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The Sick Mans Salve · Thomas Becon

The Sick Mans Salve, Text (5 of 5)

Ep.

I beleue that whatsoeuer Christ did in his humanitie, he did it for me & for my saluation. And in thee, O Lorde God, is my whole trust, let me neuer be confounded. But neighbor Philemon.

Phile.

What is youre mind sir.Of predestination.

Epa.

What if I be not of the nomber of those, whome God hath predestinat to be saued?

Phi.

Feare you not. God withoute all doubt hath sealed you by his holy spirite vntounto euerlasting life. Your name is written in the boke of life. You are a citizin of the new glorious and heauenly Hierusalem. Yow shall remaine with God in glory after your departure for euer & euer.Of repentāce

Epa.

It sore repenteth me, yt I hauehave at any time offended the lord my God.

Phi.

This repentance is an euident testimonye of your saluation, and that god hath predestinat and tofore appoynted you vntounto euerlasting lyfe.Math. ii For it is written, repent you of your former life,Eze. xviii for the kingdome of God is at hand. Again: If the vngodly shall repent him of al his sinnes yt he hath done. &c. Doubtles he shal liue and not die. As for al his sins that he did before,Of Faith. they shall not once be thought vponupon.

Epa.

I hauehave an earnest fayth in the bloud of Christ, that God the father will forgeue me al my sinnes for Christes sake.

Phi.

You thus beleuing can not perish, but this your faith is an vndoubted assuraunce vntounto your conscience, that you are predestinate to be saued. For it is written, God hath so derely loued the worlde, that he gaue his only begotten sonne, that all that beleue on hym, shoulde not pearishe, but …aue euerlasting lyfe.Iohn. iii. For God …ent not his sonne into the worlde …o condempne the world, but that …he world should be saued by him. He that beleueth on him, is not …ondempned. He that beleueth on …he sonne, hath euerlasting lyfe. Uerely, verely I say vntounto you, he …hat heareth my worde,Iohn. v. and bele…eth on him that sent me, hath e…erlasting lyfe, and shall not come …nto dampnation, but is scaped …rom death vntounto life. This is the …athers will, that sent me, that of …l which he hath geuen me, I shal …ose nothing, but raise them vp againe at the last day.Iohn. vii. And this is ye wil of him that sent me, that eueryevery one whiche seeth the sonne and beleueth on him, hauehave euerlasting life. And I will rayse him vp at ye last day. I am the resurrection & life,Iohn. xi he yt beleueth in me, though he be dead, yet shall he lyue & eueryevery one that liueth and beleueth i… me,Iohn. xi. shal neuer die. To him (christ… geue all the Prophetes witnes saith S. Peter,Act. x. that through his name whosoeuer beleueth in him shall receiue remission of sinnes If thou knowledge wt thy mouth that Iesus is the Lorde,Rom. x. and beleue in thine heart that God raysed hym vp from death, thou shal… be saued. For to beleue with th… hert iustifieth, and to knowledge with the mouthe, maketh a man safe.Esay. xxviii For the scripture saith: Whosoeuer beleueth on him, shall not be confounded. Thus se you, that faith dooth assure your conscience of ye fauor of God & of euerlasting life. Doubt you not therfore, but that you are counted in the number of Gods elect and chosen people, and shall enherit the glorious kingdom of God:Of baptisme

Epa.

I was baptised in the name of God ye father, …nd of god the sonne, & of god the …oly ghost.Math. xxviii

Phi.

This is also a sure …kē of the fauour of God toward …ou, and that you are predestinate …nto euerlasting life, seyng that according to your profession, you do beleue, and vntounto the vttermost of your power frame your life. For it is wrytten,Mark. xvi. he that beleueth & is baptised,Act. ii. shalbe saued. And s. Peter said vntounto the Iewes: Repent you of your sinnes, & be baptised eueryevery one of you in ye name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes, and ye shall receiue the gift of the holy ghost▪ And Saint Paule saieth:Gala. ii. All ye that are baptized, hauehave put on Christ. And you know, there is no dampnation to them that are in Christ Iesu.Rom. viii For as when you wer baptised, ye forsoke the deuill, the world, and the flesh, withal their workes, pōpes, and vanitie, and gaue your selfe only vntounto the seruice of God, taking him for your Lord & maister euen so hath God likewise taken you to be his seruaunt, loueth and fauoureth you, and wil defend you against al your ennemies, and neuer forsake you, vntyll he hathe brought you vntounto euerlasting life. By baptisme is he your lord God, therefore wyll not he suffer you to pearishe. By baptisme, is he your father, and you are born of him, & so become his sonne, therfore can he none otherwyse, then louelove, tender and fauour you, and geue you the enheritaunce of his heauenly kingdome. By baptisme are you made the brother of Christ, heyre of God, and fellow heire wt Christ of euerlasting glory, thē may you be certen to be of that nōber, that shall enherit eternall life. By baptisme is the holy ghost geuen you, then are you the sonne of God and …an not pearysh. For it is written. They that are led with the spirite …f God,Roma. viii. are the sonnes of God. Baptisme is a continuall signe of …he fauour of God towarde vsus, of …he fre remission of sinnes, of our …econciliatiō vntounto God for Chri…tes sake, and that we be by adop…ion the sonnes of God, & heires of …uerlasting glory.Of ye Lordes supper.

Epa.

In tymes …ast I hauehave also many tymes re…eiued the misteries of the Lordes …ody and bloud in the temples of …he Christians, with the congre…ation of God, wherin I confesse, I hauehave founde great comfort, and …erye muche quietnesse vntounto my …eake and synnefull conscience.

Phi.

The often comming with a …eruent de syre vntounto the Lords ta…le by true faythe to fede vponupon the …isteries of the Lordes body and …loud: is a manifest argument, yt God hath chosen you to be his, hath written your name in ye bok… of life, and predestinate you vnt… euerlasting glory. For in so doin… you hauehave not only called vntounto re…membraunce the moste healthfu… death of our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ, and so bene thanke…ful for it, but you hauehave also shew…ed your selfe a lyuely member … that holy body, whereof Christ i… the head. You hauehave professed opē …ly in the face of the Christen con…gregation, that God the father i… your father, yt Christ is your Lor… and sauiour, that by the one onl… oblation of his blessed body on th… altare of the Crosse, all your syn…nes are put away and forgeue… and you made the enheritour … euerlasting glory. Whē you thu… came vntounto the Lordes Table, a… the fruites, benefites and merit… of Christes passiō were geuen yo… namely, the fauour of God, remi…sion of sinnes, the holy ghost, quietnes of conscience, new affectes, victory ouer Sathan, death and hell, and finally euerlasting lyfe, so that nowe ye are incorporated in Christ, & become a true & liuely member of that misticall bodye, wherof he is the head,Ephe. …: yea, you ar fleshe of his fleshe, and bone of his bones, as the Apostle saith.

Is not the cup of blessing,i. Cor. … whiche we bles, partaking of the bloud of Christ? Is not the bread, whiche we breake, partaking of ye body of Christ? &c.

Epa.

As I hauehave had many times an earnest and feruent minde to come reuerentlye vntounto the Lordes table, and to be partaker of the holy misteries of Chri…tes body and bloud with the congregation:Of hearing Gods word. so likewise hauehave I at all times bene glad to repare vn…o those places, wher the word of God hath bene preached, and the doctrine yt hath there bene taugh… I marked diligētly, kept it in me…mory, and to the vttermost of m… power I laboured to frame m… life according vntounto the same,Iacob. i. tha… I might bee no forgetfull heare… but a diligent doer of those wor…kes, whiche I learned of the hol… scriptures to bee acceptable vnt… the Lord my Lord,Luke. i. that I migh… serue him in holines and righte…ousnes all the dayes of my lyfe

Phi.

As there is not a more euidē … testimony and a surer argument… that that man is in the state of e…uerlasting dampnation, which… hath no mynd to hear the word o… God, nor to traine his lyfe according vntounto the doctrine therof: s… likewise is there not a more cer…taine signe, that any man is pre…destinate to be saued, then whē h… hath a mynd to heare the word o… God, as our sauiour Christ testi…fieth, saying: He that is of god, heareth gods words,Iohn. viii. ye therfore hear thē not, because ye are not of God. Here se you, how Christ putteth a difference betwene them that are of God, and them that are of the deuill. They that are the children of ye deuil hauehave no minde to heare the worde of God. But they that are the sonnes of God, hauehave a feruent delite and singulare great pleasure to hear gods word, yea, & as the Prophet saieth,Psal. i. to exercise them selues in it daye and night. In an other place our Sauioure Christ saith also. My shepe heare my voyce and I know them,Iohn. x. and they follow me, and I geue vntounto them euerlasting life, & they shall neuer perishe, neither shal any mā plucke them out of my hande. In this sentēce ye se, that they whiche hear the voyce of theyr shepheard Christ, are the shepe of Christ, and that they shall neuer pearishe, but hauehave euerlasting life.Iohn. xviii. Christ also said vntounto Pilate: EueryEvery one that is of the truth, heareth my voyce. You hauing a minde to heare the word of God & to heare the voyce of Christ that hie shepheard: hauehave shewed your self to be of ye truthe. So beyng, you cannot perish, but obtain euerlasting life.Luke. xi For Christ him self pronounceth them blessed which hear the word of God, and kepeth it, that is to saye: beleue it and study to frame their life according vntounto ye same.Of Prayer.

Epa.

Moreouer I hauehave euer had a desire (I thāke ye Lord my God for it) to pray vntounto the Lord my God, and to call on his holy name, although, I cō fesse, not so feruently as I ought.

Phil.

