I wash but also I water secondly Not onely my bed but also my couch thirdly Not only with my gronings but also with my teares I water my couch with my teares These will be very godly and ghostly meditations The rather in this time of lent Onely the worst I doubt will be mine For that hauing discoursed at large of this doctrine els where I can not now cull out the choisest matter but must be fain to gather together such fragments as were then left I water my couch with my teares The first amplification is in this word I water Not onely I wash but also I water The faithfull sheepe of the great shepheard goe vp from the washing-place euery one bringing forth twinns and none barren among them For so Iacobs sheep hauing conceiued at the watering-troughs brought forth strong and particoloured lambs Dauid likewise who before had erred and strayed like a lost sheepe making here his bed a washing-place by so much the lesse is barren in obedience by how much the more he is fruitfull in repentance In Salomons temple stood ten Caldrons of brasse to wash the flesh of those beasts which were to be sacrificed on the alter Salomons father maketh a water of his teares a cauldron of his bed an alter of his heart a sacrifice not of the flesh of vnreasonable beasts but of his owne bodie a liuing sacrifice which is his reasonable seruing of God Now the Hebrewe word here vsed signifies properly To cause to swim which is more then simply to wash And thus the Geneua translation readeth it I cause my bed euery night to swim So that as the preists vsed to swim in the molten Sea that they might be pure cleane against they performed the holy rites and seruices of the temple in like manner the princely prophet washeth his bed yea he swimmeth in his bed or rather he causeth his bed to swim in teares as in a sea of greife and penitent sorrowe for his sinne Neither were this so much to be wondered at but that he frames the amplification thus Not onely I wash but also I water Watering in scripture is attributed to sundry things The holy ghost watereth Except a man be borne again of water and of the holy Ghost Because the holy ghost purgeth and cleanseth like water The word watereth Paul planteth Apollo watereth but God giueth the encrease Baptisme watereth Which was prefigured in the water of Noahs floode and more plainly in the water that came out of Christs side Repentance watereth As in this place I water my couche with my teares Out of Eden went a riuer to water the garden but Dauids eyes gush out many riuers of water to water his couch with his teares As in Sicilia there is a fountaine called Fons Solis out of which at midday when the sunn is nearest floweth cold water at midnight when the Sunn is farthest off floweth hot water so the Patriarch Dauids head is full of water and his eyes a fountaine of teares who when he enioyed his health as the warme sunshine was cold in confessing his sinns but being now visited with sicknes his reines chastising him in the night season is so sore troubled and withal so hot and so feruent that euery night he washeth his bed and watereth nay euen melteth his couch with teares For this Hebrewe word is diuersely translated also as well as the other The best learned interpretors translate it Liquefacio I melt And then the meaning is I water my couch so thoroughly that I make it melt with my teares We see yce and snow swim a while in the water but anon after they melt away right so the holy kings heart in the midst of his brest is euen as melting waxe yea his very couch beeing rensed and steeped in teares melteth away as snowe before the sunne Neither yet doth he thinke himselfe cleane enough for all this but still bewayling his offence he sayes with blessed Iob Though I wash my selfe with snow-water and purge my hands most cleane yet shalt thou plunge me in the pit and mine owne cloaths shall make me filthie Hence we may learne two speciall points for our instruction One is that our repentance must be continuall For the Psalmist hauing said before I haue bin wearie of my gronings addes here at the last I will water my couch with my teares I haue bin weary and I will be wearie or I haue watred and I wil water implyes a perpetuitie of repentance We read it commonly in the Psalme thus The mouth of all wickednes shall be stopped Which is true first in this life Where seeing before their eyes so many examples of Gods prouidence and protection ouer his children if they will not praise him yet they shall be enforced will they nill they at leastwise to hold their peace and not blaspheme him Then at the day of iudgement For that ghest who when the king asked him why he wanted a wedding garment was altogether speachles though he be but one yet is a patterne of all and sheweth what a pitifull case all the wicked shall be in at that day when their mouthes shall be stopped hauing not a word to say