CHAPTER I
THE FIRST CHAPTER IS OF COMMENDATION OF DEATH AND OF CUNNING TO[1] DIE WELL
Though bodily death be most dreadful of all fearful things, as the Philosopher[2] saith in the third book of Ethics, yet spiritual death of the soul is as much more horrible and detestable, as the soul is more worthy and precious than the body; as the prophet David saith: Mors peccatorum pessima. [Ps 33:22] The death of the sinful man is worst of all deaths. But as the same prophet saith: Preciosa est in conspectu Domini mors sanctorum eius.[Ps 115:15] The death of the good man is ever precious in the sight of God, what manner of bodily death that ever they die. And thou shalt understand also that not only the death of holy martyrs is so precious, but also the death of all other rightful and good Christian men; and furthermore the death, doubtless, of all sinful men: how long, and how wicked, and how cursed they have been all their life before, unto their last end that they die in — if they die in the state of very[3] repentance and contrition, and in the very faith, and virtue, and
