The Christian Warfare Part 2, Book 1 · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
That bodily strength is not much to be esteemed, as being of small worth and excellencie.
ANd thus hauehave I spoken of those worldly tentations,§. Sect. 1. That bodily strength being in it selfe good, is often abused through our corruption. which are grounded vponupon beautie. Now wee are to speake of those which arise from strength and health, both which are in themselues the good blessings of God, whereby we are the better inabled to serue him in all good duties; for in them our first parents excelled in the state of innocencie, and wee also shall much excell them in the state of glorie; for our bodies are sowne in corruption, but they shall 1. Cor. 15.rise in vncorruption, they are sowne in weakenes, but they shall be raised in power, as the Apostle telleth vsus; and therefore being the gifts of God, wherewith he most inriched vsus in the state of innocencie, and will crowne vsus in the state of glorie, they must needs be good in their owne nature, and to those who hauehave a right vse of them. But yet through the malice of our spirituall enemies these gifts of God (like all other benefits of prosperitie) are vntounto vsus the grounds of their tentations, wherewith they draw vsus vntounto sinne; and their nature being infected with our corruption, they are oftentimes abused vntounto euill; as when hauing them we glorie in them, or preferre them before spirituall graces, and the meanes of eternall glorie; or finally, when as by them wee are hindred in the course of godlinesse, or furthered and strengthened in the way of wickednesse. And therefore in the next place we are to arme the Christian, yt he may not be ouercome of his own strength, & that his health be not vntounto him the meanes of bringing him to death eternall. But I shall not need to speake much of this▪ seeing that armour which was brought out to defend vsus against the assaults of worldly beautie, may by the wise reader be easily fitted against these incounters also; and seeing also this decrepit age of the world (which now seemeth almost quite abandoned of that strength and vigorous health wherein the former ages hauehave excelled; and to be fully replenished with all manner of infirmities, sicknesse, and weaknesse) needeth not so much to be confirmed and preserued against the tentations which are grounded on this lionlike strength, as against those which arise from serp…ntine subtiltie, and foxlike wilinesse.
And yet because strength is no more abated, then pride§. Sect. 2. That it is a great vanitie to glorie in strēgth, seeing God esteemeth it not, and the beast… excell in it. increased; and men are apt to glorie in these things, though nothing in themselues, yet when being compared they exceed others of our owne times; it shall not be amisse to vse briefly some reasons whereby wee may be preserued against these tentations. And first concerning strength (vnderunder which I also comprehend, actiuitie, nimblenes, swiftnes, and such like esteemable properties of the bodie) wee are not, as the Lord exhorteth vsus, to glorie in it; nor ouerweening theIer…m. 9. …3: worth of it, to preferre it before things of much better value; because being thus compared, it is of no great excellencie, and vntounto vsus oftentimes vnprofitable, and sometimes also hurtful and inconuenient. It is of no great worth, seeing the Lord himselfe doth little esteeme it: for as Elihu saith, he regardeth not them that excell in strength: and as the PsalmistIob 36. 19. Psal. 147. 10. speaketh, he hath no pleasure in the strength of an horse, neither delighteth he in the legges of man. And therefore hee maketh this also one of his common gifts, which he giueth to the reprobate, as well as to the elect, and vntounto beasts (and that in farre greater measure) as well as vntounto men. How vaine therefore are those who are proud of such base vanities? wherein many wicked men match them, and many beasts doe farre excell them; how little good hauehave they in them, when they are faine to glorie in that, in which when they hauehave attained vntounto the greatest measure which possibilitie incourageth them to desire, yet they come farre short of giants among men, and of the horse, bull, lion, and many other among the brutish creatures? To this purpose Chrysostome demandeth; Art thou strong (saith he) and art thou therfore proud? why the thing wherein thou gloriest is base, for the lion is Fortis es, & altum sapis? At res vilissima; nam & leo est teaudacior, & aper fortior, &c. Homil. ad pop. 40. tom. 4.hardier then thou, and the bore stronger; yea robbers, theeues, and ruffians, and thine owne seruants herein excell thee, and doest thou think this a thing esteemeable or praise worthie? The like also may bee said, of nimblenes, actiuitie, and swiftnes. For when in nimblenes and actiuitie thou exceedest all men, yet an ape doth farre surpasse thee; and though thou couldest runne as swiftly as Asahel, yet the sillie Hare would far outstrip thee. Seeing therefore God hath vouchsafed thee the honour of a man, glorie not in that wherein the beasts excell thee, and seeing he hath made thee a Christian, abuse not so much the worth of thine owne excellencies, as (setting aside all thy better parts) to be proud of that wherein Pagans and Heathens hauehave ouermatched thee. But (as one saith) when Isto bo…o vtere dum adsit, cum absit ne requiras. Cic. de Senect.thou hast this strength, vse it whilest it is present; and when it is absent, neuer much desire it.