for themselues But it might as well out of the originall be translated thus The mouth of all wickednes is stopped For foolish men are plagued for their offences and because of their iniquities Because they rebell against the words of the Lord and lightly regard the councell of the most high Therefore many times their fruitfull land maketh he barren for the wickednes of them that dwell therein Yet so foolish are they that they will not once open their mouth to confesse either their owne wickednes or Gods goodnes Their mouthes are so stopped that they will neither crie to the Lord in their trouble that so they may be deliuered from their distresse nor yet when they are deliuered praise the Lord for his goodnes and declare the wōders that he doth for the childrē of men The stopping of their mouth thē is a double both sinne in them and punishment to thē A double sinne because they open it not to crie vnto the Lord for deliuerance or to reioyce in the Lord and to praise him after deliuerance A double punishment because for their not praysing God their mouthes shall be so stopt that yet they shall not blaspheme him and for their not dispraising themselues and confessing their sinnes and repenting and crying to God for pardon they shall haue nothing though they would neuer so faine at the last to say for themselues Wherby we see that wicked mēs mouths shall be stopped because they haue bin stopped Seeing if they had bin open in this life to accuse their own selues for their sinns then they should be open also at the day of iudgment beeing excused by the
thy bed and walke cure him so that presently he was made whole and tooke vp his bed and walked What happeed to Eneas who was sick of the palsey as one of these two that I spake of last and had kept his bed eyght yeares as the other of them Did not S. Peter saying but thus vnto him Eneas Iesus Christ maketh thee whole arise and trusse vp thy couch so restore him that immediately he arose What happened to S. Paul who was pressed out of measure passing strength so that he altogether doubted euen of life Did not the Lord when he had receiued the sentence of death in himselfe deliuer him from this great daunger What happened to S. Pauls fellow-souldier Epaphroditus who was sick and no doubt sick very neare vnto death Did not the Lord shew mercie on him and giue him health againe to the great ioy of the Philippians and generall good of all the church What happened to holy Dauid in this place who saith of himselfe O Lord I am weake my bones are vexed my soule also is sore troubled I am weary of my gronings euery night I wash my bed and water my couch with my teares Did not the Lord finding him in this miserable pickle and plight deliuer his soule from death his eyes from teares and his feet from falling So that in thankfull and ioyfull manner he triumpheth and saith the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping the Lord hath heard my petition the Lord will receiue my praier Euen as S. Paul saith He hath deliuered vs from so great a death and doth deliuer vs in whom also we trust that yet he will deliuer vs O faithfull and deare louing Lord He hath deliuered he doth deliuer he will deliuer He neuer yet hath forsaken he neuer doth forsake he neuer will forsake those that put their trust in him For tell mee my good Brother if thou canst tell any thing tell mee did Christ so miraculously restore Iob restore Ezechias restore the man sick of the palsey restore the bedred man restore Eneas restore S. Paul restore Epaphroditus restore king Dauid to their former health and can hee not restore thee Did he restore the most of these when he was crucified vpon earth and can he not restore thee now hee is crowned in heauen Is his arme now shorter his power lesser then it was then Where I maruel where is the Centurions faith Christ said then I haue not found so great faith in all Israel now if he were among vs he might say I haue not found so great faith in all the world The Centurion beleued though Christ came not vnder the roofe of his house but spake the word only his seruant might be healed well enough and doest thou thinke Christ cannot heale thee except he come in person stand by thy bed side and take thee by the hand and raise thee vp For shame away with such infidelitie This is a thousand times worse then all the sicknes of thy body Nay rather assure thy selfe if god say but the word thou shalt soone recouer and haue thy health better then euer thou hadest and liue many happie and ioyfull daies after Therefore mind thou only that which belongeth to thee that which belongeth to God meddle not with it but leaue it wholly vnto him It is thy part to bewaile thy former sinnes and in bewailing them to water thy couch with thy teares to crie to the Lord for mercie and forgiuenes to resolue with thy selfe stedfastly hereafter if it please God to giue thee