me who suffred sharpe battaile in thys life Now they reioyce now they take cōfort now they are safe now they take their rest to abide with me in the kingdome of my father for euer Of the day of euerlastingnesse and the anguishes or troubles of this life The Liij Chapter SERVANT O Most blessed Mansion of the supernall Citie O most cleare day of euerlastingnesse which no night doth darcken but the hyghest truth doth alwayes spread hir beames vpon O day alwaies ioyful alwaies safe of state neuer to be changed to the cōtrary O would to God that that day had once shined ouer vs and all these mortall thinges were come to an ende No doubt the same doth shine bright vnto the saintes wyth continuall cléerenesse but yet a farre off as it were in a glasse bicause they are yet but traueilers vpon the earth The Citizens of heauen doe knowe how ioyfull those thinges bée The banished children of Eue doe sighe for that this day of this time both short wicked and full of sorrowes and anguishes is so bytter and so replenished with troubles in which man is defiled with so many sins is entrapped or entangled with so many euils is vexed with so many feares is occupied with so many carkes cares is diuersly drawen with so many curiosities is inwrapped with so many vanities is compassed about with so many errors is worne out with so many labors is thrust downe with so many temptacions is weakened with so many delicates dainties is tormented with so great pouerty
charge to the Godlye alone in this place and to them that cleaue fast to him with full affiance who in so great troubles of this mortall life and in so manyfolde chaunces of worldly affayres and turmoiles haue nothing at all but God in whom they can well willingly repose themselues then shall it appéere that he did admonishe his Thessalonians of such things both truely and also necessarily Touching which poynt I will briefly put foorth if it séeme good that shall come now to remembrance and wil entreate of the continuall ioy of the godly here in this life in as few wordes as I can deuile First and foremost therefore wée must néedes graunt that Paule speaketh not of vulgar or common ioye and such as happily the Natural man as the Apostle doth terme him dreameth off For this ioy or gladnesse is not of sufficient worthinesse for the Christian mā And if perhaps there be such yet is it altogyther common betwéene them and the wicked and is neyther durable and continuall but transitory and many times interrupted with infinite carkes and cares neyther cleare and sound but most commonly impure defiled Besides this the Apostle doth much lesse speak of that gladnesse which the Couetous worldling hath of his ryches and hourdyng vp of money the Ambicious man of honours the Prowde and hawtie person of his Nobilitie his power and sway his wealth puissaunce the Souldier of his praye and bootie the voluptuous man of his swéete delyghtes and sensuall pleasures the Lecher of his lustes the Vserer of his bonds or billes of debt the Kiotour and one plunged in all kind of superfluitie and excesse in his delectacions of all sortes in his tables garnished and set forth with diuers dishes his gorgious and verye great furniture the Surfettour in hys gulling in of Wyne the Glutton and one borne to bellycheare in gourmandise the Sluggard or lazie lubber in ydlenesse and sléepe the Enuious or spitefull repiner in an other mans misery the Testie and wrathfull person in reuenge These are ioyes indéede I deny not but they are the lewde ioyes of the minde as a ryght excellent Poet sayth and they are not true but deceytefull not pure and cleare but mingled with vnpleasantnesse among not permanent but such as last for a moment For I will not meddle now to shew that they are the cause of infinite mischiefes and most an ende alwayes drawe with them as their companions anguishes of bodie and minde disquietnesse restlesse businesse cares heauinesse mourninges and doe both excéedingly annoy the body and also without ende pricke the soule suffer it not to pause take rest or comfort fréely so farre they are from bringing about any maner of way eyther to diminishe heauinesse that by chaunce commeth of other causes or to rid them quite and dryue them away or else to worke that men shall haue no féele and payne at all of the euils that do betide them Beside this also the ende of such ioyes is euerlasting damnation For vnto this point belongeth the saying of our sauiour in Luke the Euangelist Wo bee to you riche men which haue your comfort Wo be vnto you that are ful bicause ye shal be hungry Wo be to you that laugh nowe bycause ye shall mourne weepe And likewile which that rich man in the Gospell determynyng in hys heart to liue a deintie and happy life henceforth being minded nowe to take his case to eate drinke and to be merye doth heare at the worde and will of God Thou foole this night shal they fetch thy soule from thee To conclude that example of the Glutton in Luke clad in purple doth make to this purpose who vsing euery day to féede gorgyously is afterwarde when he departeth the worlde tormented in the flames of Hell fire Therfore Paule doth not entreat of such ioyes as the welthy the mighty the loftie prowd and such other as lyue dainetily in this lyfe and are wanton and doe styll as a man woulde say kéepe it holydaye as S. Iames speaketh it haue Of what kinde of ioy then speaketh hée Euen of that ioye no doubt which of the same Paule is rehearsed vp among the fruites of the spirite in the Epistle to the Galathians and such agayne as that is wherevnto the Apostle exhorteth the Philippians when he biddeth them to reioyce in the Lorde alwayes or such likewise as that is whereof Dauid in the Psalmist hath so oftentymes made mention as when he sayth Thou hast giuen ioy in my heart And Let all men reioyce that put their hope in thee let them triumph or reioyce exceedinglye euermore bicause thou doest defende them Let all men be glad in thee which loue thy name bycause thou blessest the iust man O Lord. And likewise I will be glad and reioyce excedinglye in thee I will sing vnto thy name O thou most high And I doe put my confidence and hope in thy mercy my heart leapeth for ioy in thy sauing health I will sing vnto the Lorde who giueth good things vnto me And moreouer Reioyce in the Lorde triumph ye iust and glory all yee that be right of heart And againe Triumph ye iust in the Lorde prayse becommeth the right And furthermore Reioyce ye iust in the Lorde and confesse to the memorie of his holynesse What maner of reioyce this is in the Lorde it is a verye harde matter to declare and a thing that will busie a man to doe it Howbeit through the helpe of God we will proue what we can say therein Therefore whosoeuer being regenerate or borne a newe in Christ doth put the whole hope and affiaunce of attaining saluation in the promised mercy of God onely for Christ the mediatour and already is fully and wholy perswaded that God the father is mercyfull and pacyfied wyth him his sinnes being remitted and forgiuen for Christ and with a certaine and sure hope of immortalitie after this life and of euerlasting blesse doth walke on in his vocation to the ende honestly holily and godlily the selfesame man vndoubtedlye resting vpon this same fatherly good wil and and loue of God towarde him for Christ doth alway reioyce in the Lord neither can there any thing of so great importance at any time happen among that can vexe that man and cause him to take thought So excéeding great is that spirituall ioye or gladnesse of the godly person in the Lorde whether it bée in prosperitie or whether it be in aduersitie For whatsoeuer it be that hath happened he in all things perceyueth and acknowledgeth the fatherly minde of God toward him and no lesse is glad in the Lorde in times of heauines than in prosperous times For he knoweth wel inough that what euil so euer there be the same is sent from God and that wythout Gods prouidence there hapneth nothing at all Therefore will he haue his owne wyll to agrée and be conformable vnto the wyll of God and he
