call Charmes In my iudgement it it is from this place that by an Apish imitation he hath learned the first inuention of charmes or of healing by words This of before did I neuer obserue Often did I wonder where frae he had taken the vse of healing by words All that Sathan doeth in draweing â—oules vnto him he hath learned it out of GODS wisdome by counterfeiting the Lords workes as the Magitians that turned their rods into Serpents as Moses turned his rod into a Serpent But as Moses his Serpent swallowed vp the serpents of the Magicians â—o Gods word shall at last swallowe vp and destroye the devils charmes Sathan is an Apish creature striuing euer to counterfeit God in all his actions So from God hee learned to teach men to make sacrifices to himselfe as if hee had bene the God of the world As God is euer turning euill vnto good so Sathan is euer turning good vnto euill Out of this place in my iudgement are all witches charmes by imitation Jf yee would have the definition of a Charme take it in these words It is a word sent from the deuill for healing of these that put not their trust into God O but will ye say they doe good and helpe vs O follie if God in such a case remoue his heavie hand it is for to lay it on againe with a greater burden such a deliuerance is by breaking the prison to be clogged with more fearfull fetters Heere is Gods precept Psal. 50.15 Call vpon me in the day of trouble Heere is a promise and I will deliuer thee O but will yee say in all that they say J heare no thing but good wordes O foole if the baite were not sweete the fish would not plucke the poisond gloves must bee most sweetly perfumed The most deadly drinke must bee most sugred There is no such liquour for the mouth as the deuils posset sweet in the mouth but death into the belly Obserue also that it is a righteous thing with God to suffer Sathans wordes haue power to giue such a bodily benefite to these that loue their health better then God He that seeketh his health by vnlawfull meanes loueth his health better then God And therefore iust and righteous is hee when hee giueth ouer to a reprobate mind these that like not to retaine God in their knowledge A mind voide of all iudgement is a plague ordained for all these that desire not to retaine God in their knowledge Because they receiued not the loue of the trueth that they might be saued for this cause God sent them strong delusion that they should belieueâ— a lye If men and women will not desist from seeking such vnlawfull meanes but leauing the word that God hath sent for health will beetake themselues to the word that the deuill hath sent let them knowe that God hath plagued them with strong delusion because they haue not the loue of the trueth What rage is this for a man to goe and seeke health from the devill in his sickenesse Is it not as Elijah said concerning Ahazia who in his sicknesse sent vnto Baalzebub because there is not a God in Israel These that thinke that there is a God in Israel will neuer seeke to be healed by the deuiles wordes So long as God would speake to Saul Saul sought not to Sathan After that God was departed from him and would answere him no more then hee ranne to the deuill of Endor But what comfort gote hee there euen that which the deuill himselfe abhorreth viz. torment before the time Which made him fall straight way all along on the earth These were the cheefe wordes of the deuils comfortes Tomorrow thou shall be with mee So must they bee healâ—â— that desire the deuill to send wordes for their health An obiection Heere some curious spirit may object that where as it is said heere that God sendeth his worde and healeth the sicke and that therefore in sicknesse this word should be sought vnto that seemeth not to be needfull My dayes are they not numbered a man can not dye before his dayes what needs a man then in sicknesse seeke his life from God The Answere Jt is certaine that mans time is determined mans dayes are bounded like the sea To mans age God saith as hee saith to the waves of the Sea Hitherto shall thou come but no further and heere shall thy proud â—aâ—es be stayed The proudest dayes of mans age are sâ—ayed at a certaine hitherto when they are come to that they can wâ—nnâ— no further But yet till they come there man must vse the meanes where by his life may be preserued God promised to adde to Hezekiahs yeeres other fifeteene Hezekiah knew well that God would keepe his promise and yet for all that he left not off to eate and to drinke whereby his life might be preserued This is most forcible against these that obiecting against predestination say most profanely that if they know they were predestinate to life eternall they should not care what ill they doe why because they would be assured not to goe to Hell First that were great ingratitude to giue the goodnesse of God such a meeting What ignorance is this that a man should not know that the goodnesse of God leadeth him to repentance and not to sinne more and more Againe though God hath promised to him life eternall and that God can not lye yet man should no more neglect the meanes of his spirituall life then Hezekiah neglected the meanes for keeping of his naturall life As for vs though wee knowe that our life can not ouerreach our spanne yet seeing the day of our death is concealed