thy health againe to lead a new life This belongs to thee and therefore this thou must meditate of and employ thy selfe about day and night but whether thou shalt recouer or not recouer that belongeth to God That rests altogether in Gods pleasure and will If thou doest recouer thou hast thy desire Or rather perhaps thou hast not thy desire Seeing the holiest and best men of all incline neither this way nor that way but wholly resigne thēselues as in all other things so especially in this case to Gods will Or if they determinately desire any thing it is for the most part to be dissolued and to be with Christ But suppose thou desire to recouer and recouer indeede Then as thou obtainest thy desire so thou must performe thy promise The promise which thou madst when thy bodie was grieued with sicknes and paine when thy soule was oppressed with heauines when thou wateredst thy couch with thy teares And what was that promise Namely as I said before that if it pleased god to giue thee health againe thou wouldst loue him more sincerely serue him more obediently tender his glory more dearly follow thy calling more faithfully then thou hast done If thou haue offended him with pride to humble thy selfe heareafter if with dissolutenes to be sober heareafter if with couetuousnes to be liberall heareafter if with conuersing with the vngodly to abandon their company heareafter to say as it is in this Psalme Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie for the lord hath heard the voice of my weeping This if thou conscionably constantly performe then in a good hower as we say and in a happy time thou didst recouer But suppose thou desire to recouer and yet neyther thy self see any liklihood nor god see it good thou shouldst recouer Then harty repentance watering thy couch with thy teares is most of all necessary That the feare of death may not affright thee but being truly penitent at thy departure thou mayst be sure to depart in peace And so God graunting not thy will but his will may indeede graunt both thy will and his will Thy will which is not simply to recouer but conditionally if god will and his will which is not to haue thee lye languishing any longer in this warfare but to triumph for euer in heauen O blessed teares are these which are recompensed with such high happines and such inestimable commodities As namely fredome from all sinnes past present and to come deliuerance from all the miseries and troubles of this wofull world consūmation of holines of humblenes of purity of deuotion of all other christian vertues which were but begun and vnperfect in this life putting away of all corruption and mortalitie putting on the royall robe of immortality blisse For that which happened to Christ shall happen to thee also because by faith thou art not only in soule but euen in body vnseparably vnited and ioyned vnto him being by vertue of this mysticall vnion made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Therefore as he from that agony wherein hee praied with strong crying and teares from that crosse wherein he commended his spirit into his fathers hands from that graue wherein death for a time seemed to insult and to trample vpon him rose vp againe and ascended farre aboue all heauens and now sitteth at the right
The sick-mans Couch A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE MOST noble Prince Henrie at Greenewich March 12. Ann. 1604. By Thomas Playfere professour of Diuinitie for the Ladie Margaret in Cambridge PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1605. And are to be sold in Pauls Church yard at the signe of the Crowne by Simon Waterson TO THE RIGHT Honourable my very good Lord Sir Edward Denny Knight Baron of Waltham grace and peace RIght Honorable beeing appointed to preach the last Lent I deliuered so much as filled vp the ordinarie time of an hower But that was scarse halfe this sermon I vttered no more to auoyd the offence of the hearer I write no lesse to procure the profit of the reader For as tediousnes without regard of due time especially in so high a presence soonest offendeth so fullnes where the reader may peruse more or lesse at his pleasure and leysure best of all edifieth Therefore I thought good in publishing this sermon rather to enlarge it to the comprehension I had conceiued and meditated in my mind then to scant it according to that strict compasse of time which I was tied to in the pulpit For by this meanes all that will vouchsafe to looke into it may make their profit thereby They which were present by veiwing the whole whereas they heard but halfe they which were absent by hauing the preachers meaning though they be vnacquainted with his affection And yet perhaps it may please God to blesse this poore excercise to diuers heavenly minded men in such sort as they may take occasion by some things here intimated not onely to conceiue