This thing also doth fully certifie your conscience, yt you are of the nūber of Gods elect, and to fore appoynted vntounto euerlasting saluation.Ioel. ii. For it is written. Whosoeuer doth cal on the name of the Lord,Psal. ix▪ shalbe safe. Againe, he hath cried vntounto me, & I will gratiously heare him, yea I am with him in trouble, and I will deliuer him, & glorifie him. With long life wil I satisfy him, and shew him my saluation.

Ep.

God be thanked, I am now wel quieted in my cōscience, and fear Sathan nothing at all. I thinke my self at this present so strong and so thorowly enarmed against the deuill and all his wicked army: that I am nothing afraid to enter battaill with hym, but am fully perswaded that by the help and power of my graund captaine Iesu Christ, I shal ouer throw him. One doubt remaineth & that once dispatched, I trust I shalbe in some redines for ye Lorde my God, whēsoeuer he sendeth for …e, & calleth me out of this wretched worlde.

Phi.

What is that?

Epa.

Of the certē tie of Gods fauour toward vsus and of our saluation.I hauehave heard many times at the mouth of diuers men, whiche hauehave a good opinion of thē selues of their owne wit, doctrine & learning, that no man in this worlde is certain of his saluation, niether can any man say with a safe conscience and vndouted faith, I am of the nūber of Gods elect, I am a vessell of mercy, I shal be saued. My name is registred in the boke of life. &c. but all men euen ye most godly and faithful, must doubt of their saluation, of the remission of their sinnes, of the fauour of God toward them, and of euerlastinge life.

Phi.

This is the doctrine of ye Papistes both wicked and dampnable. The Papistes in teaching this doctrine doth not only trouble, disquiet, make afraid, wound▪ kill, and slea the consciences of the simple people, and of suche as credit their deuelish doctrine: but as muche as in them lieth, they make God a lier, his holy worde false, and our faith frustrate, void and vain. Take away the certentie of saluation from any man: and to what poynt serueth the mercyful promise of God, and the faithe whiche apprehendeth and layeth hād on the most louing promises of God? This doctrine openeth a very path vntounto hell, and bringeth vntounto desperation.

Chr.

Yet ye Papistes alledge the Scripture for them.The manner of the papists in alledging the scripturs

Phile.

I thinke that: for so is their accustomed propertie. They alledge many times ye scriptures of God to defend and to stablish their errours and heresies, & …o blear the simple peoples eyes, whiche are not able to discerne A. frō B. nor to iudge betwene truth and falshode, but are easly led that waye, wherunto the subtile and wily papist perswadeth. If I had leasure to declare vntounto you, what Iuglīg ye vngodly Papistes hauehave vsed and yet doo vse in wryting & wrestting, incorrupting and abusing that holy worde of God, ye would not a little maruell at the matter: But I wold gladly hear, what the papistes can alledge ou… of the word of God for the confirmation of their wicked opinion in this behalfe.Eccle. ix.

Chr.

The sentence whereunto they stick and cleue as vntounto an inuincible bulwarke is this: A mā knoweth not whether he bee worthy louelove or hatred, bu… althinges are kept vncerten vntounto the time to come.

Phi.

The kyngdome of the Papistes is not without a cause called the kingdom o… lies, and the Papists them selues may rightwel be resembled to the beast which rose out of the sea,Apoca. xiii vntounto whom was geuen a mouthe to speake great things and blasphemies, yea to speake blasphemy agaīst god, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle, and thē that dwel in heauen. &c. But as concerning the text which they alledge (although the learned in the Hebrue tounge know right wel how greatly this text after the cōmon Latin translation differeth from the truth of the Hebrue) it is abused of them, and wrasted contrary to the minde both of the authoure and of the translatour as the wordes that immediatly followe, doo manifestly declare. When Salomon saieth, a man knoweth not whether he be worthy louelove or hatred, he speaketh not of the knowledge and iudgement of the cōscience toward God, for who knoweth not, that he is worthy hatred which sinneth against the Lorde his god, contrariwise, that he pleareth god, & god loueth him, which dooth that thing, that is pleasaunt in his godly sight, but he speaketh of the outward and carnall iudgement and knowlede which men hauehave of them selues, of their owne strengthes, wisdome or free wyll concerning thinges which chaūce to them outwardly. As though he should saye. If a man should only beholde and consider the outward face of thynges, and iudge the fauour or the disfauour of God toward any man of the things that outwardly chaunce vntounto any mā, he were not able to affirme and to parswade his conscience, whether God loueth him or not. For God indifferently without anye respect had to ether of the parties, geueth as aboundantly to the vngodly, as to the godly, to the vnfaithfull, as to the faithfull, to the sainctes as vntounto the wycked his temporall and outward giftes, as beauty, strength, rytches, healthe of body, reason, wisdom, eloquēce, honor, nobilitie, wealth, glory. &c. yea many times the ennemies of God hauehave more plenteously geuen vntounto them of God the ritches and pleasures of this lyfe, then the frendes of God. Therfore if a naturall man not being regenerat nor borne a newe of the spirite of God, considreth the outward face of thinges, and iudgeth of them ye fauour or disfauour of God, verely so knoweth he not, who is worthy Gods louelove or hatred, so is he not certain whom God loueth, or whom he hateth. This is thaforsaid text of Salomon (as it is trā slated) to be vnderstand. And that this is the meaning of the author, ye words that folow do manifestly declare. It happeneth, saith he, vntounto one as vntounto an other: it goeth with the righteous as with vngodly,Luke. ix. with the good & cleane as with the vncleane: with him that offreth, as with hym that offreth not, like as it goeth with th… vertuous, so goeth it also with th… sinner. As it hapneth vntounto the pe… iured, so hapneth it also vntounto hym that is afraide to be forsworne. Among all thynges that come to passe vnderunder the Sunne, this is a misery, that it hapneth vntounto all alike. Of these wordes it euidently appeareth, that Salomon speaketh of the knowledge which a naturall man hath by the outwarde gifts of god, wherof, because they be indifferently geuen aswell to ye good as to the bad, he is not able to iudge, whō God loueth, & whō he hateth. Now wher as the Papists wrest this text vntounto ye knowledge or iudgement of the conscience, which commeth of the spirite of God and of his holy word, and would that Christen men in theyr cōscience shuld dout whether God louelove thē or not, whether they be in the fauour of God or not, whether their sinnes be forgeuen thē or not whether they shalbe saued or notthei teache a deuelishe errour, and leade ye receiuers of their doctrin, the right way to hell fire. For he yt douteth of the mercifull good wil & fauorable grace of God toward him, & beleueth not that God for christes sake is louing vntounto him & forgeueth him al his syns, verely he is no true christian, but dying in this his doubtfulnes and vnbelief he shall surely be dampned acording to this saying: he that doth not beleue on the sonne, shall not se life,Iohn. … but the wrath of God a bideth on hym. This erroneous doctrine of the Papistes maketh God false of his promyse, quencheth fayth, blotteth out hope, destroieth louelove, disquieteth the conscience, filleth ye hart with whole seas of vnreastfull and wycked imaginations, and so driueth the doubtful parson vntounto desperation and finally vntounto dampnation. O murtherers. O soule s…ears. If no man can be certaine in his conscience, whether he be in the fauour of god or no, whether god for christes sake wil forgeue him his sins or not, and geue him euerlasting lyfe, to what poynt serue all the promises of Gods tender mercies made to all faithfull penitent sinners in Christes bloud? vntounto what end doth faith serue? If faith certifieth not our conscience of Gods good wyl toward vsus, and so bringeth peace and quietnes vntounto it: what is then the office of fayth? If a man, whose credit is approued, promiseth vsus any thinge, we surely loke for it, & nothing doubte of the performance therof,Psalm. cxlv & shall we doubt of the accomplishment of the promises of God,Titus. i whiche is faithful in all his wordes,Iohn. xiiii. whiche can not lie, which is not only true but also the self truth?Roma. iii. Let al men be liers,Ezech. xxxiii and let God abide true. God hath promised, that at whatsoeuer hour we tourne vntounto him, he will forgeue vsus al our sinnes, & neuer remember them more, but so frely fauour vsus, and so tenderly louelove vsus, as though we had neuer offended him. This is the promise of him, which can nether deceiue nor be deceiued, and shal we doubt of the performance therof? Shall we doubt, whether ye Lord oure God wyll be as good as his word? whether our sinnes be forgeuen and we receiued againe into fauor or not? God hath promised, that in Christ all nations of ye earth shalbe blessed. And shal we, which loke for our whole saluation in the bloud of Christe, doubt whether we shall bee blessed in Christ,Galat. iii. yt is to say, fauoured of god the father for Christs sake or not? Christ our Lord & sauiour,Math. xi. calleth all that labour and be loden vntounto him, and promiseth yt he will ease, remedy, comfort and helpe them. And shal we doubt of this his promise? What other thynge is it to doubt of the promises of god▪ then to doubt whether God be true or no, iust & faithfull or no, ye same in his dede that he is in his word or no? O the to much vnfaithfulnes of the wicked Papistes.Iohn. iii. The scripture saith, he that beleueth on the sōne of god, hath euerlasting life. The faithful christians beleue on Christ the sonne of God, embrase him with strong faith as their alone sauiour, redemer, atonement maker, intercessour, mediatour & aduocate, and shal they doubt of ye …nheritaunce of euerlasting lyfe? Ether they that do beleue & so cō tinue vntounto thēd, hauehave euerlasting life at their departure out of this life, or els God is not true of his promise.Psal. cx…v But God is faithful in al his wordes, therfore doo the faithful christians receiue according to gods promises & their faith. If all thinges be possible to him y• beleueth, if al things chance to a faithfull man according to his faith,Mar… … wt what whorish & shameles forheds dare the proud and vngodly Papistes teache vsus to doubt of the grace and fauoure of God, of the …emission of sinnes, and of the enheritaunce of euerlasting lyfe? Where doutfulnes is, there is no …rue faith but rather misbeliefe, … to such a doubting faith, yea ra…her no faith, nothinge is promised, but the fearce wrath and vengeaunce of God and euerlasting… dampnation. Se to what poyn… the wicked Papistes bryng they… whelpes with their deuelysh doc…trin. Saint Iames saith:Iacob. …. If any man lack wisdom, let him aske i… of him, that geueth it: euē God. & But let him aske in faith and wa…uer not. For he that doubteth, i… like a waue of ye sea, which is to … of the wyndes, and caried wit… violence. Nether let ye man think… that he shall receiue any thyng o… the Lorde. A wauering minde… man is vnstable in all his wayes Are not they that professe Christ much boūd to the papistes,The scholing of the Papistes. whic… teach their scholers to doubt of th… mercy of God, & not to be through…ly perswaded in their conscience… that God loueth them, pardonet… them for Christes sake, & maket… them enheritours of euerlasting glory? Is this anye other thynge then to say, despair, die, be dampned? O deuils incarnat. God lighten the eies of the simple, that thei may once see the iugling castes of these wily wicked Papistes, and come vntounto the vnfained truthe of gods word, whiche is able to saue their soules, whiche also is the mighty power of God to saue eueryevery one that beleueth.Iacob. i. Roma. i.

