Davids Harp, Part 5
¶ The fyfte verse.
I wyl pay my vowes vn to the Lord before al his people.
¶ The seuenth stryng.
DAuid goethe forthe to declare what he wyll rēder vntounto God for all those thynges that he hathe gyuen hym. Before he sayd, that he would take the cuppe of helth, and caull vponupon the name of the LORDE. Nowe he addethe, that he wyll also paye his vowes vntounto the LORDE, What the vowes are y• Dauid wyl fulfyl and performeyea and that before all his people. But what vowes are these? Uerely not vnfaythfull & folyshe vowes, which displease god, as y• scripture say the, but y• earnest promises that Eccl. v.he made vntounto God for to fulfyl his moost holy Commaundementes. These vowes wyll he paye. These promises wyl he performe. For they make vntounto the glory of god, the edifienge of his Chyrch, & the health of his owne soule. Therfore wyll he stycke to them, euen vntounto the very death.
God gyueth a commaundement Exo. xx. Deut. v.& sayth, heare Israel, thy God is y• one & alone God. Thou shalte hauehave no straunge Goddes in my syghte. Thou shalte make the no grauen Image. &c.
Dauid beynge one of the true The fyrste commande ment.israelites hath made a vow to kepe this moost holy precepte. And as he hathe this vowe, so wyll he laboure to pforme it. For it is not vnfaythfull nor folyshe, but agreable to the scripture, neyther dothe it prouoke the keper of it vntounto muche inconue niece & absurdite, but rather vntounto great vertu & holynes. So that he is fully bent to performe his vowe Let the vnfaythful Idolaters wor shyp what Idoll or false God they lyste. Dauid wyll surely cleaue to this one & alone true God. For in his hart shall none syt but this one God alone, neyther wyll he admyt so moch as the shadow of ony other to be ioyned with hym, & to hauehave fe lowshyppe with his God. This his God alone wyll he worship, honour & lerue. This his God alone wyl he how & do reuerence vntounto. This his God alone wyll he louelove with all his harte, mynde, soule, & withe all hys powers. This his God alone wyll Deut. vi. Math. iiii. …. x.he magnify & prayse for euer & euer And bicause he may not once be mo ued by ony vayne spectacle, & seduced from the honour, worshyp and seruice of this god vntounto ony image seruice & Idolatry, he hath made a sure vowe & faythful promise, that he wyll make no grauen Image, ydoll, or mawmet, but he wyll onlye cleaue to this his one & alone God, & serue hym not in external ceremo Ioan. iiii.nies, but in spirite & trueth. For cō founded be all they, & shame lyghtē on them, sayth he, that worship gra Psal. xcvi.uen ymages, & glory in theyr mawe mettes and Idolles.
Agayne God cōmaundeth, sayeng. Thou shalt not take the name The second commaside ment.of thy Lord God in vayne. Dauid hath made a solemne vowe and ear nest promyse, that he wyl kepe this moost blyssed Commaundement of God also. He wyl not abuse ye name of his Lorde god by no meanes. He Math. v Iacob. v.wyll sweare by nothynge that euer god made, nother by heauen nor by earth, nor ony other oth. His communicaciō shall be, yea, yea, na, na. In his aduersite wyl he flye vntounto ye Pro. xviii.name alone of his Lord god, as vntounto a stronge Castel & myghty Bulwarke, & caull on that for healpe & refuge. And ī his prosperite he wyll not forgette the name of his Lorde God, but celebrate, magnify, cōmēd & prayse it, yea & lyfte it vp wt perpetual encomies, laudes & prayses.
Moreouer god sayth, thou shalt The thyrde commaūdement.sanctify ye sabboth daye. This hath Dauid also vowed to obserue and kepe. He wyl not therfore spend the sabboth daye in ryotynge, bankettyng, playeng, dauncyng, syngyng & suche other vayne pastimes, but in the meditacion of Gods lawe, in readyng the holy scriptures, in hearyng godly sermons, in lyftyng vp his harte vntounto god wt feruent prayers, in gyuyng thanckes to y• Lord for his benefites. &c. He wyll also expulse all synne out of his brest, & be at peace with God.
