creature whose motion hee could not vnderstand As for the earth it is a worke so wonderfull that no man tell wherevpon it hath beene founded Tell me O thou most learned Philosopher what can vphold such a heavy masse Thou wilt say that is founded vpon its Centre But what is that centre but a point What beareth vp that point that beareth vp all the rest But how can a point bee a fundation of so hudge a masse But imagine a man standing in the centre tell me what should be his situation According to the rules of Philosophie both his head should be vpward and his feete should be vpward Now what braine is able to conceiue this Some may think all this to be very easy but God did propound it vnto Job as a great argument Wherevpon said Hee are the fundations of the earth fastened We must therefore confesse that this worke of GOD which is but earthly is so wonderfull that it overfloweth all humane capacitie When a vessell is filled to the brimme it must at last overflow When our heart is filled with that which is wonderfull the wonders which we can not containe must runne over What shall J say more Behold O man all the parâ—es of the mekle world bend thy wits and see where thou can correct God his wisedome Come foâ—ward I pray thee and teach him a lesson if thou can If not confesse that his workes are wonderfull and that thou is filled with wondering so that GODS wonders in thy heart doe overflow From the mekle world let vs come to man the litle world Behold the fabricke of his body his browes his eares his eyes his nose his mouth Behold the wonderfull worke of God Teach GOD a lesson if thou can Wilt thou say that his mouth had beene best in his brow and that his nose had beene best behind his eare and that his eyes had beene more fitly into his chinne No not There is no part which can be devised to bâ—â— better then it is the worke is vvonderfull and therfore say that thou art filled with wondring Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull workes to the children of men To come from the body to consider God his workings in the soule they are so wonderfull that no man can declare them Who shall not wonder to consider the workings of the soule J admire the mind and vnderstanding the will and the affections agreeing discording considering judging loving or hating making the body to laugh or to weepe according as the spirit is disposed Consider the spirit of man furnishing the body with fiue watches as with a guard for its preservation viz hearing seeing smelling feeling tasting and touching all set about the body for its preservation for as many watches to tell who is a foe and who is a friend The worke is so wonderfull that while I consider it my spirit doth overflow with wondering Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull workes to the children of men Last of all seeing the curing of the sicknesse of the body is called a wonderfull worke how wonderfull must the curing of the sicke soule be For this cause and for others also CHRIST the Saviour of soules was called Wonderfull Vnto vs a child is borne said the Prophet and his name shall bee called WONDERFVLL This is he who hath not only filled the earth but the Heavens with wondering The Heavens at the first could not well perceiue how by God his stripes man should haue health The Cherubins which represented the Angels had their heads ever bowed toward the Mercy-seat for to see the calling and healing of the Gentiles The fellowship of that mysterie had beene hid in God from them and that from the beginning of the world But so soone as it was revealed vnto them by the Church that is so soone as they sawe God his promise accomplished in the Church as in a glasse they all with one voyce praised God for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull workes to the children of men All the spirits of Heaven did praise Him that day with that divine song Glory bee to GOD in the highest Heavens peace on earth and toward men good will But what shall J say of men who are so much beholden vnto God Hath not God created vs Hath he not redeemed vs with the blood of his sonne Hath hee not delivered vs from many dangers at home and a field Hath bee not made all our bed in our sickenesse Hath he not brought vs backe from the doores of death But where is our thankfulnesse I say againe OH where is our thankfulnesse Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull workes to the children of men To the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost bee glory and Majestie Dominion and power for ever and ever AMEN Eccles. 12. v. 10. Eccles. 