in the prime of Youth when a little before they were lusty and strong but there are other sorts which creep on by degrees sending notice before by a little pain or illness that there is a greater approaching The first make the noise of mirth to cease but when sickness comes with full power then all past joviality and delight will not yield a minutes refreshment it may be whispered by companions in iniquity to take off the blame from themselves that this might have been if he were temperate yet the judgment of Physitians and daily experience of the World sufficiently manifest that by Drunkenness Men bring Sickness upon themselves and do not live out half their dayes He found himself sick and ill at several times he drank excessively which like skirmishes before a battel did proceed from the same Enemy that now with united force Assaults him Before it lay quiet within his Territories but he hath stirred and furnished it with strength for the War. Men are apt to think it hard that they should be sick when others of the same Age and Constitution are well Indeed Acts of Providence in this kind are not so easily known but here the Man himself hath been the cause thereof Sickness is the natural effect of habitual Drunkenness And it cannot be expected that the God of Nature who Acts according to Nature should alter his doings and work a Miracle to preserve those who are ungrateful and disobedient as Drunkards are Will they sin against his most righteous Laws and yet be angry because he doth not hinder that mischief which falls upon them by so doing Would they have their Bodies be as Brass or Iron to receive no hurt however the Maker of them is provoked by being Instruments of iniqiuty They might with as much Reason have him to be no God as to take away his Power of revenging all manner of disobedience But these are only foolish Imaginations He that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have theâ— in â—â—rision Psal 2. 4. I will punish the World for their Evil and the wicked for their iniquity Isa 13. 11. Let them say or think whatever comes in their mind And if they be bound in Fetters and be holden in Cords of Affliction Then he sheweth them their Work and their Transgressions that they have exceeded He openeth also their ear to Discipline and Commandeth that they return from iniqiuty Job 36. 8 9 10. Thou who hast Sinned resolve sincerely to do so no more Throw thy self wholly into his gracious Arms. Commit thy whole Body and Soul intirely into his disposal And then if thou diest it will never be worse for thee in so doing Who knoweth but he may raise thee up and say to the Ax that is now laid to the Root of the Tree Let him alone one year longer and if he bear Fruit well but if not then cut him down He may grant recovery to see if thou wilt obey and please him by Godliness and Sobriety of living henceforward and when the forbearance and Long sâ—ffâ—â—ing of God doth not lead to Repentance at length the final and irreversible voice will go ouâ— â—ut it down Why cumbreth it the Ground Too many have not taken warning but died in their Sins In what a fearful Condition were they during the last Sickness When they made Ship â—rack of their Body and Soul and are just dropping into the Bottomless Pit. Their doom is written 1 Cor. 6. 10 Gal. 5. 21. Drunkards shall not inherit the Kingdom of God and then they must go into another place Whatsoever was not written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire Rev. 20. 5. Those that do iniquity shall be cast into a Furnace of Fire Mat. 13 42. Now Drunkenness is such being a Transgression of the Law in the Old and New Testament Deut. 29. 19. Isa 24. 9. and 28. 1 3 7. Hab. 2. 15. Joel 1. 5. Luke 21. 34. Eph. 5. 18. It is not a thing of naught if taken abstractedly but this Sin seldom goes single Like the unclean Spirit it taketh to him seven other Spirits more wicked then himself it hath worse Sins and Abominations going along therewith As hardening ones self against God prophane and idle Talk vain Swearing Lust Lying readiness to any mischief What evil hath not the Drunkard done Even righteous Lot was betrayed to commit Incest with his own Daughter When a Man is in this Condition he hath no fear of God before his Eyes He is not himself but inclined to all manner of Sin which he will commit according as he hath opportunity and invitation Let not the World say it is a small Sin for it is great in the consequent Evils and the wrath of God is plainly revealed against it There is no Reason why Men should follow it with such Greediness know ye what ye do To bring on your selves swift Destruction to plunge your selves yet sooner into it You are sensible of the evil and inconveniency of this present Life occasioned by your Sin and will you to be rid of that thrust your selves into greater This would be as ridiculous madness as to divert the Pain of a cut Finger to pour scalding Oyl upon the whole Body There is a better way shewed by taking away the cause of the Grief which you are exhorted unto and to prevent all the Misery You cannot endure Thirst how then would you like to be in that place where he is Who wants a drop of water to cool his Tongue Luke 16. 