some growe so is the generation of flesh and blood One commeth to an end and another is borne Euery worke rotteth and consumeth away Yea to what end doth the corne spring vp into eares but to bee reaped And doth not euery lowe ebbe make way to a new flood Doth not euery day by declining giue time vnto the approaching night The same course of enterchange is likewise among men the precedent giues place vnto the future The Elements and all things composed of them are subiect vnto mutation yea the heauens themselues shall be dissolued and renewed 2 Pet 3.12 How then can a mortall body for euer remaine Being but a house of clay that is soone broke downe It comes vp like a flower and is soone cut downe Iob 14.2 Yea what is the life of this body 1 Chron 29.15 A shadow a winde Iob 7 7. a vapour that appeareth for a little Ioh. 4.14 and then vanisheth away saith holy writ As an arrowe once being shot continually flyeâ—h to the place where it must be fixed So man once being borne passeth without intermission vnto that end where hee must rest Yea we our selues if we obserue it are continually dying from the first day of our birth Our childhood dyed in vs when we became youthes Our youthfull age when wee grew to bee men The day present destroyeth the day past and euery present houre yea moment slayes that that is newly past yet doth not the absence of the time past hurt vs nor doe we bewaile it though euen now we want time Much lesse then if death at this instant should hurry vs away Should the want of the present time then procure any losse to vs when as the time of this world in no wise further can auaile vs. So that there is not any naturall reason why death should affright vs. No reason I say which is hence also apparent in that the antienter sort doe oftentimes more abhorre death then the younger where as reason rather requireth the contrary This desire therefore of delay in olde men springs onely out of an habituated loâ—e of these two friends soule and body the coniunction of the which the longer it lasteth the closer is their amity knit together to wit so long till they be sufficiently enformed that their separation can be no losse vnto them and no longer Yea nature it selfe directs all things to their end The fairest blosomes shee causeth freely to shed their pleasant leaues that the following cods may finde place These doth she also cause to shrinke together and split that the seede may fall out of them into the lap of the earth where it ought to be Wee our selues also haue a continuall naturall longing towards our end and wish though wee doe not obserue it that our dayes might hasten their course What is it else when as children long to be great those of middle growth to be married the married to see their children come to age yet is it certaine that how much the more we obtaine of thâ—se our wishes we approach the neerer to our end and yet we wish for it Yea farther who knowes not that fire at the last shall bring this world to an end yet is it so farre from terrifying vs that in signe of publique and generall ioy we are accustomed to kindle extraordinary great bonfires We haue also farre more desire to see mens decease then their birth No body râ—nnes forth for pleasure to see a woman in labour you will say the reason is because there is nothing therein but calamity and paine And what is there else where two fighting hurt one the other and yet who desires not to be a spectator Or if any by the Magistrates command must suffer a painefull deaâ—h what running is there to see it And who among vs would not take great delight if he could but securely behold it out of a windowe to see some-where a battell fought in the field The Romane Emperors who in foretimes knew well enough how to entice the people and to get their fauour did on feastiuall dayes present them with certaine hundred paires of Fencers which freely sported till that commonly one of each couple couered his standing with his dead body And on this sport for so they called it did the people sit gazing whole dayes without showe of wearinesse Yea it seemes that the same was first brought in by the Israelites when Abner and Ioah caused their Souldiers to sport together on this wisâ— 2 Sam. 2.14 Behold then how farre man euen beyond all decencie taketh pleasure in seeing the death of others when hee suffereth himselfe to be led by his naturall inclination So that to dye is not onely naturall but it seemes there is also a secret desire to behold the Tragedy of it Thirdly 3 Reason Death vniuersaâ—l to whom can any thing seeme terrible that presents it selfe dayly before his eyes What is more common among vs then Christnings