sinne and the poison thereof till that mortalitie be swallowed vp of immortalitie and we enioy the presence of him that sitteth vpon the throne The measure then of our sinning no more that the Lord requireth of his children as the duetie of their deliuerance is the verie same which the Apostle Paule vrgeth to the Rom. Let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies that ye should obey it in the lusts therof Neither giue ye your members as weapons of vnrighteousnes vnto sinne but giue your selues vnto God VVherein the Apostle willeth the Rom. to straine and striue that being by Iesus Christ deliuered from the bondage of sin and the slauerie of their spirituall Pharaoh sin get not the dominion ouer them againe that it should not like a mercilesse tyrant rule ouer them againe neither that euer their powers and strengthes should serue to Sathans becke and bend againe but to labour continually that sin may die the old Adam may be slaine in them and a continuall care and principall studie to serue God should beare the rule and haue the preheminence in them Calu. in Rom. Cap. 6. ver 12. Tamet si peccatum in nobis residet tamen absurdum est vt ad exercendum suum regnū vigeat Although sinne while we liue will haue some resiancie with vs yet is it verie absurd and vnmeet that it should ouerrule vs. Totis viribus extinguēdo in nobis peccato Bucer in Rom. Cap. 6. vitae Dei excitanda insistere debemus Striue we must with all our strength that sinne in vs may more and more be lessened and the spirituall life of God raised and quickned in vs by Iesus Christ our Lord. This proofe of the Apostle Paule being so pregnant for confirming this point of the measure of our ceasing from sinne performing obedience to the Lord I wil as God shall guide me by his holy spirit insist a little further in laying downe the reasons and arguments that the Apostle vseth in the two aforesaid verses That sinne in the godly ought not to rule and raigne and carie them captiue after their conuersion as it did before Let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies The first argument The first argument he alleadgeth to proue that sinne ought not to raigne in them is drawne from the filthinesse and power of sinne it is a most filthie and daungerous matter to suffer sinne to rule in you and to exercise power in you But vnlesse you withstand sinne with all your strength and keepe continuall watch against him he will breake in vpon you and bind the keeper of the house this part is drawn out of these two words sinne raigne The second argument The second reason is drawne from the effect of sinne which is death for it is sinne that causeth our bodies to be mortall as hath beene proued at large before this the Apostle noteth in these words mortall bodies The third argument The third argument is drawne from the comparison of our worthinesse in Christ clothed with his righteousnes with the filthinesse of vnrighteousnes For if we giue our members vnto sinne we make them the weapons of vnrighteousnes by meanes whereof issueth nothing from them but that which is vnrighteous altogether whereas God hath created them in Christ to be instruments of righteousnes drawne out of these words Your members weapons of vnrighteousnes The fourth argument The fourth reason is drawne from the comparison of sinne God viz. of eternall death and eternall life for when as the Apostle had said Giue not your members to sinne he annexeth the contrarie and saith But giue your selues wholly to God And that he may expresse with what seruice and endeuour we ought to addict our selues to God and his worship he doth not say barely Giue your members to God as he forbiddeth them to giue them to sinne but hee saith Exhibete vos ipsos vtique totos Giue your whole selues vnto God euen all that euer is in you The fift argument The fift argument is drawne from the precious gift of God which is bestowed vpon vs by Christ viz. That when as through sinne we were dead now we liue being endowed with the life of God then why should we not apply our selues and whole strength for the continuall enioying of it especially when as to make a relapse into sinne againe is to fall into euerlasting death without Gods great mercie in Christ from eternall life contained in these words as they that are aliue from the dead The sixt and last argument is drawne from the excellencie of righteousnes The sixt argument the weapons and defence whereof we make our members when as we giue them vnto God and dedicate them vnto all holinesse the speciall end for which they were giuen vs of the Lord. Now by the due and carefull consideration of all these arguments the diligent and carefull Christian out of this one proofe shall finde himselfe compassed about with many reasons and sound argumēts all enforcing this point After thy deliuerances bestowed vpon thee by God Sinne no more Viz. suffer not sinne to make thee his slaue no more to make thee his carthorse to rule and raigne in thee to obey his lustes to giue eare to his inchantements but hauing the vncleane spirit driuen out of thee entertaine him no more being escaped from the filthinesse of thy sins fall not into thy old wont and vomit of sinne againe but striue and straine to be lead forward to perfection Phil. 3.24 1. Cor. 9.24 Philip. 