24. If you could have a short and merry Life that would no more make amends for a sad Eternity then a single pleasant dream now doth for an hundred years Misery There is a Drunkard who thinks he shall escape because he is no Murderer Extortioner unjust Person he pays every one his due and is no Mans Enemy but his own he is of the good natured sort for he cannot endure quarrelling but prevents it in the beginning and is a Peace-maker He abhors Malice Envying Strife and hath several good Qualities Perhaps he is ungodly or a Swearer but if not In Truth so far thou dost well thou comest near being qualified to be one of the Saints in light Yet lackest thou one thing Go and put away thy Dâ—unkenness forsake all thy Companions in evil come and follow Christ and thou shalt have better Fellowship in Heaven Many will go away sorrowful at this Saying for they think the other sufficient and this the only Delight they have which they care not to part with then they have no Lot or Portion in the Kingdom of God. Neither let them think they may retain it throughout their Life and leave it off in Old Age when they cannot Taste what they drink or in Sickness when their Stomach will not bear it then they will repent of their former Excess Thank you for nothing you will Sin as long as you can and when not able any longer you
ye may consume it upon your Lusts Jam. 4 3. Even what may be occasion of Sin Pride Vanity Dis-esteem or Forgetfulness of God And therefore he in Goodness denies it And this is the Confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his Will he heareth us 1 John 5. 14. Whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his Commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight 1 John 3. 22. This Qualification is too often wanting for some make many Prayers and give no Obedience or an half one with reserves and so their Petitions are not granted as is implyed from Deut. 4. 29. Isa 59. 2. Jer. 29. 13. Again The effectual fervent Prayer of the righteous Man availeth much Jam. 5. 16. but that doth not which is Lazy and Negligent And then want of importunity Luke 18. Such Causes may be assigned out of the Word why there is not so great return to our Prayers as may be expected And whatever People think the fault is only in themselves they have not those necessary Qualifications or do not order their Prayers according to the Rule Gods word is Truth but Men do not obey and are not guided by it The Promise is certain Mat. 7. 7. Rom. 10. 13. but they do not perform the Conditions and to excuse themselves would imagine there might be falshood in that which came by Inspiration from him If mankind would remember where they are that is they are going in the way and therefore should be contented with the Patriarchs request of Bread to eat and Raiment to put on Gen. 28. 20. Let none fear he that doth Gods Will and useth the appointed means shall be assured of this That Petition Give us our daily Bread Christ never put in vain neither is his Promise Mat. 6. 33. come to an utter end More then this we have no where License to ask neither hath God passed his word to bestow We are apt to grudge at such a small Pittance as we would think it But do we not believe what is to come Do we consider wherefore this is desired 〈◊〉 contentment and delight Now God can and also doth add as much of this into a moderate competency as in all plenty and 〈◊〉 In truth happiness doth not consist in these things which serve only for the body the worse part of us and then it passeth away instantly and the pleasure is the same whether had or not had The desire of the obedient Soul is if he hath sufficient for Life and Godliness not that God would give him more but bleâ—s and sanctifie that which he hath and then he will perceive as good a relish as others do from their abundance To the truth of this many thousands in a lower condition can bear Witness God puts joy and gladness into their hearts with what he affords them as others have in their full increase of Corn and Wine As for Praying against Temporal Evils or Judgments whether National or Private there is little said in the Gospel the Motto whereof may be For we walk by Faith and not by sight Here again is a tryal of it for they seem to happen at all peradventure and are the effect of natural causes some have been hereupon tempted to deny immediate Judgments sent by God or think that affliction springs from the dust the ill constitution of that part of us or the common Malice and Injury of Men. Indeed God hath permitted and ordered Nature to go in her way and doth seldom contradict that But here it comes to pass that the Ax is liâ—ted up above the Carpenter what the Workman doth is imputed to the dead instrument that cannot move or do any thing without the hand that sets it a going Nature doth all things according to the common voice of the generality which proceeds from unbelief or sullenness Whereas they might know this nature must be from some one else who makes it to act in so regular and constant a way Nature of it self is blind and could never bring forth things in such an exact orderly manner unless directed by the Wisdom above It is turned and winded and whence should this be but from the first mover of all things The infidels when they are beaten out of every hold and shelter will run for refuge underground their last resort is to the workings of Nature but these turn against them and prove contrary to what they would have so they had better now then be forced to it at the last day to move out of their holes like Worms of the Earth they shall be afraid of the Lord their God and fear because of thee Mic. 7. 