and Burialls Haue euer any beene knowne of all that haue beene borne not to haue dyed Old young rich poore honest dishonest all â—read that path Gen. 4.8 Abel it may bee was slaine in his youth Gen. â— 27 and Methusalah liued welnigh a thousand yeares yet hee died also Exod. 14.8 The impious Egyptians were drowned in the red sea Gods people perished in the wildernes Poore Lazarus died Luk. 16.22 the rich man died also saith St. Luke Yea that mighty Ahasueros Est 1.1 who raigned ouer a hundred and seauen and twenty Prouinces that great Alexander the valiant Iulius Caesar who conquered the whole world haue all bin conquered by this death All things that are created as fire ayre water earth and all things compounded and ingendred of them are able to inflict death on vs. Anacreon the Poet was choaked with a grape kernell Pope Adrian the fourth with a flye Yea in our selues doth not the least disturbance of our blood oft end our liues Anger heat colde a fright doe the same I spare to speake of a plague which in the space of seauen or eight moneths hath deuoured in one Citie of London eight and thirty thousand Or a siedge which without and within the Towne of O oslend hath swept away more then a hundred thousand men in lesse then three yeares This we see and this we heare dayly and such like accidents fill the greater part of leaues in all manner of Chronicles and this will bee common as long as men shall inhabit the world Haue we not theÌ„ great reason so to accustome our selues to these common chances that we may not be affrighted by them But what doe I number men we see whole Cities destroyed That mighty Citie of Troy now giueth the Plow-man leaue to fâ—rrowe her Holy Ierusalem can hardly shew one stone on the other The Maiestie of Rome must now be guessed out of her Ruines Gen. 19.23 Yea a fire kindled in Canaan and burnt foure Cities together
with all the Inhabitants Annâ— 14â—1 A flood drowned in Holland threescore and twelue Villages with whole housholds inhabiâ—ing the same And shall we then for our selues bee so grieued whereas each of vs is but one silly man And yet aboue all 4 Reason Death is Gods will we haue no reason to disturbe our selues in that which is Gods will and pleasure Hee hath set a law to all his creatures which they must obay Psal 148.6 Immediatly after the Creation he spake to man and said Earth thou art and to earth thou shalt returne Gen. 3.9 Therefore well saith Salomon All liuing know that they shall dye Eccl. 9.5 When God onely saith Returne yee children of men singeth Moses they are carried away as with a flood Psal 90.3.5 as a sleepe and as grasse that is withered Feare not death saith the sonne of Sirach for remember that this is the sentence of the Lord ouer all flesh Eccl. 41.5 of them that goe before thee and of them that come after And why art thou against the pleasure of the most high Let it suffice vs to know that it is Gods commandement and that he is alwayes entirely good 1 Sam. 15.22 and that obedience to him is better then Sacrifice This is the fourth reason why wee ought not to shunne death Especially because though wee neuer so much shunne it yet cannot we escape it but must some time or other will we â—ill wee fall into its clawes If there be then a necessity what folly is it to wrastle against God and his ordinance It must needes bee easier quietly to walke towards our end then to suffer our selues to bee dragged to it by force And although we see the yeares of antient folkes sometimes prolonged and of the younger sort shortned or by misfortune as it may seeme cut off yet must we not therefore wrangle with our Creator about it as if it were contrary to reason and nature But say with Christ when hee thanked his father that hee reuealed to children that which he kept secret from the wise and prudent which seemes both to oppose nature and humane reason Euen so Father because it seemed good in thy sight Luk. 10.21 That then which is pleasing vnto him who is onely wise and good and our father also must needes seeme good vnto vs. He that hath brought vs into this world Selfe murther is vnlawfull not when it seemed good vnto us but when it pleased him hath also good reason to take vs from hence when it shall be so pleasing vnto him We are all his creatures and belong vnto him and euery one from him possesseth his body as a needfull and pretious pledge of his loue committed on trust vnto him for a while And although we must alwayes be ready to restore the same when the owner shall please to demand it yet in the meane while ought we not either carelesly to loose or vnthankfully to cast away this creature of God Although the Stoical