refuseth not to beare pacientlye suffer whatsoeuer it pleaseth God he shall and he taketh in very good part what so euer hath happened He knoweth that all thynges doe turne vnto good to such as be Godly and feare the lord He knoweth that those are reprooued corrected and chastised whome the Lorde loueth He knoweth that euery sonne is scourged of the Lord whome he receyueth He knoweth that he is touched with such vexations to the ende he shoulde repent amend that he shoulde make his inuocation prayer vnto God the more feruentlie that he should despise wordly things vtterly and trauaile to the heauenly things with the greater desires and sighes He knoweth that the Godly are tried with aduersitie as gold is with the fire and that the same is giuen of God as it were for a matter to kéepe his obedience in exercise He knoweth that the affliction that endureth but a moment and is but light doth worke in vs a glory that is euerlasting and more heauy than al poise or weight as the Apostle saith that the troubles of this present worlde are not worthy to be compared with that glory that shall be reuealed towarde vs Therefore he reioyceth euen in the middest of his calamities and afflictions he acknowledgeth the goodnesse of God being mery and chearefull he giueth the Lorde thanks for all things Euen thus forsooth Paule the blessed Apostle of God reioiceth alwaies in the Lord in so many vexations trauailes aduersities so many miseries so huge euilles as he paciently beareth for the Gospels sake Euen vnto this time sayth he we are both a hungry a thirst and are naked and are beaten or buffeted with fistes and doe go vp and down without any certaine dwelling place doe labour working with our owne hands being reuiled yet we blesse being euill spoken of yet wee praye wee are become as one woulde saye the excrements of the worlde being the refuse of all things euen vnto this daye The same Paule saith Now I reioyce ouer my afflictions for you and I supply that which was wanting of Christes afflictions in mine owne fleshe The Apostle also in another place doth declare this same ioy of his Blessed saith he be God and the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who is the father of mercies and God of al cōfort cōforting vs in al our affliction to the intent that we may cōfort them that are in any kind of affliction through the comfort wherwith God doth comfort vs c. To this purpose maketh that place As it were sorrowing yet alwayes reioycing as it were poore and yet making many rich as hauing nothing and yet possessing all thinges And againe I was filled with comfort I am full and abound excedingly with ioy in al our afflictiō The same Paule writing to the Thessalonians sayth You also haue become followers of vs and of the Lorde receyuing the worde with much affliction with ioy of the holy ghost in so much as ye haue beene an example to all the beleeuers in Macedonia Achaia Séest thou here how with the affliction of the Thessalonians he knitteth the spirituall gladnesse of the same And to this belongeth that which is in the Epistle to the Hebrues whereas it doth testifie that the beléeuers at Hierusalem did heare tell of the spoyle of their goods with ioy or gladnes And now how great cherefulnesse how great gladnesse how great boasting in the Lord do we take at Paules wordes whilest he reckeneth vp his trauailes stripes prisonments stonings shipwrackes watchinges hunger thirst colde nakednesse finallye infinite perilles often deathes And whiles at the ende he addeth Wherefore I please my selfe sayth he in infirmities in reprochful words in necessities in persecutions in anxieties for christ For when I am weake then am I strong Likewise our Sauiour Christ himselfe also biddeth them to reioyce and excéedingly to be gladde whosoeuer for the Gospels sake and for the confessing of his name are afflicted And why so I praye you Bicause sayth hee your rewarde is plenteous in heauen Herevpon also Apostles being beaten the as it is in s. Luke in the Actes what doe they They went quoth he reioycing frō the sight of the counsayle for that they were accounted worthy to suffer Contumelie for the name of Iesu. Hence commeth that excéeding great triumph of the Martyrs in their extréeme passions and torments which was not a token of any desperate fiercenesse in the minde or lacke of féele in the bodye but of the vertue and power of Christ dwelling wythin them as Paule speaketh it Howbeit some man will saye it is a swéete thing and full of comfort to suffer for Christ his sake so that a man may well haue cause to reioice at such a tyme But what Is it possible for any man to reioyce in these calamities and miseries which doe happen to vs for some other cause To answere the matter briefly and in few words The very true christiā man in the common vsual troubles of this life in sorowe sickenesse weakenesse of the bodye in banishment néede pouerty mourning losse of children losse of dignity in the perils trauailes of all sortes mens wronges infortunate successe in counsales losses and detriments of thyngs if wée wyll iudge thereof aright doth alwaye reioyce in the Lorde and that sincerely without doubt and euen from the very bottome of his heart For when he knoweth for certayntie by thé doctrine of the Gospell that God is fauourable well pleased with him for Christes sake when he knoweth that his sinnes be forgiuen him through Christ when he knoweth that he is reconciled vnto God adopted or chosen to be the sonne of God and that the inheritance of life euerlasting is promised him with this same onely thing he is in such wise delighted and hereof taketh so much most true pleasantnesse so much ioy and gladnesse that whatsoeuer calamitie doth happē in this life it is quickly ouerwhelmed with the excéeding greatnesse of this same ioy and doth scarslye séeme to be any thing at all in so much that if the worlde being dissolued might fall vpon him as a certayne Poet writeth yet shoulde the weight of it slaye him being no whit afearde therof For so far it is from the Christen or godly man to feare to quake or tremble and abhorre euen death it selfe or not to reioyce thereat as oft as it comes to remembraunce that rather he wisheth for it with all his hart which onely he is perswaded not to bée the end of lyfe but the beginning of euerlasting blisse not continuall destruction but a short passage out of this worlde vnto the father Therefore he desireth both to be dissolued with the Apostle and with Simeon to bée dimissed in peace So excéeding great is the ioy in the heart of the godly man through the knowledge of God and of hys sonne Iesu christ Hath he by some mishap lost his goods or children He cryeth with Iob The Lorde hath giuen