from vs we may lawfully câ—y to God for help in our troubles Jf we be sicke let vs intreat God to send his word the messenger of health that with the liuing as Hezekiah said wee may praise his name But if so be that our day be come that God say to vs concerning life as he said to Moses concerning Canaan let it suffice thee speak no more vnto me of this matter then let vs resolue to pray with Simeon that the Lord would let his servant depart in peace And delivered them from their destructions IN the former wordes wee haue heard what good the sicke persons haue gotten from God by their prayers viz health Hee sent his word and healed them Jn these words the spirit of God letteth vs see from what ill by his word he hath delivered them viz. from destruction and deliuered them from their destructions Behold in the coherence of the words two things first a positiue good viz. health Secondlie a deliuerance from a great ill viz. from their destructions Heere obserue the great wisdome of GOD who for to stirre vp men to thankfulnes letteth men first
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
see what great good he hath done to them Secondly from how great a miserie he hath delivered them The miserie wherefrom a man is deliuered being set in viewe besides the benefite received is a commendation of the guift As a candle seemeth clearest in the darkest house and as the starres are brightest in the darkest night so good received appeareth most when wee see from what ill we haue beene delivered The greater the danger hath beene wee esteeme the more of GODS deliverance If any man hath saved our lyfe by drawing vs out of the water wee being almost at the last gaspes wee would thinke of it so long as we liue but to bee helped out of some shallow place where was no danger of the death for such a benefite a light grand-mercy is thought to bee enough Let vs behold heere in the word destructions the greatnesse of Gods deliverance The word destructions like death or darknesse commending lyfe or light setteth out the greatnesse of the positiue benefite in those words Hee sent his word and healed them Let vs consider the word in the original the word which is heere turned destructions signifieth ditches or graues which are deathes lodgings The graue in the first language hath diverse names 1. the most proper is Keber 2. Bor that is a pit or ditch â—arcer subterraneus a prison vnder the earth The estate of all the dead by nature is miserable they are all in prison and there must they lye till the trumpet of the resurrection blow the blast of libertie At that sound the earth shall open and in its owne language shall say to the dead goe out my prisoners I am not able to keepe you any longer 3. the graue is called Sheol a petendo from â—eeking quod ore hiant dilatato repleri expetat Of all beggaâ—s death and the graue are the greatest they ever seeâ—e and are never satisfied They are the two daughters of the Horse-â—â—ach which evermore crye bring bring The graue is one of these that never saith â—t is enough 4. Jn the text which J haue redde it is called Shechithah from a word that signifieth to kill or corrupt or destroye According to this the word heere is turned destructions Hee delivered them from their destructions that is from their graues The lesson J obserue of all the names of the graue and particularly of this in my text is great is the horrour of the graue naturally all flesh abhorreth it When the wicked man that is in God his debt booke is buried hee is like one catcht and clapt vp in prison The barres of death are about him as about a Theefe in a pit This is a part of wicked mens penaltie the graue is vnto them the very porch of the prison of Hell This is the prison appointed for all desperate banquerupts laden with debt and danger vnable to satisfie the lâ—ast farthing Many may goe to the graue free of all worldly debts whom God shall challenge and arrest of an infinite summe which they shall not bee able to paye though they had all this world at their dispose Such shall be the end of all prodigall ding-thrifts who while they lived turned the grace of God in wantonnesse while they are caried to the graue they are caried to their destructions Seeing the graue is naturally to all men a destruction let the consideration thereof stirre vs vp to a godly lyfe Jt is a place most fearefull to flesh and blood Job speaking to God concerning the graue for which hee was preparing him selfe declareth in most powerfull wordes what a dwelling place it is Cease then said hee and let mee alone that I may take comfort a litle before I goe whence I shall not returne even to the land of darknesse and the shaddow of death a land of darkenesse as darkenesse it selfe and of the shaddow of death without any order and where the light bee as darkenesse Those bee the most pleasant fields of the graue viz. a land of darkenesse where the light as Job saith is as darkenesse it selfe There shall all flesh be clothed with wormes and with clods oâ— dust There is the place of silence Many there be lying together heapes vpon heapes as Samson said but there is not a word of conference So long as men liue together on earth they haue both companie conference whereby they may sweeten the daâ—es of the lyfe of their vanitie O but so soone as they are gone to their