12. v. 11. Bernar. super Cant. Quâ—rit aâ—â—â—aâ— verâ—uâ— cui consentiat aâ— correâ—iâ—â—em 〈◊〉 illumiâ—nâ—â—ur ad cognitioneÌ„ cui innitatur ad virtutem quo res â—nctur ad sipientiâ—m cui 〈◊〉 tur ad deâ—â—rem cui â—â—â—â—tetur ad sâ—â—uâ—â—illaâ—â—◠〈◊〉 sâ—uatur 〈…〉 Eccles. 12. v. 4. Luke 12. v. 35. Note 2. Tim. 1. v. 18. Libri Liberi Gen. 4. v. 7. Hieron ad Pamâ—nach Epist. 5. cap. 8. Exod. 33. â—1 v. 22. v. 19. v. 23. Exod. 34 v. 6. v 7. Note Psal. 101 v. 1. Ephes 3 v. 10 Psal. 18 v. 26. * Note * Note 1. King 1â— v 11 Jude v. 22. v. 23. * Note Act. 4. v. 36. Mark 3. â—7 * Note * Note Deut. 20 v. 10. v. 1â— * Note 2. Cor. 10 v. 4. * Note Leut. 19. v. 17. Ezek. 33. v. 3â— * Note * Note Note Act. 24 v. 25. * Note 1. King 22 v. 8. * Note * Note Job 6. v. 10. Ezek. 33 v. 3. * Note * Hose 6. v 5. Note * Note Jere. 1. v 17. Note Isa. 62 v. 16. * Note Ierem. 20. v. 9. * Note * Note * Note * Note 1. Cor. 3 v 18. * Note Prou. 30 v. 2. v. 3. * Note 1. Cor. 4 v. 10. 2. Kings 9. vi 1. Act. 26 v. 24. * 1. Cor. 1. v. 25. Note 1. Cor. 1. v 21. 1. Cor. 1 v. 18. Luk. 24. v. 2 Luk. 15. v. 17. 1. Cor. 1. v. 18. Note Luk. 12 v. 20. Note Heb. 6. v. 4. Note Psal. 37 v. 35. Ps. 129. v. 6. Iob. 5. v. 3 Iob. 5. v. 4. v. 5. Amos. 2. v. 9. The doctrine 1. Cor. 3. v. 19. The vse Note Tit. 2 v. 12. Note Note Note Note Note Luke 34 v. 25. Note Iude. v. 9. Note The doctrine Note Note Isay. 66. v. 17. The vse Note Note Ephes. 5. v. 3. Note Ier. 22. v. 8. Note v. 9. The doctrine Note Ionah 1. v. 11. v. 12. Iosh. 7. v. 8. v. 12 Note Iob. 8. v. 11. Note
As a man that is for to cut a hard oke will first sharpen his axe so he that is ordained for to hewe downe the old oken hard iniquities of a people must sharpen his reproofes and therewith strike at them till the spailes flee off yea till at last the highest Cedars of of sinnes were they Caesars sinnes may fall down vpon their sides Jf a King be afoole against God feare not to call him a foole that he may become wise Gard vp thy loynes said the Lord to his Prophet arise and speake all that I command thee be not dismayed at their faces left I confound thee before them woe to dumme dogges yee that make mention of the Lord keepe not silence Sometimes Pastoures are so branded with the reproaches of fooles because they hurt their galled backes that they will resolve to preach no more of Iudgement but to remaine silent This is their weaknesse but when the spirit of their calling begins to stirre within them it shall not lye in their hearts to hold their peace This was Ieremiahs resolution once because hee saw the word of the Lord made a reproach to him and dayly derision hee said I will not make mention of God nor speake any more in his Name But did hee so O no not The spirit of his calling kindled such a fire within him that hee could no more forebeare His word said hee was in mine heart as a burning fire shut vp in my bones and I was weary wâ—th forbearing and I could not stay A Man of God will call a foole a foole jt is his calling to sing as well of Iudgement as of mercy If by want of discretion he spill the tune of GODS musicke preaching Iudgement when hee should preach mercy or preaching mercy where hee should preach Iudgement he himself shall be found the greatest foole in the daye of comptes This consideration made Paul to pray for wisedome to his disciple who was become a teacher The Lord said he giue thee wisdome in all things By this wisdome while we preach to hauty or humbled sinners we are teached to practise that precept of S. Iude which is to make a difference The Lord give vs the spirit of discretion This much concerning the methode of the Wordes which wee have read in your audience wherein first mention is made of Iudgements and after of mercy Now let vs come to our sicke Text or Text of Sicknesse In the sicke man his sore which is the first part of this Treatise vpon the fiue Verses heere set downe wee haue these three things particularly to consider First who are those who are said heere to bee afflicted Secondly what is the cause of all their afflictions Thirdly what is the particular affliction set downe in this Text. 1. Who is said to be afflicted heere IN this part of Scripture wee haue a visitation of the sicke looke to your bookes and the first word of my Text shall tell you who is sick vvho fooles fooles saith the Psalmist because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted I read in Scripture of foure sorts of fooles of these two bee wise and two be fooles indeede First these are called fooles in Scripture that acknowledge their ownefoolishnesse If any man among you saith the Apostle seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a foole thâ—â— bee may be wise This was wise Agurs confession which hee made to Ithiel and Vâ—â—l surely said hee I am more brutish then any man and haue not the vnderstanding