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.

A meruailous comfort to those that are afflicted eyther by fyre or o∣thervvise. The xxxij. Chapter.

THe fyre and all things tere∣striall are creatures of God, and serue for the health and wealth of his chosen, and al∣so for the distruction of his enimyes. (As it is written in the booke of wis∣dom,) Bycause the iust should bée su∣stayned and vpholden, the fyre doeth loose his force & furie, (for that it bée∣ing a creature, in seruing him that is his creator and maker, doeth vse hys furies and inflame hym selfe to the distruction & torment of the vnrightu∣ous & wicked onely.) And doth mitti∣gate his mood, onely bicause they trust in the Lorde.

Whereby it appeareth, that the poore afflicted chyldren of God, are not bur∣ned with the fyre, nor hurt with any kinde of torment: no not scarce tou∣ched therewith, and therfore nothing gréeued. (As sayth our Lord God, his

creatures euerie one of them are in such a consorte, and so agréed togither amongest them selues, y^t all of them with one common accord & cōsent, wil be and are ministers for vs of greate health and comfort: and also wil and doe vse them selues vnto vs with a gentlenes most louyng: bicause being faithful, we are so wel beloued of god, that he bindeth all his creatures so, that of force they can not be, but for our benifit in all things accordyng to his will. Gold burneth not in the fire, but is fined and purified thereby from all things that are of lesse value, and so it selfe made more precious and of greater value and substance, then before. Euen so the good christian brought to the fyre by persecution, burneth not, but is the rather purify∣ed from all that fowleth, blotteth, or burneth his christianitie, and so re∣mayneth more precious and beauti∣full in his substance thē before. Wher∣by it séemeth y^t the childrē of God, whē they suffer y^e force & heat of y^e fire, they féele it not, or els it hurteth them not,

but rather harmeth the executioners thereof. The fyre to the faithfull is as it was in the bushe, which Moy∣ses sawe: it flamed and yet it burned not, bycause that the Lord God was in it. The fyre hath a force and ver∣tue that burneth and consumeth vt∣terly, but whom: mary, euen the im∣pious, vniust, & vngodly. And although they séeme liuing (these which are the afflictors of the faithfull) and without harme, yet for a certaintie with the same fire, which they prouide & make for others, they are (before God) bur∣ned and consumed them selues: Al∣though they beléeue it not, yet it is so. The Prophet Daniell when he was throwen into the denne amonge the Lyons which were made extreemely hungrie vppon purpose to haue de∣uoured him: bicause he was founde faithful before God, he perisheth not, they touched hym not, nor did hym harme: but rather in their kynde re∣ioysed and made great feastes and ioy with him, for that God vppon whom he did inuocate & call, and in whome

he trusted did deliuer him (as in the vj. Chapter of the same Prophet, and the xvj. and xxiiij. verse is well decla∣red) but those which had bene the ex∣ecutioners of all his trouble and tor∣ment, being throwen into the same place, euen among the very same Ly∣ons: they could scarce fall among thē so soone as they were torne and pluc∣ked in péeces and deuoured vtterly. The thrée young men of Babilō, Si∣drach, Misach, & Abdenago, seruantes of God, did not perish whē they were put into a hot burning furnace, made seuen tymes hotter then euer it was, bicause they would not worship wic∣ked King Nabuchadonaser his Idoll, which he had caused to be set vp: they surely trusting in the liuing God, fea∣red not hys furyous furie in all hys threatninges nothyng at all, but an∣swered him saying, we are not care∣full to answeare thée (O King) in a∣ny thing concerning this Idoll, for let thy highnesse vnderstande, that our God whom we serue, can deliuer vs from thy whot burning furnace, and

from thy handes, but if hée will not (the whiche wée doe not doubte off) yet (O King) hold thou for a certain∣tie y^t we will not worship thy Gods, nor yet the Image of gold which thou hast caused to bée set vp, béeyng for this cause put into the sayde furnace so hot, they were not onely frée from all kynde of harme by fyrie, flame, or smoke, but also they were refreshed from heauen by the hands of y^e sonne of the lyuing God, who was him self amonge them, in the lykenesse of an Angell: Euen in the middest of the most whottest flames, wherefore it hurt them nothing at all: but yet it burnt and consumed quyte the mys∣chieuous ministers y^e makers therof. So that thereby was approued that the fyre could not harme them in no poynte, no more can it not (nor no∣thing els that God hath created) doo any thyng hurtfull agaynst the chil∣drē of God, for whie all y^t cā be done agaynst them, bée it with fyre or a∣ny other kynde of torture is for their cōfort. Thē wherfore should we faint

feare, or flée, at or from the crosse of the Lord: for y^t he will examine and purge vs therwith, from all kynde of causes of corruption: So that it may be consumed quite by the means ther∣of: that we might be enryched and remaine glorified with God for euer.

All that is written, is writen for our learnyng, bycause that by pati∣ence and comforte in the scriptures we might haue hope.

And therefore let vs vnderstand that as in tymes paste it passed and hap∣pened to Danyell and the reste the seruantes of God, (and also to hys enimyes) Euen the lyke commeth to passe at thys day both w^c the one and other, for that nothyng can hurt them that put their trust in the Lord: but all serueth them for the best. And as for the wycked, all thinges are to the contrarie, they prouyde nothing to punysh the rightuous with, but they peryshe therein themselues.

