our earth iron then the Lord giueth vs dust ashes for raine All is litle that can be sayd to this one thing Christs soule was very heauy euen vnto the death for sinne Hee was wounded for our 〈◊〉 and broken for our iniquities all his sorrow was for sinne not his but ours All our debt hath beene payd by obedience of suffrings not ours but his yet we suffer because we sinne yet Christ who for vs ouer came the malice of sinne prescribeth sinne no more It was sinne made thee sick when he sayd thy sinnes are forgiuen thee he began the cure where the malady began We often put the fault on guiltlesse nature we thinke why were we borne to miseries wee blame our bodies constituâ—…ions Ahab imputed his fault to the Prophet but it is thou Ahab thou sin and thy fathers house the diuels vgly family which trouble all Israell We accuse the distempers of the yeares But man suffereth for his sinne hast thou not procured this vnto thy selfe Diseases are all begotten of that mishapen hagge and fearefull Incubus sinne Shall I then be discouraged in my sickenesse or iudge others plagued of God in theirs not so all are not in firme for sinne though none without some against sinne some for probation and exercise as Iob whom God pronounced iust Some that the glory of God might appeare Therefore they asked amisse who had sinned Iohn 9. Neither he nor his parents had sinned which must be referred to the immediatnesse of his maladies cause He had deserued the euill but God aymed especially at his own glory in the cure Seest thou a man afflicted leaue him to God who best knoweth why hee striketh his iudgement is alwayes iust though oftâ—…n secret Seest thou a wicked man healthy and strong enuy him not his misery is to come but when we are chastened we are corrected that we might not be condemned with the world Art thou afflicted euer thinke thou sufferest lesse then thou hast deserued To conclude this one lesson well learned would be a good meanes to preuent many errors many euils of body and soule you shall haue some man if his body be neuer so litle dis-affected send in as much hast for the Physitian as Gehazi ran to the Shunamites sonne if thou meete any salute him not if he sinne he deferreth dissembleth or perhaps it hath a noli me tangere none may touch it if he sin it pleaseth him if he be sicke nothing can comfort him O peruerse affection of the ignorant man his body is to him as Dauids beloued childe bewailed with teares his soule like the Iewes friends whose death they solemni zed with instruments of musicke the reason is they obserue not what dangerous effects sinne worketh to body and soule therefore they striue with the effects but touch not the cause Wilt thou be healed remoue the cause the effect will cease sinne is the fountaine of euill first cleanse that Sinne no more for God smiteth for sinne which bringeth me to a second consideration of sickenesse God smiâ—…h with sickenesse therby to restraine the fury of the wicked and to instruct the righteous Egypts plagues the pestilence in the campe of Israel the murmurers the Philistim Emerods Gehaziâ—… leprosie Herods wormes shew the one Iob Dauid Hâ—…zekiah with many others like this present instance marked with an 〈◊〉 sanatus es Sinne no more proue the other My discourse is especially addressed to this Affliction hath three daughters like Iobs last three giuen him after his trialls more beautifull then the former Exercise purging sinne Probâ—…tion giuing approbation and Reward crowning our labours God gaue a life free from all sicknesse and pâ—…ine when man abused that gift he afflicted him with many iâ—…firmities by correcting the body the baser part to amend the more excellent like a good Physician if an obstinate disease the Splene or Dropsie will not be cured with potions and light medicines he vseth lancing and cauterizing without So are our sicknesses like Christs Scourges which he made to driue the buyers and sellers out of the Temple I meane those cursed Brokers which sell vs to Sinne Securitie and Neglect in which our luxuriant minds full fed soone fall asleepe then commâ—…h God as Dauiâ—… to Saul sleeping and taketh away the speare and pot of mater our strength and nourishment but â—…lling to vs a farre off sheweth plainely he did not take aduantage to kill but to awaken vs. Doe I desire the death of a sinner Why will ye die O house of Isâ—…e Looke how a father pittieth his owne child so is God mercifull to his he correctâ—…th but his indiâ—…ation is not execution of reuengâ—… but working of pâ—…rdon Like a good Physician he fighteth with the disease not the diseased Christ wept for Ierusalem before he took vp the Rodde Looke how wise parents punish their childrens faâ—…ks but suffer with their persons how anger goeth betwixt the child and the fault like the sâ—…king 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 lâ—…pe betwixt Abrahams diuided Sacrifice which Grâ—…gorie expresseth thus I reprehâ—…d thy