Furthermore god commaūdeth The forthe commaūdement.sayeng, Honour thy father and mother. Here agen hath Dauid made a vowe to fulfyl this precepte also. So that he wyl gyue honour, reue rence, & worship to so many as this lawe requireth, yea his inferiours wyll he not dishonour.
God gyueth a commaundement & sayth. Thou shalte not slay. Dauid The fyft cō maūdemēt.hathe earnestely vowed to kepe this. So that he wyll shed no innocent Math. v.bloud, hurte no man, seake no mans death, but fauoure and louelove all men, yea euen his very enemies.
GOD saythe, Thou shalte com The firt cō maūd…ment…yt none adultry. Solemnly hath dauid vowed to obserue this moost godly precepte. So that he wyll be no vnclene fornicatour, nor fylthy i. Cor. viiadulterer, but to auoyd all vnclennes he wyll couple hymselfe wythe Heb. xiii. Phil. iiii.an honest wyfe, & faythfull yokefelowe in holy wedlocke, which is honorable amōg al men, & bed vndesy ed, to her alone wyl he cleaue, & for her sake refuse all other woman, be Math. xix. Ephe. v. Colos. iii.they neuer so beautifull, fayre, proper, myuyon, tall, eloquent, rytche, worshypfull, honorable, noble. &c. louynge her as his owne fleshe, yea euen as Christ loued the congrega cion.
Moreouer God commaunded, sayeng, Thou shalt do no theft. As The seuēth cōmaundement.for this precepte, Dauid hath earnestly vowed to kepe it vntounto the vt termoost. So that he wyl not only not steale, but also boūteously giuegive to so many as hauehave nede of his help
And where as God saythe, thou shalt speake no false wytnes agenst The eyghte cōmaundement. Prouer. …. …. P…. iiii. Mat. xi. vi. … xviii.thy neyghbour: Dauid had vowed & made a faythful promyse, that he wyl rather, as charite requireth, co uer the multitude of synnes, forgyue them that offend hym, & seake to profyt all men no lesse then him selfe.
Finally where God sayth, thou shalt not couytte thy neyghbours Mar. xi The nynth & x. Cōmaū dement.wyfe, nor house, nor feld, &c. Dauid is fullye at this poynte not once to couyt ony parte of his neyghbours goodes, but rather to helpe hym for warde & to do for hym, what soeuer lyeth in his power.
These be the commaundemētes of God, and these hath he vowed to kepe. These vowes therfore wyll he Mat. v.paye vntounto the LORDE, yea & that be fore all his people, that men seynge the lyght of his good workes, maye glorify his father, which is in heuē
And for as muche as Dauid is a kynge, & hathe vowed vntounto God to The office of a kyngdo the office of a true kynge, whiche is to mayntayne vertue and to expulse vice, he wyll not only prouide that he hym selfe kepe these cōmaū demētes, but that all his subiectes also kepe them euen from the hyest to y• lowest. He wyll do his diligēce that there shall no God be worshyp ped in his kyngdome amonge hys Wo… god y• al kynges & rulars wold do thus.people, but the one and alone true God of Israel. Hym only shall they honour, worshyp, prayse, serue and louelove. Nother shal ony grauē ymage be suffred to be made in his Realme for to obscure & blotte the glorye of this almighty god. On the name of this God alone shall all hys people caull, & flye vntounto in theyr aduersite prayse & commende it for euer and euer, nether shall ony of them be so bold as once to swere vnistly by it.
