and your distressed causes vpon his backe and rest contented that he careth for all his owne And thus much for the fourth circumstance to bee considered in healing the man which was the meanes or partie by whom he was healed THE SECOND SERMON OF THE DVTIE OF OVR DELIVERANCE The second Sermon THe second branch of the exhortation vz. what was the cause of his sicknesse drawne out of these words sinne no more It appeareth here that sinne was the cause of his sicknesse and sinne is the cause of our troubles griefes losses hurts dangers or damages whatsoeuer yea of sicknesse be it of body or of minde That this may better appeare let vs search out the originall of sicknes sorrow and griefe and we shall finde that before sinne entred there was neither sicknesse sorrow nor griefe but as soone as euer sinne entred the other were inflicted as a iust reward for sinne When where and how sinne entred you may finde plainly in Genes 3. When. It entred euen then when our first parents were created in their happie estate of innocencie like to the image of their Creator perfectly righteous in the soule and all the parts thereof throughly sound in the body and the constitution thereof yea both in body and soule free from any griefe vexation or sorrowe Sinne entred in Paradise Where our parents being placed there The meanes The meanes whereby he entred was by the subtill perswasion of the Serpent the diuels instrument and by our parents voluntarie hearkening and yeelding thereunto to disobey and breake the commandement of their Creator which so soone as euer they had done the curse of God for the same fell vpon our parents for sin If we will set downe what it is it is nothing else but the transgression of the law of God 1. Ioh. 3.4 Presently after the transgression of the law of God entred the reward or punishmēt of this their transgression which was mortalitie in stead of immortalitie Mans miserable case after his fall weaknes in stead of strength sicknes in stead of health toyle and trauell in stead of continual rest and peace sorrow and sadnes in stead of ioy and comfort the earth to yeeld nothing but brambles briers and bushes though it bee tilled in stead of plentie of good fruite to trauaile vp and downe as pilgrimes vpon the face of the earth in stead of perpetual possession of Paradise and though they thus prolong their toyling daies for a time yet at lēgth enforced to yeeld to natures course and to dye in stead of liuing for euer the life of the Angels All this is apparant in the third of Genesis You haue heard now the first man that euer sinned euen Adam the first man that as a merit for his sinne euer was sicke or troubled euen Adam You haue heard what happy case he was in before he sinned and what wofull estate hee was in after his fall a creature full of sorrow toyle trouble feare griefe vexation digging and deluing planting and sowing and yet but to reape little increase and though hee was before a most pleasant plant of the Lord seated in a most fertile soyle yet now through sin is he euen become a filthie puddle and standing poole of all iniquitie a seruant to Satan and a poore prisoner to the diuell Hence let all Gods children learne to affect holinesse of life The vse and lothe the life of the wicked yea euen all the motions obiects and occasions of wickednesse so farre as the very garment stained with sinne shal be vnto them odious and lothsome You haue heard now the roote to bee infected and the bole poysoned and withall you haue heard the cause of this infection The roote and bole are our first parents they sinned and presently vpon their sinne came shame for a fault and all kinde of troubles and diseases as their due desart Let vs now examine a little whether this poyson hath not infected all the branches I meane Adams posteritie which posteritie we our selues are Herein let vs consider that Adam and Euah were not priuate persons Caluin in Psal 51. ver 7. but such as had in them the state of the whole world what good Adā had he had it for his whole posteritie All men in Adam haue sinned what euill soeuer hee brought vpon him through sinne it was to bee propagated vpon his whole posteritie Therefore it is that Dauid crieth and saith Psal 51.6 Contra Pelag. qui dicunt peccatum non esse haereditarium sed sola imitatione ex Adamo profectum Genes 6.5 Behold in sinne my mother conceiued me Wee bring sinne with vs from our mothers wombe and therefore sicknesse and sorrow the stipend of sinne And the Lord saith that the imaginations of mans heart are euill continually Hereupon it plainly followeth that euen al of vs may impute our sicknes our sorrow weaknes and wants troubles and torments dangers and finally death it selfe to our sinnes as the originall and first cause of them That sicknesse and death did take hold vpon all Adams race euen euery one of vs for sinne Paul maketh very plaine thus By one man sinne entred into the world and death by sin