more then they find directly specified but also to be more diumely inspired and sweetly affected then it pleased God to vouchsafe mee of his grace either at the preaching or penning of it Howsoeuer seeing this discourse exhorteth principally to repentance and patience in the time of sicknes and to a preparation of our selues by a good life vnto a happie death which is a doctrine most necessarie in this great mortalitie that hath lately bin is yet feared especially also for that the greater part of it I neuer preached any where but onely penned in my study I thought my selfe so farr bound in dutie to this blessed church wherein we liue as not to hide it in a napkin but according to the Apostles rule if I haue found comfort my sefe by some meditations here opened then to comfort them that are afflicted by the same comfort wherewith we our selues haue bin comforted of God And bethinking mee of one vnder whose protection it might passe in publick I thought best to make bold with your Lordship For though all sorts peraduenture may be fitted with some thing or other in this plaine sermon which they may make vse of yet those I am sure will conn me most thanks for my well-meaning endeauour which haue had most experience and triall of Gods louing mercie in this kind Now your good Lorship hauing bin deliuered more then once or twice from dangerous sicknesse haue learned such patience such meekenes such vnfeined repentance such true mortification such assurance of Gods loue such confidence in Christ such other good vertues of a right sanctified spirit by this fatherly visitation of the Lord which is not wanting euen oftentimes to his dearest children as you could neuer haue learned at leastwise in the same measure in health Besides I haue bin so especially beholding to your Honor euen since you were first of S. Iohns college that I could not satisfie my selfe with the inward dutie and thankfulnes towards you which I haue euer faithfully laid vp in my brest except I also shewed the same by some such outward testimonie as might cleare me to you and the world of vngratfulnes Wherefore I doe so presume to dedicate this small labour to your good acceptance as withall I hartely desire all those that shall receiue edisication thereby to pray together with me for the continuance of your Lord-ships good health and wellfare that long you may euen in this world enioy this your late honorable addition and all other good gifts of God and fauours of our gracious Soueraygne to the benefit of this Church and common-wealth From Cambridge the 28. of Iune 1605. Your Lordships euer to command THOMAS PLAYFERE The quotations in the margent with figures were or should haue bin deliuered at the preaching the rest with letters are only for the printing THE SICKE-mans Couch Psalm 6. v. 6. I water my couch with my teares NOthing is more delightsome then the seruice of God and loue of vertue nothing more full of griefe and sorrow then sinne Gods commandements are not heauie yea his yoke is easie and his burden light On the other side how deepely sinne woundeth the very conscience the heathen Orator confesseth saying I will not buie repentance so deare Agreeable to that of the Apostle What fruit haue you of those things whereof you are now ashamed For the ende of those things is death Looke how the Israelites wearied themselues in clay and bricke without any profit or reward nay whē they had don there very best they were by Pharaos taske-masters well beaten for their paines euen so the world the flesh the deuill as rigorous taske-masters incite men to sinne but all the reward they yeeld them is onely mortall and immortall griefe And as the sea roareth and fometh and neuer is at rest after the same sort the wicked are like the raging sea foming out their owne shame and neuer rest till hauing made shipwracke of faith they be drowned in perdition and destruction They which worship the beast haue no rest day nor night Now what beast so cruell as sinne which not onely killeth the bodie as a beast doth but sleieth the soule yea it destroieth both bodie and soule in hell Therefore this indeede is the beast which depriueth all those that serue it of libertie and rest Of whome the Prophet Ieremie writeth thus They haue taught their tongues to speake lies and they take great paines to doe wickedly This holy King Dauid had good experience of Namely that in sinne there is nothing but sorrowes and paines For lying here sicke in his bed and feeling this same sicknes to be a stroak of Gods heauie hand for his offence he cries God heartily mercie and saies Haue mercie vpon me O Lord for I am weake O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed My soule also is sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou delay Now that his soule is sore troubled he prooueth in this present verse I am wearie of my groanings euery night I wash my bed and water my couch with my teares The soule must needes be sore troubled which is so grieuously tormented Especially in the words of my text by three notable amplifications he sheweth how serious and syncere his repentance is First saies he Not onely
