better life is the soule spoiled of when sinne hath taken it captiue The Adultresse will hunt for the precious life She is ambitious and would vsurpe Gods due and claime the heart the soule Hee that doth loue her destroyeth his owne soule Which shee loues not for it selfe but for the destruction of it that all the blossomes of grace may dwindle and shrinke away as bloomes in a nipping Frost and all our comforts runne from vs as flatterers from a falling Greatnesse or as Vermine from an house on fire Nay euen both thy liues are endangered The wicked man goâ—â—h after her as a foole to the correction of the stâ—ckes till a 〈◊〉 strike through his liuer as a bird hasteth to the snare and knoweth not that it is for his life It is as ineuitably true of the spirituall Harlots mischiefe For the turning away of the simple shall slay them Saue my life and take my goods saith the prostrate and yeelding Traueller to the theefe But there is no mercy with this enemie the life must pay for it She is worse then that inuincible Nauy that threatned to cut the throates of all Men Women Infants but I would to God shee might goe hence againe without her errand as they did and haue as little cause to bragge of her conquests Thus haue wee discribed the Temptresse The Tempted followes who are here called the Dead There be three kindes of death corporall spirituall eternall Corporall when the body leaues this life Spirituall when the soule forsakes and is forsaken of grace Eternall when both shall be throwne into hell 1. is the seperation of the soule from the body 2. is the seperation of body and soule from grace 3. the seperation of them both from euerlasting happinesse Man hath two parts by which hee liues and two places wherein he might liue if hee obayed God Earth for a time Heauen for euer This Harlot Sin depriues either part of man in either place of true life and subiects him both to the first and second death Let vs therefore examine in these particulars first what this death is and secondly how Sathans guests the wicked may be said liable thereunto 1. Corporall death is the departure of the soule from the body whereby the body is left dead without action motion sense For the life of the body is the vnion of the soule with it For which essentiall dependance the soule is often called and taken for the life Peter said vnto him Lord why cannot I follow thee now I will lay downe my soule for thy sake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his soule meaning as it iâ— translated his life And He that findeth his soule shall loose it but hee that looseth his soule for my sake shall finde it Here the Soule is taken for the Life So that in this death there is the seperation of the soule and body the dissolution of the person the priuation of life the continuance of death for there is no possible regresse from the priuation to the habite except by the supernaturall and miraculous hand of God This is the first but not the worst death which sinnâ— procureth And though the speciall deaâ—nesse of the guests here be spirituall yet this which we call naturall may be implied may be applied for when God threatned death to Adams sinne in illo die mâ—riâ—ris in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die yet Adam liued nine hundred and thirtie yeares after There was notwithstanding no delay no delusion of Gods decree for in ipso die in that very day death tooke hold on him and so is the Hebrew phrase dying thou shalt dye fall into a languishing and incurable consumption that shall neuer leaue thee till it bring thee to thy graue So that hee instantly dyed not by present seperation of soule and body but by mortallitie mutabillitie miserie yea by sorrow and paine as the instruments and agents of Death Thus said that Father After a man beginneth to be in this body by reason of his sinne he is euen in death The wicked then are not onely called Dead because the conscience is dead but also in respect of Gods decree whose inviolable substitution of Death to Sinne cannot be euaded auoyded It is the Satute-law decreed in the great Parliament of Heauen Statutum omnibus seâ—el mori It is appoynted vnto men once to die Tâ—is is one speciall kindnesse that sinne doth vs one kisse of her lippes Shee giues her louers three mortall kisses The first kils the conscience the second the carkase the third body and soule for euer Death passed vpon all men for that all haue sinned So Paul schooles his Corinths For this cause many are weaâ—e and sicke among you and many sleepe And conclusiuely peccati stipendium mors The wages of sinne is Death This Death is to the wicked death indeed euen as it is in it owne full nature the curse of God the suburbes of Hell Neither is this vniust dealing with God that man should incurre the death of his body that had reiected the life of his soule nisi praecessisset in peccato mors animae numquam corporis mors in supplicio sequerâ—tur If sinne had not first wounded the body death could not haue killed the soule Hence saith Augustine Men shunne the death of the flesh rather then the death of the spirit that is the punishment rather then the cause of the punishment Indeed Death considered in Christ and ioyned with a good life is to Gods elect an aduantage nothing else but a bridge ouer this tempestuous sea to Paradice Gods mercy made it so saith S. Augustine Not by making death in it selfe good but an instrument of good to his This hee demonstrates by an instance As the Law is not euill when it increaseth the lust of sinners sâ— death is not good though it augmâ—nt the glory of suâ—ferers The wicked vse the law ill though the law be good The good die well though death be euill Hence saith Solomon The day of death is better then the day of ones birth For our death is not obitus sed abitus not a perishing but a parting Non amittitur anima praemittitur tantum The soule is not lost to the body but onely sent before it to ioy Si duriùs seponitur meliùs reponitur If the soule be painfully laid off it is ioyfully laid vp Though euery man that hath his Genesis must haue his Exodus and they that are borne must dye Yet saith Tertullian of the Saints Profectio est quam putas moâ—tem Our dying on earth is but the taking our iourney to Heauen Simeon departs and that in peace In pace in pacem Death cannot be euentually hurtfull to the good for it no sooner takes away the temporall life but Christ giues eternall in the roome of it Alas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corpora cadauera Our graues shall as
surely be Coffins to our bodies as our bodies haue beene Coffins to our soules The minde is but in bondage whiles the body holds it on earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Plato affirmes Of whom saith an Anthony that when hee saw one too indulgent to his flesh in high Diet he asked him What doe you meane to make your prison so strong Thus qui gloriatur in viribus corporis gloriatur in viribus carceris He that boasteth the strength of his body doth but bragge how strong the Prison is wherein he is â—ayled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The body is the disease the graue the destinie the necessitie and burden of the soule Hinc cupiunt metuuntque dolent gaudentque nec auras Respiciunt clausae tenebris et carcere caeco Feares ioyes griefes and desires mans life do share It wants no ills that in a Prison are It was a good obseruation that fell from that Stoicke Homo calamitatis fabula infaelicitatis tabula Man is a Storie of woe and a map of miserie So Mantuan Nam quid longa dies nobis nisi longa dolorum Colluvies Longi patientià carceris aetas It appeares then that Death is to the good a procurer of good Mors intermittit vitam non eripit Venit iterum qui nos in lucem râ—ponat dies Their Death is but like the taking in sunder of a Clocke vvhich is pulled a pieces by the makers hand that it may bee scowred and repolished and made goe more perfectly But Death to the wicked is the second step to that infernall Vault that shall breede either an innouation of their ioyes or an addition to their sorrowes Diues for his momentanie pleasures hath insufferable paines Iudas goes from the Gallowes to the Pit Esau from his dissolution in earth to his desolation in Hell The dead are there Though the dead in soule be meant literally yet it fetcheth in the body also For as originall sinne is the originall cause of Death so actuall sinnes hasten it Men speede out a Commission of Iniquities against their owne liues So the enuious man rots his owne bones The Glutton strangles the Drunkard drownes himselfe The male-content dryes vp his blood in fretting The couetous whiles he Italionates his conscience and would Romanize his estate starues himselfe in plaine English and would hang himselfe when the Market falls but that hee is loath to be at the charges of a Halter Thus it is a Feast of Death both for the present sense and future certaintie of it The dead are there 2. Spirituall death is called the death of the soule which consisteth not in the losse of her vnderstanding and will these she can neuer loose no not