Againe, let vsus consider that if it were of any worth and excellencie, yet it is not much to be esteemed, because it is§. Sect. 3. That bodilie strength is momentanie, and but of short continuance. momentanie, and of such short continuance; for oftentimes it is by a weekes sicknes weakened and impaired, euen in the prime of youth, and so forsaketh vsus, as soone as it hath but saluted vsus, as though it had only come to take leaue: our youthfull yeeres and perfect age remaining as weake and decrepit, as if we had continued the time of the …ongest liuer. But say that sicknesse spareth vsus, yet as old age approcheth, strength decreaseth, after which death hasteneth, which doth wholly abolish it, making the strongest giant & the weakest wretch both alike. Consider further, that this huge strength of the body, is commonly ioyned with great weaknes of the mind; and where there is the greatest bone, there vsually is the least wisedome and vnderstanding. In which respect Themistocles Plutarch.compared the Eretrienses, a people more strong then wise, to the Swordfish, which hath a weapon but wants a heart. Neither doth it helpe to furnish the minde with any vertues, or maketh it more readie to any vertuous actions; but as those trees which are most great and strong, are commonly most vnfruitfull; so oftentimes those who excell in strength, are most barren in bearing the fruites of vertue, and least forward in such actions as sauour of goodnesse. Nor doth this bodily strength assist the soule in moderating of our affections, and in ouer-ruling of our passions; it doth not helpe to asswage anger, to bridle lust, or to stoppe our course, when wee runne to take reuenge; yea contrariwise being abused by our corruptions, it pricketh forward our rage with the spurres of armed furie; it maketh men more able slaues to their owne filthinesse, and in stead of stopping vsus in reuengefull courses, it rather hasteth vsus forward with headlong swiftnes, and putteth a sword of violence into our hands, whereby wee may not only requite old iniuries, but also reuenge apparances of wrongs with extreame crueltie. Yea it not only encourageth those that hauehave confidence in their owne strength, without reason or conscience, to oppresse and tyrannically to tread vnderunder foote those whom they find themselues able to ouermatch; but so puffeth them vp in pride in regard of their owne abilities, that they are readie with desperate furie to make warre against heauen, and hauing gotten the victorie ouer men, to set vponupon and encounter God himselfe. As appeareth in the example of that mightie Nimrod and his associates; and in Goliah, whoGen. 11. not onelyonly insulted ouer all Sauls armie in confidence of his owne strength, but also was at defiance with God himselfe,1. Sam. 17. 45. and railed on the holy one of Israel.
Finally, let vsus consider that this vaine strength wherin men§. Sect. 4. Bodily strength cannot deliuer vsus from c…ls and innumerable dangers. Psalm. 33. 16. trust, cannot deliuer them from those innumerable dangers and euils vntounto which our fraile life is daily subiect: for as the Psalmist saith, The King is not saued by the multitude of an host, neither is the mightie man deliuered by his great strength: it cannot defend them from the iudgements of God in the day of his visitation, no… from the furious assaults of their spirituall enemies when they encounter them: it cannot keepe away sicknesses and diseases, much lesse deliuer them from the power of death: yea rather it exposes men to danger, their strength ministring vntounto them more incouragement and boldnesse to run into perils, then power and abilitie to escape or ouercome them; for seldome is there any so strong, but that at one time or other he meetes with one as able as himselfe; and though there be none to match him, yet (like Milo) he may be catched in his owne trap, and his owne strength may be the cause of his ruine, whilest his pride maketh him to vndergo a greater burthen then hee is able to beare, & to attempt matters which are aboue humane power to accomplish and performe. And therefore seeing this bodily strength is vaine and momentanie, vnprofitable, and oftentimes hurtfull and dangerous: let vsus not glorie in it, nor too much value and esteeme it, but rather let vsus desire to be powerfull in the inner man, and to waxe stronger in all vertues and spirituall graces; but especially let vsus carefully desireEphes. 6. 10. to bee strengthened with the power of Gods might,Philip. 4. 13. whereby (as the Apostle speaketh) we shall be inabled to do al things, and to stand manfully in the day of battaile against all the cruell assaults of our spirituall enemies, with assured hope of victory: which will easily ouercome vsus notwithstanding our bodily strength, if this spirituall power and secret vertue of Gods spirit do faile and forsake vsus in the time of triall.