power of death that is the devil and deliver these who through feare of death were all their lifetyme subject vnto bondage Let vs remember then that death before Christs death had portes of power But so soone as the Captane of our salvation came hee cast downe the portes and dang death from the portes yea hee beseiged death yea hee overcame death even into the graue deaths dungeon and strongest hold yea not onely that but also hee put the devill that had the power of death to such a straite that hee was forced to quite his castell for to goe lodge into swine The vse of this is our great comfort against the feare of death What neede wee now to feare death seeing Christ our fastest friend hath conquessed the portes of death When a Christian seeth Christ hee groweth bold yea so that hee will boast death and the graue saying O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie Heere againe I obserue that hee saith that the sicke fooles drawe neere the gates of death they drawe neere and yet enter not in The lesson is this so long as there is lyfe in a man there is hope all is not lost that is in perrill Epaphroditus was sicke nigh vnto death yet GOD had mercy on him The vse of this is so long as there is lyfe in man in sickenesse let both spirituall and bodily dueties be done let prayers be made and other lawfull meanes sought whereby the precious lyfe of man may be preserved Say not there is no remeed all hope of lyfe is past and therefore wee neede not care what bee done to him Mans extremitie is Gods opportunitie when man lest looketh for it GOD at his will can bring backe the sicke man from the doores of death The best vse wee can make of that that sinners sicken and at last drawe neere the doores of death is that we remember that we all haue this voyage to make We are all dayly drawing neerer and neerer vnto death vnto our long home as Salomon saith and therefore the neerer our bodies drawe to the doores of death let our soules drawe neerer the portes of Heaven All things giue vs warning that wee must flit and remoue thy beard thy face thy skinne thy acquaintance the season of the yeere are all crying we are subject to changes The houres the dayes the nights are all as it were vpon horsebacke posting to their end The Heavens crye vnto vs our powers are shaken and wee waxe old as doeth a garment See yee not that sand running out of my houre glasse Jt cryeth vnto you that tyme is running away with your lyfe As yee see that sand running out so is also the tyme of your lyfe running away and now yee haue neere by an houre of lyfe lesse since J reade my texte and shortly shall yee goe out with lesse naturall lyfe than yee came in The Lord increase our spirituall lyfe J wish J could let you see the vanitie of this lyfe that yee may learne to looke for a better There is a swift motion into man from lyfe to death My dayes said Job are swifter then a weevers shittle yea swifter then a post yea they are swift as ships as the Eagle that hasteth to the preye What is man but a broken leafe driven to and fro with dayes of trouble as with mightie tempests And yet for all thiâ— while hee is driving swiftly vnto death he dreameth that he is drawing neere to the doores of life Put thy house to an order yee must make your testament are fearefull wordes to a naturall man Most men even while they are a-dyeing desire to dreame of lyfe neither without some wrath will they suffer them selues to bee wakned out of this dreame and yet doe what they can they are ever drawing nearer and nearer the doores of death I wish that these doores were ofter into our memorie then they are If yee will take heede and considder I shall let you knowe two pages that God hath commanded ever to be watches in man so long as hee hath lyfe for to advertise him that hee must die The one is called the pulse which God hath set into the arme of man knocking night and day for to tell him that at the last knocke hee must enter in at the doores of death The other page is called the breath which God hath set into the breast of man this reciprocation of the breath is like reciprocatio serrae the drawing to and froo of a sawe This breath O man is night and day going to and froo like a savve man is the tree when the tree is cutted then must it fall and where it falleth there shall it lye whether in a myre or vpon the cleane As a man dieth so shall he be for ever If being well prepared hee enter in at the doores of death happie shall his lyfe bee for evermore Yee who of before did never obserue these two watching pages the pulse and the breath take warning by them that dayly yee drawe neerer to the gates of death THE SECOND PART THE SICKE MANS SALVE WEE haue hard in the first part of the verses which wee haue reade concerning the sicke mans sore Now it followeth that we heare of the second part wherein is the sicke mans salve it is contained in these words Then they cry vnto the Lord in their trouble Hee saveth them out of their distresses He sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions In the words J see tvvo speciall things first the sicke man crying to God for helpe secondly GOD delivering the sicke man The first is in these words Then they cry vnto the Lord in their trouble the second is in these words Hee saveth them out of their trouble c. Heere then is both mans part and Gods part Mans part is in these words then they cry vnto the LORD Gods part is in these words He saveth them c. Heere first in mans part let vs obserue that while hee is neere the doores of death hee cryeth vnto God for lyfe where we may learne that it is lawfull for a man beeing in danger of death to begge his lyfe from his GOD This Hezekiah did while hee was sicke of his boile He weept before God in his bed and besought him that hee would spaire him for a space Moses had a great desire to liue and to enter into Canaan This was the prayer of him that compiled the hundreth and two psalme that GOD would yet let him liue I said O my GOD take mee not away in the middest of my dayes In the Kings Psalme the Prophet saith vnto GOD He asked lyfe of thee thou gavest it him I confesse that men had great need to bee wise in this sute