faulâ—… that I may loâ—…e thy person sâ—… lâ—…e thy person that I may not be guiltie of thy crime So God sendeth sicknesse yet as Dauid his battailes against Absolom with this charge Deale gently for my sake with the yong man God correcteth his but often as the Persians beat their Princes Clothes not their Princes Infirmities are Gods well-ordered troupes which strongly charge the disorderly affections of a rebellious minde yet to these hee sayth as concerning Iob Loe he is in your hand but saue his life Sinne is the water as in a Pericardium compassing our heart which should be the Altar of God sicknesse like Eliahs fire sent from Heauen licketh it vp consuming that fomitem peccati abounding in a full and healthie bodie Therefore he giueth a litâ—…le rebated sorrow as Physicians poyson which as one saith of the Cantarides carry a remedie with them and is an externall antidote against eternall weeping and gnashing of teeth so soueraigne a medicine that euen the weake haue desired it Reserue me not to vtter darkenesse said Origeâ—… rather correct me O Lord. Mauritius guiltie of the bloud of twelue hundred souldiers through his couetousnesse vnransomed and put to the sword hauing beene terrified with many â—…arefull predictions and gastly apparitions humbly beâ—…ought the Lord that he might haue his punishment in this life which hee obtayned not in a little sickenesse but first seeing the Empresse his Wife and deare Children butchered at Phocas command he onely said Righteous art thou O Lord and iust is thy iudgemeâ—…t and with the like constancie himselfe soone after suffered death Good men doe so much loue God and hate sinne that they had rather suffer famine to beate downe
who dranke no wine Solomon a part who sayd Consider diligently what is before thee otherwise thou putst as it were thy knife to thy throate if thou be a man giuen to the appetite be not desirous of dainty meat for it is a deceiueable meat The senses like the passages of Iordan taken by the Gileadites watched by the temperate would cut off many sinnes we must do by sinnes as with some strong fort if it cannot be forced we must cut off all forragers and so stárue the defendants Lust and drunkennesse liue at full tables pleasure is the Nurse of sinne if there be a famine of temperance they are gone to soiourne also here He wisely ouercommeth things vnlawfull who hath learned not to vse the lawfull Paul will teach thee an excellent part in auoyding inconuenient talke our Sauiour hath comprised all in this one Watch that ye enter not into temptation Wee perish like Isbosheth sleeping whilst wee dreame of no danger Fifthly let euery sinne bee the more heartily repented by how much oftner it assayleth if sinne will needes dwell with thee vse the deceiuer as Israel the Gibeonites cause it to hew wood and draw water for the house of God sinne draweth water when it maketh vs weepe bitterly for that we haue offended it heweth wood when it enflameth vs with a zealous anger against our selues and with an heartie desire and care to serue God the more the more wee consider wee haue offended him Sweete waters kill the Purple sinne is that Purple and teares the purest water not as if repentance were the primarie instrumentall cause of our sinnes remission Christs blood killeth sinne to Gods iudgement repentance to our conscience till we repent we shall neuer be assured of our sinnes forgiuenesse God for the merits of Christ forgiueth but with this condition that we repent which he also giueth That which Ambrose speaketh to Sisynnius will expresse it Thou hast done like a good parent soone forgiuing but being first entreated for to giue pardon before it be asked is not to pardon but to approue the fact as fathers loues forgiue their children faults yet their submission is expected that they may say we forgiue So God looketh that we repent that hee may haue mercy repentance is the gate of heauen a gate leading to the doore of life Christ Iesus But lest we repent of our repentance obserue that repentance must be done speedily truely throughly and constantly First speedily in the dayes of thy youth sinne gaineth streÌ„gth by age blessed is he that dasheth her childreÌ„ yong as dying Aâ—…rath of Scanderbeg this â—…aytour should haue beene suppressed in that newnesse of his estate giue thy sinne no time Repent speedily Secondly repent truly The more thou sinnest weepe the more abyssus abyssâ—…m vocat Dâ—…pth of sinne a deepe sourse of teares as Peter wept of whom I read he wept I â—…ead not that he satisfied as the sinner wept Luke 7. Or if thou canst not equall her God knoweth how to supply the weake yet let thy sorrow be true Some haue teares at command yet weepe like Apolloâ—… statue without sense it is not formall penance hypocrisie can resemble grace Vibius may bee like Pompey It is not a thousand stripes not the cloathes nor backe but the heart must be rent As for the hypocrites which tender God a counterfeit