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
resurrection The vse of this doctrine is tâ—â—o sold first for â—â—se godly secondlie for the wicked As for the godly let them bee thankfull vnto God who hath changed their destructions into beds of rest where they shall sleepe most softly vntill the great blast of the last trumpet This is one of the speciall comforts which God hath prepared for the godly man in his bed of languishing that God will make all his bed in his sicknesse Behâ—ld heere a greater comfort In death God will make all the godly mans bed The graue to him is but a bed made for him by the Lord. O man of GOD for thy graue bee thankfull vnto God When death is drawing neere comfort thy selfe with this that God is preparing a well made bed for thee in the graue Blesse him who hath turned thy destruction into rest As for the wicked let the fearfull word of my text viz. destructions let it bee as it were a Remembrancer vnto them that there is a thing after this lyfe prepared for them which God his word calleth destruction While they heare of it let them come out of their chaire of ease for to be friends with God in time O mercifull God what terrour must this bee while a man on his death bed perceiveth nothing but GODS wrath a gapeâ—ng graue and an vâ—prepared soule Let this memorandum rouse vp all slippry soules so to liue in this lyfe that they losse not that lyfe which is to come No man can tell how soone his glasse shall runne out What a follie is this for a moment of pleasures to losse eternitie and to goe to destruction Happy then I see is the man that liveth well heâ—re Blessed is he whose GOD is the Lord Thrise happy is hee that hath faith in Christ for in the very graue he shall find salvation Hee hath a cordiall antidoâ— against the poison of destruction who hath Christ to bee his salvation Christ our salvation hath destroyed this destruction He hath gotten such a victorie not only for him selfe but also for all his Saints that the least and weakest of them may defye both death and destruction with those words of boast O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie Death like that viper of Malta may hang vpon a godly mans hand but in the day the Lord shall purge the world with fire the godly man shall shake death from him as St. Paul cast the vâ—per from him into the fire without any hurt But as for the wicked that are not in Christ their graues are their destructions death in the graue feedeth on them as on sheepe To euery one of them death may say as Christ said to death I shall be thy death While Christs friends with Lazarus are said to sleepe into the graue the wicked man there is but a destroyed creature While he is there he is in destruction hee is in abstracto mall into evill it selfe hee is nothing there but the Carion of a creature VVoe be to him to whom the graue is a destruction Let therefore all men stâ—â—e so to liue that while they goe to their graues their graues may bee a bed of rest vnto them Jf the graue bee a destruction to thy body the place of damnation is prepared for thy soule Let Epicures while they liue sport and say Hell is not so â—â—te nor sinne so heavy nor the divell so blacke nor GOD so severe as Preachers prattle The day shall come when they shall find it farre other wayes Shall GOD suffer the whole creation to groane vnder the burden of our sinnes Shall GOD him selfe be pressed vnder the weight thereof as a cart laden with sheaues and shall he not be avenged of vs in death except we repent Let vs therefore least our graues after death bee our destructions amend our lyfe in tyme Let vs abhorre the filthie shape of our sinnes Let vs lay hold on GOD his mercy and CHRIST his merits which are two shoulders that shall carie away all the weights of wickednesse Well is that soule whose Bill Bond before death is cancelled and crost With great joy may he goe to the graue to whom the LORD hath said I haue put away thy transgression like a cloud and thy sinnes as a mist Lord make our eyes nimble to rip our hearts to the bottome that wee may bring out our sinnes from thence that they may get a dead stroake before wee dye Heere let vs obserue who is hee that is said heere to haue delivered the sicke from their destructions it is the Lord The greatnesse of the worke declareth plainly that it could bee no other then the Lord when Iohn and Peter went a fishing after Christs resurrection Christ appeared vnto them after they had toiled the whole night in vaine at last at Christs command they cast the nets Christ at the first they knew not but by the great draught of fishes they began to know him the disciple whom Jesus loved considering the draught said vnto Peter it is the Lord So may a man who hath beene delivered from his destructions easily know that none could deliver him but the LORD the text is plaine heere and hee delivered them from their destructions Heere is a lesson of the great power of God the angell of the covenant said well when he sawe Sarah laughing at the promise is any thing too hard for the Lord. Christ speaking of the hard entrie of rich men into God his kingdome compared it to the passing of a Camell thorow the eye of a needle this thereafter hee made more cleare saying with men it is impossible but not with God for with GOD all things are possible This great power heere appeareth in that when the sicke man is hard at the doores of death vpon the very brime of destruction yet the Lord by his infinit power delivereth him from his destructions The vse is this when ever we find our selues perplexed let vs haue recourse to him that is only able to helpe vs Who can deliver from destruction the abstract of ill but God who is salvation essentially that which is good yea goodnesse it selfe No man can deliver his friend from feare in the dayes of evill when the iniquities of his heeles shall compasse him about Though men were never so wealthy boasting them selues in the multitude of their riches none of them can by any meanes redeeme his brother nor gius to God a ransome for him All the gold of â—ndia is not able to deliver a man from his destructions no not to prolong his lyfe but an houre Hee only who gaâ—e the lyfe is able to preserue the lyfe He only who gaue the lyfe is able for to take away the lyfe vnto God the Lord alone belong the issues from