of a godly heart is all in this wish when shall I come and appeare before God Item I desire to bee dissolved and to bee with Christ. But for some reasons the most godly whiles will seek life from God some desire to live because they desire yet to doe some better service for God than hitherto they have done they are sorie that in their calling they have not beene so busie as it became them to bee the desire of their life is onelie that they may redeeme the time by dooing some one good turne or other for their God Jn my iudgment this chieflie made Hezekiah to weepe to croude and to chatter while hee heard the message of death This chiefly made the Psalmist crye Take mee not away in the midst of my dayes * Others even of the number of the godly will crye for life because they finde not themselves so well prepared for to come before the face of their Iudge they see that as yet they have not put the affaires of their Soule to an order It is likelie that this also made Hezekiah to weepe so fore that he chattered at the words of the messinger of death God by Isaiah bade him put his house in order if that had beene already done it had not needed Gods command seeing then his house was not set in order which is but an easie matter it would seeme that his soule was not so set in order as that hee found it ready to compeare before the iudgment seat of God O how fearefull is that tribunall for an vnprepared soule What terrours are these sinne and sicknesse death the grave an vnprepared soule The vse of all this is seeing there is nothing more certaine than death and nothing more vncertaine than the time and place thereof let vs ever be vpon our guarde ready to flitte and remove out of our tabernacles of clay My time is in thine hand said David Wee cannot tell how soone our glasse shall end Let vs therefore resolve with Hezekiah in all the way of our pilgrimage to goe softly in the bitternesse of our soule Againe in that it is said that the sicke men cry vnto the Lord in their trouble let vs observe the perversnesse of our nature Troubles make vs to crye bodily afflictions rouze vs vp to crye but alas while wee sinne we keepe silence while the Thiefe is cutting a purse hee is quiet but while hee is scourged for his fault hee will shoute for every stripe While Satan is forcing vs with his tentations to offend our God wee often yeelde therevnto without any crye to our God Jt is then especially that wee shoulde crye vnto him when wee finde sinne comming against vs to force vs to offend our God God in his word hath set downe a notable Lawe for a Damsell betrothed to a husband I will let you heare the Law If a Damsell saith the Lord that is a virginâ— bee betrothed to an husband and a man find her in the Citie and lye with her Then yee shall bring them both out to the gate of that Citie and yee shall stone them with stones that they die the Damsell because shee cryed not and the man because hee humbled his neigboures wife But if a man finde a betrothed Damsell in the field and the man force her and lye with her then the man only that lay with her shall die But in the Damsell there is no sinne worthie of death for hee found her in the field and the betrothed Damsell cryed and there was none to save her Now what is to bee inferred vpon this This is the matter The soule of a Christian is as a Damsell a virgin betrothed vnto Christ the blessed Bridegrome of our soules Sathan the tempter is like a Russian comming to force and defile this Damsell Jf the soule crye not while Sathan is vsing violence the Soule and Sathan shall die the soule because it cryed not and Sathan because hee forced the Soule But if while Sathan is vsing violence rhe soule cry vnto God for help then Sathan shall only die yea though in that case the soule in something should bee defiled yet shall shee not die because she cryed vnto the Lord. The vse of this is that whensoever wee shall perceive Sathan comming with force for to deflore or defile our soule Christs Damsell we incontinent crye with all our force vnto GOD. Lord help mee Lord leade mee not into tentation O God of my mâ—â—â—â— prevent mee and keepe mâ— from these snares bee thou a shelter for mee and a strong tower from the enemie This was Pauls doing when hee feared to bee forced with that bodie of death hee cryed Miserable man that I am who shall deliver mee from this body of death This was the practise of Joseph while his Mistresse saide to him lye with mee hee cryed vnto God How should I doe this wickednesse and sinne against God * Hee that will not crye to God before hee sinne Gods plagues at last shall cause him crye for his sins * Well is that man and that woman that can crye to God for to save them from the houre of tentation If a Damsell was forced in the fielde her sinne was not thought worthye of death because it was supponed that shee cryed but that there was none to help her But it is not so with our soule whether it crye in the Citie or in the field if shee cry shee shall find that there is a God for to help her and therefore if shee be forced shee can have no excuse Well is that soule that is continually crying to God in prayer Jf a palliard knowe that a woman will crye hee will feare to make an onset but if hee see her smyle hee knoweth that hee hath found his match It is so with Sathan that great palliard and the soule of man If Sathan knowe thy soule to bee a crying soule a soule that will tell all his teâ—tations to Christ her husband hee will feare to tempt that soule Satan is feared for Christ hee beleeveth and hee trembleth But if hee see a soule that is quiet a soule that heares his filthie language and smileth vpon him with a wanton eye there the vncleane Spirit knoweth that hee hath founde his match Well is that soule that Sathan finds weeping for offending Christ her husband O what a difference is betweene a soule whose eyes are drumly with teares of repentance and a soule whose eyes are wanton ' light and smyling eyes filled with spirituall adulterie Remember this vse O man when ever Sathan shall come to tempt thee vnto sinne then crye thou vnto the Lord vnto Christ thy husband and Sathan that filthy Russian shall flie awaye in haste so long as wee breath let vs pray that the Lord would lead vs into the land of righteousnesse
