request not that the Lorde did not heare from the beginning but now in the ende he feeleth an answere in his soule that God hath granted his desire As Psal. 69. The Lord hath heard my petition 66. 18. 19. God hath heard me and considered the vâ—…yce of my prayer Where note two things if we desire to be heard first that we haue a feeling of our wants as here in troubles 2. That we cry mightily and continue God in the end wil heare vs as he did Dauid in the end alwayes and after much crying I will be with him in troubles This is the 2. promise Some man will thinke this no special promise for that God is both by his essence infinit filling heauen and earth by his prouidence watchfull present and carefull ouer all and euery one of the creatures in heauen and earth And yet further is hee not with his beloued children alwayes in a more speciall manner by his spirite of sanctification and comfort effectuallie also working by the â—…ath and resurrection of Iesus Christ to make them new creatures All this is true both of the generall prouidence of God and of his speciall working and grace in the Saints But yet they are not alwayes alike comforted For the Lorde doth otherwhiles more graciously shew himselfe at one time then another For may not the King to those of his housholde more louingly shew his countenance at one time then another and frowne at other times vpon them and yet they bee his seruants So is it with Christ and his members The righteous soules of the faithfull sometimes eate and drinke and feast with Christ yet at other times they cry much they aske many watchmen for him and seeke him with much sweating before they can find him And that the Lord Iesus doth more familiarly shew his face and communicate his graces vnto his Saintes in troubles and in their grieuances the experience of Gods people in al ages can testifie and this we haue before partly vouched Dauid cryeth Hide not away thy face from me for I am in trouble and they cryed to the Lord in their trouble and hee deliuered thâ—… out of their distresse O that men would therfore prayse the Lord. Master Philpot sayth to Lady Vane Belieue me dear Lady there is no such ioy in the world as the people of Christ haue vnder the crosse These holy ones haue often many desertions and yet in the midst of their agonies Christ will suddenly shine foorth as bright as the Sun after a cloudie blacke tempest as in Maister Glouers storie appeares and many others And this blessed presence wee speake of make so many of Gods people so constantly and so cheerefully to offer vp themselues a liuing sacrifice to bee rosted and tormented with fire in smithfield and many other parts of the world 6. Question What wonderful communion there is between Christ and his holy members best knowen to his people in afflictions Cant. 2. 16. My welbeloued is mine and I am his verse 15. I will bee with him in trouble FIrst let vs here consider in what manner the holy Scripture speaketh of this great communion and fellowship between Christ his members Thus Iohn writeth of it first in his Epistle That I say which we haue seene and heard declare we vnto you that ye may haue fellowship with vs and that our fellowship also may bee with the father and his sonne Iesus Christ. Againe in his Gospel most comfortably on this manner I pray not for these alone but for theÌ„ also which shall beleeue in me through their word that they all may bee one as thou O Father art in mee and I in thee euen that they all may be one in vs that the world may beleeue that thou hast sent me and the glorie that thou gauest mee I haue giuen them that they may be one as wee are one I in them and they in me that they may bee made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent mee and hast loued them as thou hast loued mee And the Apostle speaketh of this communion when hee saith Tempt your selues whether you be in the faith do ye not know that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be refuâ—…es Because this blessed vnion communion and fellowship is spirituall and misticall the holy Scriptures do striue to helpe our weaknesse to conceiue rightly the trueth of it by sundry Metaphors and borowed speeches as Iohn in the sweet parable of the vine and vine branches in which place the whole comparison if we make supply out of other places standeth vpon sundry most familiar similitudes as to expresse the singular loue and care of God ouer his people and the effectuall power of the Ministerie of his holy word woâ—… in them so to instruct vs of the VI separ bâ—… vnion betweene Christ and his holy members 1. The heauenly Father is compared to the husband-man 2. The ministers vnto the husbandmans laborers 3. The people and the Church of God vnto the vineyard or husbandry 4. Christ and his members vnto the vine and vine branch 5. The spirituall vnion liâ—…e and growth of the faithfull in Christ vnto the naturall coniunction life and growth of the naturall vine and her branches 6. Lastly as the husbandman on earth loueth careth for and purgeth his vine with his handes and instruments his corne fieldes c. so the heauenly father loueth and purgeth his Church and his people by his Spirit word and sacraments c. And like as wise Princes commit their sonnes to the custodie and instruction of wise and faithfull men so the heauenly Father commendeth the education of his children to his holy labourers and by their Ministrie hee prepareth such on eaith as he purposeth to aduance to the kingdome of his glory to be fellow heires with Iesus Christ in heauen Againe all that heauenly and most sweet parable the song of Salomon tendeth principally to expresse this inspeakeable communion comparing it often vnto the holy vnion which is betweene man and wife in that mariage which is in the Lord and so doth the Apostle and concludeth â—…that wee are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones 3 And this firme coniunction which 〈◊〉 in this mysticall body is againe notably â—…id before vs by the similitude of the naturall body and the essentiall parts of the same 1. Cor. 12. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. Thus when we see by these few places how the holy spirit doth demonstrate vnto vs a most certaine and reall coniunction and communion betwixt Christ and all the faithfull heere on earth And yet heere is no corporall commixtion of our soules with his or any coniunction of natures neither is this a bare consent of mindes onely but an inspeakeable coniunction is 〈◊〉 by meanes of the words of reâ—…ation without and the holy spirit of Christ within working effectually almightie in power to knit together
things most â—…arre distant as one soule binâ—…es head and â—…eete together in one body To be â—…ort the Lord to bring his children to this high pitch of honour and dignitie doth proceede with them in this manner as followeth First the holy spirit singleth and seuereth thâ—…m out of the world by the â—…ound of â—…is Gospel 〈◊〉 15. 19. I haue chosen you out of the world And receiueth them to his owne house â—…nd â—…amilie Ephe. 2. 18. 19 Ye are no more strangers and forreners but citizens with the Saints of the houshold of God The 2. effect is Hee prepareth our hearts by faith to receiue Christ. And to this end 1. he renueth the minde 2. hee giueth an vnderstanding heart Marc 4. 10. â—…1 to receiue Christ by faith Ioh. 1. 11. To renue the mind his light dispelleth ignorance bringeth in that woÌ„derful doctrine which coÌ„ueâ—…teth the soule Psal 199. To renue the heart 1. he sofâ—…th and humbleth it by the preaching of Gods law Ezech. 11. 19. 20. 2. he causeth it with sighes and grones to confesse Rem 826. There is no good thing in my flesh 3. the heart hungreth after Christ and his righteousnesse Mat. 5. 6. 4. Lastly he worketh in the heart that admirable worke of God Iohn 629. Even a pretious and victorious faith to receiue as with a haÌ„d Iesus Christ and his benefits Ioh. 1. 12. The 3. effect and worke of Gods spirit is hee giueth them as a free gift vnto Christ. Ioh. 1027. 924. And Christ vnto them againe in like maner Rom 8 3. 2. CaÌ„t. 2. 16. My welheloued is mine anâ—… I am his The 4. effect The holy spirit doth in a most wonderfull and reall manner knit their soules and hearts vnto Christ and Christ ento them againc so that Christ become the head and the beleeuer the liuely member of Christ. So as the branches haue not a mâ—…re certaine sap life and growth by the vine then the true beleeuer hath life grace and growth in al good graces from Christ. lab 15. 1. 2. For this cause the Apostle saith truly We are mibers of his body of his flesh of his bones Epâ—… 5. 38. 21 Fiftly then Christ doth communicate vnâ—…o them being thus vnited vnto him by the wonderfull worke of his spirit all graces and blessings which conceâ—…ne their euerlasting saluation 1. They are couered with his righteousnes as with a golden robe Gal. 2. 27 They receiue by his spirit the precious vertue of his death which hath a great â—…fficacie to kill sinne Rom 6. 6. Gal. 6 15. and the vertue of his buriall to rot sin that so they may loath it as an vnsaâ—… carrion being crucified and slaine in them and the vertue of his resurrection Phil. 38. 9. whereby they are made new creatures Gal 6. 15. 16. 3 Because of this communiâ—…n wee are said to bee partakers of the diuine nature And the beleeuer may speake all this the Apostle speaketh in his owne person I am crucified with Christ but I liue yet not I any more but Christ liueth in me and in that I now liue in the flesh I liue by faith in the sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me Insignis sententia fideles extra se viuere id est in Christo A notable saying saith maister Cal. the faithfull â—…ue without themselues in Christ. 6 Lastly when they are thus highly aduanced into the communion of the holy Trinitie all the holy Angels and Saints of God they slay not then in one stay but they must haue their dayly confirmation by the said word and spirit that so they may haue a holy growth vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the full growth or fulnesse of Christ. And this growth is signified vnto vs by the growth and increase which is to be seene in the partes of any naturall body Ephe 4. 15. Let vs follow the trueth in loue and in all things grow vp to him which is the head that is Christ. And againe Col. 2. 