God had before life could be gotten Though he should haue walked to and fro and streatched himselfe vntill now except that God had sent his word Elisha should haue said as Gehazi said that was sent with his staffe The child is not awaked There is no force in man against death to make either voice or hearing Heere then let vs obserue the great power of God who by the message of his word cureth such deadly diseases A Physitian may helpe a sicke man by application but what can he doe by explication Mens wordes are but wind wordes can not worke Mens wordes are but of dead letters But the word of god is quick and quickening it is mighty in operation the Power of God to salvation both of soule and of body That which is able to saue both soule and body from Hell fire may easily be a power for to heale the sicke body The Centurion after that hee had sent a man for Christ to come and cure his sick seruant hee bethought himself what power was in Gods word and therfore he sent back word againe to Christ that hee should not come him selfe but only send his word Tell him said the Centurion to his friends whom he sent to him tell him Lord trouble not thy selfe for I am not worthie that thou shouldest enter vnder my roofe wherefore neither thought I my selfe worthie to come vnto thee but saye in a word and thy servant shall bee healed Saye in a word that is send a word and it shall heale him I read of Ioseph that he was cast into the stockes in a prison But by what meanes was he deliuered It was by Gods word The psalmist saith that they hurt his feete with stockes and that he was laide in yron But how was he deliuered there he laye vntill the time that his word came God had giuen to Ioseph the word of his promise in a dreame that he should be a sheafe before whom all others sheaues should bowe yea that before him the Sunne and Moone and elleuen starres should doe reuerence So soone as the time of that word came the stockes could keepe Ioseph no more As Ioseph lay in the stockes so must the sicke man ly in his bed vntill the the time that his word came then shall he goe free Heere behold the great power of the word of the Lord. Turne thee yet againe and behold the power of this word in a greater cure In Ezekiel J see a strange worke wrought by this word In a valley there was a huge great number of bones both bare and drye loe saith the Prophet they were very drye God hauing showne them to his Prophet said vnto him Sonne of man can these bones liue The Prophet said Lord thou knowest as if he had said there is very little appearance J will make them liue said the Lord But how By my word I will send my word vnto them Prophecie vpon these bones and say vnto them O ye dry bones heare the word of the Lord Behold I shall cause breath enter into you and ye shall liue And I will lay sinewes vpon you and will bring vp flâ—sh vpon you and couer you with skin and put breath in you and ye shall liue As soone as the Prophet had giuen the bones this first charge of Gods word at that first prophecie there was a noise and behold a shaking and the bones came together euery bone to its owne bone But there was no breath in them Behold how the first charge of the word made onely the bones to be conueened and to be couered with flesh and skinne But how shall life be gotten God must send his word againe God sent his word to the wind for to fetch breath for the quickning of these dead men Prophecie vnto the wind said the Lord Prophecie Son of man say to the wind Thus saith the Lord God Come from the four winds O breath breath vpon these slaine that they may liue At that second charge of the word the wind fetcht breath which entred into them and all those bones lived and stood vp an exceeding great armie He who by his word prophecied made dry bones to creepe together and by this word made the winde to breath life into them may easily send vnto sick men a word that will heale them thought they were even at the doores of death Secondly in that the word of God is said heere to be the meanes whereby God healeth the sicke J obserue the diuersitie of the operation of his word what ever God hath to doe let him but send his word and it shall be done When he made the world he vsed no other hand but his word let there be light let there be a firmanent Gods word LET wrought all the creatures He said and it was and as he said so it was The word of God is like a Mine of diuers veines either for to help Gods friendes or for to hurt his foes as the cloudy pillar was darkenesse by day vnto the Egyptians and light in darkenesse vnto the Jsraelites As that Pillar was a darke cloud by day behind Israel for to hide them from the Egyptians and a burning Pillar of fire by night going before Israel for to let them see the waye So the word that God sends is euer for the good of Israel It is a quickning spirit and sauour of life to life vnto these that are saued but it is a killing letter and a sauon of death to these that perish When Christ had a will to ding his enemies vpon their backe he sent his word to doe it I with I am he he made them goe backward to the ground With his word he dang his enemies vpon their backe and with his word he raised vp Lazarus his dead freind out of the graue Gods greatest wonders were done by his word When Israel at Massah and Meribah tempted God in their thirst for to get water God directed Moses to find water But how was it by sending him for to delue downe in the ground for to find some water spring No not He sent him to a Place where naturally was rather fire then water euen to a hard flint Rocke But how was that water gotten God sent his word vnto the Rocke speake vnto the Rocke said the Lord to Moses and it shall giue forth his water Thirdly seeing Gods word is of such power that for all things it is a soveraine remeedie let vs beware to doubt of its power These gluttons that cryed for flesh are branded with this blot They spake against God saying Can God furnish a table in the wilderenesse Beware to say Can God were the difficultie neuer so great in appearance Moses his doubt made
