T Ïhertght iv/ . And the bodies of the Elea though theyputrifie and confrtme neuer fo muchin thegraue, yetare they.ttilt in the fauourof God and in thecone- nantofgrace: to which,becaute theyhaue right and titlebeeing dead, they (hall not cemaine fo for euer, but Thal! ride to glorie atthe Taft iudgernenr. Therefore the rotting ofthe bodie is nothing in refpea, and the deathof thebodie isno death. And therefore altodeath in the old: and newTefle- ment is made but. a leepe,,and the-pane a bed,wbereof the like was neuer feene; wherein man maytea, nothingat all troubled withdreames.or fan tafies,,and whence he (hall rife nomore frtbicä:toweaknesor fiches, but. prefently be tranflated-toeternal! glorie. Bythis then which hath bin raid, it appears that the deathofth.e righteous is a (econd degree co euerlafting happine's: Now then confideringour coniunétion with Chrift is the foundation of all our ioy and comfort in life anddeath,weare inthe feareof C od to !same this one leffon, namely, that while wehaue time in this world, we muffle- bout tobe vnitedvntoChrift, that wemaybe bone ofhis boneand flethof his fle(h. This verypoint is as it were afiaggon ofwine to reuiue our foules when theybe in a Towne at any inftant. And that we may be affured that we are certenly ioyned toChri(t, we mu('cthew our felues tobe members of his myfticall bodie by the daily fruitsofrighteoulnes and true repentance. And beeing once certenly affured inconkkneeofourbecing in Chri(t,lec death comewhen it will, and let it cruelly part afunderboth bodie & fouls, yet (!wall they both remaine in the couenant,and bymeares thereof bereu- nited and taken vp to life eternal]. Whereas on the concrarie,ifrnen be out ofthecouenant and die out ofChrift, their fouies gne to hell, and their bo. dies rotte for a time in the graue,but afterward they rife toendles perdition. Wherefores fayagaineand againe,labour that your confciencesby theho- lyGhoft mayte(lifie that ye are lining (tones in theTemple of God, and branches bearing fruit in chetrue vine:and then ye (ballfeele by experience, that the pangs of death (hall be a further degree of happines then euer ye found in your litres cum then when ye are gafping and panting for breath. Thus much ofthemeaningof the text, now followes the v(es, and they aremanifold. The fir(} and principal] is this. In that Salomon preferresthe dayofdeath before the day ofbirth, hedoch thereinglue vs tovnderftand, that there isa direEt andcercen way whereby a manmay diewell; if it had beeneorherwife,hecould not haue (aide that thedayofdeath is better. And whereas heauoucheth this, he fhewes withal! that there is an infallible way whereby amanmaymakea bleffed end.Therfore let vs nowcome to(catch out thisway; the knowledge and truevndet (tending vvhcreofmull not be fetched from thewritings ofmen, but from the word ofGod,whopath the powerof life anddeath in his owne haride. Now that a man maydie well, Gods word requires twothings:apre- paration beforedeath, and a right behauiour and difpofirion indeath. The preparationunto death is anactionofa repentant (inner, whereby he
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