Marginalia1555. Decemb.solation of the holy Ghost our comforter, strēgthen your hartes and comfort your myndes that you may reioyce, and lyue in the truth of CHRISTES Gospell to the end, Amen.

MarginaliaHe cōmendeth their faythfull zeale to Gods word.I do much reioyce, dearely beloued in the Lord, to heare of your constant fayth in the word of God, which you haue so purely receaued: whiche do not with the worldlynges decline from the puritie therof, albeit ye suffer grief and trouble thereby: for the which I prayse God most hartely: and the Lord of all strength, who hath begun this good worke in you, make it perfite to þ^e end, as I doubt not but he will, for the faythfull zeale ye haue to his truth and to his afflicted Church. Therfore that ye may the better stand and beare the brunt of many temtations which you are lyke to bee assaulted withall in these wicked and stormy dayes: MarginaliaHe exhorteth them to continue and to stād fast.I thought it good, as it is the duety of one Christian man to exhorte an other in the tyme of trouble, to put you in remēbrance therof, and to will you with the wise man to prepare your selues to temtations: and to beware that ye, which yet do stand by the goodnes of God, may not fall from your liuely knowledge and hope. It is an easy thing to begin to do well, but to continue out in well doing, is the onely propertie of the children of God, and such as assuredly shalbe saued. For so sayth our Sauiuor in his Gospell:MarginaliaMath. 10. Blessed are they that perseuere to the end.

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Let not therefore this certayntie of your saluation, which is continuance in the sincerity of fayth, slide from you. Esteme it more then all the riches and pleasures of this world: for it is the most acceptable treasure of eternall lyfe. This is that precious stone for þ^e which þ^e wise marchant man, after the Gospell, doth sell all that he hath and byeth the same. MarginaliaApoc. 3.God in the iij. of the Apocalyps doth signify to the Church, that there shall come a tyme of temptation vpō the whole world, to try the dwellers on the earth. From the daunger of which temptation, all such shalbe deliuered as obserue his word: which worde there is called the word of pacience:MarginaliaThe word of patience. to gyue vs to vnderstand that we must be ready to suffer all kynde of iniuries and sclaunders for the profession therof. Therfore God commaundeth vs there to hold it fast, that no man might bereft vs of our crowne of glory. And as S. Peter telleth vs: Marginalia1. Pet. 1.Now we are afflicted with diuerse assayes, as it is neede it should so be. That the triall of our faith beyng much more precious then gold that perisheth, and yet is tryed by fire, might redounde to the laud, glory and honor of IESVS CHRIST. S. Paul to the Hebrues MarginaliaHeb. 2.sheweth vs, that CHRIST our Sauiour was in his humanitie made pefect by afflictions, that we being called to perfectiō in him, might more willyngly susteine the troubles of the world, by the which God giueth all them that he exerciseth in the same for his sake, his holynes. And in the xij. chap. of the sayd Epistle is written. My sonne refuse not the correction of the Lord, nor shrinke not, whē thou art rebuked of him: for the Lord doth chastice euery sonne, whom he receaueth. &c. CHRIST in the Gospell of S. IohnMarginaliaIoh. 16. byddeth his Disciples to looke after afflictions, saying: In the world ye shall haue trouble, but in me ye shall haue ioye. And therfore in the middest of their trouble, in þ^e xxj. of S. LukeMarginaliaLuke. 21. he byddeth them, looke vp & lift vp their heades, for your redemption (sayth he) is at hand. And in the xxij.MarginaliaLuke. 22. he sayth to all such as be afflicted for him: You are those that haue abiden with me in my temptations, and therefore I appoynt vnto you a kingdome, as my father hath appoynted for me, to eate and drinke vpon my table in my kingdome.

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MarginaliaThe fruit that commeth by bearing of the cross.O how glorious be the crosses of CHRIST, which bring the bearers of them vnto so blessed an end. Shall we not be glad, to be partakers of such shame as may bryng vs to so high a dignitie? God open their eyes to see all thinges as they be, and to iudge vprightly. Then doubtles we would thinke with Moyses, that it is better to be afflicted with the people of God, then to bee counted the king of ægyptes sonne. Then shoulde we ioyfully say, with Dauid in all our aduersities and troubles: It is good (O lord) thou hast brought me low, to the ende I might learne thy rightuousnes. Therfore S. Paule would not glory in any other thyng of the world, but in the Crosse of CHRIST, and in other his infirmities. We haue the commaundement of CHRIST, dayly to take vp his crosse and folow him. We haue the godly ensamples of all his Apostles, and holy Martyrs, which with great ioy and exultation, haue suffred the losse of landes, goodes, and lyfe for the hope of a better reward: which is layd vp for all those in heauen, that vnfaynedly cleaue to the Gospel, & neuer be ashamed therof.

