best for us to pay our Vows Deut. 23.21 Eccl. 5.4 5. we are perjur'd persons truce-breakers if we do not Defer not to put into action what God's Spirit in sickness put into intention Do as David did when he was brought low God helped him Psal 116.6 God delivered his soul from death v. 8. See his resolution v. 9. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living He devoted himself to God's Service v. 16. Truly O Lord I am thy Servant I am thy Servant And he likewise resolved to pay his Vows v. 14. so v. 18. so likewise Psal 66.13 14. I will go into thine house with burnt-offerings I will pay thee my Vows which my lips have uttered and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble Let health strength life soul and body the products of Gods mercy be presented to his service Rom. 12.1 I end this with that advice which Christ gave to one whom he cured John 5.14 Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee 3. Apply your selves to God in future straits pray unto him trust in him Thus did David Psal 116.2 Because he hath enclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live So v. 17. I will call upon the Name of the Lord. So Ps 56.3 What time I am afraid I will put my trust in thee for v. 13. Thou hast delivered my soul from death So Ps 63.7 Thou hast been my help therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoyce See 1 Sam. 17.37 so 2 Cor. 1.9 10. We had the sentence of death saith the Apostle in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raised the dead who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us It is good Scripture-logick as * Mr. Reyners Praecepts p. 266. one saith to draw conclusions of confidence from premises of experience Such then whom God hath restored to health when God casts them again into the Prison of a sick-bed let them be still Prisoners of Hope as the expression is Zach. 9.12 Suffer not Faith to flag and Hope to hang wing Lam. 3.26 It is good that a man should both hope and patiently wait for the salvation of the Lord. 4. Sympathize with others that are in misery If God have had mercy on thee go thou and have mercy on others Be not straitned in your bowels as some in the Church of Corinth were 2 Cor. 6.12 Oh pity and pray for such as are in sickness and misery and do them all offices of love and kindness that may be Not only God calls for this but the Law of friendship calls for it Job 6.14 To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend But yet Job's friends dealt very unfriendly with him as you may see v. 15. whom he compares to a Brook which in open weather when people have least need of water promiseth refreshment but in cold weather is frozen up and in hot weather is become dry so that the weary Travellers fall short of their expectation So you may find him complaining how he was forsaken of all Relations Job 19.2 c. insomuch that he begs their pity upon the account of friendship v. 21. Have pity upon me have pity upon me O ye my Friends for the hand of God hath touched me here is another Argument for if you touch or strike upon the string of an Instrument other strings move too When God strikes another with sickness we our selves should be moved with compassion towards them the sicknesses and miseries of others call for your help Jos 10.6 Acts 16.9 As the Father said of Lazarus's sores Quot ulcera tot ora so many sores so many mouths calling for the rich mans help Yea though they be their enemies you should pity them as David did Psal 35.11 12 13 14. Though compassion begin at the heart yet it should proceed to the hand and mouth help them with your counsels and prayers and purses too Sic mens per compassionem doleat ut larga manus affectum doloris ostendat What the good Samaritan did Luk. 10.30 c. By which passage our Saviour would teach us to have pity on those whether friends or enemies acquaintance or strangers that stand in need of our help v. 37. Go thou and do likewise The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies Alms comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies Pity Alms should be a fruit of pity 1 Joh. 3.17 If you who have known what it is to lie under sickness do not pity such folk who should if you do not who will 5. Lastly Give God the sole praise of all let him have the glory of the cure for to him it belongs and it is a piece of sacriledge to rob God of his due We should not give nor should any man take to himself the glory of a cure Neither Peter nor John Act. 3.12 Paul nor Barnabas Act. 14.11 c. durst take to themselves the glory of a cure Every Physitian should say as the King of Israel in another case said to the Woman crying out to him for help 2 King 6.26 27. If the Lord do not help thee whence shall I help thee The best Physitians can do nothing without Gods assistance Simples are but simple things without the blessing of God upon them Who put medicinal qualities into Drugs but the God of Nature Whence had the Physitian his skill to find out the quality of the Distemper and apply sutable means but from the God of Wisdom Jam. 1.5 Christ said Mat. 4.4 Man lives not by bread alone c. Nor is man recovered by Physick alone without Gods blessing Ps 107.18 19 20. Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat and they draw near to the gates of death then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble he saveth them out of their distress he sent his Word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions It follows v. 21. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men Quest But may we not thank our Physitian Answ Yes and you are too blame if you do not Ingratitude is an odious sin Gen. 40.23 compared with Gen. 41.9 It is one of the sins that makes the last times so perillous 2 Tim. 3.2 The Heathen thought you could not give a man a more odious title then to call him ungrateful Ingratum si dixeris omnia as though it was a compendium of all vices and indeed it is a decompounded sin Ahasuerus was too blame to forget loyal-hearted Mordecai so long who had been a means to save his life till it was almost too late to remember him He was to be commended for conferring civil dignities upon him afterwards as you read he did Esth 6. Let such as are unthankful to Physitians and to such as are a means to save their lives from destruction go to School to those Barbarians Acts 28.8 9 10. from whom they may learn lessons of Civility They honoured Saint Paul who healed many amongst them of many Diseases with many honours and when he with the rest of his company departed they laded them with such things as were necessary Well then you may and ought to thank them as Instruments but remember that God is the supream efficient They are to be rewarded and respected for their pains and care with us but God alone is to be praised for the Cure wrought upon us God is the Fountain they are but as Pipes to convey God's mercies to us Let us then give God the praise of all as the Angels sung Gloria in Excelsis Glory be to God on high Luk. 2.14 And as Christ hath taught us Mat. 6.13 For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever Amen That Woman in the Gospel cured of the Distemper called by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glorified God as you may read Luke 13.13 There were ten Lepers that lift up their voices and said Jesus Master have mercy on us Luk. 17.13 Yet being cleansed there was but one of them that turned back and with a loud voice glorified God vers 15. But Christ took notice of their ingratitude v. 17 18. There was but one of ten that returned to give thanks 'T is ten to one if God cure us but we prove ungrateful Oh let us not in sickness pray for mercy and in health forget to return thanks for the receit of mercy Non sonet illud tantum miserere Deus sed sonet etiam laus gratianum actio pro accepta illius misericordia Muscul in Phil. 2.27 David was much in praising God for delivering him from deadly dangers as the Psalms testifie Psal 30.1 3 4. 86.12 13. 103.3 104.33 116.6 12 17. 118.14 146. v. 1 2. So Hezekiah being recovered pens a Song of Thanksgiving Isa 38.9 c. Oh my beloved extraordinary mercies call for more then ordinary thanks Exod. 12.42 Communicate your experiences Psalm 66.16 Tell others of the cures God hath wrought Joh. 5.15 Mar. 5.19 The tongue is called our glory Psal 16.9 Let your glory sing praise to God and not be silent Psal 30.12 Wherein is your tongue a glory if not in setting forth the glory of God I end all with that Doxology of the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.17 Now unto the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the only wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS
