men I come now to set down some principall vses of that which hath beene said before First seeing death destroyes not the soule though it dissolue the bodie we see that the soule is of a more noble nature then the bodie and therefore more to be esteemed and with greater care and loue to be kept and tended As God excelleth all soules or as the Ladie excels her handmaid so the soule excelleth all bodies What would a man haue euill Surely nothing not his wife not his sonne not his seruant not his horse not his ground not his fruite no not his coate and wilt thou haue an euill soule For shame take care of it that it be not euill Euill it is or good For Omnis anima aut Christisponsa aut Diaboli adultera est euery soule as Saint Austen speaketh is eyther the Spouse of Christ and then good or the diuels harlot and so is euill If euill then thy state is euill and if death finde it euill it leaues it euill and this soule which cannot die in respect of dissolution yet it doth die in regard of consolation being separated by euill as wel from God who is the soule and solace of the soule as from the bodie which in life it did enioy with ioy And forsomuch as the soule doth suruiue the bodie and liue when it is dead it should comfort mē against the dread that death brings with it For they shall not be Nothing nor No-where Death doth subdue but one part and that which is the baser of them Secondly seeing God inflioteth death without whose prouidence it could not come it teacheth vs in all patience quietnesse and humilitie to bee contented with his worke not opening our mouthes against him though he take vs away in the flower of our time or by the crueltie of wicked men And to them that truly serue God according to his will it cannot but be a comfort that whē they die they die not without the knowledge but by the will and disposement of their gracious aud louing Master who is able to saue them in death as he did Daniel in the Lions denne and the three Children in the fierie furnace Thirdly seeing death is the fruit of sinne it should teach vs to detest sinne Death is not very pleasing but rather odious to flesh and bloud How much more odious then should sinne bee counted by which death found entrance into the world and without which no man had euer died Diseases death and damnation come by sinne diseases hinder health death endeth life and damnation depriues man of the ioyes of saluation will any wise man then delight in sinne a thing so odious hurtfull and vnhappie Salomon being directed by the Spirit of God calles him a Foole that maketh a mocke of sinue and as a pastime to doe wickedly Doth any man loue the plague the gout the palsie the stone the crampe the canker or the dropsie I suppose no man All these diseases are the consequents of sinne the world had not knowne them had shee not beene acquainted with sinne and certainely these diseases are not more hurtful to the body then sinne is to the true health and life of the soule Sinne is a Tyger a Beare a Lyon an Aspe a Viper a destroyer both of bodie and of soule Fourthly the ineuitable necessitie of Death which lies vpon all the world condemnes the immoderate feare of Death in many men There is no man so ignorant but knowes hee must die yet when death is threatned what feare is there what fainting what tergiuersation what impatience is there to be seene in many Quid fles miser quid trepidas Eye wretch why doest thou weep why dost thou tremble This yoke is laid vpon euery necke thou goest the way that all mê go To this wast thou born this hath befallen thy Father thy Mother thine ancestors to all men before thee and to all that succeed thee Wilt thou not thinke to come thither at last whither thou hast beene a going alwaies Nullum sine exitu iter est there is no iourney without an end VVee make our life vnquiet with the feare of death and such is the madnesse of men that some by the feare of death are brought vnto death wee ought to fortifie our selues that wee loue not our life too well and that wee hate not death too much and when reason aduiseth vs to dye and not to feare Vir fortis strenuus non fugere debet de vita sed exire a man of courage and spirit should not flye out of life but goe out To dye is not glorious but to dye couragiously is glorious Finally seeing all men must dye and seeing Christ vvill finde them at the day of iudgement as the day of their Death doth leaue them it behooues all men to prepare themselues for Death that it may not hurt them but rather helpe them To this end these things are to bee considered and performed First hee that would haue comfort in his death must beleeue in God the Authour of life in Iesus Christ who saues vs from the power and euill of Death Verily verily I say vnto you saith Christ Hee that heareth my word and beleeueth him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life And to Martha speaking of himselfe hee saith I am the Resurrection and the life hee that beleeueth in mee though he were dead yet shall he liue and whosoeuer lineth and beleeueth in me shall neuer die meaning the death of the damned Now Christ who thus speaketh to vs is omnipotent and true Verbum eius ab intentione non dissentit quia Veritas est nec factum a Verbo quia Virtus est Hee is Trueth and therefore he speakes as he meanes and he is Might it selfe therefore he does as he speakes But