our God and brought vs in to his kingdoÌ„ of darcknes whiche is the dreadful kyngdom of sinne death and hell Thus were we in great misery and should for euer haue bene damned if we had not bene holpen by some other meanes then we withall oure wittes could deuise Therfore euen of very pity tender compassion came one which is much stronger theâ— Satan euen Christ that mighty Lion of the tribe of Iuda a ryght conquerour a strong Sampson a valeant subduer of death sinne hell a puissaunt vanquisher of Satan c. He as a king of glory mightely brast into SataÌ„s kyngdome brake open the gates of hel toke the Prince of darknes bouÌ„d hym toke him prisoner made him his bound slaue destroied his Empire ledde away his prysonners bringing them againe into moste ioyfull and blessed libertie so that al they which beleue in this most mighty Emperour and valeaunt conquerour Christ Iesus are deliuered from the tyranny of Satan and from the power of sinne death and hell There is no damnation nowe vnto them whiche are engrafted in Christ Iesu. Satan sinne death and hell withall the infernall army cannot hurt y e elect and chosen people of God Who shall lay any thynge to the charge of Gods chosen It is God â—hat iustifieth â–ª who is he that can â—ondemne It is Christ whiche died yea rather whiche is rysen againe whiche is also on the righthaÌ„d of God and maketh intercession for vs. Who shal then seperat vs from the loue of God c. And as Christ by his most glorious and triumphant Ascension hath led captiuite captiue so likewyse hath he geuen giftes vnto men euen that holy ghost that spirite of truthe that comfortoure whiche worketh in the heartes of the faithfull newe mocions and spiritual affectes faith hope loue feare humilitie modestie mekenes pacience long suffring ioye peace quietnes of conscience temâ—peraunce goodnes mercy c. It mortifieth the old man and quieneth the newe man whiche is renued vnto the knowledge and Image of him y t made him â–ª whiche after God is shapen in righteousnes and true holines Againe Christ ascending vp inâ—to heauen by y e power of his godhead hath prepared in the kingdoÌ„ of his father euerlasting and ioyfull dwelling places for so manye as beleue in hym as he him selfe witnesseth saying I goe to prepare a place for you and I wyll come agayn vnto you take you vnto my self that where I am ye also maybe He hathe also ascertained vs of our ascension and going vp into heauen not onlye in soul but also in body He corporally is rysen agayne and gone before into the glorious kingdom of his father to declare that we also after the generall resurrection shall both body and soule be caried into heaueÌ„ The members must nedes be lyke the head Christ our head is risen againe therfore shall we his members ryse agayne Christ our head is ascended and gone vp into heauen both body and soule therfore shal we his members ascend and go vp into heauen bothe body and soule also Christ our hed was taken vp into Heauen in a cloud bothe body and soule therefore shall we his members also be taken vp in a cloude to meete the lord and so shal we both body and soule dwel with the Lord Christe our head for euer and euer as the holy Apostle testifieth saying If we beleue that Iesus died rose againe euen so them whiche slepe by Iesus God will brynge again with hym For this say we vnto you in the worde of the Lord that we whiche shall liue and shall remaine in the comming of the lord shall not come yer they whiche slepe For the Lorde him selfe shal descend from HeaueÌ„ with a shout and the voyce of the Archaungell and trompe of God And the dead in Christe shall aryse fyrste then we which shal liue eueÌ„ we which shall remaine shalbe caughte vp with them in the cloudes to mete the Lorde in the ayre And so shall we euer be with the Lorde Finally I vnfainedly beleue with my hearte and frely confesse with my mouth that as the Lord Christ is ascended into heauen so shall he come agayne from heauen with power and muche glory nobly accompanied with thousands of blessed â–ª Aungels and heauenly sainctes for to iudge the quicke and the dead the faithfull and vnfaithfull and to geue â–ª euery man his rewarde according to that he hathe donne whether it be good or badde And when he thus gloriously shall come vnto the iudgemente all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce and shall come forthe they that haue done good vnto the resurrection â—f life and they that haue done euil vnto the resurrection of damnation The faithfull shal go into eternall life the vnfaithfull into euerlasting damnation Euery man shall be reward according to his dedes that is to say prayse honor immortalitie to them which continue in good doyng and seke immortalitie But vnto theÌ„ that are rebels and that doe not obeye the truthe but followe vnrighteousnes shall come indignation wrath tribulation and anguishe vpon the soule of euery man that doth euell Now haue ye heard of my faith coÌ„cerning Iesus Christ God and man And I beleue al things that I haue spoken to be vndoubtedly true And I am fully perswaded that Iesus Christ my lord and sauiour wrought all the thinges y t euer he did in his humanitie for me and for my saluation To saue me to reconcile me vnto God the father to make me enheritour of euerlasting glory he came downe from heauen was incarnate by the holy ghoste and borne of the virgin Mary Yea he â—uffred was crucified died went down to hel rose agayn the third day from the dead ascended vnto heauen and shall come again vnto iudgement for me for my sake for my glory saluatioÌ„ Thus haue ye heard my fayth concerning God the father and God the sonne whiche also is man receuing his humain nature of the glorious virgin Mary Eus. Whosoeuer this beleueth and confesseth of God the father and of his sonne Christ the same can neuer perishe For as our sauioure Christ saide vnto God the father in his praier This is euerlasting life euen to know thee y e alone tru God and whom thou hast sente Iesus Christ. Chr. The wise man also saieth To know the O god as perfect righteousnes God sayth by the Prophet yea to know thy rightousnes and power is the roote of immortalitie Theo. By the knowledge of him whiche is my righteous seruaunt he shal iustify the multitude Phi. God graunte vs the true knowledge of his sonne Christe so may we be sure to be iustified saued gloryfyed Epa. Amen But now heare also my faythe concerning the third parson in the deity which is the holy gost Chr. We
This is a coÌ„fortable hering Phi. No les true then coÌ„fortable Epa. I trust then within fewe houres to se al the faithfull whiche before me haue departed in the Lord my children also and all my other acquaintaunce Phi. You shall both se them know them reioyse and be meary with them Eu. I maruell y t any man shuld doubt of thys doctrine beynge so clearlye set forthe both by the authority of the holye scriptures and by the testimonyes of the godly wryters seynge that the very heathen which knew not God a right beynge parswaded 〈◊〉 the immortality of the soule neuer doubted of it but were thorowlye resolued that such as lyued in this world iustly and vprightly and deserued wel of the common wealth whan so euer they departed from this life should go vnto the blessed company of the immortal Gods there not only se know the gods but also all those noble good and vertuous parsons that euer liued in this world as wel suche as they neuer knew as also those whome in this world they dyd moste perfectly know And they beyng thus perswaded desyred deathe at the leaste when the tyme of theyr departure came they toke their deathe the more ioyfully and paciently I wil rehearse vnto you y e worâ—es of â—ne or two of them I haue 〈…〉 desire said Cato the elder â—o se your fathers whom I honouâ—â—d and loued But I wish not onâ—y to talke wyth them whome I haue knowen in thys worlde but with such also as of whom I haue â—eard and red yea and I my selfe â—aue wrytten If I were once goâ—ng thitherward I woulde neuer â—aue mynde to retourne hyther aâ—ain Againe he saith O that noâ—le and pleasant day when it shall â—e my chaunce to come vnto that â—eauenly company and blessed feâ—owship and depart froÌ„ this troublous stincking world For theâ— shall I go not only vnto those meÌ„â— of whom I spake vnto you beforâ— but also vnto my Cato whiche was as worthy a man as euer liued and as noble And it is written of Socrates y t when he wenâ— vnto his death amoÌ„g many other thiÌ„gs he said y t it is a most blessed goodly thing for theÌ„ to come together which haue liued iustly faithfully o saith he what a greaâ— pleasure thinke you it to be freÌ„dlâ— to talk w t Orpheus Musaeus Homeâ—rus Hesiodus such like verely I wold die ful oft if it were possiblâ— to get those things y t I speake of Thus se we y t many among y t very HeatheÌ„ which wer perswadeâ— of thinmortality of y e soul beleueâ— y t they whiche in this world liueâ— godly iustly vprightly honestly should al go vnto a ioyful place oâ— rest ther hauing y e blessed compâ—â—ny of y e immortal gods they shulâ— know one another talk reioyce one w t an other The. As touching y e Ethnickes which in this world led a iust vpright life in the sight of meÌ„ I pronouÌ„ce nothing but leue theÌ„ vnto gods iudgmeÌ„t but as concerning the faithful christians which beleue in God feare loue God are perswaded of their saluatioÌ„ in Christes blud frame their life vnto the vttermost of their power according to the coÌ„maundements of God as they shall al obtain one glorious kingdome be Citezins of one Citie so likewyse shal they se know one an other talke reioyse be mery one with another This is my belief Ph. I agre w t you in opinioÌ„ concerning this matter Therfore good neighbor Epaphrodit be of good â—here take a good hart vnto you faynt not nether feare you death For y e time is at hand that you leauing this wretched worlde and the inhabitantes therof shall come vnto that most glorious and heaueÌ„ly kingdom where you shall haue the sight and knowledge not only of God and of his holy angels but also of al Gods elect and chosen people Al your dear frendes which are gone afore you shal gloâ—riously come and mete you ioyfully receiue you gladly present you vnto the maiestie of God and so shall you altogether remain in al glory and ioy for euer and euer Epa. Amen God grauÌ„t Chr. Sir