The Practice of Piety

2 Remember that thy abode here is but the second degree of thy life: for after thou hadst first lived nine months in thy Mothers womb, thou wast of necessity driven thence to live here in a second degree of life. And when that number of months which GOD hath determined for this life, are expired, thou must likewise leave this, and and pass to a third degree in the other World, which ⟨p. 936⟩never ends. Which to them that live and die in the Lord, surpasseth as far this kind of life, as this doth that which one lives in his mothers womb. To this last and excellentest degree of life, through this door passed Christ himself, and all his Saints that were before thee, and so shall all the rest after them and thee. Why shouldest thou fear that which is common to all Gods Elect? Why should that be uncouth to thee, which was so welcome to all them. Fear not death;¹ for it is the Exodus of a bad, but the Genesis of a better World: the end of a temporal, but the beginning of an eternal life.

2 Remember that thy aboade here is but the second degree of thy life: for after thou hadst first liued nine moneths in thy Mothers wombe, thou wast of necessitie driuen thence to liue here in a second degree of life. And when that number of moneths which GOD hath determined for this life, are expired, thou must likewise leaue this, and and passe to a third degree in the other World, vvhich ⟨p. 936⟩neuer ends. Which to them that liue and die in the Lord, surpasseth as farre this kinde of life, as this doth that which one liues in his mothers wombe. To this last and excellentest degree of life, through this doore passed Christ himselfe, and all his Saints that were before thee, and so shall all the rest after them and thee. Why shouldest thou feare that vvhich is common to all Gods Elect? Why should that be vncouth to thee, vvhich was so welcome to all them. Feare not death;¹ for it is the Exodus of a bad, but the Genesis of a better World: the end of a temporall, but the beginning of an eternall life.