Wherfore let vs bée imitators of the saincts, as of Daniel, & of y^e thrée yong

men of Babilon, and others more a great many, which nothyng estéemed torments, tyronous threats, killings nor commaundements of any vngod∣ly Tyrant: but constantly continued in confessing of Gods true religion for euer, without any looking backe. And as they did honour him in being faithfull, so did he honour them in be∣ing by thē in all their distressed daun∣gers, to their ayde, strength, consola∣tion, continuall comfort, and deliuery most merueilous: in such sort that no parte of their hope was frustrate in any thing. Euen so will hée doe and deale for vs if we bee faithfull. Let vs not feare therefore the tirannie (that so potencially appeareth of prin∣ces; nor the crueltie of Kings, the ty∣rannie of any kynde of Tyrant, of in∣quisitors, of correctors, of Iudges, nor yet the torment of the executioner, the infamy of mē, nor any other kynd of crueltie that in our eyes is euill: least that so we forsake and renounce our faith, and the true knowledge of our sauiour Iesu Christ the sonne of

God. Let vs onely feare God, who can and will deliuer vs from all kind of torments, and from the handes of all Tyrants. And although that wée doe not sée thys libertie of deliuerie, with our corporall eyes, yet (for the loue of our sauiour Iesu Christ) let vs not consent vnto them, nor follow their impietie and vngodlinesse: let no braue nor gallant shew of or from them allure vs vnto them, let vs not worship the creatures, nor yet truste in any other then the creator: Let vs not accept any other rule to serue him by, then that which he doth cōmaund and teach for a rule, by the holy ghost: Let vs not feare the creatures, but the creator onely. Let vs not take héed nor make accompt of things that be visible, but of things which are in∣uisible: Let vs not meruaile, bée dys∣mayed, nor afrayde, of the crueltie of men: but let vs behold, and be inamo∣red of the clemencie and goodnesse of God our good and louing father. Bi∣cause that he in all things is true, let vs be louers faithfull and true vnto

him. Hée dyd not forget that he did knowe and elect vs, to bée made con∣formeable and lyke vnto hys sonne, hée doth alwayes remember and will neuer forget that hée called vs, of his owne singuler mercie to vs warde, and dyd let others alone in the same condempnatiō in the which we were: and béeyng vnrightuous as we were in déede, he did iustifie vs & washe vs by the bloude of Christ, bycause wée should be holy in his presence. Let vs remember all this, & how he loued vs in Christ, when we were his enimies and would not pardon him in his pas∣sions one iote. Yet he did pardon vs, and gyue hym self vnto death, yea the most vile death on the crosse to distroy sinne, the which but for hys mercye and loue had distroyed vs vtterlie: and all bycause wée should haue life in hym.

Syth hée loued vs so, then béeing so horrible sinners, and hys cruell eny∣mies, it is most sure and certain that he loueth vs nowe muche better, for that he hath so rebuked and killed sin

in vs, y^t we are reconsiled vnto him: and hath also made vs the children of his mercie. And therefore for that hée doeth so loue vs, with the burnyng bowels of his true loue, he will also gloryfye vs in Christe, for why all that he doth vnto vs is to the same ende: wherefore he wyll that we suf∣fer whilst wee liue in this worlde, that we might be partakers of the crosse and death of Christe, also of his resurrection and gloryficacion. So that to be like vnto hym in suffering heere, he gueth vs to vnderstand that we shall be with him, and like vnto hym in his kingdome: and therefore it is very necessary that wee passe many tribulationes in entring ther∣into.

Wherefore with shuttinge our eyes to all the impedimentes of our glori∣ficacion, and with geuing no eare to the resons of our flesh and the world, let vs run with pacience to the bat∣tayle wherevnto we are so louingly pressed, lookinge to our chieftaine

Iesus Christ, who hauing before him (as we haue) such ioy as is vnspeake∣able, did willingly suffer his crosse: no∣thing regarding the dishonor of hys death, and is set on the right hande of God in his inestimable glory. Thus considering the contradiction that his enimyes vsed to him selfe, whilest be was on earth amongest them, let not vs be troubled nor faint in our minds at any kynde of calamitie: but with a great and stout courage let vs go for∣ward and not stay to rest, till that we haue gotten that Iewell which is his blessing, and set vp for a pryse or re∣warde for all those which perseuer vpryght and in the true know∣ledge of hys trueth and o∣bedience of the same till the ende.

Notes

• Sap. 16. & 16.22.23.
• Osee. 2. & 18.21.22.
• Exod. 3. &. 2.
• Dan. 6. & 16.26.
• Dan. 3. & 13.16.17. &c.
• Rom. 15. & 4.
• Iob. 5. & 17.19. &c. Osec. 2. & 18.21.22. Rom. 8. & 28.
• Mat. 11. & 12.28.29.
• Mat. 10. & 19.26.28.
• Deut. 12. & 2.8.11. &c. Math. 15. & 9.13.
• 2. Cor. 4. & 17.18.
• Rom. 8. & 29.30.
• Rom. 3. & 1. 1. Cor. 6.11. Ephe. 2. & 14.16.
• Rom. 5. & 1.8.9. Rom. 8. & 17.30.
• Rom. •••• &. 5.
• 2. Tim. 2. & 3.9.10. Act. 14. & 12.
• Hebr. 12 &. 2.
• 1. Cor. 9. & 24. &c. Mar. 13. & 13.