in Hell but of the truth and grace of God wanting both the light of faith to direct her and the strength of Loue to incite her to goodnesse For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace The soule is the life of the body God of the soule The spirit gone vtterly from vs wee are dead And so especially are the guests of Satan dead You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sinnes And the Widdow that liueth in pleaâ—ure is dead whiles she liueth This diuorcement and seperation made betwixt God and the soule by sinne is mors animae the death of the soule But your Iniquities haue seperated betweene you and your God But we liue by faith and that in the Sonne of God His spirit quickens vs as the soule doth a lumpe of flesh when God infuseth it Now because these termes of spirituall death are communicated both to the elect and reprobates it is not amisse to conceiue that there is a double kinde of spirituall death 1. In regard of the Subiect that dieth 2. In regard of the Obiect whereunto it dieth Spirituall death in the faithfull is three-fold 1. They are dead to Sinne. How shall wee that are dead to sinne liue any longer therein A dead nature cannot worke He that is dead to sinne cannot as hee is dead sinne Wee sinne indeede not because wee are dead to sinne but because not dead enough Would to God you were yet more dead that you might yet more liue This is called Mortification What are mortified Lustes The wicked haue mortification too but it is of grace Matth. 8. They are both ioyntly expressed Let the dead burie the dead Which Saint Aâ—gustine expounds Let the spiritually dead bury those that are corporally dead The faithfull are dead to sinne the faithlesse are dead in sinne It is true life to bee thus dead Mortificatio concupiscentiae viâ—ificatio animae so farre is the spirit quickened as the flesh is mortified So true is this Paradoxe that a Christian so farre liues as he is dead so farâ—e he is a Conquerour as he is conquered Vincendo se vincitur à se. By ouercomming himselfe he is ouercome of himselfe Whiles hee ouer-rules his lustes his soule rules him When the outward cold rageth with greatest violence the inward heat is more and more effectuall When Death hath killed and stilled concupiscence the heart begins to liue This warre makes our peace This life and death is wrought in vs by Christ who at one blow slew our sinnes and saued our soules Vna eademque manus vulnus opemque tulit One and the same hand gaue the wound and the cure Vulneratur concupiscentia sanatur conscientia The deadly blow to the concupiscence hath reuiued the conscience For Christ takes away as well dominandi vim as damnandi vim the dominion of sinne as the damnation of sinne He died that sinne might not raigne in our mortall body he came to destroy not onely the Deuill but the workes of the Deuill Hence if you would with the spectacles of the Scriptures reade your owne estates to God Reckon your selues to be dead indeede vnto sinne but aliue vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. This triall consists not in being free from lusts but in brideling them not in scaping tentation but in vanquishing it It is enough that in all these things wee are more then Conquerours through him that loued vs. 2. They are dead to the Law For I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might liue vnto God Wherein hee opposeth the Law against the Law the new against the olde the Lawe of Christ against that of Moses This accuseth the accusing condemneth the condemning Law The Papists vnderstand this of the ceremoniall Law but Paul plainely expresseth that the Law morall which would haue beene to vs a Law morâ—all is put vnder wee are dead vnto it As Christ at once came ouer death and ouercame death et super it eâ— superat So we in him are exempted from the condemning power and killing letter of the Law and by being dead vnto it are aliue ouer it
banket haue this death in present the precedent and subsequent are both future the one naturally incurred by sinne the other iustly inflicted for vnrepented sinne For all shall dye the corporall death Hee that feareth an oath as well as hee that sweareth the â—eligious as the profane But this last which is Eternall death shall onely cease on them that haue before hand with a spirituall death slaine themselues This therefore is called the second death Blessed and holy is hee that hath part in the first resurrection which is the spirituall life by grace On such the second death hath no power Hee that is by Christ raised from the first death shall by Christ also scape the second But hee that is dead spiritually after hee hath died corporally shall also dye eternally This is that euerlasting seperation of body and soule from God and consequently from all comfort Feare him saith our Sauiour that is able to destroy both body and soule in Hell And many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to shame and euerlasting contempt This is that death that God delights not in His goodnesse hath no pleasure in it though his iustice must inflict it Man by sinne hath offended God an infinite Maiestie and therefore deserues an infinite miserie Now because he is a nature finite hee cannot suffer a punishment infinite in greatnesse simul et semel together and at once hee must therefore endure it successiuè sine fine successiuely without end The punishment must be proportioned to the sinne because not in present greatnesse therefore in eternall continuance Christ for his elect suffered in short time sufficient punishment for their sinnes for it is all one for one that is eternall to dye and for one to dye eternally But he for whom Christ suffered not in that short time must suffer for himselfe beyond all times euen for euer This is the last Death a liuing death or a dying life what shall I tearme it If it be life how doth it kill If death how doth it liue There is neither life nor death but hath some good in it In life there is some ease in death an end But in this death neither ease nor end Prima â—ors animam dâ—lentem pellet de câ—rpore secunda mors animam nolentem tenet in corpore The first death driues the soule vnwillingly from the body the second death holdes the soule vnwillingly in the body In those dayes shall men seeke death and shall not finde it and shall desire to dye and death shall flye from them Their worme shall not dye Thus saith the Scripture morientur mortem they shall dye the death Yet their death hath much too much life in it For there is a perfection giuen to the body and soule after this life as in heauen to the stronger participation of comfort so in hel to the more sensible receiuing of torment The eye shall see more perspicuously and the eare heare more quickly and the sense feele more sharply though all the obiects of these be sorrow and anguish Vermis conscientiam corrodet ignis carnem comburet quia et corde et corpore deliquerunt The worme shall gnaw the conscience the fire burne the flesh because both fleâ—h and conscience haue offended This is the fearfull death which these guests incurre this is the Shoâ— at the Diuells Banket God in his Iustice suffers him to reward his guests as hee is rewarded himselfe and since they loued his worke to giue them the stipend due to his seruice These are the tempted guests dead The vlgar Latine translation I know not vpon what ground hath interpreted here for mortui Gigantes thus hee knoweth not that the Gyants are there Monstrous men that would dart thunder at God himselfe and raise vp mountaines of impietie against Heauen As if they were onely great men that feasted at Sathans Banket whose riches were able to minister matter to their pleasures And surely such are in these dayes of whose sinnes when we haue cast an inventory account we might thus with the Poet sum vp themselues Viâ— dicam quid sis magnus es Ardelio Thou hast great lands great power great sinnes and than Dâ—st aske me what thou art th' art a great man The Gyants in the Scripture were men of a huge stature of a fierce nature The Poets fained their Gyants to be begotten and bred of the Sunne and the Earth and to offer violence to the Gods some of them hauing an hundred hands as Briareiu was called centimanus meaning they were of great command as Helen wrot to Paris of her husband Menelaus An nescis longas regibus esse manus This word Gyants if the originall did afford it must be referred either to the guests signifiing that monstrous men resorted to the Harlots table that it was Gigantoum conviuium a tyrannous feast or else and that rather to the tormentors which are laid in ambush to surprise all the commers in and carry them as a pray to Hell But because the best translations giue no such word and it is farre fetched I let it fall as I tooke it vp The third person here inserted is the Attempted the new guest whom she striues to bring in to the rest He is discribed by his ignorance Nescit Hee knoweth not what company is in the house that the dead are there It is the Deuils pollicie when hee would ransacke and robbe the hoâ—se of our conscience like a theefe