17. They had better acknowledge that now unto His Glory and to obtain his Pardon what they will at last be compelled to do to his Justice and Truth but their own Shame and Confusion of Face Even hard hearted Pharoah understood more then they for he did not cry out it was the Wind that brought the Locusts he knew the hand that smote him The Lord brought an East-wind and the East-wind brought the Locusts and the Lord turned a mighty strong West-wind which turned away the Locusts Exod. 10. 13 16 19. He might have magnified and made himself more visible by bringing them a strange way but he was pleased to make use of a second cause as he doth generally in all his doings towards the Children of Men whether in sending Judgment or Mercy As afterwards in the Manna and Quails Psal 78. 23 24 26 27. Unless a Man is low and short in his reasoning he must at last reduce all to the first cause of things Hos 6. 3. Though one acts by subordinate instruments yet still he is at free liberty to act or not act and again after this or that manner God hath the disposal of all second causes and what we esteem accident is wise design or permission which he can either hinder or intend as he pleases so his providence is still the same Who brings on evil by its next cause can also remove it He who suffered them can also take away the impediments as he doth shut the Womb so he doth open it For the Pillars of the Earth are the Lords and he hath set the World upon them 1 Sam. 2. 8. All things are his and then certainly he can turn and dispose them howsoever he will Though he hath now appointed things to go on in such a manner yet he sits at the Helm and manages the whole course of Nature according to his good pleasure and Sovereignty But because it goes on most commonly in the same way there do arise doubts when it is thus wisely contrived that all who consider throughly must believe a Providence for things here below which again continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation this exercises the belief thereof We may pray against outward evils that God would be pleased to remove what he doth
easily cut in pieces as make this offer what cause can be assigned for such unparalled goodness but his own gracious nature which delighteth in Mercy He doth make the first proposals of Reconciliation between himself and his stout Creature What a wonderful thing is this that the humility of God who is so Glorious in Majesty fearful in Praises and doing wonders should exceed that of Man the Work of his hands a small contemptible and impotent being And yet how strange would it be let the Heavens and Earth be astonished if he who is less then nothing should withstand and despise such goodness Call to mind further he doth not this because he cannot do otherwise for he hath severity in store as he will manifest upon thy self if thou contemnest his goodness it cannot be unless thou art guilty of the most horrible incivility that ever was thou shouldst refuse to hearken when he calls thee Thou mayest put off thy inferiours to a more convenient season and whom thou dost not much care for but God is the excellent one in all the World who daily poureth his benefits on thee hath given all thou hast who holdeth thy Soul in life Is he not worthy to have a present answer To be opened unto immediately Luke 12. 36. Who is Lord of Heaven and Earth to whom the greatest Monarch is a Grashopper If you do not hearken to this but slight and despise he hath his threatnings which those shall feel who do not mind them as Psal 29. Job 34. 20 24. Rev. 6. 15 18 17. Amos 2. 14. Isa 10. 3. Rom. 2. 9 11 12. Mat. 13. 42. You are Men and not God you are Flesh and not Spirit and your Flesh is not the Flesh of Brass nor your Bones Iron They must necessarily turn into the Dust of the Earth And you that cannot now bear the least indignity offered to your person how will you endure to rise up to everlasting shame and contempt Dan. 12. 2. Or to drop into Misery in all things just contrary to that soâ—tness and delicacies here An heedless unbelieving thought will not secure Men as to this for what is prepared cannot be destroyed by an imagination only As Abraham said to Dives the great gulph is fixed besides the inference he there makes Luke 16. 26. This also follows so that those who are not yet in but going the direct way to it can neither pass it by nor after being plunged in get out again by an Opinion or Wish There are many pretty sayings about this but in the mean while whom shall we believe The Wisdom and Truth of God or the Foolishness and Falshood of Men Certainly the safer way is for every one to use diligent care and circumspection that he come not there which he is now reminded of Gods Word is as true as his Existence and seeing he hath said by his Son the Worm shall not die and the fire shall not be quenched to deny it would be to make God a Liar or the Lord Jesus an Impostor which none either can as to defeat what he hath said or dare to do Let me ask the great Men Do ye believe these things I know ye are Christians and ye do believe them Why then will you not be moved to flee from the wrath to come