their desire they haue not so much as a shewe in praising Praise is a sorte of godlinesse whereof the wicked haue not so much as a shew Pharaoh could cry for helpe in tyme of plagues but after nyne severall deliverances I never read that he said once God bee thanked Many while they are sicke will giue GOD many faire wordes which scripture calleth to flatter with their lips but all that forme of devotion is nothing but a wyle for to winne out of GOD his hands This is cleare for so soone as once they are free of their trouble at once they grieue the spirit of grace yea often they become worse lyke that man that was but for a space delivered from that divell which was but gone out for to bring in other seven worse then him selfe for to make his partie the stronger Let those that after so many mercies giue libertie to their lusts consider well how the deceit of spirit over-reacheth them let such weigh well in the ballance of the sanctuary whether or not they haue praised the LORD for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull workes toward them Heere some men will say what is this that is required in praising the Lord Is it not enough for to say with our mouth the Lord bee thanked What would the LORD haue more J answere to that GOD must haue more My sonne saith he giue mee thy heart God indeed must bee praised with the tongue for which cause it is called our glory Awake my glory said the Psalmist vnto his tongue God also must be praised with the heart without which all the praise of the mouth is but a pranke the sacrifice of fooles This people draw neere mee with their mouth but their hearts are farre from mee said the Lord. A neere mouth with a heart a farre off is an abomination to the LORD Those who in singing Psalmes are ledde away more by sound than by sense respect the musicke more than matter Such sing to man but not to GOD GOD his praises must be sung both with heart and tongue Heere is a reproach for those who in the congregation joyne not their voyces with others for to praise the Lord for his goodnesse but sit as if they were dumb The booke is too deare for singing of GOD his praise O what secreet atheisme â—urketh into the hearts of men Jf men thought that the LORD should bee praised for his goodnesse and that God were present in the congregation of his Saints they durst not come in before him without the booke of the Psalmes Wee often forget our booke because wee forget that God is in his Church but who forgetteth to put his hat on his head while hee cometh to the Church Who forgetteth his clothes No man because before hee goeth forth hee remembereth that man will see him by the way The wine aile will command many to speak who are dumb at the service of their God Many never want words but when they should praise the Lord for his goodnesse Filthy ballads and loue songs are vaine mens delight but OH that men would praise the LORD for his goodnesse c. It is not enough that men praise the LORD with their heart and tongue but also they must praise him with their lyfe the true tryall of the other two After that the Psalmist had said that he would praise God that had chastned him sore but had kept him from death hee cryed Open to mee the gates of righteousnesse I will goe into them and praise the Lord. To goe into the gates of righteousnesse is to lead a good lyfe such only are fit for to praise the Lord. As for those that praise not God in lyfe while they are holy in words they are but monstrous persons all mouthes and tongues and voices without hearts to thinke well without hands to doe well When the forâ—orne foole come to his wits againe hee said not only I will returne to my father but hee did as hee said The sluggard is ever in feare of lyons The imagination of a beast in the way hindâ—eth him from doeing The Pharisees could say well but because their workes belyed their words Christ called them painted tombes or whited sepulchres Many would content the Lord with a part of his service Some lyke the Pharisee will paint the outward profession but hold backe their heart from GOD Others lyke Nâ—aman will bowe into the house of â—immon but keepe their heart as they imagine vnto God But O fooles God will not lyke the pretended mother haue his service divided God that made all must haue all Seeing hee hath made the heart as well as the hand he must haue both our thoughts and our actions for to praise him The whole man that is a continuall receiver is litle enough for to set forth the glory of the giver Doe not the favors of GOD follow the whole lyfe of man Why then should not his whole lyfe bee framed for to expresse his thankfulnesse Well is the man whose tongue heart and hand can sing to GOD with Jeremie thou art my praise Againe in those words Oh that men would praise the Lord I obserue the fervent zeale of the godly for not only praise they God but they are grieved when men whom God hath blessed with wealth or health are slow to praise the Lord for his goodnesse This word OH heere vox dolentis a word of mourning is an evident demonstration of sorrow In my judgement true zeale is not better known then in sorrowe for the offence of God The vse let every man try himselfe whether hee bee a godly man or not If true godlinesse be in thy heart thou shalt bee grieved to see GOD offended thou shalt striue to keepe thy brother from sinne This was the cursed man his language am I my brothers keeper When ever wee see God dishonoured or deprived of his praise wee must mourne for that sinne Well is that soule that can cry Oh for GOD his dishonour Woe to him that rejoyceth while God is offended Many thinke the vices of others commendations of their vertues If they stand while others fall either into whoredome or drunkennesse they haue a ceâ—taine joy of such filthy fals which they take to be praisers of their sobrietie and chastitie But Oh is not the Lord offended by such sinnes Js not the profession ill spoken of Js not every sinne a scandale Is not every scandale a woe woe to the world for scandals Woe to him that is not sory for sinne whether it bee in him selfe or in others seeing that God thereby is dishonoured J will tell thee O man if thou cry not Oh for GOD his dishonour God shall cause thee cry
while all naturall strength will faile his owne children yet Gods strength will not faile them My flesh and my heart faileth said David but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever What can make a man cry at his last gaspes but this strength of GOD in the heart This is a great mercy that while there is no force in nature to make a man but speake vnto man there shall be into his heart a spirituall force which shall make him cry vnto his God The wicked also when they drawe neere the doores of death will cry vnto the Lord that is they will gaspe gaze grinne glowre and grone yea powre out their roarings as waters And such is the great mercie of God that for plaine pittie he will grant vnto the wicked man his lyfe So hee pittied Ahab clothed with sackeclothe hauing nothing but the outward skinne of repentance Because the Lord sawe him rent his cloaths and put sackcloth vpon his flesh fast and lye in sackcloth hee said to Elijah Seest thou how Ahab humbleth him selfe before mee Therefore I will not bring the evill in his dayes See what God did to a wicked man but outwardly humbled Such is the mercie of our God that hardly can hee punish sinners in his justice As he did to Ahab so will hee doe to a wicked sicke foole when he heareth him groaning and seeth him gaping for lyfe lyke a hungry dogge gaping for a smush bone he will cast vnto him that bone of life and let him gnawe vpon it for a number of yeeres The wicked man loveth not God but looketh for health as a dogge will looke for a bone that hee seeth into a strangers hand as the dogges eye is ever vpon the bone and not vpon the stranger so is the wicked mans eye ever vpon his lyfe and not vpon God When the dogge hath gotten the bone he runneth to some corner and gnaweth vpon it and never regards any more the stranger that cast it to him even so the wicked man as it were gnaweth vpon a number of yeeres which God hath cast to him but after he hath once gotten that which hee glowred so meekill for he looketh no more vpon God The gift of naturall lyfe as J see is a gift both given to the godly and the wicked they will both come to the doores of death and God will bring them backe againe to lyfe But wouldst thou knowe whether or not thou hast gotten that gift in mercy or but for a greater judgement Trye whether or not thou amendeth thy bygone lyfe If thy loue be greater to God then of before If thou depends more vpon his providence then of before Jf thou walke more circumspectly and more carefully into thy calling then of before Jf thou make greater conscience of thy thoughts then of before thou did of thy words and workes If that bee well is thee The Lord in mercy hath added as vnto Hezekiah that tyme to thy dayes But if after thou hast made so many faire promises to God in thy sicknesse so many vowes to redeeme that evill spent tyme yet if after thou hast gotten health thou forget thy miserie and remember it as waters that passe away and so returne to thy old bayas againe to bee friends with thy old sinnes neglecting thy former vowes assure thy selfe that thy lyfe is prolonged but for a curse that thou may see the evill to come Though God spare the wicked for a space yet the day of vengeance is in his heart God is fully mynded to breake him vvith his tempest to make him perish like his owne dung for ever A vvicked man in his greatest glory is like Amalâ—cke of vvhom Balaam prophecied saying Amaleke was the first of nations but his latter end shall bee that hee perish for ever Many never vveepe for sinne till their soule is in hell Againe heere obserue to vvhom the sicke fooles are said to crye iâ— is to the Lord Then they cry vnto the Lord. Heere vvâ—e haue to learne to vvhom wee should cry in our trouble Jt is vnto the Lord. St. Augustine saith very well Nâ—n est quod fugias à Deo irato nisi ad Deum placatum there is no refuge from an angry God but vnto God being pacified whom haue I in Heaven but thee said David Cursed be the man saith Jeremie that trusteth in man and whose heart departeth from the Lord for hee shall bee like the heath in the wildernesse and shall not see when GOD commeth But blessed is the man that can say to God with Jeremie thou art my hope in the day of evill The vse let vs learne wisdome at these sicke fooles come to their witts againe In all our distresses let vs runne to the LORD Who is so powerfull to helpe as hee who is so mercifull to helpe as he It shall therefore be our best in the tyme of out prosperitie to make our acquaintance with him that in affliction wee may the more boldly goe and cry for his helpe * If God bee a stranger vnto vs wee will thinke shame to imploye him but if he be our friend wee shall finde that of Salomon to be true There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother Againe in that the afflicted are said heere to cry vnto the Lord but not vntill they bee so straited with sicknesse that there is no more appearance of lyfe J obserue the profite of affliction yea of sorest sicknesse It is a powerfull meanes for to chaise a man home to his God While the Mariners of the ship wherein Jonah was perceived the tempest arise they were busy in doing what men could doe they cast out the wares that were in the ship to lighten it of them but seeing that the sea wrought still and was more and more tempestuous they tooke them to their prayers Every man cryed vnto his God When their Gods could not answere they wakened sleeping Ionas who should haue beene the cock of the ship for to craw day vnto others him they exhorted to cry to try what his God could doe Arise said the poore pagan Call vpon thy God if so bee that hee will thinke vpon vs that wee perish not There was no crying vnto God into that ship vntill the ship was like to bee broken Jn the great distresse the pagans that knewe not God before seeing the perill boasted the Prophet to his prayers saying what meanest thou O sleeper Arise and call vpon thy God When there is no appearance of helpe from any creature then men are forced to runne to God So long as man can see a creature that can helpe him hee will runne to it as to his best refuge Jf hee be mynded to conquesse houses or lands hee will cry vnto his coffers Come out thousands of silver
