That dodtlrfirength is offmalliborthacid excellencie. I 39 haue a right vfeofthem. But yet through themalice of our fpirituall enemies thefe gifts ofGod (like all other benefits ofprofperitie) are vntovs the grounds oftheir tentations, wherewith they drawvs vnto finne; and their naturebeing infeóled with our corruption, they are oftentimes abufed vnto euill ; as when hafting them we glorie in thetn,or pre- ferre them before fpirituall graces,and the meanes ofeter- nall glorie ; or finally,when as by themwee arehindred in the courfe ofgodlineffe, or furthered and ilrengthened in the wayofwickedneßè. Andtherefore in the next place we are to arme the Chrillian, he may not be ouercome ofhis own flrengrh,& that his healrh benot vntohim the meanes of bringinghim to death eternall. But I !hall not need to fpeakemuchofthis,feeing that armour which was brought out to defendvs again(' theaffaults ofworldlybeautie, may by the wifereader beeafily fitted againfl thefe incounters alto; and feeing allo this decrepit ageof the world (which now feemeth almofl quite abandonedofthat flrength and vigorous health wherein the former ages haue excelled; and to be fully teplenifhed with all manner of infirmities, fickneffe,andweakneffe)needeth notfomuch to be`confir- med and preferued againfi the tentations which are groun- ded on this lionlike ilrength, as againfl thole which arife from ferpentinc fubtiltie, and foxlike wilineffe. And yet becaufe firength is no more abated, then pride 4,Seíi.2. increafed ; and men arcapt to glorie in thefe things,thoughThat,, it a nothing in thcmlelues yet whenbeing compared they ex-great vanitieto ceed others of ourowne times; it !hall not be amiffe to vfe glade in¡lrëgrh, briefly fome reafons hereby wee maybe preferued againfl IeangGod e- thefe tentations .And firfl concerning llrength(vnderwhich (lemethztnor, g a andtheGea/!t I alto comprehend, a&iuitie,nimblenes,fwiftnes,and fuck excel! 14 it. like efleemable propertiesofthebodie) wee are not, as the Lord exhorteth vs, to glorie in it ; nor ouerwecning the Ierem.9.23. worth of it, to prcferre it before things ofmuchbetter va- lue ; becaufe being thus compared, it is of no great excel- lencie, and veto vs oftentimes vnprofitable,and fometimes allo hurtful and inconuenient.It is ofno great worth, feeing theLordhimfelfe doth little efleeme itbfor as Elthtt faith, he
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