Hezekiahs Recovery, Sermon
HEZEKIAH'S RECOVERY.
ESA. 38.9.
The writing of Hezekiah King of Iudah, when hee had beene ſicke, and was recovered of his ſicknes.
LO heere a double condition and behaviour of King Hezekiah; 1. he was ficke, and then he prayed: 2. he is recovered, and now he gives thankes. Our buſineſſe lyes in this latet part; which is made up of theſe two: 1. an Inſcription, 2. a Deſcription of the Song.
The Deſcription preſents unto us the parts of it; 1. an aggravation of Hezekiah's former miſery: 2. an amplification of the preſent merciemercy.
The Inſcription acquaints us, 1. with the author of the Song, King Hezekiah. 2. with the nature of it, a Poem written. 3. with the argument of it, a Song of thankeſgiving for the removeall of ſicknes, & reſtoring of health. And firſt to the firſt: the paſſage is cleer, ſick Hezekiah prayes, &c.
Sicke Hezekiah prayes, found Hezekiah ſings: as comfort ſucceeds his croſſe, ſo praiſes his prayers. Hence this:
After prayers, Doct. 1.praiſes. Prayers and prayſes do not ſo enterfaire that they can never be ſeparated, neither is there anie neceſsitie of premiſing pertitions to each particular thankſgiving; onelyonly in a generalitie this is regular, when we have removed afflictions by prayer, we ſhould welcome deliverances with ſongs. So much was 1. eſtabliſhed by Law, Shelamim.Levit. 3. & 7. after ſacrifices of pacification, followed ſacrifices of payments and thankſgiving. 2ly. ratified in the Goſpell. Its a generall Canon, Is any afflicted? what if? Let him pray; Is any merry? what then? Let him ſing. Tis not unlawfull to pray in mirth, to ſing in miſerie, ordinarily; but tis ſimply neceſſarie in afflictions ro be prayerfull, in the midſt of mercies to bee thankefull, and to entertaine ſeverall conditions with different behaviours. Hereof is it that the Apoſtle. S. Paul doth ſo often linke prayers and thankſgivings together: as who would ſay, when the one is put over, you muſt paſſe to the other. So much (3ly.) upon particular occaſions is 1. preſcribed by God, 2. practiſed by his Saints. Particulars will not bee needefull to men who know the generall courſe of Scriptures. So much (4ly.) S. Iohn foretels, and in a ſort undertakes for ſucoceding ages, in his Revelat. What ſinging there ſhould be after perſecutions by Heatheniſh Rome, hee foretels in his fift chapt. what there was, Euſebius reports, eſpecially in his laſt booke. Againe, what ſongs ſhould follow upon the Churches deliverance from Rome Chriſtian, or other (whether ſeducers or perſecutors) S. Iohn fore-propheſies, V. Iubilees of the reformed Churches.time partly hath alreadie, and more fully will hereafter diſcover. So much (5ly.) Education and Reaſon taught Heathens, and muſt perſwade us. For, firſt, Reaſ. 1.if wee looke to God, he is (as the Prophet ſaith) worthy to bee praiſed; 1. all excellencie is his, therefore all honour, ſaith reaſon in Philoſophers. 2. All Religion is due to him, therefore all thankes, which is a religious act; for to the higheſt Maieſtie is due the loweft ſubjection, and that is Religion, which ſubjects the ſoule. 3. Hee is the firſt ſpring and author of good: all excellencie and honour is inveſted in him, and derived from him, and therfore muſt returne to him, Rom. 11. ult.
2. If we conſider the thing it ſelfe; Reaſ. 2.thankes is due after mercies received, and wee cannot withhold it without many incongruities: firſt (as is implied) Religion is violated, which tels us that wee 1. owe to God all poſsible ſervice; 2. that thankſgiving is a ſpeciall worſhip, wherin we transferre all honour from creatures to God, Pſalm. 50. ult. 3. that wee are no leſſe bound to acknowledge Gods workings in our praiſes, than his willingneſſe in our prayers.
2. Charitie is violated, which bids us love an enemy, much more a God; to bleſſe thoſe that curſe, much more thoſe that bleſſe us; to overcome evil with good, much more to anſwer goodneſſe with goodneſſe. V. Ariſt. Ethicks.Indeed kindneſſe, by the rules of friendſhip & love in the Heathens judgements, doth challenge eyther recompence, if we deale with our matches, or acknowledgement where the diſtance is great; & the greater this, the greater that. Now betwixt God & us the diſtance is infinite, and if twere poſsible our love & thankfulneſſe ſhould fill up that diſtance, and extend it ſelfe into infiniteneſſe.
On the other ſide, not to bee as forward with our praiſes as prayers, argues baſe ſelfe-love and ſervilitie, and makes it appeare that wee love not God but his gifts; nay, in truth that wee ſecretly hate him. For wee begrudge no man the praiſe of his kindneſſe, but whom wee eyther envie or hate: now God is above the reach of our low envie; and therefore our lothneſſe to acknowledge him, proceeds from our inbred enmity againſt him, when of the twaine wee had rather denie his grace, than yeeld our ſelves beggars and dependants,
3 Iuſtice is violated: we owe God thankes, 1. in point of Law and covenant; Tis our profeſſion, our promiſe, our cheefage and rent that is due to him: Gratia ſpecialis pars juſtitiae. Cic. l. 2. de inzent.ſo that the Orator ſpake not over, when he intimated that Ingratitude was a kinde of Unjuſtice. For what more unjuſt, than to detaine, againſt all deſert and covenant, Gods right? 2. In point of moralitie and honeſtie; in manners wee muſt reciprocate with men, much more with God: nor can he be an honeſt man, who is not aſhamed to be an unthankfull man.
3 If wee compare the dueties, Reaſ. 3.no reaſon but we ſhould be as full of thankes as prayers: 1. I am ſure we have as many mercies as croſſes, comforts (in preſent and reverſion) as wants. 2. All our ſorrowes and afflictions are deſerved, all our comforts undeſerved: if that muſt not weaken our prayers, ſurely this muſt greaten our thankes. 3. Thankfulneſſe will become us as much as beging, nay (as the Prophet adds) as much benefit vsus, Chryſ.ad pop. Ant.Hom. 11.as much comfort us: Thankefulneſſe holds old mercies, and wins new; yea, greater thankfulneſſe is a ſurer evidence of love and ſinceritie than prayer, and no leſſe a cauſe than a ſigne of joy; if not ſenior to prayer in the world, yet of more laſting, at leaſt of more excellencie in the world to come.
