Works, Part 1 · Spiritual counsels 1 · Counsel 75 – Counsel 86
Sicke, and sicknesse.
1 THis I take to be a fitte prescription to all parties afflicted: First, to labour to hauehaveRules for the sicke. peace of consciēce, & ioy of the holy Ghost, through the assurance of their sinnes pardoned in Iesus Christ: then to be carefull to vse the meanes which may nourish1 their inward peace & ioy: thirdly, they must reioyce and recreate themselues in wisedome2 and well-doing with the Saints of God, and holie companie: and lastly, they must3 refresh themselues with kitchin physicke, and a thankefull vsing of the creatures of God.4
2 It is not good to vse that for dyet, which is prescribed for physicke: for that will not worke in the extraordinarie neede of the bodie, which is vsed as ordinarie in the state and time of health.
3 He marked two things commonly neglected: he saw that men being in daunger of death, would bee prayed for in the Church, but they would not hauehave the Church giuegivePublike prayers for the sicke. thankes for their recouerie. Againe, hee saw that women would giuegive thankes after their deliuerance, which is a Christian dutie well beseeming them, but they would not before aske the prayers of the Church. And seeing it is so rare a blessing to hauehave the fruit of the wombe, seeing sometime the mother, sometime the children, sometimes both died: and that the gift of both is a worke passing the Sunne, the Moone, and the Starres: it were nothing superfluous or burdensome in such cases to pray and to be thankfull.
4 It is the wisedome of God ioyned with merciemercy, for the preseruing of his Children, in humility and thankfulnes (if they forget to spie out, and to be humbled for their inward corruptions) either to let them fall into some sinne, to punish their pride, and sway of their owne wit, or else (which is his more mercifull chastisement) to breake them with some crosse, vntill their harts be bruised. Hereof it commeth that the Lord is constrained to correct our haughtines, and coole our courage by some kinde of affliction, because we are ready to breake out in time of prosperitie. Wherefore to cut off the occasions of sinne, which Sathan would finde out in our proude flesh, after long time of health, the Lord sendethHow the Lord corrects the pride of our prosperitie. some sicknes, or some weaknes vponupon vsus, to cut short our hornes, wherewith by reason of long wealth, wee would (like Buls of Ba…an) push at the godly; the Lord sendeth fire, theeues, and oppressions to let vsus bloud in our riches, least wee should …e too rancke, and grow into a surfet. The best way in the middest of our prosperitie is, to labour to thinke wisely and lowly of our selues: and to walke fearfully, as being now most jealous ouer this our corrupt nature, which least feareth, when Gods graces are greatest: and namely, as of all blessings this is one of the greatest, …uen in abundance, health, credit, and authoritie, to carrie as humble and meeke an heart, and faithfull a spirit, as wee would or ought to hauehave, euen when we come out of some affliction: So this of all the plagues is the greatest, to be pricked, and not to feele; to be striken, and not to be humbled for it. And yet it is no great commendation to bee made better by affliction: But this is the praise of godlinesse, to grow on more in prosperitie, then, not to forsake our first louelove; then, to enter into a lowly conceit of our selues: for as it is a signe of a more liberall and ingenuous nature, to learne more by lenitie, than by seueritie; or if he slip, to recouer himselfe as carefully at the sight of another corrected before him, as if he were beaten himselfe: So it is a token of a minde more reformed to hauehave a bruifed minde rather with the …aste of Gods mercies, than with the terror of his iustice; or if he see but an inckling of Gods displeasure breeding, as much to strike his heart, as if the heauie hands of a fearefull scourge were vponupon him. And here we must beware that we lose not the fruite of the least crosse: for if we breake not our hearts with a little affliction, we shall afterwards become blockish in greater. Wherefore seeing it is a token of a melting heart to bleed at the least blow; and it is a signe of a senselesse minde, not to be touched vntill the sword hath tasted deeply of our blood: let vsus pray1 for the first grace of Gods children, not to neede to be corrected; or for the second, to be2 the better by the least correction; or at the least, that the Lord let vsus not goe so farre, as neither prosperitie nor aduersitie can doe vsus good.
Sathans practises.
1 SAthan is readie euer to make vsus most vnwilling to that, wherein the Lord will mostNote. vse vsus to the greatest good of his Church.
2 We must pray that the Lord giuegive not that measure of leaue to the diuell that we giuegive out to sinne: but that he would rather make Sathan a surgeon to shew vsus our sinnes, than a sergeant to arrest vsus to perpetuall imprisonment for our sinnes.