drunkards but becaus they were lyars they fell both downe dead at the Apostles feere Iudas and Iulian were not guiltie of all these fore-said transgressions yet because they were traitours and Apostate they died shamefully Many of our weemen if they can say J am neither whoore nor theese think that all is well The second generall observation J make here is that in generall sinners are said to bee afflicted in this verse indeede thereafter the affliction is specified viz sicknesse But in this generall word afflicted I find as it were a meeting of Gods judgements with mens transgressious as all sorts of sinnes may be included into these words transgressions and iniquities so all sorts of iudgments may bee contained into that word afflicted If one affliction be not fearefull to the sinner another will bee terrible This is Gods aw-band aboue the heads of men The doctrine J gather heere is that as there bee diverse sortes of transgressions and of iniquities so there bee diverse sortes of iudgements that are all in readinesse at the first call to helpe the Lord to helpe the Lord against the iniquities of men If God but cry vpon his plagues â—aying whome shall I send and who will goe for vs There is not one but it will come our before the Lord saying with that evill Spirit send me when God is angry against man for sinne the famine will say send me and I shall eate him vp Send mee faith the pestilence and I shall destroy him send mee saith the sword and I shall hewe him in peeces These bee Gods three great Captaines which are appoynted by him to runne through the world for to scourge men because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities Not only those three but all the creatures of God are in readinesse in coats of armes for to execute his will against transgressours There is no creature of God either aboue or belowe but when they see God angry for sinne they will desire to be sent for to revenge the Lords quarrell against sinners The fire saith send me and I shall burne Sodom send me saith the water and I shall drowne Pharoah his host Send mee saith the earth and J shall swallow vp Dathan and Abiram The winds crye send vs and wee shall chase and chastise Ionas for his rebellion The lyons cry send vs and wee shall roare devore the enemies of Daniel The Deares cry send vs and wee shall destroy the mockers of Elisha The dagges crye send vs and we shall eate the flesh of Iozahel the lyce crye send vs and wee shall bring downe the pryde of Herode Againe there bee legions of disenses waiting vpon his nod for to afflict sinners Send mee saith one and I shall strike him blind Send mee saith another and I shall make him dease Send mee saith another and I shall make him dumbe Send me saith another and I shall lame him Send mee saith another to his head Send mee to his heart will another say Send mee to his lights and to his lever will others say Thus migrims and phrenesies fevers and fluxes gouts gravels catarres quartaines and cataractes armies of diseases will at Gods command runne vpon miserable man till from the sole of his feete to the crowne of his head there be nothing without or within but boils botches and putrifieing sores See what diseases feesters fevers fluxes c. See what beasts and vnbeasts Beares dogges lyons lyce c. These with all the elements are ready to afflict man because of his transgressions and because of his iniquities Moreover not only will other creatures bee in readinesse for God for to afflict and execute his vengance against sinners But even sinners them selues will runne as Posts this earand for to be against them selves for the Lord. Send me said Iudas and I shall hang that traitour Judas that betrayed his maister Send mee said Zimri and I shall cast Zimri into a fire Send me saith Achitophel and I shall hang Achitophel for abuseing of his wisedome Send me saith King Saul and I shall put a sword through King Saul to teach all the Kings of the earth obedience to the King of Heaven See what armies God hath for to afflict all men in all sorts of afflictions because of his transgressions and because of his iniquities The vse of all this is that we stand in awe and feare to offend so great and so high a Majestie Jf any man be guiltie of many transgressions of many iniquities God as yee see he are hath many judgements ready at his nod for the afflicting of such fooles A whip for the horse a bridle for the asse and many strips for the fooles back The Lord giue vs wisedome in all things to God be glory for ever THE SICKE MANS SORE THE SECOND SERMON PSAL. 107. verse 18. Their Soule abhorreth all maner of meate and they drawe neere the gates of death Verse 19. Then they cry vnto the Lord in their troubles and hee delivereth them out of their distresses IN my former sermon Beloved in the Lord the cause of the sicke mans sore hath beene declared in these words that because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities they are afflicted I wish from my heart that all sinners could thinke well vpon this that sinne is the very seede of affliction for the godly and of fearefull iudgement for the wicked Every man while he sinneth thinketh to escape even as God could bee false As God is a righteous Lord hee will not suffer sinners to escape vnpunished As the shaddow followeth the body so there is a thing that followeth sinne which Job calleth a rod which the wicked man never thinketh of before he hath done when the lowne hath faulted then is hee beaten When Belshazzar is drinking then God is writing his dittay vpon the wall After the wicked hath sinnsed the hand of Gods justice shall catch him by the hairie scalpe which shall make all his joynts to tremble The particular affliction wherewith the sinners of this Text are said to bee afflicted NOW according to my division made in the former sermon It followeth that wee knowe with what particular affliction fools in this text are said to bee scourged for their sinnes The rodde is sickenesse sore sickenesse deadly diseases This is plainely set downe into these words Their soule abhorreth all maner of meate and they drawe neere the gates of death The sickenesse as yee see is not some light trouble a tooth ache or an head-worke as wee say but a deadly disease declared in these words Their soule abhorreth all maner of meate c. Beholde heere J say the description of a deadly disease First it begins with want of appetite after that the sicke man draweth neere the gates of death The first doctrine J obserue heere is towards man in that hee maketh