The.

Amen.

Phi.

Al the godly euē from the beginning hauehave beleued the promises of God, and nothing doubted of them, whether they concerned temporall or spirituall things, and according to their fayth, so recey…ed they. Yea when God seamed most to be angry with them & vt…erly to cast them from his fauor: …uen then did they nothing doubt …f his mercifull goodnesse, but wt …rong faith cleaueth to the promi…es of God, as a certain mā saith: Though he kil me,Iob. xiii. yet will I put my truste in hym. The Psalmograph also saith:Psal. xxvii. Though an host of men were laid against me, yet shall not my heart be afraide. And though ther rose vp war against me, yet wil I put my trust in him. If ether Abrahā, Isaac, Iacob, or any other saintes of the olde testamēt had doubted of the promises whiche God made vntounto them, so had they neuer found fauour at ye maiestie of god, nor obteined those thinges, which God had promised them.Hebr. xi. For without faith it is impossible to please God. He yt doubteth of the promises of God, shall obtain no good thing at the hand of God. To what end ar we so often in the holy scripture exhorted to beleue God and his promises, if it were lawfull for vsus to doub… of them? If to beleue and to doub… be one thing, why is euerlasting saluation promised to the one, and eternall dampnation to thother? Whosoeuer therfore wilbe saued, let him cast away al vnbelief and doubtfulnes, and with tothe and …ayle (as they vse to say) clene to ye promises of God, nothing doubting, but according as God hath promised, so shall it chaunce vntounto him. If we doo repent and beleue his worde, God hath promised vsus for christes sake to fauour vsus, to forgeue vsus all our sinnes, and to bring vsus vntounto euerlasting life, let vsus not therfore doubt of this his promise, but with strong and vnshaken faith beleue it, and looke for boldly that is promised, so we may be sure to hauehave the grace and …auour of God, to hauehave remission and forgeuenesse of oure synnes, …nd finally to hauehave euerlasting …ife. Let vsus therfore approch with …oldnes, and not with doubting …nd wauering,Hebre. iiii▪ vntounto the throne of Gods Maiestie, as thapostle warneth that we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to helpe in ye tyme of nede.

Chri.

If a man after the Papistes shuld doubt of the grace and fauour of God toward him, with what conscience could he be bold to say the Lordes praier,Math. v. & to desire the forgeuenes of his trespasses? Or how could he say with a true faith, I beleue the forgeuenes of sinnes and euerlasting life? To beleue,What it is to beleue. is it to doubt of the promises of God? or rather to be thorowly perswaded of the promises of God, that as God hath promysed, so shal it vndoubtedly chaunce vntounto vsus.

Euse.

When a man beleueth the gospel he is certaine of ye remission of his sinnes, he is certen of the fauour and good will o… God, and he is certaine also of euerlasting life. And he that lettet… go this faith, and falleth to doub…ting, he shall neuer enioy thaforesaid benefites, but be cast into euerlasting dampnatiō.

The.

This considred the holy Apostle rightwel, when he without any doubting being throughly perswaded and assured of Gods good will toward him,ii. Tim. … (set forth in his holye promises,) saide on this maner, I know & am sure, that he (in whom I hauehave put my trust) is hable to kepe that, which I hauehave committed to his keping against that dai. Againe,ii. Tim. i…i▪ I hauehave fought a good fight, I hauehave fulfilled my course. I hauehave kept the fayth. From hēceforthe there is layde vp for me a …rowne of righteousnes, which ye Lord (that is a righteous iudge) …hall geue at that daye, not to me only, but vntounto all them also ye louelove …is comming.Psal. xx….

Phile.

When that Dauid saide these wordes: I be…eue verely to see the pleasures of the Lord in the land of the liuing▪ doubted he of the enheritaunce of the heauenly kingdom, or was he rather thorowlye perswaded by stronge faithe in the promises of god, ye he shuld without all doubt raigne with God in glory?Phi. i. If the godly Apostle S. Paule had not bene sure of the fauor of God, and of a better life after this, would… he hauehave wyshed to bee deliuered from this worlde, and to be with Christ?Actes. vii With what coūtenaunc… durst the blessed martir S. Stephen hauehave commended his spirit… vntounto Christe, if he had not ben… perswaded of gods fauor towar… him, and of the ioyful enheritanc… of the euerlasting kingdom? An… so likewise of al the other saincts The spirit of God certifieth our spirit,Rom. viii. saith the Apostle, that w… are the sonnes of God. If we be sonnes, then are we also heyres. I meane of God & fellowe heyres with Christ.i. Iohn. iii. Hereto agreeth the saying of S. Iohn. Dearely beloued, nowe are we the sonnes of God, and yet it doth not appeare, what we shalbe. But we knowe, that when it shall appeare, we shall be like him. For we shall see him as he is. Againe: We knowe, that we are translated and caried from death vntounto life.

Here you se that the holy scriptures teache vsus to be certaine of our saluation throughe fayth in Christes bloud, and not to be doutfull of it, as the Papistes trifle. Away therfore without al doutfulnes, and lay hand by strong faith on the promises of God, lokynge wt assured hope for all those heauenlye and blessed thynges, that God hath promysed vsus in his holy worde. So maye we be sure to receiue according to our fayth.

Epa.

Without wauering or doubting I faithfully beleue and am assuredly perswaded, that God ye father is a mercifull father vntounto me, that he hath forgeuen me all my sinnes, receiued me into his fauor and made me heir of his euerlasting glory. And all this hath he done vntounto me not for my merites & deserts (which are vtterly none) but for Christes sake, in whom I beleue, whome also I confesse to be my alone sauiour & redeamer.

Ph.

Neighbor Epaphroditus, you thus beleuing cannot pearishe. Therfore be on good comfort, quiet your conscience,Iohn. iii. and sattle your minde. For it is written. He that beleueth on ye sonne of God hath euerlasting life.

Epa.

Brother Philemon I thanke you and my other neighbours here for the great cō fort, whiche I hauehave receiued by this your godly communication. I fele my selfe nowe in muche better case, then I was, when you came first vntounto me. I fele muche quietnes and ease in my conscience. The Lord hath driuen away mine enemies, and geuen me rest in my mynde. If I had not had your company, God knoweth to what poynt my ghostly enemy the deuil would hauehave brought me. But I praise God for you. For by your godly and christē talke. God hath wrought in me a good and glad wil to die. I hauehave in my hart bidden the world and all worldly thinges adue. My mind is all together fixed, on the lord my God, and on the ioyes whiche he hath prepared in his glorious kingdom for all them that louelove him, I fele such inward ioy in my heart, and such a feruent desire to see ye Lord my God face to face, yt the paines, which I now suffer on my body, although they be very greuous in dede, seme litle or nothyng to disquiet me.Roma. viii. For I am fully perswaded, that the afflictiōs of this life, are not worthy of the glory which shall bee shewed vppon vsus: Againe,ii. Cyr. iiii that though the outwarde man perish, yet thinward man is renued day by day, and that this our tribulation whiche is short & light prepareth an exceding, and an euerlasting waight of glorye vntounto vsus, while we loke not on the thinges whiche are sene, but on ye thinges whiche are not seene. For the thinges whiche are seene, are temporall, but things, whiche are not sene, are eternall.

Chr.

God kepe you in this mind, euen vntounto thend.A Praier.

Eu.

Amē.

Epa.

Confirme & make that perfect (o lord) which y• hast begon to worke in me vntounto the glory of thy blessed name, and vntounto the saluation of my soule.

The.

Amē.

Epa.

Neighbors I pray you tourne me that I may lye on my right side.

Chr.

The Lord our God graunt, that ye may syt in his kingdome on the right hande of his glory.

Ep.

Yea & that shortly:

Euse.

So be it.

Phile.

Sir howe do you nowe?

Epaphro.

Well, God be thanked, but I trust to doo better euen anone.

Phile.

Lacke you any thing sir?

Epa.

My paine approcheth nearer vntounto my heart, wherby I perceiue the end of my life, not to be far of: I beseche you pray for me, that I may continue faithfull, constaunt and stedfast in the faith of the Lorde my God, euen vntounto the very end of my life.

