But we are so wont to set
so much by our body, which we see and feel, and in the feeding and
fostering of which we set out delight and our wealth; and so
little (alas) and so seldom we think upon our soul, because we
cannot see that but by spiritual understanding, and most
especially by the eye of our faith (in the meditation of which we
bestow, God knows, little time), that the loss of our body we take
for a sorer thing and for a great deal greater tribulation than we
do the loss of our soul. Our Saviour biddeth us not fear those
lions' whelps that can but kill our bodies and when that is done
have no further thing in their power with which they can do us
harm, but he biddeth us stand in dread of him who when he hath
slain the body is able then beside to cast the soul into
everlasting fire. Yet are we so blind in the dark night of
tribulation, for lack of full and fast belief of God's word, that,
whereas in the day of prosperity we very little fear God for our
soul, our night's fear of adversity maketh us very sore to fear
the lion and his whelps for dread of loss of our bodies. And
whereas St. Paul in sundry places telleth us that our body is but
the garment of the soul, yet the faintness of our faith in the
scripture of God maketh us, with the night's fear of tribulation,
not only to dread the loss of our body more than that of our
soul--that is, of the clothing more than of the substance that is
clothed therewith--but also of the very outward goods that serve
for the clothing of the body.
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