The Sabboth daye shall all his subiectes sanctifye. They shall not spend it vaynely & ydelly, but vertuously & godly, in readynge y• holy scriptures, in hearyng Gods word sincerly preched, in prayeng feruētly vntounto god, and in suche other god ly meditacions. Theyr superiours shall they honoure also with all humilite, submission and obedience. They shall kyll no man, but defend eueryevery man in his ryght, louelove all mē wysshe well vntounto them, do for them what so euer they are able.
As for fornicaciō, adultry, whor i. Cor. vii.dome or ony other vnclennes, they shall commyt none, but eueryevery man shall freelye be suffered to hauehave hys owne wyfe, and euerye woman her owne husbonde, & so godly lyue togyther in chast & pure matrimony.
And as for stealinge, bearyng of false witnes, or couetynge of theyr neyghbours goodes, Dauid lyke a true kynge hath vowed & promised so to order & rule his subiectes that none of thē all shall faull into those vices & enormities If they do & wyl not amende, Dauid bearethe not ye sweard in vayne, he wyll surely pu Rom. xiii.nysh the trāsgressours. For Dauid hath made a vowe & he is earnestly bēte to kepe it, yt both he & his people shal vnfaynedly obserue the mooste holy cōmaūdemētes of God. Oh that all kinges, Princes, Dukes, & rulers would follow this moost ho ly & vertuous kynge, & streyghtely looke vntounto the obseruaunce & true kepynge of these vowes. For these are the vowes that are accepted be fore God These are the vowes that caste no mans soule into the daunger of euerlastyng damnacion, but rather healpeth forwarde vntounto the enheritaunce of lyfe eternal. These are no popysh, monkysh, supersticious & pharisaicall vowes, inuented of the ydle braynes of mē, but pure godly, wholesome & christen vowes which so many as hope to be saued, ought streyghtly to obserue & kepe, yea to performe them vntounto the vttermoost of theyr power.
Thus se we what the vowes are that Dauid wyll pay vntounto ye Lord before all his people, for his benefytes, euen the fulfyllyng of Goddes commaundementes, & doynge hys office, as it becōmeth a true kinge So lykewyse must we do, and paye our vowes, also to ye LORDE that is to saye, kepe his holy commaundemētes, forsake the world, the dyuell & the flessh with all theyr pompes & pleasures, as we professed at oure baptisme, & eueryevery man lyue accordynge to his vocacion & callyng, as for an example.
Let thē that beare office, authorite, Rulars Rom. xiii. i. Pet. ii. Exo. xxiii. Deut. i.rule and power in the commō weale, punysh the euel, mayntayne the good, accept no parson in iudge mente, allowe no false accusacion, shed no innocente bloude, heare the small so well as the great, set forth gods glory, promote his holy word & in all thynges seake the profyt of of the common weale.
Let the subiectes be faythefull, Subiectes. Rom. xiii.true & obedient to theyr Prynces & hygher powers.
Lette the Bysshoppes & Prestes that be called vntounto the office of prechynge, …. Petre. ii. Tit. ii Byshoppes … Prestestake hede to theyr selues, & to all the flocke, in the which ye holy Ghost hath appoynted thē ouerseers to fede the cōgregacion of God. Lette them fede Christes flocke so muche as lygheth in theyr power, & take the ouersighte of them, not as thoughe they were compelled, but wyllyngly, not for the desyre of fylthy lucre, but of a good mynde, not as Lordes ouer the Parysshes, but Act. xx. i. Pet. v. i. Tim. iiii.to be an example vntounto the flocke.
Let them caste awaye vngodly and olde wyuysh fables, & be vntounto them that beleue an example in ye worde, in conuersacion, in louelove, in spirite, in fayth, in purenes. Let them giuegive ii. Tim. iiiiattendaunce vntounto readynge, to exhortacion, to doctrine. Let thē study to shew thē selues to God lauda ble, which nede not to be ashamed.
