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
beaten before the men of Ai hee put dust vpon his head crying Oh Lord what shall I say seeing Israel hath turned their backe before their enemies now what could bee the cause of that flight Israel hath sinned and haue also transgressed saide the Lord therefore they could not stand before their enemies There must ever bee a wherefore of sinne before the therefore of affliction Can the rush grow vp without myre can the flagge grow without water no more can affliction grow without sinne Sin to affliction is like myre to the rush and like water to the flagge it maketh a division betweene our God our Soule God cannot shine vpon the Counsell of the wicked So soone as men beginne to sinne the clowds of his glowmes beginne to gather then thou markest mee and thou wilt not acquite mee from mine iniquitie if I be wicked woe vnto mee As a man soweth so shall hee reape Even as I haue seene said Eliphaz they that plow iniquitie and sowe wickednesse reape the same Who ever hee bee that takes pleasure in sinne shall possesse moneths of Vanitie wearisome nights are appointed for him The vse of all this is that wee studie to sinceritie of life if wee would bee free of afflictions The wicked while they are afflicted are bound with afflictions like a murtherer cast in the stockes but godly Ioseph in the stockes is a free man The sakelesse Soule is ever in libettie their is no such buckler for holding off afflictions as innocencie of life If because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities bee away the words following are afflicted should bee as scraped out Let a man keepe himselfe from sinne vnspotted of this World and hardlie shall affliction come neere him Doe what Balaam could doe hee could not curse Israel though hee was waged for the same The reason thereof is declared by himselfe God hath not beheld iniquitie in Iacob neither hath hee seene perversnesse in Israel the Lord God is with him and the shout of a King is among them So long as God beholdeth not iniquitie into a man a house or a nation the Lord God is there and they shout as Kings that is they triumph over all their enemies If afflictions come for to trye their forces they likewise shout as Kings triumphing over Death it selfe and the grave whome they boast with doubled interrogations O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victorie What wonder that fooles bee afflicted for their follie seeing other innocent creatures smart for the same Doth not Scripture record that senselesse creatures sicken for our sinnes Thus wee see the walls of an house became leper of a freting leprosie a wonderfull thing to think how hard stones of the house wall where the sinner dwelt could become sick Because of the transgressions and iniquities of fooles in an house the dead stones in the wall were afflicted Yea which is more for the sins of man the whole creation groneth travelleth in paine together as if it were a Woman in her shewers their sicknesse is vanitie caused by our iniquitie * Seeing then other creatures that cannot sinne are afflicted because of mans sins what wonder if fooles because of their transgressions yea and also because of their iniquitie hee afflâ—cted Observe heere howe the worde because is doubled First because of their transgressions and againe because of their iniquities Is not this all one what neede was it then that hee should have thus doubled the worde Because and againe because I answere that this forme of speach is as were the dreames of Pharaoh of the kine and of the corne of one thing hee had two dreames The dreame of Pharaoh is one said Ioseph But wherefore was it doubled Joseph â—aith that it was to shew Pharaoh what hee was about to doe that is for to assure him that the matter should surely come to passe God of one thing doubled Pharaohs dreames for that the dreame was doubled vnto Pharaoh twise it is because the thing is established by GOD and God will shortly bring it to passe So for to assure vs heere that sinne is the cause of all our afflictions it is saide that men are afflicted because of their transgressions and againe because of their iniquities The word doubled is lyke two witnesses for to confirme the trueth The first lesson I observe heere is of the great stupiditie of man that very hardlie can rightly take vp the cause of his troubles It must bee told him againe and againe line after line commandement after commandement because after because The first bell ringes to the preaching and yet wee slumber The second ringes yet we are not ready The third must ring also with a doubled sound and yet we come behind Either preface or prayer is past before wee come to our place Wee come to the Lords house as to a place of girth or as to a city of refuge for to saue the the lyfe of our soules yet beholde how sluggish wee are like Lot who would not leaue his house till hee was pressed out by the Angel So heere behold thy senslese nature that can not take vp the cause of thy troubles till it be told againe and againe Because of transgressions will not waken the sleeping sinner till it be doubled into an other word because of iniquities lyke the doubled crowe of the Cock to Peter Let all men learne heere the cause of all their woes Now O man would thou knowe the cause of thy afflictions it is because of thy transgressions Hast thou not hard that Was thou sleeping while I said it Heare me againe it is bâ—cause of thy iniquities If the because of thy transgressions hath not weakned thee let the because of thy iniquities rouse thee vp GOD cryed once Samuel but hee made no answere to GOD hee cryed againe Samuel but yet hee answered not to God The third tyme hee cryed Samuel neither as yet could hee answere vnto God Last of all the Lord doubled his cry Samuel Samuel Then Samuel said Speake Lord forthy servant heareth Many preachings haue many heard and yet haue not learned the cause of their afflictons Many strokes haue many gotten and as yet never could take vp the cause of their stroakes and so they continue into their sinnes like the drunkard in his drinking who though in his drunknesse he hath gotten many a sore fall many a sore stroake yet can not refraine They haue stricken me will he say and I was not sicke they haue beaten me and I felt it not when I shall awake yet will I till it againe Woe to him that is not sensible to his afflictions for to seeke out the cause thereof that it may bee removed If a sinner hath beene stricken and hath not beene sicke if
