knowes that threatning him
death, they threaten him life: and the most mortall woundes can
make him but immortall. Who feares God, feares not death: and
who feares it not, feares not the worst of this life.

By this reckoning, you will tell me death is a thing to be
wished for: and to passe from so much euill, to so much good,
a man shoulde as it seemeth cast away his life. Surely, I feare
not, that for any good wee expect, we will hasten one step the
faster: though the spirite aspire, the body it drawes with it,
withdrawes it euer sufficiently towardes the earth. Yet is it
not that I conclude. We must seeke to mortifie our flesh in vs,
and to cast the world out of vs: but to cast our selues out of
the world is in no sort permitted vs. The Christian ought
willingly to depart out of this life but not cowardly to runne
away. The Christian is ordained by God to fight therein: and
cannot leaue his place without incurring reproch and infamie.
But if it please the grand Captaine to recall him, let him take
the retrait in good part, and with good will obey it. For hee is
not borne for himselfe, but for God: of whome he holdes his life
at farme, as his tenant at will, to yield him the profites. It
is in the landlord to take it from him, not in him to
surrender it, when a conceit takes him. Diest thou yong? praise
God as the mariner that hath had a good winde, soone to bring
him to the Porte. Diest thou olde? praise him likewise, for if
thou hast had lesse winde, it may be thou hast also had lesse
waues. But thinke not at thy pleasure to go faster or softer:
for the winde is not in thy power, and in steede of taking the
shortest way to the Hauen, thou maiest happily suffer
shipwracke. God calleth home from his worke, one in the morning,
an other at noone, and an other at night. One he exerciseth til
the first sweate, another he sunne-burneth, another he rosteth
and drieth throughly. But of all his he leaues not one without,
but brings them all to rest, and giues them all their hire,
euery one in his time. Who leaues his worke before God call him,
looses it: and who importunes him before the time, looses his
reward. We must rest vs in his will, who in the middest of our
troubles sets vs at rest.

To ende, we ought neither to hate this life for the toiles
therein, for it is slouth and cowardise: nor loue it for the
delights, which is follie and vanitie: but serue vs of it, to
serue God in it, who after it shall place vs in tr