Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Of theAortsrefeandfrailtie emus life. 64r yea how many tiles be on the canes of hou fes which wee paffe vnder, and to fo many dangers are we fubiedt. Ifwee walke in the countrie, we are in hazard to be incountered with brutifh creatures, and with theeuesand robbers more cruell then they. Ifwe retire our felues into our well fenced gardens, we are not there fecure, for among the fweetefl flowers oftentimes lieth Oad fguirjaaiit hid the mofl hideous fnake .Ifwereflin our houfesin the night contempfit are in perill of cutthrotes and robbers ; or though we , tam tux domi- fafe from theeues, yet we are in danger ofall deuouring fire. If'¡t's eft. Scnec. we walke abrode in the day,curry one that hateth vs hath our hues at his command; and as one faith,whofoeuer contemneth his owne life, is mailer of ours. In a word, be we on fea or land, in citic or countrie, at home or abrode, waking or fleeping; death (fill like a iaylor waiteth vpon vs, till he bee commanded by the Lord chick Iuflice ofheauen and earth,to arrefi, impri- fon, and bring vs to judgement. Now if any will obie `c1, that there are many which efcape the forenamed dangers,and go- ing through them all vnhurt and vntouched, do fafely come to old age and naturali death : I anfw;ere, that many more doe fall into them; and ANhy may not wee thinke to bee in the greater number? many efcape them, but all are lubief'c unto them; and that which is incident to all,may happen vnto any :finally, ma- ny efcape fotne of thefe perils, but yet fall into others, and though to day they are free from them all, yet to morrow they may be obnoxious to many. Byall which it appeareth, that our hues are not only in themfelues momentany, but alto in refpei; of outward accidents; and inward infirmities, vncertaine, and full offrailty; in regard whereof the Apoftle calleth our bodies a.Cor.s.t. earthly houles, which wanting folid matter, and flrong princi- pals to fupport them, arc eafily ouerthrowne, or ofthemfelues in (bort timemoulder away; and in the fame place hee calleth them tabernacles, which (land not long any where, but are Bill flitting and remouing. And another maketh them much more fraile and brittle then glaffes,which though they be fubieet to many cafualties,yet may theyoutlàft the longeft liner. What (faith he) is more brittle then a glaffe?and yet it maybee fo red Auguft.Senn. ferued,thatitmaycontinue for many ages; for though it be t.tomS. indangered to a fall or knocke, yet not to a feuer, or old age, whereas wee are more fraile, as being fubieó to the fals and T t knocks