a place by me and thou shalt stand on a rock and it shall come to passe while my glory passeth by that I will put thee into the clift of a Rocke and will cover thee with my hand I will make all my goodnesse passe before thee and I will cover thee with my hand whiles I passe by After I will tak away mine hand and thou shalt see my backe parts but not my face Now as the Lord said so hee did he passed by and while he passed he made a Proclamation The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gratious long suffering and abundant in goodnesse and trueth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquitie transgression and sinne Behold how in the Lords comming to Moses mercy came before and after iudgement in the words following that will by no meanes cleare the guilty visiting the iniquitie of the Fathers vpon the Children The Lords sluggorne in his comming to Moses was mercifull and righteous first was Mercy and then Iustice this was the order of Davids Song I will said hee sing of Mercy and of Iudgment First of mercy then of Iudgement like Gods passing by Moses But here in my Text Gods order is inverted for there is first a song of Judgement and after of mercy what should be the cause of this This is as the Apostle calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multiformis â—lla sapientia Dei that is the manifold wisdome of God or the wisdome of God that is of many forms as there be diverse faces and formes of men so there be diverse hearts diverse dispositions some be thrown faced and some be thrown hearted with with the pure thou wilt shew thy selfe pure froward with the froward To one that is of a meeke disposition and of a gentle nature like Moses let the Pastour preach first of mercy as God came to Moses making all his goodnesse to goe before him But having to doe with fooles such as are into my Text it shall bee wisedome first to sing to them of Iudgement and thereafter of mercy Gods comming to Elias declared with what method he had to preach to that rebellious people with whom hee had to doe while hee was into the caue of Horeb the mount of God the Lord bade him come out and stand vpon the mount before the Lord and behold while God was comming to him there came from before him three mighty Messengers for to make awaye to the King of Glory The first Messenger was called the WIND A mighty strong winde rent the mountains and brake the rockes before the Lord but the Lord was not in the winde After the winde came another Poste called an EARTHQUAKE but the Lord was not in the earthquake After the Earthquak came yet one more furious called FIRE but the Lord was not in the fire After the fire came a still and foft voyce wherein was the Lord By this God teached Elias how he shuld teach that stiffnecked people how he should bring the Lord to them viz. that first he should preach Judgments whereby as by a wind the proud heartes like hie Mountaines might bee shaken and the harde hearts like rockes might be rent If that did not the turne let him yet threaten Iudgments like earthquaks which might mak all hearts to quak If that did not the turne that hee should preach Hell fire death and damnation against the Sonnes of men Now if men did tremble at the fire Gods will was that hee should preach with a soft and still voyce the mercyes of God the promises of the Gospell This order and Methode is plainely sette downe by Saint Iude Of some have compassion making a difference that is to some first preach mercy But others save with feare pulling them out of the fire there is a preaching of Iudgment To some preachers should bee as Barnabas sonnes of consolation to others they should bee as Iames and Iohn Boanerges duo fulmi na belli two sonnes of thunder Ill men like nettles must bee first gripped left they burne thee Gods naturall dealing with men is first to offer mercy vnto them if they will repent This was a Law of warre prescribed by God himselfe vnto his people when thou comest night vnto a City saith God to fight against it then proclaime peace vnto it But if it will not make peace with thee but will make warre against thee then thou shall be beseidge it As it was ordained by God in that warre so shuld it be practised in the Christian warrefare while Pastours come from God to a people they must first proclame peace vnto them But if they will not make peace then they must beseige them with the Cannons of Gods Judgements If Barnabas cannot winne the Citadell of mens hearts by consolations let James and Iohn Boanerges Sonnes of thunder besiege their hearts with the thunders of Gods Iudgements they must shoot downe the strong holdes of sin that every thought and imagination may bee taken and brought captive to the obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that