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
Micaiah only preached the word that was sent In this Baalam shall condemne manye that preach as their humour carie them in feede or in favour as the matter toucheth their particular said I not vnto thy messenger said Baalam to King Balak if Balak would giue me his house full of gold and silver I can not goe beyond the commandement of the Lord to doe either good or bad of mine owne mind But what the Lord saith that will I speake Because he had a couetous heart loued the wages of iniquitie though hee transgressed not in his wordes he was but a villaine Hee caried the sent word and spake the word that was sent but because he spake it not as it was sent in sinceritie of heart Baalam is branded with infamie for euer Jn this last age many are become worse then Baalam his greatest fault was that hee loued the wages of iniquitie but as for his doctrine amongst the Moabits it was sincere he fâ—attered not the King he would not curse where the King commanded but blessed where he was commanded to curse till the King in wrath did smite his hands together commanding him to flee to his owne place 1 called thee to curse mine enemies said the King and behold thou hast altogether blessed them these three times Who amongst vs in open viewe before a King dare thrise transgresse a Kings command for the honour of his God Mens preachings to great men are become like the Echo's of their affections the last syllabe at least must be theirs Others great flatterers are like these greater Echos of longer breath that vvill go out the vvhole verse in repetitions What is an Echo vox sonus aura nihil Mercifull God what shall become of this age wherin the sent vvord of God the vvord of reproofe is concealed smothred and chocked as though God durst not be angry at the sinnes of grands Mercifull God vvhat shall become of this age vvherein the sent word of God is thus despised except it be decked with words of mans wisdome J take this to be a fearefull plague vpon this land Jt is righteous vvith God that so he repaye home againe the loathing of his sent vvord It is iustice on his part that these that delight not in the word of God vvhich is the only sent word should bee giuen ouer to eares itching after humane eloquence and delicate phrases made of wordes that are but winde Such vvordes like sweetest meats may vvell make men sicke but shall neuer make the sicke to become whole Ninthly in these vvords of the Text hee sent his worde I obserue that the vvord that a faithfull minister speaketh either in preaching to sicke or to vvhole or in praying for the sicke are vvords sent from God Such vvordes are not in vs by nature but by grace they are sent vnto vs and by vs vnto you how shall they preach except they bee sent saith the Apostle yea how shall they speake except that the word be sent vnto them O Lord said Moses vvhile God vvas sending him to speake to Pharaoh I am not eloquent or as in the Hebrâ—w I am not a man of vvordes but I am slow of speach and of a slowe tongue because he vvanted vvords of his ovvne hee doubted But GOD that sendeth vvordes to his ovvne in neede told him that it vvas he that had made mans mouth When God sendeth a man hee will send words into that mouth that hee hath appointed for his seruice The vse seeing it is so whensoeuer in our preachinges or in our prayers any good word come not of our mouth that be sent for to doe good tâ— your soules remember that the word is not ours but a present that GOD hath sent to you by vs who are nothing but the Lords stewardes to whom the dispensation of his mysteries is committed Now for so many good words that hee hath sent vnto vs in sicknesse and in health in povertie and in riches in ioye and in sorrow let vs give vnto this God all glory praise and honour for now and evermore Amen THE SICKE MANS SALVE THE FOVRTH SERMON PSAL. 107. v. 20. Hee sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions V. 21. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull workes to the children of men IN the last part of my former Sermon we have heard what salve the Lord sends for to heale the sicke mans sore it is set downe in these words hee sent his worde and healed them Out of these words wee did gather diverse doctrines 1. That great is the Majestie of God that maketh his word a worthy messenger for all his affaires 2. That great is the power of Gods word that cureth all sorts of sicknesse 3. Seeing God is so powerfull by his worde that wee doubt never of his power or of his promise 4. That seeing this word should be received by faith it should also bee preached by faith 5. Seing it is only Gods word that is this worde let him that heareth the word consider well whose word it is 6. Seeing Gods word is a messenger of health wee should make it welcome and blesse the feete of these that carrie it 7. Seeing Gods word is his appointed ordinarie meanes when vvee sicken let vs pray God to send vnto vs this messenger of health 8. It hath been observed that there is no word but GODS vvord that can make the sicke man vvhole there is no health in the vvordes that are forged in mans braine 9. It is God that preacheth orpraveth in and by his faithfull servants Hee that hath made the mouth is hee that putteth his vvord into the mouth This farre haue vvee proceeded in the doctrines vpon these vvords hee sent his word and healed them And healed them Let vs now consider what is it that God healed by his word It is said heere that hee healed them viz. these that vvere sicke without anye exception of disease hee healed them saith the Text. Let vs first heere observe the great power of GODs word No man by a word can heale any disease but there is no sort of disease but God can heale it by his word If it had beene saide fooles because of their follie had the fever and God by his word healed them Some would have doubted if this word could haue healed also of the fluxes No not while it is saide that God healed them in generall it is to bee vnderstood of all sortes of diseases Our God is not only a God of the mountaines but also of the valleyes The Papists that run to Saints for health not finding any that can cure of all diseases have appointed them slaves to runne to diverse Saints for diverse diseases to one they must go for S. Iohns â—ll to another they must goe for frenesie to
Oh in thy distresse Againe in those words Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse I obserue how sensible the godly are when the least point of GOD his service is neglected If a godly man cryeth Oh that men would praise the Lord because hee seeth them flow vnto it how grieved will his heart bee when hee shall see men not only not praising God but dishonouring GOD for his goodnesse Many haue gotten health from God God in great mercy hath brought them from the gates of death and hath restored vnto them their former strength but what thankes They haue lyke the dogge returned to their â—â—nite againe The drunkard restoâ—ed runneth backe to the taverne and the harlot to his old acquaintance lyke that divell returning from dry places vnto his house whence hee came out The last of such persons is worse then their first Good had it beene for many that they had never beene brought backe from the doores of death because that after a newe tâ—â—ke of their lyfe they dishonour God more then ever they did before As Iacob said of Simeon and Levi so say I of such O my soule come not thou into their secret vnto their assembly mine honour bee thou not vnited The vse let vs striue to be sensible of sinne so that wee make conscience of the least sinne Many thinke vnthankfulnesse to GOD no sinne The leavâ—n of the Pharisees hath sowred the whole lumpe of many mens hearts Jf they bee not Adulterers but can fast and giue almes at once they will thanke GOD that they are not lyke other men GOD desyreth no such thankes when man praiseth GOD for his owne goodnesse But OH that mâ—â— would praise the LORD for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull workes to the children of men Let man praise GOD for his goodnesse but in his owne goodnesse there is no matter of praise What can bee said to the praise of a mâ—â—stâ—uâ—us cloath Such is all our righteousnesse Let vs also obserue heere another lesson The deliverance from death is said to bee from the goodnesse of God and it is also called a wonderfull worke for while it is said Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse it is cleare that the deliverance from death in sicknesse is from the goodnesse of our GOD. The vse let all those who are sicke haue recourse vnto the goodnesse of God by which only wee haue health When wee seeke health from God let vs say for thy goodnesse sake O Lord. The second vse I make of those words is for them that are recouered of their sickenesse Let such learne to bee good seing their health is from the goodnesse of God A lyfe given in goodnesse should not bee spent in wickednesse The goodnesse of God inviteth all men to repentance Againe obserue heere that great must bee that goodnesse of God whereby hee bringeth man backe from the doores of death The preservation of mans lyfe in his sicknesse is also called a wonderfull worke Js it not a great goodnesse of God and a wonder that hee should spare the lyfe of a rebellious foole What a wonder is this in God his goodnesse that the lyfe of man should be so precious in his sight Is not man naturally the enemie of God It must bee a great goodnesse that will make a man spare his enemie his lyfe And who said Saul to David finding his enemie will let him goe well away O but in God then must be a wonderfull goodnesse in that not onely he spareth his enemie