ye seke the kyngdome of God with marchaundyse which is spirituall inwarde and it coÌ„meth in vs without ony coÌ„uention or coÌ„tracte precediÌ„g yt Knowe ye not that y e byers and sellers are chased of God Or wyll ye haue christ to come vpon earth agayne to bringe lyfe to you by a newe waye and maner and not thorowe death the crosse We lyue dye in God what maketh it matter than wether ye lyue or dye in body The father hath geuen christ all power both in heauen earth than hath he also power ouer death hel and all deuels If ye seke ease another waye other thys or that more than of Christ which is a trew phisicion of oure soull than shall ye be lykened vnto the woman that hadde ben syke so longe and spent al hir substaunce in phisyke to optayne health and yet hadde no ease whiche she optayned moost surest in Christ It is a great plage and an horrible worke of Gods iudgmentes that he suffreth vs to walke thus blyndfylde in oure owne inuented wayes wherin we haue more coÌ„braunce of conscience than reste or yoie The cause no doubte is that we wyll not herken to Gods worde but stoppe oure eares whan we be admonisheth therof estimiÌ„g it as lyes Wherfore god sayeth psal lxxx My people wolde not heare my voyce and Israel wolde not obey my So I gaue them vp vnto their owne hartes lustes let theÌ„ folowe their ymaginatioÌ„s Lest we come to this let vs praye earnestly w t the prophet sayenge Ordene me wayes in thy presence my lord my god WhaÌ„ ye seke delyuerauÌ„ce release w t massâ—s pilgrimag than be not youre wayes redrest in Gods preseÌ„ce For these wayes hath not he shewed nor gone them hymselfe We repyne at hys wayes of the crosse of dyenge of huÌ„blynge we shoue them from vs wyth hande and fote Oure wayes be easy to go they please vs beste all were well yf we coulde optayne release therby ye though the deuyll shulde helpe to it Wherto is oure Christendome become Lazarus I haue hadde now a ful answer of al I am sory I am gone so farre wyde from God My pardon letters my reliquyes my folysshe treatises of meditation my beedes and all such superstitions wherein I haue hadde a false confydence wyll I cause to be brent wythout delaye in wytnesse that I counte it abominacion which hetherto I haue done wyth theÌ„ I yelde my self to my Lorde God In him wyll I lyue in hym wyll I dye he is the tower of my strength noman shal drawe me out of hys handes hensforth Oh Lorde remembre not the mysdedes of my youth and ignoraunce O Tymothe yf I were now whole yf I coulde go and stonde what lust shulde I haue to serue God how shulde I runne to them that lye bedryd there to dystrybute myn almes which now I can not do seynge I am Gods presoner Tymotheus Lo ye come forth agayne with youre sensualyte you begynne to dispute agayne with God you wyll checke hym in hys iudgment knoweth he not how you maye serue him best in siknes or health And yf he knewe it not shall ye teache it hym It is hys wyll at this tyme that ye serue hym wyth sufferynge mekely and that ye receaue both thys and other aduersyte that he shall sende you wythout grudgynge These be the purest and moost acceptable workes of all that can be done without oure addinge therunto For all that is added to this of men that is vncleane and synne Where we onely do suffre god workynge wythout hynderaunce there is the moost principall vertue and the beste worke For as it is written The obedience of the lawe and the wyll of God is better than al offerynges and to be at hys commaundement is better than to offer all fat sacryfyce Be therfore ydle stonde styll assaye and se how good the Lorde is Yf ye dyd consydre the botome of youre harte a lytel whyle you shuld perceaue what a false and wylye felowe were hydde there cloked you shulde fynde that in that ye saye yf I were whole I wolde serue God and my neghboure ye entende not the same but your owne loue which causeth you to wysh so for youre owne ease of this payne and that ye myght lyue somwhat longer It is now tyme to praye and not onely in y e tyme of health He y t nedeth is occasioned to praye The hypocrytes do praye wythout nede for they be full and satisfyed they be holy in theyr sight Ye praye dewly whan ye offre youre wyllynge sprete vnto God and are redy to beare all that he pleaseth to lade you wythall Thys doth also the worde deuotion sounde for Deuotion