Philosophers doe terme a mans killing of himselfe the opening of a doore through which euery one may freely out-runne the miseries of this life Lib. 3. Yet did Aristotle better consider this matter who shewes that the murthering of a mans selfe to eschew any calamity or sorrow doth not argue any valour but cowardise rather If God by many trialls here will haue vs trained to fortitude let vs then not resemble peeuish children who as soone as they are but chidden in their first Schoole runne presently whining out of dores Wee must shew our selues men and as valiant Souldiers stand on our guard in this world against all dangers As also continue constant in cold heat hunger thirst as long as it shall please our Generall to place vs there None of vs saith the Apostle liueth to himselfe Rom. 14.7 therefore whether wee liue or dye we are the Lords If all of vs then are the Lords it is a point of great iniustice for any of vs according to our owne will to kill himselfe Which sinne is therefore iustly deemed the more damnable for that the man that murdereth himselfe after the committing of the sin hath not any time of repentance It is our duty therefore wholy to referre the length of our life and did meanes of our death to the will of God that so in both wee may alwayes with a good conscience say vnto him Math. 6.10 Our Father thy will be done Yet many doe not shunne death in respect of dying but in respect of the condition wherevnto death bringeth them Let vs likewise therefore consider this their future estate foure manner of wayes and ponder each of them seuerally 1. Obseruation concerning the body First some feare the future misery of their body when it shal be separated from the soule We must to this purpose vnderstand that the dead in holy Writ are sometimes said to sleepe and sometimes to rest The one seemes to be in respect of the body the other of the soule Iob ioyneth them together wheÌ„ he wisheth that his mothers wombe had bin his tombe For now should I saith hee haue luine still Iob 3.13 and bene quiet I should haue slept then should I haue beene at rest And very fitly is the death of the body compared to sleepe for euen as man at euery finishing of the Sunnes compasse is subiect to this short sleepe euen so when his life hath compassed his course the long sleepe of death scases on him And as our bodies perceiue no vnquietnesse in the dayly sleepe in like manner shall they feele none in this long and last sleepe Hence Cato said very well Dist Cat. that sleepe is the image of death Apoph Eras Diogenes learned of Homer to call sleepe and death brothers If then they bee like the one to the other wee haue no reason to shunne the one more then the other And whosoeuer vnwillingly doth forgoe this body may well bee resembled vnto little children that are very loath to be vndrest that they might bee had to bed by times but being easily laide downe soone fall into a sweet sleepe If sleepe then be sweet to the body while wee sleepe and if a man sleâ—ping counts no time nor tells any houres but those wherein hee commit himselfe to sleepe and those wherein her doth awake what neede he to care how much â—â—n he spend in sleeping whether they he shall sleepe seauen houres in his bâ—d or seauen ages in his graue And whilest hee thus counes no time there remaines for him betweene death and sleepe no difference at all Wherfore then should he abhorre the one more then the other Now concâ—rning the corruption of our body it is an old saying the corruption of one thing Aristotle is the generation of another Our body is but changed againe into the same elements whereof it was at first created by GOD when by him a liuing breath was blowne into it
neuer had loued them Abraham himselfe once being dead remembers vs not Esay 63 1â— and Israel knowes vs no more Wee likewise doe not know nor remember while we sleepe our friends nor our dayly recreations yet is there no body therefore that shunnes his sleepe or flyes from his bed And wherefore then for that respect should wee feare death which bereaues vs no more of all these things then our dayly sleepe is wont to doe One Demetrius could boldly say What desirest thou O Lord Sen. de prouâ—d wilt thou haue my children behâ—ld there they bee wilt thou haue any part of my body take it freely yet is it not much which I offer thee for ere long I shall be faine to forsake it all This was meruailous well said of a Heathen But the rich and righteous Iob went farther a great deale He shewed in deed what the other vttered in words He could see his Oxen his Camels with all his riches and estate yea his fonnes also in diuets manners perish altogether and yet