The Troubled Man's Medicine by William Hugh ~ Full Audiobook
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The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp Bank N.A. Pursuant to license by MasterCard International Incorporated. Card may be used everywhere MasterCard is accepted. Venmo purchase restrictions apply. The Troubled Man's Medicine by William Hugh. The results of abundance and wealth and those of poverty and adverse fortune should cause us to endure the latter with thanksgiving.

Book I. To Comfort a Man, Being in Trouble, Adversity, or Sickness. Most gentle friend urban, I plainly perceive, not so much by your letters as by the report of other men, that you are not joyful, neither of a quiet mind, but rather unquieted, sad and pensive in that fortune, which in her inconstancy, as

as you say only is constant doth not according to her old tenure favour you in that the world which for the most part is not theirs that are of god good and virtuous does not as it has done smile upon you as all things are common among them which are trusty and faithful friends so doubtless are the very affections of the mind which at length is well known of me not by hearing but by proof not by reading but by experience

for as your joyful and prosperous state made me to rejoice so your adverse fortune and sadness causes me likewise to be sad wherefore it shall be expedient in my part to find some way or means whereby this heaviness wherewith both our minds as yet are equally occupied may be set aside or at least restrained to increase your substance with cattle gold or silver my mind is willing but my power is impotent to teach you how these things may be procured i have not learnt

but that medicine only which learned men have counted most present to a sick and sorrowful heart i will endear though peradventure not skilfully yet friendly to minister the medicine is brotherly counsel and friendly communication this saith plutarch writing to apollonius is to a sick mind the best physician words and voices saith horace in his epistles do mitigate grief and put away the greatest part of sorrow

surely i think that as the diseases of the body are healed by confections made of herbs and other things proceeding out of the apothecary's shop so the diseases of the mind are only to be cured with comfortable and unfeigned words flowing out of a friendly and faithful heart

isocrates in his oration of peace saith i would ye should chiefly know that whereas many sundry remedies are found of the physicians against the sickness and maladies of the body against the disease of the mind there is none saving friendly words wherefore apollo accounted chief and of the physicians in manna the god in ovid complains grievously that the disease of his mind could be cured with no herbs

and that the arts which did profit every man could not refrain his troublous affection.

I would wish the muses were so favourable unto me that I might gather such herbs in their gardens that would well purge your mind of this heaviness, as it is not to be approved in any man who has partaker of reason, but especially in a man of Christ's religion. Albeit, alas, so great is the blindness of our foolish nature, we think those things which are not lamentable are to be lamented, and those which are not horrible in reality are greatly to be feared."

in this point i may compare us to unwise children which vehemently fear them that use evil-favored vizes thinking that they are spirits devils and enemies of their health whereas if they had the wit boldly to pull off the vizes they should see hidden under them gentle countenances and faces of their friends kinsmen or peradventure most loving fathers

or else we may be justly likened unto raging ajax who in his fury and madness used the hogs which god had prepared for his sustenance and wholesome nourishment as though they had been his deadly enemies and ordained to his utter destruction

What childishness or worse than madness is it to bewail, and not to take in good worth, adversity, misfortune, or poverty, which happen to us not by chance, but by the providence and will of our heavenly Father, who worketh everything for the best towards them that love him, as St. Paul saith to the Romans, Chapter 8, who formeth and fashioneth us according to his own will, who maketh us rich and poor, sick and whole, fortunate and miserable, at his pleasure?

and all for our good profit and advantage lest thou be deceived i would not have thee imitate the common sort ascribing worldly miseries to the stars to fate and fortune playing therein the part of the dog which bites the stone that is hurled at him not blaming the hurler thereof but rather imitate the example of david who blamed not shimei railing at him outrageously but imputedly despise unto the lord by whom he was thought to be sent and attributed them with thanks to god

of whom by the testimony of scripture cometh both death and life riches and poverty good and evil this witnesseth the psalmist saying the lord doth advance and suppress the lord maketh rich and eke the poor

but thou wilt say peradventure if we were certain that our misfortunes and miseries were sent unto christian men by god they would be much more tolerable but when we see our cattle die by stinging of serpents or by contagion from which they might have been safe if they had been diligently observed or when we fall into diseases whereof we might have been clear if unwholesome meats and diet infected places or persons had been avoided

or when we are robbed or suffer other losses by negligence of our servants, or evil will of our neighbours, or where we see that we might have been in good case if this chance or that chance had been escaped, if this thing or that thing had not been done, finally, when we see ourselves, by such or like chances as I have spoken of, come to misery, we think it rather to be imputed to evil fortune than to the hand of God, by the same means seeking or working our welfare."

truly whosoever is of this opinion in my judgment seems to be ignorant that god is provident and careful for men also to lack the knowledge of his most holy and wholesome scriptures in matthew ten it is written that a sparrow which is a bird of small estimation cannot fall to the ground without our heavenly father neither a hair of a man's head

and shall we which are the sheep of his pasture his people and his sons whom he regardeth a thousand times more than the sparrows think that the loss of those things which we have enjoyed be they riches health or any other worldly things either the miss of them which we have desired can chance without his will and godly providence

who so foolish as to think that while god regards the hairs of our heads which are neither greatly profitable nor necessary he will contemn and neglect things which pertain to the sustaining and necessity of the whole body who knows not that job's substance decayed by diverse chances as by tempests and thunders by thieves and robbers his children destroyed by the falling of a house

which things to the infidel would have seemed bare chance and not afflicted by any godly power yet indeed as it is manifest in the history these were nothing else but means or instruments which the lord used to the performance of his will

Holy Job, of all Christian men much to be followed, after he had lost all, and was brought to extreme misery, did not accuse his carpenters for building of a ruinous house, neither did he cry out upon fortune as the unfaithful do, nor yet found fault at his herdsmen, in that they drove not his cattle diligently into the safe stables, but, considering the true cause of his calamities and wretchedness, said, "'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall go hence.'

The Lord did give me wealth, and the Lord hath taken it away. As it pleased the Lord, so it is done. His name be blessed.

David in his Psalms evidently shows that our calamities come none otherwise, but by the will and permission of God, which trieth us as the gold is tried in the fiery furnace, being never the worse therefore, but better and purer. Thou, saith he, O Lord, hast proved us, and as silver is want from fire, thou hast examined us, thou hast brought us into snares and laid tribulations upon our backs."

thou hast made men our enemies and set them in our necks we have passed by fire and water jeremiah in chapter three of his lamentations confirms this pronouncing such words who saith that it should be done the lord not commanding do not good and evil proceed from the mouth of the highest the gentiles as blind as they were of this thing were not altogether ignorant

the greek poet hesiod asks what is the cause that some men are vile some noble some rich other some poor he maketh answer himself and saith the will of the mighty god which saying i would wish to be as well believed of christian men as it was truly spoken by a blind heathen seeing therefore that misfortunes lack or loss of riches health and such things come not rashly but by the providence of our celestial father

Why should we not take them well, and after the example of Job, blessing his name and giving him thanks for them?

specially considering that adversities chancing to them which love the lord are not tokens of his anger neither arguments that he casteth us off but of a fatherly love rather and a friendly care thou shalt perceive if thou read diligently the holy histories that the more part of those whom god hath chosen to be of his little flock have been wretched in the respect of the world and miserable tossed and turmoiled with manifold misfortunes distracted and unquieted with continual sorrows

let elijah the prophet be for an example whom god loved so well that he vouchsafed to communicate his counsel and mysteries unto him what quietness i pray you or wealth what riches or surety had he for all the friendship that was betwixt god and him truly so much wealth that he had never a house to put his head in such plenty of meat and drink that if the ravens and the angel had not fed him he had perished with hunger

such quietness that could not tell which way to turn him nor whither to flee from the persecution of ahab baal's priests and cruel jezebel such joy in this world that he desired oft to die before he died what should i speak of elisha jeremiah and in short of the greatest part of god's prophets which were ever wrapped in woe and deadly anguish the world seldom or never ministering any cause of gladness comfort or solace

i will not speak of the apostles who besides that they were poor and beggarly all the days of their life for god's word were troubled threatened mocked scourged and at the last to the sight of men miserably died our master christ the son of god would be an abject among the people and subject to afflictions innumerable showing thereby that neither his kingdom nor the kingdom of those who are of his household is in this world

he saith to his apostles because ye are not of the world the world doth hate you john fifteen which doubtless loves and chiefly favours them that are her own children and children of darkness regarding more this temporal life than the life which is promised to them that cleave wholly to the lord our god

Scripture, not dissembling with us, but telling plainly whereto we should cleave, teaches that they which are of God shall, as in the stead of a recognizance, suffer afflictions, adversities, and troubles. All they that will live virtuously in Christ shall be afflicted. 2 Timothy 3.

jeremiah speaking in the person of god chapter twenty five saith in the city wherein my name is invocated i will begin to punish as for you meaning the wicked ye shall be as innocent and not touched and the time is that judgment must begin with the house of god one peter four christ suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his footsteps

O that we might have seen the kind heart of Christ, when he was punished, hanged, and crucified, not for his own cause but for ours! How willingly he suffered, giving us an example that we might follow his footsteps! Doubtless we should, with more courage and fortitude, for our own sakes, suffer troubles than we do. Lo, we that live are mortified for Christ, that the life of Christ might appear in our carnal bodies. 2 Corinthians 4.

if any man saith christ will come after me let him forsake himself take his cross on his back and follow me for otherwise he is not meet for me every member doubt ye not of christ's body shall have the cross either of poverty or persecution sickness or imprisonment injuries or of slanders or of like things happy is he that followeth christ manfully and faileth not for he at length shall be eased of his heavy burden

He at length shall find perpetual rest and eternal quietness. We must be here not as inhabitants and home-dwellers, but, as Paul saith, as strangers. Not as strangers only, but, after the mind of Job, as painful soldiers, appointed of our Captain Christ to fight against the devil, the world, flesh, and sin, in the which fight, except we behave ourselves lawfully and strongly by the sentence of Scripture, we shall not be crowned.

Let us therefore arm ourselves with the weapons prescribed by St. Paul, under the Ephesians and other places of Scripture, to Christ's soldiers, and with a bold courage contend the darts of the devil and worldly miseries, endeavouring to overthrow our minds and weaken our faith towards God, for our Captain with a glorious victory shall gloriously deliver us.

in worldly wars there are and have been many of courage not unlike to jason hercules and theseus who covert to enterprise upon dangerous places and perilous enemies whereby they may have by their manful conflict praise or a garland of bay boughs honour or temporal promotions and shall we whose reward shall be not a garland made of green boughs that lightly withereth but a crown of glory that ever shall flourish

not temporal performance which endure not but inheritance in heaven that shall be continual shall we be loath stoutly to withstand the world it chances oft that the presence of one whom a man lightly loves shall move him to contend and fight fiercely with his adversary little or nothing regarding his life but rather careful lest with shame

he take a foil in her presence whom he loves and shall the presence of our spouse christ whose eyes continually look on the hearts and minds nothing move us for a man to have taken a foil before his earthly love had been no loss of body nor soul but a little shame and that not durable

but to take a foil of poverty miseries sickness losses lack or other misfortunes and not to keep our minds still above them with contempt of their assaults besides that the presence of god shall shame us not the body but the soul except the grace of god after raises shall utterly perish look therefore that we fight merrily and boldly despising all misfortunes that hurt or threaten hurt to our mortal bodies

but either i am deceived or i hear you saying so it is quickly spoken but it is not so lightly done it is hard and by the sentence of philosophers against nature for men to be content with those things which hurt and damage their bodies and as you require us with contempt to fight against them doubtless it is very hard and for our strength and power a thing impossible what then shall we play the part of demosthenes cast away our weapons and despair

no not so but mistrusting our own power let us flee to god as unto a holy anchor and safe refuge desiring help of him who by promise made shall aid assist and defend us call on me saith he in the day of trouble and i will deliver thee the lord is nigh to all them that are of a troubled heart and fear him in thine infirmity despise not the lord but pray unto him and he shall heal thee as it is written in the book of ecclesiasticus

There is no doubt, therefore, but we shall have his help, if we faithfully call for it. And in him that comforteth, if the words of Paul are true, we shall be able to do all things, and nothing shall be impossible for us, being faithful. Therefore let us say with Hezekiah 2 Chronicles 32, Play we the men, and comfort ourselves, for the Lord is with us, our helper, and fighteth for us.

the lord as he saith in two samuel twenty two is our rock and our strength our saviour and refuge our buckler our advancer and the horn of our health let us then not fear nor cease constantly to withstand the cruel enforcements of adversity ever keeping our minds and faith towards god unwounded unharmed and not discouraged by them

thinking still that they are send of god who by infirmity worketh strength by ignominy glory by poverty perpetual riches by death life who doth wound and heal striketh and maketh whole as it is in the psalms and for none other end

as they were sent to job to exercise and prove us that his glory may appear in us and that we may avoid the greater evils sin and thraldom to the devil and hell the afflictions believe me that we count evils encumbering our flesh are nothing in respect of those evils wherewith the ungodly are encumbered living in infidelity and sin under the ire of god under the power of the devil being servants to iniquity to whom saith the lord is no peace

whose minds and conscience as isaiah writes are ever like to a fervent sea that cannot rest whose floods redound to conculcation and mourning that these greater i say and more heinous evils may be avoided these little or rather not at all to be esteemed evils are inflicted of god also that we may at length after all our strife with our captain christ royally triumph

if we would well consider for what purpose god hath created us we should bear with afflictions and adverse fortune much more than we do all things in this world are made to serve man the sheep to clothe him the ox to feed him the horse to carry him the herbs and trees some to nourish him some to cure him being diseased some to deliver him the sun and moon to give him light

so in conclusion all other things under heaven in one duty or other serve man and as all these things were made to serve man so man was made to serve god in holiness and pureness of life and to this end doubtless poverty with other afflictions doth much more conduce than wealth or carnal quietness in this respect we ought to wish and thank god for adversity rather than for wealth the one causes us to forget him the other to remember him the one to despise him the other to call upon him and worship him

the one provokes to incontinency and naughtiness the other to temperance and soberness the one calleth us to all kinds of vice the other to virtue and pureness of life what i pray you made david an adulterer and cruel murderer but wealth and quietness jeroboam brought to wealth and prosperous state became a wicked and a shameful idolater o perilous abundance of goods and satiety of meats and quietness which destroyed with so many souls those goodly cities sodom and gomorrah

nothing else made uzziah proud and by reason thereof to be stricken with leprosy but the before-named what made the young man covetous and loath to follow christ when he was bid but worldly wealth which he then enjoyed you see in the gospel how the men that were bidden to the king's supper could not come worldly riches and busyness keeping them back they which came and filled up the place at the feast were wretched sick and lame beggars

christ bewailed jerusalem because that by her wealthiness and abundance of things she forgot his visitation what else brought the rich glutton to forget god himself and his mortality to incontinency drunkenness gluttony and at the last to the place where is mourning and gnashing of teeth but wealth prosperity and worldly quietness

thus you see that the effects of riches and wealth are nothing else for the most part but murder adultery drunkenness idolatry covetousness gluttony contempt of god pride and incontinency what christian man will not fear chiefly considering the fragility of our nature which as it is written in genesis even from our young age is ever inclined to the worst to possess much riches or to enjoy worldly wealth seeing that they draw men so entirely from god so far into vice and mischief

if we are sick in body having our wits we will not touch those meats which we think may move or increase our disease though they are ever so dainty or precious and shall we not fear to wallow in worldly wealth which to our souls is so dangerous that nothing can be more pernicious we read of some heathen philosophers of which sort was bias who gave and cast away their goods whereby they might more quietly study for the knowledge of things crates was glad of his shipwreck and poverty

anaxagoras of his imprisonment plato of his exile from the king's court because their minds were more quiet thereby and fitted for the study of philosophy and shall we that are christian men think the lack or loss of worldly things is to be lamented which are or may be the cause of quietness of conscience and of a mind more fitted for the serving of god whereto we were created