sorrow God â—…hall pay them with true Thirdly repent throughly That is of euery sinne We will be content to leaue â—…ome gainelesse sinnes but we spare one Agag of our Amalekiteâ—… designd to death In the slaughter of our sinnes we snatch vp one as Iehâ—…sheba caught vp loash and his Nurse with that we runne away that it may raigne ouer vs though we heare it reproued and the danger preached yet of it our heart cryeth 〈◊〉 Agripine of her sonne Nero when the Astrologers told her at his natiuitie he should be an Emperour but should kill his mother occidat dum regnet Let him kill mee so he may reigne Iehu destroyed Bâ—…al out of Israel but from the sinneâ—… of Ieroboam hee departed not God commaundeth concerning sinne as 〈◊〉 by his first edict against the Iewes in all his Prouinces to 〈◊〉 out to kill and to destroy them both yâ—…g and old What auaileth it to fortifie all the Citadell if we leaue open-some posterne gate to a vigilant enemy I conclude as thâ—… Orator of his Catiline if of so great a rabble of Traytours hee onely be taken away wee may perhaps a while seeme freed of feare and carâ—… but the danger will reside shut vp in the veines and bowels of the state so sicke men in their hot fits at first seeme eased by a draught of coole water but afterward more vehemently burne And this sicknesse of the Commonweale eased a little with his only death shall grow more desperate by his fellowes liues Fourthly Repent constantly It is not hanging the head for a day which God accepteth as our sinnes are continuall so must our repentance be Wee smite our sinnes as Iehoash smote the ground with his arrowes three times and so we cease where we should haue smitten till we had consumed them Sinne is an hardie and puissant foe and will not so be ouercome It is not easiâ—… sayd Amurath to his discomforted souldierâ—… before Croya without bloudie hands to put the yoke on the fierce enemies necke The very cause of our easie falling backe into sinne is that wee charge it cowardly and soone giue ouer the pursuit In these foure Channels Repentance like the Riuer of Paradise watereth a zealous heart and all make a fift rule of Practise A sixt is Abstaine from all appearance of euill The Deuill is subtill and maketh the way to Hell easie Sinne like Eliahs Cloud on Carmel is not to be seene at first when Sathan suggesteth and after it appeareth but in the bignesse of a mans hand but if we flye it not there is a noyse of much Raine the full Vialls of Gods Wrath. Come not neere her dwelling it is ill iesting with sinne as Delilah acted sinne so sinne playeth the Delilah 〈◊〉 maketh loue at first at lâ—…st shee cutteth off our strength and causeth to be put out the strong mans eyes so that he that at first was not afraid of appearances of euill presently groweth impudent and cannot or will not see the greatest sinnes Seuenthly Take away all occasions of sinne Moses stampt the Idoll into powder to take away occasion of Idolatrie Not onely Baâ—…li Image but the Groues and his House ought to be beaten to the ground for sinne is an importunate solicitour like Ben-badads crafty Messengers it watcheth diligently to catch any thing of vs if we acknowledge the least acquaintance it not need be entreated to take hold of it When Pharaoh saw there was no remedie but the Israclitâ—…s would
The Lord was 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 me therefore wee will sing my Song all the dayes of our life in the House of God So said Hezekish by this meanes wee shall lay vp a good prouision the treasure of a good conscience against the time of Sicknesse as Ioseph stored vp in plentie against a Famine There are two Nations of finnes eternall foes to the people of God like Moab and Ammon begotten of those two base Daughters of Health in their Fathers forgetfulnesse Drunkennesse and Lust of eyther of them may be said that of Ambrose concerning her dauncing How many faults were in that one Wickednesse Many thinke their health giuen them to make them able to powre in much strong dâ—…inke and themselues borne to deuoure Wine and eate vp the fruits of the Earth When Nilus 〈◊〉 it maketh Egypt fertile Gluttonie and Drunkennesse is our Nilus which saith Basil like a dispersed Riuer ouerflowing her Bankes pubescere facit peccata doth ripen sinne Wee might haue instance in Noe Lot Esau Israel but that this Age robbing the Dutch of their intemperance as all other Nations of their once-esteemed proper vices aboundeth with example Wee lacke in eueâ—…ie corner of the Land an Academic of Cynicks to be angry with the betrayers of their strength destroying their owne health in sacrificing to others It was but a fable of Circes which this monstrous age maketh true Intemperance is our Circes which transformeth men into variable sortes of beasts which like the 〈◊〉 do fight and kill with their cups the bloody enemy not destroying so many as the drunken friend One sayd drunkennesse is the death of the memory