Phisicke for the soule verye necessarie to be vsed in the agonie of death, and in those extreme and moste perillous seasons, aswell for those, which are in good health, as those, which are endewed with bodily sicknesse. Translated out of Latine into Englishe, by H. Thorne.

What is to bee done, when hell, or eternall damnation, comming in our minds, doth feare vs.

THe malignant spirite ma∣keth man verie solicitous, & pensiue about his predesti∣nation, putting those cruell, and horrible thoughts of pre∣destination in hys mynde.

What if thou shouldest not please God? What if he hath vtterly cast thée off? How knowest thou, that thou art one of y^e num∣ber of them, whome God hath elected, and chosen vnto euerlasting lyfe? These, and the lyke temptations, are most bitter, and doe most gréeuously torment, and vexe the minde. Wherefore, thou must here stande fast on both féete, as the prouerbe is, and it is needefull, that thou constantly defend thy selfe in this conflict. But it thou wouldest obtaine the victory in this battell, thou must set vpon him, by this policie, & craft. Forth∣with, as soone as these temptations come vnto thée from the Diuell, beware thou en∣ter not into disputation with him, beware thou deale not with him, neyther answere him againe. But put him off from thée, cha∣sed awaye with these wordes, and cogitati∣ons. Sathan get thée hence, depart vnto thy destruction. For it is writtē:* 1.1 Thou shalt not tempt the Lorde thy God. Séeing that God hath endued mée alwayes with most large, and infinite benefites, according to his fa∣therly loue towardes me, seing that he hath giuen me this lyfe, and hath nourished, and preserued the same euen hitherto, seing that

he hath heaped me vp, with all kind of good∣nesse, what madnesse were it for mée, to doubt of his mercie? Seing that through baptisme he hath appointed me into y^e num∣ber, to bée one of the receyued flocke of the christians, seing that he hath called me vn∣to the gospell of his grace, wherein he hath promised to be my father, why shoulde I not then looke for all goodnesse at his hands? Why should I not assure my selfe of him in all things? Wherfore should not his great good will, and kindnesse towardes mée, al∣wayes be remembred of mée, for my stay, and comfort? What néede many words? It is a most foolishe, & perillous thing, to yeelde our minds, & studie to such cogitations con∣cerning predestination, but forthwith con∣found, & preuent thou such cogitations, with others, wherwith god would haue thy mind to be occupied, & preuented, y^t is to wit, with those, which Christ himselfe hath appoin∣ted,* 1.2 where as he sayeth: He, that beleeueth in Christ, shall not perishe, but shall haue euerlasting life.* 1.3 Hearest thou, that he, which beléeueth in Christ, which acknowledgeth Christ to bee his sanctification, saluation, and iustification, cannot be damned, and

that he shall bée partaker of eternall lyfe? How many soeuer therof doe trust vnto the mercie of Christ, without all doubt, they be of the number of them, which are chosen vn∣to lyfe euerlasting, being foreknowne and fore ordayned in Christ,* 1.4 now already writ∣ten in the booke of lyfe. And those which are predestinate vnto eternall lyfe, are made and become, like vnto the ymage of Christ. For they conceyue there fayth, for the which they are counted to bée iust before God, of none other thing, but of the worde of God. They are saued therfore, by this faith,* 1.5 that is to saye, by the trust and hope of mercie, fréely giuen vs for Christ his sake. Those things are most certeine and true. God can neyther be deceyued, nor deceyue any man. This is the purpose, and intent of God, our most bountifull father, and the true louer of mankinde. He from the beginning hath so purposed, so foreknowne, so before determi∣ned those things. There is no cause there∣fore, that thou shouldest be letted, or feared with those things, which that enimie enuy∣ing our saluation, and pretending the de∣struction of our soules, putteth in thy minde and layeth against thée. Sée onely that thou

beléeuing in Christ, doe comfort thy selfe, in the confidence of his mercie, and there shall be no perill at all. For if thou fasten thy hope,* 1.6 & trust on Christ, Christ is made thine, and thou art Christes. If he haue re∣déemed thée, thou canst by no meanes bée damned, and perishe. For he that beléeueth on Christ, is drawen vnto him by the fa∣ther,* 1.7 and he will haue them to be saued by him, & none of them to perish. Wherfore, sée that thou haue a good hart, sée that thou be∣léeue constantly on Christ, and conceyue sure hope of him. How many soeuer beleue on Christ, the same are predestinate vnto euerlasting lyfe. We must therefore, fasten our eyes vpon Christ, we must flye vnto him. This our onely, and true sauiour, is to be taken holde on by faith, if we intende to be saued. Here let euery mā diligently way, that earnest exhortation of saint Paule, whose words are these: Let vs runne with pacience vnto the battell, that is set before vs,* 1.8 looking vnto Iesus, the author, and the finisher of our fayth, which for the ioy, that was set before him, abode the crosse, and de∣spised the shame, and is set downe on the right hande of the throne of God.

