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break out into such words as these: "What is man? How transitory and vain are all things that we have here upon earth! but in the life to come it shall be far otherwise."

Again, from the marriage or bride-house goeth many one home heavy and sad, vexed in his mind, and disdainful that he is not so happy and fortunate as other be; and suddenly is ravished with the beauty of some wife or maiden that he saw at the dancing, which hath wounded and stricken him to the heart. And when he cometh home, he looketh sourly on his wife, he is froward toward his children, and testy against all the household, so that no man can please him.

But he that goeth home from the mourning house, thinketh himself well blessed and happy, that he himself lieth not in any such extreme necessity. If he hath had any sickness or vexation in time past, now he is able to bear it the more easily and patiently, when he compareth it to the grievous and intolerable pain of the man that lieth in pangs of death. By reason whereof he is the more patient, gentle, and friendly toward his wife, children, and his whole household; yea, he taketh occasion thereby to reform and amend his evil life.

THAT DEATH IS WHOLESOME

If an old silver goblet be melted, and new fashioned after a beautiful manner, then is it better than before, and neither spilt nor destroyed. Even so have we no just cause to complain of death, whereby the body being delivered from all filthiness, shall in his due time be perfectly renewed.

The egg shell, though it be goodly and fair-fashioned, must be opened and broken, that the young chick may slip out of it. None otherwise doth death dissolve and break up our body, but to the intent that we may attain to the life of heaven. The mother's womb carrieth the child seven or nine months, and prepareth it not for itself, but for the world wherein we are born. Even so this present time over all upon earth

serveth not to this end, that we must ever be here, but that we should be brought forth and born out of the body of the world into another and everlasting life. Hereunto behold the words of Christ: A woman, when she travaileth, hath sorrow because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. Namely, like as a child out of the small habitation of his mother's womb, with danger and anguish is born into this wide world; even so goeth a man through the narrow gate of death with distress and trouble out of the earth into the heavenly life. For this cause did the old Christians call the death of the saints a new birth. Therefore ought we to note well this comfort, that to die is not to perish, but to be first of all born aright.

The death of the faithful seemeth indeed to be like unto the death of the unbelievers: but verily this as great a difference as between heaven and earth. Our death is even as a death

image made of wood, which grinneth with the teeth, and feareth, but cannot devour. Our death should be esteemed even as Moses' brazen serpent; which, having the form and proportion of a serpent, was yet without biting, without moving, without poisoning. Even so, though death be not utterly taken away, yet through the grace of God it is so weakened and made void, that the only bare proportion remaineth. When the master of the ship thinketh he is not wide from the place where he must land and discharge, he saileth on forth the more cheerfully and gladly even so, the nearer we draw unto death, where we must land, the more stoutly ought we to fight against the ghostly perils. Like as he that goeth a far journey hath uncertain lodging, travail and labour, and desireth to return home to his own country, to his father and mother, wife, children and friends, among whom he is surest and at most quiet; by means whereof he forceth the less for any rough careful path or way homeward: even so all we are strangers and pilgrims upon earth. Our home is paradise in heaven; our heavenly father is God, the earthly father of all men is Adam; our spiritual fathers are

the patriarchs, prophets and apostles, which altogether wait and long for us. Seeing now that death is the path and way unto them, we ought the less to fly it, to the intent that we may come to our right home, salute our fathers and friends, embrace them, and dwell with them forever. We have here no remaining city, but we seek one to come. tion and burghership is in heaven.

Our conversa

But if any man be afraid of death, and force not for the kingdom of heaven, only because of temporal pleasures, the same dealeth unhonestly; even so do they, that whereas they ought to go the next way home, set them down in a pleasant place, or among companions at the tavern: where they lying still, forget their own country, and pass not upon their friends and kinsfolks. How evil this becometh them, every man may well consider by himself. The Lord Jesus giveth this similitude: Except the wheat-corn fall into the ground and die, it bideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. Likewise Paul compareth us men unto grains of corn, the churchyard to a field. To die, he saith, is to be sown upon God's field. The resurrection with the life that followeth after, resembleth he to the pleasant green corn in summer.