couragiously say The Lord hath giuen the Lord hath taken Iob 1.21 blessed bee the name of the Lord. If then these men could so freely forgoe and misse their necessaries in this world where they yet might haue enioyed them shall we take it grieuously to be depriued of our pleasures when we shall be altogether vnfit to vse them Praise-worthy pleasure vnnecessary But if any man be loath to dye in regard of some commendable delight that he taketh in the gouernment of the Common-wealth or in the orderly education of his children hee must vnderstand that if GOD haue called him to the same he also best knoweth how long hee hath need of him And if it please him soone to quit and release him of his good care and to giue him a penny Math. 20.14 as well as them that haue borne the burthen of the whole day and the heat of the Sunne what reason hath he to complaine God can finde others more fit for this his seruice to whom we must giue place Elyas supposed he was left alone 1 Reg. 19.18 but God had left vnto himselfe yet seauen thousand in Israel whose knees had not bowed vnto Baal Concerning our children we must not thinke that their welfare totally depends on the life of their parents The parents bottle is soone empty and Ismael might haue dyed euen in his mothers presence if GOD had not prouided water for him It is hee that openeth his hand Psal 145.15 and satisfieth the desire of euery liuing thing Parents are but the second hand whereby God distributeth his gifts to his children They are the lanthorne through which his diuine care shines to the children take away the lanthorne and the light shines the clearer When the Ostridge forgets her egges Iob 39.15 the Lord doth breed them When the Rauen forsakes her young ones the Lord feedes them And when children loose their terrestiall father then is it that he termes himselfe a Father of the fatherlesse Psal 68.6 Therefore Epictetus was bold to say An. 3.24 That among the sonnes of men there were no Orphanes but that all haue a father who sufficiently prouides for them all continually And in another place Aâ— 1.9 If so be that it be of force enough to make any body â—iue securely and without reproach to be of Caesars kindred Will it not be sufficient to free vs from all sorrow and feare to haue God for a Creator for a Father for a Prouider Let vs put him in trust with our children and if after our departure we will doe them good let vs liue vprightly our selues and then none shall see our children begge their bread Psal 37.25 saith Dauid Bring them vnto Christ Math. 19.14 he will receiue them Iohn 14.18 and not leaue them Orphanes So that no delight nor no good care of this temporall life ought to make vs vnwilling to dye for in these respects no dying can make vs to inherit sorrowe 4. Obseruation concerning Iudgement Lastly there is another reason wherefore the greater yea the better part of men doe feare death Heb. â— 27 they know that it is appointed for euery one once to dye and after this comes Iudgement as it is written to the Hebrewes And this Iudgement is the thing that troubles them not knowing whether thereby they shall ascend to heauen or descend to hell Alas poore soules When as God by some naturall disease threatens them with death then they stand quaking and if a Coronell doth but promise a double pay or a Captaines place how many Souldiers altogether fearelesse are readie as we may see dayly euen to rush on death Not that this rashnesse is wisedome for Gods Iudgement deserues to be feared yea there is nothing more terrible in heauen nor on earth then it is For he thereby will seperate the sheepe from the goates preseruing the sheepe to all eternity and reiecting the goates for euer Death doth not make the Iudgement the heauier Yet notwithstanding we must know that our death neede not to cause this feare for it neither blesseth vs nor condemneth vs but euer leaues vs as it findes vs. The Axe being put to the roote of the tree Math. 3.16 doth not by hewing alter any whit the nature of the wood 1 Reg. 5.6 If it light on a thorne-bush it hewes downe thornes fit to make fire withall If it light on a Cedar tree it hewes downe Cedar wood fit for the building of the Temple of the Lord. The Butcher in killing doth not change goates into sheepe nor sheepe into goates In like manner death neither makes a man worse nor better it neither hinders nor farthers him in regard of Gods Iudgement It is but as a narrow gate as is fore-told through the which both sheepe and goates must passe Yet ought euery man chiefly to feare his latter end For which way the tree falleth Eccl. 11.3 there shall it lye But we must withall vnderstand that it falls