19. All the body furnished and knit togither by ioynts and bands increaseth with the encreasing of God Thus farre briesly of this holy communion The third promise And I will deliuer him The Lord will haue his childreÌ„ wade through afflictions yea sometimes to bee smitten with the plague it selfe but hee will deliuer them that is hee will restore him to health if that bee good for him or else he wil change this miserable and transitorie life with the happy and immortall life which is best of all Blessed is the man whom God correcteth therefore refuse not thou the chastâ—… of the Almightie for hee maketh the wound and bindeth 〈◊〉 vp hee smiteth and his hands make whole he shall deliuer thee in fixe troubles and in the seuenth the 〈◊〉 shall not touch thee The fourth promise And I will bring him to honour It is not to bee doubted but God hath perâ—…ormed this promise alwayes to his children whether wee vnderstand it of an earthly â—…anour or an heauenly they which faile of this one are sure notwithstanding of the other and sometime of both Ioseph and Daniel of both after great aduersitie Hezekâ—…as Dauid and Iob of both after plagues and pestilentiall maladies Yet Lazarus and many of his condition wanting this vaine and transitory glory haue receiued the greater measure of the heauenly Here againe I do not thinke but that he putteth vs in minde of the glory of our resurrection and of our regeneration where assuredly our glory begins 2. Cor. 1. 18. which while wee consider albeit afflictions for the present are greeuous yet wee must be wonderfully cheared and comâ—…orted for howsoeuer heere for a moment our bodies bee subiect to many most grieuous and noysome diseases for our correction and chasticement and after to putrefaction yet in the ende they shall be â—…illed with a wonderfull glory For they shall shine in the resurrection as the Sunne and shall be like the Angels of God Whereas the wicked shall ariâ—…e to a greater shame then if they were filled with all the sores and plagues of Aegypt And therefore this promise much comforted Iob â—…or thus he speaketh of it in his great passions most chearefully I am sure that my Redeemer lâ—…cth and he shall stand the last on the earth and though after my skinnâ—… wormes destroy this body yet shall I see God in my flesh whom I my selfe shall see and mine eyes shall behold and none other for me though my reynes are consumed within mee The fifth promise With length of daies will I sanctifie him Here I iudge this promise as that aforegoing and the last which followeth concerneth both the life present and that which is to come The faithfull then in that plague looked euery mâ—…ment for death and therefore they haue this promise to comfort them An old age is promised as a blessing often to the godly and they
you would also be as vigilant striue with strong hand to remoue the spiritual causes of the same I meanâ—… that you should pare away all the rotten proud sinnes of this citie which are corrigible by good lawes as much as in you lieth with the sword of instice â—…our will is good and hath beene I heare for manye yeares for to cast downe the diuellish theaters the nurceries of whoredome and uncleannesse they are Cupids and Venus temples they are Bacchus and Sathans pallaces they corrupt the youth of your citie intollerably all eies can see and all chast eares can witnes some of the maisters of these euil artes when the Lord had humbled them by some great terrors were driuen to confesse the same in extreame passions and pangs of death In all ages God and his Church hath euer abhorred these wicked abbominations let one man speake for all Tertul shewing how Gods people differed from the Pagans in his sweet apologie for the Church against the gentils he saith Nihil est nobis dictu visu audâ—… cum impudicitia theatri We cannot abidâ—… to speake to see or heare anie thing of the shamelesse and vnchast wantonnesse oâ—… your theaters They replied vpon you in tâ—… citie often as elsewhere with authoritie and 〈◊〉 censes â—…euer allowed by the almightie Tâ—… idle drones greatly prophaned as in all the laâ—… so specially in this citie the Lords Saboth and carried away great flockes or heards rather of blinde people from the holy worship of Almightie God But our gratious King seeing the greatnes of this impietie hath alreadie by Edict reformed this euill The Lord will not be vnmindfull of him for being thus mindfull of his holy Saboths Lord open thou his eyes to see the manifolde impieties that as yet remaine in Church and Common-wealth and giuc him a wise heart to reforme thy sanctuarie according to the diuine rule thy most holy word As for naturall preseruatiues the learned Phisitions can best direct you Yet giue me leaue onely to put your Honor and Worships in mind of such helpes as some of the learned haue greatly commended and many godly wise men haue of ten wished for the benefite of this citie The first thing to bee desired is that God would stirre vp your hearts and others to prouide more new burials for the citie where the dead might better rest from the liuing and the liuing better auoyd the contagion of the dead The second thing to be wished is that many houses were prouided as in elder times for the contagious leprosie and many cities in other countries and kingdomes haue at this day where the sicke of infected houses if they desired more libertie might haue more freedome of aire and benefit of the place for diet keeping c. For such as be pind vp in their owne houses in the citie as birdes in their cages are often greatly plagued the rich with want of ayre the poore with famine The last thing is this that the sicke be committed to the custody cure of such selected chosen men mercifull men men fearing God men of iudgement and knowledge meete to minister helpes both corporall and spirituall to ease the grieuances of Gods people both for their soules and bodies and that such be well prouided for and encouraged with a most competent and sufficient salarie The Lord guide your hearts and spirits by his almightie spirit and graunt you such spirituall courage wisedome and iudgement as that ye may faithfully execute the Lords iudgements in this Honorable Citie to the glory of God the good of his Church and the euerlasting comfort of your owne soules through Iesus Christ. Anno. 1603. Your H. and W. to commaund and to vse in the Lord Henry Holland THE EPISTLE TO the Reader WE may well say good Reader of the men of this age as Christ his Prophet spake of the people of their times their eyes are shut and see not their eares are heauie and heare not their hearts are fat and feele not Ignorant people swarmâ—… in all places hauing eyes and cannot see how the Lords iudgements are threatned and otherwhiles most iustly fall vpon them They stop their eares from the Gospell they can at no hand be charmed to any sincere obedience to it such effeminate delicate and itching eares as will not heare the charmer charm he neuer so wisely Their harts are fat they cannot vnderstand how leaue their soules are how emptie of all good graces how stuffed farced full of rotten vnsauerie sinnes in towne country What ignorance and blindnesse what insidelitie and prophanenesse what pride idlenesse what gluttony and drunkennesse what whoredome vncleannes what deceit and lying what blasphemies and all cursed speaking what riot and all maner of excesse do raigne in most places For these sinnes the like many iudgements are fallen and we haue yet escaped them The Lords hand striueth to chasten vs not to coÌ„sume vs miserable people caÌ„hear wheÌ„ their bellies speak but caÌ„not heare wheÌ„ God doth speak Your sinnes cause the pestilence the pestilence in time wil breed famin great wants and penurie among you The Lord giue you eyes to see eares to heare and hearts to vnderstand Make hast to reform your selues first then to your families Teach correct your vnruly seruants keepe them froÌ„ theaters and other abhominatioÌ„s bring them to sermons more carefully teach and correct your children for lying swearing blasphemies Teach al your family the holy grounds of religion the feare of the Lord for so ye are bound to do if ye doubt of this aske the Lord and he shall tell you But alasse most of you miserable people neither can teach nor will learne any good Nay it is to be feared you teach your wiues children and seruants all the euill you see heare know euery where practised in the world They learn of you to sweare horribly their wicked mouthes are full of othes they learne of you to walke inordinately for their liues are vngodly prophane Families are the fountains of al commoÌ„-weals purge the fountaines and the streames shall be clean Wherfore I warn such as fear the Lord loue Gods people regard their owne welfare in this life euerlasting saluation in that which is to come teach instruct correct by all good meanes reform your families for assuredly our sinnes call for many iudgements from the Lord vpon vs. Purge your families I say of vnclean persons as did Dauid Iacob not sparing euen your owne children in their disobedience riotous and luxurious life And humble your selues in this and the like calamity in abstinence and praier For so haue the people of god euer done in sundry afflictions when they sought for any great blessings for theÌ„selues or for the church of God Hest. 4. 16. Nehem. 1. 4. Act. 10 30. And so did Dauid his good people in the pestilence they rested not crying vnto
least of it sometimes in their mirth-making feasting gaming c. Fourthly an arrow if it come neere the heart giues a deadly wound so this euill if it come once neere the heart the Phisitions confesse it incurable In the 6. verse The 2. trophes set down verse 5. are expressed verse 6. Hee deliuers his meaning in plaine tearmes which hee had vttered before verse 3. and 5. in metaphors and in borrowed speeches The Hebrew hath in verse 5. The feare of the night the arrow that flyeth c. then the verse 6. The Pestilence so that we may very fitly ad the word I meane or I vnderstand the better to expresse the Prophets minde It is said againe 1. that the Pestilence walketh in the darknes 2. that it destroyeth at noone-day The pestilence as some of iudgmeÌ„t auouch is more violent in the night then in the day at mid-day then in any other part of the day First for the night the ayre is made more grosse and thicke with the coldnes of the night and then the strong contagious poyson spread in the ayre being driuen togither as in the generatioÌ„ of meteors thunder and lightnings in the middle region of the aire it is made more violent and deadly where it lighteth or smiteth any man Secondly where it is saide to destroy at noonday the cause of this they say is for that in the day the pores of our bodies are opened and then when the Sun is in the highest pitch of the meridionall line most open in all parts and arteries This time therefore are we most apt to receiue any poyson and this infectious vapour can soonest pierce into our secret parts And it is knowne by the experience of many yeares that albeit the heate of the Sun cause not this pestiserous exhalation yet it may cause it to be more violent and that all windes that come from that part breed putrifaction