but which is more euen preserueth the life of his enemie Did not God dye for his enemies did he not suffer for them by whom hee suffered By this meanes such was his goodnesse hee heaped vpon their heads coales of fire that is as St. Augustine saith vrentes poenitentiae gemitus the burning sighs of repentance Who can not bee but burnt with sighs while hee considereth the goodnesse of GOD that hath rendered him so mekle good for so mekle ill What a great mercie is this that GOD should prolong the lyfe of a sinner but an houre The vse seeing the deliverance from death and destruction is called a wonderfull work and seeing it is so indeede let vs wonder at it when J arose out of that deadly fever Anno 1626 in the moneth of September and J fand my winding sheete wrapped together into my studie amongst my bookes J began to wonder at GOD his great worke I thought it wonderfull But alace we wonder at God his works of mercie as at other common worldly thinges but for a litle space From thence is the proverb A wonder lasteth but nyne nights into a city Fy vpon vs that can not wonder still at the wonderfull works of our GOD. The Hebrew word Pala in Niphal signifieth both admirabile occuitum that is both secret wonderfull a fit word for to declare the worke to be wonderfull indeede David speaking of his making in the belly vseth this word I will praise thee said hee for I am fearfully and wonderfully madâ— Likewise in another Psalme speaking how Christ the stone which the builders refused was become the head stone of the corner he said This is the Lords doing it is marveilous or wonderfull in our eyes So heere the bringing from the doores of death is called a wonderfull worke of GOD tovvard the children of men Obserue the lesson only the workes of God are wonderfull Men may wonder at some workes of men but no works of men are wonderfull No created wisdome can fill a worke with wonder There is nothing that man can doe but man may come after and doe better plus vident oculi quam oculus many eyes see better than one This is true amongst men But all the eyes of men can not perceiue that God in any worke hath either beene defectuous or superfluous Looke vp to the Heavens and consider the sunne in his goings Behold how in the spring he commeth slowly by degrees till our day be at the longest Behold and wonder at such slownesse in such a swiftnesse If hee were not slow in such swiftnesse what fearfull changes should ensue If from the elleventh of December in the space of a day the sunne should be into that part of Heaven whereinto he is seene into the elleventh of Iune what discorder should be in the creatures below All men know how dangerous are sudden changes from heate to cold and from cold to heate Behold then and wonder how the Creator hath so ruled that Bridgroome of light that no man can imagine how his course could be changed for a better What shall I speake of the sea tide which made that most subtile searcher of secrets as some thinke to haue drowned him selfe in the
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
a place by me and thou shalt stand on a rock and it shall come to passe while my glory passeth by that I will put thee into the clift of a Rocke and will cover thee with my hand I will make all my goodnesse passe before thee and I will cover thee with my hand whiles I passe by After I will tak away mine hand and thou shalt see my backe parts but not my face Now as the Lord said so hee did he passed by and while he passed he made a Proclamation The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gratious long suffering and abundant in goodnesse and trueth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquitie transgression and sinne Behold how in the Lords comming to Moses mercy came before and after iudgement in the words following that will by no meanes cleare the guilty visiting the iniquitie of the Fathers vpon the Children The Lords sluggorne in his comming to Moses was mercifull and righteous first was Mercy and then Iustice this was the order of Davids Song I will said hee sing of Mercy and of Iudgment First of mercy then of Iudgement like Gods passing by Moses But here in my Text Gods order is inverted for there is first a song of Judgement and after of mercy what should be the cause of this This is as the Apostle calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multiformis â—lla sapientia Dei that is the manifold wisdome of God or the wisdome of God that is of many forms as there be diverse faces and formes of men so there be diverse hearts diverse dispositions some be thrown faced and some be thrown hearted with with the pure thou wilt shew thy selfe pure froward with the froward To one that is of a meeke disposition and of a gentle nature like Moses let the Pastour preach first of mercy as God came to Moses making all his goodnesse to goe before him But having to doe with fooles such as are into my Text it shall bee wisedome first to sing to them of Iudgement and thereafter of mercy Gods comming to Elias declared with what method he had to preach to that rebellious people with whom hee had to doe while hee was into the caue of Horeb the mount of God the Lord bade him come out and stand vpon the mount before the Lord and behold while God was comming to him there came from before him three mighty Messengers for to make awaye to the King of Glory The first Messenger was called the WIND A mighty strong winde rent the mountains and brake the rockes before the Lord but the Lord was not in the winde After the winde came another Poste called an EARTHQUAKE but the Lord was not in the earthquake After the Earthquak came yet one more furious called FIRE but the Lord was not in the fire After the fire came a still and foft voyce wherein was the Lord By this God teached Elias how he shuld teach that stiffnecked people how he should bring the Lord to them viz. that first he should preach Judgments whereby as by a wind the proud heartes like hie Mountaines might bee shaken and the harde hearts like rockes might be rent If that did not the turne let him yet threaten Iudgments like earthquaks which might mak all hearts to quak If that did not the turne that hee should preach Hell fire death and damnation against the Sonnes of men Now if men did tremble at the fire Gods will was that hee should preach with a soft and still voyce the mercyes of God the promises of the Gospell This order and Methode is plainely sette downe by Saint Iude Of some have compassion making a difference that is to some first preach mercy But others save with feare pulling them out of the fire there is a preaching of Iudgment To some preachers should bee as Barnabas sonnes of consolation to others they should bee as Iames and Iohn Boanerges duo fulmi na belli two sonnes of thunder Ill men like nettles must bee first gripped left they burne thee Gods naturall dealing with men is first to offer mercy vnto them if they will repent This was a Law of warre prescribed by God himselfe vnto his people when thou comest night vnto a City saith God to fight against it then proclaime peace vnto it But if it will not make peace with thee but will make warre against thee then thou shall be beseidge it As it was ordained by God in that warre so shuld it be practised in the Christian warrefare while Pastours come from God to a people they must first proclame peace vnto them But if they will not make peace then they must beseige them with the Cannons of Gods Judgements If Barnabas cannot winne the Citadell of mens hearts by consolations let James and Iohn Boanerges Sonnes of thunder besiege their hearts with the thunders of Gods Iudgements they must shoot downe the strong holdes of sin that every thought and imagination may bee taken and brought captive to the obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that preaching of Judgement is vnpleasant preaching to flesh and blood But heere is the command Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin vpon him Most men will heare onely the piping of mercy Songes of Loves but ditte their eares from the dinne of Judgements They like well of Barnabas with his consolations but cannot abide the thunders of Boanerges None so fain as fools would haue their head clapped fooles fedde on folly would bee fed in their follie Infelix Felix more vnhappy in deede than hee was happy in name could not heare Faul preach Pauls Text was of righteousnes of temperance and of Iudgement As he reasoned vpon the point of Iudgement Felix interrupted him crying vnto him in a feare God thy way for this time when I have a convenient season I will call for thee There bee many vnhappy like Felix sold vnder sinne like Ahab who could not heare Mecaiah Gods Prophet I hate him said Ahab for hee doeth not prophesie good concerning me but evill But who can speak good to him that doth euill and bee a Trumpeter of Trueth The word of God bee it of Iudgement or of Mercy should not bee concealed from them to whom it is ordained while a man is become a fool in his sinnes a Sermon of Iudgment is for him the faithfull Pastour must denounce against him what ever is in his Roll not keeping vp a word were it to call him a foole in his face This was Iobs great comfort in his distresse that he had not concealed the words of the holy one the office of teachers the Lords servants is to blowe the Trumpet and warne the people with alarmes They are compared to the hewers of wood I have hewed them by my Prophets saith the Lord