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
Gods Seers they appeared for a space like greene Bay-trees All such greenesse and greatnesse is but in thinges earthly as health wealth houour and preferment But because they are not rooted in the heavens the earth is not able to furnish substance for the vpholding of such things and thereforâ— like grasse vpon the house tops they wither before they grow vp I have seene said Eliphaz the foolish taking roote but tooke hee root for to continue No not Suddainlie said hee I cursed his habitation incontinent his children for whose standing and preferment hee solde himselfe to wickednesse were crushed in the gate neither was there any to deliver them As for their harvest and expected crop others did devoure it not leaving them the miserable stalkes which grew among the thornes * Thus God doth with the wicked as he did with the Amorite Thogh in appearance hee high like a Cedar and strong like an Oke yet hee destroyeth his fruit from aboue and his rootes from beneath The folie of sin is like a foolish tale which as men commonly say hath neither toppe nor root The Iesson is this all sinners are but fooles a wicked man were he never so wise in the world â—is but a foole before God the wisedome of this world is foolishnesse with God wisedome in evill is nothing but guile and craftinesse guile guilded with wisedome like a tombe covered with the foile of gold having nothing within but a contagious corruption The vse let all men that would be wise indeede studie to an innocent life This is our wisedome that denying vngodlinesse and worldlie lusts wâ—e liue soberly righteously and godly in this prâ—sent world soberlie for our selves righteouslie for our neighbours and godly for our good God What is beyond that is no thing but foolishnesse hee that exceeds the square of that rule in Scripture language is a foole Obiection Heere some may obiect and say how is this that Scripture speaketh thus doth not Scripture forbid vs to speake so Christ speaketh plainly whosoeuer is angrie with his brother without a cause shall bee in danger of iudgment And whosoeuer shall say to his brother Racha shall bee in danger of the Counsell but whoseouer shall say thou foole shall bee in danger of hell fire Behold their three iniuries which the Iewes thought to bee veniall sinnes of the Papists the least is a motion of anger keept close within the breast which I may call a warded wrath for such a fault Christ sayeth that a man is in danger of iudgment that is as though wee should saye in danger to bee brought before the Commissionar an inferiour Judge for the least sinne is the least punishment The second iniurie is Racha that is wrath broken out of warde into wordes the word is a worde of iniurie which signifieth vacuus a man as wee say that hath not harnes or braine a toome headed man Beza out of Chrysostome maketh it as the French word Tutoyer which we call to Thou a man This greater iniurie came before the Sanhedrin which were the Counsell of seventie and two The third and last iniurie is greatest viz. when a man not onelie Thou's his brother but saith Thou foole Some distinguish these three iniuries after this manner The first say they is ira restricti animi that is a warded wrath within the heart The second is ira effervescens an anger breaking foorth The third they call ira erumpens in apertum convitium that is scoffing or rayling for this word saith Christ a man shall bee in danger of hell fire how is it then that in the first part of my Text sinners are called fooles The answere I answere that to call a man foole is not simply forbidden for Christ called two of his Disciples fooles S. Paul called the Galatians foolish That threatning then is against them that out of wrath and malice bring this worde of rayling against their brother It is in this sense said that the Archangell while hee disputed against Satan about the body of Moses durst not bring against him arayling accusation that is hee durst not in anger call him a foole knave or lowne as one by way of rayling will call his brother Their is no rayling in my Text my Text is rather a teaching wherby fooles may learne to bee wise The doctrine I gather heere is this If hee that calleth his brother a foole deserves Hell what shall hee deserve that is a foole indeeede A man may call his brother a foole and yet not bee a foole the one is but a simple act the other is an habite purchased by custome the greater the sinne bee the greater must bee the punishment If God