preaching of Judgement is vnpleasant preaching to flesh and blood But heere is the command Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin vpon him Most men will heare onely the piping of mercy Songes of Loves but ditte their eares from the dinne of Judgements They like well of Barnabas with his consolations but cannot abide the thunders of Boanerges None so fain as fools would haue their head clapped fooles fedde on folly would bee fed in their follie Infelix Felix more vnhappy in deede than hee was happy in name could not heare Faul preach Pauls Text was of righteousnes of temperance and of Iudgement As he reasoned vpon the point of Iudgement Felix interrupted him crying vnto him in a feare God thy way for this time when I have a convenient season I will call for thee There bee many vnhappy like Felix sold vnder sinne like Ahab who could not heare Mecaiah Gods Prophet I hate him said Ahab for hee doeth not prophesie good concerning me but evill But who can speak good to him that doth euill and bee a Trumpeter of Trueth The word of God bee it of Iudgement or of Mercy should not bee concealed from them to whom it is ordained while a man is become a fool in his sinnes a Sermon of Iudgment is for him the faithfull Pastour must denounce against him what ever is in his Roll not keeping vp a word were it to call him a foole in his face This was Iobs great comfort in his distresse that he had not concealed the words of the holy one the office of teachers the Lords servants is to blowe the Trumpet and warne the people with alarmes They are compared to the hewers of wood I have hewed them by my Prophets saith the Lord
also he hath beene beaten with the drunkard and hath not felt it it is a sure token that he will yet to it againe Let all men learne heere in their afflictions to seeke out the cause of their trouble When the Philistims sawe them selues miserably plagued with a filthie and shamefull disease they tooke counsell how it might bee tryed wherefrom their affliction came They had the Arke of God a prisoner among them This was the summe of all the counsell Now therefore make a new cart and take two milk kine on which there hath come no yoke and tie the kine to the Cart and bring the calves home from them And take the Arke of the Lord and lay it vpon the cart and send it away that it may gee And see if it goeth vp by the way of his owne coast to Beth-Shemesh if that bee then he hath done vs this great evill but if not then wee shall know that it is not his hand that smote vs but a chance that happened vnto vs. There be many Christians in their afflictions worse then these Philistims though they see things more than two kine drawing a cart by his owne coast yet can not say that it is God that hath done it lesse can they tell that their sinnes haue beene the cause of it but such a thing fell foorth such a thing hath chanced to be it happened so vnto me such was my fortune This is Philistimes language worthy to be banished with buffets as Nehemiah buffeted the little children of the Israelites and pluckt off their haire when he heard them speaking the language of Ashdod It so happened Such was my chance It was my fortune is not Christian but Ashdodian language This is Gods question Wherefore is the living man sorrowfull This is also Gods answere Man suffereth for his sins They are worthy to be scourged and buffeted who while they are afflicted speake of fortun or chance Sathan in his words may teach many Christians to speake when he desired God to scourge Iob he said not God send him an hard weird an evill fortoun or God send him a sudden chance or ill must hee happen But Streach out thy hand touch all that hee hath And againe the second tyme Put furth thyne hand now and touch his bone and his flâ—sh The Magicians of Egypt called the plague the finger of God or Gods send What a shame then should this be for Christians to speake of fortune or chance or hap seeing the divell and his magicians can call afflictions the hand of God or the finger of God Let the lyars of Ephraim say they are not Ephramits but Shibboleth shal proue then to bee Ephramits Let the vngodly deny that they are wicked and giue thanks with the Pharisee that they are not lyke other men but by their very language incontinent yee shall know Some filthie words or bloody oathes for toun hap chance or such words will bewray them By their accent yee shall know that they are of Galile that is of this world Surely said one to Peter thou also art a Galilean and thy speach agreeth thereto The tongue betweene man and man is lyke an interpreter betweene two strangers The heart of every man is a stranger to every other man But out of the abundance of the heart the tongue speaketh bee it good bee it evill The words are the interpretation of the heart If Words beguile works dummy can not lie Againe in the doubling of the name of finne before affliction I obserue that God is loath to afflict till he bee provoked by transgressions by iniquities in the plural number that is againe and againe Till sinnes be multiplyed God scourgeth not the foole Gods wrath commeth not out vpon man till hee bee pressed with mens sinnes as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaues The doctrine then is this God is slowe and loath to come to stroakes till he be provoked againe and againe yea and againe also This is well set downe by the Prophet Amos who declaring Gods iudgments against divers peoples setteth downe first men sinning againe and againe once twise thrise yea foure tymes