how do you Epa. As God wyll Chri. I truste you do remember what my neighbour Philemon hath sayd vnto you Epa. Yea right wel I thanke God Chr. Then sir I praye you be of good comforte Epa. I am well content to forsake the worlde and all that is in the world and to go vnto the lord my God Eu. I trust y t there is none other thinge that troubleth you Epa. Yes not outwardly but inwardly Eu. Inward trouble is y e greatest griefe in the worlde Declare I pray you what it is we will doe the best we can to quiet your mind Epaph. Let me alone a little and pray for me Euse. Well content Neighbours let vs commend this our sicke brother vnto God with our prayers For he desireth it Phi. God commaundeth vs by his holy Apostle saying If any be diseased amonge you let him call for the elders of the congregatioÌ„ let theÌ„ pray ouer him annoint him w t oyle in the name of the Lord. And y e praier of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lorde shall rayse him vp and if he haue committed sinnes they shalbe forgeuen him Knowledge your fautes one to another and praye one for an other that ye may be healed The prayer of a righteous maÌ„ auaileth muche if it be feruent Let vs therfore knele downe and praye O Lorde heare our praier Eu. And let our cry come vnto theâ— Phi. O almighty and euerlasting God which lightnest al men that come into this world we besethe thee lighteÌ„ the heart of this sicke weake and diseased persone with the beames of thy deuine grace mercy y t al his thoughtes wordes workes may so be directed that he may be acceptable to thy godly maiestie in true faith and perfect loue thorow thi only sonne Iesus Christ our Lord sauiour Chr. Aâ—men Phi. O eternall and merciful God loke down from heaueÌ„ and visit this thy weake seruaunt as thou diddest visit Toby Sara Peters wiues mother the Captaines seruaunt Blesse hym as thou didst blesse Abraham Isaac and Iacob Behold him O Lord with the eies of thy mercy Replenish his hart with all ioye kepe from him al sinful thoughtes and wicked imaginations And sende downe thy angell of peace that he may kepe and defend him in euerlasting peace through Iesus christ thy deare sonne our Lorde sauiour Eu. Amen Phi. O Lord Iesu Christ thalone sauiour of y e world and the true phisitioÌ„ both of body and soule we most humbly besech thee mercifully to behold this our sicke brother which is a meÌ„ber of y e mistical body wherof thou art y e head and a braunche of the which y â— art the true vine Be thou vnto hym that moste
whole strong precious and in al poynts lyke to the glorious body of our Lorde sauiour Christ Iesus Hear whaâ— the Apostle saith our conuersatiâ—on is in heauen from whence we loke for a sauiour euen the Lorde Iesus Christ which shal chaungâ— our vile body that he may makâ— it like vnto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able also to subdue al things vnto him selfe Agayne We know that if our earthy mansion of this dwellinge were destroyed we haue a building of God an habitation not made with handes but euerlasting in heauen For therefore sighe we desiring to be clothed with our mansion whiche is from heauen so yet if that we be founde clothed and not naked For we that are in this tabernacle sighe and are greued because we woulde not be vnclothed but woulde be clothed vpon that immortalitie might bee swallowed vp of lyfe He that hath ordained vs for this thing is God whiche very same hath geuen vnto vs the earnest of the spirite Therfore we are alway of good cheare and knowe that as longe as we are at home in the body we are abâ—ent from God For we walke in â—ayth not after outwarde apperaunce Neuerthelesse we are of â—ood comfort and had rather to be absent from the body and to be present with God Epa. This is coÌ„fortable doctrine I can be conteÌ„t with al my heart to make such a chauÌ„ge whensoeuer the Lordes good pleasure shalbe But I pray you rehearse some wholsome sayinges oute of the holy scriptures concerning the resurrection of the body for streÌ„gthning of my faith and for the comfort and quietnes of my conscience Phi. In the prophet Esay we read on this manner Thy dead men shall liue euen w t my body shall they rise againe Awake and sing ye that dwell in dust For thy dewe is euen as the dew of herbes and the earth shall cast out them that be vnder her Againe your bones shall floryshe like an herbe The Prophet Ezechiell hath these words The haÌ„d of the lord came vnto me and caried me out in the spirit of y e Lord let me downe in a playne field that lay full of bones and he led me round about by them and beholde the bones that lay vpon the fielde were very many and maruelous dry also Then sayd he vnto me Thou sonne of maÌ„ thinkest thou these bones may liue again I aunswered O Lord God thou knowest And he sayd vnto me prophecy thou vpon these bones and speake vnto them Ye drye bones heare the worde of the Lord. Thus saith the Lorde God vnto these bones Beholde I will put breth vnto you that ye may lyue I will geue you sinowes make fleshe grow vpon you couer you ouer with skinne and so geue you breath that ye may liue knowe that I am the Lord. So I Prophecied as he had coÌ„mauÌ„ded me And as I was prophecying ther came a noyse and a great motion so that the bones ran euery one to an other Nowe when I had loked behold they had sinnowes flesh grewe vpon them and aboue they were couered with skin but there was no breath in theÌ„ Then said he vnto me Thou sonne of man prophecy thou towarde the wind prophecie speake vnto the wind Thus saith the Lord God Come O thou ayr from the foure windes blowe vpon these slaine that they may be restored to life So I prophecied as he had commauÌ„ded me then came the breath into them and they receiued life and stode vp vpoÌ„ their fete a maruelous great nomber Againe Thus saith the Lord god behold I wyll open your graues O my people and take you out of youre sepulchres The wordes of the Prophet Daniel are these Many of them that slepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life some to perpetual shame and reprofe God saieth by Esdras those that be dead will I rayse vp againe from their places and bryng them out of theyr graues Moreouer Christ saide to the Saduces which denied the resurrection of the body As touching the resurrectioÌ„ of the dead haue ye not red what is said vnto you of God which saith I am Abrahams God Isaacks God Iacobs God God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing Also in an other place The houre shall come in the whiche all that are in the graues shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and shall come forthe they that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life and they that haue done euil vnto the resurrection of dampnation Martha said vnto Christe of her brother Lazarus when he was dead I know y t my brother shall rise againe at the latter day The holy Apostit s. Paul is plenteous in the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead I wyll reherse one or two of his sentences byd the other farewell The trompe saith he shall blowe and the dead shall ryse incorruptible and we shalbe chaunged For this corruptible must put on incorruption this mortall must put on immortalitie Again the Lord Iesus shal chauÌ„ge our vile bodies that they maye bee fashioned like vnto his glorious body Also in an other place I would not brethren haue you ignoraunt concerning them which are fallen aslepe that ye sorow not as other do whiche haue no hope For if we beleue y t Iesus Christ died rose againe euen so they also whiche slepe by Iesus will God bring againe with him Diuers examples of the resurrection of our bodies haue we bothe in the old and new testament Helias the Prophet raised vp from death vnto lyfe the sonne of y e widow of Sarepta The like thinge read we of Heliseus the Prophet Christ raised froÌ„ death the daughter of a certain ruler the sonne of a certayne widowe and Lazarus w t many other Christ rose again and the bodies of many sainctes whiche slept arose also and came out of their graues after their resurrection and came into Hierusalem and appeared vnto many Peter raysed vp Tabitha from death S. Paul restored vnto life a certaine yong man named Eutichus Al these are euident examples of our resurrection Therefore good brother Epaphroditus feare not to geue ouer this your body and frely to commend it vnto the earth At the great daye of the generall resurrection you shal receiue it in a far better case then euer you had it in this world Ep. I leue this my vile body willingly yea and that with this hope that at the last day I shall take it againe immortall and vncorruptible I beleue the resurrection of the fleshe I wish to be losoned froÌ„ this body and to be with Christe Eu. You doubt nothing of the blessed state of y e godly departed and of the immortalitie of the soule Epa. I beleue euerlasting lyfe The. You are not
