¶ The Gouernaunce of Uertue teaching all faythful christiaÌ„s how they oughte daily to leade their lyfe fruitfully to spend their time vnto the glorye of God the health of their owne soules Newlye corrected augmeÌ„ted by Thomas Becon 1566 ¶ Imprinted at London by Iohn Day ⧠CVM PRIVILEGIO Regie Maiestatis THOMAS BECONVS SACROSAÌ„CTAE THEOLOGIAE PROFESSOR AETATIS SVAE 41 AN o. DNÌ„I 1553. Ora expressa vides viuos immitantia vultus Quod potuit calamo pictor arte vides Mentis quam Nullus potuit tibi redere pictor Effigiem scriptis prebuit ipse suis To the Godly Reader GRace groweth after gouernaunce Is an olde saide saw in eche place If gouernaunce hath good resemblance Grace delighteth to folow the trace Grace glorieth in godly gouernance Grace hasteth â—…o her haule and palace Grace doth godly gouernaunce auaunce And cause it to excel in eche place Where gouernaunce is godly wise Sage Sober Honest and Prudent There doth grace gloriously deuise To haue her seate aye permanent But if gouernaunce be wicked Idle wanton vndiscrete and vaine Grace whiche is godly disposed With such gouernaunce can not remaine This boke shall thee instruct therfore Thy life vertuously to leave That grace with thee may euermore Remaine as Gods moste blessed seede To fight against Sathan and sinnes To represse errours and heresies To pray to God his grace to winne In this boke to learne thou maiest deuise Take thou it therfore in good part As a ioyful Iewel for thy welth And geue God thankes withall thy hart Which by his worde worketh thy helth As for my trauaile and paine I craue none other recompence But thy life vertuously to traine That thou maiest enioy gods presence â–ª FINIS 3. Regum 1. If a man be vertuous ther shal not an heare of his fal to the ground But if wickednesse shal be found in him he shall dye for it Tobi. 4. Loue vertue all the dayes of thy life and walk not in the wayes of wickednes For while thou studiest for vertues thou shalt haue good successe in al thinges that thou goest about and so shall all they that loue goodnesse A Table to fynde the principall matters contayned in this booke AN exhortacion to the Reader The Epistle dedicatory How a man should be haue himself in the morning when he riseth A prayer in the morning A confession of our sinnes vnto God the father How thou shouldst behaue thy selfe before thou go to dinner A prayer before dinner Of the behauiour at the Table in dinner time A thankes geuinge after dinner What is to be done after dinner Of Supper A prayer before Supper Of the behauiour at the table in supper time A thankes geuing after supper Of going to bed A prayer to be sayd when we goe to bed A prayer to be sayd â–ª when thou art in bed Remedies against all kindes of temptacions Against Idolatry Against infidelity or misbeliefe Against the heresy of such as deny Iesus Christâ—… to be god Against the heresy of them which holde that Iesus Christe the sonne of God tooke no fleshe of Mary his Mother Againste the grosse and fantasticall opinion of the Papistes which affirm that Christes naturall body and bloud is carnally eaten and dronken in the Lords supper Against the plucking away of thy trust and confidence from Christ and his merites to put in the merites of other creatures or in thine own good workes or in the intercession of Saintes or in sacrifice of the popish Masse Against such as go about to diswadâ—… the christian people from the studiing reading or hearinge of Goddes woorde Against strange religion or newe found woorshipping of God Against mens traditions and vnwritten verities Against the folowing of vngodly forefathers Against the wicked olde customes longe vsages Againste suche as slaunder Christes gospell by cal linge it newe learninge Against pensiuenes and thought taking for the life Against hunger pouerty or carefulnes of liuing Against keping of euill company Against idlenes Against swearing Against lying slaundering â–ª and filthy or vncleane talke Against pride or vayneglory Against feasting glotony and dronkennes Against fornication and adultery Against couetousnes Against rebellion and disobedience Against malice grudge enuy hatred and anger Against the temptation of the faythfull in consideringe their owne miserye and contrarywise the wealth of the wicked Against the most horrible and dampnable sinne the sinne against the holy Ghost Against the despising of gods word and of the plagues that folow the same Against carnall security and fleshly liuing without the feare of God Against the flacknes of doing good workes Against the troublous tempestes of sicknes of losse of goods or any other kind of aduersity Against the temptation of the Deuill for noâ—…t satis fieng the lawe of God and for thy sinfull liuing â–ª Against