Rom. 5.12 and so death went ouer all men for as much as all men haue sinned Vers 18. And by the offence of one man the fault came ouer all vnto condemnation Vers 19. And by one mans disobedience many were made sinners Now let vs come to proue by example out of the word how in Adam his posteritie for sinne God hath inflicted sometime sicknesse sometime sores sometime troubles of bodie sometime griefe of minde Vpon his owne children as louing corrections to make them more diligent schollers in Christs schoole Vpon the wicked either to draw them to repentance if they belong vnto Gods kingdome or if they hardned their harts as Pharaoh then to make them euen beginnings of the flashings of hell fire And first let vs see out of the word how for sinne the Lord hath afflicted his owne Church with sicknesse trouble danger c. In Genes 6. appeareth that because the sonnes of God contrary to his commaundement ioyned in mariage with the daughters of men I meane the wicked seede and for other great sinnes amongst them committed when after a long time of repentance giuen them by the Lord they would not amend the Lord destroyed them and the whole world Noe and his familie excepted with water When Dauid had grieuously offended the Lord with Berthshebah the wife 2. Sam. 11.4.17 murther vpō Vriah the husband and after all this by labouring to cloake his sinne the Lord therefore inflicted vpon him these troubles 1. His owne sonne Ammon to defile his sister Tamar 2. Sam. 13.14 Vers 29.30 31 32. 2. Sam. 16.22 and commit incest with her 2. One of his sonnes to kill another 3. And in the end as a iust recompence for his adulterie the Lord suffered
our soules for healing our sicknesses the good Samaritane to bind vp our wounds the euerlasting high Priest for bearing our infirmities euen Iesus Christ the righteous that thereby our sinnes the originall of our sicknesses may be blotted out and cleane clensed and from Christ we may heare this comfortable voyce Arise and walke c. Be whole for thy sins are forgiuen thee My beloued in the Lord No sounde course but this to saue vs from perishing except this through course be taken neuer looke for sauing sound and continuing health but euen with Gehezi to die a leprous man Now as I haue spoken of particular men for particular sinnes diuersly diseased so may I speake of whole countries kingdomes and places who for sin and iniquitie haue been plagued Some with sudden destructiō Genes 19. as Sodom Gomor Some with captiuitie as the Israelites vnder the Babylonians 2. Chro. 36. Some with hauing the godly wise and aged Counsellors taken from thē as Esay threatneth the Iewes Esay 8.1.2.3.4 1. King 20. 2. King 6.19 2. King 17.29 Some with death and famine as was Samaria and Ierusalem and as this our nation of late and some with the disease of the pestilence burning ague and bloody issues as this our owne land first not long since in the South parts We haue felt the same and now these two yeres last past in our Northerne parts And seeing it hath been proued that these corrections and punishments flow from our owne disobedience and wilfull rebellion From whence these punishments flowe therefore if euer the effect wee desire to haue remoued let vs first take away the cause which is our sinnes Sublata causa tollitur effectus and assure our selues the effect will cease which is Gods fearefull punishments Doctrine These proofes examples and vses being thus laid downe this doctrine following shall bee the conclusion of it vz. what euill soeuer wee suffer either in body or minde we may impute it to our sinnes Psal 38.5 as the originall and first occasion thereof whereupon may bee gathered a second doctrine Caluin in Ioh. cap. 5. vers 14. Non sunt fortunae hominum calamitates sed totidem sunt castigatoriae ferulae Our sicknesses diseases or griefes bee they inward or outward proceed not from fortune or by chance Amos. 3.6 but by the foredecreed counsell of the highest that they may bee as so many checkes vnto the pride of our sinnes the truth hereof being granted there ensueth an exceeding comfort to the conscience A comfort carefull of Gods seruice vz. that our heauenly father taketh no delight nor pleasure in punishing vs and therefore doth hee neuer seuerely scourge vs Calu. ibid. but whē he is highly offended by our transgressions and perforce vrged to change mercie into iudgement The Lord is haled on to iudgement by our sinnes his louing countenance into seuere corrections And thus much generally haue I set downe and proued the cause and originall of sicknesse sorrowes troubles and death itself in all men liuing vpon the face of the earth as they are Adams branches and posteritie Now least the godly man for conscience sake persecuted or for his further triall of the Lord afflicted should be too much dismaied and thinke his persecutions were but iust plagues for sinne and his crosses no comforts contrary to the sweete promises of the Gospel