dwelling wer destroyâ—ed he meaneth the body we haue a building of God an habitation not made with handes but euerlasting in heauen We shalbe with Christ. We shalbe with the Lorde for euer We shalbe vessels vnto honour We shall haue the crown of righteousnes We shall come to the citie of the liuing God the celestiall Hierusalem and to an innumerable sight of Aungels and to the Congregation of the firste borne sons whiche are written in heauen and to God the iudge of al and to the spirits of iust perfect men and to Iesus the mediatour of the newe testament We shal receiue the crown of life saith S. Iames which the Lord hath promised to theÌ„ y t loue him WheÌ„ Christ y e chief shepherd shall apere saith S. Peter ye shall receiue an incorruptible crowne of glory We are nowe the Sonnes of God saith saint Iohn and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be We knowe that if it once appeare we shalbe like vnto him for we shal se him as he is In the Reuelation of S. Iohn we finde these Sentences concerning the blessed state of the faithfull after this life To him that ouercommeth I wyll geue to eat of the tre of life whiche is in the mids of the Paradise of God Be faithfull vnto the death and I shall geue thee the crowne of life Him that ouercommeth will I make a piller in the temple of my God and he shal go no more out c. To him that ouercoÌ„meth will I graunt to sit with me in my seat The .xxiiii. Elders that sate vpon the seates were clothed in white raiment had on their heades crownes of gold They are in the presence of the seate of God serue him daye and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the seat will dwell among them They shal hoÌ„ger no mâ—re nether thirst nether shall y e sonne light on them neyther anye heat For the Lambe which is in the mids of the seat shall fede theÌ„ and shall lede theÌ„ vnto fountains of liuing water God shall wine away all teares from their eyes They follow the Lambe whither soeuer he goeth They are without spot before the throne of God I heard a voice from heauen saying vnto me Wryght Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Euen so saith the spirite that they reast from their labors but their workes folow them Blessed are they whiche are called vnto the supper of the Lambes mariage I saw a new heauen and a new earth For the first heauen and the first earth were banished awaye â–ª and there was no more sea And I IhoÌ„ saw the holy Citie newe Hierusalem come down from God out of heauen prepared as a bride garnished for her husbande And I heard a great voyce out of heauen saying Behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwel with them And they shalbe his people and God him selfe shall bee with them and be their God And God shall wipe awaye all teares from theyr eyes And there shalbe no more death neither sorow â—â—ther â—â—ying neither shall there be any more paine for thold thinges are gone And he that sat vpon y e seat sayd â–ª Beholde I make all things now â–ª And he sayd vnto me wryte for these wordes are faith full and true And the Angell caried 〈◊〉 way in the spirite â—o a great 〈◊〉 hie mountaine and he â—â—e wedâ—â—e the great Citie holyâ— Hierusaâ—â—â— descendinge out of heauen 〈◊〉 God hauing y â— brightnes of God And her shining waâ— lyke vnto 〈◊〉 stone most precious eueÌ„ like a Iasper clere as Christall had wals great hie had xii gates at the gates .xii. angels and names written whiche are the names of the .xii. Tribes of Israell On the â—ast side .iii. gates and on y e north side .iii. gates and towardes the south .iii. gates from the weast iii. gates and the wal of the Citie had .xii. foundations in theÌ„ the xii names of the LaÌ„bes .xii. Apostles he that talked with me had a goâ—den rede to measure the citie withal the gates therof and the wall therof And y e citie was built iiii â–ª square and the length was as large as the bredth he measured the citie with the golden rede .xii M. furlonges the length and y e bredth the height of it were equall And he measured the wall therof an C. xliiii the measure y t the angel had was after the measure that maÌ„ vseth And the building of the wall of it was of Iasper And the citie was pure gold like vnto cleare glasse the foundations of the wal of the city wer garnished with al maner of precious stones â–ª The first foundation was a Iasper the seconde a Saphir the third a Calcedony y e .iiii. an Emerald the .v. a Sardonix the .vi. a Sardius the .vii. a Chrisolite the .viii. a Berall the .ix. a Topas the .x. a Crusoprases the xi a Iacint the .xii. an Amathist The .xii. gates were .xii. pearles euery gate was of one pearle and the streate of the Citie was pure gold as through shining glasse And I sawe no temple therin For the Lord God almighty and the Lambe are the temple of it And the citie hath no nede of the sunne nether of the moone to lighten it For y e brightnes of God did light 〈◊〉 and the Lambe was the light of it And the people which are saâ—ed shall walke in the light of it And the kinges of the earth shall bringe their glory and honoure vnto it And y e gates of it are not shut by daye For there shalbe no night there And there shall enter into it none vncleane thing neyther whatsoeuer worketh abhomination or maketh lies but they only whiche are wrytten in the Lambes booke of life And he shewed me a pure riuer of water of life clere as Christall proceading out of the seat of God and of the Lambe In the mids of the streat of it and of ether syde of the riuer was there wood of life whiche bare .xii. maner of fruites and gaue fruit euery moneth and the leaues of the wood serued to heale the people withall And ther shalbe no more cursse but the seat of God and the Lambe shalbe iâ— it and his seruauntes shall seruâ— him And they shal se his face and his name shalbe in their foreheds â–ª And there shalbe no night therâ—â— and they nede no candle â— neytheâ— lyght of the Sunne for the Lordâ— God geueth them lyght and they shall raigne for euermore And he sayde vnto me these thinges are faithfull and true Epâ— God be praised for that true ioye and singuler comfort which the faithfull finde in his holy worde It is not without a cause sayd of the holy Apostle The eie hath not sens and the eare hath not heard neither haue entred into the heart
ynough for all that call on him so that whosoeuer calleth on the name of y e Lord he shall be safe For none shalbe confounded y t putteth his trust in hym This poore maÌ„ cried saith Dauid the Lord hard him saued him from al his troubles For the aungell of the Lord pitcheth his tent round about them that fear him deliuereth them O tast therfore se how geÌ„tle gratious louing the Lorde is blessed is the man y t trusteth in hym Euse. Brother Epaphroditus all these sentences and histories which our neighbor Phiâ—lemon hath here recited vnto you out of the holy scriptures ought to encourage you to pray vnto the Lord God in this your sicknes w t a strong and vnshaken faith and to be fully perswaded that God will both gratiously heare you also worke that in you which shal turn moste vnto his glory and vnto the saluation of your soul For behold the Lordes hand is not so shortned that it can not helpe nether is his eare so stopped that it may not hear Our God is such a God as saueth With the lord our God there is health he laith his blessing vpon his people Whome did God euer despise that called faithfully vpon hym For God is gratious merciful he forgeueth sinnes in the tyme of trouble is a defender for al them that seke after him The. The wise man saith sonne in thy sickenesse despise not thy self but pray to the Lord he shall heale thee Here is a coÌ„maundement geuen to pray vnto God in the tyme of our sicknes also a promise added that he wil hear heale and help vs as he saieth by the Psalmograph Call on me in the day of thy trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt honor me Chri. S. Iames in his Epistle also saieth If any be diseased among you let hym call for the elders of the congregation and let them praye ouer him and anoynt him with oyle in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith shall saue the sick and the Lorde shall raise him vp and if he haue committed sinnes they shall be forgeuen him Phile. That God being faithfully called vpon wyll helpe in the time of sicknesse we haue many examples in the holy scriptures whiche may worthely comfort vs stir vp our faith toward God lokyng for helpe at his most mercifull hand But for this present let this one example of kyng Ezechias suffice whome being apoynted to die after he had called â—n the name of the Lord the lord our God graciously heard his request restored him to his health gaue him .xv. yeares mo to liue in this world after that his sicknes Notwithstanding brother Epaphroditus all be it we doubt not but that you praying vnto God in this your sicknes God wil mercifully heare you and worke that in you whiche shall be moste vnto his glory and the health of your soule yet forasmuch as you know not what is most expedieÌ„t for you be content in all your prayers to submit your will do the good will of God whiche without all doubt tendereth the health of your soule more than any mortall frend tendereth the healthe of your body In al temporal worldly things that you craue of God in your praiers prefer the wil of God vnto your owne will and be content to receiue at the hand of God as shall be his godly pleasure to appoynte For whether we lyue or die we are the Lordes An example hereof haue you of our sauiour Christe whiche a little before his passion being greatly dismaid w t the terrours and feares of death praied vnto his heauenly father that these bitter paynes and tormentes whiche were at hand for him to suffer myght be remoued from hym so that he myght not suffer them but be fre from them Notwithstanding knowing that the will of his heauenly father is euer best and moste perfecte and that all willes of men oughte tâ— geue place vnto his godly will hâ— wyshed rather the will of God tâ— be done then the wyll of hym beâ—yng man and so submitted hyâ—â— selfe to Gods holy wil being conâ—tented to suffer in his body whaâ—soeuer should be his godly pleasure to appoynt The wordes of Christes praier in this behalf are these O my father if it be possible let this cup depart from me notwithstanding not as I wyll but as thou wilt Again O my father if this cup can not goe from me but that I must drincke it thy wil be done That we ought in al our praiers for temporall things to submit our wil to the good wil and pleasure of God and no more to desire of him then may stande with his blessed wyll Christ our Lord and sauiour teacheth vs in that common prayer whiche we call the Pater noster where we praye on this manner Thy wyll be done in earth as it is in heauen This manner of praying practised the Leper which came vnto Christ to bee healed of hys Leprosy Lorde saith he if thou wilt thou art hable to make me whole Here this faithfull Leper confessed Christ thorow y e almighty power of his Godhead to be able for to clense him and to make him whole not withstanding he submitted his will to the will of Christ that if the Lorde Christe thought it not mete to make hym whole but y t it was better for his saluation to continue a leper still he refused not to suffer that plague of leprosy vpon his body euen vnto the very death Thus affected neighbor Epaphroditus must we all be whansoeuer we aske anye teÌ„porall or worldly thing of God And this trade folow you in this your sicknes wheÌ„ you pray vnto God Desire God to remoue this your disease froÌ„ you and to blesse you agayne with the benefite of health that you may liue long se good daies on earth yet in these your prayers be content to submit your will to his godly wyll yea though death should follow knowing that if death doe ensue of this your sicknesse it shalbe no losse but auauntage vnto you as saint Paul saieth Christe is to me life and death is to me auantage On this manner did Christ our elder brother submit his will vnto the wil of his heauenly father as you afore heard and so huÌ„bled himself that he became obedient vnto death euen y e death of y e cros Note now what foloweth wherfore God hath also exalted him on hie and geuen him a name which is aboue al names that is y e name of Iesus euery kne should bowe bothe of thinges in heauen and thinges in the earth and thinges vnder the earth that all tonges should confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord vnto the praise of God the father He that humbleth him self shall be set hie For the Lord is a frend to them that be humble