Lord. But because they haue bin stopt here to couer their sinne therefore they shall be stopt hereafter to discouer their shame Now if the wicked shall haue hard hap hereafter wheÌ„ their mouths shall be stopped because they haue had hard hearts here where their mouths haue bin stopped then consequently the godly must at no time stop either their mouthes from confessing or their eyes from bewayling their sinnes Tertullian saith of himselfe that he is a notorious sinner and borne for nothing but for repentance He that is Omnium notarum peccator soiled with euery sinne must be Omnium horarum poenitens assâ—yâ—ed euery hower of his sinne And he that is bâ—â—ne for nothing but for repentance must practise repentance as long as he liues in this world into which he is borne Not sayes Hilary as though we should continually sinne that we might continually repent but because it is very beâ—oofefull for vs that that sinne which we knowe well is alreadie released by the Lord should yet still be confessed by vs. For by this means the merits of Christ are continually imputed vnto vs which wee by our sinnes had iustly deserued to be depriued of And moreouer though in some sort we be sure of pardon alreadie yet the daily exercise of true repentance maketh our vocation and election more and more sure vnto vs In this sense the Psalmist sayes againe I will acknowledge my sinne mine iniquitie I haue not hid I haue not stopt my mouth and I will not stop my mouth I haue not hid mine iniquity I wil not hide mine iniquity a coÌ„tinual repentance As it is here also I haue bin weary and I will be wearie I haue watered and I will water I water my couch with my teares The other point which we may hence learn is this That our repentance must alwaies be ioyned with a purpose of new obedience I haue bin wearie of my gronings sayes he That he is sure of and that is past But though he haue bin weary yet indeed he is not wearie seeing he purposeth twice as much as he hath performed For for one performance Laboraui that is past here are two purposes Lauabo and Rigabo that are to come I haue done it allready saies he so so but if I liue longer I will doe it oftner and better I will wash my bed and I will water my couch with my teares So that the greatest righteousnes of the saints in this life consisteth rather in a daily deploring of their sinnes in a faithfull purpose to amend then in any eminent and absolute perfection Not that wee ought to serue God by halfes as it were with purposes intents but that hereby the vnperfitnes of our obedience may appeare which though it be as much as wee can doe considering the weakenes of our abilitie yet it is not halfe so much as wee ought to doe considering the excellencie of Gods lawe Wherefore I shew now not what should be but what is because the best obedience of ours that is is not so much as the lest part of that which should be Harken I pray you attentiuely to that which S. Paul writeth To will is present with mee but I find no meanes to performe that which is good For the good which I would doe that doe I not but the euill which I would not doe that doe I. Now if I doe that I would not it is no more I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in mee Where the Apostle plainly distinguisheth betwene these two to will good and to performe good And the one he saith is present with him but the other he can no where find Now if so chosen a vessell will much more good then he can performe then questionles wee that are farre inferiour please God rather by a willing purpose to doe good then by any full performance of that which wee purpose Againe whereas he saies If I doe that I would not it is no more I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in me he meaneth not to excuse or extenuate his fault any way but to shew that the principall scope and intent of his heart is to serue the lawe of God howsoeuer contrarie to his intent by the violence of his flesh he bee drawne to serue sinne And therefore he saies The good which I would that doe I not but the euill which I would not that doe I. Insinuating hereby that the regenerate man beeing not wholy flesh nor wholy spirit but partly flesh and partly spirit as he is spirit would doe that good which as he is flesh he doth not as he is flesh doth that euil which as he is spirit he would not Which makes him also say Studeo I studie or I endeauour my selfe to haue alway a cleare coÌ„science toward God and man He speaketh not of his Apostleship in which he was immediately inspired and continually directed by the spirit For touching that he saies elâ—where I am guiltie to