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THen (sayeth the wyse man) shall the rightuous appeare with great constancie,* 1.1 before those which did persecute thē, and those wicked ones séeing the righ∣tuous, shall be tormented with great feare and horror, and shal be astonied to sée them saued, & them selues with∣out any hope thereof. Sore sighing for sorow, and their mynds full fraught
with bitternesse, saying beholde, these are they which sometimes past, wée mocked and scorned & against whom? we made songes and sonnets of great dishonor as we thought, and we, in∣senssed with errors accompted theyr lyues and doctrine for fond foolishnes, and procured their spoiles with spyte most spitefull. Yet we may see them héere accompted among the children of God, and haue their parte with his Sainctes. But we haue gone a stray farre from the way of truth, the light of rightuousnes hath not lighted vs, nor the sonne of vnderstanding hath not shyned vppon vs, we were weri∣ed in the way of wickednes and wal∣ked in by pathes, and did not know the way of ye Lord: what hath pryde profited vs? or what wealth hath our worldly riches & arrogancie wrought vs. All these things haue passed away as a shadow, as a correo that runneth post, or as a shippe that sayleth on the Seas full before the wynde, and no print or pathe are séene when shée is once passed. So that wée as soone as
we were born, wexed weak, and now we can shewe no signe of vertue the whiche is accordyng as a speiciall friend of this translator did write in his absence, (as an olde prouerbe) vp∣pon the first page of the coppie here∣of. As foloweth.
Who so beleueth as he is borne in hande, Forovveth in the Sea, & sovveth in the sand.
It may bée iudged hée ment this text (for that it is so with the wicked) but to the purpose, if doeth not greatly degresse from the meaning of ye wyse man who sayeth further, the wicked are consumed in their wickednesse,* 1.2 and their hope is as the dust or chaffe which the winde scattereth abroade, or as the remembrance that a well guested host hath of euery guest that commeth to his house, which can not be possibly. But the rightuous shall liue for euer, their rewarde shall bée in the world, & the highest shall haue charge ouer them. Wherefore they shall receiue a kingdom of honor, and a beautifull diadeame at the handes of the Lord. For he will couer them
with his right hand, & wil defēd them with his holy arme as with a shield.
Héere we may sée that those which now persecute vs for the truth, shalbe forced and dryuen to confesse them selues incenssed with errors, & loste, allowing the cause, for which so cru∣elly they persecute vs. And therefore sith they shal allow our rightuousnes and truth in such maner, & cōdempne them selues and their doinges for wicked and vniuste. And sithe it is so manifest a testimony, that our cause is such now, as they shall confesse to be true and iust then: And that nowe we be such by Christ as they shall sée vs then. And also for that we shall be equall parteners in cōmune with the Sainctes alreadie gone before vs: Let vs (dearely beloued) perseuer al∣wayes in Iesus Christ and his truth, without fayntyng or fearyng till we haue obteyned hys eternall kingdom: bicause the Sainctes our bretherē are gone before vs,* 1.3 and doe tarrie tyll the tyme that wee and the rest doe come and fill vp the number that God
hath appoynted, and that then wée might togyther enioy (and reioyce of) the riches and possession of the same, with Iesus Christ who is there, alrea∣die abydyng to crowne vs with cele∣stiall glorie for our victory. Very short are the pleasures and prosperities of our aduersaryes, as they shall their gyue testymonie, (accordyng to the saying of the booke of Sapience) but much more shorter are our troubles and aduersities,* 1.4 (as the holy Ghost gyueth testimonie by the Prophet, Esay,) hée sayeth they are but mo∣mentarie. And also, he sayeth fur∣ther (to hys people) I will leaue thée a little, sayeth the Lorde thy God.
But with great mercyfulnesse I wil receyue thée agayne, a little, (as it were a moment or ye tyme of twinck∣lyng of an eye) in indignation I wil hyde my face from thée.
Yet I haue pittied thée with mercie sempiternall, sayeth the Lorde thy Redéemer, for although the moun∣taynes shoulde remoue, & the valleys should tremble and fall downe, yet
shall not my louing kyndnesse be re∣moued, nor the bond of my peace shal not fall from thée. Here God doth con∣firme vnto vs, that all our tribulati∣ons indure but a moment, and that his mercy and peace with vs is sem∣peternall. And although yt all thyngs in the world doe perish, yet his blessed promyses vnto vs shall neuer haue end. Therefore let vs not change the mercie and peace of God which is e∣ternall, for the prosperities of ye wic∣ked world which are shorte, and so so∣dainly passe away. Let vs content our selues though they florishe neuer so al la flanta and gallantly, that are of of the world. Let them reigne lustily, for that the more high they arise and clyme against God, so much the grea∣ter will be their fall at length. The holy Ghost sayeth by the mouth of the Prophet Dauid,* 1.5 the wicked shall flo∣rish as the gréene grasse, and so shall all the works of iniquitie, but sodein∣ly after shall they perish togither for euer. The prosperitie which they passe in, is but a slumber, in awakyng
out of the same,* 1.6 they shall sée them∣selues perishe, without the view of armes or handes to touch them. If we fortune to fall into any other kinde of aduersitie, as by mischance to be maymed in our flesh, to be sick, oppressed with pouertie, or banished into exile, yea, or otherwise punish∣ed for hate the world hath vnto vs. Let vs consider that it is but the lo∣uing chastisment of the Lord our fa∣ther, who doth and will scourge and correct euery sonne that he receueth, as before is sayd sufficiently.
And sith all and euery kinde of cala∣mitie that happeneth or can come vn¦to vs is momentary,* 1.7 let vs suffer the same with pacience and thanksge∣uing,* 1.8 and put our sure hope and trust in god, who hath sworn wil he neuer be so angrye that he will take away his mercy from vs, but at all times powre it vppon vs aboundantly.
And therefore for that he is our fa∣ther by Christ for euer, let vs like lo∣uing children, be faithfull vnto hym accordingly in all times and places.
Bycause that after lyfe loste for hys loue, and the conquest so ouercome, we shal fynde lyfe in him, whole, safe, and sound, frée from all kynd of daun∣gers of calamitie, and from all kynds of grief or annoy. And shal hear from his holy mouth,* 1.9 the words wherwith he wil receiue all that be his: saying, to all and to euerie one of vs, I am contented with thée myne owne good seruant, bycause thou haste continued faithfull vnto mée ouer much. Enter into the ioye of the Lord which hath bene prepared for thée from the be∣gynnyng.* 1.10 The God of all grace who hath called all hys chosen by Iesus Christ to his eternal glorie after that they haue suffered a little time of per∣secution and affliction, doe make you all perfecte, and doe incorporate and establish you in him selfe. To whom be all Emperie, rule, dominion, pow∣er, laude, praise, honor, and glorie, for euer and euer, worlde without ende. Amen.
Sap. 5. & 1.2.3.4, &c.
Sapi. 5. &. 5 6.7 Psal. 1. &. 5.
〈◊〉〈◊〉 6. &
Sap. 5. & 7.8. &c. Esay. 54. & 7.10.
Psal. 90. & 6.7.
Esay. 29.2.
Psal. 75. & 9.10.12.
Esay. 54. & 10.
Ma••. 25. & 24.
1. Pet. 5. & 10.