Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

140 That bodily flrength is of fmall worth and excellencie. Iob;6.t9. he revardeth not them that excell in flrenQth: and as the P1àI- Pfal.147.rc. millfpeaketh, he bath no Ñ'eaftere in the flrenóthof an horfe, neither delighted., he en the legges ofman. And therefore hee maketh this allo one of his common gifts, which he giueth to the reprobate,as well as to the eleel, andvntobeafts (and that in farce greater meafure)as well as votomen.How vaine therefore are thofe who are proud of fuch bale vanities? wherein many wicked men match them, and .many.beafls doe farce excell them; how little good hauethey in them, when they are faine to glorie in that, in which when they haue attained vnto the greatefl meafure which poffibilitie incourageth them to delire, yet they come farre fhort of gi. ants amongmen,and of the horfe,bull,lion,and many other among the brutifh creatures ?To this purpofe Chryfo.3lome demandeth; vfrt thou ftrong(faith he) and art thou therfore Fortis es,eirat- proud? why the thing *herein thougloriefl is hate, for the lion is tumfapis ? At hardier then thou, and the here fironger; yea robbers, theeues, res vilr/frma; andruf ans,and thine awne feruanti herein excellthee,and doeil nam to and lea eft thou thinkthis a thing efleemeabkor praife horthie? The like aperf4t4r,6.c. allo may bce laid, ofniinblcnes, a6uiuitie, and fwiftnes. For Homil.adpop. when in nimblenesand a6huitie thou exceedefl all men, yet 40.totn.i. an ape doth farre furpaffe thee; and though thou couldeft runnc as fwiftly as Afahel,yet the Tillie Harc would far out - ftrip thee. Seeing therefore-God hath vouchfafed thee the honour ofa man,glorie not in that wherein the beans excell thee,and feeinghe hath made thee a Chriftian, abufe not fo much the worth of thine owne excellencies, as (letting afide . all thy better pa rts)to be proud of that wherein Pagans and allo bono viere Heathens haue ottermatched thee. But (as one faith) erhen dumaddt,cum thou haftthis lirength,vfeitwhilefiit i-prefent; and when it is ab Tic ne requi- abf nt,neuer much deftre it. Sen fl. da Againe, let vs confider that if it were of any worth and 4 Setï.3. excellencie, yet it is not much to be eflee+ned,becaufè it is That beditie momentanie,and offuch fhort continuance; for oftentimes ftrengthisme. it is by a weekes ficknesweakened and impaired,euen in the mentanie,and prime ofyouth,and fo forfaketh vs,as Toone as it bath but fa- butoflhort ton- luted vs,as though it had only come to take leaue:ouryouth - tlnuatse, fullyeeresandperfeétageremainingasweake anddecrepit, 35