Once, it is at leaſt as needfull for us to give up praiſes as prayers, for theſe reaſons: Firſt, we are (for certaine) as forgetfull of the conſolations as of croſſes, nay more, becauſe we are more ſenſuall than intellectuall, and fulleſt of ſelfe-love. Secondly, we are as likely to miſcarrie in proſperity as in adverſitie, unleſſe the one bee ſanctified by thankſgiving, as well as the other by prayer. As Croſſes without prayer will embitter us, ſo Bleſſings without praiſes will ſwell us, and make us giddie, unleſſe wee allay our wine with ſome of this ſugar, thankes I meane, which is ſweet in it ſelfe, moſt comfortable to us, Cant. 7 9.and more acceptable to God than ſweeteſt Wines or Incenſe.
Well, we heare what ſhould be; Vſe 1.now by way of reflection lets doe two things: whereof the firſt is: fee what wee have done. Prayers and praiſes ſhould ſucoced each other, as day doth night ſummer winter; what ſay you? hath it bin ſo? The truth is, when I caſt my thoughts backward unto publick proceedings, I find what doth ſomewhat comfort mee; I finde, firſt, that after publicke humiliations in 88. our moſt happy Queene was moſt publicke and ſolemne in her thankſgivings: next, after our deliverance in 1604. Nov. 5. a ſet time appointed for ſolemne praiſes; thirdly, after deliberation had, ſome thankſgivings added to our publick prayers. But when we looke into private paſſages, alas wee are all too blame: we goe to God in our diſtreſſes, as Turkes uſe to goe to their Mahomet, or others to their Ladie, by troupes and Caravans; but when we be delivered, we returne like thoſe Lepers in the Goſpell, ſcarce one in ten, in twentie, in a hundred. To ſpeake ſooth, moſt of us have ſmall reaſon to glorie in our praiers; they be too faint, too few, too much overrun with pride & unbeleefe: but in thankeſgiving wee are ſtarke naught, worſe than naught. firſt, we will not ſee wood for trees, mercies for bleſſings; when wee cannot tell how to looke beſides them, we will not fall upon them in our thoughts: wants we ſee, and ſo are ſtill craving; favours wee will not ſee, and ſo are never thankfull. When ſpeech is of croſſes, wee have all; croſſes in body, croſſes in ſoule, croſſes in eſtate, croſſes in friends, our life is made of croſſes: when of mercies, we can finde none about houſe, no money in purſe, no corne in barne, no comfort in the houſe, no friend in the world, wee ſee no land, nothing but ſea.
Secondly, when wee ſee, wee will not ſpeake: when we fall upon croſſes, wee are cloquent beyond truth, we adde, we multiply, we ariſe in our diſcourſe, like him in the Poet, I am twice, thrice miferable, nay ten times, nay twentie times, Aristop. in Plut. Act. 4. ſc. 3. foreign.nay a thouſand times miſerable; But when it comes to mercies, we ſpeake of them as malefactors doe of their faults, yeelde no more than what can be extorted from us, or proved againſt us, as if we were loath to peach God or our ſelves. Or if (thirdly) wee ſay any thing, it is rather to ſet up our ſelves than God, and the ſacrifice is intended to our netts, witts, providence, more than to Gods merciemercy: in truth we ſerve our ſelves in praiſes as Ignorants doe in prayers, they ſet up fleſh and eſtaliſh merit; under a colour of prayer; and wee under a flouriſh and varniſh (of God be thanked) vent our pride, and ſtroke our ſelves. The worſt unthankfulneſſe is, when men love not to be beholden to God. Or laſtly, if ſome thing bee ſaid; thats all, for little is done: True thankefulneſſe ſtands in a reciprocation of affections & actions. Wee ſhould returne love for love, and ſervice at leaſt for kindneſſe; but wee doe not ſo. It fares with us as once with Iſrael; the care, which taſtes words as the raſte doth meats, V. Chryſ. hom. 11 ad pop. Ant. Anima tristis non and it.was ſo filled with choler, that they could reliſh no comfort (Exed. 6.9.) whileſt Moſes and Aaron ſpake: and our thoughts bee ſo ſowred with the taſte of croſſes, that we can taſte no mercies, at leaſt wee cannot taſte the ſweetneſſe of the giver in the gift; and thence it is that our affections lye dead within us, whilſt his mercies ſwarme about us. Hee ſhewes his power in the greatneſſe, his wiſedome in the ſeaſonableneſſe, his truth in the conſtancie, his grace in the freeneſſe, the riches of his mercies in the fulneſſe of his bleſſings; but nor one nor other affect us. Our hearts are ſo farre from Davids zeale hereupon, as that (like Nabals) they are cyther as cold or heavie as a ſtone. Miſerable hearts, and miſerably dead, when ſo manic warming and reviving comforts cannot raiſe them upwards: but in the meane, what hope of quicke actions, when we labour with ſo dead affections.
… For deeds: true thankefulneſſe improves the gift, to the givers honour. A friend gives me a Ring, Ile weare it for his ſake; a Booke, Ile uſe it for his ſake; a Iewell, Ile keepe it for his ſake, that is, ſo as may beſt expreſſe my love, and report his goodneſſe. Were wee truely thankefull to our God, wee would uſe all his tokens for his ſake; cate our meate to him, Zach. 14.weare our clothes to him, ſpend our ſtrength for him, live to him, ſleepe to him, dye for him: but (out upon our unthankefulneſſe) we uſe his bleſſings as Ich… did Icherams meſſengers, David Goliab's ſword, we turne them againſt their Maſter, & fight againſt heaven with that health, wit, wealth, thoſe friends, meanes, mercies that wee received thence. If this be thankfulnes, to be ſo much the more proude, idle, ſecure, wanton, ſcornefull, impenitent, by how much the more wee are enriched, advanced and bleſſed, I cannot tell who may be called unthankfull. Brethren, underſtand your ſelves, there is not this day a Nation under heaven more bound to God than we be; if now, we ſhal waſt that time in ſpying out flawes in the State, and matter of complaint at home, that ſhould be taken up in recounting mercies, tis juſt with God to lay us even with other diſtreſſed Churches, and to make us know what we had by what we want. If any place be yet left for admonition, be wee all adviſed to call to minde, with Pharaoh's Butler, Gen. 41.9.this day our fault, even that fault which is our nationall ſinne, the ſinne of unthankefulneſſe: and be it granted (by you and me, and by us all) that never people have had more cauſe, but taken leſſe occaſion of bleſſing God.