But you will say, peradventure, What, sir, you speak as though men might not both be wealthy and virtuous. Know you not that St. Paul said, Philippians 4, that he might suffer penury or lawfully have abundance? Moreover, that he will have the rich men commanded, 1 Timothy 6, not to cast away their riches, neither to cease honestly to procure them, but that they put no trust in them.

have you not also learnt by the old testament that abraham isaac joseph with diverse others had the world at will and yet were godly and as far as we can judge are now in the hand of god where the souls of just men are indeed i grant that men may lawfully procure riches and enjoy the same so that they do it not at the impulse of avarice or ambition nor putting any trust in them

i confess also that some men have been are and shall be both wealthy and virtuous else god forbid but in my judgment it is but one amongst many it is a very rare thing and wonderful heart yea so hard that christ who cannot lie saith easier it is for a camel to enter through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven

we must, saith Scripture, enter into the kingdom of God by many tribulations, of which how void the wealthy man is, at least of such as seem to be sent of God, who seeth not. The way of heaven is straight, sharp, and painful, Matthew 7. The way of the wealthy man is large, soft, and pleasant. I think that St. James, speaking the words, James 5, which I will repeat, thought the more part of rich and wealthy men be the children of the world and carnal.

go to you rich men saith he weep and howl like dogs in the wretchedness that shall come upon you your riches are putrefied and your precious garments eaten of the moths your gold and silver is rusty and the rust of it shall be a witness against you and shall eat your flesh like as it were fire you have laid up wrath for yourselves against the last days you have eaten and drunk upon the earth and nourished your hearts with pleasures

i dare to say having respect to the divine wisdom of st james to the histories of old time and to the rich men that are in our time whose lives commonly if a wise man apply to the rule of the gospel shall seem so little to agree unto it that st james thought very few rich men should escape whom this saying shall not touch st paul knowing the nature of wealth and riches willeth us having nourishment and wherewith we may be clothed to be content

for they that will be made rich fall into temptation into the snare of the devil into many desires noisome and unprofitable which drown men in the sea of death and perdition one timothy six seeing therefore it is a hard thing for the rich worldly quiet and wealthy men to be saved and that but few of them as it should seem to enter into god's kingdom methinks we christians have no great cause to be sorry for any temporal things lost nor to covet those which we have not yet possessed

But, saying with the psalmist, It is good for me, O Lord, that thou hast humbled me, said naught by them which rather entice us into sin and perdition. If Hercules had feared that he should have been cast away with a shirt made by woman's hand, he would never have worn shirt so long as he had lived. And shall not we fear to be wrapped in worldly wealth, which in manner is no less dangerous for our souls, than was Dejanira's shirt for Hercules' body?'

as we have partly considered the abundance of things and wealth so we will consider poverty also and adverse fortune whose works and effects if they are conferred together shall be found the contrary

for, as is said before, that worldly success draws men from God and allures them to vice, the devil, and sin; so adverse fortune, retaining us commonly in honest behaviour and in the favour of God, stops up the windows and doors which lead men unto wickedness and God's displeasure; it stops up the windows to adultery, to the contempt of God, and pride, finally, in a manner, to all those vices whereunto they were set wide open by wealth.

if he desire to have a proof read scripture mark well the manner of david's life who so long as he was poor tossed with afflictions troubled with the persecutions of saul beset on every side with dangers driven from place to place from post to pillar sustaining hunger and cold having few or no friends lodging or substance lived in the fear of god loving him calling upon him night and day trusting him and void of all vices

jeroboam so long as he was but a poor man nor yet advanced to his kingdom lived in the laws of god without reprehension but upon what vices these two stumbled after they came to wealth you heard before thus you see how wealth layeth blocks in the way that leadeth to heaven adversity in the way that leadeth to fearful damnation

wherefore our loving father ever correcting the children whom he loveth giveth adversity as the better of these two for the most part to his elect as a medicine to them which have offended lest they fall again to them which have not greatly trespassed albeit every man is a sinner and deserveth evil as a medicine preservative lest they should slide

which medicine though it seem to us at the first more bitter than gall yet if we flavour it with the sweetness of his commandments and pleasant promises we shall find it more delicious than the honeycomb it is written proverbs three my dear son thou shalt not neglect the correction of the lord neither shalt thou be discouraged when thou art reproved whom the lord loveth he correcteth the child which he receiveth he scourgeth if ye suffer chastisement god doth offer himself to you as unto his children

what child is there but his father chastiseth him by this scripture you may see that our adversities and afflictions are not tokens of god's displeasure towards us but of his good-will and love wherefore they ought not to discourage but rather encourage us not to make us sad but merry not sorrowful but joyful in that he of goodness will vouchsafe to take us as his children to subdue our flesh to strengthen our souls

By troubles, as St. Paul saith, he was strengthened to vanquish our enemies, 2 Corinthians 12, whereby we shall be meet at the last to have with him the quietness which his Son Jesus Christ, with the effusion of his blood, brought for us, where shall be no death, no wailing, no weariness, no sickness, no hunger, no thirst, no chafing, no corruption, no necessity, no sorrows."

let us therefore suffer willingly and gladly the correction of our heavenly father and afflictions even as his only son did whom he spared not but permitted to be scourged to abide hunger and cold to be in worse case for lodging than the foxes in the field or the birds of the air and at length to suffer a most ignominious death let us in all our afflictions comfort ourselves with the example of him remembering that the disciple is not above the master nor the servant above his lord

neither yet the inferior members above their head our head is christ in that he hath not abhorred afflictions they may not be in any case disdained of us i marvel that we disdain them that we should have great pleasure and delight in we would be wonderfully well content to handle the table at which christ did sit the garments or vestures he used or other like relics as being consecrated with his holy touching

much better me thinks we ought to be a paid to handle afflictions as relics which besides that they were oft hallowed by his most holy touching he also commanded to be fingered of us specially seeing that more rewards and merits come by the handling of them than by the afore-named do we not disdain them i say but rather as paul willeth let us glory in our troubles for trouble worketh patience patience worketh proof proof worketh hope which shall not confound us romans five

I will not yet cease to speak more of the precepts of God as touching this point. Son, thou coming to the service of God, prepare thyself to temptation, sustain the sustenations of the Lord, and be joined unto him, sustain whereby at the last thy life may be increased. Ecclesiastes 7 Thus ye see that the children of God are commanded still to bend themselves to tenation and adversity, which follows them no otherwise than the shadow followeth the body.

now mark the end that is promised to our afflictions if we bear them as we ought to do truly i say unto you saith christ to his friends you shall weep and lament they which are of the world shall joy you shall be sorry but this sorrow of yours shall be turned into solace john sixteen i do think that the afflictions which we suffer here are nothing in comparison of the glory which we shall have in the world to come romans eight

our exceeding tribulation which is for a moment and light prepareth an exceeding and an eternal weight of glory unto us while we look not on the things which are seen but on the things which are not seen for things which are seen are temporal but things which are not seen are eternal two for although the earthly house of this our habitation paul meaneth the body be corrupted we know that we shall have a building of god a house not made with man's hand but everlasting in heaven two grins five

who hearing these promises is so stony-hearted that he will not take in good part whatsoever shall befall be it ever so heinous horrible and perilous to his mortal members few men will refuse to suffer for the space of a whole year the physician's tortures now his veins to be cut now painfully to be bathed now to take a most bitter medicine otherwise to fast and to be punished many other ways than his body which is mortal after these sorrows being delivered of his sickness may joy for a time

much less a christian heart should be loath to sustain troubles misfortune and miseries here for a while that the soul which is immortal may after joy for ever with joys not such as the poet pindar attributes unto happy souls piping playing or singing pleasant gardens gorgeous houses and goodly spectacles

playing at dice tennis or tables or other like but such as neither ear hath heard as st paul witnesses nor eye hath seen with such joys as faith taketh not hope toucheth not charity apprehendeth not they pass all desires and wishes gotten they may be rightly esteemed they cannot be blessed is that man saith st james who suffereth temptation and trouble for after his proof he shall receive the crown which god hath promised to them which love him

every castigation seemeth to have no pleasure but rather grief albeit at the last it shall give a quiet fruit of righteousness to them which have been troubled by it hebrews twelve who i say hearing these comfortable promises will not joyfully say with st paul what thing in the world shall separate us from the love of god shall trouble or persecution shall nakedness or dangers shall the sword or hunger

as who say none of all these neither death nor life angels nor princes things that are present neither that are to come height strength nor depth shall separate us from the love of god which is in jesus christ our lord romans eight

But, to conclude, seeing that poverty, troubles, miseries, and afflictions are vanquishers of vice, and maintainers of virtue, seeing that they are appointed of God our Father to them that love him, and not as tyrannical torments, but as fatherly corrections and friendly medicines, also that God hath promised to those who patiently bear them perpetual quietness, joy, and endless solace, why should we not with thanksgiving be very glad of them?

if we are otherwise affected let us not think the contrary but we are disposed much like unto those who labour of violent agues whose true taste being taken from them by the reason of their disease they cannot endure with such meats as are most wholesome and conducible to their health but desire those which make most against them and increase their sickness

Wherefore, if we chance so to feel ourselves, cease we not to solicit the Lord with prayers, that he will vouchsafe to take this spiritual argue from us, whereby we may with judgment reject the sweet but poisonous baits and dainties of the devil and the world, and taste those meats which are most wholesome and profitable for our souls. End of section 1

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Section 2 of The Troubled Man's Medicine by William Hugh. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.

how the gentiles were moved to endure adversities and how much more readily christian men should suffer them it is to be wondered friend urban if these things cannot move christian men to suffer adversities and despise worldly success as a very vain vanity seeing that the unfaithful gentiles were moved to endure adversities by things of much less importance

some of them as socrates and diogenes considering that worldly wealth could not cause a quiet and joyful mind and that it was a thing of no worth neglected it as a thing of no price and set it at naught whose consideration plutarch as it appears by his similitude approved as not

"'Quote, likewise,' saith he, "'as a man going to the sea, and first carried towards the great ship in a little boat, "'there beginning to feel sickness, desires much to be at the greater vessel, "'supposing to find ease therein, when he is worse troubled with the same grief than he was before. "'Even so a man, being in a vile state and poor case, not well content therewith, "'covets advancement to higher condition, his goods also to be increased.'

to the which things if he attain he shall be more unquiet than he was before in his former misery if you require examples look to alexander the great king of macedonia who possessing in a manner all the kingdoms riches and wealth in the world for all that was so little quiet that when he heard democritus speaking of many other worlds wept bitterly that he had not yet wholly conquered one of them

of the other part poor diogenes glad to use instead of a house a ton to live in and compelled by poverty to live with cold herbs and water his mind being instructed with learning and virtues was never unquiet never filled with care

no he thought himself richer than alexander to whom he was bold to say at such a time as he offered to give him what he would desire that he was in better case and had less need than he for as for him his lot pleased him but as for alexander he could not be satisfied with the kingdom of macedonia no not with the kingdoms of the whole earth alexander marvelling at the security and quietness of his mind said

"'And if I were not Alexander himself, I would wish to be none other but even Diogenes,' end quote."

