ALBEIT (Most dear Brethren) GOD hath above all other mortal creatures greatly garnished mankind's with divers and manifold benefits:1 yet I know not (his Son CHRIST only excepted) if he hath bestowed upon us Christians,2 a more noble and more excellent gift, then the gift of his most blessed and holy word. For as concerning the gifts of Nature, and the treasures of this world,3 the Turk, the Saracen, the Jew, the Infidel have them common with the Christians, yea for the most part the godless and wicked have them more abundantly, then the godly and faithful,4 as not only examples in all ages both of divine and profane writers do evidently show, but very experience also in these our days proveth it most certain and true. Wisdom, eloquence, strength, beauty, favour, richesse, honour, fame, promotions, dignities, wealth, livings, and what soever besides the mad, doting, foolish, and wicked worldlings have in most high admiration,5 are transitory and not long endure, more vain then smoke, more brittle then glass, more inconstant then wind, more flitting then shadow. But the word of God abideth for ever and ever, even from generation to generation, and never leaveth the embracers thereof, until it hath safely brought them unto the heavenly haven of most fortunate felicity, and joyfully placed them in that most joyful and celestial Jerusalem, the city of the living God, where JESUS the mediator of the new Testament, where also an innumerable sight of angels, a great congregation of the first borne sons, and the spirits of just and perfect men, ⟨image 5⟩rule,6 reign, and triumph in all joy, pleasure, and glory. And in the mean season, while we live in this world, who is able to express, how noble and notable commodities the word of god bringeth unto us? Heaven and earth yield not such multitudes of necessary fruits for the sustentation and safeguard of this our vile, wretched, mortal, and corruptible body, as the word of God bringeth forth for the health and salvation, for the righteous making and glorification of our soul. Is not the word of God the same to the soul,7 that meat is to the body? Is not the knowledge of Gods word to the mind, that the sight of the eye is to the outward man? Can the body endure, the life being taken away? No more can the soul continue in safe estate, if the word of God be drawn from it.
ALBEIT (Moste deare Brethren) GOD hath aboue all other mortall creatures greately garnished mankynds with diuers and manifold benefites:1 yet I knowe not (his sonne CHRIST onely excepted) if he hath bestowed vppon vs Christians,2 a more noble and more excellent gyfte, then the gift of his most blessed and holy worde. For as concerning the gyftes of Nature, and the treasures of this worlde,3 the Turke, the Sarazen, the Iewe, the Infidell haue them common with the Christians, yea for the moste parte the godlesse and wicked haue them more abundauntly, then the godly and faythfull,4 as not only examples in all ages both of diuine and prophane writers do euidently shewe, but very experience also in these our dayes proueth it most certain and true. Wisedome, eloquence, strength, beautie, fauour, richesse, honor, fame, promotions, dignities, welth, lyuynges, and what soeuer besydes the madde, dotyng, foolyshe, and wicked worldlynges haue in moste hygh admiration,5 are transitorie and not long endure, more vayne then smoke, more brittle then glasse, more inconstant then wynde, more flittyng then shadow. But the worde of God abydeth for euer and euer, euen from generation to generation, and neuer leaueth the embracers therof, vntil it hath safely brought them vnto the heauenly hauen of most fortunate felicitie, and ioyfully placed them in that most ioyfull and celestiall Hierusalem, the citie of the lyuyng God, where IESVS the mediator of the new Testament, where also an innumerable syght of angels, a great congregation of the fyrst borne sonnes, and the spirites of iuste and perfect men, ⟨image 5⟩rule,6 reigne, and triumph in all ioy, pleasure, and glory. And in the meane season, while we liue in this worlde, who is able to expresse, howe noble and notable cōmodities the word of god bryngeth vnto vs? Heauen and earthe yelde not suche multitudes of necessary fruictes for the sustentātion and safegard of this our vile, wretched, mortall, and corruptible bodye, as the word of God bringeth foorth for the healthe and saluation, for the righteous making and glorification of our soul. Is not the word of God the same to the soule,7
- 1Psal. 8. Heb. 2.
- 2Psal. 148.
- 3The word of god excelleth all other gifts of god.The worde of god excellethe all other gifts of god.
- 4Of worldly things the wicked have more abundance then the godly.Of wordlye thynges the wycked haue more aboundāce then the godly.
- 51. John. 2. Esa. 40. 1. Cor. 7. Baruc. 4.3. Esd. 4. Eccle. 40. 1. Pet. 1. Psal. 119. Heb. 12.1. Iohn. 2. Esa. 40. 1. Cor. 7. Baruc. 4.3. Esd. 4. Eccle. 40. 1. Pet. 1. Psal. 119. Heb. 12.
- 6Howe profitable the word of god is.Howe profitable the worde of god is.
- 7Deut. 8. Math. 4. Luc. 4.