3.12 Follow hard toward the marke so run that thou maist obtaine and comprehend that for whose sake also thou art comprehended of Christ Iesus out of all which I may inferre this conclusion no striuing no ouerruling no victorie ouer our sinnes wee haue had most certainly no conuert no true Christian no dutifull man for his manie and great deliuerances Heretikes Papists Cath. Coelest Donat. Perfect See Cal. in Ephes 1. ver 4 Now because the arguments of the Papists Catherans Caelestins Donatists and vnpure Perfectists for prouing and confirming an absolute obedience to the law of God a totall puritie from sinne amongest the godly in this life seeme to the reader at the first view to carrie some weight I will a little more stand vpon the confutation of their obiections the right sense and meaning of those testimonies of scripture which they falsely peruert to their owne destruction the endangering of manie Ierom. aduersus Pelag. ad Ctesiphon And first let me set downe what Ierome his iudgement is of them in these wordes What greater rashnesse can there be then for a man to chalenge to himselfe not onely to be like but to be all one with God which poyson hath issued from the impure fountaine of the Philosophers and especially Pythagoras and Zeno who affirmed that those which the Graecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we passions as griefe hope fear ioy
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
his owne sonne Absalon to rebell against him take away his fathers concubines and to lye with them Againe when Dauid in pride of hart numbred his people cōtrary to the Lords minde the Lord for a reward of his sinne infected the whole land of Israel with the disease of the pestilence 1. Chro. 21.14 in so much that there dyed of the sicknes 70. thousand men O my countrimen in the Lord Iesus I beseech you throughly and soundly let vs search to the bottome the originall and chiefe occasion of our so great and long a visitation and I am afraid we shall finde that not Dauids adulterie murther and proud heart alone haue procured these afflictions to fall vpon vs but a huge masse of many infinit sins more A masse of sins amongst vs crying for vengeance which this 40. yeeres by-past we haue till now hoorded and treasured vp against our selues till they made such a crye in the Lords eares for vengeance that though his mercie be great yet they haue enforced him at length to powre out vpon vs the violl of his wrath and by these afflictions to manifest vnto vs his indignation kindled against vs. The Lord giue vs eyes to see this hearts to be sorie and a care and continuall conscience euer hereafter to walke more carefully as in the Lords presence To returne againe to Dauid as you haue heard the Lord to haue dealt sharply with him in outward troubles for his sinnes so how he dealt vvith him by inwarde troubles griefes and sicknes of the minde Psal 6. and 38. and 55. and 77. his often complaining in these Psalmes quoted in the margent sufficiently doth witnesse Which Psalmes I wish the gentle reader to peruse and ruminate vpon them assuring him if he be distressed in soule for sinne thereby hee may receiue and finde comfort The Israelites offending God Num. 21.4 5 6. in murmuring against Moses and Aaron the Lords messengers were stung with fierie Serpents and destroyed with the meate in their mouthes Yea that excellent woman Myriam Aarons sister but once murmuring against Moses Exod. 12.1.2 for marying a woman of Aethiopia and because the Lord talked more familiarly with her then hee did with Aaron and her selfe Vers 10. the Lord for this sinne smote her with the disease of the leprosie that she was all ouer as white as snow Vers 14. till that Moses made earnest suite intercession to the Lord for her health Hezekiah was grieuously sicke both in bodie and soule 2. King 20. Esay 38.1 2. Chro. 32.14 Hosea chap. 8. and chap. 9. till in mercie God restored both to health Sinne and iniquitie was the cause of famine and sword threatned to the rebellious Iewes Often we finde in the Gospell that our Sauiour Christ giuing sight to the blinde or health to the sick vseth this speech Go thy way Mar. 2.5 thy sinnes are forgiuen thee as if hee should say sinne