I think truly, if he were alive and here again, knowing so much as he knoweth now, that he would no more wish to be Alexander still but Diogenes, crying out against the vain desires of the world with this or some other like oration, "'Whither is the blind error of men ravished? At things which are substantial, true, and profitable, no man doth marvel. Things that are hurtful, trifling, and uncertain, every man with great labor seeks after.'

why do men importunately desire empires preferments riches or other worldly things let all men learn by me that as these things are vain and transitory so they make men never the better but rather worse never the quieter but rather more unquiet i was once of all emperors and rulers the richest subduing valiantly barbarous nations and people innumerable yet these things so little made me quiet that by the reason of them my mind was troubled with all kinds of unquietness

now ambition and insatiable desire of more regions rule and empires occupied my mind painfully now mad rage and ire provoked by drunkenness which by the reason of abundance of goods i was addicted to punished me and with violence sometime moved me to the murder of my friends now unlawful lusts now envy vexed me otherwise the hellish furies fleeing about my conscience and not suffering the memory of my murder or other evil facts to be obliterated

so sorely grieved me that i would now and then have pierced my heart with a sword or have pined myself to death if i had not been hindered once as a fool i preferred the state of alexander before the condition of poor diogenes but then i judged like unwise midas then i knew not that the virtues of the mind alone caused true quietness worldly success nothing profiting but greatly diminishing the same

what can be more true than such an oration whom would it not move if it were spoken by the mouth of alexander as he would speak it doubtless if he might return to us to esteem the world according to this worthiness moreover you may see by the example of agamemnon how little quietness worldly wealth brings he was so much disquieted with his high state that he lamented his chance in that he was king and ruler over so many people

laertes who to the sight of the world lived wealthily and wondrous quiet yet was not quiet indeed as plutarch witnesses on the other side metrocles vile and beggarly in winter covering his body with a tub for lack of house and in summer taking up his lodging in the porches of temples faring not so well as the dogs of the city yet was of so quiet a mind that his quietness among writers shall be had in perpetual memory

detus about to be boned such was the virtue of his mind was said not to be unquieted at all thus i say some of the wise gentiles considering and seeing that true quietness proceedeth only of virtue esteemed worldly wealth not of a straw yet we christian men such is our lack of true wisdom who know or ought to know if we remember as i have spoken before

that there is no quietness to them which are of god but quietness of mind and conscience which is procured only by virtue pureness of life and by hope specially which as st paul saith cometh of proof proof of patience patience of troubles and so consequently our quietness must come by troubles

what do we not attempt to attain worldly vanities running by sea and by land by rocks and sands by scylla and syrtis by fire and sword assereth the poet fearing no dangers nor perils like men out of our wits seeking fire in the sea and requiring water of the dry pumice-stone

O blindness, what, I pray you, have we gotten when we have procured riches or worldly preferments, whose purchasing commonly is painful, the keeping full of busy fear, the use dangerous, the loss deadly? What, I say, have we got? Tranquillity of mind? No, truly but excess of unquietness, for the more our goods grow, the more groweth care. Miserable, saith the poet, is the keeping of much money, in the which respect Horace desired his friend, after he had made him rich, to take his goods from him again.

what then hast thou satisfied thy appetite that thou hadst to worldly things nothing less for as he which hath thee drops thee the more he drinks the more he thirsts so the worldly man the more he hath the more he covets hast thou increase of virtues no rather an expulsion of them what then hast thou truly a bait to all vice and mischief and if thou take not very good heed an instrument to work thine own confusion

O perilous and most pestilent harlot, I mean the world which is transfigured in pleasures and abundance of riches of the earth, in pleasures and voluptuousness, and I call her not only a harlot, but the most filthy and most dirty queen, whose face is foul, horrible, sharp, bitter, and cruel, and in this most, wherein all they are counted without forgiveness whom she deceiveth,

and although her countenance be so filthy and so wild so barbarous and so cruel yet many are snared by her and when they see all things in her body full of peril full of death full of mischief yet she is desired of them and counted to be loved and coveted notwithstanding that she maketh no man better wiser or more temperate no man more favourable gentle or prudent

finally she changeth no angry person into a man meek of behaviour neither teaches the voluptuous man sobriety nor the impudent shamefacedness neither at any time by her is gotten any kind of virtue to the soul

no rather like circe who as homer writes changed by enchantments ulysses men into hogs dogs and other brute beasts she makes them which are virtuous to be vicious and of reasonable men beasts unreasonable whereunto may we impute the fault that some which have been meek and gentle as it often befalls by reason of ire and furiousness are changed from men as though it were into raging lions but to the enchanting circe

whereunto may we impute the fault that some which have been meek and gentle as it often befall'd by reason of ire and furiousness are chang'd from men as though it were into raging lions but to the enchanting circe the world what makes them which have been modest sober and temperate as we have many examples for their drunkenness and beastly intemperance most like unto the unclean and filthy hogs that enchanting circe the world

or takes our understandings from us by reason of pride and causes us shamefully to forget ourselves and our mortal state, that enchanting Circe the world.

to be sure this same enchanting circe the world changes even for the most part of them that have to do with her vile ornaments except it be some spiritual ulysses into mere brutes if you have respect to heavenly wisdom horace considering her enticing charms calls her riches and ornaments matter of great evil and counsels them which are loath to be wicked to hold them into the sea

let us therefore not sorrow for the lack or loss of riches or other worldly things that are so perilous but rather prepare ourselves partly to follow the counsel of horus though he were a heathen not in casting away of our goods if we have them but living as though we had them not and giving them away rather than that our souls which god hath dearly bought should be hurt by them

remembering that christ saith matthew five it is better to go to heaven having but one eye or one arm than to the fire of hell with two eyes or two arms it is better with poverty and affliction to be favoured of god than with wealth and prosperity to have his displeasure let the children of the world and the devil who is the prince of the world seek their wealth it is proper unto them and let them enjoy it let us which are of god seek and inquire for heavenly wealth which by god's promise shall be peculiar to us

let the cretians epicureans boeotians with such other barbarous and carnal people care for things that are pleasant for the body and pertain to this present transitory life let us which are or ought to be spiritual care for things which pertain to the spirit and life to come but i will return again to the gentiles for i began to declare with what things they were moved for the contempt of the world

there were others of them of the which sort i have named two or three before whom the desire of knowledge moved to despise worldly things utterly perceiving that it was hard and unfit for them having the use and abundance of temporal goods attentively to apply to their studies

in this point who does not see them to be commended above the more part of us christians who although our religion requires minds more alienated from the world and addicted to the contemplation of spiritual things yet our whole minds and strength are wholly intent to things that are vain and earthly scarcely believing the saying of christ no man can serve two masters god and the world matthew six

neither regarding the saying of st paul no man serving in the ways of god entangleth himself with worldly business to timothy too that is to say in my judgment no man is chiefly and wholly given to the purchasing and disposing of carnal and earthly things and also to the commandments wherein god requires our love with all our hearts minds and souls not bestowing any part of it on these temporal clouds and vain shadows matthew nineteen

it is a shame that the mere knowledge of natural and vile things should obtain of the gentiles what neither the knowledge of heavenly things neither the care of our souls nor the commandments nor the promises of god can obtain of us that are christian men

others of the gentiles in whose number was aristides who were moved with no hope of good things that should befall after this life yet they even for very virtue's sake only fancied not but neglected worldly wealth chiefly seeing it for the most part came to the most and naughty fellows while to the best and most virtuous came miseries and troubles the thing is partly declared by the answers of poverty and riches in aristotle's problem

it was asked of riches why he used to dwell with the worst holding the best as though they were disdained he answered that his mind was once to have tarried ever with them that were good but jupiter envying this his purpose put out his eyes and since he lost his sight it was ever his lot lightly to happen on the worst it was also asked of poverty why she did still visit the good men and pass by them that were wicked and naughty she answered that good men could tell how to entreat her

you shall read that such murderers as tantalus ambitious as croesus covetous persons as crassus sycophants as silicon had great abundance of wealth on the other part such just and good men as aristides cato urgesensis fabius maximus anaxagoras and plato were ever in great need and troubles indigence and afflictions

truly though scripture doth not provoke me yet charity partly moveth me to think that god had his elect even among the gentiles and that he would have them afflicted like as those which openly profess him many naughty fellows saith the greek poet callimachus are rich and wealthy the good miserable and poor but with these things we must not be moved the consideration of the thing was sufficient to set the mind of aristides at utter defiance with the world and his ornaments

Yet we, knowing by God's word, as by the twenty-first chapter of Job, by the thirtieth Psalm, by the twenty-second chapter of Jeremiah, that evil men do live wealthy, advanced, and comforted with all kinds of dainties, extolled as the cedars of Labanus, that all things do prosper with them, and their seed after them, on the other side that good men are afflicted, punished, and vexed,

yet had we rather be numbered among the wealthy and wicked and to be imitators of their sect than among the godly who by their patience and sorrows shall penetrate the heavens we had rather with wealthy nabal and his temporal pleasures descend to the devil than with poor christ and his temporal troubles ascend into the kingdom of god his father but it is said in scripture proverbs fourteen the extremity of joy is occupied with mourning

Once it shall repent us sorely, not without the singing of Lysimachus' song. King Lysimachus, by chance of wars, being taken by the Scythians in his captivity, was so suppressed with thirst that he was glad to sell his kingdom for a draught of drink. Afterwards, remembering for how short a pleasure he had sold the thing most precious, he cried out and wept, saying, Alas, how mad was I to sell a noble empire for the satisfying of my affection and greedy belly!

i fear it will be some of our end at the last to have the world in such estimation to sing likewise this sorrowful song o we miserable and brainless fools which would for vain pleasures and transitory wealth lose the royal kingdom of god with the eternal pleasures which he hath prepared for them that love him and renounce the world

than which world alas what is more vain man the best part of it is compared of scripture to the flower of grass the grass shall be withered and the flower shall fall down o happy souls which in all your afflictions have been faithful and constant to you the spring of the lord shall ever be flourishing and green

Woe be unto these false illusions of the world, baits of perdition, hooks of the devil, which have so shamefully deceived us and seduced us from the right path of the Lord, into the byways of confusion and briars of perpetual punishment, where our weeping shall never cease, nor the furies of our conscience shall ever wax old.

at the last friend urban seeing that as wealth and riches cause unquietness of mind so adverse fortune and poverty to a christian man's heart inferreth deep quietness seeing that as wealth stayeth and hindereth us from the contemplation of heavenly and spiritual things

so adversity taketh the stay and the hindrance away, seeing that, as the nature of worldly success is to make us to be numbered among the just, so is the nature of afflictions to induce us to the number of them that are good, godly, and virtuous. Let us love poverty and embrace afflictions, as things most expedient and necessary for us. Let us fear and beware of wealth, as a thing, except we have grace to use it, most deadly, devilish, and dangerous. End of section 2

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section three of a troubled man's medicine by william hugh this librivanque's recording is in the public domain an exhortation to flee to god in troubles and the comfort to be found in his word but thou wilt say perchance sir if you were in my case your mind would be troubled no less than mine i have wife and children a family which the law of nature and honesty binds me to nourish

i have neither money nor other goods to defend them besides that my body hath no such strength as is necessary for a needy and poor man i am chafed also with slanders and injuries as though these things before were nothing whom i pray you would not these things discourage and in manner make as a man desperate if the case be as thou sayest beware well and take diligent heed lest the devil use thee as he doth his and the children of damnation being in like anguish

beware he bring thee not to damnable mistrust neither let him lead thee to any unhonest crafts as theft perjury adultery murder deceit or such like for the unlawful augmenting of thy substance so making that which god hath offered thee as a mean whereby thou mightest rather approach unto him a mean to perdition and hell fire but if thou art in these miseries remember that they come not rashly but even of the lord

there is no evil saith the scripture befalls to thee or any other in the city which the lord hath not wrought amos three of the lord i say who as it is written in the third chapter of the apocalypse chastiseth all the children that he loveth whereby he may with a fatherly affection correct them while we are judged of the lord we are corrected lest we be condemned with them of this world

1 Corinthians 11. Remembering these things, let us in all our miseries comfort our hearts and say unto our heavenly Father, as did Crates to Fortune after his shipwreck, Crates after he had lost by shipwreck all that he had, said this with a merry cheer, Go to, Fortune, I know what thou meanest. I am sure thou dost intend none other but to call me to philosophy. Go to, I am well content to come thither as thou callest me.

even so say we to our heavenly father when we are afflicted go to most bountiful father i know what thou meanest i know thou dost none other but call me to repentance lo i come willingly thither as thou dost call me permit not the devil i say thine enemy to bring thee being needy and poor to desperation but flee from him lightly to god's word as to a more strong fortress

for there by reading and hearing the promises of god thou shalt be sufficiently armed against him read the sixth chapter of matthew where christ himself announceth these words to them which are his faithful i say unto you be not careful for your lives what you shall eat or what you shall drink nor yet for your bodies what you shall put on is not the life worth more than meat and the body more of value than raiment

behold the fowls of the air for they sow not neither reap nor yet carry into their barns yet your heavenly father feedeth them which of you though he took thought therefore could put one cubit to his stature why care ye then for raiment consider the lilies of the field how they do grow they labour not neither spin and yet for all that i say unto you that even solomon in all his royalty was not arrayed like unto one of these

wherefore if god so clothe the grass which is to-day in the field and to-morrow shall be cast into the furnace shall not he much more do the same for you o ye of little faith therefore take no thought saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewith shall we be clothed after all these things seek the gentiles for your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things but rather seek first the kingdom of god and the righteousness thereof and all these shall be ministered unto you

thus by promise made by the mouth of christ wherein never was found deceit nor guile we shall lack nothing if we are faithful that is necessary for us i have been young saith the prophet and i have waxed old yet i never saw the just left nor his seed begging their bread psalm thirty seven

cast thy cogitations on the lord and he shall nourish thee psalm fifty five be ye careful for no worldly thing but with prayer and obsecration let your petitions be known of god philippine for he that giveth seed to the sower shall give us both meat and drink to corinthians nine comfort we ourselves therefore believing these promises and never despairing utterly

but because we believe those things the better whereof we have proof i will bring examples whereby ye shall see that god both will and is able to perform so much for his faithful as he hath promised samson almost lost for thirst after the conflict that he had with the philistines prayed to god and found drink in an ass's jaws

Hagar, in the wilderness, despairing of her own life and her child's for lack of vittles, and with many salt tears laying the child far from her, lest her motherly eyes should see it die, was fed of God and comforted beyond her expectation. The poor woman of Sarepta, looking to die with her child, the day after the prophet came to her house, had her oil and meal so augmented that she lacked not till the time of plenty returned.

therefore wheresoever any lack happeneth be it of corn or such other necessaries despair we not calling to remembrance this example let us think with ourselves that god is able at all times to increase our corn lying in the barn growing in the field being bread in the oven yea or in thy mouth at his pleasure as well as he did the oil or meal of the woman of serapta or the oil of the debtors wife by his prophet elisha

but if it so befall that no hope be left of our temporal nourishment yet have we no just cause to despair remembering that scripture saith man doth not only live in bread but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of god the omnipotent god did use armour and weapons yet not necessarily as instruments by the which he gave to his people israel many victories yet his power alone was the chiefest author of the same

so though he use meats and drinks as means whereby he nourishes us yet the principal cause of our sustenation is his virtue and godly power and as he often gave victories to the israelites their hands and weapons not moved at all so hath he also fed and can do so again his faithful though worldly meat and drink are not utterly ministered

a better proof needs not than the example of moses and elijah whom he sustained with his heavenly power the space of forty days without the ministration of any worldly feeding therefore as david said my sword shall not save me neither yet will i trust in my bow

So say we, our meats and drinks shall not save us, neither will we trust in worldly things, for the power of God sustaineth us, and in him will we trust, by whom all things do consist, Colossians 1, who sustaineth all things with the word of his power, Hebrews 1, who openeth his hand and filleth every beast with his blessing, Psalm 145, whose hand being open, all things are filled with goodness,

Psalm 104

Psalm 136. Psalm 147. Romans 11.

