Certain prayers and godly meditations very needful for every ChristenCerteine prayers and godly meditacyons very nedefull for euery Christen

that he being such one (as among the children of women ⟨image 64⟩there arose not a greater) the only friend of the spouse the prepare of christs wa•e / greater them all the prophets / was nether slain by any open judgment / nether yet for any feigned cause (as Christ was accused) nether for to avoid insurrection of the people. But was beheaded in prison at the appetite of a dauncetesse / the daughter of a wretched adulterous woman. Let then the shameful death / of such an holy person such an holy life of such a Prophet / so wretchedly and villainously delivered into the cruel hands of a ribald that was angry with him swage and pacify all our evil / where was god which suffered even before his eyes such an horrible deed? Where was Christ which hearing of it spake never a word? He dyed as though he had bin unknown to god / men and all creatures. What suffer we in the which we may rejoice? and not rather be utterly confounded and ashamed if it be compared unto this mans death. Or how shall we be bold to show our faces / if we will suffer nothing / sith such holy men have suffered such vile death without deserving / yea and their bodies after their death hath ⟨image 64⟩ben made a laughing stock to their enemies. Behold (sayeth Jeremiah) they which had no judgment to drink of the cup / drinking shall drink of it / & shalt thou be lest innocent? thou shalt not be left innocent / but drinking thou shalt drink of it. Therefore the hermit did well which because he was wont every year to have sickness / and scaped one hole year without sickness / was very sad & wept / saying that God had forgotten him / & had denied him his grace. So necessary and wholesome is the correction of the lord to all christen Here we see how it is nothing that we suffer / if we compare it to the prisons / Iron / fire / bests / water / and other infinite torments / yea if we ponder well the grievous persecutions of them which suffer the temptations of the devil being present with us in this life. For there are many which are suffer more sharply and grievously them we do / both in spirit and body. Here some man will say in this I complain / that my passion cannot be compared to the passions of holy men / because I am a sinner / not worthy to be compared unto them.

that he beyng suche one (as emōg the chyldren of wymen ⟨image 64⟩