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.

Verie godly exhortations for all men that are afflicted, and also for those vvhich are in prosperitie. The xxxiiij. Chapter.

ANd therefore if it happen that we liue in rest and quiet with∣out any aduersitie or persecu∣tion, let vs not forget y^e Lord, but follow his counsaile deuised and published by his diuine wisedom: let vs then remember also the dange∣rous dayes of dollor, trouble, and ad∣uersitie, that the children of Israell had in the land of Canaan: let theyr bondage and captiuitie in Egipte bée had in remembrance of vs: let vs bée vigilant, watche, and pray more then

in y^e prosperitie of ours, then at any other tyme. Let vs not lyue to our selues in leasings, sléeping in y^e cradle of securitie, as some of the Israelites did, promising thēselues rest fantasti∣call: Let vs be alwayes as men on the Seas which are good & expert sai∣lors, although it be calme & that no wynde doe blow, yet they haue theyr hallyards, shéetes, sayles, tackes, and bowlines in a readynesse, yare to strike, hoyse, hall, and set, in any tem∣pestious time of tossing y^e troublesome Sea of tribulation most dangerous. Likewise let vs watch & be in a rea∣dines what (tempest of tribulation) so euer shall happen in these dangerous seas y^e world, wherin we do liue and saile, let vs set hope to the healme, let faith stand to let flie the sheat, let humilitie strike the sayle, and let our f••re affiance and trust in God be our pilat to invocate and call for helpe to the tacke and Bowlyne to straine and grype thorow y^e tempest of trou∣bles into the porte & hauen of health. Let vs not let slippe this prouision,

least we bée taken voyde and without those helping mates our mariners to stand by our tackling. Biiause our ad∣uersarie the diuil goeth rampāt about lyke a roaryng Lyon séeking whom he may deuour, whom we oughte to resist by force of faith in christ Iesus. Let vs remember our selues of the dayes of Noah, and of Lottes wife. And let vs be afrayd that when they say vnto vs peace and securitie, that euen then death and distruction is at hande, will runne vppon vs hastily, and kyll vs without repentance, lyke as a womon with chylde whome hyr trauaile taketh vppon the sodayne, and turneth hyr to sorow, or as care∣lesse byrdes that fall in the Net vn∣wares. Least that when we think no∣thing of it, wée bée taken with some horryble tempest that maye trouble and distroy all. Let vs bée as Soul∣dyors, wyse, prudent, well exercy∣sed and trayned vp in warre, that wée runne not out of arraye, but that we alwayes be prest in order lookyng to our chiefetain: & listen to y^e alarme,

if it be striken vp by our enimies) that we be not taken vpon the sodaine, as no doubt they will if they can: when we thinke our selues most surest. And also let vs alwayes laye vppon our shoulders our beardes lookyng backe to sée when our Lord commeth: And moreouer, in tyme of aduersitie when any thing happeneth vnto vs, why∣ther it be oppression by pouertie, mi∣serie, infamy, imprisonment, sicknes, or any other exyle, or any other kinde of calamitie, let vs vnderstande, that first we haue deserued farre greater griefes and troubles then (any what∣soeuer or) we are able to beare: Se∣condly, to consider that wée ought to vse for our remedie a sure truste in God, with repentance, confessyon to him, and contrition. Fynally, let vs accept them as gentle scourges, a fa∣therly chastysement, gyuyng hartie thankes for them, that they tende to our ioyfull and comfortable end: and also let vs be so firme and constant, (that whatsoeuer terror or trouble do shewe him selfe vnto vs,) that we doo

not faynt in our true fayth. What a number of enimies hath the Gospell had from y^e beginning, that God hath punished, caused them to be lost, to bée consumed and perish with great my∣serie, and little or none the memorie that is had of them. But those which were in fayth, and did perseuer con∣stantly in the trueth, and did not se∣perate them selues from the Lord, doo remaine in eternall memorie before him in hys heauenly habitation. In olde tyme, what became of Caine, Membroth, Saule, Senacherib: and also of many others that were y^e Em∣perours of Roome. What was the end of Herode, Achaz, Antiochus, A∣chab, Zedechias, and many others of their tiranicall fellowship, that perse∣cuted the faithfull Prophets and chil∣dren of the Lord: what was the end of all these furious fellowes: Surely by the true scriptures it is made most manifest, that they were all vtterly distroyed, by the same worde of God, for whose trueth they persecuted hys people. Wherfore let vs not dismay

our selues, be faint harted, nor weaks in mynde, how mightie & magnificall so euer they show them selues, that so persecute vs: bycause that God who doth and will defend vs, muche more mightie thē they are. And those migh∣tie monsters wil he make the vesseils of his wrath, and distroy most migh∣tifully. Let vs with all bening humi∣litie follow y^e exāple of Iesus Christ, so that if we be persecuted euen vnto the death with most vylest persecuti∣ons, let vs not be troubled at all, but be assured that the laste day, we shall resuscitate & ryse agayne in immor∣talitie, & incorruptiō, with the prince of pastors Iesu Christ our Lorde: by∣cause y^t he him selfe is the resurrecti∣on, he shall quycken our mortall bo∣dies, by his spirit y^t dwelleth in vs.

