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My sonne, patience and meke∣nes in aduersitie, please me more, then much consolation and deuotion in prosperitie. VVhy art thou so heauy for a litle worde sayde or done against thee? yf it had bene more, thou
shouldest not haue bene moued therwith, but let it nowe ouerpasse, it is not the first, and it shall not be the last if thou lyue longe. Thou art manfull inough as long as no aduersitie falleth to thee, and thou canst well giue counsaile, and well canst thou comfort and strengthen other with thy wordes: But when aduersitie knocketh at thy doore, thou failest anone both of counsayle and strength. Beholde well therefore thy great frayltie, which thou hast daylie experience of in litle ob∣iectes▪ Neuerthelesse, it is for thy ghostly health that suche thinges and other like be suffered to come vnto the Purpose thy selfe in thy harte to doe the best that lieth in thee, and then when suche tribu∣lations shall happen to fall vnto thee, although it greeue thee, yet let it not whollie ouerthrow thee, nor let it not longe tarie with thee. And at the least suf∣fer it pacientlie, although thou maye not suffer it gladlie. Moreouer, though thou be loth to heare suche thinges, and that thou feele great indignation therat in thy hart, yet thrust thy selfe downe lowe in thine owne sight, and suffer no inor∣dinate worde passe out of thy mouth, whereby any other might be hurt, and then all such indignation shall be anone assuaged & soone appeased in thee. And then also that which before was taken to so great heauines to thee, shall anone
be made sweete & pleasaunt in thy sight. For yet lyue I (sayth our Lorde) redie to helpe thee, and to cōfort thee, more then euer I did before, if thou wilt whollye trust in me, and deuoutly call for helpe to me. Be quiet in hart, prepare thy selfe yet to more sufferance. For it is not all lost though thou feele thy selfe ofte troubled or greeuouslye tempted. Thinke thou art a man, and not God, a fleshlye man, and no Angell. Howe mayest thou alwayes be in one state of vertue, when that wanted to Angels in heauen and to the first man in Para dise, the which stoode not longe? I am he that rayse vp them that be so∣rowfull to health and comfort, and those that knowe their owne vnstablenes, I lifte them vp to be stabled in the sight of my Godhead for euer. Lorde, blessed be thy hol••e word. It is more sweeter to my mouth then honye combe. VVhat should I doe in all my troubles and heauines, if thou diddest not sometime comfort me with thy wholsome and sweete wordes? Therefore it shall not force what trouble or aduersitie I suffer here for thee, so that I maye in the ende come to the porte of euerlasting health. Geue me a good ende and a blessed passage out of this worlde: haue minde on me, my Lorde my God, and direct me by a straite and redy waye into thy kingdome, I beseech thee. Amen.