the young men the Kings Sons for Amnon onely is dead Now therefore let not my Lord the King take the thing to his heart 2 Sam. 13.31 32 33. If God hath taken away but one relation at a time let us not lay it to heart to grieve excessively seeing he continues to us several other Relations whom he for our sins might justly have deprived us of Besides God might have taken away our health wealth yea life it self and sent us to Hell It is of the Lords mercys that we are not consumed because his compassio is fail not They are new every morning great is thy faithfulness Lam. 3.22 23. Look round about thee and thou canst not chuse but see many precious mercies that thou still enjoyest And thou shouldst be thankful for what thou hast rather than repine at what thou hast lost Lot had most of his goods which he had not time to remove and his Sons in Law consumed in a fearful fire from Heaven and his Wise turned into a pillar of Salt before his eyes a fearful spectacle as you may read Gen. 19. Yet he counted it notwithstanding his great losses a great mercy that he had his life spared Vers 19. Behold now thy servant hath found grace in thy sight and thou hast magnified thy mercy which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my Life And Job whose case as to outward losses was far worse than thine thought himself bound by the good to endure the bad Job 2.10 What Shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil It was a fearful miscarriage in Rachel who under the want of Children cryed out to her Husband Gen. 30.1 Give me children or else I die She had no desire to live or she would die of discontent and grief under the want of Children It was a great weakness in Jacob that having so many Children left and living in so great honour and plenty yet took the supposed death of his Son Joseph so impatiently that he refuseth to be comforted Gen. 37.34 35. resolving to go to the grave mourning And no less excusable was Jonah who having his Gourd smitten grows wonderfully impatient Jonah 4.8 9. Whereas he might have thankfully reflected upon his late deliverance out of the Whales-belly Shall the want of one thing that we prize deprive us of the comfort we should take in the rest we do enjoy Shall great mercies sink to the bottom and be buried in Oblivion and light miseries swim on the top and be always thought on with repining grief God forbid If man do us but a small courtesie we usually are thankful but if God load us as he daily doth with his benefits Psal 68.19 we make light of that load and forget him What ado we make with a little misery and how little we make of much mercy A little misery afflicts us much and much mercy affects us but a little God help us I have read somewhere of Alcibiades an heathen that being told of one that had stolen half his Plate said chearfully I have cause rather to be thankful that he hath stolen no more than be troubled that he hath took so much A shame it is for Christians to think so much of what they have lost as quite to forget the mercies they do enjoy To such we may apply that speech of Absalom to Hushai Is this your kindness to your friend 2 Sam. 16.17 Or as it is Deut. 32 5 6. Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise c. To end this our condition here on earth is checker wrought and like the Pillar of the Cloud Exod. 14.20 It hath a light part as well as a black mercies we have as well as miseries Do not then stand alwayes poring on thy afflictions but likewise be pondering on thy mercies as the one will keep thee humble so the other thankful Consid 8 Eighthly Consider The invalidity of Weeping If we could shed rivers of tears and each tear were a Pearl yet it would not redeem our departed Friends from the Prison of the Grave If you could weep as one saith Aqua fortis Dr. Walker Funr Serm. on Luk 7 12 13 â— 14 â—â—râ—gia nulla retrorsum your tears would not dissolve the chains of death 2 Sam. 14.14 We must neeeds die and if once dead We are as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered up again Death is a strict door-keeper all that pass out that way the door is shut on them they shall never return viz to converse more with us in this world or to enjoy those worldly comforts they once had and by death have lost See Job 7.9 10. So Job 10.21 and 14.7 8 c. and 16.22 So Psal 39. last vers All our groans sighs sobs and pittiful out-cries cannot awaken them out of the sleep of Death They shall never awake tâ—ll â—hey be awakened by the shril noise of the 〈◊〉 Trâ—mp Me-thinks I hear God saying to those that weep immoderately at death of Friends as Judas did in another case Ad quid perditio haec Mat. 26.8 What needs all this waste Tears are a pretious water let them not be prodigally poured out and all to no purpose into your friends Grave reserve them for an ingredient into Prayer Repentance c. Let David be your Pattern in this He prayed for his Child while living He fasted and wept for said he Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me that the Child may live but now he is dead wherefore should I fast and thus afflict my self Can I bring him back again I shall go to him but he shall not return to me 2 Sam. 12.22 23. The Child being dead he wipes his eyes and rests contented Sen Consol ad Polib c. 23. Parcamus lachrymis nihil proficientibus And again saith Seneca Desinat dolor qui perit He would have us not weep immoderately at death of Friends because tears do not profit nor can recal the dead Consid 9 Ninthly consider The evil that comes by discontent and immoderate weeping 1. It is extreamly afflictive to a man A discontented man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a self-tormentor he erects his own cross Luke 21.19 In patience possess your souls So that by impatience we are dispossessed of our souls we are turned our of our understanding peace and comfort while Passion playes the Tyrant At such a time Reason and Judgment those superiour faculties of the soul are degraded and Fancy and Phrenzy step up in their room making a very Bealam within our own bosom It is called The yoak of affliction Lam. 3.27 Now you know fretting and vexing makes the yoke gaul and pinch the more An impatient person is an Hercules furens or like the man in the Gospel possessed with the Devil Mark 5.2 3. He wounds and vexeth himself none can bind him Nay as one observes he is worse than the Daemoniack there for he was among the
us thankfully acknowledge both spiritual and temporal Mercies to proceed from him as the Apostle speaks Eph. 5.20 Giving thanks alwayes for all things unto God and the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 5.18 In every thing give thanks for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you Adam had he continued in Paradise should have sung praise unto God And the Saints now in Heaven as so many blessed Quiristers are continually chanting forth Divine Anthems of praise Rev. 4.10 11. And Dr. Sibs saith They that begin not Heaven upon Earth shall never go to Heaven when taken from the Earth Let us then bear a part here in singing praises to God which is a pleasant and comely duty Psal 147.1 if we would hereafter have admittance into the Coelestial Quire to sing forth perpetual Hallelujahs Future happiness is called Glorification John 13.32 And he that gives not glory unto God here shall not hereafter be glorified by God Let us then be much in thanksgiving for as God saith Psal 50.23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his conversaition aright will I shew the Salvation of God 10. And lastly to name no more There was in Christ Heavenly-mindedness He lived on Earth as if he had been still in Heaven The gaudy vanities of this World were too pittiful a lure for him to be taken with So Heavenly-minded he was that he extracted many spiritual contemplations instructions from all sorts of earthly objects occasions that were before him Upon the sight of