he doth professe and promise that those that beleeue in him shall not perish by death but liue for euer therfore we may be bold vpon his word and should stir vp our selues to beleeue And let no man deceiue himselfe For hee onely doth aright beleeue in Christ who beleeues him in his word and Sacraments and in his Ministers speaking according to his word In vaine it is for men to say or thinke they beleeue in Christ who beleeue not his Lawe who regard not his Sacraments who beleeue not his Seruants declaring to them their Maisters minde This faith is not faith but fancie Secondly hee that would dye the Death of the Godly must repent of the sinnes of the wicked For without Repentance it is vnpossible to escape the damnation of vnrepentant Sinners Returne saith God and iniquitie shall not be your destruction Cast away all your transgressions For why will yee die Qui per poenitentiam peccata diluit angelica foelicitatis consorsin aeternum
and vexations according to that of the Scripture The righteous are taken away from the euill They rest from their labours and their workes follow them But yet here is some dissimilitude in two other respects For first the hauen entertaines and comforts all whether good or bad but death affords no true rest no true comfort but to the godly onely For much more miserable are the wicked after death as may appeare by the parable of the rich Epicure in the Gospel Secondly saylers tarry not long in the hauen but put forth again when they see conuenient into the Seas a fresh but men when they once come into Deathes Hauen there they continue till God will there they tarry and neuer returne more into this mortall life they neuer come more vpon this glassie Sea vnlesse it bee by an extraordinarie worke of God He shall returne no more to his house saith Iob neither shall his place know him againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diseases come and goe and returne againe but death comes but once neither did any man euer see saith Agathias a dead man to come againe Let the holy Land bee excepted and it will not bee denyed I thinke except perhaps in Troas once a dead man was by Paul reuiued Thirdly Death is compared to the Night For as the night is the priuation of the light so death is the priuation of life as the night followes vpon the going downe of the Sunne which is the fountaine of light so death ensueth the departure of the soule which is the Author of life But yet here also is some oddes for the night comes and goes and comes againe the Sunne doth set and rise againe but when our life is gone when our death is come wee returne no more to a life with men on earth our night endes not our Sunne riseth not vntil that determined time of the Resurrection be fulfilled which how long or how soone it will be before it bee expired God that hath appointed all times and seasons can onely tell Furthermore Death is compared to a Medicine or Remedie for it cures all crosses it is a salue for all sores a medicine for all maladies and the remedie of all calamities Quae morbos placat pauperiemque leuat But heere is the difference a man may chuse whether he will vse a medicine or no but death will not be denyed cannot be eschewed Dat cunctis legem recipit cum paupere regem And where as medicines are applyed during the residence of the Soule in the bodie this medicine is the reliction of the bodie the discession of the Soule out of the bodie Againe Death is like Fire that saith not It is inough so is Death vnsaturable it is not contented with those infinite millions which it hath alreadie deuoured but still waiteth to swallow vp more Indeede here is great diuersitie in another respect For there is no fire made by man but it will either bee put out or goe out but death is a fire that man by sinne hath kindled which hee is not able to extinguish neither will it dye of it selfe Christ alone is able to slake it with his bloud he will be the death of death Moreouer death is likened to an Haruester vvith his Sickle cutting downe the corne without partialitie or respect so death moweth down all and spareth none Mors resecat mors omne necat nullumque veretur it cuts vp all killes all feares none And as the Haruester cuts downe the corne but is not cut vp himselfe of the corne neither can bee so death takes away all but it selfe is kild of none Mors mordet omnes mordetur a nullo it bites all it deuoures all it is bitten it is deuoured of none Yet here also is something vnlike For Haruesters tarry till the corne bee ripe but death stayes not alwaies till men come to ripenesse of age but like a woman that longs puls the greene Apple off before it bee halfe ripe or like hungry Cattell which croppe vp corne as soone as it sproutes vp Pelles quot pecorum tot venduntur vitulorum Infants dye as well as old men the Calues skinne is as vsually sold in the market as the old Cowes and the Lambe goes to the shambles as well as the Ewe Seuenthly death is compared to a cruell Tyrannesse that pities neither age nor sexe and so death altogither pitilesse spareth neither man nor vvoman neither yong nor old Esops wit Irenes beautie Tullies tongue the Infancie of Dauids first child by Bathsheba no respect whatsoeuer can withstand death obtaine her fauour Indeede here is a difference for as Iuuenall saith Ad generum Cereris sine caede vulnere pauci Descendent