and the Lorde hath taken awaye blessed be the name of the Lorde Is he kept vnder with pouertie and néede He aunswereth himselfe out of the Apostle Hauing foode and wherewith to be couered let vs content our selues with the same Is he taunted or taken vp without his desert He remembreth Christ who being rayled at did not reply euill for euill agayne as saint Peter sayeth Doth he receyue some grieuous notorious iniurie He remembreth that saying of Paule to the Romaines Not reuenging your owne quarrels beloued And agayne Leaue reuenge vnto mee and I will requite sayth the Lorde Is he afflicted with intollerable tormentes of some disease or sickenesse or with some other euilles He cryeth with Dauid Thou art iust O Lord and thy iudgement is right Is he forsaken of his acquaintance or friends He calleth to remembraunce that saying out of the Psalmes My father and my mother haue forsaken mee but yet the Lorde hath receyued me Briefly in all troubles miseries and calamities the godly man hath verye great cōfortes set before him in the frée goodnesse mercy and clemencie of God and from hence alway hath vnspeakable ioy doth aske in prayer looke for the mitigation or asswaging of them or if it shall so please God full deliueraunce from those euils wherwith he is laden and kept downe He knoweth that God both hath commaunded himselfe to be prayed vnto in the tyme of trouble and calamitie and that he hath promysed his aide and helpe and that also he looketh for a thankefull hart of such as are deliuered Trusting vnto these things he cryeth with Abacuch O Lorde in thy wrath remember thy mercy And with Hieremye Correct vs O Lorde but in thy iudgement not in thy furie And thus in very good hope of the goodnesse of God he reioyceth woonderfully and doth not onely betake himselfe vnto Gods mercy but also yéeldeth himself vnto Gods will as one ready both to doe also to suffer whatsoeuer God will haue him But as the trust of Gods mercy for Christes sake cannot stand or ioyne togither with a naughtie and corrupt conscience so cannot that ioy neither wherof the Apostle speaketh be at any tyme remayning in a minde guilty of fault or sinne Therfore wheresoeuer there is a bent determination or purpose to committe sinne there is there no maner of ioy at all in the Lorde And truely is that sayde of Plautus the Comicall Poet There is sayeth he nothing more wretched and miserable thā is an euill conscience Hereby it is plaine that the Apostles admonition or warning euermore to reioyce in the Lorde doth belong onlye to the godly sorte which with feare and trembling doe trauayle to their saluatiō For these men bycause they put all their trust in Gods mercy are fully perswaded that God is fauorable and pleased with them for Christes sake and that not onelye their sinnes are forgiuen and remitted them of the heauenly father but that they also are receiued into the fauour and friendship of God and that more is into kinred and cōsanguinitie are made the sonnes of God by adoption the heyres I saye of God and the bretherne and fellowe heires with Christ bycause the godlye I say doe stedfastly beléeue they doe alway reioyce in the Lorde euen in the midst of their troubles and calamities what euer they be that chance eyther common or priuate specially séeing they are not ignorant that God hath a care ouer them as Saint Peter doth witnesse This reioyce in the Lorde séemeth to be the chiefest portion of felicitie and happynesse in this lyfe the very chiefe or principall goodnesse which the godly sort alone do enioy and take fruition of The heathen Philosophers dreamed vpō an Euthumie or happinesse of mynde but touching this ioy of the godly mindes they were not able so much as to suspect or thinke of any such thing For of what sort that is the onely Christians being taught by Gods worde doe know and those especially which are ordayned as Luke saith to euerlasting life whose names are written in the booke of lyfe of the Lambe which was slayne from the beginning of the world as it is sayd in the Apocalips For whyle these doe alway reioyce in the Lorde they haue euen in this mortall lyfe also a certayne taste féeling smacke of the blessed state that shall be in the life to come whereby it happeneth that they being rauished as it were besides themselues do séeme in a maner to the world through euermuch ioye to be pieuish or melancholike to wéete whyle they be mute at the reprochfull checkes and taunts of other men doe pray for them that curse them doe loue and beare good will to their enymies whyles they doe good to them that hate them pray for them that hurt and persecute them to such as strike one side offer the other whiles to one taking away the cloake they leaue him their coate also and giue to euerye one that asketh and lende to one another hoping for no commoditie therby whyles many times they refrayne from wine doe fast sigh are sory wéepe continue all night in prayer by lying on the grounde by watch by studie and by other meanes doe tame their flesh and doe kepe their body occupyed after a seruile sort as the Apostle sayeth and who can well rehearse or recken vp all the other tokens of a certayne foolishnesse as it were or brayne sickenesse in them For the worlde can not iudge otherwyse of such men but that they altogither are besides themselues and out of their right wittes that thus demeane themselues And surely it cānot be denyed but that such men they are most commonly that doe alwaye reioyce in the Lorde The same doe neither desire riches nor séeke for honors and promotions nor folow pleasures They neglect their owne commodities they procure the commodities of other men being in maner lesse carefull for themselues than for others They embrace modestie for stoutnesse basenesse or ignobilitie for glorie austeritie of life for dainties They despise those things that the worlde setteth great store by and set great store by that which it despiseth maketh no accompt off They in maner giue all that euer they haue to the poore that which is giuen to the poore they thinke it giuen to Christ himselfe Such are they therfore that reioyce alway in the Lorde And in déede by the iudgement of the worlde as I haue sayd they séeme almost foolish whyles they so doe but if thou behold the iudgement of God himselfe in his worde thou shalt finde that they alone are the wysest of all other men The thoughts of such mē are alway not on earthly but heauenly things not vpon temporall things but on things euerlasting not vpon humaine affaires but about Gods hestes and cōmaundements For out of these doth arise that continuall ioye in the Lorde Therefore whyle other men are tormented with the cares of this lyfe they doe
