Englands Sickness Compared to Israels, Lectures · Lecture 2

Englands Sickness Compared to Israels · Lectures · Lecture 2

p. 53ENGLANDES SICKENES. THE Second Lecture.

IEREM. CHAP. 8. VER. 22.

Why is not the health of the daughter of my people recouered?

WE hauehave described the Person, the Church of Israel, as she is her own, as shee is her owners: what in regarde of her selfe, what in respect of her God. It remaines now only to enquire, how shee is affected. Shee is Sicke; which is necessarily implied from Gods complaint. Why is not the health of my daughter recouered? She was sicke, and so sicke, that the Prophet complaines, aaMicah. 1.9.Mic 1:9Her wound is incurable, for it is come (euen to the heart) vntounto Iudah. Incurable, in regard of her owne misery, not of her Sauiours mercy. She was low brought in the Babilonish Captiuity. bbEsay. 1.9.Isa 1:9Except the Lord of hostes had p. 54left vntounto vsus a very small remnant, wee should hauehave beene as Sodome,ccLam. 3.22.Lam 3:22 and like vntounto Gomorrah? It is of the Lords mercies, that wee are not consumed, because his compassions (though our obedience) faile not. But her honour lay in the dust, when her Apostacie had forfeited her happinesse: Superstition taking the vpper hand of Deuotion, and the traditions of man getting the start and ascendency of Gods precepts; When her disease grew too frenzy, and her sicknesse so excluding from it selfe all recouerable hope, that shee had slaine her Physitian, and killed him that should hauehave carried her.

Whence it appeares, that a particular visible Church might and may fall away from grace, and hauehave the ddReuel. 2.5.Rev 2:5Candlesticke remooued. The Papists bragge of their numerous multitude, and promontorious celsitude. Rome boasts that their Church stands vponupon an eeNath. 5, 14hill. So it doth on ffReuel. 17.9Rev 17:9six hilles too many. Shee is mounted high enough, if this could iustif…e her. She had better bate of her height, and …ise in her goodnesse. There may be a locall succession, but if not in faith and doctrine, mole ruit sua, her toppe-heauy weight ouerthrowes her. May it not be said of her, as Ieremie of Egipt? ggIer. 46.11.Jer 46:11Goe vp into Gilead and take balms, Oh virgin the daughter of Egipt: in vaine shalt thou vse many medicines, for thou shalt not be cured. It is no wonder then, no wrong, if we depart from her, that hath departed from the truth of the Gospell, and faith of Christ.

I will not descend into the view of her apostacie, though iust occasion may seeme heere offred; but turne my selfe and speech to our selues, who are sound in doctrine, sicke in conversation; but (I trust) not without good hope of recouerie.

But so soone as the Romish malignancie heares me say, wee are sicke; they instantly insult, reproching our doctrine. But doe hhTertul.men try the faith by the persons, or the persons by the faith? It is a silly argument (à moribus ad doctrinam) from the life to the doctrine. Yet (though we desire p. 55and striue to hauehave our owne liues better) we feare not to match them with theirs. Our sicknesse would be esteemed lesse, if we would goe to Rome for a medicine. (For the Papist may better steale the horse, than the Protestant looke on.) But so long as we hauehave approoued Phisitions at home, what need we walke so farre to a Mountebanke? It is a false rumour, there is no sound ayre but the Romish. Is it not rather true, that thence comes all infection? And that they who hauehave forsaken vsus to seeke health there, hauehave gone out of Gods blessing into the warme Sunne?

Our liues trouble them: this they obiect, this they exprobrate ad nauseam vsque. But do they not stumble at our strawes, and leape ouer their owne blockes? cauill at our motes, and forget (or iustifie) their owne beames? The swelling on the Foxes head shall be a horne, if the Pope will so iudge it: a Catiline, Lopus, Garnet, Faulx, an honest man, a Catholike, a Saint, if hee will so interpret, so canonize him. If I should but pricke this ranke vein, how would Rome bleed?i Ia vita Aug. Would not (haec prodidisse, be vicisse, as Erasmus said of Augustines dealing against the Maniches) the very demonstration of these things, be a sufficient conuiction? Vnnaturall and hideous treasons, conspiracies against whole kingdomes, deposing, dethroning, touching with a murderous hand (Christos Dei) the Annointed of God; oathes, vncleannesses, periuries from whom are they produced, by whom practised, if not mostly, if not onelyonly by Papists? They prie, search, deride, censure the forepart of their Wallet, wherein they put our iniquities: whiles their owne sinnes are ready to breake their neckes behinde them. The greatest euils wee hauehave are theirs; father'd by those that will not be mother'd of our Church: kkAug. d. vn…t Eccles. cap. 16Sir 16Haec non ad frument a Christi, sed ad eorum paleam pertinent: These belong not to Christs wheate, but to the ch…ffe of Antichrist. These are …onsters bred of that viperous dam, that hauehave shooke hands with huma…ity, with ciuility, though they reserue the forme of Religion.

p. 56Si quid in his possem, facerem sterilescere matrem; as one of their owne said. It were well, if either the children would forsake their kind or the mother become barren: Yet must these men be Saints, and stand named with red letters, in the Popes Calendar; red indeed, so dyed with the Martyr'd bloud of Gods seruants.

But I am not delighted to stand vponupon comparisons, if their exclamations had not put me to them, that like blown Pharisies, they cry out with ostentation of sanctity, llLuk. 18.11Luke 18:11God, I thanke thee, that I am not as other men are, or as this Publican, What age, people, Church were euer yet so holy, that the Preachers found no cause of reproofe, of complaint against it? Chrysostome speaketh of his times: mmIn oper. imp.Christians now are become like Pagans or worse: Yet who will say that the Religion of Pagans was better then the Christians. The Priest and Leuite had no mercy, the Samaritane had: yet their Religion was the true, and not the Samaritans. If some Papists amongst vsus (and those very few) liue in more formall and morall honesty; et this commendeth not their whole Church. They are now in the time of their persecution as they take it, (though their prosperity and numbers euince the contrary) wee are in our peace, and who knowes not that, an easie occasion of wantonnesse.

I deny not, that wee hauehave grieuous offenders: wee mourne and pray for them. Doe the Papists reioyce at this? Woe to him that is glad of Gods dishonour. Let them brag their peruersion of some which were ours, but such and so affected to viciousnesse. If wee had lost more of Atheists, sacrileg…ous Adulterers, l…centious hypocrites we had as little reason to complaine, as they to be proud. We are the fewer, they not the better. We desire, endeauour reproue, exhort, instruct all, with purpose of heart to saue them in the day of the Lord Ie…u… ; if they wish not the same. Wee are content to differ as far from them in our desires, as wee doe in our doctrines. If there were none p. 57sicke, we might lay aside our Physicke,nnIam 3 2.Jas 3:2 but there are many, too many, all in some measure, some in all measure, beyond measure, therefore we must proceed.

Sicknesse is the Subiect, and the obseruations that shal limite my short ensuing speech, are quadruple. 1. The precious benefite of spirituall health, which we shall the better discerne, if wee compare it with corporall, 2. What sickenesse is incident to man, 3. That the Sickenesse of the Soule is most dangerous, 4. Lastly, who are the sicke?

1 Health is precious,S…neca. Cara est cui que salus, EueryEvery mans health is deare to him. Exclude from this comparison the gifts of the minde, which are truely of a more pure and changelesse condition, and then what earthly benefite will not giuegive place to health? It is one of the positiue vertues, grafted in mans nature with the creation. Weigh it in the ballance with some riuals.

1 Riches are the desire of many hearts, the speciall fruit which their hands reach to gather (passing by all the better trees in Gods orchard) the obiect of most endeuours: How vaine, how tedious, how odious are they without health? Let them binde gold to their a king head, drinke Cleopatras draught, (precious stones dissolued) to ease their rasping stomacke, inuolue and wrappe their conu…lsed ioyntes in furres and silkes, empty their coffers in the Physitians study; if (nature and her Ordinatour) God deny health, how vnualuable are their riches, how vnauaileable their proiects! How complain they (after all experimented succours) their vnabated anguish! Therefore the son of Sirach truly saith;o Eccles. 30 14.15 16.Sir 30:14Sir 30:15 Better is the poore being sound and strong of constitution, then a rich man that is afflicted in his body. Health and good state of body are aboue all gold, a strong body aboue infinite wealth. There is no riches aboue a sound body, and no ioy aboue the ioy of the heart.

The poore man well, onelyonly admireth wealth,

The rich man sicke, onelyonly commendeth health.

p. 58Health giues meanes to bee rich, riches giuegive no meanes to be healthfull. Nay, they are rather traitours and aduersaries to it: Not scaffols whereby health is built vp, but staires to descend by to the graue. The Rich mans quotidian dilicacies rotted him for death. Where there is a full purse, and an esurient ambitious appetite, there is a close and vnsuspected conspiracy against the health. Thus we doe not more eagerly pursue opulency in our soundnes then in our sicknes wee contemptibly despise, loathingly dislike it.

2 Is there any ascendency in Pleasure aboue health? will not that carry vp a braue forehead without being beholding to it?Sen. Alas! cold is the entertainement of delight to a warish and sickly carcase. Misera est voluptas, vbi periculi memoria adest: Pleasure is vnpleasant to the memory guilty of instant danger. It is Epicurean, profane, and idle physicke to sorrow.

The l…ying wine on eares to make them sincke,

Who feares the threates of fortune, let him drinke.

Why doth not, then that Chaldean Monarch continue his carowsings, and wash away the Characters of that fatall ppDan. 5.5Dan 5:5hand from his heart, with flouds of wine? alas! sorrow will keepe a man sober, and restraine him from any drunkennesse but it owne. To omit, that mortem dabit ipsa voluptas, and the end of mirth is heauinesse, what pleasure can fasten her slippery holde on the afflicted heart qqE…stidit obiect…, quo auidius haust a …st, …o c…tius in contrarium recidit. Sen. de benef. lib 7. cap. 2.It is loathed while it obiects and prostitutes it selfe to our sight, courting and wooing our affections: the more greedily we draw on Pleasure, the sooner it looseth the nature, and is turned into the contrary. Miserable Comforter; as Iobs friend were iustly called) whose requested mitigation turnes to aggrauation of our misery. When Pleasure opens the shoppe of all her delectable wares, and prayes the sicke hand to chuse what best affects it, shewes perfumes, colours, wine, p. 59iunkets, sports, company, musicke, she is answered with nothing, but Away with them, away with them; they are no medicines for the head-ach, one dram of health is worth a talent of pleasure.

