Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

That the companie of wicked?borldlings is to he atuoided. t 47 (hall we find them both in any great meafure in the fame man; vnleffe the corruptions which vfually attend upon health,be purged away with fome other bitter potion ofaf- fliaion. To which purpofe one faith, that God forefeeing uofdampre- thatfome would fallthrough the abufe of theirhealthintonne,lt'ensdeus pee- care polie, in fa- doth correEí them for their profit with weakeneffe of bodie, that 1tem flagillat they may not offend; and maheth it more profitable veto them to cos inficmitate he broken withgriefee to their faluation,then to remain in health corporis ne pee - to their condemnation. For that health is pernicious which lea-cent. deth to difebedience, euen as that /ickneffe ¿e wholefome,w(sich by Bt rior.d.de in- Gods correitton, doth breakand humble the hardnes of the hart. cap .46. Finally, nothing more then this bodily health doth naile mens hearts to the earth, or make them more in loue with the world,and worldlyvanities, nothing more caufeth men to give themfeluesouer to voluptuous pleafures;fromwhich weakeneffe and infirmityweaneth them;which being inter - tained,like vnthankful guef}s, thruft out of the domes their hofi that gaue them their befi wcicome;for as nothing more eafilie moueth vs to admit and imbrace thefe voluptuous pleafures of the flefh, then bodily health, fo nothing more impaires, and banifheth health then they,when they are en- tertained. And therefore feeing this bodily healththrough our abufe,doth more often hurt, then helpe vs in our fpiritu- all eflate ; and doth much more weaken the foule, then lrengthen the body; let vs not too much dote on it whilefc we haue it,normuch bewaile our loffe,when it is taken from vs; but feeing it is fo fubie6t to abufe, let vs keeps a fpeciall watch ouer our felueswhilefu we inioy it,that we mayfo vfe it,thatGod who gaue it,may bee more glorifiedand better ferued,& we who haue it,may be helped forward in all good duties,and grow more &more in grace, and in the affurance ofour faluation.For othervvife it wil rather be a curie vnto vs Admonendi then ablefíing, which wee were much better profitably to funtincolumes want,then fo hurtfully to inioy. e/lnd (as one faith) let vs vtfalurem cos - beingin health be admonifhed, that we fo vfe this bodily health, antttad falotem as that it may further the f iritual healthof our footles, left per- mentis, &c. uerting the benefit of our health to the prallif of lbickedneffe,we Gregor. pafto- be made tzorfe 6y Gods gift; andfo receiuemaregrieuouspunifh- ral.par.3. L 2 menti caps;.