Phi.

We wil do it gladly. Neighbors let vsus knele down and pray.

Lord,A Pray… for the sicke man. we moste humbly besech thee heare our prayer.

Chri.

And let our crye come vntounto thee.

Ph.

O lord Iesu Christ thou only sonne of the heauenly father, our alone redemer and omnisufficiciēt sauiour, we moste humbly beseche thee, deliuer this sicke and weake parson now being in great pains and at the point to departe out of this worlde from all vgsome and terrible assaultes and temptations of the deuill, synne and hell.Gene. vii. Deliuer him (O Lord) as thou deliueredst Noe frō the raging waues of the sea.Gene. xix. Lot from the destruction of Sodome. Abraham from the feare of the Chaldees.Gene. xx. Exod. xxiii.xxiiii.xxv. i. Reg. xvii. Dan. iii. The children of Israell from the tiranny of Pharao. Dauid from the hand of Goliah, The thre men from the violence of the firy fornace in Babilon.Dani. vi. Daniel from the mouth of the Lions.Ionas. ii. …et. xii. Ionas from the belly of the whalefishe, & Peter from the prison of Herod: euen so, O gratious Lord God, deliuer the soul of this person, both nowe and whensoeuer he shall departe hence from all pearill & daunger. Opē vntounto him at ye hour of death the dore of Paradise, the gates of heauen, & the entry of euerlasting life. O Lord Iesu Christe forgeue him all his synnes, and lead him with ioye into the kingdom of thy heauenly father euē vntounto the bosom of Abrahā, and appoynt him vntounto euerlasting rest, that he may reioyse with thee, and with all the elect childrē of God in euerlasting life.

Eu.

Amen.

Epa.

Neighboures I thanke you. Nowe will I also pray vntounto the Lord my god, while I may speake, and I trust, he wil for Christes sake gratiously heare me.

Th.

Doubt you not neighbor, God hath so promised.The sicke mans prayer▪

Epa.

Lorde harken vntounto my prayer, and geue ear to my most humble requestes, O moste mercifull God, O father of all mercies, the father of oure Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ, be mercifull to me a sinner. HaueHave pitie on me, and quickely healpe me poore wretche, for the moste bitter passion and moste precious death of Iesus Christ, thy only begotten sonne, and oure alone redemer and Sauioure.

Psal. cxiiii.Enter not into iudgemēt with thy seruaunt, O Lord. Handle me not according to my desertes and merites, neither rewarde me after mine iniquities, but for thine infinite and vnmeasurable bountie, and exceading gret merci, receiue me and take me into thy fauour, I miserable & weake creature, am in thy hand.Math. xviii. I am thy bonde seruaunt and thy depter. O most gentle God, o most fauorable father, forsake me not, cast me not away pore wretch that I am. For I am thine withal that euer I cā make. No man is able to strengthē me, no man is able to deliuer me, no man is able to help me, but thou alone. Thou art the true helper in aduersite. Thou art ye most sure & present comfort in all necessitie. Thou alone art our helper, oure bulwarke, our fortres & our most mighty & strongly defenced tour. Thou o god, art our refuge. Thou art our strengthe. Thou art our helper in all our tribulations. In the (O Lord) do I trust, let me not be cōfoūded. Let me neuer be put to shame, let me not be deceiued of my hope, but preserue me for thy rightousnes sake. Bow doun thine ear vntounto me, make haste to deliuer me. Be my defēder O god & my strōg hold, yt thou maist saue me, For yu art my strength, and my refuge. Yea thou art my God, and my destinies are in thy handes. Lighten thy countenaunce vponupon thy seruaunt,Psal. xxxi. and saue me for thy mercies sake, O Lord. And foras…much (O swete father) as it is thy godly pleasure to call me now frō this miserable life and wretched worlde, I most entirely besech the… so to defend me in this agony o… death, that neither sathan nor his ministers preuaill against me, but that I continue faithful and constant vntounto thend, in the confessiō of thy holy name, loking for full remission of all my sinnes in the precious bloud of thy welbeloued sonne and my only sauiour Iesus Christ, and that I departing in this faith and perfect trust, maye be placed among thy blessed saintes and heauenly spirites, and so for euer and euer remaine with ye in glory. Graunt this, O moste mercifull father, for thy dear sons sake. Iesus Christ our alone mediatour and aduocate.

Chr.

Amē.

Epa.

Me thinke good neighbours I begin to waxe very coulde and numme in my limmes.

Euse.

Syr discomfort not your selfe. Be content with the good workynge of God. This cold is a present tokē, that the death of your body is not far of.

Epa.

My fleshe is consumed and wasted away.

Eu.

That is ye end of all fleshe.Gen. iii… Earth thou art, saith God, and vntounto earth shalt yu retourne.

Epa.

My feling is gone, and my tasting decaieth. All my senses grow out of course.

Eu.

To that end wer they geuen you, that you shuld lose them againe. With the body, al bodely thinges decay.

Phi.

Brother Epaphroditus, let ye care of the body & of bodely thīgs passe. You doo beleue the resurrection of the body?Of the resurrection of the body.

Epa.

I beleue that my redemer liueth, and that I shall ryse out of the earth in the latter day,Iohn. xix. and that I shalbe clo…hed, again with this skin, and see God my sauiour in my flesh. Yea I my sef shall beholde him, not wt other eyes, but with these same eies. This hope is stedfastly set in my hart.

Ph.

Beleue this earnestly, and it shal not greue you to depart frō your body. For wher as it is now mortal, incorruptible, sick, weake, vile, & lothsome, it shal at ye generall resurrection, be immortal, vncorruptible, whole, strong, precious, and in al poynts lyke to the glorious body of our Lorde, & sauiour Christ Iesus.Phil. iii. Hear wha… the Apostle saith: our conuersati…on is in heauen, from whence we loke for a sauiour, euen the Lorde Iesus Christ, which shal chaung… our vile body, that he may mak… it like vntounto his glorious body, according to the working, whereby he is able also to subdue al things vntounto him selfe.ii. Cor. v Agayne: We know that if our earthy mansion of this dwellinge were destroyed, we hauehave 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 vponupon, that immortalitie might bee swallowed vp of lyfe. He that hath ordained vsus for this thing, is God, whiche very same, hath geuen vntounto vsus 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 ab…ent from God. For we walke in …ayth, not after outwarde apperaunce. Neuerthelesse we are of …ood comfort, and had rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with God

Epa.

This is cō fortable doctrine. I can be contēt with al my heart to make such a chaūge, whensoeuer the Lordes good pleasure shalbe.Sentences concerning ye resurrection of the body. But I pray you rehearse some wholsome sayinges oute of the holy scriptures concerning the resurrection of the body for strēgthning of my faith, and for the comfort and quietnes of my conscience.

Phi.

In the prophet Esay we read on this manner:Esay. xxvi. Thy dead men shall liue, euen wt 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 vnderunder her. Againe,Esay. lxvi. your bones shall floryshe like an herbe.Ezec. xxxvii. The Prophet Ezechiell, hath these words: The hād of the lord came vntounto me and caried me out in the spirit of ye 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 vponupon the fielde, were very many, and maruelous dry also. Then sayd he vntounto me. Thou sonne of mā, thinkest thou these bones may liue again? I aunswered: O Lord God thou knowest. And he sayd vntounto me: prophecy thou vponupon these bones, and speake vntounto them. Ye drye bones, heare the worde of the Lord. Thus saith the Lorde God vntounto these bones: Beholde, I will put breth vntounto you, that ye may lyue, I will geue you sinowes & make fleshe grow vponupon 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 cōmaūded me. And as I was prophecying, ther came a noyse, and a great motion, so that the bones ran eueryevery one to an other. Nowe when I had loked, behold, they had sinnowes, & flesh grewe vponupon them, and aboue they were couered with skin, but there was no breath in thē. Then said he vntounto me. Thou sonne of man, prophecy thou towarde the wind: prophecie & speake vntounto the wind. Thus saith the Lord God: Come (O thou ayr) from the foure windes, & blowe vponupon these slaine that they may be restored to life. So I prophecied, as he had commaūded me: then came the breath into them, and they receiued life, and stode vp vpō 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:Daniel. xii. 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:iiii. Esdr. ii. 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:Math. xxii As touching the resurrectiō of the dead, hauehave ye not red, what is said vntounto 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,Iohn. v▪ in the whiche all that are in the graues, shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God, and shall come forthe, they that hauehave done good, vntounto the resurrection of life, and they that hauehave done euil vntounto the resurrection of dampnation.Iohn. xi. Martha said vntounto Christe of her brother Lazarus, when he was dead: I know yt 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,…. Cor. xv. & 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 chaūge our vile bodies, that they maye bee fashioned like vntounto his glorious body. Also in an other place: I would not brethren hauehave you ignoraunt concerning them, which are fallen aslepe,…. Thes. iiii. that ye sorow not as other do, whiche hauehave no hope. For if we beleue, yt 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 hauehave we bothe in the old and new testament. Helias the Prophet raised vp from death vntounto lyfe the sonne of ye widow of Sarepta.iii. Reg. xvii The like thinge read we of Heliseus the Prophet.iiii. Reg. iiii. Christ raised frō death the daughter of a certain ruler,Math. ix. the sonne of a certayne widowe,Luke. vii. and Lazarus wt many other.Iohn. xi. 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 vntounto many. Peter raysed vp Tabitha from death.Mat. xxviii. Mark. xxvii… Act. ix.xx. S. Paul restored vntounto 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 vntounto 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.Philip. i. I beleue the resurrection of the fleshe. I wish to be losoned frō this body, and to be with Christe.