if ye have respect to the foregoing examples ye shall perceive that the lord after he hath brought us even to the extremity as the psalmist saith can and will if it be expedient deliver us not only from hunger and thirst but from all other miseries harms and adversities from persecution and drowning from fire and our enemies from sickness slanders and death

who delivered david so often unjustly persecuted from the bloody hands of saul or the three children thrust into the hot furnace from burning noah from drowning lot from the vengeance that lighted on sodom and gomorrah daniel from the hungry mouths of the lions the israelites from the egyptians their enemies from servitude and intolerable bondage joseph from slanders peter from his bands and imprisonment who restored so many lepers to cleanness amongst the jews

peter's mother-in-law from her ague to health so many lame to their limbs so many blind to their sight was it not the mighty hand of god which is not yet shortened neither weakened but as strong as ever it was

and though it please him to defer our deliverance as it befell to joseph and to israel when oppressed with the egyptians whereby his glory may be more clearly shown yet let us think none other but he hath both power and will to help and save us from all miseries whatsoever they are if it stand with our soul's health and his glory if it do not he will not if he love us if he will not let us take it in good worth and conform our wills to his

playing the part of a wise patient, who would be glad to have his disease and the cause thereof expelled by keeping a hard diet, and receiving of bitter medicines for a month, and no longer if it might be. But, in case his sickness cannot be healed, except he use those bitter medicines and hard diet a whole year, he will rather do so in hope of health afterward, than by refusing them be sick all the days of his life."

even so if our souls cannot be clear of such diseases and botches as shall displease the eyes of god except we use adversities so long as we live as spiritual medicines ministered to us by god let us be well contented in hope that we shall after this life which is but a year or rather but a minute of an hour in comparison of the time that is to come have health everlasting no more in danger of any maladies

Therefore, in such prayers as we make in our afflictions, let us follow the example of David, who in his most troubled said, If it please the Lord, he will deliver me. But if he say, Thou dost not please me, I am ready and willing. Follow we the example of our Master Christ, who said in his prayer that he made a little before his death, Father, if it be possible that I may escape this passion, howbeit not as I will, but as thou wilt. Let us behave ourselves in our afflictions, as did the three children threatened of Nebuchadnezzar.

the lord say they that we worship can deliver us from the fire if it please him but if it please him not be it known to thee o king that we will not worship thy gods neither thy image made of gold learn we also the lesson taught us in the lord's prayer o father thy will be fulfilled

and if our carnal affections at any time will rise against us, stirred up of the flesh and the devil our enemies, upbraiding us and endeavouring to shame us with our afflictions, to make us blaspheme God, as though he had forgotten us, make we answer to them as Aristides did to his countrymen when they upbraided him with poverty, cease to object my poverty and afflictions against me, which are uncomely and unpleasant only for them unto whom they befall against their wills,

I, counting myself no better than my Master Christ, am well content and pleased with them.

or if the same pricks and goads of the devil affections i mean will at any time move us to that which is not godly nor honest for advantage or money's sake for preferment health of the body or any other commodity or comfort whereof we seem to have need let us make answer to them as did marcus curius to the samnites offering him money marcus curius was once a man of much nobility riches and renown among the romans

albeit at the length as at fortune he became a very poor man insomuch that his meat for the most part was only roots cold herbs and warts it chanced that the ambassadors of the samnites then being at rome and hearing of his poverty whom they had known once to be famous and wealthy came to his house to visit him where they found him in a poor chamber poorly arrayed and seething coal-worts for his dinner

They, after much communication about to depart, gently offered to give him money, the which he refused disdainfully with these words, Keep the money to yourselves, you Samnites, for he that can be content with such apparel and such fare hath no need of it. Even so say we to our affections, ambassadors of the devil and the world, let the world keep his goods and his prosperous things himself, for he that can be content to live as did his master Christ hath no need of them.

but what need these profane examples seeing that we have better in holy scripture let us answer them as job did his friends although the lord kill me yet i will hope in him still though it please god so extremely to punish us even to the end of our lives as he did lazarus with hunger cold and lack of lodging boils blotches and grievous sickness yet we are not discouraged calling to remembrance this his promise he that will persevere even to the end shall be saved

"'I am sure if Lazarus were here again, knowing so much as he knoweth, though a hundred times as many evils should vex his body as did once, yet he would not be grieved therewith. Let our strength be, as Isaiah saith, in hope and silence. Whatsoever chance, be we quiet and keep silence, even as our master did, being as a sheep before the shearer, or led towards the slaughterhouse, when the Jews buffeted him and spat in his face.'

he that committeth himself to god saith scripture keepeth silence him that keepeth silence doth god so beat that he may amend him so cast him down that he may raise him so slayeth him that he may make him alive let us therefore be cheerful looking for the lord whose coming doubtless shall come and will not tarry

but what should i say will come who hath promised to be with us still even to the end of the world who as scripture witnesseth when all our friends father and mother forsake us he receiveth us neither will ever leave us fatherless and motherless for such is his promise but be with us continually in all our troubles and at the last as he did lazarus with others of his sort clearly deliver us in the mean space do we feed ourselves joyfully with hope

the proverb saith meaning of worldly things hope nourisheth outlaws much more should the hope of christ's promises nourish us for the hope of worldly things is fallible but the hope of god's promises cannot be deceived neither shall it ever shame us i have hoped in thee o lord saith david and i shall never be confounded

moreover let us comfort ourselves considering that the man itself is the immortal soul the body is but a case after the mind of socrates a house or a prison rather as paul nameth it and the man itself is no better for corporeal commodities neither the worse for corporeal incommodities

but by the judgment of holy chrysostom like as a horse is nothing the better for his golden bridle silver saddle precious trappings or other ornaments but for his swiftness pace and strength no more is our interior man for riches wealth health of the body liberty or other like but for the virtue of the mind and grace of god

wherefore if we be never the better for riches let us not fear poverty nor for health let us not fear sickness nor for good name let us not fear slanderers nor for liberty let us not fear bondage nor for this common life let us not fear death we are better saith chrysostom for the virtue of the mind which is to think uprightly of god and to live justly among men

all the other exterior things may be plucked away from us this cannot no not by the devil except we ourselves willingly consent the devil although he took from job all his goods whereby he might provoke him to blaspheme god although he took his health to slack the constancy of his mind his children to make him speak evil of the godhead yet could he never take this from him but in withdrawing all worldly things he heaped up the great riches of virtue of the love and favour of god through patience

Job was hurt of the devil and of his afflictions, as when Prometheus was of his enemy. Prometheus was a man that had a great swelling in his back, deforming his person very much. It befell that his enemy, falling out with him, thrust a dagger into the same deformed place. That done, he departed, thinking that he had slain him. Albeit Prometheus had done so little harm by his wound, that whereas his back could be cured before with no physic or surgery, then it was made whole.

So he received commodity and health of him that intended his destruction and death. Likewise truly it befell to Job, if the thing be advisedly pondered. Suffer me, I pray you, to speak this by the way, seeing that Job, for all these cruel torments of the devil, for all these misfortunes and punishments, was never much the worse, who had not yet received the law, neither the redemption of Christ, nor the grace of his resurrection. Much less should we, who are weaponed with all these things, with like evils be harmed."

What were the apostles worth for their hunger, thirst, and nakedness? Lazarus for his botches, poverty, and sickness, Joseph for his slanders, Abel for the cruel death he suffered. Were they not more noble and excellent for these among men, and prepared they not for themselves through these crowns of glory with God? Therefore let us ever be joyful in Christ, and care for no worldly miseries, for lack or loss of goods, for slanders or imprisonment, for sickness, banishment, or death.

but if it befall that all our goods are taken from us let us say with job and without sorrow naked we came into the world and naked we shall go hence if we are slandered put we the saying of the lord before our eyes cursed are you when men speak well by you be you glad and rejoice when they reject your name if we are banished remember that we have no dwelling-place here but look for one that is to come

if we fall into great sickness use that saying of the apostle though this our exterior man be corrupted yet the interior is daily renewed art thou shut in prison and hangeth cruel death over thy head set before thee john beheaded and so great a prophet's head given in reward of pleasure to a dancing wench hast thou notably offended and therefore in thy conscience art thou troubled with the despair of god's mercy

for the avoiding of this spiritual trouble think with thyself that thy heavenly father doth sweetly expostulate with thee after this sort what now my dear child why ceaseth not thy spirit at the last to be afflicted why dost thou unwisely derogate from the multitude of my mercies whom dost thou think that i am phalaris the tyrant manlius sir lucas or some cruel scythian or else of mercies the father and of all consolation the god long-suffering and of much mercy

art thou not taught by my son jesus to call me thy father have not i promised that i would be thy father by my prophet jeremiah and that thou shouldst be my son why dost thou not therefore ask me forgiveness hoping well for pardon

Who is it of you, although ye are evil, who will not forgive his son, acknowledging his faults, being suppliant, desiring pardon, and promising amendment, notwithstanding he hath provoked him to ire a hundred times? And thinkest thou that I, which am the Father of mercies, of whom all fatherliness in heaven and earth is named, Ephesians 3, who possesses the riches of goodness, patience, and longsuffering, not to be ready to forgive my children truly repenting?

Be of good comfort, my child, be of good comfort, mistrusting not my mercy, which surpasses not only man's mercy, how great soever it be, but all mine own works. Also judgment without mercy shall they feel, whose hearts are obdurate, hardened, and will not repent, who delight still in their sins, and will never leave their wickedness, who contemn my words, and trust me not. From them, indeed, health must needs be far away. Psalm 119.

but as for thee repent and the kingdom of heaven shall draw nigh matthew three trust and thy faith shall save thee matthew nine i would have all men to be saved and no man to perish one timothy too my fashion is ever to recreate thinking lest he perish utterly which is abject or cast down it is not my will believe me that one of these my little ones be cast away matthew eighteen whom i ever loved so well that i would vouchsafe to give my only son for them john three

but thy trespasses are great wherefore thou art not lightly persuaded to trust in my mercy christ jesus came into the world to save sinners one timothy one he came to call sinners and not the just and to save that which was lost matthew nine i know that thou an offender shouldst offend and as a transgressor i call thee from thy mother's womb yet for my name's sake will i make my fury afar off

isaiah forty three thy good works can be of no such perfection that they may be able to save thee nor can thy evil works so that you repent with a full purpose to renew thy life hold thee into the hell-fire

for i am i am which put away thine iniquities for mine own sake and thy sins will not i remember as i forty three i am dear son i am which put away thy sins for myself for myself and will give my glory to none other as i forty eight suppose thy sins to be as red as scarlet they shall be made as white as snow as i one

which i have scattered as clouds and as a mist have i dispersed them turn to me i say for i have redeemed thee i have redeemed thee which have pity upon all men and for repentance behold not men's sins i would thou shouldst know that i thy lord am meek and gentle neither can i turn my face from thee so that thou wilt return to me

it is commonly said that if a man dismiss his wife and she departing marries another husband shall he return to her any more shall not she be as a polluted and a defiled woman thou hast sinned with many lovers jeremiah three yet for all that i am ready to return to thee so that thou wilt return to me

Such is my facility, so gentle I am, such is my benignity, so great is my mercy, which thy most loving brother and advocate Christ, that washed thee from thy sins in his blood, hath purchased, continually praying for thee. Hast thou not heard how merciful I showed myself to David, to the Ninevites, and to Ahab, to Magdalene, to the thief, to the publican, and others innumerable?

why dost thou not open the examples of them as a table or glass wherein thou mayest well learn how execrable i am how ready and willing to forgive consider with thyself how heinous faults i have pardoned them go to therefore be of a good cheer lift up thine eyes mistrust me no longer turn to me and thou shalt be saved commend thy spirit into my hands and the prince of this world shall have nothing to do with thee for by me the god of truth thou art truly redeemed isaiah forty five

whensoever deadly despair shall trouble thy conscience set this oration before thine eyes which is nothing else indeed but god's own word written by his most holy prophets and apostles finally thou art so tossed and troubled that it should seem that god had wholly forgotten thee

Read the forty-ninth of Isaiah, where thou shalt find these words, Zion said, he meaneth God's elect, The Lord hath left me, and the Lord hath also forgotten me. Can the mother forget her infant, and not pity the child she hath brought forth? But whether she can or no, I cannot, O Zion, forget thee. Alas, how should he forget them that believe in him, with whom, as it seemeth by his own words, he suffereth?

whatsoever is done to one of these little ones which believe in me the same is done unto me matthew twenty five he that toucheth you toucheth the very ball of mine eye zechariah two and this should be no little consolation to the faithful seeing that they have god himself as companion and partaker of their sorrows for all our afflictions and griefs of the mind let us require remedies of god's word which without fail can mitigate all pains that occupy the hearts of them which believe in him

wherefore it is not vain that christ saith in the gospel come unto me all ye that labour and are laden and i shall refresh you neither without a cause that david who had oft experience of the comfort received of god's word said this how sweet are thy words o lord to my mouth more delighting my taste than the honeycomb psalm nineteen whatsoever is written it is written for our learning that by patience and comfort of the scriptures we may have hope romans fifteen

by this you may gather that our comfort is to be required of scripture believe me though the most heinous waves and tempests of the sea the world are raised up threatening drowning to peter's ship yet if it be fastened with the anchor of god's word well they may move it but overwhelm it they cannot and among all other things let us have in mind those scriptures wherein we are ascertained that our bodies after this common death shall rise again wonderfully glorified by the same power that formed them first

Those also wherein is promised the eternal felicity, that shall be given to all them who, after the example of Christ, suffer adversities, and overcome the devil and the world with theirs, for they shall abundantly comfort the believing people. Lo, saith the Lord, mentioning the resurrection and renewing of our bodies, I will put breath into you, and you shall be quickened. I will give you sinews, and cover you with flesh and skin. I will put into you a spirit, and you shall live, and know that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 37.

we look for jesus christ our saviour who shall transfigure our vile bodies and conform them to his glorious body by the same virtue wherewith he is able to subdue all things philippines three

doubtless like as a grain of wheat sown in the ground is first putrefied and brought as into a thing of naught yet after that springeth up freshly with a goodlier form than it had before so man's body sown in the ground after this temporal life is first corrupted and in manner brought to nothing yet at the last by his power which did create all things of nothing it shall rise again with a form of much more excellency than ever was the first

though this thing be wonderful yet incredible it is not for he that was able to make all the world with his creatures of nothing must needs be able to make our bodies again of something for the matter of our bodies shall ever remain in grass worms dust stones or some other form even to the last day

and then surely even as lazarus and christ of whom we are members and therefore musnids at the last rise with him being our head were resuscitated from their sleep so i may call this corporal death in like case shall the bodies of all men arise some into the resurrection of judgment some of life

but this word sleep friend urban brings me in remembrance of a question which you moved me at our last being together and forasmuch as i could not then for lack of opportunity conveniently give you an answer by these letters you shall know my mind howbeit very briefly for i purposed to defer the reasoning of the matter to our next meeting your question was whether that the soul of man after this temporal death sleepeth as doth the body void both of pain and pleasure unto the day of judgment or no