How dotingly do men (in their wanton dayes) take it vp? nay how doth it take vp them? as the Philosopher truly. rrSen. de beat. vit. l. 1. c. 14.Non nos voluptaetem, sed voluptas nos habet; cuius aut inopia torquemur, aut copia strangulamur: miseri, side serimur ab illa, miseriores, si obruimur: We possesse not pleasure, but pleasure vsus; whereof wee are eyther perplexed with the want; or strangled with the abundance, we are wretched if it leaue vsus, more wretched if it ouerwhelme vsus. But sicknesse when it comes, marres the rellish of it to the mind, as of meates to the palate, and sends it away without a welcome, not without a checke and defiance. Sicknesse a stronger power (if weakenesse may bee called strength) then pleasure hath gotten possession of a man and laughes at the vaine endeuour of vanity to remoue it. This is the time to say to Laughter, thou art mad, and to esteem mirth a tedious, odious, irksome guest. They that (non voluptates sibi emunt, sedse voluptatibus vendunt) buy not pleasure to themselues, but sell themselues to pleasure, as Esau did his birthright for it, finde in sicknesse the memory of what they doe louelove and must leaue, an addition to their present malady. So (foelicitas hath no more left but the first sillable, fel gall, and) pleasure hath no pleasure but this, that it is short during the sweetnesse, long in the bitternesse necessarily following it.ssSine qua aut non d…lectat voluptas, aut non est. Health then is beyond pleasure also, without which, it is eyther not delightfull, or is not at all.

3 Both these hauehave lost the prize, let vsus see if Honour can winne it, Alassed what is it to sit groaning in a Chaire of State? or to lie panting on a bed of downe? It is little content to hauehave many knees bow to thee, whiles thine bow to sickenesse, to hauehave many vncouered heades attend thee, and thine owne (though couered) find no ease. How p. 80wouldest thou bee glad to change places with thy meanest seruant, on condition thou mightest change bodies with him. How much of thine honour wouldest thou lay out, for a little of his health? He that liues in the height of honour and wealth, repines at nothing more, then to see the hungry labourer feede on a crust, whiles his own nice and queasie stomacke (still weary of his last meale) puts him into a study, whether hee should eate of his best dish or nothing.

How poore, how weake, how nothing besides, a name is honour, when sicknesse hath dismounted it? when the Coach is turned to a littour, the feather to a kercheffe, publike and popular magnificence, to the close limits of a Chamber, whether sicknesse (like a great commander) hath confined him, the imperious tongue fainting and failing in the wonted tunes, of goe, come, doe, &c. as the ttMath. 8.9Matt 8:9Centurion spake: the curious attire throwne by with neglect: alas, now what is honour? but a meere property, a Pageant, which health like the day sets out, and the night of sickenesse takes in againe? uuIob. 33.17.Job 33:17Sicknesse hides pride from a man, saith Elihu,

What inferiour benefit shall we then match with health that it may glory of the priority or equality, in comparison This is precious and desirable, whether to body or soule. To the S…ule simply, to the body (but secundum quid in respect) if it may not preiudice the health of the soule. For though corporall health be so good, that all other worldly good things are but troublesome without it; yet it is often seene, that the worse part drawes away the better, and a vigorous strong able body, without any difficulty makes a wanton and diseased soule.

Corporall.1 Bodily health is generally desired; (farre more then endeuoured) it being an action of that naturall propensenesse, ingraffed in all men, to their owne good. Parents are prouident to the bodies of their children, euen those who set to slight a thought on their soules (shewing herein p. 81plainely that they brought forth their bodies, not their soules). Large and lauish is our indulgence, at all partes to this fraile Tabernacle; yea so profuse, and not withholding, that whiles we seeke more health, we loose that wee had. Quaerendo perdimus, we seeke it in full dishes, and behold there we lose it. For prohibent grandes patinae. Would we know how to preserue health? I am no Physitian, nor will I wade further in this argument, then diuinity & reason leades me Let vsus obserue moderation, labour in our calling, abstinence.

1 Moderation, as the Philosopher said, that hee neuer corrected himselfe with repentance for his silence, but often for his speech: so our forbearing of iunkets should not grieue vsus, but our immoderate deuouring them, zzSen. Ep 8, ad Lucil.Haec est sana & salubris forma vitae, vt corpori tantum indulgeas, quantum bonae valetudini satis est. This is a wholesome form of liuing that the body be so far pleased, as the health be not displeased. It is certain, that surfet kils more then famine. It was one of Hippocrates Aphorisines; Allimmoderations are enemies to health. It was one of Platoes monsters of nature that he found in Sicilia; a man eating twice a day. A thing of so little admiration with vsus, that it is wonderfull in him that doth not. Perhaps a breakefast goes before, and a banket followes after both these. Neyther is the variety lesse then the quantity. Wee plead; Nature bids vsus eate and drinke. It is granted, Yea, a solemne Festiuall inuites vsus to more liberall feeding. It is not much denied, if rare, if seasonable for thy appetite if reasonable for the measure. But many content not themselues (onelyonly to steale the halter, except there be a horse at end of it, as the shriuen thiefe said in his confession to the Priest) only to feede and drinke, to pleasure, but to sle…pe …o surfet, to ebriety, disabling themselues to any sober exercise. Turpe est stomachum non nosse modum… : It is vile, (and worse then bestiall) when the stomache … measure.

p. 62Seneca's rule is good, Dandum ventri quod debes non quod potes: Allow thy belly what thou shouldst, not what thou mayest. I shame not to conuince this errour, euen from the example of Heathens; that if Religion cannot rule vsus as Christians, yet nature may correct vsus as men. Whiles others (saith Socrates, viuunt vt edant, ego edam vt viuam) Liue to eate, I will eate to liue. It is perhaps easie to finde some that abstaine, but how few for conscience of Gods precept? The sicke, the poore, the couetous, the full, all moderate, but to vvhat purpose? The sicke man for his healthes sake,AEger. Egens. Cupidus. Satur. the poore man for his purse sake: the couetous for miserablenes, the full for the loathing of his stomach. But let vsus that are Christians moderate our selues in conscience of Gods commandement; because Gluttonie is a aaRom. 13.12. 13.Rom 13:12Rom 13:13Worke of darkenes; and the night is now past. So shall we at once, prouide well for our bodies, and better for our soules.

2 Labour in our callings is no small furtherance of our healthes. The bread bbEccl. 5.12.Eccl 5:12of him that laboureth (as Salomon sayes of his sleepe) is sweet and rellishable, whether he eate little or much. Therfore ccPro. 5.15.Prov 5:15drinke waters out of thine owne cisterne: liue of thine owne labours: the bread thou hast earned shal neuer be grauel in thy throte. ddProu. 12.11Prov 12:11He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread, whereas others shall eyther eeHag. 1.6.Hag 1:6eate, and not hauehave enough; or hauehave enough and not eate: Hence surfets light so frequently on the rich, and the gentle bloud growes so quickly fowle: because they thinke themselues bound to no labours, so long as they may liue on their lands. It was the Fathers charge to his ffMath. 21.28.Matt 21:28eldest son, Sonne goe and worke to day in my Vineyard. The priuiledge of primogeniture must not exempt him from labour. Hee sends him to the Vineyard, to dresse it before he hath it, hee will keepe it the better when hee hath it: Industry in our vocation is not onelyonly a meanes in nature, but euen by the ordinance and blessing of God, to the conseruation of health.

p. 633 Abstinence. I meane more than moderation, that which we call Fasting. Ie…unium ieiunantis, a free and voluntary fast, when the body refraineth such refections as nature taketh pleasure in, and that onelyonly for healths sake. As the tree by a gentle shaking knits faster at the roote: this moderate weakning begets strength. So that at once, it may be a helpe to deuotion, (for repentance comes not before God with a full belly, and meat between the teeth) and a preseruatiue to health, physicke to defend from the need of physicke, a voluntarie medicine to preuent a necessary trouble. Thus of the Body.

2. The Soules sanitie is not lesse precious, though more neglected.Spirituall. It was made in the image of the most high God. which Image consisted (in lumine mentis, reclitudine cordis, affectuum moderatione, as some.) in the brightnesse of the minde, rightnesse of the heart, and iust gouernance of the affections. Or as others: It was (ggBern. libertas arbitrij, intellectus sapientiae, & potentia obedientiae.) freedom of will, wisedome of vnderstanding, (kingdome or) power of obedience: hhSeruire Deo, regnars est.for heere to serue was to raigne. Heerein consisted the health. The priuation of these perfect habites, is not lesse than the sicknesse of it. This health thus lost, cannot be recouered, but by him that was sicke to the death for vsus: neither is it hindred!, when he will bestow it. For iiGratia non respuitur à cor…ed…ro, &c. August.grace is not refused of the hard heart, because it takes away the hardnesse of that heart it lights on. Christ madefies it with his water, and mollifies it with his bloud, both which issued out of his kkIoh. 19.34.John 19:34side at one wound, and followed the murdering speare of a Souldiour, to saue them which fight vnderunder his Standard.

Thus from mans sicknesse ariseth his better health, and he now stands surer by his first fall. Such is the greatnesse and goodnesse of God, such his power and mercy concurring, that it workes health out of sicknesse, good out of euill. There is an infinite Good, but not an infinite euill. For the Good cannot by any meanes be diuerted into euill. p. 84but the euill may be converted to good. By the conspiracie of Iewes, Gentiles, Iudas, Deuils, against Christ, is our saluation wrought. From the horridst and most vnnaturall treasons, God hath aduanced his owne glory, aduantaged his childrens security. We labour of three diseases, birth, life, death: all these are cured by those three answerable in Christ. Our vncleane birth is sanctified by His so pure from the least spot of sinne. Our transgressing life is reformed by the vertue, enformed by the example of His. That tyrannizing, woundingll1 Cor. 15.1 Cor 15 Serpent, Death hath the sting pulled out by His death, that we may embrace him in our secured armes. The Conquerour of vsus all is conquered for vsus all, by Him that foiled the Gyant in his owne denne, the Graue. mmVer. 57.Thankes be to God which giueth vsus the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. Oh death where is thy sting. Oh graue where is thy victory? This is our insultation and holy triumph. Prouided euer, that He be beleeued of vsus, that hath thus relieued vsus. Beleeue and feare not. A good conscience is neuer faild of a good confidence, of a good consequence. Hence ariseth the soules sanity.

