Epaphr. 1Come hither wife. You see in what case I lie here, sick, weak, and the prisoner of God, looking every hour for my departure out of this world. ⟨p. 201⟩And this visitation of God is unto me welcome, and I thank the Lord withal my heart for it. I doubt not, but that when I am once gone out of this wretched life, I shall be in a far better case then ever I was in this world. Therefore I pray thee good wife, be not heavy, neither take thought for me, but rather pray, that the good will of God may be done in me. And be aswell contented, that I should now at the calling of God go from thee, as ever thou wast to have me in thy company, I have run my race. I have passed those years, which the Lord appointed that I should live in this world. And now is the time of my departure come. And I give over this my life willingly, and with a free hart. Therefore take no thought for me. And doubt thou not (sweet wife) but if ye goest forth to live ⟨p. 202⟩in the fear of God, and to please him, God in the time of thy widowhood will be an husband unto thee. He will be thy patron and defender. He will be thy mighty shield & strong buckler. He will provide and afore see, that thou and thine shall want no good thing.2 For he hath promised in his holy word, that he will take charge of the widows and defend their cause.3 He hath also given a strait commandment to the magistrates & head rulers, to look unto widows, & to deliver them from oppression. And his holy Apostle saith, that the pure and undefiled Religion before God the father, is to visit, help, & comfort widows. Therefore I doubt not but the Lord our God, will abundantly provide for thee and thine. Notwithstanding wife, forasmuch as from the first time o• our marriage unto this present day ⟨p. 203⟩thou hast alway been unto me a true, faithful, honest, diligent, & serviceable wife. I have made the mine Executress, and given unto thee in my will, such a portion as shall abundantly satisfy thee, both unto the bringing up of thy children, and also unto the maintenance of hospitality: God hath sent me enough,4 & therefore I leave unto thee & thine enough. I pray God send you always his fear before your face, so shall you never vaunt. To forbid the marriage after my departure according unto the property of some husbands, I will not.5 For the holy Scripture sayeth: the wife is bound un•o the marriage, as long as her husband liveth.
Epaphr. 1COme hither wife. You see in what case I lie here, sicke, weake, and the prisoner of God, loking euery hour for my departure out of this worlde. ⟨p. 201⟩And this visitation of God is vnto me welcome, and I thanke the Lord wtal my heart for it. I doubt not, but that whan I am once gone out of this wretched lyfe, I shal be in a far better case then euer I was in this worlde. Therfore I pray thee good wife, be not heauy, neither take thought for me, but rather pray, that ye good wyll of God may be done in me. And be aswell contented, that I should nowe at the calling of God go from thee, as euer thou wast to haue me in thy company, I haue run my rase. I haue passed those yeres, which the Lord appoynted that I should lyue in this world. And now is the time of my departure come. And I geue ouer this my life willingly, and with a free hart. Therefore take no thought for me. And doubt thou not (swete wife) but if ye goest forthe to liue ⟨p. 202⟩in the feare of God, and to please him, God in the time of thy wyddowhod will be an husband vnto thee. He wilbe thy patron and defender. He wilbe thy mighty shield & strong buckler. He will prouide and afore see, that thou and thine shall want no good thing.2 For he hath promised in his holy worde, that he wil take charge of the widowes and defend their cause.3 He hath also geuen a strait commaū dement to the magistrates & head rulers, to loke vnto wydowes, & to deliuer them from oppression. And his holy Apostle saith, that ye pure and vndefiled Religion before God ye father, is to visit, help, & comfort widowes. Therfore I doubt not but the Lord our God, will aboundantly prouide for thee and thine. Notwithstāding wife, forasmuch as from the first time o• our mariage vnto this presēt day ⟨p. 203⟩thou hast alway bene vnto me a true, faithfull, honest, diligent, & seruiceable wife. I haue made the mine Executresse, and geuen vnto thee in my wyll, suche a portion as shal aboundaūtly satisfie thee, both vnto the bringing vp of thy children, and also vnto the maintenance of hospitalitie: God hath sent me inough,4 & therfore I leaue vnto thee & thine inough. I praye God send you alwayes his feare before your face, so shall you neuer uant. To forbid the mariage after my departure according vnto the propertie of some husbādes, I wyll not.
- 1The sickmans exhortation unto his wifeThe sickmās exhortation vnto his wife
- 2Psalm. cxlv.
- 3Exo. xx. Esa. i.x. Jere. v.xii. Zach. vii James. i.Exo. xx. Esa. i.x. Iere. v.xii. Zach. vii Iames. i.
- 4Psal. xxxiii.
- 5ii. Cor. vii.