I answer that it is as much against the nature of the soul to sleep as it is against the nature of the sun to be a dark body, or the fire to be without heat.

the soul of man being a heavenly spirit is so lively and constant so strong and vigilant a substance that naturally it cannot but perpetually persevere in operation for of its own nature it is a very operation and motion itself which never ceaseth but like as the sun which way soever he is moved shineth and inflameth so the soul of man whithersoever it is brought liveth and moveth continually

yea and though the body which of nature is gross and drowsy is oppressed with sleep yet the soul is still occupied in the memory in the understanding or in other of the more excellent powers as by dreams every man may see much less can it sleep when it is wholly delivered from the sluggish body therefore as the body sleepeth so the soul cannot forasmuch as it is a substance accommodated to continual moving and cannot be weary

truly the error of those is great who persuade themselves that the soul separate from the body shall sleep unto the last day and this error is old and was confuted by origen and others of his time neither was it ever since received in the church and to such time as a pestilent kind of men whose madness is execrable brought it of late days into the world again but as all others of their opinions are perverse abhorrent from the truth and devilish so is this

declaring its patrons not to be taught in christ's school but in gallants rather who affirm the death of the soul necessary to follow the death of the body leaving these vain fantasies let us give ear to god's word it is written ecclesiastes twelve the dust shall return to his earth from whence it came and the spirit to god which gave it where i hope it shall be so far from death and sleep that it shall live delighted with joys unspeakable

he that heareth my word saith christ and believeth in him which sent me hath life everlasting and he shall not come into condemnation but he shall pass from death to life john five mark that he saith not from death to sleep but from death to life the parable in the sixteenth chapter of luke doth well prove their false opinion where it is written that lazarus after his death used joy and gladness on the other part that the rich glutton was grieved and tormented

if the souls of men should sleep neither should any joy have been attributed to lazarus nor punishment to the glutton what will they say to these words which christ spoke to the thief this day thou shalt be with me in paradise will they make us believe that paradise is a dormitory or a place to sleep in in case it be a man would think that christ is or was once asleep therein for he saith thou shalt be with me in paradise

St. Paul was rapt, 2 Corinthians 12, into Paradise, and there heard words which a man may not lawfully speak. These words he heard not with the ears of his body, for it lay prostrate on the ground. Acts 9, but of the soul, which part of Paul was ravished into Paradise, where he did hear and see mysteries. Therefore I cannot believe that Paradise is a sleeping place, seeing that Paul was so occupied there in hearing of secret things."

moreover whereas st paul desired to die and to be with christ methinks he should rather have wished for the prolongation of his life if the soul should continually sleep to the last day for in this world after a sort we have the fruition of god as though it were by a glass as st paul himself teaches but after this life if these opinions be true we shall have no fruition of god at all except it be through dreams until the day of judgment

therefore st paul's wish if we credit these antichrists must seem to be foolish the lord saith that he is the god of abraham the god of isaac the god of jacob nor the god of the dead but of the living betwixt the dead and these men's sleepers i see no difference if saul had been taught by any of the old prophets that the souls of men should sleep he would not have gone about so busily to have raised up samuel

therefore i say believe not these false deceivers who endeavour not only to persuade the sleep of souls but also to make vain the resurrection of the dead and so to abolish an article of our faith and to make our religion vain

and hereafter when you shall read or hear any such scriptures as is a part of one thessalonians four where is mentioned the sleep of the dead ascribe it to the bodies which indeed shall sleep to the day of judgment and then shall arise again the souls joined to them and awake from their sleep undoubtedly therefore saith job i know that my redeemer doth live and in the last day i shall rise from the oath and in my flesh shall see my saviour job

O that happy and joyful last day, at the least, to the faithful, when Christ by his covenant shall grant unto them which shall overcome and keep his works even to the end, that they may ascend and sit in seats with him, as he hath ascended and sitteth in the throne with his Father, Revelation 2 and 3, where sorrow shall be turned into gladness that no man shall take from them. Then, as Isaiah writeth, they which are redeemed shall return and come unto Zion, praising the Lord, and eternal joy shall be over their heads.

they shall obtain mirth and solace sorrow and wailing shall be utterly vanquished then the sun shall no more give them light nor the moon disperse the darkness for them but the lord our god shall be their light and comfort continually then doubt ye not if we are only constant here in the love and faith of god we shall have for earthly poverty heavenly riches for hunger and thirst satiety of the pleasant presence of god for bondage liberty for sickness health for death life everlasting

"'For this time, friend Urban, I shall desire you to take this poor letter, "'howsoever it be in good worth, and hereafter, "'if it shall please God to call me to a more quiet living, "'as he know I am yet compelled necessarily to bestow in manner all my time "'and study in teaching of young scholars, "'I will write to you more largely of this argument, "'and, per adventure, guard the author of all good things giving me grace, "'more learnedly, then fare you well, at Oxford, the fifteenth day of March.'

End of section 3

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Section 4 of The Troubled Man's Medicine by William Hugh. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Extract from the dedication.

in the dedication to lady denny the author says i was bold to dedicate this little book unto your gentleness which book for that purpose i have written that men might learn to die patiently to leave the world willingly and to go unto christ gladly how necessary such a thing is among the people albeit i would wish that one or other should take the matter in hand that can handle it more wisely and learnedly than i have done here

they which have been at the point of death or they that have searched the consciences of men being about to die can best express the devil doubtless which at all times is busied and earnestly occupied in seeking the destruction of man's soul in the day of death showeth his diligence most now bringing a man in love with the world and his commodities provoking him to hate death and to resist as much as lieth in him the will of god

now leading him to despair, to the mistrust of God's promises, and impatience. Is it not needful, then, to have something written and ready, especially among the unlearned, whereby they may learn to despise death, to contend the world, to obey the will of God, whereby they may be reduced from murmuring, to patience, from despair and mistrust, to a firm and constant faith in the promises of God?"

whether this book shall perform so much or no i cannot tell yet thus much i dare say that he which heareth or readeth it with a mind and purpose to learn the said things shall not utterly lose his labour

"'The occasion why I write this book declamation-wise is this. "'It happened to me not long ago to visit a friend lying on his deathbed, "'whom, after my poor knowledge and learning, I exhorted to die Christianly. "'His friends that were then present, in a while after, "'earnestly required me to write the same exhortation, "'even as I had pronounced it unto the sick, "'declaring that so it should most move the readers, "'hearers and such as should need like consolation.'

I, thinking no less with myself, was content herein to satisfy their requests. The thing written I determined to give to your ladyship, not for that I thought so slender and simple a thing worthy of your worship, but that I might, as I said before, show some argument of a thankful mind. This I beseech your ladyship, howsoever it be, take in good worth, not looking so much to the smallness of the gift as unto the mind of the giver thereof." End of section 4

Section 5 of The Troubled Man's Medicine by William Hugh. This LibriVonc's recording is in the public domain. Addressed to one whose sickness is thought to be unto death. By certain arguments a man may easily conjecture, dearly beloved, that the last sleep, which to a true Christian of all sleeps ought to be most pleasant, by little and little creepeth upon your mortal limbs.

if my judgment deceive me not you ere it be long shall walk the same way which for the crimes of our first father adam must needs be trodden of all his posterity of all i say the escape or evasion of death being granted to no man wherefore you ought the less to be grieved scripture saith all we shall die and as water shall slide into the ground to samuel fourteen like as there is one entrance for every man into this present life so one passage and departure

therefore we are admonished in the book of wisdom not to fear the judgment of death but rather to remember things that have happened before our time and those which shall succeed that is to say that none of our progenitors could ever escape the blow of death neither shall any of our posterity

in genesis three we are admonished that we are dust and into dust we shall return by reason of death which for the fault and disobedience of our first-formed parent with his inevitable dart striketh and deadly woundeth all men he woundeth mortally not the wretched only the needy and miserable but the fortunate also the wealthy and the noble romans five

yea kings rulers and the richest emperors which in power and dignity riches renown and glory excel and in their time rule the world according as they list not the unlearned only the rude and barbarous but those also who in learning and manners are most instructed

not the overcome and careful captives but also the puritan conquerors themselves alexander a king most victorious by whose power and furious wars asia with europe was manfully subdued no man being able to resist him could find no weapon to conquer death the notable wisdom of solomon the deep learning of aristotle or of galen could not by any means avoid death

Tully's eloquence could not move him, the riches of Crassus could not corrupt him, he favoured not the beauty of fair Absalom, neither spared he the strength of strong Samson.

one night saith the poet tarrieth for every body and the way of death must once be trodden of all men like as all the stars that come from the east though they are ever so goodly and bright yet at the last they go to the west and there according to the diversity of their circles some slowly some speedily withdraw themselves out of our sight

even so all men which come from the east that is to say their nativity are born into the world although they glister and shine here for a season yet at the last they must needs some sooner some later according to the duration which they have received of god fall in the west of death depart and withdraw themselves from the sight of men therefore the wise man simonides at such a time as pausanias a noble captain desired to learn some good and fruitful lesson made him remember that he was mortal

therefore also philip the king of macedonia wallowing in worldly wealth and prosperity commanded his chamberlain that he should every day at his uprising sadly repeat these words remember king philip and forget not that thou art a man to mortality's subject all flesh is grass and every man is the flower of grass the grass shall be withered and the flower shall be dried away as i

the man saith job that is born of a woman liveth but a short time replenished with many miseries fadeth as a flower and is worn away vanishing as a shadow wherefore not without a cause the life of man is compared of lucian to a bubble in the water of pindar to the shadow of a dream of aeschylus to the shadow of vain smoke truly if death should chance but to a few and to the unluckiest we should seem to have a just cause heavily to take death as i think you partly do

but seeing that he doth as well knock at the rich man's door as at the poor at the happy man's door as at the unhappy at the strong man's door as at the weak at the king's towers as at the shepherd's cots why should we not take well a thing importing such necessity how unreasonable is it for a man to take heavily his death more than his birth

considering that the one is appointed for man as well as the other the one as common as the other the one as necessary as the other and of them both death is the better in being sorry to die we shall seem to lament in that our lot is mortal and that we are not angels or equal with god which is a great point of foolishness mixed with impiety

if we are troubled with such as are calamities indeed to have two or three companions we count in a manner a comfort sufficient much more should we be comforted as touching death seeing that we have not two or three but all men of what estate or degree soever they are of as companions and partakers of the same yea even the very saints themselves and those that were highly favoured of god

moses who was admitted to the secrets and mysteries of god died david whom god pronounced to be a man after his heart's desire died john the evangelist most tenderly beloved of his master died john baptist than whom by the sentence of christ none greater hath risen among the children of men died

and not saints only but the dearly beloved son of god christ being both god and man a lamb most innocent and without spot that he might pay our ransom deliver sinful wretches from thralldom and pacify his father's wrath was content to die the most ignominious death of the cross and shall we sinners that were begotten in sin born in sin and have lived in sin all the days of our lives be aggrieved to put off these our vile and sinful bodies

Christ, when he was in the shape of God, and thought it no robbery to be equal with God, made himself of no reputation, taking upon him the shape of a servant, and became like another man, and in apparel was found as a man, humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, that he might advance us to the kingdom of his Father, and shall we, being but worms, dust, and clay, be loath to die, whereby we may enjoy the same advancement.

cicergambus the mother of darius king of posia for the very love she bare towards alexander forasmuch as he used her somewhat gently in her captivity was wondrous willing by death to follow him after his decease and shall we christians be sorry to follow christ who in captivity hath retained us well and not evil but boasting utterly all his bands hath clearly delivered us

cicer gambus vehemently desired to follow alexander who was her enemy indeed more than her friend and shall we be unwilling to follow christ who is our friend most faithful and assured she desired to follow him which made her poor and shall not we covet to follow christ who hath impoverished himself to make us rich

She was content to follow him that made her of a free woman and a queen, a bond-handmaid, and shall we by our wills refuse to follow Christ, who hath made us of vile slaves and beggarly captives, free men and kings? She would needs follow Alexander, although she could not tell where to find him, nor in his presence how to be entreated, and shall we be loath to follow Christ, whom we know certainly to be at the right hand of his father?'

"'where we shall be sure if we die faithful to find him "'and forever to dwell with him with most gentle entertainment.'

she would follow him that did not look call nor send for her and shall not we willingly follow christ when his pleasure shall be to call for us christ i say our lord and our god our life as it is written and the length of our days calleth us and forasmuch as the days of men are determined of god as job saith job fourteen we may not ascribe our death to the stars or destiny but unto the calling of god in whom we live move and be of whom cometh both death and life

who hath appointed our terms that we cannot pass with whom is the number of our months without whom a hair cannot fall on the ground from our heads much less the whole bodies matthew ten for he that worketh all things for himself hath power both of death and life i can much commend the common people forasmuch as they seem to imitate st cyprian in using this phrase when it shall please god to call me to his mercy and such like

wherein they declare themselves not to be of their opinion who think that men are not cared for nor governed of god but that all things do chance even by very fortune which opinion if it were true god should either be ignorant of many things or else abhorrent from his creatures and therefore should he seem either not true or not good

But, this matter being left, I will return to my purpose, seeing that it is appointed for all men to die when it shall please God to call them, let us be content joyfully to depart thither, and when our heavenly and most bountiful Father shall call us, remembering ever that we ought to work not our own wills but the will of God, according to the prayer that we customably use by the command of Christ."

how preposterous and perverse is it to desire that the will of god may be fulfilled in heaven and in earth and yet when he willeth us to depart from this world that we should by our wills resist him and like untoward and stubborn servants are rather drawn with the bands of necessity than with love or obedience due to the will of god there is none of us but we will wish deliverance from this egypt with its captivity and troubles and dwell with god in the land of promise where is all joy and quietness

yet after that god hath brought us even to the gate of the said land for as the course of our life is a race toward death so death is the gate of everlasting life we are loath to enter in by it we would gladly be honoured with heavenly rewards but we are unwilling to go where they are what should we pray so oft let the kingdom of heaven come if we are so much delighted with earthly bondage

why do we pray that the day of the kingdom may be hastened if we are more desirous here to serve the devil than to reign in heaven with christ but let us break our own wayward wills conforming them to the will of god showing ourselves willing at all times to pay that we owe

what other thing is it to die than to pay such things as were for a time liberally lent us what honest heart will not and that willingly at the least if ability fail not pay again money to him who gently did lend it at his need whensoever it shall be required and shall we hesitate to pay to the earth the mother of us all our bodies of whom we borrowed them and our souls to god our father who bountifully did lend them

god forbid no we ought to be much more ready to pay our souls to god than the debtor to pay his money for of the payment of the money few or no commodities ensue but after the paying of our souls to god innumerable pleasures and infinite commodities succeed

for then at length they are happily brought from darkness to light from fear to security from travail to quietness from a thousand dangerous rocks and waves into a sure haven from the use of vain vile filthy and transitory things to the fruition of the eternal deity of god what christian man will not be glad of such an exchange what loving child will not heartily covet deliverance from the misery bondage and tyranny of this world and to dwell with his most merciful father in heaven

O blindness, what cause have we, I pray you, to hate death, by whose means we are made of bondmen free, of strangers' home-dwellers, of beasts like unto angels?'

If that great ruler happen to call any of us to a king's or emperor's court promising to do for us, to set us out with temporal riches, to endue us with worldly possessions, we think ourselves very fortunate. And when God, the ruler of all rulers and king of all kings, shall call us to his court and give us inheritance and possessions not in earth but in heaven which are constant, and

and shall never be taken from us by storms or tempests by craft or subtlety of the law by oppression or tyranny by death the devil or sin shall we think ourselves unfortunate no truly if we are well in our senses but rather count that time whensoever it shall come of all times to be the most happy forasmuch as then the kingdom of god the reward of life the joy of eternal health perpetual gladness possession of paradise that was once lost are even at hand

Then for earthly things heavenly, for little things great, for transitory things eternal, shall take place. Who then, I pray you, will fear death, but he that hath no faith, that lacketh hope, that would not go to Christ, and believeth not that he beginneth then to reign with Christ, when he beginneth to leave this world? Or that we had a spark of the grace and faith that Simeon had, who being a just and faithful man was assured by a godly responsion, that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not go to Christ, but that he would not

that he should not die before he had seen christ whom after that he had seen in the temple and known in spirit he knew certainly that he should shortly be called of god and die therefore being marvellous glad took the child in his arms and blessing god cried out and said now dismiss thy servant o lord according to thy word in peace for mine eyes have seen thy saving health

here did simeon prove and testify that free tranquillity true peace and firm security do happen to the servants of god when they are drawn from this troublesome world and brought to the gate of the everlasting mansion peradventure you will say unto me sir as for simeon i cannot blame him though he was well content to die forasmuch as he was a man of a great age and as they say commonly even at the pitt's bank

i am but a young man i might have lived yet many years with no small comfort of my friends by the common course my time was not yet come i grant indeed you are a man of no great age but what day i pray you can we appoint for any man's death every day may be a last day if it stand with the pleasure of god

we see that some die in their birth some in their cradles some in the flower of their age some in their old age some when they are rich other some when they are poor so that we may plainly understand that god doth give to every man his life upon that condition that he surrender it again whensoever it shall please him to require it but among all others saith the greek poet

Most happy are they and best beloved of God that die when they are young, which saying, as it is very wise, so it is very true, and yet a man may easily perceive it, if he have respect to the spiritual evils and temporal incommodities that occupy this life, for they commonly depart not yet infected with so much malice, entangled with so much vice, corrupted with so much wickedness as their elders, not yet so far separated from God by reason of sin and made members utterly and limbs of the devil."

it befalls for the most that men after they come to a ripe and complete age are wholly drawn from god from virtue from simplicity and integrity of life to sin wickedness and ungodly living

the rich by injurious handling the poor by oppression engurgitation and filthy incontinency the poor by picking lying desperation and blaspheming the name of god i speak of many but not of all the worldly wise by craft deceit and subtlety the learned oft by heresy ambition and devilish doctrines

I will not speak of envy, malice, rancour, and adultery, which, at ripe age, increase in growing, and, as Scylla and Cobodrus, hold the greatest part of men into the horrible sea of perdition. The Holy Ghost teacheth by Solomon that they which please God best are quickly and speedily taken from this world, lest they should be polluted with the wickedness of the same. He was taken away, saith he, lest malice should change his understanding, for his soul did please God, and he hath made haste to bring him from the midst of iniquity."

enoch pleased god and he was not found afterward for god had taken him away therefore to please god is to be counted worthy of him to be delivered from this world and to be brought thither as the devout soul of the prophet coveted to come saying how dearly beloved are thy habitations o god of virtues my soul desireth and maketh haste to thy halls psalm eighty four those trees are not best that are most durable but those of whom doth spring most profitable fruit

neither are those songs most commendable that are longest but that most delight the ears of men even so the longest life is not chiefest but that which is most virtuous and least defaced with vice let us further ponder these temporal displeasures and incommodities and then judge whether death when or in what age soever it befalls is better than life according to the words of ezekiel or not consider of what calamities chances miseries and perils men are in danger

no man living is happy on every part no man is utterly content with his lot whether that reason or chance as saith horace hath offered it unto him therefore no man according to solon's words is happy indeed before he is buried for this cause socrates with others of his sect desired ever desirously to die esteeming death not to be miserable but the end of all miseries not troublous but the end of all troubles

better saith ezekiel is death than life and eternal rest than continual sorrows for every part of this life doubtless is replenished with unpleasantness full of sorrow unquieted with cares troublesome and vexed with diseases what trade of life soever a man shall follow saith crates he shall be sure to find bitterness therein

in the fields are labours at home cares in a strange country fear if a man have aught in the sea fear with jeopardies in youth foolishness in age feebleness in marriage unquietness in lacking a wife solitariness if a man have children he hath care if he have none he is half maimed so that one of these two saith he is to be wished either not to be born or quickly to die

the wretchedness of this world hath compelled even the holiest men being wearied therewith to wish for death jonah in his travail said that it was better for him to die than to live elias in his lifetime often coveted and not unadvisedly to yield up the ghost neither can i see any cause why all of us who have any hope of another life to come should not wish for the same thing seeing that no man liveth who laboureth not under the want both of spiritual and temporal things

though a man have ever so much excellency in honours abundance in riches delight in pleasures nothing can satisfy him truly or bring asleep his desires appetites and insatiable lusts no more than the daughters of danaus can fill their bottomless tubs is it not better therefore to change this life to leave this strange country and go where is all excellency of honours abundance of all good things where perpetual pleasures shall ever be in thy right hand even to the end

where thy divinity shall be seen loved and reserved for ever death of itself indeed is somewhat formidable and the way to death as saith the philosopher is painful yet if we consider the premises and that death is nothing else but a gate whereby men enter into life we shall see it to be amiable and much to be embraced

i marvel what evil spirit hath subblinded and bewitched the minds of men and made them mad so shamefully doting forasmuch as they can persuade themselves to be best here to live still in these rotten tents open to all sharp winds and bitter storms in these ruinous houses in these stinking prisons i mean our bodies and to hate death as it were a venomous and poisonous serpent

seeing it is so friendly a thing inferring a great sea of commodities and pleasures seeing it is and only it the finisher of our filthy and painful imprisonment a consummation of our labours and grievous wars and arriving at the safe haven and end of our peregrination a laying away of a heavy burden a termination of all sickness an evasion of all dangers a return into our country an entrance into glory

if we are wise let us be well content to die and cheerfully give a farewell to this miserable world continually unquieted with troubles and troubled with unquietness subject to sundry evils and the false illusions of vain fortune for truly it hath much more gall than honey much more bitterness than sweetness

the which is well signified by this fable of homer jupiter saith he sitting in heaven and having before him two great tons the one of felicity the other of misery against a little spoonful of happiness poureth out a great ladleful of unhappiness

meaning thereby that fortune and misfortune among men do not equally part the stake aesculas recounting with himself the continual tossing and turmoiling of men's bodies and minds crieth out after this sort o how unjust are those men how foolish that hate death seeing it is a remedy most present for all evils and the chiefest expeller of all anxieties many of the heathen for this cause thought death of all things most to be desired

how much more ought the same to be embraced of us which are well assured by holy scripture of the immortality of the soul of a better life to come and that death is none other but an entrance into that life which is true permanent and constant

Let the wicked Sadducees, which deny the resurrection of the flesh, take heavily their death, for they look for none other life after this. Let us, which are sure that our bodies shall arise again freshly renewed, esteem death as a thing most pleasant. Let those which have had no schoolmaster but Aristotle, who affirms death of all terrible things to be most terrible, fear death.

let us which have learnt of st paul that die is a gain that whether we live or die we are of the lord and that christ hath died that he might be ruler both over the quick and the dead heartily say with david deliver o lord deliver our souls out of prison that they may confess thy name

besides a thousand incommodities and displeasures of this present slippery life this doth also accede that our sins daily renewed augmented and increased we more and more provoke the lord to ire and the innocency of life if we have any is wholly endangered rather than the which should decay st paul desired to die better saith he it is for me to die than any man should make vain my glory

therefore let us not love the world for indeed it will not love us very much if we are true christians neither the things that are therein or else the charity of the father cannot abide in us for all things in the world which is wholly set in malice are either concupiscence of the flesh concupiscence of the eyes or pride of life

to conclude if death were only an abolisher of worldly displeasures it were a thing not utterly to be abhorred but forasmuch as with worldly miseries it putteth away those that are spiritual and further leadeth us to eternal blessedness why should we not much wish for it covet and desire it

curtius and the dc of rome affecting the vainglory of the world vowed themselves no man commanding willingly to death and shall we christians die impatiently whereby we may attain to the true and heavenly glory god commanding and calling us or shall we rather following the example of st paul wish for the dissolution of our bodies and to be with christ

what thing in the world is of such excellency that it may justly so allure you being a wise and as i take it a faithful man that you should be loath to leave it riches uncertain false and vain the use whereof is vanity which shall not profit you in the day of obdication and vengeance to be sure to very smoke friends untrusty dissemblers fools in whom is no health every man is a hypocrite and wicked and every mouth hath spoken foolishness

"'Parents, you shall have a Father in heaven who loveth and tendereth you more than these earthly parents, wife, brethren, and children. You shall dwell with your brother Christ who loveth and careth for you much more than all those care who hath spent, not his money or other external things for your sake, but his most precious blood. So much hath he esteemed you, so vehemently hath he loved you before the beginning of the world. Yea, and loveth you still.'

pleasures you shall have the presence of god which so far passeth all other pleasures as the brightness of the sun excelleth the light of a candle honours vain and inconstant for all things here are vanity your body a corruptible prison which burdeneth the soul and depresseth the sense musing on many things

from the which prison the soul being the very man itself for the body is but a case desireth more to be delivered than the prisoners from their imprisonments and chains and as fervently covets access unto god as the chafed heart boiling with heat desires the sweet flowing water is it your country a strange country for so long as we live here we are strange from christ

here we have no permanent city but look for one that is to come here we are aliens as david said none otherwise than all our forefathers abiding in the reign of the tyrant the devil that is to say in the world beset with a thousand enemies first the foul crooked serpent himself afar off and nigh by fines and strokes with all kinds of weapons never ceaseth endeavouring to

the world disquiets us and labours still to subvert us the flesh as much as lieth in him cowardly betrays us and aids busily the aforesaid enemies now poverty now riches and care of things gotten molest us night and day with how many grievous sicknesses are men's bodies vexed what injuries slanders despites usually grieve us

now we must prepare ourselves to fight with avarice and uncleanness now with ire ambition and other carnal vices to be short the mind of man is beset with so many enemies that scantly is he able to resist if avarice be prostrate unlawful lust offers us battle if lust be subdued ambition draws his sword if ambition be cast down ire provokes us pride sets in his foot drunkenness approaches envy breaketh concord emulation cutteth amity away

i will not speak of desperation of the death-beating of consciences of the furies of the mind with such others which with horrible enforcements furiously assail innumerable for what should i fight with the monster hydra

who can number the sands in the sea or the stars fixed in the high heavens which i think pass not much the number of men's enemies seeing therefore that man daily suffereth so many persecutions and dangers should we desire to stand still in the midst of our enemies among so many sharp swords or shall we covet by death quickly to flee to christ our defender and helper

specially seeing that christ himself instructeth us and saith truly truly i say unto you that you shall weep and lament the world shall rejoice you shall be sorry but this sorrow of yours shall be turned into gladness

who will not be desirous to want heaviness, and to enjoy perfect gladness. When this sorrow shall be turned into gladness, he declares, saying, I will see you again, and your hearts shall be joyful, and this mirth shall no man take from you. Therefore, seeing that to see Christ is to be glad, and that we shall not be glad indeed till such time as we shall see him, what blindness or rather madness is it here to delight in pain, tears, and pensiveness, and not rather to covet to come unto the joy which no man shall take from us?

let us play the wise man and be glad at the vocation of god to leave this painful peregrination to depart from this labyrinth and be transferred to our country and to our most loving father's house where is no sickness no sorrows no weariness no hunger no cold no labor no mourning no jeopardies no enmity no care to be short no adversity at all but much tranquillity and pleasure that shall ever endure and deep quietness

where we shall have for false riches true inheritance for dissembling friends abraham isaac the blessed virgin mary peter paul and the angels of god which as the proverb is shall ever love whose faithfulness and love shall never be changed from us who considering these things will not say with the prophet that the day of death is better than the day of birth

who will not confess that he which dieth in the lord maketh the change between glaucus and diomedes that is to say receiveth for brass silver and for copper pure beaten gold but peradventure you will say unto me sir as for this world howsoever it be i know it and of its good things i am a partaker but whither i shall go hence as yet i know not nor what i shall have after this life therefore to leave a certainty for a thing uncertain how should i but be sorry

hearken then i pray you and give ear a little and i shall declare unto you by god's infallible word both whither you shall go hence and what you shall have after this life the body saith ecclesiastes shall return to the earth from whence it came and the soul to god which gave it ecclesiastes twelve the souls of just men are in the hands of god and the torment of death shall not touch them