Although that sometimes we be so euil intreated by our enimies, w^t ma∣ny kinds of calamities, yet let vs not thinke that God is a sléepe, or hath in any poynt forgetten vs: but be we all fully assured, y^t he will not close an eie nor winck on whit, but wil watch

alwaies to kéepe, saue, and deliuer vs to y^e Israelites. Although their halles or house of audience and iudgement, (grounded vppon vnrightuousnes) where they most gréeuouslye heare, condempne and iudge the faithfull for confessinge and professinge the truthe (come downe from Heauen) be neuer so fully fraughte w^t curssed cruelties, yet what then they are to no purpose at all: for that our father which is in heauen, hath such an au∣ditory, as also farre passeth theirs in all poyntes as is possible, where as we may fully assure our selues that he will sit in iudgment, and confound their deuises, who wil ese our griefs, and cōdempne our condempnors, al∣loting them their porcions among the scribes and pharasies and hipocrites. And wheras he our mighty god hath chosen his church, his faithful people, & appoynted thē to iudge & cōdempne the impious and vngodly which now are their condempnors as it is writ∣by S. Mat. Wherfore w^t pacience let vs beare and suffer our present con∣demnations, because in time to come

we may iudge our condempnors, for by that truthe which now they con∣dempne in vs, they remaine for euer condempned.

Let not vs meruell at the perse∣cutors whiche at these dayes doe trouble vs, nor yet at the innumera∣ble number that rise against vs, ney∣ther let vs faint nor feare to sée that we are in number nothing to be com¦pared against them: Let vs content our selues onely (and thereby be en∣couraged) that we are acceptable to God, and y^t he hath loked vppō vs in Christ, for whose sake we ar alwaies in fauour with him.

By the same way that we do passe many saynts haue passed before vs. All the faithfull (sayth holy Iudith) haue bin acceptable to God, and pas∣sed by many tribulations.

Righteous Abel was persecuted and killed by his brother Caine: Noah was mocked of his sonne Cham: Sem, how was he afflicted.

What a number of troubles did A∣braham suffer, who was faithful and

the father of all beléeuers: How was Loth, tormented and afflicted in So∣dome? what sorowes suffered Isack, when his father went about to sacra∣fise him? what persecution did Iacob suffer by his brother Esau? what an innumerable number of noysom trou∣bles did Moyses suffer, bycause hée was faythfull to God? Dyd not the foolish Philistians afflicte Samson so sore, that they put out both his eyes? That holy and iust man Iob, was not he terriblie tormented and troubled, both of friendes and foes? was not the Prophet Elias wonderfully vex∣ed and persecuted by curssed Quéene Iesabell, and wicked King Achab hyr vngodly husband? what troubles was there, that King Dauid (so beloued of God) was not subiect vnto? how the Prophets were murdered, the Apo∣stles persecuted and killed, all y^e scrip∣tures doe declare. Howe brauely dyd the diuill, the world, and the flesh, be∣stirre their stumps stobernly to strike and beate downe Iesus Christ, tyll they had taken away his lyfe, yet for

all y^t they remained vnpossessed of his death, for that he him self triumphed alwayes ouer that, & lo passed to hys kingdom, where he reigneth in glorie with all those hys members, which haue followed him, sithens the begin∣ning, in crosses of passion and persecu∣tion: And therfore though we be but a little flock, let vs be firme & cōstant till the end w^t patience, for that Iesus Christ is our onely victorie and victor. So y^t although our aduersaries be ne∣uer so many in number, & of neuer so great a degrée in the world, yet of ne∣cessitie they must perish & passe after theyr forefathers which persecuted the Prophetes, Apostles, and the rest the faythfull seruants of God. They doe not presently sée any thing of all this, they doe neither sée our glorifica∣tion, nor their own perdition, & yet the scripture doeth discouer the same both to vs & them. Whereby we may bée as sure both of the one and the other, as we be of their cruell persecutions which we suffer. Thereby doe they pluck the iust iudgement of God with

vengeance and ire vppon their owne heads, So, that they shal féele his hea∣uie displeasure, and in the end shal sée our blessednes now couered w^t mour∣ning, & their owne perdition & damp∣nation now couered with pagain and popishe pleasure. For proofe whereof, let vs pervse that which is written in the booke of wisedome as foloweth in the next Chapter.

Notes

• Eccle. 18. & 23.24. &c.
• Deu. 16. &. 1.12.
• Mat. 26. &. 13.
• Mat. 7. & 15.
• 1. Pet. 5. & 8.9.
• Mat. 24. & 37. Luk. 17. & 32. 1. Thes. 5. &. 3.
• Psal. 9. & 5.6.
• Psal. 111.6.6.7.
• Gen. 4. & 13. 1. Paral. 10. & 1, 4.13. & •• 3. King. 22. & 34. 4. King. 15. & 5.3.21. & 1.16. &c. & 24. &. 9.15. &c. & 25. & 7.8. &c.
• Sap. 6. &. 4.6.8. &c.
• 1. Pet. 5. & 3.4.
• Rom. 8. & 11
• Psal. 93. & ••.3.
• Eze. 7. &c Psal. 102. &. 19.
• Psal. 37.8•• 12.13. &c.
• Mat. 23. & 29.••0. &c.
• Mat. ••9. & 28.
• Psal. 3. & 1.2.3. &c.
• Iud. 8. & 22.23.24. &c.
• Gen. 4. & 8. Gen. 9. & 22.25.
• Gen. 12. & 6. &c. Gen. 13. & 14.
• Gen. 19. & 4.5. &c. & 22. & 6. &••
• Gen. 22. in all. Psal. 28. & 5.7.8
• Iudge. 16. & 12, 21. &c.
• Iob. 3.4.••. in all the Chap.
• 3. King. 17. & 4. &c
• 3. King. 1••. & 2.3.4.
• 1. Sam. 19.20.21.22,
• Osee. 13. & 4.5.
• Rom. 8. & 31.38.39.
• Mat. 13 & 29.30.31. &c