to put out the candle of our knowledge That wee might neither discerne his purposes nor decline his mischeefes Hee hath had his instruments in all ages to darken the light of knowledge Domitian turnes Philosophie into banishment Iulian shuts vp the Schoole-doores The barbarous souldiours vnder Clement the seauenth burned that excellent Vatican library Their reasons concurred with Iulians prohibition to the Christans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 least they kill vs with our owne weapons For it is said euen of Gentile learning Hic est Goliae gladius quo ipse Goliah ingulandus est Hic Herculis claua qua rabidi inter Ethnicos canes percutiendi sunt This is that Goliahs sword whereby the Philistine himselfe is wounded This is that Hercules clubbe to smite the madde dogs amongst the heathen Habadallus Mahomets scholler that Syrian Tyrant forbad all Christian children in his dominions to goe to schoole that by ignorance hee might draw them to superstition For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be destitute of learning is to dance in the darke These were all Sathans instruments yet they come short of the Pope whose pollicie to aduance his Hierarchie is to oppresse mens consciences with ignorance teaching that the fulnesse of zeale doth arise from the emptinesse of knowledge euen as fast as fire flasheth out of a fish-pond There are degrees in sin so in ignorance It is a sin to be ignorant of that we
diuided to our hands by the rule of three A tripartite Metaphore that willingly spreads it selfe into an Allegorie 1. Gods word is the Balme 2. The Prophets are the Physitians 3. The People are the Patients who are very sicke Balme without a Physitian a Physitian without Balme a Patient without both is in fausta separatio an vnhappy disiunction If a man be ill there is neede of Physicke when he hath Physicke he needes a Physitian to apply it So that here is miserie in being sicke mercie in the Physicke Not to disioyne or disioynt the Prophets order let vs obserue that the words are spoken 1. In the person of God 2. In the forme of a question 3. By a conclusiue inference Onely two things I would first generally obserue to you as necessarie inductions to the subsequent Doctrines Both which may naturally be inferred not tyrannously enforced from the words That which first obiects it selfe to our consideration is the Wisedome of God in working on mens affections which leades vs here from naturall wants subiect to sense to supernaturall inuisible and more secret defects from miseries to mysteries That as if any man admired Solomons House they would be rauished in desire to see Gods House which transcended the former so much as the former transcended their expectation So heere wee might be led from mans worke to Gods worke from things materiall to things mysticall and by the happinesse of cure to our sicke bodies be induced to seeke and get recouerie of our dying soules The second is the fit collation and respondent relation of Diuinitie and Physicke the one vndertaking to preserue and restore the health of the body the other performing much more to the soule 1. God leades vs by sensible to the sight of insensible wants by calamities that vexe our liuing bodies to perils that endanger our dying Consciences That wee might inferre vpon his premisses what would be an eternall losse by the sight of a temporall crosse that is so hardly brooked If a famine of bread be so heauie how vnsupportable is the dearth of the Word saith the Prophet Man may liue without bread not without the word If a wearie Traueller be so vnable to beare a burden on his shoulders how ponderous is sinne in the Conscience which Zacharie calls a talent of Lead If blindnesse be such a miserie what is â—gnorance lf the night be so vncomfortable what doth the darknesse of Superstition afford If bodily Disease so afflict our sense how intollerable will a spirituall sicknesse proue Thus all earthly and inferiour Obiects to a Christian soule are like Marginall hands directing his reading to a better and heauenly reference I intend to vrge this poynt the more as it is more necessarie both for the profit of it being well obserued and for the generall neglect of it because they are few in these dayes that reduce Christianitie to Meditation but fewer that produce Meditation to practise and obedience Diseases destined toward Death as their end that can by Nature neither be violently endured nor violently repelled perplexe the flesh with much paine but if Diseases which be Deaths capitall Chirurgions his preceding Heraulds to proclaime his neerenesse his Ledgers that vsurpe his place till himselfe comes be so vexing and full of anguish what is Death it selfe which kils the Diseases that killed vs For the perfection of sicknesse is Death But alas if the sicknesse and Death of the body be such what are Sinne the sicknesse and Impenitencie the death of the soule What is the dimmed eye to the darkned vnderstanding the infected members to the poysoned affections the torment of the reynes to the stitches girds and gripes of an aking Consciencâ— what is the Childes caput dolet my head akes to Ierusalems cor dolet my heart akes The soule to leaue the body with her offices of life is not so grieuous as Gods spirit to relinquish the soule with the comforts of grace In a word it is farre lesse miserable to giue vp the ghost then to giue vp the holy Ghost The soule that enters the body without any sensible pleasure departs not from it without extreame paine Hee that is animans animas the soule of our soules forsakes not our spirits but our paine is more though our sense be lesse As in the Warres the cut of a sword crossing the Fibres carries more smart vvith it though lesse mortallitie then the fatall charge of a Death-thundring Cannon The soule hath two places an Inferiour which it ruleth the body a Superiour wherein it resteth God! Mans greatest sorrow is when hee dyes vpwardly that GOD forsakes his God-forsaking soule His greatest sense when he diâ—s downewards and sicknesse disperseth and dispatcheth his vitall powers Let then the inferiour suffering vvaken vs to see the Superiour that doth vveaken vs. Thus God drawes our eyes from one obiect to another nay by one to another by that which wee loue on earth to that which wee should loue in Heauen by the prouidence for our bodies to the prouision for our soules So our Sauiour hauing discoursed of carefulnesse for terrene wants drawes his speech to the perswasion of celestiall benefits giuing the coherence with a But. But first seeke ye the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these inferiour things shall be added vnto you Vt ad excellenâ—iam diuinarum rerum per corporalia homines attollat That at once hee might lesson vs to holy duties and lessen our care for earthly things Thus quios homini sublime dedit cor subliâ—ius eleuare voluit Hee that gaue man a countenance lifted high meant to erect his thoughts to a higher contemplation For many haue such groueling and earth-creeping affections that if their bodies curuitie was answerable to their soules incederent quadrâ—pides they would become foure-footed beasts It is a course preposterous to Gods creation disproportionable to mans fabricke that he should fixe his eyes and thoughts and desires on the base earth made for his feete to stand on and turne his feete against Heauen in contempt lifting vp his heele against God Hee whose ill-ballancing Iudgement thinkes Heauen light and Earth onely weightie and worthie doth as it were walke on his head with his heeles vpward I haue heard Trauellers speake of monstrous and praeternaturall men but neuer any so contranaturall as these Christ knew in the dayes of his flesh what easie apprehension worldly things would finde in vs what hard impression heauenly would finde on vs therefore so often by plaine comparisons taught secret Doctrines by Histories Misteries How to the life doth he explaine the mercie of God to the miserie of man in the lost Sheepe in the lost Groat in the lost Sonne How sweetly doth hee describe the different hearers of Gods Oracles in the Parable of the Seede which howsoeuer it seemed a Riddle to the selfe-blinding Iewes yet was a familiar demonstration to the beleeuing Saints So the Prophets found