Let the husbōdes louelove theyr wy ues, as theyr owne bodyes, and be Husbondes.not bytter, churlysh or vnkynd vntounto them, but gyue honour vntounto thē as vntounto the weaker vesselles and as vntounto them that are fellowe heyres wyth them of the grace of lyfe.Wyues. i. Cor. xi. Ephe. v. Collos. iii. i. Tim. ii. i. Pet. iii.
Lykewyse let ye wyues be in sub iecciō to theyr husbondes, as vntounto the LORDE in all thynges, & so behaue themselues as it becommethe women of an honest & godly conuer sacion. Let them aray them selues in comely apparell with shame fastnes & discrete behauour, not wythe brayded heere, or golde, or pearle, or costely araye, but withe suche as it becometh women that professe godlynes thorowe good workes. Lette ye inward mā of the hart be vncorrupte, withe a meke & quiet spirite, whiche before God is moche set by. For after this manner in the olde tyme, dyd the holy women, whiche trusted in God, tyer them selues, & were obedient to theyr husbondes: euen as Sara obeyed Abraham & Gen. xvi.called hym Lord, whose doughters the wyues are, so longe as they do well, nor being afrayd for ony trou ble.
Let fathers not rate theyr chyldrē, Fathers.lest they be of a desperate mind but brynge thē vp in the nourtour and informacion of the LORDE.
Let the chyldren also obey theyr pa rentes in all thynges, for ye is well Children.pleasynge vntounto the LORDE.
Let masters do vntounto theyr seruauntes that which is iust & equal Masters.put tynge awaye threatenynges, & know that they also hauehave a master in heauen, with whome there is no respecte of parsons.Act. xx. Rom. ii. Seruaūtes.
Let the seruauntes agayne be obediēt vntounto theyr bodely masters in al thinges wt feare & tremblyng in siglenes of harte as vntounto Christ, not wt seruice only in the eye syght Colos. iii. Ep…. vi.as men pleasers, but as the seruaū tes of Christ, doyng the wyll of god Tit. ii. i. Pet. ii.from the harte wythe good wyll.
Let them thyncke, that they serue the LORDE and not men, & let them be sure, yt what so euer good a man doth, he shall receaue it agayne of ye LORDE, whether he be bond or free.
To cōclude, let eueryevery one amōg vsus do our dutye, & lyue accordyng to the vocacion, whereunto God hathe called vsus. So shal it come to passe, yt we shall not walke vnworthy the kyndenes of God. So shall we truly paye our vowes vntounto the LORDE. So shall we faythfully per forme yt, which we heretofore promt sed in baptisme. So shall we dayly more & more encrease in the louelove of God, & taste more plēteously of his bounteous giftes.
But it is to be noted, that Dauid saythe, Before all his people.
This is none other thynge, but ye which Christ commaundeth in the in as much as Christe hathe chosen them from the worlde, therfore the world hateth them. What is than to be sayd? Uerely whither we liue or dye, we are the LORDES, and precious is the death of Sayntes in y• syght of ye LORDE, as it followethe.
¶ The eyght strynge. Precious in the syghte of the Lord is the death of his Sayntes.
This song of our Mynstrel Da uid must nedes be very plesaūt & delectable to the hearers, seyng yt he syngethe all thynges in suche a godly & goodly order, & setteth eueryevery thynge in his ryght place. For after that he hath made mēcion of payenge his vowes vntounto the Lord, whyche is to do all thynges accordynge to the cōmaūdemēt of God, & not after the fansy of carnall reason, nor the iugemente of the wyse worldlynges; wherof is lyke to ensew, as we hauehave heard before, much trouble, yea very deth (for ye worlde can not abyde to be rebuked nor to hauehave his pompe, pryde, pleasures, glory, honour, hypocrisy, supersticion, fayned holynes, pharisaical iustice, glysteryng righteousnes, dotynge inuencion, fleshly imaginacions, good ententes. &c. to be reproued yea & condēned by y• worde of God) he nowe declarethe what a dere & precious a thyng the deathe of Sayntes, that is to saye, of the faythfull is in the syght of ye LORD, be it recounted before the worlde of neuer so great ignominy, despyte, reproche and shame. And this doth he to encourage men to paye theyr vowes vntounto the Lorde, that is to say, to be earnest in ye word of God, to seake the promocion of his glory & to walke innocently before ye eies of his diuine maieste, though al the world, yea very hell should be wood and ryse vp agaynst vsus. Precious, sayth he, in the syghte of the Lorde is the death of his Sayntes.