hath been the cause of thy long sicknes but now thy sins being pardoned which before as fetters chained thy feete thou maiest rise vp and walke as a sound man And of all other most excellent and memorable is that of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11.30.31 where he telleth them that for the abuse and prophanation of the Lords Supper amongst them Prophaning of the Lords Supper caused death many of them are weake many sicke and many fallen asleepe that is dead Truly I am perswaded that one of the greatest and capitall crimes that hath puld these plagues vpon our countrie This holy Sacramēt greatly prophaned in our North parts of this land First by the pastor how and hath made vs a talke in the mouthes of the people of other countries is the grieuous and monsterous prophanation of this holy Sacrament the Supper of the Lorde being for so long a time so horribly prophaned both of pastor and people The pastor or at least hee that occupieth the roome of a pastor without all due care and consideration ministreth it to all alike without exception examination or making any separation of the vnholy from the holy the prophane from the sound professor the dogs and the swine from the sincere and sanctified people of the Lord who ought to vse the power of the keyes belonging to their calling if any such vncleane and vnsanctified people doe offer themselues to communicate themn by the power aforesaid to barre such men from the Supper vntill there appeare in them testimonies of repentance and change of manners This being the true and onely remedie prescribed by Christ himselfe both against such men and to take away all offences of the Church and finally to escape the iust vengeance of God that euer frō time to time haue fallen vpon the contemners of the Gospell and Sacraments But alas thee careles guides and vnsauourie salt The lets that stay them frō doing their dutie in this behalfe either because they are men-pleasers dare not or because they may bee attainted of some notorious fault themselues wil not or else because they are sillie simple ignorant sots and know not how to doe it doe still continue in their careles course to the vtter destruction of thēselues and many a poore soule vnder their charge The poore soules in great danger hereby vnlesse God in his great mercie take pitie vpon them These euill workers nay rather betrayers of the sillie sheepe of Christ either know not or at least care not for so many inuectiues as the godly fathers in the former ages of the Church haue giuen out most boldly both by word and writing against the pastors who suffer such monsterous prophanation of the holy Supper of the Lord as also the great care that Christian Churches haue still had to keepe themselues cleane from that pollution Amongst the multitude of the godly writers I cannot passe ouer but set downe that most excellent saying of Iohn Chrysostome in his Homilies vpon Matthew concerning this point whose words are these Chrysost in hom 38. in Mat. c. 27 No small punishment hangeth ouer your heads if knowing any man to bee taken in wickednesse you suffer him to be partaker hereof for his blood shall be required at your hands Therefore if any Captaine if the Consul himselfe if he that weareth the crowne come vnworthily barre him keepe him backe Against the vnlawfull fearing of any thou hast greater authoritie then he Therefore if a most cleere spring of water were committed vnto thee to keepe it onely to serue the flocke when thou diddest see beasts vse to strike and gore and most filthie swne come towards it thou wouldest not suffer them to goe downe into the water nor to trouble the spring And now when as the most hallowed spring not of water but of blood and the holy Ghost is committed vnto thee if thou shalt see men notoriously defiled with sinne come vnto it wilt thou not be angrie nor
ease him one minute of an houre neither was there any man could tarrie neere about him nor yet would any of his friends come neere him so great was the stinch that came from him For which cause he was carried from the Iacobines to an hospitall there to bee kept But the stinch and infection there so increased that no man there durst come neere him neither was he himselfe able to abide the horrible stinch that issued from his owne bodie full of vlcers and sores and swarming with vermine and so rotten that the flesh fell from the bone by peece meale Whilest he was in these tormēts and anguish he cried out often in great rage Oh who will kill me Act. Mon. pag. 945. who will rid and deliuer me out of these intolerable paines which I know I suffer for the euils and oppressions that I haue done to the poore men In these horrible torments and fearefull despayre this blasphemer and cruell