Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

146 7'hat bodily health isnot much to be efteemed. For what is this, but to haue a faire skinne,and ficke hart, a beautiful! oudide, full and faire, and within, a defperate dropue,or vnrecouerable pleurifie ? likevino an apple,which is faire to the eie,and rotten at the core. But fo long as wee caris aboutwith vs the old man,and dwel in there houles of day,we are continually fubiea to thefe difeafes ofthe foule, and will we nil! we, we (hall often wound our confciences, and make our felues ficke with finne ; the which our bodilie health is fo far offfrom helping and curing, that oftentimes it occafioneth,and moll commonly increafeth there fpiritu- ?ufguam pelas all difeafes ; in regard whereofone faith,a ficke mind dwel- quamiu faro leth no where worfe then in a found bodie. And therefore eorpore, æger a_ atimuohabitat. little caufe haue we to bragge ofthis bodily health, being in Petrarch.lib. it felfe vaine, fraile and itnperfe 1, and betides alwaies ac- r.Dial.4. companied with the foules fickneffe, which is fo dangerous and grieuous, that nothing can cure it but the blood of Chrifl. 4.Sec` .5. But as this bodily health is not much to be efleemed, in The manifold refpe6l that it bringeth veto vs littlegood ; fo much leffe in mils which vfi. regard,that through our corruption, it is often the caufe of ally accompanie much hurt; for who feeth not that where there is the moll bodily heal'''. healthfull bodie,there commonly is the fickefl foule? who feeth not great difference betweene them, who lie in their ficke beds, and thole whole health is neuer impaired with any dangerous fickneffe? Yea, who findeth not great diffi- militudebetweene himfelfe being ficke,and himfelfe inioy- ing perfedl health ? how deuout he is then, how fearefull to offend God,how watchfull oiler his waies, how readiehe is to cal himfeifto a reckoning, that he may let things f}raight berweene God and himfelfe. And contrariwife,hownegli- gent hee is now, how hard harted and carnally fecure, put- ting away from him the euill day, and together with it the day of repentance ; prefuming vpon his health and flrength, andthinking that he may haue time enough hereafter to re- pent,and make euenhis reckonings with God. Whereby it appeareth,that the health of the bodie, is oftentimes a caufe ofthe foules fickneffe; euen as contrariwife,the bodies fick- ateffeis often ameanesofthe foulcsrecouerie, and feldome (hall