scourged his people for eating swines flesh the abomination and the Mouse what shall hee doe to these that eate vp the poore and the widowes house great sinnes and great iudgments The vse Let vs beware to be that indeed whereof the simple naming of another to bee putteth the Soule in danger of hell fire The Apostle his precept is that fornication and all vncleannesse or covetousnesse bee not once named among vs as becommeth Saints seeing to name such thinges with a filthie tongue is forbidden howe much more should wee bee carefull for to avoide to bee that which is not to bee named 2. What is the cause of the affliction of fooles VVE haue alreadie heard who is afflicted viz. fooles Now followeth into the order of my Text the cause of their afflictions the cause is sinne and iniquitie Fooles because of their transgressions because of their iniquities are afflicted It is an ordinarie question made by the most part while they see any in affliction what coulde bee the cause of such a iudgment wherefore hath GOD thus wise done God told this to Ierusalem when hee threatned to destroy Many nations said hee shall passe by this citie and they shall say every one to his neighbour wherefore hath the Lord done this vnto this great Citie See howe of nations of passers by there is not one but hee saith wherefore Every man saith vnto his neighbour where fore Now what is the answere that God makes to their wherefore It is into the verse following Then they shall answere because they haue forsaken the covenant of the Lord God that is as my text saith because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities The lesson is this Our sinnes are the cause of all our plagues so long as rebellious Ionah was in the Shippe the tempest increased It is saide that the Sea wrought and was tempestuous what could be the cause of such tempestuous working The rebellion of Ionah flying from the presence of the Lord Take mee vp said hee and cast mee into the Sea for I know that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you VVhen Ioshua saw Israel
bee true viz. that man is afflicted for his transgressions and that for two reasons first because there be some afflicted without cause Secondlie because there bee many transgressions who among all men are most free of affliction Many are the troubles of the righteous while the wicked are at their ease in Zion That some are afflicted without cause it seemeth to bee cleare in Scripture God seemeth to say it him selfe after that he had permitted Sathan to scourge Job with many plagues while hee perceived that in all these troubles Job had still keept fast his integritie Hee said to Sathan Thou hast mooved mee against him to destroy him without cause This seems to bee against the doubled wordes of my texte viz. Because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities they are afflicted The answere J answere that while God saith to Sathan that hee had afflicted Iob without cause it is cleare Job of these sinnes that Sathan layed most falsly to his charge viz. that hee was but an hypocrite and an hireling that served God but for rewards Thus in these words without cause Job is iustified by God onely in these sinnes whereof Sathan did accuse him Jt is said of the borne blind that he was afflicted neither for his fathers sinnes nor for his owne sinnes but for the glory of God Jt is certain that if hee had had no sinne hee could not haue beene made miserable by blindenesse but the cheefe cause of that blindnesse was that the workes of God might bee made manifest in him The question is moved by Jeremie wherefore is the living man sorrowfull The answere is subjoyned Man suffereth for his sins There bee many for 's in mans afflictions 1. For the manifesting of Gods glory 2. For to stirre vs vp to prayer 3. for to make men beware of sinne the cause of woe 4. for to distaste vs of this earth and to waine vs from these transitorie pleasures least we should say with Peter on Tabor it is good for vs to bee heere These all be the ends of afflictions But the cause wherefore men are afflicted are their transgressions and their iniquities There is no ludgeing for affliction but where their is transgression Though thy father should eate the soure grape of sinne it shall not bee able to set thy teeth on edge The soule that sâ—nneth it shall die God shall grind the faces of these that are fatted into their pleasures but as for the righteous Say yee to him that it shall hee well with him The vse of all this is that we studie to sinceritie of lyfe that when this lyfe shall bee spended and ended wee may heare that joyfull voice of our master Faithfull servant enter into thy masters ioy To God be glory for ever The other difficultie is in this viz that fooles are not ever afflicted because of their transgressions Are fooles ever afflicted But will yee say What then are the wicked who are often of greatest health so that their eyes stand out for fatnesse The prosperitie of the world seemeth so bee theirs Jndeede often this is true while the King and Esther sit downe to drinke the citie Sushan is perplexed How then is it said heere that fooles are afflicted I answere the godly haue all their troubles and teares heere but it is not so of the wicked In that God spareth so many of them in this