sake that showed it and for conscience sake That which hee said of eating that may J say of drinking Drinke of any drinke that is set downe before you but if a scoll come to the table drinke it not because it is a sacrifice offered vnto the stinking idoll of the belly Let vs not onely flee all evill but all appearance of evill What hurt to health such scolls haue bene the conscience of many will beare mee record I wish that the force of Gods word could sweepe that out which mans corruption hath brought in When the brasen serpent made by Gods command was abused good Hezekiah brake it in peeces and called it Nehushtan that is a lumpe of brasse Seeing scols haue beene so vilely abused let vs breake them in peeces away with all appearance of evill This much concerning these enemies of health who by excessiue drinking drowne their spirits and the gifts of GOD within them There be now another sort of drunkards who spoile their health with reeke and smoke Tobacca-men who goe about to smoke the soule out of the body as if it were a foxe chased out of his hole this fire may be called as the fire of Nadab was called viz. strange fire I speake not of the vse but of the abuse of Gods creatures my reproofe is against these that spend the tyme with plussing of reeke which should be better imployed What count should such firie pipers make to God if death in an instant should feaze vpon them with that fire pipe at their mouth If God should say to that man what was thou doeing while I sent my servant death for thee Will that bee a gratious answere Lord I was spending the tyme that thou gavest mee for repentance at such and such an exercise I will not insist against this sinne that was once a great streanger in this land Onely this will J say for the present this taking of reeke seemeth to be a gracelesse thing Jf a man come in into a house and take but a drinke he wil first pray to God for a blessing But there is no grace for Tobacca as if it were not a creature of God Every creature of God is good and nothing to bee refused if it bee received with thanksgiving Away with such new inventions whereof the event is this the soule abhorreth all manner of meate Away with these creaturs which are nor received with thanksgiving Let vs now proceede in our text And they drewe neere the gates of death VVEE haue heard how all the sicke mans appetite is lost That which followeth is that they drawe neere the gates of death See how the living man sickneth and decayeth See how his sinne goeth downe by degrees first he can not eate after that all natural strength failing him hee draweth neere the gates of death yea so neere that with Job he is not able to swallow downe his spittle The doctrine J obserue heere is that sicknesse commeth formest death followeth after There is no disease that commeth to a man but it is like a warning peece of preparation for death The vse when ever wee find our appetite decay let vs remember the doores of death Againe let vs obserue heere that the Psalmist speaketh not heere of any light disease as of a tooth-ache or of some little throwing of the belly but of a deadly disease wherein all the cunning of the physician is gone See what doloures the sinne of man is able to bring vpon him Sinne while it is in doeing goeth merrily on like a ship falling into calme waters with flaunting failes but tary till the revenging tempest of Gods wrath come rush vpon the sinner and tumble him vp downe then is hee forced to know that there bee some great power provoked but let vs see what is vnderstood heere by the gates or doores of death By the gates or doores of death some vnderstand the graue when your graues are opened for to receiue your bodies then are the gates or ports of death opened that yee may enter in The graue maker is deaths porter A man is said to bee neere the gates of death when he is so sicke that there be more appearance of death then of lyfe Some are so sicke that they must make their Testament Some are yet neerer yea so neere that no hope of lyfe being left the living will cut off their winding-sheete The last yeere when J came out of that fever in all mens opinions deadly I found my winding sheete cut off lying in my studie amongst my bookes In such a case man may well bee said to be neere the gates of death when at every moment wee thinke that his breath should goe out In this drawing neere the graue J obserue also the weaknesse of man Were hee never so strong death at last will drawe him with sicknesse to her portes Samson for all his force yelded vnto this draught Let mee dye said hee with the Philistims there is neither force nor bewtie nor wisdome able to resist this draught Man in his name may learne his weaknesse The Hebrewes call him Enosh quasiâ—â—ger diâ—â—us â—â— mortifera agritudine in quam 〈◊〉 peccatum incidit that is from â—iseases wherevnto hee hath beene made subject by sinne Eliphaz speaking of mans weaknesse faith that wee dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust which are crushed before the moth See what an house thy soule ô man dwelleth into It is but a little lodge so ruinous that if a moth but creepe vp vpon it with the weight thereof it will be crushed The vse let no man lippen to his strength or youth While thou art into thy greatest force remember that God can cause thee to be crushed before a moth which shall drawe thee perforce in at the doores of death for to dwell amongst the crawling wormes Others by the gates of death heere vnderstand the power that death hath over all the living They call the power of death gates of death quia judicia olim in portis exercebantur because the magistrats in whose hand was the civill power sat into the portes of the City while they did exercise judgement In this sease Christ said that the gates of hell should not prevaile against his Church By the gates or portes of Hell is to be vnderstood the power of hell So heere by the gates of death learned interpreters vnderstand the power of death The doctrine J obserue heere is that great was the power of death before the coming of Christ. It is heere set foorth as a King or a magistrate sitting with great power rule and dominion This impire it keept ever till Christ came who tooke part of our flesh and blood that through death hee might destroye him that had the