For if a man desire lyfe for to eate drinke and make good cheere of his provisions laide vp for many yeeres it were better for him to die before such riots Lord keepe me from the gift of lyfe except it bee that J may amend my lyfe lyfe should bee desired that it may bee better spended The vse of this doctrine is that every man in his sicknesse try wherefore hee desireth his lyfe Jf it be for to glorifie God and to redeeme evill spent tyme to doe some more good in the world such a desire is godly such a request is holy whether it be graunted or not Well is the man that hath gotten lyfe and thereafter so liveth and learneth to die that hee may dye to liue Let him whom God hath afflicted with sore sicknesse and thereafter hath brought even from the doores of death let him I say learne to be circumspect in his wayes When Christ met afterwarde with the sicke man whom hee had cured at the poole of Bethesda hee gaue him a godly counsell Behold said hee thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing come vnto thee It is a token of a deadly disease when the phisicke can not worke Againe heere I obserue the sluggishnesse of mans heart in prayer He will not pray till hee bee at the extremitie even at the doores of death then and not till then saith my text they cry vnto the Lord. Why would they not cry while they perceived their appetite decaying why would they not cry while their soule began to abhorre all maner of meate Doeth the wild asse bray when hee hath grasse Or loveth the oxe over his fodder No not So long as a man hath the grasse of prosperitie and the fodder of wealth hee can neither loue nor bray nor pray The young man will not quite the harlot till a dart strake through his liver If the vntamed colt be not sore ridden and beatâ—â— hee can not bee broken Hard hearts like hard knots must haue hard wedges A small wind is notable to fanne away meakell chaffe A hautie heart will not stoupe for a little distresse Jt is not the little touch of affliction that will waken a snorting sinner Except it bee an imperious crosse which cause him smart hardly will hee yeeld so head strong a thinge is sinne So long as the Mariners can worke amongâ—t their cordes they runne raâ—â—le reele and sweate in the tempeâ—t But after that they haue reeled to c fro and staggered like drunken men when all their running is gone then as it is said in the psalme they cry vnto the Lord in their trouble yea though the ship reele and crack as thought it should bee crusht yet Jonas will not waken till a Pagan pull him vp and buffet him with rebukes what meanest thou O sleeper Arise call vpon thy God The vse While God giveth vs warning by any disease let vs take it as a precept of warning from GOD and prepare our selues for death * Jt is to bee too venturous not to cry till thou be at the doores of death that is to put craig in perrill wise Salomon forbiddeth a man to delay a day This was his watch-word Boast not thy selfe of to morrowe for thoâ— knowest not what a day may bringe foorth Age hodie quod moriturus agas Doe that to day that thou would desire to bee doing in the day of thy death But alas what order for all this haue wee taken with our soules though wee know not how neere wee are to the doores of death Who amongst vs can say with the Psalmist My heart is prepared my heart is prepared Alas for our heart it is like the field of the sloathfull and like the vineyard of the man voide of vnderstanding I went by it saith Salomon and loe it was all growen over with thornes and nettles had covered the face thereof Our hearts for the most part are either pricked with the thornie cares of the world or burnt so with the burning nettles of lust that we remember not our latter end So soone as wee come out of the burning nettles of youth wee fall into the pricking thornes of worldly cares the sicknesse of colde and olde age Except that wee take heede to our selues in tyme our damnation shall come as one that travaileth our destruction like an armed man For this cause let every man rouse vp him selfe at the first touch of affliction and no more put the Lord as it were to paines for to stretch out his arme still Why should yee bee striken any more said God to his people Though God spare man in his sinnes for a space yet at last shall hee not disdaine to bee crossed of dust asses I will tell thee ô man that if thou sit the Lords first summonds Hee vvill send to thee a new charge which shall make thy griefe to grow If yee walk stubbornly against mee said the LORD I will bring seven tymes more plagues vpon you according to your sinnes If seven will not worke God hath seventie seven at his command every one readier than another to say with that spirit send me Jf for the gentle corrections of his rodde thou will not turne Hee shall scourge thee with scorpions till hee cause thee câ—y If a sinner overcome a little affliction and come out of it not being bettered thereby Gods armie shall bee stretched out still by some greater judgement After that Hananiah had broken the yoke of wood which was about Ieremiah his â—ecke for to bee a token of a great judgement God commanded to tell Hananiah Thou hast broken the yokes of wood but thou shalt make for tâ—â—m yokes of yron If yokes of wood can not daâ—ton stif-necked sinners the Lord shall change wood into yron malo nodo malus cuneus for a hard knot he can make a hard wedge nill wee will we God will haue his blowes felt Againe heere in that a sicke man at the doores of death is said to cry to God I obserue a powerfull working of the spirit of God in his owne children While they are at the doores of death and can not speake vnto man for weaknesse yet are they said to cry vnto the Lord. At such a tyme all the force of nature is spent and words are said to be swallowed vp yet such are said heere to cry vnto the Lord. Wherefrae commeth this force to cry Not from nature It is from the spirit within While the godly man is at his last gaspes and hath layd speach before men even then is a voice of power within him crying through the heavens vnto God The vse In confidence of Gods assisting power let vs comfort our selues against the houre of death the houre of our greatest weaknesse Heere is the ground
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
