An excelent comfort to all Christians, against all kinde of calamities no lesse comfortable, then pleasant, pithy, and profitable: Compendiously compiled by Iohn Perez, a faithfull seruant of God, a Spaniard (in Spanish) and now translated into English by Iohn Daniel, of Clements Inne, with diuers addicions by him collected and therevnto annexed.

Of Predestination and of glorificati∣on thereby. &c. The xxvij. Chapter.

JF we consider the end, and what stoppe and stay we are brought vn∣to by abiding so bitter crosses & perse∣cutions: no doubt we shal finde ther∣by great occasion to passe in sufferyng them with great ioye. S. Paule doth declare vnto vs y^e effect of y^e end ther∣of and what it shal be: Those whom I iustifie (sayeth hée) doe I also glo∣rifie. So that the ende thereof is to be glorified, as Iesus Christe was when God the father did put hym in hys kingdome, and there made him Lorde ouer all hys enimyes, by the afflictions and crosses which hée had suffered & passed. And as y^e way which our redéemer Tetragramatō tooke to be glorified by, was crosses of persecutiō: whereby he passed and tooke possession

of his heauenly kingdome. In lyke maner by those persecutions whych now we suffer, is the most perfect way for vs to bée glorified by also. As wée may be well assured, by Iesus Christ our head who is alreadie gone before vs by the same way: whose footesteps of force we must follow. This way is so direct y^t whosoeuer passeth by it, it is not possible (so he do it with faith) that he should misse, but with all per∣fectnesse enter into his kingdom.

Bycause as those that passe any other way, doe walke till they loose them selues, so those that kéepe this way which is the true way, cannot but bée glorified (in suffering) with Christ: for that they did perseuer in his truth and true religion till the end.

And therefore all those which shall suffer & dy for so iust a cause, let thē re∣ioice & be glad, assurīg thēselus of their glorification w^t Christ Iesus for euer. For why: Gods truth cānot alter nor chaūge, nor yet any thing y^t is ioyned therw^t, cānot be seperated by mā. The holy ghost saith by y^e apostle S. Paule,

that all those which God dyd knowe and acknowledge, he did predestinate, bycause they shoulde be conformable and lyke in shape vnto the image of his sonne. And those which were pre∣destinate he did call, those which hée called, he also iustified, & those which he iustified, he did glorifie. So that of necessitie those which he did predesti∣nate, he did also glorifie, and the way and meanes to come to be glorified, is to be called and iustified, by passions and crosses, to be conforme and lyke vnto his sonne. Wherefore those two things be so vnyted and knit togither, that the one is comprehended within the other, for that in suffering with Christ, and to be made lyke vnto him, is comprehended the ioyntely beyng glorified with him. And therefore all them that suffer afflictions and cala∣mities in this world, may assure them selues that in the ende they shall bée glorified in Christ, for whome they were afflicted.

Beloued bretheren we haue béene alreadie called of God by the Gospel.

And although that before our callyng we were loste, yet nowe, we are wa∣shed, sanctified, and iustified by y^e bloud and name of our Lord Iesus: and by the spirit of our God. This is a plaine testimony, that we haue all our secret election from one, and that is Christ, by whom we doe certifie our selues thereof. Also the world, by the perse∣cutions and sorowes that we suffer in it, and by the hatred that it vseth towardes vs, doeth manifestly shew, that by the diuyne mercie of God we are called and iustified. For why the world can not abyde vs, nor none but his owne. Whilest we were of the worlde, hée made vs many delycate deintie delightes, and trimly intrea∣ted vs, as if we had bene his owne. But afterwardes whē God had giuē vs the true light of his Gospell, and so seperated vs a sunder, that it was euident and apparant vnto all, y^t we were the true members of Christ our head, and none of his. Then he bluste∣red and blowed against vs: he rufled, roared, brayed, and rayled at vs, and

did so extréemely abhorre vs: that he did (nor will) not rest, to vse all kynde of crueltie that he can, to cast vs out quyte from hym. And so our sauiour Christ doeth confyrme vnto vs by Sainct Iohn, saying, if the world doe abhorre and hate you, then remember howe that fyrst it hated mée. If you were of the world, the world would loue you as hys owne: But bycause you be not of the worlde, and that I haue chosen you to my self, the world doeth hate and abhorre you.

Remember the wordes which I haue sayde vnto you, the seruaunt is not greater then his Lorde, if they haue persecuted mée they will also perse∣cute you. Wherby it resteth mani∣fest, that those which be persecuted, killed, and abhorred of the world, are alreadie taken & called by God from the worlde to him selfe, and washed and purified with the bloud of hys sonne Iesus Christ: So that we are to acount our selues glorified, if we be hated & doe suffer in such maner. And therefore sith we be so certified, and

shewed by such signes and tokens so euident, that we be elected and chosen eternally in Christ Iesu, and that wée be partakers of his rightuousnesse, let vs also be assured of it, that we shall atteine to the ende of our election in dispite of the world and all the mini∣sters thereof, and of all their false and curssed religion.