As a man that is for to cut a hard oke will first sharpen his axe so he that is ordained for to hewe downe the old oken hard iniquities of a people must sharpen his reproofes and therewith strike at them till the spailes flee off yea till at last the highest Cedars of of sinnes were they Caesars sinnes may fall down vpon their sides Jf a King be afoole against God feare not to call him a foole that he may become wise Gard vp thy loynes said the Lord to his Prophet arise and speake all that I command thee be not dismayed at their faces left I confound thee before them woe to dumme dogges yee that make mention of the Lord keepe not silence Sometimes Pastoures are so branded with the reproaches of fooles because they hurt their galled backes that they will resolve to preach no more of Iudgement but to remaine silent This is their weaknesse but when the spirit of their calling begins to stirre within them it shall not lye in their hearts to hold their peace This was Ieremiahs resolution once because hee saw the word of the Lord made a reproach to him and dayly derision hee said I will not make mention of God nor speake any more in his Name But did hee so O no not The spirit of his calling kindled such a fire within him that hee could no more forebeare His word said hee was in mine heart as a burning fire shut vp in my bones and I was weary wâ—th forbearing and I could not stay A Man of God will call a foole a foole jt is his calling to sing as well of Iudgement as of mercy If by want of discretion he spill the tune of GODS musicke preaching Iudgement when hee should preach mercy or preaching mercy where hee should preach Iudgement he himself shall be found the greatest foole in the daye of comptes This consideration made Paul to pray for wisedome to his disciple who was become a teacher The Lord said he giue thee wisdome in all things By this wisdome while we preach to hauty or humbled sinners we are teached to practise that precept of S. Iude which is to make a difference The Lord give vs the spirit of discretion This much concerning the methode of the Wordes which wee have read in your audience wherein first mention is made of Iudgements and after of mercy Now let vs come to our sicke Text or Text of Sicknesse In the sicke man his sore which is the first part of this Treatise vpon the fiue Verses heere set downe wee haue these three things particularly to consider First who are those who are said heere to bee afflicted Secondly what is the cause of all their afflictions Thirdly what is the particular affliction set downe in this Text. 1. Who is said to be afflicted heere IN this part of Scripture wee haue a visitation of the sicke looke to your bookes and the first word of my Text shall tell you who is sick vvho fooles fooles saith the Psalmist because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted I read in Scripture of foure sorts of fooles of these two bee wise and two be fooles indeede First these are called fooles in Scripture that acknowledge their ownefoolishnesse If any man among you saith the Apostle seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a foole thâ—â— bee may be wise This was wise Agurs confession which hee made to Ithiel and Vâ—â—l surely said hee I am more brutish then any man and haue not the vnderstanding of a man I neither learned wisedome nor haue the knowledge of the holy Secondly these are called fools in Scripture who are so in the wickeds estimation According to this the Apostle saith wee are fooles for Christs sake but yee are wise wee are fooles that is we are so esteemed to bee by the worldly wise After that a Prophet of God had anointed Iehu to bee King one said to Iehu wherfore came this madde fellow to thee Godlinesse to wicked men is not only foolishnesse but madnesse The great knowledge of letters hath made thee madde said Festus to Paul what wonder seeing the wisedome of God himlsefe is esteemed folly In Scripture yee reade of the folly of God yee reade in Scripture of the folly of preaching in a worde all spirituall wisedome is folly But to whome S. Paul saith that it is to them that perish Thirdly these are said to be fools who are Gods Elect and chosen ones but as we all doe faile in many things when they either turne in any point froÌ„ the trueth which once they did embrace or when they are slow of heart to believe or when they run away from God by any sin then are they said to be fools their failing is their folly For the first S. Paul called the Galathians foolish Galathians for the second Christ called his two disciples going to Emans fooles and slow of heart to beleeâ—e for the third it is said that the forlorne sonne was madde or by himselfe because when hee repented it is said that he came to himselfe againe Fourthly the wicked to whome the wisedome of God is folly are called fooles According to this the rich man in the Gospell that made greater provision for his bellie in his Barns than for his Soule in the Heavens is called a foole O foule this night thy Soule shall bee taken from thee This was his folly hee never thought of Heaven till hee was in hell It is of these two viz. of the Godly sinning by weaknesse of the wicked sinning by wickednesse that mention is made heere while they sinne they are both fooles and as they are both but fooles and as they are so heere are they called viz. fooles The Hebrewe word heere is Guilim a word that commeth from a root that is not in vse haveing no signification which is the lyfe of a worde a roote worthy of such branches the roote is not in vse neither are the branches wherefore serveth the roote of follie what are the fruites of follie They are like the apples of Sodome They maye have some shewe outwardlie but have nothing but rottennesse for the in-meate Hee that tasteth them will doe best to spitt them out again As the wicked wil taste the good gift of God and after spit it out so that it doth them no good so should the godly hauing tasted the fruites of follie incontinent spitt them out and after spitt at them with despight so should they not bee able to doe them evill Though fooles bee called from a roote that hath no vse in God his word they seeme to themselves to bee most fast rooted in their prosperitie they both think and say that they shall neuer bee moved They will also seeme vnto others of all men to have the strongest rootes To David who was on of
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
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
gold and buy this But if he be drowned into debâ—e and cast into prison then and there he will cry vnto the Lord. So long as the forlorne sonne had a pennie into his purse he thought never of home but when he was forced to feede with the swine he said I will returne to my father againe So long as wee haue peace in our land and Barnes full of corne and purses full of money we ly in securitie lyke these of Lâ—ish But if the foraine enemy come and depriue vs of such comforts then we shall crye vnto the Lord. So long as Iehoshaphat in the battell sawe his partie to be equall he fought as he could But so soone as hee sawe him selfe neere straited by the enemie then hee cryed vnto the Lord. So long as Hagar had water into the bottles she and Ismael dranke together enjoying the creature But so soone as all was spent then she weept and cryed vnto the Lord. So â—long as the Raven can find a fleshy carion hee will quietly feede vpon it But while hee is straited with hunger hee beggeth his meate from God The young Lions saith the Psalmist roare aâ—ter their prey and seeke their meate from God All things men beasts fowles yea Papists in their greatest pinch are forced to quite all other vaine hopes for to cry vnto the Lord. I remember that in the tyme of the French persecution J came by sea to Flanders and as I was sailing from Flanders to Scotland a fearfull tempest arose which made our Mariners reele to and fro and stagger like drunken men In the meane tyme thâ—re was in our ship a Scots papist who lay neere me while the ship gaue a great shake his ordinarie cry was O Lord J observed the man and after the Lord had sent a calme I said to him Sir now yee see the weaknesse of your religion so long as yee are in prosperitie yee cry vnto this Sainct and that Sainct Jn our greatest danger J heard you cry often Lord Lord but not a word yee spake of our Lady J compare a Papist in his pilgrimages to creatures to a sheepe that is hunted of a flie it runneth from bush to bush every bush catcheth a lâ—ck till the silly sheepe bee threed-bare and tirred of all his fleece sinne lyke a cleg-flee maketh the soule to startle like a beast there is no sure refuge but in God Away then with Papistrie and with all that draweth a man from the Lord vnto any other The highest point of tribulation or some great danger of death wakning a man will tell a man that there is none that can helpe but the Lord and that hee onely is to bee called vpon Call vpon mee in the day of trouble said the Lord Whom haue I in heaven but thee said the Psalmist All things are for the Lord and from the Lord and all things in their troubles must come to the Lord as the hunger-bitten Aegiptians came all to Joseph for meate Thus yee see the great good of greevous afflictions They chase the creature till it cry to the Creator I will goe saith the Lord and returne to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seeke my face In their affliction they will seeke mee early This is heeâ—e declared in these words of my text Then they cry vnto the Lord in their trouble The vse let vs rejoyce in tribulation seeing God hath made it a spnrre vnto prayer Man is like waters Putrescunt ni movcantur aquae waters spill and stinke if they stand without any motion so will the soule stinke without affliction Before I was afflicted said David I went astray but now I learne thy statutes Indeede it is true that no affliction for the present seemâ—th to bee joyous but grievous Neverthelesse afterward it yeeldeth the pâ—â—câ—able fâ—uit of righteousnesse to these that are exercised thereby This is a quiet fruit of righteousnesse when the soule is moved to cry vnto God Cryes in prayer vnto God are the quietnesse of righteousnesse I confesse that both the wicked and the godly will crye in their distresse but the wicked cry like dogs beaten with a staffe the godly crye into their hearts like children with Moses to whom God said why cryest thou vnto mee Let vs praye the Lord that hee would rouze vp these sleepie soules of ours that sleepe so oftin sinne like Jonah in the hatches Well is the man to whom God shall send some affliction crying to the sinner as the Ship-master cryed to Jonah what meanest thou O sleeper arise crye and call vpon thy God It is goode that man while hee is forewarned by any affliction strive to bee friends with his God Men may rebell for a space and may turne the grace of God into wantonnesse yea and harden their hearts with Pharaoh against his plagues But at last when all their excellencie is swept away like a spiders web as Eliphaz sayeth they die without wisdome As a man liveth ordinarly so dieth hee He that liveth a foole shall readily die without wisedome a fore-warning affliction doeth goode to the godly man it maketh him to be fore-armed But as for the wicked man though God send sicknesse after sicknesse and delaye his death yet hee is not a whit the better But while hee liveth hee letteth the debt run on like a spender or waster who carelesly puts more and more vpon the score Jt were good for the wicked that hee had never beene borne as Christ said of Iudas or that hee had died in the birth yet seeing life in itselfe is a benefite while it is abused by those that have gotten it by crying vnto the Lord it is righteous with God to punish them in rigour for the abuse of his benefite which should have beene to them a large time well imployed in repentance where-with as with a brush they should have clensed their hearts from the scailles of wickednesse Againe heere some may obiect how is it that the godly man beeing sicke and neere the doores of death shuld cry so earnestly for life Should not a godly man bee glad to goe to GOD his Father to his long home where are pleasures for evermore What see wee heere but the back-parts of Iehovah Are wee not in this world as David was in Kedar and in Meshech or as Israel were captives in Babilon Is not this earth a strange land wherein wee can not sing the praises of our God Are not our Harpes heere hung vpon the willowes Our Musick is dumbe I answere that indeede if the godly well prepared as they should bee when sicknesse commeth vnto them they would not crye for health of body but their chiefe crye should bee Come Lord Iesus come and fetch away my soule that panteth after thee like a chaâ—ed Hart desiring the rivers of waters The chiefe desire