Last of all in that these that are troubled crye to God J observe a comfort for these that crye in trouble when a man can once crye to God in his trouble it is a token that God shortly will deliver One that is pined with the stone gravell so long as hee but whineth for the difficultie hee hath in making water the Surgeon will not cut him but will say let him bee till hee crye from the time once hee beginneth to cry then is it time to cutt that once done he is delivered from his paine There is in man a stone harder than the Stone of the bladder viz. the stone of the heart The heart stone is of sinne the bladder Stone is but of sand Sinne gravell is a stone gravell for hardnesse there is no flint so hard as a hard heart As the Stone gravell is from sand one pickle ioyning to another till at last manie pickles beeing knit together in a lumpe become a confirmed stone even so the heart gravell is from one sinne joyned to another till they be in an huge number together like a cluster At last in length of time by custome they harden together from thence is the confirmed stone of the heart So long as this stone is not very painefull in affliction but onely maketh the sinner to whine the Lord will let that sinner suffer still for a space hee will delay his cure but if once the paine bee so that it cause the sinner to cry God that most cunning Surgeon will cut out the cause of his cry Behold the trueth of this into my text Then they cry vnto the Lord there is the cry and he delivereth them there is the cure The vse Let vs try our soules in trouble whither they cry or but whine if the soule but whine in afflictions it is a token that deliverance is yet far off but if the soule once begin to crye God is ready to deliver By our prayer to God we shall know the mind of our God in our troubles the working of our afflictions In this crying to God there is a great difference the wicked cryeth more for his sore than his sinne the godly man cryeth more for his sin than his sore So to doe is not the practise of a prentise The Lord teach vs both how wee should cry to our God and wherfore chiefly we should cry To God bee glorye for ever Amen A SHORT MEDITATION against mans securitie in life AS intensive colde in time of frost maketh water to congeale and bindeth all vp so that the earth is neither fit for plowing or sowing so into the hearts of manie there is a frost yea a lying frost so that the fallow ground of their heartes cannot bee riven vp An excessive cold at Gods service stayeth the pleugh of Gods â—grace Yee all woulde thinke it an vncouth thing to see pleughsly in frost in the moneth of May and yet more into August The yeere is but of the age of twelve monethes Maye is but the youth thereof and yet if in that moneth there should bee no appearance of fruites what would you thinke of such a yeere And yet alas many of vs who have past the June yea the August of our age are as yet frozen in the dregges of our sinnes as though the beames of Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse had never shined vpon our soules What is this that wee cannot remember our mortalitie * One sythe cutteth down both Prince and people How manie Kings of this land are dead and but one alive The rest are gone for to give account how they have swayed the scepter when they sustained the person of God All the glorie of the greatest except they bee godly shall perish like the snuffe of a candle that is trodde vnder-foote Let vs therefore so live to die that wee maye die to live If wee digge not the Myne we shall never find the treasure If wee could lay this to our heart wee should bee swifter than Hazael in running to our God THE SICKE MANS SALVE THE THIRD SERMON Psal. 107. v. 19. Then they cry vnto the Lorde in their trouble hee saved them out of their distresses V. 20. Hee sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions IN my former Sermon it hath beene declared what the sicke fooles did while they were neere the doores of death it is saide Then they cryed vnto the Lord Jn this Sermon wee shall heare Gods part It is in these words â—ee saved them out of their distresses hee sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions The division of these words Jn these wordes I see two things first God after hee hath heard afflicted sinners saveth them and delivereth them out of their distresse secondly it is set downe by what meanes hee delivered these sicke persons in these wordes hee sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their graves or destructions As for that it is saide in the first part of my dâ—yes Text that God saved these sicke out of their distresses J observe the great mercie of God there is no sinne or sicknesse I see so great but if the sicke sinner can crye to him God hath mercie for him as it is of sicknesse so of all other affliction If man can crye vnto God God is readie to send succour This Moses declared well vnto Jsrael The Lord said hee shall scatter you among the nations and yee shall bee left few in number and there yee shall serve gods the workes of mens handes wood and stone which neither heare nor see nor eate nor smell there is Gods iudgment against mans sin But shall the LORDS arme bee stretched out still Will not God bee any more mercifull heare what is subioyned But if from thence thou shalt seeke the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if thou seeke him with all thy heart and with all thy soule Manie a time had the sicke fooles of my text offended his Majestie yet here is mercie they cryed and hee saved God sometimes indeed while hee hath beene often provoked by the sinnes of men after diverse deliverances will seeme to bee more hard to bee intreated that men maye beware to be relapses from such he will hide his face for a space Verily said Jsaiah thou art a God that hideth thy self O God of Israel the Saviour hee may hide himself for a litle but not long While hee heareth the heart-cryes of his creature hee is forced to draw the curtaine and shew himselfe vnto it He that forbade man to hide himself from his owne flesh can not long deny himselfe to a sicke sinner crying in his distresse Of this we have a notable speach in the Psalme I sought the Lord and hee heard mee delivered mee from all my feares