Jacob's Well he preacheth to the Woman of Samaria concerning the Living-Water John 4.10 By which Theophilact understands as we are told 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Grace of the Holy Spirit which refresheth the weary Soul even to life eternal vers 14. So when he had wrought the Miracle in feeding five thousand with five Loaves and two Fishes he teacheth them that sought after him that they should not labour for that Meat that perisheth but for that Meat which endureth to everlasting life John 6.27 And after tells them He was the Bread of Life vers 32.33 so John 15.1 passing through or by some Vineyard he tells them That he was the True Vine and his Father the Husband-man It was Christ's usual manner upon the sight of things temporal to raise Spiritual and Heavenly Meditations Let us play the Divine Chymists and extract Spiritual Instructions and Heavenly Meditations from Worldly Occurrences The Moralist could say Senec. Praefat. in Natural Quest Quà m contempta res est homo si non supra humana se exercuerit What a dung-hill wretch is Man if he mind only earthly things The Apostle tells you The end of such is destruction Nos ut Coelorum cives nos-met gerimus Beza Phil. 3.19 but saith he vers 20. Our conversation is in Heaven Christians are ad majora nati born to look after greater things than the World affords Let us then as we are commanded Col. 3.2 set our affections upon or according to * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. let us savour and mind the things that are above and not the things upon earth Let not the Heaven-born Soul be imprisoned in an earthly body See Dr. Boreman's Serm. on Phil. 3.20 or be chained in Fetters of earthly cares but let it be dilated in its ardent desires after Heaven and Heavenly Objects These and the like vertues which appeared in the Life of Christ must appear in our lives and conversations else we cannot be saved 1 John 2.6 He that saith he abides in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked Christ was full of Grace John 1.14 and true Christians that are in Christ not only in regard of outward profession but likewise in respect of saving union they partake of his fulness vers 16. All God's Elect are conformed to the Image of his Son Rom. 8.29 1 Cor. 11.1 The Oyl poured on Aaron's Head ran down upon his Beard and went down to the Skirts of his Garments Psal 133.2 by which was signified That the very same Oyl of Grace that was poured on the Head Christ Jesus is thence derived unto all even the meanest of his Members As Jacob was blessed by his Father Isaac in the goodly Raiment of his Elder Brother Gen. 27.15 27 compared So must we have on the Spiritual Garment of Christ's Vertues who is our Elder Brother if we expect the Blessing of our Heavenly Father These and the like Vertues are called Glory because they undoubtedly lead to Glory 2 Cor. 3.18 View then Christ's Image in the Glass of the Gospel and labour to be transformed into that Image Put on therefore as the Elect of God Holy and Beloved bowels of mercy kindness humbleness of mind long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another c. Col. 3.12 13. And as St. Peter speaks 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 10 compared Giving all diligence add to your Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly-kindness and to Brotherly-kindness Charity for if ye do these things ye shall never fall And thus much for the fifth Direction 6. And lastly Preparation for Death consists in Believing 6th last Direction Fidendo This though◠mentioned last is not the least but chief Direction see John 3.14 15 16 18 36. To this Paul directed the trembling Jaylor Acts 16.31 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Acts 10.43 To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Christ is the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23.6 He is the Way the Truth and the Life as he tells Thomas John 14.6 He is the true way to Eternal Life Qui aliter vadit cadit He that thinks to go to Heaven any other way will fall short of it For there is none other Name given among men whereby we must be saved Acts 4.12 See for farther proof of this Gal. 2.20 3.11 1 Pet. 1.5 9. 1 John 5.13 Those Worthies mentioned Heb. 11. died in the Faith St. Paul would not be found at the Day of Judgment in the most righteous Work that ever he did Phil. 3.8 9. Nay Bellarmine himself after a long Discourse concerning the merit of Works he overturns all in his last conclusion Propter incertitudinem propriae justitiae periculum inanis gloriae tutissimum est fiduciam totam insolâ Dei misericordiâ reponere He thought it the safest way to put his whole trust in the mercy of God alone Works must needs be a Sandy Foundation to build hopes of Eternal Life upon For our best Works are imperfect they flow from a foul Fountain for there is no mind so illuminated but there is some darkness in it See Bp. Andrew's Serm. on Jer. 23.6 no Heart so sanctified but there is some uncleanness in it and
place Psalm 68.20 He that is our God is the God of Salvation and to God the Lord belongs the issues from death This God whom the Righteous are related to and have an interest in can help in greatest straits and send in deliverance when they are nigh unto death and stand in most need of help That God that kept Moses's Bush burning yet it was not consumed Exod. 3.2 and preserved Noah's Ark upon the Waters from perishing in the Waters This God can preserve his People under sickness and their saddest tryals and in his due time give them an happy issue out of all afflictions See what the Psalmist saith Psal 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart or according to Orig. The Rock of my heart or according to Septuag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The God of mine heart and my portion for ever When the Godly Man's flesh fails health declines strength is weakned then is God ready to support him under sickness and to ease him of his pains either by restoring him to health or by taking him out of the miseries of this sinful World by death So that if we belong to God as Bullinger Bulling in phil 2.27 saith Optimè nobiscum agitur sive revalescamus sive moriamur it will go well with us whether we live or die 2. This Consideration affords comfort not only to believers ' midst personal sickness but likewise to God's Church ' midst national calamities Though Church and State lie as it were bed-rid languishing unto Death under Schism and Division Sin and Errour and other national Calamities Yet let us not despair of help for he that cured Epaphroditus here who was sick nigh unto death can help us even in this extremity See Ezek. 37.11 12 13. God like a skilful Bone-setter or Chyrurgeon can bind up the breach of his People and heal the stroak of their Wound as the expression is Isa 30.26 God hath promised to heal in case we return unto him by prayer and unfeigned repentance Isa 19.22 so Jer. 33.6 None indeed can heal us but he Hos 5.13 All others except God be of the Quorum are Physitians of no value Let us then as it is Hos 6.1 Come and return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up Una eademque manus vulnus opemque feret 3. This consideration may afford comfort to such as are spiritually sick and in their apprehensions nigh unto eternal death and destruction That God that raised Epaphroditus who was deadly sick in body can cure thy Soul mortally wounded with sin Let such as are wounded in conscience consider this Though your wounds have been grievous and of a long standing yet they exceed not the skill and power of God the spiritual Physitian God can yea and will cure you if you turn to him and relie upon him Take my word for it Nay it is not only mine but God's Word or I should be loth to speak it in this place See Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way Ezek. 18.27 and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon So Matth. 