commonly that way that it vsed to leane We ought then to take heede to this leaning as long as the tree continueth standing and to bend him that way that we desire he should fall For when the fall is approaching whether it be by axe storme or age it commeth commonly very suddainly Euen so it is with man All the dayes of his life he must striue to leane that way that hee lookes or wishes to lye For death when it comes strikes the blow in a moment And man commonly dyes as hee hath accustomed himselfe to liue And as hee dyes so shal he appeare in Iudgement Death indeede hath a sting to wit sinne but it stings vs not iust at our dying day but rather through the whole course of our life Therefore be not deceiued the Apostle Paul forewarneth Man shall reape noâ— as the sickle is which hastily or slowly cuts downe but as hee hath
OF DEATH A TRVE DESCRIPTION And against it A good Preparation Together with A sweet Consolation for the suruiuing Mourners By IAMES COLE Merchant Printed at London by A. M. 1629. TO THE RIGHT Worthy his much respected friends Mr. Iohn Milleward Esquire one of the Captaines of this famous Cittie Mr. Iohn Awbrey Mr. Edmond Page Mâ— William Gillie Mr William Middelton and Mr Iohn Bludworth D. H. Merchant wisheth all happinesse in soule and body in this worâ—d and eteâ—nâ—ll glory and blisse in the world to come EXcuse mee I pray which am now the hand of my deceased friend that I commend these his Religious Instructions vnto your Patronages and Embracements The long time of your acquaintance honest mutuall traffique and former pious conuersation may iustly challenge it both of the Author and my selfe Yee often haue taken and built your credit on his word in your bought Wares which the effect hath confirmed to your profit Once more beleeue him and buy these his MeditatioÌ„s on his word the price is but your acceptance reading and application And if thus you will vse and trie these his last Marchandizes they will prooue vnto you of infinite worth and price for by them you shall obtaine that precious Pearle and hidden treasure of which the Gospell mentions It was your charitable Christian loue that accompanied his mortall body to his last home and it was his louing care here to direct those that followed him and others to the graue lest they should too long make their aboade with the Gaderenian among the tombes The graue is but a passage not a dwelling place It doth but preserue the pledge of our bodies vntill the day of resurrection Therefore those that truly follow deceased Christians follow them not onely vnto the dore of death and entrance of the graue but through death vnto life through the graue vnto heauen And lest death the way to life should seeme too terrible and rather affright from the way then inuite vnto it This our friend and charitable Author shewes and proues here that in respect of the body the soule the world the last Iudgement it properly is not to be feared And further to embolden the weake faith of a trembling Christian hee vnmaskes and vnarmes death hee so describes her and prepares our bodies to embrace her that death is no more death but victory no more the obiect of feare but desire Wherefore hauing thus farre set in a word the description of her description before you I dare no longer detaine you from the victory of her If you please but to follow either the prescription or example of this our louing friend through death vnto life through the graue vnto heauen J dare promise that you will attaine my wish all happinesse here and eternall glory hereafter Jn confidence whereof I rest London this 10. of Iune 1629. Your well-wishing friend DIERICK HOSTE In commendation of the Author and his Booke NOthing more sure to vs then once pale death to see Why then are we so blinde not once to thinke thereon What more vncertaine then when this our chance may be Why then goe we on still as if shee should touch none In seasonable time this Bookâ— is come to light To driue out of our hearts deaths feare and anguish still It is a Christian part t' instruct vs in the right How we may arme our selues against that feared ill For though at euery one grim death ne're leaues to ayme Yet in this Treatise small from her quite taken is Her sting Which iustly makes to tremble without blame But to vs that are Christs she brings eternall bliss O worthy Israelite thou hast spied out full well That this great Anakim cannot hinder at all To winne that Canaan of heau'n and there to dwell For IESVS CHRIST hath wrought that Giants great downefall How can we now reward thy loue O Author kinde Who in thy life time shun'dst mens praise from laud didst flie Thy pious vertuous