"'Many mansions,' saith Christ, "'are in the house of my Father. "'If it were otherwise, I would have told you. "'I go to prepare a place for you, "'and if I go to prepare a place for you, "'I will come again and take you to myself, "'that you may be where I am.'" John 14. "'Trust therefore, and you shall be sure by this promise "'to come thither where Christ is. "'Every man that heareth the word of Christ "'and believeth in him that sent him hath life everlasting. "'He cometh not into judgment, "'but passeth from death to life.'" John 5.

we know saith paul that if the earthly house of this our habitation be dissolved we shall have a building of god a house not made with man's hands but everlasting in heaven to grins five that dwelling doubtless shall happen to the faithful which christ of his great mercy promised to the thief with these most comfortable words this day thou shalt be with me in paradise

therefore seeing it is so that the souls of just and faithful men are in the hand of god as you are assured by scripture where the torment of death shall not touch them seeing christ hath prepared a place for them and that they shall dwell even there as christ himself dwelleth seeing that we shall have after the dissolution of these our earthly bodies an everlasting mansion in heaven doubt no more whither you shall go after this life but be ready

Repent and believe, and you shall enter, accompanied of the five wise virgins, into the joyous marriage mentioned in Matthew. What the faithful shall have after this life, St. Paul, in the first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 2, sufficiently declares, The eye, saith he, hath not seen, the ear hath not heard, neither the heart of man hath thought the excellency of the good things that God hath prepared for them that love him.

again to the romans the passions troubles and afflictions we suffer here are not worthy of the glory which shall be revealed in us in the time to come thus st paul who was rapt into the third heaven and saw secrets which a man may not lawfully speak hath taught you what the souls of good men shall enjoy after this life that is glory and such excellency of pleasures as the senses and understanding of man cannot comprehend

but if st paul had spoken nothing of the matter yet a reasonable man might partly conceive the great and invisible things that good men shall possess in the other life from these present things little invisible forasmuch as our vile and corruptible bodies by the benignity of god receive so many commodities benefits and pleasures

of the heavens the earth and the sea of the light and darkness of heat and cold of the rain winds and dew of birds beasts and fishes of herbs plants and trees of the earth to be short of the ministry of all creatures serving us successively in their due times whereby they may alleviate our weariness what how great and innumerable shall those be which he hath prepared for those that love him in the heavenly country where we shall see him face to face

if he do so much and so great things for us being in prison what shall he do for us in the palace seeing that the works of god are so great and innumerable wondrous and delectable which the good and the evil both receive how great shall those be which the good shall receive being alone seeing that he performeth so much for his friends and his enemies yet being together what shall he do for his friends separately

seeing that he comforteth us so much in the day of tears, how much shall he comfort us in the day of marriage? Seeing that the prison containeth such things, what manner of things shall our country contain? The eye, as it is said before, hath not seen, the ear hath not heard, nor the heart of man can think the excellency of those things which God hath prepared for his friends. According to the great multitude of his magnificence is the multitude of his pleasantness, which he hath laid out for them that fear him.

therefore let us not doubt whither we shall go neither what we shall have being faithful in the other world forasmuch as we may certainly know not by scripture only but also by the leading of natural reason all such doubt put away desire we most heartily and fervently access to those things which god hath prepared for his friends musing some such godly meditation as is this which st augustine hath in his soliloquies

the heart desireth not so much o lord the wells of sweet water as my soul desireth to be with thee my soul hath sorely thirsted for thee o lord the well of life o when shall i come and appear before thy glorious face o well of life and vein of living waters

When, when shall I come from the earth, that desert without way, under the waters of thy sweetness, that I may see thy virtue and satisfy my thirst with the waters of thy mercy? I am a thirst, O Lord, and thou art the well of life. Fill me with thy waters, I beseech thee. I do thirst for thee, O Lord, the living God. When shall I come and appear before thy face? Shall I never see that day, that day, I mean, of pleasantness and mirth?

that day which the lord hath made that we might be glad and joyful in it o day most bright fair calm void of all storms tempests and troublesome winds having no eventide nor falling down of the sun in the which i shall hear the voice of praise the voice of exaltation and confession in the which day i shall hear enter into the joy of the lord thy god where are great inscrutable and marvellous things whereof there is no number

enter into joy without heaviness into joy which containeth eternal gladness where shall be all good things and no evil where a man shall have what he will and nothing that he will not

where life shall be sweet and amiable where there shall be no enemy impugning us but safe security sure tranquillity quiet jocundity pleasant felicity happy eternity eternal blessedness and the blessed trinity of the trinity the unity of the unity the deity of the deity blessed fruition

O joy above all joys, O joy passing all other, O joy besides which there is no joy! When shall I enter, that I may see my Lord that dwelleth in thee, and the great vision? What is it that hindereth me so long? Alas, how long shall it be said to me, Where is thy God, and where is thine expectation? Art not thou, O Lord God?"

We look for Jesus Christ, who shall reform the bodies of our humiliation and conform them to his. When shall he return from the marriage, that he may lead us to his marriage? Come, O Lord, and tarry not. Come, sweet Jesus, come and visit us in peace. Come and bring us from prison, that we may be glad before thee with perfect hearts. Come, thou which art desired of all nations, show thy face and we shall be saved. Come, my own light, my redeemer, and bring my soul from prison, it may confess thy name.

how long shall i poor wretch be lost in the flood of my mortality crying to thee o lord and thou hearest me not hear my cry i beseech thee from this troublesome sea and bring me to the port of felicity o happy are they which have passed the dangers of this jeopardous sea and have attained to thee o surest haven

"'Happy, thrice happy are they which have passed from the sea to the banks, from banishment to their country, from prison to the heavenly palace, where they rejoice with continual quietness, that they have sought by many tribulations. Oh, happy and happy again, which are eased of the burden of their evils, and being sure of inaccessible glory, inhabit the kingdom of comeliness.'

o everlasting kingdom o kingdom of all worlds where is light that never faileth and the peace of god that passeth all sense in the which peace the souls of saints do rest where everlasting happiness covereth their heads with joy and exultation where sorrow and mourning can have no place

O how glorious is thy kingdom, good Lord, in the which thy saints do reign, clothed with light, as it were with a garment, having on their heads crowns of precious stones! O kingdom of everlasting blessedness, where thou, O Lord, the hope of saints and diadem of glory, art looked upon of thy holy ones face to face, making them glad on every side, in thy peace that passeth all sense!

There is joy without end, gladness without sorrow, health without sickness, mirth without sorrow, increase without labor, light without darkness, life without death, all good things without all evil things, where youth never waxeth old, where life hath no end, where beauty never fadeth, where love is never cold, where joy doth never decrease, where sorrow is never felt, where wailing is never heard, where no evil is to be feared.

for there the highest felicity is possessed that is to say ever to see thy face o lord of powers therefore happy are they which have already attained unto such joys unhappy are we forasmuch as we do not yet travel in a strange country as banished men suspiring unto thee being the port of the sea o country o our sweet country afar off we look towards thee

From this unquiet ocean we do salute thee with tears. We desire and sue to come unto thee, O Christ, God of God, the hope of mankind, our refuge and virtue, whose light afar off among the dark clouds, over the stormy seas, as the beam of a star of the sea doth irradiate our eyes, that we may be directed to the safe haven, govern our ship with thy right hand.

and with the stern of thy cross lest we perish in the floods lest the tempests of the sea drown us lest the depths swallow us up with the hook of thy cross draw us unto thee from this tempestuous sea o thou our only comfort whom we see afar off as the morning star and the sun of justice with our eyes scant able to weep any longer

unto thee standing upon the bank and looking for us we thy redeemed we thy banished men whom thou hast bought again with thy precious blood do cry

Thou, O Lord of health, art hope of all coasts of the earth afar off and in the sea. We do waver in the troublous surges, O most bountiful Lord. Behold our jeopardies. Save us, sweet Lord, for thy namesake. Grant us that we may so keep a mean betwixt Scylla and Cabodrus, that we may eschew both the dangers, and happily come to port, our ship and our merchandise safe. Augustine's Illiqui, Chapter 35.

let us i say now and then all hate of death excluded muse some such godly meditation earnestly desiring of god not temporally to live but to die not to continue here in banishment among our enemies but to be delivered and dwell in our country with christ not to endure here in these dangerous wars but through death to come unto peace most pleasant yet peradventure one scruple is left behind that troubleth your conscience and suffereth not your mind as yet to be quiet

you will say unto me sir i remember that among many things i heard you say that the souls of just men are in the hands of god and the torment of death shall not touch them i am not just no not so much as a dream or a shadow of a just man but rather a sinner most miserable who have been accustomed even from my young age to heap vice upon vice and with detestable transgression continually to exasperate my lord god

Wherefore the judgment of Scripture, and not without a cause, troubleth my conscience, causeth it to fear, condemneth it, and pulleth it in pieces.

All the fences, says it, shall be gathered together, and all those that work iniquity, they shall be sent into the furnace of fire, where shall be mourning and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 13. Again, they which have done well shall go into everlasting life. They that have done evil into everlasting fire. Matthew 25. Neither adulterers, fornicators, robbers, covetous persons, nor worshippers of images, with such other shall inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6. This is the sentence of God's word.

This repelleth me from his kingdom and from paradise, whereof you made mention. This maketh me afraid, and with shame utterly putteth me back. This confoundeth me, and chaseth me clean away. Doubtless you do very well, in that you confess your own uncleanness. For if any of us should say that we have not offended, we should deceive ourselves. 1 John 1 All men have swerved, and are made unprofitable. Neither is there any that doeth good, no, not one. Romans 3

We have wandered verily, all of us, as it were sheep, every one after his own way, Isaiah 53, being servants unprofitable, and by nature the children of wrath. Neither is any good, God only accepted, Matthew 19. Wherefore in his sight no man shall be able to justify himself, nor yet to abide him, if he observe our iniquities, for in his sight the very stars are not clean. But what then, shall we, being brought to this strait, cowardly despair? God forbid! Where

well what shall we do whither shall we flee where is our refuge let us flee unto christ as unto a sure sanctuary safe refuge and purest defender unto christ how dare we be so bold whose precepts we have never obeyed whose laws we have seldom or never kept whom we have disdained to love again notwithstanding that he hath ever been our lover most faithful and true

he being full of mercy calleth us unto him of his own accord come hither to me saith he all you that labour and are laden with sin and i shall refresh you matthew eleven let us be bold therefore to sue to his mercy and of his holy oracles which are written for our consolation and learning let us require comfort

for they such as the virtue of them can easily erect men's minds and quiet troubled consciences they as most wholesome medicines shall give us present health they shall pronounce mercy to a penitent sinner and pardon to the captives they shall declare us to be no more under the rigor of the law but under grace and mercy they shall teach us that god is pacified and that our sins are forgiven us for his son's sake

you are freely justified saith paul by grace through the redemption that is in jesus christ whom god hath set forth to be the obtainer of mercy through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are gone before in the sufferance of god to declare his righteousness in this time that he may be righteous and the justifier of him which is of the faith of jesus christ romans three

By grace, as he saith to the Ephesians, we are saved through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God, and that not of our own works, lest any man should glory, Ephesians 2. Wherefore, seeing it is so, that we are freely justified by faith in Christ Jesus, we shall have no just cause to despair, but rather to be at peace with God through Christ, by whom we have entrance into this grace wherein we do stand, yea, and to glory in the hope of the sons of God, Romans 5.

Scripture saith not, Happy are those that sin not, but happy are they whose sins are hidden, whose iniquities are forgiven.

yea and to him which worketh not yet believeth in him that justifieth the wicked faith is imputed to him for justice according to the purpose of the grace of god romans four doubtless if our justification should depend on the innocency of our own lives we should perish how many soever we are romans eight but seeing that god who is rich in mercy for the great love that he hath loved us with when we were dead in sin and hath quickened us with christ

and that not of our deserving lest any man should glory ephesians two but by the mere grace of god purchased by the blood of christ which is made our redemption our justice our prudence and sanctification one corinthians one

why should not we being penitent and faithful laying our sins upon his back who hath taken away our diseases and hath carried with him our infirmities as i fifty three and further putting him in remembrance of his promise made to sinners both by his prophets and his apostles boldly call on his mercy for his son's sake

especially considering that he is much more prone of his own nature to forgive than we are to ask forgiveness yea and because that you do partly mistrust him methinks i should hear him being somewhat angry sweetly expostulate with thee after this sort what now my dear child why ceaseth not thy spirit at the last to be afflicted

Why dost thou think that I am, a cruel tyrant, or else of mercies, the Father, and of all consolation? 2 Corinthians 1. The God longs suffering and of much mercy. Have not thou taught by my son Jesus to call me thy father? Matthew 6. Have not I promised by my prophet Jeremiah that I would be thy father, and thou shouldst be my son? Why dost thou not, therefore, ask me forgiveness, while hoping for pardon?"

Who is it of you, although you are evil, that will not forgive his son, lamenting his faults, being suppliant, desiring pardon, and promising amendment, notwithstanding that he hath provoked him to anger a hundred times? And thinkest thou that I, which am the Father of mercies, of whom all fatherliness in heaven and in earth is named, which possess the riches of goodness, patience, and longanimity, am not to be ready to forgive my children, truly repenting? Romans 2.