of a godly heart is all in this wish when shall I come and appeare before God Item I desire to bee dissolved and to bee with Christ. But for some reasons the most godly whiles will seek life from God some desire to live because they desire yet to doe some better service for God than hitherto they have done they are sorie that in their calling they have not beene so busie as it became them to bee the desire of their life is onelie that they may redeeme the time by dooing some one good turne or other for their God Jn my iudgment this chieflie made Hezekiah to weepe to croude and to chatter while hee heard the message of death This chiefly made the Psalmist crye Take mee not away in the midst of my dayes * Others even of the number of the godly will crye for life because they finde not themselves so well prepared for to come before the face of their Iudge they see that as yet they have not put the affaires of their Soule to an order It is likelie that this also made Hezekiah to weepe so fore that he chattered at the words of the messinger of death God by Isaiah bade him put his house in order if that had beene already done it had not needed Gods command seeing then his house was not set in order which is but an easie matter it would seeme that his soule was not so set in order as that hee found it ready to compeare before the iudgment seat of God O how fearefull is that tribunall for an vnprepared soule What terrours are these sinne and sicknesse death the grave an vnprepared soule The vse of all this is seeing there is nothing more certaine than death and nothing more vncertaine than the time and place thereof let vs ever be vpon our guarde ready to flitte and remove out of our tabernacles of clay My time is in thine hand said David Wee cannot tell how soone our glasse shall end Let vs therefore resolve with Hezekiah in all the way of our pilgrimage to goe softly in the bitternesse of our soule Againe in that it is said that the sicke men cry vnto the Lord in their trouble let vs observe the perversnesse of our nature Troubles make vs to crye bodily afflictions rouze vs vp to crye but alas while wee sinne we keepe silence while the Thiefe is cutting a purse hee is quiet but while hee is scourged for his fault hee will shoute for every stripe While Satan is forcing vs with his tentations to offend our God wee often yeelde therevnto without any crye to our God Jt is then especially that wee shoulde crye vnto him when wee finde sinne comming against vs to force vs to offend our God God in his word hath set downe a notable Lawe for a Damsell betrothed to a husband I will let you heare the Law If a Damsell saith the Lord that is a virginâ— bee betrothed to an husband and a man find her in the Citie and lye with her Then yee shall bring them both out to the gate of that Citie and yee shall stone them with stones that they die the Damsell because shee cryed not and the man because hee humbled his neigboures wife But if a man finde a betrothed Damsell in the field and the man force her and lye with her then the man only that lay with her shall die But in the Damsell there is no sinne worthie of death for hee found her in the field and the betrothed Damsell cryed and there was none to save her Now what is to bee inferred vpon this This is the matter The soule of a Christian is as a Damsell a virgin betrothed vnto Christ the blessed Bridegrome of our soules Sathan the tempter is like a Russian comming to force and defile this Damsell Jf the soule crye not while Sathan is vsing violence the Soule and Sathan shall die the soule because it cryed not and Sathan because hee forced the Soule But if while Sathan is vsing violence rhe soule cry vnto God for help then Sathan shall only die yea though in that case the soule in something should bee defiled yet shall shee not die because she cryed vnto the Lord. The vse of this is that whensoever wee shall perceive Sathan comming with force for to deflore or defile our soule Christs Damsell we incontinent crye with all our force vnto GOD. Lord help mee Lord leade mee not into tentation O God of my mâ—â—â—â— prevent mee and keepe mâ— from these snares bee thou a shelter for mee and a strong tower from the enemie This was Pauls doing when hee feared to bee forced with that bodie of death hee cryed Miserable man that I am who shall deliver mee from this body of death This was the practise of Joseph while his Mistresse saide to him lye with mee hee cryed vnto God How should I doe this wickednesse and sinne against God * Hee that will not crye to God before hee sinne Gods plagues at last shall cause him crye for his sins * Well is that man and that woman that can crye to God for to save them from the houre of tentation If a Damsell was forced in the fielde her sinne was not thought worthye of death because it was supponed that shee cryed but that there was none to help her But it is not so with our soule whether it crye in the Citie or in the field if shee cry shee shall find that there is a God for to help her and therefore if shee be forced shee can have no excuse Well is that soule that is continually crying to God in prayer Jf a palliard knowe that a woman will crye hee will feare to make an onset but if hee see her smyle hee knoweth that hee hath found his match It is so with Sathan that great palliard and the soule of man If Sathan knowe thy soule to bee a crying soule a soule that will tell all his teâ—tations to Christ her husband hee will feare to tempt that soule Satan is feared for Christ hee beleeveth and hee trembleth But if hee see a soule that is quiet a soule that heares his filthie language and smileth vpon him with a wanton eye there the vncleane Spirit knoweth that hee hath founde his match Well is that soule that Sathan finds weeping for offending Christ her husband O what a difference is betweene a soule whose eyes are drumly with teares of repentance and a soule whose eyes are wanton ' light and smyling eyes filled with spirituall adulterie Remember this vse O man when ever Sathan shall come to tempt thee vnto sinne then crye thou vnto the Lord vnto Christ thy husband and Sathan that filthy Russian shall flie awaye in haste so long as wee breath let vs pray that the Lord would lead vs into the land of righteousnesse
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
They looked vnto him and were lightened and their faces were not ashamed Now let vs see the kirnell of that comfort in the verse following This poore man cryed and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles Behold a progresse of seeking and of deliverance first hee sought God secondly he looked vnto God thirdly the poore man cryed So first God mett mans seeking with deliverance from the feare of trouble secondly while man looked vnto him hee made him to bee inlightened so that hee knew both who did afflict and wherefore hee did afflict him But last of all while God saw this sinner humbled like a poore man and heard him crye then hee saved him from his troubles This poore man cryed saith the Psalmist and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles See how the Lord at the first saved him not from all his troubles but by degrees till hee cryed vnto him like a poore man crying for an almes The harder health is more come by the more it is set by a disease easily cured is easily incurred The sooner a sinner bee helped if hee returne againe to his sinnes hee shall find God the slower to come to his helpe againe God will let him seeke and looke and cry yea and crye againe to teach him better manners This wee see in the booke of Iudges to have beene Gods doing with Israel The Israelites beeing oppressed by the Philistimes and Ammonites in their miserie they sought vnto God they looked vnto him yea and they cryed but what answere got they at the first God sent them vnto their false gods at the first and yet vpon their repentance hee hee pittied them The wordes are so weightie that they are worthie to be heard these be they euen as they were writen by Gods pen-man when the Israelites sawe that they were so sore afflicted by their enemies it is said They cryed vnto the Lord saying wee haue sinned against thee both because we haue forsaken our God and also serued Balaam let vs now heare what answere God made vnto them Hee said vnto them Did I not deliuer you from the Egyptians and from the Ammorits and from the Children of Ammon and from the Philistimes The Zidonians also and the Amalelikites and the Maonites did oppresse you and yee cryed vnto mee and I deliuered you out of their hands yet ye haâ—e forsaken mee and serued other Gods Behold their relaps what saith the Lord to that I will deliuer you no more Goe and crye vnto the Gods which ye haue chosen let them deliuer you in the time of your tribulation heare what a hard answere Now what did the Jsraelites They said to God We haue sinned doe thou vnto vs whatsoeuer seemeth good vnto thee deliuer vs onely we praye thee this day as if they should haue said Lord but for this one time Thus after they had cryed they amended their life by putting away the strange Gods from among them and serued the Lord what did God then It is said that his soule was grieued for the miserie of Israel So at last they got help but after many prayers and after the amendement of their life O the great mercy of our God! O the preseruer of man Let vs make vse of this by applying it to our present purpose which is concerning these that are so sicke that they seeme to bee neere the doores of death While God delayeth to bring them from their sicknesse notwithstanding of all their prayers and of all our prayers private or publicke let vs not grudge neither let the sicke murmure God while hee delayeth their health hee as it were sayeth to them as hee said to Israel I will deliver you no more yet if the poore patient persist to murne before him God will not faile to give him full contentment at last God afflicteth not willingly the children of men no not his soule often is grieved for the miserie of Israel How can hee but deliver repenting sinners seeing their miserie grieveth his verie soule It is not wonder that God repented himselfe to have made man because that hee is the chiefe matter of his griefe As for the Devils they grieve GOD by their sinnes but he is not grieved for their torments God gladly shall cause scourge them with scorpions But as for his owne children heere hee is grieved and grieved againe first for their sinnes but most for their sufferings hee is grieved for their sinnes as a father for his childrens faults and againe he is grieved to strike them Last of all hee is most grieved after that hee hath striken them These bee wonderfull wordes his soule was grieued for the miserie of Israel God that forgave David his sinne could as gladly have spared him in his iudgments but the wicked were looking on wondred how God did