life wee 'll euer beare in minde Which now the Lord hath crown'd with blisse eternally D. H. Of the zealous Author his much respected Vnkle and his comfortable Description SHall I reioyce because his Penne doth teach Vs how die and heauenly blisse to reach Or shall I mourne because to be our guide His worthy selfe he hath to vs denâ—â—d Longer on earth His words perswade beliefe Farther confirmance but augments our griefe His Booke suffu'd that pointing Mercurie He needed not to guid vs and to die His life wee wanted more that could vs tell That hee that liued godly should die well Yet what it was I dare not well set downe For feare his ashes modesty shâ—uld frowne But let them speake that comment on his name A man of pious learned vpright fame Whose words and deedes did so concurre in one That what he said t' was true t' was sure t was done Whose vertuous presence was so pretious deere That most did wish he still might haue beene heere But loe his liberall charity If thus His company was gratefull vnto vs He shewes vs how we may enioy it still And striues our wishes happier to fulfill Then we conceiue He cann't descend againe We must ascend and there by him remaine Thus while we enter his societie Ours will be Saints and Angels companie But lest wee should vnskilfull Pilgrims stray Not knowing how to goe which is the way Lest that our eyes waxe dim'd by sinfull slime That we perceiu'd not which way he did clime Behold in this good legacie of his He shewes vs the true way through death to blisse Lest we should feare th'aff ighting face of death And quake to heare the fare-well of our breath To his olde Mate he doth vnmaske the fiend Shewes her sting forcelesse prooues our foe our friend So that we bold mâ—y gaze her in the face And that we fear'd so much with ioy embrace She is no euill thing but naturall According to Gods will common to all The bodie 's but a sleepe it feeles no paine The soule dies not but mounts vnto the traine Of heauenly Saints Why should earths vanities Detaine vs from these happy glorious skies Or feare of iudgement by it we receiue A ioy which mortall minde cannot conceiue Therefore when sicknesse pale doth enter in By Gods command vsherd by in-bred sinne That messenger of death thy house befit Thy body soule and all to welcome it Thy selfe striue well to arme death to vnarme By shunning sinne with faith and feare no harme Repent and pray and to thy heauenly peace And certaine comfort will thy faith encrease So that death shall thy soule not terrifie But be to thee a wished victorie Which brings thee to a ioyfull Paradise Before the Lambe aboue the starrie skies There is our Author now and there doth shine Like a cleare starre our once Marchant-diuine There he 's in his reward If we desire To beare a pâ—rt in that celestiall quire Let vs these his directions embrace
the second death And so he makes death but two-fold one corporall in this world the other spirituall in the other world whose diuision we also willingly embrace The death of the body That death then whereof we meane to treate is the first or corporall death to wit that which doth separate the soule from the body and is euery where vsually knowne by the name of death For whatsoeuer we speake or reade of dying as well in the diuine bookes of the Bible as in humane Writers it is for the most part to be vnderstood of this kinde of death This death is also chiefly feared of men and causeth them to bee troubled maketh them faint-hearted and vnconstant and vpon occasion of any euill rumour fearefull Yea that wise Naturalist Aristotle was of opinion Eth. 3. that of all things there is nothing more terrible then death The aduantage of them that doe not feare death If then this death be the most terrible thing in the world how happy is he that is released from the feare of it Yea verily wherwith can the world make him to tremble that contemnes the very vttermost of her power If hee liue in a Citie infected with the plague if hee dwell in a Country flaming with warre if he trauell in danger of theeues or if a tempest at sea ouertake him his spirits are not daunted nor his senses benum'd Hee hath the more rest and yet neuer the more danger Yea rather the lesse because a man that is affrighted by his very frights may bring some sicknesse vpon himselfe and so consequently death But such a resolute man is certaine that come the worst nothing can be exacted of him beyond his life which hee oweth and is willing to surrender where and when it shall please God If hee be called of God to a Souldier condition he fighteth boldly for the defence of his Country Yea certainely hee that oft-times through a