What can indanger, in dammage this health? no losses to the estate, no crosses to the flesh. The spiritually-sounde man, values all the fortunes of the world, lesse then the freedome and health of the mind. Hee that wants this armour is wounded by eueryevery blow of affliction. Other security is but a shield of waxe against a sword of power. They cannot chuse but feare, euen where no feare is, and testifie their inward guilt and sicknesse, by their pale and trembling lookes. Timida nequitia dat testimonium condemnations, & semper praesumit saeua, perturbata conscientia. Fearefull wickednesse giues testimony of it owne damnation; and the troubled conscience imposeth and presumes to itselfe terrible things, but the health of faith is health indeed; yea this health is life, a life Angelical, a life Euangelical, whether for obedience or peace: inspired, spirited, sealed, assured by the word of Truth: Pallor in ore sedet, &c.Which is life to all that find it, and health to all p. 65their flesh, No feare shall inuade him, no troubles inuolue him, so that he cannot be extricated. For ooPro. 19.23.Prov 19:23the feare of the Lord tendeth to life, and he that hath it, shall not be visited with euill, His innocency may speed in the world, as deserts in a lottery, be rewarded with a blank. But he in whom he affies, shall put the marrow of health into his bones, distill the sap of grace inio his spirit.

Low in the world; lowly in himselfe, in his estimation, who sees not that the clambring goates get vponupon rockes and promontory places, whiles the humble sheepe feed in the bottomes and deiected vallies. OnelyOnly one day, the Sheepe shall bee aduanced aboue the Sunne and starres, and set in heauen with Christ; when the goates shall be cast downe to the depth of depthes. Rich Diues was well enough knowne to the world, yet nameles in the sacred Records. So we brand our sheepe, let the Goates goe vnmarked.) God sets his seale on his chosen: ppTim. 2.19Nouit qu… sui sunt, lets the wicked run without his cognisance.

Thus different is the state of Gods seruants, and the worlds slaues. They thinke none sicke but wee: wee know none sicke but they. If equall crosses befall vsus both, our estate is soone descried. Wee differ as the Cammell and the Camomell: the one is stunted, the other thriues by his burthen. Afflictions that so scatter them, and loosen the ioyntes of their vaine hopes, doe more knit and consolidate our healthes. As soone as they take themselues it is as easie to proue, as to reproue their diseases. Though I confesse in the dayes of their Iouialty; hee hath greate wisdom, that can make them sensible of their sicknes. Were Solon, nay Salomon aliue to declare it, they see t not, 'they will not feele it. If the want of health were perceiued, how amiable, admirable would the benefit appear? Gratior est saint as redita, quā retenta, vix aliter quā perdendocognoscimus. Returning health is more welcome, then if it had not beene lost. We scarse know what health is, but by the want. Let others spend their times, wits treasures, to procure p. 66health to their bodies, which I embrace when it is offered, and would not loose by my owne errors) giuegive mee a sound and cleare conscience, and let mee not want this health, till I enuy theirs.

2. Thus hauing enquired what health is, leauing a while the consideration therof as it is in it selfe; let vsus descend into it as respectiuely; casting an oblique eye vntounto that which is diuers from it, or aduerse to it. There is a significant and lightfull demonstration or commentarie, which one contrary nature giues to another, when they are diametrally opposed. The day would not seeme so cleare, if the departing Sunne should not leaue night to follow it. The foile addes grace to the Iewell. It (no lesse then) glorifies learning, that the malitious tong of ignorance barkes at it. He knowes the benefite of heate, that hath felt the sharpenes of a freezing colde. If there were no sicknesse to trouble vsus, health it selfe would be thought sicknesse. The very enmity of these repugnances helpe the beholders iudgement, eyther to embrace or reiect them. Euen their opposition is an exposition of their natures, deformity, darknes, sicknesse, sinne, all those priuatiue, corruptiue. destructiue things, which as they had no creation from God so giuegive no direction to the good; yeeld (by a sober meditation) an vnwilling lustre to those vertues, graces, and happy habites; against which they vaunt their contrariety. That if any lewde, vaine, ill iudging, worse affecting mind, shall still louelove the desolation of sinne, rather then the consolation of spirituall health: it may appeare to bee, not because this obiect is not wretched, but because hee is blind and bewitched.

There is a twofolde Sicknesse incident to man, 1. in sinne, 2. for sinne. The former of these is only spiritual: the latter is not onelyonly corporall, but sometimes spirituall also: and of all the Vials of Gods wrath, holden to the mouth of miserable men by the hand of iustice, it is the forest, when sinne shall bee punished with sinne, and the p. 67destitution of grace, shall permitte a lapse to impenitency.

1 The Sicknesse in sinne is double, according to the cause, which is a defect either of right belieuing, or straight liuing, a debility of confidence, a sterility of good works: lacke of faith, wracke of charity. These effects (or rather defects) are produced by two errors in our Soules diet: the one excessiue, the other deficient, 1. By Fasting too much from Christ, 2. By feeding too much on the world. In what wee should affect, we are abstinent, in what auoide, very indulgent.

1 The first cause is,Ioh. 6.John 6 by forbearing that sacred meat, liuing and life giuing bread, which came downe from heauen, to translate thither those that eate it. This is the Sonne of the most high God, not disdaining to become the foode of the affamished sonnes of men. aaIudg. 14.14.Judg 14:14Out of the strong came sweetnesse: the mighty is become meat: the Lyon of Iudah yeeldes honey, such as neuer came out of any earthly Hiue, He is our inuincible Captaine, to him we supplicate (as distressed Nerua to Traian.)

Telis Phoebe tuis lachrimas vlciscere nostras.

Oh Sauiour defend and keepe vsus, yet hee that is (Victor) a conquerour for vsus, is also (victus) foode to vsus. But this is (Cibus non dentis sedmentis) meate for our faith,Aug. …ract. in Iohan. 16. not for our teeth, manducaemus intus non foris, Wee eate it inwardly, not outwardly. Christ is verily (panis verus, non panismerus) true, not meere naturall bread. Thus our Feeder is become our Food, our Physitian, our Medicine. He doth all things for vsus, guide, feede, mediate, medieate: let vsus meditate on him, and noi disappoint the intention of his mercies by our auersenesse. No hope but in him, no helpe but by him. The Law could not satisfie our hunger (not through it own, but our insufficiency) the Gospel giues not onelyonly present satisfaction; but euen impossibility of future p. 68bbIohn 6.35.John 6:35famine. There is no abiding the law, except the Gospell be by: not of that thunder, without his raine of mercy to quench it.

Who giues this foode to vsus, but He that gaue himselfe for vsus? that shepheard that feedes his Lambes (not on his grounds, but) with his wounds▪ his broken flesh, and sluced bloud, Hence from this great Parliament of Peace, made in that once acted, and for euer-virtuall sacrifice) deriue we pardon for our sinnes, without impeachment to the iustice of so high a Iudge, as wee had offended. Thus the King of eternall glory, to the worlds eye, destating himselfe (though indeed not by putting off what he had,Non ex…endo quod habuit, sed iud…endo quod non habuit. but by putting on what he had not) was cast downe for vsus, that we might rise vp by him. Learne of me to be humble, wherein he giues vsus a precept and a patterne:ccMath. 21.29.Matt 21:29 the one requiring our obedience, the other our conformity. The Pelican rather then her young ones shall famish, feedes them with her owne bloud. Christ for the better incorporating of his to himselfe, feedes them with his owne flesh, but spiritually. So that we eate (not onelyonly panem Domini, as the wicked, but panem Dominum) not only the bread of the Lord, but the bread the Lord, in a Sacramentall truth.

They that hauehave ransacked the riches of nature, searched earth, sea, ayre for beastes, fishes, birds, and bought the rarest at an inestimable price, neuer tasted such a iunket. The fluid transient, passing, perishing, meates of earth, neither preserue vsus, nor wee them from corruption. This banket of His flesh, richer then that Belshazzer made to his thousand Princes, this cup of his bloud more precious then Cleopatra's draught, shal giuegive (vitam sine morte) life without death to them that are receiued, to receiue it.Dan. 5.1.Dan 5:1 Wee perceiue a little the vertue of this meat.

Now then, as the withdrawing of competent meat and drinke from the body, lessoneth that radicall moisture (which is the oyle whereon the Lampe of life feedes) and makes way for drines: whence the kindly heate (which like other fire might be a good seruant, must needes bee an ill master) getting more then due and wonted strength▪ for want of resistance, tyrannizeth, and not finding whereupon to worke, turnes vponupon that substantiall viuiditie, exciccating & consuming it This ouersparing abstinence wastes, weakenes, sickens the body, dangers it to an Ecticke or some worse disease, of no lesse hurt, then too great repletion, So when the Soule (eyther through a mad frenzy of wickednesse, or dull melancholy darkenes of ignorance or sensuall peruersenesse of affections) forbeares, forbids herselfe to feed on that sacred and vitall substance, Iesus Christ the viuid sappe of grace and vertue, (which keepes true life and soule together; stilled into the heart by the holy Ghost) beginnes to drie vp, as a ddHos. 6.4Hos 6:4morning dewe: shrinking at the thirsty beames of the rising Sunne, and the fire of sinne; gets the predominance. Now where that vnruly Element Rom 6.12Rom 6:12raignes in a mortall body, it hazardes the immortall soule to death. There is then no maruell, if the soule descends into the fall of sicknesse, into the valley of death, when she shall refuse the sustentation, health and very life thereof, her Sauiour: who is not onelyonly (cibus, but ipsa salus) meate, but health it selfe, as Paul cals him ipsam vitam, qua viuimus, quam viuimus, the very life whereby we liue, which we liue, ffAct. 17.28Acts 17:28We liue in Christ, we liue by Christ, nay, we liue Christ, for our very life is Christ. ggG…l. 5.20Now liue not I, but Christ liueth in me.

