Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

That bodilytreagth rs of fmall worth and excellencie. Liz as ifwehad continued the time of thel ongef liner. But fay that fickneffe fpareth vs, yet as old age approcheth,firength . decreafeth, after which death hafeneth,whicn doth wholly abolifh it,making the flrongefl giant & the weakefl wretch both alike. Confider further,that this huge ílrength of the body,is commonlyioyned with great weaknes of the mind; and where there is the greatefi bone, there vfually is the leaf wifedome and vnderflanding.In which refped Themi- Plutarch.. lodes compared the Eretrienfes, a people more firong then. wife, to the Swordfifh, which bath a weapon but wants a. heart. Neither doth it helpe to furnifh the tninde with any venues, or maketh it more readie to any vercuous adlions; but as chore trees which are mat great and (hang, are cotn- monlymofi vnfruitfull; fo oftentimes thofe who excel! in . flrength, are moll barren in bearing the fruites of venue, and leaf forward in fuch a6lions as fauour of goodneffe. Nor doth this bodily frength afiìfi the foule to moderating of our afTè45Uons,and in ouer - ruling of our pallions; it doth not hclpe to afiiwage anger, to bridle Intl, or to foppe our courfe,when wee runne to take reuenge; yea contrariwife being abufed by our corruptions, it pricketh forward our rage with the fpurres of armed furie ; it maketh men more able flaues to theirowne fìlthineffe,and in fead offopping vs in reuengefull courtes, it rather hafleth vs forward with headlong fwiftnes,and putreth.a fword ofviolence into oue hands, whereby wee may not only requite old injuries, but- alfo reuenge apparances of wrongs with extreame cruelcie. Yeait not only encourageth thofe that haue confidence in their owne flrength, without reafon or confcience, to op. preffe and tyrannically to tread veder foote thofe whom . they find thensfelues able to ouermatch; but fo :puffeth them vp in pride in regard of their owne abilities, that they are readie ith defperate furie to make warre again(l heauen, . and having gotten the viéiorie ouer men, to let vponand- encounter God himfelfe.. As appeareth in the example of that mightie Nimrod and his affociates ; and in Goliab,who Gen.tr. not onely infulted ouer all Sauk armie in confidence of his crime