desperation for thy late conuersion and tur ning vnto God Against sinne death and helâ—… To the right honorable and moste vertuous young Lady Iane Semer daughter to the highe and mightie Prince Edward Duke of Somerset his grace Thomas Becon wisheth increase of godlye knowledge in Christe Iesu our Lord. THere are no Parents most godlye Ladye that deserue better of the Christen publique weale then they whiche thorow gods gift hauing Children employ all their endeuours to traine them vp euen from theire verye cradels in good letters in the knowledge of gods moste blessed wil that with their young yeres learning vertue and godlines may grow and encrease and the younglinges by this meanes be made at the last auncient and perfect schollers in the mistery of Christes schole This careful study and studyous care for the vertuous bringing vp of youth god in time paste earnestlye required of all Fathers and Mothers in the common weale of hys people the Israelites and according to gods holy commaundement suche as vnfainedlye feared the Lorde their God and wished wel to their countrey refused no laboure no paine nor cost that their children might be made profitable members of the publique weale As I may pas ouer the auncient and holye Patriarches whiche were before the law of Moyses of whose diligeÌ„ce in the vertuous bringing vp of their yonglinges it is more than double wickednesse to doubt seing we haue this euident testimony of Abraham euen of gods own mouth Shall I hide froÌ„ Abraham saith god that thinge which I entend to do Seing that Araham shal be a great and a mighâ—…ye people and all the nations of the earth shal be blessed in him I know this also that he wil commaund his Children and his housholde after him that they keepe the way of the Lorde and do after righte and conscience What earnest diligence did the moste noble and vertuous King Dauid shew in the godly bringing vp of his Children speciallye of Salomon that he might become a Prince worthye both for his godlynes learning wisedome and pollicye to rule in the common weale after him What godly
siluer an asse couered with purple with suche other despytefull names so little regarded euen amonge the Heathen was noble bloude worldly substaunce sumptuous apparell gorgious buildyng delicate fare and what soeuer besydes the foly she worlde wondereth at and moste highlye extolleth if learning and vertue were absent By this meanes came it to passe that Philip king of the Macedonians and his sonne Alexander Iulius Cesar Darius Antonius Philosophus the Emperour Hieron Attalus Magones Iâ—… Dion Siracusanus Thebanus Epaminondas Pompeius Augustus Traianus Antonius Pius Claudins â–ª Tiberius Titus Uespasianus Domicianus Aelius Adrianus Galerius Maximus â–ª the sonues of Tiberius Gracchus with other innumerable became both learned and the vnfayned fauourers of learning yea and the diligent promoters of learned men Many of them which were right excellent Emperours and noble kinges thought themselues more noble and more worthy of renowne for their learning and vertue then for their imperiall dignitie and princelike authoritie When king Alphonsus heard a certayne man say that learning was not semely for a prince or for a noble maÌ„ he cryed out and sayd vox bouis non hominis Thys is the voyce of an oxe and not of a man When a certaine man demaunded of Isocrates whether he thought the kyng of the Persians happie and blessed or not he answered I know not howe much learning and vertue he hath meaning that the true felicitie happines and wealth consisteth not in the flitting and vncertain goods of fortune but in the constant immortall treasures of the minde The bringing vp of youth in learning and honest qualities was so much regarded among the Lacedemonians that they made a law who soeuer dyd not studie for the honest vertuous trayning vp of their children in good letters and other necessarie artes profitable for a common wealth the same should be depriued of all such priuiledges and liberties as were due to true and faithfull Citizens Our auncetors both amonge the people of God and among the heathen did consider that the health prosperitie safegard of the coÌ„mon weale â—…th principally consiste in the godly and vertuous bringing vp of youth If they be learnedly fruitfully brought vp then shall they afterward proue 〈◊〉 â—…ble Magistrates some wyse and faythfull counsellours some godly spirituall ministers some learned scholemaisters some diligent labourers some cunning artificers some yea and ail obedient subiectes to the high powers and profitable members of the common weale Contrariwyse if they be brought vp in barbarous rudenes and w t out any ciuilitie or knowledge of good letters such other necessarie artes it must