This is He, that once hh1. Pet. 3.181 Pet 3:18suffred for our sinnes, the iust for the uniust, that hee might bring vsus to God. Hee suffered our sinnes, the cause most odious: the iust for the vniust, the persons most vnequall, that hee might bring vsus to God, the end most absolute How well then may wee yeelde (and if there might b… any pride or glory in vsus, it shoulde bee in our sufferings) to suffer for him. The iiAct. 5 41.Acts 5:41Apostles did so reioycing, O Iesu, S… adeo dulce est st…re pro…e, quam dulce erit p. 70gaudere de te? Oh Christ, if it be so happy to suffer for thee, what will it be to reioyce in thee? It cost him much, (oh how much!) trouble, sorrow, beating, grinding, before he became bread for vsus. There may bee a scarsity of other bread, there is none of this, to those that rightly seeke it. It is deare in regard of the preciousnesse (they that hauehave it will not part with it) not deare in regard of the price we pay nothing for it, but faith and louelove. Though thousands pray at once with the Disciples. kkIob 6.34.Job 6:34Lord euermore giuegive vsus this bread (Iosephes llGen 41.36Gen 41:36may) Iesus his store-house can neuer be emptied, Least the world perish through famine. He onelyonly (nec accipiendo proficit; nec dando deficit) growes not r…ch with receiuing, neither growes poore with giuing. Reioyce then, Beloued, in done, in Domino. The Lord is the giuer, the Lord is the gift. Let not your soules bee starued w…th those inferiour things, which are (pauca, parua praua) few in number, small in measure, bad in nature, mmLuk. 15.17.Luke 15:17Whiles there is bread inough in your Fathers house. Why should wee sicken …ur spirits in a voluntary want; and fast from that which is able to feast a world of faithfull guestes. This is the first degree of our spirituall sicknesse.

2 The excessiue occasion to procure ill health to our soules, is by feeding too heartily too hastily on the world. This is that too much oyle, which quencheth our Lampe. For as in a body ouercharged with immoderate quantitie of meates or drinkes, when the moisture swels (like a tide aboue the verges) and extinguisheth the digestiue heate: that their kindely embraces are turned to conflictes, and the superfluities want their former dissolution, and egestion, the necessary euent is distemperature and sicknes. So the aff…ctions of the soule ouerloaden with the deuoured burden of worldly things, suffer the benigne and liuing fire of grace to be quenched. Hence the fainting spirits of vertue swoune and fall sicke,1. Thes. 5.191 Thess 5:19 and after some weake resistance (as a cole of fire in a great showre,) yeelde the victorie p. 71to the floudes of sinne, and are drowned. Neyther are the affections onelyonly (which they call the neither part of the soule, as if this dropsie were onelyonly in the feet) thus diseased; but the sickness… taketh the head of the soule, the vnderstanding and the heart of it, the conscience: that faith (which is religious reason) is empaired, and the instrument, the tongue, the Organ of Gods prayse is hindered. As wee see it in these corporall effects by drunken men, the feete are too light, and the head too heauy: the legges cannot stand, the tongue cannot speake: so both vnderstanding and affections are stifled in this deluge, inward faith, and outward profession falling sicke to the death.

For how can it be otherwise, that the soule (of so high and celestiall a creation) should thriue with the grosse and homely diet of vanity? ooPlato deleg. 5.Man is, saith the Philosopher, foreign, Gods kinsman. And Paul taking such a sense from theppAratus in Phaino Poet, makes of a conceit of nature a sanctified truth, foreign, qqAct. 17.28Acts 17:28For we are also his offspring. And Peter sayth, that (though not really, but in regard of renouation) rr2. Pet. 1.4.2 Pet 1:4Wee are partakers of the diuine nature. Why then contemne we not with a holy disdaine, the rude, crude and vnwholesome morsels of the world; sensuall pleasures? I… we considered aright the natures; eyther foreign, or foreign, of the things nourishing, or things nourished, we would striue (aut non admittere, aut cito emittere) eyther not to let in, or soone to throw out such vnsauory repast. For the nourishment of the body, if it be alienum, it is vene…um, if strange and contrary to nature, it is as poyson to him that eates it, Quae nutriuntur, familiaribus & naturalibus rebus nutriuntur, contrarijs corrumpuntur: for creatures that liue by nourishment, with naturall and familiar things are nourished, corrupted with their contraries. Otherwise the food makes worke for the Physitian and his elder brother death.

Spirituall and celestiall delicates, the dyet of grace, p. 72and sanctification, nourish and cherish the soules health, and put the good bloud of holin…sse into her veines, giuegive her a fresh and cheerefull look, roses and lillies, (the pride of nature in their colours) make not so beautifull a mixtur. But the world-affected, and sinne infected delights pale her cheekes, drinke vp her bloud, and sappe of vertue, dimme her intellectuall eyes, lame her feete the affections, crase her health, crush her strength, and which is most wonderfu…l, for morte carent animae, euen kill her immortality.

Now they are not simply the thinges of this world, that thus sicken the Soule, but our extrauagant desires and corrupt vsage. For all these were made for mans delight and comfort in the second place, yeelde them immediately for the makers glory, and wee offend not to serue our necessities in them it is their abuse which brings this sicknesse. It is with nutritiue thinges to the soule, (in some sort) as with all meates to the body. They are of three kindes,Contraria obsunt, naturalia prosunt, Neutralia vel obsunt, vel prosunt vt recipiantur. Contraria, naturalia, neutralia, contrary, naturall, indifferent. Contraires hurt, naturall and kindly helpe, neutrall or indifferent, eyther hurt or helpe as they are receiued, 1. Food meerely contrarie to the soule is, Sinne, this kils, 2. naturall and proper to it is grace, this saues, 3. indifferent, or of a middle nature, are the inferiour things of this world, house, lands, riches, &c. these eyther hinder or further our soules health, as they are vsed or abused. They may be consolations, they may be desolations, ladders of ascent, or staires of descent, as our regenerate or degenerate minds shall embrace them. Now the reason why earthly things doe neyther strengthen our spirits, nor lengthen our ioyes is doub…, 1. They be transitory, 2. They be not satisfactory.

1 They be transient. Meates of a washy and fluid nature, that slippe through the stomacke, and tarry not for concoction, doe no more feede a mans health, then almost if he liued on ayre. They that hauehave no other sustentation p. 73to their soules, but such light, sleight, and empty foode, (except they liue by miracle) cannot be like Dauid, ore rubicundo, nor like Daniel of a fresh hew, and chearefull complexion, I meane the constitution of their soule, cannot thriue. The Soule fed only with the fraile circumstuous, humid, cloudy vanities of this world, is so far from remaining sound, and retaining health, that she pines, languisheth, dwindleth away, as a tree, whose life-feeding sap is dried vp: So perishable are all the things of this world. aaPro. 23.5.Prov 23:5Wilt thou set thine eyes vponupon that which is not? for riches certainely make themselues wings, they flie away like an Eagle toward heauen. Not like a tame birde that returns, nor like a Hawke, that will shew where shee is by her bels, but like an Eagle, whose wings thou canst neither clip nor pinion. Aut deserunt, aut deseruntur: eyther they forsake, or are forsaken. All their certainety is their vncertainety; and they are onelyonly stable in this, that they cannot bee stable.

bbPro. …7.…4Prov 7:4Riches are not for euer, and doth the Crowne endure to eueryevery generation? Hence they are called cc1 Ioh. 3.171 John 3:17Riches of the world; which is a barre in the Armes of Riches, to demonstrate their slippery hold: for the dd1. Tim. 6.171 Tim 6:17world it selfe being transitory, they must needs sauour of the soile. Our iudgements must of necessity be conuinced to confesse this, though our affections will not yeelde it: wherefore tend all those Writings for couenants, if these earthly thinges were not vncertaine? What are those labours and appendances, but bands and ties, to keepe close to vsus madde and starting Riches? We pleade, it is for the mortality of men, but wee meane the mortality of riches. If then these earthly things will boast of any thing, let them boast (as Paul did) their ee2. Cor. 11.30 Ver. 26.2 Cor 11:30fraileties. They are eyther i… Iourneying, not got without labour, or ventur'd on the Sea, (yea, together with goods) bodies and soules too, to make such ill Merchants full aduenturers. In perill of robbers, publike and notorious theeues: In perill of false brethren, secret & tame p. 74theeues, Lawyers, Vsurers, flatterers. Fire in the City Free-booters in the Wildernesse, Pyrates on the S…; for wearinesse, Ver. 27.painefulnesse, watchings, &c. who doubts the miserable partnership twixt them and riches.

Could the world be thought thy Seruant, (which is indeed thy Master. Oh Worldlings, as Christs Maxime inferreth. No man can serue two masters: none indeed; for he that hath God for his obeyed Master, hath for his obeying Seruant the world;) yet is it but a vagrant and runnagate seruant. It hath a madding mind, and a gadding foote. And though by the greatnesse of the stature and proportion, it may promise able seruice, yet it will bee gone when thou hast most neede of it. Neither will it slippe away empty, but robbe thee of thy best Iewels, carry away thy peace, content, ioy, happinesse, soule with it. Behold the Cosmopolite;Luk. 12.17.Luke 12:17 Luke 12. planting, transplanting, rebuilding, s…udying for roome to lay vp his fruites; Non in visceribus pauperum, not in the bowels of the poore, but in his enlarged Barnes, if euer their capacity could answere his enlarged hart. He buildes neither Church nor Hospitall (eyther in cultum Christi, or culturam Christiani, to the seruice of Christ, or comfort of any Christian) but Barnes. He minds onelyonly Horreum suum, & Hordeum suum, His barne and his Barley. Behold at last he promiseth his Soule peace,Ver. 19. ease, mirth, security: but when his Chickens were scarse hatch'd, whereon he long …ate & thought to sit long brooding, he heares a fatall voyce confiscating his goods, and himselfe too. Thou foole, this night shall thy soule bee required of thee: Ver. 20.then whose shall those things bee which thou hast prouided? No maruell then if the Soule be famished, when she is onelyonly fed with such fugitiue meat which vanisheth like Tantalus Apples, or Ixions cloud in the Poet: and like Medicines rather then food, or like poysons rather then medicines, wash away the good they finde, and leaue the bad (made yet worse by their accession) behind them.

p. 752 They be not satisfactory, and therefore conferre no true content to the mind: no more then the dreamed bread of the Sluggard, who walkes with an empty stomacke. ffMicah. 6.14Mic 6:14Thou shalt eate, but not bee satisfied. ggEccl. 1.8.Eccl 1:8All things are full of labour, man cannot vtter it, the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the eare filled with hearing. There is nothing but emptinesse, vanity, vacuity in them: Simuloriuntur & moriuntur, they at once are borne, and die, as Plutarch said of the Lightning, as Ionas found in his gourde. Like the Mermaide,

Virgo formosa supernè,

Desinit in turpem piscem malesuada voluptas.