If you are impeached of High Treason against your Sovereign you will use all endeavours not to be found guilty and if you are you will use no means unattempted to procure a Pardon We are all by Nature the Children of Wrath and consequently liable unto it and have added further Rebellions against the Majesty on High. Is he not as dreadful who liveth for ever to take vengeance as Princes are whose breath goeth forth and their thoughts perish Do ye think ye ought not as much stand in aw of the Great Mighty and Terrible God for so he is still to them that obey not the Gospel as of meer Man Is he not as worthy to be sought after Ye have offended against him and will ye stand out still Is it meet he should come unto you and force a Pardon upon you whether you will or not Indeed he waits to be gracious but it is to those who come unto him and if you will not to speak in the gentile dialect you may choose and be damned Our selves would take it ill if we should at great cost or pains get a Pardon for a Servant and he out of peevish pride or negligence would refuse it Now this Christ hath done he hath purchased you with his own Blood but you must sue it our your selves or go without it A condemned Criminal here is dealt bountifully withal if his life be spared only but the goodness of God endureth yet daily and infinitely exceeds that of Creatures He doth pardon and if ye continue in his goodness otherwise ye shall be cut off rewardeth you This shall be the Covenant which I will make with the House of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my People this is the first part of it as well as the other for I will forgive their iniquity and their sin will remember no more Jer. 31. 33 34. This extends both to the least and greatest for they are expressed He promises to be our God which imports as much as is evident from the whole tenour of the Gospel what is said 1 Thes 4. 17. We shall be ever with the Lord Which should be desirable to those who think it a priviledge to stand in the presence of the King much more is it before the great King of all the Earth In thy presence is fullness of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Psal 16. 11. You that affect nothing but great Company do likewise seek to be Equal unto the Angels Luke 20. 36. The least of whom doth exceed the greatest of Men. Who are now in the first rank Why will you not in a Godly sort be ambitious of being so in the first born of Heaven and endeavour after a degree of Glory answerable to that of greatness ye have here In the Name of God try to keep your first Station that you may never have the least cause to remember from whence you are fallen Never sink below your selves strive to attain the higher perfections but above all take heed of coming short of the lowest for it is better to be least in the Kingdom of God then not to be there at all Little Flock it is my Fathers Will to give you a Kingdom Luke 12. 32. And why should it not be yours to accept of it Who deem your selves worthy of all honour I hope will not judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life for all your abundance you would receive a great Estate if any of your Friends and Relations would bequeath it unto you And will you not
examined of perverse mind and set purpose as will more â—ppear in that day when the secrets of all hearts shall be judged This is one of those deceits by which Satan works in the mâ—ndâ— oâ— Mâ—n and Women and holds them Captive at his Wâ—â—l He whâ—spers that they are saâ—e enough as long as they do not know Gods Commandments and the silly People are willing to have it so they will sooner give credit to him who was a liar from the beginning and would deceive them then the Prophet of the Lord who best knew his Will and fore-warn'd them not to fall under his sore displeasure It is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will have no mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Isa 27. 11. As sure as this is Gods Word such will neither be excused from punishment nor ever come to Salvation unless they both know the things of God and also do them As Ignorance is too much in our Coasts so likewise is Unbelief Of Unbelief both which are equally found among the lower sort of Mankind Hence they know no other ends of life then food raiment sleeping and rising up early to take pains all their care is what they shall eat and where-withal to be cloathed and how to get Money for necessary things They know no other reason of their coming into the World and are apt to murmur at the hardness of their condition the very beasts do put them in mind of their duty and silently upbraid them with the negligence thereof The Ox knoweth his owner and the Ass his Masters crib but they do not know Although there is more reason they should know God for he is more gracious unto them then themselves are to the dumb Creatures They understand less of the most Excellent and Glorious Being above then brutes do of them For the Cattle look unto him that oringeth them fodder but they look not unto him who giveth them their Meat in due season Who maketh Grass to grow upon Mountains and Herb for the use of Man Who causeth the Seed to be prosperous and the ground to give her increase When darkness overspread the whole Earth he left himself not without Witness in that be did good and gave us rain from Heaven and fruitful Seasons filling our Souls with food and gladness Acts 14. 