It is to be noted, that he calleth not the death of the wycked, precious in the syght of the Lord, but y• death of Saynctes, yea & that not popysh but Gods Sayntes Precious, The wyc ked in thys worlde hauehave all thynges more at ther pleasure thā y• true Chri stianssayth he, in the sight of y• Lord is the deth of his Sayntes. As for the wicked, so longe as they lyue in this world, they lyue more at theyr hartes ease, & hauehave all thiges more plenteously at theyr owne pleasure concernyng tēporall matters, thā the true christen men and faythful Sayntes of God hauehave, in as much that as we read in diuers places of the holye scriptures, the godly many tymes complayne vntounto God of the prosperous estate of y• wycked, & seme almoost to accuse God of vn righteousnes, seyng the enemies of God prosper so wel, and hauehave good lucke in all thynges, & they agayne which moost intierly fauour Goddes word & seke his glory, are moost miserably oppressed, slaūdered, persecuted, Psal. x…iii. Rom. viii.empresonned, & redye to be slayne at all houres. For as y• Psalmograph sayth: The vngodly hath the ouerhande, & the poore is brēt. The siner is praysed in followyng Psal. ix.the lustes of his harte, & the wicked is blyssed and made muche of. My feete were almoost gone, sayth Dauid, my treadynges had nygh slypt For I was sore greaued at the wic ked to se the vngodly in such prospe rite. For they are i no parel of deth, but stonde fast lyke a palace. They come in no misfortune lyke other folke, nother are they plaged lyke other men. And this is the cause yt they are so puffed in Pryde, & ouerwhelmed wyth cruelte & vnrighteousnes. Theyr eyes swel for fatnes they do euen what they lyste. Corrupte are they & speake blasphemies maliciously, proud & presumpteous are theyr wordes They …retch forth theyr mouthe vntounto heauen, & theyr tong goeth thorowe ye world. Therfore fall ye people vntounto them, & therout suche they no small aua… tage. Tush, say they, how shal God perceaue it. Is theyr knowledge in the moost hyghest? Lo these are the vngodly, these prosper in the world These hauehave rytches in possession. These hauehave sonnes ye growe vp as Psal. cxliii.yonge plantes. These hauehave mynyō & trymme doughters, garnysshed round about euen lyke vntounto a gorgious tēple. These hauehave theyr garners full & plenteous wyth all mā ner of stoar. These hauehave shepe that bryng forth thousandes & hondred thousandes in theyr pastures and feldes. These hauehave fatte oxen, y• are stronge to laboure. To be shorte, these hauehave no mischaunse, no decay no trouble, no noyse, no complaynynge in theyr stretes that shoulde greue them. Ieremy also saythe, O Iere. xii.LORDE thou arte more ryghteous, than that I shoulde dispute wythe the, neuerthelesse let me talke with the in thynges reasonable. Howe happeneth it, that the waye of the vngodly is so prosperous, & that it goeth so well with them, which … out ony shame offend & lyue in wickednes? Thou planteste them, they take roote, they growe, and brynge forthe fruyte. They boste moche of the, yet doste thou not ponyshe thē.
