and your distressed causes vpon his backe and rest contented that he careth for all his owne And thus much for the fourth circumstance to bee considered in healing the man which was the meanes or partie by whom he was healed THE SECOND SERMON OF THE DVTIE OF OVR DELIVERANCE The second Sermon THe second branch of the exhortation vz. what was the cause of his sicknesse drawne out of these words sinne no more It appeareth here that sinne was the cause of his sicknesse and sinne is the cause of our troubles griefes losses hurts dangers or damages whatsoeuer yea of sicknesse be it of body or of minde That this may better appeare let vs search out the originall of sicknes sorrow and griefe and we shall finde that before sinne entred there was neither sicknesse sorrow nor griefe but as soone as euer sinne entred the other were inflicted as a iust reward for sinne When where and how sinne entred you may finde plainly in Genes 3. When. It entred euen then when our first parents were created in their happie estate of innocencie like to the image of their Creator perfectly righteous in the soule and all the parts thereof throughly sound in the body and the constitution thereof yea both in body and soule free from any griefe vexation or sorrowe Sinne entred in Paradise Where our parents being placed there The meanes The meanes whereby he entred was by the subtill perswasion of the Serpent the diuels instrument and by our parents voluntarie hearkening and yeelding thereunto to disobey and breake the commandement of their Creator which so soone as euer they had done the curse of God for the same fell vpon our parents for sin If we will set downe what it is it is nothing else but the transgression of the law of God 1. Ioh. 3.4 Presently after the transgression of the law of God entred the reward or punishmēt of this their transgression which was mortalitie in stead of immortalitie Mans miserable case after his fall weaknes in stead of strength sicknes in stead of health toyle and trauell in stead of continual rest and peace sorrow and sadnes in stead of ioy and comfort the earth to yeeld nothing but brambles briers and bushes though it bee tilled in stead of plentie of good fruite to trauaile vp and downe as pilgrimes vpon the face of the earth in stead of perpetual possession of Paradise and though they thus prolong their toyling daies for a time yet at lēgth enforced to yeeld to natures course and to dye in stead of liuing for euer the life of the Angels All this is apparant in the third of Genesis You haue heard now the first man that euer sinned euen Adam the first man that as a merit for his sinne euer was sicke or troubled euen Adam You haue heard what happy case he was in before he sinned and what wofull estate hee was in after his fall a creature full of sorrow toyle trouble feare griefe vexation digging and deluing planting and sowing and yet but to reape little increase and though hee was before a most pleasant plant of the Lord seated in a most fertile soyle yet now through sin is he euen become a filthie puddle and standing poole of all iniquitie a seruant to Satan and a poore prisoner to the diuell Hence let all Gods children learne to affect holinesse of life The vse and lothe the life of the wicked yea euen all the motions obiects and occasions of wickednesse so farre as the very garment stained with sinne shal be vnto them odious and lothsome You haue heard now the roote to bee infected and the bole poysoned and withall you haue heard the cause of this infection The roote and bole are our first parents they sinned and presently vpon their sinne came shame for a fault and all kinde of troubles and diseases as their due desart Let vs now examine a little whether this poyson hath not infected all the branches I meane Adams posteritie which posteritie we our selues are Herein let vs consider that Adam and Euah were not priuate persons Caluin in Psal 51. ver 7. but such as had in them the state of the whole world what good Adā had he had it for his whole posteritie All men in Adam haue sinned what euill soeuer hee brought vpon him through sinne it was to bee propagated vpon his whole posteritie Therefore it is that Dauid crieth and saith Psal 51.6 Contra Pelag. qui dicunt peccatum non esse haereditarium sed sola imitatione ex Adamo profectum Genes 6.5 Behold in sinne my mother conceiued me Wee bring sinne with vs from our mothers wombe and therefore sicknesse and sorrow the stipend of sinne And the Lord saith that the imaginations of mans heart are euill continually Hereupon it plainly followeth that euen al of vs may impute our sicknes our sorrow weaknes and wants troubles and torments dangers and finally death it selfe to our sinnes as the originall and first cause of them That sicknesse and death did take hold vpon all Adams race euen euery one of vs for sinne Paul maketh very plaine thus By one man sinne entred into the world and death by sin Rom. 5.12 and so death