spare and therefore â—or his honour and for his names sake he could not let David go vnpunished So soone as David had said I have sinned against the Lord Nathan answered that the Lord had put away his sinne but as for afflictions and troubles hee could not put them awaye because by that deede hee had giuen great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme Jf all the wicked were blind God would often spare to afflict his Children An obiection Heere some may obiect and saye that this our Text is not ever true Js it not cleare that God delivereth not all men from the gates of death though they cry vnto him The answere It is certaine that it is not aye done For if men by crying to God were ever brought backe from the doores of death death should bee a rare thing among men If life could bee had for crying to GOD the World should be deafned with din for all that a man hath he will giue it for his life Jt is but one of a thousand that can say with S. Paul I desire to be dissolued what then shall we say to our Texte wherein is said that when the sicke man cryeth then God deliuereth Surely this is not euer done but if it be once done to a man in his life they be fewe here of anye age but once in their lifetime God hath brought them from the doores of death If God once hath done this to thee by thy owne experience subscribe to the trueth of my Texte Neither doth my Text say that this is done to all left that anye should beguile himselfe saying I may sinne seeing as yet I haue neuer bene so sicke as to be at the ports of death before J die I must first be neere these portes and be broght backe againe to health and so shall liue a space and afterward die No not God hath not astricted himselfe by promise to anye that he shall get but an houres sicknesse before he die If
him double his stroke against the Rocke while he should haue spoken to the stones who for a word would haue wept and shed teares to be drinke vnto Jsrael he in steade of speaking to the Rocke scourged the Rocke once and againe That Rocke was CHRIST and who would haue thought that euer Moses would haue scourged Christ for that deed particularly he neuer bowe the Lord by his prayer for once to let him set his foot in Canaan the type of Heauen Because he dishonored the word of faith with doubting he neuer entered into the land of promise The wordes of his doubt were these Here now yee rebels must wee fetch you water out of this Rock Hezekiel his answere to God was better when the Lord inquired of him if the dead bones could liue O Lord said he thou knowest O but God thinketh much of his word God hath said a great word Heauen and earth shall passe away but my word shall not passe away Christ speaking of the power of this word said that a word spoken with as great of faith as a graine of mustard seede should remoue a mountaine hence to yonder place S. Luke saith that such a word should be able to pluck vp by the roots a sycamine tree and plant it into the Sea a most vnfit place for planting * See how Gods word can cause a tree take roote in an element which naturaly is more bent to pluck vp trees by the roots shall we doubt of the power of this word were our distresse neuer so great No not There is such a power in this word that in time of miracles it made the shadowe of the Messinger to heale these that were sicke while Peter passed by The people brought foorth the sicke into the streets and laid them on beds and couches that at the least the shaddow of Peter passing by might ouer-shddowe some of them Such was their faith that they stroue for the shadowe of Peter and all that but for to be cured of a bodily disease O if men now a dayes were as bent for to come to this word of God as they were for the shadow of a man The power of this word within S. Paul put such vertue into his napkins that wypt the sweate from his body or the teares from his eyes that these to whome they were brought were cured of all their diseases yea and thereby euill spirits were cast out of some Such vertue came from the shadowes and clothes of such men that men might belieue that they were sent with this word that healeth the soule These miracles were done by the word and are writen for our learning that we may belieue Gods word to be true Fourthly seeing this word sent by God should be receiued by faith it must also be preached with faith let him that speaketh it speake it with boldnes not fearing the face of man hee must not be like the Trumpeter who trembleth while hee foundeth alarmes for to stirre vp the courage of others Fifthly seeing it is Gods word that is the word of power let him that heares a word preached consider well vvhose worde it is The touch stone of spoken wordes is the writen word This was the nobilitie of the men of Berea they tried the word after it was preached they searched the scriptures daily whether these things that were preached were so or not Sixtly in that it is said in my Text that the word is a messenger of health a messenger sent from God for to cure diseases we should make it welcome When Eglon a Pagan King heard Ehud saye Iudg. 3 v. 20. I haue a message from God vnto thee it is said that he arose out of his seat that is hee stood vpon his feete for to beare reverence to the worde of the Lord. When Hezekiah heard many sore wordes of threatning sent to him from God All that he said was Good is the worde of the Lorde what then should we say of the word of health the healing word which is sent for to cure both soule and body viz. the worde of the Gospell Goode is the Gospell goode is the Gospell the word of health may all sicke sinners now say This is that word sent for to cure the diseases that would not yeeld vnto the dead letters of the law Blessed are the feete of these that fetch Gospell the word of good tidings Seuently seeing the word sent from God is God his appointed meanes for the recouering of health when euer we are sicke if wee pray for health let vs intreat God to send his word vnto vs but seeing the word now commeth not downe from heauen in a voice thorow the aire but is committed to a messenger we must not looke for revelations but seeke that word from the messenger Gods interpreter to whom it is betrusted we must looke for a blessing from the word spoken by him who is called of God If God had not bidden Ezekiel prophecie vnto the bones the bones had neuer stirred for all his preachinges If profite had called him to be a Prophet his prophecie had neuer bene able to quicken these slaine But because he prophecied not till God bade him prophecie so soone as hee prophecied the sent word vnto the scattered dead bones they all got life and stood vp an exceeding great armie Men that run and speake vnsent find that their speach take no effect Certaine of the vagabond Jewes exorcists and among others seuen sonnes of Sceua who was chiefe of the Priests tooke vpon them to adiure a deuill that was in a man and that by Jesus whom Paul preached But what said the divell Iesus I know and Paul I know but who are yee Thus God as yee see hath appointed certaine men for to carie the word that he sendeth such a man the sickenesse of a man will knowe But if men runne vnsent though they should preach Jesus whome Paul preached the diseases like diuels shall say to them But who are yee yea the disease shall leape on them and ouercome them and preuaile against them as the diuell did to the exorcists When Gods word is sent for to heale most ordinarly it is sent by a rare man a pastour whom Elihu calles one of a thousand I know that by the word that God in my Texte is laide to send may bee vnderstood the power of God God indeede can heale men without a pastour either to speake to them or to pray for them but ordinarly he sendeth this word of healing by the mouth of some rare interpreter The words of Elihu are plaine for the clearing of my Text Behold first how he bringeth in the sicke man in his sickenesse Hee is chastened with pâ—ine vpon his bed the multitude of his bones with strong paine So that his life abhorreth bread and his soule dainty
another for leprosie to another for barrennesse to another for sicke horse to another for sicke kine to another for their swine I neede not goe farre Beholde into the same house where J preach that place of S. 〈◊〉 mooles in my time J sawe a deepe hole at the side of that stone where the miserable ignoraÌ„ts of this land had digged for to get the dust of that pretended Saint as if it had had power for to give health Mercifull God what blindnesse of ignorance was that What could be the cause of this This was the cause The poore people could not find the worde Gods messenger for health The Bible was a clasped booke then the Antichristian seales were as yet not loosed they heard nothing but mumbling of Masses wordes that they vnderstood not wordes that could not heale their hearts sicke of sinne and what wonder that like hennes they came seraping and scarting among the graves seeking if they could find any pickle of comfort to their comfortlesse soules Blessed bee our God that hath sent his word to this place for healing of sicke sinners whereas of before they were wont to bee sent to seeke comfort from the dead that had no comfort for themselves Gods word is a salve for all sorts of sores To come to my doctrine there is no disease vncurable to the word when it shall please God to send it I confesse that there bee diseases like devills some of a kinde that are more hardly driven away than others This sort of devils said Christ cannot bee cast out but by fasting and prayer to the worde of prayer fasting behoved to be ioyned Not that the word wanted force for to chase out these Devills but because of vs whose prayers are sluggish while the bellie is full A full bellie maketh the spirit lumpish fulnesse of food sends vp such thicke vapours which become clowdes betweene the face of God and our prayers so that they can not passe thorow Againe seeing Gods word is his appointed meane whereby hee not onlie giveth health to the body but also to the soules of his children let vs not wonder that Sathan the enemie of mans salvation bee a great enemie to this word to the teachers and to the hearers There is not a Sermon made to a people but Sathan is affraide to losse a soule for this cause especiallie hee beares a great ill will at Pastours because they carie the word of health Such men are the Lords Ensigne-bearers against whom Sathan shooteth his greatest peeces If they fall the men of health fall the sicke can no more get salve for his sore for this cause let no man wonder that Sathan raiseth slanders vpon Preachers This maketh that Dragon often to stretch out his taile that hereby hee may sweepe downe the lights of the World which shew vnto vs the way of salvation Jf once hee can make this word of God to bee ill spoken of and by the reeke of calumnie darken the light or make it to bee loathed hee thinkes that hee hath wonne a field As for you who take vpon you any profession of godlinesse by frequenting Sermons and often hearing of this word Beware that by a scandalous life yee