swéetely solace themselues with most pleasant thoughts and thinke themselues present among the companies of angels farre otherwyse than the world thinketh of them Their cogitacions are alwayes busied in the misterie of mans redemption in that Lambe which was slayne from the beginning of the world in the forgiuenesse of sins reuealed and promised by almightie God for the deliuerer to come in that séede of the woman dreading downe the head of the serpent in the séed of Abraham which is Christ as the apostle saith in that Prophet of whom Moses maketh mention in Deuteron briefly in our Lord Sauiour Iesu Christ promised vnto the fathers alreadie giuen vnto vs that is in him onely to whome all the Prophetes doe beare witnes that who so euer doth put trust of his saluatiō in him shal obtain forgiuenesse of sins by his name who came into the world to saue sinners to séeke out saue that which was lost to giue his life for the redemption of many who was sent to bring the glad wished message or Gospel vnto the poore afflicted to heale the contrite of hart to preach deliueraunce to the captiue to comfort them that mourne to deliuer the oppressed who in fine is our aduocate with the father our enterpretour and pacifier betwéene God and men the throne of grace the high bishop the greatest priest to make intercession cōtinually for vs the propitiacion for the sinnes of the world our hope lyfe righteousnesse sanctification and redemption The cōsideration of these things abandoneth heauynesse out of the mindes of the Godly and maketh them to reioyce at all tymes more than one woulde beléeue And now howe great gladnesse doe they at large enioy whiles they set before theyr eyes the holy Catholyke apostolyke right beléeuing true Christian Church or cōgreation whiles they remember that communion or felowship of saints which being euen from the very beginning of the worlde after the promise giuen touching the Messias or Sauiour to come doth continue on still euen to this daye spreade first abroade in the fathers and Prophetes afterwards in the Apostles and Martyrs then by and dyuers degrées orders of Christians professing all one faith displayed throughout the whole worlde Whyles they waye and consider that Christ the sonne of God our Lorde and Redéemer doth rule this same spouse or congregation of his with his worde and Gospell doth helpe it with the holy Ghost defende and maintaine it continually against the Deuill whiles they plesantly and swéetely remember that they are adioyned vnto this fellowship of the Godly true Christian congregation by fayth wyll meaning inuocation prayer and by confession which hath the sonne of God for heade principall Aungels for defenders the holye Ghost for a sanctifier the godly and chosen of all ages for companions I say whiles they remember that they are the members of the people of God and mysticall bodye whose chiefe captaine is Christ Whiles they occupie their heades about thinking vppon that most blessed familiarity in time to come with all the Saintes in the kingdome of Heauen vnto the which they trauaile and labour tooth and nayle with excéeding great desire Therfore howe great ioye thinkest thou that they haue large fruition of whiles they are fixed vpon these and such other cogitacions And surely it behooued Christians alwayes to occupie their mindes about such things and being as it were astonied with the consider atiō of them to brast out into the prayses of God into Psalmes and Hymmes into spirituall songs singing and making melodie in theyr harts vnto the Lord giuing thanks alwayes for all things vnto God the father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ as the Apostle teacheth And bycause the Godly doe this contynually what woonder is it if they alwaye reioyce in the Lorde And what then is there that can euer make heauy and sad can trouble or faare one that in such wise reioyceth Is it the breache of the lawe But the Apostle doth comfort vs Christ sayth he hath he redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe becomming himselfe a curse for vs. Is it sinne But S. Iohn doth comfort vs If anye man haue sinned we haue an Aduocate wyth the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiacion for our sinnes Is it death The Godly wote full well that it is the gate of life euerlasting a certaine passage out to thys worlde vnto the Father Is it the wrath and the iudgement of God But we are reconcyled vnto God through Christ as Paule sayth Is it Satan Christ hath conquered him already and hath triumphed ouer him being conquered as sayth the same Paule Is it hell fire and the tormentos of hell Nay Christ when he had ouercome hell dyd open a waye vnto Heauen to the Godly And in the Prophet Osea the Lorde sayth I wil be thy death O death I wil be thy destruction O hell Likewise Dauid also in his Psalmes doth testifie that Christ did leade Captiuitie captiue when he ascended into heauen that is as much to say did as a man woulde saye leade the enymies of mankinde prisoners in hys shewe of Triumph the deuill I meane sinne death hell Briefly in all terrours and temptacions of Sathan in all heauinesse in the most sorrowfull cogitacions many tymes of death of the last iudgement of the iudgement seate of the Lorde among the other comfortes of the holy Ghost the godly doe chiefely stay themselues with the wordes of the Apostles Créede I beleeue say they the Communion or fellowship of Saints the remission of sinnes the resurrection of this fleshe and the life euerlasting They leaning vpon this fayth chasing all feare and heauinesse from them if that the deuill doe minister any doe reioyce alwayes in the Lorde Howbeit some man will here obiect that considering they are men it can not be otherwyse chosen but that they should be troubled with passions mourne and be sorowfull oftentimes For they can not lay the nature of mankinde from them renounce as it were the féele of flesh and bloude which all men haue in them I graunt that the godly are distressed with heauinesse many a time and oft and that their minds are sometimes troubled and mazed and that it can not bée otherwise in these tumults of worldly affaires Howbeit the same doe foorthwith come to themselues againe and disquietnesse of mind being setled or appeased they so facion themselues in Gods regard and prouident care toward them that with ioy they take all things very quietly and reioyce in their afflictions reposing themselues in thapprooued loue of God towarde them doe conceyue such gladnesse and pleasure in their minds therof that the same sorrow of theirs is soone ouerwhelmed withall if happily these outwarde things as commonly it comes to passe haue caused any in them For like as a very little sparkle falling into a great riuer is forthwith quenched and come to nothing euen so whatsoeuer euill
