The Institution of Christian Religion

Finally, it appeareth plainly, that in all the travails of this life they had alway set before them the blessedness of the life to come. For to what purpose should Jacob have so much desired, & with so great danger sought the preeminence of the first begotten, which should procure him nothing but banishment, and in a manner to be caste of from being his child: but no good at all, unless he had respect to a higher blessing. And he declared, that he had this meaning by the words which he spake among his last breathings:¹ Lord, I will look for thy salvation. What salvation could he have looked for, when he saw that he lay ready to give up the ghost, unless he had seen in death the beginning of a new life? But what dispute we of the holy ones and children of God, when even he was not without a taste of such understanding, which otherwise was enemy to the truth? For what meant Balaam when he said:² Let my soul dye the death of the righteous, and let my last times be like unto theirs? but that he meant the same thing that David afterward uttered, that the death of the Saints is precious in the sight of the Lord, but the death of the wicked, is very evil? If the furthest bound and end were in death, there could in it be noted no difference between the righteous and unrighteous, they differ one from the other by the diversity of the estates, that after death shall befall to them both.

Finally, it appereth plainely, that in all the trauailes of this life they had alway set before them the blessednesse of the life to come. For to what purpose should Iacob haue so much desired, & with so great danger sought the preeminence of the first begotten, whiche shoulde procure him nothyng but banishment, and in a manner to be caste of from beyng his childe: but no good at all, vnlesse he had respecte to a hyer blessyng. And he declared, yt he had this meanyng by the wordes which he spake among his last breathinges:¹ Lord, I will loke for thy saluation. What saluation could he haue loked for, whē he sawe that he laye ready to geue vp the ghost, vnlesse he had seene in death the beginnyng of a newe life? But what dispute we of the holy ones and chrildren of God, when euen he was not without a taste of suche vnderstandyng, whiche otherwise was enemie to the truthe? For what meant Balaam whē he sayd: