bloud The Sun in the heauen passeth through the 12. Signes of the Zodiacke Christ is our Sun the 12. Articles of our Creed the 12. Signes Faith is our Zodiacke do you wonder why in this day of the Gospell the Sunne beames of grace liu'd in so few hearts They haue lost their Zodiacke Their faith is forme and the cloudes of infidelity haue ecclipsed those Signes They beliue not beyond the extension of sense they haue a sensuall a senseles faith It is the forest shipwracke which the vast sea of this world and the Pyrates of sinne can put men to the sinking of their faith It was Pauls happy triumph that he had kept the faith though he bore about in his body the market of our Lord Iesus Needes must the soule bee sicke whose faith is not sound 2 The other degree of our spirituall sicknesse is in conuersation Our liues are diseased the ill beating of those pulses shew wee are not well The fruites manifest the tree Vbicaro est regnant peccatum est praegnans Sinnes are rife where the flesh raignes plentifull effects will arise from such a working cause In vaine and not without the more hazard doe we plead our soundnesse when the infallible symptomes of our disobedience euince the contrary Saul stands vpon his obseruation of Gods charge What then saith Samuel meaneth the bleating of the sheepe in mine eares and the lowing of the oxen which I heare Whence flow those streames of impiety mercilesse oppressions Church-deuouring sacriledges bestiall luxuries cunning circumuentions detracting slaunders heauen-threatning blasphemies malicious fires of rage hatred monstrous treacheries behauiours compounded of scorne and pride close Atheisme open profanenesse guilded hypocrisie Whence if these vitious corruptions if not from our vlcerous conuersations Shame wee not to call sicknesse health and to maintaine that Atheisticall Paradox Adoxe Pseudodox which iudgeth euill good and darknes light If thy life be so vnsound suspect thy selfe thou art not well 2 Now not vnfitly after the sicknes in sinne followes the sicknes for sinne which distributes it selfe into a double passion corporall and spirituall 1 All corporall sickenesse is for sinne The sicke man heard it from his heauenly Physitian Goe thy wayes sinne no more least a worse thing come vnto thee So sung Dauid in the Psalme Fooles because of their iniquities are afflicted their soule abhorreth all manner of meat and they draw neer to the gates of death This Elihu grounds against Iob that sinne causeth sicknesse So that his life abhorreth bread and his soule dainty meat His flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seene and his bones that were not seene sticke out Weakenes proceedeth from wickednesse if the Soule had not sinned his body should not haue smarted Indeede this blow is easie if wee respect the cause that drew it on vs. For if the Wages of sinne be death Sicknes is a gentle payment Sicknesse is the maladie of the body Death is the malady of sicknesse But such is Gods mercy that hee is content to punish sometimes corporaliter non mortaliter and to put into our hearts a sense of our sinnes by casting vs downe not by casting vs out But whether the affliction be quoad introitum or quoad interitum a more gentle entrance or more piercing to death all is produced by our sinne You will say that many afflictions wherewith God scourgeth his children are the Fatherly corrections of loue yet they are corrections and their intention is to better vs. Now what need the bestowing such paines on vs to make vs good if sinne had not made vs euill Still Sinne is the cause whether it be sickenesse therefore I will make thee sicke in smiting thee because of thy sinnes Or whether more despairefull calamity I will waile and howle I will make a wailing like the Dragons mournings as the owles for her wound is incurable Still the reason is verse 5. For the transgression of Iacob is all this and for the sinnes of the house of Israel Oh that our sicke bodies when the hand of Visitation hath cast them down would conuey this lesson to our soules All is for our