world it is a cleare argument that there is a judgement to come Though incontinent God scourgeth not wicked men for their sins yet he thinkes vpon them as Nehemiah in his prayer desired him to thinke vpon wicked Tobjah and Sanballat My God said he thinke thou vpon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works Let sinners thinke vpon this that God though hee spare for a space yet hee thinketh vpon them If these who are fooles by transgressions and iniquities are not in this world afflicted because of them they shall be afflicted into the world to come If thou be a hid sinner yet is in no wise afflicted thy day is comming So long as this world lasts Isa. 13. v. 21. Zâ—im and Ochim doolefull creatures will rejoyce one divell will daunce to another But when the daunce is ended then shall be miserie for evermore Againe let vs remember heere that all these that are afflicted heere for their sinnes are not therby exeemed Jt may be thou bee pyned and pinched with povertie with gouts and with gravels and at the end of all goe to hell Many are deceived thinking that if they suffer much in this world God will challenge them no more heerafter this is a common follie worthy of affliction Take heed to thy selfe O man how thy afflictions work vpon thee If they make thee to grone and to cry vnto the Lord if thou find them spurres vnto prayer and to all exercises of godlinesse If in a word they make thee become a new man for to detest that which once thou loved best well is thee God hath sanctified thy affliction But if thy disease be so that it refuse the remedie if thy afflictions worke not vpon thee for to purge out the pride of life or for to chase out the spirit of vncleannesse thy fornications adulteries It is a token that GOD is keeping thee for a more fearefull judgement It is written of King Ahaz that in the tyme of his distresse hee did more yet trespasse against the Lord that said hee is poynted out with a Nota This is that King Ahaz For to draw to an end Let vs observe two generall thinges in the words of the first verse First I obserue that the sinnes of these fooles are not particularized heere but in generall it is said because of their transgressions and iniquities This is for to be an aw-band aboue the heads of all men least they should sinne in any particular maner against God wee faile all in many things If it had beene said heere Fooles because of their extortions or of adulteries are afflicted the proud Pharisee would thinke to goe free Lord I thanke thee said hee that I am not lyke other men who are adulterers extortioners c. But was hee free of pryde or of hypocrisie That was his transgression for being free of one sinne or other hee was not without the compasse of trangressours David was not an idolater but hee was an adulterer that was his transgression I reade not of Ashan that hee was an adulterer but because hee was a theefe hee was stoned and burnt for that transgression Cain was not a theefe but because hee was a murtherer the Lord made him a vagabond C ham was not a murtherer but because hee was a scorner God cursed him Noah he was not a scorner but because he was a drunkard God scourged him with scorning Ananias Saphirah were not
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
gold and buy this But if he be drowned into debâ—e and cast into prison then and there he will cry vnto the Lord. So long as the forlorne sonne had a pennie into his purse he thought never of home but when he was forced to feede with the swine he said I will returne to my father againe So long as wee haue peace in our land and Barnes full of corne and purses full of money we ly in securitie lyke these of Lâ—ish But if the foraine enemy come and depriue vs of such comforts then we shall crye vnto the Lord. So long as Iehoshaphat in the battell sawe his partie to be equall he fought as he could But so soone as hee sawe him selfe neere straited by the enemie then hee cryed vnto the Lord. So long as Hagar had water into the bottles she and Ismael dranke together enjoying the creature But so soone as all was spent then she weept and cryed vnto the Lord. So â—long as the Raven can find a fleshy carion hee will quietly feede vpon it But while hee is straited with hunger hee beggeth his meate from God The young Lions saith the Psalmist roare aâ—ter their prey and seeke their meate from God All things men beasts fowles yea Papists in their greatest pinch are forced to quite all other vaine hopes for to cry vnto the Lord. I remember that in the tyme of the French persecution J came by sea to Flanders and as I was sailing from Flanders to Scotland a fearfull tempest arose which made our Mariners reele to and fro and stagger like drunken men In the meane tyme thâ—re was in our ship a Scots papist who lay neere me while the ship gaue a great shake his ordinarie cry was O Lord J observed the man and after the Lord had sent a calme I said to him Sir now yee see the weaknesse of your religion so long as yee are in prosperitie yee cry vnto this Sainct and that Sainct Jn our greatest danger J heard you cry often Lord Lord but not a word yee spake of our Lady J compare a Papist in his pilgrimages to creatures to a sheepe that is hunted of a flie it runneth from bush to bush every bush catcheth a lâ—ck till