Eu.

Of ye immortalitie of the soule & of the blessed state of the faithful after this lyfe.You doubt nothing of the blessed state of ye godly departed, and of the immortalitie of the soule?

Epa.

I beleue euerlasting lyfe.

The.

You are not of the opinion of the Papistes, whiche say that ye souls of the faithfull go not strait vntounto heauen, but vntounto purgatory, there to be boyled in the fyry fornace of the B. of Rome, til they hauehave made satisfaction for theyr sinnes, either by them selues in suffringe, saye they, the most bitter paines of purgatory, or els by their frendes in this worlde thorowe Masses, Pardons, Pilgrimages.i. Iohn. ii. &c.

Ep.

I beleue that there is none other purgatory for my soule helth, but only the precious bloud of my Lorde and Sauiour Christ Iesu.

And I beleue yt Christ through his innocency of life,Hebr. ix. and the most greuous paines, that he suffred on the crosse, hath aboundauntly satisfied for all my synnes, & hath vntounto the vttermost paid al the det that I ought vntounto god the father, so that nowe through faith in the bloud of Christ,Roma. viii. I walke with a clear conscience before God, forasmuche as there is no dampnacion to them that are in Christ Iesu, and that they also are blessed, whose sinnes are remitted, whose iniquities are couered,Psal. xxii. and vntounto whose charge God laieth no wickednes.

Chr.

Ye agre not wt such in opinion, as affirme, yt the soules of both the faithfull and vnfaithfull slepe vntill the day of iudgement, and then shall awake out of slepe, so that then the faithfull shall go vntounto euerlasting glory, & the vnfaithfull vntounto eternall dāpnation?

Epa.

I beleue that the soul slepeth no more, then this my bed sted waketh and talketh with vsus. I am fully perswaded, yt so sone as the souls of the faithfull are departed from the bodies, wherein they were as in a prison enclosed, they are straightwaies placed in the glorious kingdome of God. And contrariwyse the soules of ye vnfaithfull, goe straight vntounto the deuil,Apoc. xxi, euen vntounto hel fire, vntounto that lake that burneth with fier, and brimstone, where weping & gnashing of teeth is, where the worme that gnaweth their consciēce,Math. xiii. neuer dieth, and the moste greuous fier, wherwith they are without ceasing intollerably tormented,Esay. lxvi. is neuer quenched. Is it not thus neighbor Philemon?

Phi.

Yes verely sir. For so ar we taught in the holy scriptures, as the history of the ritche glotton,Luke. xvi. and of pore Lazarus, with diuers other, doo manifestly declare.

Epa.

I faithfully beleue, that immediatly after my departure out of this worlde, I shall hauehave a place in the kingdom of God, and se the glorious maiestie of god face to face. And I pray you good neighbor Philemon, rehearse vntounto me some comfortable places out of the holy scripture cō cerning ye ioyfull and blessed state of the faithfull soules after this life, that I may be confirmed in my faith, and be the more willing to depart.

Phi.

I wil do it gladly. Balaam said:Num. xxiii. I pray god that my soul may die the death of the righteous, and that my last end may be like vntounto theirs. The Psalmograph saith: O howe amiable are thy dwellings,Psal. lxxxiiii. thou lord of hosts? My soul hath a desire and lōging to enter into the courts of ye lord: my heart & my fleshe reioyce in the liuing God. Blessed are they that dwel in thy house, they will be alwaies praysing thee. One day in thy courtes, is better then a thousand. I had rather be a dorekeper in the house of my God, then to dwel in the tents of the vngodly. The Prophet Esay saith:Esay. ii. The redemed of the lord shall turn again and come with ioye vntounto Sion, ther to endure for euer, that mirth & gladnes might be with thē, that sorow & wo might flie from them. My people,Esay. xxxii saith God, shall dwel in pleasant peace, & in safe holdes, and shal hauehave continual rest with out disturbaunce.Esay. xlix. They shall nether hunger nor thurst, heat, nor Sunne shall not hurte them. For he that fauoureth them, shall lead them and geue them drinke of the spring wels.Esay. xlv. They shal eat, drink, be mery and reioyse for very quietnes of heart. Yea their gladnes and their ioy shall continue for euer and euer.Dan. xii. Daniell saith: The wise (suche as hauehave taught other) shall glister as the shining of heauen, and those that hauehave instructe the multitude vntounto godlines, shal be as the starres, world without end.iiii. Esdr. ii. Esdras saith: Be redy to the reward of the kingdome, for the euerlasting light shall shine vponupon you for euermore. Fle the shadow of this worlde, receiue the ioyfulnes of your glory. O receiue the gift that is geuen you, & be glad, geuyng thankes vntounto hym that hath called you to the heauenlye kingdom. The author of the boke of wisdom saith. The soules of the righteous are in the hand of God,Sapi. iii & the pain of death shall not touch them: In the sight of the vnwise they appeare to die, and their end is taken for very destruction: the way of the righteous is iudged to be vtter destruction, but they are in reast. And though they suffer pain before men, yet is their hope full of immortalitie. They are punished but in few thinges, neuertheles in many thinges shall they be wel rewarded. For god proueth them, and findeth them mete for him self: yea as the gold in the fornace doth he try them, and receiueth them as a brent offring, and whē the time commeth, they shall be loked vponupon. The rightous shall shine as the sparckes, that runne through the rede bush. They shall iudge the nations, and hauehave dominion ouer the people, & their Lord shall raigne for euer. Again: The faithfull are counted among the children of God,Sap. v. and their portion is among the sainctes. The righteous shall liue for euermore: their reward also is wt the lord, & their remembraunce with the hiest. Therfore shall they receiue a glorious kingdome,Toby. iii. and a beautifull crowne of the Lordes hand. The holy father Toby, prayed on this maner to God: O Lord, dele with me according to thy wyll, and cō maund my spirit to be receiued in peace. For more expedient were it for me,Eccle. vii. to die thē to liue. The preacher sayeth. The daye of death is better then the day of byrth.Psal. cxvi. For precious and right deare in the sight of the Lorde, is the death of his sainctes.Math. xiii. Our sauiour Christ saith: The righteous shall shyne as the sunne in the kingdome of theyr father.Math. xix. They shall hauehave the enheritaunce of euerlasting lyfe.Math. xxv Thei shal hauehave a kingdom, which was prepared for them from the beginning of the world.Marke. xii Luke. xvi. Iohn. xvi. Thei shal be as the aungels of God. They shall be in the bosome of Abrahā. Thei shal hauehave such ioy, as no mā shalbe able to plucke it from thē. They shall eate and drinke in the kingdom of God the father.Luke. xxii. They shalbe where Christ is, and see his glory. The holy Apostle S. Paul saith.…. Cor. ii.v The eie hath not seene, and the eare hath not heard, neyther hauehave entred into the heart of mā, the thinges which God hath prepared for them that louelove him. He… saith also,Phil. ii. that if our earthy mansion of this dwelling wer destroy…ed (he meaneth the body) we hauehave a building of God, an habitation not made with handes, but euerlasting in heauen. We shalbe with Christ.Thes. iiii. We shalbe with the Lorde for euer. We shalbe vessels vntounto honour.ii. Ti. ii.iiii▪ Hebr. xii We shall hauehave 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,Iacob. i. saith S. Iames, which the Lord hath promised to thē yt louelove him. Whē Christ ye chief shepherd shall apere (saith S. Peter) ye shall receiue,i. Pet. …. an incorruptible crowne of glory. We are nowe the Sonnes of God (saith saint Iohn,) and it hath not yet appeared,i. Iohn. lii. what we shall be. We knowe that if it once appeare, we shalbe like vntounto 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.Apoca. ii. 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 vntounto 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,Apoca. iii. and he shal go no more out. &c. To him that ouercōmeth will I graunt to sit with me in my seat. The .xxiiii. Elders that sate vponupon the seates, were clothed in white raiment,Apoca. iiii. & had on their heades, crownes of gold.Apoca. vii. 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 hōger no m…re, nether thirst, nether shall ye sonne light on them, neyther anye heat. For the Lambe, which is in the mids of the seat, shall fede thē, and shall lede thē vntounto fountains of liuing water, & God shall wine away all teares from their eyes. They follow the Lambe whither soeuer he goeth.Apoc. xiiii. They are without spot before the throne of God. I heard a voice from heauen, saying vntounto 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 vntounto the supper of the Lambes mariage.Apo. xix.xxi. I saw a new heauen and a new earth. For the first heauen, and the first earth were banished awaye▪ and there was no more sea. And I Ihō 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,Esay. xxv. and be their God. And God shall wipe awaye all teares from theyr eyes. And there shalbe no more death, neither sorow, …ther …ying, neither shall there be any more paine, for thold thinges are gone. And he that sat vponupon ye seat, sayd▪ Beholde, I make all things now▪ Esay. lxii….And he sayd vntounto me: wryte, for these wordes are faith full and true.The descrip…ion of ye new and heauenly Hierusalem. And the Angell caried … way in the spirite, …o a great … hie mountaine, and he …e wed…e the great Citie holy… Hierusa… descendinge out of heauen … God, hauing y• brightnes of God. And her shining wa… lyke vntounto … stone most precious, euē 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 …ast side .iii. gates,Appo. xxi. and on ye 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 thē the xii. names of the Lābes .xii. Apostles & he that talked with me, had a go…den rede to measure the citie withal & the gates therof, and the wall therof. And ye citie was built iiii▪ square, and the length was as large as the bredth, & he measured the citie with the (golden) rede .xii M. furlonges, & the length, and ye bredth, & the height of it, were equall. And he measured the wall therof, an. C. xliiii. the measure yt the angel had, was after the measure that mā vseth. And the building of the wall of it, was of Iasper: And the citie was pure gold, like vntounto cleare glasse, & the foundations of the wal of the city wer garnished with al maner of precious stones▪ The first foundation was a Iasper, the seconde a Saphir, the third a Calcedony, ye .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, eueryevery 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,Esay. lx. are the temple of it. And the citie hath no nede of the sunne nether of the moone to lighten it. For ye brightnes of God did light …, and the Lambe was the light of it. And the people which are sa…ed, shall walke in the light of it. And the kinges of the earth shall bringe their glory (and honoure) vntounto it. And ye 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,Apoc. xx… ▪ 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 eueryevery monethmonth, 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 i… it, and his seruauntes shall seru… him. And they shal se his face, and his name shalbe in their foreheds▪ And there shalbe no night ther… and they nede no candle … neythe… lyght of the Sunne: for the Lord… God geueth them lyght, and they shall raigne for euermore. And he sayde vntounto me, these thinges are faithfull and true.