and rottennesse in all places This saith one Aphorisme of Hipocrates which is Venti meridionales hyemales sâ—…nt mortales South windes in winter doo bring death or mortalitie But I iudge the simple meaning of the holy Ghost may be this That the Pestilence spares not where God sends it but smites downe at all times as at midnight so at mid-day all alike in saire weather and in soule in the mountaines and in the vallevs in the best ayres and in the worst c. And therefore when God shootes this arrow men are warned here to be in a readines at all times and in all places Watch saith our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ for ye know not what houre the theefe commeth Thus much briefly for the sense and meaning of these two verses Now let vs consider yet somewhat more carefully seeing the Pestilence breeds so many feares and terrors night and day and is so great an enemie and destroyer of man-kinde what instrumentes and meanes the Lord vseth for the affliction of his people in the Pestilence 3. Question How the wicked spirits are Gods speciall instruments in the Pestilence 3. Surely hee will deliuer thee from the snare of the hunter verse 3. FIrst here it seemes to mee very expedient that wee take a short viewe in the booke of God how Sathan and his wicked spirits come to this great Dominion principalitie vpon earth among men and then wherfore he so hunteth and striueth by all meanes in all ages for the death and destruction of mankinde The holy Ghost telleth vs that Sathan and his angels were created Angels of light and companions in grace with the elect Angels of God commended and blessed of God in that generall benediction and commendation of all the creatures But they continued not long in that loue and obedience of God being made mutable and hauing a freedome of will as all the rest of their owne accord God so permitting it and denying in that instant the assistance of his grace and mightie hand of his holy spirit they disobeyed and displeased the Almightie and so fell from that blessed light to extreame darkenesse and from that wonderfull glory to inspeakable and endleste consasion Afterwards these wicked spirites haue neuer rested to blaspheme God and to dâ—stroy man by all the meanes they can for Sathan is a murderer and euer hath sinned with al his wicked angels from the Beginning He first began with our first parents for hee knew the rootes once infected the whole bodie armes branches are soone poysoned And to the ende hee might inuisibly deceiue them he first possessed the serpent for this cause the Scriptures call him that old Serpent Mâ—…tum spiritualibus virâ—…bus licet The Diuell can doe much by his spirituall strength saith one To be short the holy Ghost sheweth it how after this by certaine degrees he sought and had entrance into the woman Fâ—…st that lying spirit perswadeth her most impudently of the vntruth of Gods law and holy word concerning the forbidden fruite Secondly by long conference with that wicked spirit the woman beginneth to doubt and to call in qustion the certaintie of Gods loue and holy truth Genes cap. 2. 17. cap. 3. 2. Thirdly as that holy light of God was emptyed out of the minde by degrees so Sathan stept in for where that light is hee hath no entrance Fourthly when Sathan had once possessed her minde blinded it he then soorthwith slipt into the hart there wrought infidelitie first he blindes iudgement then he easily corrupts affections Fiftly when the heart was thus poisoned he easily filled it with euill thoughts vncleane lustes and wicked imaginations Sixtly wicked lustes of the heart beeing set on fire with the sight of the forbidden fruite stirred vp the affections the affections the will the mutable will the endeuor Seuenthly from this inward corruption and subscription vnto Sathans sophistrie and calumniation against the trueth followed that outward rebellion and manisest apostacie and falling away from God Lastly the woman bewitched by Sathan was the second instrument to deceiue the man who yeelded in all pointes by degrees as the woman and so was brought to the same most horrible condition of death and condemnation And thus began Sathan in our first parents to exercise his spirituall iurisdiction and kingdome vpon earth Man is not able to expresse how blessed and how glorious man then was before he fell to this league and societie with Sathan Hee was more beloued of God more deare and precious vnto the Almightie than all the frame of heauen and earth and all things contained therein For that hee was the end and last of all his creation prouided for of all necessaries before his creation onely created with that wonderfull consultation of the Trinitie the onely creature vpon earth resembling his God in many beautifull graces the glorious Lorde and Emperour ouer all creatures in body shining like the Sunne and immortall Math. 13. 45. In minde beautified with wisedome and knowledge Col. 3. 10.
that thereby hee may haue entrance into vs againe Finally to end this point and to come vnto our purpose againe there is nothing we ought in all our liues to bee more carefull of then to striue to discerne betweene the true the blessed and most comfortable peace of Iesus Christ in our hearts and consciences and the false peace and most dangerous and deadly sleepe of carnall and benummed consciences where Sathan dwelleth That if wee haue the one we may with all our might endeuour to preserue it and if we be miserably deluded and so endangered by the other wee may with all speede come to the meanes appointed in the Gospell of Iesus Christ for our deliuerance Great and deadly is the sleepe of all Atheists hypocrites and carnall men before Sathans face by the light of the Gospell bee discerned They are like men which haue drunke some deadly poyson they can but sleepe and delight in sleeping and yet perswade themselues in this miserable security that all is wel Our Sauiour rendereth a reason of this when he saith Sathan watcheth them with all his strength munition armour and with all violence stâ—…uing to keepe blinde in this state all he can to the day of death There can bee no true peace before Christ by his word and spirit cast forth Sathan out of the mindes and hearts of men as long as men loue darkenesse and hate light as long as the sloniâ—… slintie polluted heart ' and conscience remaineth the peace and sleepe is to be suspected to be Sathanicall Secondly before Christ giue peace hee must needes warre with Sathan Luk. 11. 21. In this warfare the prisoner that Christ taketh which fought against him is the soule of man c. a man therefore must be captiuat and so in soule humbled vnder Christ before true peace in Christs kingdome that peace therefore which is before humiliation is to be suspected Thirdly where Christ hath ouercome there his goood spirit watcheth for hee will not leese any that he hath found Io. 10. 28. Where that spirit is there hee worketh true sanctification of soule spirit and body I. Thess. 5. 23. Where therefore true sanctification is wanting the peace is dangerous and to be suspected But of this more in an other question Now to returne to that wee purposed let vs consider briesly whether the wicked spirites are Gods instruments and messengers to smite vs with the Pestilence The Lorde vseth no doubt as in many other of his iudgements so in this the ministerie of Angels good and euill Hee maketh his Angels like the windes and his ministers are like a flame of fire It was as it seemeth to me a good Angell which with his sword drawne flew so many thousands in Israel in Dauids time Howbeeit Augustine saith hee can neuer remember that the good Angels execute any iudgements vpon any good people And it was the Angell of the Lord that flew in Senacheriâ—…s campe in one night 185000. And they were good Angels which came to Sodome and Gomor when it was destroyed with fire and brimstone It was likewise the Angell of the Lord which smote proud Herod that hee was eaten of wormes Act. 12. 13. Yet Iosephus saith hee sawe an Owle or a Diuell in that likenesse ouer his head presaging that miserable death And he addeth there followed great tormentâ—… in his inwarde parts His grandfather was eaten of lice but this Tyrants death sâ—…meth to be of some sore griping and guawing wormes in his bowels hee was made wormes meate saith Saint Luke It may be hee was tormented of lice without and wormes within But they were euill spirits and Sathans angels which plagued Aegypt Psal. 78. 49. 50. Hee cast vpon them the fiercenesse of his anger indignation and wrath and vexation by the sending out of euill angels hee made a way to his anger hee spared not their soule from death but gaue their life to the Pestilence And sathan is saide to fill Iobes body all ouer with most pestiferous botches and biles One saith the diuell gathereth of the first seeds of nature and applyeth them to some matter and so can produce strange effects but how farre hee can proceede in nature it is hard to iudge The diuell is limited two wayes First hee cannot out-reach nature Secondly the will of the Lord so saith hee the diuell can bring pestilence famine biles for he knoweth of what causes these euils do arise And an other reuerend diuine saith The wicked angels are Gods instruments in the pestilence working by naturall causes So the diuell is said to send the godly to prison but by meanes of tyrants Reue. 2. 10. and chap. 6. 8. 9. verse 1. At the commandement of God the windes are in like manner sent foorth by euill angels from the which windes doubtlesse it is manifest that many infections of the ayre and this infection chiefly doth arise And Augustine vpon the Psalme 78. hee is of iudgement that the good and euill Angels can vse these visible Elements and by them effect many things As men saith he can vse them not onely to sustaine life but also according to the measure of their knowledge most artificially both in sundrie supersluous trisles and in diuers mechanicall effects There be three sorts of maladies wherâ—…by the wicked are plagued and the godly chastened of the Lord. The first kinde is meere naturall the second is meere diabolicall the third is mixt Meere naturall I call all those which haue their causes knowne in nature discerned and cured not by rude Empyriâ—… but by the learned in the practise of Phisicke as the ordinary common diseases among the people Meere diabolicall I thinke wee may câ—… those euils wherein no cause appearâ—… to the most perfect and learned Phisition but some secret cause that is some wicket spirit sent of God to distemper the body and to cause the naturall faculties and parts of the body eyther not to be able to performe their duties or to benumbe the body or to do farre more with greater strength and violence then nature alone can effect such were those the scripture cals dâ—…moniaci possessed of diuels or holden of diuels or as some learned men reade inspired by diuels In which most grieuous affliction Sathan doth most commonly bereaue the possessed of the vse of common sense and reason working in them beside their ordinarie course of nature straunge effects euen such as the most iudicious both Phisitions and Diuines cannot ascribe to any other cause but to Sathans effectuall working There is great wisedome and heede to bee taken in helping and healing such at this day for it is not done by coniuration or diuination as Popish Priestes professe and practise but by entreating the Lord humbly in fasting and prayer I see no warrant we haue to talke or question with Sathan for hee is the Lords executioner hee hath sent him what authoritie then haue wee to commaund