also he hath beene beaten with the drunkard and hath not felt it it is a sure token that he will yet to it againe Let all men learne heere in their afflictions to seeke out the cause of their trouble When the Philistims sawe them selues miserably plagued with a filthie and shamefull disease they tooke counsell how it might bee tryed wherefrom their affliction came They had the Arke of God a prisoner among them This was the summe of all the counsell Now therefore make a new cart and take two milk kine on which there hath come no yoke and tie the kine to the Cart and bring the calves home from them And take the Arke of the Lord and lay it vpon the cart and send it away that it may gee And see if it goeth vp by the way of his owne coast to Beth-Shemesh if that bee then he hath done vs this great evill but if not then wee shall know that it is not his hand that smote vs but a chance that happened vnto vs. There be many Christians in their afflictions worse then these Philistims though they see things more than two kine drawing a cart by his owne coast yet can not say that it is God that hath done it lesse can they tell that their sinnes haue beene the cause of it but such a thing fell foorth such a thing hath chanced to be it happened so vnto me such was my fortune This is Philistimes language worthy to be banished with buffets as Nehemiah buffeted the little children of the Israelites and pluckt off their haire when he heard them speaking the language of Ashdod It so happened Such was my chance It was my fortune is not Christian but Ashdodian language This is Gods question Wherefore is the living man sorrowfull This is also Gods answere Man suffereth for his sins They are worthy to be scourged and buffeted who while they are afflicted speake of fortun or chance Sathan in his words may teach many Christians to speake when he desired God to scourge Iob he said not God send him an hard weird an evill fortoun or God send him a sudden chance or ill must hee happen But Streach out thy hand touch all that hee hath And againe the second tyme Put furth thyne hand now and touch his bone and his flâ—sh The Magicians of Egypt called the plague the finger of God or Gods send What a shame then should this be for Christians to speake of fortune or chance or hap seeing the divell and his magicians can call afflictions the hand of God or the finger of God Let the lyars of Ephraim say they are not Ephramits but Shibboleth shal proue then to bee Ephramits Let the vngodly deny that they are wicked and giue thanks with the Pharisee that they are not lyke other men but by their very language incontinent yee shall know Some filthie words or bloody oathes for toun hap chance or such words will bewray them By their accent yee shall know that they are of Galile that is of this world Surely said one to Peter thou also art a Galilean and thy speach agreeth thereto The tongue betweene man and man is lyke an interpreter betweene two strangers The heart of every man is a stranger to every other man But out of the abundance of the heart the tongue speaketh bee it good bee it evill The words are the interpretation of the heart If Words beguile works dummy can not lie Againe in the doubling of the name of finne before affliction I obserue that God is loath to afflict till he bee provoked by transgressions by iniquities in the plural number that is againe and againe Till sinnes be multiplyed God scourgeth not the foole Gods wrath commeth not out vpon man till hee bee pressed with mens sinnes as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaues The doctrine then is this God is slowe and loath to come to stroakes till he be provoked againe and againe yea and againe also This is well set downe by the Prophet Amos who declaring Gods iudgments against divers peoples setteth downe first men sinning againe and againe once twise thrise yea foure tymes before that God began to afflict The first is Gaza Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Gaza and for four I will not turne away the punishment thereof The second is Tyrus Thus saith the Lord for three tarnsgressions of Tyrus and for four I will not turne away the punishment thereof The third is Edom Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Edom and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof The fourth is Ammon Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Ammon and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof The fifth is Moab Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Moab and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof The sixt is Judah Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Iudah and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof The seventh is Israel Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Israel and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof The eight is Britans Thus saith the Lord for thirtie transgressions of Britane and for fourtie I will not turne away the punishment thereof Our transgressions are thirtie for three fourtie for foure See how God delighteth to afflict One man sinneth and God forgiveth againe man sinneth and God forgiveth againe yet man sinneth and God forgiveth But at last when men multiplie their transgressions God punisheth saying I will not turne away the punishment thereof The vse is let men beware of doubling and tripling of sinnes If iniquities come after transgressions it is to be feared that God say for three transgressions and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof They are but fooles that say Let vs sinne that grace may abound Though while men sinne God seemes to them to bee inclosed vp into the heavens yet hee sees men into their sinnes Though he come to iudgement softly with foote of wooll when he is come he striketh with armes of yron The longer the stroake be in comming it commeth downe the sadder A sudden or hasty blowe is not of such force as a stroake fetcht from necke to heele Let no man therefore sooth him selfe vp in his sinnes thinking that there is nothing in God but mercie no not As hee is mercifull and gratious long suffering abundant in goodnesse and trueth Hee is also a righteous Lord a God of iustice who will in no wayes cleare the guiltie Bee what men will bee if they be fooles because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities they shall bee afflicted Otherwise where should bee the GOD of iustice Objection Heere some man may object that this seemeth not ever to