destructions such perishing shadâ—owes of pleasures flee away There is no worke nor device nor knowledge nor wisedome in the graâ—e whether they goe Job is very plaine concerning this As the cloud saith hee is consumed and vanisheth away so hee that goeth downe to the graue shall come vp no more hee shall returne no more to his house neither shall his place know him any more Bildad considering mans mortalitie his necessitie of going downe â—o the graue said wee are but of yesterday and know nothing because our dayes on earth are a shaddow that past man must goe to his destruction viz. to the graue Thus as yee see the graue of its owne nature is properly a destruction Such is it also to all those who in their lyfe were not partakers of grace To goe to the graue without grace is to goe to destruction Men may striue by artifice to make the graue pleasant by painted and carved stones but when men haue done their best it is nothing indeed but a painted destruction While it glistereth like the Heavens withâ—â—t â—t is but the belly of Hell within As for the man of grace though he should be deprived of the graue hee hath one thing to cover him which the whole world can not take from him Coelo tegitur qui non habet vrnam he is covered with the Heavens who wanteth a graue the godly in their graues rest in their beds Behold what a mercifull God we haue whose cursings by grace become blessings The graue at the first was appointed by God as a ward house for malefactours and now behold how it is turned by grace into a bed of downe a resting place for the wearied bodies of the Saints See how God in his most fearfull judgements hath ever some comfort infolded for the comfort of his Saints as a kirnell within a hâ—ske For them hee can keepe light in darkenesse and also bring light out of darkenesse For them he can in that which is not find out that which is by calling things which are not as though they were yea which is most for his owne even in destruction hee will keepe salvation In the graues of the godly which by nature are destructions there is a sort of salvation which shall bee seene at the great and last day of the
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
THE BALME OF GILEAD PREPARED FOR THE SICKE THE WHOLE IS DIVIDED INTO THREE PARTES 1. THE SICKE MANS SORE 2. THE SICKE MANS SALVE 3. THE SICKE MANS SONG Published by Mr. ZACHARIE BOYD PREACHER of GODS WORD at GLASOGW AVGVST Latet vltimus dies vt observentur omnes dies Sero parantur remedia quum mortis imminent perscula EDINBVRGH Printed by IOHN WREITTOVN 1629 Psal. 102.6 I am like a Pelican of the Wildernesse TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD IAMES BY THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD ARCHBISHOP OF GLASGOVV RIGHT REVEREND THE Preacher speaking of himselfe said that for his preachings hee sought to find out acceptable words words of delight which in the same verse he calleth words of trueth where I obserue that words of trueth may bee words of delight delight not being contrarie to trueth neither pleasure vnto profit Such words are compared to goades nailes which CHRIST the great Pastour giveth vnto his Ministers the Masters of Assemblees who are appointed by him for to fasten yea and to naile mens soules vnto him selfe Such words are full of substance they are faire without faird As it is not good in preaching to make vse of swelled hydropick words of man his invention neither must man take that for simplicity of the Gospell which diverse call simplicity viz. words wanting a due painefull meditation which is the very digestion of the spirit Ill studied words can not be these acceptable words of Solomon Of them can bee made no nailes for the fastening of loose and vâ—stable soules I ever thought this part of the Ministrie a painefull part not to be done without great paines Some speake of a Booke day but all our dayes should be Booke dayes If a Pagan could be moved for any thing to say Ab perdiat diem alace I haue left a day what shall he say who is a labourer in the Lords Vineyeard They who would doe this worke as they should must with earnest prayers painefull reading and serious meditations emptie their veines of their blood till palenesse the STVDDIE MARKE bee printed vpon their face They must watch while others sleepe and labour at the candle They must forsake the feathers and the downes at the chirping of the birds In some measure I striue to this though not as I would Happie is the servant that is vigilant hauing ever his loines girded and his candle in his hand waiting for the coming of his LORD Let it please your Lo. to take in good part this part of my labours wherein is a boxe of balme a little testimony of my thankfulnesse for the great kindnesse whereof in my great affliction it pleased you to make mee partake The bloody persecution in France did scatter many Churches and mine amongst others At my coming heere you refreshed mee with your comforts and placed mee besides your selfe where I find the LORD'S blessing vpon my labours To Him alone belongs the glory And seeing it is the LORDS will that man bee thankfull vnto man let me heere name three speciall friends to whom neither name not blood haue bund mee but great loue and kindnesse in time of mine adversitie the bond whereof as I hope shall never bee