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three causes afore-mentioned, nor yet for any other cause that can be imagined: but contrarily, considering the manifold sicknesses, troubles, and sorrows of this present life, the dangers of this perilous pilgrimage, and the great encumbrance which our spirit hath by this sinful flesh and frail body subject to death: considering also the manifold sorrows and dangerous deceits of this world on every side, the intolerable pride, covetousness, and lechery, in time of prosperity; the impatient murmuring of them that be worldly, in time of adversity, which cease not to withdraw and pluck us from God, our Saviour Christ, from our life, wealth, or everlasting joy and salvation: considering also the innumerable assaults of our ghostly enemy the devil, with all his fiery darts of ambition, pride, lechery, vain-glory, envy, malice, detraction, or backbiting, with other his innumerable deceits, engines, and snares, whereby he goeth busily about to catch all men under his dominion, ever like a roaring lion, by all means searching whom he may devour (1 Pet. v. 8). The faithful Christian man which considereth all these miseries, perils, and incommodities, (whereunto he is subject so long as he here liveth upon earth,) and on the other part considereth that blessed and comfortable state of the heavenly life to come, and the sweet condition of them that depart in the Lord; how they are delivered from the continual encumbrances of their mortal and sinful body, from all the malice, crafts, and deceits of this world, from all the assaults of their ghostly enemy the devil, to live in peace, rest, and endless quietness, to live in the fellowship of innumerable angels, and with the congregation of perfect just men, as patriarchs, prophets, martyrs, and confessors, and finally unto the presence of Almighty God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ. He that doth consider all these things, and believeth them assuredly, as they are to be believed, even from the bottom of his heart, being established in God in this true faith, having a quiet conscience in Christ, a firm hope and assured trust in God's mercy, through the merits of Jesus Christ to obtain this quietness, rest and everlasting joy, shall not only be without fear of bodily death, when it cometh, but certainly, as St. Paul did, so shall he gladly (according to God's will, and when it pleaseth God to call him out of this life) greatly desire in his heart (Phil. i. 23),

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that he may be rid from all these occasions of evil, and live ever to God's pleasure, in perfect obedience of his will, with our Saviour Jesus Christ; to whose gracious presence the Lord of his infinite mercy and grace bring us, to reign with him in life everlasting: to whom, with our heavenly Father, and the Holy Ghost, be glory in worlds without end. Amen.

[Suitable Prayers after reading the foregoing Homily.

O FATHER of mercies, and God of all comfort, our only help in time of need; We fly unto thee for succour... .. Look graciously upon us, O Lord; and the more the outward man decayeth, strengthen us, we beseech thee, so much the more continually with thy grace and holy Spirit in the inner man. Give us unfeigned repentance for all the errors of our life past, and stedfast faith in thy Son Jesus; that our sins may be done away by thy mercy, and our pardon sealed in heaven, before we go hence and be no more seen. . . . . So fit and prepare us, we beseech thee, against the hour of death, that after our departure hence in peace, and in thy favour, our souls may be received into thine everlasting kingdom, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thine only Son, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.-Visitation of the Sick.

In the hour of death, and in the day of judgment;-Good Lord deliver us.-Litany.

THOU knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut not thy merciful ears to our prayer; but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and merciful Saviour, thou most worthy Judge eternal, suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death, to fall from thee.-Burial Service.

Or this,

O MERCIFUL God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and the life; in whom whosoever believeth shall live, though he die; and whosoever liveth, and believeth in him, shall not die eternally; who also hath taught us, by his holy Apostle Saint Paul, not to be sorry, as men without hope, for them that sleep in him; We meekly beseech thee, O Father, to raise us from the death of sin unto the life of righteousness; that, when we shall depart this life, we may rest in him, . . . . and that, at the general Resurrection

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in the last day, we may be found acceptable in thy sight; and receive that blessing, which thy well-beloved Son shall then pronounce to all that love and fear thee, saying, Come, ye blessed children of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world: Grant this, we beseech thee, O merciful Father, through Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Redeemer. Amen. Ibid.

....

THE Romish doctrine concerning Purgatory. is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God.

Twenty-second Article of Religion.

THESE five commonly called Sacraments, that is to say. ... and Extreme Unction, are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel.-Twenty-Fifth Article of Religion.

By his death Christ overcame, subdued, overthrew, and vanquished him that had the dominion of death: that is, the devil, from whose tyranny and thraldom he rescued us, and set us at liberty.

M. But since we are nevertheless punished with death, which daily hangeth over us, and do still suffer the penalty of our sin, what fruit receive we of this victory?