â—…he spake enough the drunkard forgetteth his friend his state his health his reason himselfe his soule and God not his How should he then remember the end woe and sorrow It goeth downe pleasantly but in the end it will bite like a Serpent and hurt like a Cockatrice whose deathfull eye if thou foresee not will kill thee Others giue their healths to harlots among all the Ideots the wise man considered this one voyde of vnderstanding going like the foole to correction like the Oxe to the slaughter ambitiously begging and dearely buying repenâ—…ance at the best or going on till a dart strike through his liuer The Embassadors replyed wisely to Lysimachus shewing in his armes the wounds he receiued when he played with a Lyon Demetrius hath more dangerous markes in his necke which Lamia gaue him no beast so cruell as an harlot none other can bite the soule I finde more 〈◊〉 then death the woman whose heart is as nets and snares the curses of the damned and malice of the diuell are not so hurtf ll as the flattry and loue of a whore shee consumeth the estate rotteth the body killeth the soule she bringeth a man to a morsell of bread shame and dishonour she causeth many to fall downe wounded and the strong men are all 〈◊〉 by her her house is the way to the graue which goeth downe to the chamâ—…ers of death This is the fire which deuoureth to destruction God wiâ—…l iudge them they shall not inherit heauen but the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Such is the reward of them which abuse their health some thinke if they follow such pleasures as the world calleth lawfull they owe God no tribute for their health Pleasure like Ionahs gourd is of a short pleasing growth but when God hath prouided the worme to bite the root where is then Iosephs prouision Some sacrifice all their time to Mammon but take such a man on his death bed shall thy wealth now deliuer thee from hell Where is Iosâ—…phs prouision now the cause why many are so comfortlesse in their sicknesse is because they make no good vse of their healths If thy health did not corâ—…upt thee thy sicknesse could not dismay thee but so easily doth the bodyes health make a diseased soule that some call it not amisse a vitious health multi tutius aegrotassent Sickenesse had beene more safe for many How much better had it beene for Dauid to haue beene sicke in bed then sending his eyes such vnlawfull embasses to Barthsheba How much better for them which now tormented in hell fire wish it too late neuer to haue beene free from sickenesse that at least their torments might haue beene lesse Learne by their euill how to vse the good thou hast let this part teach theethe next Sinne no more leâ—…t a worse come vnto thee THE THIRD SERMON Siâ—…ne no more PHisitians forbid that dyet which caused the disease and the cause found they esteeme the cure found By this admonition then we learne that Sinne is the cause of sickenesse death entred into the world through sin and sickenes fore-ran death in the same passage It was neuer sayd before Câ—…rsed be the earth for thy sake in sorrâ—…w shalt thou eate thereof Neuer did any heare I will greatly encrease thy sorrows sinne like the Grecian stratagem though it were let in by a small-seeming breach yet her bowels were laden with a world of armed mischiefes which set open the soules gates to the destroyer sins infection is stampt as deepe as Gehaza's leprosie to thee and to thy seed for euer so that we haue framed our own snares wee walke in the fire wee haue kindled for the wickednesse of Iacob is all this Michai 1. 5. Therefore will I make thee sicke in smiting thee because of thy sinnes Sinne is that morbida qualitas the infection of the soule and body Dauid was sicke for it there is no sound part in my flesh because of my sinne Much more Iehoram his bowels fell out for his his sinnes Miserie commeth not forth of the dust To sicknesse and all those previous dispositions of death in labour wearinesse in old age faintnesse and as many more as are allyed to sickenesse sinne gaue being for the punishment could not haue been without the crime Al miseries are the vndoubted child eÌ„ of sinne sinne is that Eue that grandmother of euery malady sinne is that world envenoming Dragon not so little as that whose tayle swept ouer a third part of heauen Great was the infâ—…ction of Egypt on the land on the waters on the trees on the corne on the field on their houses on the earth on the ayre on man on beast but still Gâ—…shen was excepted but sinne went ouer all For sin the earth is cursed it is her sicknesse euery creature groneth and trauelleth in paine a generall contagion The mischiefe staieth not here but flyeth vp to the cloudes and there sometime lxion-like begetteth monstrous Centaures fiery eruptions ayre infecting meteors thunders stormes tempests â—…ometime it maketh that dewie region of cloudes like Abimelech house barren euery wombe shut vp then our heauen is as brasse and