2 And now (to ſpeake forward) let us take forth Hezekiah's leſſon; Vſe 2.after ſighes lets ſend forth ſongs, as he did: nay, 2. Reg. 10.19.he in the midſt of ſorrowes can finde ſome matter of praiſe: nay, Lam. 3.22.the Church when ſhe only liv'd, could yet ſay It is his mercy that we have ſo much. If the beſt people can ſing in troubles, ſhould not wee in peace? If they can when diſtreſſed, ſhould not we when delivered? If they bee ſo ſenſible of one bleſsing, ſhould not we of a hundred, of a thouſand? Ob.It may be their undertakings in the day of affliction were more. No, Anſ.in feares and ſorrowes wee are as ready to vow and promiſe thankes as any; and if to promiſe ſhould we not to pay? Ob.It may be our deſerts are greater. No, Sol.nor wee nor they can challenge any thing but by ve…me of the promiſe, Ob.and that was theirs as much as ours. It may be their engagements were more than ours No, Sol.whether we looke to the freeneſſe of the giver, or greatneſſe of the gifts, we owe as much as who doth moſt.
For the firſt, the Lord hath caſt upon us bleſſings, not only undeſerved but undeſired, unexpected; he hath beene better to, us than his promiſe, than our prayers, than our hopes: hee hath prevented us with ſome which wee never forethought, yea done more for us than we are aware of; and he hath given us others, which wee never durſt once hope for. I thinke the man lives not, that ever durſt promiſe to himſelfe ſo many daies of happineſſe, ſo long a peace, ſo ſudden cure of the land, ſo flouriſhing a Church, ſo happie a time as wee have enjoyed; and what gifts more free than ſuch as prevent all prayers, exceed all hopes, and are not only above but againſt all deſerts.
For the ſecond thing, which greate us a kindneſſe, to wit greatneſſe and multitude of kindneſſes, who is able to recount (particulars ſhall I ſay, nay) the ſeverall kindes of them: Firſt, we have bleſsings privato as many as ſoule & body; houſe and field, field and towne, to wee and country can hold. Secondly, we have bleſsings publicke and nationall beyond number; other nations bleed we ſleepe; other begge, wee abound; others ſtarve, we ſurfet; others grope in the darke, our Sunne ſtill ſhines; others are quite diſjoyned and diſmembred they are members without heads beads without bodies, for lorne men, without Law, without Goſpell, without Churches, or Teachers, or Livings, or Bookes, or all: wee have all; Magiſtrates, Miniſters, Lawes, Trades, Schooles, Churches, Townes, all, and all of the beſt; of Kings the beſt, of Courts the beſt, of Law the beſt, of Bookes the beſt, of Sermons the beſt, of ayre, of fare, of water, of all the beſt: and can we not yet ſee matter of thankfulneſſe?
O but theſe be bleſsings ſarre off, Ob.they touch not thy particular.
No doe? Anſ.have wee not all our private intereſts in the publique weale? But ſpeake in good earneſt, haſt thou no particular favours no bleſsings privative, none poſitive? for ſhame yeeld both.
Yea but where be they?Ob.
Nay where be they not? thou haſt eyes, Anſaske the blinde whether that be not a bleſsing; thou haſt cares, aske the deafe whether that bee not a bleſsing thou haſt a tongue, what thanks the dumb of that? thou haſt hands, feet, wits, limbs, life, bones, ſinewes, reins, mercies …now betwixt head & foot to ſill a volume, is all this nothing: Nay tel me, wch way canſt thou look, but thou ſect mercies? what canſt thou touch, but thou feeleſt mercies? where canſt thoutread, but thou ſtandeſt on mercies? But of what art thou compounded of but of bleſsings every ſenſe, every joint, everie ſplint, everie naile a bleſsing: nay, what is thy houſe made of but bleſsings: what is it filled with but bleſsings of bleſsings of the Barne, bleſſings, of the Field, bleſsings of the Wombe, all bleſsings: nay, whats the World made of but bleſsings? V. Baſil in Iulit. Mart.Heavens, Starres, Fire, Ayre, Water, Earth, with all in the one, with all in the other bleſsings; all things bleſsings, all perſons bleſſings, all eſtates bleſsings, all times bleſsings, as S. Paul diſcourſeth, 1. Cor. 3. ult. Now when the Lord doth ſo lade us with benefites, and that daily, ſhall not wee be thankefull? Bleſſe, ſaith our Saviour, when you are curſed; and ſhall wee not bleſſe being thus bleſſed?
All this while I ſpeake nothing of ſpirituall bleſsings; indeed no tongue can reach them: we can cloſe them all within one word, one ſyllable, God hath given us Chriſt; but what a gift is that? In him he hath given us a new world: the olde world was forfeyted in a day; De jure.houſe, ground, furniture, all forfeited in Adam: then came in the promiſed ſeed, the bleſſed ſeed Chriſt, and in him all things are made new; new heavens, new earth, new Church, 2. Cor. 5.17.new tenure, all things renewed, bettered with infinite advantage to us, but coſt to Chriſt: What a thing was that, for the Creator to become a creature, for life to dye, for happineſs to weepe, for glory to be buffeted, for immortalitie to bee buried! O Lord Chriſt, who would have done thus for an enemie, for a friend, beſides thy ſelfe? But tis done; hee was made fleſh, ſeene of angels, ſlain of men, laid in grave, raiſed to glorie, and we are now redeemed, juſtified, ſanctified, glorified in him. Redeemed, juſtified, ſanctified, glorified! what words be theſe: what things? No man, no Angell can conceive the worth of theſe things: when wee have ſaid all, all is this, God hath given us Chriſt, that is, God hath given us himſelfe, and all the creatures in heaven & earth. God hath delivered us from the evill of all evils, and hath given us the bleſsing of all bleſsings, the marrow of all comforts; the earth is ours, the heavens ours, the word ours, the ſpirit ours, God ours becauſe Chriſt is ours. Now then when in Chriſt our head wee are eſtated in the whole world, have we not matter of thankfulneſſe? yes (we now ſee it) if we had hearts.