When that men without God and hys Christ will (and doe) burne vs, or giue vs any other kynde of death: let vs vnderstand that it is the check∣mate and ende of all our troubles and calamities, and that then is set open vnto vs the gates of the glory of God, that we might enter in & enioy with him for euer, the inestimable ryches of his eternall kingdom. When the e∣nimies of God and his Gospell perse∣cuted S. Steuen to the death, euen whē he was in y^e most chiefest checks, tauntes & troubles, amongest them he sawe the glorie of God, & did sée heauē open, & Iesus Christ sitting on y^e right hād of y^e father, ready to receiue him & to crown him as his martir & faithful

witnesse. So that in the strongest tor∣ments, and most cruell deathes, hea∣uen is opened vnto vs. And therefore we ought not to be abashed, to faynte nor to feare at any of their torments, but to stand strongly, and go forward with a good stomake and courage, and neuer to looke behynde vs: that wee might ouertake, attain to, and appre∣hend (or comprehende) the resurrecti∣on of Christ Iesus, accordyng as wée be in him comprehēded. Our enimies are vnwilling herewith, but god wil∣leth and hath ordeyned that there is nothyng that may or can, be any let, hinderance, or impediment, to kéepe backe that hys election and eternall counsell, wherein he loued vs, should not take effecte accordingly: that wée might be made conformeable and like vnto his sonne, as well in his death as also that we should be pertakers of his glorious resurrection. All the euill that men doe against the faithfull, is to none other end, but to let and hyn∣der (if they could) the predetermina∣tion of God. Thinking to make them

beléeue that there is no other way to bring the same to passe, or that it pas∣seth by none other meane or rule, thē by those which they doe allowe, (and not by y^e truth which they cōdempne,) after their owne fantasies & delights. No, no, God, nor no pointe of hys go∣uernement and will, is not nor shall not be directed by them: neither hée, his people, nor yet his doctrine, is, nor are not guided by any parte, péece, or pointe, of their wayes or teachings. As great distance are, betwéene my wayes and yours (sayeth the Lord,) as is betwéene the heauen and the earth. God wil not haue to deale with the wicked, least it be to vse them as the vessels of his wrath, for the health and wealth of his chosen. For whn, by their wayes, institutions, and de∣crées, they goe about to blotte & rase vs out of the memoriall of God, that we might not attaine to the lande of the liuing. But in that mansion and most mightie monarchie God hath vs in remembrance, and doth lift vp, en∣riche, and glorifie vs, with his inesti∣mable

giftes and riches, where our ende will be to rest shyning in great ioye and glorie, lightned by the lyght of truth in all heauenly felicitie.

The bretheren of holy & blessed Io∣seph, what did they leaue vndone and not put in practise, to punish, let, and hinder, y^e comming to passe of y^e coun∣sel of God, wherby he had determined to lift on high & glorifie his seruant: they persecuted him, iniured him, moc∣ked him, stripped him, & sold him as a slaue: he was caried into straūge coū∣treis, & there vsed & intreated most ex∣tréemely and hardly: But whē they thought no more to haue hard of him, behold, he remayned lifted vp by the handes of God, and made a mightie maiestrate in Egipt, and a superior Lord and ruler ouer his byers & sel∣lers. All y^t they did against him, was onely and vppon set purpose, a pre∣tence to hinder him, that hée should not atteyne to any parte thereof (I meane that glorie) but they could not in no one iote, let or hynder the good will of God, nor yet coulde vse no im∣pediment

in his loue towardes Io∣seph, nor in guyding him (as a shéepe that had bene among Wolues) from all his troublesome enimyes and per∣secutors, till hée had performed hys great glorification in this world, and in the worlde to come inherited hy∣porsiō, of those inestimable treasures prepared (by the loue and good wil of God) for the faithfull from the begin∣ning. Thus it appeareth, how he tooke hys steppes into all hys troubles, and doynges by degrées, as it were vp a ladder or paire of stayers) til God had assumpted and lifted him vp, into the toppe of all his glorie, accordyng to his determination before the foun∣dation of the world. So that, as these carnall and worldly bretheren did a∣gaynst Ioseph, euen so at this day doe the children of this world against the faithfull: in beating downe and per∣secuting them by all the meanes and wayes which possibly they can: but therein God doeth lifte them vp tyll they be glorified in Christ Iesus.

Notes

• Rom. 8. & 50.
• Math. 19. &. 6.
• Rom. 8. & 29.30.
• 1. Cor. 6. & 11.
• Ioh. 15. & 19.20.21.
• Our electi∣on and gal∣ling.
• He••. 7. & 5••
• Luke. 9. & 62. Phil. 3. & 11.12.
• Rom. 6. & 5.
• Esay. 5••. & 9.10.
• Rom. 9. & 20.22.23.
• Psal. 45. & 6.7.8. &c.
• Gen. 37. & 18.28.
• Gen. 45. & 8.
• Gen. 41. & 40.41.42. &c.
• Psal. 79. & 7.