Chap. 3 3. An Expofition upon the Bookof J o B. verf. 241. up the moyt}ure; and how foone Both fuck a mandecay ! and as the extremityofadifeafe, fo extreame want of food or lamina confumes the fielh.Hunger having nothing to eate,feedsupon the t?elhof the hungry, till all be eatenup.We read (Lam:4.8.)how rudely famine dealt with the flefh of thofe delicate Nazarites, whowere purer thenfnow, whiter then milk!, they weremore ruddy inbody then rubes, their polifhing was of Saphire; yet the next words tell us , Tkeir vifage is blacker then a code, they are not knewne in theJireets, their skin cleaveth to their bones : it is withe- red, it is become like afticke. And though a man efcape fickneffe, and famine dohnot eate up his flefh,yet time (that great eater)' will, old age will waft what famine and fickneffe have not toucht. As the Prophet threatned,what the Caterpillar hath left,the Can- ker-worme fhall devoure ; fo what fickneffe leaves , time will certainlyconfume. Thus bodily flefh is every way liable to acon- fumption ; and therefore the Prophet being commanded to cry, and putting the queftion,wharfhall I cry,had this anfwer,All flefb isgraffe.( There indeed fefh is taken in the molt comprehenfive notion, as to all externalls ;'not only the flefh of the body, but all the riches, honours,and dignities of this world, come under the name of flefh there) All flefh is graffe (alfa: 40. 6.) But .why Bothhe call it graffe ? 'Tis fo under a two-fold conlderation. Firft, for the greenenefle and faireneffe of ir. God path put beau- ty upon this fading flefh, both for the comfort, and for the tryall of man ; that flefh is faire as a flower, is matter of delight ; and to abftra& our thoughts or weane our hearts from that which is faire and delightful!, is matter of tryall. How hardly are we taken otf from affe&ing flefh, our owne or others, while this graffe continues beautiful!and greene ! Secondly,Flefh is graffe,becaufe foone gone (as it followeth in the Prophet ) Yhegraffe withereth And the flower fadeth, becanfe the Spirit ofthe Lord (or his breath like aWafting Eat} winde ) bloweth upon it ; Which yet force ex- pound more fpiritually, of the Spirit ofGod difcovertng the va- nity and mutability of all earthly things to the foule, for that pre- fently caufeth the gayeft and belt of them to wither or be as a withered flower before our eyes. In which fenfe David fayd (Pfal: 119. o6. ) Ihave fenfe an endof all perfection. Take flefh in the largeft fenfe, and 'tis aconfuming thing; Thefafhion (or fcheame ) oftheworldpalette away, and.fo doth the fat pionof all Z z thof; 353
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