broken At my first coming to Edinburgh good Doctour SIBBALD the glory and honour of all the Physicians of our Land would haue mee to abide with him But afterward a preaching at a fast hauing made mine acquaintance with Sr. William Scot of Eli that great Scots MECENAS Patron to great ROLLOCVS hee after that did keepe me with him as one of his owne Children the LORD grant vnto him that hee may finde mercie in that day From Sr. William you brought mee to Glasgow of that your favour let mee not forget a speciall instrument even that wise and godly man Mr. Iames Râ—bertoun Comisser of Hamiltoun with whom I wish that I might both liue and die I heere in the dedication of this treatise acknowledge your bounty with a thankfull profession And seeing our Bookes are our Children the biâ—sb of our braines it is most convenient that you who haue the Patronage of the FATHER should also vouchsafe a blessing to the Children Which looking after I intreat the Most High to preserue you vnblameable both in Soule and Body vntill the day of his appearing At Glasgow the 23 of December 1628. Your Lo. in all duetie Mr. ZACHARIE BOYD Preacher of GODS WORD at GLASGOW TO THE READER THERE was never an age more fertile in reproofes and reproches than this We are come to the dregges of dayes where it is counted vertue to point out the imperfections of our brethren Many are like the Flee that can not rest but vpon a scabbe Charitable Reader take in good part these my paines taken for thy profit As for thee whose countenance is cast downe because of GODS graces in others If thou doe well shall it not bee accepted but if not sinne lyeth as the doore Doe better thy selfe and that shall be my reproofe It was well said by St. Ierome Aut profer meliores epulaâ— me conviva vâ—ere aut qualicuâ—que nostra coeâ—ula contentus esto that is if thou can prepare better cheare let â—nce partake if not bee content with such as I haue THE SICKE MANS SORE PSal 107. v. 17. Fooles because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted V. 18. Their soule abhorreth all maner of meate and they draw neare vnto the gates of death V. 19. Then they crye vnto the Lord in their trouble hee saveth them out of their distresses V. 20. He sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions V. 21. Oh that men wold praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull works to the Children of men THis text may be called the sicke mans text The division of the words The text divideth it selfe in three speciall parts In the first is the sicke mans sore In the second is the sick mans salve In the third is the sicke Mans song The sicke mans sore is in these wordes Fooles because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted their soule abhorreth all manner of meate c. The sicke mans salve is in these wordes Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble he saveth them out of their distresses hee sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions The sicke Mans song is a Song of praise in these wordes Oh that men wold praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull workes to the Children of men 1. PART THE SECKE MANS SORE IN the words of the Psalmist here first the ordour is to bee considered Judgements heere goe before mercy or for to speak so take the fore-gate of Mercy when God was desired by Moses to shewe him his face God said vnto him that no man could see his face and live But behold said hee there is
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
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
Last of all in that these that are troubled crye to God J observe a comfort for these that crye in trouble when a man can once crye to God in his trouble it is a token that God shortly will deliver One that is pined with the stone gravell so long as hee but whineth for the difficultie hee hath in making water the Surgeon will not cut him but will say let him bee till hee crye from the time once hee beginneth to cry then is it time to cutt that once done he is delivered from his paine There is in man a stone harder than the Stone of the bladder viz. the stone of the heart The heart stone is of sinne the bladder Stone is but of sand Sinne gravell is a stone gravell for hardnesse there is no flint so hard as a hard heart As the Stone gravell is from sand one pickle ioyning to another till at last manie pickles beeing knit together in a lumpe become a confirmed stone even so the heart gravell is from one sinne joyned to another till they be in an huge number together like a cluster At last in length of time by custome they harden together from thence is the confirmed stone of the heart So long as this stone is not very painefull in affliction but onely maketh the sinner to whine the Lord will let that sinner suffer still for a space hee will delay his cure but if once the paine bee so that it cause the sinner to cry God that most cunning Surgeon will cut out the cause of his cry Behold the trueth of this into my text Then they cry vnto the Lord there is the cry and he delivereth them there is the cure The vse Let vs try our soules in trouble whither they cry or but whine if the soule but whine in afflictions it is a token that deliverance is yet far off but if the soule once begin to crye God is ready to deliver By our prayer