before that God began to afflict The first is Gaza Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Gaza and for four I will not turne away the punishment thereof The second is Tyrus Thus saith the Lord for three tarnsgressions of Tyrus and for four I will not turne away the punishment thereof The third is Edom Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Edom and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof The fourth is Ammon Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Ammon and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof The fifth is Moab Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Moab and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof The sixt is Judah Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Iudah and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof The seventh is Israel Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Israel and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof The eight is Britans Thus saith the Lord for thirtie transgressions of Britane and for fourtie I will not turne away the punishment thereof Our transgressions are thirtie for three fourtie for foure See how God delighteth to afflict One man sinneth and God forgiveth againe man sinneth and God forgiveth againe yet man sinneth and God forgiveth But at last when men multiplie their transgressions God punisheth saying I will not turne away the punishment thereof The vse is let men beware of doubling and tripling of sinnes If iniquities come after transgressions it is to be feared that God say for three transgressions and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof They are but fooles that say Let vs sinne that grace may abound Though while men sinne God seemes to them to bee inclosed vp into the heavens yet hee sees men into their sinnes Though he come to iudgement softly with foote of wooll when he is come he striketh with armes of yron The longer the stroake be in comming it commeth downe the sadder A sudden or hasty blowe is not of such force as a stroake fetcht from necke to heele Let no man therefore sooth him selfe vp in his sinnes thinking that there is nothing in God but mercie no not As hee is mercifull and gratious long suffering abundant in goodnesse and trueth Hee is also a righteous Lord a God of iustice who will in no wayes cleare the guiltie Bee what men will bee if they be fooles because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities they shall bee afflicted Otherwise where should bee the GOD of iustice Objection Heere some man may object that this seemeth not ever to
sickenesse to come before death that man being forewarned may stryue to bee fore-armed Behold how God stealeth not a dint vpon these fooles that are heere sicke God in justice might strike the sinner dead in an instant as if hee were an oxe felled with the housle of an axe If God should slay vs all vpon the sudden and as we say make vs even shoot to dead hee should be righteous and we should get shame and confusion of face But such is the mercy of God that often he forewarnes sinners making them to sicken by degrees first by taking away their appetite and thereafter by making them to abhorre all maner of meate then their hands become feeble and their knees waxe weake as water thus all their joye by litle and litle doth wither away After that they are thus warned God draweth them neere the doores of death This is Gods custome to send some forerunners to tell that the decree is coming foorth against sinners except that they gather them selues and search them selues for to prevent his judgements Hee sent vnto Ninive his Prophet to giue them a charge of fourtie dayes either to repent or to be destroyed Kings hornings get but commonly fixe dayes God gaue them fourtie dayes leasure to consider whether it was good or no to returne home againe to God After that God had sent vnto Jerusalem his Prophets both great and small for to receiue the fruits of his vineyard whom they abused Hee sent at last his owne Sonne saying They will reverence my Sonne but they killed him and cast him out of his owne vineyard as being the heire yet for all that God would not destroy them Thereafter hee sent the Apostles to preach to doe miracles amongst them yet for all that they would not repent After as Joseph their owne writer records they gote warning from God of their woe to come First a Comete before the destruction of Jerusalem was seene into the aire hauing the forme of a sword for all this they would not yet repent After that a voice was heard into the temple saying Let vs gee out of this place for all this they would not yet repent Last of all there was a certaine man that night and day ranne about the temple crying Voice from the cast and voice from the west voice from the four winds woe to the Citie and to the Temple As at last he was crying woe vnto me he was slaine by the cast of some stone and incontinent thereafter the temple was burnt and the Citie taken and destroyed What need J bring testimonies from forraine nations haue we not eyes to see what God hath done to Britan What cryed the famine vnto vs into this land when in the most glorious streets of this Kingdome it made the poore to fall flatlings to the ground What cryed the Pestilence that walketh in darkenesse while the best cities of this land were almost laid waste And now what cryeth the sword drawen our of the scabert Can we say but that we are well forewarned Though God should come this yeere and sweepe vs quite away none of vs can say