Ep…

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,i. Cor. ii. and the eare hath not heard; neither hauehave entred into the heart of man … the thinges, whiche God hath prepared for them that louelove hym. My heart is nowe so enflamed with ye desire of those heauenly and blessed treasures, which you hauehave named to me out of the infallible & true word of God, yt I most entirely wysh to be losoned frō this life, & to enioy these ioyfull pleasures. Oh, who wold not be glad to chā ge lead for siluer, copper for golde, transitory, mortall and corruptible thinges for certain, immortall & vncorruptible thinges, earth for heauen, sinne for godlines, darkenes for light, fear for securitie, trauel for quietnes, sicknes for helth death for life, the cōpany of men, for ye cōpany of the most hie God, his heauenly Aungels and blessed spirites, the vile pleasures of this worlde, for the inestimable ioyes of the glorious kingdom of God.Psal. xlii. Oh, like as the heart desireth the waterbrokes, so longeth my soule after the, O God. My soule is a thurst for God, yea euen for the liuing God.Psal. lxiii. Oh, when shal I come to appere before ye presence of my God, O God, thou art my god, early wil I seke thee. My soule thursteth for thee, my flesh also longeth after thee, in a barren and dry lād, where no water is. Thus hauehave I loked for thee in thy holy place, yt I might beholde thy power and glory. For thy louing kindnes is better then life it selfe: my lippes shal praise thee. As long as I …ue wil I magnifie thee on this manner, and lift vp my handes in thy name.

Euse.

We reioyse (good brother Epaphroditus) and geue god most harty thankes, that he hath by his holy Spirite, wroughte so good and glad will in you to die, and to leue this wretched worlde.

Epa.

Philip. 1.I moste hartely wyshe to bee losed from this life, and to be with Christ.Iob. x. It greueth my soule lōger to liue in this mortall body.…ob. iii. And now, O Lord, dele with me according to thy will, and commaunde my spirit to be receiued in peace. For more expedient were it for me to die then to liue.

Chri.

Sir how do you fele your selfe?

Epa.

In my body weaker and weaker, but I trust, in my soule stronger & stronger. I pray you, lay me vp hier in my bed. For I begin to waxe very faint, and my wynde decreaseth & waxeth shorter. I thanke you, it is wel. Neighbours I am troblesome vntounto you, but I trust, I shal not be so long.

The.

It is vntounto vsus great ioy and comfort, to be with you being so godly mynded. For in you as in a cleare mirrour we beholde our selues, and see what shall become of vsus hereafter. Of you as of a liuely scholemaister do we learne, howe we shall behaue our selues, when God layeth the crosse on vsus. And we most humblī besech God to geue vsus the like pacience and thankfulnes.Mat. xxvi.

Epa.

The spirite is willing, but the fleshe is weake. For in asmuch as I fele in my self present tokens of death, & am not certain how long ye ▪ Lorde will suffer me to liue, or to enioy ye vse of speche, I thinke it conuenient to pray again vntounto the lorde my God, and to commend my sinful soul into his merciful handes.

Phi.

Godly forsoth.

Ep….

Lord vouchsafe I most humbly beseche the,The sicke mans praier. Psalm. xiiii. to hear me sinfull creature.

Chri.

The Lorde is nye vntounto all them that call on hym, yea that call on him in truthe.

Epa.

O Lorde Iesu Christ, whiche art the only health of all men liuing: and the euerlasting life of them, which die in thy faith: I wretched sinner geue and submit my self wholy to thy moste blessed wil. And I being sure that the thing can not perishe, whiche is committed vntounto thy mercye, most humbly besech thee, o Lord, to geue me grace, that I maye nowe willingly leaue this frayle and wicked flesh, in hope of the resurrection, whiche in better wyse shall restore it to me again, I beseche thee (O most mercifull Iesu Christe) yt thou wilt by thy grace make stronge my soule against all temtations, & that thou wilt couer and defende me with the buckler of thy mercy against al thassaults of the deuill. I see & knowledge, that there is in my selfe no helpe of lyfe and saluation, but all my confidence, hope and trust is in thy moste mercifull goodnes. I hauehave no merites nor good workes, whiche I may alledge before thee. Of sinnes and euill workes (alas) I se a great heape, but thorow thy mercy I trust to be in the nomber of them, to whome thou wilt not impute their sinnes, but take and accept me for righteous and iuste, and to bee the enheritoure of euerlasting glory▪ Tho… O moste mercifull Lorde, wast borne for my sake. Thou diddes… suffer both hunger and thirste for my sake. Thou diddest preach and teach, thou diddest pray, & faste fo… my sake. Thou diddest all good workes and deedes for my sake. Thou suffredst most greuous pai…nes and tormentes for my sake. And finally, thou gauest thy most precious body to die, and thy most blessed bloud to be shed on ye crosse for my sake. Now most mercifull sauiour, let all these thinges profit me, whiche thou frely hast geuen me, whiche hast geuen thy selfe for me. Let thy bloud clēse and wash away the spottes and foulnes of my sinnes. Let thy righteousnes hide & couer my vnrighteousnes. Let the merits of thy passion and bloud, bee the satisfaction for my sinnes. Geue me Lorde thy grace, that my faith and perswasion in thy bloud wauer not in me, but euer be firme and constant, that the hope of thy mercy and life euerlasting neuer decay in me, that charitie waxe not colde in me, finally that the weakenes of my fleshe be not ouercome with the feare of death. Graunt me also (O moste merciful sauiour) that whē death hath shut vp the eies of my body: yet that the eies of my soule may stil behold and loke vpō thee, and that when death hath takē away the vse of my tongue & speche: yet that my heart may cry & say vntounto thee: O Lorde, into thy handes I geue and commit my soule. Lord Iesu, take my spirit.

The.

Amen.

Eu.

Sir how is it with you now?

Epa.

Euen as with a ship, whiche is tost with the waues of the sea. I trust shortly to come vntounto the heauen, and then shall I be quiet, and without all daunger. I pray you, pray for me.

Phi.

Most gladly. Let vsus knele down neighbors and beseche the Lord our God for his tender mercies, to preserue this our sicke brother from the assaultes of Sathan, & to kepe him constant and stedfast in his faithe vntounto his liues ende, that he maye geue vp a good & a faithfull soule into the mercifull handes of God. Geue me hither the flower of godly Prayers,The Flowre of godly prayers. that I in the name of vsus al may rede that prayer, which is to be said for them, that lie at ye point of death.

The.

Here is it.

Philemon.

O Moste louing Sauiour, & gentle redemer, whiche camest into this world to call sinners vntounto repentaunce, and to seeke vp yt was lost,Math. ix. Luke. ix. thou seest in what case this oure brother lieth here: visited with thy mercifull hand al weake, feble, sicke, and redy to yealde vp his soule into thy holy hāds. O loke vpō him (moste gentle sauior) with thy mercifull eie, pitie him and be fauorable vntounto him. He is thy workemanship, despise not therfore the worke of thine own hands. Thou suffredst thy blessed body, and thy precious bloud to be shed for his sinnes, and to bringe hym vntounto the glorye of thy heauenlye father, let it not therefore come to passe, that thou shouldest suffer so great paines for him in vaine. He was baptised in thy name, and gaue him self wholy to be thy seruaunt, forsakynge the deuill, the world, and the flesh, confesse him therefore before thy heauenly father and his blessed Aungels to be thy seruaunt.Prou. xvi. His sinnes, we confesse are great (for who is hable to saye, my heart is clene & I am fre from sin) but thy mercies,Math. ix. O Lord, are much greater. And thou camest not to cal th… righteous, but sinners vntounto repē taunce. To them that are diseased and ouerladen with the burden of sin, doest thou promise ease. Thou art that God,Math. x which willest not ye death of a sinner, but rather that he shuld turne and liue. Thou art the sauiour, whiche wishest all mē to bee saued,i. Thess. ii. and to come to the knowledge of thy truthe. Withdraw not therfore thy mercy from him because of his sinnes, but rather lay vpō him thy sauīg health that thou maiest shewe thy selfe toward him to be a sauior. What greater praise cā there be to a phisition then to heale the sicke? Neither can there be a greater glory, to thee being a sauior, then to saue sinners, saue him therfore, O Lord for thy names sake. Again, let the law be no corsiue to his conscience but rather geue him grace, euēin this extreme agony and conflicte of death,Roma. x. to be fully perswaded yt thou by thy death hast takē away all his sinnes, fulfilled the lawe for hym, and by this meanes, deliuered him from the cursse of the law,Gala. iii. and paid his raunsome, that he thus beinge fully perswaded may hauehave a quiet heart, a fre conscience, and a glad will to forsake this wretched world: & to go vntounto his lord God. Moreouer thou hast conquered hym that had rule of death,Hebr. vii. euen sathan, suffer him not therfore to exercise his tirāny vpō this our sicke brother,Ose. xiii. nor to disquiet his conscience with the terrours of sinne and paines of hell. Let not Sathan nor his infernall army tempte him further,i. Cpr. xv. then he is hable to beare, but euermore geue him grace euen vntounto his last breath, valeantly to fight against the deuil with strong faith in thy precious bloud, that he may fight a good fight, and finish his course with ioy vntounto ye glory of thy name and the healthe of his soule. O Lord, so worke in him by thy holy spirite, that he with all his hearte maye contempne, and despise all worldly things, and set his mind wholly vponupon heauenly thynges, hopyng for them with a stronge and vndoubted faithe. Againe: let it not greue him, O swete sauiour to be losoned frō this vile & wretched …arca…e, which is now so full of sorow, trouble, anguishe, fickenes and paine, but rather let hym hauehave a bent and ready wyll, thorowe thy goodnes, to put it of, yea and that with this faith, that he at the last day, shall receiue it again in a much better state then it is now,Phil. iii. or euer was frō the daye of his birthe, euen a body vncorruptible, immortall, & like to thy glorious body. Let his hole heart and mynde be set only vponupon thee. Let the remembraunce of ye ioyes of heauē be so feruēt in his brest:ii. Cor. xv. that he may bothe patientlye and thanckfully take his death, and euer wish to be with the in glory. And when the tyme cōmeth, that he shall geue ouer to nature, & depart from this miserable worlde: vouchafe we most hūbly beseeche the, o Lord Iesu, to take his soule into thy handes, and to place it amonge the glorious company of thy holy angels & blessed saintes. and to kepe it vntounto that most ioyful day of the generall resurrectiō that both his body & soule thorow thyne almighty power being knit agayn together at yt day, he maye for euer & euer enioy thy glorious kingdom, & sing perpetuall praises to thy blessed name.