there is falling into the huge and vnmeasurable sea as it were of ioyes wyth which the Godly doe flow and are alway replenished all that is by and by quenched and vanisheth to naught For there is neuer any place left open for heauinesse there where Christ the fountaine of true gladnesse is To make short howsoeuer the worlde goeth with them the godly doe alway either simply and without stop reioyce in the Lorde or else doe take things to hart but for a tyme for other mens sakes or in fine if they conceyue anye sorrowe in their mind for God and his glory which it gréeueth them to see defaced yet they forth with féele al that same to be exchaunged for incredible gladnesse and to be taken away cleane with spiritual comfort And herevnto maketh that saying of Paule to the Corinthians I wrote to you quoth he this same thing least if I had come vnto you I shoulde take sorow by those things of which it behoued mee to take pleasure hauing this trust toward you all that my ioy is all your ioyes For I haue written vnto you out of much afflictiō and anguish of hart by many teares not that you should be cast into heauinesse but that ye might know the loue which I haue somewhat abundantly towarde you And agayne Whē we were come into Macedonia our fleshe had no reliefe but we were afflicted in all thinges Outwardly we had fights or contentions inwardly terrours Howbeit the God that comforteth the humble hath comforted vs by the comming of Titus c. The same Paule writeth also to the Philippians touching his sorow And surely he was weake sayth he so that he was at deaths doore But God tooke pittie vpon him and not on him onelye but also on mee least I shoulde haue one sorowe vpon an other Therefore haue I sent him the more deligently that when ye sawe him yee might agayne reioyce I might be the more voyd of sorow And to the Thessalonians likewyse Therefore haue we receyued comfort bretherne by you in each of our afflictions necessities thorow your fayth by cause we do now liue if you stande in the lord For what thankesgiuing can we repayre vnto God for you in all our ioy which we reioyce for you in the sight of our God praying both day and night incessantly that we may see your face may supply those things which are lacking vnto your faith Here hast thou nowe howe the godly are woont both to be sory oftētimes and yet for all that to reioyce in the Lorde Such is that saying of Paule also vnto the Romaynes I say the truth in Christ I lye not mine owne conscience bearing mee witnesse withall by the holy ghost that I haue exceeding great sorow and continuall torment in mine heart For I my selfe woulde wish to become an excommunicated or cursed thing frō Christ for my brethren my kinsfolke as pertayning to the flesh This in déede is the sorrow of loue towarde our neyghbour or brother and may stand very well togither with the reioyce of fayth towarde God so that he which thus mourneth doth neuerthelesse alwayes reioyce in the Lord euen touching the ciuill or outwarde forme and conuersation of lyfe also For the godly by the Apostles saying doe liue alway without carke and care rest still content with their state or calling take in good woorth thinges present doe not greatly torment themselues with the lacke of thinges to come doe reioyce and cheare vp their owne soule in their owne trauaile as sayeth the Preacher doe take their meate with thankesgiuing doe vse or occupye such commodities as they haue at hande for their necessitie and that reuerently as the gifts of God being ioyfull doe leade an honest and quiet life neuer carefull for the morrow with thought and pensiuenesse bycause Christ teacheth that euery dayes affliction is sufficient for it selfe doe not wilfully worke their owne sorow or harme or procure themselues vexations and troubles doe not reiect and refuse such goods as God hath giuen them doe not créepe into some solitarie corner to liue the more at their ease and quiet Neuerthelesse the same doe take the troubles that God hath sent them paciently and are nothing agréeued with the losse of their goods and doe alwayes giue thankes vnto God for all weale and wo whatsoeuer shall hap To be short they depende wholy vpon God they haue all their dainties and all that they count good setled in God onely they euery where looke vpon the minde or will of God alone they frame apply themselues altogither to gods pleasure and commaundement doe ioyfully rest in the loue and good will of God towarde them with all their heart enioye things present gape not gréedily after things to come Thus doe they alwaye reioyce in the Lorde To this belong those sayings out of Salomons booke entituled the Preacher I knowe quoth he that there is nothing better for euery man than to be glad and to delight hys owne lyfe and to eate and to drinke and to be made mery or frolicke with his owne labour This is Gods gift Salomon doth not here like some Epicure exhort and encourage to excesse gluttonie surfeite nor to a voluptuous and Sybariticall life as they call it but to vse and enioy Gods present benefits and good gifts with chearfulnesse and thankesgiuing who abundauntly giueth all things to enioy as the Apostle sayth and filleth euery liuing thing with his blessing as the Psalmist Dauid sayth The same Salomō thus teacheth When God hath giuen wealth and riches vnto a man sayth he this is the gift to God that he may eate and drincke of them for his portion and may haue delight in his owne labor For such a man is not carefullye mindefull of the dayes of his life bycause God doth fill his heart with gladnesse Yea many tymes elsewhere also the same Salomon biddeth vs to let vnprofitable cares and vayne thought of mynde go to be of good cheare to be quiet and pacient in what case so euer we stande Her vnto maketh that saying of the same Salomon wherein he exhorteth lyke as he dyd before the faythfull and the louers of God Go sayth he and eate thy breade in gladnes and drincke thy wine with a chearefull hart bycause thy workes doe now please God Let thy garments be whyte at all tymes and annoynt thy head with oyle c. In so manye troubles and infinite cares and miseries of this lyfe Salomon will yet haue the godly to be of good chéere and courage and not to bée carefull and take thought to reioyce alway in the Lord not to fret and vexe themselues That thing can come to no man but through the blessing of God like as he also doth many tymes testifie as when he sayth God giueth wisedome and knowledge and gladnesse to the man that pleaseth him But to the sinner he giueth carefulnesse that he may encrease gather togither and so it
may be giuen to him that pleaseth God. But if perhaps ought fall out as the fashion of worldly affayres is that galleth him and stayneth his gladnesse with some griefe of minde by by the godly and faithfull Christians doe resort or flie vnto their heauenly father and hauing as it were familiar communication with him doe lay open their cares troubles before him and whatsoeuer it be that grieueth them do earnestly desire ayde helpe comfort wyth most earnest inuocation and prayer with humble méekenesse call for mercy in fine whatsoeuer aduersities they suffer doe bewayle the same as it were in the bosome of their most excellent and most tender louing father ▪ they craue for to haue the same either lestened and asswaged or else cleane taken away and that with a most sure fayth and affiaunce and yet in such sort that they wholy doe resigne themselues vnto Gods will and committe themselues vnto his goodnesse as men readye to beare paciently whatsoeuer God will haue them And if in the meane tyme they shall féele their affiance or trust toward God to quayle or be ouerthrowne of the deuill if they shall perceyue any scruple of conscience to arise within them if in any point they shal through mischaunce and vnaduisednesse by the meanes of mannes infirmitie swarue and forget themselues then doe they repayre to their Curate or Minister whatsoeuer is a griefe or trouble vnto them doe there open and disclose it without shamefastnesse or feare and doe heare with gladnesse the sentence of the Gospell