S. Surely most large fruit. For by Christ's death it is come to pass, that to the faithful, death is now not a destruction, but as it were a removing and changing of life, and a very short and sure passage into heaven, whither we ought to follow our guide without fear, which as he was not destroyed by death, so will he also not suffer us to perish. Wherefore the godly ought now no more to shrink or quake for fear of death, which is to them the refuge from all the labours, cares, and evils of this life, and their leader to heaven.-Nowell's Catechism p. 53.

WE are thoroughly persuaded that death is not a destruction that endeth and consumeth all things, but a guide for us to heaven, that setteth us in a way of a quiet, easy, blessed, and everlasting life. And therefore gladly and cheerfully we run, yea, we fly out, from the bonds of our bodies, as from a prison, to heaven, as to the common town and city of God and men.

M. Doth the believing of these things avail us to any other end? S. We are put in mind that we cumber not nor entangle ourselves with uncertain, transitory, and frail things; that we bend not our eye to earthly glory and felicity; but inhabit this world as strangers, and ever minding our removing that we long upward for heaven and heavenly things, where we shall in bliss enjoy eternal life.

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Ibid. p. 79.]

AN EXHORTATION CONCERNING GOOD ORDER, AND OBEDIENCE TO RULERS AND MAGISTRATES.

ALMIGHTY GOD hath created and appointed all things in heaven, earth, and waters, in a most excellent and perfect order. In heaven he hath appointed distinct and several orders and states of archangels and angels. In earth he hath assigned and appointed kings, princes, with other governors under them, in all good and necessary order. The water above is kept, and raineth down in due time and season. The sun, moon, stars, rainbow, thunder, lightning, clouds, and all birds of the air, do keep their order. The earth, trees, seeds, plants, herbs, corn, grass, and all manner of beasts, keep themselves in order; all the parts of the whole year, as winter, summer, months, nights and days, continue in their order: all kinds of fishes in the sea, rivers and waters, with all fountains, springs, yea, the seas themselves, keep their comely course and order and man himself also hath all his parts both within and without, as soul, heart, mind, memory, understanding, reason, speech, with all and singular corporal members of his body, in a profitable, necessary, and pleasant order: every degree of people in their vocation, calling and office, hath appointed to them their duty and order some are in high degree, some in low, some kings and princes, some inferiors and subjects, priests and laymen, masters and servants, fathers and children, husbands and wives, rich and poor, and every one hath need of other; so that in all things is to be lauded and praised the goodly order of God, without the which no house, no city, no commonwealth, can continue and endure, or last. For where there is no right order, there reigneth all abuse, carnal liberty, enormity, sin, and Babylonical confusion. Take away kings, princes, rulers, magistrates, judges, and such estates of God's order, no man shall ride or go by the highway unrobbed, no man shall sleep in his own house or bed unkilled, no man shall keep his wife, children, and possessions in quietness, all things shall be common, and there must needs follow all mischief and

utter destruction both of souls, bodies, goods, and commonwealths. But blessed be God, that we in this realm of England feel not the horrible calamities, miseries, and wretchedness, which all they undoubtedly feel and suffer, that lack this godly order: and praised be God that we know the great excellent benefit of God shewed towards us in this behalf. God hath sent us his high gift, our most dear sovereign Lady Queen Victoria, with a godly, wise, and honourable council, with other superiors and inferiors, in a beautiful order, and godly. Wherefore, let us subjects do our bounden duties, giving hearty thanks to God, and praying for the preservation of this godly order. Let us all obey, even from the bottom of our hearts, all their godly proceedings, laws, statutes, proclamations, and injunctions, with all other godly orders. Let us consider the Scriptures of the Holy Ghost, which persuade and command us all obediently to be subject, first and chiefly to the queen's majesty, supreme governor over all, and next to her honourable council, and to all other noblemen, magistrates, and officers, which by God's goodness be placed and ordered. For Almighty God is the only author and provider for this forenamed state and order, as it is written of God in the book of the Proverbs, Through me kings do reign, through me counsellors make just laws, through me do princes bear rule, and all judges of the earth execute judgment; I am loving to them that love me (Prov. viii. 15-17). Here let us mark well, and remember, that the high power and authority of kings, with their making of laws, judgments, and offices, are the ordinances not of man but of God: and therefore is this word, Through me, so many times repeated. Here is also well to be considered and remembered, that this good order is appointed by God's wisdom, favour, and love, especially for them that love God; and therefore he saith, I love them that love me. Also in the book of Wisdom we may evidently learn, that a king's power, authority, and strength, is a great benefit of God, given of his great mercy, to the comfort of our great misery. For thus we read there spoken to kings, "Hear, O ye kings, and understand; learn ye that be judges of the ends of the earth; give ear ye that rule the multitudes; for the power [is] given you of the Lord, and the strength from the High(Wisd. vi). Let us learn also here by the infalli

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