that our God hath beene too hasty to take vengeance Such forewarnings by sickenesse by famine by pestilence by sword are given to sinners to let the world see that God is true in his oath viz. that as hee liueth hee taketh no delight into the death of sinners But because if GOD should giue to all such forewairnings the wicked world yea the best of vs would become secure Therefore the Lord often will take away both godly and vngodly into a moment that every man may be continuallie vpon his watch least hee should be taken away vpon the sudden and so dye without preparation while the Philistims were seeking to see Samson sport the house fell downe vpon them and they died into an instant While Nadab and Abihu brought in strange fire before the Lord the fire of God consumed them into a moment Fiftie men with their Captaine and againe other fiftie men with their Captaine that came to lay hands vpon Elias were consumed into an instant with fire from heaven All Iobs children were smothered at a feast The Aegyptians in their greatest rage against God his people were all drowned into a moment Ananias and Saphirah shot to dead while they were lyeing against GOD Lots wife in an instant was turned into a pillar of salt All these are set out in scripture to giue warning vnto sinners not to lippen to the last as if one Gods mercy at the last gaspe were enough for al their sinnes Not one of all these fore said persons gote once leasure for to say Lord haue mercy vpon mee What can thou tell O man but thou mayst die vnder the fall of an house with Samson the Philistims Jt may bee thou be burnt with a blast of powder as Nadab was with fire What if Satan get licence from God to raise a wind which shall smite the corners of the house whereby in an instant thou shall be overwhelmed The LORD may drown thee with the Aegyptians into the sea J knew a man in France fall downe dead as hee was washing his hands into the basen for to goe to dinner after the Communion I knew a man in Scotland who died at the dinner hauing the cuppe in his hand not feeling any sicknesse of before What doe all these cry vnto vs but that we ever be prepared Is not our lyfe a vapour a breath into our nostrils which departeth so soone as the Lord but saith Returne yee children of men The vse of this for great comfort to these that are afflicted with long diseases Yee that haue such sicke persons at home whose names are prayed for heere take home to them this comfort that they are much beholden to Gods mercies that proceedeth in such a maner with them whereby they may haue tyme to repent and recken with their God What if God had slaine them vpon an evill thought word or worke * It is a fearfull thing to goe directly from sin to judgement Well is the man that hath tyme to craue mercy from his Iudge Comfort your sicke with this let them see how they are beholden vnto God for his delays After that tell them what hath made them sicke The Physitians can discourse and tell diverse naturall causes But alas this is too sparingly told to the sicke that they suffer for their sinnes The Physitian will say the humour must first be purged but the Minister must say sinne must first bee purged Many never send for the minister till the physitian can doe no more This they will verifie vbi medicus desinit ibi Deus incipit where man leaveth off there God beginneth O foole God should be begun at in thy sicknesse Seeke first the minister the interpreter one of a thousand that he
while all naturall strength will faile his owne children yet Gods strength will not faile them My flesh and my heart faileth said David but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever What can make a man cry at his last gaspes but this strength of GOD in the heart This is a great mercy that while there is no force in nature to make a man but speake vnto man there shall be into his heart a spirituall force which shall make him cry vnto his God The wicked also when they drawe neere the doores of death will cry vnto the Lord that is they will gaspe gaze grinne glowre and grone yea powre out their roarings as waters And such is the great mercie of God that for plaine pittie he will grant vnto the wicked man his lyfe So hee pittied Ahab clothed with sackeclothe hauing nothing but the outward skinne of repentance Because the Lord sawe him rent his cloaths and put sackcloth vpon his flesh fast and lye in sackcloth hee said to Elijah Seest thou how Ahab humbleth him selfe before mee Therefore I will not bring the evill in his dayes See what God did to a wicked man but outwardly humbled Such is the mercie of our God that hardly can hee punish sinners in his justice As he did to Ahab so will hee doe to a wicked sicke foole when he heareth him groaning and seeth him gaping for lyfe lyke a hungry dogge gaping for a smush bone he will cast vnto him that bone of life and let him gnawe vpon it for a number of yeeres The wicked man loveth not God but looketh for health as a dogge will looke for a bone that hee seeth into a strangers hand as the dogges eye is ever vpon the bone and not vpon the stranger so is the wicked mans eye ever vpon his lyfe and not vpon God When the dogge hath gotten the bone he runneth to some corner and gnaweth vpon it and never regards any more the stranger that cast it to him even so the wicked man as it were gnaweth vpon a number of yeeres which God hath cast to him but after he hath once gotten that which hee glowred so meekill for he looketh no more vpon God The gift of naturall lyfe as J see is a gift both given