him to depart where God hath sent him A Prince or Magistrate is offended with a subiect for some disloyaltie an Officer is sent to imprison him shall hee or any other charge the Officer in the Princes name to let him alone and not to touch him Is it not their way onely to pacifie the Prince and so the Magistrate will commaund the Officer to surcease euen so where God sendeth Sathan his executioner to arest any person in any forme or manner in body or minde the onely way no doubt is to entreat the Lord to be pacified and to rebuke Sathan Againe we reade often that Sathan tormented many in sundry most grieuous diseases which I call the third and mixt kinde for by secret poysons hee hath made them incurable to the best practitioners in Phisicke in all ages The good woman mentioned Luke 13. verse 16. shee is saide to bee bounde of Sathan 18. yeares and to haue a spirit of infirmitie And such were many lunatikes and may be to this day they had a disease of causes partly knowne partly vnknowne Matt. 17. 15. Maister haue pittie on my sonne for he is a lunatike The learned deriue the cause of this euill from the Moone as the name importeth because they haue obserued that such as are borne in the change are thus pained but note what the Euangelist addeth and wee shall see the secret cause of it verse 18. Iesus rebuked the diuell and hee went out of him and the childe was healed in that houre Here then we see a disease in part naturall in part sathanicall And maister Caluine hee saith that experience teacheth vs howe this disease dooth increase and decrease according to the course of the Moone yet this lets not but that Sathan can put in his effectuall working in the naturall meanes Neque tamen hoc obstat quo minus sathan naturalibus medijs suos impetus permise uenit The woman also mentioned Marke 5. 25. labouring of an issue of bloud twelue yeares may seeme to be grieuous on this manner for some cause or causes seene to bee secret and vnknowne such be sathans practises for it is said shee had suffered many things of the Phisitions and had spent all shee had and it auailed her nothing but she became much worse and this woman was one of Gods elect for shee heard afterwardes these gracious wordes Daughter thy faith hath made thee whole goe in peace and be whole of thy plague Of this third and last kinde I iudge to bee our common plague and pestilence at this day My reasons are First it is partly naturall for if there were here no naturall cause then those whom the plague hath infected cannot doubtlesse so much as bee cased much lesse healed by naturall remedies but this second to bee very false our common sence and experience dayly teacheth vs. Secondly it must haue also some secret cause for the learned as I haue before noted cannot finde it to arise of any elementall qualitie in nature But my greatest and surest ground is this the word of the Lorde speaketh it plainly that the wicked spirits are his messengers and his instruments for this purpose If any doubt of this let him looke into the iudgements which were inflicted vpon Egypt and Iob by the ministerie of wicked spirites for so the Psalmist speaketh they vexed and tormented Egypt with wonderfull plagues They turned the water that was in the riuer into blood They which can corrupt one element for the destruction of mankind can corrupt another the water with blood the avre with the pestilence But wicked spirits did the first therefore they can doe the second when and where God permitteth Againe they which can poyson the water with frogs may poison in like manner the aire with pestiferous exhalations euill spirits did the first ergo Thirdly they which cā destroy beasts with the morraine may as easily destroy men with the Pestilence the wicked spirits did the first and therefore can doe the second Exod 9. 3. Fourthly they which can breed scabs and blisters can breed the pestilence cha 9. 10. Lastly the destroyer which flue so many in one night throughout all Egypt with the Plague can plague in like manner to this day where and when he is sent hee was an euill angel saith Dauid he sent euil angels he gaue their life to the Pestilence In Iobs story wee see sufficient demonstrations for this purpose They which can bring downe fire from heauen to destroy beastes may in like maner poison the aire and men with the pestilence the wicked spirits did the first Ergo can do the second Secondly they which can driue windes and tempests together to beate downe houses most violently may be as fit instruments to execute the like iustice and iudgements in the pestilence the wicked spirits c. Thirdly they which can poison the soules of men suggesting and breathing most pestilent motions into the mindes of men to their destruction can much more easily poyson their bodyes when GOD sendeth them for that purpose But Sathan did that first wee see in the Sab◅ans and in the Chaldeans and in all the pestilent crewe of rebellious sinners at this day hee driueth them before him as men driue beastes saith August Ergo. Lastly he that would plague that blessed man of God Iob with most grieuous poyson and torments in his bodie can doe much more vpon all the wicked enemies of God and vessels of wrath and the like also vpon Gods good people to this day but Sathan and his wicked spirites smote Iob with most pestiferous vlcers or pestilentiall carbuncles or biles scabs and sores most noysome Wherefore these wicked spirits may and doe no doubt serue the Lord in the like iudgements to this day And for this cause some of the learned Interpreters haue sayde these two names vsed in this Psalme Keteb and Deber are the names of certaine euill spirites which poyson the ayre with pestilent and venimous exhalations Of all the premises let vs conclude that wee must in this visitation of the Lorde principally lift vp our mindes aboue the secondarie causes Winter Sommer colde heate drought moisture all the elementarie qualities and fasten our eyes vpon the mightie hand of GOD who when and where it pleaseth him sendeth foorth his raunging hunter this olde Dragon these venimous Aspes and bloodie Lyons Sathan and his wicked spirites against vs as in the warres and famine so likewise in the pestilence the Scriptures speake often that the wicked spirites flye about and doe many euils as Iob 1. 7. 2. 2. 1. King 22. 22. Matth. 12. Luke 8. 31. Ro. 16. 20. 2. Cor. 12. 8. Ephe. 2. 2. 6. 11. 1. Pet. 5. 8. 9. But how agrees these Scriptures with Saint Peter◅ words 2. Pet. 2. 45. wee read that the Angels which sinned were cast downe into hel and deliuered into chaines of darkenesse to bee kept vnto damnation so Iude verse 6. They are reserued in
serue him 3. They do Gods will 4. They do it faithfully according to his word Thus far for the first point The 2. thing to be knowne is their loue to Gods Church and great care ouer the faithfull members of the same And certainly their loue is great For it is saide they reioyce ouer one sinner that repenteth and turneth vnto God The Psalmist testifieth of their loue and care when hee faith They pitch their tents round about them which feare the Lorde and desiuer them And here it is said they beare them like as louing parents nurces do their children in their hands and armes to keepe them from scandals and offences And the Lord giueth them in charge thus to doo faith this Prophet heere And hence it is the Author to the Hebrewes describeth them to be Ministring spirits sent from their sakes which shall be heires of saluation And as for their number wee must not curiously search how many each man hath to keepe him for the scriptures tell vs that sometimes many are sent to one man and againe sometimes one Angell is sent for the deliuerance of the whole Church To saue Elisha against the king of Syria the mountaine was full of horses and chariets of fire round about Elisha But in Daâ—â—els time one Angell seemeth to be sent for the protection of the whole Church And in Ezechias time one was of streÌ„gth sufficient to kil and destroy in one night 185000. of the enemies of Gods people And if yet we further desire to learn what ther causes besides that speciall charge of God moue them so to loue vs affect vs and to minister vnto vs for our protection and deliuerance the holy Ghost teacheth vs that first they are members with vs of one bodie which is the whole catholicke Church wherof part is triumphant in heauen part militant vpon earth secondly they haue with vs one spirit for their Lord as to conuert and sanctifie 〈◊〉 so to confirm them in the truth Thirdly they haue with vs one Gospel of comâ—…ort for the Angels saith Peter desire to â—…ehold the mysteries therein contained â—…or their confirmation and our conuersion and euerlasting saluation They are present in the holy assemblies reioyce no doubt greatly to see the Gospell of Iesus Christ preached vnto theiâ—…â—…retheren Lastly they haue one head with vs euen Iesus Christ our Lorde this the Apostle speaketh Christ is set at the right hand of the father in heauenly places farre aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and euery nâ—…me that is named not in this worlde but also in that that is to come and hath made all thinges subiect vnder his feete and hath giuen him ouer all things to bee the head to the Church which is his boâ—…y euen the fulnesse of â—…im that â—…th all things Here foolish Rabbims obiect by occasion of the words of this Psalme Of bearing in their hands That the holy and elect are more worthy persons and more honorable then the Angels because the Angels must as it were attend vpon them and keepe them Their reasons are weake and they too too curious for parents beare children and yet the children are not the â—…re worthy the good shepheard finâ—…th the sheepe which was lost and carrieth it home on his shoulders and yet is not the sheep more worthy then the shepâ—…eard An other question is here demanded of their appearance what letteth it now more then in