For if a man desire lyfe for to eate drinke and make good cheere of his provisions laide vp for many yeeres it were better for him to die before such riots Lord keepe me from the gift of lyfe except it bee that J may amend my lyfe lyfe should bee desired that it may bee better spended The vse of this doctrine is that every man in his sicknesse try wherefore hee desireth his lyfe Jf it be for to glorifie God and to redeeme evill spent tyme to doe some more good in the world such a desire is godly such a request is holy whether it be graunted or not Well is the man that hath gotten lyfe and thereafter so liveth and learneth to die that hee may dye to liue Let him whom God hath afflicted with sore sicknesse and thereafter hath brought even from the doores of death let him I say learne to be circumspect in his wayes When Christ met afterwarde with the sicke man whom hee had cured at the poole of Bethesda hee gaue him a godly counsell Behold said hee thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing come vnto thee It is a token of a deadly disease when the phisicke can not worke Againe heere I obserue the sluggishnesse of mans heart in prayer He will not pray till hee bee at the extremitie even at the doores of death then and not till then saith my text they cry vnto the Lord. Why would they not cry while they perceived their appetite decaying why would they not cry while their soule began to abhorre all maner of meate Doeth the wild asse bray when hee hath grasse Or loveth the oxe over his fodder No not So long as a man hath the grasse of prosperitie and the fodder of wealth hee can neither loue nor bray nor pray The young man will not quite the harlot till a dart strake through his liver If the vntamed colt be not sore ridden and beatâ—â— hee can not bee broken Hard hearts like hard knots must haue hard wedges A small wind is notable to fanne away meakell chaffe A hautie heart will not stoupe for a little distresse Jt is not the little touch of affliction that will waken a snorting sinner Except it bee an imperious crosse which cause him smart hardly will hee yeeld so head strong a thinge is sinne So long as the Mariners can worke amongâ—t their cordes they runne raâ—â—le reele and sweate in the tempeâ—t But after that they haue reeled to c fro and staggered like drunken men when all their running is gone then as it is said in the psalme they cry vnto the Lord in their trouble yea though the ship reele and crack as thought it should bee crusht yet Jonas will not waken till a Pagan pull him vp and buffet him with rebukes what meanest thou O sleeper Arise call vpon thy God The vse While God giveth vs warning by any disease let vs take it as a precept of warning from GOD and prepare our selues for death * Jt is to bee too venturous not to cry till thou be at the doores of death that is to put craig in perrill wise Salomon forbiddeth a man to delay a day This was his watch-word Boast not thy selfe of to morrowe for thoâ— knowest not what a day may bringe foorth Age hodie quod moriturus agas Doe that to day that thou would desire to bee doing in the day of thy death But alas what order for all this haue wee taken with our soules though wee know not how neere wee are to the doores of death Who amongst vs can say with the Psalmist My heart is prepared my heart is prepared Alas for our heart it is like the field of the sloathfull and like the vineyard of the man voide of vnderstanding I went by it saith Salomon and loe it was all growen over with thornes and nettles had covered the face thereof Our hearts for the most part are either pricked with the thornie cares of the world or burnt so with the burning nettles of lust that we remember not our latter end So soone as wee come out of the burning nettles of youth wee fall into the pricking thornes of worldly cares the sicknesse of colde and olde age Except that wee take heede to our selues in tyme our damnation shall come as one that travaileth our destruction like an armed man For this cause let every man rouse vp him selfe at the first touch of affliction and no more put the Lord as it were to paines for to stretch out his arme still Why should yee bee striken any more said God to his people Though God spare man in his sinnes for a space yet at last shall hee not disdaine to bee crossed of dust asses I will tell thee ô man that if thou sit the Lords first summonds Hee vvill send to thee a new charge which shall make thy griefe to grow If yee walk stubbornly against mee said the LORD I will bring seven tymes more plagues vpon you according to your sinnes If seven will not worke God hath seventie seven at his command every one readier than another to say with that spirit send me Jf for the gentle corrections of his rodde thou will not turne Hee shall scourge thee with scorpions till hee cause thee câ—y If a sinner overcome a little affliction and come out of it not being bettered thereby Gods armie shall bee stretched out still by some greater judgement After that Hananiah had broken the yoke of wood which was about Ieremiah his â—ecke for to bee a token of a great judgement God commanded to tell Hananiah Thou hast broken the yokes of wood but thou shalt make for tâ—â—m yokes of yron If yokes of wood can not daâ—ton stif-necked sinners the Lord shall change wood into yron malo nodo malus cuneus for a hard knot he can make a hard wedge nill wee will we God will haue his blowes felt Againe heere in that a sicke man at the doores of death is said to cry to God I obserue a powerfull working of the spirit of God in his owne children While they are at the doores of death and can not speake vnto man for weaknesse yet are they said to cry vnto the Lord. At such a tyme all the force of nature is spent and words are said to be swallowed vp yet such are said heere to cry vnto the Lord. Wherefrae commeth this force to cry Not from nature It is from the spirit within While the godly man is at his last gaspes and hath layd speach before men even then is a voice of power within him crying through the heavens vnto God The vse In confidence of Gods assisting power let vs comfort our selues against the houre of death the houre of our greatest weaknesse Heere is the ground