wickednesse Our stomackes loath meate because we haue ouerburdened them with Gods abused blessings Wee haue made the Creatures ordained for our comforts an occasion of our falling And now loe wee abhorre to be cheered by those things wherewith we haue earst oppressed our selues That delicates powred vpon a mouth shut vp are as messes of meate set vpon a graue Our sinnes that remaine vnpurged by repentance in our bosomes are not only diseases themselues to our consciences but vigorous and rigorous enough to engender diseases in our carcases Wee are framed and composed of foure Elements Fire Ayre Water Earth and haue the kindly concurrence of those foure originall and principal qualities heate and colde moysture and drinesse to our making vp Their harmony and peacefull content preserue our little world in health but if those brethren of one house fal at variance with themselues their strife will vndoevâ— So easie is it for God to take roddes from our owne bodies wherewith to whip vs. Though those outward Elements fire water and the rest forbeare to lay on vs the strokes of vengeance yet wee haue those primordial humours within vs whose redundance defect or distemperature are meanes able enough to take our breath from vs. How euident is this when Some haue beene burned in the pestilent flames of their hote diseases the violence whereof hath set their bloud on fire wasted their bowels scorched their veines withered away their vitall spirites and left the whole body flagrantem rogum as it were a burning pyle Some haue beene choked vp with the fumes and vapours ascending from their owne crude and corrupted stomackes and poysoned their spirites no lesse then with the contagion of infected ayres How many obstructed lungs sucke in farre better ayre then they breath out Others haue beene drowned with a deluge of waters in their owne bodies a â—â—oud running betwixt their skin and bowels glutting and ouercharging nature so violently that the life hath not been able to hold vp her head and the soule like Noahs Doue returnes vnto God the Arke of her strength as not able to set her foote drie in her former habitation And yet others haue buried themselues aliue in the graue of their owne earthly melancholy which casteth such a thicke fogge and darke obscurity ouer the braine that it not onely chokes vp the spirits of life like the damp in a vault that extinguisheth the lightes but euen offers offensiue violence to the Soule Melancholy men are as it were buried before they be dead and as not staying for a graue in the ground make their owne heauy dull cloudy cloddy earthen cogitations their owne Sepulchres From what sinke arise all these corrupt steames but from the sinnes in our owneselues as
our Ierusalem He hath no teares of Christian compassion in his eies that will not shed them at this losse If you aske the reason why the wild Bore hath spoiled the Vineyard why the Iim and Zym filthy and vncleane Birdes roost themselues in those sanctified dominions Why Mahomet is set vp like Dagon where the Arke once stood and Paganisme hath thrust Christianity out of her seat it is answered Israel is not true to Iudah the renting of the ten Tribes from the two hath made both the two and the ten miserable It is one of the forest plagues oh rather let it fall on the enemies of God and his Church let his owne neuer feele it when men shall bee fed with their owne flesh and shall be drunke with their owne blood as with sweet wine frighting and fighting one against another till an vtter extirpation deuoure and swallow all The malignity of this sickenesse hath been terrible to particular Churches They that haue beene least endamaged haue little cause to ioy in it Our owne home-bred iarres haue lately more preiudiced our peace then forraine wars The Spanish blades haue done lesse hurt to vs then English tongues Our contentions haue laboured about trifles our damage hath beene no trifle but I know not whether more to our losse or our enemies gaine Looke but one the effects and you wil confesse this a dangerous sickenesses