cowardly feare would loose the field by this his couragious resolution putteth his enemie to flight Thus is euen our life sometimes lengthened by this willingnesse to dye Besides if such a one liue by enuious persons or vnder tyrannizing Princes he shall not neede to flatter nor to faine against his conscience He is not astonisht though they threaten to slay his body for hee knowes that it must dye whether they threaten him or no. Yea if they put him to death he knowes that they euen then bereaue themselues of power to torment him any farther And is not this a great liberty and worthy to be sought after whereas on the contrary how miserable is that man that is continually encumbred with feare and that not for some thing that hee may hope or chance to escape but for that which vndoubtedly may yea must sometime befall him Truly such a one walkes throughout the course of his life in a continuall flight farre worse then death it selfe The diuision of the Treatise Well then for the better ouercomming of this feare wee will assay for to vnmaske death and disrobe it of all terrible apparition that so wee may behold it naked and in his owne nature And first wee shall endeauour by foure naturall reasons and then by foure other obseruations to demonstrate that it hath nothing in it selfe that should be terrible vnto vs. And secondly proceeding we hope likewise in a foure-fold discourse manifestly to shew that to those that know how to arme themselues against it death is altogether profitable and consequently worthy to bee desired This death then 1 Reason though it be one of the twinnes which together by sin entred into the world Death is not bad Rom. 5.12 yet doth it in no manner of wayes resemble in iniquity the spirituall death its sister For though this death doe vtterly slay the body and the other doth not kill the soule but casts it into a miserable life yet is it better to dye by the first then to liue in the second Yea by meanes of this obtaine wee this benefit and profit that at the last it doth free vs from this toyle-some life to which God since the fall of man hath heere on earth condemned all mankinde In the which were it not that this death preuenteth it wee should continually remaine For this cause then as also for that God doth send it as well to his children whom he loueth as to his enemies whom he hateth it cannot in its owne nature be euill Howbeit God doth diuersly addresse it vnto vs. For the wicked hee consumes in his wrath Eccl. 45.19 as vnworthy of this temporall life But the godly hee takes away in his mercy and peace as esteeming them worthy of a better life 2 Reg. 22.20 And thus is death vnto the Reprobates a passage vnto eternall misery but to the Righteous vnto eternall life Ioh. 5.24 Euen as a Master thrusteth his disobedient seruant out of dores to deliuer him vnto the Iaylor and le ts forth his obedient to set him at liberty for euer Yet is it one and the same doore that both passe thorow Who then will terme this doore or this death euill If death in it selfe be not euill then from it directly no euill can bee expected Let this then be the first reason wherefore we neede not feare death But some may heere object that it is the occasion of this euill that wee by meanes of it loose this temporall life which is sweet to euery one But in sooth for vs to pay that we owe may not bee termed any losse vnto vs. And who knoweth not the condition of this life All things which by birth haue a beginning haue an end by death Whosoeuer therefore feareth the end must not desire the beginning Our life is like vnto a candle if wee desire it to giue light in lightning it must burne and burning draw and come to an end If the Sunne would not descend it must not ascend For the same course that causeth it to ascend causeth it to descend euen so doth this life conduct vs to death And who then can say this life is good and death euill Certainly whatsoeuer is spoken against death opposes life which is the cause of death Epictetus his saying is good Death saith hee is not frightfull but the feare of death Ar. 2. â— and to dye is not ill but to dye shamefully Hence Socrates 2 Reason Death Naturall when tydings was brought vnto him that the Gouernours of Athens had condemned him to dye And so hath Nature them A poph Eras 4. said hee without any farther alteration He knew well that it was no lesse naturall to dye then to liue And this shall be the second reason wherfore death is not to be feared All flesh we read in Ecclesiasticus waxeth old as a garment Eccl. 14.18 for the decree from the beginning is thou shalt dye the death As of the greene leaues vpon a thicke tree some fall and