17. These things our eyes see our hands handle we taste them with our Mouth we reap the fruit and enjoy it yet are unmindful and consider not from whence it first comes It may be alledged Did we with our very eyes so clearly see the Giver of all these good things as other Creatures do us when we carry them food we should be ten thousand degrees worse if we did not know him To which it is answered God is a Spirit and cannot be seen with â—odily eyes He is so exceeding Glorious that in this frail and infirm state no Man can see him and live Exod. 33. 20. But yet the invisible hâ—ngs of him fâ—om the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made Rom. 1. 20. We must by our very reason conclude it was some one who made all these things and he is God. Further he hath ordered that We walk by Faith and not by Sight 2 Cor. 5. 7. So that if he should make a clearer manifestation of himself there would be no faith at all and then no Trial of Obedience for would any one dare sin against him if he saw him face to face with his Bow bent and Sword drawn reâ—dy to take Vengeance on him It hath pleased the Lord to put us here to prove us to know what is in our hearts whether we will keep his Commandments or no. We are far ffâ— from the inhabitation of his holiness but he filleth Heaven Deut. 8. 2. and Earth with his presence And hath made us to dwell here and hath determined the bounds of our habitation that they should seâ—k the Lâ—â— iâ— happily they might feel after him though he be not far from every one of us for in him we live and move and have our being Acts 17. 27 28. In the works of Creation and Providence he hath plainly discovered himself besides that evident revelation he hath made in Scripture Considering he hath decreed we should live by Faith What else could be done to beget in us a more full assurance of Faith The works of Creation are long since past for they were finished in the first six days but those of Providence still endure Vpholding all things by the Word of his Power Heb. 1. 3. Those without life are kept up by his Mighty hand Every plant in the Field was made before it was in the Earth and every Herb of the Field before it grew Gen. 2. 5. But now is nourished and springs up from the Earth which he hath ordained to Minister â—ood to sensible things so all proceeds from him There are some who would fain any way rob God of the honour due unto his Name and therefore will ascribe these things to Nature and second Causes but to stop their Mouth who go under the name of Christians with the word of an Heathen What else is Nature but God himself and the Divine Reason interwoven into all its parts Saith Seneca 'T is Sen. lib. 4. cap. 7. de Benef. God who ruleth over all and hath given to every thing its Nature and ordered them to Act accordingly Thus he hath endued the Earth with vertue to bear Seed and Fruit accordingly being tilled by the labour and industry of Man it doth in the mean while he is not to Dig and Root there seeing no further but to look up to that God who hath given the ground power to bring forth these things Those unbelievers who cry up so much for second causes do unawares acknowledge a first for otherwise how could there be a second And this first cause is God by whom from whom and for whom are all things Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Rev. 4. 11. Hence thou mayest as easily be known by reasonable Creatures so far as to glorifie thee as God as themselves are known by Horse and Mule which have no understanding Isa 17. 7. No Man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him John 1. 18. The Word clothed in flesh and conveyed to us by Ink and Paper and ingraven in Tables of the Heart hath made him more known unto us The truth of all Jesus did and said is confirmed by Miracles Wonders and Signs and Gifts of the Holy Ghost Acts 2. 22. Heb. 2. 4. and hath stood out against all the Malice of Men or Devils armed with nothing but its naked simplicity and reality Which all the
Stubboinness Had you not a good mind towards God when your Desires were Pure and Sincere After whom were they most sutably inclined To him above and nothing here Then you were whispered by Satan or told by his Instruments to go that way was to be Melancholy and to avoid that you did follow Sin and Vanity Is not this really Sorrow But it may be through the Deceitfulness of Sin thou canst not tell how to get out but thou must Be advised first to forbear the outward Acts VVash and make Clean put away your former Evil Doings the Clouds will go off and the Sun may again appear in its full Might Then resume thy former Thoughts and do accordingly This kind of Melancholy leads up to the Most High from whom cometh every Good thing Observe all the Commandments but there is no need of laying any greater Burden on thy self by performances which are not required The Service God hath instituted is reasonable which may be done with a ready and willing mind Be diligent in thy Calling for this is the Will of God and agreeable to Peace as an Employment of those powers of Body and Mind Keep good Company for there is a strong inclination in our Nature toward this And though now we are often separated from one another by our several Business and Action yet these shall cease when the times of refreshing shall come when there shall be no need of Action because the end is obtained We are not now to be always in Company for we have something else to do and also they do not continually divert through the remainders of Sin and Ignorance though so much the more according as we are purged from these and have less Avocation All Melancholy and Disquiet which is the same thing doth arise from not answering the natural ends and therefore the way to avoid it is to know our own Frame and to carefully comply with the just tendencies thereof All irregularity and disorder in the Flesh is Sickness or Pain Of ness Sick. And the Lord God formed Man out of the Dust of the Ground Gen. 2. 