11.28 Come unto me saith Christ all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Come to Christ and wellcome he keeps open house to all comers 4. And lastly Gods dear People that by their sinning have blurred their evidences for Heaven and fallen from some degrees of Grace and Spiritual Comfort as David did Psal 51.8 12. Let them not despair of recovery That God that restored Epaphroditus's sick body to its pristine health Ps 147.3 can restore thy soul to spiritual health peace and comfort Thus he dealt by David Psal 23.3 He restoreth my soul He is the Creator of Peace and Comfort Isa 45.7 so Isa 57.17 18 19. and hath promised in his due time to speak peace unto his People and to his Saints but let them not turn again to folly Psal 85.8 I end this with that of the Evangelical Prophet Isa 50.10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light a Child of light it seems may walk in darkness i. e. have little or no comfort for the present yet let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Let him still wait on God prayingly believingly obediently c. in God's due time which is ever best comfort will come And so much for this Use by way of comfort Vse 2 2. By way of instruction We learn if God cure the body of sickness as he did Epaphroditus here surely it is he that cures the Soul of sin which is a far harder work God upon the account of Christ who as at this time came into the World to undertake for us heals our souls of sin by applying Christs perfect Righteousness to the soul he removes the guilt and by his blessed Spirit implanting in the soul the Seeds of Divine Grace he heals it of the filth of sin Psal 103.3 Who pardoneth all thine Iniquities who healeth all thy Diseases God alone that cures the body of its distempers heals the soul of its spiritual maladies The Scribes and Pharisees acknowledged as much Luke 5.21 The Pope cannot pardon sins The Ministers of the Church of England absolve no otherwise then declarativè as the Embassadors of Christ God doth it autoritativè the authority is wholly his We do but pronounce the Pardon which before we speak is really done in Heaven to sincere Penitents Vse 3 and last 3. And lastly By way of Exhortation 1. To all in general Let us be exhorted to go to God for help in time of sickness It was he that cured Epaphroditus when sick nigh unto death Too too blame are they who in sickness and such like straits consult Astrologers Witches Devils and I know not whom for help It was an inexcusable sin in Ahaziah King of Israel who in his sickness sought to Baalzebub the Godd of Ekron for recovery of his health and for so doing God threatned him and accordingly brought it to pass that he should not come down from his sick-bed but should surely die Read the passage in 2 King 1.2 c. What good got Saul by consulting the Witch of Endor Surely the Wounds of God are rather to be chosen than the Devils Plaisters Indeed their best cures are deadly wounds For if the mortal body should be restored by such unlawful means yet the immortal soul which is the far better part is thereby much endangered Habes hoc loco qui omnes depollit morbos Bul in Phil. 2.27 O do not go about indirectly to wind your selves out of trouble you have a God to repair unto who can help at all straits and at every turn your head cannot ake
yearning in his bowels with bitter grief that he should be the cause of bringing this destruction upon his dearly beloved People So should we when our sins have been a cause to hasten the death of our dear Friend confess them unto God be deeply humbled for them and pray heartily for pardon thereof And then Thirdly and lastly Let us be careful to avoid these sins for the future This God expects Job 36.9 10. He shews them who are holden in the Cords of Affliction their work and their transgressions that they have exceeded he openeth also their ear to discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity This the Church hath practised in times of great distress Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our wayes and turn again unto the Lord. Oh! how should our hearts rise against such sins as rob us of our dear Friends If any mortal man had murdered our Father or Mother Son or Daughter Brother or Sister or any other near and dear Friend or Relation We would not endure that man but prosecute the Law on him to the uttermost and we would rejoyce to see justice done upon him Our hand would not spare our eye would not pitty him Oh then take an holy revenge upon your Lusts which have provoked God to take away such or such Relations let your hearts be transported with infinite indignation against them 2 Cor. 7.11 Say in the Language of Elihu Job 34.31 I have born chastisement I will not offend any more nor provoke God in this manner by my sins to take away my Friends Mortifie therefore your earthly members fornication uncleanness inordinate affection c. Coloss 3.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kill or make dead Pursue these sins with a deadly implacable hatred not only odio aversationis but inimicitiae Oh! let not your sins survive any longer but as they have killed your Friend so let them be buried with him in his Grave Use 4 4. Imitate deceased Friends in what is good There is no Friend so universally bad but there is something of good in him worth imitation some good might be distil'd from him if we put under the fire of Charity Who so deeply buried * Refined Courtier p. 58. saith a learned man under the rubbish of his own ruines that something of goodness may not be discerned by a charitable Surveyor We find David commending Saul in that Panegyrick or Funeral Oration mentioned 2 Sam. 1. Do not like the silly Sheep leaping off a Bridge follow one another in irregular wayes to your destruction Nequaquà m facere nos improbos improbitas debeat aliena Salv. Salv. de Gub. Dei lib. 7 p. 241. What you find in any materially good follow it but chiefly imitate your godly Friends Phil. 3.17 But in as much as they have their failings as pure Gold hath its dross and the purest Wheat its Chaff follow them so far onely as they follow Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 Make then your godly Parents your Paterns as * Mr. Dugard in Epist deâ—icat to his Sermon on Ps 89 48 Constantines Sons are said to resemble him to the life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Write after those good Copies which deceased Friends have set you Jerom having read the Life and Death of Hilarion who died Christianly as he lived Religiously Well said he Hilarion shall be the Champion whom I will follow Zeno Cilliaeus consulted with the Oracle how he might live well and he received this answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If he was of the same colour with the dead This he interpreted to mean That he should get and read all the antient Books that he could hear of and then steep and die his mind in those sacred Notions A * Mr. Patrick in his Serm on Psal 90.12 Reverend Divine saith of this Sentence what St. Paul did of Epimenides's Sentence Tit. 1.13 This testimony is true If you would live well Look as like to the dead in the Lord as ever you can and labour to turn your Souls into their shape As living Examples are to be followed so the dead are not to be forgotten Heb. 6.12 Be not slothful but followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises It is said of Abel Heb. 11.4 That being dead yet speaketh which as it may be understood of his blood calling for Vengeance Gen. 4.10 Heb. 12.24 So likewise of his example calling for our imitation Heb. 12.1 Well then was thy Friend a strict observer of the Sabbath a constant frequenter of the Ordinances a diligent reader of God's Word a faithful Instructer of his Children and Servants Was he a lover of good Ministers a reliever of good People a reprover of Vice an encourager of Vertue Was he much in praying laborious in his Calling Was he serviceable to his Neighbour faithful to his Friend a forgiver of his Enemies In a word Was he temperate meek patient peaceable humble honest heavenly-minded c If these and the like vertues were conspicuous in thy Friend Go thou and do likewise Luke 10.37 Though your Friend be dead and buried yet let his vertues live in your practice Use 5 5. Admire Gods goodness who as yet continues thee in the land of the Living Life is a mercy that we ought to bless God for Psal 66.8 9. O bless our God ye people and make the voice of his praise to be heard who holdeth our soul in life So Ps 103.1 2 3 4. The Psalmist there amongst other mercies blesseth God for healing his Diseases and redeeming his life from destruction