in that behalfe How and for what end afflictions are laid vpon the godly therefore let vs search how and in what sort they are laid vpon the godly The nature and condition of all troubles both of body and minde in respect of their first originall are qualified to the children of God and true Christians not by any dignitie or desert at all of their owne but as Elisha healed the bitter and venemous waters by casting salt into them Note well so the bitter and intolerable sting of death the bitter and vnsauorie sicknesses and diseases both of our bodies and our soules are healed the nature of them changed the poyson remoued by the sauourie salt of Christ his blood yea all sicke halt lame and withered men haue their griefes eased by the troubled persecuted scorned scoffed and crucified body of our Lord Iesus Christ as this sick man was healed in his body by troubling the cleere water Christ his blood shedding being in iudgement of wicked men as vnlikely to worke vs any good as salt to make fruitfull or muddy water to make a lame man whole In this Christ Iesus our debt for sinne is discharged and vpon his crosse is the obligation of ordinances that was against vs fastned Reuel 3.18 and he is the very purgation that cleanseth the sauing eye-salue that giueth light Matth. 3.17 Collos 1.13 2. Pet. 1.17 and the wel-beloued sonne of God by whom our cries are conueied to his father in whom he receiueth and heareth our plaints and for vvhose sake wee enioy all the blessednes and good things that euer we haue Christ wholy altered the nature of afflictions to his owne Church Now therefore in this Christ our alone Sauiour sicknesse to his faithfull members is as comfortable as health affliction as sweete as peace aduersitie as acceptable as prosperitie death as welcome as life the graue as a most sweete perfumed chamber for the bodies of the Saints to lie in for they can with S. Paul say Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus It makes them not feare death but rather in Gods appointed time desire it in seeing the miseries of this present life and by a liuely faith soaring vp into the vnspeakable ioyes of the life to come And therefore they say with Paul We know that if this earthly tabernacle of ours be dissolued 2. Cor. 5.1 we haue a building giuen of God not made with hands but eternall in the heauens And Christ Iesus whether wee liue or die is vnto vs both in life and death aduantage yea we seeing that while we liue 1. Thess 5.10 Phil. 1.21 we are naked in this world we sigh desiring to be clothed with our house which is from heauē And seeing while we are here iournying vpon the earth wee are absent from our head and husband therefore we desire to be dissolued Philip. 1.23 and to be with our husband Sauiour which is best of all And finally seeing there is nothing in this world but corruption Eccles 1.1.2 alteration and vanitie we waite we looke and long for the day of our refreshing when we may foreuer lift vp our heads meete our elder brother in the clowdes and receiue the incorruptible crowne of glorie laid vp in store for all the Lords elect ere euer the foundations of the world were laid Thus Gods children may reioyce when the wicked shall howle and weepe they shall bee satisfied as it were with marrow and fatnesse yea euen when they seeme to be
wealth and in going about such occasions as are beseeming our calling in this euill world to commend the beginning middle and issue thereof by prayer to almightie God that hee would so direct vs in them as may stand with his glorie redound to the comfort of our owne consciences Further Note well all the prophane and gracelesse Atheists note another excellent poynt which is that if men walke in their lawfull trades and callings vsing lawfull and ordinary meanes of deliuerances out of any danger doe notwithstanding preuaile or profit nothing at all till God of his mercie giue the blessing what shal wee thinke of them that in sicknesse counsell with witches and sorcerers The practises 〈◊〉 such very dangerous in troubles raise vp spirits for things lost vse enchauntment for to haue their sutes goe forward vse briberie for their benefices vse symonie for preferment vse flatterie with the Herodians Yea to conclude what shall we think of all such as make gaine wrongfully gotten their god and wicked and vngodly practises the whole course of their life but that euen the heauie iudgement of God hangeth ouer their heads and as their beginnings and proceedings are in sin so let them assure themselues without speedie repentance their endings shal be in same euen sudden confusion both of body soule with all the reprobates and castawaies mentioned in the Scriptures A caueat Let all bold hardy men therfore take heede who enterprise many actions without either prayer to the Lord or warrant of his word Lastly it might in regard of the flesh haue been a matter of great griefe vnto this poore soule to see all others