homicide ended his vnhappie daies and cursed life as a spectacle to all persecutors receiuing a iust reward of his crueltie by the iust iudgement of God Being dead none would come neere to burie him but a Frier of his owne order with a hooke caught bold of his stinking carkasse and drew him into a hole of the earth The like fearfull iudgement was vpon the Lord of Reuest being chiefe president of the parliament of Aix putting many a good christian to death afterward was himselfe striken with such an horrible sicknesse that for the furie thereof his wise or any that were about him Pag. eadem durst not come neere him and so dyed in this furie and rage The like fearefull sudden death had Barthol Cassaneus who succeeded the other both in place and persecution I can not but set downe likewise a note of another bloodie persecutor of the poore Merindolians Iohn Miniers Lorde of Opede whose iudgement from the Lord for shedding so much innocent blood was a strange kinde of bleeding in his nether parts Like for like like to a bloodie issue or flux and not being able to voyde any vrine Pag. 953. till by little and little his guts at length within him rotted and his intrals began to be eaten vp of wormes In which extremitie The wicked in their extremities howle and cry most desperatly raging and casting out blasphemous words and feeling a fire burne within him from the nauill vpward with extreame stinch of his lower parts at length finished his wretched life The like may be said of one of the accusers of Narcissus the good old Bishop of Ierusalem who wished if his vntrue accusation were not true that he might shortly fall into some great and grieuous sicknes which wish most fearfully afterward was executed vpon him Euseb lib. 6. cap. 9. and that shortly after being striken with a sore sicknesse from top to toe and so dyed And to conclude this point the like may be said concerning the sudden death of one Nightingale parson of Crondall in Kent who was made by the Cardinals authoritie chiefe Penitentiary of that Deanry He comming into the pulpit vpon a Shroue Sunday read publikely the Popes bull of pardon that was sent into England most blasphemously vttering these words That he fully beleeued that by the vertue of that Bull he was as cleane from sinne Intolerable blasphemie as that night he was borne immediatly vpon the same fell suddenly dovvne out of the pulpit and neuer stirred more hand or foote These are sufficient to proue vnto you this point how the Lord for sinne inflicteth vpon the wicked sicknesses diseases and troubles of the body And how he dealeth most fearefully in tormenting their consciences I referre you ouer to Cain who supposed euery man would kill him that met him Both body soule plagued in the wicked by the Lord for their sins To Saul who wished himselfe slaine To Achitophel and Iudas who hanged themselues and the too many experienced testimonies in our owne times both of men and women that hauing been plunged to desperation at the view of their horrible iniquities haue been the instruments of their owne death themselues A Catalog of them all Let vs now as in a little Catalogue set down all these seuerall sinnes aforenamed so seuerely punished by the Lorde in seuerall wicked men that so the diligent reader may more easily beare them away to make him euer hereafter learne by other mens harmes to beware and my propounded proposition bee by so many clowdes of witnesses ratified and confirmed so to continue herafter without controlement Murther and shedding of innocent blood Murther punished in the offender and his posteritie with the state of a runnagate as in Cain with running issues lamenes blood for blood pouertie as in Ioab and his posteritie Hardues of heart and contempt of Gods word punished with losse of goods Hardnes of heart as corne and cattell yea losse of children as in Pharaoh Stretching the hand to make our authority hurt Gods messengers Abusing of authoritie to persecution punished with withering and drying vp the hand as in Ieroboam and punished with the blindnes in the king of Syria his seruants Couetousnesse oppression and killing Couetousnes oppression and killing to come by their purpose vnlawfully and Idolatrie ioyned there withal punished in the offenders and their posteritie neuer to haue the honor of a comely buriall but dying in the citie to bee eaten vp of dogs or dying in the field to be deuoured with the foules of the ayre as in Ahab Iezebell and their posteritie Pride and exalting of our selues against God punished Pride and exalting against God by making the offender like a brute beast as in Nabuchadnezaar And with a fearfull sudden death as in Herod Despaire of Gods helpe in extremities Despayring of Gods helpe in our sicknesse and seeking the helpe of false gods punished with neuer recouerie of health but dying of it as in Ahaziah Extreme couetousnes A couetous heart that cannot bee content to forgoe any profit if they may haue it whether it stand with a good conscience or no and often ioyned with lying punished by the Lord with leprosie for euer as in Gehezi Elisha his seruant 1. King 16. Idolatrie in our selues and drawing others vnto it To commit Idolatry our selues and by our perswasion or power to draw others to doe the like punished in Batasha and his posteritie Vnnaturall murthering of our kindred ioyned with grosse Idolatrie Vnnaturall murther 2. Chron. 