Furthermore, Christ for vs, and for our sakes suffered all temptations, with the which, being most gréeuous, he was vexed, and troubled, the same saint Paule bearing witnesse thereof saying:* 1.9 We haue not an high priest, which can not haue compassion of our infirmities, but was in all pointes tempted lyke as we are, but yet withoute sinne. Let vs therefore, go boldly vnto the seate of grace, that we may receyue mercie, and finde grace to helpe in tyme of néede. Print those things, déerely beloued, in thy minde. First, Christ was giuen vnto vs for this purpose, that he might redéeme vs, re∣concile vs, and make vs partakers of euer∣lasting saluation. Secondly, that he might be an example vnto vs, to leade, and passe ouer a godly life. Therfore if so be that thou desire to finish thy life wel, and vertuously, sée that the death of Christ, being set before thine eyes, thou ende thy lyfe after his ex∣ample. For Christ is set before vs, as a patterne to be folowed of vs, in our lyfe, and conuersation, in all afflictions, and in our death. No man lyueth godly, no man suffereth aduersitie, no man dyeth well, ex∣cept he set before him the lyfe, and death of

Christ, and doe folow the same. The death of all godly men, is abolished, & swalowed vp in the death of Christ. Wherfore, thou shalt consider, & diligently meditate, what kinde of death he suffered, how he behaued himselfe in that agonies of all other moste bitter, when he hanging on the crosse, was troubled, and pestered with most gréeuous temptations. Folow this Christ, as neere as thou mayest, calling for helpe at Gods handes.

* 1.10First, he was tempted with death, when as it was sayd vnto him: He saueth others, but himselfe he cannot saue. As though they should saye. Now he is vndone, he must die, and perishe for euer, no man shall delyuer him, and pluck him out of our hands. After this manner, that our olde, and mortall enimie will bring the terrour of death on thée. But so muche the bolder go thou a∣gainst him, pluck vp thine hart, and streng∣then thee in him with a sure hope. Christ will subdue, and tread vnder foote, that eni∣mie, and thou also shalt ouercome him by Christ. Hold vp the shield of faith in Christ. Christ is the lorde,* 1.11 he is the king of glorie, and he is the lorde of lyfe, he is not subiect

to death, but liueth and reigneth.

This thy lorde, and reuenger, will not suffer death to exercise hir tirannie vpon thée. He cannot deceyue thée, neyther can he lye, seing that he is the veritie it selfe. Con∣ceyue thou this trust, and confidence of him. Assure thy selfe, to receyue all goodnesse at his hands, and thou shalt lyue with him for euer. And for that he woulde haue the gree∣ued with temptations, and to suffer death of bodye, it is done onely for thy commoditie. Thou must therefore leaue and forsake this lyfe, if thou wilt enioy euerlasting lyfe. So after this lyfe, thou shalt in the ende begin to lyue in deede. Furthermore, this corpo∣rall death, profiteth thée to this purpose, that when thou hast tasted the bitternesse, and sharpnesse therof, thou mayest trie, & know, how feruent the affection of Christ his loue was towardes thée, what an vnestimable benefite hée bestowed vpon thée, that he dy∣ing for thée, did paye, and make satisfaction with his bodye for all thine offences, death throughly extinguished, and abolished, and the gates of hell throwne downe, destroyed, and also broken. For thou couldest neuer any other wayes know, and vnderstand the

strength, and power of life in Christ, which hath swalowed vp our death, thou shouldst not know the largenesse of his benifits nei∣ther shouldest thou be able to giue so harty thankes to Christ, thy lorde and redéemer. Wherfore, seing that Christ doth liue, thou also shall lyue by him, and this same death shal be vnto thée a certeine, happy, & whole∣some sléepe. It shall be also an entrance, and gate into that true, and most blessed lyfe.

