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.

¶The comforte of women trauelynge with chylde.

THE chylde is in the hande of god, and is not borne, before the tyme appoynted, whiche is not in our power, but in the wyll of god, at whose hande we must loke and seke for fauor and helpe. And suerlye the lorde is nyghe to them, whiche call vpon hym in trouthe. He wyll fulfyll the wyll of theym, whiche feare hym, and wyll here theyr prayer, and saue them. But we muste consyder, that all thyn∣ges haue theyr tyme, and that all thynges vnder heauen, passe forth by certayne lymyttes and spaces. There is a tyme of byrthe, and a time of dyeng. The tyme that god hath ordeyned, muste be loked for in the faythe of goddes promyse. The promyse is this, Thou shalt

bryng forth thy children, although with peyne, but he promyseth the delyuerance and byrth. This pro∣myse requireth feythe. For he that promyseth, is able to performe. And more ouer, it requireth obedi∣ence, that the woman be obediente to the wyll of god: vppon whome this crosse is layd by god the mer∣ciful father. For it is a great mer∣cye of god, that god deliuereth the soule from misery, and vexeth the body with mysery, the soule I say, is delyuered, and is the doughter of god by faythe: as Paule wyt∣nesseth, sayinge. The woman shal be saued through bearyng of chil∣dren, if she continue in fayth, loue, and sanctification, with sobernes. And Christe saythe: The woman, when she trauayleth, is in sorowe, bycause her hour is come: But whē

she hath brought forth her chylde, she remembreth not her trybulati∣on, for ioye that a man is borne in to the worlde.

Notes

• Psal. 144.
• Eccle. 3.
• 1. Tim. 2.
• Ioh. 16.