my selfe of nothing But out of the compasse of his Apostolical calling he dares not warrant that he hath a cleare conscience euery manner of way but only that he studieth or endeauoreth to haue a cleare conscience So his fellowe-disciple Barnabas exhorteth them of Antioch that with purpose of heart they would cleaue vnto the Lord For as long as we liue in this tabernacle sinne cleaueth so fast to vs that wee can not constantly cleaue vnto the Lord Notwithstanding at least wise in purpose of heart it is good for vs to shake off all sinne only to hold vs fast vnto god But this our prophet even in one psalme to wit the hundred and ninetenth affordeth vs many pregnant testimonies to this truth I haue applied my hart to fulfil thy statutes alwayes euen vnto the end Though he can not fulfill gods law as well as he would yet as hard as he possibly can hee plyes it applyes his heart to it O Lord thou art my portion I haue determined to keepe thy words Marke ye this He can not say he hath euer kept the word of god in deede but yet because his hearts desire is earnestly bent that way he sayes I haue determined to keepe thy words I haue sworne and am steadfastly resolued to keepe thy righteous iudgments O louing heart to God! O loathing heart to his sinnes O zealous O fiery words I haue sworne am steadfastly resolued to keep thy righteous iudgmeÌ„ts Iurani Statui This iuror hauing sworne himselfe to gods statutes to keepe them yet is the foreman of the quest to giue in a verdit against his owne selfe that he hath not kept them So that Dauids Statuo is all one with Pauls Studeo And therfore though we may perhaps and alas doe dayly god forgiue vs transgresse these righteous iudgments yet our holy oath our solemne vowe our assured promise our
Ephesus thus saith the spirit Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe the first workes or els I will remooue thy candlesticke out of his place So that if we let our sinne stand still our candlesticke shall be remooued but if we would haue our candlesticke stand still our sinne must be remooued We must repent and doe the first workes not those which we must repent of but those which wee are fallen from Wonderfull are the words of the Apostle God hath committed the word of reconciliation vnto vs therefore we are Christs embassadours and God entreating you as it were by vs wee beseech you in the name of Christ that you would be reconciled to God What may some man say were not the Corinthians reconciled alreadie wherefore then is the Apostle so earnest about nothing I but they doe not vnderstand the Apostle which make this obiection He knew well enough they were reconciled before But he knew as well the best of vs all can not stand in Gods fauour one minute of an hower without a good mediatour For since our first reconciliation to God we haue so often offended his maiestie that if we doe not plie him with humble supplications and daily Petitions and heartie repentance and vnfained teares he and wee can not possibly be friends And therefore the Apostle calls vpon the Corinthians so earnestly and cries to them and saies Take heede Feare God Offend him not Ye can get nothing by falling out with him But in case ye haue bin ouertaken with any sinne ye haue an aduocate with the father Flie vnto him for succour If you be wise be reconciled to God as soone as you can God entreateth you O mercifull Lord dost thou sue seeke to vs and is there any thing in the world that we can pleasure thee in can our goodnes reach vnto thee and dost thou entreat vs yea saies he God entreateth you and wee his Ambassadours in the name of Iesus Christ beseech you that you would be reconciled to God Be reconciled to God and though you haue offended him neuer so much he will be reconciled to you Assure your selues you may lay your life of it he will presently turne vnto you if you in true repentance will turne vnto him and water your couch with your teares For so this our Prophet did no sooner confesse his fault but Nathan proclaimd his pardon Whereupon he himselfe also hath these words I said I will confesse my wickednes vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the iniquitie of my sinne As the Lyonesse hauing bin false to the Lyon by going to a Libard and the Storke consorting with any other besides her owne mate wash themselues before they dare returne home in like manner the prophet here before he can be reconciled to God after this great breach by adulterie and murther is faine to wash his bed and to water his couch with his teares But here a question may arise If the faithfull be subiect neither to aeternall condemnation when they doe sinne nor yet to finall impenitencie when they haue sinned what neede they at all either auoide sinne for which they shall not be condemned or els hasten their repentance of which they shall not be depriued This question consisteth of two