of a man I neither learned wisedome nor haue the knowledge of the holy Secondly these are called fools in Scripture who are so in the wickeds estimation According to this the Apostle saith wee are fooles for Christs sake but yee are wise wee are fooles that is we are so esteemed to bee by the worldly wise After that a Prophet of God had anointed Iehu to bee King one said to Iehu wherfore came this madde fellow to thee Godlinesse to wicked men is not only foolishnesse but madnesse The great knowledge of letters hath made thee madde said Festus to Paul what wonder seeing the wisedome of God himlsefe is esteemed folly In Scripture yee reade of the folly of God yee reade in Scripture of the folly of preaching in a worde all spirituall wisedome is folly But to whome S. Paul saith that it is to them that perish Thirdly these are said to be fools who are Gods Elect and chosen ones but as we all doe faile in many things when they either turne in any point froÌ„ the trueth which once they did embrace or when they are slow of heart to believe or when they run away from God by any sin then are they said to be fools their failing is their folly For the first S. Paul called the Galathians foolish Galathians for the second Christ called his two disciples going to Emans fooles and slow of heart to beleeâ—e for the third it is said that the forlorne sonne was madde or by himselfe because when hee repented it is said that he came to himselfe againe Fourthly the wicked to whome the wisedome of God is folly are called fooles According to this the rich man in the Gospell that made greater provision for his bellie in his Barns than for his Soule in the Heavens is called a foole O foule this night thy Soule shall bee taken from thee This was his folly hee never thought of Heaven till hee was in hell It is of these two viz. of the Godly sinning by weaknesse of the wicked sinning by wickednesse that mention is made heere while they sinne they are both fooles and as they are both but fooles and as they are so heere are they called viz. fooles The Hebrewe word heere is Guilim a word that commeth from a root that is not in vse haveing no signification which is the lyfe of a worde a roote worthy of such branches the roote is not in vse neither are the branches wherefore serveth the roote of follie what are the fruites of follie They are like the apples of Sodome They maye have some shewe outwardlie but have nothing but rottennesse for the in-meate Hee that tasteth them will doe best to spitt them out again As the wicked wil taste the good gift of God and after spit it out so that it doth them no good so should the godly hauing tasted the fruites of follie incontinent spitt them out and after spitt at them with despight so should they not bee able to doe them evill Though fooles bee called from a roote that hath no vse in God his word they seeme to themselves to bee most fast rooted in their prosperitie they both think and say that they shall neuer bee moved They will also seeme vnto others of all men to have the strongest rootes To David who was on of
gold and buy this But if he be drowned into debâ—e and cast into prison then and there he will cry vnto the Lord. So long as the forlorne sonne had a pennie into his purse he thought never of home but when he was forced to feede with the swine he said I will returne to my father againe So long as wee haue peace in our land and Barnes full of corne and purses full of money we ly in securitie lyke these of Lâ—ish But if the foraine enemy come and depriue vs of such comforts then we shall crye vnto the Lord. So long as Iehoshaphat in the battell sawe his partie to be equall he fought as he could But so soone as hee sawe him selfe neere straited by the enemie then hee cryed vnto the Lord. So long as Hagar had water into the bottles she and Ismael dranke together enjoying the creature But so soone as all was spent then she weept and cryed vnto the Lord. So â—long as the Raven can find a fleshy carion hee will quietly feede vpon it But while hee is straited with hunger hee beggeth his meate from God The young Lions saith the Psalmist roare aâ—ter their prey and seeke their meate from God All things men beasts fowles yea Papists in their greatest pinch are forced to quite all other vaine hopes for to cry vnto the Lord. I remember that in the tyme of the French persecution J came by sea to Flanders and as I was sailing from Flanders to Scotland a fearfull tempest arose which made our Mariners reele to and fro and stagger like drunken men In the meane tyme thâ—re was in our ship a Scots papist who lay neere me while the ship gaue a great shake his ordinarie cry was O Lord J observed the man and after the Lord had