resurrection The vse of this doctrine is tâ—â—o sold first for â—â—se godly secondlie for the wicked As for the godly let them bee thankfull vnto God who hath changed their destructions into beds of rest where they shall sleepe most softly vntill the great blast of the last trumpet This is one of the speciall comforts which God hath prepared for the godly man in his bed of languishing that God will make all his bed in his sicknesse Behâ—ld heere a greater comfort In death God will make all the godly mans bed The graue to him is but a bed made for him by the Lord. O man of GOD for thy graue bee thankfull vnto God When death is drawing neere comfort thy selfe with this that God is preparing a well made bed for thee in the graue Blesse him who hath turned thy destruction into rest As for the wicked let the fearfull word of my text viz. destructions let it bee as it were a Remembrancer vnto them that there is a thing after this lyfe prepared for them which God his word calleth destruction While they heare of it let them come out of their chaire of ease for to be friends with God in time O mercifull God what terrour must this bee while a man on his death bed perceiveth nothing but GODS wrath a gapeâ—ng graue and an vâ—prepared soule Let this memorandum rouse vp all slippry soules so to liue in this lyfe that they losse not that lyfe which is to come No man can tell how soone his glasse shall runne out What a follie is this for a moment of pleasures to losse eternitie and to goe to destruction Happy then I see is the man that liveth well heâ—re Blessed is he whose GOD is the Lord Thrise happy is hee that hath faith in Christ for in the very graue he shall find salvation Hee hath a cordiall antidoâ— against the poison of destruction who hath Christ to bee his salvation Christ our salvation hath destroyed this destruction He hath gotten such a victorie not only for him selfe but also for all his Saints that the least and weakest of them may defye both death and destruction with those words of boast O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie Death like that viper of Malta may hang vpon a godly mans hand but in the day the Lord shall purge the world with fire the godly man shall shake death from him as St. Paul cast the vâ—per from him into the fire without any hurt But as for the wicked that are not in Christ their graues are their destructions death in the graue feedeth on them as on sheepe To euery one of them death may say as Christ said to death I shall be thy death While Christs friends with Lazarus are said to sleepe into the graue the wicked man there is but a destroyed creature While he is there he is in destruction hee is in abstracto mall into evill it selfe hee is nothing there but the Carion of a creature VVoe be to him to whom the graue is a destruction Let therefore all men stâ—â—e so to liue that while they goe to their graues their graues may bee a bed of rest vnto them Jf the graue bee a destruction to thy body the place of damnation is prepared for thy soule Let Epicures while they liue sport and say Hell is not so â—â—te nor sinne so heavy nor the divell so blacke nor GOD so severe as Preachers prattle The day shall come when they shall find it farre other wayes Shall GOD suffer the whole creation to groane vnder the burden of our sinnes Shall GOD him selfe be pressed vnder the weight thereof as a cart laden with sheaues and shall he not be avenged of vs in death except we repent Let vs therefore least our graues after death bee our destructions amend our lyfe in tyme Let vs abhorre the filthie shape of our sinnes Let vs lay hold on GOD his mercy and CHRIST his merits which are two shoulders that shall carie away all the weights of wickednesse Well is that soule whose Bill Bond before death is cancelled and crost With great joy may he goe to the graue to whom the LORD hath said I haue put away thy transgression like a cloud and thy sinnes as a mist Lord make our eyes nimble to rip our hearts to the bottome that wee may bring out our sinnes from thence that they may get a dead stroake before wee dye Heere let vs obserue who is hee that is said heere to haue delivered the sicke from their destructions it is the Lord The greatnesse of the worke declareth plainly that it could bee no other then the Lord when Iohn and Peter went a fishing after Christs resurrection Christ appeared vnto them after they had toiled the whole night in vaine at last at Christs command they cast the nets Christ at the first they knew not but by the great draught of fishes they began to know him the disciple whom Jesus loved considering the draught said vnto Peter it is the Lord So may a man who hath beene delivered from his destructions easily know that none could deliver him but the LORD the text is plaine heere and hee delivered them from their destructions Heere is a lesson of the great power of God the angell of the covenant said well when he sawe Sarah laughing at the promise is any thing too hard for the Lord. Christ speaking of the hard entrie of rich men into God his kingdome compared it to the passing of a Camell thorow the eye of a needle this thereafter hee made more cleare saying with men it is impossible but not with God for with GOD all things are possible This great power heere appeareth in that when the sicke man is hard at the doores of death vpon the very brime of destruction yet the Lord by his infinit power delivereth him from his destructions The vse is this when ever we find our selues perplexed let vs haue recourse to him that is only able to helpe vs Who can deliver from destruction the abstract of ill but God who is salvation essentially that which is good yea goodnesse it selfe No man can deliver his friend from feare in the dayes of evill when the iniquities of his heeles shall compasse him about Though men were never so wealthy boasting them selues in the multitude of their riches none of them can by any meanes redeeme his brother nor gius to God a ransome for him All the gold of â—ndia is not able to deliver a man from his destructions no not to prolong his lyfe but an houre Hee only who gaâ—e the lyfe is able to preserue the lyfe He only who gaue the lyfe is able for to take away the lyfe vnto God the Lord alone belong the issues from