is a yeldynge or geuynge ouer of hymself to an other thynge Happy is he that hath a trew deuotion or yeldynge of hymself to God Such a man hath hys wyll alwaye for hys wyll is fulfylled in all that can retyde hym by the reason hys wyll is wholy yeldeth to God For y t cause is he euer so wel coÌ„tent he wolde not starte though he sawe the deuyll no though he must descende the hell He that hath such deuotion prayeth wythout ceassynge wether he wake slepe go stonde reste laboure although hys lyppes moue not though he knocke not his breste though he â—alye not w t God wyth hys fysry stykes which all is but an hypocrytisshe game It is great skyll to praye and to saye much To geue ouer the harte vnto God and to make much rummelynge wyth the mouth dyffer much Paul hadde leuer fyue wordes spokeÌ„ in y e vnderstoÌ„dinge thaÌ„ fyue thousande wordes spoken wyth the breth of the mouth God is a sprete and in sprete and treuth wyll he be worshypped The almes dedes that you wolde geue yf ye where whole doth not God esteme for theyr multitude but he regardeth the lust and wyll that ye haue to them A cuppe of colde water shall not God forgette not for cause of the water but for the good wyll of the geuer which perchaunce is of no greater abylite He that geueth one drawght of water vnto a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receaue the rewarde of a prophete And why For God regardeth the harte and mynde but man regardeth the outwarde worke Thys testyfyeth the wedowe in the gospell that caste onely cone farthynge in the Gods cheste which neuerthelesse hadde geuen more than they that gaue great summes Paul also sayeth Yf there be a wilâ—inge mynde it is accepted accordynge to that a man hath not accordynge to that he hath not The poorest creature liuinge male geue as much almes as the rychest Almes is a greke worde and signifyeth a mercyfulnesse or declaringe of a pytyful harte Can not thynke ye the poore haue a mercifull and compassionable harte towarde the that be in pouerte anguysshe though theyr power can not extende to declare it Yf theyr harte be thus moued to a lyuely compassion than haue they done almes
knoleginge yt through the sprete of trueth we wayte for all ayde comforte and subsidie of oure heaueÌ„ly father in what so euer temtacion can assault vs. So that yt is sure token and specialte that we be in the fauoure of God yf we abyde stedfast in praysinge the name of God and reioyce inwardly whaÌ„ we be in troubel or anguishe though God seme to haue vtterly forsaken vs. Here lo must the Christen faith fyrst apeare The sauegarde quietnes of conscience which we haue inwardly in the myddes of troubell is a frute of the holy goost sustaynynge vs lest we fall into mysbeleue or blaspheminge of God y e which oure punishmeÌ„t myght cause ryghtwell Wherfore we nede not to shreÌ„ke or to drede our Lorde God whan he stryketh vs as a seruaunt doth feare auoyde his master For God nother caÌ„ be nor is a scourger or tyrant vnto his children It is oure dewty to reyoice in him and to prayse hym in al his godly workes knowenge that he is oure sauegarde in the daye of troubell Paul wrytinge to the Romanes in the .viii. chap. sayeth We haue not now receaued the sprete of bondage to feare ony more but we haue receaued the sprete of adoption wherby we call Abba deare father w t a lusty corage a sure faith For y e sprete of God which worketh such faith in vs geueth wytnesse vnto oure sprete that we be the children of God Seynge then we be the childreÌ„ of God oure mercyfull father hath such a delyte in vs as in his welbeloued children So y t where the moost feare and yeopardy is there is he moost nearest present It is surely the nature of a good father to be more ferueÌ„ter in loue towarde hys children where the moost nede is Now whan ye consydre this diligently with a hartyfull lust towarde God the father than maye you beleue and say truely that God is youre heaueÌ„ly father yf not you say your Pater noster faynedly as al other ypocrites do whose hart is farre from their mouth although ye sayde youre Pater noster a thousande tymes Lazarus Is this the sayenge of Pater noster thaÌ„ dyd I neuer saye yt dewly in all my lyfe I haue oft sayde the .xii. artikles of oure fayth after the prest in the pulpet But I coulde neuer heare so much concerninge the pyth