reges sicca morte tyranni few tyrants scape vnmurdered but no man can tyrannize ouer death no man can kill her Hee that could kill a thousand with an Assesiaw could not kill death with all his weapons Euulsisque truncis Enceladus iaculator audax Hee if any such that could pull vp trees by the rootes and cast them like dartes could not strike a dart through death And they that haue beene most skilfull in poysons could not saue themselues from the poison of death and poison her no sinner can subdue her Moreouer death is compared to a woman winged For death is fruitfull and very swift it often takes men ere they bee aware and like a Serieant is at their backes before they looke for her Againe death is like the Sea which is terrible not to bee drained not to bee turned out of his channell and which breaking bankes and preuailing without mercy carries all away with it which it meetes with And as into the Sea so vnto death there are many vvayes and meanes to bring men Besides it is compared to the Lyon in the fable to whose denne many beasts went but none returned so many die but from death to life again we see no man to returne It accepts as many as comes but like a couetous niggard it keepes all and parts with none Finally death is compared to Sleepe Homer calles Sleep the Brother of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Diogenes being wakened out of a dead Sleepe and asked of his Physitian how he did answered I am well Nam frater fratrem amplectitur for one brother embraceth another And Gorgias beeing neere vnto death and sleepic if any man askt him how hee did returned this answere I am somnus incipit me fratri suo tradere Sleepe begins now to deliuer me to his brother meaning death Which two are something alike For death is common as sleepe and a dead man is depriued of worldly cares and is at rest in his soule if godly and his bodie lyeth in the graue as in a bed but yet a man sleeping is not wholly depriued of the vse of his bodie for the pulses beate
the stomacke digesteth and the breath comes goes but death depriues a man wholly for a time of all vse of his body Againe a man wakes out of his sleepe and returnes vnto the workes of his calling a fresh but a dead man wakes not to the workes of his former life neither can hee bee awakened out of the sleepe of death but by the power of God of whom alone the day of our resurrection is seene and knowne Thus much for the things where vnto death may be compared There remaine certaine Questions concerning death worthy to bee soiled which I remembred not in time to set in their more proper places neither are they here so methodically digested as plainely resolued First it may bee demanded whether any death may be said to be naturall seeing it destroyes life which is according to nature Quae cupit suum esse which delights still to be I answere a thing is said to be naturall more waies then one Death being simply in it selfe considered is not naturall but forasmuch as that which doth necessarily follow the nature of a thing and hath the beginning or ground of his existence therein to which that which is violent is opposed is called naturall That death therefore which followes the consumption and dissipation of the naturall moysture by the naturall heat seeing it comes of causes which are within the bodie in that respect is called naturall Secondly it may againe be asked what naturall death is properly I answere that properly is called naturall death when naturall heat faileth by reason that the moysture is dried vp by it as a lamp goeth out when the oyle is spent And this death is with much ease and with little or no paine as Aristotle writeth Thirdly it may be asked what violent death is properly I answere that is called violent death when by accident eyther the moysture is drawne out of the bodie or the heat extinguished by some inward or outward violence and oppression Inward violence is by poyson gluttonie drunkennesse or such excesse as when a lampe is drowned in the oyle Outward violence is when a man is strangled with an halter as a fire sodainely choaked with some huge heape of earth or ashes throwne vpon it and many moe oppressions of life there are of this kinde So that taking violent death in this largenesse of sense it will appeare that fewe die a naturall death Fourthly it may be demanded when a man doth die or when the soule doth leaue the bodie I answere then when there is a defect of those instruments of the soule whereby life is prolonged When the bodie is become vnfit for the soule to worke with then doth the soule forsake the bodie which it loues most dearely and not before Death comes not by the impatience fickle-mindednesse of the soule but by reason of the impotencie and vnaptnesse of the bodie as a workeman leaues his toole when it is become altogether vnfit for his vse Fiftly but whence is it that one man dieth sooner then another that nature failes in one sooner then in another I answere the highest reason hereof is Gods decree but the Principall naturall cause of the length of life is first a fit composition of heat and moysture in the sinewes marrow spirits c. And secondly the long and fortunate continuance of this good temper which being interrupted by diseases and other oppressiōs death necessarily follows a mans life is ended as an artificers occupation then endes of