A16577:16
A fruitful treatise and full of heavenly consolation against the fear of death Whereunto…A frutefull treatise and ful of heauenly consolation against the feare of death Wherunto…
A fruitful treatise and full of heavenly consolation against the fear of death Whereunto are annexed certain sweet meditations of the kingdom of Christ, of life everlasting, and of the blessed state & felicity of the same. Gathered by that holy martyr of God, John Bradford.A frutefull treatise and ful of heauenly consolation against the feare of death Wherunto are annexed certeine sweet meditations of the kingdom of Christ, of life euerlasting, and of the blessed state & felicitie of the same. Gathered by that holy marter of God, Iohn Bradford.
London : Perused corrected & augmented according to the original, & imprinted in Fletestrete near to saint Dunstons Churche by William Powell, ca. 1564London : Perused corrected & augmented according to the originall, & imprinted in Fletestrete neere to saint Dunstons Churche by William Powell, ca. 1564
¶ A treatise against the fear of death.¶ A treatise agaynst the feare of death.
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.
I can compare our life to nothing 1so fitly, as to a ship in the midst of the sea. In what danger is the ship and they that be in it? Here are they in danger of tempest, there of quick sands, on this side of pirates, on that side of rocks, now may it leak, now may the mast break, now may the master fall sick, now may diseases come amongst the mariners, now may there dissension fall amongst them selves. I speak nothing of want of fresh water, meat, drink, and such ⟨image 9⟩other necessaries: Even such an other thing is this life. Here is the devil, there is the world, on 2this side is the flesh, on that side is sin, which. thoroughly cleaveth unto our ribs, and will do so long as we be in this flesh, and natural life: so that none but blind men can see this life to be so much & so greatly to be desired: but rather, as the men that sail, are most glad when they approach to the haven, even so should we be most glad when we approach to the haven, that is death, which setteth us a land: whose commodities 3no eye hath seen, no tongue can tell, no heart can conceive in any point, as it should. Happy, oh happy were we, if we saw these things accordingly: God open our eyes to see them. Amen
I can compare our lyfe to nothing 1so fytly, as to a shyp in the middes of the sea. In what danger is the shippe and they that be in it? Here are they in daūger of tempest, there of quicke sandes, on this syde of pyrates, on that side of rockes, now may it leake, now may the mast breake, nowe maye the master fall sicke, nowe may diseases come amongste the maryners, nowe maye there dissension fall amongst them selues. I speke nothing of want of fresh water, meate, drinke, and suche ⟨image 9⟩other necessaries: Euen such an other thinge is this life. Here is the diuyll, there is the world, on 2