thy blessed pleasure Lord encrese my faith Lorde helpe my vnbelief Lord remeÌ„ber not mine olde sinnes but haue mercy vpon me and that sone for I am come to great misery Healpe me O God my Sauiour for the glory of thy name O deliuer me be merciful vnto my sinnes for thy names sake Euse. God hath euer be meâ—â—full vnto you so will coÌ„tinue vnto thend doubt you not Ep. That is my only comfort And Lord I most humbly pray thee coÌ„firme y t whiche thou hast begon to worke in me and kepe me blamelesse against the comming of thy deare sonne But where is my louing neighbour Philemon I wold be glad to haue his counsell in a certaine matter Where is he Phile. Neighbour here at hand What is your pleasure Epa. I perceiue right well y t my sicknesse doth not discrease but encrease so y t I can not long continue in that state wherin I am now And I thinke â—erely y t the lord my God hath seÌ„t this sicknes vnto me as a messenger to afore warne me of my departure from this world y t whan he come he may not finde me vnprepared or vnready And I most hartely thanke him for it Therfore neighbor Philemon neighbors al I think it best euen out of hand to dispose my temporall possessions and to set an order in such worldly goodes as God hath lent me that after my departure there be no dissension nor strife for theÌ„ among suche as I most wishe to be linked together with perpetual amitie and continuall frendship It shall also I trust be a great quietnes vnto my mynd Phile. If you haue not already brother Epoporoditus disposed and set an order in your temporal things I wishe it to be done with all expedition For suche thinges ought to be considred when we be most perfect in health forasmuche as our life is vncertaine we know not howe sone death commeth Epa. I thought not that the tyme of my life had bene so short therâ—fore I deferred the matter But I se now that no man is certain of his life vntill to morowe therfore ought we all to watche to prouide that we be not found vnready wheÌ„ the Lord commeth The. Whan that godly king Ezechias was sicke God sent the Prophet Esaias vnto him and willed him to saye vnto hym on this wyse Thus saieth the Lord God Set thi house in an order for thou shalt die and not liue Here learne we y e good will of God whiche is that they whome the Lord hath enduâ—ed with the goodes of the worlde â—hould before their departure set a godly order and quiet stay in their â—emporal possessions Epaph. You â—ay truth neighbour Theophile â—herfore I pray you bring hether â—en inck paper withal expediâ—ion and let my will be written â—or I thank the Lord my God I 〈◊〉 aswell contented to leaue the goodes of y e world as euer I was to enioy them And in this behalf I haue to thank the lord my God that since I came to the vse of reason and had any worldly possessions at all I haue alwayes made them to serue me and I neuer serued them but at all times coulde be contented to depart from them whansoeuer the glory of god and the commoditie of my neighbour did require Christ. Than did you vse your goodes aright And you were not ritch in the world but in the Lorde of the noÌ„bre of those of whom it is written blessed are the poore in spirit for vnto theÌ„ belongeth the kingdome of heauen The Psalmograph saith If ritches do abound set not thy heart vpon them And the holy Apostlâ— commaundeth that they which vse the world should be as thougâ— they vsed it not For the fashioâ— of this world goeth away Saint Iohn also saieth Se that ye loue not the world nether the thinges that are in the worlde for all that is in the worlde as the lust of the fleshe and the luste of the eies and the pryde of life is not of the father but of the worlde And the worlde passeth away and the lust therof but he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth for euer Epa. God graunt al men to follow this doctrine O Lord how sick am I Where is the pen Incke and paper Euse. Here syr Epaph Wright neighbor Philemon I pray you Phile. What is your pleasure that I should wright Epaphrodi On this manner IEpaphroditus the vnprofitable seruaunt of God weke in body notw tstanding strong in mynde do willingly and with a fre hart render and geue againe into the handes of the Lorde my God my spirit which he of his fatherly goodnesse gaue vnto me whan he fashioned this my body in my Mothers wombe by this meanes making me a liuing creature nothing doubting but that this my Lord God for his mercies sake set forth in y e precious bloud of his derely beloued sonne Christ Iesu our alone sauiour and redemer will receiue my soul into his glory and place it in the company of the heauenly aungels and blessed sainctes And as concerning my body euen with a good will fre hart I geue it ouer commending it vnto the earth wherof it came nothing doubting but that according to y e article of our faith at the great day of the generall resurrection whan we shall all appeare before the iudgemeÌ„t seat of Christ I shal receiue it again by the mighty power of God wherwith he is able to subdue al thiÌ„gs vnto him selfe not a corruptible mortail weake and vile body as it is nowe but an vncorruptible immortall strong perfect and in all poyntes like vnto the glorious body of my Lorde and Sauioure Christ Iesu. Haue ye writteÌ„ this neighbour Philemon Phi. Yea forsothe Sir But what is your mind now coÌ„cerning your world â—y possessions Epaph. First as touching my wyfe with whome I â—oupled my self in the fear of God and refusing all other women I â—inked my selfe vnto her liuing w t her in the blessed state of honouraâ—le wedlocke by whome also thoâ—owe the blessing of God I haue â—ad certen children wherof part â—re gone before me vnto the lord and part yet remain a liue albeit I dout not but y e god after my departure according vnto his promis will be vnto her an husband yea a father a patrone defeÌ„der will not suffer her to lack if she go â—orth to liue in his feare to serue hym and diligently to call on his holy name yet forasmuch as God hath blessed me with worldly substance and she is mine own flesh and whosoeuer prouideth not for his hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidell I bequeth geue vnto her for tearme of her life this house wherein I nowe dwell with y e appurtenances and all the housholde stuffe contayned therein And after her departure I wil that my eldest sonne whom now I
because I goe vnto the Father teaching and shewing by these his wordes that whan our frendes whome we derely loue depart out of the worlde we ought rather to reioyse than to be sad Thereof the blessed Apostle Paule being myndfull saieth in his Epistle Christ is to me lyfe and death is to me a vauntage He thinketh it great auauntage to be rid out of the snares of this lyfe when he shalbe no more subiect to any offence or synne of the flesh but be exempted from the afflictions that do trouble vs and deliuered froÌ„ y t in venimed chawes of the deuil by going vnto the ioy of eternal saluation through the calling of Christ. Also in the same sermon he saith I my selfe being the most simple of all other haue through the goodnes of God diuers times aswell by Reuelation as otherwyse receiued instructioÌ„ manifestly to affirme and preach that our brethren whiche be deliuered from the worlde by the calling of God ought not to be mourned for seing they be not lost but sent before to make the waye for vs that do come after We should not therfore couet them againe which be dead nor mourne for theÌ„ any otherwyse then we vse to do for such as haue taken their iourny into a straunge lande And for them we ought not to wear black sence they in heauen be clothed in white Herein we should not geue occasion vnto the gentils y t they might iustly reproue vs when we mourn for them as dead and lost whom we do affirme to be liuing with God c. And a litle after he saith The Apostle Paule doth reproue blame such as do mourne at the departure of the persones y â— they loue I would not brethren quod he that you should be ignoraunt concerning them which be falleÌ„ on slepe that you sorowe not as other do whiche haue no hope If we beleue that Iesus died and rose againe euen so then also theÌ„ whiche slepe by Iesus wyll God bryng again with him He declareth that suche as be sorowfull at their frendes departure haue no hope Why should we that liue by hope that beleue in God truste that Christ suffred for vs is risen again that remain in Christe and be rysen by hym and in hym â—e so vnwylling to departe out of this worlde or els mourn lameÌ„t suche as be departed as though they were lost sence Christ our â—ord our God doth admonish vs â—aying I am the resurrection and â—he life he that beleueth on me yea though he were dead yet shal he liue and whosoeuer liueth and beleueth in me shall neuer die If we beleue in Christ and trust his wordes and his promises we shal neuer die but shal com with glad suerty vnto Christ with whome we shal euer liue raigne And y t in the meane season we do die we do but therby passe to immortalitie For except we departe from hence the lyfe euerlasting can not come Death is no departure but a passage to y e entent y t this worldlye iourney once ouer runne we may come vnto eternitie Whâ— will not make haste to a better estate Who will not desyre to bee chaunged and transfourmed into the likenes of Christ and to come out of hand to the dignitie of the heaueÌ„ly grace which thing Paul the Apostle doth declare Our coÌ„uersacion saith he is in heauen from whence we loke