If a man lie in a dark miserable prison, with this condition that he should not come forth, till the walls of the tower were fallen down, undoubtedly he would be right glad to see the walls begin to fall; our soul is kept in within the body upon earth as in captivity and bonds. Now as soon as the body is at a point that it must needs fall, why should we be sorry? For by this approacheth the deliverance, when we, out of the prison of misery, shall be brought forth before the most amiable countenance of God, into the joyful freedom of Heaven.

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NICHOLAS RIDLEY

To WEST SOMETIME HIS CHAPLAIN

WISH you grace in God and love of the truth without the which truly stablished in men's hearts by the mighty will of Almighty God, it is no more possible to stand by the truth in Christ in time of trouble, than it is for the wax to abide the heat of the fire. Sir, know you this, that I am (blessed be God) persuaded that this world is but transitory, and (as St John saith) the world passeth away and the lust thereof. I am persuaded Christ's words to be true: Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven, and I believe that no earthly creature shall be saved, whom the Redeemer and Saviour of the world shall before his father deny. This the Lord grant that it may be so graffed, established and fixed in my heart, that neither things present nor to come, high nor low, life nor death, be able to remove me thence. It is a goodly wish that you wish me deeply to consider things pertaining unto God's glory: but if you had wished also that neither fear of death, nor hope of worldly prosperity should let me to maintain God's word and his truth, which is his glory and his true honour, it would have liked me well. You desire me for God's sake to remember myself. Indeed, sir, now it is time so to do, for so far as I can perceive, it standeth me upon no less danger, than of the loss both of body and soul, and I trow then it is time for a man to awake, if any thing will awake him. He that will not fear Him that threateneth to cast both body and soul into everlasting fire, whom will he fear? With this fear, O Lord, fasten thou together our frail flesh, that we never swerve from thy laws.

You say you have made much suit for me. Sir, God grant that in sueing for my worldly deliverance, you impaired and hindered not the furtherance of God's word and his truth. You have known me long indeed, in the which time it hath

chanced me (as you say) to mislike some things. It is true, I grant: for sudden change without substantial and necessary cause, and the heady setting forth of extremities, I did never love. Confession unto the minister which is able to instruct, correct, comfort, and inform the weak, wounded, and ignorant conscience, in deed I ever thought might do much good in Christ's congregation, and so I assure you I think even at this day. My doctrine and my preaching, you say you have heard often, and after your judgment have thought it godly, saving only for the Sacrament, which thing, although it was of me reverently handled, and a great deal better than of the rest (as you say) yet in the margent you write warily, and in this world wisely and yet methought all sounded not well. Sir, but that I see so many changes in this world and so much alteration, else at this your saying I would not a little marvel. I have taken you for my friend, and a man whom I fancied for plainness and faithfulness as much (I assure you) as for your learning: and have you kept this so close in your heart from one unto this day? Sir, I consider more things than me, and will not say all that I think. But what need you to care what I think, for anything that I shall be able to do unto you, either good or harm? You give me good lessons to stand in nothing against my learning and to beware of vainglory. Truly sir, I herein like your counsel very well, and by God's grace I intend to follow it unto my live's end.

To write unto those whom you name, I cannot see what it will avail me. For this I would have you know, that I esteem nothing available for me, which also will not further the glory of God. And now, because I perceive you have an entire zeal and desire of my deliverance out of this captivity and worldly misery, if I should not bear you a good heart in God again, methink I were to blame. Sir, how nigh the day of my dissolution and departure out of this world is at hand, I can not tell the Lord's will be fulfilled how soon soever it shall come. I know the Lord's words must be verified on me, that I shall appear before the incorrupt Judge, and be

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