death and also the issues vnto death In his mouth alone are the quickning or killing words returne yee children of men either from lyfe to destructions or from destruction vnto lyfe and therefore in all our distresses and greatest sickenesse let vs haue our recourse vnto him saving with the Psalmist whom haue I in Heaven but thee and there is none on earth whom I desyre besyds thee my fiâ—sh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever We haue heard how those that were sicke drewe neere to the doores of death and how GOD while none could help them delivered them from their destructions in bringing them from death to lyfe from sicknesse to health Before I passe foreward to the last part of the text I desyre you all to consider well that albeit God in great sicknesse by his word recall vs from the graue once or twise yet for all that we must carefully remember our mortalitie for though at diverse tymes God either in sicknesse or in dangers by sea or by land hath by his power delivered vs from the graue wherein long since wee had beene rotten yet for all that at last these bodies of ours must come to the hands of the buriers who shall lay vs downe into our destructions Consider and weigh well the matter O man though God should prolong thy dayes so that every one of them should bee lyke that day oâ— losualâ— when the sunne stood still vpon Gibeon and the moone in the valley of Atâ—lon yet should all those dayes come to an end The standing sunne at last must goe downe yea though God should bring backe the shaddow of thy lyfe many thousand degrees at last it shall goe downe in the diall of thy mortalitie Though the house were never so strong at last it must decay and drop thorow There is no ludging for eternitie in things below Methuselah with his nine hundred three score and nine yeeres is followed with hee died as well as hee who lived but an houre I wish that this my sermon could bee to you like the house of mourning which Salomon calleth better then the house of feasting his reason is for that is the end of all men and the living will lay it to his hearâ— A feast is made for laughter which will not admit the companie of so graue mediations Laughter will not suffer the living to lay his end to his heart Oh that yee all could lay well this my sermon to your heart before that death by sicknesse come and make a breach by that breach runne away with your soules Alas it is hard for men in prosperitie to be moved to thinke that they shall be moved I said in my prosperitie said David I shall never be moved O how hard it is for men and weemen that haue hearts desire and wealth at will to desire to bee dissolved They are so taken vp with their pleasures in this lyfe that they haue no leasure to think vpon death Men take no heede to the graue that is before them though they be even vpon the brinke or brimme thereof they can not thinke that they shall fall therein though thousands haue fallen before them J compare the most part of this world to men walking over a field so covered wich fâ—oâ— that they can not perceiue the way when they thinke to run they fall into a pit with a jumpe It is even so of men in prosperitie while their eyes are dazeled with the brightnesse of their pleasures profits which as sâ—ow cover all the way before that ever they be aware they rush downe into the ditch of death Many like Mariners in a mist make ship wracke in the calme sea The Lord bee our Pilot and so direct our soules into this perillous navigation that at last by death wee may arriue into the haven of the Heavens where wee may liue with GOD for ever Well is the man that is ever wating for his GOD. Well is him that can say with David when I awake I am still with thee THE THIRD PART THE SICKE MAN HIS SONG VVEE haue heard of mans miserie in the sicke man his sore wee also haue heard of God his mercy in the sicke mans salve Man being sore sicke cryed vnto God by prayer and God heard him and hee sent his word and healed him Now it followeth that wee see what man his duetie should bee toward his GOD for delivering him from such miserie The duetie is set downe into those words Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull workes to the children of men this is the sicke man his song Heere let vs obserue what is the duetie of him who hath received health and lyfe from God in a most dangerous sicknesse it is heere set downe viz. that hee should praise God for his goodnesse c. God seeketh nothing from man for his benefits but thankes and praise The doctrine is this GOD his yoke is easy if by our owne wickednesse wee make it not vneasy there is no yoke so easy as God his yoke See how for all his blessings hee requireth but thankes After that the Physitian of the body hath vsed his cure whether it cure thee or not thou must giue him gold after that thy God hath cured both thy soule and body He seeketh but thankes He craveth but a grandmercy from the heart And yet alas hee who doeth most and seeketh least is least considered and worse payed of his due First heere obsetue that the duetie of him who hath received his health from God is to praise God for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull workes our GOD for all requireth nothing but thankes Hee hath no neede of our guifts As hee hath no neede so neither doeth hee seeke any thing from vs I will not saith hee reproue thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings to haue beene continuallie before meâ— I will take no bullocke out of thy house nor hee goates out of thy foldes for every beast of the forrest is myne and the cattell vpon a thousand hils I know all the fowles of the mountaines and the wild beasts of the field are myne If I were hungrie I would not tell thee for the world is myne and the fulnesse thereof Behold how God will not seeke any worldly thing from man for all the world is his and the fulnesse thereof What is it then that hee would haue for all his benefits The Lord declareth him felfe what hee would haue Offer vnto God thankesgiving and pay thy vowes vnto the most high Thankefulnesse as yee see is the onely impost that God requireth of vs. So soone as man hath received a benefite from God hee is bund to repare to his GOD with
