And also that thereby the remembrance of death, may daily be unto me, as a trumpet to waken and call me, to the pursuit of my life, in the path of thy truth, & to kindle in me a holy desire, soon to depart out of the world, wherein, the longer a man sojourns, the more is he loaden with infernal Merchandise (which is the filthiness of sin) ⟨image 126⟩and the more he cutteth him self off from that portion of sovereign felicity which is in the life to come. Truly he that hath most years hath most iniquity, and he that croucheth most in the mire of the world, rotteth most. And therefore to the Children of darkness, the uncleanness of the flesh is a pleasant habitation: But to the children of light, to the immortal spirits, to the regenerate hearts, heaven is much more ⟨image 127⟩desiderable. Grant therefore, my God, that as I daily grow towards my end, so I may live the more cheerfully, learning in thy school, to prefer thy eternal life, before the light of the Sun, the glory of heaven, before the vanity of the earth, the glorious habitation in paradise, before the painful tumults of the world, the society of Angels, before the fellowship of mortal men, the only blessed and permanent ⟨image 127⟩life, before the passing shadow of this life, which is fruitful in anguishes, riots, and labours, the triumph before the combat, the present possession of sovereign good, before the hope of enjoying: and that attending this haven of health, I may know how to prepare my self by continual meditation in these excellent Christian consolations, that happy are they that die in the Lord for they rest from their ⟨image 128⟩labours: That death is to them no death, but a sleep, in regard of their bodies, then freed from the miseries of life: and that, as for the soul, which findeth it self delivered from the tyranny of sin, it is to her a change to a better life: That this death is to all faithful, the time of receiving the garlands for their race, & the crowns of their labours. That to them she is an acceptable issue of a laborious travel, their delivery ⟨image 128⟩from all terror and fear, and the steadfast accomplishment of their vocation to felicity: which made the Apostle to say, (Alas! wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death?
And also that therby the remembrance of death, may daily be vnto mee, as a trumpet to waken and call mee, to the pursuite of my life, in the path of thy truth, & to kindle in mee a holie desire, soone to departe out of the world, wherin, the longer a man soiournes, the more is hee loaden with infernall Marchandize (which is the filthines of sinne) ⟨image 126⟩and the more he cutteth him selfe off from that portion of soueraign felicitie which is in the life to come. Truely he that hath most yeares hath most iniquitie, and hee that croucheth most in the mire of the world, rotteth most. And therfore to the Children of darkenesse, the vncleannes of the flesh is a pleasant habitation: But to the children of light, to the immortall spirites, to the regenerate heartes, heauen is much more ⟨image 127⟩desiderable. Grant therfore, my God, that as I dayly grow towards my end, so I may liue the more cheerefully, learning in thy schoole, to preferre thy eternal life, before the light of the Sunne, the glory of heauen, before the vanitie of the earth, the glorious habitation in paradice, before the painefull tumults of the worlde, the societie of Angells, before the fellowshippe of mortall men, the onelie blessed and permanent ⟨image 127⟩life, before the passing shaddowe of this life, which is fruitfull in anguishes, ryotes, and labours, the triumph before the combat, the present possession of soueraigne good, before the hope of enioying: and that attending this hauen of health, I may know how to prepare my selfe by continuall meditation in these excellent Christian consolations, that happy are they that die in the Lord for they rest from their ⟨image 128⟩labors: That death is to them no death, but a sleepe, in regard of their bodies, then freed from the miseries of life: and that, as for the soule, which findeth it selfe deliuered from the tyrannie of sinne, it is to her a change to a better life: That this death is to all faithfull, the time of receiuing the garlands for their race, & the crowns of their labours. That to them shee is an acceptable issue of a laborious trauell, their deliuerie ⟨image 128⟩from all terror and feare, and the stedfast accomplishment of their vocation to felicitie: which made the Apostle to say, (Alas! wretched man that I am, who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death?