necessitie when his tooles are worne and past working with Sixtly whether natural death be by no meanes to be auoided if a man escape violence seeing that the radicall humour as it wasteth may be repaired by nurriture and therewith maintained I answer that the radicall humour may indeed by nourishment be daily renewed yet that restored moysture is not so good as that which was wasted of the beate it is not so pure as that which was of the seed it is not so wel wrought and excocted as the seed neither so exactly mingled and attenuated Seeing therefore that which is restored is not so pure as that that was wasted the heat for want of conuenient matter to feed vpon at length is dissipated and put out Neyther is the quantitie of the humour restored so much to be respected as the qualitie whereupon Auicennus saith that Though there were as much restored as is daily wasted yet must we of necessitie die And besides all this we are all Sinners vnable to keep such a precise and regular diet but that we shall offend herein and old age will steale vpon vs doe what wee can Festinat enins decurrere velox Flosculus augustae miseraeque breuissima vitae Portio dum bibimus dum serta vnguenta puellas Poscimus obrepit non intellecta senectus Sensim sine sensu senescimus Seuenthly what difference is there betwixt the death of a man and of a beast I answere when a beast dies his soule doth vanish and is dissolued but when a man dies his soule still continues For the soule of a beast is mortall but the soule of man is immortall as hath beene shewed God saith Gregory created three liuing spirits one which is not couered with flesh another which is couered with flesh but dies not with the flesh a third which is couered with flesh dies with the flesh Primus Angelorum secundus hominum tertius brutorū animaelū the first is of Angels the second of men the third of brute beasts And albeit the Scriptures sometimes speak of the death of the soules yet eyther the person or the life is to be vnderstood or such a death as is not the extinction and deletion of the soule but her separation from God who is her comfort and contentment Secondly the death of a man is wont to be with much comfort or else horror of hell it selfe our conscience telling vs of another state after death but beasts because they haue no conscience no hope of heauen nor feare of hell are not therefore subiect to such passions eyther of ioy or sorrow Thirdly when beasts die they die for euer but though death deuoure vs as the Whale did Ionas and binde vs as the Philistins did Sampson yet we shall come forth againe the bands and snares of death shall be broken and we shall be deliuered For it is most true which Saint Bernard saith There is a threefold state of holy soules the first in the corruptible bodie and that is in this life the second out of the bodie and this is after death the third in the bodie glorifyed and that shal be at the Resurrection And so there is a threefold condition of wicked soules the first is in their bodies of sinne the second is in misery out of their bodies by death dissolued
know that God both is and that he is iust and therefore hee will punish wicked sinners and by that meane declare his iust iudgement against vicious wretches The deseruing cause of death of sinne as ignorance of God disobedience of the truth especially of the Gospell of Christ Iesus and obedience of vnrighteousnesse as the Apostle sheweth as also want of charitie and charitable behauiour towardes the poore and needie members of Christ Iesus as hee himselfe doth teach vs. Neyther are these sins only meritorious of death but euen euery sinne though the smallest want of that which the law requireth is in it selfe odious and deadly For the wages of euery sinne is death The persons subiect to this death are all the Sons of Adam is as much as all are Sinners yet all of them shall not die this death namely they that are redeemed by the bloud of Christ who by his death hath deliuered them from this death by them through sinne deserued Those then shall die this death that were reprobated of God and who by their wickednesse and hardnesse of heart which could not repent haue treasured vp vnto themselues wrath against the day of wrath Depart from me ye cursed saith Christ into euerlasting fire The cursed then are they that must die this accursed death I neuer knew you saith Christ Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie They that shal die this death are such as Christ knew not owned not neuer acknowledged for his and such as whiles they liued were very hypocrites nourishing some sinne or other in their bosomes though they did many glorious and good works as preach baptise eiect diuels cure diseases and were perhaps of great account with men The Apostle saith that the Lord Iesus will render vengeance at his appearing vnto them that know not God and obey not the Gospell So that all which are ignorant of God and which disobey the Gospell of his Sonne shall die this death This then I say All impenitent sinners shall be damned all that beleeue not in Iesus Christ as Mahometaus incredulous Iewes and all other Infidels and all that professe Christ in name but denie him in example All these liuing and dying without sound repentance shall die this death And I proue it thus Except ye beleeue saith Christ that I am he you shall die in