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Great is the felicitie of the world to the outward mā, & very pleasant are the transitory delightes therof: but the

reward of the rightuous after the word of God, doth incomparably excell them all, MarginaliaThe delightes of the world nothing cōparable to them that are to come.in so much that S. Paule to the Rom. doth playnly affirme, that all the tribulations of this world can not deserue that glory, which shal bee shewed vpon vs.

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Let vs therfore, good brethrē & sisterne, be mery & glad in these troublesome dayes, the which bee sent of God, to declare our faith, & to bring vs to the end and fruition of that which we hope for. If we woulde enter into the Lordes Sanctuary, and behold what is prepared for vs, we could not but desire the Lord, MarginaliaConsideration of the ioyes to come.to hast the day of our death, in the which we might set forth by true confession, his glory. Neither shoulde we bee afrayed to meete our aduersaries, which so earnestly seeke our spoyle & death, as CHRIST did Iudas and that wicked route which came to apprehend hym saying: I am he whom ye seke. It is commaunded vs by the Gospell, not to feare them, that can kill the body, but to feare God, who can cast both body and soule into hell fire. So much we are boūd to obserue this commaundement as any other which God hath giuen vs. The Lord encrease our faith, that we may feare God more then man. The Lord geue vs such loue towardes hym and his truth, that we may be content to forsake all and folow hym.

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Now wil it appeare what we loue best: for to that we loue, we wil sticke. There is none to be coūted worthy a Christiā, MarginaliaThe note of a true Christian.except he cā find in his hart for CHRISTES sake, if the confession of his truth doth require it, to renouce al which he hath and folow him: and in so doyng he gaineth an hundreth fold more in this lyfe (as our Sauiour sayd to Peter) and hereafter is assured of eternall lyfe. Behold I pray you, what he loseth, which in this lyfe receaueth an hundreth for one, with assurance of eternall life. O happy exchaunge. Perchaunce your outward man will say: if I were sure of this great recompence here, I could be glad to forsake all. MarginaliaHow a Christen man gayneth an hundreth fold in this life.But where is this hundreth fold in this life to be found? Yes truly: for in stede of worldly riches which thou doost forsake, which be but temporall, thou has found the euerlasting riches of heauen, which be glory, honour, and prayse, both before God, Aungels and men: and for an earthly habitation, hast an eternall mansion with Christ in heauen, for euen now thou art of the Citie and houshold of the Saintes with God, as it is verified in the iiij. to the Philippians.MarginaliaPhil. 4. For wordly peace, which can last but a while, thou doest possesse the peace of God, which passeth all vnderstandyng: MarginaliaA comparison betwene the losse and the gayne that commeth by following of Christ.and for the losse of a few frēdes thou art made a felow of the innumerable company of heauen, and a perpetuall frend of all those that haue dyed in the Lord frō the beginnyng of the world. Is not this more then an hūdreth fold? Is not the peace of God which we in this world haue thorough faithfull imitation of CHRIST (which the world cā not take from vs) ten thousand fold more, MarginaliaPeace with God a thing incomparable.then those thynges that most highly be estemed in the world, without the peace of God? All the peace of the world is no peace, but mere anguish and a gnawyng fury of hell. MarginaliaThe lacke of Gods peace a thing most miserable.As of late God hath set example before our eyes, to teach vs how horrible an euill it is to forsake the peace of CHRISTES truth, whiche breedeth a worme in conscience that neuer shall rest.

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O þ^t we would way this with indifferēt  

ballances. Thē should we not be dismayed of this troublous tyme, neither sorrow after a worldly maner, for the losse whych we are now lyke to susteyne, as the weake faythles persons do, which loue their goodes, more then God, and the things visible, aboue those which be inuisible: but rather would hartely reioyce and be thankefull, that it pleaseth God to call vs to bee souldiers in his cause, agaynst the workes of hypocrisy, and to make vs lyke vnto our Sauiour CHRIST in suffering, whereby wee may assure our selues of hys eternall glory: for blessed are they sayth CHRIST, that suffer persecution for righteousnes sake. And as S. Paule witnesseth to Timothe:Marginalia2. Tim. 2. if we die with CHRIST, we shall liue with CHRIST: and if we deny hym, he will denye vs.

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O that we would enter into the veile  

of Gods promises. Then should we wyth S. Paule to the Phillippians,MarginaliaPhil. 3. reiect all and count all thinges but for drosse, so that we may gayne CHRIST. God which is the lightner of all darknes & putter away of al blindnes, annoint our eyes with the true eyesalue, that we might behold his glory, & our eternall felicity, which is hidden wyth CHRIST, and prepared for vs that do abyde in his testament: for blessed is that seruant that whom the Master when he commeth, as CHRIST sayd, doth fynd faythfull. Let vs therefore watch, and pray one for an other, that we yeld not in

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