for a Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ whiche shall transforme our vile body that he may make it like vnto his glorious body And Christe the Lorde doth promise that we shalbe such when that we may be with him liue with him in his eternall seat and reioyce with hym in his heauenly kingdom he praieth vnto the father for vs on this manner father I will that they whiche thou haste geuen me be w t me wher I am that they may see my glory whiche thou hast geuen me for y e didst loue me before y e making of the worlde Therfore we â—ught nether to mourne nor to laâ—ent for coÌ„ming vnto the seate of Christ to y e glory of y e heaueÌ„ly king â—oÌ„ but ought rather according to â—he promise of God according to â—he faith of the veritie to reioyce 〈◊〉 our departure and transformation Hitherto haue I rehearsed the words of S. Cipriane which do manifestly declare that they whiche die in the Lorde are in a blessed state and therfore not to be mourned nor lamented I fear least I haue bene tedius vnto you in rehersing so much of s CipriaÌ„s mynde concerning this matter Epaphro You haue rather neighbour Theophile coÌ„forted me then molested me yea you haue ryght well confirmed my faith mightely encouraged me to goe vnto this battel and willingly to geue ouer this my life forasmuch as I am thorowly perswaded that after my departure from this vale of mysery I shal come vnto a glorious kingdome and shal se God face to face And one thing I noted in the wordes of S. Ciprian whiche you haue reheased thaâ— is this y t we ought not to wearâ— black clothes mourning gowns for them whiche are deliuered froÌ„ the world and are gone to God seing thei be clothed in whight and wear ioyfull apparell and are in heauen with God reigning in glory and eternall felicitie Euse. In dede it is a poynt of fondnesse to mourn for theÌ„ that are in ioye and to bee sory for them that are mery The Apostle saith Reioyce with them that reioyce mourne with them that mourne Seynge that the faythfull which are deliuered out of this worlde are in â—oy it is more semely y t we should â—oy in God with them thaÌ„ mourn â—nd be sory for them as though â—hey were in worse case now then â—hey were afore Let the Heathen â—ourne whiche haue no hope for â—he departure of their frends the â—rue christians which ar perswaâ—ed that such as die in the Lord are in muche better case then they euer were in this worlde we ought rather to reioyce to singe psalmes praises thaÌ„kesgeuings vnto God for the christeÌ„ and godly departure of their brethren and for their blessed estate wherein God hath placed them For the holy scripture pronounceth them blessed and happy which die in y e Lord. And y e Psalmograph saith precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saintes The wise man also sayth that y e soules of the righteous are in peace Chr. They therfore which are in so blessed estate ar not to be mourned nor lamented but God is rather to be thancked for them Th. The holy scripture declareth that king Dauid praied vnto the Lord for the child whiche he haâ— by Bethsabe Urias wife when iâ— was sicke and that he fasted anâ— lay all the night vpon the earth in so much that the Elders of his house arose and went vnto him to take hym vp froÌ„ the earth but he
e throne of Gods maiestie to be testimonies witnesses of their true and vnfained sayth They therfore are to much fond and negligent of their owne saluation which trust other more then them selues in matters pertayning vnto the health of their soules Chri. There is an old saying in Latin and as I thinck noâ—â—les true thaÌ„ old It is this Da tua dum tua sunt post morteÌ„ tunc tuae non sunt Geue thy goodes while they be thine for after thy death they be none of thine Euse. I remember whan I was a child I learned .ii verses of my scholemaister which I haue not yet forgotten I wyll rehearse them vnto you Quod sibi quisque serit praesentis teÌ„pore vitae Hoc sibi messis erit cum dicitur Ite Venitae That a maÌ„ soweth for him self in y e time of this present life that shalbe his haruest or reape when it is saide Go Come Epap What meane you by that Go Come Eu. You know that to the vnfaithfull it shalbe sayd go ye cursed in to euerlasting fire whiche is prepared for y e deuill and his angels But to the faithfull it shalbe said on this maner Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome whiche was prepared for you froÌ„ the beginning of the world The. S. Paule hath a sentence muche lyke vnto your verses whatsoe â—er a man soweth saith he y t shall he also reape For he that soweth in his flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption But he that soweth in the spirit shall of y e spirite reape life euerlasting Phil. It is not w tout cause that the holy scripture doth so diligently call vs vnto repentaunce faith and good works in this present worlde For euerlasting life euen in this worlde is ether gotten or loste As God findeth vs so iudgeth he vs. Euerye tree is knowen and iudged by her owne fruite and not by the fruite of other trees Euery man lykewyse is iudged by his owne workes not by the workes of other as Christ saith to the vnprofitable seruaunt Of thine owne mouthe wil I iudge thee thou euil seruaÌ„t Teophilact saith The vertue of my neighbour shall scacely be inough to defend him selfe so farre is it of that it can profit me also For all men shall be declared to be righteous by their owne workes and not by the workes of theyr neighboures Euse. The Preacher saieth When the tre falleth whether it be toward the Southe or north in what place so euer it fall there it lieth Epap What is ment by that Euse. The tre signifieth euery one of vs y t are the children of Adam We fal that is to say we die ether toward the south or toward the north that is either in the state of saluation or damnatioÌ„ In what state soeuer we die in the same remaine we There is no chaunge after this life Ether with poore Lazarus we goe into the bosome of Abraham or els with that vnmercifull ryche man into the fier of hell There are but two places after this life hel and heauen If we depart in the faith of Christe we goe straighawayes vnto the glory of heauen But if we die in vnbelief than go we to the Deuill as the scripture sayth He that beleueth on y e sonne hath euerlasting life But he that beleueth not on the sonne shall not see lyfe but the wrath of God abideth vpon him Christo. S. Iohn Chrisostome saith he that washeth not awaye his synnes in this present life shall finde no comfort afterward c. Theph The same doctor also hath this saying Let vs not thinke saith he that wheÌ„ we come thither he meaneth vnto the iudging place of God mercy shal be geuen vnto vs seing we do not so behaue our selues in this world that we may deserue to haue forgeuenes though Abraham shuld pray for vs though Noe though Iob though Daniell shuld make intercessioÌ„ for vs. Therfore while we haue tyme let vs prepare for our selues that whiche may stand vs in steade a fore God an other day Eus. Hereto agreeth the saying of S. Ciprian Then that is to say after death shall repentaÌ„ce be without fruite and the sorowe of paine weping also shall be in vayn and praier shalbe to no purpose Therefore make prouision while ye may for your safegard life Again he saith When we be once departed out of this worlde there is no more place for repentaunce there is no effect of â—atisfaction In this worlde life is either lost or gotten Here through the worshipping of God and the fruit of fayth prouision is made for euerlasting saluation Epa. I se than both by the aucthoritie of y e holy scriptures and of the auncieÌ„t doctours that the workes whiche are done for them that are departed out of this worlde by other are but vayne and vnprofitable whether they departe in fayth or otherwyse For y e faithfull departe straightwaies vnto glory and the vnfaithful vnto euerlasting pain The one sort haue no nede of praier for they be already in most blessed state and ioyful reast And the other are in so damnable case that praier can do no good for them no though Abraham Noe Iob Daniel and all the best that euer lyued shuld pray for theÌ„ For in hell there is no redemption And Abraham said to the rich maÌ„ There is betwene vs and you a great space set so y t they whiche wold go from heÌ„ce vnto you caÌ„not neither may they y t are there come hither vnto vs. Phi. The truth is neighbor Epaphroditus y e papistes haue long bewitched the eies of y e simple by making theÌ„ beleue that the soules of the faythfull goe not straightwaies after their departure vnto eternal glory but rather vnto purgatory a place of their own deuising for the maintenance of their idle bellies there to lie miserablie puling til they be redemed by treÌ„talles by pilgrimages going by pardons c. Our sauiour Christe in the gospell teacheth maketh meÌ„cion of two waies But y e third is not found in the holy scripture One is a straight way which leadeth vnto life fewe ther be that finde it The other is a brode way which leadeth vnto destruction many ther be y t go in therat Ep. I beleue am throwly perswaded y t by y t merits of his precious bloud which said vnto y e penitent thefe this day shalt thou be with me in paradise my soule immediatly after the departure froÌ„ this vile body shall be receiued vnto glory â—se y e glorious maiestie of God face to face as y e Psalmograph sayth I beleue to see the pleasures and good thinges of the Lorde in the land of the liuing I fear the Popish purgatory the paynes therof nothing at all My pain endeth in this life And the ende of this life is the beginning of my ioye This hope lieth vp buried in