nedes come to passe y t they shal be rather pestileÌ„ces theÌ„ preseruers of y â— coÌ„mon weale Therfore dyd our elders aboue all thinges shewe earnest diligence about y â— godly trayning vp of their youth in honest vertuous exercises euer setting before their eyes that learnyng to a noble man is a ioyful iewel to the baser sort a sure defence and a mightye bulwarke against the stoute stormes of froward fortune to a common weale a precious preseruatiue In like maner my Lords grace your father a prince of noble renoune in whoÌ„â—…s in a true mirror liuelye shyneth y e beautifull bea mes of right nobility considering that the office of a worthye Parent appeareth in nothing so manyfestly as in the Godlye bringing vp of youthe in heauenlye mysteryes that is to say in the knowledge of good letters and in the studye of Godes moste blessed woorde hath with my Ladyes grace your mother a Ladye of a notable godlynesse and of singulere pity toward y â— poore meÌ„bers of Christ euen from your cradels studyed to trayne bring vp both my Lordes your brothers and my Ladies your Sisters and you likewise his graces children in good literature and in the knowledge of Gods most holye lawes that ye maye learne from your infancye to feare the Lord your God and to walk in his godly ordinaunces and so be come truely noble not onely for birthes sake but also for learning and vertue and for the Godly qualities of the mynde In the whiche Godly exercises ye haue so profited euen in these your tender yeares that ye â—…aue not only answered but also ouercome the expectation of many If ye goe forth accordyng to your beginnings I doubt not but that ye shall get to my Lordes grace and to my Ladies grace your most honourable Parents much renoune and to your selfe noble fame and glorious immortalitye And albeit your good Ladiships brest is so furnished withal godly doctrine that ye nede not my simple and homely exhortations to moue you vnto godlynes and vertue whereunto of your owne disposition ye are moste willinly bente and enclined yet to declare some parte of my good wil toward your Ladishippe I thought it not good to let go the occasion offred vnto me Certayn wekes past considering the miserable face of this to much wretched and lamentable worlde and weighinge with my selfe that the next and most ready way to redresse our miseries is to flye vnto God wyth continual harty prayer I made a boke intituled The Floure of Godly prayers dedicated to my ladies grace your mother wherin ar contained pray yers not only for al degrees and states of men but also for all other thinges necessarye to be asked of God eyther for the bodye or for the soule which prayers I woulde with daylye as occasion shall serue to bee vsed of the faythfull Immedyatly after the setting forth of these prayers certayn of my frends came vnto me and earnestly requyred of me to peruse and correcte the Gouernaunce of Vertue which aboute viij yeares paste euen in the bloudye wysterous burning time when the reading of the holye Bible the worde of oure soules health was forbidden the poore lay people I gathered out of the holy scriptures and caused to bee printed for the edifiyng of the simple and vnlearned Christians Yet suppressinge my name which at that time was odious to those ouâ—…s that could not abide the glorious lighte of gods blessed word that the boke might haue the better successe and be the more free froÌ„ Antichristes thonderboltâ—… I knowinge my self debter to all good men and to all their godly requestes perused the boke wherin I found so many fautes thorowe the negligence o the hongry printers that very pitie without anye request of frendes might haue bene thought sufficient to haue geuen me occasion to correct the boke which hitherto hath bene so greatly desired and gre dely red almoste of all men yea and that not w t out great profite as the often printing of the boke doth rightwell declare I haue diligentlye perused the boke corrected the faultes chaunged diuers things and added many necessari instructions with diuers godly prayers for the edifiyng of the readers This little boke recognised and augmented moste vertuous Lady I geue vnto your Ladyship as a testimony of my good will towarde you desiring you to take