if earth be at once neerer to your standing and vnderstanding and like dissembling Louers that to auoyd suspition diuert their eyes from that cheeke whereon they haue fixed their hearts so you loooke one way and loue another Heauen hauing your countenance Earth your confidence then for Earth read this instruction in all things the destruction of all things For if the raâ—ified and azure body of this lower Heauen shall bee folded vp like a Scrole of Parchment then much more this drossie feculent and sedimentall Earth shall be burnt Vret cum terris vret cum gurgite ponti Communis mundo superest rogus c. The Heauens shall passe away with a â—oyse and the Elements shall melt with feruent heate the Earth also and the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp At least quoad â—iguram though not quoad naturam The forme shall be changed though not the nature abollished Euerie creature on earth may teach vs the fallibillitie of it It is an Hieroglyphicke of vanitie and mutabillitie There is nothing on it that is of it that is not rather vitiall then vitall In all the corrupted parts of this decrepit and doting world mens best lesson of morallitie is a lesson of mortalitie As it was once said Foelix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas so now better Foelix qui poterit rerum cognoscere casus It is good to know the casuall beginnings of things it is better to know their casuall ends It is good to be a naturall Philosopher but better to bee a supernaturall a Christian Philosopher That whiles we intentiuely obserue the creature we may attentiuely serue the Creator That which is said of pregnant wits is more true of Christian hearts that they can make vse of any thing As Trauellers in forraine Countries make euery slight obiect a lesson so let vs thriue in grace by euery presented worke of Nature As the eye must see and the foote walke and the hand worke so the heart must consider What Gods doings which are maruellous in our vnderstandings eyes God looked vpon his owne workes saw they were good and delighted in them sure it is his pleasure also that wee should looke vpon them to admire his wisedome power prouidence mercie appearing both in their nature and their disposition The least of Gods works is worthie the obseruation of the greatest Angell Now what Trewants are we that hauing so many Tutours reading to vs learne nothing of them The Heathen were condemned for not learning the inuisible things of God from his visible workes For shall wee still plod on the great volume of Gods works and neuer learne to spell one word of vse of instruction of comfort to our selues Can wee behold nothing through the Spectacles of contemplation Or shall we be euer reading the great Booke of Nature and neuer translate it to the Booke of Grace The Saints did thus So haue I read that worthy Esay sitting among other Diuines and hearing a sweet consort of Musicke as if his soule had beene borne vp to Heauen tooke occasion to thinke and speake thus What Musicke may we thinke there is in Heauen A friend of mine viewing attentiuely the great pompe and state of the Court on a solemne day spake not without some admiration What shall we thinke of the glory in the Court of God Happy obiect and well obserued that betters the soule in grace But I haue beene prolixe in this point let the breuitie of the next succour it 2. Phisicke and Diuinitie are Professions of a neere affinitie both intending the cure and recouerie one of our bodies the other and better of our soules Not that I would haue them conioyned in one person as one spake merrily of him that was both a Phisitian and a Minister that whom he tooke money to kill by his Physicke he had also money againe to burie by his Priesthood Neither if God hath powred both these gifts into one man doe I censure their Vnion or perswade their separation Onely let the Hound that runnes after two Hares at once take heede least hee catch neither Ad duo qui tendit non vnum nec duo prendit And let him that is called into Gods Vineyard hoc agere attend on his office And beware least to keepe his Parish on sound legges he let them walke with sickly consciences Whiles Galâ—â— Auicen take the wall of Paul Peter I doe not here taxe but rather praise the works of mercie in those Ministers that giue all possible comâ—orts to the distressed bodies of their brethren Let the professions be heterogenâ—a different in their kindes onely respondentia semblable in their proceedings The Lord created the Physitian so hath he ordained the Minister The Lord hath put into him the knowledge of Nature into this the knowledge of grace All knowledge is deriued from the Fountaine of Gods wisedome The Lord hath created Medicines out of the earth The Lord hath inspired his holy word from heauen The good Physitian acts the part of the Diuine They shall pray vnto the Lord that he would prosper that which they giue for ease remedy to prolong life The good Minister after a sort is a Physitian Onely it is enough for the Sonne of God to giue both naturall and spirituall Physicke But as Plato spake of Philosophie that it couets the imitation of God within the limits of possibillitie and sobrietie so wee may say of Physicke it is conterminate to Diuinitie so farre as a Handmaid may follow her Mistresse The Institutions of both preserue the constitutions of men The one would preuent the obstructions of our bodies the other the destructions of our soules Both purge our feculent corruptions both would restore vs to our primarie and originall health though by reason of our impotencie and indisposition neither is able Both oppose themselues against our death either our corporall or spirituall perishing When the spirit of God moued on the waters and from that indigested confused mixture did by a kinde of Alchimicall extraction seperation sublimation coniunction put all things into a sweet consort and harmonious beautie hee did act a Phisitians part God is in many places a Phisitian Exod. 15. I am the Lord that healeth thee Deut. 32. I kill I make aliue I wound and I heale Ier. 17. Heale me O Lord and I shall be healed saue me and I shall be saued Sometimes he is as a Surgion to binde vp the sores of the broken-hearted and to stanch the bleeding wounds of the Conscience Nay Dauid intreats him to put his bones in course againe So Christ hath sent his Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad coagmentationem as Beza reades it to put in ioynt the luxate members of the Church that are compacted by ioynts And in the period or full stoppe of time God will minister to the world the phisicke of Fire to purge the sicke body of it as heâ—
Tree is all medicinable the chiefe and prime vertue is in the Iuyce the second in the Seede the third in the Rinde the last and weakest in the Stocke It comforts both by tasting and smelling It is most commonly distinguished by Phisitians into Lignum Semen Lâ—quorem the Wood the Seede and the Iuyce This is the nature of the Balsamum This holy Word is heere called Balme and si fas sit magnis componere parua if wee may compare heauenly with earthly spirituall with naturall things they agree in many resemblances The vn-erring Wisedome of Heauen hath giuen this comparison There is no feare to build on Gods ground whiles the Analogie of Faith limits vs. It is the Builders first and principall care to chuse a sure foundation The rotten moorish quicke-sandy grounds that some haue â—et their edifices on haue failed their hopes and destituted their intents How many worthy wittes haue spent their times and studies to dawbe vp the â—ilthy walls of Rome with vntempered morter How well had they hunted if they had not mistaken their game How rich apparrell haue they wouen for a Babilonish Harlot How well had they sailed if Rome had not guided their Compasse But euery mans worke shall be made manifest For the day shall declare it because it shall be reuealed by fire and the fire shall try euery mans worke of what sort it is Happy is he that hath a rocke for his ground that no gusts stormes windes waues may ouer-turne his house Though other foundation none can lay then that is layd which is Iesus Christ yet blessed is hee that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath builded safely vpon this ground God hath here layd my ground I will be hold to build my speech on that whereon I build my faith Onely sobrietie shall be my bounds Wee may call Gods word that Balme tree whereon the fruit of life growes A tree that heales a tree that helps A tree of both medicament and nutriment Like the Tree of life which beares twelue manner of fruits and yeeldeth her fruit euery moneth Neither is the fruit onely nourishing but euen the leaues of the tree were for the healing of the Nations Now though the Balme heere whereunto the Word is compared is more generally taken for the iuyce now fitted and ready for application yet without pinching the Metaphore or restraining the libertie of it I see not why it may not so be likened both for generall and particular properties It is not enough to say this but to shew it Let me say it now shew it anone For the Balme you haue the Tree the Seed the Iuice Gods Word will not vnfitly paralell it in resemblances transcend it in effectuall properties The Tree it selfe is the Word We finde the eternall Word so compared I am the true Vine and my Father is the Husbandman Hee is a Tree but arbor inuersa the roote of this tree is in Heauen It was once made â—lesh and dwelt amongst vs and wee beheld his glory the glory as of the onely begotten of the Father full of grace and truth Now hee is in Heauen Onely this Word still speakes vnto vs by his word the word incarnate by the word written made sounding in the mouth of his Ministers This word of His is compared and expressed by many Metaphores to leauen for seasoning to honey for sweetning to the hammer for breaking the stonie heart Is not my