euen that they shuld set forth magnifie prayse and commend the maiestie power might and glory of this moste myghty glorious god And whatsoeuer he made he made it thorow his only begotten sonne by whoÌ„ al things were made and without whome was made nothing y t was made For when he made the heauens this his only begotten sonne was present whan he haÌ„ged y e cloudes aboue when he fastned the springes of the depe when he shut the sea within certaine boundes that the water should not go ouer the marckes that he commaunded When he laide the foundations of the earth he was with hym ordring all thynges deliting daily and reioysing alway before hym For the sonne of God caused the iyght that fayleth not to aryse in the heauen and couered all the earth as a cloud And that prince like Prophet sayeth By the word of the Lord which word is Christ the natural sonne of God are the heauens made and all the hostes of them by y e breath of his mouth This God the father almightye maker of heauen and earth I beleue am fully perswaded that he for Christes sake by fayth is my moste mercifull father that I am borne againe of him not by mortall but immortall seede thorowe the worde of God which liueth and abideth for euer and so am become his sonne and that he therfore loueth and fauoreth me gouerneth and defendeth me â—eadeth and nourysheth me and finally hath made me his heire and fellow heir of eternall glory with his only begotten and moste derely beloued sonne Christ Iesu our Lorde and sauiour Now haue ye heard my fayth concerning God the father Phil. It is a faith both true and christen and from the beginning receiued of all godly parsons Will it please you likewyse to reherse your faith concerning Iesus Christ y e sonne of God yea God and man Epaph. This it is I vnfainedly beleue with my heart and frely confesse wyth my mouth y e Iesus Christ the seconde persone in the godhead is the only begotten sonne of God yea and true immortall and euerlasting God begotten of God the father before any beginning of lyke maiestie myght power glory with God the father of the same nature essence being and substance I beleue that this Iesus Christe whiche is the very brightnesse of his fathers glory and the very image of his substance first begotten before all creatures is oure Lord euen the Lord of all y e faithfull And I beleue that as he is called Iesus that is to saye a sauiour so likewyse he is both able and will saue me froÌ„ al my sinnes A God that is righteous suche one as saueth there is none but he There is saluation in none other Neither is there any other name vnder heauen geuen vnto men wherein we may be saued but only the name of Iesus Of hym therfore alone as of an almighty sauiour doe I loke for my saluation For vain is the sauing health that is loked for of any other And as he is called Christ y e is to saye annoynted because he is the Kyng and Priest of all the people of God and is annoynted with the true oyntment eueÌ„ with the fulnes of the holy ghoste for God geueth not the spirite by meâ—ure vnto him but he hathe annoynted him with the oyl of gladnes aboue his fellowes eueÌ„ so do I beleue that out of hym euen as out of a liuely spring and flowing fountaine this oyle of gladnes I meane the holy ghoste come forth vpon all the members of Christ and they also in him thoâ—om him are made Christes that â—s to say the annointed of the lord For of his fulnes haue all we receiued euen grace for grace And whosoeuer beleueth on hym as sayeth the scripture flouds of lyuing water shall flowe out of his belly As I am of this Christ called a christian so do I beleue that this Christ hath annoynted me w t his holy spirite and therwith also sealed me vp vnto euerlasting life â–ª For they that are led with the spirit of God are the sonnes of God For the same spirit certifieth our spirite that we are the sonnes of God If we be sonnes then ar we also heires the heires I meane oâ— God fellow heires with Christ of eternall glory Furthermore I beleue thaâ— Iesus Christe the onlye begotten sonne of God is called our Lord not only because he is Lorde of alâ— thinges in asmuche as he is Goâ— and hath all thinges in subiection vnto hym by the ryght of his diâ—uine nature but also because hâ— is the Lord ruler gouernour of all the elect and chosen people of God myghtely deliuereth them from the power violence and tiranny of Satan sinne and death by this meanes making them his owne and peculier people continually defendeth and preserueth them against all euils and perils wherunto they should dayly fall thorow the deceitfull suttelties of Satan the vaine perswasions of the world the poysonfull entisements of the flesh if by the mighty power of him they wer not preserued For althogh there be many lords yet haue we but one lord eueÌ„ Iesus Christ by whoÌ„ ar althings we by him And this Iesê° Christ y e only begotteÌ„ son of god I faithfully beleue to be my lord my protector my mighty shield bukler defender and y t he hath deliuered me froÌ„ the tirany of SataÌ„ from y e law of sin and death and broughâ— me in thorowe faithe vnto this grace wherin I staÌ„d and reioysâ— in hope of the glory of God Moreouer I vnfainedly beleue with my heart frely confesse w t my mouth that this Iesus Christ the only begotten sonne of God is also very true and naturall man of the same flesh bloud with vs and like vnto vs in all poyntes sinne alone except And he became man not after the maner of other men but by the wonderful operation and aboue natural working of Gods naturall spirite For he was conceiued of the holy ghost borne of the Uirgin Mary That which was conceiued in her was not of man but it came of the holy ghost For y e holy ghost came vpoÌ„ that godly maid and the power of the hiest ouershadowed her so conceiued she and brought forth Christ her true natural sonne a pure and vndefiled Uirgin before the birth in the birth after the birth It was necessary that Iesus Christ shuld be so both conceiued and borne that by this his pure and cleane birth he myght washe and put away the corruption and filthinesse of our nature which was distained in the fall â—inne of Adam For it was not coÌ„â—enient that he which was come â—o purge the world from all sinne â—huld in any point be spotted with â—iune
nede no such daily sacrifices as the Papistes hearetofore for lucres sake haue deuised As Christe Iesus is an euerlasting Bishoppe so abideth his sacrifice whiche he once for all offred on the Crosse of ful vertue power might and strength euen vnto the ende of the world Iesus Christ yesterday and to daye and the same continueth for euer For asmuche therfore as Christ endureth for euer and hath an euerlasting Priesthode he is able also euer to saue them to the vttermost and vnto the full that come vnto God by hym seyng he euer liueth to make intercession for vs. For he is not entred into the holy places that ar made with handes which are similitudes of true thinges but is entred into very heauen for to appeare nowe in the sighte of God for vs not to offer hym selfe often as the hie priest entreth in to the holy place euery year with straunge bloud for then must he haue often suffred sence the world began But nowe in the ende of the world hath he appeared once to put sinne to flyght by the offering vp of him self And as it is apoynted vnto all men y t they shall once die and then commeth the iudgemeÌ„t eueÌ„ so Christ was once offred to take away the sinnes of manye and vnto them that loke for him shall he appeare again w t out sinne vnto saluation We are sanctified and made holye by the offeringe of Iesus Christes bodye done once for all With one only oblation hath Christ Iesus made perfecte for euermore them that are sanctified Adue therfore to all newe counterfaict and straunge sacrifices deuised for lucres sake by the crafty conueyance of man through the subtile suggestion of slie Satan let the faithfull people of God embrace that sacrifice that offringe of Christes blessed body which he him self offred vnto God the father on the altare of the crosse once for al for the sinnes of the worlde Let them cleue and sticke vnto that Let them repose their whole affiaunce and put all trust in that swete smelling sacrifice and saye with the holy Apostle God forbid that I should reioyse in any thing but in y e crosse passion and death of our Lord Iesu Christe So may they be sure neuer to perishe but to haue euerlasting life Againe This Iesus Christ the sonne of God and the sonne also of the glorious virgin after that he had suffred many bitter paines and greuous tormentes hauing vpon the crosse died the death of the body was buried I beleue that Christ by his death hath conquered vanquished subdued and ouercome him that had Lordship ouer death that is to saye the deuill that he myght deliuer them which thorow fear of death were all their lyfe tyme subdued vnto bondage Yea by his death Sathans power is so broken and the violeÌ„ce of death so weakened that we may be bold to saye Death is swalowed vp into victory Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is y e law But thankes be vnto God whiche hathe geuen vs wictorye through our Lord Iesus Christ. Christe after the death of his body went downe in his soule to hell as clearely appeareth by the â—criptures not that he shuld there â—uffer mo paines whiche had all ready on the crosse suffred to the vttermoste and done whatsoeuer was nedefull for our redemption but to breake the pride of Sathan and to destroy the fury of the hellishe powers againste the chosen people of God that al the faithful thereby might be deliuered from death and hell and triumphantly say with the Prophet O death I wyll be thy death O hell I wil be thy destruction And lykewyse as Christe died for our synnes so I vnfaynedlye beleue with my hearte and frely confesse with my mouthe that he rose agayn the third day through the power of his father for oure iustification according to the scriptures And by this his resurrection and lyfe he hath not only shewed hym selfe a glorious and triumphante conquerour ouer Sathan death and hell but he hath also brought lyfe and immortalltie vnto light and assured vs of the resurrectioÌ„ of our bodies that as he is rysen from the dead so likewyse shall we with our bodies ryse agayne out of the earth at the last daye And therfore is he called the fyrst frutes of them that ar fallen aslepe Moreouer I vnfaynedlye beleue with my heart and frely confesse with my mouth that as Iesus Christ the sonne of God the sonne of the Uirgin Mary shewed him selfe oftentimes after his resurrection vnto his disciples so likewise he ascended vnto heauen in their presence perfect God and perfect man sitteth at the right-hand of God y e father almighty aboue all rule power might dominion aboue all y t may be named not only in this worlde but also in y e worlde to come For God the father hathe put all thynges vnder his feete and hathe made him aboue all thinges the head of the congregation whiche is his body and the fulnes of hym that