But how ſhal's get a thankefull heart firſt, Ob.and expreſſe it next?
Labour for three ſaving graces; 1. Humility; Anſ.2. Faith; 3. Love. All theſe ſend a man abroad, and make him ſeeke himſelfe in others.
Firſt, Humilitie empties a man of all great opinions of the creature, and fills him with an high admiration of the Creator. The humble man ſo well underſtands himſelfe, and other creatures, and Gods excellencie, that he ſees that too much cannot be aſcribed to God, too little to man: and therfore he is very willing that God ſhould carry all the praiſe and glorie from all creatures; and the more hee can abaſe fleſh and exalt God, the more glad he is. Labour then to be humble men with Iacob and you wil findy our ſelves leffe than the leaſt favour, then you will ſee; V. Bradford.matter of thankfulneſſe there, where the proude finds matter of murmuring.
Secondly, Faith is another emptying vertue: it layes up all its treaſure in anothers houſe, and leaves it in anothers hands for feare of robbing. The faithfull mans treaſure is Chriſt, his life is Chriſt his crowne and glorie is Chriſt: if Chriſt hath, honour, he hath honour enough; therefore he willingly carries all to Chriſt. Labour then for faith: for if faith once unite you to Chriſt, that you be one, and unite you to God through Chriſt, that you can look upon God as your God, then you will ſeeke his honour as your owne.
Thirdly, love ſeekes not its owne (eyther proſite or credite) it liwes in another, and it works for another: in that meaſure that wee love God, wee will ſeeke Gods glory, we will ſpeake good of his name, Amas & laudas. in Pſ. 85. ſic & Chryſ. ad pop. Ant. bo. 64and ſet out his praiſes. O love him who is love beautie, nay glorie inſelfe: and if thou love, thou praiſeſt, as Auſben ſpeakes.
Thus the heart will be tuned and ſet right, if it be a broken heart, abeleeving heart, a nealous heart, twill endite well, praiſes wil ſtreame from it as naturally as water from a fountaine, Pſal. 45.1. but then (in the next place) the outward man muſt concurre, the tongue muſt walke apace like a ſwiſt pen; to that end, do but owne thine owne words, firſt, tabe up the complaints thou madeſt in thine afflictions, he as eloquent in enlarging thy forrowes now paſt, as thou waſt then; ſpeake now what paines, ſeanes, griefes, ſomes God hath now delivered thee from, as Hezekiah doth here: inprove thy then ſomewes to preſent thankefulneſſe.
Secondly, …unt thy vowes and promiſes then, call … what thought is thou then hadſt, what vowes thou then mad'ſt; O if God would this once helpe me, theſe faults ſhould be left, and theſe dueties done: now pay thy vowes.
1 Heare the other creatures, they ſing, &c.
2 Thy fleſh muſt rejoyce (as David ſpeakes) in the Lord, thy face and countenance muſt take up and looke cleerely, thy feet muſt be lift up as Iacobs were, thy hands muſt be ſet on worke, thankefulneſſe muſt be acted, not onelyonly talkt of. Here know, firſt, that hee is moſt thankefull that lives beſt, Qui rectè agit Deum laudat. Aug. in Pſ 34.that leaves moſt faults and doth moſt good.
Secondly, that all we doe or forbeare, muſt bee done out of thankefulneſſe for what we alreadie hold, or have good bonds for.
Thirdly, that our thankes muſt in ſome meaſure anſwer Gods mercy, and our former miſery; the more our ſighes were, the more our ſongs muſt be; the more prayers were made, the more praiſes muſt follow (for thoſe bee double mercies that follow upon prayer). and next for God, the more remarkeable the deliverance was, the more ſolemn and heartie the thankſgiving muſt be, for ſingular mencies we muſt doe ſome ſingularthing, ſet apart ſome time, ſome Preſent, ſome gift, doe ſome thing that may ſcale up our humbleſt acknowledgement of Gods goodneſſe, elſe great mercies will work great thoughts, as Hezekiah found for a time, 2. Chron. 32.25.
Now to particulars, firſt, to the title, ſecondly, to the …ed… of the Song: The title acquaints us with the qualities of the Song, a Wr…ing, the matter of it, a Narration, 1. of his ſickneſſe; 2. of his recoverie: which two parts make up the whole Song following.
For the firſt, the things enquirable about this Song are chiefly three: firſt, what kind of writing it is; ſecondly, by whom it was written: thirdly, for what uſe.
Which three queſtions ſhal receive theſe three ſhort anſwers following.
1 The writing is Poeticall, and delivered in Verſe, for the helpe both of memorie and affection.
2 For the Penman, we cannot ſay much of certaintie, nor is it much materiall; this is certaine, Hezekiah made cyther the deſcant or plainſong. 2. the Worthies of God, Iob, David, Saloman, &c. were much delighted with Poetry. 3. the Kings of Iudah (ſundry of them) were endued with an extraordinarie ſpirit, & a divine ſentence was often in their mouthes, as wee ſee in the writings, and ſpeeches, and praiers of divers of them: wherefore if wee ſay that Hezekiah pend this with his own hand, we ſay more than what ſeems reaſonable in it ſelfe, and probable to others. Howbeit if anie will contend (from the phraſe) that the worke was Eſaias, V. Sixt. Sen. & de Tena. in his Iſag.and the motion onelyonly from Hezekiah, we will notgainſay it: it ſufficeth, that Hazekiah was the firſt mover, and that the Lord hath now pleaſed to adde it to the Canon, V. Sanct. & MuſcuLad locū ergo tis not ſo wel entirled by the 70 foreign.as he did alſo his Letters, 2. Chran. 30.
For the third queſtion, the good Kings meaning was to conſecrate (with this ſong) himſelfe and his life to God, and to leave this upon record as a pledge and proofe of his thankfulneſſe to all poſteritie.