make others to loath that which is Gods also appointed meanes for the healing of soules Woe to them that make the worde of God to bee ill spoken of Againe seeing the word is so poweâ—full a meane for to recover the health that is lost it must also bee a most powerfull preservative of health The vse seeing it is so let vs make meekle of Gods word in our health for it is the word of health the messenger of health the word of good tidings What better tidings would a sicke man have than that hee should bee healed * There was such a desire of health in Christs dayes that the people throâ—ged so about him that some not being able to enter in at the doore of the house where he was clambe vp vpon the house vncouered the roofe above his head and let downe the sicke into beds by the hole they had broken vp Jf wee knew the vertue of Gods word before that wee were debarred therefrom by a multitude wee should vncover the roofe of the house where it is preached that we might bee let downe by cords as wee loue our health wee should loue this word of health All men wish for health heere is the best preservative feare God and heare his word diligentlie If thou losse a preaching needlesly it is a wonder if thou contract not some disease If thou also be sluggish to come to Gods house or if thou come but yet heares carelesly and receiues not the word with greedinesse that is a spirituall lumpishnesse of heart a forerunner of some painefull disease Men ordinarly before some sicknes find a certain heauinesse with want of appetit There is no surer token of a fearfull disease to come then a lumpish loathing of Gods word It is of the word as of the Sacrament Jf the Sacrament of the supper be eaten vnworthily by the children of God though God after their repentance forgiue them the sinne yet he will chastise them with diuers diseases for this cause said the Apostle many are weake and sickly amongst you and many sleepe Euen so when the word is heard negligently without due preparation for this cause many are plagued with diuers diseases There is no such token that God will keepe the health of a people as when a people hath appetit of the word and heares it with greedinesse These delicate soules that are not content with the sincere word of God except that it be saused into the entising words of mans wisdome can not be but sickly soules Such men must be filled with some filthinesse within which bursteth out into scabs which scripture calleth the itching of the eare Thus as Solomon faith The full soule lotheth the honiâ— combe euen Gods word that is sweeter then the honie combe But to the hungrie soule euery bitter thing is sweet A morsell of drye bread is more pleasant to a hungry man then wild foule is to him that is Blewe burstex as we say This land let me be familiar is as it were Blewe bursten vvith abundance of Gods word We are well fed but it is not seene on vs Because we are filled we loth the honie combe J see no greater token of great diseases to come vpon this land then this Scotlands appetite of Gods word is lost Let vs heere also obserue the craft of Sathan who in all things goeth about to counterfeit God in his doings Heere in my Text it is said that God healeth the sicke with wordes he sent his Worde and healed them Sathan goeth about to make men beleiue that he can heale diseases also with words which wee
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
resurrection The vse of this doctrine is tâ—â—o sold first for â—â—se godly secondlie for the wicked As for the godly let them bee thankfull vnto God who hath changed their destructions into beds of rest where they shall sleepe most softly vntill the great blast of the last trumpet This is one of the speciall comforts which God hath prepared for the godly man in his bed of languishing that God will make all his bed in his sicknesse Behâ—ld heere a greater comfort In death God will make all the godly mans bed The graue to him is but a bed made for him by the Lord. O man of GOD for thy graue bee thankfull vnto God When death is drawing neere comfort thy selfe with this that God is preparing a well made bed for thee in the graue Blesse him who hath turned thy destruction into rest As for the wicked let the fearfull word of my text viz. destructions let it bee as it were a Remembrancer vnto them that there is a thing after this lyfe prepared for them which God his word calleth destruction While they heare of it let them come out of their chaire of ease for to be friends with God in time O mercifull God what terrour must this bee while a man on his death bed perceiveth nothing but GODS wrath a gapeâ—ng graue and an vâ—prepared soule Let this memorandum rouse vp all slippry soules so to liue in this lyfe that they losse not that lyfe which is to come No man can tell how soone his glasse shall runne out What a follie is this for a moment of pleasures to losse eternitie and to goe to destruction Happy then I see is the man that liveth well heâ—re Blessed is he whose GOD is the Lord Thrise happy is hee that hath faith in Christ for in the very graue he shall find salvation Hee hath a cordiall antidoâ— against the poison of destruction who hath Christ to bee his salvation Christ our salvation hath destroyed this destruction He hath gotten such a victorie not only for him selfe but also for all his Saints that the least and weakest of them may defye both death and destruction with those words of boast O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie Death like that viper of Malta may hang vpon a godly mans hand but in the day the Lord shall purge the world with fire the godly man shall shake death from him as St. Paul cast the vâ—per from him into the fire without any hurt But as for the wicked that are not in Christ their graues are their destructions death in the graue feedeth on them as on sheepe To euery one of them death may say as Christ said to death I shall be thy death While Christs friends with Lazarus are said to sleepe into the graue the wicked man there is but a destroyed creature While he is there he is in destruction hee is in abstracto mall into evill it selfe hee is nothing there but the Carion of a creature VVoe be to him to whom the graue is a destruction Let therefore all men stâ—â—e so to liue that while they goe to their graues their graues may bee a bed of rest vnto them Jf the graue bee a destruction to thy body the place of damnation is prepared for thy soule Let Epicures while they liue sport and say Hell is not so â—â—te nor sinne so heavy nor the divell so blacke nor GOD so severe as Preachers prattle The day shall come when they shall find it farre other wayes Shall GOD suffer the whole creation to groane vnder the burden of our sinnes Shall GOD him selfe be pressed vnder the weight thereof as a cart laden with sheaues and shall he not be avenged of vs in death except we repent Let vs therefore least our graues after death bee our destructions amend our lyfe in tyme Let vs abhorre the filthie shape of our sinnes Let vs lay hold on GOD his mercy and CHRIST his merits which are two shoulders that shall carie away all the weights of wickednesse Well is that soule whose Bill Bond before death is cancelled and crost With great joy may he goe to the graue to whom the LORD hath said I haue put away thy transgression like a cloud and thy sinnes as a mist Lord make our eyes nimble to rip our hearts to the bottome that wee may bring out our sinnes from thence that they may get a dead stroake before wee dye Heere let vs obserue who is hee that is said heere to haue delivered the sicke from their destructions it is the Lord The greatnesse of the worke declareth plainly that it could bee no other then the Lord when Iohn and Peter went a fishing after Christs resurrection Christ appeared vnto them after they had toiled the whole night in vaine at last at Christs command they cast the nets Christ at the first they knew not but by the great draught of fishes they began to know him the disciple whom Jesus loved considering the draught said vnto Peter it is the Lord So may a man who hath beene delivered from his destructions easily know that none could deliver him but the LORD the text is plaine heere and hee delivered them from their destructions Heere is a lesson of the great power of God the angell of the covenant said well when he sawe Sarah laughing at the promise is any thing too hard for the Lord. Christ speaking of the hard entrie of rich men into God his kingdome compared it to the passing of a Camell thorow the eye of a needle this thereafter hee made more cleare saying with men it is impossible but not with God for with GOD all things are possible This great power heere appeareth in that when the sicke man is hard at the doores of death vpon the very brime of destruction yet the Lord by his infinit power delivereth him from his destructions The vse is this when ever we find our selues perplexed let vs haue recourse to him that is only able to helpe vs Who can deliver from destruction the abstract of ill but God who is salvation essentially that which is good yea goodnesse it selfe No man can deliver his friend from feare in the dayes of evill when the iniquities of his heeles shall compasse him about Though men were never so wealthy boasting them selues in the multitude of their riches none of them can by any meanes redeeme his brother nor gius to God a ransome for him All the gold of â—ndia is not able to deliver a man from his destructions no not to prolong his lyfe but an houre Hee only who gaâ—e the lyfe is able to preserue the lyfe He only who gaue the lyfe is able for to take away the lyfe vnto God the Lord alone belong the issues from