Secondly, Christ was also tempted with sinne, when they did reuile, and vpbraide him, as a verie wicked man, and giltie of most gréeuous crime.* 1.12 If thou be the sonne of God, come downe from the crosse. Thou sauest others, why doest thou not saue thy selfe also? What other thing meane these contumelious wordes, then that they sup∣posed, and thought, that he deceiued the peo∣ple by fraude, dole, slight, wiles, noughtie craftinesse, and that he was not in déede the sonne of God, yea, they iudged him rather to be most wicked, most abhominable, and most worthy of reproch. Euen likewise sa∣than will tempt man, being in daunger of death, he will present vnto him, whatsoeuer he hath done, and committed against the

commaundement of God, and will put into his minde, whole waynlodes, as it were, of sinnes, the same heaped vp, into a great abundance, that by the outragiousnesse, and greatnesse of sinnes, he maye bring man in∣to desperation, which staggereth, and doub∣teth of Gods mercie, and pardon. And here thou must stand fast, and strongly, and shalt enterteine thine enimy assaulting thée, with these wordes: I confesse that I am a most manifold, and gréeuous sinner. But Christ frée from all sinne, he, that innocent lambe, in whose mouth was founde no guile,* 1.13 hath suffered cruell death for my sinnes, he hath clensed them all, be they neuer so great, nor neuer so many, and hath made sufficient sa∣tisfaction for them all. Christ his death, is the propitiation for al my sinnes.* 1.14 Christ ve∣rily hath suffered all my féeblenesse. He in déede hath caried all my sorowes. He was wounded for mine iniquities.* 1.15 He was smit∣ten for my sinnes. By his woundes am I healed. He hath takē vpō him, al my sinnes, I now acknowledge none, I thank Christ, which hath payed ransome for them all.

Thirdly, he was also tempted with hell, or eternall damnation, when they obiected

against him, saying: He hath trusted in the Lorde,* 1.16 let him take him, let him saue him, bicause he will haue him, as thoughe they should say: All his hope in God shal deceyue him. God is his aduersarie, and abhorreth him, and will cast him awaye for euer, as one thrust downe into hell. When the same tempter prouoketh thée w^t such lyke temp∣tations, take héede thou stand fast. There is no cause why thou shouldest feare, there is no cause, why thou shouldest tremble. Let the thing, which he offereth, and presenteth vnto thée, nothing moue thée at all, bée it neuer so gréeuous. Put out of thy minde, and banish awaye farre from thee, as well sinne, as death, and hell. They haue no po∣wer ouer thée, if thou fasten thine eies vpon Christ. Take holde on him, and commend thy selfe wholy vnto him. Christ is thine, and he bestoweth himselfe wholy vpon thée. He hath redéemed thée from the tirannie of the diuell, and euerlasting damnation by an inestimable price. This Christ is thine innocencie, thy lyfe, and thy righteousnesse. Take héede onely that thine hart be neuer withdrawne from Christ crucified, by any temptations. If thou cleaue fast vnto thys

Christ, y^u shalt be safe, against all the gates of hell, as one that is placed vpon an high, most sure, and inuincible rocke, that thou mayest crie out with Christ:* 1.17 I haue set God alwaies before me. He is on my right hand. Therfore I shal not fal. Wherfore my hart was glad, and my glorie reioysed, my fleshe also shall rest in hope. Thou hast shewed me the pathes of lyfe. In thy presence is the fulnesse of ioye, and at thy right hande is pleasure for euermore. Thou art become, through such a faith in Christ, the childe of God, the brother, and felow eire w^t Christ,* 1.18 and partaker of eternall lyfe. This fayth iustifieth the righteous, that is to saye those, which beleue in Christ. For this faith, thou shalt be reputed the blessed child of God, thy heauenly father, and when thou depar∣test hence, thou shalt enter into the king∣dome of heauen,* 1.19 prepared for the elect chil∣dren of GOD, from the beginning of the worlde.

