The Gospel of Barnabas · Chapter 140
Learning to Die Well
'Believe ye, O men, that I am come into the world with a privilege which no man hath had, nor will even the messenger of God have it; seeing that our God created not man to set him in the world, but rather to place him in paradise.'
'Sure it is that he who hath no hope to receive aught of the Romans, because they are of a law that is foreign to him, is not willing to leave his own country with all that he hath, never to return, and go to live in Rome. And much less would he do so when he found himself to have offended Caesar. Even so I tell you verily, and Solomon, God\'s prophet, crieth with me: "O death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee to them that have rest in their riches!" I say not this because I have to die now: seeing that I am sure that I shall live even nigh to the end of the world.'
'But I will speak to you of this in order that ye may learn to die.'
'As God liveth, everything that is done amiss, even once, showeth that to work a thing well it is necessary to exercise oneself therein.'
'Have ye seen the soldiers, how in time of peace they exercise themselves with one another as if they were at war? But how shall that man die a good death, who hath not learned to die well?'
'"Precious is the death of the holy in the sight of the Lord," said the prophet David. Know ye wherefore? I will tell you; it is because, even as all rare things are precious, so the death of them that die well, being rare, is precious in the sight of God our creator.'
'Of a surety, whenever a man beginneth aught, not only is he fain to finish the same, but he taketh pains that his design may have a good conclusion.'
'O miserable man, that prizeth his hosen more than himself; for when he cutteth the cloth he measureth it carefully before he cutteth it; and when it is cut he seweth it with care. But his life—which is born to die, insomuch that he alone dieth not who is not born—wherefore will not men measure their life by death?'
'Have ye seen them that build, how for every stone that they lay they have the foundation in view, measuring if it be straight, that the wall fall not down? O wretched man! For with greatest ruin shall fall the building of his life, because he looketh not to the foundation of death!'
'Do you believe, O men, that I came into the world with a privilege possessed by no other man and which even the Messenger of God will not possess? Our God did not create man to place him in the world, but to place him in paradise.'
'A person who has no hope of receiving anything from the Romans, because their law is foreign to him, would certainly not wish to leave his own country with everything he owns, never to return, and go to live in Rome. Still less would he do so if he knew he had offended Caesar. In the same way, I tell you truly—and Solomon, God's prophet, cries out with me—"O death, how bitter is the remembrance of you to those who rest in their riches!" I do not say this because I must die now, for I am certain that I will live almost until the end of the world.'
'But I will speak to you of this so that you may learn to die.'
'As God lives, anything done badly, even once, shows that in order to do something well one must practice it.'
'Have you seen how soldiers practice with one another in time of peace as though they were at war? How, then, will a person die a good death if he has not learned to die well?'
'"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his holy ones," said the prophet David. Do you know why? I will tell you. Just as all rare things are precious, so the death of those who die well is precious in the sight of God our Creator because it is rare.'
'Certainly, whenever a person begins something, he not only desires to finish it but takes care that his undertaking reaches a good conclusion.'
'O wretched man, who values his clothes more than himself! When he cuts cloth, he measures it carefully before cutting and, once it is cut, sews it with care. But why do people not measure their lives by death, when life is born to die and only one who is never born does not die?'
'Have you seen how builders keep the foundation in view with every stone they lay, measuring whether it is straight so that the wall will not fall? O wretched man! The building of his life will fall with the greatest ruin because he does not consider the foundation of death.'
'Believe ye, O men, that I am come into the world with a privilege which no man hath had, nor will even the messenger of God have it; seeing that our God created not man to set him in the world, but rather to place him in paradise.'
'Sure it is that he who hath no hope to receive aught of the Romans, because they are of a law that is foreign to him, is not willing to leave his own country with all that he hath, never to return, and go to live in Rome. And much less would he do so when he found himself to have offended Caesar. Even so I tell you verily, and Solomon, God\'s prophet, crieth with me: "O death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee to them that have rest in their riches!" I say not this because I have to die now: seeing that I am sure that I shall live even nigh to the end of the world.'
'But I will speak to you of this in order that ye may learn to die.'
'As God liveth, everything that is done amiss, even once, showeth that to work a thing well it is necessary to exercise oneself therein.'
'Have ye seen the soldiers, how in time of peace they exercise themselves with one another as if they were at war? But how shall that man die a good death, who hath not learned to die well?'
'"Precious is the death of the holy in the sight of the Lord," said the prophet David. Know ye wherefore? I will tell you; it is because, even as all rare things are precious, so the death of them that die well, being rare, is precious in the sight of God our creator.'
'Of a surety, whenever a man beginneth aught, not only is he fain to finish the same, but he taketh pains that his design may have a good conclusion.'
'O miserable man, that prizeth his hosen more than himself; for when he cutteth the cloth he measureth it carefully before he cutteth it; and when it is cut he seweth it with care. But his life—which is born to die, insomuch that he alone dieth not who is not born—wherefore will not men measure their life by death?'
'Have ye seen them that build, how for every stone that they lay they have the foundation in view, measuring if it be straight, that the wall fall not down? O wretched man! For with greatest ruin shall fall the building of his life, because he looketh not to the foundation of death!'