drunkards but becaus they were lyars they fell both downe dead at the Apostles feere Iudas and Iulian were not guiltie of all these fore-said transgressions yet because they were traitours and Apostate they died shamefully Many of our weemen if they can say J am neither whoore nor theese think that all is well The second generall observation J make here is that in generall sinners are said to bee afflicted in this verse indeede thereafter the affliction is specified viz sicknesse But in this generall word afflicted I find as it were a meeting of Gods judgements with mens transgressious as all sorts of sinnes may be included into these words transgressions and iniquities so all sorts of iudgments may bee contained into that word afflicted If one affliction be not fearefull to the sinner another will bee terrible This is Gods aw-band aboue the heads of men The doctrine J gather heere is that as there bee diverse sortes of transgressions and of iniquities so there bee diverse sortes of iudgements that are all in readinesse at the first call to helpe the Lord to helpe the Lord against the iniquities of men If God but cry vpon his plagues â—aying whome shall I send and who will goe for vs There is not one but it will come our before the Lord saying with that evill Spirit send me when God is angry against man for sinne the famine will say send me and I shall eate him vp Send mee faith the pestilence and I shall destroy him send mee saith the sword and I shall hewe him in peeces These bee Gods three great Captaines which are appoynted by him to runne through the world for to scourge men because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities Not only those three but all the creatures of God are in readinesse in coats of armes for to execute his will against transgressours There is no creature of God either aboue or belowe but when they see God angry for sinne they will desire to be sent for to revenge the Lords quarrell against sinners The fire saith send me and I shall burne Sodom send me saith the water and I shall drowne Pharoah his host Send mee saith the earth and J shall swallow vp Dathan and Abiram The winds crye send vs and wee shall chase and chastise Ionas for his rebellion The lyons cry send vs and wee shall roare devore the enemies of Daniel The Deares cry send vs and wee shall destroy the mockers of Elisha The dagges crye send vs and we shall eate the flesh of Iozahel the lyce crye send vs and wee shall bring downe the pryde of Herode Againe there bee legions of disenses waiting vpon his nod for to afflict sinners Send mee saith one and I shall strike him blind Send mee saith another and I shall make him dease Send mee saith another and I shall make him dumbe Send me saith another and I shall lame him Send mee saith another to his head Send mee to his heart will another say Send mee to his lights and to his lever will others say Thus migrims and phrenesies fevers and fluxes gouts gravels catarres quartaines and cataractes armies of diseases will at Gods command runne vpon miserable man till from the sole of his feete to the crowne of his head there be nothing without or within but boils botches and putrifieing sores See what diseases feesters fevers fluxes c. See what beasts and vnbeasts Beares dogges lyons lyce c. These with all the elements are ready to afflict man because of his transgressions and because of his iniquities Moreover not only will other creatures bee in readinesse for God for to afflict and execute his vengance against sinners But even sinners them selues will runne as Posts this earand for to be against them selves for the Lord. Send me said Iudas and I shall hang that traitour Judas that betrayed his maister Send mee said Zimri and I shall cast Zimri into a fire Send me saith Achitophel and I shall hang Achitophel for abuseing of his wisedome Send me saith King Saul and I shall put a sword through King Saul to teach all the Kings of the earth obedience to the King of Heaven See what armies God hath for to afflict all men in all sorts of afflictions because of his transgressions and because of his iniquities The vse of all this is that we stand in awe and feare to offend so great and so high a Majestie Jf any man be guiltie of many transgressions of many iniquities God as yee see he are hath many judgements ready at his nod for the afflicting of such fooles A whip for the horse a bridle for the asse and many strips for the fooles back The Lord giue vs wisedome in all things to God be glory for ever THE SICKE MANS SORE THE SECOND SERMON PSAL. 107. verse 18. Their Soule abhorreth all maner of meate and they drawe neere the gates of death Verse 19. Then they cry vnto the Lord in their troubles and hee delivereth them out of their distresses IN my former sermon Beloved in the Lord the cause of the sicke mans sore hath beene declared in these words that because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities they are afflicted I wish from my heart that all sinners could thinke well vpon this that sinne is the very seede of affliction for the godly and of fearefull iudgement for the wicked Every man while he sinneth thinketh to escape even as God could bee false As God is a righteous Lord hee will not suffer sinners to escape vnpunished As the shaddow followeth the body so there is a thing that followeth sinne which Job calleth a rod which the wicked man never thinketh of before he hath done when the lowne hath faulted then is hee beaten When Belshazzar is drinking then God is writing his dittay vpon the wall After the wicked hath sinnsed the hand of Gods justice shall catch him by the hairie scalpe which shall make all his joynts to tremble The particular affliction wherewith the sinners of this Text are said to bee afflicted NOW according to my division made in the former sermon It followeth that wee knowe with what particular affliction fools in this text are said to bee scourged for their sinnes The rodde is sickenesse sore sickenesse deadly diseases This is plainely set downe into these words Their soule abhorreth all maner of meate and they drawe neere the gates of death The sickenesse as yee see is not some light trouble a tooth ache or an head-worke as wee say but a deadly disease declared in these words Their soule abhorreth all maner of meate c. Beholde heere J say the description of a deadly disease First it begins with want of appetite after that the sicke man draweth neere the gates of death The first doctrine J obserue heere is towards man in that hee maketh