3 Sathan hath two waies to buffet vsus: first, he moueth to despaire, shewing vsus how suchSathan buffeteth vsus two waies. men did abide trouble, but they were rare men, of rare faith, of rare feeling, of rare patience; God hath not called vsus to that measure of grace; we are vnworthie by reason of our sinnes, to hope for the like faith or fruites of faith. His other temptation sauours of pride,1 when he will make vsus equall in dignitie with the highest of Gods Saints, but vnequall in2 dutie with them: then he will perswade that God is as good, and as strong to vsus, as he hath been to others: but he keeps vsus from vsing those waies and meanes, whereby others hauehave, and we ought to hauehave this goodnesse and power of God conueyed into vsus. Wherefore as we must not distr…st God that we shall obtaine the like merciemercy with others, if we vse the like meanes: so we must not be so bold, as to dreame that euer we shall hauehave the like fauour with them, vnlesse we labour for the like faith with them, the like faith I say, though not in quantitie, …. qualitie, and that by vse of the meanes.
4 VntoUnto one that said he was possest of a Diuell: he answered, as hoping that he was thePossession. 1. Cor. 6. Ye are not your owne. childe of God, and rather deluded than so afflicted. True it is, that as much as lieth in you, you hauehave giuegive… ouer your selfe vntounto the Diuell: but it is not in your power to giuegive ouer your selfe vntounto him, neither is it in his iurisdiction to possesse you.
Superstition.
1 MAny hauing escaped out of the gulfe of superstition, are too deepe plunged inProphanenes. prophanenes.
Strange corrections.
1 VNtoUnto a very godly man, whose onelyonly sonne was drowned, and therfore came vntounto him in great anguish of minde, and asked whether such strange corrections were not alwaies tokens of strange sinnes. He answered, That albeit God did seuerely correctCauses of great afflictions. sinne in it, yet it was not necessarie that God should chiefly respect the punishment of sinne in this thing; as might appeare in the like dealing with Iob and other of his children: Eccl. 9. Such things happen oftner to the good, &c. Howbeit (said he) God might correct your1 securitie herein (which either brings some sinne or crosse) or God might correct your immoderate2 louelove of him; or your vnthankfulnes for what measure he was reformed, or your3 not praying for him: or the Lord might take away this consolation, and withdraw wholie4 your minde from the world, and more throughly sanctifie you to himselfe. Or he might5 preuent some worldlinesse which you might hauehave fallen into, or some sinne which your6 sonne might hauehave fallen into, which would hauehave been a sorer trouble than his death: and7 therefore you must stay your selfe on the louelove of God in all.8
Saluation.
1 THat man is blest whom God hath from all beginnings chosen to eternall life. ToThe golden chaine of our free election. whom God hath giuen his Christ as a perfect redeemer. In whō he hath sealed the assurance of …l those things by his holy spirit; to whom he hath giuen his word; in whom the word and spirit hauehave begot faith; by whose power faith hath begotten ioyes in1 heauenly things; in whom ioy hath wrought a sincere heart to please God; in whom sinceritie2 is accompanied with louelove vnfained to the Lord and his Saints; louelove ioyned with a3 care to obey the commandements; this care breeding a reuerent feare to please God; in4 whom this godly feare rebuketh sinne; th… rebuking of sin worketh a mourning spirit; in5 whom a mourning spirit begetteth true meekenes, this meekenes of minde causing vsus to6 hunger after Christ. So as feeling his owne miserie, he is taught to shew merciemercy vntounto others,7 and so sheweth merciemercy as it is with the bowels of compassion; whose heart God so gouerning,8 that all outward benefits turne to his blessing, as seales of the fauour of God; vntounto9 whom all crosses being sanctified in Christ, turne to his good: who finally in this faith10 and fruites of faith, meekely and patiently possessing his soule, waiteth and looketh assuredly11 for the glorious kingdome of God after this life. This is the golden chaine of vndoubted12 blessednesse, whose linckes are so fastened the one in the other, that wheresoeuer13 any of them be wanting, there is a breach and weakenes made in the whole.14
To make speede to good things.1516
1 AS it is a fearefull thing to hasten to doe euill, and to linger to an euill thing is an17 holy lingring: so it is a blessed thing to hasten to godlinesse, and to make speede to a good thing, is a hastines very godly, Psal. 42. Psal. 95. Elisha must not salute any body in the way: the Apostles must not commune with any in their iourney, and why? They must make haste to doe the will of God. It is profitable to make haste to heauen; but it is no wisedome to make haste to hell: and yet to doe well, we finde a Lion in the streetes; but to doe euil, nothing can stay vsus He that euil come to heauen must make haste: for the kingdome of God *Or as another copie, is taken of them, that vse violence to come to it.must be taken violently: he must be like those wise virgins not linge…ing to get oyle, nor delaying …o furnish themselues with the graces of God against the comming of Christ.