Indeed God's delivering our Soul from Death is an effect of his bounty as ye may gather from Psal 116.7 8. It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed Lam. 3.22 For God to maintain that radical moisture that Oyl that feeds the Lamp and Light of thy Life is as * Mr. Goodwin on Rom. 2.4 5. one saith as great a miracle as the maintaining the Oil in the cruse of the poor famished Widow 1 Kings 17.16 When thou therefore hearest of the death of any Friend Neighbour or Relation consider with thy self it might have been thine own case thou art made of no better Mould then he was 'T is God only that preserveth the House of Clay from falling to the ground As thou accompaniest him to the Grave to pay the last office of Love consider thou mightest have been carried forth and others have accompanied thee Is it not a miracle of mercy that the Dart of Death should kill many round about thee and yet miss thee Conclude that the Hand of God guides it and it is his meer mercy that thou art yet spared When Lot as I told you before had his Wife turned into a Pillar of Salt and his Sons in Law swept away by a fearful showr of Fire and Brimstone he took it for a great favour that God had spared his life Gen. 19.19 Behold now thy Servant hath found grace in thy sight and
your selves living Creatures 2 Cor. 12.2 Dr. Hammond in Heb. 13.3 Natures Frame not being as yet dissolved you are in the same frail humane estate subject to all that befalls any man and therefore you should be affected towards them as though you personally shared in their sufferings Do not then Christians stand as Stoicks or stocks as unconcerned with others sicknesses and sorrows Put your selves as it were in their condition and do as you would be done by be as pitiful to them as you would have others be to you if you were in their case You know not how soon sickness may befall you and so you stand in like need of help If you stay at home sickness may steal upon you if you travel abroad it may pursue you as it did Epaphroditus who being far from home fell sick and his sickness was grievous for he was nigh unto death Epaphroditus's Recovery Second Sermon PHIL. 2.27 but God had mercy on him ON the last Lecture-day I made an entrance upon this Text and we spoke to Epaphroditus his sickness I shall this day God willing speak of his recovery which the Text clearly holds forth unto us In which I observe two parts which I intend to prosecute as time shall give leave 1. Epaphroditus's Physician and that was God 2. The Cure wrought by him Had mercy on him The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to pity or have mercy upon sō think it hath dependance upon the Hebrew Name of God Elohim because it is the property of God to shew mercy Now mercy in God may be thus defined Misericordia est quâ propensus est Deus ad succurrendum suis creaturis in aliquâ miseriâ constitutis iisque reipsâ succurrit Wendelin It is an attribute or property of God whereby he is inclined to help his creatures in misery and doth really help them So that Homo lapsus Man considered as a sinner and in misery is the object of it And as * In Psal 6.2 Musculus saith Misericordia Dei est unicum omnium afflictionum refugium The mercy of God is the onely refuge for afflicted persons to have recourse unto Epaphroditus this faithful Servant of the Lord did much partake of God's mercy God had been merciful to him with pardoning mercy sanctifying mercy and had he died God had crowned him with saving mercy he had been freed from Hell and enstated in everlasting happiness But the mercy my Text speaks of is temporal mercy God delivering him from the great pain and peril he was in by reason of sickness * Estius in locum Eripiens eum periculo sanitati restituens quod quidem beneficium misericordia vocatur quatenus est miseriae cujusdam remotio And Calvin Calvin in locum saith Exprimit morbi gravitatem ut clariús eniteret Dei bonitas in redditâ sanitate Paul first mentioned the grievousness of his sickness that the goodness and mercy of God might more perspicuously appear in his recovery Deus misertus est ejus i. e. misericorditer illum erepit Misericordiam Dei pro opere misericordiae Dei ponit saith Musculus Muscul in locum It was mercy then in God to preserve his life and restore him to health Hence I take up this point of Doctrine which being so clearly implyed must not be passed by without taking notice of viz. Doctr. That Life and Health are Mercies David in sickness prayed to God for health Psal 6.2 Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak * Muscul in Ps 6.2 Ergo sentit miserum esse morbo confici O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed Est itaque sanum esse pars faelicitatis ac pro dono Dei habendum Muscul And Ps 103.3 4. we find David there looked upon Gods healing his bodily diseases and redeeming his life from destruction to be a mercy as well as pardoning his sin Job though sometimes under the raging heat and fury of his Distemper cursed the day of his birth and wished God would cut him off yet at other times when he was more himself he looked upon life as a mercy see Job 10.12 He there asserts his life to be an act of divine favour and the preserving his Spirit viz. from departing out of his body to be a fruit of divine providence which he calls a Visitation Jacob prized his life as you may gather from Gen. 32.11 c. fearing his Brother would take revenge on him as he threatned to do Gen. 27.41 he prayeth to God and useth lawful policy to save his life So Mordecai and Esther tender'd their lives and the lives of the Jews Esther 4.13 14. 7.3 Hezekiah wept sore when the Sentence went forth that he should die and not live Isa 38.1 2 3. And David cryed out Psal 102.24 O my God Musculus in Psal 102.24 take me not away in the midst of my dayes Naturale est agnatum omnibus ut dierum suorum plenitudinem consequi cupiant ideòque agrè in medio vitae cursu migrent ex hoc saeculo Muscul The Devil spake truly in that lyars sometimes may speak truth Job 2.4 Skin for Skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life Men will part with Money Cattels Land Liberty and what not to preserve life as they did Gen. 47. Yea men will part with some members to preserve life Immedicabile vulnus Ense recidendum est nè pars sincera trahatur I end this with that of the wise man Eccles 11.7 Truly the light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sun But some may object and say Object 1 If God send sickness for good ends to his People as for the preventing and purging out of sin and for the tryal and exercise of Christian Graces surely it was no mercy in God to deliver this good man Epaphroditus from it Answ Sickness in it self is a fruit of sin and so a judgement and curse it is a blessing onely to such as have a sanctified use of it It was sanctified indeed to Epaphroditus and so wrought for his good as Physick for the good of the Patient Heb. 12.10 but as it brought pain it was grievous and so his deliverance therefrom may be truly called a mercy Estius in Phil. 2.27 Quatenus est miseriae remotio as it removed his pain and rendered him more serviceable to the Church Object 2 But how can Epaphroditus 's Recovery here be called a Mercy when Death is far better than Life to Gods Children which made the Apostle himself in the former Chapter Phil. 1.23 desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which saith he is far better 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multo magis melius which may be thus rendred in English More better by much Had it not been far better for him to have been at the Haven of Rest than to be as it were by a cross wind kept back