In his practiſe, take notice of our duetie.
Wee muſt adde to our preſent thankeſgivings ſome pawne and monument of our thankfulneſſe for the future. Doct. 1.We muſt, for great bleſsings, ſtake downe preſent thankes: that's one duetie, but that's not all; wee muſt leave ſome monument therof (as we may) to poſteritie, and caſt how we may eternize Gods praiſes, and procure him honour in ſurviving ages.
This (firſt) God commands; Tell it (ſaith hee, when he ſpeakes of great mercies) to thy childrens children.i.e. convey thankefulneſſe to poſteritie, and keep on foot Gods praiſes to the worlds end, if poſsible. Hereof is it, that the Lord ſets a ſpeciall Accent upon ſpeciall mercies, and takes order that they may bee reported to ſucceſsion. Thus when he had ſet Iſraell over Iordan, and in poſſeſsion of his countrey, Set up (ſaith hee) ſtones, Ioſh. 4.7, 8, 9.ſome in the water, ſome on the land, that may witneſſe my merciemercy, your thankfulneſſe, for after times; let the very place ſpeake it. And elſewhere, Day unto day (as here place to place) muſt utter his goodneſſe and mans gratitude. Hence thoſe ſolemnities of the Paſſe-over for one merciemercy, Levit. 23of Pentecoſt for another, of Tabernacles for a third, of Trumpets for a fourth, of new Moones for a firſt, &c. God for great mercies would have a commemoration, a day of publicke thankſgiving throughout all generations.
Secondly, as God commanded, ſo his people practiſed this duetie; ſometimes they ſet out time, Eſt. 9.as in the feaſt of Purim; ſometimes they ſet up Altars, as Abraham often; ſometimes they leave a marke upon the place, 2. Chr. 20as Iehoſaphat in the valley of Beracah; ſometimes they multiply ſacrifices, as Salomon, &c. ſometimes they dedicate ſongs, as David often; ſometimes they preſent and hang up ſome monument of victorie, recoveric, or the like, 1. Sam. 21. Iudg. 8. V. Rainel.praelect. 208. del. Apoc.as David Goliah's ſword, Gideon his Ephod-like preſent, what ever it was, Hezekiah his Poeme, whether in parchment, braſſe, marble, &c. and all this to this end, that Gods praiſes mought out-live them, and bee ſung by men as then unborne, as David ſpeakes. Thus they of old, reaſon calls for the like from us.
1 Tis but civilitie to return bleſsing for bleſſing: an Heathen will doe it. Now God bleſſes us beyond this life, not onelyonly in heaven but upon carth, in our names, eſtates, poſteritie, kindred; and why ſhould not wee future and prorogue our bleſsings beyond life alſo?
2 Tis but honeſtie to pay our debts: now doe what we can, we ſhall die in Gods debt. Sith we be not able to pay all at once, And ſo make Chriſt our keyre, as Chryſ. de lande Dei. V. Ang. in Pſ. 91.lets be paying in our heires and executors to the worlds end.
3 Tis a courſe we take with earthly Benefactors, we would perpetuate their fame to eternitie if we could, and doe wee not owe more to God?
4 Tis good policie to build Gods name, for then God will build ours, 1. Sam. 2.as hee ſaid to K. David of an houſe: if wee honour him, hee will honour us. 2. Chr. 32.32.33.indeed Hezekiah eternizeth his owne name in thus magnifying Gods.
Laſtly, tis a ſure evidence of our ſinceritie and true love to Gods name, when wee deſire that it may out-live ours, and bee glorified by others as well as by our ſelves.
Having thus concluded the point, Vſe 1.the application ſhall runne all one way, and this it is; What ſo good a King practiſed, ſo great a God challengeth, ſo cleere reaſon perſwadeth, let us now practiſe. Tell me (my brethren) are not wee in Gods debt as well as Hezekiah? Was not hee as thankefull for the preſent as we can be? Are not we bound, to pay our debts, to edifie poſteritie as much as he? Wel then, if you have as much cauſe as he, as great need as he, as maine motives as hee, doe as he did, praſe God with a laſting ſong; doe ſomething that may ſet the world a ſinging when you are ſleeping in the duſt. Want ye as yet motives? Looke to your Father; Tis 2 ſigne of the beſt goodneſſe to aime at publ. goods.his goodneſſe lives for ever towards you, let your thankes be immortall to him: looke to your Redeemer; hee is the ſame for ever to you, be the ſame to him, in all maner of thankefulneſſe: looke to predeceſſors; they have leſt us monuments of their love to God and us, lets reach them with advantage to poſteritic: looke to ſucceſſors; they heyre our ſinnes and ſorrowes, lets leave them ſome ſong's and matter of joy aſwell as cauſe of mourning: looke to our Adverſaries; they upbraid us, V. Camp. alioſ que &c.as Penninnah did Hannah, with our unfruitfulneſſe: they crake that all our Churches, Hoſpitals, Colledges are theirs. And albeit enough is ſaid and done already to breake the teeth of their ſlanders, yet if poſsible lets (as our S. Peter adviſeth) muzle them quite by doing more good.1. Pet. 2.15.foreign
You will ſay (perhaps) the leſſon is good and not unſeaſonable, Ob.but it concerns Hezekiahs, great men, rich men, learned men, that have meanes of expreſſing themſelves publiquely; but alas wee are poore, ſimple, obſcure, &c.
Yea but hear me; Anſ.you are in Gods debt too, are you not? You muſt pay your debts, muſt you not? Tenants muſt pay their rent, a cheefage, &c. muſt they not? Well then, if you owe leſſe, pay leſſe: if you hold not ſo much of your land-lord as another doth, yet I pray you pay for your cottage, and for that you hold: you are a tenant to God as well as King Hezekiah, pay your rent.
Ob. But twill not be accepted, tis ſo poore.
Sol. Come, thats a put-off; á Marke by the yeare from a Cottier, is accepted as well as a hundred pounds from a Farmer. Underſtand that God weighs circumſtances, and tis accepted according to that a man hath: Goats haire pleaſes him as well as Iewels from ſome hands; two mites as well as two millions. Hee needs not gifts, he reſpects the giver, and tis poſſible for him that hath but a ſubjects purſe to have a kings hart, as tis ſaid of Araunah, he was but a ſubject, but yet gave like a King, 2. Sam. 24.23.