Word like as a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rocke in pieces To a sword that cuts both wayes The word of God is quicke and powerfull and sharper then a two-edged sword c. Another sword can but enter the flesh and pierce the bones or at most diuide the soule and the body but this the soule and the spirit where no other sword can come no not the Cherubins sierie sword that kept the passage of Paradise It is here a Tree a Balme-tree a saluing a sauing tree Albumasar saith that the more medicinable a plant is the lesse it nourisheth But this Tree reddit aegrotum sanum sanum verò santorem makes a sicke soule sound and a whole one sounder It is not onely Phisicke when men be sicke but meate when they be vvhole Triacle to expell preseruatiues to preuent poyson It is not onely a sword to beate backe our common enemie but a Bulwarke to hinder his approach It carries a seed with it Carpo-balâ—amum an immortall and incorruptible seed which concurres to the begetting of a new man the old rotting and dying away for it hath power of both to mortifâ—e and dead the â—lesh to reuiue and quicken the spirit That seed which the sower went out to sow Happy is the good ground of the heart that receiues it That little Mustard-seed which sprâ—ads vp into branches able to giue the fowles of heauen harbour Disâ—rimâ—n hoc inter opâ—ra Dei et Mundi This difference is betwixt the workes of God and of the World The workes of the world haue great and swelling Entrances but malo sine clauduntur they halt in the conclusion The vvorkes of God from a most slender beginning haue a most glorious issue The vvord is at first a little seed how powerfull how plentifull are the effects how manifold how manifest are the operations of it casting downe the highest things that exalt themselues against the knowledge of God and captiuating euery thought to the obedience of Christ. The iuyce is no lesse powerfull to mollifie the stony heart and make it tender and soft as a heart of flesh The seed conuinceth the vnderstanding the Iuyce mollifieth the affections All is excellent but still conspicuum minùs quod maximè est praeclarum the roote that yeelds this seed this iuyce is the power of God A tree hath manifest to the eye leaues and flowers and fruits but the roote most precious lies hidden In man the body is seene not the purer and better part of him his soule The Kings daughter though her cloathing be of wrought gold is most glorious within In all things we see the accidents not the forme not the substance There are but few that rightly tast the seed and the iuyce but who hath comprehended the roote of this Balme The Balsame is a little tree but it spreads beyond a Vine The vertue of it in all respects is full of dilatation It spreads 1. largely for shadow 2. pregnantly for fruit 3. all this from a small beginning So that we may say of it as the Church of her Sauiour As the apple tree among the trees of the wood so is my Beloued among the Sonnes I sate downe vnder his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my tast It spreads No sharpe frosts nor nipping blasts nor chilling aires nor drisling sleete can marre the beautie or eneruate the vertue of this spirituall Tree The more it is stopped the
as a Hammer to breake the stone in the heart The stone in the reines is dangerous in the bladder painefull but none so deadly as the stone in the heart This Balme supples the stonie heart and turnes it into a heart of flesh 3. They commend their Balme for a speciall ease to the anger of a venomous biting But our Balme is more excellent in aculeum Draconis imò mortis against the sting of that great red Dragon nay of Death it selfe Oh Death where is thy sting Three Serpents giue vs vâ—nomous wounds Sinne first stings vs the Deuill next and Death last This Balme of Christ fetcheth out all their poysons 4. Others say of this Balme that it is the best solution to the obstructions of the Liuer I haue heard the Liuer in the body compared with zeale in the soule The Liuer according to Phisitians is the third principall member wherein rest the animall spirits In the soule two graces precede Zeale Faith and Repentance I say not this in thesi but in hypothesi not simply but in respect and that rather of order then of time For a man is begotten of immortall seed by the Spirit at once Now as the Liuer calefies the stomach like fire vnder the Pot and thence succours digestion so doth zeale heate a mans workes with an holy feruour which are without that a cold sacrifice to God A soule without zeale doth as hardly liue as a body without a Liuer Haly calles the Liuer the Well of Moisture wee may say of zeale it is the very Cisterne whence all other graces as liuing there doe issue forth into our liues The Liuer is called Hepar and Iecur because it draweth iuyce to it selfe turneth it into blood by vaines serueth the body as the water-house doth a Citie by pipes Nay it ministreth a surging heate to the braine to the eyes to the wits saitâ— Isidore The Pagan Nigromancers sacrificed onely Liuers on the alâ—ar of their God Phaebus before his oraculous answeres were giuen In the soule other graces as Faith Hope Charitie Repentance did first rather breede zeale but zeale being once inkindled doth minister nutrimentall heate to all these and is indeede the best sacrifice that wee can offer to God Without zeale all are like the oblation of Caine. Now if any obstructions of sinne seeme to oppresse this Zeale in vs this Balme of Gods word is the onely soueraigne remedy to cleanse it For the zeale is dangerous as the Liuer either by too much heate or too much cold to be distempered To ouerheate the Liuer of zeale many haue found the cause of a perillous surfetin the Conscience whiles like the two Disciples nothing could content them but fire from heauen against sinners If euer Bishop was in the time of Poperie away with the office now If euer Masse was said in Church pull it downe Though some depopulatours haue now done it in extreame coldnesse nay frozen dregges of hart making them either no Churches or polluted ones whiles those which were once Temples for Gods shepherds are now coates for their owne Yet they in vnmeasurable heate wished what these with vnreasonable cold Liuers affected Such miserable theeues haue crucified the Church one by a new religion in will the other by a no religion in deed They would not onely take away the abuse but the thing it selfe not onely the Ceremonie but the substance As the Painter did by the picture of King Henry the eight whom hee had drawne fairely with a Bible in his hand and set it to open view against Queene Mary's comming in triumph through the Citie for which being reproued by a great man that â—aw it and charged to wipe out the booke he to make sure worke wiped out the Bible and the hand too and so in mending the fault hee maymed the picture This is the effect of praeter-naturall heate to make of a remedie a disease Thus whiles they dreame that Babilon stands vpon Ceremonies they offer to race the foundations of Ierusalem it selfe Well this Balme of Gods word if their sicke soules would apply it might coole this vngentle heate of their liuers For it serues not onely to inkindle heate of zâ—ale in the ouer-cold heart but to refrigerate the preposterous feruour in the fiery-hote This is the sauing Balme that scoures away the obstructions in the Liuer and preuents the dropsie For the dropsie is nothing else saith the Philosopher but the errour of the digestiâ—e vertue in the hollownesse of the Liuer Some haue such hollownes in their zeale whiles they prâ—tend holinesse of zeale as was in the yron hornes of that false prophet Zedekiah that for want of applying this Balme they are sicke of the dropsie of hipocrisie Innumerable are the vses of Balme if wee giue credit to Phisitians vel potum vel inunctum It strengthens the nerues it excites and cherisheth the natiue heate in any part it succoureth the paraliticke and delayeth the fury of convulsions c. And last of all is the most soueragine help either to greene wounds or to inueterate vlcers These all these and more then euer was vntruely fained or truely performed by the Balsame to the body is spiritually fulfilled in this happy heauenly and true intrinsique Balme Gods word It heales the sores of the conscience which either originall or actuall sinne haue made in it It keepes the greene wound which sorrow for sinne cuts in the hart from ranckling the soule to death This is that Balsame tree that hath fructum vberrimum vsum saluberrimum plenteous fruit profitable vse and is in a word both a preseruatiue against and a restoratiue from all dangers to a beleeuing Christian. It is not onely Phisicke but health it selfe and hath more vertue sauing vertue validitie of sauing vertue then the tongues of men and Angels can euer sufficiently describe You haue heere the similitudes Heare one or two discrepancies of this naturall and supernatural Balmes For as no Metaphore should of necessitie runne like a Coach on foure wheeles when to goe like a man on two sound legges is sufficient so eartâ—ly things compared with heauenly must looke to fall more short then Linus of Hercules the shrub of the Cedar or the lowest Mole-banke of the highest Pyramides 1. This earthly Balme cannot preserue the body of it selfe but by the accession of the spirituall Balme Euen Angels food so called not because they made it but because they ministred it cannot nourish without Gods word of blessing For euery creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be receiued with thanksgiuing for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer If the mercie of God be not on our sustenance we may dye with meate in our mouthes like the Israelites If his prouidentiall goodnesse with-hold the vertue were our garments as costly as the Ephod of Aaron there is no benefit in them When many are sicke they trust to the Phisitians as Asa
