First, they are but such as are upon the body, those 1things that do afflict the godly are bodily things, they do therefore but bring pain and trouble to this carcass, to this body of clay, to this lump of earth, to this body of sin, to that body that is to be beaten down in this world: to that body of vileness, for 2so it is called, Phil. 3. 21. Who shall change our vile body; in the Original it is, this body of vileness. It was the speech of a Heathen, when as by the Tyrant he was commanded to be put into a mortar, and be beaten to pieces with an Iron pestle, he cries out to ⟨p. 110⟩his persecutors, You do but beat the vessel of Anaxarchus, you do not beat me, You do but beat the Case 3and Vessel, that contains another thing; yea, the word in the Greek, that Clemens Alex: hath, relating the Story, signifies a husk; his body was to him but as a husk: A Heathen counted his body but the Case, the husk; he counted his soul himself: If a man had a precious Jewel in a Case, and the Case was torn in pieces, and the Jewel be safe, it is no matter; and so by all these afflictions a gracious heart knows, it is but the Case that is torn in pieces, the Jewel is safe. Fear not, says Christ, those that can kill the body, and do no more; Christ would have us know, afflictions that do but reach the body, are but slight things.
First, they are but such as are upon the body, those 1things that do afflict the godly are bodily things, they do therefore but bring pain and trouble to this carcase, to this body of clay, to this lump of earth, to this body of sin, to that body that is to be beaten down in this world: to that body of vileness, for 2so it is called, Phil. 3. 21. Who shall change our vile body; in the Original it is, this body of vileness. It was the speech of a Heathen, when as by the Tyrant he was commanded to be put into a morter, and be beaten to pieces with an Iron pestel, he cryes out to ⟨p. 110⟩his persecutors, You do but beat the vessel of Anaxarchus, you do not beat me, You do but beat the Case 3and Vessel, that contains another thing; yea, the word in the Greek, that Clemens Alex: hath, relating the Story, signifies a husk; his body was to him but as a husk: A Heathen counted his body but the Case, the husk; he counted his soul himself: If a man had a precious Jewel in a Case, and the Case was torn in pieces, and the Jewel be safe, it is no matter; and so by all these afflictions a gracious heart knows, it is but the Case that is torn in pieces, the Jewel is safe. Fear not, says Christ, those that can kill the body, and do no more; Christ would have us know, afflictions that do but reach the body, are but slight things.
- 11.
- 2[Greek or Hebrew].〈non-Latin alphabet〉.
- 3Clem. Alex storm p. 496. •unde vasculum Anaxar•hi. Or as others have it, ••psam Anaxarchi.