to the godly and the wicked they will both come to the doores of death and God will bring them backe againe to lyfe But wouldst thou knowe whether or not thou hast gotten that gift in mercy or but for a greater judgement Trye whether or not thou amendeth thy bygone lyfe If thy loue be greater to God then of before If thou depends more vpon his providence then of before Jf thou walke more circumspectly and more carefully into thy calling then of before Jf thou make greater conscience of thy thoughts then of before thou did of thy words and workes If that bee well is thee The Lord in mercy hath added as vnto Hezekiah that tyme to thy dayes But if after thou hast made so many faire promises to God in thy sicknesse so many vowes to redeeme that evill spent tyme yet if after thou hast gotten health thou forget thy miserie and remember it as waters that passe away and so returne to thy old bayas againe to bee friends with thy old sinnes neglecting thy former vowes assure thy selfe that thy lyfe is prolonged but for a curse that thou may see the evill to come Though God spare the wicked for a space yet the day of vengeance is in his heart God is fully mynded to breake him vvith his tempest to make him perish like his owne dung for ever A vvicked man in his greatest glory is like Amalâ—cke of vvhom Balaam prophecied saying Amaleke was the first of nations but his latter end shall bee that hee perish for ever Many never vveepe for sinne till their soule is in hell Againe heere obserue to vvhom the sicke fooles are said to crye iâ— is to the Lord Then they cry vnto the Lord. Heere vvâ—e haue to learne to vvhom wee should cry in our trouble Jt is vnto the Lord. St. Augustine saith very well Nâ—n est quod fugias à Deo irato nisi ad Deum placatum there is no refuge from an angry God but vnto God being pacified whom haue I in Heaven but thee said David Cursed be the man saith Jeremie that trusteth in man and whose heart departeth from the Lord for hee shall bee like the heath in the wildernesse and shall not see when GOD commeth But blessed is the man that can say to God with Jeremie thou art my hope in the day of evill The vse let vs learne wisdome at these sicke fooles come to their witts againe In all our distresses let vs runne to the LORD Who is so powerfull to helpe as hee who is so mercifull to helpe as he It shall therefore be our best in the tyme of out prosperitie to make our acquaintance with him that in affliction wee may the more boldly goe and cry for his helpe * If God bee a stranger vnto vs wee will thinke shame to imploye him but if he be our friend wee shall finde that of Salomon to be true There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother Againe in that the afflicted are said heere to cry vnto the Lord but not vntill they bee so straited with sicknesse that there is no more appearance of lyfe J obserue the profite of affliction yea of sorest sicknesse It is a powerfull meanes for to chaise a man home to his God While the Mariners of the ship wherein Jonah was perceived the tempest arise they were busy in doing what men could doe they cast out the wares that were in the ship to lighten it of them but seeing that the sea wrought still and was more and more tempestuous they tooke them to their prayers Every man cryed vnto his God When their Gods could not answere they wakened sleeping Ionas who should haue beene the cock of the ship for to craw day vnto others him they exhorted to cry to try what his God could doe Arise said the poore pagan Call vpon thy God if so bee that hee will thinke vpon vs that wee perish not There was no crying vnto God into that ship vntill the ship was like to bee broken Jn the great distresse the pagans that knewe not God before seeing the perill boasted the Prophet to his prayers saying what meanest thou O sleeper Arise and call vpon thy God When there is no appearance of helpe from any creature then men are forced to runne to God So long as man can see a creature that can helpe him hee will runne to it as to his best refuge Jf hee be mynded to conquesse houses or lands hee will cry vnto his coffers Come out thousands of silver
Last of all in that these that are troubled crye to God J observe a comfort for these that crye in trouble when a man can once crye to God in his trouble it is a token that God shortly will deliver One that is pined with the stone gravell so long as hee but whineth for the difficultie hee hath in making water the Surgeon will not cut him but will say let him bee till hee crye from the time once hee beginneth to cry then is it time to cutt that once done he is delivered from his paine There is in man a stone harder than the Stone of the bladder viz. the stone of the heart The heart stone is of sinne the bladder Stone is but of sand Sinne gravell is a stone gravell for hardnesse there is no flint so hard as a hard heart As the Stone gravell is from sand one pickle ioyning to another till at last manie pickles beeing knit together in a lumpe become a confirmed stone even so the heart gravell is from one sinne joyned to another till they be in an huge number together like a cluster At last in length of time by custome they harden together from thence is the confirmed stone of the heart So long as this stone is not very painefull in affliction but onely maketh the sinner to whine the Lord will let that sinner suffer still for a space hee will delay his cure but if once the paine bee so that it cause the sinner to cry God that most cunning Surgeon will cut out the cause of his