Ob. O but wee have no ſuch encouragements to give as Hezekiah had.
Sol. And why, I pray? 1. God wrought a wonderful deliverance for him; he hath wrought as great for thee, for mee, for us all, it may be bodily, certainly ſpirituall.
2 The world was not ſo bad then as now; a man can publiſh nothing but tis carpt at, ſettle no perpetuitie but tis perverted, Schools, Colledges, Hoſpitals, all abuſed. Come, come, this is but ſhifting: 1. the world is ſtill like it ſelfe; all never were, never will be good: 2. theſe and ſuch like objections were long ſince anſwered by Salomon, Eccl. 11. view them at leiſure. In the meane, marke what I ſay to thee: firſt, if thou canſt not truſt poſteritie, and all honeſtie muſt needs die with thee, doe ſomething whilſt thou haſt time, Gal. 6. O but whats that to poſteritie? Yes, Ile ſhew thee how thou mayeſt now lay a foundation for poſteritie, and do that this yeare, this monethmonth, which may turne to Gods honour a thouſand yeares hence. How is that? Thus: Art thou a father of children? 1. write Gods mercies upon their names (ſo thou be not phantaſticall) and let thy children weare therein Gods praiſes to their graves; at leaſt write them in their memories and hearts, tell thy children, and charge them to deliver it downwards to theirs, what God hath beene to thee, what great things he hath done in thy dayes, and ſo make walking Libraries and living Bookes of thy children: A godly poſteritie is a breathing altar. 2. Art thou childleſſe? yet ſet up an altar in thy houſe, worke thy people to heaven-ward; ſow good ſeed amongſt thy ſervants, and ſome of them and theirs may bleſſe God for thee a hundred dred yeares hence. Art thou a poore man? bee rich in grace, readie to everie good worke, and thy name ſhall live when thou art dead: no men in Scripture more commended & renowned, than poor men and women; God himſelfe writes their lives, and records their good deeds.
O but I am ſo poore, that I have no meanes of ſhewing my thankfulneſſe. Doe not ſay ſo, hee never wanted meanes that did not want an heart, get that, and God will fit thee with oportunities as he hath with abilities. Never tell mee; thou mayſt make the world the better for thee a great while hence if thou wilt. How?
1 If thou wouldeſt borrow a little from back and belly, Videtur Rogers in Fox.twentie to one thou moughteſt lend God ſomething.
2 If that cannot be, ſay with Peter, Act. 3.6. Silver and gold I have none, but ſuch as I have I give; Ile pray, Ile worke, Ile adviſe, Ile plant, ſow, doe ſomething that ſhall doe good hereaſter: there is not the leaſt toe but it hath its uſe and excellency in the bodie. Art thou learned? doe good that way, V. Tornial.as Hezekiah did. Some conceive him well ſeene in the Mathematicks (belike becauſe of his buildings, water-courſes, and the ſigne given him by God) howſoever, wee have his Epiſtle and Poemeextant, and they hold out inſtruction to the worlds end. If God hath given thee ſufficiencie in this kinde, thou mayeſt ſpeakethy minde to men yet unborne, and convey to them that light which God hath reached to thee. Be not too curious this way; thou ſeeft that ſome in this ſcribling age ſet forth their owne wits, ſome their owne folly: doe thou ſet forth Gods praiſe, and ayme at mans good; write ſomething (as thy gift is) that may doe poſteritie good. V Fox Martin H. 6.We are infinitly bound to God for the bleſsing of Printing, and to our fathers for their labours: and wee of England are much to blame, if we leave not Arts and Tongues more reſined and perfected than we found them, and the Scriptures more fully opened; no people living better furniſhed with meanes, no writings extant better accepted abroad, or to better purpoſe at home. O that in ſtead of triſters, Scholars would make themſelves publique, and not burie their treaſure with them like miſers, or leave their workes like fatherleſſe children to the mercy of ſtrange mid-wives, when themſelves are gone.
Art thou rich? let King Hezekiah be thy patterne: he was a good Common-wealths-man, Reade his life in Kings and Chron.he built much, he conveyed water to the Citie, hee fortified the land, and did good in warre and peace: 2. He was a good Church-man, he countenanced the Miniſterie, he reſtored their meanes and livings, hee repaired Gods houſe, aduanced Gods worſhip, defaced the contrarie. Thy place (haply) will not ſuffer thee to hold pace with him in all, yet follow him as thou maiſt: 1. as a citizen and member of the State, raſt the publique good; ſee what good may be, done in thy Ieruſalem, the towne of thine aboad, fre what houſes need thy helpe, what grounds, what neighbours: here's a man over-renied, try whether thon-canſt not caſe him; there's a man wants corne for his land, ſtock for his ſtuffe, helpe him; there's a third that hath will and skill to trade, but he wants credite; there's a fourth that could live with a little helpe, elſe he and his eſtate ſinke, O come quickly before the man be drowned with all his family; a fiſt there is that's able to breed ſome but not all his children, hence hee is diſheartned, take away one Lamb and put it to another Ewe.
2 When thou haſt done ſo, caſt thine eyes over Indah with him; looke abroad, and ſee how preſent wants threaten poſterity with miſerie, and as thou canſt prevent it: I. ſee how manie grown ones there be that play, or ſteale, or beg for want of imployment, and ſet thy wits on work to finde out ſome trade, ſome husbandry, ſome buſineſſe that may give ſome imployment. 2. ſee how manie little ones there be that mought be uſefull if they had breeding; but alas their parents (if living) have neyther meanes to breed them Scholars, nor money to binde them apprentices: call upon thy ſelfe and others, ſaying, There's a wittie childe, lets breed him a Scholar; there's a ſtrong childe, lets traine him up for a Souldier, make him an apprentice, &c. who knowes what ſervice hee may doe the Church or Countrey oneday: O what good mought rich men doe this way if they had hearts! If they feare to erect publique ſtanding Schooles or Colledges, or to give ſome Fellowſhips for perpetuitie, let them (if they minde the common good) take ſome particular children that are moſt hopefull, and breed them, 1. in the Country, 2. in the Univerſitie till they be ſit for publique ſervice. Here's no danger, unleſſe they will ſay, theſe may prove ill; which is with the ſluggard, (-Pro. 26.13.) to lye ſtill left a Lion ſhould be in the ſtreet: doe thou go on till thou ſeeſt thy ſeed loſt, and then ſtop there, and try an other ground.