sickenesse to come before death that man being forewarned may stryue to bee fore-armed Behold how God stealeth not a dint vpon these fooles that are heere sicke God in justice might strike the sinner dead in an instant as if hee were an oxe felled with the housle of an axe If God should slay vs all vpon the sudden and as we say make vs even shoot to dead hee should be righteous and we should get shame and confusion of face But such is the mercy of God that often he forewarnes sinners making them to sicken by degrees first by taking away their appetite and thereafter by making them to abhorre all maner of meate then their hands become feeble and their knees waxe weake as water thus all their joye by litle and litle doth wither away After that they are thus warned God draweth them neere the doores of death This is Gods custome to send some forerunners to tell that the decree is coming foorth against sinners except that they gather them selues and search them selues for to prevent his judgements Hee sent vnto Ninive his Prophet to giue them a charge of fourtie dayes either to repent or to be destroyed Kings hornings get but commonly fixe dayes God gaue them fourtie dayes leasure to consider whether it was good or no to returne home againe to God After that God had sent vnto Jerusalem his Prophets both great and small for to receiue the fruits of his vineyard whom they abused Hee sent at last his owne Sonne saying They will reverence my Sonne but they killed him and cast him out of his owne vineyard as being the heire yet for all that God would not destroy them Thereafter hee sent the Apostles to preach to doe miracles amongst them yet for all that they would not repent After as Joseph their owne writer records they gote warning from God of their woe to come First a Comete before the destruction of Jerusalem was seene into the aire hauing the forme of a sword for all this they would not yet repent After that a voice was heard into the temple saying Let vs gee out of this place for all this they would not yet repent Last of all there was a certaine man that night and day ranne about the temple crying Voice from the cast and voice from the west voice from the four winds woe to the Citie and to the Temple As at last he was crying woe vnto me he was slaine by the cast of some stone and incontinent thereafter the temple was burnt and the Citie taken and destroyed What need J bring testimonies from forraine nations haue we not eyes to see what God hath done to Britan What cryed the famine vnto vs into this land when in the most glorious streets of this Kingdome it made the poore to fall flatlings to the ground What cryed the Pestilence that walketh in darkenesse while the best cities of this land were almost laid waste And now what cryeth the sword drawen our of the scabert Can we say but that we are well forewarned Though God should come this yeere and sweepe vs quite away none of vs can say that our God hath beene too hasty to take vengeance Such forewarnings by sickenesse by famine by pestilence by sword are given to sinners to let the world see that God is true in his oath viz. that as hee liueth hee taketh no delight into the death of sinners But because if GOD should giue to all such forewairnings the wicked world yea the best of vs would become secure Therefore the Lord often will take away both godly and vngodly into a moment that every man may be continuallie vpon his watch least hee should be taken away vpon the sudden and so dye without preparation while the Philistims were seeking to see Samson sport the house fell downe vpon them and they died into an instant While Nadab and Abihu brought in strange fire before the Lord the fire of God consumed them into a moment Fiftie men with their Captaine and againe other fiftie men with their Captaine that came to lay hands vpon Elias were consumed into an instant with fire from heaven All Iobs children were smothered at a feast The Aegyptians in their greatest rage against God his people were all drowned into a moment Ananias and Saphirah shot to dead while they were lyeing against GOD Lots wife in an instant was turned into a pillar of salt All these are set out in scripture to giue warning vnto sinners not to lippen to the last as if one Gods mercy at the last gaspe were enough for al their sinnes Not one of all these fore said persons gote once leasure for to say Lord haue mercy vpon mee What can thou tell O man but thou mayst die vnder the fall of an house with Samson the Philistims Jt may bee thou be burnt with a blast of powder as Nadab was with fire What if Satan get licence from God to raise a wind which shall smite the corners of the house whereby in an instant thou shall be overwhelmed The LORD may drown thee with the Aegyptians into the sea J knew a man in France fall downe dead as hee was washing his hands into the basen for to goe to dinner after the Communion I knew a man in Scotland who died at the dinner hauing the cuppe in his hand not feeling any sicknesse of before What doe all these cry vnto vs but that we ever be prepared Is not our lyfe a vapour a breath into our nostrils which departeth so soone as the Lord but saith Returne yee children of men The vse of this for great comfort to these that are afflicted with long diseases Yee that haue such sicke persons at home whose names are prayed for heere take home to them this comfort that they are much beholden to Gods mercies that proceedeth in such a maner with them whereby they may haue tyme to repent and recken with their God What if God had slaine them vpon an evill thought word or worke * It is a fearfull thing to goe directly from sin to judgement Well is the man that hath tyme to craue mercy from his Iudge Comfort your sicke with this let them see how they are beholden vnto God for his delays After that tell them what hath made them sicke The Physitians can discourse and tell diverse naturall causes But alas this is too sparingly told to the sicke that they suffer for their sinnes The Physitian will say the humour must first be purged but the Minister must say sinne must first bee purged Many never send for the minister till the physitian can doe no more This they will verifie vbi medicus desinit ibi Deus incipit where man leaveth off there God beginneth O foole God should be begun at in thy sicknesse Seeke first the minister the interpreter one of a thousand that he