Rome laughes Amsterdam insults whiles the brethren scufle in the Vineyeard Atheists and persecutors shuffle in to spoile it Gods Sabbath his worship his Gospell is neglected Some will heare none but the refractary and refusers of conformity others take aduantage of their disobedience to contemne their Ministry Witched hearts are hardned good ones greieued weake offended Is this no sickenesse is it vnworthy our deploring our imploring redresses We are all brethen both by fathers and mothers side It is more then enough that our fallings out haue beene a griefe to both our parents If wee proceede the brethren shal smart for al. Whither we be victour or vanquished we may beshrew our selues Let vs thinke wee behold our Mother calling to vs to stay our quarrels and to lay down the cause at her feete Otherwise as Iocasta told her two sonnes Bella geri placuit nullo habitura triumphos We vndertake a warre whose victorie shall haue a sory triumph Let euery Starre in our Orbe know his station and runne his course without erring the inferiour subieting themselues to the higher powers whiles the courses of Superiours be wisely tempered whith moderation and clemency For Et si omnibus verbis ministris commune idemque sit officium sunt tansen honoris gradus Though the office of all Gods ministers be common and the same yet they haue different degrees and places We haue aduersaries enow at home to moue our tongs and pens against Oh that arguments of steele and yron might supply the weakenesse of the other Wee haue the Edomites with their no god and the Babilonians with their new god dissolute Atheists resolute Papists the former scoffing vs for beleeuing at all the latter for beleeuing as we doe as we ought These oppose with vs though vnder the pent-house of night Masse against Seruice Sacrament against Sacrament Praier against Praier confounding the language of England as the Iewes once of Israel Whiles we are praying in one place Oh Lord God of Abraham c. they are mumbling in another place Oh Baal heare vs. Whiles we pray for fire to consume the sacrifice they for water to consume the fire we for the propagation they for the extirpation of the Gospell hating vs and our Christian Princes more mortally then if we were Saracens For as no bond is so strong as that of Religion so no hostility is so cruell and outragious as that which difference in Religion occasioneth Hence they crosse they curse they persecute they excommunicate Nothing but our bloud can stay their stomackes We know they hate vs let vs the more dearely loue one another The manifestation of enemies should confirme the mutuall league and amity of Brethren Oh pray for the peace of Ierusalem Pray wee that the deceiued may finde their error correct their opinions and submit their iudgements and affections to the rule of truth Yea that the wandring sheepe yea that those who are yet goates may become sheepe and brought into one fold vnder one Shepheard whiles they continue cokle there is smal hope Yet Paul was once a rare who after proued good wheate and is now in the Garner of heauen Recte dicitur glacialem niue calidam esse non posse nullo enim pacto quamdiu nix est calida esse potâ—st It is truly said that the frozen snow can by no meanes be made hotâ— for so long as it is snow and frozen it admits not to be calâ—fied Yet if that snow bee melted the liquidity thereof may be made hote God that is able to turne a stony heart into a heart of flesh worke this change vpon them vnite all our heats to himselfe â—o one another and heale our soules of this sickenesse 4 To omit many for sinnes as they are innumerabâ—e for multitude so diuers for quality and many â—â—an defâ—ne sinne but few decline sinne The last of these inâ—ard sicknesses is irreligious Profanenesse a griefe of all time a disease of all Churche Other time haue beene notable for this ourâ— notorious Not that I praise the former which doubtlesse were conscious of euils enough They know theirs we our owne The deedes of the flesh if euer are now manifest not onely to God bâ—fâ—re whom