Sermon ii

 

Doth not man die even in his birth? The breaking of prison is death, and what is our birth but a breaking of prison? As soon as we were clothed by God, our very apparel was an Emblem of death... As soon as God set us on work, our very occupation was an Emblem of death; not to dig pitfalls for other men, but graves ourselves. Hath any man here forgot today, that yesterday is dead? And the Bells toll for today... We die every day, and we die all day long; and because we are not absolutely dead, we call that an eternity, an eternity of dying: And is there comfort in that state? Why, that is the state of hell itself, Eternal dying, and not dead.

 

— John Donne (from Sermon XV)