your sinnes but the Iewes beleeue not that Iesus the sonne of Mary was the Messias foretold therefore they shall die in their sinnes Hee that obeyes not the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him but neyther Iewes nor Mahometans obey Christ Iesus Therefore neyther of them shall liue but die Peter being full of the holy Ghost said that Christ is the Stone euen the fundamentall stone of mans saluation Neyther is there quoth he saluation in any other for among men there is giuen none other Name vnder heauen whereby we must be saued All therefore that either denie him or beleeue not in him and do not know him whether Iew Turke Persian Moore Indian American or who else soeuer all such shall bee damned cannot bee saued For by his knowledge shall my righteous seruant Christ Iesus Instifie many And we which are Iews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles know that a man is not iustified by the works of the law but by the faith of Iesus Christ God saith Saint Iohn hath giuen vnto vs eternall life and this life is in that his Sonne Hee that hath that Sonne hath that life and hee that hath not that Sonne of God hath not that life But Mahometans Iewes and Infidels haue not that Son therefore they haue not eternall life in spe and shall not haue it In Re but so continuing shall vndoubtedly die the damned death of the wicked for ought that man can tell I say further that those which professe Christ in word and in shew but denie him by their deeds addicting themselues to wicked lusts as whoredome pride drunkennesse auarice idlenesse epicurisme those I say shall vndoubtedly perish without mature and true repentance Know ye not saith Saint Paul that the vnrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Be not deceiued neither fornicators nor Idolaters nor adulterers nor wantons nor buggerers nor theiues nor couetous nor drunkards nor raylers nor extortioners shall inherite the kingdome of God But among Christians there are offenders in all kinds of the sinnes aforesaid therefore if they shall die in them they cannot possibly scape damnation Our Lord saith that The fearefull and vnbeleening the abhominable and murtherers whoremongers sorcerers idolaters and all lyars wherewith the Christian world aboundeth shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death And finally S. Iude speaking of sundrie wicked Epicures cept into the Church saith that for them is reserued the blacknesse of darknesse for euer Thirdly I say that all they which professing Christ doe notwithstanding adde vnto the faith of Christ and coyne articles which they doe propose as necessarily to be beleeued to saluation all such I say by this their presumption do cut themselus off from Christ and shall vndoubtedly perish except they shall repent In like manner they that doe take from the faith any essentiall point and needfull absolutely to saluation they also are subiect to damnation which without repentance they cannot scape Ye shall put nothing vnto the word which I command you neither shall ye take ought therefrom It was twise at least giuen in charge by Moses When Moses was now dead and the gouernment cast vpon Ioshuah God gaue him the same lesson in effect Thou shalt not turne away from it to the right hand nor to the left In like manner Agur saith Put nothing vnto his words least he reproue thee and thou be found a lyar I protest saith Christ to euery man that heareth the words of the prophecie of this booke If any man how precise how pure how holy how austere how sanctified soeuer he seeme or how learned soeuer he be and wit tie in the iudgement of men shall adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke and if any man shall diminish of the words of the booke he meaneth the true sense and substance of the words of this prophecie God shall take away his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy Citie and from those things which are written in this booke If any subiect or subiects shall presume to repeale the lawes of the kingdome or to make new lawes and to vrge men to receiue and obey them the king in the mean time vnacquainted with their proceeding or disliking it they shew themselues busie bodies rebellious turblent and taking vpon them as kings they incurre the displeasure of
death This was a iust punishment of a glutton in regard of God though vniust in respect of her that did it This then I say If a man out of the state of grace be murthered or die by an iniust sentence of the Magistrate yet he is not therfore deliuered from the sentence of God but must suffer as he hath deserued that his vntimely death being also long of his sinne And though a wicked man or one not within the state of grace may die not deseruing it of man as Archelaus King of Macedonia who was murthered of one Cratenas whom he loued deerely or as that forenamed father was of Adrameleke and Sarasar his sonnes yet is this their death iustly sent from God whom they knew not worshipt not serued not as they should haue done Yea their death may be iustly punished in their murtherers as Cratenas was himselfe also after murthered and yet death deserued at the hands of God For though God and the murtherer agree in the act yet not in their grounds and ends God therefore pursues the murtherer because he violates his law so souly he not bidding him but forbidding him