A09935:364
Certain prayers and godly meditations very needful for every ChristenCerteine prayers and godly meditacyons very nedefull for euery Christen
Emprented at Malborow i.e. Antwerp : The year of our Lorde et M.CCCCC.XXXviii. per me Joannem Philoponon i.e. H. Peetersen van Mideelburch?, 1538Emprented at Malborow i.e. Antwerp : The yeare of our Lorde et M.CCCCC.XXXviii. per me Joannem Philoponon i.e. H. Peetersen van Mideelburch?, 1538
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
And is even like to a serpent which is killed for he hath the fearful shape that he had before / how be it in very deed ⟨image 75⟩there is nothing left but the figure / the evil is deed / and can do no more harm. And as in the .xxi. of Numery God commanded the brazen serpent to be lift up by whose sight the quick serpents did perish. Likewise our death by the faithful beholding of the death of Christ doth perish and doth not now appear but a certain figure of death. So the mercy of God hath figured all things to us that are weak / that he hath destroyed the power of death / and (because it can not be utterly put away) hath made it but a very figure / for the which cause it rather called sleep in scripture then death.
And ys euyn lyke to a serpent whyche ys kylled for he hath the ferefull shape that he had byfore / howe be it yn verey dede ⟨image 75⟩there is nothing left but the figure / the euil is dede / and can do no more harme. And as in the .xxi. of Numery God cōmaunded the brasen serpent to be lyft vp by whose sight the quykke serpentes dyd perisshe. Lykewise oure deth by the faithfull beholdyng of the deth of Christ doth perisshe and doth not nowe appere but a certeyn figure of deth. So the mercy of God hath figured all thinges to vs that are weke / that he hath destroyed the power of deth / and (bycause it can not be vtterly put awey) hath made it but a verey figure / for the whiche cause it rather called slepe inscripture then deth.
The second goodness of death is that it doth not only finish the evils & pains of this life / but also (which is letter) it maketh an end of all vice and sin the which to them that be good faithful maketh death much more to be desired then these present goods whereof we have spoken / for the evils of the soul (which are since) are without comparison worse than the evils of the body. These only sins (if we did savour them) would make death very acceptable and loved unto us / ⟨image 75⟩