But if so be that thy fayth wauer, and be doubtfull in temptations, and when thou doest not suffer moderately, and paciently ynough y^e wil of thy heauenly father, when thy loue towardes God is somewhat colde,

when thy hope is weake, and slender, and for this cause fearest, lest thou shouldest not well accorde with God, or lest he will be of∣fended with thée. Truely, this is a most gree∣uous, most painefull, and hard temptation. But thou shalt thinke in thy minde, and perswade with thy selfe, that Christ suffered for thée moste intolerable,* 1.20 and inuincible temptations, wherein there appéered no helpe, comfort, ayde, or defence, any where, wherein God, and the whole world séemed to be his most cruell, & malycious enimies, when that he cryed aloude: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Oh horrible, and most cruell temptation, oh good God, how sharpe, how greeuous, how cruel, how bitter was the death, which he suffered for vs, that he might make the way of the crosse easie for vs. Therefore se∣ing that Christ willingly put himselfe in subiection, and dipped himselfe in those so horrible, and intolerable sorrowes, and calamities, our most louing heauenly fa∣ther wylling the same, out of doubt, he also vnderstandeth, and knoweth our infirmity, out of doubt, he taking compassion on vs, will not extréemely deale with vs, but will

rather beare with our imbecilitie, & weake∣nesse. Doth not he himselfe calling all men vnto him say: Come vnto me,* 1.21 al ye that la∣bor, and are heauie laden, and I wil refresh you? what more plentifull, what greater comfort, I pray you, can be giuen vs? Truly many, & very gréeuous things, do molest, & trouble mā. For what thing can more grée∣uously feare, what thing can more cruelly vexe, and torment his conscience, ouerwhel∣med with sinne, then when he doubteth of the mercie of God, when he dreadeth least God be his aduersarie, and will reiect him, when he is not able to conceyue this fayth of his mercie, and doth imagine himselfe to be cast awaye, as a drie member that is cut off? Be present here O Iesus Christ, with thine aide and helpe, here we haue néede of thy comfort, let not this black, violent, and horrible tempest of troubles ouerthrowe, and drowne wretched man. But there is no cause why we shoulde doubt. Christ is true, he will make his promises to appéere, he will helpe vs, and refreshe vs. Therfore, where as thy fayth is not strong ynough, where as thy hart is striken with feare, and trembling, where as thou féelest thy selfe to

doubt of Gods mercie, and hast well néere no faith at all: straight wayes call vppon God, bewayle thy miserie, and lack of be∣léefe before him, seeke for his ayde and suc∣cour by feruent prayer, and hée will both helpe and refreshe thée, and by this meanes thou shalt glorifie him. He hath taken vpon him thus to do, and he will bring it to passe. But take héede especially thou cease not to call vpon God.* 1.22 Beséech thou, without all ceassing, the father of all consolation, and comfort, with sighes comming from the bottome of thine hart, that he turne not his face from thée. Laye thy weakenesse vpon him, and poure out into his bosome al other things, which trouble, and torment thée. Crie out with his disciples,* 1.23 O lord increase my faith. Lykewise, say thou with the father of the lunatike childe: Lorde I beleue, help thou mine vnbeléefe. Make hast O lorde to helpe me, before that I, oppressed with this weight, be drowned. Thy mercie is aboue all thy workes, O most mercifull, O most bounteous father, O lorde God of my sal∣uation,* 1.24 my succour, and refuge, enter not into iudgement with thy seruant. Christ is my righteousnesse, redemption, and inno∣cencie,

which suffered most bitter, and cruel death for my sake. Let those things moue thée O father of all compassion. Haue mer∣cie on me, for this thy sōnes sake. Confirme and strengthē mine hart, by faith in Christ. Comfort mée with the consolations of the holy ghost, that I may enioy the true ioyes in Christ for euer.

If thou after this maner laboring, stry∣uing, and fighting with thine imbecillitie, and weakenesse, accusing, and bewayling thine incredulitie, and faint courage, doe take holde vpon Christ, and sticke fast and sure vnto him once taken, desiring, and be∣séeching his ayde with continuall and ear∣nest prayers, y^t he will vouchsafe to fulfill all things lacking in thée, substituting him∣self in thy roume, if (I say) y^u thus doe, then all shall be in good case, all things shall go well with thee, and there shall be no perill. For truely these two things, to beléeue in Christ, and to cal for faith by earnest praier, doe not much differ one from the other. Al∣though thou be weake, and endued with a féeble minde, let this thing notwithstan∣ding comfort, and aduaunce thée againe, that God hath commaunded, and wylleth