to murther and putting no malice into his heart to make him murther giuing him no commission but onely a certaine permission which God being Lord of all and bound to no man may iustly doe The fourth Position The number of such as shall suffer eternall death is greater then of them that shall be saued MAny are called but few in comparison of them are chosen now none shall be saued but the chosen There are haue beene many that neuer had a verball calling An infinitie of people there is at this day in the world as of Turkes Iewes Indians Tartars and other sauage nations in number beyond Christians of all that rabble there can be no hope of life so long as they liue out of the Church and by no extraordinarie fauour know Christ who himselfe doth teach that the way of life is strait and found of few but that the way to death is broad and full of trauellers And finally euen among Christians only those shall be saued which embrace the true faith and are obedient vnto Christ in those particular true visible Churches in which they were bred and baptized and to the obedience of which God doth call and tie them Now how few these are to heretikes schismatikes and other factious firebrands and euill liuers as drunkards fornicators earthwormes idle and vnprofitable wretches the multitude of sinnes and sinners which swarme like the flies of Egypt in Citie and countrey doth demonstrate The fifth Position Whosoeuer doth simply and sincerely will and desire to be deliuered from eternall death shall not die but liue eternally I Make it plaine thus he that willes the end simply and sincerly doth seeke out means vnto it doth vse those means for if he know the means whereby he may obtaine his desire yet neglects to vse thē and cares not for them he shewes his desire is but confused vncertaine vnsincere If therfore a man with an honest and true heart do will wish desire to liue and to escape death he wil seeke out meanes to accomplish his desire when he knowes them he will be carefull to vse them It is an old and true saying Wishers and Woulders were neuer good Householders the meaning whereof is to taxe the foolishnesse of such as wish and would but will take no paines will vse no meanes An idle peeson would be rich but he will not labour a trewant would be a scholler but he will not studie The truth is that he that indeed would inioy a thing wil vse means to compasse it If then I would not die but liue I must not runne on in sinne I must not distrust God I must not disobey the Church of Christ and kindle coales of contention I must not contemne the word and Sacraments but I must beleeue in Christ repent of my sinne begge their pardon reuerence my Minister loue my Brethren and take heede I giue no offence Now he that doth carefully vse the meanes of life and auosdes the waies of death shall vndoubtedly liue and not die But hee that saith I would liue I would not die and yet goes the broade way and regards not the narrow path this man surely is wrong his will is not simple and sincere but confused and mishapen and except he reforme his course he shall perish notwithstanding his wishing and woulding Tell mee if a man shall say he would be in health and yet will vse no meanes of health no good diet no labour nor the like but delights onely in eating drinking glouzing sleeping idlenesse tell me does this man indeed will health and a good temper of bodie He doth not doubtlesse he may wish health but he will take no paines for it which argues verie foolishnesse Euerie man would be saued who would die Balaam would not no man would yet in the meane time who vseth the means Who leaueth his sinnes Who fighteth with his lusts Who honoureth his Minister as the man of God Who thirsteth after Christ Who is louing and obedient vnto the Church Is not sinne committed countenanced Is not the Sabbath commonly and notoriously profaned Doe not othes drunkennesse pride idlenesse and hard-heartednesse abound And are not many to seeke as it were in the Alphabet of religion They know not which is the true Church which are the people of God which is his house What miserable times doe we liue in How vaine is the world Men would faine liue they would not die they say and yet they care not for the waies of life whereas if men did truely and effectually will to liue and to auoid death they would not runne the broad way but would shew themselues wise men that is as well seeke out and vse the meanes as affect the end The sixt Position Though a man feele not the fruits and working of the Spirit in him yet hee must not despaire of life and thinke hee is ordained to death and must needs be damned A Man may bee called before death though now he be in sinne ouer head and eares and altogether voide of mercy Gods arme is neuer too short to saue his eare is neuer too dull to heare neither doth any man know what the purpose of God is Paul was as bad as one God did call him so was the Thiefe that was called on the Crosse Againe a man may be in the state of grace and yet sometimes feele no comfort no working of the Spirit euen as a man in a swoone or sleepe doth liue though hee knowes not so much and a child we see liues before it knowes it liues I say finally what though thou feelst no grace what though thou beest nothing so good as thou shouldst bee Wilt thou therefore despaire Is there no way with thee thinkest thou