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
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
this infected Nurse the World which we onely enioy in health without which all earthly ioyes are but as Messes of Meat set vpon a Graue Secondly it bringeth vs more acquainted with death and maketh him lesse feared by how much more familiar how bitter is the remembrance of death to the alwayes healthie health and prosperitie make vs desirous to liue Antigonus souldier healed of a long-felt infirmitie proued a very Coward for which being reproued hee replyed Thou O King hast made me so who by giuing me health hast taken away the contempt I had of life Discontents haue strange power to make vs loue death so through a darke and false Medium the vgly may seeme fairer 〈◊〉 desireth the death from which hee fled a little heat made Ionah wish to die short pâ—…nes haue so ouercome the wicked that they haue changed them for death eternall and so much discouered the Saints infirmities that they haue loathed not onely their present being but what they haue beene Death seemeth better then a bitter life such force haue short paines but who was euer so fearefull that he had not rather once fall then euer hang by the hands once dye then euer feare death and liue in paine Thirdly it maketh Gods mercy in health better vnderstood if all were day the light if all Summer euen that season would be vnpleasing to vs the good wee haue is commended by some annexed contrary the paine of the disease knowne the pleasure of health is sweeter Wee neuer rightly account what wee owe to God for health saue when we begge it in sicknesse Fourthly it bringeth vs to God in amendment of a mis-spent life wee haue instance in many of whom I may fay their extremities amended them their prosperitie corrupted them As Ambrose saith of Peter and Ionah he confessed Christ on the waues but denyed him on the land and Ionah fled Gods presence seeming safe but found a Chappell to pray and prayse God in the belly of the Whale Many being in health endeuour to flie from God but in some desperate sicknesse they learne to sing their De profundis sicknesse mendeth that good man whom health marred When I afflict them they will seeke me early Ephraim bemoaned himselfe Thou hast chastened me surely after that I was instructed I repented God cureth a dissolute heart as the Prophet did Ierico Waters by â—…asting in salt sharpe biting remedies The fift is Patience which as one said of Learning is an Ornament in prosperitie and a Refuge in aduersitie It is good for a man saith the weeping Prophet to beare the yoke in his youth he putteth his mouth to the dust if there may be hope he giueth his cheeke to him that smiteth him It seemeth a strange saying Is it good to be afflicted that I may learne patience see the reason It is a rare thing to see a man externally prosperous patient I grant he may haue a disposition to patience he may discourse like some bookish souldier of the warres which neuer saw fight but patience is the child of aduersitie and considering the manifold calamities to which euery man in this life is subiect no wayes to be auoided but by patient bearing them it seemeth to me no paradox that without outward or in ward aduersitie it is not easie for a man to be happie They iudge amisse who thinke a man can be patient without tryals or happie without patience that such a man may seeme happie wee know that hee is generally vnhappie we may learne Chrysostome sayth well of prospeâ—…tie It hath brought in grieuous Masters and Tyrants to the 〈◊〉 To omit the multitude and speake of this one Impatience is a very Tyrant worse then 〈◊〉 and his Taske-masters for it suffereth not a man to â—…nioy any thing he hath Hath the impatient man riches hee enioyeth them not who is impatient for that 〈◊〉 hath no more hath he friends eyther he loseth them by his impatience or else enioyeth them not with whom he is displeased 〈◊〉 hath hee a faire and prosperous estate what is that to him who is not pleased with it hath hee health his mindes distemper robbeth him of the vse of it In a word the impatient man possesseth nothing except he possesseth other things which possesseth not himselfe Christ sayth By your patience 〈◊〉 your soules without patience you cannot enioy your selues such is the impatient mans case Marke the man neyther vnderstanding will memorie neyther hand nor tongue serue him all are slaues to passion and whilest hee thinketh hee hath all things in hauing his froward humor indeed Impatience hath him but hee hath nothing not so much as himselfe Now tryalls bring forth patience and the quiet fruits of righteousnesse which follow in the next place Sixtly it worketh to the children of God a peace passing all vnderstanding of a naturall man that is a calmenesse and quietnesse of mind in the experience of Gods mercies Where the seditious Graâ—…us was sâ—…aine at Rome the Temple of Concord was built so there God foundeth in our hearts the Temple of Peace where our peacelesse sinnes are buried with Christ and our impatience in our sufferings Seuenthly the last is the reward whereof this life tasteth only first fruits a cluster from Eshcol the assurance of a better life in this liues decaying Our light afflictions for a moment causing vnto vs a greater weight of eternall glory As Samson said of his Lyon of Timnah Out of the eater came meate and out of the strong came sweetnesse So will I conclude this point What stronger then Sicknesse or more deuouring then Death or so sweete as Heauen Behold Happie is the man whom God correcteth therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almightie for he maketh sore and bindeth vp he woundeth and his hands make whole Hee maketh whole by wounding It is for children and fooles to imagine Frosts Stormes and Raine eyther the off-spring of Chance or vselesse effects of Nature the wiser know that milder Winters are the vndoubted Parents of sterilitie and contagion Stormes which seeme the Diseases of a distempered Skie doe purge the Ayre and the dewie Clouds are Gods Clepsydra his Bottles to water the Earth so is it in man And the Saints weeping eyes are Gods Clouds to make fruitfull a penitent heart Faint not at thy tryalls but be zealous and amend Sinne no more THE FOVRTH SERMON Sinne no more WE haue considered in the last place the cause of Sicknesses and the reasons why God afflicteth with them as also what effects they worke in them to whome they are sanctified It remayneth that I also shew the end why God deliuereth and bestoweth health vpon vs. God deliuereth from Sicknesse that being thereby warned we might sinne no more There are many reasons disswading from sinne let vs consider a few of many Let the