Thus se we howe the vngodlye lyke fat beastes wallowe & tomble thē selues in all kynde of pleasures, neyther wante they ony thynge in this worlde, that theyr hartes can desyre, yea they hauehave more prosperi Luke. xii.te, than they can awaye wythe all, yet are the godly and Sayntes of the Lord oppressed with all misery leadynge a lyfe in great calamite & wretchednes, thā ony creatures in the world. But yet beholde ye ende of the wycked. For sodenly they do consume, perysh & come to nought. The Psalmographe sayth: ye death Psal. xxxiiiof the wicked synners is very euel. Agayne, The vnrighteous mā shal receaue his plages & ponyshmētes whan he dyeth. But let vsus beholde these thynges as i a pure myrrour by rehearsyng certayne Hystories. Howe triumphed the wycked kyng Pharao vponupon the Israelites Gods people? Howe lysle regarded he the sermons spoken, and the myracles wroughte by the seruaūtes of God Moses & Aaron thorow the diuine spirite? Howe continued he to persecute the people of God euen vntounto Exo. viii. ix x. xiiii.the very hour of his death. But be hold the ende. Whan he was moost puffed vp in his pryde, and mooste bent to do mischefe, howe dyd God trap hym in his owne wylynesse, & euen broughte that vponupon his owne head, that he entēded to brynge vp on other? Dyd not God meruaylously drowne hym with al his wic ked army, & preserue his people by that meanes? But what was that temporall deathe in comparison to the death eternall, & the moost greuous & intollerable paynes that he nowe suffreth in hell fyre without mercye.
Agen, how dyd Sennacherib y• iiii. Re. viii. and. ix. ii. Pa. xxxii Eccl. xiviii. Esa. xxxvi. and. xxxvii.proud king of the Assirians bost hī self not only agenst the good kyng Ezechias, but also y• lyuyng God, yea & blasphemed hym, sayng, as ye moost cruel & lyonlyke tyraunt the great Turke doth nowe a dayes, yt he woulde vtterly subdue both hī & his cōpany, yea & yt theyr God shuld …e no more able to deliuer thē, than … broken staffe of rede. He leaned muche to his owne poletyke wytte & martiall valeaunce, thynkyng yt in asmuch as heretofore he had sub dued all kyngdoms, which he inua ded, he also should hauehave ouercome y• people of God. But God, which is the lyuynge & almyghtye God able in a twyncklyng of an eye to make frustrate & vayne all the fleshly ima ginacions of the worldly tyrauntes, yea & to brynge to noughte all theyr power, sent his Aungell the very same nyghte, that all the mischefe was entēded agaynst his peo ple, which smote in the hoost of the Assirians an hondred foure score & fyue thousand men. So that Sen iiii. Reg. xix ii. Pa. xxxiinacherib brake vp & departed, and was shortely after slayne wt swerde of his owne sonnes. An ende worthye suche a proude & blasphemous Tyraunte. But what is this vntounto the infernall paynes, y• be endeles, which he nowe remediles suffreth?
What proud crakes also dyd y• ar rogant Tyrasite Holofernes make Iudit. xii….agaynst the people of Israel, thynkyng that there was no kyngdome so inuincible, stronge & fortressed, but that he with his martiall puissaunce & feates of warre was able easly to ouercome. So that he toke no thoughte, lyued all in pleasure, lyke a careles swyne, gyuyng hym selfe to all kynde of beastelyke pleasures. But howe valeauntly euen by one woman God dyd ouercome hym, and put all his army to flight, the Hystory maketh mencion.
What shal I speke of ye two Hero des, wherof the one in the myddes Math. ii.of his fury whē he was moost whot & fyry in sekyng the deth of Christ, & for his sake sleynge innumerable infantes, miserably dyed, bringing nothing lesse than his cruell & blou dy purpose to effecte, so valeaunt & myghty is our lord god to extiguish and quenche the tyrannye of these bloudsowpers, whā it is his moost godly pleasure, & to preserue those, whome he wyll hauehave kept fre from theyr crudelite & furious madnes.