pronounced vnto them by the Minister of the Church and doe lay it vp déepely in their hearts and mindes as if it were pronounced by Christ himselfe who is in déede our high Bishop and Priest yea and doe rest therevpon with full intent and meaning most hartily and most willingly Besides they doe many tymes also resort to the Lords Table to the ende that their faith may be the more kindled strengthned touching the mercifull loue and heauenly fauour of God towarde them and that the same ioy in the Lorde may be by this meanes repayred againe as it were which our ghostly enimie the deuill did go about to quench or darcken Hervnto may be added a continuall and diligent reading of holy Scripture Wherein the Children of God wyth vnspeakeable pleasure doe harde by heare God talking wyth them familiarly comforting the heauy hearted raysing vp the afflicted strengthening the weake and doubtfull calling men from dispaire Ioyne to this Sermons and godlye Exhortacions which the Preachers of the Worde of Saluacion doe make wherwith also the mindes of the godly are marueilously refreshed that Reioyce of the Lorde here treated of is so oftentymes renewed For God here doth worke ioye and gladnesse to the hearers in déed and the bones that are brought lowe doe triumphantly reioyce as the Prophet sayth Of like effect are the pryuate communications of the godly one wyth an other also touching God and Christ the Sauiour whiles that according to Paules doctrine they teach admonish one another wyth Psalmes Hymmes and Spirituall songs with ioye singing in their hearts vnto the Lorde whiles I say the worde of Christ is among them plentifully with al wisdome as Paule sayeth to the Collossians Besides thys the very times and holy daies doe often renew the Reioyce of the Godly that more is doe rather augment it make it greater than it was For they stirre vs vp vnto the remembrance of Gods woonderfull actes miracles wrought for the saluation of mankinde and by that occasion doe fill the harts of the godly with spiritual ioyes in the lord Such are our Easter Holydayes which are kept to cōtinue the remembrance of Christs Resurrection of Pentecost or Whitsontyde to call the sending downe of the holy ghost vpon the Apostles to minde the feastfull daies of Christs birth when the worde being made fleshe is celebrated Likewise the feast of the Circumcision of the Epiphanie of the Purification Palmes Annunciation Visitacion Ascension such other like At which times that spirituall ioye in the Lorde which the Godly haue is marueylously much increased with a certaine heape as a man woulde saye I meane in the remembring and recounting of things done by almightie God as I sayde afore Hereof commeth that saying in the Psalmes touching Christes Resurrection This is the daye which the Lorde hath made Let vs triumph and be glad therin And in the Apostle also Christ our passeouer was offered vp for vs. Hereof is that saying in the Gospel read in the Church for Christmasse day Beholde I declare vnto you exceeding great ioy which shall be vnto al the people that a Sauiour this day is borne vnto you which is Christ the Lorde And also that in Esay A childe is borne vnto vs and a sonne is giuen vnto vs. These and such other like sayings which are song in the congregation vpon feastful and solemne dayes howe excéedingly thinke you doe they reioyce and cheare vp the heartes of the faithull Christians This euen thys I abide by is to reioyce in the Lord and not as others at such times are woont to do to make feasts and bankettes one with an other and séeke after pleasures and belly chéere but to spend the holy dayes in godly and deuout meditacions and to giue thankes to God for his benefites to sing Psalmes and Hymmes vnto almightie god What doth not that frequent or populous resort and assembly of the congregation Christian men in the Church at all seasons to heare the worde of God to make inuocation and prayer to giue thanks cause a large encrease of gladnesse in the godly What is he that can say nay to it Therfore the faithful do most willingly come forth to be present with other at that most holy and alwayes to God most pleasaunt and acceptable sacrifice of praise inuocation worship giuing of thanks Hymmes prayers which at the comming togither of the whole congregation is vsed ordinarily to be made with very great ceremonie or reuerence And it is not the least ioy of al that they here tell how any of their brethren haue happily and in assured and strong fayth towarde God departed out of this transitorie life Wherevpon they being also glad doe yéelde thanks to the goodnesse of God and praye that they maye haue the like departure and doe followe the corse with a good wil. And in thus doing they are not onely brought in minde of their owne mortality but also their most swéete and plesant desire touching the heauenly dwelling is renewed and the memory to liue there in the fellowship of Aungels and to enioye that most blessed familiaritie in time to come with all the Saintes in the life eternall is with singular pleasure stirred vp Likewyse at the baptisme of an Infant newly borne the ioy of the Godly is also amplified and made more than it was whiles they thinke and cōsider not onelye of the number of Christians
to let passe the store plenty and varietie of other things beside almost wythout number Ioyne vnto these also the hyd riches in the bowels of the earth the secrete veynes of gold siluer the metals of brasse iron and lead precious stones and pearles of price woonderfull to beholde fortheir greatnesse for their beautie and for a certaine secret vertue and operation hid in them They knowe well that all these thinges are gyuen them of their most louing father not onelye for necessitie but also for honest delectacyon pleasure This now doth delight woonderfully maketh the godly to reioyce more than a man canne beléeue As often as they sée the corne in the fieldes the fruits vpon the trées the grapes on the vine the herbs and swéete smelling floures as the Violet the Rose and the Lillie in the gardens so many tymes doe they take the fruition vse of the same things with a singular pleasure besides yéeld vnto the goodnesse of their most gracious tender louing father excéeding great thanks extol praise his goodnesse haue his wisdome in due admiration in fine doe testifie the ioy of their mynd their thankful wil toward god by singing of Himmes or praises And how do the same persons reioyce as often as they by occasion sée their cattel come from the pasturs their Goates Ewes Kine drawing home apace with strouting vdders as oft as they sée the labors and trauailes of the little Bées in which God hath left so great miracles of hys wisdom in fine as oftē as they sée their poultry bringing vp their little Chickens with so great charinesse defending them frō the Kite and other Vermine huckling them vnder their wings why will some man say that thing doth also delight the wicked Godlesse men I graunt in deede that the wicked do take some kinde of pleasure by the same but yet not in the Lord. For they doe not acknowledg Gods goodnesse towarde vs that is the giuer of al those things nor render thanks to Gods bountifulnesse nor offer vppe the sacrifice of praise nor triumphing with spiritual ioy doe sing make melodie