Face flattering Pleasure, that so much deludes,

Like that Sea-monster with sad ruth concludes.

The motion of the minde following these wandring Planets of earthly delights, is euer errant, euer vncessant, Ahab is sicke of his neighbors field, though he hauehave a whole Kingdome to walke in. And Alexander finding himselfe Lord of the whole world, is discontent, as if hee wanted elbow roome.Luk. 12.17.Luke 12:17 The poore man is not more perplex'd because he hath neither barne nor graine, then the couetous wretch, because hee hath not barne enough for his graine. What Cosmopolite euer grasped so much wealth in his gripulous fist, as to sing to himselfe a Sufficit. hhEccl. 5.10.Eccl 5:10He that loueth siluer shall not be satisfied with siluer, nor hee that loueth abundance with encrease. His cares fill vp as fast as his coffers. He hath much in his keeping, yet doth neither inioy it, nor ioy in it.

It breedes a disease in the soule, like that in the body, which they call Caninum appetitum, an immoderate desire of meate; whereafter the body lookes thinne, wan, sickly, as if it were starued. The colde, feculent, viscous, vicious humours of couetousnesse, desire an vnreasonable quantity of worldly goods; yet leaue the soule more weake, warish, p. 76sickly, then if shee neither had, nor had will to doe any thing. This is the infallible effect of these coueted vanities, vel sequendo labimur, vel assequendo laedimur, the soule eyther fals in the seeking, or failes in the finding. She is not the better, nay, shee is the worse for her longing after them.

Ouid.Luxuriant animi rebus plerunq, secundis.

The mind may riot and grow ranke for a while with these puffings vp, but how soone doth a tabe and consumption take it down, when the ioy answers not to the expectation of the heart? i. Pro. 19.4Prov 19:4The world may set such a man in high estimation, The rich hath many friends, but the poore is separated from his neighbours.

Aspicis vt veniant ad candidatecta Columbae,

Accipiet nullas sor dida turris aues.

But all this while others are more satisfied with the sight, then hee with the possession of his owne Still his soule is hungry, and he knowes not how to appease it.

I perswade not all abiuration of the world, as if it could not bee vsed.Ego niergam te, ne mergar à te. but it must be abused. As the Philosopher of olde, that threw his money into the sea, purposing to drowne that, least that should drowne him. Or as the new found and fond Votaries, that professe a voluntarie want, as if all coyne were diseased, and had for the circumscription, à noli me tangere. So the Empiricke to cure the feuer, destroyes the patient: so the wise man to burn the mise, set on fire his barne. Is there no remedy, but a man must make his medicine his sicknesse? I speake of things as they are, not as they should bee. Hee that feeds too hungerly on the world, fals with much ease to neglect Christ. As hee that was once following him, no sooner heard of his fathers death, but presently left him; thinking perhaps that hee should get more by his fathers p. 77Executorship, then by his Sauiours Discipleshippe, and therefore would leaue to minister in Christs seruice, that he might administer on his Fathers goods. Hence fall many soules into this spirituall sicknesse, when they forsake the solide and substantiall nutriment of Iesus Christ, to gape for the fugitiue and empty ayre of worldly riches: which if they do carry to their deathes, yet they must then leaue all, exuendo, expnendo, donec nihil vel intus vel foris māserit, by putting off, by spuing vp whatsoeuer their couetousnes hath deuoured. Nature shal turn thē out naked & empty.kkProu. 13.25.Prov 13:25 Thus the righteous eateth, to the satisfying of his soule, but the belly of the wicked shal want. They are not satisfactory.

In a word, that we may a little perpend the effects, as wee hauehave perceiued the causes; al spirituall sicknes is either in faith or conuersation.

1. In Faith. This is a generall & dangerous sicknesse. Generall, AEgrotat sides iam proxima morti. Faith is so sicke, that it is ready to die. These are those last and Apostate times, wherein faith is become so litle, that the scarsity giues expectation of the generall doome. We sweare away our faith at eueryevery trifle, and then no maruell (beeing so prodigall of such oathes,) if our stocke of faith be sworne and worne out. Dangerous, wee affie the world, which wee hauehave vowed to defie; and loosing that confidence we should liue by, (for thellHeb. 10.38Heb 10:38 Iust liues by faith) How can it bee, but the Soule must become Sicke? Whiles the mmEph 6.16.Eph 6:16shield of faith is lost, wee lie naked to the fiery darts of Sathan: and many wounds will let out the life bloud. The Sun in the heauen passeth through the 12. Signes of the Zodiacke. Christ is our Sun, the 12. Articles of our Creed, the 12. Signes,nnMal. 4.Mal 4 Faith is our Zodiacke; do you wonder why in this day of the Gospell, the Sunne beames of grace liu'd in so few hearts? They hauehave lost their Zodiacke. Their faith is forme, and the cloudes of infidelity hauehave ecclipsed those Signes. They beliue not beyond the extension of sense, they hauehave a sensuall, a senseles faith. It is p. 78the forest shipwracke, which the vast sea of this world and the Pyrates of sinne can put men to, the sinking of their faith; It was Pauls happy triumph that he had oo2 Tim. 4.7.2 Tim 4:7kept the faith, though ppGal. 6.17.Gal 6:17he bore about in his body the market of our Lord Iesus. Needes must the soule bee sicke, whose faith is not sound.

2 The other degree of our spirituall sicknesse is, in conuersation, Our liues are diseased? the ill beating of those pulses shew wee are not well qqMath. 7.20Matt 7:20The fruites manifest the tree, Vbicaro est regnant, peccatum est praegnans: Sinnes are rife, where the flesh raignes: plentifull effects will arise from such a working cause. In vaine, (and not without the more hazard) doe we plead our soundnesse, when the infallible symptomes of our disobedience euince the contrary. Saul stands vponupon his obseruation of Gods charge: rr1 Sam. 15.141 Sam 15:14What then (saith Samuel) meaneth the bleating of the sheepe in mine eares, and the lowing of the oxen which I heare? Whence flow those streames of impiety; mercilesse oppressions, Church-deuouring sacriledges, bestiall luxuries, cunning circumuentions, detracting slaunders, heauen-threatning blasphemies, malicious fires of rage & hatred, monstrous treacheries, behauiours compounded of scorne and pride, close Atheisme, open profanenesse, guilded hypocrisie. Whence if these vitious corruptions, if not from our vlcerous conuersations? Shame wee not to call sicknesse health; and to maintaine that Atheisticall Paradox, Adoxe, Pseudodox,ffEsa. 5.20.Isa 5:20 which iudgeth euill good, and darknes light? If thy life be so vnsound suspect thy selfe, thou art not well.

2 Now (not vnfitly) after the sicknes in sinne, followes the sicknes for sinne, which distributes it selfe into a double passion, corporall and spirituall.

ttIo…. 5.15.1 All corporall sickenesse is for sinne. The sicke man heard it from his heauenly Physitian, Goe thy wayes sinne no more least a worse thing come vntounto thee. So sung Dauid in the Psalme; uuPsa. 107.17.18.Ps 107:17Ps 107:18Fooles, because of their iniquities are afflicted, their soule abhorreth all manner of meat, and they draw neer to the gates of death. This Elihu grounds against Iob, that sinne causeth sicknesse: xxIob. 33.20.21.Job 33:20Job 33:21So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soule dainty meat. His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seene, and his bones that were not seene, sticke out. Weakenes proceedeth from wickednesse: if the Soule had not sinned his body should not hauehave smarted. Indeede this blow is easie, if wee respect the cause that drew it on vsus. For if the bbRom. 6.23.Rom 6:23Wages of sinne be death, Sicknes is a gentle payment, Sicknesse is the maladie of the body, Death is the malady of sicknesse. But such is Gods mercy, that hee is content to punish sometimes corporaliter, non mortaliter; and to put into our hearts a sense of our sinnes, by casting vsus downe, not by casting vsus out. But whether the affliction be quoad introitum, or quoad interitum, a more gentle entrance or more piercing to death, all is produced by our sinne.

You will say, that many afflictions, wherewith God scourgeth his children, are the ccHeb. 12.6Heb 12:6Fatherly corrections of louelove; yet they are corrections, and their intention is to better vsus. Now what need the bestowing such paines on vsus, to make vsus good, if sinne had not made vsus euill. Still Sinne is the cause, whether it be sickenesse: ddMic. 6.13.Mic 6:13therefore I will make thee sicke in smiting thee, because of thy sinnes. Or whether more despairefull calamity, eeMic. 1.8 9Mic 1:8I will waile and howle, I will make a wailing like the Dragons, mournings as the owles: for her wound is incurable. Still the reason is, verse 5. For the transgression of Iacob is all this, and for the sinnes of the house of Israel. Oh that our sicke bodies, when the hand of Visitation hath cast them down) would conuey this lesson to our soules, All is for our wickednesse. Our stomackes loath meate, because we hauehave ouerburdened them with Gods abused blessings. Wee hauehave made the Creatures (ordained for our comforts) ffPsal. 69.22Ps 69:22an occasion of our falling. And now, loe, wee abhorre to be cheered by those things, wherewith we hauehave earst oppressed our selues. That ggEccl. 30.18.Sir 30:18delicates powred p. 80vponupon a mouth shut vp, are as messes of meate, set vponupon a graue.

Our sinnes, that remaine vnpurged by repentance in our bosomes, are not only diseases themselues to our consciences; but vigorous and rigorous enough, to engender diseases in our carcases. Wee are framed and composed of foure Elements, Fire, Ayre, Water, Earth; and hauehave the kindly concurrence of those foure originall and principal qualities, heate and colde, moysture and drinesse to our making vp. Their harmony and peacefull content preserue our little world in health; but if those brethren of one house fal at variance with themselues, their strife will vndoev…. So easie is it for God to take roddes from our owne bodies, wherewith to whip vsus. Though those outward Elements fire, water, and the rest, forbeare to lay on vsus the strokes of vengeance: yet wee hauehave those (primordial) humours within vsus, whose redundance, defect, or distemperature are meanes able enough to take our breath from vsus. How euident is this, when

11Fire.Some hauehave beene burned in the pestilent flames of their hote diseases; the violence whereof hath set their bloud on fire, wasted their bowels, scorched their veines, withered away their vitall spirites, and left the whole body (flagrantem rogum) as it were a burning pyle.

