THOU SHALT Ever be at this point (o thou Christian) which art sick and diseased, faithfully to believe that thy punishment & trouble cometh not unto the by chance or fortune, but by the appointment, counsel and sufferance of God. What soever sickness, calamity or misery chanceth to the godly, all that come to pass at the appointment, will & pleasure of God.1 For in him we live, move, and have our being. He hath made us,2 and not we our selves. Nether shalt thou doubt, but that of a right good and very fatherly mind he sendeth the what so ever disease thou hast, not to destroy thee, but to call the unto repē tans, and to exercise, prove, try, ⟨image 5⟩and store up thy faith. For afflictions are the sure signs & undoubted tokens of Gods high mercy, and singular good will. Whom he loveth, him he correcteth, saith Solomon.3 He scourgeth every son, that he receiveth:4 that thy most tender heavenly father, which so dearly loveth thee, according to his singular good appointment, & of an earnest bent good will toward thee, with this thy adversity even as it were with bonds doth pluck back, refrain, and mortify thy old man, that y• mayst crucify with Christ the gladlier & more cheerfully thy body & offer it as a sacrifice:5 this thy disease therefore, wherewith thou art vexed, is a fatherly chastisement laid upon thee, not that thou shouldest be destroyed, but that thou shouldest be amended, quickened & made a new man. Peradventure God the the father seeth, that thy old Adam ⟨image 6⟩is fierce, stubborn, froward unruly take his pleasure, liveth more licentiously than becometh him followeth his own carnal affects, & can keep him self in no good order, therefore doth he cast this as an halter upon him, snarl him with this fetters and chains, speareth him in this prison & dungeon, overcometh him with this punishment, that he may bridle him, knock him down and keep him under awe,6 that he cast in to peril & put in extreme jeopardy thy most noble and precious soul: flesh and blood reign and bear more rule in thee, than the spirit: here is god present with thy spirit, & helpeth her striving against the fierce unruly and rebellious flesh, that she may overcome, subdue and tread under foot the flesh.
THOV SHALTE Euer be at this pointe (o thou Christiane) which art sycke and dyseased, faithfulli to beleue that thy punyshement & trouble cometh not vnto the by chauns or fortune, but by the appoyntmente, councell and sufferauns of God. What soe•er syckenes, calamyte or myscry chaunchethe to the godly, all that come to passe at the appoyntmente, wyll & pleasure of God.1 For in hym we lyue, moue, and haue our beyng. He hath made vs,2 and not we oure selfes. Nether shalte thou doubte, but that of a ryghte good and very fatherly mynde he sendeth the what so euer dysease thou hast, not to destroy the, but to call the vnto repē tauns, and to exercyse, proue, trye, ⟨image 5⟩and store vp thy fayth. For afflyctions are the sure sygnes & vndoubted tokēs of Gods high mercy, and syngulare good wyll. Whō he loueth, hym he correcteh, sayth Salomō.3 He scourgeth euery sonne, that he receyueth:4 that thy moste tender heauenly father, whyche so derely loueth the, accordīg to his singulare good appointmēte, & of an ernest bent good wyll towarde the, wyth thys thy aduersyte euen as it were wyth bondes doth plucke backe, refrayne, and mortifye thy olde man, that y• mayst crucyfye wyth Christe the gladlier & more cherfully thi body & offer it as a sacryfice:5 thys thy di•ease therfore, wherwith thou art vexed, is a fatherly chastysemente layde vpon the, not that thou shuldest be distroied, but that thou shuldest be amended, quickened & made a new man. Paraduenture God the the father seeth, that thy olde Adam ⟨image 6⟩is fearse, stobborne, froward vnruly take his pleasure, liueth more licenciously thē becometh him foloweth hys awn carnal affectes, & can kepe hym selfe in no good order, therfore doth he cast thys as an halter vpon hym, snarle hym wyth thys fetters and chenes, spearethe hym in thys prison & dengden, ouercometh hym with thys punyshment, that he may brydle him, knocke him downe and kepe him vnder awe,6
- 1•u. xvii
- 2•. xcix
- 3Prove•Proue•
- 4Hebr.
- 5Rom.
- 6[…]〈…〉