in their harts to the Lord like as the Godly are vsed to do who are perswaded that all these aforesayde thinges doe serue for mans vses that these things are the gifts of God who euermore hath a care ouer vs for vs a prouidence after a fatherly sort according to that saying in the Booke of the Psalmes Thou hast put all things vnder hys feete all sheep and oxen beside the beasts of the field the foules of the aire and the fishes of the sea For that power right which we lost in our first father Adam the same haue we recouered again by Christ so that we haue rule dominion ouer the creatures al things be in subiection vnto vs flockes or herds of smal cattell droaues of Neate and other great beasts wilde beasts and all foules that flie in the aire all fish and liuing things swimming in the sea The Godly doe therfore know that all these things doe serue their turnes and occupyings as vnto whom the father hath gyuen all things togither with his sonne Christ Iesus Wherefore they are not troubled in their minds as mē casting how to liue what to eate and what to drinke when they sée so great care of their heauenly father for them Neyther doe they make scruple to vse those meats fréely which God hath created for the faithfull to take with thankesgyuing and for them that know aright that whatsoeuer god hath made the same is good and in no wise to be reiected if it be taken with giuing of thāks as Paule saith to Tymothe Besides this that gladnesse or Reioyce of the godly to come againe to our purpose is wholy cléere sincere in euery respect sound true and vnfeyned But the pleasure of the Godlesse by such things if they doe take any is not pure and perfite or substantiall but marueylously polluted or defiled bicause infinite scruples doe remaine in their consciences that vexe and trouble them and continually prick and sting them Those reioyce euen from the very bottome of their harts take incredible fruit of most true delight But these do cast of a vaine trifling delight I know not what my selfe dreamingly imagine a gladnesse with the superficiall part of their heartes onelye after a sleight maner and as it were with a dulled féeling Howbeit I wade further in the matter then I had thought to doe at the first and therefore nowe at the length let vs make an ende It is faith therefore Fayth I saye in Christ whereby we are fully and wholy perswaded that God the father moued with loue incredible towarde men hath preferred our saluation before the deare loue of his onelye sonne for all our sakes hath deliuered hym into the hands of the enimy that through him we might recouer that which wée had lost in the first parent of mankinde Adam I meane innocency righteousnesse holynesse might be deliuered from sinne death the deuyll and euerlasting damnation and being adopted to the sonnes of God might be made heires of the immortall good things of the kingdome of heauē This same faith in Christ doth both lift vp and comfort the afflicted and terrified minds and also maketh a man alway to reioyce incredibly This faith enforceth a man to cry out with the Apostle If God be with vs who can be against vs He that hath not spared his own sonne but hath deliuered him for vs all how can it be that with the same sonne he shoulde not giue vs all things who shal lay crimes against the elect of God it is God that iustifieth who is it that can condemne It is Christ that dyed nay that was also raysed againe which is also at the right hand of God which also maketh intercession for vs who shall separate vs from the loue of God toward vs c. This Faith being instructed by the worde of God confirmed by his sacraments settled in vs with the holy Ghost resting and reposing it selfe in the onely good wil and loue of God towarde vs for Christs sake putting the hope of attayning saluation in the frée goodnesse clemency benignity mercy grace of God for Christ depending wholly vppon God alone hauing his onely respect vnto god and casting all his care thought vpon God both asking and looking for all good things at Gods onely hande as of a most louing tender father flying to the onely ayde and helpe of God in aduersity studying from the verye heart to please God onely fearyng to offende through a certaine honest frée bashfulnesse finally occupyed in a continuall daily contemplation of heauenly thinges with all hys minde thought care and desire despising worldly things beholding the celestial things this same Faith I say maketh vs to reioyce alway in the Lorde and with gladnesse mery chéere to giue thanks to
the Lorde for all things I beseech thee the euerlasting father of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ for thy sonnes sake our Mediator high priest and aduocate that pouring forth plentifully into vs thy holy spirite thou wouldest stirre vppe encrease and keepe this same faith in our heartes For it is not in mans power to beleeue trust but commeth from aboue from almighty god neither haue we the same of our selues but we haue it as a gift from thee O most mercyfull father and we ought at all times to acknowledge our faith to come from thee to render hartie thanks vnto thee for the same Thus much had I in maner to declare touching the continuall Reioyce of the Godlye being mooued vppon occasion therevnto through that place of the Apostle to the Thessalonians where he sayth Be gladde alwayes pray without cessing giue thanks in al things And with that likewise to the Philippians Reioyce in the Lorde alwayes and againe I say reioyce By which words the Apostle biddeth the godly sort and them that doe cleane fast to him with full trust and affiance to be of good chéere spiritually iocund at all times in the memory and recounting of Gods good wil toward them and in the sure hope of atteyning saluation through our Lorde sauiour Iesus Christ howsoeuer that the worlde go Nowe happy is that man and happy in déede whatsoeuer he be that reposing himself onely at al times in God who taketh care for the Godly being mooued therevnto thorowe a certayne woonderfull and true fatherly loue and tender affection towarde vs as is the naturall father to his children whosoeuer I saye beléeuing the sonne of God to be our righteousnesse sanctification and redemption and fully perswaded with him selfe that there in no condemnation at all to be feared of thē that are ingraffed in Christ Iesu doth passe ouer the whole time of his life in spiritual ioy taking things present in good woorth nothing carefull with thought and pensiuenesse for things to come seruing alwayes in feare and exceedingly reioysing with trembling as that holy Prophet Dauid the Psalmograph doth admonish This therefore that we may doe in déede and without counterfeyting from the very bottome of our harts howsoeuer things go both in prosperitie and aduersity I praye the same our Lorde and God to graunt without whome there is neuer any syncere ioye and in whom onely the scripture biddeth vs to reioyce and bee excéeding glad alwayes to whom be prayse honor and glory for euer and euer Amen FINIS Learning without true religion nothing woorth Noscere ipsum we ought not to aduaunce our selues of learning but rather to acknow ledge our ignorance and want of skyll There is no combat more xecellent then for a man to conquer himselfe An vpright conscience ought to be preferred before worldly knowledge The coūsayle of wisemen rather to be followed then thine owne fantasies A couetous mind neuer satisfied but an humble spirite leadeth his life in peace A poynt of lightnesse to trust in man or any other creature No hurt to make himselfe inferior to al men but to preferre himselfe before other it is hurtfull A harde thing to iudge wel of a man before he be tryed knowne To liue in subiection of other and not at a mans owne libertie doth very much auayle To stand to much in his owne opinion although it be good betokeneth pride and wilfull stubburnesse To much babling causeth sinne and hindeethr God is the searcher of the heart Mā ought to depende wholy vpon God. Comfort th