elder times They know now their visible appearance is both needelesse and dangerous 1. Needlesse for instruction for they know we haue now in the booke of God all the counsell of God reuealed vnto vs so they had not in the old times in that cleare maner that we haue 2. Needlesse for our protection for they can do this inuisibly as well as in sight Elishas guard was as strong and as faithfull before he sawe them as after Lastly their â—…ppearance now is dangerous since Antichrist hath peruerted many with the false worship and inuocation of Angels for since this Idolatrie crept into the Church wee know assuredly that wicked spirits haue taken the forme of good Angels and haue bene adored of miserable men and so deluded many And the visible appearance vnto men would be more terrible in these daies then it was to Manoab and his wife Iudg. 13. And thus farre of their loue towardes the Saints The third and last point to be considered briefly is how long their charge lasteth ouer vs the answere is So long as they walke in their wayes This is that which Sathan left out when hee made assault against Christ for hee can both pare and shred the scriptures and stretch them also otherwhiles to serue his purpose So he can heape vp iudgements to terrifie and amaze poore consciences which are humbled and multiply mercies before such as stand to breede in them dangerous presumptions By these words Their wayes The Psalmist vnderstandeth our seuerall vocations wherein we must walke circumspectly and not rashly runne forth to any vnlawfull meanes as Sathan would haue Christ to do for so doing wee shall tempt God as Christ answereth the diuell in the second temptation Here then we are taught to walke wisely within our boundes and not to vse vnlawfull meanes or to neglect the good meanes giuen vs of God for our benefit and good We must not â—…lie in the ayre for God hath not giuen vs wings to flye but legges to walke We must not talke of reuelations for God doth not so teach vs now but by his written word Wee must not goe to witches in extremitie to theft in pouertie for so wee walke out of our wâ—… and the holy Angels forsake vs 〈◊〉 wicked spirits will maister vs and confound vs. The workes of our calling are called in scripture the way wherein we must walke desiring the Lord to blesse them and all lawfull meanes appointed for vs. Now to make vse of this doctrine briefly for our present purpose no doubt of all other spirituall preseruatiues this of the Angels is one of the best against the pestilence For we may not doubt but â—…mly beleeue they pitch their tents and â—…et as it were an hedge about vs for our custodie and preseruation as the diuell conâ—…esseth it of Iobs protection So then consider euill angels are cruel good Angels are mercifull euill angels are olde and subtile good Angels are of â—…ke yeares and more wise euil angels are very expert to send forth venimous exhalations to poyson the ayre the good Angels are more wise to purge the same the euill angels are strong and mightie but they be fearefull and feare abates strength the good angels are more mightie and excell them in strength and voyd of feare for that they be voyd of 〈◊〉 To bee short looke wherein the euâ—…â—…ngels haue any might to hurt vs and annoy
translated out of Dutch into Latine and in English thus much God hath created phisicke and giuen vs a minde and reason that euerie man should haue a care of his owne bodie for health and life whosoeuer vvil not vse these vvhen as vvithout the hurt of his neighbour hee may the same man betraieth his owne life and there lacketh little but that before God he is made a murtherer for by the same reason hee may despise meate and drinke rayment and housing and trusting too much vnto his faith saie if God vvill hee can preserue me without all these thinges then the which follie this is yet greater that hee whiche after this sorte casteth off the care of his bodie he may hurt and infect others also and so through his negligence he may purchase the blame of a murderer Some men doe indeed as foolish men doe in a common firing which will not come and helpe the citie but let the fire alone that the whole citie might be burned namelie vpon this trust doubtlesse if God will ◅e can without water quench the fire But friend thou oughtest in no wise so to deale Nay it is vnlawfull and shamefull which thou perswadest thy selfe but rather vse remedies and medicines and doo whatsoeuer anie way may helpe perfume thine house orchard or streete flie the infested places and so behaue thy selfe as one willing to quench and not to maintaine this open fire Againe it followeth in the same treatise If Sathan by the will of God either by himselfe or his Ministers hath wrought vs this deadlie infection I on the other side before all things will pray vnto God that of his mercie he will take away the same from vs then I will put to my simple helping hand both by perfuming aud clensing of the ayre by vsing of medicines and also in sbunning the infection where my presence is not necessarie Lest I might seeme my selfe to haue neglected some thing or to be cause of death vnto other who through my negligence may take harme But if God neuerthel◅sse will haue me vi◅ited with this sicknesse or call me out of this world vnto his kingdome yet I haue done but that which was my dutie neither haue I offeded◅◅n any thing either against my selfe or my neighhour but vvhere my seruice is needfull there I will let passe nothing of all things which either can or ought to be done of me Behold this is that godly faith indeed which doth nothing rashly neither tempteth God in any thing Thus thē I conclude when thou shalt haue wisely considered and discerned the causes of the pestilence then turn to God as the Prophet biddeth with all thine heart with fasting with weeping with mourning and slie aloft by faith into the secret place almightie shadow blessed protection of the Lord and there rest patiētly as vnder his holy wings euer praying for the increase of faith and patience that thou maist quietly wa◅t and depend vpon God and for a good conscience that so thou maist auoyde false foolish vaine and wicked feares and cheerfully standing in thy place and carefully call for the protection of the mightie blessed and holie Angels for the communion and presence of Iesus Christ so shalt thou chase far*away from thee the wicked and vncleane spirits which are sent of God to poysen and to destroy men with the pestilence And lastly when thou hast vsed al the meanes before shewed for thy spirituall helpe and comfort thou must neglect no ordinance nor helpe of God in nature both for thy cure and preseruation The wicked indeed inuert peruert this order as did Asa and therefore no maruell if they receiue often a curse in steed of a blessing for if phisicke giue them health of body their soules notwithstanding are neuer cured or made any better by their chasticements but they daily gather more strength to commit sin with greater boldnesse MAISTER GREENEHAMS PRAYER O God most mighty glorious and righteous O Father most louing gracious and merciful which keepest couenant and mercie in Iesus Christ for all those which receiuing the first fruites of thy holy spirit walke before thee in vprightnesse of their heart we thy vnworthy children come vnto thee in the name of thy onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ our Lord beseeching thee to renue and encrease thy holy spirit in vs and to purifie our hearts more and more by faith that we may haue a clearer sight and a surer perswasion of thy fatherly goodnesse vnto vs and that we may more readily perform our dutifull obedience vnto thee For we do acknowledge confesse vnto thy sacred Maiestie that wee haue yet neuer hitherto worthily estemed thy mercies towards vs nor sufficiently expressed the fruites of our bounden dutie towards thee but that stil we remaine ignorant and forgetfull of many good things which wee ought and might know And we confesse Lord we are slack vnto those things which thy holy spirit offereth to our mindes vnapt to do them soone weary of wel-doing and wherein we please thee something we please our selues too much Moreouer we likewise confesse that we are ignorant of many euill things that we haue done doo or may doo forgetfull of diuers things which sometime we haue had knowledge and remorce of And now the thinges which come to our remembrance and are in our sight do not appeare to be so sinfull in any measure as they are and ought of vs to be regarded Yea we are beguiled or euer we are aware with our present corruptions and they cleaue so fast vnto vs that wee can hardly leaue them but most hardly be brought to true repentance of them We besee◅h therfore thy sacred Maiestie to worke in vs by thy holy spirit a wise and carefull searching out of and into our sinnes that by thy lawe wee may be conuinced of them awakened by thy threatnings rebuked for them by thy iudgements executed vpon the wicked and exercised towarde thy children seruants and friends that so we may feare and tremble for them And by the serious premeditation of the vncertaine houre of a most certaine death of the day of thy generall in◅itable and dreadfull iudgement of the horrible euerlasting paines of the wicked in the helles and their losse of the inestimable ioyes of the heauens stirre vp our dead heartes to seeke thee O Father in thy Christ and thy sonne our Lorde and Sauiour in the Gospell And finally wee pray that wee may be euen confounded in our selues by the fruitfull remembrance of thy blessed sufferings the most precious bloud-sheading and death of our Lorde Iesus Christ that so wee may bee humbled after that manner and measure thy children should bee beseeching thee that wee may so aforehand accuse our selues before thy blessed Maiestie that our aduersarie may haue no power hereafter to accuse vs so iudge our selues that we be not iudged by thee so with shame sorrow feare trembling acknowledge the