went ouer all men for as much as all men haue sinned Vers 18. And by the offence of one man the fault came ouer all vnto condemnation Vers 19. And by one mans disobedience many were made sinners Now let vs come to proue by example out of the word how in Adam his posteritie for sinne God hath inflicted sometime sicknesse sometime sores sometime troubles of bodie sometime griefe of minde Vpon his owne children as louing corrections to make them more diligent schollers in Christs schoole Vpon the wicked either to draw them to repentance if they belong vnto Gods kingdome or if they hardned their harts as Pharaoh then to make them euen beginnings of the flashings of hell fire And first let vs see out of the word how for sinne the Lord hath afflicted his owne Church with sicknesse trouble danger c. In Genes 6. appeareth that because the sonnes of God contrary to his commaundement ioyned in mariage with the daughters of men I meane the wicked seede and for other great sinnes amongst them committed when after a long time of repentance giuen them by the Lord they would not amend the Lord destroyed them and the whole world Noe and his familie excepted with water When Dauid had grieuously offended the Lord with Berthshebah the wife 2. Sam. 11.4.17 murther vpō Vriah the husband and after all this by labouring to cloake his sinne the Lord therefore inflicted vpon him these troubles 1. His owne sonne Ammon to defile his sister Tamar 2. Sam. 13.14 Vers 29.30 31 32. 2. Sam. 16.22 and commit incest with her 2. One of his sonnes to kill another 3. And in the end as a iust recompence for his adulterie the Lord suffered
Salomon the builder of the temple in these words And the Lord said vnto him 1. King 9.3 I haue heard thy prayer and thy supplication that thou hast made before me I haue hallowed this house which thou hast built to put my name there for euer and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually Christ therefore in this temple perswading vnto newnes of life had the promise of his fathers presence to make his perswasion powerful as also to print in the hart of the hearer a more reuerend regarde and estimation thereof being deliuered Dauid a type of the militant Church Reade Psal 84. Psa 122.1.2 1. Chon 29.9 Dauid being a true type and figure of the Militant Church here on earth neuer came into the temple but his heart leapt for ioy his ioy was increased and his zeale kindled yea that which being out of the temple he could neuer attaine vnto was in the temple made partaker of Salomons temple a type of the spiritual temple Though that temple was a type and figure of the spirituall temple neuer made with hands and there is not the same vse of it now as there was then yet haue wee at this day two things Two things now resembling Salomōs temple Ioh. 4.24 that may fitly resemble that temple and where God wil as well heare the praiers and receiue the sacrifices of his Church being done in spirit and trueth as he would then The first is the godly societies and assemblies of the righteous Godly societies meete together for exhorting one another Matth. 18.20 wheresoeuer and whensoeuer they meete together according to the rule and warrant of Gods worde to such Christ hath promised his presence saying Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them The second is our ordinary assemblies and meetings together at the house of prayer Publike assemblies of the faithfull at the house of prayer to powre forth prayers to the Lord be partakers of the word preached and administration of the Sacraments Where such assemblies are employed to these aforesaid vses they are not as the Prophet calleth the temple in his time the den of theeues Esay 56.7 Ierem. 7.11 Mar. 11.17 but they are euen the blessed throne kingdome of Christ Iesus to whose faith and constancie Christ hath promised such power that euen the gates of hell shall neuer bee able to preuaile against them In these two temples as I may call them when we meete with our brethren it is not our duties to prate and chat of worldly matters but rather euery one of vs Heb. 3.13 to exhort one another while it is called to day least we be hardened through the deceitfulnes of sinne Yea to keepe the profession of our hope without wauering and to prouoke one another vnto loue and to good workes Heb. 10.23 24 25. not forsaking the godly fellowship that ought to bee amongst Gods children And to be carefull alwaies to cherish and embolden the weake putting them in mind of their miraculous deliuerance out of the kingdome of darknes into the kingdome and cleere light of the Gospell And thus much of the second part Of the third part which is the words of exhortation themselues wherein wee haue to consider these three branches following First a rehearsall of the benefit done to the man behold thou art made whole The principall cause of his long sicknesse from which Christ had now deliuered him was his sinnes and iniquities which I gather