The safegard of the soule Declaring sundry soueraigne salues tending to the comfort and saluation of the same: very necessarie to bee learned and obserued of all men, and at all times, but chiefely in the extremitie of sicknes, and grieuous pangs of death. Composed by Lawrence Bankes, preacher of the word of God: and parson of Staunton, in the county of Glocester.

Three Reasons alluring.

THe precepts going before, and the ex∣amples propounded, may of themselues seeme rea∣sonable to perswade most men (if they be not void of reason) to suffer aduer∣sitie, and to be patient. For the Lord himselfe is patient, and mercifull, slow to anger,

and of great goodnes. Hee beareth with our sinnes, and patiently expecteth our amendment. And therefore wee must beare one with another. The Husband must beare with his Wife as with the wea∣ker vessell; the Master with his seruants; and the Cre∣ditor must haue patience with his Debter, &c.

But the greatest reason to mooue a man to suffer aduersitie, and to bee pati∣ent therein, is the reward after suffering; for being made like to Christ by suf∣fering, we shall in the end bee made partakers with

him in glory: Who, after his patient suffering, was so exalted of his Father, that hee hath giuen him a name aboue euery name, that at the name of Iesus, should e∣uery knee bow, both of things in heauen, and things in earth, and things vnder the carth. If therefore we suf∣fer with Christ, we shall also reigne with him.

Art thou desirous to liue for euer? and to reigne with Christ in eternall glory? Then arme thy selfe with patience to suf∣fer aduersitie heere on earth, that thou maist haue place in Heauen.

Take counsell of Saint Paul, who saith: Let vs by patience runne in the race which is set before vs, loo∣king to Iesus the Captaine, and finisher of our Faith; which for the ioy that was set before him, suffered the Crosse, contemned the shame, and sitteth on the right hand of the Throne of God.

Behold heere a reward after the race, & a crowne after the conflict. The con∣sideration whereof moued all the Martyrs and holy men of GOD to beare Christs Crosse, were it ne∣uer so grieuous and hea∣uy for the time, & to suf∣fer

mocks, stripes, bands, rackings, famine, impri∣sonments and death: and so must we doe: the whole course of our life heere on earth sheweth the same.

Troubles try our pati∣ence, and tame the flesh, lest wee should bee condem∣ned with the wicked world; and therefore wee begin our life with teares, before we be able to speake; we leade it in sorrow & care, and we part from it with great griefe: or otherwise wee should put too much confidence in our quiet e∣state, as Dauid testifieth: I said in my prosperitie, I shall

neuer bee mooued. And therefore, lest wee should bee too proud in our pro∣speritie, the Lord often∣times bridleth our appe∣tites by losses and crosses, and so sheweth his loue by afflicting vs for our good. As for example, if for Gods cause, or his Truth, we be shriuen of all our riches heere on earth, our portion shall bee the greater in Heauen. If wee bee thrust out of our hou∣ses, or offices, we shall bee receiued into the Family of God. If we be contem∣ned among men, wee shall be highly esteemed with

God. If we be cast downe in the world, our seates shal be the higher in Gods Kingdome. If we be mur∣thered, and so lose our life, this shall bee a meanes to bring vs to eternall life. For if there were no griefe in pouertie; no torment in sicknes; no sorrow in slan∣der, nor horrour in death, what tryall could there be of Gods people? None at all. Therefore in our greatest extremitie, let vs say, Fiat voluntas Domini, that is, The wil of the Lord be fulfilled in mee; come life, come death; come sicknes, come health; come

prosperitie, or aduersitie. And let that man neuer boast himselfe to be an A∣bel, whom the malice of Cain hath not afflicted: Nor a Iacob, whom an Esau hath not hated: nor a faithfull Mardocheus, whom a spitefull Haman hath not slandered: nor a Paul, whom a Nero hath not persecuted: nor a Christian, whom a Iudas hath not betrayed.

Where the good are, there must of necessitie be some bad to try them. The Wheate is tryed by the Fanne; the Iron by the file, and the gold by the

fire: euen so is a Christian knowne by affliction: and being so tryed, he cannot lose his reward. It is great in heauen, and not for gotten on earth. For we see dayly, that ioy follow∣eth sorrow; life, death; glory, miserty; and prospe∣ritie, pouertie. Patient Iob had his substance dou∣bled. The holy Patriarks, Prophets and Martyrs of Christ, which suffered sundry sorrowes heere on earth, are now crowned Kings in Heauen. And so shall we, if we runne their race: for many runne, but it is the wrong way, that

leadeth to destruction: But wee must so runne, that wee may obtaine, and in the end get the wager. The Mer∣chant resuseth no perill by Sea; the Husbandman no labour by Land; the Cap∣taine no wound in warres: and they doe it for a tem∣porall reward: How much more ought wee patiently to indure any losse of goods, torment of body, or griefe of minde, for e∣uerlasting life, and heauen∣ly ioy?

The Wise man consi∣dering this, affirmeth, that the day of death, is better then the day of birth.

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Saint Paul was of the same minde, when he said, I de∣sire to be loosed, & to be with Christ, which is best of al: for then shall Christ our Saui∣our wipe away all teares from our eyes, and sorrow from our hearts. We shall neede to suffer no more, our troubles are at an end. Neither shall there bee any more death, neither griefe, neither crying, neither paine. Our paines here haue endured but a time, the pleasures there shall be perpetuall. What is he therefore in the vniuer∣sall world, but would wil∣lingly hazard life and li∣uing;

yea, and yeeld his soule to God, his body to the blocke, and his flesh to the fire, for such cele∣stiall ioyes as are prepared for those that fight Gods battell heere on earth?

Therefore (my deare Brethren) to conclude; Let vs runne our race, and passe our painefull pilgri∣mage in this transitorie world, so godly and pati∣ently, by the example of the Prophets, of Christ and his Apostles, that in the end of the course, when death shall shut vp the eyes of our bodies, we may with a firme faith and

good conscience, say with Saint Paul: I have fought a good fight: I haue finished [unspec 7] my course: I haue kept the [unspec 8] Faith. For henceforth there is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnes, which the Lord a righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day: and not to me onely, but to all them that loue his appearing.

Then in the end of our race we shall haue rest and ioy, yea perfect, complete, and full ioy: Ioy aboue vs, ioy beneath vs: ioy before vs, ioy behinde vs: ioy on our right hand, ioy on our left hand: ioy within vs, ioy without vs: and ioy on

euery side vs. Vnto the which ioy he vouchsafe to bring vs, which dearely hath bought it for vs, not with siluer and gold (for it cost a great price) but with the sheading of his preci∣ous bloud, euen Iesus Christ the righteous: vnto whom with the Father, and the holy Ghost, three per∣sons, and one euerlasting, iust, and mercifull God, be all honour, power, and glory both now and euer.

Amen.

Notes

• Psal. 145. 8
• Phil 2. 9, 10.
• Rom. 8. 17.
• Heb. 12. 1, 2.
• Psal. 30. 6.
• 1. Cor. 9. 24.
• Eccl. 7 3.
• Phil. 1. 23.
• Apoc. 4. 21
• 2. Tim. 4.