to God we shall know the mind of our God in our troubles the working of our afflictions In this crying to God there is a great difference the wicked cryeth more for his sore than his sinne the godly man cryeth more for his sin than his sore So to doe is not the practise of a prentise The Lord teach vs both how wee should cry to our God and wherfore chiefly we should cry To God bee glorye for ever Amen A SHORT MEDITATION against mans securitie in life AS intensive colde in time of frost maketh water to congeale and bindeth all vp so that the earth is neither fit for plowing or sowing so into the hearts of manie there is a frost yea a lying frost so that the fallow ground of their heartes cannot bee riven vp An excessive cold at Gods service stayeth the pleugh of Gods â—grace Yee all woulde thinke it an vncouth thing to see pleughsly in frost in the moneth of May and yet more into August The yeere is but of the age of twelve monethes Maye is but the youth thereof and yet if in that moneth there should bee no appearance of fruites what would you thinke of such a yeere And yet alas many of vs who have past the June yea the August of our age are as yet frozen in the dregges of our sinnes as though the beames of Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse had never shined vpon our soules What is this that wee cannot remember our mortalitie * One sythe cutteth down both Prince and people How manie Kings of this land are dead and but one alive The rest are gone for to give account how they have swayed the scepter when they sustained the person of God All the glorie of the greatest except they bee godly shall perish like the snuffe of a candle that is trodde vnder-foote Let vs therefore so live to die that wee maye die to live If wee digge not the Myne we shall never find the treasure If wee could lay this to our heart wee should bee swifter than Hazael in running to our God THE SICKE MANS SALVE THE THIRD SERMON Psal. 107. v. 19. Then they cry vnto the Lorde in their trouble hee saved them out of their distresses V. 20. Hee sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions IN my former Sermon it hath beene declared what the sicke fooles did while they were neere the doores of death it is saide Then they cryed vnto the Lord Jn this Sermon wee shall heare Gods part It is in these words â—ee saved them out of their distresses hee sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions The division of these words Jn these wordes I see two things first God after hee hath heard afflicted sinners saveth them and delivereth them out of their distresse secondly it is set downe by what meanes hee delivered these sicke persons in these wordes hee sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their graves or destructions As for that it is saide in the first part of my dâ—yes Text that God saved these sicke out of their distresses J observe the great mercie of God there is no sinne or sicknesse I see so great but if the sicke sinner can crye to him God hath mercie for him as it is of sicknesse so of all other affliction If man can crye vnto God God is readie to send succour This Moses declared well vnto Jsrael The Lord said hee shall scatter you among the nations and yee shall bee left few in number and there yee shall serve gods the workes of mens handes wood and stone which neither heare nor see nor eate nor smell there is Gods iudgment against mans sin But shall the LORDS arme bee stretched out still Will not God bee any more mercifull heare what is subioyned But if from thence thou shalt seeke the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if thou seeke him with all thy heart and with all thy soule Manie a time had the sicke fooles of my text offended his Majestie yet here is mercie they cryed and hee saved God sometimes indeed while hee hath beene often provoked by the sinnes of men after diverse deliverances will seeme to bee more hard to bee intreated that men maye beware to be relapses from such he will hide his face for a space Verily said Jsaiah thou art a God that hideth thy self O God of Israel the Saviour hee may hide himself for a litle but not long While hee heareth the heart-cryes of his creature hee is forced to draw the curtaine and shew himselfe vnto it He that forbade man to hide himself from his owne flesh can not long deny himselfe to a sicke sinner crying in his distresse Of this we have a notable speach in the Psalme I sought the Lord and hee heard mee delivered mee from all my feares
God had before life could be gotten Though he should haue walked to and fro and streatched himselfe vntill now except that God had sent his word Elisha should haue said as Gehazi said that was sent with his staffe The child is not awaked There is no force in man against death to make either voice or hearing Heere then let vs obserue the great power of God who by the message of his word cureth such deadly diseases A Physitian may helpe a sicke man by application but what can he doe by explication Mens wordes are but wind wordes can not worke Mens wordes are but of dead letters But the word of god is quick and quickening it is mighty in operation the Power of God to salvation both of soule and of body That which is able to saue both soule and body from Hell fire may easily be a power for to heale