21.13.14.15.16 most fearefully plagued with the disease of the bowels incurable and in the end the guts to fall out as in Iehoram Desperation Desperation of Gods mercies punished with killing and hanging themselues as in Saul and Iudas Corruption in iudgement and condemning the innocent without a cause plagued with fearful and sudden death as hath been shewed by the example of the Cardinals iudges of the good Archbishop of
our soules for healing our sicknesses the good Samaritane to bind vp our wounds the euerlasting high Priest for bearing our infirmities euen Iesus Christ the righteous that thereby our sinnes the originall of our sicknesses may be blotted out and cleane clensed and from Christ we may heare this comfortable voyce Arise and walke c. Be whole for thy sins are forgiuen thee My beloued in the Lord No sounde course but this to saue vs from perishing except this through course be taken neuer looke for sauing sound and continuing health but euen with Gehezi to die a leprous man Now as I haue spoken of particular men for particular sinnes diuersly diseased so may I speake of whole countries kingdomes and places who for sin and iniquitie haue been plagued Some with sudden destructiō Genes 19. as Sodom Gomor Some with captiuitie as the Israelites vnder the Babylonians 2. Chro. 36. Some with hauing the godly wise and aged Counsellors taken from thē as Esay threatneth the Iewes Esay 8.1.2.3.4 1. King 20. 2. King 6.19 2. King 17.29 Some with death and famine as was Samaria and Ierusalem and as this our nation of late and some with the disease of the pestilence burning ague and bloody issues as this our owne land first not long since in the South parts We haue felt the same and now these two yeres last past in our Northerne parts And seeing it hath been proued that these corrections and punishments flow from our owne disobedience and wilfull rebellion From whence these punishments flowe therefore if euer the effect wee desire to haue remoued let vs first take away the cause which is our sinnes Sublata causa tollitur effectus and assure our selues the effect will cease which is Gods fearefull punishments Doctrine These proofes examples and vses being thus laid downe this doctrine following shall bee the conclusion of it vz. what euill soeuer wee suffer either in body or minde we may impute it to our sinnes Psal 38.5 as the originall and first occasion thereof whereupon may bee gathered a second doctrine Caluin in Ioh. cap. 5. vers 14. Non sunt fortunae hominum calamitates sed totidem sunt castigatoriae ferulae Our sicknesses diseases or griefes bee they inward or outward proceed not from fortune or by chance Amos. 3.6 but by the foredecreed counsell of the highest that they may bee as so many checkes vnto the pride of our sinnes the truth hereof being granted there ensueth an exceeding comfort to the conscience A comfort carefull of Gods seruice vz. that our heauenly father taketh no delight nor pleasure in punishing vs and therefore doth hee neuer seuerely scourge vs Calu. ibid. but whē he is highly offended by our transgressions and perforce vrged to change mercie into iudgement The Lord is haled on to iudgement by our sinnes his louing countenance into seuere corrections And thus much generally haue I set downe and proued the cause and originall of sicknesse sorrowes troubles and death itself in all men liuing vpon the face of the earth as they are Adams branches and posteritie Now least the godly man for conscience sake persecuted or for his further triall of the Lord afflicted should be too much dismaied and thinke his persecutions were but iust plagues for sinne and his crosses no comforts contrary to the sweete promises of the Gospel in that behalfe How and for what end afflictions are laid vpon the godly therefore let vs search how and in what sort they are laid vpon the godly The nature and condition of all troubles both of body and minde in respect of their first originall are qualified to the children of God and true Christians not by any dignitie or desert at all of their owne but as Elisha healed the bitter and venemous waters by