2 Bee, with Hezekiah, a good Churchman; 1. repaire Gods houſe, & let it never be ſaid, that our Churches lye like Barnes, and that Our Father lets downe what Pater noster ſet up. 2. Promote Gods worſhip, and allow ſome oyle to his Lamps: doe not Pharaoh-like call for Bricke without materials. What? expect Sermons, many Sermons; learning, much learning (ſo that our Preacher muſt be able to anſwer any queſtion) and yet denie him meanes! Meanes? by all meanes we would have him have a competencie. A competencie; how much is that? who ſhall judge of that? Now the good Lord keepe his Clergie from the vulgars competencie. I ſpeake what I know, and I ſpeake it with a wet face and a bleeding heart, I know Preachers of excellent parts, that ſpend their ſtrength in the Pulpit, who cannot lay out ſiſtie ſhillings in ſive yeares upon books, but they muſt fetch it either off the backs, or out of the bellies of their poore children. Call you this a competencie? Well, if wee deſerve no kindneſſe, yet doe us juſtice, lets have what your fathers gave us. Hezekiah found things alienated and turned out of courſe; no doubt wits were working then: Take heed (Sir) of Innovations, of making your Clergie too rich; the State hath thought fit to leſſen their meanes: men can now preſcribe againſt them, we can ſhew a compoſition, and prove our cuſtome, &c. But what anſwers this good King? Cuſtome mee no cuſtome, wee muſt not make a cuſtome of robbing God. Were theſe things once Gods? eyther ſhew mee Gods releaſe, or elſe reſtore them home. Now would I could ſay of him as a Father ſaid of Ahab, Amb. de Na…. quotid. e naſcitur A…hab, &c. In redeeming Church livings.Hezekiah ever lives, never dies: and the Lord put it into the heart of our trebble Hezekiah to adviſe alſo about this point.
In the meane, let my ſpeech to rich ſubjects proceed: Would you leave ſome proofe of your thankfulneſſe behinde you? follow thoſe Worthies who of late have gone before you in this kinde, hyre men to be honeſt in reſtoring to God his due: and if you have ought in your owne hands that of right belongs to the ſonnes of the Prophets, Gen. 20.heare God ſpeaking to you in King Abimelech, Reſtore to the Prophet his owne, and he ſhall pray for you: if you doe not, his bloud in his children, the fleſh upon his bodie, the anguiſh upon his ſpirit, the ſoules that depend upon him for food will cry againſt you, and will lay your houſes levell with the ground. Do not turne off all with a Tuſh, Tythes were Leviticall, the Goſpel ſpeakes nothing of a Tenth, &c. 1. anſwer what's written; 2. ſhew us where the old apportion is reverſed, and which is that quote pars now that conſcience muſt reſt in, and when thats done, then give us a juſt Commentary upon that, V. Cartw. in Prov.Prov. 20.25. and tell us who hath authoritie to take that (from a Church ſhall I ſay? nay) from God, that hath hene once given him? And when you have reduced and reſolved all into a competencie, yet let it be S. Pauls competencie, 1. Cor. 9.Let him that preacheth the Goſpell live upon the Goſpell, as hee that maketh ſhooes, or heeles hoſe, lives upon his labour. I ſpeake no more than what everie Scholar, who is acquainted with a courſe of ſtudie & reading, knowes to be true: all that meanes which uſually is thought ſufficient to defray all charges, to ſatiſfie all payments, to anſwer all expectations of wife and children for portions, of ſtrangers for hoſpitalitie, is little enough to buy a conſtant Preacher bookes, and phyſicke. Now then, if you will be competent arbitrators, allow him ſomething more, ſome bread, ſome clothes, ſomething to keepe his wife and children from begging or ſtarving.
You are wearie (I dare ſay) of this diſcourſe, I have now done, I have diſcharged my conſcience in delivering my errand, & have ſhewed you how you may witneſs your thankfulneſs to ſucceeding times, if you pleaſe. There's firſt, your owne family and poſteritie to bee moulded; ſecondly, there be poore Orphans and children to be bred, Schooles to be erected, poore Students in the Univerſitie to be maintained, poor Preachers to be encouraged, Church livings to be redeemed and augmented: and if this be not ſufficient, there be poore Labourers to be imployed, poore debtors to be relieved, yongue Tradeſmen to be credited; and if this doe not like you, there be in the countrey, fields to be trenched, woods to be planted, high-wayes to be amended, correction-houſes to be builded, publique ſtore-houſes and Granaries to be appointed, youths and ſouldiers to be trayned; and in the Cities, waters to bee conveyed, fire-engins to bee invented, &c. And in both, Churches to be repaired, priſons to be furniſhed with ſome Teachers, and other imployments more than a few: ſtand not idle now all the day long, becauſe none ſets you on worke; Houſe, Towne, Field, Countrey, Citie, Church, Common weale, Men, Women, Children, Tradeſmen, Church-men, blinde, lame, poore, all call upon you to worke: nay, Chriſt ſaith, whileſt its day worke; the Spirit ſaith, whileſt you have time, doe good; your Father ſaith, Give to ſeven and eight, be not weary in well-doing; your labour is not loſt, your coſt is not loſt, God will pay you all againe, honour him he will honour you, bleſſe him hee will bleſſe you, giuegive him immortall praiſe, and you ſhall receive an immortall Crowne.
We have heard, firſt, that King Hezekiah was thankefull; ſecondly, that hee was thankefull to purpoſe: Now lets ſee for what hee is ſo thankefull; 1. that his ſickneſſe was removed; 2. that his health was reſtored. Wee will ſhut up both in one.
