Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

q$d That worldly thisgrare vnprofitable. con(ffng in chafe things which they further not: if there_ fore we excell in the vfe ofreafon,and in the knowledge and pra&ife oftrue religion,our goodneffe is not impaired when all there falle vs;but if we be defe&iue in them,and be eitñer fooli(h men,or lame and baflardly Chriffians,thefe outward ornaments will be but like gay hangings onrotten andbro.. ken walks, whichcommend vs to the fight and view of o. thers, but doe not better vs in our felues, by flopping our breaches,and repairing our iui nes:and as chafe vt ho are f cke of the dropfie, feeme fat and in good liking to chofe who arc farre off; whereas it plainly appeareth to chafe who look vp.: onthem neerer hand, that their beautie proceedech not from the good habitude of their bodies, but from their fulneffe of humors, which is the true caufe oftheir difeaferfo thofe who abound with there outward things, may, feeme better and more happie then others, to thofe that view them at the ftrfi fight, but thofewho better confider of them, eafily find that it is but a difeafed beauty which commendeth them, & that they are not in truth bettered by all che(e things, but rather the difeafes and fpirituall fickneflès of their foules increafed, and made more defperate and vncurable. Let vs not therfore account our fehues bettered by thefe outward things, for thë our goods and goodnefi'e will both atonce fade vs, but by thofe things in whichour excellencie confifleth, and which being in vs, and peculiar to our felues, do make vs iufily to be preferred before al other creatures.We know that a player is not better then his fellowes, becaufe he adeth a Kings part, feeing all his excellencie is in his outward habite, and nothing in his perfon,and ifanothera&eth his partbetter,he is preferred farce before him, though he fuffaine the meanef;t and bafcfl perfonage, becaufe his worth is meafured, notby his gay cloathes, but by his excellencie in his owne facultie and profellion. A furgeon is not commended becaufe he go. eth in braue apparel,but for his great skill in curing wounds; and the fcholler is not magnified for his faire houle, or full thefts, but for his excellencie in all mauer ofknowledge and learning: nigher is the Pilot praired, becaufe he hash a faire flip gilt withgold and well rigged, . but for his skill in naui- gacion,