Sleepe.
1 BEcause great naturall and worldly sorrow and ioy will cause a man to breake his sleepe at midnight, he …ould trie himselfe whether sorrow for sinne, and ioy in saluation had caused him to doe the like.
Sermons.
1 MAny men may be said to be Sermon-sick, as there are some said to be Sea-sick: forSermonsicke. as they that are Sea-sicke, for the time of their seafaring, so long as they be on the water are feeble stomacked, faint hear…ed, euer readie to die: and yet arriuing on the land, being gotten out of the ship, and hauing paused some little time, doe begin to forget their late troubles, and to recouer their former strength againe: So many, so long as they are in the Church hearing, and are tossed by the power of the word, their hearts are sicke, their consciences melt, they are much troubled: but when once the voyce ceaseth, and they are out of the Church doores, and hauehave acquainted themselues with the aire of the world, they forget what they heard, and wherewith they were moued, and so retire to their former life againe.
Schisme.
1 ALthough it is sure that a good man shall not finally fall in the maine points of his saluation, yet hee may be seduced in some lesse matters, but for all that in the end he shall escape: but the seducer shall surely be punished. For a well meaning man found in faith, and yet a nouice in Christ, may be carried to like some solemne superstitions, and po…pous ceremonies in the worship of God. Againe, a man careful and right in the substance of saluation, for the remnants of corruptions & defects of good things, may easily be drawne of a malicious man to cut off himselfe from the Church, not being able to discerne betweene essentiall and accidentall, betweene the principall and inferiour points, which make or destroy a Church, that is, which cannot iudge how, the substantial ground workes remaining, there is a Church, though there be otherwise some accidentall things wanting. If any man not so much intending this mans good, as to feede his owne ambition,Schismes. pride, stomacke or vaine glory, shal carrie such a one to such superstitions or schismes, he by his euill heart intending to hinder the truth, and to destroy the temple of God, the Lord shall destroy him, and he shall either grow prophane or worldly, or he shall be cut off by death, or beare some other token of Gods wrath. And because of a singularitie ofSingularitie of spirit. spirit, such men with an euill conscience disturbe the Church, they may grow from error to heresies, from precisenesse to prophannesse, from strictnes to madnes, not being content to be corrupted, but seeking to corrupt. Howbeit, the man of infirmities and for want of iudgement going in an high path, shall in the end inherit good things and be saued, but as by fire.
The true suruay and examination of our selues.
1 VVHen we examine ourselues, we are to sit in iudgement ouer our selues, and to keepe a solemne court in our owne consciences, to suruay our manners: our wits, our senses, our members, and to see how we hauehave vsed them: but yet least we should be too fauourable to our selues, either in not espying out our sinnes, or in not cōdemning our sinnes, still we remember to make the law our iudge, but Christ the answerer of the iudge.
The motions of the spirit of God in vsus.
1 IT is a good thing to make much of a tender conscience, and to nourish the motions of Gods spirit, and not to offer any violence to that spirit of grace, which rebuketh sinne i… vsus: for he that hath once crackt his credit, will happily care for nothing: she that hath once bruised her virginitie, will by all likelihoods proue an old harlot. It is daungerous to burie the checkes of our conscience, to fight against Gods spirit, or to …mother theChecke of conscience. light of grace in vsus: for so we may grow to such a sottishnes in sinne, that no admonition can forewarne vsus, nor punishment can affray vsus: the smallest meanes will prouoke vsus to sinne, the greatest meanes cannot reuoke vsus from sinne. For suffering our selues to be hardned by degrees, the spirit is so quickly quenched, the conscience so tender is so soone bruised, that it is no maruell though we vse so great precisenesse and warinesse in so tender a matter, by suspecting the retire of old sinnes, and by foreseeing the assaults of new sinnes.
Euill spirits.
1 HE obserued the difference of superstition and true religion in many things, and namely, how the diuell whilest he was made knowne to men onelyonly by hornes, by clawes, or by an hollow voyce, was wonderfully feared; but now being reuealed toSathan feared in superstition too much, and now in the light too little. be a more secret aduersarie, a spirituall tempter, a priuie ouerthrower of the soule, no man almost regards him: and therefore as some hauehave feared him too superstitiously; so now it is come to a more dangerous extremitie, that he is not feared at all: and which is more, we cannot truly beleeue the gracious helpe of Gods holy Angels, but seeke after Satans practises He marked, that good men and learned, did much omit this in their prayers, that God would send his Angels to them to deliuer them from euill spirits.