whole neede not a Phisition but they that are sicke Foolish mâ—n because of their iniquities are afflicted that their soule abhorreth all manner of meate and thâ—y draw neere to the â—ates of death Yet they cry vnto this Phisitian and hee deliuers them from their dâ—stresse So hee hath promised in the Testament both of his Law and of his Gospell Call on mee in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee Come to mee all that are lâ—den and I will giue you rest There neuer went sorrowfull Beggar from his doore without aâ— Almes No maruell if hee be not cured that is opâ—nionated of his owne health They say that the Teâ—ch is the Phisitian of Fishes and they being hurt come to him for cure All the Fishes that are caught in the Net of the Gospell come to Christ who is the King of Phisitians and the Phisitian of Kings Come then to Him beloued not as to a Master in name onely as the Lawyer Matth. 22. but as to a Sauiour indeed as the Leaper Matth. 8. Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Non taâ—quam ad Dominum titularem sed tanquam ad Dominum tutelarem as one ellegantly Ministers are Phisitians vnder Christ sent onely with his Phisicke in their hands and taught to applâ— it to our necessities Neither the Phisitian of the bodie nor of the soule can heale by any vertue inherent in or deriued from themselues We must take all out of Gods warehouse God hath a double Boxe of Nature of Grace as man hath a double sicknesse of â—lesh of spirit 1. The first boxe is mentioned Ecclus. 38. The Lord hath created medicines out of the earth and hee that is wise will not abhorre them God hath not scanted earth of drugges and mineralls the simples of Phisicke for such as tread on it And howsoeuer our vanitie in health transport our thoughts earth hath no more precious thing in it then as sustenance to preserue so medicine to restore vs. You that haue digged into the entralls of the dead earth and not spared the bowels of the liuing earth the poore for riches You that haue set that at your heart which was cast downe at the Apostles feete Money as fit onely for sanctified men to tread vpon in contempt You that haue neglected heauen which God hath made your more glorious feeling and richly stuck it like a bright Canopy with burning lights and doted on your pauement made onely for your feete to tread vpon fixing your eyes and thoughts on that which God hath indisposed to be your obiect for mans countenance is erect lessoning his soule to a iust and holy aspiration You that haue put so faire for the Philosophers stone that you haue endeuoured to sublimate it out of poore mens bones ground to powder by your oppressions You that haue buried your Gods so soone as you had found them out as Rahâ—l did Labans in the Litter and sit downe with rest on them saying to the Wedge Thou arâ— my conâ—â—dence When your heads ake dissolue your gold and â—rinke it wallow your crasie carkasse in your siluer wrap it in perfumes and silkes and try what ease it will aâ—ford you Will not a silly and contemptible weede prepared by a skilfull Phisitian giue you more comfort Doth not the common ayre which you receiue in and breath out againe refresh you better How eager are our desires of superfluities how neglectfull of necessaries This boxe of treasures hath God giuen vs and indued some with knowledge to minister them least our ignorance might not rather preiudice theâ— succour our healths No Phisitian then cures of himselfe no more then the hand feedes the mouth The meate doth the one the medicine doth the other though the Phisitian and the hand be vnspared instruments to their seuerall purposes Thus God relieues our health â—rom the Boxe of Nature 2. The other Boxe is Grace whence the Diuine draweth out sundry remedies for our dâ—seases of soule This is not so common as that of Nature Once one Nation had it of all the world now all the world rather then that Nation But it is certaine they haue it onely to whom the Gospell is preached It is indeede denied to none that doe not denie their faith to it Christ is that Lambe that takes away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sinne of the world But many want tâ—e Phisitians to teach and apply this And how shall they preach except they be sent Now where these Phisitians are is the people healed by any vertue deâ—â—ued from them Is it the Perfumer that giues such sweet odours or his perfumes Why looke ye so earnestly on vs as though by our owne power or holinesse wâ— had made this man to walke Be it knowne to you all that by the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth doth this man stand whole before you Therefore saith S. Paul concluding this Doctrine so throughly handled Let no man glory in men for all things are yours whither Paul c. all are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods It is the tidings we bring that saues you not our persons Moses that gaue the Law could not frame his owne heaâ—t to the obedience of it It lyes not in our power to beget faith in our owne soules The heart of the King is in the hands of God as are the waters in the South The soules of all Prince and people Prophets and Nazarites Preachers and hearers learned and ignorant are conuerted by God by whom they were created It was the voyce euen of a Prophet Turne vs oh Lord and so shall we be turned This consideration may serue to humble our harts whom God hath trusted with the dispensation of his Oracles It is a sacrilegious sinne for any spirituall Phisitian to ascribe Gods doing to his owne saying and to make Hâ—s glory cleaue to earthen fingers As Menecrates a naturall one wrote in a certaine Epistle to Philip of Macedon Thou art King of Macedon I of Phisicke It lyes in thy power to take health and life from men in mine to giue it So monstrous was his pride yet so applauded by the besotted Citizens that he marched with a traine of Gods after him One in the habite of Hercules another of Mercurie a third in the forme of Apollo whilst himselfe like Iupiter walked with a purple robe a Crowne of gold and a Scepter boasting that by his Art hee could breath life into men Foolish clay hee could not preserue himselfe from mouldring to dust Ostentation in a spirituall Phisitian is worse by how much our profession teacheth vs to be more humble It is a high climbing pride in any Pharise and iniurious to the Throne of God to arrogate to himselfe a conuerting power As in the fable the Flye sitting on the Coach-wheele at the games of Olympus gaue out that it was she which made so great a dust Or as that
then your obedient workes We must free our soules that we haue not administred soothing Sermons least at once wee flatter and further you in your follies You are apt enough to deriue authoritie for your sinnes from our liues and make our patternes patrons of your lewdnesse As I wish that our life were not so bad so withall that you would not out-goe out-doe it in euill You goe dangerously farre whiles you make our weaknesse a warrant to your presumption But if you fasten so wickedly on our vices you shall neuer finde countenance from our voyces Wee condemne our owne ills and you for aduenturing your soules to Satan on so silly aduantage Stand forth and testifie against vs Did we euer spare your vsuries depopulations malice fraudes ebrietie pride swearing contempt of holy things and duties Could any Pharise euer tye our tongues with the strings of Iudas purse and charme our conniuence or silence with giftes Wretched men if there be any such guilty of so palpable adulation qui purpuram magis quà m deum colunt Call them your owne common slaues not Gods seruants that to gaine your least fauours are fauourable to your greatest sinnes and whilst they winne your credites loose your soules We must follow our Master who gaue vs a Commission and giues vs direction to performe it Hee came once with pax vobis peace be vnto you at another time with vae vobis woe be vnto you We must be like him who was that good Samaritane putting into your wounds as well the searching wine of reprehension to eate out the dead flesh as the oyle of consolation to cheare your spirits Sometimes with Ieremies Hammer bruising your strength of wickednesse though here with Ieremies Balme binding vp your broken hearts And