Of the preparation to the crosse, and to deathe and of the comforte vnder the crosse and death, two bokes very fruictefull for deuoute people to rede, translated from latyn to englysshe, by Rycharde Tracy.

¶We oughte to be pacient in affliction, not to be angry, nor to speake yuell of god. Cap. viii.

PACIENCE, is to feele and consider, that god doth scorge

vs, to call vs to repentaunce, and therfore gladly to suffer the hand of god, and to haue a confidence, that god wyl forgiue vs, and that he wyll delyuer vs. Of this paci∣ence to godward, spryngeth forth pacience towarde men. For when the harte is at peace with god, it tarieth helpe of hym, and vtterly setteth aside lust to auenge. Thus pacience can neuer be, but when by fayth we are assured, that we please god, and that at lengthe it shall come to passe, that we shalbe saued. Christen pacience therfore, is the comfort and ioye of the hart in afflyctions, to whome there is annexed hope. For faythe present∣ly receiueth reconciliation and for¦gyuenes of synne, & a promyse of the ende. Hope taryeth and loketh for the ende to come, as sayth Esai

In silence and hope shall be your strengthe.* 1.1 For Hope hath his eye to the wyll of god, and knoweth, that god hath care on hym. And it shall come to passe, that god wyll gouerne the endes accordynge to his promyse, althoughe there ap∣pere no helpe at all, in any crea∣tures, as it is spokē of Abraham. Agaynste all hope, he beleued in hope. that is, althoughe in the hole compasse of nature, there be no hope at al, yet beholdynge the worde of god, felte inwardly, that that whiche god hadde promysed, shoulde come to passe. Who (as saythe Paule) calleth those thin∣ges whiche are not, as thoughe they were? Therfore the mynd is quiete in christen pacience. For it consydereth, that afflyctions are not yll, nor are layed on vs of god

to our destruction. For he is well assured, that he is temted through the good wyll of god, and exercy∣sed to repentaunce for his helthe. And for as moche as the mynd is fyxed towarde this wyl of god, he is not angrye with god. For he knoweth, howe this calamitie or trouble commeth not by chaunce or fortune without a cause, but ra¦ther reioyseth in affliction. that is it that Esai speaketh. In silence and hope shall be your strengthe. that is, be ye not angry in god or with god.* 1.2 Be ye angry, but synne not, that is. Be ye not angry with god, bicause he suffereth you to be punyshed, and doth not by and by helpe you, be ye not for that mo∣ued, to exercyse vengaunce, or to forsake god: but speake closely within your hartes, that is, consi∣der

the word, and accordyng ther∣unto suffer affliction. Suche pa∣cience is stedfaste and sure, yea e∣uen when al mannes comfort and councell forsake vs. whiche thing holye scripture euidently proueth euery where. for he wyl not be for∣getfull of the poore continually. The paciēce of the poore shall not peryshe at length. Tary the lorde,* 1.3 do manfully, comforte thy harte, and suffer the lord.* 1.4 In silence and hope, shall be thy strengthe.* 1.5 It is good to loke for the helthe of the lorde in silence.* 1.6 What soo euer is layde on the, receyue it, and when thou arte brought lowe, haue pa∣cience. He that is pacient,* 1.7 is ruled with moche wysedome. He that is impatient, sheweth forthe his fo∣lyshenes. In your pacience shall ye pocesse your soules.* 1.8 Afflyction

bringeth forthe pacience, pacience probation or triall, probatiō hope, and hope shall neuer be a shamed. So Dauid,* 1.9 paciently suffered the persecution of his sonne, and the curse of Semei. Iob is a notable exāple of pacience. The lord gaue the lorde hath taken away. Abra∣ham was pacient,* 1.10 when his wyfe was taken away, and set in Pha∣raos house. Chryste is the onely captayne and moste perfecte exam¦ple of pacience. So farre is it of, that aduersities shuld noy or hurt vs, that they are very profytable vnto vs. For the good, the more they ar afflycted, the more pacient they are, knowynge that through moche trouble, is the way of hea∣uen. for they knowe, that by moch pacience, they ar tried and proued as Peter sayth.* 1.11 wherby the triall