22Ayre.Some hauehave beene choked vp with the fumes and vapours ascending from their owne crude and corrupted stomackes, and poysoned their spirites no lesse then with the contagion of infected ayres. How many obstructed lungs sucke in farre better ayre then they breath out.

33Water.Others hauehave beene drowned with a deluge of waters in their owne bodies, a …oud running betwixt their skin and bowels, glutting and ouercharging nature so violently, that the life hath not been able to hold vp her head: and the soule (like Noahs Doue) returnes vntounto God the Arke of her strength, as not able to set her foote drie in p. 81her former habitation.

44Earth.And yet others hauehave buried themselues aliue in the graue of their owne earthly melancholy; which casteth such a thicke fogge and darke obscurity ouer the braine, that it not onelyonly chokes vp the spirits of life, like the damp in a vault that extinguisheth the lightes, but euen offers offensiue violence to the Soule. Melancholy men are (as it were) buried before they be dead; and as not staying for a graue in the ground, make their owne heauy, dull, cloudy, cloddy, earthen cogitations their owne Sepulchres. From what sinke arise all these corrupt steames, but from the sinnes in our owneselues, as proper and fit to ingender these sicknesses, as these sickenesses are to bring desolution? It is our owne worke to make hhEccl. 30.17. Ver. 19.Sir 30:17death better then a better life, or continuall sicknesse, that our meate giues no more sent nor sauour, then an offering doth to an Idoll. iiEccl. 38.15.Sir 38:15He that sinneth before his maker, let him fall into the hands of the Physitian.

6 Spirituall sicknesse for sinne, is yet farre more perilous and mortall: nay, well were it for some thus sicke, if it were mortall. If the disease would decease, the soule might reuiue and liue. It varies (as some diseases doe in the body according to the constitution of the sicke) thereafter as the soule is that hath it: whether regenerate or reprobate. The malignancie is great in both, but with far lesse danger in the former.

1 In the Elect this spirituall sicknes is an afflicted conscience, when God wil suffer vsus to take a deepe sense of our sinnes, and bring vsus to the life of grace through the valley …f death, as it were by hell gates vntounto heauen. There is no anguish to that in the conscience: kkPro. 18.14.Prov 18:14a wounded spirite who can beare? They that hauehave been valiant in bearing wrongs, in forbearing delights, hauehave yet had womannish and cowherd spirits, in sustaining the terrors of a tumultuous conscience. If our strength were as an army, and our landes not limitted saue with East and west, if our meat were man…a, p. 82and our garments as the Ephod of Aaron; yet the afflicted conscience would refuse to be cheared with all these comforts. When God shall raise vp our sinnes, like dust and smoake in the eyes of our soules, and the llIob. 6.….Job 6arrowes of his displeasure drinke vp our bloud, and his terrors, seeme to fight against vsus; when he buffets vsus from his presence, and eyther hides his countenance from vsus, or beholds vsus with an angry looke; loe then! if any sicknes be like this sicknes, any calamity like the fainting soule. Many offences touch the body which extende not to the soule; but if the soule be grieued, the sympathizing flesh suffers deepely with it. The bloud is dried vp, the marrow wasted, the flesh pined as if the powers and pores of the body opened themselues, like so many windowes to discouer the passions of the distressed Prisoner within. It was not the sense of outward sufferings,) for meere men hauehave borne the agonies of death vndaunted) but the wrastling of Gods wrath with his spirite, that drew from Christ that complaint, able to make heauen and earth stand agast: mmMat. 26.38Matt 26:38My soule is heauy vntounto the death.

There is comfort euen in death, when the clocke of our life runs vponupon her last minutes: but is there any disease during the torments of a racked conscience? This wearisome guest doth God often lodge with his owne children, suffring the eye of faith to be shut, and the eyes of flesh and bloud open, that sorrow is their bread, and teares their drinke, and the still perplexed mind knows not where to refuse it selfe. Alwayes reseruing and and preseruing his Children (but neuer d…ing) grace of his Spirite in their hearts: nnEsa. 6, …3.Isa 6:3a substance of bl…ssing … the oke, though it hath cast the leaues, though the barrennes of the boughes, drines of the barke giuegive it for dead and withered. Faith being in a swoune may draw the breath inwardly, not perceiued: but Esa 65.8.Isa 65:8destroy it not, for there is a bl…ssing in it.

Neyther is this sicknesse and trouble of conscience properly good in it selfe, nor any grace of God, but vsed by p. 83God as an instrument of good to his, as when by the ppRom 8.Rom 8spirite of bondage he brings vsus to adoption. So the Needle that drawes the thread through the cloth, is some meanes to ioyne it together. This is the godly soules sicknesse for sin, full of sharpe and bitter ingredients, but neuer destitute of a glorious euent and victorious triumph. I may say of it as Physitians speake of agues, (which make a man sicke for a while, that hee may bee the sounder a long time after.) This sickenesse is physicke to procure better health.

2 Spirituall sickenesse for sinne in the reprobate hath other effects. To restraine their number, they principall appeare in two diseases, or disasters rather, Impenitency and Despaire.

1. Impenitencie, the symptome of an obdurate and remorselesse heart. qqEph. 4.19Eph 4:19Who being past feeling, hauehave giuen themselues ouer vntounto lasciuiousnes, to worke all vncleannesse with gredinesse. Saint Paul cals it a rrRom. 1.28.Rom 1:28reprobate minde: a death rather then a sickenesse. He that labours hereof, is rather deceased, then diseased. This is a heart so hard and impenetrable, that all the holy dewes of instructions cannot soften it; all the blowes of Gods striking rod put no sense into it. It is inuulnerable to any stroke, saue that which makes a fatall and finall end with it. ssIer. 5.3.Jer 5:3Thou hast stricken them, but they hauehave not grieued, &c. It is iust with God, but fearefull on whom soeuer this iu…gement lights, to plague sin with sinne, that peccatum sit paena peccantis. For there is euermore some precedent impietie in those vngratious persons, procuring God to deale thus with them. tt2 Thes. 2.11 12.2 Thess 2:11For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should beleeue a lie. That they all might be damned that beleeued not the truth, but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse. First Pharaoh hardens his owne heart &c. God all this while holds his peace, giues him the hearing and looking on. In the end he saith I will harden Pharaohs heart; and then puts yron to yron, adamant to adamant, and there is perfected a relentlesse repentlesse p. 84obduracy.

This is that retaliation of sinne, which God returnes into their bosomes that foster it, that since aaPsal. 109.17.Ps 109:17they loued cursing, it shall be vntounto them. So Dauid in the Psalme. (Though indeed it was not in him Precantis votum, but Prophetantis vaticinium: he did not desire it should be so, but he knew it would be so.) aaPsal. 69.27.Ps 69:27Adde iniquitieto their iniquitie. Neither doth God this by infusion of wickednesse, but by substraction of his spirit. He is causa deficiens, not efficiens; as the reuoking of the sunne from vsus causeth darkenesse: the priuation of grace, the position of all vngodlines. It is in him (not peccatum, sed iudicium) not sinne, but iudgement. When he leaues vsus to our selues; it is no wonder if we fall into horrid and prodigious sinnes. Peccatum est malum in se: effectum prioris mali, & causa subsequentis: est & supplicium, & causa supplicij. Sinne is euill in it selfe, the effect of former euill, the cause of future▪ It is both punishment it selfe, and the cause of punishment. In all the store house of Gods plagues there is not a greater vengance. With other punishments the body smarteth, the soule groneth vnderunder this. Hence sinnes multiply without limits, that the plagues may be without end. EueryEvery affliction is sore that offends vsus; but that is direfull which withall offends God. Such do at once act and suffer: it is both an actiue and a passiue sinne. The punishment they suffer, is (in them) sinne; the sinne they doe, is (from God) a punishment.

There is nothing more wretched, then a wretched man recking his owne wretchednesse. Eyther they do not feele as blockes, or they will not feele as Stoickes. You know a seared conscience is not sensible: and vsuall whipping makes some carelesse of the rodde; except it bee a stroke that shall fetch bloud of the soule. Indeed we are all of one mould, but some are more cloddy and hard, others more soft and relenting. The best in their sorrowes, may be more then Miserius nihil est miserose non miserante.Conquerors, not more then men. And let the Stoicke bragge his tetricall conclusions to the world, that p. 85no paine can bring sorrow to a Wise man; &c.. Let him (being put into that torturous engine of burning brasse, called the ccIn Equaleo.Horse) bite in his anguish; smother his grones, sigh inwardly, and cry to the Spectators, non sentio, I feele not. The wicked may laugh out lighter punishments; and like the surde deafe, and dead rockes of the sea, not regarde the waues of easier iudgements beating on them; letting fall no teares of repentance for so many blowes. But when God sees that thou digestest his Physicke as dyet, and with a strange kinde of indulgencie, wilt neither grieue that thou hast offended, nor that thou art offended: God will strike home, and sharpen at once both his blow & thy sense. Now thou shalt feele; euen thy seared heart shall bleed. In a word, the wicked may be senseles Stoicks, they cannot be insensible stones. There is in all men an impossibility of impassibility.

But these remorseles wretches, so spiritually sicke (not of the stone in the raines, but) in the heart, at least regarde not to offend God, whiles God forbeares to offend them. ddPsal. 73.9.Ps 73:9They speake softly, they set their mouth against the heauens. The reason is, eeVer. 5They are not in trouble, nor plagued as other men. At first they liberally sinne and spare not: God lets them alone. loe, now they sinne and care not. Impiety, impunity, impenitency thus swiftly follow one at the heeles of another. There are some sicke of this disease, but not so far gone; of whose recouery there is a little (& but a little) more hope. These hauehave by the chidings of their accusing conscience, a notion, a rellish, a ghesse of the number and nature of their own sins, which because they suspect to be monstrous, they would by no means admit a sight of. Hence they flie the temple, the society of the good, the voice of exhortation, whence soeuer it soundeth: lest it should call the Soules eye home, to glance at the own estate, and so leaue it amazed. Hence he hath (animum inscium, inscitum) an ill sight, an ill-sighted mind.

