A Discourse of Life and Death
The Christian's Post and the Landlord's Call
Though death is desirable, Christians must not abandon their God-given post; they hold life as tenants at will and must await the landlord's summons.
By this reckoning, you'll tell me death is something to be wished for: and that to pass from so much evil to so much good, a person should, it seems, throw away his life. Surely I'm not afraid that for any good we expect we'll hurry even one step faster: though the spirit aspires upward, the body it draws with it always pulls it back toward the earth enough. Yet that is not what I conclude. We must seek to mortify the flesh within us, and to cast the world out of us: but to cast ourselves out of the world is in no way permitted to us. The Christian ought to leave this life willingly, but not to run away in cowardice. The Christian is appointed by God to fight in this life, and cannot leave his post without incurring reproach and disgrace. But if it pleases the great Captain to call him back, let him take the retreat in good part, and obey it with a willing heart.1 For he is not born for himself, but for God: from whom he holds his life under lease, as a tenant at will, to yield him the profits.2 It's for the landlord to take it from him, not for him to surrender it whenever a whim seizes him.3
The Voyage of Life and the Vineyard
Whether death comes early or late, we must praise God and not presume to control our own timing, for God calls his workers home at various hours and rewards each in due season.
Do you die young? Praise God like the sailor who has had a good wind that will soon bring him into port. Do you die old? Praise him likewise, for if you've had less wind, it may be you've also had fewer waves. But don't think you can go faster or slower as you please: for the wind isn't in your power, and instead of taking the shortest way to harbor, you may well suffer shipwreck.4 God calls one home from his work in the morning, another at noon, and another at night. One he works only until the first sweat; another he sunburns; another he roasts and dries thoroughly. But of all who are his, he leaves not one outside; he brings them all to rest and gives them all their pay, each in due time.✦ Whoever leaves the work before God calls him loses it; and whoever presses him before the time loses his reward.5 We must rest ourselves in his will—the one who, in the middle of our troubles, sets us at rest.
Read the original English
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.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Matt.20.1-Matt.20.16 — For the kingdom of heaven is like a man, a master of a house, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Matt.20.2 — And when he agreed with the workers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. Matt.20.3 — And going out about the third hour, he saw others standing in the marketplace, idle. Matt.20.4 — and to them he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' Matt.20.5 — But he went out again about the sixth and ninth hour, and did the same. Matt.20.6 — And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around, and he said to them, 'Why are you standing here all day idle?' Matt.20.7 — They answered him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.' Matt.20.8 — And when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last and going to the first.' Matt.20.9 — And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius. Matt.20.10 — And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they also received each a denarius. Matt.20.11 — But when they received it, they grumbled against the master of the house. Matt.20.12 — saying, 'These last ones worked one hour, and you made them equal to us, who bore the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' Matt.20.13 — But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?' Matt.20.14 — Take what is yours and go. But I want to give to this last one the same as I give to you. Matt.20.15 — Or is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is mine? Or is your eye evil because I am good? Matt.20.16 — So the last will be first, and the first will be last.
Notes
- 1 ↩grand Captaine / retrait: military metaphor for God as commander recalling the soldier by death; retreat means ordered withdrawal, not desertion.
- 2 ↩holdes his life at farme: Early Modern legal/economic idiom for holding property by farm-lease; kept as 'under lease' with 'tenant at will' preserved, since the next section continues the landlord/tenant figure.
- 3 ↩Early modern 'conceit' here means a fancy or whim, not pride or self-regard.
- 4 ↩Early modern 'happily' here means haply/perhaps, not joyfully; rendered as 'may well'.
- 5 ↩Early modern 'looses' is rendered as modern 'loses' (forfeit), not 'looses/releases'.
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