It is highly for our profit to die, why are we than enemies to our selves? We can not cease to sin, except we die, why do we than not hast to flee from so great an evil? We shall never come unto the true life where felicity both joyful and eternal is, except we die, why than make we so little speed to hast thither, where so many good things shall be given us? We shall never have the fruition of Gods majesty, & the blessed company of the heavenly spirits, except we die: why then do we not pray daily unto yt lord our god to deliver us from this stinking sink of evils (I mean this world) ⟨p. 307⟩that we may come and enjoy his most glorious presence? The very Heathen, which knew not God a right, but only dreamed of the immortality of the soul, & looked for a better life after this, they knew not why they should fear death, but wished death and died both valiantly and joyfully, and shall we being christians which know God and his holy word, and unto whom so much comfort, hope, and everlasting life is promised, refuse gladly and willingly to die? What a saying of an Ethnic is this?1 O immortal God, how is that pleasant and joyful journey to be wished for, which being once done and past,2 there remaineth no sorrow, no care, no pensiveness. Again, O that goodly and pleasant day, when it shall be my chance •o leave this filthy & troublesome world, and come to their company ⟨p. 308⟩that inhabit the heavens. I• God would suffer me, that I being of this age, might become an infant and sucking child again, I would utterly refuse it, neither would I by any means call the race that I have run back again, that I might again be young. For what pleasure & commodity hath this life? yea rather what displeasure, incommodity, pain, travel & trouble hath it not? But let it be granted that it hath pleasure, certes: yet hath it ether satiety or measure. And nature in this world hath given us a place to tarry in for a while, but not to dwell & to continue in it. The Heathen writers in their monuments call death a changing for a better life, a quiet sleep: a removing from mortality unto immortality, from trouble: unto quietness, from the shadow of a life: unto a very & uncounterfet ⟨p. 309⟩life, from sorrow: unto joy, from evil: unto good, an haven of rest, a solace of the mind, an end of all evil and wickedness, and a beginning of all true joy, felicity & pleasure.
It is highly for our profit to die, why are we than ennemies to our selues? We can not cease to sinne, except we die, why do we than not hast to fle from so great an euil? We shal neuer come vnto the true life where felicitie bothe ioyfull and eternall is, except we die, why than make we so litle spede to hast thither, wher so many good thinges shalbe geuen vs? We shal neuer haue ye fruition of Gods maiestie, & the blessed company of the heauenly spirits, except we die: why thē do we not pray daily vnto yt lord our god to deliuer vs from this stincking sinck of euils (I mene this world) ⟨p. 307⟩that we may come and enioye his most glorious presence? The very Heathen, which knew not God a right, but only dreamed of the immortalitie of the soule, & loked for a better lyfe after this, they knew not why they should feare death, but wyshed death and died bothe valeantly and ioyfully, and shall we being christians which know God and his holy word, and vnto whom so much comfort, hope, and euerlasting life is promised, refuse gladly and willingly to die? What a saying of an Ethnicke is this?1 O immortall God, howe is that pleasant and ioyfull iourney to be wished for, which being once done and past,2 there remaineth no sorow, no care, no pensiuenes. Again, O that goodly and pleasant day, whan it shall be my chaunce •o leaue this filthy & troublesome world, and come to their company ⟨p. 308⟩that inhabit the heauens. I• God wold suffer me, that I being of this age, might become an infant and sucking child againe, I woulde vtterly refuse it, neyther would I by any meanes call the rase that I haue run back again, that I might again be yong. For what pleasure & commoditie hath this life? yea rather what displeasure, incommoditie, pain, trauel & trouble hath it not? But let it be graunted that it hathe pleasure, certes: yet hath it ether satietie or mesure. And nature in this world hath geuen vs a place to tary in for a while, but not to dwell & to continue in it. The Heathen wryters in their monumēts cal death a changing for a better life, a quiet slepe: a remouing from mortalitie vnto immortalitie, from trouble: vnto quietnes, from ye shadow of a life: vnto a very & vncounterfet ⟨p. 309⟩life, from sorow: vnto ioy, from euill: vnto good, an hauē of rest, a solace of the mind, an end of all euill and wickednesse, and a beginning of all true ioy, felicitie & pleasure.
- 1Lib. •. ••• tuseul.
- 2Lib. de sence
