As for me, behold, I [am] in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.
Ver. 14. As for me, behold, I am in your hand.] See here how God gave his holy prophet a mouth and wisdom, such as his adversaries were not able to resist. The like he did to other of his martyrs and confessors, as were easy to instance. If the queen will give me life, I will thank her; if she will banish me, I will thank her; if she will burn me, I will thank her, said Bradford to Cresswell, offering to intercede for him. a
To do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.] But this I can safely say, Non omnis moriar. All that ye can do is, to "kill the body." Kill me you may, but hurt me you cannot. Life in God's displeasure is worse than death. I am not of their mind who say,
“ κακως ζην κρειον η θανειν καλως .”
- Euripid. in Aulide.
Better live basely than die bravely. Faxit Deus ut quilibet nostrum epilogum habeat galeatum. God grant that, whether our death be a burnt-offering of martyrdom, or a peace offering of a natural death, it may be a free will offering, a sweet sacrifice to the Lord.
a Acts and Mon., 1462.