filleth all in all Al power is geueÌ„ vnto him bothe in heauen and in earth He is a lord aboue al lords and a king aboue all kinges Yea he is an almighty God with his father of y e same Maiestie might power and glory and not withstaÌ„ding inasmuche as he is man he is also our intercessour mediator and aduocate For he is not gone vp into heauen to be an idle gaser nor to neglect his churche but to pray for the faythfull to make intercessioÌ„ for them vnto God the father to be our mediatour aduocate and to appease the wrath of God the father if at any tyme through sinne it waxeth whote against vs and to wynne vs again vnto his fauoure and to kepe vs in the same vnto thende We nede not seke helpe of other neither yet call on the sainctes departed that they may pray for vs and pleade our cause before God The man Christ Iesus alone whiche gaue him self a raunsom for all men is our sufficient mediatoure aduocate and intercessour as the holye scripture teacheth in diuers places Whosoeuer therefore refuseth to pray vnto this man Christ Iesus to be his mediatoure and aduocate vnto God the father and â—leeth vnto other w tout all doubt he is an ennemy vnto Christ and to the vttermoste of his power he â—aboureth to make Christ as they â—se to saye Iacke out of office For since the time of his ascention â—is chief and principall office is to â—e our intercessoure mediatoure â—nd aduocate He ascended also into heauen to leade captiuitie captiue and to geue giftes vnto men Satan that old enemy of mankind had taken vs captiue made vs his bond slaues through sine caried vs away with his craft subtiltie from the Lord
God euen vnto the Lord my god Deliuer my soule O Lord out of prison that I may come vnto the and glorify thy holy name For albeit this my weak feble sicke and mortall body shall geue ouer to nature and die yet I vnfamedly beleue with my hart and frely confes with my mouth that at the last day it shall rise agayn as the bodies of all other both meÌ„ and women that haue died shall likewise do There shalbe a generall resurrectioÌ„ of the flesh Al that are dead shall rise agayne some to euerlasting life and some to euerlasting paine and damnation as our sauiour Christ saith The hour shall come in the which all y t are in the graues shall heare the voice of the sonne of God and shal come forthe they that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life and they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of damnation Yea they that shall lyue and remaine vntill the comming of oure Lord sauiour Christ Iesu shall all be chaunged yea and that in a moment in the twinckling of an eie by the last trompe For the trompe shall blowe and the dead shall rise vncorruptible and we shalbe chaunged for this corruptible body must put on vncorruptibilitie and this mortall bodye must put on immortalitie Therfore I fear nothing at all the putting of of this body for although it slepeth in the earth for a time according to the ordinance of god be turned into dust yet shall it awake and ryse againe out of the earth so that I shall receiue it in a far better state then euer I had in it this world euen like vnto the glorious body of our Lord and sauiour Christ Iesu. Wherfor I say with the holy man Iob I beleue that my redemer liueth and that I shall rise out of the earth in the â—atter day and that I shall be cloâ—hed again with this skin and se God my sauiour in my flesh Yea I my selfe shall beholde him not with other eies but with these â—ame eies This hope is stedfastly â—et in my heart To ende I vnfainedly beleue with my heart frely coÌ„fesse with my mouth that after my body soul be vnited and knit together I with all the faithful that haue liued from the beginning vnto the very end of y e world shall through the benefit of Christ Iesu enioy euerlastyng lyfe So many as haue truely beleued on Christe Iesu shall enioy continuall and blessed peace glister as the shining of heaueÌ„ â—e as the stars world without end yea they shall be clad with white garments and haue golden crownes vpon their heades They shal glorify God and doo seruice day and nighte before the glorious throne of his maiesty They shall se God face to face and for euer and euer enioy the presence of Gods moste excellent Maiesty and the compaâ—ny of all the heauenly Angels and blessed sainctes Of the ioyes of euerlasting life whiche God hathe in store for all faithfull beleuers can no man eyther write speake or thincke at â—he full as it is written the eye hathe not sene and the eare hathe not heard nether haue entred into the hearte of man the thinges whiche God hath prepared for theÌ„ that loue him And this euerlasting life is the gift of god thorow Iesus Christ our Lord to whom be all honoure and glory for euer and euer Theo. Amen Epa. Thus haue I declared before you my faith concerning God and his holy misteries grounded I trust on the true and vndeceyueable worde of God And I faithfully beleue that God my heauenly Father will be mercifull vnto me and forgeue me all my sinnes for Christes sake and receyue me into his heauenly kingdome and geue me euerlasting life whiche I now most entirely desire wish and longe for counting my selfe then most happy whiche through death I shall take my passage toward that most glorious and heauenly kingdom For I know and am fully perswaded that if my earthy mansion of this dwellinge were once destroied I shuld haue a building of God an habitation not made with handes but euerlasting in heauen Chri. God geue vs all that heauenly mansion Euse. Amen Epa. Well come thou hither myne owne deare wife let me kisse thee and bid thee farwel God kepe thee defend the. Come ye hither also my most swete children that I may kisse you also before I die God blesse you sende you prosperous daies on thearth God geue you his spirite that ye may liue in his faith feare and loue and serue him in holines righteousnes al the daies of your life Ye my seruaunts draw nere geue me your hands Far ye wel God make you his seruauntes send you obedient harts vnto his holy and blessed lawe Wepe not for me but praye for me that the wil of God may be done in me that I may bothe paciently and thankefully abide the good pleasure of God I trust we shal haue a ioyfull meting againe together in the kingdome of our heauenlye father where we shall reigne one with an other in ioye and glorye worldes without ende and se the glorious maiestie of God face to face vnto our exceding consolation and comfort Wel depart in the name of God The grace of oure Lord Iesu Christ the loue of god and the felowship of the holy gost be with you all Phile. Amen Nowe good brother Epaphrodiâ—us how do you Epaph. The spirit is willing and ready but the flesh is weake Chr. I pray you sir be on good confort Epa. The Lord is my confort He ful gratiously dealeth with me Eu. Do you lack anyâ—thing sir Epa. Nothing but strenth froÌ„ aboue that I may paciently abide and suffer the good plesure of God Thy wil be don o heauenâ—ly father in erth as it is in heaueÌ„ Let me lie somwhat hier with my head It is well a litle thing god knoweth disquieteth this my sick weake body I trust that within fewe houres it shalbe paste alâ— sicknes and misery and shal botheâ— quietly swetely slepe in the harteâ— of the earth vntill the great daye of the generall resurrection In y e meane season shall my soule be in glory with Christ and ioyfully beâ—hold the glorious maiesty of God I will cease talking for a little whyle with you and fall to coÌ„munication with my lord God in my hart I pray you pray for me that I may continue faithfull vnto the end For it is written Be faithfull vnto the death I will geue thee the crown of life Phi. Neighbors â—â—om aside a little while and let vs fall to prayer Chri. Most gladly Phi. Lord heare our praiers Euse. And let our cry com vnto thee Ph. Saue this thy seruaunt O Lord thou father of mercies God of all consolatioÌ„ Chr. And so worke in him by thy
whot burning yron cromes some racked some drowned some cruelly murthered in prysons c. Who is hable to declare the moste bitter paines greuous torments which they gladly suffred on their bodies for the glory of God and the fruition of his Maiestie If ye consider these thinges wel you shall easly finde y t the paines which you now suffer are nothing to be compared vnto the most bitter and intollerable tormentes whiche the men of God suffred And not withstanding if you abide these light paines ioyfully paciently thankefully you shall moste certainly enioy and possesse that heauenly kyngdome whiche they haue already obtained Faynte not therfore good neyghbor Epaphroditus but abide the good pleasure of God his blessed workyng so shall he without fail bring all thing to suche passe as shalbe most vnto his glory and vnto your comfort Epa. Death taketh me away from my gorgious and pleasaunt houses and from al the teÌ„poral things that I haue Phi. In this world we all are but straungers Pilgrims we haue here no dwelling City but loke for an other that is to come The houses that you leue behinde you here be they neuer so gorgious pleasaunt are but earthy made of clay and wether beaten stones shall in proces of time decay returne vnto dust become thinges of nought But after your departure froÌ„ this vale of wretchednes you shall haue a building of God an habitatioÌ„ not made with handes but euerlasting in heauen You shall dwell in a city that is of pure gold like vnto clear glas and the foundations of the wals of this city are garnished withall manner of precious stones the gates are of fine pearle Yea the streates of this heauenly city are pure gold It hath no nede of the sunne nether of the Mone to lighten it for y e brightnes of God doth lighteÌ„ and the lambe is the light of it And as touching your other teÌ„porall things froÌ„ the whiche as you saye death taketh you away you haue no cause to be sory for y t. For as concerning your galant aparel whiche if they be not worne wil sone be motheaten if they be worn they wil shortly fal to rags in y e steade of them you being once placed in the heauenly city shalbe clothed of God with white garments which shal neuer wax old but alwaies abide glorious incorruptible You shall also haue a golden crown vpon your head you shall sit with Christ vpon his seat And in the stead of your deinty fare which how vile