this my poore gifte in good part And I shall moste humbly beseeche the Lorde our God to preserue my Lords grace and my Ladyes grace your honourable parentes in good health longe life and encrease of honoure and to geue my Lordes youre Brothers and my Ladies youre Sisters and you also grace to go forth in your godly enterprises and Christen studies that ye may tru ly know the Lord your God the saluation whiche ye haue by his soÌ„ne Iesus our alone Sauiour who euer preserue your good Ladyship in coÌ„tinuall helth and prosperous felicitie Amen THE GOVERNANCE of Vertue ¶ How a man should behaue him selfe in the morning when he riseth When thou risest in the morning looke that thou with all humblenesse of mynde knelest downe and lifting vp thy harte thy handes and thine eyes into heauen vnto God the father almighty pray on this maner ¶ A prayer for the morning O Lord God my heaueÌ„ly father I most humbly thanke thee y â— thou of thy fatherly goodnes hast vouchsafed to defend me this night from all euil I most entyrely beseche thee to preserue me also this day both from suffring and doyng any euill and to geue me grace so to walke in the lyght of thy holy woorde that I may bring forth y e frutes of y â— same vnto the glorye of thy blessed name and the profite of my neighbour Amen ¶ After thou hast prayed on this maner seing we be al sinners it shall be expedient if thou hast conuenient leasure to confesse thy selfe to God on this maner ¶ A confession of our sinnes vnto God the father MOst greuouslye haue I wretched sinner offeÌ„ded thee my Lord God and heauenly father both in thought word and dede in so much that in my selfe I uÌ„nde such vnworthines that if I did not behold thine exceding great mercies set forth in thy dearely beloued sonne our Lord and sauiour Iesu Christ I could not but dispayre and wholy geue my selfe into the hands of Satan that olde enemy of mankynd But when thorow thy grace and holy workyng I loke vpon thy mercies offered frely to all faythfull peniteÌ„t sinners in thy son Christ Iesus for whose sake thou art well pleased with man and of thy own good will forgeuest vs al our sinnes wheÌ„ soeuer we flee vnto thee in his name I cease to dispayre beginne to conceiue an earneste faithe and an vndoubted hope of obtaynyng forgeuenesse of al my sins in Christes bloud for thy louing and fatherly promise sake I therfore poore and wretched sinner most humbly beseche thee for Christes sake to forgeue me al my sinnes where with from the day of my byrth vnto this present tyme I haue most greuously offended thy fatherly goodnesse and to geue me grace so to resiste the deuill the world the flesh â–ª and so to order my lyfe accordyng to thy blessed will that thou mayest delight in me as a father in his sonne de fend me froÌ„ all euill and worke in me all good thinges vnto the glory of thy holy name ☞ After the confession say the Lordes prayer called the Pater noster and so commendyng thy selfe vnto God faule in hand with some honest and vertuous exercise accordyng to thy callyng But whatsoeuer thou doest do it with purenesse of hart singlenes of eye â–ª yea so do it as though God wer present and looke vpon thee as vndoubtedly he doth Of Dinner ☞ WheÌ„ the time coÌ„meth that thou shouldest refresh thy wery and hongry body approch vnto the table with reuerence and when thou art set lyft vp thy hart thy hands and thy eyes vnto heauen and pray vnto God on this maner A prayer before dinner O Most gentill God and louyng father whiche mercifully â—…edest al ly uing creatures we beseche thee blesse vs and all these thy giftes whiche we at this present shall receyue of thy beuÌ„ teous hande for the refreshyng of our hungry bodies and geue vs grace to doo all thynges vnto the glorye of thy name thorowe Iesu Christ our Lord. Amen Of the behauiour at the table in Diner tyme. ☞ WheÌ„ thou hast thus prayed vnto god eate thy meate soberly and christenly esche wyng all superfluitie surfeting and drouckenship Consider that thy meate and thy drinck are the giftes of God are reuerently thanke fully to bee receyued â–ª Remember that in the tyme of thy repast thy behauiour be honest comely in all thinges Let thy communica tion as the Apostle sayth ve well sauoured and powdred with â—…t that is to say seasoned with godly wisedome that thou mayest know how to answere euery man Let no fil thy talke procede out of thy mouth but that whiche is good to edifie when neede is that it may haue fauor with the hearers remem bring that thou shalte geue accountes at the day of iudgement for euery idle worde that thou speakest Eschewe all dissolute and vncomely laughyng least thou be therby counted wilde waâ—…ton foolishe without good maners Let thy couÌ„tenauÌ„ce he graue sober modest gentle and â—…ouyng towarde al that be at the table and so fashion thy selfe in gesture worde and deede as though God and his aungels weâ—… visibly present at the table And when Dinner is done geue thankes to God for his benefites on this maner A thankes geuyng after Dinner WE thanke thee O heauenly father for this our foode which being saÌ„ctifâ—…ed by thy worde thou hast vouchesafe at this present to geue vs wee beseche thee that thou wilt also fede our soules w t the liuely bread of the word which