Oh in thy distresse Againe in those words Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse I obserue how sensible the godly are when the least point of GOD his service is neglected If a godly man cryeth Oh that men would praise the Lord because hee seeth them flow vnto it how grieved will his heart bee when hee shall see men not only not praising God but dishonouring GOD for his goodnesse Many haue gotten health from God God in great mercy hath brought them from the gates of death and hath restored vnto them their former strength but what thankes They haue lyke the dogge returned to their â—â—nite againe The drunkard restoâ—ed runneth backe to the taverne and the harlot to his old acquaintance lyke that divell returning from dry places vnto his house whence hee came out The last of such persons is worse then their first Good had it beene for many that they had never beene brought backe from the doores of death because that after a newe tâ—â—ke of their lyfe they dishonour God more then ever they did before As Iacob said of Simeon and Levi so say I of such O my soule come not thou into their secret vnto their assembly mine honour bee thou not vnited The vse let vs striue to be sensible of sinne so that wee make conscience of the least sinne Many thinke vnthankfulnesse to GOD no sinne The leavâ—n of the Pharisees hath sowred the whole lumpe of many mens hearts Jf they bee not Adulterers but can fast and giue almes at once they will thanke GOD that they are not lyke other men GOD desyreth no such thankes when man praiseth GOD for his owne goodnesse But OH that mâ—â— would praise the LORD for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull workes to the children of men Let man praise GOD for his goodnesse but in his owne goodnesse there is no matter of praise What can bee said to the praise of a mâ—â—stâ—uâ—us cloath Such is all our righteousnesse Let vs also obserue heere another lesson The deliverance from death is said to bee from the goodnesse of God and it is also called a wonderfull worke for while it is said Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse it is cleare that the deliverance from death in sicknesse is from the goodnesse of our GOD. The vse let all those who are sicke haue recourse vnto the goodnesse of God by which only wee haue health When wee seeke health from God let vs say for thy goodnesse sake O Lord. The second vse I make of those words is for them that are recouered of their sickenesse Let such learne to bee good seing their health is from the goodnesse of God A lyfe given in goodnesse should not bee spent in wickednesse The goodnesse of God inviteth all men to repentance Againe obserue heere that great must bee that goodnesse of God whereby hee bringeth man backe from the doores of death The preservation of mans lyfe in his sicknesse is also called a wonderfull worke Js it not a great goodnesse of God and a wonder that hee should spare the lyfe of a rebellious foole What a wonder is this in God his goodnesse that the lyfe of man should be so precious in his sight Is not man naturally the enemie of God It must bee a great goodnesse that will make a man spare his enemie his lyfe And who said Saul to David finding his enemie will let him goe well away O but in God then must be a wonderfull goodnesse in that not onely he spareth his enemie but which is more euen preserueth the life of his enemie Did not God dye for his enemies did he not suffer for them by whom hee suffered By this meanes such was his goodnesse hee heaped vpon their heads coales of fire that is as St. Augustine saith vrentes poenitentiae gemitus the burning sighs of repentance Who can not bee but burnt with sighs while hee considereth the goodnesse of GOD that hath rendered him so mekle good for so mekle ill What a great mercie is this that GOD should prolong the lyfe of a sinner but an houre The vse seeing the deliverance from death and destruction is called a wonderfull work and seeing it is so indeede let vs wonder at it when J arose out of that deadly fever Anno 1626 in the moneth of September and J fand my winding sheete wrapped together into my studie amongst my bookes J began to wonder at GOD his great worke I thought it wonderfull But alace we wonder at God his works of mercie as at other common worldly thinges but for a litle space From thence is the proverb A wonder lasteth but nyne nights into a city Fy vpon vs that can not wonder still at the wonderfull works of our GOD. The Hebrew word Pala in Niphal signifieth both admirabile occuitum that is both secret wonderfull a fit word for to declare the worke to be wonderfull indeede David speaking of his making in the belly vseth this word I will praise thee said hee for I am fearfully and wonderfully madâ— Likewise in another Psalme speaking how Christ the stone which the builders refused was become the head stone of the corner he said This is the Lords doing it is marveilous or wonderfull in our eyes So heere the bringing from the doores of death is called a wonderfull worke of GOD tovvard the children of men Obserue the lesson only the workes of God are wonderfull Men may wonder at some workes of men but no works of men are wonderfull No created wisdome can fill a worke with wonder There is nothing that man can doe but man may come after and doe better plus vident oculi quam oculus many eyes see better than one This is true amongst men But all the eyes of men can not perceiue that God in any worke hath either beene defectuous or superfluous Looke vp to the Heavens and consider the sunne in his goings Behold how in the spring he commeth slowly by degrees till our day be at the longest Behold and wonder at such slownesse in such a swiftnesse If hee were not slow in such swiftnesse what fearfull changes should ensue If from the elleventh of December in the space of a day the sunne should be into that part of Heaven whereinto he is seene into the elleventh of Iune what discorder should be in the creatures below All men know how dangerous are sudden changes from heate to cold and from cold to heate Behold then and wonder how the Creator hath so ruled that Bridgroome of light that no man can imagine how his course could be changed for a better What shall I speake of the sea tide which made that most subtile searcher of secrets as some thinke to haue drowned him selfe in the