Chri.

Amen.Psal. lxvii.

Epa.

O God be merciful vntounto me and blesse me, shewe me the lighte of thy countenaunce, and deale fauourably with me. Lighten mine eies, that I slepe not in death, least myne ennemy say: I hauehave preuailed against him. For if I be cast downe,Psal. xii. they that trouble me will reioyse at it. But my trust is in thy mercy, & my heart is ioyfull in thy saluation.

Phile.

Sir how do you?

Epa.

My bodely sight is gone.Iob. i.

Phi.

The Lord gaue it you, and the Lorde hath taken it away againe. As it hath pleased the Lord, so is it come to passe, blessed be the name of the Lorde. Now that God hath taken away the sight of your corporal eies, behold the Lord your God with the eies of your faith, and doubte you not, but that shortly you shall see the glorious maiestie of god with the eies of your soule, euen as he is, face to face, whiche shalbe vntounto you suche ioy, and so great cōfort, that no tounge is able to expresse, nor no heart able to thinke it.

Epa.

I beleue and am assuredlye perswaded that I shall see the plesures of the Lorde in the lande of the liuing.Psal. xxvii.

Phile.

Cōtinue in this faith vntounto the end, and you shall surely be saued.

Ep.

As God hath taken away my syght, so do al my other senses decaye.

Phi.

Though by the appointment of God, you lose your bodely speache, yet shall your soule in the heauenly kyngdom sing, prayse and magnify the Lord your God, worldes without end. And all be it the bodely hearing be taken away from you, yet shall your soule in the kingdom of God hear such swete, pleasaunt, & delectable thinges, as neuer mortall man heard, nor may hear the like. Againe, although your going, and the vse of your whole body be taken away from you, and your body returne vntounto the earth from whence it came, yet doubte you not, but your soule being once deliuered out of the prison of your body, shal serue the lord your god perfectly,Apoc. xiii. and ioyfully follow the Lambe Christ. whither so euer he goeth.Psa. cxix.

Epa.

O Lorde, deliuer my soul out of the prison of the body, that I maye come vntounto thee, and glorify thy holy name.Toby. iii. Cōmaund my spirit to be receaued in peace, for more expedient were it for me to die thē to liue.

Phi.

Be on good comfort sir, God in this your troble and bitter agony of death is present with you, and when he seeth conuenient tyme, he will deliuer you out of all your paynes, take you vntounto him,Psa. xxii. and place you in his glorious kingdom.

Epa.

O Lorde, deliuer my soule from the sweard,Psal. lxxi. my dearling frō the power of the dogge. Saue me from ye Lions mouth. Bow downe thine eare to me, make haste to deliuer me. Be thou my Protectoure, O God, and house of defence, that ye maiest saue me. Be thou my strōg rocke and my castell. Be thou my guide, and leade me for thy names sake. Drawe me oute of the net, thot they hauehave layde preuely for me, for thou art my strengthe. Into thy handes I commend my spirite, for thou hast redemed me, O Lord thou God of truthe.

Phile.

Fear not brother Epaphroditus, God is your louing father and moste gentle sauiour.

He hath hearde your humble requestes, and graunted your peticions. He hathe and wyll defend you from all euill euen vntounto the end. He will not suffer you to be deuoured of that hellish Lion and cruel dog ye deuill. He hath sent his holy Angels hether vntounto you, euen into this your chambre. They are here presente for youre great cōfort.Psal. xxxiiii. They hauehave pitched their tents round about you, that they may kepe you harmles and safe from the deuouring tethe of Sathan.Psal. xci. Thei wait vponupon you diligently for your defence, and wil neuer depart frō you,Hebr. i. till they receiue your soule, and cary it vp louingly as a most precious relique into the kingdome of heauen: and moste ioyfully present it vntounto the glorious throne of gods maiestie. Fixe ye eies of your faith on Christ and Christes merits, on Christes passion and death, on Christes blessed body breakyng, and his moste precious bloud sheddinge, on his triumph and victory ouer sathan & his hellish army, beleue Christe to be your alone sauioure, and all his works to be your good works and so shall ye not perish, but hauehave euerlasting lyfe.The sicke mans praier.

Epaphro.

Hast the O Lord to deliuer me, for it is hie time. In thee O Lord Christ my most mercifull sauiour, and only redemer, in thee, in the alone is al my trust, let me neuer be confounded. O Iesu. Mercy Iesu mercy▪ O Christ. Mercy Christ mercy. O God the Father, O God the sōne, O God the holy Ghost. O moste blessed Trinitie, thre persons and one God, hauehave mercy on me. Receiue my soule into thy handes. Place it for thy mercies sake in thy heauēly kingdom among thy holy angels and blessed sainctes. O my good God. O father, O my most merciful father. Mercy, mercy.

Phile.

God the father, whiche made you: blesse you. God ye sonne which redemed you: preserue you. God the holy ghost, which sanctifieth you, confirme and strengthē you. The blessing▪ defence and sauing health of the allmighty god: the father, the sonne, and the holy ghost preserue you from al euyl and bringe you vntounto euerlastinge lyfe.

Chr.

Amen.

Eu.

Me thinck he hath geuē vp the ghost.

The.

No, he is yet a liue. God comfort him. Lord, shewe him the light of thy louing countenaunce.

Epa.

When shall I come to appere before the presence of my God?An exortatiō to the sycke man.

Phi.

God be thancked, he yet speaketh, yea he godly speaketh. Brother Epaphroditus, take a good hert vntounto you, shrincke not. Fight a good fight. Be not discouraged, nether with the terroures of sathan, nor with ye pains of death. God is on youre syde. God is your graūd captain. You fighte vnderunder the banner of that most mighty and victorious Emperour Iesus Christ.

Only continue, as you hauehave begon, and the daye is yours. Sathā with al his army, like miserable cowardes shalbe put to flight and vanquished. You shall hauehave a ioyful victory ouer thē. The paine of the battell, is short and lyght, but the glory of your triūphe shal abide for euer & euer.Mat. xxiiii. Heare what your graunde captaine saithe: he that continueth vntounto the end shall be saued.Apoca. ii. To him yt ouercommeth I will geue to eate of the tree of life, which is in the middes of the Paradise of God.Apoca. iii. Be faithful vntounto the death, and I shall geue the the crowne of life.Apoca. iiii. Him that ouercommeth, will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shal go no more out. Yea to him that ouercommeth, will I graunte to sit with me in my seate. Here see you, what precious and mooste noble rewardes are set forth vntounto you, if you go forth valeauntly to fight against your ennemies, which seke your destruction. Only beleue, only fixe ye eies of your faith on Christ crucified. Only engraue in your heart depely a sure and vndoubted confidence in the mercifull promises of God the father, whiche he hath made vntounto you in the precious bloud of his dearly beloued sonne, and our alone sauioure Iesus Christe, and you shall moste certainly hauehave the victory, and obtain the reward of ioyfull immortalitie. Here what your graund captain Christ saith: God hath so dearly loued ye world that he gaue his onelye begotten sonne, that eueryevery one that beleueth on hym, should not pearyshe, but hauehave euerlasting life. For god sent not his sonne into the worlde to condempne the world, but that the world shuld be saued by hym. He yt beleueth on him, is not damned Iohn Baptist saithe. He that beleueth on ye sonne of God, hath euerlasting life.Iohn. … My shepe saith Christ heare my voyce, & I know them, and they followe me, and I geue them euerlasting life, nether shall they perishe for euer, nor yet shall any man plucke them out of my hand. My father which gaue them to me, is greater then all, & no man can pluck them out of my fathers hande. I and my father, am one.Iohn. xi. Againe, I am the resurrection and life. He that beleueth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he liue. And eueryevery one that liueth and beleueth in me, shall neuer die.Iohn. xiiii. I am the way, ye truthe and the life. Follow Christ, & you cā not erre, nor go out of the way, for he is the waye. Beleue Christ, and you can not be deceiued, for he is the truthe. Abide and remaine in Christ, and you can not die the death euerlasting, for he is the life. Wherefore (O most dere brother) cleane with strong faithe to these most swete and comfortable promyses of Christe youre Sauiour. Beleue to obtayne, whatsoeuer is promysed. So may you be sure to be Gods sonne, and heyre of his euerlasting kingdome, neuer to perishe, but to hauehave eternall lyfe.