out of these words Sinne no more As if hee should say sinne hath bin the cause of thy former sicknesse if therefore hereafter thou wilt remaine a sound man sinne no more Thirdly what must be the effect of this miracle by Christ or the dutie of his deliuerance which is the subiect of this treatise euen true repentance set downe here by the former part of true repentance which is to sinne no more or to cease from sin Rom. 2.4 The bountifulnes of God ought to leade vs to repentance Of the first branch Behold thou art made whole Where first we are to consider that our Sauiour vseth a word of attention or to make the matter hee hath in hand take more effect saith Ecce Behold Psal 32. v. 5.7 The Prophet Dauid speaking of any extraordinary matter alwaies vseth an hebrew verbe importing the like which is Selah so likewise the seruant of God Moses vsing any vehemēt exhortation commonly hath this word behold or remēber as thus Behold Deut. 30.19 Exod. 20. I set before thee this day life and death blessing and cursing The Prophets of the Lord speaking either of the manifestation of Christ in his humane nature or of his second comming againe to iudgement or of any such great matter vseth this word behold As Esay Tell the daughter Sion Esay 62.11 Zach. 9.9 Matth. 21.5 Mal. 4.1 Behold thy King commeth meekely riding on an asse c. And Malachie Behold the day cōmeth that shall burne like an ouen and all the proud yea and all that doe wickedly shall bee stubble Apoc. 1.7 Behold be commeth with clowdes and euery eye shall see him c. and 22.7 Behold I come shortly Euen so here as a preface to the declaration of the benefit done to him Christ saith Behold giue eare consider well what I haue done for thee passe not lightly ouer that miracle I haue shewed vpon thee in giuing thee health Where we are to note Receiue his word miracles and mercies with attentiō that GOD would haue vs receiue his word his exhortations threatnings blessings and miracles with attention heede taking and waying well who it is that doth such things for vs and what is done as we ourselues O my countrimen and deare brethren in Christ Iesus for whose sake the Lorde hath moued me to penne this little treatise haue iust occasion to giue eare what the Lords Eccho soundeth in our eares daily Aboue many others the North parts after our great and late receiued deliuerances euen thus Behold thou art made whole c. VVhereunto let euery one of vs fill our families our meetings and conferences with this heauenly harmonie and sweete sounding melodie answering the former behold saying then sith it is so indeede My soule praise thou the Lord Psal 13.1.2 Psal 57.7.8 and all that is within me praise his holy name Awake thou my glorie awake lute and harpe I my selfe will awake right early And let vs one prouoke an other to praise the Lord of might for his miraculous mercies as Deborah stirred vp her owne soule and Barake to sing praise to God for their triumphant victories Vp Deborah Iudg. 5.12 c. vp arise sing a song arise Barak c. Euen so vp O Westmerland Comberland and Northumberland vp ye seuerall townes congregations and families euery particular soule whose safetie the liuing Lord by the shadowing wings of his
Edward the 6. painefully to prosecute the same and now our gratious Deborah to finish and build vp that which the other two in their owne did not whose glorious and gratious gouernment God long prosper with encrease of knowledge zeale and power for the glorie of his great name the propagation of the crowne and kingdom of Christ Iesus and the vtter defacing and racing out of the traces of Antichrist Amen Amen And to conclude by the example of this poore man he had been diseased 38. yeeres old and so the lesse hope withered and dried vp so as to the iudgement of all he was like to die so as long he had liued Yet when Christ saw his appoynted and due time he came and made him a sound man as euer he was Hence as I said before let vs learne patience in our greatest miseries and though our burthens which the Lord hath laid vpon vs bee such as oft they make vs groane yet still let vs sigh and groane vnder hope The burthens of the faithfull vpholden by the Lord. with full assurance grounded vpon Gods promise that when he seeth it most meete hee will worke our deliuerance Let the due consideration hereof take away from vs all murmurings grudgings or male-contented hearts in all our troubles whether they bee troubles of the body or anguishes of the minde still grounding our patience vpon Gods reuealed promise in his word as thus All things shall fall out for the best Rom. 8.28 Vers 38. 1. Cor. 10.13 to theÌ„ that loue God Nothing shall separate vs from the loue of God in Christ And God is faithfull who hath promised he will lay no more vpon his children then he will make them able to beare but in the middest of the temptation he will giue them a happie issue and ioyfull deliuerance And when thou art wearie therewith haue recourse vnto Christ Matth. 