for you my Brethren know that the things which cure you doe not euermore please you Loue not your palates aboue your soules Thou lyest sicke of a bodily disease and callest on the Phisitian not for well relished but healthfull Potions thou receiuest them spight of thy abhorring stomach and being cured both thankest and rewardest him Thy soule is sicke God thy bâ—st Phisitian vnsent to sends thee Phisicke perhaps the bitter Pils of affliction or sharpe prescripts of repentance by his word thoâ— loathest the sauour and wilt rather hazard thy soule then offend thy flesh and when thou shouldest thanke grumblest at the Phisitian So farre inferiour is our loue of the soule to that of our bodie that â—or the one wee had rather vndergoe any paynes then death for the other wee rather chuse a wilfull sicknesse then a harsh remedie Giue then your Physitian leaue to fit and apply his medicines and doe not you teach him to teach you Leaue your olde adiuration to your too obsequious Chaplens if there be any such yet remayning Loquimini placentia Prophecie not vnto vs right things speake vnto vs smooth things prophecie deceits Get you out of the way c. Threaten your Priests no longer with suits and quereles and expulsions from their poore Vineyards which you haue erst robbed because they bring you sowre grapes sharpe wine of reproofes Doe not colour all your malice against them with the imputation of ill life to them when you are indeede onely fretted with their iust reprehension of your impieties Barre not the freedome of their tongues by tying them to conditions this you shall say and this not say on paine of my displeasure You may preach against sinnes but not meddle with the Pope or you may inueigh against Rome Idolatrie so you touch not at my Herodias or you may taxe Lust so you let mee alone for Nabaoths Vineyard As if the Gospell might bee preached with your limitations and forsaking the holy Ghost wee must come to fetch direction from your lippes Ionas spared not Great Niniueh nor the great King of Great Niniueh why should we spare your sinnes that would saue your soules You will loue vs the better when you once loue your selues better If any gaine were more valuable then that of godlines or any means more auailable then spirituall Physicke to your saluations we would hearken to it and you He that is wisest hath taught vs it we are rebels if we not obey it Your exulcerated sores cannot bee healed with incarnatiue salues 4. Spirituall Phisitians no lesse then the Secretaries of Nature must haue knowledge and Art Empirickes endanger not more bodies then ideotish Priests soules He that cannot powre healthfull moisture and iuyce of life into the gasping spirit and fill the veines that affliction hath emptied deserues not the name of a spirituall Phisitian Arts haue their vse and humane learning is not to be despised so long as like an obedient Hagar she serues Sara with necessary helpe Onely let the Booke of God stand highest in our estimation as it is in Gods eleuation and let all the sheaues doe homage to it But Empirickes cannot brooke Craterus saith the Prouerbe sottish Enthusiastes condemne all learning all premeditation This is to tye the holy Ghost to a Pen and Inkhorne c. They must runne away with their Sermons as Horses with an emptie Cart. But now he that wil flie into Gods mysteries with such sicke feathers shall be found to flagge low with a broken pineon or soaring too high without sober direction endanger himselfe Barbarisme is grosse in an Orator Ignorance in a Phisitian Dulnesse in an Aduocate rudenesse in a Minister Christ chose Fishermen but made them Fishers of men gaue them a Calling and vertues for it Shall therefore any phantasticall spirit thinke that Christs singular action is our generall patterne As if men were the more faulâ—ie the more fit the more silly the more sufficient Christ so furnished â—is with knowledge and language that the people wondred at their wisedome and knew or rather acknowledged that they had beene with Iesus It is said of Emperickes that they haue but one medicine for all diseases if that cure not they know not how to doe it but the Scribe instructed for Heauen and instructing for Heauen drawes out of his treasure both old and new which he hath carefully laid vp by his former studie high points for forward Schollers easier â—essons for those in a lower forme To children milke such things as may nourish not oppresse aptanon alta to the profound as Demosthenes said he desired to speake non modo scripta sed etiam sculpta matters of weight and diligence The truth is that wee must preach Christ not our selues and regard the peoples benefit more then our owne credite being content to loose our selues to winne others to God And to this purpose is required learning as a Phisitian is not lesse knowing because hee giues an easie and common receite to a certaine Patient but rather out of his iudgement findes that fittest for him It is no small learning to illustrate obscurities to cleare the subtilties of the Schoole to open Gods mysteries to
were of the sons of Sceua Iesus wee know but who are yee God wee know calming floods quieting the windes but who art thou beat on him more furiously then loe saith Canutus what a goodly God I am and behold my commaund conuincing his flatterers Oh that some strong West-winde would ridde our Land of these Locusts The last sort of Vials serued in at this Course are Stollen waters which immediately robbe our selues The Deuill findes vs cheare at our owne cost and with cates stollen from our owne possessions hee makes vs a bounteous feast Truth is euery Cup of sinne wee drinke of is a water that at least indirectly robs our selues neither can wee feede on Atheisme Heresie Sacriledge Murder Adulterie but we rifle our soules of grace our Consciences of peace for the Deuils Banket neuer makes a man the fatter for his feeding the guests the more they eate the more leane and meager they looke their strength goes away with their repast as if they fed on nothing but Sauce and all their sweet delicates in taste were but fretting in digestion like Vinegar Oliues or Pulse neither doth batten cheerish because it wants a blessing vnto it Onely it gets them a stomach the more hartily they feed on sinne the greater appetite they haue to it Though custome of sinne hath brought them past feeling and they haue long since made a deed of gift of themselues into the hands of licentiousnesse yet behold in them still an eager prosecution of sinne euen with greedinesse Though mischiefe was the last thing they did when they went to bed nay the onely action of their bed yet they rise earely so soone as the morning is light to practise it They may be sicke of sins incurable surfet yet feele themselues hungry still that the Cup of their wickednesse may be filled to the brim and so receiue a portion and proportion of torment accordingly Thus as the gyrouagi equi molam trahentes multùm ambulant parùm promouent the Mil-turning-horse coniured into his Circle moues much but remoues little or as the Poet of Ixion Voluitur Ixion qui se sequiturque fugitque So the more these guests eat the more vnsatisfied they rise vp Ye shall eat and not be satisfied ye shall drinke not be â—illed as he that dreameth of good cheare but awakes with an hungry soule All the delights of sinne put not the least drop of good blood into the vaines nor blesse the heart with the smallest addition of content They browse like Beastes on these sweet boughes but they looke thinne after it as if they had deuoured their owne bowels 1. The first Viall of this nature is Pride a stollen water indeed but deriued from thine owne Fountaine It may strike God offend thy Brother but it doth immediately robbe thy selfe The decoration of the body is the deuoration of the substance the backe weares the siluer that would doe better in the Purse Armenta vertuntur in ornamenta the grounds are vnstocked to make the backe glister Adam and Eue had Coates of Beasts skinnes but now many beastes flesh skinnes and all will scarce furnish a prodigall younger sonne of Adam with a sute And as many sell their tame beasts in the Countrie to enrich their wilde beasts in the Citie so you haue others that to reuell at a Christmas will rauell out their Patrimonies Pride and good husbandrie are neither Kith nor Kin but Iaball and Iuball are brethren Iaball that dwelt in Tents and tended the Heards had Iuball to his brother who was the father of Musicke to shew that Iaball and Iuball frugalitie and Musicke good Husbandry and Content are brothers and dwell together But Pride and Opulencie may kisse in the Morning as a married couple but will be diuorced before Sun-set They whose Fathers could sit and tell their Michael-masse-hundreths haue brought December on their estates by wearing May on their backes all the yeere This is the plague and clogge of the Fashion that it is neuer vnhamperd of Debets Pride begins with Habeo ends with Debeo and sometimes makes good euery sillable gradatim Debeo I owe more then I am worth Beo I blesse my creditors or rather blesse my