7. Then the Ground was not Accursed nor the Creature brought into the bondage of Corruption so it is conceived he was made Immortal but after his Transgression Thorns and Thistles sprang up the Seed of Diseases and Mortality was received in with the Juice of the forbidden Fruit. Sickness came Gen. 2. 19. into the World upon Man and upon Beast and every living Creature for they were formed out of the Ground before the Fall. They partake of the Punishment of Original Sin but not so Jer. 12. 4. much of Actual and Intermedial Sins for it may be observed that they do not languish under pain or Ilness from within unless by Mans Tampering and Cruelty until what brings on their Death Whence we learn that to avoid Sickness or Pain To Hereditary Guilt let us add as little more as we can Let us comply with Gods Law which he hath revealed for the Benefit of miserable and falen Man. Be Temperate in all things use Labour and Exercise according to the measure God hath ordained it is no unbecoming thing to go to the Herd and consider their ways for Health is a present and sensible good We are alike according to the Body with them The different shape doth not alter much as appears by their several Kinds How is their well Being and sound Constitution preserved Nature goes on with them according to its Course They eat what is wholesome and sutable without superadded Sauces and Mixture Think upon their Rest and Sleep which they leave off before the rising of the Sun. See them in their goings forth and comings in what degrees of Motion they use and they are better for doing so much as designed unto The Horse and Ox performing due Service do better run out their appointed time nor perish sooner unless over wrought by Tyranny or Covetousness A good Man is Merciful unto his Beast Much more should those that are Rich have the like in consideration for Servants and the Poorer part of Mankind Not suffering them to Labour beyond their Strength for that exhausts and consumes the vital Spirits as again others do Destroy themselves before their time by Sloth and Idleness Moderation is excellent and carries through all things of the World. When the Faculties of mind are pure and free in a sound Body they can better exert themselves It is a great Blessing srom God so it is to be sought for and preserved by his established means What Man is he that desireth Life and loveth many days that he may see Good keep thy Tongue from Evil and thy Lips from speaking Guile Depart from Evil and do Good seek Peace and pursue it The Eyes of the Lord are upon the Righteous and his Ears are open unto their Cry Psal 34. 12 13 14 15. This is the way to prevent loss of Liberty or Life from the offended Magistrate Violence and Mischief from a Quarrelling Neighbour so he is safe as to Man And then from within himself Nothing is so good a remedy to keep the Body in its due Temperament as avoiding Sin and doing commanded Duty Gods Providence here stands engaged for outward Accidents and Casualties Sickness or Pain doth happen one of these three ways and so we are taught as to each of them Ye shall serve the Lord your God and he shall Bless thy Bread and thy Water And I will take away Sickness from the midst of thee Exod. 23. 25. He hath put a standing Wholesomeness and Nourishment in those Creatures appointed for our Food and if any Poyson or Hurt should be in them as that is seldom in common things but rather in new Inventions of Luxury he can by a Thought or some other manner divert from receiving thereof or afterwards cause that it shall not hurt them Nature which is made the great Temptation to Unbelief doth plainly manifest his Eternal Power and Godhead for he first erected such a standing Course of things and even now Governs it He over-rules the whole and disposes each part thereof So he is not to be thrust out but should be sought unto as well as the Physitians and outward Help He in the first place 2 Chron. 16. 11 12. and they in Subordination unto him The dull and unthankful World will cry out upon such a Prescription or Plaister and therefore he shall have the thanks who was the Instrument of bringing it unto them Whereas they might remember who made the Body Who was it that gave Skill and Understanding to the Physitian He can also turn his Counsel into Foolishness It was God who first made and gave that Vertue in Physick and Salve to Heal for otherwise a piece of Wood might do the same He hath endued things with their several Efficacies and Uses I taught Ephraim also to go taking them by their Arms But they knew not that I Healed them Hos