Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

That bodily health is not mach to be e;l eemed. t 45 euermuch heate,it is refrefhedwith t he fanning of the coole acre. And hawing found troublesandgriefes in that wherin it thought to haue auoided them, being fore wounded (acs l may fay) it /an- guifheth,andìbaxeth weaker with the very medicine, that lhould haue cured it. Though thereforefeatters beadfcnt, andgriefes of bodie ceafe,euen our veryhealth is no better then a ßcknes,vn- to which neceffitie of cure is neuer wanting : for looks how many helpes and comforts we feeke out for the of oflife, cuen fo many medicines doe we find to free vs from difeafes; and oftentimes the falueitfelfeturneth toaìbound; becaufe vfngan excellent re- medre a little too long,we are much impaired by that, which wee prouidedfor our cure. To the fame purpofe another faith,thar Augafi.in Pfal. that Which is called the health of this life, to them that voider - 37.enarrar. fraud it aright,and do compare it with that which the fhal inioy in torr.8. our eternallrell,itisnot eft coned worthie the name of health. For i f we doe not eate,hunger vexeth vs,and what is this hunger, but a naturalldifeafe ?becaufe natureit felfe by Gods iiiS1,venge- ance is made unto vs a punifhment ; and that which to the firs`p man war punifhment,is onto vs turned into nature, &c. Secondly,it is moil imperfe &, our whole life being like 4,Secá`.4. a continuall ague, which, euery fecond or third day, inter- That bodily changeth health with fickneffe;ncither isthere any fo f}rong heath is imptr- and healthie, that hath not fome griefes and infirmities [di. and full of which often vex him; although the pleafures and bufineffes infirmities* of the world giue him not leafure to take great notice of them ; andthe youth and ftrength of his bodie doth enable him to beare his burden with more cafe and cheerefulneffe. Or though it fhould be granted, that a man were quite free from all thefebodily infirmities; vet if he hath many difcafes in his foule, heecannotbee fail to haue any perfèólion of health, whenas hisbea part is thus affeó ed:forasit were ridiculous,ifa man fhould glorie in his health, becaufe hce is found in his outward lims,when in the mean time he bath themegrim in his heard,theconfitmption in his lungs, and incurable difeafes about his heart,and other chiefe and vital parts;fo is it no leffe abfurd to be proud of our bodily health, when as our foules which arc the chiefe part of man,and the life of all therefi, are defperately ticke in the difeafes offin. L For