the heate of the Sunne and long trauel greatly reioyce when they come to a couert where they may rest and refresh their wearie bodies So the spirits of the faithful much disquieted with the afflictiōs of this life can find their sweet sleepe when they can by a holy faith in Iesus Christ repose themselues as in the bosome of the Almightie Where first wee are to learne how louingly the holy Ghost doth warne vs to cleaue vnto God and to perseuere in his holy worship in afflictions in time of triall wherein the wicked runne to any of the creatures rather then to God yea sometimes to Sathan himselfe before they seeke any refuge or comfort in the Almightie Such as rest in the ordinary creatures only are meere Atheists such as seeke to Sathan and his artes are bewitched Papists Idolaters and such like Such as when all helpes faile them are driuen at last by theyr corrections as Iob speaketh to come vnto the Lord are weake in the faith Such as first seeke reconciliation and peace with God by Iesus Christ and then desire a blessing in the vse of the creatures are wise and good Christians The Prophet saith not they haue a sure defence in war which haue many men many horses c. in famine store of corne and good prouision in pestilence good naturall preseruatiues and curatiues but that such as haue a strong faith in Iesus Christ are then greatly blessed and shall be mightily preserued Some thinke it is a light matter to come to God by faith and to lye downe as it were in his bosome confidently in afflictions But this is one speciall brand and marke of the faithfull and that which God most desireth and a point without the gracious assistance of Gods spirit which is not in the power of flesh and bloud to practise There is a notable storie 2. Chron. 13. 18. of Abiah and his people of Iudah of whom it is said that they preuailed against their enemies because they stayed vpon the Lord God of their father And the like we haue 2. Chron. 16. 7. of Asa his falling away in his latter age in his afflictions first he is said to haue run from the Lord to Gods professed enemies the Syrians and to haue made a couenant with them to helpe him in his warres against the Israelites at which time Hanni the seer came to the King and spake these words Because thou hast rested vpon the King of Aram and not rested in the Lord thy God therefore is the host of that King of Aram run away from thee and thou verse 9. shalt haue warres againe And then the Prophet confirmeth his prophesie by the kings former experience in the victories the Lord gaue him before by faith when hee cried to God in feruent prayer saying 2. Chron. 14. 11. Helpe Lord for we rest on thee The Ethiopians and Lubbims were they not a greast bost with charrets and horse exceeding many yet because thou didst rest vpon the Lord hee did deliuer them into thine hands then hee added this notable argument For the eyes of the Lord behold all the earth to shewe himselfe strong with them whose h◅art is sound towards him In the like maner he is noted in his sicknes not to haue sought the Lorde in the first place but the Phisition In all extremities then our first refuge must bee by faith vnto the true God for he will be and must be if we regard but our alleageance only we owe vnto his maiestie first sought for and honored before the creatures I. Question What benefite comfort and rest Gods people may receiue by faith in the Pestilence THe blessed faith of the Saints of God is a wonderfull supernaturall grace by the which we greatly please God and without it we displease him in althings without exception This great grace and gift of God as it is most needfull at all seasons and turnes so most of all in extremities for if it then faile vs we shall be carried away as with a maine saile from the Creator to the creature and and we shall fixe all our sences vpon them and confidence in them forget the great Lord and gouernour of all the host of heauen and earth This vertue greatly pleased Iesus Christ in his miraculous cures on earth and doth no lesse doubtlesse please him now in heauen The faith of the Gospell or Euangelicall requires 1. that you beleeue that the Messias is come 2. that you beleeue that Iesus Christ the sonne of the Virgin Mary is God and Man or God manifested in the flesh and that very Messias which was to come 3. that you beleeue in him for your perfect redemption 4. lastly it was required in these which resorted vnto him for miraculous cures that they carried with them a particular faith to be healed that is a comfortable perswasion of heart that hee both could and would heale them and such afflicted persons as they prayed for might be healed This holy faith I say greatly pleased Christ in earth and shall preuaile with him in heauen also for all mercies and blessings to the worlds end And the contrary sinne did hinder many graces streaming sweetely from him vnto the Iewes and so doth still to all vnbeleeuers among the Gentiles This the Euangelists tell vs where they say that when hee camo to Capernaum his owne Countrey Hee did not many workes there for their vnbeleefes sake And another saith Hee coul◅ not there do any great workes for their vnbeleefe and that he maruelled at their vnbeleefe Wee see then how insidelitie may keep◅ backe from vs Iesus Christ with all his riches The faithfull euer returned from his Maiestie both sweetely comforted with his blessings and graciously strengthened with his louing commendations The Centurion which came vnto him in Capernaum with a good heart and a sound faith first he receiued this blessing Goe thy way and as thou hast beleeued so be it vnto thee and his seruant was healed the same houre Then followed this comfortable commendation Uerily I say vnto you I haue not found so great faith euen in Israel Againe the woman with the bloudie Issue shee receiued many mercies from Iesus Christ first this comfort hee calls her Daughter secondly this blessing the issue of her bloud was stayed and healed thirdly this commendation Daughter bee of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole Againe two blinde men crie to be healed hee asked them of their faith Beleeue ye that I am able to do this they said yea Lord and then hee said vnto them according to your faith be it vnto you and they were healed Of a Cananitish woman it is written that she was most earnest with Christ and she is at last gratiously comforted first with this commendation O woman great is thy faith be it vnto thee as thou desirest secondly with this blessing Her daughter was made whole in that instant The like commendation and comfort
Like his God in righteousnesse and true holinesse Ephe. 4. 24. So that in regard as of his first honour so of his last glory which shall be yet more excellent the Psalmist bursteth out into this holy admiration What is man thou hast made him litle lower then Angels crowned him with glory and honour Now then the Lorde hauing enriched him with so many graces and aduanced him to that imperiall dignitie because hee so shamefully subscribed and consented to Sathans vntroaths and conspired with the onely enemie of the Almightie his sinnes were most dreadfull and drowned him in perdition with all his progenie And thus we are all become the subiects vassals and vncleane cages of wicked spirits which haue an inuisible acquaintance societie and spirituall affinitie with our spirits before Christ come and binde that strong man Luk. 11. 21. before the Gospell and faith in Iesus Christ make cleane the heart Ioh. 15. 3. Act. 159. Before the mightie spirit transforme and reforme our mindes hearts and affections Rom 12. 2. Ephe. 4. 18. This is Adams progenie Who can bring a cleane thing out of silthinesse There is not one vers 14. VVhat is man that hee should bee cleane verse 16. Man is abhominable and filthy and drinketh iniquitie like water Nay we are said before grace to be the very seede of the serpent Gen. 3. 15. Ephe. 2. 3. 4. And the very children of the diuell Ioh. 84. And thus to conclude this point the noblest of all inferior creatures is become the vilest and basest of all creatures and most abhorred of God the wicked spirits excepted in this life subiect to innumerable curses and miseries in the next to infinite torments and euerlasting in this life the soule Sathans vassall to inuent the body Sathans instrument to practise and in the life to come both companions of his confusion Thus we see briefly how Sathan became the god and prince of this worlde And this is hee who with great power and might continually ruleth and worketh in all the sonnes of Adam the children of disobedience as the Apostle speaketh And hee worketh also so inuisibly and so strangely that till Christ come and his spirit the most wise in this world can neuer discerne him For this cause one saith thus Suadent miris inuisibilibus modis perillam subtiâ—…itatem suorum corporum corpora hominum non sentientium penetrando seque cogitationibus corum per quaedam imaginaria visa miscendo siue vigilantium siue dormientium They perswade by maruellous and inuisible meanes piersing by reason of their ayrie thin bodies the bodies of men when they perceiue it not and so confounding mingling themselues by means of some imaginations conceiued with the motions of their mindes both waking and sleeping And thus hee poisoneth so strongly the sences of men as the best Diuine is not able to expresse the manner of his working How effectually and suddenly did hee possesse Iudas How strangely did he surprise Ananias and Sapphira Who can expresse how hee breathed such poyson into their hearts or iniected such motions in theyr mindes An other saith hee worketh in his vassals with as great facilitie as the beames of the Sunne in any liquid or soft matter Tertullian writeth of this secret power and working of Sathan in the soules of men very learnedly c. Suppetit illis ad vtramque substantiâ—…n c. Like as blastes destroy fruits and trees inuifibly strangely so saith this learned man do wicked spirits kill and poyson the bodies and soules of men And Augustine speaking of this point doth notably teach vs the blindenesse and madnesse of men who many times to excuse and couer Sathan they blame some euill humour or distemperance in theyr bodies Daemones saith he quantum viderinâ—… fidem in homine crescere tantum ab eo refugiunt si tamen in aliqua infidelitatis parte resederint cum tempus inuenient cogitationes subiscient coraibus hominum ills nescientes vnde haec veniant suggestionibus daemonum quasi animae suae sensibus credunt suggerunt ergo alijs occasione corporeae necessitatis delicias sequi aliorum iracundiam excusant per abundantiam fellis aliorum insaniam nigri fellis vehementia colorant sed stultitiam quorundam ob phlegmatis multitudinem extenuant The diuels the more they see a man increase in faith the more they flye from him but if they haue any residence in any part infected with infidelitie when they finde opportunitie they suggest many thoughts into mens hearts and they not knowing whence these cogitations come they beleeue the suggestions of deuils as if they were the motions of their owne spirits They suggest therfore vnto some to follow after their delights by occasion of some bodily necessitie they excuse others for their anger by abundance of choller and the madnesse of some they colour and hide vnder excesse of melancholy and they lessen the folly of others also because they abound in phlegme And because this enemie so inuisible so mightie and so dangerous can hardly be discouered great arguments and signes of his kingdome and habitation are thes by Gods light giuen vs. The heartfull of infidelitie without any measure of faith Act. 5. 