A Golden Chain

Thus much of the first duty which is to die in faith: the second is to die in obedience: otherwise our death cannot be acceptable to God, because we seem to come unto God of fear and constraint as slaves to a master, & not of love as children to a father. Now to die in obedience is, when a man willing and ready and desirous to go out of this world whensoever God shall call him, and that without murmuring or repining, at what time, where, and when it shall please god.¹ Whether we live or die, saith Paul, we do it not to our selves but unto God; and therefore mans duty is to be obedient to God in death as in life. Christ is our example in this case, who in his agony prayed, Father, let this cup pass from me, yet with a submission, not my will but thy will be done: teaching us in the very pangs of death to resign our selves to the good pleasure of God. When the prophet told king Hezekiah of death, presently without all manner of grudging or repining he addressed himself to prayer. We are commanded to present our selves unto God as free-will offerings, without any limitation of time, and therefore as well in death as in life. I conclude then that we are to make as much conscience in performing obedience to God in suffering death, as we do of any conscience in the course of our lives.

Thus much of the first dutie which is to die in faith: the second is to die in obedience: otherwise our death cannot bee aceeptable to God, because wee seeme to come vnto God of feare and constraint as slaues to a master, & not of loue as children to a father. Nowe to die in obedience is, when a man willing and readie and desirous to goe out of this worlde whensoeuer God shall call him, and that without murmuring or repining, at what time, where, and whē it shall please god.¹ Whether we liue or die, saith Paul, we do it not to our selues but vnto God; and therefore mans dutie is to bee obedient to God in death as in life. Christ is our example in this case, who in his agonie praied, Father, let this cup passe from me, yet with a submission, not my will but thy will be done: teaching vs in the very pangs of death to resigne our selues to the good pleasure of God. When the prophet told king Ezechiah of death, presently without all manner of grudging or repining he addressed himselfe to praier. We are commanded to present our selues vnto God as free-will offerings, without any limitation of time, and therefore as well in death as in life. I conclude then that we are to make as much conscience in performing obedience to God in suffering death, as we do of any cōsciēce in the course of our liues.