and tost upon the Waves of a troublesome World Is not this World like a round Ball stuck full of Pins so that upon what part soever the Godly are cast they meet with trouble and misery According to that of our Saviour John 16.33 In the World ye shall have tribulation So that to have his life prolonged what was it but a prolongation of his misery and an adjournment of his happiness Tiberius Caesar said to one that requested death rather than long imprisonment Sueton. Nondum tecum redii in gratiam he told him He had not such a favour for him The like favour God here denies for the present to Epaphroditus and can this be truly call'd a Mercy Answ It cannot be denied but death is better than life to the Godly and rather to be chosen for it frees from sin sickness Satans temptations c. Yea it brings them to the happy vision and fruition of God to the society of blessed Saints and Angels and puts them into possession of everlasting happiness Calvin in Phil. 2.27 Longum esset enumerare omnia quae faciunt ut mors fidelibus potior sit vitâ optabilior Yet for all this as that learned Author saith Vita per se aestimata est praeclarum Dei beneficium praesertum qui Christo vivunt iis vitam lucro esse dicimus Life considered in it self is a choice mercy of God and advantagious to the Godly And to glorifie God in this bodily life is Non parva dignatio no little savour which God vouchsafeth to us so Calvin And Musculus Muscul in Phil. 2.27 saith Mors ipsa quatenus est peccati stipendium horribilis naturae in seipsâ considerata capax est misericordiae tà m corà m Deo quà m corà m hominibus Death as it is the wages of sin and terrible to nature is capable of mercy both before God and Man Besides as the same Author observes there were several circumstances which would have rendered his death in a sort miserable and no doubt did then trouble his mind Desolatio videlicet perturbatio Ecclesiae as the too much dejection of his people at the sad news of his death and the desolation that might follow upon it and withal the consideration that he could be no longer serviceable to them and to the Apostle in his bonds which he much desired Besides we may farther add that the continuance of a good mans life is a great blessing in this respect that the longer he lives the more good he doth and so his reward will be the greater 2 Cor. 9.6 He that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully There are degrees of glory as may be gathered from 1 Cor. 15.41 42. 1 Cor. 3.8 Secundum non propter opera The most gracious here shall be most glorious hereafter Those that do most for God here shall receive most from God hereafter So that had Epaphroditus died he had had his reward the sooner but living he makes it the greater For those of the longest standing and greatest proficiency in the School of Grace here shall take the greatest degrees of Glory hereafter I end this with the words of that truly pious and learned * Doctor Hammond in Phil. 1.22 Divine Life in it self and for the advantages of serving God and encreasing our Crown is a desirable thing Use and Application Vse 1 1. This may serve to confute or reprove the Manichees or any others that hold this present life in it self is evil Heming in Phil. 1.17 Manichei hanc praesentem vitam ut malum per se damnarunt Heming Surely God would never have made prolongation of life a motive to obedience as you find Deut. 6.2 30.16 c. so Prov. 3.16 4.10 22. 9.10 11. and elsewhere nor would the Apostle here have reckoned Epaphroditus's recovery amongst the mercies of God if this present life had been evil This is such a mercy we ought to bless God for Psal 66.8 9. O bless our God ye people and make the voice of his praise to be heard who holdeth our soul in life Muscul in Psal 103.3 4. Nè umbrâ quidem corporis nedum vivo ac sano corpore dignus est c. He is not worthy of the shadow and shape of a body much less of a living and healthful body that doth not look upon life and health as mercies Vse 2 2. This consideration should make us patient under afflictions that befal us So long as we have life and health we have no cause to complain as though God dealt hardly with us We read Gen. 19. that Lot had most of his Goods which he had not time to remove and his Sons in Law consumed in a fearful fire from Heaven and his Wife turned into a Pillar of Salt before his eyes a sad spectacle yet he counted it a mercy amidst manifold miseries that God had spared his life Vers 19. Behold now thy Servant hath found grace in thy sight and thou hast magnified thy mercy which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life It is a mercy thou hast thy health but if this be gone after loss of Goods and Children as in Job's case yet it is a mercy thy life is spared that thou art on this side the Grave and a sad eternity Lam. 3.22 23. It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not they are new every morning great is thy faithfulness Therefore as he adds vers 39. Wherefore doth a living man complain A living man hath cause to be thankful but none to murmur life and health being the choicest of outward mercies 3. and last Vse 3. And lastly Let us not if life and health be such choice mercies provoke God to deprive us of them Sin as I told you before is the procuring cause of sickness yea and of death too Rom. 5.12 so Rom. 6.23 Death both Temporal and Eternal is as due to sin as wages to him that earns them Temporal Death 't is true sooner or later will seize on us all yet many by sinning impair their health and shorten their dayes as these places shew Job 15.32 Psal 94.23 Prov. 10.27 Eccles 7.17 But more particularly I shall name several sins some of which in their own nature tend to impairing of health and shortening a mans dayes and others of them God hath threatned with destruction I pray you observe them and learn to avoid them as you love prolongation of health and life 1. Disobedience to Superiours See Exod. 20.12 This fiffh Commandement of honouring thy Father and Mother is said to be the first Commandement with promise Ephes 6.2 It is the first Commandement that hath this special promise annexed to it viz. Prolongation of dayes By Father and Mother we understand Political Ecclesiastical and Natural Parents Take heed then of an irreverent and disobedient carriage towards the King and those that are in authority under him You read Numb 16.
knowing Nihil est omnis Medicorum ars opera cura diligentia nisi Deus virtute suâ det sanandi efficaciam that the Prescriptions and diligence of best Physicians are of no worth and efficacy without God David thus praying unto God was healed by him Psal 30.2 3. O Lord my God I cryed unto thee and thou hast healed me So Psal 116.3 4 6 8. compared So Hezekiah by prayer unto God had his deadly sickness removed and life prolonged Isa 38.2 Hezekiah having received a message of death turned his face towards the Wall and prayed to the Lord. But why towards the Wall either because by this means he withdrew himself from company his eyes from such objects as might distract and disturb his devotions or as others say Because there was but one single Wall between the Bed of the Kings of Judea and the Altar of God See Caussin's Holy Court p. 1 Juxta parietum Templi Salomon extruxit palatium and they used to pray with their faces towards the Temple 1 King 8.35 48. Dan. 6.10 Psal 5.6 Hezekiah thus turning himself toward the Wall over against the Temple and praying fervently to God was healed as you may see vers 5. Prayer is that which God directs his People unto in sickness and such like straits Psal 50.15 Call upon me in time of trouble and I will deliver thee Job 33.26 He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable unto him So Jam. 5.13 Is any man afflicted let him pray Quest But if God send sickness and for good ends unto his Children is it not a sin in them to pray God to remove it and to heal their bodily Distempers Answ No All flesh naturally desires health and preservation of life And Grace in God's Children doth not abolish but rectifie Nature Deus hoc carni naturaliter dedit ut sanitatem Musculus in Ps 6.2 ubi plura i. e. conservationem sui cupidè petat Piis hanc naturam fides non adimit sed dirigit So then God allows us to pray to him for health so we do it with submission to the good Will of God as Christ prayed three times to his Father in his agony Mat. 26.39 O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt and with a resolution to serve him better if he spare us Pray then that God would be pleased to have mercy upon you in your sickness and to ease you of your pains and restore you to health and bless the means you use in order thereunto if it be his blessed will And as you ought to pray your selves so you should get others Ministers and good People to pray for you see James 5.14 15 16. God hears the prayers of his People and oft-times for their sakes lengtheneth the life and outward prosperity of the wicked God spared Zoar at the request of Lot Gen. 19.20 21 22. Those that sayled with St. Paul in the Ship had their lives spared for his sake see Acts 27.24 for saith the Angel of God to Paul Lo God hath given thee all them that sayl with thee Orig. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will give thee as a favour no less then two hundred threescore and fifteen Souls vers 37. were saved in extremity of danger for Paul's sake and at his request Get then others especially the Godly who are God's Favourites to pray for thee No doubt but Paul was a constant Sollicitor at the Throne of Grace in the behalf of Epaphroditus who lay sick nigh unto death and God had mercy on him 2. Relie confidently upon God Though we make use of the Physitians Directions yet we must not trust in them but in God for means and second causes work by his continual influences and receive their ends from his eternal order As the Psalmist saith Psal 127.1 Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it So except the Lord cooperate means and second causes which receive their being and efficacy from God are vain and ineffectual Faith was required in all those under the Gospel whom Christ cured Mat. 9.2 Luk. 8 48. As we must not neglect means so neither must we trust in them nor relie upon them which if we do it is the ready way to render them useless see Jer. 17.5 6 7 8. He that puts his trust in the Lord saith the wise Man Prov. 28.25 shall be made fat q. d. shall be lusty and well Relie then upon God's mercy for deliverance He that highly esteems of God is high in Gods esteem 3. Be merciful your selves to others in misery if you would find mercy from God when you are in misery Psal 41.1 2 3. Blessed is the man that considereth the poor the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble the Lord will preserve him and keep him alive The Lord will strengthen him on the bed of languishing thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness Prov. 11.25 See likewise Isa 58.6 7 8. After he had spoken of works of charity he adds Then shall thy light break forth as the morning and thine health shall spring forth speedily So Mat. 5.7 Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy Epaphroditus went a long and perillous voyage to minister to the Apostles wants Phil. 2.25 30. and when he was sick nigh unto death God had mercy on him 4. Lastly Be deeply humbled for your sins This humiliation consists in confessing your sins with grief of heart and putting away the sins you have lamented and if we do thus we shall find mercy in sickness David in sickness confessed and lamented his sins with a sorrowful heart as you may read Psal 32.4 5. 38.3 4 5 18. so Psal 41.4 Heal my Soul saith David under sickness for I have sinned against thee What a plea is this Heal my Soul for I have sinned against thee Doth God delight in mens sins Is he thereby allured to do them good One would think as Musculus Muscul in Psal 41.4 saith Magis faceret ad impedimentum quà m ad causam impetrandae sanitatis this should be rather an hindrance then furtherance to his cure But the truth is God who loves not sin yet loves to see sinners confess and bewail their sins and if we do so and withall forsake them we shall find mercy in sickness as David did for Prov. 28.13 He that covereth his sin shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy If sickness be epidemical Exod. 23.25 Deut. 7.12 15. a general humiliation is a means to remove it Levit. 26.40 41 42. so 2 Chron. 3.14 God sends sickness for sin if sin be removed he 'l remove his stroak but he will not take off the Playster so careful he is till the Wound be throughly cured and corruption purged out Sins are as so many Scotches in the way that hinder the Charriot Wheels of a Deliverance from moving
swiftly towards us if these sins were removed deliverance would come on apace When God then casts thee upon a sick-bed commune with thine own heart and let thy spirit make diligent search Psal 77.6 Conscience at such a time that bosom Preacher if God in justice hath not silenced it for willful disobedience will preach to thee thy particular sins Affliction oft-times awakens a drowsie Conscience Particular straits many times bring particular sins to remembrance which have been long forgotten as you may see Gen. 42.21 so Job 36.8 9 10. Hearken then to the voice of Conscience which may bring to mind thy particular sins and seriously meditate upon the forementioned sins that tend to the impairing of health and with Job in sickness and sores pray to God to shew thee wherefore he contendeth with thee Job 10.2 And again saith he Job 13.23 Make me to know my transgression and my sin And as Elibu speaks Job 34.31 That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more Having thus found out thy sins confess them with grief of heart and deal with them as the Marriners dealt by Jonah Jon. 1.15 cast them overboard forsake them utterly so the storm may cease If we thus humble our selves under the mighty hand of God he will exalt us in due time 1 Pet. 5.6 and raise us up from beds of languishment if he see it best for us as he did Epaphroditus here who was sick nigh unto death but God had mercy on him And so much for the first branch of this Use of Exhortation I come now to the second branch and it is a word of Exhortation to such as have been sick and God in mercy hath restored to health Let them be exhorted to take forth these following Lessons 1. Live in constant expectation of death and preparation for death Many are too too confident of health after sickness whereas it is ordinary for poor man to recover of one Distemper and fall irrecoverably into the same again or some other Non est sic illius misertus Deus ut ab hoc mortis debito in posterum prorsus esset liberatus Muscul Muscul in Phil. 2.27 God was not so merciful unto Epaphroditus as that he should never die The best of men one time or other how soon God knows must pay the debt to extorting Nature Ps 89.48 The Apostle speaks of the dissolution of the earthly house of this Tabernacle 2 Cor. 5.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de re periturâ as of a thing that will shortly perish So speaks St. Peter 2 Pet. 1.14 I must shortly put off this my Tabernacle And truly after sickness we may rationally conclude That the house cannot stand long that hath been so terribly shaken Let us then though reprieved for the present expect death and speedily prepare our selves for it Eccl. 9.10 Whatever thy hand finds to do do it with all thy might Let us bring our selves daily to a strict scrutiny set soul and house in order and speedily dress our selves for immortality for we see when sickness comes we have work enough to wrestle with the Distemper Oh my beloved Put not off soul-concerns till old age or sickness this is to lay the greatest burthen upon the weakest horse Repentance is too great a task to be rightly performed upon a sick-bed and usually like the party it is at best but weak and sickly Do not we who have been sick know by experience how unfit we are for any work at such a time especially for this great work of repentance which indeed should be an entire act of the whole life And therefore 2. Live circumspectly Most men in sickness are seemingly devout and therefore the Holy Ghost sets a brand upon Ahaz who in the time of distress did trespass yet more against the Lord 2 Chron. 28.22 This is that King Ahaz he points at him as a monster of man-kind for men usually during the continuance of distress do seek unto the Lord Hos 5.15 and bewail their sins and promise fair as Pharaoh Ahab and others but when the force of his hand is removed they return again to their old bias they are as bad if not worse then ever like a dunghill the more the Sun of Mercy shines upon them the more they stink and putrifie in all sin See an unworthy carriage in Hezekiah though for the main a good man 2 Chron. 