11.28 and he will take thy burthen vpon his backe and relieue thee Now if any demaund of me the reason why the Lord doth so sore and for so long a space afflict his children before hee worke their deliuerance my answere is this The Lord doth it for diuers ends some whereof I haue here for the comfort of his afflicted ones set down as followeth First the Lord doth sore afflict his people 1 Reasons alleadged why God doth so long largely afflict his own people and long delay before he worke their deliuerance to teach them humilitie least they shuld out of measure be puffed vp For this cause did he sore afflict and buffet the Apostle Paul Secondly to teach them obedience least they should be too stiffe-necked thus did he tame the Israelites Thirdly to make them more carefully learne his law and continually studie therein Thus dealt the Lord with Dauid in afflicting him so long til Dauid could say from his very hart It is good for me that I haue been afflicted that I might learne thy law Fourthly he afflicteth them least they erre and goe astray in the dark desert of this world for this end also did Dauid make of his affliction saying Before I was afflicted I went wrong Fiftly to make vs become obedient spouses vnto our husband Christ Iesus that in matters for Gods glorie and our saluation wee admit of none else neither in part or whole for the foundation and cornerstone of our saluation Thus afflicted hee Iudah and Ierusalem who were wont to play the harlots vnder euerie greene tree Lastly hee continueth his afflictions vpon vs to teach vs that our sinnes are the cause of all our sorrow and therefore to sinne no more least a worse thing come vnto vs. Thus afflicted hee for a long time this poore man whom he now had healed The Lord grant for his infinit mercies sake The application that the long and late afflictions laid vpon vs and our countrie may worke these aforesayd effects in vs euen to pull downe our proude hearts to mollifie our hard hearts to instruct and teach our ignorant hearts to direct aright our vnstable and wandring hearts to make chast and pure our vnchast and whorish harts and to redresse and amend our wicked and transgressing hearts that so our pride being turned into humilitie stiffeneckednes into circumcision instabilitie into certaintie dishonestie against our husbaÌ„d Christ into loyaltie of a coÌ„science vnspotted and to conclude our daily sinning into a continual godly sorowing for the same we may then say with Dauid as many I meane as haue these aforesaid effects wrought in them by their afflictions glad are wee and good hath it been for vs that long largely and yet most louingly the Lord hath afflicted vs seeing they haue taught vs the miserie of our daies the danger of our sinnes the loathing of this wretched world and a loue of the life to come Doctrine In this course of continued afflictions vpon the Church of God note euery profitable and necessary doctrine vz. It is the vsuall manner of dealing with the Lord to defer his helping hand and full deliuerance till all meanes of helpe inuented by man bee frustrate and the case in the iudgement of many seemeth desperate God helpeth when all other meanes are helples The end of the Lord so long deferring thus did he with this poore man and in all the aforenamed proofes And he doth it for this especiall end that in victories conquests or deliuerances God might haue his owne which is euen the whole glorie If wee had no warrant out of Gods word for the coÌ„firmation of this poynt yet our owne experience these two yeeres by-past Our countries late visitation approue it in the most places of our countrie is of sufficiencie to testifie and witnes how true a doctrine his is seeing that no watching no gouernmeÌ„t great multitudes or carefull keeping could preuent his punishments but they came vpon vs no phisick could stint it but it encreased and continued yea when all mans remedies were administred yet were the poore afflicted ones still remedilesse so that great townes many congregations and infinit families espying all these hopes now hopelesse and though by some called comforts yet comfortles now haue in vtter despayre of them all let goe the anchor pulled downe the sayle and committed the whole custodie of their poore tossed ship to him who first raised vp the tempest against it and he euen that mightie God Iehouah who iustly for our countries rebellion against his almightie maiestie did wound the hairie scalpe of his enemies and the transgressions of his rebellious Israel did in the end O admire his mercies heale that which before he had wounded saued vs that in the sight and iudgement of many seemed as forlorne and in stead of many blacke and gloomy dayes tokens of his anger hath at last spoken peaceably vnto vs againe and granted vs more then we expected or our harts could desire O my countrimen deare then leâ—â—â—â—â—…rge the patheticall exhortation that 〈◊〉 â—oth in his