Be of good comfort, my child, be of good comfort, mistrusting not my mercy, which surpasseth not only man's mercy, how great soever it be, but my own works also.

judgment without mercy shall they feel whose hearts are obdurate hardened and will not repent which delight still in their sins and will never leave their wickedness which contemn my word and trust me not from them indeed health must needs be far away but as for thee repent and the kingdom of heaven shall draw nigh matthew 3 trust and thy faith shall save thee matthew 9

for as moses hath exalted the serpent in the desert so hath my son been exalted that every man believing in him might be saved and have life everlasting john three i would have all men to be saved and no man to perish one timothy too my fashion is ever to raise him up lest he perish utterly which is cast down it is not my will believe me that one of these little ones be cast away whom i have ever loved so well that i would vouchsafe to give my only son for them matthew eighteen

but thy trespasses are great, wherefore thou art not persuaded to trust in my mercy. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, 1 Timothy 1. He is thine advocate, and an atonement for thy sins, and not for thine only, but for the sins of the whole world, 1 John 2. He came to call transgressors, not the just, and to save that which was lost, Matthew 9. I am, dear son, I am he that putteth away thy sins for myself, and will give my glory to none other,

Suppose thy sins to be red as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow. I have scattered them as clouds, and as mists have dispersed them. Turn to me, for I have redeemed thee. Such is my facility, so gentle I am. Such is my benignity, so great is my mercy, which thy most loving brother and advocate, Christ, that washed thee from thy sins in his blood, hath purchased, continually praying for thee.

why dost thou not open the examples of my word as a table or glass wherein thou mayest well learn how extrable i am how ready and willing to forgive consider with thyself how heinous faults i have pardoned them jeremiah three go to therefore be of good cheer lift up thine eyes mistrust me no longer turn to me and thou shalt be saved as i forty five commend thy spirit into my hands and the prince of this world shall have nothing to do with thee for by me the lord of truth thou art truly redeemed

who hearing these words of his heavenly father as they are his words indeed so sweetly alluring him so earnestly comforting him so pleasantly drawing him to himself will any more doubt of his mercy

despair you not utterly dear friend nor yet be you sorrowful for anything but if your false enemy the devil approach objecting against you the multitude and grievousness of your sins turn to god and say unto him turn away thy face from my sins good lord and look on the face of thy christ jesus thy sins saith your enemy in number pass the sands of the sea answer the mercy of god is much more plenteous how canst thou hope for the reward of justice being altogether unjust

Christ Jesus is my justice. Shalt thou, being covered with sins, enter into rest with Peter and Paul? Nay, but with the thief, who heard on the cross, This day thou shalt be with me in paradise. How hast thou this trust, who never didst good? I have a good Lord, an exorable judge, and a gracious advocate. Thou shalt be drawn to hell. My head is in heaven already, and from it the inferior members cannot be severed.

thou shalt be damned thou art a false accuser no judge a damned spirit no condemner many legions of devils do wait for thy soul i should despair indeed if i had not a defender which hath overcome your tyranny god is unjust if he give for evil deeds everlasting life he is just and keepeth his promise and i have already appealed from his justice to his mercy thou dost flatter thyself with vain hope the truth cannot lie to make false promises belongeth unto thee

What thou leavest here thou seest, but what thou shalt have thou seest not. Things which are seen are temporal, but things which are not seen are eternal. Thou goest hence laden with evil deeds, and naked of all good works. I shall desire God to exonerate me of mine evils, and to cover me with his goodness. God heareth no sinners, yet he heareth them that repent, and for sinners he died. Thy repentance is too late. It was not too late for the thief. The thief had a steadfast faith, thine is wavering.

I desire God that he will increase my faith. Thou dost falsely persuade thyself to find God merciful, which punisheth thee with pains after this sort. Herein he playeth thee part of a gentle physician. Why would he that death should be so bitter? He is the Lord. He willeth nothing but that which is good. And why should I, a servant unprofitable, refuse to suffer that which the Lord of glory hath suffered? It is a miserable thing to die. Blessed be the dead that die in the Lord. But the death of sinners is most wretched."

"'He is no longer a sinner which hath acknowledged his fault with repentance and hope of mercy. "'Thou shalt leave this world. "'I shall go from painful banishment into my country. "'Look what a heap of good things thou leavest behind thee, yet a great deal more evil. "'Thou leavest thy riches. "'They are the world's. "'I do carry all that is mine away with me. "'What canst thou carry with thee? "'Thou hast nothing that is good. "'That is truly mine, mine own, that Christ hath freely forgiven me. "'Thou must forsake thy wife and thy children.'

they are the lord's i do commend them to him it is a hard thing to be drawn from thy dearly beloved they shall shortly follow me thou art plucked from thy pleasant friends i hasten to friends more pleasant thus thou art taught not to give place to the devil endeavouring to overthrow thee but boldly to repel every dart that he can hurl at thee

neither let thee care for thy friends wife and children trouble thee mistrusting not but god shall provide as well for them and peradventure better in thine absence than he did in thy lifetime for thou must consider that thine own power hath not all this while sustained thee or them and procured things necessary but god in whom we live move and are hath done it

god which feedeth nourisheth and saveth both man and beast which royally cloveth the grass in the field covereth the heavens with clouds careth for the birds of the air and prepareth meat for the very chickens of the ravens shall much more regard thy friends being his people confessing his name call to remembrance how mercifully he provided for the poor widow and her children spoken of in two kings four

by the benignity of god this poor woman with her children was much better provided for after the death of her husband though he were a holy man than she was before god is even the same god now than he was then and can do as much for christian men now in these days as he could then for the jews and he doubtless if thou fear him will regard thy wife children and friends no less than he did the wife and children of this prophet

Further, call to remembrance how that they, many times, who are left of their friends rich and in great honours, are after brought to poverty, yea, and to the beggar's staff. On the other side, that they which are left poor and beggarly of their friends, at the length come to great riches, authority, and honour. Wherefore, I do think, as I oft have said, not I but the prophet, that both riches and poverty come of God, and that men shall have what it shall please God to give them.

yet i will not blame an honest provision for men's children therefore commit them to god for they are his let them cast their care on the lord and he by his promise shall nourish them and to you that are his friends here to you i speak what meaneth this your heaviness why do you sorrow after this sort to what purpose do you trouble yourselves with weepings why do ye as it were in a manner draw in to dispute the will of god with your unjust complaints

do ye think him to be a meet matter of lamenting sorrowing and wailing because he is delivered from dangers to safety from bondage to liberty from diseases to immortality from earthly things to heavenly from men to the company of god's angels wherein hath he offended you that you so envy the good which hath befallen him if ye do not envy what needs all these tears

I am sure if ye knew to what felicity he is going, ye would banquet and be joyful, at the least if ye love his welfare. Christ said to his disciples, when they were sad that he would depart, If ye loved me, ye would be glad forasmuch as I go to my father. Wherein he declared that we ought not to be sad, but joyful at the departure of our friends from hence. What, I pray you, shall you lose by the death of your friend, but that he shall be out of your sight, and that but a time."

nevertheless you may at all times in the mean space in your minds and memories see him talk with him and embrace him mourn no more for him for he offers you no cause of mourning but if he will needs mourn mourn for yourselves in that ye are not so nigh the port of our sweet country flowing with milk and honey as he is

this mourning is more fit for the scythians and such other barbarous people who know not the condition of faithful souls than for you which know or might all this while have learnt let them i pray you weep and howl like brutes let them cut their ears and noses as they were wont to do at the death of their friends let us be joyful let admetus orpheus and such other infidels mourn at the death of their friends and require them again of proserpine

let not us require our friends of god again though we might have them since it must be with the loss of their wealth and prosperous being were you not to be counted unreasonable and to your friend no friend if you should require him to dine or dwell with you having nothing in your house but horse-bread and stinking water where he may go to a friend more faithful than you are and have at all times all kinds of dainties

and will you be counted reasonable who would by your wills hinder this your friend going to the house of his most faithful friend christ where he shall have heavenly dainties and meat of the holy angels in comparison of which your cheer is much worse than horse-bread and stinking water indeed

"'Mourn no more for him, I say, but be glad that your friend shall attain to such felicity. "'What other thing is it for us Christians to mourn at the death of our friends than to give an occasion to the infidels to reprehend and accuse us, forasmuch as we do deny the thing indeed that we do profess with our mouths? "'For in words we say that the soul of man is immortal, and that there is another life better than this. "'In our mourning we seem to show ourselves to be of another opinion.'

what profit is it i pray you to pronounce virtue in words and in deeds to destroy the truth st paul doth reprove and blame them which are heavy in the departure of their friends saying i would not have you ignorant o brethren as touching them that sleep

that ye be not sad as others that have no hope it belongeth to them to weep and be sorry at the death of their friends which have no hope of another life to come and not to us which believe that our souls are immortal and that our bodies shall arise again mourn no more for him therefore but prepare and make ready yourselves to follow him living virtuously for that ye know not the day or hour now to you again my friend see that you are joyful in god and let not this short affliction of your body disquiet your mind

but source it rather and make it pleasant with the hope of everlasting blessedness remembering that as you shall be quickly delivered from this sickness so you shall no more hereafter be subject to any sorrows pains or pensiveness it should never grieve a man to fare evil at dinner knowing that he shall have a supper most dainty and delicate

when your pangs shall be most urgent set this saying of st paul before your eyes things which are seen and that we suffer here are temporal and last for a while but things which are not seen and that we shall have are eternal in hope therefore of these eternal things willingly compose your body to sleep for so this corporeal death is named in scripture the patriarchs were ever said to have slept with their fathers when they died and not without a cause

for that our bodies shall arise again in the last day, as though it were from a sleep indeed. At the blowing of a trumpet, saith Paul, the dead shall rise uncorrupt; and from heaven, saith the same Paul, we look for our Lord Jesus Christ, which shall transform our vile bodies, and conform them to his glorious body. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so those also which are asleep, through Jesus, shall God bring with him. 1 Thessalonians 4:

O bringing most blessed, goodly, and pleasant, when the bodies that now are sown in corruption shall arise in uncorruption, that now are in dishonor shall rise in glory, that now are sown in weakness shall rise in power, that now are sown natural bodies shall rise spiritual, when these corruptible shall put on incorruption, and these mortal shall put on immortality, death is clearly swallowed up in victory. 1 Corinthians 15.

O how joyous shall that day be to the faithful when men's bodies, made like to the body of Christ, shall inhabit the kingdom which God hath prepared for those that fear him before the beginning of the world, where they shall have joy and everlasting gladness, whereas they, being like to the angels of God, shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father!

at the last sweet friend forasmuch as i have declared unto you that all men must die and that when it shall please god further that in dying we do no other but as all the saints yea and christ himself hath done with whom we shall rise again and that death is but a due repaying of things that were for a time liberally lent us to the earth our bodies and our souls to god our most bountiful father

that nothing here is of such excellency that it should allure a wise man and him that hopeth for another life to come to tarry long with it that good men have ever desired to die and to be with god forasmuch as death is the end of all miseries the finisher of all sorrows and an entrance into perpetual bliss further in that i have declared unto you whither you shall go and what you shall have after this life and that god most mercifully hath forgiven you your sins

for that you are repentant and faithful and that he will provide for yours if they fear him as well or better than he did in your days finally that this body of yours shall rise again from the earth gloriously in the last day through his power that gave its first fashion for that these things are so i say quiet your mind and prepare yourself as doth the swan with song of heart and pleasure to die and to the accomplishment of god's will all fear of death being excluded

think only of immortality being willing and glad to depart hence to god that calleth you which as the servants of god should always be ready to do so at this time most ready forasmuch as this miserable world beset with the horrible tempests storms and troublesome whirlwinds of all kinds of evil beginneth to decay

moreover as grievous things are already befallen to nations so more grievous things are to be looked for in that sin daily increaseth among men more and more provoking the justice of god therefore i cannot but think it a great gain quickly to depart hence if the posts of the house were perished and the trembling roof should threaten ruin to be at hand would you not being in health depart with all speed

"'If a troublesome and stormy tempest, suddenly risen on the sea, "'should threaten plain shipwreck and the drowning of you and your company, "'would you not make haste to the port?'

lo the world decayeth and the end of things threateneth plain falling down and shall not you give thanks to god and for your own part be glad that you shall be delivered in time from such ruins plagues and tempests as hang over the heads of men think sweet friend i beseech you and think again that so long as we are here we are very strangers and that we ought chiefly to embrace that hour which shall appoint every one of us to his own house and restore us delivered from all snares of the world to paradise and the heavenly kingdom

"'Who, being in a strange country, will not covet to return to his own country? "'Who, sailing towards his friends, will not covet a quick and prosperous wind, "'that he may the rather embrace his well-beloved? "'We count Paradise our country, the patriarchs, to be our parents and friends. "'Why then do we not fervently desire speedily to see the patriarchs at Paradise, "'where a great company of our friends look for us, "'and a wonderful number of our parents, brethren, and sisters tarry for us?'

we being sure of their immortality and wishing that we had the same at the sight and meeting of these oh how great gladness shall happen both to us and them how great pleasure of the heavenly kingdom without fear of death and with the eternity of life how high and perpetual felicity there is the glorious company of the apostles there is the laudable number of the glad prophets there is the innumerable host of martyrs crowned and triumphing with the victory of their strifes and passions

there are those which have broken the concupiscency of their flesh with the strength of continence there are the merciful enjoying their rewards who by feeding the poor and helping the needy have wrought the works of justice keeping the commandments of god have transferred their earthly patrimonies into heavenly treasures this is the joyous company to this no earthly company is to be compared to him which hath bought you a place in this company with the price of his blood i do betake you commit yourselves to his hands for he shall never fail you farewell

precious in the sight of the lord is the death of his saints the conclusion of this book teaching all men gladly to die

i suppose that by this doctrine every christian man shall be contented and will be instructed in the time of death to put away from them these aforesaid impediments so that i trust in god they shall not hinder him nor draw him back from a joyful and glad will to receive this corporeal death but shall wait for it patiently and with a good will whensoever our dear father calleth him thereto

for by it, as it were thorough and entire, he leadeth us unto another life a thousandfold better, and so delivereth us from all misery and displeasure, from all dangers, and out of the hands of all our enemies, being certified by our faith, that all things which could hurt or hinder us, whether it were sin, death, devil, or hell, are altogether vanquished and overcome, being turned to our prophet."

the account is passed the judge is appeased all debts are pardoned forgotten quite satisfied and paid there is nothing found damnable in us because we are in jesus christ and in his faith as it is said sufficiently before

but it is always to be noted and this should we keep well in memory that we have all these things only by jesus christ who is our head and we his members i mean those that are christians not all they that bear the name for by a loving faith we trusted and do rest in and upon him and his blessed word knowing that he is lord of lords almighty emperor above all that are in heaven hell or earth who hath given us all these things of his mere liberality without any deserving of us

but through his love and kindness and hath obtained it for us of his celestial father by his precious blood because we believe this is true and know that it is so all fear and dread goeth from us and by this means god worketh again in us a ferventness and such a love towards him that we turn all things to his praise and honour who hath shewed us such kindness and love being of nature his very enemies

therefore let us continually apply ourselves again to please him and to leave all that we know doth displease him but because that by reason of the sinful and filthy flesh we are daily troubled and inclined to evil which doth withdraw and hinder us so to do therefore let us call for his help and desire with the apostle paul as is said before that this mortal body may die and be destroyed to the intent that we may serve god and be obedient evermore unto him without any hindrance

and as long as we have here to travail bearing this sinful flesh about with us let us resist daily and fight against the evil inclinations thereof to the intent that we may hold it under the bridle and so continue as valiant captains in and by our head jesus christ the which god our celestial father grant eternally end of section six end of the troubled man's medicine by william hugh

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