32.24 there you read of his recovery from deadly sickness and vers 25. But Hezekiah rendred not again according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up His heart was not lift up in the wayes of God as it is said of Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 17.6 but in sinful wayes as pride self-conceit c. Therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem and this wrath had broken forth upon them had they not humbled themselves and with tears of contrition quenched those flames as you read v. 26. The Devil himself as the story goes when he was sick would be holy and turn Monk but when he was recovered he was as much a Devil as before * Dr. Vanes Wisdom and Innocence p. 119. Aegrotat Daemon Monachus tunc esse volebat Convaluit Daemon Daemon ut ante fuit The Devil was sick the Devil a Monk would be The Devil was well the Devil a Monk was he But O my Friends let us labour to preserve that gracious frame that was in us in our sickness If we be not careful either wicked Company or the cares of this World will soon make us luke-warm or key-cold Methinks the mercy of God in recovering us should mightily affect us We read 1 Sam. 24.16 17 18. how David got Saul at an advantage and spared him when he had * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power to destroy him whereupon Saul lift up his voice and wept God that cast us on a sick-bed might justly have cast us thence into Hell He spared us when he might have destroyed us O let it grieve us at the heart that ever we offended so good a God And as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 6.15 Shall I take the Members of Christ and make them Members of an Harlot God forbid So let every one which God hath raised up again say Shall I take the members of my body which God hath delivered from grievous pains and imploy them in sin and wickedness God forbid I should be so vile a wretch Methinks the remembrance of the great pain that we underwent in sickness should humble us for our miscarriages all the days of our life after Lam. 3.19 20. Remembring my affliction my misery the Wormwood and the Gall my soul hath them still in remembrance and is humbled in me Besides are not the vows of God upon us as David speaks Psal 56.12 Sacramental Vows Personal Vows Did we not promise and vow That if God restored us we would be more holy and strict then ever It is
Father See his holy indignation against such as prophaned his Temple John 2.15 16 17. so John 4.34 He counted it his meat to do the Will of him that sent him and to finish his Work When his Mother and Brethren would have taken him off from Preaching he would not then own them for he said Who is my Mother or my Brethren Mark 3.33 Not that he did despise them but preferred the Service of God before them see Luke 2.48 49 50 51. so should we be zealous for God's Glory We should be fervent in Spirit serving the Lord or according to Orig. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we should be seething hot in Spirit Rom. 12.11 We should have a zeal for God and the duty that we are to perform This God calls for Rev. 3.19 And Christ died to redeem unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works Tit. 2.14 Moses was zealous Exod. 32.19 so was Phineas Numb 25.11 so was David Psal 69.9 so St. Paul Acts 17.16 and so are all true Christians in some measure zealous St. Cyprian speaks of Christians in his time that were Tanquam Leones ignem spirantes Like Lyons breathing forth the Heavenly fire of Zeal 7. There was in Christ compassion to his Enemies When his Enemies came to take him one would have thought he should have call'd for fire from Heaven as Elijah did 2 Kings 1.10 and thereby have consumed his Adversaries But this was against the loving Nature of Christ as well as against the * Omne leve sursum tendit Nature of Fire that it should descend to destroy them Luke 9.54 55 56. Nay Christ would not onely not destroy them but he useth means to reclaim them from sinful courses that he may save them This good Samaritan would gladly have healed their spiritual Wounds How passionately doth he complain John 5.40 Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life And again Mat. 23.37 O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how oft would I have gathered thy Children together even as an Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings which would have been for your safety and yet ye would not When his Enemies hearts became like to Clay more hardned by the Sun-shine of those favours which should have melted them he then grieved for the hardness of their hearts Mark 3.5 and like a Judge passeth Sentence with tears in his eyes Luke 19.41 42. And when he was come near he beheld the City and wept over it saying If thou hadst known there he weeps even thou there he weeps again at least in this thy day he goes on still weeping the things that belong unto thy peace now he weeps a main and tears do so fast trickle down his cheeks that they hinder him from speaking and he breaks off abruptly as men do in a passion but now they are hid from thine eyes Our Saviour here shed tears for them who were about to shed his blood Yea we find him praying for his Enemies when they had given him the worst that malice could invent or cruelty impose Luke 23.34 Then said Jesus Father forgive them for they know not what they do Then said Jesus When said he this Why even then when he was suffering the painful shameful and accursed death upon the Cross Yea some think he prayed for his insulting Enemies before he provided for his weeping Mother John 19.26 27. Let us then pity and pray for our Enemies so did Stephen Acts 7.60 This Christ commands by Precept as well as commends by Pattern Matth. 5.44 c. Let us bless them that curse us Rom. 12.14 Nay we should mourn for them in affliction as David did Psal 35.13 14. In a word if thine Enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good Rom. 12.20 21. 8. There was in Christ love to the godly He loved them with a love of complacency and delight John 13.1 He bare a constant love towards them They were like golden Letters engraven indelibly upon his heart His love to them appeared by his accompanying with them by counselling reproving comforting clearing their innocency c. Matth. 9.14 Mat. 12.3 4. rejoycing in their welfare Luk. 10.21 taking what is done to them as done to himself be it good or bad Mat. 25.40 45. Acts 9.4 praying for them Luke 22.31 John 17.9 11 17 20 21. But his dying for them was above all an eminent instance of his love Gal. 2.20 He thought nothing too dear to part with for their sakes He shed his precious Blood in great plenty for them 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Acts 20.28 When our Saviour shed but a few tears for Lazarus the Jews collected thence his love towards him John 11.35 36. Surely Christ's shedding his precious Blood in great plenty for the Elect is a manifest token of extraordinary love towards them Let us imitate Christ in love to the godly Let us delight in them and accompany with them as David did Psal 16.3 119.63 Let us sympathize with them Rom. 12.15 Let us pray for them so did St. Paul for the Colossians Col. 1.9 10 11. and for the Thessalonians 1 Thes 5.23 In a word We should be ready to lay down our lives for them if need require 1 John 3.16 Hereby we perceive the love of God because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren And this unfeigned love to the godly is as sure a note to know whether a man be in the way to Heaven as pronouncing the word * Judg. 12.6 Shibboleth was to know an Ephramite from a Gileadite Here what St. John the beloved Disciple saith 1 John 3.14 We know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren Be ye therefore as St. Paul saith Ephes 5.1 2. followers of God as dear Children and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour 9. There was in Christ thanksgiving When Christ are Victuals he lift up his eyes and gave thanks John 6.11 23. He was thankful for Spiritual Blessings Mat. 11.25 At that time Jesus answered and said I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes This is spoken by Christ after the seventy had returned and told him what good success they had as may be gathered from Luk. 10.17 21. He did thankfully acknowledge God's mercy in revealing Gospel-Mysteries to poor simple Creatures that knew no more in Gospel-Mysteries then Babes knew in Worldly-Businesses And John 11.41 Jesus lift up his eyes and said Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me Indeed Christ's whole life was a glorifying of God John 17.4 I have glorified thee on Earth Let us imitate Christ in thankfulness Let