death and also the issues vnto death In his mouth alone are the quickning or killing words returne yee children of men either from lyfe to destructions or from destruction vnto lyfe and therefore in all our distresses and greatest sickenesse let vs haue our recourse vnto him saving with the Psalmist whom haue I in Heaven but thee and there is none on earth whom I desyre besyds thee my fiâ—sh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever We haue heard how those that were sicke drewe neere to the doores of death and how GOD while none could help them delivered them from their destructions in bringing them from death to lyfe from sicknesse to health Before I passe foreward to the last part of the text I desyre you all to consider well that albeit God in great sicknesse by his word recall vs from the graue once or twise yet for all that we must carefully remember our mortalitie for though at diverse tymes God either in sicknesse or in dangers by sea or by land hath by his power delivered vs from the graue wherein long since wee had beene rotten yet for all that at last these bodies of ours must come to the hands of the buriers who shall lay vs downe into our destructions Consider and weigh well the matter O man though God should prolong thy dayes so that every one of them should bee lyke that day oâ— losualâ— when the sunne stood still vpon Gibeon and the moone in the valley of Atâ—lon yet should all those dayes come to an end The standing sunne at last must goe downe yea though God should bring backe the shaddow of thy lyfe many thousand degrees at last it shall goe downe in the diall of thy mortalitie Though the house were never so strong at last it must decay and drop thorow There is no ludging for eternitie in things below Methuselah with his nine hundred three score and nine yeeres is followed with hee died as well as hee who lived but an houre I wish that this my sermon could bee to you like the house of mourning which Salomon calleth better then the house of feasting his reason is for that is the end of all men and the living will lay it to his hearâ— A feast is made for laughter which will not admit the companie of so graue mediations Laughter will not suffer the living to lay his end to his heart Oh that yee all could lay well this my sermon to your heart before that death by sicknesse come and make a breach by that breach runne away with your soules Alas it is hard for men in prosperitie to be moved to thinke that they shall be moved I said in my prosperitie said David I shall never be moved O how hard it is for men and weemen that haue hearts desire and wealth at will to desire to bee dissolved They are so taken vp with their pleasures in this lyfe that they haue no leasure to think vpon death Men take no heede to the graue that is before them though they be even vpon the brinke or brimme thereof they can not thinke that they shall fall therein though thousands haue fallen before them J compare the most part of this world to men walking over a field so covered wich fâ—oâ— that they can not perceiue the way when they thinke to run they fall into a pit with a jumpe It is even so of men in prosperitie while their eyes are dazeled with the brightnesse of their pleasures profits which as sâ—ow cover all the way before that ever they be aware they rush downe into the ditch of death Many like Mariners in a mist make ship wracke in the calme sea The Lord bee our Pilot and so direct our soules into this perillous navigation that at last by death wee may arriue into the haven of the Heavens where wee may liue with GOD for ever Well is the man that is ever wating for his GOD. Well is him that can say with David when I awake I am still with thee THE THIRD PART THE SICKE MAN HIS SONG VVEE haue heard of mans miserie in the sicke man his sore wee also haue heard of God his mercy in the sicke mans salve Man being sore sicke cryed vnto God by prayer and God heard him and hee sent his word and healed him Now it followeth that wee see what man his duetie should bee toward his GOD for delivering him from such miserie The duetie is set downe into those words Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull workes to the children of men this is the sicke man his song Heere let vs obserue what is the duetie of him who hath received health and lyfe from God in a most dangerous sicknesse it is heere set downe viz. that hee should praise God for his goodnesse c. God seeketh nothing from man for his benefits but thankes and praise The doctrine is this GOD his yoke is easy if by our owne wickednesse wee make it not vneasy there is no yoke so easy as God his yoke See how for all his blessings hee requireth but thankes After that the Physitian of the body hath vsed his cure whether it cure thee or not thou must giue him gold after that thy God hath cured both thy soule and body He seeketh but thankes He craveth but a grandmercy from the heart And yet alas hee who doeth most and seeketh least is least considered and worse payed of his due First heere obsetue that the duetie of him who hath received his health from God is to praise God for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull workes our GOD for all requireth nothing but thankes Hee hath no neede of our guifts As hee hath no neede so neither doeth hee seeke any thing from vs I will not saith hee reproue thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings to haue beene continuallie before meâ— I will take no bullocke out of thy house nor hee goates out of thy foldes for every beast of the forrest is myne and the cattell vpon a thousand hils I know all the fowles of the mountaines and the wild beasts of the field are myne If I were hungrie I would not tell thee for the world is myne and the fulnesse thereof Behold how God will not seeke any worldly thing from man for all the world is his and the fulnesse thereof What is it then that hee would haue for all his benefits The Lord declareth him felfe what hee would haue Offer vnto God thankesgiving and pay thy vowes vnto the most high Thankefulnesse as yee see is the onely impost that God requireth of vs. So soone as man hath received a benefite from God hee is bund to repare to his GOD with
thankes Every new benefite should bee vnto his soule like Sela in musicke a note of intention or a lifting vp the voice The vse seeing the Lord for all his blessings given vnto men requireth nothing but praise let vs praise him from our hearts Seeing God thinketh more of thanks then of the world and of the fulnesse thereof let vs bee carefull in this poynt of duetie As the bird vpon the bush welcometh the day with a song so soone as it beginneth to spring so should wee welcome our God with thankes so soone as wee see the least of his benefits begin to spring For to inforce this duetie vpon vs wee must consider that GOD aboue all things respecteth his praise hee will reveale great secrets to a man This made him reveale all his heart vnto Abraham for the loue of his praise hee will saue a people that is worthy to bee destroyed for my names sake said hee will I deferre my wrath and for my praise will I refraine it from thee that I cut thee not off Moses his strongest argument while he interceeded for the people was grounded vpon God his praise while hee had a purpose to destroy his people Lord said hee what will the Aegyptians say By this we may see how deare God his praise is vnto him Behold how before hee should want praise hee will deferre his wrath and refraine it from sinners that deserue to bee cut off Seeing then wee know that our God aboue all things it most desirous of praise wee should be most desirous to doe that which hee desireth My father said the servant of Naaman If the Prophet had bid thee doe some great thing wouldest thou not haue done it How much more may I say to you if GOD had bid you doe some great thing would yee not haue done it And now seeing hee requireth nothing but praise who should refuse it Js it not more easy for vs to praise GOD then it was for Naaman to wash him selfe seven tymes in the Jordan Man may praise God in his hote bed at his table in the fields in his garden If the heart were sanctified it should bee no paine but pleasure to praise the LORD JAH In this is the chiefe happinesse of Saints and Angels aboue they praise God continuallie Praise as yee see is that which GOD chiefly requireth of man for all his guifts whether of wealth or of health But how J pray you is this duety payed The wordes of my text giue notice Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse c. The word Oh declareth plainely the vnthankfulnesse of man When fooles because of their transgressions were afflicted it is said Then they cryed vnto the LORD in their trouble But after that God hath delivered them is it said that they thanked GOD for their health Not what than Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse c. Learne the lesson Jt is a common thing to cry to God in any adversitie the reprobate will cry to God in his distresse but only those who are truely godly giue thanks for benefites received Ten lepers in their miserie lifted vp their voyces crying Iesus master haue mercy on vs But at the thankesgiving nyne were absent Were there not ten cleansed said CHRIST but where are the other nyne The Buttler in the prison was comforted by Joseph but while hee was restored was hee thankfull Nâ—t While hee enjoyed his prosperitie according to Joseph his prophecie it is said Yet did not the chiefe Butler remember Ioseph but forgate him Fooles in my text were healed In their afflictions they prayed earnestly they all cryed for salue to their â—ore But what was their song J heare it not but the Psalmist regrating their vnthankfulnesse cryeth out Oh that men would praise the Lord c. The vse seeing vnthankfulnesse is a disease wherevnto nyne or ten are subject let vs so much the more take heede vnto it Let vs inure our selues to be thankfull to God for the least of his blessings Let vs pray before we get them let vs praise God after we haue gotten them before wee take meate let vs pray after meate let vs praise before we preach let vs pray after preaching let vs praise while we put on our clothes in the morning let vs pray while we put them off at night let vs praise while wee enter into a water to passe thorow let vs pray while wee are come to the yonder side let vs praise while wee begin a journey let vs pray while wee are come home againe let vs praise while merchands goe to a market let them pray while they are returned let them praise while children are borne into the world let parents pray if GOD take them to him selfe let them praise Let vs all striue to bee as chearefull to praise GOD for a benefite received as wee were earnest in prayer to receiue the same Let vs not follow the ill example of the sicke of my text they all cryed vnto the Lord in their trouble but J heare not a word of their thanks only the Psalmist saith Oh that men would praise the Lord c. this is the burden of the song four severall tymes in the Psalme I lyke not men that pay their dueties with an OH This is a sure token of ill payment when the godly man heere is forced to cry Oh that men would praise the Lord Away with rents that are payed with an Oh Man his praises are the LORD his rents God will not be praised with those that praise him with an Oh. God loveth a cheerfull giver As Hee giveth cheerfully so will hee bee praised cheerfully God must not be praised with regrate Jt is good that the godly lament that men will not praise the LORD for his goodnesse but God will not bee praised of those that praise him vnwillingly Such a praise will proue like that doeing of Ananias and Saphirah a part of the price will bee kept back such men can not faile but they shall lie to the holy Ghost The second vse wee haue to make heere is that wee learne humilitie in the consideration of our ill nature What a miserie is this that man by the mercie of GOD should be healed of a deadly disease and yet not doe so much as to giue thankes to him from whom hee hath receiued the benefite Jn the wicked we may see the corruption of our nature lyke swine they gather greedily the acorns of God his benefits but beeing animalia prona creatures that haue the face headlong downe they snatch vp the gifts but can not looke vp to the giver with a thankfull heart The wicked while they are in distresse will haue some forme of praying but while they haue gotten