of them as I haue done now Timothe Such hystoricall fayth as ye be taught in the pulpet haue y e deuels also for they beleue that God is almyghty that y e sonne of God is become man that he is crucified and rysen agayn but they beleue not that he is ordeyneth to their saluacion The deuell beleueth and trembleth but a Christen man beleueth and reioceth in it The fayth or knoleginge of the deuyls which they haue of God causeth them to feare and tremble but oure fayth causeth vs to reioyce and be gladde in God whom we knoledge euer to be oure father Lazarus If he be our father why sendeth he such greueous paynes to vs then Timothe You re aforesayde fayth must be tryed trough sufferynge syknesse and aduersite as yt is written That we shall not maruayll nether be moued that we be tryed trough the fyre of sufferynge for yt is done to proue vs. The lorde proueth al the electes after this maner that their fayth may be founde â—ore precious than the golde that is tried through the fyre And the ende of oure fayth whiche is not anulled is the health of our soul Wherfore as ye beleue that God is youre mercifull father euen so must ye beleue also and by fayth be assured that all that be tydeth you is hys fatherly wil and pleasure Thynke not that hys eyen be wythdrawen from vs for so greatly are we accepted before him that he sayeth Whoso toucheth you toucheth the very appell of myn eye Yee we be so earnestly and tenderly cared for and kepte of God oure heauenly father that there is not the least heâ—r of our heade but yt ys tolde no a sparowe doth not fall on the grouÌ„de without the consent of oure heauenly father How much lesse can thys syknesse come vpon you without the consent of the heauenly father which hath sanctified all troubell and sufferinges By the crosse and humblinge dyd yt please God to exalte and glorify his owne sonne He y t dyd take care thought for you before ye were borne shall lykwyse prouyde for you beynge here seynge he wolde you to be here Wherfore all those that suffre accordinge the wyll of God ought to coÌ„mitte the charge of their soules vnto the good creator of all creatures in whose handes we are as the claye is in the potters hande Praye therfore vnto the father with youre whole hart that his name maye be halowed in you lyke as it is halowed and glorified thorow y e death and depression of his sonne But as for oure name it is full of dishonesty shame daÌ„nacion Lazarus By the meaninge of youre wordes I perceaue yt not nedefull for me to desyre these paynes of myne to be auoyded and to be healed other in soule or body Timothe I coulde shewe you welinough that this praynge doth come nother of the sprete of God nor yet out of fayth but of proper loue which seketh rather hir owne ease and profite than the glory of God But I feare lest it wolde be to tedious for you also I reken ye can not wel suffre many more wordes Lazarus No hardly it shall not be tedious vnto me for euen now haue I a great desyre to it wherfore shewe me why I may not pray so Timothe A trew fayth wyll not cause you to praye so for it is certified alwaye of the good will of God what so euer doth chaunche All that is not of fayth is synne sayth Paule Searche the grounde of youre harte and ye shall perceaue that ye desyre to be healed for none other cause but only to be at ease Therfore seyng that through this wyked nature ye set more pryce by youre self than by God ye had leuer youre sensualyte and wyll were accomplysshed in optayning of health than that God in this syknesse shulde do in you and with you accordinge to hys pleasure Wherfore I praye you what els do ye but rebelle agaynst God correke him in his iudgmeÌ„t because he worketh not accordynge your ymaginacion Where is youre pater noster do not ye praye and saye Father thy wyll be fulfylled in earth as it is in heauen that is in the earthy bodye as it is in the soule which is an heauenly body How lytell doye rest hetherto in the workes of God Heare how fully the kyngly prophet Dauid was mortifyed entyerly and near in excesse of mynde vpon all y t which God wolde sende hym he beynge dryuen out of his kyngdome by his owne beloued sone Absalon dyd saye Yf I shal fynde grace before the Lorde he shall fetch me agayne and let my se it againe
