A Golden Chain

and when it is his pleasure to make men depend on his favour and providence, he makes them feel his anger, and to be nothing in themselves, that they may wholly depend upon him, and be whatsoever they are in him. This point being well considered, it is manifest that the child of God may pass to heaven by the very gulfs of hell. The love of God is like a sea, into which when a man is cast, he neither feels bottom nor sees bank. I conclude therefore that despair, whether it arise of weakness of nature, or of conscience of sin; though it fall out about the time of death, can not prejudice the salvation of them that are effectually called. As for other strange events which fall out in death, they are the effects of diseases. Ravings and blasphemings arise of the disease of melancholy and of frenzies, which often happen at the end of burning fevers, the choler shooting up to the brain. The writhing of the lips, the turning of the neck, the buckling of the joints and the whole body, proceed of cramps and convulsions, which follow after much evacuation. And whereas some in sickness are of that strength that three or four men cannot hold them without bonds, it comes not of witchcrafts and possessions, as people commonly think, but of choler in the veins. And whereas some when they are dead, become as black as pitch (as Bonner was) it may arise by a bruise, or an impostume, or by the black jaundice, or by the putrefaction of the liver: and it doeth not always argue some extraordinary judgement of God. Now these and the like diseases with their Symptoms and strange effects, though they shall deprive man of his health, and of the right use of the parts of his body, and of the use of reason too: yet they cannot deprive his soul of eternal life. And all sins, procured by violent diseases, and proceeding from repentant ⟨p. 779⟩sinners are sins of infirmity: for which, if they know them, & come again to the use of reason, they will further repent; if not, they are pardoned and buried in the death of Christ. And we ought not so much to stand upon the strangeness of any mans end, when we know the goodness of his life: for we must judge a man not by his death, but by his life.

and when it is his pleasure to make men depend on his fauour and prouidence, hee makes them feele his anger, and to be nothing in themselues, that they may wholly depend vpon him, and be whatsoeuer they are in him. This point beeing well considered, it is manifest that the child of God may passe to heauen by the very gulfes of hell. The loue of God is like a sea, into which when a man is cast, hee neither feeles bottome nor sees banke. I conclude therefore that despaire, whether it arise of weaknes of nature, or of conscience of sinne; though it fall out about the time of death, can not preiudice the saluation of them that are effectually called. As for other strange euents which fall out in death, they are the effects of diseases. Rauings and blasphemings arise of the disease of melancholie and of frensies, which often happen at the ende of burning feauers, the choller shooting vp to the braine. The writhing of the lips, the turning of the necke, the buckling of the ioyntes and the whole bodie, proceede of crampes and convulsions, which follow after much euacuation. And whereas some in sicknesse are of that strength that three or foure men cannot holde them without bondes, it comes not of witchcrafts and possessions, as people commonly thinke, but of choller in the vaines. And whereas some when they are dead, become as blacke as pitch (as Bonner was) it may arise by a bruise, or an impostume, or by the blacke iaundise, or by the putrefaction of the liuer: and it doeth not alwaies argue some extraordinarie iudgement of God. Nowe these and the like diseases with their Symptomes and straunge effects, though they shal depriue man of his health, and of the right vse of the parts of his bodie, and of the vse of reason too: yet they cannot depriue his soule of eternall life. And all sinnes, procured by violent diseases, and proceeding from repentant