casting salt into them Note well so the bitter and intolerable sting of death the bitter and vnsauorie sicknesses and diseases both of our bodies and our soules are healed the nature of them changed the poyson remoued by the sauourie salt of Christ his blood yea all sicke halt lame and withered men haue their griefes eased by the troubled persecuted scorned scoffed and crucified body of our Lord Iesus Christ as this sick man was healed in his body by troubling the cleere water Christ his blood shedding being in iudgement of wicked men as vnlikely to worke vs any good as salt to make fruitfull or muddy water to make a lame man whole In this Christ Iesus our debt for sinne is discharged and vpon his crosse is the obligation of ordinances that was against vs fastned Reuel 3.18 and he is the very purgation that cleanseth the sauing eye-salue that giueth light Matth. 3.17 Collos 1.13 2. Pet. 1.17 and the wel-beloued sonne of God by whom our cries are conueied to his father in whom he receiueth and heareth our plaints and for vvhose sake wee enioy all the blessednes and good things that euer we haue Christ wholy altered the nature of afflictions to his owne Church Now therefore in this Christ our alone Sauiour sicknesse to his faithfull members is as comfortable as health affliction as sweete as peace aduersitie as acceptable as prosperitie death as welcome as life the graue as a most sweete perfumed chamber for the bodies of the Saints to lie in for they can with S. Paul say Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus It makes them not feare death but rather in Gods appointed time desire it in seeing the miseries of this present life and by a liuely faith soaring vp into the vnspeakable ioyes of the life to come And therefore they say with Paul We know that if this earthly tabernacle of ours be dissolued 2. Cor. 5.1 we haue a building giuen of God not made with hands but eternall in the heauens And Christ Iesus whether wee liue or die is vnto vs both in life and death aduantage yea we seeing that while we liue 1. Thess 5.10 Phil. 1.21 we are naked in this world we sigh desiring to be clothed with our house which is from heauē And seeing while we are here iournying vpon the earth wee are absent from our head and husband therefore we desire to be dissolued Philip. 1.23 and to be with our husband Sauiour which is best of all And finally seeing there is nothing in this world but corruption Eccles 1.1.2 alteration and vanitie we waite we looke and long for the day of our refreshing when we may foreuer lift vp our heads meete our elder brother in the clowdes and receiue the incorruptible crowne of glorie laid vp in store for all the Lords elect ere euer the foundations of the world were laid Thus Gods children may reioyce when the wicked shall howle and weepe they shall bee satisfied as it were with marrow and fatnesse yea euen when they seeme to be
corporall health or bodily deliuerances First it is not vnknowne what deuises Satan by his ministers An answer vnto it hath vsed both forren and domesticall for the subuersion of our gratious prince the stay of our safetie and the staffe of our strength next vnder God the inuasion and possession of our Realme by forrenners and frō all these behold we are made whole and both the deuiser and the deuises brought to nought For other deliuerances corporall as from famine the pestilence the running issues and the burning feuer whereof most parts of our land haue tasted I spare to speake because wee are so lately made whole or deliuered from them and doe conclude my answere of the obiection with Paul the Apostle to the Romanes If God spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs all other things also needfull for vs Nay blessed be God he hath giuen vs them alreadie so that now hence followeth the dutie he requireth of you Magistrates that professe to defend the Gospell by the sword of your authoritie of you pastors that preach the Gospell and of all others that openly professe the Gospell in more zeale and forwardnes for outward shew then many others to you all I say take heede looke to your selues that ye receiue not the grace of God in vaine that ye do not crie Lord Lord in voice and deny him in your liues that yee bee not professors and no practisers hearers but no doers Sinne no more in your loose liues as you haue done by dispensing with iustice daubing vp the Lords wall with vntempered morter rising vp earely or sitting vp late to drinke strong drinke defiling your bodies by the vncleannes of whoredome blaspheming God by swearing or prophaning the Sabboth of the Lord by following your worldly businesses for with these sinnes I am afraid many that professe the Gospell are defiled whereby iustice is peruerted the Lords