The seconde tome or volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testament conteynyng the epistles of S. Paul, and other the Apostles : wherunto is added a paraphrase vpon the reuelacion of S. John.

The texte.

And God shall wipe awaye all teares from their eyes. And there shalbe nomore death nether sorowe, nether criyng, nether shall there bee any more payne, for the olde thinges are gone. And he that sat vpon the seate, sayed: beholde, I make al thinges newe. And he sayed vnto me: Write, for these wordes are faythfull and true. And he sayed vnto me: it is doen, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginninge and the ende, I wyll geue to hym that is a thirst, of the well of the water of lyfe, free. He that ouercommeth, shal inherite all thinges, and I wylbe his God, and he shalbe my sonne.

Howe and what this blisse shall be can no man expresse. But what thyn∣ges shall not be there, that doeth he declare. First there shall be no teares: For there shall no maner of aduersitie, trouble or vexacion, happen vnto any man. There is also no maner of decaye nor weakenes, neither of the body nor of the soule, no maner of sycknes nor infirmitie of complexions, no bodyly hurte nor

affliccion, no dreade nor feare of death, no heuy nor greuous temptaciō, no lacke of any thing, no myschanuce, no weeping, nor waylyng, nor payne, smart nor im∣pediment. For in the state of blisse and saluacion, is no thought nor sorowe to be taken for any of these thinges. For the first and originall occasion of all these miseries (the synne of Adam and Eue for whose sake the worlde was created,) is altogether past, and vtterly ceased, ended and finyshed together with death and the deuyll, thorowe the rightuousnes of our sauiour Christ. Thorowe the whiche rightuousnes all mankynde, so many as are faithful, is reconciled vnto God for euermore. Thus hath Christ syttyng vpon the stoole of his kyngdom and glorye, ordeyned all thinges newe. This must be stedfastlye confessed and beleued of all faithfull christians, as an infallyble trueth, & therfore it is gods commaundement that it shoulde be wrytten for an euerlasting remembraunce, for an holsome doctrine and consolacion, that all men should beleue the trueth, and so beleuynge obteyne blisse and saluacion. For this is the ende of all thin∣ges, the blisse and saluacion of mankynde in God, whiche wyll declare and dys∣tribute his glorye, mercye and louynge kyndnes, vnto them whiche he hath cho∣sen from euerlasting vnto his honour and glorye: whiche is the begynnynge and ende of all thinges that are, euer were, or euer shal be. Vnto all them which in this vale of mysery dyd thirst after rightuousnes and after the glory of god, vnto them wyll the grace and fauorable mercye of God gyue the liuing wel and fountayne of all goodnes, and the eternal springynge floode of refreshment vn∣to saluacion, and to perpetuall ioy and felicitie in God. But these giftes and re∣wardes must be obteyned with muche labour and trauell, yet not properly as desert or merite: for suche great euerlastynge rewarde, the hyghest goodnes and felicitie, can not be purchased with any labour or trauell of man, but it must be obteyned and enherited of and by the free grace and mercye of God. Vnto them all, whiche shall be thus eternally blessed, shall Christ the spouse & bryde grome of the churche, be their Iesus and sauiour, and also their God, and theyr per∣fyte satisfaccion? in suche maner and wyse, that they shall be as his deare chil∣dren and louyng sonnes, and he (Christ) shall be their father, brother, God and their euerlastinge kyng and captayne.