parts The one touching condemnation the other touching impenitencie To the former part I say as before Though there be sinne in them yet there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus But how This is no thanks to them that sinne thereby making themselues guiltie of sinne and as much as in them lieth subiect also to condemnation for the same but onely to God who wrappeth vp all the sinnes of his children in the bowels of his deare sonne that they appeare not in his sight to condemne them either in this world or in the world to come As Shem went backward and couered his fathers nakednes so God casteth our sinnes behind his backe and doth not impute them to vs. Howbeit though condemnation neede not be feared yet there are reasons enough besides to perswade all those to hate sinne that loue God One is because God doth vsually withdraw the outward signes of his fauour from them which forget their dutie towards him The whole booke of Iob is proofe sufficient Especially in one place he saith I haue sinned what shall I doe vnto thee O thou preseruer of men why hast thou set me as a marke against thee so that I am burden to my selfe And Dauid Why standest thou so farre off O Lord a and hidest thy selfe in the needefull time of trouble For as Ioseph made himselfe strange to his brethren and spake vnto them roughly though he loued them well enough euen so the Lord though he take not his mercie from his childrē yet he chastiseth their iniquities with roddes and their sinnes with scourges An other is because the faithfull sinning loose the inward feeling of Gods fauour As Iob testifieth in these words Thou writest bitter things against me and thou wilt consume me with the sinnes of my youth And Dauid O giue me the comfort of thy helpe againe and establish me with thy free spirit He wanted not Gods helpe nor his spirit but yet he was so discouraged and cast downe in his owne conscience that he felt not the comfortable tast of Gods helpe nor the blessed freedome of his spirit And euen so generally the godly sinning though they quench not the spirit altogether yet by greeuing it they feele such a desolation in their soules as if they were quite cast out of fauour with God To the latter part of this question I answer that the sinnes of the godly are therefore with repentance because the graces of God are without repentance And as it is vnpossible that they which sinne in despight of the spirit should be renewed by repentance so it is vnpossible that they should not be renewed by repentance which sinne of infirmitie as all the faithfull doe For though the flesh haue the vpper hand one while enforcing them to sinne yet the spirit will get the masterie an otherwhile making them heartily sorie for their sin Neuertheles great reason is it they should not abuse the patience of God mouing them to repentance but rather that they should instantly stirr vp this gift of God in them to which they are sure at length the course motion of Gods spirit will bring them For first what a horrible thing is it either for God to withdrawe his fatherly and fauorable countenance from vs or for vs to haue a hell as it were in our owne consciences both which as I haue already shewed doe necessarily followe sinne Besides seeing all the good wee get by sinne is repentance and greife farre better it is to begin betimes to repent and so forthwith to enioy the comfortable feeling of Gods mercifull pardon then
talke in his court what a huge summe of money a certaine Knight in Rome owed at his death and that all his goods were to be sold to make payment of his debts commaunded the master of his wardrobe to buie for him that bed wherein this Knight vsed to lie For saies he if I can not sleepe soundly in that bedde wherein he could sleepe that owed so much then surely I shall sleepe in none If this famous Emperour thought it a matter almost vnpossible for him to sleepe quietly in his bed which was so deepely in debt what would he haue saide if Christ who was borne in his time had bin bred in his heart I meane if he had seene by the light of Gods word that no debts are comparable to sinnes And therefore if that poore Knight could hardly sleepe in his bed then that seruant which oweth his master tenne thousand talents as alas which of vs all beloued if wee remember our selues well is not guiltie of so many sinnes can hardly take any rest This if the Emperour had knowne he would rather haue bought Dauids couch that he might not haue slept for bewayling his sinnes then this banckrupts bed that hee might haue slept notwithstanding all his cares For these these euen our sinnes these are the debts which so trouble and torment the soule that a man were better haue many common wealthes in his head yea the cares of all the world in his head thē be disquieted distracted with them Wherefore deare christians if we be in good health let vs