commeth out of thy mouth that we receauyng at thy mercâ—…full hande meate both for our bodyes and soules â–ª may lyue and growe in all godlynesse vnto the glory of thy blessed name tho row Iesu Christ our Lord. Amen VVhat is to be done after dynner ☞ After thou hast geuen thankes vnto God for thy repast â–ª returne vnto thy labour vertuously exercise thy self accordyng to thy voca tion and callyng Employ earnest diligence about thy businesse and alway in thy minde desire God to blesse to prosper and to bryng to passe all thy counsels deuises trauailes labours and enterprises Do not thy worke negligently and deceitfully but so laboure as thoughe God were present and beheld thee as vnfaynedly he doth Cursed be he sayth Hiere mye that doth the Lordes worke deceitfully Saint Paule also exhorteth that what soeuer we doo we should do it hartly as though we did in vnto the Lorde and not vnto men for as much sayth he â–ª as ye know that of the Lord ye shall receyue the rewarde of inheritaunce for ye serue the Lord Christ. Yea verely so many as labour or trauayle in any vertuous enterprise they serue God and of God shal they receiue their rewarde Therfore in thy calling labour earnestly and diligently what soeuer thou be sekyng not onely thyne owne lucre â—…uaunt age but much more the glory of God and the profite of thy neighbour as the
the Niniuites which vndoubtedly sprange of faith for they beleued the words of the Prophet he had psty on them and spared them Sentences out of the new Testament Now is the axe put to the roote of the trees Euerye tree therefore that bringeth not foorth good fruites is hewen downe cast into the fyre Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorify your father which is in heauen Euerye good tree bringeth foorth good fruite An euil tree bringeth euil frute A good tree cannot bring foorth euill frute nor an euill tree good frute Euerye tree that bringeth not forth good fxnte is hewen down andeast tntoâ—…he fyre Whosoeuer heareth of me these words 〈◊〉 doth the same I wil likeÌ„ him vnto a wise man which bnilte his house on a rock c. A good man out of the good treasure of his hart bringeth soorth good thinges and an euill man out of that euill treasure bringeth forth euil thinges If ye were AbrahaÌ„s children ye would do Abrahams workes We knowe that God heareth no sinners but if anye man be a worshipper of God and obedyent his wil him heareth he He that hath my commaundements kepeth theÌ„ he it is that loueth me If any man loueth me he will keepe my wordes In the sighte of God they are not righteous which heare tee lawe but the doers of the lawe shal be â—…uste fied We are the workemanship of God created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes which god had prepared that we shoulde walke in them Be ye renued in the spirit of your minds and put on the the newe man which after the image of god is shapen in righteousnes and true holines walke worthy of y â— lorde in al things y â— please being fruitful in al good workes â—…ncreasing in the knowledge of God Brâ—…theren be not werye in wel doing Be to them that beleue an example in woord in coÌ„uersation in loue in spirit in faithe puernes Thou which art the man of Godfollowe righteousnes godlines loue patience and â—…eaknes The suer grounde of God remaineth hath this seale the lorde knoweth them y â— are his and let euery man that calleth on the name of Christ depart from iniquitye Lusts of youth loke thou auoyd folow righteousnes fayth loue peare w t them that call on the Lord with a pure hart Dearely beloued I besech you as strauÌ„gers and pilgrimes abstaine from fleshly lustes which fight against the soule And see y â— ye haue honest conuersation among the heathen that they which backbite you as ill doers maye see your good works and prayse God in the day of visitation If we say we haue felowship with god and yet walke in darknes we lie do not the truth But if we walke in light euen as he is in light then haue we fellowship with hym and the bloude of Iesu Christ hys sonne maketh vs cleane froÌ„ all sinne He that doth righteousnes is righteus He that coÌ„mitteth sinne is of the deuill for the deuil sinneth from the beginning See ye be doers of the worde and not hearers onely deceauing your selues Read the whole epistle of S. Iames. God sayth to the false and fayned Christians I knowe the blasphemie of them which cal themselues Iewes and are not but the Sinagoge of Sathan Examples out of the new Testament THe idle were reproued because they wrought not they that would laboure were hired into the vineyarde at nighte receiued their reward The seruauntes which receiued taleÌ„ts of their Lord and occupied them and gayned moe by them are praised and rewarded for wel