all things lye naked aâ— a dissected Anatomy bâ—t euén to the obseruing eâ—e of man Oppression the◠〈◊〉 selfe in open field depopulating ruining City Country Church Drunkenne reâ—les in the street and Gluttony desire not to bee hous'd Malice not onely discouers but oftenteth hir deuillish effects Briberie opens his hand to receiue in in the very Courts Robberie and murther swagger in the high waies There is emulation in open schoole Superstition in open Temple Sects in open Pulpit Brokerie stands like a signe at the vsurers doore and invites foolish want to turne in thither for a miserable supply Whoredome begins to neglect curtaines and growes proud of an impudent prostitution Pride holdes the restraint of concealement a plague and rather would not be then bee vnnoted Oathes are lowder then prayers men scarce spend two howres of seuen dayes at their supplications whiles they sweare away the whole weeke If profanenes be not our sicknes I will almost say we are sound Niger omnibus aris Ignis in nullis spirat deus integer extis If this sicknesse be not lamentable reioyce triumph and say you haue no need to mourne If a temporall losse salure vs we intertaine it with vlulations and teares Let Pirates and rockes spoile vs at sea the oppressing Sabeans in the field the fire at home see we our houses
i Chryâ— in Math. Hom. 19. Aug. k Tertul. l 〈◊〉 m Cypâ— n Rom 8.36 o Psal. 44 22 Ver 37. Cusan Cypr. lib. 1. op 3. p Gal. 4.29 q Rom. 1â— 19 Molliâ—ressa cubent r Heb. 11.38 s Lamen 1. 120 t Lamen 4.20 u Lam. 4.19 a Psal. 147.13 b Amos 4.6 c Psal. 65.13 d Hag. 1.6 e Psal. 129.7 f Hos. 2.21 g Amos 6. h Ezec 5 16. Lucan 1.4 Metam lib 8. a Micah 1.9 b Esay 1.9 c Lam. 3.22 d Reuel 2.5 e Nath. 5 14 f Reuel 17.9 g Ier. 46.11 h Tertul. i Ia vita Aug. k Aug. d. vnâ—t Eccles. cap. 16 l Luk. 18.11 m In oper imp n Iam 3 2. Sâ—neca o Eccles. 30 14.15 16. Sen. p Dan. 5.5 q Eâ—stidit obiectâ— quo auidius haust a â—st â—o câ—tius in contrarium recidit Sen. de benef lib 7. cap. 2. r Sen. de beat vit l. 1. c. 14. s Sine qua aut non dâ—lectat voluptas aut non est t Math. 8.9 u Iob. 33.17 Corporall z Sen. Ep 8 ad Lucil. AEger Egens Cupidus Satur. a Rom. 13.12 13. b Eccl. 5.12 c Pro. 5.15 d Prou. 12.11 e Hag. 1.6 f Math. 21.28 Spirituall g Bern. h Seruire Deo regnars est i Gratia non respuitur à corâ—edâ—ro c. August k Ioh. 19.34 l 1 Cor. 15. m Ver. 57. Pallor in ore sedet c. o Pro. 19.23 p Tim. 2.19 Ioh. 6. a Iudg. 14.14 Aug. â—ract in Iohan. 16. b Iohn 6.35 Non exâ—endo quod habuit sed iudâ—endo quod non habuit c Math. 21.29 Dan. 5.1 d Hos. 6.4 Rom 6.12 f Act. 17.28 g Gâ—l 5.20 h 1. Pet. 3.18 i Act. 5 41. k Iob 6.34 l Gen 41.36 m Luk. 15.17 1. Thes. 5.19 o Plato deleg 5. p Aratus in Phaino q Act. 17.28 r 2. Pet. 1.4 Contraria obsunt naturalia prosunt Neutralia vel obsunt vel prosunt vt recipiantur a Pro. 23.5 b Pro. â—7 â—4 c 1 Ioh. 3.17 d 1. Tim. 6.17 e 2. Cor. 11.30 Ver. 26. Ver. 27. Luk. 12.17 Ver. 19. Ver. 20. f Micah 6.14 g Eccl. 1.8 Luk. 12.17 h Eccl. 5.10 Ouid. i. Pro. 19.4 Ego niergam te ne mergar à te k Prou. 13.25 l Heb. 10.38 m Eph 6.16 n Mal. 4. o 2 Tim. 4.7 p Gal. 6.17 q Math. 7.20 r 1 Sam. 15.14 f Esa. 5.20 t Ioâ— 5.15 u Psa. 107.17.18 x Iob. 33.20.21 b Rom. 6.23 c Heb. 12.6 d Mic. 6.13 e Mic. 1.8 9 f Psal. 69.22 g Eccl. 30.18 1 Fire 2 Ayre 3 Water 4 Earth h Eccl. 30.17 Ver. 19. i Eccl. 38.15 k Pro. 18.14 l Iob. 6. â— m Mat. 26.38 n Esa. 6 â—3 Esa 65.8 p Rom 8. q Eph. 4.19 r Rom. 1.28 s Ier. 5.3 t 2 Thes. 2.11 12. a Psal. 109.17 a Psal. 69.27 Miserius nihil est miserose non miserante c In Equaleo d Psal. 73.9 e Ver. 5 Flagitium perpeirare mors animae veniam deâ—perare est au insâ—rnâ—m descendere f Iude ver 12. g Plutarch dâ— remed vtriusque fortu Dial. li. 4. Sen. h 2. Chr. 16.22 Vita vegetabilis Sensitiuâ— Rationaliâ— Gratiae Glâ—riae Leu. e. 23.14 i Rom 8.22 k Esa. 46.6 l Tit. 1.15 Heb. 12.1 m Leuit. 13.46 n 2 Reg. 15.5 o Psal. 73.1 a 1 Ioh. 1.6 b 1 Cor 5.11 c 2. Timi 2.5 e Reu. 21.19 ser. 2â— Rgen 3.4 h Ier. 5.2 i Eph. 5.16 k 2. Tim. 3.1 l 2. Pet. 3.3 Iude ver 18. m 2. Tim. 2.18 Eccl. 7.10 Conclusion