that we shoulde call vpon him, and that he hath promised to héere beneuolently,* 1.25 and to helpe vs when we call vpon him. Further∣more, as nothing is more iustly desired of God, than true fayth: euen so he héereth no prayer sooner, & more wyllingly, than that wherein man finding no goodnesse in him∣selfe, acknowledging his infirmitie, hys weakenesse, and miserie, accuseth his vnbe∣léefe, bewayling, and lamenting the same, desiring to haue faith with plentie, and wo∣full sighes, & earnest prayers. These sighes, these prayers, this smale faith, be it neuer so little, is in déede a godly, and a bright sparkle, and the séede of God, which neuer riseth, without the efficacie, and working of God in vs, which speaketh of Christ, by the prophet Esay:* 1.26 A brused réede shall hée not breake, and the smoking flaxe, he shall not quench. Wherefore see that thou beleue constantly on Christ, or beséeche him at the least wise with hartie prayers, that thou mayest beleeue, bewayling thine vnbeléefe, before God. If thou doe those things, thou shalt nothing doubt, but thou art reckened righteous before God, and to be his childe, which not without consideration, nor in

vaine, did laye our weakenesse,* 1.27 and all our sinnes vppon Christ, his onely begotten sonne.* 1.28 Christ himselfe sayeth in saint Ma∣thew: Blessed are y^e pore in spirit. For theirs is the kingdome of heauen. Blessed are they that mourne. For they shal receiue comfort. Blessed are they which hunger, and thirst after righteousnesse. For they shall be filled. These wordes were spoken vnto thée also, they doe well agrée, & accorde in thée. Thou doest mourne, and art sorie for thy wicked lyfe, it gréeueth thée from the bottome of thine hart, thou doest thirst, and hunger af∣ter righteousnesse, haue a good hope, and be of good comfort, and thou shalt obtaine the things, which thou doest desire, and nowe thou art reputed iust before God through Christ. For that cause,* 1.29 thou shalt commit thy soule into the hande of God the father, after the example of Christ, and saint Ste∣phan saying these wordes:* 1.30 O most mer∣cifull father, I giue, and commit into thine handes my spirite, yea, rather thy spirite, seing that thou hast giuen it me, ioyned vn∣to my body for a season, seing that it is thine owne ymage, & lykenesse,* 1.31 made after thine owne similitude, seing that thine onely be∣gotten

sonne did shed his moste precious blood, for y^e redemption thereof. O most fa∣uorable father, O God of all mercie, & com∣passion, I eftsoones commend this my spirit into thine handes. I am thine, whatsoeuer I am. Receiue thine, I beséech thée, preserue him, and giue him eternall life through our Lorde Iesus Christ, thine onely begotten sonne. Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Math. 4.
• * 1.2

  Ioan. 3.
• * 1.3

  1. Cor. 1.
• * 1.4

  Ephe. 1.
• * 1.5

  The iust man ly∣ueth by faith. Gala. 3. Abac. 2. Rom. 1. Ephe. 1.
• * 1.6

  Ioan. 6. Rom. 4.
• * 1.7

  Ioan. 10.
• * 1.8

  Hebr. 12.
• * 1.9

  Hebr. 5.
• * 1.10

  Howe christ was tempted on the crosse. Mark. 15. Math. 27. Luc. 23.
• * 1.11

  Ephe. 6. 1. Petr. 5.
• * 1.12

  Math. 27.
• * 1.13

  1. Petr. 2.
• * 1.14

  1. Ioan. 2.
• * 1.15

  Esay. 53.
• * 1.16

  Math. 27.
• * 1.17

  Psal. 16.
• * 1.18

  Rom. 4. Gal. 4. Rom. 3. Gal. 3. Ephe. 2.
• * 1.19

  Math. 25.
• * 1.20

  Inuinci∣ble touch¦ing mere māhood.
• * 1.21

  Math. 11.
• * 1.22

  1. Cor. 1.
• * 1.23

  Luc. 17. Math. 9.
• * 1.24

  Psal. 143.
• * 1.25

  Psal. 45.
• * 1.26

  Esay. 42.
• * 1.27

  Esay. 53.
• * 1.28

  Math. 5.
• * 1.29

  Rom. 4.
• * 1.30

  Acto. 7.
• * 1.31

  Gen. 1. &. 2.