3. 2. The minde full of grosse ignorance in the fundamentall pointes of saluation 2. Cor. 4. 4. Ephe. 5 8 4 18. Col. 1. 13. 3. To walke in the workes of darknes howsoeuer we pretend knowledge 1. Io. 1. 5 6 7. 4 Vncleannesse of body or soule Math. 12. 43. 5. A relapse into fearefull sinnes and to bee worse after then before 2. Pet. 2. 2. 21. Math. 12. 44. 45. 6. To see onely into the bare story of the Gospell not to vnderstand profitably any part of it Luke 8. 12. 7. To persecute the word with blasphemies Matth. 12. 30. And with violence Io. 8. 44. 8. To withstand the true Preachers of the Gospell with all subtiltie and mischiefe Act. 13. 10. 9. To haue Sathan breathing into the heart continuall disobedience Ephe. 2. 2. 10. To be as it were haltered and choked with cares riches and pleasures Luk 8. 14. All proud sinnes argue Sathans presence in the wicked neuer humbled alwaies and in the beleeuers when they fall into such sinnes till they for sake them by repentance Diabolicibus est ebrietas luxuria fornicatio vniuersa vitia Drunkennesse riot whoredome and all proud sinnes are the diuels meat that is he lodgeth feasteth and sporteth himselfe where such abhominations are committed Cyprian sheweth his vigilancie and great strife to re-enter where hee is once dislodged Circuitisle nos singulos tanquam hostis clausos obsidet muros explorat tentat an sit aliqua pars membrorum minus stabilis mirus fida cuius aditr ad interiora penutrat The diuell compasseth about euery one of vs and as an enemie doth beset our walles hee searcheth and trieth whether any part of vs be weake and vnsure
many A◅heists and prophane beastes are driuen not for any trouble of conscience but as that myser by the spirite of couetousnesse some by the spirit of fornication corporall and spirituall to hang and drowne themselues because they cannot obtaine that which they purposed desired as we see in Achitophel Therfore these worldly sorrows must be wisely discerned from the good sorrowes of the troubled consciences of the faithfull Wee must euer desire the light of Gods louing countenance which we may be assured of if we keepe faith a good conscience but if we make shipwracke of these the least thing shall greatly amaze vs yea the shaking of a leafe but if we haue this nothing shalt dismay vs. This paine is like to other griefes and no doubt accompanied with many other euils out of the body losse of goods name honour c. In the body sundrie diseases goe before and follow it melancholy c. But if worldly sorrow alone turmoyle the heart as for riches goods lost let these be recouered and all teares are soone gone and past but the troubled conscience is not so quieted And as for melancholy and other paines in the body they are cured wee see with medicines and good diet but nothing can appease this euill till Christs bloud be applyed 2 The griefe of conscience smites the heart Cant. 5. 6. My heart was gone when hee did speake I sought him but I could not finde him Againe Esay speaking of this troubled conscience saith I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to reuiue the spirit of the humble and to giue life to them that are of a contrite heart And Dauid A contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Thus then we see this griefe is in the hart melting it as fire doth mettals in what measure it pleaseth the Lord to humble his children 3 This sorow presseth downe the soule so Dauid complaineth Why art thou cast downe my soule and disqui◅ted within me wai◅ on God Psal. 43. 5. 4 Lastly I adde the troubled consciences of the faithfull can neuer finde ease but in Iesus Christ. There streames from him a most sweete liuing water as from a fountaine dayly to purge and wash our running sores and to heale the paine and griefe of our hearts By his stripes are wee healed 2. The Saints euer sought to Christ and none other to case them of this paine Psalme 51. 1. Cant. 5. 6. 7. 3. If by any other meanes the conscience be falsely quieted it will afterwardes rage farre worse then before much like vnto Sauls spirit which for some moment of time could b◅e quieted by some sweete melodie but when the musicke was ended he fell into his old furious phrensies againe The troubled consciences of the faithfull most appeare 1. In their calling 2. After 1 When God doth separate his elect by the preaching of the G◅spell that they may be sanctisied by his spirit and come to the profes◅ion of his faith 2. Thess. 2. 13. 14. There must bee then great and many perturbations in the hearts soules of such as the Lord effectually calleth vnto his grace for the heart before was chained and fastned to Sathan sinne and the world and this league and fellowship can not easily be broken Secondly the heart which before was stony and slintie must now be softened Ezech. 11. 19. I will take away the stonie hearts out of their bodyes and will giue them an heart of flesh Thirdly examples teach this Paule is stricken downe from heauen greatly humbled The good hearers Act. 2. when the Lord began to awake their consciences they were picked in their hearts and cryed saying Men and brethren what shall we do Fourthly some maister sinne and inueterate custome in sinne will breed great wrastling and strife at this time Fiftly some enormious sinnes will cause many to bleed at the heart and to dispaire 2 After the Lord hath vouchsaf◅d to giue his elect his spirit of grace and hath giuen them heartes to beleeue in Iesus Christ and after peace obtained with God in Christ after accesse to grace and the blessed reioycing in the hope of the glorie of God the old enemies may yet amaze disquiet and cast downe the soules of Gods elect Dauid saith hee felt some terrors and troubles of minde euen from his youth The reasons are first they haue dayly falles and therefore their repentance humiliation and sorow must dayly be renued Secondly they must otherwhiles againe be humbled for their olde sinnes to proceed on in repentance and least they fall into them againe Psal. 25. 6. Iob. 13. 26. Thirdly God layeth a grieuous hand vpon them when they giue cause through great sinnes that his enemies blaspheme his holy name for the example doth much harme it imboldens the wicked makes faint the heartes of his children Therefore hath Dauid suffered more torments of conscience then any other 2. Sam. 12. verse 14. Remedies and helpes for troubled consciences are these which follow FIrst pray earnestly for the restoring of the holy comforter Psal. 51. 10. and for a clean heart Ioh. 14. 16. Lu. 11. 13. 2 With prayer striue to ioyne much weeping and fasting if thy strength will beare it Psal 69. 10. 3 With prayer fasting comfort thy self with a meditation of the vse of all the afflictions of the faithful Ioh. 7. 13. Psal. 77. for thou hast no tentation nor affliction of conscience but they haue had the same or the like 1. Pet. 5. 9. 4 When thine owne cries and teares cannot finde Christ aske the watchmen and the daughters of Ierusalem for him and so neuer rest but by all good meanes finde him Cant. 5. 6. 7. 8. 6 If all this will not helpe thee seeke to the Elders of the Church and acknowledge thy sins to one or moe most discreet wise godly righteous mē fearing God that they may haue compassion on thee thē be perswaded their cries vnto God shall preuaile for thee Confesse your selues one to another and pray one for another for the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and if he hath committed sinne it shall bee forgiuen him So farre for the good conscience of Gods children quieted and troubled now the euill conscience of the wicked followeth AN euill conscience is a conscience neuer purged by the blood of Iesus Christ. An euil conscience is either 1. Liuing or 2. Dead The first is the naturall conscience of the naturall man retaining naturall sight and naturall feeling and this liuing conscience is euer 1. Accusing 2. Excusing The naturall man hath left in him sundry generall motions of good and euill which are most crooked corrupt rules being tried by the first Table of the Lawe of God but his knowledge is not so much darkene◅ and corrupted in the generall heads of the second Table This man in all points that
speaketh we shall hardly finde one such amongst a thousand Thirdly he addeth they must be the Elders of the church that is such as are best knowne to thee thine owne wise pastor c. which can best discerne al thy sores or that minister which hath bene Gods most holy ordinance either for thy conuersion or confirmation Question BVt here now a question may bee demanded whether the same Ministers of God which serue the Lord in their publike ministry and come to the holy assemblies are charged also in this place to attend vpon the visitatiō of the sicke in time of pestilence Answere TO this I answer with men of iudgement that it were very expedient that at such times there should be certaine speciall men chosen for this purpose men knowne both for their ministery godlinesse and sinceritie of life who should not neglect their dutie concerning eyther the soules or bodies of the faithfull which they could performe or cause any way to be done for their good Secondly I answere that I cannot see how the Pastor notwithstanding can neglect any of his slocke committed of the Lord vnto his charge in any calamitie or the pestilence For the Apostles charge is so general in my iudgement that it excludeth all exceptions of persons time and sicknesse Any man may send in any sicknesse for the Elders of the Church But here let wise Christians be carefull as not to abuse the loue of their kinsfolkes and friends so to preferre the health of all the congregation before their own and so to striue to content themselues with the presence of such as the magistrates haue selected and appointed for this purpose This religious loue care for the church was in Boz who being sicke himselfe of the plague at Lausanna would not haue M. Ioh. Caluin and P. Viret to come vnto him when they offered freely most lo◅ingly to come visit him because saith he we must preferre the benefit of Gods Church and the glorie of God before our owne comforts and the preseruation of our owne life Fourthly these men must be men of great loue mercy compassion for this cause hee willeth vs to take the Elders of our Church that is such louing knowne mercifull men as can will mourne with vs and for vs. Psal 41. 