CHAPTER VIII. Trouble and afflictions do help and further us to the knowledge of ourselves, and of God also, and specially to wis PAGE 119 CHAPTER IX. Trouble and afflictions do help and further us to the right knowledge of our sins, and to perfect sorrow and repentance for them........ CHAPTER X. Trouble, affliction, and adversity, do help and further us to the exercising and increasing of our faith CHAPTER XI. 121 123 Trouble and adversity giveth us occasion to pray unto God, and Trouble and adversity do further us to virtue and godliness...... 129 CHAPTER XIII. Sorrow and affliction do help and further us toward the fear and love of God........... 134 CHAPTER XIV. Trouble and affliction is good and profitable to teach men patience, meekness, and lowliness ............. CHAPTER XV. Trouble and adversity is good to teach men pity, compassion, and patience towards other.. CHAPTER XVI. Trouble and adversity maketh men hard and strong, and teacheth them soberness and temperancy. CHAPTER XVII. Trouble and adversity teacheth men to contemn, despise, and defy the world, and to be diligent and fervent in all godliness and virtue CHAPTER XVIII. Trouble and adversity is also an occasion and help of much transitory quietness and commodity in this world 136 138 139 140 142 CHAPTER XIX. Trouble and adversity is a furtherance to eternal life CHAPTER XX. PAGE 145 How and in what respect trouble and adversity can be so profitable and of such virtue, seeing that the unfaithful do wax more obstinate and perverse through trouble and affliction... 146 CHAPTER XXI. Fellow-companions in trouble and adversity 150 THE SECOND PART OF THIS BOOK. CHAPTER XXII. By what natural means or ways trouble and adversity may be qualified, eased, and overcome CHAPTER XXIII. 153 The best and surest succour and comfort in adversity resteth only in the might, power, will, and goodness of God CHAPTER XXIV Examples of the help and aid of God.......... ........ ........ 156 161 THE THIRD AND LAST PART OF THIS BOOK. CHAPTER XXV. We must direct our faith, hope, and confidence towards God Repentance and amendment of life in trouble and adversity is 166 necessary...... CHAPTER XXVIII. 168 Christian and godly persuasions and examples out of the word of God to move men unto patience in affliction and adversity... 169 CHAPTER XXIX. PAGE Examples and causes, taken out of natural things, and of heathen men, whereby a man may be moved to patience in adversity 174 CHAPTER XXX. By what means patience may be obtained and gotten, and once had how it may be kept and increased 182 CHAPTER XXXI. The fruit, profit, and commodity of patience, as well corporal as spiritual 188 THE PREFACE. EDWARD, by the grace of God, duke of Somerset, uncle to king Edward the Sixth, his excellent majesty, &c., to the christian reader greeting. If they be worthy praise, who for a zeal and desire that they have to do their neighbours good, do write and put in print such things as by experience they have proved, or by hearsay of grave and trusty men they have learned, or by reading of good and ancient authors they have understanded, to be a salve or medicine to a man's body, or to a part or member of the same; how much more deserve they thank and praise, that teach us a true comfort, salve, and medicine of the soul, spirit, and mind! The which spirit and mind, the more precious it is than the body, the more dangerous be his sores and sickness, and the more thankworth the cure thereof. For a well-quieted mind to a troubled body yet maketh quietness; and sickness of body, or loss of goods, is not much painful to him that esteemeth it not, or taketh it patiently. But an unquiet mind, yea, to a most whole body, maketh health unpleasant, and death to be wished; and an unsatiable mind with desire of more maketh riches poverty, and health a sickness, strength an infirmity, beauty a deformity, and wealth beggary; when, by comparing his felicity with a better, it leeseth the grace and joy of that it hath, and feeleth the smart of that it hath not. Now then, sith to amend this in wealth, and to take away sorrow and grief even thence, where in very deed is no apparent cause of grief, through our weakness, is no less than the work of a very great master of physic, and deserveth much commendation; what is he worthy, that can ease true grief indeed, and make health where a very sore resteth? I mean, that can ease a man set in affliction, take away grief from him that is persecuted, loose the prisoner yet in bonds, remove adversity in adversity, or make grievous sickness not to be felt, and extreme beggary to be rejoiced at. Divers learned men heretofore, by reasons grounded of man's knowledge, wrote and invented great comfort against all kind of griefs; and so among the gentiles' and philosophers' books be books of comfort. But whosoever followeth but worldly and man's reason to teach comfort to the troubled mind, he can give but a counterfeit medicine; as the surgeon doth, which colourably healeth, or the physician which giveth medicines that do but astonish the sore place, and so deceive the patient. But the true healing of grief and sorrow they had not, for they lacked the ground; they lacked that, that should heal the sore at the bone first, that is, true faith in Christ and his holy word. All medicines of the soul, which be laid on the sores thereof, not having that cleanser with them, be but over-healers they do not take away the rankling within; and many times, under colour of hasty healing, they bring forth proud flesh in the sore, as evil or worse than that which was first corrupt. This man, whosoever he be, that was the first author of this book, goeth the right way to work he bringeth his ground from God's word; he taketh Luke x. 34. with him the oil and wine of the Samaritan; he carrieth the |