the sicke body The Centurion after that hee had sent a man for Christ to come and cure his sick seruant hee bethought himself what power was in Gods word and therfore he sent back word againe to Christ that hee should not come him selfe but only send his word Tell him said the Centurion to his friends whom he sent to him tell him Lord trouble not thy selfe for I am not worthie that thou shouldest enter vnder my roofe wherefore neither thought I my selfe worthie to come vnto thee but saye in a word and thy servant shall bee healed Saye in a word that is send a word and it shall heale him I read of Ioseph that he was cast into the stockes in a prison But by what meanes was he deliuered It was by Gods word The psalmist saith that they hurt his feete with stockes and that he was laide in yron But how was he deliuered there he laye vntill the time that his word came God had giuen to Ioseph the word of his promise in a dreame that he should be a sheafe before whom all others sheaues should bowe yea that before him the Sunne and Moone and elleuen starres should doe reuerence So soone as the time of that word came the stockes could keepe Ioseph no more As Ioseph lay in the stockes so must the sicke man ly in his bed vntill the the time that his word came then shall he goe free Heere behold the great power of the word of the Lord. Turne thee yet againe and behold the power of this word in a greater cure In Ezekiel J see a strange worke wrought by this word In a valley there was a huge great number of bones both bare and drye loe saith the Prophet they were very drye God hauing showne them to his Prophet said vnto him Sonne of man can these bones liue The Prophet said Lord thou knowest as if he had said there is very little appearance J will make them liue said the Lord But how By my word I will send my word vnto them Prophecie vpon these bones and say vnto them O ye dry bones heare the word of the Lord Behold I shall cause breath enter into you and ye shall liue And I will lay sinewes vpon you and will bring vp flâ—sh vpon you and couer you with skin and put breath in you and ye shall liue As soone as the Prophet had giuen the bones this first charge of Gods word at that first prophecie there was a noise and behold a shaking and the bones came together euery bone to its owne bone But there was no breath in them Behold how the first charge of the word made onely the bones to be conueened and to be couered with flesh and skinne But how shall life be gotten God must send his word againe God sent his word to the wind for to fetch breath for the quickning of these dead men Prophecie vnto the wind said the Lord Prophecie Son of man say to the wind Thus saith the Lord God Come from the four winds O breath breath vpon these slaine that they may liue At that second charge of the word the wind fetcht breath which entred into them and all those bones lived and stood vp an exceeding great armie He who by his word prophecied made dry bones to creepe together and by this word made the winde to breath life into them may easily send vnto sick men a word that will heale them thought they were even at the doores of death Secondly in that the word of God is said heere to be the meanes whereby God healeth the sicke J obserue the diuersitie of the operation of his word what ever God hath to doe let him but send his word and it shall be done When he made the world he vsed no other hand but his word let there be light let there be a firmanent Gods word LET wrought all the creatures He said and it was and as he said so it was The word of God is like a Mine of diuers veines either for to help Gods friendes or for to hurt his foes as the cloudy pillar was darkenesse by day vnto the Egyptians and light in darkenesse vnto the Jsraelites As that Pillar was a darke cloud by day behind Israel for to hide them from the Egyptians and a burning Pillar of fire by night going before Israel for to let them see the waye So the word that God sends is euer for the good of Israel It is a quickning spirit and sauour of life to life vnto these that are saued but it is a killing letter and a sauon of death to these that perish When Christ had a will to ding his enemies vpon their backe he sent his word to doe it I with I am he he made them goe backward to the ground With his word he dang his enemies vpon their backe and with his word he raised vp Lazarus his dead freind out of the graue Gods greatest wonders were done by his word When Israel at Massah and Meribah tempted God in their thirst for to get water God directed Moses to find water But how was it by sending him for to delue downe in the ground for to find some water spring No not He sent him to a Place where naturally was rather fire then water euen to a hard flint Rocke But how was that water gotten God sent his word vnto the Rocke speake vnto the Rocke said the Lord to Moses and it shall giue forth his water Thirdly seeing Gods word is of such power that for all things it is a soveraine remeedie let vs beware to doubt of its power These gluttons that cryed for flesh are branded with this blot They spake against God saying Can God furnish a table in the wilderenesse Beware to say Can God were the difficultie neuer so great in appearance Moses his doubt made
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