So timorous is this Patient, that because he knows his p. 86wound deepe, he will not suffer the Chirurgion to search it, willing rather to kill his soule, then to …isquiet it. Such is the folly of his partiall indulgence to his conscience, that whiles hee would softer it, he doth fester it. They write of the Elephant, that (as if guilty of his owne deformity, and therfore not abiding to view his snowt in a cleare spring:) he seekes about for troubled and muddy waters to drinke in, This sicke wretch (without question induced by the like reason) refuseth to looke into the glasse of the Law, or to come to the cleare springs of the Gospell, or any perspectiue that may represent his euill conscience to his eyes, but seekes to muddy and polluted channels, Tauerns, Theaters, societies of sinne, to drowne the thought of former iniquities with floudes of new. (And if he be enforced to any such reflection, hee spurnes and tramples that admonition, as Apes breake the glasse that represents their deformity, He runs himselfe prodigally into so deepe arrerages and debts, that hee cannot endure to heare of a reckoning. Whiles he despaires of sufficiency to pay the old, h…e reckes not into what new desperate courses and curses he precipitates himselfe. And as it was in the Fable with the blind woman and the Physitian: the Physitian comming often to her house, euer carried away a portion of her best goods; so that at last recouered, by that time her sight was come againe, her goods were gone. So this wretch will not see the ransacking of his soule, and spoile of his graces, till his conscience be left empty, and then hee sees, and cries too late, as Esau for his blessing.

2 That other spirituall sicknesse for sinne, befalling a reprobate soule, is finall and totall desperation. This is that fearefull consequent, which treades vponupon the heeles of the former sicknesse. Presumption goes before, Despaire followes after. Cains fratricide, Iudas treacherie, presumptuous, aspiring, heauen-daring sinnes, find this desperate catastrophe, to cut themselues off from the mercy of p. 87God. This is insanabilis plaga, when the Physitian promising helpe of the disease, the patient shall thrust …is nayles into it, and cry, Nay, it shall not be healed. As if the goodnes of God, and the value of Christs-all sufficient ransom, were below his iniquity. As if the pardon of his sinnes would empty Gods storehouse of compassion, and leaue his stocke of mercy poore. This is that agony, whose throbs and throwes, restles, turbulent, implacable cogitations cannot be quieted. Let riuers of those waters of comfort, which glad the City of God, run with full streames vntounto it, they are resisted and driuen backe.

This is that sinne, which not onelyonly offers iniury and indignity to the Lord of heauen and earth,Flagitium perpeirare mors animae, veniam de…perare est au ins…rn…m descendere. but euen breakes that league of kindnes, which wee owe to our owne flesh. To commit sinne is the killing of the soule, to refuse hope of mercy, is to cast it downe into hell. Therefore Saint Ierom affirms that Iudas sinned more in despairing of his masters pardon, then in betraying him. Since nothing can bee more derogatory to the goodnesse of God, which he hath granted by promise and oath (two immutable witnesses) to penitent sinners, then to credite the Father of lies before him Ianuas aeternae foelicitatis spes aperit, desperatio claudit: Hope opens the dore of heauen, desperation shuts it. As faith is heauen before heauen, so despaire is damnation before the time.

Shall the bloud and death of Christ put sense into rockes and stones, and shall man tread it vnderunder his desperate feet, eneruate his cross…, annihilate his ransome, and die past hope? did he raise three dead men to life, one newly departed, an other on the Beare, a third swelling, in the graue: to manifest that no dgree of death is so desperate, that it is past his recouery? And shall these men; as ifffIude ver. 12. twice, dead and pulled vp by the routes, deny to the grace and glory of God, a possibility of their reuiuing? foreign, God (and the vnfained repentance of their owne hearts) forbidde it.

p. 883 Thus we hauehave heard the malignancy of spirituall sicknesses, whetherin sinne, or for sinne. Now let vsus take a short consideration, how farre spirituall sicknesses, are more dangerous then corporall.

The Soule is; at all parts, more precious then the Body. It is that principall, most diuine, and excellent halfe of man. Dum viuisicat, anima: dum vult, animus, dum scit, mens: dum recolit, memoria, dum iudicat ratio, dum spirat spiritus: dum sentit sensus. It is called for quickning, a soule, for knowing, mind, for remembring, memory, for iudging, reason, for breathing, spirit, for feeling, sense, when the soule is sicke: all these are sicke with it. The soule is compared to heauen, the body to earth. The heauen is glorious with Sun, Moon Starres; so the soule with vnderstanding, memory, reason, faith, hope, &c. The body like the earth, whereof it was made, is squallid with lusts. The earth hath no heate nor nourishment, but from heauen, nor the body comfort, but from the soule. How then? oh how terrible is the soules sicknes, or death?

How indulgently should wee tender the health thereof? Wee keepe our chicken from the kite, our lambe from the Wolfe; our fawne from the hound, our doues from the vermine; and shall wee yeeld our darling to the Lyons, our soule to those murdering spirits, which endeuour to deuoure them? The Soule may bee well, when the body is full of griefes: but ill goes it with the body, when the soule is sicke. Nay euen corporall diseases are ofen a means to procure spirituall soundnesse. Therefore one cals it ggPlutarch. d… remed. vtrius que fortu. Dial. li. 4.(optabile malum, cum mali remedium sit maioris,) a happy euill, which is the remedy of a greater euill. Wee may say of many healthfull bodies, tutius aegrotassent, they might with lesse danger hauehave beene sicke. Nusquam peius quam in sano corpore, ager animus habitat. A sicke minde dwels not rightly in a sound body. But to find a healthfull and sound soule in a weake, sickly body is no wonder. Since the Soule (before smothered with the cloudes of p. 89health) is now suffered to see that through the breaches of her prison, which former ignorance suspected not.

Corporall sickenes is a perpetuall Monitor to the conscience, eueryevery pang a reproofe, and eueryevery stitch reades a lesson of mortality; ready euer to checke for euill, or to inuite to good, which duty weighed, a man hath lesse reason to be ouer feareful of sicknesse, Sen.then ouer glad of health. The Spirituall detriment that may ensue on health, is more dangerous then the bodily paine that pursues sicknes. If a man feare not death, what power hath sicknes to make him miserable? Tolerabilis est morbipraesentia, si contempseris id quod extre…um minatur. Sicknesse hath little terrour in it, if thou shall contemne that which it threatneth, Death. If it teach thee by the sight of the first death instant, to preuent the fury of the second; behold it makes thee blessed. Such good vse may the wise Soule make of the bodies enemie. I hauehave read it said, that singulus morbus, paruula mors, eueryevery disease is a little death. Therefore God sends vsus many little deathes, to instruct our preparation for the great death. The oftner a man dies, the better hee may know to die well.

I yeelde, if in sicknes we contract and narrow vp the powers of our soule, and direct them (as our finger) to the griefe of our bodies only; forgetting either that God strikes vsus, or that we hauehave first stricken God: eyther flying to ill meanes, or affying to good meanes more then to God; our sicknesse may be deadly to body and soule too. hh2. Chr. 16.222 Chr 16:22Asa was sicke but of his feete, his feet stood far from his hart, yet because he relyed more on his Physitians, then on his Maker, he died. Or if there shall bee no lesse confusion and hurly butly in the faculties of the Soule, then there is distemperature in the partes of the body: when Reason which should be the Queene, and dwell in the highest and choisest roome, is deposed from her gouernement, When the Senses, which are the Court-guardes, and the Princesses attendants, that giuegive all admission into the Presence; p. 90are corrupted: when the supreme faculties, which are the Peeres, are reuolted; and the Affections which are the Commons peruerted: and all this insurrection and disturbance, dethroning the Queene, corrupting the Guard, drawing from fealty the Peeres, and the Commons from alleageance, wrought by those violent passions which are refractory and headstrong Rebels, hauing once gotten head. Alas, how far is this miserable distemper and perturbation of these spirituall parts, aboue the distresse or distraction of the corporall members? neither is the future perill hereof onelyonly more full of prodigious desolation, but euen the present sense is also more tetricall, piercing, and amazing with horror.

We shall finde the perplexity of this spirituall sicknesse; (how far?) exceeding the corporall, if wee either compare them generally, or particularly, instance in any speciall disease.

1 Generally, The excellency of health, is measured according to the Life, which holds it: and the dignity of Life is considered by the cause that giues it,Vita vegetabilis. 1. The Life of the Plant is basest, because it consists but in the iuyce which is administred by the earth to the root thereof, and thence deriued and spred to the parts,Sensitiu…. 2. The Life of the brute creature excels, because it is sensitiue, and hath power of feeling,Rationali…. 3. The Life of man is better then both, because it is reasonable, conceiuing & iudging of things by vnderstanding 4.Gratiae. The Life of a spirituall man is better then all the former, and it hath two degrees, 1. The life of inchoate regeneration, and it consists in grace, 2. the perfect life of imputed righteousnes,Gl…riae. conferred and confirmed by Iesus Christ, 5. The Life of Glory exceedes all, whereof there are also two degrees, 1. the fruition of glory in soule, 2. the ful possession in the vnion of the body to it. These two last sorts of Life transcend the former in two maine respects, 1. Because the other may die, must die; these hauehave a patent of eternity sealed them, 2. Because the other hauehave transient p. 91causes: These hauehave the Grace and Glory of God.

Now as by all consent, the Life of reasonable man is better then the vegetable of plants, or sensitiue of beasts; so the health of man must needes be more precious: and as that vertue excels in goodnesse, so doth the defect exceede in miserablenesse. Respect man distinctiuly, as hee is a Body onelyonly, and then to bee sicke, and die are common to him with plants and beastes; and what suffering is there in the one, more then in the other, saue that as the Beast is more sensible of paine then the tree; so man is more apprehensiue then the beast, the bodies of all returne to the earth. But man hath a soule, wherein his reason is placed; which fainting or sickening through sinne, or the punishment for sinne, there is offered a passion and griefe, whereof the other are not capable. Death to the rest is not so terrible, as this sickenesse. The goodlier the building is, the more lamentable the ruine.

2 Particularly, This will best appeare, if wee single out some speciall disease, and conferre the perplexity it can offer to the body, with the sickenesse of the soule. Take for instance, the plague of the Leprosie. It was a fearefull and vnsupportable sicknesse, eueryevery way miserable, as you may finde it described, Leuit. 13. &c. ver. 45.46. His cloathes shall bee rent, Leu. e. 23.14and his head bare, and hee shall put a couering vponupon his vpper lippe, and shall cry, Vncleane, vncleane. Hee shall dwell alone, without the Campe shall his habitation be.