the silly sheepe bee threed-bare and tirred of all his fleece sinne lyke a cleg-flee maketh the soule to startle like a beast there is no sure refuge but in God Away then with Papistrie and with all that draweth a man from the Lord vnto any other The highest point of tribulation or some great danger of death wakning a man will tell a man that there is none that can helpe but the Lord and that hee onely is to bee called vpon Call vpon mee in the day of trouble said the Lord Whom haue I in heaven but thee said the Psalmist All things are for the Lord and from the Lord and all things in their troubles must come to the Lord as the hunger-bitten Aegiptians came all to Joseph for meate Thus yee see the great good of greevous afflictions They chase the creature till it cry to the Creator I will goe saith the Lord and returne to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seeke my face In their affliction they will seeke mee early This is heeâ—e declared in these words of my text Then they cry vnto the Lord in their trouble The vse let vs rejoyce in tribulation seeing God hath made it a spnrre vnto prayer Man is like waters Putrescunt ni movcantur aquae waters spill and stinke if they stand without any motion so will the soule stinke without affliction Before I was afflicted said David I went astray but now I learne thy statutes Indeede it is true that no affliction for the present seemâ—th to bee joyous but grievous Neverthelesse afterward it yeeldeth the pâ—â—câ—pâ—â—câ—able fâ—uit of righteousnesse to these that are exercised thereby This is a quiet fruit of righteousnesse when the soule is moved to cry vnto God Cryes in prayer vnto God are the quietnesse of righteousnesse I confesse that both the wicked and the godly will crye in their distresse but the wicked cry like dogs beaten with a staffe the godly crye into their hearts like children with Moses to whom God said why cryest thou vnto mee Let vs praye the Lord that hee would rouze vp these sleepie soules of ours that sleepe so oftin sinne like Jonah in the hatches Well is the man to whom God shall send some affliction crying to the sinner as the Ship-master cryed to Jonah what meanest thou O sleeper arise crye and call vpon thy God It is goode that man while hee is forewarned by any affliction strive to bee friends with his God Men may rebell for a space and may turne the grace of God into wantonnesse yea and harden their hearts with Pharaoh against his plagues But at last when all their excellencie is swept away like a spiders web as Eliphaz sayeth they die without wisdome As a man liveth ordinarly so dieth hee He that liveth a foole shall readily die without wisedome a fore-warning affliction doeth goode to the godly man it maketh him to be fore-armed But as for the wicked man though God send sicknesse after sicknesse and delaye his death yet hee is not a whit the better But while hee liveth hee letteth the debt run on like a spender or waster who carelesly puts more and more vpon the score Jt were good for the wicked that hee had never beene borne as Christ said of Iudas or that hee had died in the birth yet seeing life in itselfe is a benefite while it is abused by those that have gotten it by crying vnto the Lord it is righteous with God to punish them in rigour for the abuse of his benefite which should have beene to them a large time well imployed in repentance where-with as with a brush they should have clensed their hearts from the scailles of wickednesse Againe heere some may obiect how is it that the godly man beeing sicke and neere the doores of death shuld cry so earnestly for life Should not a godly man bee glad to goe to GOD his Father to his long home where are pleasures for evermore What see wee heere but the back-parts of Iehovah Are wee not in this world as David was in Kedar and in Meshech or as Israel were captives in Babilon Is not this earth a strange land wherein wee can not sing the praises of our God Are not our Harpes heere hung vpon the willowes Our Musick is dumbe I answere that indeede if the godly well prepared as they should bee when sicknesse commeth vnto them they would not crye for health of body but their chiefe crye should bee Come Lord Iesus come and fetch away my soule that panteth after thee like a chaâ—ed Hart desiring the rivers of waters The chiefe desire
meat His flesh is consumed away that it can not be seene and his bones that were not seene sticke out His soule draweth neere vnto the graue and his life to the buriers Behold his sickenesse But how shall he be cured Let him send for a faithfull minister If there be a messenger with him an interpreter one among a thousand to shew vnto man his vprightnesse Then he is gracious vnto him and saith deliuer him from going downe to the pit I haue found a ransome His flesh shall be fresher then a childs he shall returne to the dayes of his youth Consider well these words and they shall giue light to these words of my Text He sent his word and healed them from this may be gathred that he must be a rare man that caryeth the word sent for health Hee must be a man sent of God that caryeth the word which God sendeth for the healing of the sicke Little good may be looked from the preaching of many because they preach vnsent they preach not the word that is sent