God the Father." Wherefore the Christian man's faith must be always upon the resurrection of Christ when he is in trouble; and in that glorious resurrection he shall not only see continual and perpetual joy and consolation, but also the victory and triumph over all persecution, trouble, sin, death, hell, the devil, and all other tyrants and persecutors of Christ and of Christ's people, the tears and weepings of the faithful dried up, their wounds healed, their bodies made immortal in joy, their souls for ever praising the Lord, and conjunction and society everlasting with the blessed company of God's elect in perpetual joy. But the words of St. Paul in that place, if they be not marked, shall do little profit to the reader or hearer, and give him no patience at all in this impatient and cruel world.

In the first part St. Paul commandeth us, to think or set our affections on things that are above. When he biddeth us seek the things that are above, he requireth that our minds never cease from prayer and study in God's word, until we see, know, and understand the vanities of this world, the shortness and misery of this life, and the treasures of the world to come, the immortality thereof, the joys of that life; and so never cease seeking, until such time as we know certainly and be persuaded what a blessed man he is that seeketh the one and findeth it, and careth not for the other though he lose it: and in seeking, to have right judgment between the life present and the life to come, we shall find how little the pains, imprisonments, slanders, lies, and death itself is in this world, in respect of pains everlasting, the prison infernal, and dungeon of hell, the sentence of God's just judgment, and everlasting death.

When a man hath, by seeking the word of God, found out what the things above be; then must he (as St. Paul saith) set his affections upon them. And

For

this commandment is more hard than the other. man's knowledge many times seeth the best, and knoweth that there is a life to come, better that this life present, as you may see daily how men and women can praise and commend, yea, and wish for heaven, and to be at rest there; yet they set not their affections upon it: they do more affect and love indeed a trifle of nothing in this world that pleaseth their affections, than the treasures of all treasures in heaven, which their own judgment saith is better than all worldly things. Wherefore we must set our affections upon the things that be above; that is to say, when any thing worse than heaven upon the earth, offereth itself to be ours, if we will give our good wills to it, and love it in our hearts, then ought we to see by the judgment of God's word, whether we may have the world without offence of God, and such things as be for this worldly life without his displeasure. If we cannot, St. Paul's commandment must take place, "Set your affection on things that are above."

If the riches of this world may not be gotten nor kept by God's law, neither our lives be continued without the denial of his honour, we must set our affections upon the riches and life that is above, and not upon things that be on the earth. Therefore this second commandment of St. Paul requireth, that as our minds judge heavenly things to be better than things upon the earth, and the life to come better than the life present; so we should choose them before others, and prefer them, and have such affection to the best, that in no case we may set the worst before it, as the most part of the world doth and hath done, for they choose the best and approve it, and yet follow the worst.

But these things (my godly wife) require rather cogitation, meditation, and prayer, than words or

talk. They be easy to be spoken of, but not so easy to be used and practised. Wherefore, seeing they be God's gifts, and none of ours, to have as our own when we would, we must seek them at our heavenly Father's hand, who seeth and is privy how poor and wretched we be, and how naked, how spoiled, and destitute of all his blessed gifts we be by reason of sin. He did command therefore his disciples, when he shewed them that they should take patiently the state of this present life full of troubles and persecution, to pray that they might well escape those troubles that were to come, and to be able to stand before the Son of Man. When When you find yourself too much oppressed (as every man shall be sometimes with the fear of God's judgment) use the 77th Psalm that beginneth, "I will cry unto God with my voice, and he shall hearken unto me." In which Psalm is both godly doctrine and great consolation unto the man or woman that is in anguish of mind.

Use also in such trouble the 88th Psalm, wherein is contained the prayer of a man, that was brought into extreme anguish and misery, and being vexed with adversaries and persecutions, saw nothing but death and hell. And although he felt in himself, that he had not only man, but also God angry towards him: yet he by prayer humbly resorted unto God, as the only port of consolation, and in the midst of his desperate state of trouble put the hope of his salvation in him, whom he felt his enemy. Howbeit, no man of himself can do this, but the Spirit of God, that striketh the man's heart with fear, prayeth for the man stricken and feared with unspeakable groanings. And when you feel yourself or know any other oppressed after such sort, be glad: for after that God hath made you to know what you be of yourself, he will doubtless shew you comfort, and declare unto you what you be in Christ his only Son;

and use prayer often, for that is the means whereby God will be sought unto for his gifts.

These Psalms be for the purpose, when the mind can take no understanding, nor the heart any joy of God's promises: and therefore were these Psalms also made, 6, 22, 30, 31, 38, and 69; from the which you shall learn both patience and consolation.

Remember, that although your life (as all Christian men's be) be hid, and appeareth not, what it is, yet "it is safe," as St. Paul saith, "with God in Christ; and when Christ shall appear, then shall our lives be made open with him in glory." But in the mean time with seeking and setting our affections upon the things that be above, we must patiently suffer whatsoever God shall send unto us in this mortal life. Notwithstanding, it might fortune some would say, who is so perfect, that can let all things pass as they come, and have no care of them; suffer all things and feel nothing; be tempted of the devil, the world, and the flesh, and be not troubled? Verily no man living.

But this I say, that in the strength of Jesus Christ things that come may pass with care; for we be worldly, and yet are we not carried with them from Christ, for we be in him godly. We may suffer things, and feel them as mortal men, yet bear them and overcome them as Christian men. We may be tempted of the devil, the flesh, and the world; but yet although those things pinch, they do not pierce, and although they work sin in us, yet in Christ no damnation to those that be grafted in him.

Hereof may the Christian man learn both consolation and patience: consolation, in that he is compelled both in his body and goods to feel pain and loss, and in the soul heaviness and anguish of mind: howbeit none of them both shall separate him from the love that God beareth him in Christ. He may

learn patience, forasmuch as his enemies both of the body and soul, and the pains also they vex us withal for the time, if they tarry with us as long as we live, yet when death cometh, they shall avoid, and give place to such joys as be prepared for us in Christ. For no pains of the world be perpetual, and whether they shall afflict us for all the time of our mortal life, we know not; for they be servants of God to go and come, as he commandeth them. But we must take heed we meddle not forcibly nor seditiously to put away the persecution appointed unto us by God, but remember Christ's saying, "Possess you your lives by your patience."

And in this commandment God requireth in every man and woman this patient obedience. He saith not, it is sufficient that other holy patriarchs, prophets, apostles, evangelists, and martyrs continued their lives in patience, aud patient suffering the troubles of this world: but Christ saith to every one of his people,

By your own patience ye shall continue your life:' not that man hath patience in himself, but that he must have it for himself of God, the only giver of it, if he purpose to be a godly man. Now, therefore, as our profession and religion requireth patience outwardly, without resistance and force: so requireth it patience of the mind, and not to be angry with God, although he use us, that be his own creatures, as him listeth.

We may not also murmur against God, but say always his judgments be right and just, and rejoice that it pleaseth him by troubles to use us, as he used heretofore such as he most loved in this world, and have a singular care to this commandment, "Be glad and rejoice:" for he sheweth great cause why-"your reward (saith he) is great in heaven.”

These promises of Him, that is the truth itself, shall (by God's grace) work both consolation and