doing But the idle seruaunte whiche would not occupy the talent that he receiued of his Lorde but went and hid it in the grounde gaining nothing therewith was cast into vtter darknesse where weping and gnashing of tethe is The fig tree whiche was vnfruitful brought for the nothing but leaues was cursed and withered away Zache a ruler amonge the Publicanes gaue half his goods to the poore and if he did any man wrong he restored him foure times as much Therefore said Christe vn to him this day is helth come to this house forasmuche as he also is become the childe of Abraham Against the troublous tempestes of sicknes of losse of goods or any other kinde of aduersitie IF Sathan when thou art assailed â—… any kinde of trouble laboureth to moue thee to despaire of Gods good wil toward thee as though he had vtterly forsaken thee geuen thee ouer and care no more for thee but sendeth thee that punishment and layeth y â— cros vpon thy back 〈◊〉 tokeÌ„ of his anger and heauy displeasure against the take hede that y â— doest not submit thy selfe to his suttle sugestioÌ„s but rather perswade thy selfe that thy crosse Whatsoeuer it he coÌ„meth of the good wil of god towarde thee and is sente vnto thee for thy healthe comforte and saluation Looke that thou therfore take it both patiently and thankfully and that thou maist so do furnish thy brest with these treasures of Gods most blessed word ☞ Examples out of the olde Testament After y â— lord hath punished the tried the at last he wil haue pity on the. The lord kileth maketh aliue bringeth down to the graue fecheth vp again The lord maketh pore maketh rich bringeth low and heauethe vpon high Call vppon me in the time of thy troble I wil deliuer the thou shalt honor me Blessed is y â— man whoÌ„ thou nurterest O Lord and teachest him thy lawe It is for my welth y â— thou haste brought me vnder y â— I may learn thy righteousnes Naked came I out of my mothers woÌ„be naked shall I turne thither againe The Lord gaue y â— lord hath taken away euen as it pleaseth y â— lord so is it come to passe blessed be the name of the lorde If we haue receued prosperity at y â— haÌ„d of god why should we not also receue and suffer aduersitye Blessed is the man whoÌ„ God punisheth therfore refuse not thou y e chastening of y e almighty For though he make a wouÌ„d he geueth a plasture though he smite his haÌ„d maketh whole agayn My Sonne despise not the chastning of the lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him For whom the Lorde loueth him he chasteneth yet delighteth in him as a father in his owne sonne Whatsoeuer hapneth vnto thee receiue it suffer in heuines and be patiente in thy trouble For like as gold and siluer are tried in the fire euen so are acceptable men in the fornace of aduersity Examples out of the olde Testament Iob being grieuously plagued not onely with the losse of his goods but also with di â—…ers diseases of his dody praysed the Lord â—…uen in the middest of his trouble Tobye when he
had lost his sight grudged not aginst god that the plage of blindnes chaunsed vnto him but remained stedfast in the feare of god and thanked God â—…l the dayes of his life Ezechias being warned of God by the Prophet to prepare himselfe vnto deathâ—… death prayed vnto god in the time of hys sicknes and obtained fifteene yeres longer to liue Manasses being afore an Idolatour a maintayner of Idolatry after that god had plagued â—…i euen wheÌ„ he was in tribulatioÌ„ He besoght y e Lord his god humbled him self excedingly before y â— god of his fathers made intercessioÌ„ to him He hard his pray er brought him againe to Ierusalem into hys kingdome Examples out of the new Testament IF any man wil come after me let hi for sake him self take his cros folow me By manye tribulations must we enter into the kingdome of heauen â–ª We reioyce in tribulatioÌ„ for we know that tribulation bringeth experience experience bringeth hope and hope maketh not ashamed If we suffer together we shal be gloryfied together For I suppose that the afflictions of this life ar not worthy of y â— glory which shal be shewed vpon vs. Be patient in tribulation If we liue we liue to be at the lords wil And if we dye we dy at y â— Lords wil whether we liue therfore or dy we are y â— lords While we are punished we are corrected of the Lord lest we shuld with this world be condemned We are not weried but though our ont warde man perishe yet the inwarde man is renewed day by day For our exceading tribulation whiche is shorte and lyghte prepareth an excedinge and euerlastinge weyght of glory vnto vs while we loke not on the thinges whiche are seene but on the thynges that are not seenne For thinges whiche are seene are temporall but things which are not seÌ„e are