They looked vnto him and were lightened and their faces were not ashamed Now let vs see the kirnell of that comfort in the verse following This poore man cryed and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles Behold a progresse of seeking and of deliverance first hee sought God secondly he looked vnto God thirdly the poore man cryed So first God mett mans seeking with deliverance from the feare of trouble secondly while man looked vnto him hee made him to bee inlightened so that hee knew both who did afflict and wherefore hee did afflict him But last of all while God saw this sinner humbled like a poore man and heard him crye then hee saved him from his troubles This poore man cryed saith the Psalmist and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles See how the Lord at the first saved him not from all his troubles but by degrees till hee cryed vnto him like a poore man crying for an almes The harder health is more come by the more it is set by a disease easily cured is easily incurred The sooner a sinner bee helped if hee returne againe to his sinnes hee shall find God the slower to come to his helpe againe God will let him seeke and looke and cry yea and crye againe to teach him better manners This wee see in the booke of Iudges to have beene Gods doing with Israel The Israelites beeing oppressed by the Philistimes and Ammonites in their miserie they sought vnto God they looked vnto him yea and they cryed but what answere got they at the first God sent them vnto their false gods at the first and yet vpon their repentance hee hee pittied them The wordes are so weightie that they are worthie to be heard these be they euen as they were writen by Gods pen-man when the Israelites sawe that they were so sore afflicted by their enemies it is said They cryed vnto the Lord saying wee haue sinned against thee both because we haue forsaken our God and also serued Balaam let vs now heare what answere God made vnto them Hee said vnto them Did I not deliuer you from the Egyptians and from the Ammorits and from the Children of Ammon and from the Philistimes The Zidonians also and the Amalelikites and the Maonites did oppresse you and yee cryed vnto mee and I deliuered you out of their hands yet ye haâ—e forsaken mee and serued other Gods Behold their relaps what saith the Lord to that I will deliuer you no more Goe and crye vnto the Gods which ye haue chosen let them deliuer you in the time of your tribulation heare what a hard answere Now what did the Jsraelites They said to God We haue sinned doe thou vnto vs whatsoeuer seemeth good vnto thee deliuer vs onely we praye thee this day as if they should haue said Lord but for this one time Thus after they had cryed they amended their life by putting away the strange Gods from among them and serued the Lord what did God then It is said that his soule was grieued for the miserie of Israel So at last they got help but after many prayers and after the amendement of their life O the great mercy of our God! O the preseruer of man Let vs make vse of this by applying it to our present purpose which is concerning these that are so sicke that they seeme to bee neere the doores of death While God delayeth to bring them from their sicknesse notwithstanding of all their prayers and of all our prayers private or publicke let vs not grudge neither let the sicke murmure God while hee delayeth their health hee as it were sayeth to them as hee said to Israel I will deliver you no more yet if the poore patient persist to murne before him God will not faile to give him full contentment at last God afflicteth not willingly the children of men no not his soule often is grieved for the miserie of Israel How can hee but deliver repenting sinners seeing their miserie grieveth his verie soule It is not wonder that God repented himselfe to have made man because that hee is the chiefe matter of his griefe As for the Devils they grieve GOD by their sinnes but he is not grieved for their torments God gladly shall cause scourge them with scorpions But as for his owne children heere hee is grieved and grieved againe first for their sinnes but most for their sufferings hee is grieved for their sinnes as a father for his childrens faults and againe he is grieved to strike them Last of all hee is most grieved after that hee hath striken them These bee wonderfull wordes his soule was grieued for the miserie of Israel God that forgave David his sinne could as gladly have spared him in his iudgments but the wicked were looking on wondred how God did spare and therefore â—or his honour and for his names sake he could not let David go vnpunished So soone as David had said I have sinned against the Lord Nathan answered that the Lord had put away his sinne but as for afflictions and troubles hee could not put them awaye because by that deede hee had giuen great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme Jf all the wicked were blind God would often spare to afflict his Children An obiection Heere some may obiect and saye that this our Text is not ever true Js it not cleare that God delivereth not all men from the gates of death though they cry vnto him The answere It is certaine that it is not aye done For if men by crying to God were ever brought backe from the doores of death death should bee a rare thing among men If life could bee had for crying to GOD the World should be deafned with din for all that a man hath he will giue it for his life Jt is but one of a thousand that can say with S. Paul I desire to be dissolued what then shall we say to our Texte wherein is said that when the sicke man cryeth then God deliuereth Surely this is not euer done but if it be once done to a man in his life they be fewe here of anye age but once in their lifetime God hath brought them from the doores of death If God once hath done this to thee by thy owne experience subscribe to the trueth of my Texte Neither doth my Text say that this is done to all left that anye should beguile himselfe saying I may sinne seeing as yet I haue neuer bene so sicke as to be at the ports of death before J die I must first be neere these portes and be broght backe againe to health and so shall liue a space and afterward die No not God hath not astricted himselfe by promise to anye that he shall get but an houres sicknesse before he die If
