A Golden Chain

And thus much of the first point of doctrine, namely that there is a certain way whereby a man may die well: now I come to the second. Whereas therefore Solomon saith that the day of death is better then the day of birth, we are further taught that such as truly believe themselves to be the children of God, are not to fear death overmuch. I say overmuch; because they must partly fear it, & partly not. Fear it they must for two causes: the first, because death is the destruction of humane nature in a mans own self and others: & in this respect Christ feared it without sin: and we must not fear it otherwise then we fear sickness and poverty, and famine, with other sorrows of body and mind, which god will not have us to despise or lightly regard, but to feel with some pain, because they are corrections and punishments for sin. And he doth therefore lay upon us pains and torments, that they may be feared and eschewed: and that by eschewing them we might further learn to eschew the cause of them, which is sin; and by experience in feeling of pain, acknowledge that God is a judge and enemy of sin, and is exceeding angry with it. ⟨p. 813⟩The second cause of the fear of death, is the loss of the Church or Commonwealth, when we or others are deprived of them which were indeed or might have bin an help, stay, and comfort to either of them, and whose death hath procured some public or private loss.

And thus much of the first point of doctrine, namely that there is a certen way whereby a man may die well: now I come to the second. Whereas therefore Salomon saith that the day of death is better then the day of birth, we are further taught that such as truly beleeue thēselues to be the children of God, are not to feare death ouermuch. I say ouermuch; because they must partly feare it, & partly not. Feare it they must for two causes: the first, because death is the destruction of humane nature in a mans owne selfe and others: & in this respect Christ feared it without sinne: and we must not feare it otherwise then we feare sicknes and pouertie, and famine, with other sorrowes of bodie and mind, which god wil not haue vs to despise or lightly regard, but to feele with some paine, because they are corrections and punishments for sinne. And he doth therefore lay vpon vs paines and torments, that they may be feared and eschewed: and that by eschewing them we might further learne to eschew the cause of them, which is sinne; and by experience in feeling of paine, acknowledge that God is a iudge and enemie of sinne, and is exceeding angrie with it.