1. Blessed is hee that iudgeth wisely of the poore the Lord shall deliuer him in time of trouble A notable example of this compassion is in Iobs friends for first they came to comfort him secondly they wept greatly when they sawe him thirdly their great griefe is signified in renting of their cloathes fourthly their compassion in sitting by him seuen dayes and seuen nights in silence This is the time when Gods children must striue to shew their affection and brotherly kindnesse towards the Saints Fifthly these holy Elders which visit the sicke must affect one thing be of one minde and of one accord for the cri◅s and praiers of such men be very strong and can soonest and best preuaile with the Lord according to his owne truth holy promise Uerely I say vnto you that if two of you shall agree in earth vpon any thing whatsoeuer they shall desire it shall be giuen them of my father which is in heauen for where two or three are gathered togither in my name there am I in the midst of them The truth of this promise is to be seene in the practise and praier of the holy Saints The disciples which were met togither to pray for the good successe of the gospel for spirituall courage boldnesle in their ministry for the cōfirmatiō of their doctrine by signes wonders I it is said of the whole multitude of thē which beleeued there prayed That they were of one heart of one soule Ast. 4. 31. 32. They lift vp their voyces vnto God with one accord ver se 24. 3. After prayer they obteined all that they asked For it is said first that they were confirmed presently with a myracle The place was shaken where they were assembled togither and all were filled with the holy Ghost vers 31. 2. They receiued their second request spirituall boldnesse courage for it is said they spake the word of God boldly ver 31. 3. Lastly the Gospell was more glorified had a more free passage daily And the day of Penticost when they waited togither in praier for the gifts of the holy Ghost It is said they were altogither with one accord in one place And the holy Disciples which beleeued they are said that in hearing the word in praier they continued with one accorde daily in the Temple These Elders then of whom Iames speaketh must be thus affected Religious men faithfull men deuout men righteous men and such will not lightly iarre or disagree but be most carefull to keepe the bandes of loue in holy peace and vnitie with heart and minde affecting one thing and bearing with them of weaker iudgement till the Lord hath reuealed better things vnto them These men thus hauing one heart and one mouth may send forth such cries vnto the Lord as shall be heard and none other Sixtly S. Iames requireth that they be faithfull men righteous men and m◅n of good feeling They must haue faith for otherwise they cannot pray as wee haue before shewed ver 15. of that 19. Psalme they must be righteous men for otherwise they shall be reiected of God in this sacrifice which they offer Pro. 21. 27. and the sicke can haue no comfort in them And they must haue a good feeling of the wants of their brother otherwise their praier will not worke and be effectuall so the promise is to be vnderstood the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much which is working and effectuall Seuenthly they must instruct and admonish the patient and by mutuall conference so stirre him vp to open and re◅eale such sinnes and euils as most grieue his hart and conscience They must know his passions his life his calling his knowledge his feare his affections his loue and all his conuersation and how long he hath knowne Iesus Christ. Againe here they must be wise to discerne whether Sathan hath wounded him with any siery dart and so hath caused him to doubt of his election vocation faith repentance c. They must be prouided of examples which may shewe him how that other of Gods children haue so bene smitten haue languished long and yet at last were graciously restored But nothing comparable to our owne experience Here let them pray earnestly for the spirit of iudgement for that Sathan hath many strange inuisible delusions and remember the prouerbe That a gracious speech heateth the passions of the soule A word spoken in his place is like app◅es of golde with pictures of siluer Eightly Saint Iames requireth in the visitors of the sicke verse 15. a praier of faith They must
vilenesse oâ—… our sinnes wholely before the throne of thy iustice that wee finde it to be a throne of grace and mercie vnto vs in Iesus Christ our Lord. Now O Lord the searcher of the hearts and reynes thou knowing this to be the humble and single desire of our hearts we flye vnto thee for refuge beseeching thee by thy holy spirit to worke in vs a clearer sight of the wisedome of our Lord Iesus Christ whereby our mindes may be further cleared from blindnes and we haue a clearer sight of the whole misterie of our saluation in him and graunt vs God a fuller perswasion of the discharge of all our sinnes in his death and of the imputation of his righteousnesse vnto vs in his resurrection that the guiltinesse of our conscience may daily more and more goe away from vs and peace of the same be confirmed in vs especially in the time of our temptation and trouble the day of our death and the houre of iudgement And next most mercifull Father graunt vs a more powerfell experience of his death killing sinne in vs and of his resurrection raising vs vp vnto a new life that daily we may be lesse sinfull and more holy righteous and sober in this present life that so also wee may haue a more sure and stedfast hope in his redemption and may more strongly resist the vanities of this world in false pleasures profits and glories and more patiently endure all manner of miseries of the same which may befall vs vntill his glorious appearing when he shal come to bee glorious in his Saintes and made maruellous in all those which beleeue in him Amen Furthermore O Lord whereas we are priuie to our selues or it is knowne vnto others or vnto thee that thereby any sinne or sinnes more strange in vs through our corrupt nature or custome or the temptatioÌ„ of others or of the tempter we beseech thee that there we may labour to finde the precious death of our Lord Iesus Christ more powerfull in subduing the same and whereas through vnabilitie of nature want of meanes or grace wee are weaker in any duties of well-doing there wee may striue to finde the vertue of his glorious resurrection more effectuall in raising vs vp in meanes of life so that our familiar corruptions being cured and our speciall infirmities beeing relieued wee may be also endued as with generall graces meete for all Christians so with such peculiar graces as may be meete for our callings and inable vs to gloriâ—…ie thy holy name build vp others in well doing and treasure vp the fruites of a good conscience for our selues at all times and especially in our neede And in this behalfe the desire of our heart is that thy holy spirit worke in vs the renouncing of our reason so farre forth as it is blinde and the crucifying of our affections so farre forth as they be corrupt that so wee may offer them vp with soule and body in sacrifice of humiliation and that hauing receiued these graces we may also oâ—…er them vp in a sacrifice of obedience vnto thy gracious Maiestie And wherein soeuer wee haue doe or shall with thy graces obey thee wee desire to offer vp thy graces our obedience and our selues in a sacrifice of thankesgiuing and praising of thy holy and blessed name through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen All thy waies O Lord we acknowledge to be mercie and truth we beseech thee therefore giue vs the holy fruites of all the good meanes thou hast heretofore wrought our good by as thy holy and sweete promises preached vnto vs red of vs meditated vpon by our selues or conferred of with others the prayers thankesgiuings Psalmes Hymnes of our selues our friends and thy church thy sacred Sacraments the ministeric of thy holy Angels the coÌ„munion of thy Saints admonitioÌ„ which hath bin giueÌ„ vs for our good most humbly entreating that we may haue sanctified vnto vs the remembrance of thy former mercies bestowed vpoÌ„ thy church vpoÌ„ any member therof or vpoÌ„ our selues either in benefits or in crosses albeit our nature is most impatieÌ„t either of reproches offred vnto vs by our enemies or any iniuries by our friends yet herein we feruently aske of thy wise and mercifull goodnes that wee may reape a good fruite euen of such euill meanes And because wee grow to be acquainted with the pride of ourspirits and sloathfulnesse of our flesh and fewe meanes are left vs and many offences by our selues conceiued by others and Sathan offered do alreadie and are daily like more to assaile vs O Lord thou which hast bene our God euen from our first birth especially since our new birth bee thou the God of our middle age yea of our old dayes if wee liue so long vntill thou finish the last worke of our new birth begun and continued thus farre in vs. To this ende we aske of thee that we may vow and receiuing grace from thee wee doo vowe to vse all these forenamed good meanes of our saluation more mercifully then yet euer we vsed them in vsing of them wee aske more feare of thy Maiestie faith of thy promises purenesse of our hearts loue vnto others and withall blessing and fruite more aboundant that our latter workes may be better then our former Wofull experience O blessed Sauiour teacheth and moueth vs to call vpon thee as for these former things so to be preserued and protected by thy almightie and mercifull grace from our owne corruption to come from all Sathans temptations and accusations from all manner of contagion of the vngodly in their iniuries reproches and in their benefites praises their sorceries inchantments yea from any hurt of thy children as they be not regenerate from any hurt by thy creatures so farre forth as any of these things may hurt our saluation Former experience Ô mightie God and mercifull Father ought not onely to teach but also to enforce vs to giue thee thankes praise and glory for thy former mercies vpon vs and thy Church bestowed but wherein thou hast prouided for vs many arguments of strength of faith or ignorance forgetfulneâ—…e negligence and want of reuerence of thy mercies receiued minister iust cause of humiliation and therefore in some faith in and thankfulnesse for thy former mercifull blessings and yet in much weakenesse in the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord with our whole heart we beseech thee giue vs a good portion of thy spirit to call carefully thy benefites to our remembrance wisely to vnderstand them and reuerently to regard and truly to be thankfull for them in minde in heart in word and deed through Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen Wee beseech thee most mightie God and mercifull Father to make partakers of our praiers and thankesgiuings all the whole Church and euery member therof especially where dutie most chargeth promise bindeth necessitie craueth and thy glory chalengeth c. LEt the rich seeke for the godly wise and learned