cry Behold the trueth of this into my text Then they cry vnto the Lord there is the cry and he delivereth them there is the cure The vse Let vs try our soules in trouble whither they cry or but whine if the soule but whine in afflictions it is a token that deliverance is yet far off but if the soule once begin to crye God is ready to deliver By our prayer to God we shall know the mind of our God in our troubles the working of our afflictions In this crying to God there is a great difference the wicked cryeth more for his sore than his sinne the godly man cryeth more for his sin than his sore So to doe is not the practise of a prentise The Lord teach vs both how wee should cry to our God and wherfore chiefly we should cry To God bee glorye for ever Amen A SHORT MEDITATION against mans securitie in life AS intensive colde in time of frost maketh water to congeale and bindeth all vp so that the earth is neither fit for plowing or sowing so into the hearts of manie there is a frost yea a lying frost so that the fallow ground of their heartes cannot bee riven vp An excessive cold at Gods service stayeth the pleugh of Gods â—grace Yee all woulde thinke it an vncouth thing to see pleughsly in frost in the moneth of May and yet more into August The yeere is but of the age of twelve monethes Maye is but the youth thereof and yet if in that moneth there should bee no appearance of fruites what would you thinke of such a yeere And yet alas many of vs who have past the June yea the August of our age are as yet frozen in the dregges of our sinnes as though the beames of Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse had never shined vpon our soules What is this that wee cannot remember our mortalitie * One sythe cutteth down both Prince and people How manie Kings of this land are dead and but one alive The rest are gone for to give account how they have swayed the scepter when they sustained the person of God All the glorie of the greatest except they bee godly shall perish like the snuffe of a candle that is trodde vnder-foote Let vs therefore so live to die that wee maye die to live If wee digge not the Myne we shall never find the treasure If wee could lay this to our heart wee should bee swifter than Hazael in running to our God THE SICKE MANS SALVE THE THIRD SERMON Psal. 107. v. 19. Then they cry vnto the Lorde in their trouble hee saved them out of their distresses V. 20. Hee sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions IN my former Sermon it hath beene declared what the sicke fooles did while they were neere the doores of death it is saide Then they cryed vnto the Lord Jn this Sermon wee shall heare Gods part It is in these words â—ee saved them out of their distresses hee sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions The division of these words Jn these wordes I see two things first God after hee hath heard afflicted sinners saveth them and delivereth them out of their distresse secondly it is set downe by what meanes hee delivered these sicke persons in these wordes hee sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their graves or destructions As for that it is saide in the first part of my dâ—yes Text that God saved these sicke out of their distresses J observe the great mercie of God there is no sinne or sicknesse I see so great but if the sicke sinner can crye to him God hath mercie for him as it is of sicknesse so of all other affliction If man can crye vnto God God is readie to send succour This Moses declared well vnto Jsrael The Lord said hee shall scatter you among the nations and yee shall bee left few in number and there yee shall serve gods the workes of mens handes wood and stone which neither heare nor see nor eate nor smell there is Gods iudgment against mans sin But shall the LORDS arme bee stretched out still Will not God bee any more mercifull heare what is subioyned But if from thence thou shalt seeke the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if thou seeke him with all thy heart and with all thy soule Manie a time had the sicke fooles of my text offended his Majestie yet here is mercie they cryed and hee saved God sometimes indeed while hee hath beene often provoked by the sinnes of men after diverse deliverances will seeme to bee more hard to bee intreated that men maye beware to be relapses from such he will hide his face for a space Verily said Jsaiah thou art a God that hideth thy self O God of Israel the Saviour hee may hide himself for a litle but not long While hee heareth the heart-cryes of his creature hee is forced to draw the curtaine and shew himselfe vnto it He that forbade man to hide himself from his owne flesh can not long deny himselfe to a sicke sinner crying in his distresse Of this we have a notable speach in the Psalme I sought the Lord and hee heard mee delivered mee from all my feares