building hindered the godly offended and occasion of stumbling to the weake ones thereby administred and generally by meanes hereof the wicked vncircumcised Gentiles haue taken an occasion of blaspheming the glorious Gospell of Christ Iesus as the wicked by Dauids offence in his daies Doe not account the shew of this worlde such a siluer shrine as you doe doe not with one hand receiue Christ with the other embrace this euill world with Demas Kisse not Christ once and after with Iudas betray him be not so newfangled this day as with the Pharisees to cry Hosanna welcome Christ and to be altered soone after with the Camelion crying kill and crucifie him Let not such vnsauorie and vnsanctified cōmunication come out of your mouths as sometime one shall heare euen from those that brag much of the Gospell either concerning worldly matters or their vaine sportes and pastimes of this life Doe not for a time affect loue your pastor for his message sake and after a while to bring itching eares that vnles he will speake ad placidum you will persecute him and vnlesse he wil be a wether-cocke to transforme himselfe fit for your humors you will account him an vnprofitable watchman runne not too fast for feare you faint neither runne aside for feare you fall in the ditch but runne so as you may finish your course with ioy lay your building vpon that corner stone as you resolue to perseuer beginne not in the spirit and ende in the flesh remember from whence ye are fallen euen from your first loue and your former care repent and doe your first workes yee that know the way of truth walke in it worke by it let word and deed profession and practise be simul eodem circa eadem concurre together for the aduancement of the glorious crowne and kingdome of Christ Iesus And to conclude in the bowels of Iesus Christ I beseech all you my brethren by profession giue no more such a scandale by your lewd liues as you haue done neither to Iewe nor Gentile to those that are without or within the Church take the Apostle Paul herein for an example walke more warily that the Gospell on your behalfe be not euill spoken of finally dearly beloued let your light so shine before men let your conuersation be so honest among the Gentils that they seeing your good works may glorifie God our heauenly father in the day of their visitation And thus much of the force of these words Sinne no more to all that doe professe the Gospell of Christ not so syncerely as they ought It followeth now to set downe the measure of this dutie Sinne no more viz. How and of what manner of strength sinning no more ought to be with the godly and here we may not thinke that the drift of our Sauiour Christ in laying downe his dutie is to persuade the man healed or in him anie one of the godly that he expecteth in them an immunitie and freedome altogether from sinne and the remnants thereof and that after our deliuerance from dangers either spirituall or corporall we should become so perfect in our profession of Christianitie Esay 64.6.7 Prou. 20.9 Eccles 7.21 1. King 8.46 as that we should be altogether pure from the blots and blemishes of any sin whatsoeuer For the example of the godly of all ages recorded in the booke of God testifie the contrarie who still feeling in them a rebellious nature prone and prompt to sinne doe pray continually for strength against the same And in all humiliation doe prostrate themselues Psal 143.2 130.3 Dan. 9.5.6.7.8.9.10.11 before Gods tribunall seat humbly crauing the Lord neuer to enter into iudgement with them for their sins daily committed vsing these or the like speeches Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for if thou doest no flesh shal be iustified before thee Again If thou ô Lord marke what is done amisse oh who may abide it The rule of praier giuen by our Sauiour Christ enforceth this point teaching the godly while they liue euer to pray forgiue vs our debts Mat. 6.12 the authoritie of the scriptures confirmeth the same in many and sundrie other places Gal. 5.17 teaching vs to acknowledge and confesse when we haue done all that euer we can we are vnprofitable seruants And that if we would Luke 19. we haue no sin we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs so that hence 1. Iohn 1.8 if any spirit there arise so foolish as dare affirme that the Church and the particular members thereof ought to be a pure and sanctified Church of it selfe and in it selfe from all staine and corruption either in doctrine or manners The only perfection in this life is to know our selues imperfect Ierom. in epist Nunquam ad perfectionē pertingemus nisi confecto nostro stadio Cal. in Ephes we are taught what to answere that we can neuer be partakers of that totall freedome and finall victorie ouer