A treatise co[n]teining certain meditatio[n]s of true & perfect consolatio[n], ... Written in the…A treatice co[n]teining certain meditatio[n]s of trew & perfect consolatio[n], ... Written in the…

¶ The second Chapter of the second consideration the which is the good to come or before us.

¶ The second Chapiter of the second consideration the which is the good to come or before vs.

Those that be no Christians can find no great comfort in hope of the good to come, in the midst of their troubles, because all things be to them uncertain. For this affection and vain hope, doth bring to them a certain tumult, but through faith we do comfort one an other friendly. And we do hope for better things, but the weaker do at ⟨image 46⟩tempt & clime up to great things and often in uncertitude, & yet they be often deceived & void of their hope, as Jesus Christ showeth in the. 12. of S. Luke, of him that said to his soul. I will pull down my barns, & make them greater & say to my soul. Take thy rest, drink, eat & make good cheer, for thou hast goods enough for many years but God said. Fool, this night shall thy soul be taken from thee: & the goods that thou hast heaped together, whose shall they be then? Even so is it with him that gathereth treasure & is not rich in God. But ye Christians have a more excellent felicity which cometh certainly, but it is through afflictions & death. Also they rejoice in a certain & sure hope so that the present evil endeth, and contrary the good augmenteth which is the verity in Jesus Christ, where in they prosper and profit, from day to day, and for the love thereof they live in hope, and over & above these things, they have two most great commodities ⟨p. 34⟩in the death to come. First the death is an end of all the tragedy of evils, of this present life, as it is written. The death of the faithful is precious before the face of God, & again. I shall sleep in peace and rest me. If the righteous be prevented by death: he findeth quickening and comfort. And contrary the death to the wicked, and Infidels: is the beginning of evils, as it is said. The death of the wicked is most unhappy, also the evil doth overtake and catch the wicked in his death. In this manner was Lazarus comforted that which hath received here his evil, and the rich glutton, unhappy was tormented, because he received his goods here in this life. By this means also it cometh that the Christian findeth him self always better and increasing in goodness, whether he live or whether he dye, so blessed a thing it is to be a Christian, and to believe in Jesus Christ, and therefore