bitter recepte knowenge and stedfastly belyuynge to optayne health by none other meanes Lazarus As for me surely I wolde rather thanke him drynke hys recepte though it were as bitter as regale yf I knewe to optayne health therby Timothe Lo then nomore ye ought to despise the hyghest physicioÌ„ of your soule nor to refuse hys medycines though they be bytter and paynfull vnto your olde Adam But ye must haue an eye to his promyses ouercome that which is payneful to you wherby neuerthelesse ye be saued Thus haue martyrs ouercome in sufferynge and death for dyenge they sawe the trew lyfe in syknesse and disease of the flesshe they sawe the power of God which is fortyfied and stabylysshed hereby God of hys nature is merciful but that he maye worke hys worke in vs that is to heale to make safe and sounde he doth fyrst a thynge that is straunge to hys nature which semeth vnto vs a token of hatered that is he scourgeth and beateth vs with syknesses and grefe Thus doth God a straunge worke as sayeth Esaye in the .xxviii. chapter that he maye worke hys natural worke By this straunge worke of God that is the chastenynge or scourgynge of the father we lese oure corage goodes bloude health welth and lyuelode and come euen in the myddes of the crosse despysynge and death All thynges appeare here before our flesshly eyes as though we were enemies vnto God and wholy despysed of God and wote not to consyder how he shall delyuer vs. Yet do we perceaue the hande of God inwardly which doth so sustayn vs that we fall not in desâ—ayre mystrusting or mumurynge agaynst God wythout the hande of God it were impossible for vs to stonde the twinklinge of an eye In the ende of the worke do we fyrst perceaue the councell of God than se we that he wyll mayntayne and fede his shepe in his lappe whom he wyll not haue to dye for hunger and dysease He can tempte the ryghtuous and also delyuer them agayne By fayth may we be conquerers of all Fayth is of thynges that be not apparent now where fayth shal haue a place there must such thynges be beleued as be inuysyble Thus is fayth of the lyfe to come chefely contayned and declared in dyenge Thus we beleue that God relyueth vs in kyllynge that he saueth vs and iustyfyeth vs in synnynge that he brengeth vs to heaueÌ„ whaÌ„ he semeth to thrust vs down to hell in that he forsaketh vs and that he healeth vs in oure soule whan the body is vysyted with al maner of syknesses For he hedeth hys mercy vnder hys wrath How wolde haue beleued that God wolde haue dealte so peteousli with hys good frende Iob in takyng awaye all hys best beloued thynges but onely because he was mynded to restore hym all this agayne doubell Let therfore youre eye of fayth preasse vnto saluacion and reioyce though God shewe you not his foreparte that is a chearfull countenaunce as he dyd vnto Peter beynge on the mouÌ„t Thabor but hys hynder parte lyke as he appared vnto Moses For whan this worke of his is past thaÌ„ appeare his fotesteppes WhaÌ„ this chastesynge is past than shall he smyle at you and shew you his fatherly fauoure though in this anger he seme to gerne and loke grymly vpon you Perceaue you this Lazarus I can not perceaue perfectly so much at ones Neuerthelesse I perceaue that in youre wordes there is a Godly vnderstoÌ„dynge though I can not comprehend so much at once Therfore I desyre you to declare me more earnestly and sleghtly which waye oure synnes be mortyfyed in vs by the crosse and sufferynge Tymotheus I wyll do yt gladly Whatsoeuer a man loueth besyde God that is hys Idoll therfore is yt nedefull to declare what thynges we sett stoare by besyde God that we myght endeuoure vs the better to fulfyll the fyrst commaundement wherin we are commaunded to loue God with all oure harte power and vnderstondynge Some leane to much to temporall possessions which be withdrawen from them as a pelowe from vnder a mans heade by extorcion with the fyre by warre or by some other losse that hys hart beatt the more lyberte to be turned wholy to God Another hath hys carnal affeccion fyxed to sore vpon hys wyfe chyldren father and mother or frendes These false goddes be withdraweÌ„ from them whan they suffre ether in theyr name or fame goodes or bloude or whan they be taken from them by death to rydde a man of hys carnall affection and to open to a man hys infydelyte that God may possesse the harte wholy and alone lyke a