selfe from my Creditors Eo I betake me to my heeles Thus England was honoured with them whiles they were Gallants Germany or Rome must take them and keepe them being beggars Oh that men would breake their fasts with frugalitie that they might neuer suppe vvith want What folly is it to begin with Plaudite Who doth not marke my brauerie and end with Plangite Good Passenger a Penny Oh that they could from the high promontorie of their rich estates foresee how neere Pride and Riot dwell to the Spittle-house not that but God alloweth both garments for necessitie and ornaments for comlinesse according to thy degree but such must not weare Silkes that are not able to buy Cloath Many women are propter venusâ—atem inuenustae saith Chrysostome so fine that they are the worse againe Fashions farre fetcht and deere bought fill the eye with content but emptie the purse Christs reproofe to the Iewes may fitly be turned on vs Why doe ye kill the Prophets and build vp their Tombes Why doe yee kill your soules with sinnes and garnish your bodies with braueries the Maid is finer then the Mistresse which Saint Ierome saith would make a man laugh a Christian weepe to see Hagar is tricked vp and Sara put into rags the soule goes euery day in her worky-day clothes vnhighted with graces whiles the body keepes perpetual holy day in gainesse The house of Saul is set vp the Flesh is graced the house of Dauid is persecuted and kept downe the Spirit is neglected I know that Pride is neuer without her owne paine though shee will not feele it be her garments what they will yet she will neuer be too hot nor too colde There is no time to pray read heare meditate all goes away in trimming There is so much rigging about the Ship that as Ouid wittily pars minima est ipsa puella sui A woman for the most part is the least part of her selfe Faemina culta nimis faemina casta minus too gawdie brauerie argues too slender chastitie The garment of saluation is slighted and the long white robe of glory scorned the Lord Iesus Christ a garment not the vvorse but the better for vvearing is throwne by and the ridiculous chaine of Pride is put on but ornamentum est quod ornat ornat quod honestiorem facit That alone doth beautifie vvhich doth beatifie or make the soule happie no ornament doth so grace vs as that vvee are gratious Thus the substance is emptied for a shew and many robbe themselues of all they haue to put a good suite on their backes 2. The next Cup of these stollen waters is Epicurisme a water which whiles we sup of vve sucke our selues A
oyle that feâ—ds the lampe of his life beginne to dry vp all his limbes loose their former agillitie As the litâ—le world thus decaies in the great so the great decaies in it selfe that Nature is faine to leane on the staffe of Art â—nd to be held vp by mans industrie The signes which Christ hath giuen to fore-run the worlds ruine are called by a Father aegritudines Mundi the diseases or sicknesses of the world as sicknesse naturally goes before death Warres dying the earth into a sanguine hew dead carkases infecting the aires and the infected aires breathing about plagues and pestilences and sore contagions Whereof saith the same Father nullâ— magis quam nos testes sumus quos mundi finis inuenit none can be more certaine witnesses then wee vpon whom the ends of the world are come That sometimes the influences of Heauen spoyle the fruits of the earth and the fogs of earth soile the vertues of the Heauenly bodies that neither Plannets aboue nor plants below yeeld vs expected comforts So God for our sinnes brings the heauen the earth the ayre and whatsoeuer was created for mans vse to be his enemie and to warre against him And all because omnia quae ad vsum vitae accipimus ad vsum vitij conuertimus we turne all things to vices corruption which were giuen for natures protection Therefore what we haue â—iuerted to wickednesse God hath reuerted to our reuenge We are sicke of sinne and therefore the world is sicke of vs. Our liues shorten as if the booke of our dayes were by Gods knife of Iudgement cut lesse and brought from Folio as in the Patriarchs before the flood to Quarto in the Fathers after the flood nay to Octauo as with the Prophets of the Law nay euen to Decimosexto as with vs in the dayes of the Gospell The Elements are more mixed drossie and confused the ayres are infected neither wants our intemperance to second all the rest We hasten that we would not haue Death and runne so to riot in the Aprill of our early vanities that our May shall not scape the fall of our lâ—afe Our great Landlord hath let vs a faire house and we suffer it quickly to runne to ruine That whereas the Soule might dwell in the body as a Pallace of delight shee findes it a crazy sickish rotten cabinet in danger euery gust of dropping downe How few shalt thou meete if their tongues would be true to their griefes without some disturbance or affliction There lyes one groning of a sicke heart another shakes his aking head a third roares for the torments of his reines a fourth for the racking of his gowty ioynts a fift grouels with the Falling-sicknesse a last lyes halfe dead of a Palsie Here is worke for the Physitians They ruffle in the roabes of preferment and ride in the Foote-clothes of reuerence Early and deuout suppliants stand at their study dores quaking with ready mony in their hands and glad it will be accepted The body if it be sicke is content sometimes to buy vnguentum areum with vnguentum aureum leaden trash with golden cash But it is sicke and needes Phisicke let it haue it There is another Phisitian that thriues well too if not best and that 's the Lawyer For men goe not to the Phisitian till their bodies be sicke but to the Lawyer when they be well to make them sicke Thus whilâ—s they feare an Ague they fall into a Consumption He that scapes his disease and fals into the hands of his Phisitian or from his trouble of suites lights into the fingers of his Lawyer fulfils the old verse Incidit in Scyllam dum vult vitare Charibdim Or is in the poore Birds case that flying in feare from the Cuckooe lighted into the tallonâ— of the Hawke These are a couple of thriuing Phisitians Alter tuetur aâ—gros alter tuetur agros One lookes to the state of the person the other of the purse so the old verse testifies Dat Galenus opes dat Iustinianus honores Phisicke giues wealth and Law Honour I speake not against due reward for iust deserts in both these faculties These Phisitians are both in request but the third the Phisitian of the soule of whom I am now occasioned to shew there is most neede may stand at the dore with Homer and did hee speake with the voyce of Angels not to be admitted The sicke Rich man lyes patiently vnder his Phisitians hands hee giues him golden words reall thankes nay and often flattering obseruance If the state lye sicke of a Consumption or if some contentious Emperick by new suits would lance the impostum'd swellings of it or if perhaps it lye sullen-sicke of Naboths Vineyard the Lawyer is perchance not sent for but gone to and his help imploâ—ed not without a Royall sacrifice at least But for the Minister of his Parish if hee may not haue his head vnder his girdle and his attendance as seruile as his Liuerie-groomes hee thinkes himselfe indignified and rages like the Pope that any Priest durst eate of his Peacocke How short doth this Phisitians respect fall of both the others Let him feed his Sheepe if hee will with the Milke of the Word his Sheepe will not feede him with the Milke of reward He shall hardly get from his Patron the Milke of the Vicaredge but if he lookes for the fleeces of the Parsonage hee shall haue after the Prouerbe Lanam caprinam Contempt and scorne Haman was not more madde for Mordecais Cap then the great one is that as much obseruance ariseth not to him from the blacke coate as from his owne blew coate The Church is beholden to him that hee will turne one of his cast Seruitours out of his owne into her seruice out of his Chamber into the Chancell from the Buttry-hatch to the Pulpit He that was not worthy enough to waite on his Worship is good enough for God Yeeld this sore almost healed yet the honour of the Ministerie thriues like Trees in Autumne Euen their best estimate is but a shadow and that a preposterous one for it goes backe faster then the shadow in the Dyall of Ahaz If a Rich man haue foure Sonnes the youngest or contemnedst must be the Priest Perhaps the Eldest shall be committed to his Lands for if his Lands should be committed to him his Father feares hee would carie them all vp to London hee dares not venture it without binding it sure For which purpose he makes his second Sonne a Lawyer a good â—ising profession for a man may by that which I neither enuie nor taxe runne vp like Ionas gourd to preferment and for wealth a Clustre of Law is worth a whole Vintage of Gospell If hee studie meanes for his third loe Physicke smels well That as the other may keepe the estate from running so this the body from ruining For his youngest Sonne hee cares not if he puts him into Gods seruice and make him