it is after the digestion you knowe ye shall eat in the kingdom of God Manna y t is hid yea ye shall eat of the tre of life which is in the mids of the Paradise of God And this meat shal abide for euer most pleasaunt and vncorruptible As touching your gold siluer suche other worldly treasures wherwith God blessed you in this worlde for a season neuer remember theÌ„ any more but bid them farewell For what other thyng are they seme they neuer so precious pleasaunt goodly then red white earth hereafter shall returne vnto vile dust In the stead of them God in his kingdoÌ„ shal geue you such treasures as neuer man with mortall eies saw y e like You also shal haue such ioyes plesurs as nether eie hath sene the like nor ear hard the like nether is any man able to coÌ„ceiue them in his heart so great are the treasures so infinite are the pleasures which God hath prepared for theÌ„ that loue him Who wil not be glad to change lead for siluer copper for gold corruptible earthly things for immortall heauenly treasures Here se you that you lose nothing by death but get very muche so y t you may now saye with the holy Apostle Christ is to me life and death is to me auauntage Epa. Death taketh me away from my deare freÌ„des in whose company I greatly delight Phi. In worldly freÌ„dship ther is no certaintie nor assuraÌ„ce He which this day is a frend is tomorow an enemy This is proued true among men almost by dayly experieÌ„ce Ther are diuers kinds of frendes as the wyse man teacheth Some be frendes but for a time such will not abide in y t daye of trouble Some be frendes for the table sake and when a man falleth into pouertie they continue not Some be frendes only in countenaunce and in heart hate most extremely Some be earnest and harty frendes whiche will abide by man wheÌ„ fortune is moste froward But of these there are very few And they which now such be may sodenly thorowe some occasion be made a mans vtter enemy Therfore saith Dauid put not your confidence in Princes nor in the children of men in whom ther is no health Also the Prophet Cursed be he that trusteth in maÌ„ and maketh flesh his strength Ye â—e in the Gospel that they whiche â—o dearly loued Christ that they would haue made hym a kynge shortly after for no occasion fell away from him followed him no more Again those people whiche very ioyfully receiued Christ wheÌ„ he came ryding into Hierusalem cut down bowes strowed them in the wayes yea and spread theyr garmentes in the waies and cried with a loud voyce sayinge Good lucke vnto the sonne of Dauid Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lorde within fewâ— dais after cried with a stout voicâ— and said To the crosse with him to the crosse with him If y e lettesâ— him go thou art not Cesars frend if he were not a noughty pack wâ— would neuer haue deliuered hym vnto thee Behold the frendship oâ— this worlde Nether let any man promise him self better thinges oâ— his now most dear frend Men aâ— vain liers fliting and vnstable But when you come into the kingdom of God you shall haue suche frendes as shall for euer continue faithfull louing and coÌ„stant God the father God the sonne God the holy ghost shalbe your frends which do neuer chaÌ„ge but always abide one All the glorious angels blessed spirits of heauen shall be your frendes also Who will not gladly change vncertaine frendes for such as are moste certain most faithfull Haue you now lost any thyng by departing from worldly vnto heauenly frendes Ep. But I shal neuer more se theÌ„ nor haue y e coÌ„pany of theÌ„ y t we may reioyce be glad againe together Phi. If your frendes liue in the feare of God depart in the christeÌ„ faith they may be sure to come thither wher you shalbe eueÌ„ vnto y e glorious kingdoÌ„ of God wher you shal both see them know them talcke with them and be much more mery with theÌ„ than euer you were in this world Chr. Many doubt of that ph Why so Shall y e knowledge of Gods electe and chosen people be lesse in
the kingdome of God then it is in this world We beinge in this corruptible bodye know one another whan we see not God but with the eies of our faith shall we not know one another after that we haue put of this sinfull body and se God facâ— to face in the sight of whom is the knowledge of al things We shall be lyke the glorious Aungels of heaueÌ„ whiche know one another can it than come to passe that one of vs may not knowe an other Shal we be equal with y e angels in other thinges inferiour vnto them in knowing one an other We shal know and se Christ as he is whiche is the wysdome image and brightnes of the heauenly father and shall the knowledge of one another be hyd from vs We are members all of one body and shall we not knowe one another we know our head which is christ shall we not knowe our selues we shalbe citezins of one heauenly city wher continuall light shall be and shall we be ouerwhelmed with suche darkenes that we shal not see and know one another They that in this worlde be synging men continuing together in a place but for a season know one an other and shall we which for euer shall continue together synging praysing and magnifying y e Lord our God not know one another They that are in houshold serue one Lorde or maister know one another in this world shall not we know one another which in the kingdome of heauen shall continually serue the Lorde oure God together with one spirit and with one mind There is a certen knowledge one of an other here in the earth euen among the vnreasonable and brute beastes and â—hall our senses be so darkened in the life to come that we being immortall incorruptible and lyke â—nto the angels of God yea seing God face to face shall not knowe â—ne another We shall know God as he is shal we not knowe one another Adam before he synned beyng in the state of innocencie knew Eua so sone as god brought her vnto hym and called her by her name and shall not we being in heauen where we shalbe in aâ— muche more blessed and perfecte state then euer Adam was in Pâ—â—radise knowe one another Shal our knowledge be inferiour to Adams knowledge in Paradiseâ— WheÌ„ Christ was transfigured iâ— mount Thabor his disciples Peâ—ter Iames Iohn did not only know Christ but also Moses and Helias whiche talked there with Christ whome notwithstanding they had neuer seene nor known in y e flesh Wherof we may learneâ— that when we come to behold thâ— glorious maiestie of y e great God we shall not only know our sauâ—our Christ and such as with whâ—â— we wer acquainted in this world but also all the electe and chosen people of God whiche haue bene from the beginning of the world as the holy Apostle saith Ye are come to the mount Sion and to the citie of the liuing God the celestiall Hierusalem and to an innumerable sight of aungels and vnto the congregation of the first borne sonnes which are writteÌ„ in heauen and to God the iudge of all and to the spirites of iust and perfect men and to Iesus the mediatour of the new testament c. When we are once come vnto that heauenly Hierusalem we shal w tout al doubt both se and know Adam Noe AbrahaÌ„ Isaac Iacob Ioseph Moses Samuel Dauid Iosias Ihon Baptist Mary the Mother of Christe Peter Iohn Iames Paule and all the moste blessed coÌ„pany of the Patriarkes prophets apostles martirs with al other the faithful As we are al members of one body wherof Iesus Christ is the head so shall we knowe one another reioyse together be glad one with another Moreouer the history whiche we read of the rich vnmercifull man and of Lazarus declareth euideÌ„tly y t in the lyfe to come we shall know one an other In that we se that the riche glotton beyng in hel did knowe bothe Abraham and Lazarus being in ioye and that Abraham also knew that vnmercifull riche man although the one was in glory the other in pain If that they whiche are in hell doth both se and know them that are in heaueÌ„ and they whiche are in heauen know theÌ„ also that are in hell the one place beyng so far distant from thother muche more do they knowe one another that be Citezins in one City fellowe heirs of one kingdome members of one body and fellowe seruants in one houshold seruing one lorde God If there be mutual knowledge after this life betwene good euil much more shall y e sainctes and the holy ones of God knowe one another in the kyngdome of our heauenly father Our sauiour Christ said to his disciples when the sonne of man shall sitte in the seat of his maiestie you also shall sit vpon the .xii. seates iudging the .xii. tribes of Israell If after the generall resurrection â–ª and at the iudgemente one shoulde not know another how shal theÌ„ the apostles iudge theÌ„ vnto whom thei preached They can not iudge nor be witnesses of the condemnation of them whome they knowe not Hereof also it manifestlye appeareth that after this life one of vs shal know another After y e Christ was risen again had a glorified body thapostles knew him yea that so perfectly y t none of theÌ„ neded to saye vnto hym what art y â— For they knew well y t he was the Lord. Hereof also may it truely be gathered y t the faithfull shall as perfectly knowe one an other in y e life to come as the apostles knew Christ after his resurrectioÌ„ â–ª or as Peter IhoÌ„ Iames knew Moses Helias in the mouÌ„t Thaboâ— wheÌ„ Christ was traÌ„sfigured Many other thinges might be alledged out of the holy scripture to declare y t we shall know one another after this life but these for this present may seme to any indifferent person aboundantly to suffice If I shuld reherse to you all the sayings both of thancient late writers concerning this matter I shuld speÌ„d a great part of this day to much tâ—ouble you notw tstanding I will reherse one saying of s. Gregory in his Dialoges bid al the other farwel There is a certain thing saith he in gods elect chosen people which is to be marueled at for they being in heaueÌ„ do not only know theÌ„ whom they knew in this world but thei know also the good people whoÌ„ thei neuer sawe euen as perfectlye as though they had afore both sene known theÌ„ For wheÌ„ thei in y t euer lasting enheritance shall se thancient fathers they shal not be vnknowne to theÌ„ in sight whoÌ„ they always knew in work For when al there w t one clearnes do behold God what is it that they shoulde not ther know where they know him that knowe all thinges Epa.