Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

The Saints I confess in their ¹calamities, do feel grief and many discommodities, but so yet that even in their discommodities, they have far many more commodities: they are therefore diminished one way, but augmented an other way, so that the cross of theirs is not their destruction, but an exercise for them, and a wholesome medicine. And therefore I think that that same worthy and golden sentence of S. Paul, can never be too often beaten into your minds, where he saith: We are troubled on every side, yet are we not without shift: we are in poverty, but not in extreme poverty: we suffer persecution, but are not forsaken therein: we are cast down, but we perish not. The faith full therefore do in this world, loose these their earthly riches, but do they thereby loose their faith? Loose they their upright and holy life? or loose they the riches of the inner man, which are the true riches in the sight of God? The Apostle crieth: Godliness is a great lu•re with a mind content with that that it hath. For we brought nothing into the world, & it is certain that we may carry nought away: but having food and raiment we must therewith be content. And the Lord verily, who of his goodness hath created Heaven and earth, and all that is therein for the use of men, which even seedeth the Ravens young ones, will not cause the just man to die with hunger and penury. Moreover that man doth not loose his treasure in this world, which gathereth treasure as the Lord hath commanded him, with whom y• faithful know that a most wealthy treasure is laid up in heaven for them which are in this world spoiled of their terrestrial goods for their lord• master• sake. That worthy & notable seruam of god Job, doth cry, Naked came ou• of ⟨p. 312⟩my mothers womb, & naked shall I turn to the earth again. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, as the Lord pleased, so is it happened. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

The Sainctes I confesse in their ¹calamities, doe féele griefe and many discommodities, but so yet that euen in their discōmodities, they haue farr many more cōmodities: they are therfore diminished one way, but augmented an other way, so that ye crosse of theirs is not their destruction, but an excercise for them, and a whoalesome medicine. And therfore I thinke that that same worthie and golden sentence of S. Paul, can neuer be too often beaten into your minds, where hée saith: We are troubled on euery side, yet are we not without shift: we are in pouertie, but not in extreeme pouertie: we suffer persecution, but are not forsaken therein: wee are cast downe, but we perish not. The faith full therefore doe in this world, loose these their earthly riches, but do they thereby loose their faith? Loose they their vpright and holy life? or loose they the riches of the inner man, which are the true riches in the sight of God? The Apostle crieth: Godlines is a great lure with a mind content with that that it hath. For wee brought nothing into the world, & it is certaine that wee maye carrie nought away: but hauing foode and rayment we must therewith be content. And the Lord verily, who of his goodnesse hath created Heauen and earth, and all that is therein for the vse of men, which euen séedeth the Rauens younge ones, will not cause the iust man to die with hunger and penury. Moreouer that man doth not loose his treasure in this world, which gathereth treasure as the Lord hath cōmaunded him, with whom y faithful know yt a most wealthie treasure is layd vpp in heauen for them which are in this world spoiled of their errestrial goods for their lord master sake. That worthy & notable seruam of god Iob, doth cry, Naked camed ou of