Epa.

I beleue to hauehave remission of all my synnes thorowe faithe in Christes bloud. Lorde Iesu take my spirite.Act. vii. O heauenly father. I cōmend my spirit into thy hādes.

Ph.

This faith (deare brother) maketh you the Sonne of God,Luke. xxiii. and heyre of his glorious kingdome, yea it maketh you Christes brother and fellow heyr with him of euerlasting glory. It purchaseth for you fauor at the hand of God, and forgeuenes of al your sinnes. It bringeth vntounto you peace and quietnes of conscience. It maketh a perfect reconciliation and an euerlastinge agremente betwene God and you. It deliuereth you from death, and bringeth you vntounto eternall glory. It maketh you a Citezin of the newe & heauenlye Hierusalē, where (if you continue stedfast in this faith) you shall remaine for euer and euer in a most blessed and ioyfull state, hauinge the fruition of Gods glorious maiestie in perfecte glorie, worldes without end vntounto your exceading ioy and vnspeakeable comfort.

Euse.

Sir, Behold, the life of this our brother beginneth, to drawe vntounto an end.

Phi.

Yea rather, he now begīneth to chaūge a mortal life, for an immortal life. The life that is led in this world, is rather a shadow of a life, then a very life indede. Now brother be strong in the faithe of Christe. Remember Christ crucified.An exhortatiō to the sick man. Remēber Christe to be your alone sauiour. Remember God ye father to bee your merciful father. Forget not yt all your sinnes are washed away in Christes precious blud, & that by ye vertue of his death & passion, you are made heire of euerlasting saluation. Brother, if you can speake aunswere. If you can not speake, shew some outward signe & token that it may be a testimonye vntounto vsus of your faith & godly departur.

Chr.

Lo, he holdeth vp his hand.

Eu.

God be thāked.

Phi.

He semeth yet to heare. Perswade your selfe (moste dere brother) yt God euen now calleth you out of this vale of wretchednes, vntounto the ioyful enheritance of his euerlasting kingdom, wher you shall not liue miserably wt sinfull men (as you hauehave done in this world) but you shall gloriously reigne with that moste mighty God, & with his holy aungels and blessed saincts. Now begins your ioy, your solace, your cō fort. Now begīneth your true life, which shalbe euerlasting. Now is the end of al your sorowes come, & now beginneth your vnfained ioy and true felicitie. Now shal ye se ye glorious maiestie of God face to face. Now shall you behold & perfectly know al ye godly yt hauehave ben from the beginning of the world, and be mery and reioyse with thē. Now shall you se your sauior and elder brother Christ as he is. Now shall you bee clothed wt the white garments of immortalitie: Nowe shal you hauehave a crown of gold, set vponupon your head. Now shall ye eat of the tree of life, whiche is in the mids of the Paradise of God, and drinke of the fountains of liuing water. Now shall you be a pillare in the temple of your God, and sit with him on his seat. And these your ioyes shall be euerlasting, & neuer hauehave end. Unto these ioyes shal you straight waies go, & for euermore enioy them.

Th.

Our brother is euē now departed frō this world, vntounto the Lord our God, as you spake these words: vntounto these ioyes shal you straightways go, & for euermore enioy them: he gaue vp the ghost,The cōmendation of the man departed and now reasteth in the Lord.

Phi.

The Lord our God be praysed. Our brother hath made a godly end. He hath geuen vp a good spirit, into the hands of the liuing God. He is, I doubt not, of the nomber of them,Psal. cxvi. of whose death it is written: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his sainctes.Appo. xiiii. Blessed are they that die in the Lorde. His life before men was vnrebukeable and blameles. He liued iustly, and vprightly with his neyghbours. He was frendly to al godly men, and ennemy to no man. He was both a sincere fauourer, and a diligent folower of Gods most holy word. He abhorred all sectes, Papistes Anabaptistes, Libertins. &c. Not withstanding alway praying for their amēdment, that they knowledging theyr errors, might with vsus confesse one God, & one truthe in the vnity of the spirit. He was a deare frende to suche as were studious of good letters, to widdowes, to fatherles: children, to pore yonge maides mariages, to yong mē that had not wherwith to set vp theyr occupations, to the prisonners, to those poore people which wer not hable to get theyr liuing, to pore housholders, to the reparing of hie wayes & such like. What a will he made ye knowe. His end also ye know.

Chr.

A christen and godly end made he. God geue vsus al grace to make the like.

Phile.

Of a good life commeth a good death, if the departure of the godly may be called a death, & not rather a passage vntounto a better life. Wel, his body now slepeth in the Lorde, and his soule raigneth in glory with God.

Euse.

God graūt him & vsus al a ioyfull resurrection.

The.

Amen.

Phi.

Neighbours, before we departe, let vsus all kneele down & geue God the father thā kes for ye godly departure of this our christen brother.

Chri.

It is conuenient so to do.

Phi.

Geue me hither the Flower of Godly prayers.The Floure of godly prayers. I will rehearse the thankes geuing vntounto God for ye departure of the faithfull out of this worlde.

Eu.

Lo here is the boke.

Phil.

The name of the Lord our God be glorified.

Chr.

Both nowe and euer. Amen.

Phi.

O how can we (moste louing father) rendre vntounto the sufficient thanckes, for thyne inestimable goodnes toward thy faithful seruants, whome thou calling out of this wretched worlde,Psal. cxv. vouchestsafe to place in thy heauenlye kingdom among the glorious cō pany of thy holy angels and blessed saincts.Dan. xiii. O full precious is the death of thy faithfull in thy sight. Blessed are ye dead that die in thee O Lord: For they are at rest from their painfull trauails & labours. The soules of the righteous ar in thy hand. O God: and the pain of death shal not touche thē.Sap. ii. In the sight of the vnwise they appeare to die,Apoc. xxiii but they are in peace. They shine as the sparckes that runne thorow ye redde bush. They glister as the shining of heauē. They are as ye starres worlde without end. They are as the aungels of God. They are clad wt white garmēts, & hauehave goldē crownes vponupon their heds. They do seruice day & night before the glorious throne of thy deuine maiesty. They neither hō ger nor thirst anye more, neyther doth the sun or any heat fal vponupon them, for the lambe which is in ye mids of ye throne gouerneth thē, and ledeth them vntounto the liuinge foūtains of waters. They folowe the lābe whithersoeuer he goeth, They hauehave such ioyes,Esay. lxiii. i. Cor. iii as eie hath not sene, nor eare hath heard, nether is there any heart hable to thincke them. Infinite and vnspeakeable are the treasures, O Lord, whiche thou haste laide vp for them, that depart in thy faith For these thy fatherly benefites toward the souls of the faithfull, and for that it hathe pleased the to call this our Christen brother from this vale of misery vntounto thy heauenly kingdome, we geue vntounto the moste harty thankes, humbly beseching thee, that thou wilt take like care for vsus, & so gouerne vsus with thy holy spirite, bothe in sickenes and in healthe, that we may liue a good and godly life in this present world, and when soeuer it shalbe thy good pleasure to call vsus hence, we may with strong faith in thee, & in thy sonne Christ Iesu our Lorde, commende bothe our bodies & soules into thy merciful hādes, and thorow thy gooddes be placed in thy glorious kingdome, among thy faithfull chosen people, and so for euer and euer prayse and magnifie thee our heauenly father, to whome with thy derely beloued sonne Iesu Christ our Lord and sauiour, and the holy gost that most swete cōfortour, be all glory and honoure, worldes without end.

Th.

Amen.

Ph.

Rise let vsus go and cōforte our frendes, that they doo not to muche sorowe for the departure of this our most deare brother, which now resteth in ioyfull peace. That done, neighbour Christopher, repare you vntounto some godly learned man, and desire hym to prepare a Sermon for the buriall of this our brother against to morowe about ye ninth houre.

Chr.

It shalbe done.

Phile.

Neighboure Theophile, & neighbor Eusebius, go ye your waye, & prouide all thinges necessary for the comely furniture of the burial that nothing be wanting, when the tyme commeth.i. Tess▪ v.

Euse.

We will do it gladly.

Phi.

The very god of peace sanctify vsus thorow out, & so wholy preserue vsus both spirit, and soule and bodye, that we may be blamed in nothynge at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christe.i. Thess. ii.

The.

Amen.

Phi.

Our Lord Iesus Christ him self, & God our father. (which hath loued vsus, & hath geuen vsus euerlasting consolation, & good hope thorow grace) comfort our heartes, and stablish vsus in all good saying and doing.

Eus.

Amē.

Phi.

Peace be vntounto the brethren & louelove with faith from God the father and from the Lorde Iesus Christ. Grace be wt al them, which louelove our Lorde Iesus Christ vnfainedly.

Chri.

Amen.

Ph.

Blessing and glory, and wisdome and thankes, and honour, and power, and might. be vntounto our God for euermore.

Theo.

Amē. Amen.

Gyue the glorie to God alone.