gelous louer The thyrde is wanton and full of pleasure he setteth great stoare by hymself by reason of hys bewty strength honesty wysdome puyssaunce vnto such sendeth God troubell anguysshe sykenesse sores onwholsoÌ„nesse or folysshenesse to the intent y t he myght se how that all flesshe is nothynge but hey and all his glory as the grasse of the felde the grasse wythereth and the flore faydeth Lazarus I can not perceaue yet that God receaueth vs in scourginge al we flye strokes Tymotheus Your mysbeleue is the cause of flyenge which Paul rebuketh in the .xii. to the Hebrews saynge Bretheren haue ye forgotten the consolacion which speaketh vnto you as vnto chyldren saynge My sonne despyse not the chastenynge of the Lorde nother faynte whan thou arte rebuked of hym for whom the Lorde loueth hym he chasteneth Yee he scourgeth euery sonne that he receaueth Yf ye suffre hys chastesynge he offreth hym selfe vnto you as vnto hys beloued sonne What sonne is he whom hys father doth not chastyse Yf ye be farre from the chastenynge which is comune to all chyldren then be ye no chyldren but bastardes Also yf we haue hadde carnall fathers of whome we stode greatly iÌ„ awe which chastysed vs how much more shal we be obedyent vnto the father of spretes and shall lyue by hym Oure carnall fathers haue taught and enfourmed vs after theyr best mynde and that for a lytle season But thys father of oures teacheth and chastyseth vs for oure profyte that he maye make vs partakers of hys holynesse All thys present chastysynge semeth to be nothynge yoyfull but sorowfull but herafter she geueth a quyete frute reward vnto them which be proued therby Are not these sayenges comfortable vnto them that be in payne punyshment is dewe vnto synne and wythout synne is noman lyuynge wherfore good Lazarus receaue all that is sent vnto you and suffre though it be greueous Be pacyent in youre depressynge For as golde and syluer be tried in the fyre so is man tried in the fornace of temptacion Therfore scrypture exhorteth vs to estyme it aboue all other frutes And there is no frute so trewe as yf we be proued by many folde temptacions knowenge that temptacion in faith bryngeth forth the frutes of pacience Beholde all the martyrs and chyldren of God in theyr sufferynge and let theyr constant fayth be an
lesse vntyl the body of death be whole and clene put awaye Be not moued at the small Babylonyans that is the worldly thoughtes or hys pleasures but knocke them agaynst the trew corner stone Chryst wherby ye shal be saued What do we loke for after thys lyfe What pleasaunt thynge perceaue ye in it that myght cause you to desyre a longe lyfe What is thys lyfe saue a contynuall battayll and crosse a deadly enemyte and continuall hatred What is it but a preson of synne For the euell that we hate that we do and the good that loue that we do not The grace and mercy through Iesu Chryst must delyuer vs orels shall we styck fast by the fete We haue here no abydynge cyte but seke and longe for another that is commynge For we know yf at the least we be beleuynge that yf the earthy dwellynge place of oure body be corrupte and destroyed we haue a buyldynge ordeyned of God an house not made with handes but euerlastynge in heauen ii Corinth v. That we now therfore sygh and grone lokynge about before we can be ryd of this body that is because we wolde faynese and couet to be clothed with the heauenly duellynge place wythout puttynge of and auoydynge of thys earthy cloth and dwellynge place We wolde fayne retayne thys fylthy sack because of the company that we haue had wyth it so that it which is mortall myght be swaloued vp of the lyfe immortall wythout assayeÌ„ge of death But that can not be Seynge it is ordened for man once for to dye And that we shulde leaue herein earth by partynge of the soule that which we haue receaued of the earth And well is vs that God seynge oure mysery hath pytyeth vs makynge our death safe through his death For he is become a death vnto death so that death hath no fearfulnesse in her saue onely hyr vysure to fray them that be chyldysshe in fayth and vnderstondynge But vnto the faythful and them that haue vnderstondynge is she depryued of hyr stynge and venyme Yf ye auoyde youre mynde of the grymnesse and vtter appearaunce of her than shall ye fynde no death more in her