The Leprosie infected their very garments and houses, sticking contagion in the very wooll and wals. But our Leprosie of sinne hath (with a more vast extention) infected the Elements, Ayre, Earth, beasts, plants, &c. sticking scarres on the brow of nature, and making the whole iiRom 8.22Rom 8:22Creature groane vnderunder the burthen of corruption.

2 The Leaprosie was violent in spreading, running p. 92eftsoones ouer all the body, as in Gehizi, and making it all as one vlcer; yet could it not penetrate and enter the soule; the minde might be cleane in this generall defiling of the carcase. Behold the Laeprosie of sinne hath not content it se…fe to insult, pollute and tyrannize ouer the body, but it defiles the Soule also, and turnes that purer parte of Man into a Lazar. kkEsa. 46.6.Isa 46:6Our righteousnesse is become filthy ragges, our heart is poisoned,llTit. 1.15.Titus 1:15 our Consciences defiled.

3 The Leaprosie was an accidentall disease, casuall to some, whiles other escaped it. It was Gods Pursuiuant to single out and arrest some for their sinnes, his mercy spa…ing the rest. But the Leaprosie of sinne is (haereáitarius morbus) an hereditary sicknesse. Wee deriue it from our great Sire Adam, with more infallible conueyance then euer sonne inherited his fathers lands. It is originall to vsus, borne with vsus, borne before vsus. So that (natalis would bee fatalis) the birth day would bee the death day, if the bloud of that immaculate Lambe should not clense vsus.

4 The Leaprosie was a dangerous disease, yet curable by naturall meanes: but ours is by so much the worse, as it admits not man as Physitian, nor nature it se…fe as Physicke, sufficient to cure it. The medicine is supernaturall; the Bloud and Water of that man, who is God. Faith must lay hold on mercy: Mercy alone can heale vsus.

5 The Leaprosie is a sore disease, so entring and eating, that it is euen incorporate to the flesh: yet still (cum carne exuitur) it is put off with the flesh. Death is a Phisitian able to cure it. Mors vna inter…t & leprosum & Lepram. Death (the best Empericke) kil… at once the Leaper and his Leprosie. But the Leprosie of sinne cleanes so fast (not onelyonly to the flesh, but) to the Soule, that if spirituall death to sinne doe not slay it, Corporall death shall neither mende it nor end it.Heb. 12.1.Heb 12:1 It p. 93shall not flie the Soule, when the soule doth flie the body: but as it accompanies the one to the iudgement feare of God, so it shall meet the other in hell, if they both cannot be rid of it, through Christ on earth,

6 The Leaprosie makes man loathsome to man, that (seorsim habitaturus sit) hee must dwell alone. So was the mmLeuit. 13.46Lev 13:46Law, Hee is vncleane, hee shall dwell alone; without the Campe shall his habitation bee. Yea, though hee were a nn2 Reg. 15.5.2 Kgs 15:5King, he must content himselfe with an vnvisited and remoued lodging; yet what is it to be secluded from mans (and not to bee destitute of the Lords) company? God forsakes not the cleane heart, though man abhorres the leaprous flesh.ooPsal. 73.1Ps 73:1 God alone is a thousand companions; God alone is a world of friends. He neuer knew what it was to be familiar with heauen, that complains the lacke of friends whiles God is with him. Were thy Chamber a prison, thy prison a Dungeon; yet what Walles can keepe out that infinite Spirite? Euen there the good soule findes the Sunne of heauen to enlighten his darkenesse, in comparison of whom all the starres in the skie are the snuffe of a dimme candle. EueryEvery cloude darkens our Sunne, nothing can ecclipse that. But the Leprosie of sin separates a soule from Gods fellowship, from the company of Angels. aa1 Ioh. 1.6.1 John 1:6We lie, if we say wee hauehave fellowship with him, and walke in darkenesse. Your sinnes hauehave separated betwixt mee and you saith the Lord of hostes. They vnhouse our hearts of Gods spirite, and expell him from the temple of our soules, who will no longer stay there, when the Dagon of sinne is aduanced, adored. It is customable with men to eschew the society of their poore, maimed, afflicted, diseased Brethren, and to shew some disdain… by their auersenes: but to keepe company with drunkardes, adulterers, swearers, vsurers, &c. of whom alone wee hauehave a charge, de non tangendo, they recke not, bb1 Cor 5.111 Cor 5:11E…te not with them? Turne away from them, saith the Apostle,cc2. Timi 2.5. from those so diseased in Soule, not in body. But p. 94now ^d (melior est conditio vitij, quam morbi.) the estate of sinne is better then of sickenesse. But God looks vntounto (and is with) Lazarus liuing, and takes him into his bosome dying, though he was full of sores: and lets healthy, wealthy, flourishing Diues go by vnnamed, vnaccepted.

7. The Leaprosie kept men but from the fading citie, terrestriall Ierusalem. This Leaprosie vnpurged by repentance, restraines men from that Ierusalem which is aboue; eeReu. 21.19. ser. 2…Rev 21:19a city built vponupon Iaspers and Saphyres and pretious stones; flowing (in stead of milke and hony) with blisse and glory. For into ^f it shall enter nothing that defileth, nor whatsoeuer worketh abhomination or lies. Now as the pleasures and treasures of this City are more, so much worse is the cause hindring our entrance. You may iudge by this taste, how farre spirituall sickenesse is more bitter then corporall. Euerie circumstance before hath reflected on this; but nunquam satis dicitur, quod nunquam satis addiscitur, it is neuer taught enough, that is not enough learned.

4 I should now lastly inquire who are the sicke, wherein (as the Philosopher said of men; Non vhi sunt, sed vhi non sunt, faoilè demonstratur, I can easily shew you where they are not, not where they are.) It is a small matter to finde out the sicke, the difficulty is to finde any sound. I know ^g there are a few names in our Sardis, Rgen. 3.4.that hauehave not desiled their garments; but they are so few, that it is harde to find them. hhIer. 5.2.Jer 5:2Runne to and fro through the streetes, and seeke in the broad places of our Cities, if you can finde a man, if there bee any that executes iudgement, and seeketh the truth. The whole World is very old and sicke, giuen ouer, as man in his dotage to couetousnesse.

Huius aedest aet as extremae & ferre a mundi,

Alget amor dandi, praeceps amor ardet habendi.

Needs must the world be sicke and old

When lust growes hote, and charity cold.

p. 95Wonder you at this? …nder is the daughter of ignorance, ignorance of nature. God hath foretold it, euent hath fulfill'd it. Saint Paul giues the symptomes of this generall sicknesse. iiEph. 5.16.Eph 5:16Redeeme the time, for the daies are euill. Our Sauiour premonish…th the great decay of faith and louelove, to insue the Apostacie of the latter times. His kk2. Tim. 3.1.2 Tim 3:1Apostles testifie no lesse. Paul to Timothie, Know that in the last daies perilous times shall come. Men shall be louers of their owne selues, couetous, boasters, proud, &c. (read and obserue.) ll2. Pet. 3.3. Iude ver. 18.2 Pet 3:3Peter (with others) to make vp a cloud of witnesses, prophecieth the like, if not with addition; that men shall be so debauched, as euen to deride and scoffe at goodnesse, as a thing rather derisory, than necessary. The plague of sinne ranckles, and (helped with fit instruments of dispersion) infects the times.

The Scribe points to the Publican, and thinkes that destruction comes on the citie for his sake. The vngodly Protestant layes the fault on the profane Gallant, that the daies are euill, and sayes that pride deuoures all. The proud on the couetous Churle: the well conceited Hypocrite on the dissolute; the dissolute on the Hypocrites. Euen the wicked thinke the godly the cause, but the godly know the wicked the cause. Atheists will liue as they list. Loquuntur grandia. They lift vp their mouthes against heauen, and acknowledge no other deitie then their owne guttes. If good cheere may be their sicknesse, they care not though gluttonie be their graue. Grace is faine to giuegive place to wantonnesse, Religion to Idolatry, honestie to profanenesse. Many liue, as the mm2. Tim. 2.182 Tim 2:18Apostle saith of Himeneus and Philetus, as if the resurrection was past, or would neuer come.

I know, there was neuer age not complained of, not iudged as worst. Laudamus veteros &c. We see what is, not what hath been.Eccl. 7.10.Eccl 7:10 Some times hauehave been euill, others worse, ours worst of all. We are so much worse than all, because we hauehave more meanes to be better. We hauehave p. 96Atheists that serue no God, … that serue their money, Idolaters that serue creatures, Apostates that forsake God, worldlings, temporizers, neuters, that serue many, serue all, serue none. LoueLove is banished, temperance giues place to drunkennesse, humilitie stoopes to pride, hope yeelds to sense, and religion it selfe is vsed either for a shew of good, or for a cloake of euill. Mens words disagree from their deeds, their hearts from their words. If any say this world is not so sicke, as we giuegive it, I durst tell them that they are a great part of the sicknesse; and but for such we had lesse need to complaine.

Satans violence now doubling his forces, shewes it to be the last and worst time. For the Diuell then rageth most when he knowes he shall rage but for a while. The world is sicke, the dayes are euill. You heare what makes them so. Shortly, eyther doing or suffering ill: sinne originally, misery by consequent. If we would bate of our sinnes God would decrease our miseries. What plagues the world with the sword, but malice and ambition? What turns the poore from their right, but iniustice? What brings famine but couetousnesse? Proud Courtiers make rich Merchants and both make miserable Commons. We multiply sinnes against God, Gods punishmens vponupon vsus: the former from our vnrighteousnes, from his righteousnesse the latter: both together make the worlde sicke, the dayes euil. I would hope, it were now vaine to bid you loath the world. Is he lesse then mad, that can louelove and dote on such a cheeke? The beauty of it is blacke without by the miseries, and more foule within by the sinnes: if any wretch shall now make it his choice, he is not worthy of enuy, if of pity, now as a moderne Poet well.

Ther's onelyonly one way left, not to admit,

The Worlds infection, to be none of it.

Conclusion.Seeing we are thus sicke, why speede wee not to meanes of

End of the text · Thomas Adams, Englands Sickness Compared to Israels (1615)