be thankfull to God for it let vs accoumpt it a speciall blessing without which all worldly blessings are nothing and let vs vse it as all other good gifts of God to his glorie the good of one an other If contrariwise it please the Lord at any time to visite vs with sicknes let vs not in this case despaire neither But first whatsoeuer other causes wee may conceaue let vs ingeniously acknowledge one cause of our sicknes to be our sinnes For if wee would preuent the iudgements of god by timely repentance and iudge our selues wee should not be iudged of the Lord. But because men will not when they are in health thinke of him that giueth health therefore oftentimes they are sick and now and then also fall a sleepe For euen as malefactors which will not by gentle meanes confesse their heinous crimes are by racking or such like tortures enforced to confesse so when grieuous sinners can see no time to repent God in his iustice or rather indeede in his great mercie doth as it were racke them vpon their couch with sicknesses and bodily paines that they may be constrained to confesse their sinnes and so may be freed of two sicknesses their bodies sicknes and their soules sicknes both at once O happie happie men are they which when they are young remember their Creator before they be old and when they are in health confesse their sinnes and forsake them before they be sicke And yet good louing brother if thou happen to be sicke be not in any case as I said before be not altogether discouraged by it But in the next place remember that thy sicknes is nothing else but Gods fatherly visitation to doe the good and especially to mooue thee to repentance Listen a little Harken I say Dost thou not heare him rapping a loud and knocking hard at the dore of thy hard heart and saying to thee whosoeuer thou art Mayden arise Young man arise Lazarus arise and come forth Awake therfore awake thou that sleepest and stand vp frō death and Christ shall giue thee life Say with the spiritual spouse In my bed by night I sought him whome my soule loueth Say with this our Prophet Did I not remember thee vpon my bed and meditate of thee in the night season Looke not still to haue pillowes sowd vnder thine elbowes neither boulster vp thy selfe any longer in thy sinnes Lie not vpon thy beds of iuorie neither stretch thy selfe vpon thy couch but euery night wash thy bed and water thy couch with thy teares Behold saies thy heauenly husband I stand at the dore and knocke if any man heare my voice and open the dore I will come in vnto him and will suppe with him and he with me And againe Open vnto me my sister my loue my doue mine vndefiled for my head is full of dew and my locks with the drops of the night Wherefore seeing Christ knocketh so loud at the dore of thy heart for repentance knocke thou as loud at the dore of his mercie for pardon seeing he would so faine haue thee turne vnto him and heare his voice be thou as willing to call vpon his name that he may heare thy voice seeing he is so forward to sup with thee by receiuing thy praiers be thou as desirous to sup with him by obtaining the benefit of his passion euen the remission of thy sinnes And as he saies to thy soule Open vnto me my sister my loue my doue mine vndefiled so be thou bold by faith to turne the same words vpon him againe and say Open vnto me my brother my loue my doue mine vndefiled for my head is ful of dew and my locks with the drops of the night And why is my head full of dew and my locks with the drops of the night Because euery night I wash my bed and water my couch with my teares Then deare Christian brother then thy sicknes shal not be vnto death but for the glorie of God For God will turne all thy bed in thy sicknes And so whereas before it was a bed of sicknes he will turne it into a bedde of health whereas a bed of paine and griefe into a bed of rest and comfort whereas a bed of teares repentāce into a bed of ioyful deliuerance Reméthy selfe well At least wise as well as thou canst and well enough What happened to Iob who was sick and sore all his bodie ouer and had not a couch neither to lie on but was faine to lie on a dunghill Did not all this turne to his great good whenas the Lord did blesse his latter end much more then his beginning What hapned to Ezechias who had sentence of death gon out against him Did not he lying sicke in his bedd turne him toward the wall and weepe and got the sentence of death reuersed and fiftene yeares more added to his life What happened to the man sick of a palsey who was let downe thorough the tyling bed and all in the midst before Iesus Did not Christ with one word in an instant heale him so that he tooke vp his bed and departed to his owne house praising God What happened to the man which had bin sick eight and thirtie yeares and was not able to stepp downe into the poole Did not Christ saying but Rise take vp