The other Herode euē in ye middes of his pompe, honoure & glory, Act. xii.beynge clad in his kyngly apparel, & set Luciferlike on his iudgement seate, after that he had moost Tyrauntelyke persecuted certayne of Christes chyrch, yea & slayne withe swerd Iames the brother of Iohn̄, was smote of the Aūgel of ye Lord, because he gaue not ye glory to god. So that he was eaten vp of wormes. But what nede I rehearse so many Histories oute of the diuine letters, seyng that this one, whiche I shal nowe recite, maye seme abū dantly to satisfy for to shewe, howe precious in the syght of the Lorde, the deathe of his saynctes is, seme theyr lyfe in this world neuer so mi serable, wretched, pitieful, poore, ne dy, beggerly, & full of all trouble, so row, dolour & camalite. Agen, how vile & detestable the death of ye wyc ked is in the Lordes syght, be theyr lyfe here neuer so pompous, galāt, easy, volupteous, ioyful, quiet, care les & popelyke.
S. Luke in his Gospell declareth, Luke. xvi.how there was a certen ritche man, which was apparelled wt pur ple & costely lynnen, & fared deliciouslye eueryevery daye. In these wordes the Euangelist sheweth manifestly howe this rytche man lyued all in plesure, & had al thinges according to his hartes desyre. But beholde y• ende. He was cruell, merciles & vnpiteful to the poore. Therfore whē he dyed, the Scripture sayth, that he was caried downe ito hel, where he was tormented wyth suche greuous flames of fyre, & intollerable burnynges, that he desyred Abraham to send downe Lazarus vntounto hym, that he myght dyp the typpe of hys fynger in the water, & coole his tonge, for he was greuously tor mented in that flame. But Abrahā sayd, remember sonne, that yu haste receaued thy pleasures in thy lyfe, & cōtrary wyse Lazarus receaued paynes and troubles. Therfore is he nowe cōforted, and thou arte tor mented.
As for y• poore man, his lyfe was so wretched beggerly & miserable, y• no man woulde scasely wonchesafe once to cast theyr eye & to looke towarde hym, he was such an abiecte so vile, so rēt, so torne, so Lazarlyke & ful of greuous sores. Only ye dog ges lycked his sores. But beholde ye ende. This poore man dyed, & was caried of the Aūgels into Abrahās bosome.
This Hystory declareth playnely, howe precious the deathe of the Saynctes, that is, of the faythfull is in the syght of the Lord, appeare theyr lyfe neuer so miserable before the deynty worldlynges. Agayne, howe vile & detestable the death of the wicked is in Gods syght, hauehave they spēt theyr lyfe ī neuer so much ioye, pleasure & felicite, & were they recounted before the worlde neuer so blyssed, happye & fortunate, and brought to the ground with neuer Amos. vi. Luke. vi. Math. v. Eccl. xxxiso great pompe and solemnite. And here se we that to be true, whiche is written, Wo be to you rytche men, which hauehave your… consolacion. Wo be to you that are fylled, for ye shall honger. Wo be to you that laughe nowe, for ye shall lament and wepe Wo be to you, whan all menne shall prayse you, for accordynge to these thynges dyd theyr fathers to the false Prophetes. But blyssed are ye that honger now, for ye shall be fylled. Blyssed are ye y• wepe now, for ye shall laugh. The deynte worldeliges Mark well.receaue payne after this life, but the faythful in ye Lorde, which be oppressed wt miserye & troubled for Gods trueth, shall receaue ioye & glory. So that as Dauid sayth, Precious in the syght of the Lorde is the death of his Sayntes. Hereto agreeth the sayenge of S. Iohn̄ in his reuelacion. Blyssed are the Apoc. xiiii.dead, whiche dye in the Lorde. The death of Saynctes muste nedes be precious in the syght of the Lorde, & they which dye in the Lorde must nedes be blyssed, seyng that bothe y• glory of God is sette forth by theyr death, & the Saynctes them selues set in a perpetual ioye & euerlastig Sap. iii. Deu. xxxiiiquietnes without ony more care or trouble. For after yt they hauehave offered vp this theyr lyfe vntounto god, the soules of the righteous are streight wayes in the hand of God, and the payne of deth shall not towche thē. In the syght of the vnwyse they ap Sap. v. Heb. …i. Rom. viii. ii. Cor. v. i. Pet. i.peare to dye, & theyr ende is taken for very destruccion. The waye of y• righteous is iudged to be vtter destruccion, but they are in reste. And thogh they suffer payne before mē, yet is theyr hope full of immortalite. They are ponysshed but in fewe thynges, neuertheles in many thin ges shall they be wel rewarded. For God proueth them, & lyndeth them mete for himselfe, yea as golde in ye fornace doth he trye them, & receaueth them as a burnte offerynge, & whan the tyme commeth, they shall be looked vponupon. They ryghteous shall shyne as the sparkes, that run Math. xiii. i. Cor. xv. Math. xix i. Cor. vi.thorowe the rede bushe. They shall iudge the nacions, and hauehave dominion ouer the people, & theyr Lord shall reygne for euer. They yt putte theyr trust in him, shal vnderstand the trueth, & suche as be faythefull wyll agre vntounto hym in louelove, for his chosen shall hauehave gyftes and peace. But the vngodly shall be punyshed accordyng to theyr owne imaginacions, for they hauehave despised ye righ teous, and forsaken the Lorde.
Moreouer the ryghteous shall stonde in great stedfastnes agaynst Sap. v. Math. ix.suche, as hauehave dealte extremely wt them, & taken away theyr labours, Whan they se it, they shall be vexed with horrible feare, & shall wonder at the hastines of theyr soden helth gronyng for very distresse of mynd & shall saye within them selues, hauyng inward sorowe & mournyng for very anguyshe of mynde: These are they, whome we sometyme had in derision, & iested vponupon. We fooles thought theyr lyues very madnes, Sap. iii.& theyr end to be wtout honour But …o, how they are coūted amōg the chyldren of God, & theyr porciō is amonge the Sayntes. Therfore hauehave we erred frō y• way of trueth. The lyghte of ryghteousnes hathe not shyned vntounto vsus, & the sonne of vnderstondynge rose not vponupon vsus. we hauehave weryed our selues ī ye way of wickednes & destrucciō Tedious wayes hauehave we gone, but as for the waye of ye Lorde we hauehave not knowen it. What good hath our pryde Iacob. v. i. Pa. xxx. Sap. ii.done vntounto vsus? or what profyt hath the pompe of rytches brought vsus? All these thynges are passed awaye as a shadowe. &c. These and suche other wordes, shall they that hauehave synned speake in hell. But ye ryghteoꝰ Pfal. xxxixshall lyue for euermore. Theyr reward also is wt ye Lord, & theyr re membraunce with the hyghest.
Therfore shall they receaue a glori ous kyngedome, and a beautyfull crowne of the Lordes hand. For wt his ryght hande shall he couer thē, & withe his owne arme shall he de fende them. &c.
Thus se we how dere & precious in the syght of the Lorde the death of his Saynctesis. S. Paule hauyng Phil. i.experience of this thing, whē he was yet alyue, sayd on this man ner: I desyre to be dissolued & losoned oute of this mortall bodye, & to be with Christ. Also kynge Dauid: Wo is me, that I tary ī this world Psal. cxix.so longe.
Therfore howe so euer the wycked worldlynges recount the death of the Sayntes, whyther it chaun ceth to thē by famyn, hōger, swerde water, fyre halter or ony otherwise vndoubtedlye it is precious in the sight of the Lord, appeare it before the world of neuer so great ignomi ny, reproche, infamy, shame, and re buke. Happy therfore is he, that dy eth this death, how so euer it chaū seth vntounto hym. Blyssed is ye Crosse, which bryngeth this glory. But let vsus se how it commeth to passe, that the deth of Sayntes is so precious in the syght of the Lorde. It followeth.