Go boldli to death breake open hys yawes loke what is in hym Yow shall fynde no lyfe no power or strength in hym to byte you Prouoke hym boldely to mete you in the fyghtynge place and he shall flye from you Defye death with all them that can holde wyth hym for they can not harme you they can not mynysshe one heer of you Saye hardely wyth the prophet Ose O death where is thy stynge O hell where is thy gloriation or reioycenge The death is swalowed vp in Christes victory And therfore is death called in scripture a slepynge more thaÌ„ death Of this haue you a goodly fygure The brasen serpent that Moses made Numeri xxi semed afarre of to haue ben a serpeÌ„t in dede but yf ye dyd aproche vnto yt than might ye perceaue welynough that it was a dead serpent and that it had no venym that it coulde nother byte nor stynge Euen so is it w t death outwarde it hath a fearfull visage but the power of it is take awaye by Christ For he hath ouercome him y t had power of death y e deuyll as ye shall heare more herafter Lazaarus Youre declaration that ye haue shewed here is very spirituall I beleue it be all as ye saye yee I am well pleased there with Yet do I perceaue that goodmen which haue such felynge and knoledge in themselues that is to wete that the death of Christ is death vnto y e natural death as well as the euell and bad do shrenke wrenche at y e poynt of death as though death had yet power vpoÌ„ them Tobias Treuth it is that the waye which bryngeth vs to lyfe is strayght the porte of death narowe Wherfore we caÌ„ not passe vnto death by sufferinge wtout strayghtnesse pearsynge but what is y t vnto the lyfe health The body must fulfyll hys naturall course it ought not nor can do otherwyse it caÌ„ but wrenche pinche shouer kyke Let y e asse beare y e trushe hardely it maketh no matter yet for all this wyl not we feare death Yf death can do nought more what awayleth much repinynge wrenchynge it is light to be ouercome thys wreÌ„chinge may be permitted him welinough al is for one euell houre Let y e fleshe ê‘ceaue in it self y e testameÌ„t of AdaÌ„ vnto y e last houre We haue nought now to walke in saue hope this hope abydiÌ„g of y e life tocome shal cause vs rightwel to ouercome y e sorow wo of death haystely to forget it It is but y t bytiÌ„ge of a fle y t hurteth not y e soul The death is better for vs thaÌ„ we can thynke she loseth vs of al misery she ioyneth vs to god sendeth vs forth to euerlastynge lyfe Let HeytheÌ„ and Turkes feare death which haue no fayth of the lyfe tocome But oure conuersacion and thoughtes are in heauen for from thence do we abyde our Lorde Iesu Christ which shall restore oure castawaye body agayne makynge it coÌ„formable vnto his glorifyed body Yf we hadde not this hope of the partynge of the body trustinge no lenger in Christ than durynge thys lyfe than ware we as sayeth Paul i. Corint xv the moost abiecte and refuse of al meÌ„ But now is Christ dead rysen agayne y t we shuld also ryse again in hiÌ„ in a new life Death is oure last enmy y t holdeth vs froÌ„ the lyfe thys must once be ouercome me in vs also Christ dyed for nought yf he hath not anulled the power lawe of death Christ is not rysen from death yf we must abyde in death Yf Christ be not rysen than is oure fayth vayne than abyde we damned in oure synnes than is scripture a lye than be the apostles also and y e prophetes false wytnesses of God That be farre For Christ dyed and is rysen agayne that he shulde haue dominion ouer quycke and dead Wherfore as we all dye in Adam so shal we be relyued agayne in Christ of which relyuyng agayne Christ hath made a profe in him selfe Therfore sayeth Paul If the sprete that hath raysed vp Chryst from the dead dwell in you thaÌ„ shal y e same sprete relyue youre mortall body by the spirite that dwelleth therin Lazarus Than wyll not I be moued though the fleshe do somtyme sygh and mone because of death and the fayntnesse of payne but wyll abyde alwaye the redemption tocome with a lyfted vp heade that is w t a mery spirite For yf I shulde consydre all thynges what els is in this valley of teares saue payne and anguishe synne and wyckednesse Tobias The poetes and Phylosophers estymed death to be a good thynge because yt is the ende of all wrechednesse and a rest of all euell Many Heythen haue beÌ„ lesse abassed for the death