their desire they haue not so much as a shewe in praising Praise is a sorte of godlinesse whereof the wicked haue not so much as a shew Pharaoh could cry for helpe in tyme of plagues but after nyne severall deliverances I never read that he said once God bee thanked Many while they are sicke will giue GOD many faire wordes which scripture calleth to flatter with their lips but all that forme of devotion is nothing but a wyle for to winne out of GOD his hands This is cleare for so soone as once they are free of their trouble at once they grieue the spirit of grace yea often they become worse lyke that man that was but for a space delivered from that divell which was but gone out for to bring in other seven worse then him selfe for to make his partie the stronger Let those that after so many mercies giue libertie to their lusts consider well how the deceit of spirit over-reacheth them let such weigh well in the ballance of the sanctuary whether or not they haue praised the LORD for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull workes toward them Heere some men will say what is this that is required in praising the Lord Is it not enough for to say with our mouth the Lord bee thanked What would the LORD haue more J answere to that GOD must haue more My sonne saith he giue mee thy heart God indeed must bee praised with the tongue for which cause it is called our glory Awake my glory said the Psalmist vnto his tongue God also must be praised with the heart without which all the praise of the mouth is but a pranke the sacrifice of fooles This people draw neere mee with their mouth but their hearts are farre from mee said the Lord. A neere mouth with a heart a farre off is an abomination to the LORD Those who in singing Psalmes are ledde away more by sound than by sense respect the musicke more than matter Such sing to man but not to GOD GOD his praises must be sung both with heart and tongue Heere is a reproach for those who in the congregation joyne not their voyces with others for to praise the Lord for his goodnesse but sit as if they were dumb The booke is too deare for singing of GOD his praise O what secreet atheisme â—urketh into the hearts of men Jf men thought that the LORD should bee praised for his goodnesse and that God were present in the congregation of his Saints they durst not come in before him without the booke of the Psalmes Wee often forget our booke because wee forget that God is in his Church but who forgetteth to put his hat on his head while hee cometh to the Church Who forgetteth his clothes No man because before hee goeth forth hee remembereth that man will see him by the way The wine aile will command many to speak who are dumb at the service of their God Many never want words but when they should praise the Lord for his goodnesse Filthy ballads and loue songs are vaine mens delight but OH that men would praise the LORD for his goodnesse c. It is not enough that men praise the LORD with their heart and tongue but also they must praise him with their lyfe the true tryall of the other two After that the Psalmist had said that he would praise God that had chastned him sore but had kept him from death hee cryed Open to mee the gates of righteousnesse I will goe into them and praise the Lord. To goe into the gates of righteousnesse is to lead a good lyfe such only are fit for to praise the Lord. As for those that praise not God in lyfe while they are holy in words they are but monstrous persons all mouthes and tongues and voices without hearts to thinke well without hands to doe well When the forâ—orne foole come to his wits againe hee said not only I will returne to my father but hee did as hee said The sluggard is ever in feare of lyons The imagination of a beast in the way hindâ—eth him from doeing The Pharisees could say well but because their workes belyed their words Christ called them painted tombes or whited sepulchres Many would content the Lord with a part of his service Some lyke the Pharisee will paint the outward profession but hold backe their heart from GOD Others lyke Nâ—aman will bowe into the house of â—immon but keepe their heart as they imagine vnto God But O fooles God will not lyke the pretended mother haue his service divided God that made all must haue all Seeing hee hath made the heart as well as the hand he must haue both our thoughts and our actions for to praise him The whole man that is a continuall receiver is litle enough for to set forth the glory of the giver Doe not the favors of GOD follow the whole lyfe of man Why then should not his whole lyfe bee framed for to expresse his thankfulnesse Well is the man whose tongue heart and hand can sing to GOD with Jeremie thou art my praise Againe in those words Oh that men would praise the Lord I obserue the fervent zeale of the godly for not only praise they God but they are grieved when men whom God hath blessed with wealth or health are slow to praise the Lord for his goodnesse This word OH heere vox dolentis a word of mourning is an evident demonstration of sorrow In my judgement true zeale is not better known then in sorrowe for the offence of God The vse let every man try himselfe whether hee bee a godly man or not If true godlinesse be in thy heart thou shalt bee grieved to see GOD offended thou shalt striue to keepe thy brother from sinne This was the cursed man his language am I my brothers keeper When ever wee see God dishonoured or deprived of his praise wee must mourne for that sinne Well is that soule that can cry Oh for GOD his dishonour Woe to him that rejoyceth while God is offended Many thinke the vices of others commendations of their vertues If they stand while others fall either into whoredome or drunkennesse they haue a ceâ—taine joy of such filthy fals which they take to be praisers of their sobrietie and chastitie But Oh is not the Lord offended by such sinnes Js not the profession ill spoken of Js not every sinne a scandale Is not every scandale a woe woe to the world for scandals Woe to him that is not sory for sinne whether it bee in him selfe or in others seeing that God thereby is dishonoured J will tell thee O man if thou cry not Oh for GOD his dishonour God shall cause thee cry