A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

Knowing:] This is his Resolution. The assurance of unavoidable death, is a ⟨p. 258⟩doctrine well known: every one can say with Peter; I know. Nil dicitur frequentius, nil creditur facilius; Nothing is more frequently repeated, nothing is more readily believed. Bern. Cogitate mortuum, quem scis necessitate moriturum. Think thy self, as it were, already dead; whom thou knowest necessarily to die. Bed. It is fit that Death should effect death:^d the spiritual, a corporal: the death of sin, a death of punishment: a voluntary death, brings a necessary death. Therefore, saith Chrysostom, Let us make a virtue of necessity; Offeramus Deo pro munere, quod pro debito tenemur reader; Let us offer God that for a gift, which we are bound to pay as a debt. This is an hard and woeful necessity, saith Anselm; Perdidit homo beatitudinem ad quam factus est, & invenit mortem ad quam factus non est. Man lost that life to which he was ordained, and found the death to which he was not ordained. All men die in time, some before their time. Eccles. 7.17. The overmuch wicked dies before his time; Tempore non suo; in a season which the constitution of his nature doth not threaten. Thus sometimes die the godly, that they may be no longer vexed of the guilty: often the guilty, that they may no longer vex the godly. This necessity all must undergoe, Sed diverso fato with a diverse event. To the wicked, death is the beginning of sorrow: to the Elect, the end of pain. The death of the wicked, saith Bernard, is, Mala in mundi amissione, pejor in carnis separation, pessima in ignis combustion; Evil in the loss of this world, worse in the separation of life, worst of all in the torture of quenchless fire. Death to the godly is, Bona propter requiem, meli•• propter novitatem, optima propter impassibilitatem futuram; Good in the cessation of pains, better in the renovation of all things, best in the immutability of happiness. Therefore the Saint that desires to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, Non patienter moritur; sed patienter vivit, & delectabiliter moritur; That man doth not only die patiently, but he lives patiently, and dies joyfully. He loves Jesus Christ but a little, that doth not rejoice to go unto him.

Knowing:] This is his Resolution. The assurance of unavoidable death, is a