eternall Reade the fist Chapter of the seconde to the Corinth My strength is made perfect thorowe weaknesse Uery gladlye therfore will I reioyce of my weakenes that the strength of Christe maye dwell in me c. Reade the. 12. chapter to the Hebrues Be pacient aud settle your hartes for the commyng of the Lord draweth nye Take the Prophetes for an example of suffring aduersitie and of long patience whiche spake in the name of the Lorde Be hold we count them happy which endure â—…e haue heard of the patience of Iob and haue knowne what end the Lorde made for the Lord is very pitiful and mercifull The Lord knoweth how to deliuer the godly out of temptacion Examples out of the newe Testament The prodigall sonne before hee was plagued gaue his mind to all kind of riot and vnthriftye rule but after that he was striken with pouertye he knowledged his faulte he submited himself to his fathers wil pleasure and so was receued again into fauour A certayne man after he had bene punished with sicknes for his sin by the space of thirty eight yeares was made whole of Christe There haue bene many good men both in the olde new testament of whom som were racked and woulde not be deliuered that that they might receiue a better resurrection some tasted of mockinges and scourgings some of bondes and emprisonmente some were hewen a sunder were tempted were slayne wyth swoordes walked vp and down in sheues skinnes in goates skins in neede in tribulation and vexatioÌ„ which the world was not worthy of they wandred in wildernes in mountaynes in dens in caues of the earth c. ☞ Against the temptation of the deuel for not satisfiing the lawe of god and for nby sinfull liuinge If Sathan at the houre of death or any other timet would pluck the from thine assuered stedfast faith in Christs bloud and perswade thee that thou art but a dampned wretch forasmuch as thou hast not so trayned thy life that thou hast satisfied the law of God but rather liued wiakedly and therfore deserued euerlasting damnation be on good comfort desâ—… paire not harken not to this wicked suggestions neither haue thou respecte to thy workes deedes which whan they be moste righteous and pure ax as the Prophet saith like a cloth polluted with mâ—… strue if they be coÌ„pared to that puritye and cleanes whiche the law requireth and shoulde be iudged of Gods righteousnes according to their desarts but settle thine eyes stedfast on Christ and his merites consideringe not what thou haste doone but what Christ hath done for thee if thou repent and beleuâ—… and alwayes haue these moste comfortable Scriptures in thy remembrance Sentences out of the olde Testament AL they that put their trust in thee shall not be put io confusion Call to remem braÌ„ce O Lord thy tender mercies and thy louing kindnes which haue bene euer of olde Oh remember not the sins offences of my youth but accordinge vnto thy mercy thincke thou vpon me O Lord for thy goodnes sake Mine eyes are euer looking vnto the Lord for he shal plucke my feete out of the net Because he hath put his trust in me I wil deliuer him I wil defeÌ„d him because he hath knowne my name Reade the. 104. Psalme I know that thou wouldst maliciously offend sayth God Therfore haue I called thee a transgressoure euen from my mothers womb Neuertheles for my names sake I will withdrawe my wrath and it shal be for my honours sake if I patiently forbeare thee and roote thee not out By the knowledge of him whiche is my righteous seruaunte sayth God the father of christ He shal iustefy the multitude forasmuch as he hath borne away theyr sins To know thee O Lord is perfect righte ousnes yea to know thy righteousnes and power is the roote of immortality Examples out of the olde Testament Adam transgressed theÌ„ commaundement of God in Paradise and by his transgression made both hymselfe and all vs bound to eternall dampnation Nohe fell into the sinne of dronkennes Lot was not onelye dronken but also lay with his owne daughters and so committed the greuous sinne of incest Abraham denied his wife Moses committed manslaughter Dauid committed both manslaughter and whoredome Salomon was an idolator All these wyth manye other of the olde Testament were sinners and offended the Lord their God by breaking of his lawes yet for theyr fayth whiche they had in that blessed seede which was so oft promised of God the father euen Iesus Christe they were saued Sentences out of the newe Testament We are not vnder the law but vnder grace The law of the spirite that bringeth life thorow Iesu Christ hath made me free froÌ„ the law of sinne and death Christ is the perfect fulfilling of the lawe to iustefy all that beleue No man is iustefied by the law in the sight of god The iust that is the faithful christian shall