which is the word of power they may preach Gods word but they preach not a sent word they take Gods statuts in their mouth but God shall reproue them saying what hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my couenant in thy mouth When God was angry at Ahab he desired to send out some against him while he was vpon this thought he looked to all his creatures saying whome shall I send and who will goe for vs that said An ill spirit came out and said send me There be many like the ill-spirit who will not waite till God send them but will preueen him saying send me The world now runnes to be sent There be none so ready to preach as these whom God neuer sent Jn this they are worse then the diuell who before he went out heard God first say Goe forth and doe so See how the diuell would not goe to the Lords vvorke vvithout a commission and a warrand These vvho run and speake vnsent shall find their speach take no effect It is the sent vvord that is the vvord of conversion and of health A people had great neede to bequeath themselues to God that he would keepe them from a Pastour that commeth vnsent I will giue you two tokens of a Pastour that carieth the sent word of God the one is inward into the mans selfe the other is outwarde and appeareth amongst the people First the Pastour himselfe must haue in his owne bosome a warrant from God that he is called to beare the word that God sendeth this warrant he shall knowe in two things First he shall find within him a drawing desire to serue God in such a calling this is for the generall Secondly he shall haue a privie particular draught within him moving him to desire to be with such a flocke Not so much for to cloth him selfe with their wooll and feede him with their rents whereby he may haue a life by them as that he may winne some poore soule to the loue of Jesus or drawe some clogged heart out of the snares of the diuell that when he hath ended his ministrie he may say Behold heere I am and the children that God hath giuen mee This is the inward calling without which if a man goe to speake the word he shall be like Vzza who putting his hand to helpe Gods â—â—â—Arke was stricken dead with a breach into an instant Because hee wanted a calling God slewe him for doing that which otherwise was good in it selfe The second token of a Pastour sent with Gods word to any particular people is an vncorrupt desire of him by the flocke not because he is their carnall friend or of their blood or because he is such a mans sonne or because some guider of the parochin favoureth him but because they see him furnished with giftes and graces whereby their soules may be helped vnto God When S. Paul was at Troas A vision appeared vnto him in the night There stoode a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying Come ouer into Macedonia and help vs We must not now J confesse looke for visions But certanely if God hath called a man effectually to bring his word for the well of a people he will make these of the flocke that are most godly to pray him to come and helpe them as the man of Macedonia did vnto Paul Jf these things be away it shall proue at last that such a man was neuer a Pastour but a hireling what euer words he preached shall in end appeare not to haue bene wordes sent from God Eightly let vs obserue here whose word it is that being sent healeth the sicke folkes of my Texte It is the word of God Jt is in my Texte called his word He sent his word and healed them his word then and not mans word Long shall a man continue jogging before that he waken a sinner by words of mans braine The words of men being but wind can no more waken these that are soule-sicke of the lethargie then the tempest could waken Ionas But the word of God like that ship master will rouse vp a sinner with reproofes and chase him with glowmes to his God The flowers of eloquence neuer so sweet smelling are not able to reviue the dying soule what are mens wordes though writen in letters of golde but words of no vertue Such words may be like Agrippa clothed with great phantasie but they shall neuer almost perswade a man to bee a Christian they may skippe about a dead soule as the Priestes of Baal skipped and cryed about their dead sacrifice but all in vaine their god was on his iourneye or asleepe there was none to make answere there is no comfort to the soule from the words of man Papists traditions are but mens words and wordes that God neuer sent vnto men and therefore are not able to comfort a man vpon his sicke bed they are liveles without any power or force but the word of God is lively and mighty in operation My words said Christ are spirit and life The vse of this doctrine is let all these that are sent by God to carie his word to a people to sicke or to whole let them take heed that they deliuer Gods word as Gods word with the mind of the sender Such must neuer faine nor flatter vnder the paine of damnation When it was told to Micaiah that he should prophecie good things to wicked King Ahab because all the rest of the prophets had done so what said Micaiah As the Lord liâ—eth said he what the Lord saith vnto me that will I speake All the rest of the prophets made preachings of their owne head for to please the King But
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