that came to this poole to be helped yet he lie still expecting remedie and found none Yet hence let vs learne this for our owne vse that though we be sicke and our neighbours likewise we in trouble they so likewise they are made whole and deliuered yet we still tossed to and fro not likely any deliuerance and it may bee this befalleth vs when we are more carefull to serue our God then they were not to be hereat dismaied seeing the Lord as I haue said before hath secret ends in his eternall purpose of our continued afflictions or sicknes yea euen such if wee abide with patience as shall bee to our greater comfort both inwardly and outwardly And thus much for the third circumstances to bee noted in his healing vz. what meanes the man vsed himself for his recouerie and found none Of the fourth circumstance vz by what meanes at length hee was made whole The author of his health The Israelites as it is recorded Numb 21. for their rebellion against the Lord were stung and venomed with firie Serpents a paine most intolerable which neither plaister or medicine could abate til at the length vpon the earnest crie of the people and Moses the Lord commanded Moses to make a brasen Serpent Numb 21.6 and set it vp vpon a pole with this promise that as for sinne they were stung with a Serpent so whosoeuer looked vp vpō that Serpent which Moses so vp should presently be healed and no other way Genes 3. Our first parent Adam transgressed God commandement for a punishment whereof God inflicted vpon him sicknes both in his soule and bodie and which should continue from generation to generation in his whole posteritie which sicknesses and diseases as they came vpon vs for the disobedience of one so can they neuer truly bee healed and taken away but by the obedience of one man The first man sinning and so bringing condemnation vpon all was Adam The second man fulfilling the law and thereby bringing saluation to all that by faith and true repentance accept it was the man Iesus Christ a man in all poynts as the first Adam was sinne only excepted Donec coelestū medicus opem nobis fert nos non tantum intùs fouemus multos morbos sed etiam morter Caluin in Psal 103. ver 3. 1. Ioh. 1.7 1. Pet. 1.19 Rom. 5.4 Ioh. 14.6 He was that immaculate lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world and who was the author and sole worker of this poore mans health He it is who is the true Phisition for euery diseased soule body the plaister and very purgation it selfe which must cleanse and cleere vs from all our sinnes whatsoeuer And who alone is all sufficient and able to present vs holy and pure to God his father by whom also we haue accesse vnto the throne of God in our praiers It is this Christ Iesus who is the way the trueth and the life vnto whom is giuen a name in whom must bee saued all that are registred and written in the booke of life Here then doe wee see whether all sicke men all sore men al troubled and distressed men yea to conclude all prodigall and sinfull men must resort to bee healed of their sicknesse eased of their griefes and receiue forgiuenes of their sinnes euen to Christ Iesus the top and roote beginning and ending the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apocal. 1. and the corner stone of our saluation and with the halt and lame in the Gospell to crie out vnto him Luk. 17.15 O Iesu thou sonne of Dauid haue mercie on me Let the Pope promise health by his pardons the Iusticiaries by their workes All meanes of health by man meere mockerie without Christ Iesus the Votaries by their vowes the Heathen by their blind mentions yet when it comes to the hammering and the day that euery mans workes shall be tryed by fire they shall then finde that all these inuented meanes of health are euen a potion of ranck poyson prepared by the diuell and that it is onely the blood of Christ Iesus that must purge out the poison of the Dragon cleanse vs from all our leprosie whatsoeuer This point being most pregnant I might bee very plentifull in proofes out of the word of God for confirmation in gathering profitable doctrines for instruction and in laying downe many duties for edification but seeing it is so plaine a point Christ our saluation a plain point that proposuisse is confirmasse so manifestly in the word described that he that runneth may reade it so sensible a matter that they are past feeling who are not touched with it and finally to all the elect ones of the Lord a matter of such certaintie that whosoeuer doubteth of it A most certain point for truth he is puft vp in the raging bellowes of his own imaginations and without speedie repentance it shall be a stone to fall vpon them al of such weight that it shall grinde them all to powder Therefore I will here end it Matth. 18. 1. Pet. 2.8 Matth. 11.28 29. with Christ his large offer to all that lacke helpe Come vnto Christ all ye that labour and are heauy laden he will refresh you Cast your cares