of our faythe, maye be more pre∣ciouse then golde, whiche pery∣sheth and is tried by fier. wherfore a proffe or triall helpeth to the in∣crease of hope. For when we consi¦der, that in no suche so great affli∣tions, we are not forsaken, we ga∣ther confidently, that neuer after this shal we be forsaken. we ought therfore pacientely to suffer those ylles, which happen on vs in this worlde. for if we be impacient, we be not christians. For as many as haue ben sythen the begynnynge of the worlde hytherto, godly and christian men, they haue al ben af∣flycted with manyfolde troubles. But forbycause, they haue ouer∣come thē with pacience, their hope set and fyxed in god, therfore they ar made safe, as witnesseth the ex∣amples of the holy, from the fyrste

Abel, vnto those ryghtuouse whi∣che in these days ar on lyue. Wher¦fore it behoued euen Chryste hym self, by the crosse, to entre into life. And this in all aduersities is gret comforte, and of great strength, to knowe, that god requireth paci∣ence, and that myngled with ioy. But mans reason perceyueth not that,* 1.12 but god teacheth it. For our reason is therfore troubled & vex∣ed in persecution, bycause it thin∣keth, that we ar afflycted, bycause god other hateth vs, or dothe not regarde vs, nother wyl helpe vs. These false opiniōs god plucketh from vs, and teacheth vs, that we ar afflycted, not bycause he hateth vs, but bycause he wyll other a∣mende vs, or when we be amen∣ded, so to continue, accordynge to that sayinge: He correcteth the

sonne whom he loueth. Agayn: I wyl not the deathe of a synner.* 1.13 A∣gayne, He hath concluded all vn∣der synne, not to dystroye all, but to haue mercye on all. And this thynge engendereth gladnes in our myndes, to knowe and fele, that it pleaseth god, to haue vs afflycted. For we must be lyke the ymage of his sonne. More ouer, that in our affliction he wyl helpe vs, and kepe vs, and also comfort vs with the holy gost, and set our conscience at peace, and make vs be gladde in god, so that we desire helpe of hym. For he commaun∣deth, that we shulde loke for helpe at his hande, accordynge to this: All they that tarye the,* 1.14 shal not be confounded. And god commaun∣deth lykewyse, that we shuld aske helpe of hym. Call on me in the

daye of trouble, and I wyll dely∣uer the, and thou shalte gloryfie me. Of this pacience and comfort god alonely is the auctour, which also giueth pacience.* 1.15 For thou art my pacience o lord. yet o my soule be vnder and subiecte to god. for of hym is my pacience. Thynke the thoughtes of peace, that I maye gyue you the ende and pa∣cience.* 1.16 The god of pacience and comforte. &c. This christian paci∣ence hath certayne condycions, wherby it is knowē, to be the true pacience. Fyrste it grudgeth not, nother excuseth it selfe, as though it shulde suffer vnworthily for his synnes. wherfore he sitteth downe and holdeth his peace, as Hiere∣mie saythe.* 1.17 He sytteth alone, and speketh no worde, for he hath laid a yocke vpon hym. Secondely it

casteth all carefulnes on god,* 1.18 and committeth it selfe al hole to god, that goddes wyl be done, and not his. Thyrdely, it humbleth hym selfe, and casteth of ryotte, and the pleasure of the worlde. Fourthly, he is mery and redye to suffer yet more heuyer and more greuouse ylles.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Esai. 20.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 5.
• * 1.3

  Psal. 26.
• * 1.4

  Esai. 30.
• * 1.5

  Thren. 3.
• * 1.6

  Eccle. 2.
• * 1.7

  Prou. 14.
• * 1.8

  Matt. 10. Roma. 5.
• * 1.9

  2. Re. 16.
• * 1.10

  Gen. 12.
• * 1.11

  1. Pet. 1.
• * 1.12

  Colo. 1.
• * 1.13

  Ezech. 18.
• * 1.14

  Esai. 49.
• * 1.15

  Psal. 70. Psal. 61. Hiere. 29.
• * 1.16

  Rom. 15.
• * 1.17

  Thren. 3.
• * 1.18

  1. Pet. 5.