another for leprosie to another for barrennesse to another for sicke horse to another for sicke kine to another for their swine I neede not goe farre Beholde into the same house where J preach that place of S. 〈◊〉 mooles in my time J sawe a deepe hole at the side of that stone where the miserable ignoraÌ„ts of this land had digged for to get the dust of that pretended Saint as if it had had power for to give health Mercifull God what blindnesse of ignorance was that What could be the cause of this This was the cause The poore people could not find the worde Gods messenger for health The Bible was a clasped booke then the Antichristian seales were as yet not loosed they heard nothing but mumbling of Masses wordes that they vnderstood not wordes that could not heale their hearts sicke of sinne and what wonder that like hennes they came seraping and scarting among the graves seeking if they could find any pickle of comfort to their comfortlesse soules Blessed bee our God that hath sent his word to this place for healing of sicke sinners whereas of before they were wont to bee sent to seeke comfort from the dead that had no comfort for themselves Gods word is a salve for all sorts of sores To come to my doctrine there is no disease vncurable to the word when it shall please God to send it I confesse that there bee diseases like devills some of a kinde that are more hardly driven away than others This sort of devils said Christ cannot bee cast out but by fasting and prayer to the worde of prayer fasting behoved to be ioyned Not that the word wanted force for to chase out these Devills but because of vs whose prayers are sluggish while the bellie is full A full bellie maketh the spirit lumpish fulnesse of food sends vp such thicke vapours which become clowdes betweene the face of God and our prayers so that they can not passe thorow Againe seeing Gods word is his appointed meane whereby hee not onlie giveth health to the body but also to the soules of his children let vs not wonder that Sathan the enemie of mans salvation bee a great enemie to this word to the teachers and to the hearers There is not a Sermon made to a people but Sathan is affraide to losse a soule for this cause especiallie hee beares a great ill will at Pastours because they carie the word of health Such men are the Lords Ensigne-bearers against whom Sathan shooteth his greatest peeces If they fall the men of health fall the sicke can no more get salve for his sore for this cause let no man wonder that Sathan raiseth slanders vpon Preachers This maketh that Dragon often to stretch out his taile that hereby hee may sweepe downe the lights of the World which shew vnto vs the way of salvation Jf once hee can make this word of God to bee ill spoken of and by the reeke of calumnie darken the light or make it to bee loathed hee thinkes that hee hath wonne a field As for you who take vpon you any profession of godlinesse by frequenting Sermons and often hearing of this word Beware that by a scandalous life yee make others to loath that which is Gods also appointed meanes for the healing of soules Woe to them that make the worde of God to bee ill spoken of Againe seeing the word is so poweâ—full a meane for to recover the health that is lost it must also bee a most powerfull preservative of health The vse seeing it is so let vs make meekle of Gods word in our health for it is the word of health the messenger of health the word of good tidings What better tidings would a sicke man have than that hee should bee healed * There was such a desire of health in Christs dayes that the people throâ—ged so about him that some not being able to enter in at the doore of the house where he was clambe vp vpon the house vncouered the roofe above his head and let downe the sicke into beds by the hole they had broken vp Jf wee knew the vertue of Gods word before that wee were debarred therefrom by a multitude wee should vncover the roofe of the house where it is preached that we might bee let downe by cords as wee loue our health wee should loue this word of health All men wish for health heere is the best preservative feare God and heare his word diligentlie If thou losse a preaching needlesly it is a wonder if thou contract not some disease If thou also be sluggish to come to Gods house or if thou come but yet heares carelesly and receiues not the word with greedinesse that is a spirituall lumpishnesse of heart a forerunner of some painefull disease Men ordinarly before some sicknes find a certain heauinesse with want of appetit There is no surer token of a fearfull disease to come then a lumpish loathing of Gods word It is of the word as of the Sacrament Jf the Sacrament of the supper be eaten vnworthily by the children of God though God after their repentance forgiue them the sinne yet he will chastise them with diuers diseases for this cause said the Apostle many are weake and sickly amongst you and many sleepe Euen so when the word is heard negligently without due preparation for this cause many are plagued with diuers diseases There is no such token that God will keepe the health of a people as when a people hath appetit of the word and heares it with greedinesse These delicate soules that are not content with the sincere word of God except that it be saused into the entising words of mans wisdome can not be but sickly soules Such men must be filled with some filthinesse within which bursteth out into scabs which scripture calleth the itching of the eare Thus as Solomon faith The full soule lotheth the honiâ— combe euen Gods word that is sweeter then the honie combe But to the hungrie soule euery bitter thing is sweet A morsell of drye bread is more pleasant to a hungry man then wild foule is to him that is Blewe burstex as we say This land let me be familiar is as it were Blewe bursten vvith abundance of Gods word We are well fed but it is not seene on vs Because we are filled we loth the honie combe J see no greater token of great diseases to come vpon this land then this Scotlands appetite of Gods word is lost Let vs heere also obserue the craft of Sathan who in all things goeth about to counterfeit God in his doings Heere in my Text it is said that God healeth the sicke with wordes he sent his Worde and healed them Sathan goeth about to make men beleiue that he can heale diseases also with words which wee