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with him doth speak vnto him in this wise Lord Iesus be assisting vnto me in all places and at all times Let thys be my comfort to be voyde of all mans comfort with a good will. Or if thy comfort shall be lacking at any time let thy will and due tryall of me be in steade of thy chiefest comfort vnto me For thou art not he that euermore art angry or makest afearde That all carefulnesse is to be committed to god The .xix. Chapter SOnne let mée deale with thée as I will my selfe I doe know what is for thy profite Thou imaginest as a man and doest so thinke in manye thinges as thy fleshly minde doth counsell thée SERVANT Lorde thou sayest truth thou hast greater care ouer me than I could haue of my selfe For he standeth but after a sickle sort vndoubtedly which committeth not hys whole care vnto thée Lorde vse me as thou list so that my will toward thée doe continue right and stedfast For it can not be but good whatsoeuer thou shalt determine of me Therfore whether thou wilt haue me to be in darknes stil I praise it or whether thou wilt haue me to enioy light that doe I also praise Or whether thou vouchsafe to comfort me I praise it or whether thou wilt haue me to be pressed downe with aduersity I praise this also LORDE Sonne so thou must be myuded in déede if thou desire to haue to doe wyth mée neyther oughtest thou to be lesse chéerefull to suffer than to reioyce more vnwillingly néedie and poore than full and welthie SERVANT Lorde I will willingly suffer for thy sake whatsoeuer thou wylt haue to happen vnto mée and I wyll receyue at thy hands alike both good and euill both swéete and sower both ioye and sorrowe and giue thée thanks to for all things that haue chaunced vnto mée Preserue mée from all sinne and so shall I feare neyther death nor Hell and so that thou doe neuer tourne mée off or blot me out of the booke of life there shall bée no calamitie that shall hurt mée That the miseries of this life must be suffered paciently according to Christs example The .xx. Chapter LORDE SOnne I descended from Heauen for thy sake and tooke thy miseries vpon me not for any necessity but for very loue that moued me thervnto to the intent that thou mightest learne pacience and sufferance and mightest take temporall miseries without disdayne grutch From the hower of my birth till such time as I ended my life vpon the crosse there were neuer sorrows wanting to be suffered I tooke paciently the great lack of necessary things I oftentimes heard sundry complaints of me I toke slaunders reproches in good worth I had vnkindnesse for benefits Curssing and euill speakings for miracles reproofes and fault findeings for my doctrine SERVANT Lord for as much as thou hast shewed thy self pacient in this life Wherin surely thou diddest most of al do the cōmaundement of thy father méete reason it is that I wretch and sinful man should shew my self pacient according vnto thy will and shoulde beare the burthen of this mortall lyfe for my soule health sake so long as thou wilt haue it so For though this present life be left burdensome yet hath it béene made alreadye more light by thy benefite and both by thy example more tollerable and famous vnto the weakelings and also by the footesteps of thy saints yea much more full of comfort also then it was once in the olde Law when both heauen gate did continue shut and the way did séeme somewhat hard to finde so fewe did passe to séeke for the kingdome of heauen Nay also euen those which then were iustified and in the state of saluation could not enter the kingdom of Heauen before thy passion and the merite of thy precious death How great thanks am I bound to render vnto thée in that thou hast vouchsafed to shew the straight and good way to thy euerlasting kingdome both to me and to all them that put their trust in thée For thy way is our way and through godly pacience doe we earnestly traueyle to come vnto thée our crowne and rewarder who vnlesse thou hadst gone before vs and haddest taught vs what man woulde haue passed to follow How many woulde not only haue bidden behind but also a great way off except they had behelde and looked vpon these thy notable examples Lo if when we haue heard so many of thy miracles and commaundements yet are but warme howe woulde it be then if wee had not so great light to followe thée Of the bearing of iniuries and wrongs who it is that is pacient in deede The .xxi. Chapter LORDE SOnne what is this that thou speakest Ceasse from cōplaint and moane consider both my passion and the martirdome of other saints Thou hast not yet resisted vnto death It is but little that thou sufferest if thou be compared with thē which haue suffered so many things haue ben tempted so vehemently haue béene afflicted so greuously haue béene tried and exercised so many waies Therefore other mens cases being more gréeuous must bée called to minde of thée that thou maiest take this more tolerable case in better part or if thou doe not think it so tollerable sée that thine own impacience be not cause hereof and in fine whether it bée tolerable or intolerable endeuor thou to take it paciently throughout For the better that thou shalt setle thy selfe to be pacient both by so much shalt thou deale the more wisly in the matter and shalt deserue the greter things and shalt more easily beare thy case as one not slouthfully framed readie in minde vse therevnto Neither shalt thou thus say to thy self I neither am able nor ought to bere this thing at that mans hands For he hath both done me a great displeasure or hurt slaundereth me with other things that I neuer thought In déede I can be content to beare that at another mans hands that I shal sée good to be borne This is the thought of foolishnesse it neyther considereth the vertue of pacience nor yet of whome it must be crowned and rewarded but rather wayeth the persons the wrongs done vnto it He is not truly pacient that will suffer but as much as he list and of whome he listeth but the man that is pacient in déede maketh no account of whome hée is vexed and troubled whether he be his better his equall or his inferior whether he be good and godly or else peruerse and wicked Nay whatsoeuer aduersity is done vnto him of any man liuing looke how much and how oftentimes soeuer the same be done he receyueth the same thankfully as it were from Gods hands reckneth it for gaine bicause nothing is so great or so smal if a man suffer the same for Gods sake but that it deserueth reward Wherfore be thou in a readinesse to battaile