sent a calme I said to him Sir now yee see the weaknesse of your religion so long as yee are in prosperitie yee cry vnto this Sainct and that Sainct Jn our greatest danger J heard you cry often Lord Lord but not a word yee spake of our Lady J compare a Papist in his pilgrimages to creatures to a sheepe that is hunted of a flie it runneth from bush to bush every bush catcheth a lâ—ck till the silly sheepe bee threed-bare and tirred of all his fleece sinne lyke a cleg-flee maketh the soule to startle like a beast there is no sure refuge but in God Away then with Papistrie and with all that draweth a man from the Lord vnto any other The highest point of tribulation or some great danger of death wakning a man will tell a man that there is none that can helpe but the Lord and that hee onely is to bee called vpon Call vpon mee in the day of trouble said the Lord Whom haue I in heaven but thee said the Psalmist All things are for the Lord and from the Lord and all things in their troubles must come to the Lord as the hunger-bitten Aegiptians came all to Joseph for meate Thus yee see the great good of greevous afflictions They chase the creature till it cry to the Creator I will goe saith the Lord and returne to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seeke my face In their affliction they will seeke mee early This is heeâ—e declared in these words of my text Then they cry vnto the Lord in their trouble The vse let vs rejoyce in tribulation seeing God hath made it a spnrre vnto prayer Man is like waters Putrescunt ni movcantur aquae waters spill and stinke if they stand without any motion so will the soule stinke without affliction Before I was afflicted said David I went astray but now I learne thy statutes Indeede it is true that no affliction for the present seemâ—th to bee joyous but grievous Neverthelesse afterward it yeeldeth the pâ—â—câ—able fâ—uit of righteousnesse to these that are exercised thereby This is a quiet fruit of righteousnesse when the soule is moved to cry vnto God Cryes in prayer vnto God are the quietnesse of righteousnesse I confesse that both the wicked and the godly will crye in their distresse but the wicked cry like dogs beaten with a staffe the godly crye into their hearts like children with Moses to whom God said why cryest thou vnto mee Let vs praye the Lord that hee would rouze vp these sleepie soules of ours that sleepe so oftin sinne like Jonah in the hatches Well is the man to whom God shall send some affliction crying to the sinner as the Ship-master cryed to Jonah what meanest thou O sleeper arise crye and call vpon thy God It is goode that man while hee is forewarned by any affliction strive to bee friends with his God Men may rebell for a space and may turne the grace of God into wantonnesse yea and harden their hearts with Pharaoh against his plagues But at last when all their excellencie is swept away like a spiders web as Eliphaz sayeth they die without wisdome As a man liveth ordinarly so dieth hee He that liveth a foole shall readily die without wisedome a fore-warning affliction doeth goode to the godly man it maketh him to be fore-armed But as for the wicked man though God send sicknesse after sicknesse and delaye his death yet hee is not a whit the better But while hee liveth hee letteth the debt run on like a spender or waster who carelesly puts more and more vpon the score Jt were good for the wicked that hee had never beene borne as Christ said of Iudas or that hee had died in the birth yet seeing life in itselfe is a benefite while it is abused by those that have gotten it by crying vnto the Lord it is righteous with God to punish them in rigour for the abuse of his benefite which should have beene to them a large time well imployed in repentance where-with as with a brush they should have clensed their hearts from the scailles of wickednesse Againe heere some may obiect how is it that the godly man beeing sicke and neere the doores of death shuld cry so earnestly for life Should not a godly man bee glad to goe to GOD his Father to his long home where are pleasures for evermore What see wee heere but the back-parts of Iehovah Are wee not in this world as David was in Kedar and in Meshech or as Israel were captives in Babilon Is not this earth a strange land wherein wee can not sing the praises of our God Are not our Harpes heere hung vpon the willowes Our Musick is dumbe I answere that indeede if the godly well prepared as they should bee when sicknesse commeth vnto them they would not crye for health of body but their chiefe crye should bee Come Lord Iesus come and fetch away my soule that panteth after thee like a chaâ—ed Hart desiring the rivers of waters The chiefe desire