Freedome from ſickneſſe, Doct.enjoyment of health, are two mercies which call for manie thankes. Need we prove this? Firſt for ſickeneſſe, we have the voyce of God and man, that it is amercie to eſcape it; 1. God promiſes freedome from it, Exod. 15.26. Lev. 26.16. Deut. 28.22.as a bleſsing upon the obedient; 2. Hee threatens the inflicting of it as a judgement upon the rebellious, and accordingly proceeds.
Secondly, all men be of the ſame minde; firſt, good men wil bleſſe God for an Eagle-like-body, Thence called foreign S. Epiphan.a bodie full of ſtrength and life, of action and motion like the Eagles, which is moſt laſting Pſ. 103. Secondly, naturall men ranke this in the forefront of mercies, yea reckon of health as an abridgement of all bleſſings, and of ſickeneſſe as the ſumme of all outward miſeries. And that not-altogether without reaſon.
For firſt, ſickneſſe muſt be numbred amidſt naturall evils: how ſoever it will ſtand with univerſall nature, and the all wife God can improve it to ſingular uſe, yet in it ſelfe, it muſt be deemed evill in its nature, being againſt the private welfare of the patient; evill in its cauſe, mans ſinne; evill in its terme and iſſue, it tends to death; evill in its effects, it adds to our miſerie: whereas ſome evils wound with ſorrow, ſome threaten us with deſtruction, this doth both.
Secondly, it maimes nature, and hinders goodneſſe; the bodie is deprived of cheerfulneſſe and activitie, Malum contriſtivum quae voluntati, corrupti…um quae naturae, contrariatur: eſt affectus vitians actionē. Galen.the ſoule diſappointed, like the Traveller that rides a tyred horſe, it can neither receive that good, nor doe that good that otherwiſe it could. There's no man knowes, but he that knows fickneſſe, what a diſadvantage tis to the ſoule to be ill lodged in a ruinous bodie: Its even ſtifled within it ſelfe for want of motion, and move it cannot for want of organs, but verie lamely: The underſtanding is clouded, memorie weakned, judgement dazled, phantaſie diſturbed, affections diſtempered, in ſhort, the whole frame of Nature ſo diſ-jointed, that like broken bones it can neyther reſt nor move. Nor is the ſtroke only upon naturall actions, but upon morall alſo; the ſoule in diſeaſes chronicall becomes ſo lazie, liſtleſſe, neutrall, that it hath no mind to pray, no ſtomach to food, no heart to doe any thing for it ſelfe; and in diſeaſes more acute is ſo taken up and tranſported with paine & anguiſh, that it mindes nothing but what cannot be had, ſleep and eaſe, &c. Hence we may put that difference betweene ſicke and ſound that the Heathen put betweene poore and rich; ciog.the healthfull man may ſtudie when hee will, walke when he will, eate when he will, ſleepe when he will, worke, play, faſt, feaſt, ride, runne when hee will: but the ſickly man muſt ſtudie, preach, travell, eate, ſleepe when he can; he is not his owne so command: hee hath not himſelfe, much leſſe other comforts. No marvell if ſickneſſe at one blow deprive us of the comfort of our meats, beds, houſes, grounds, friends, wife, children, &c. it deprives a man of himſelfe: hee hath wit, but not uſe of it; memorie, but not the benefite of it: yea it turnes him well-moſt into an Image; he hath eyes, and ſcarcely ſees; eares, and heares not; mouth, and ſpeakes not; feet, but walkes not: nay yet further, thoſe ſenſes & parts which let in comfort to the ſound, occaſion the ſick mans trouble, the ſight of his cupps, glaſſes, boxes makes him ſicke, the ſmell of his meates ſicke, the taſte of his drinkes ſicke, the leaſt noyſe offends him, the leaſt ayre pierces him, in a word, this turnes his comforts into croſſes, his bed tyres him, his chaire troubles him, his friends diſquiet him, their abſence offends him, and ſo doth their preſence, their …ence offends, and ſo doth their talke, their mirth doth, and ſo doth their ſadneſſe: poore man, ſomewhat he would have, but he cannot tell what; hee is not well, and therefore nothing is well about him; he is ſicke, and ſo all the world is made of ſickeneſſe to him, as to the giddie all things run round.
Now as ſickeneſſe is a great affliction, ſo health as great a merciemercy: it comes from mercy, Hence called in Hebr. length. on.and preſuppoſes manie bleſſings; good temper, good ayre, (at leaſt for us) good food, at leaſt a wonderfull bleſsing upon poore meanes. 2. It tends to merciemercy, health tends to life (the greateſt bleſſing) to a long life, yea immortalitie ſo farre as that goes. 3. It carries with it a troupe of mercies, 1. it ſweetens all other croſſes and wants; health maketh thin coats warme, hard fare ſweete, a meane lodging good, tis the poore mans ſawce at's table, his cloke in his journcy, his warming-pan in his bedde, his boots in the myre, and when he is at worſt he can leape and ſay, as the countrey phraſe is, Health is worth all. 2. It puts him into poſſeſſion of all other bleſsings: 1. Hee enjoyes himſelfe, his wits, ſenſes, limbs be his owne, hee hath their uſe and ſervice. 2. with himſelfe he enjoyes all things about him; the light is pleaſant, the ayre ſweete, his meate good, drinke good, bedde good, now all that was naught before becomes good. Againe, he reliſhes all, hee findes contentment in all: now he ſees a wife to be a wife, children to be children, friends to be friends, whereas before all the world was made of his humour, whether bitter or ſowre. Not to… long, health is the juſt temper of nature; there all is quiet, cheerefull, Actiones coaſervat & tuctur. Fuckſiast.fit for action: a good bodie helps the eſtate, the family, the ſoule; all within one, all upon him, all about him ſmile and proſper in time of health: and therefore this motion from ſickeneſſe to health. i. from ſadneſſe to mirth, from paine to eaſe, from priſon to liberrie, from death to life, muſt needs be a happie motion, worthie thankes.
If ſicknes needs many prayes, Vſe 1.& health deſerves many thanks; lets ſo beſtow our ſelves, that if it be poſsible, wee may prevent the one, and enjoy the other: for the firſt, beware (to keepe mee to mine owne profeſsion) of ſinne, all ſinne; ſinne is the mother, ſickneſſe the daughter: man never ſaw the one, til he matcht himſelf with the other. More ſpecially foure ſorts of ſinnes muſt bee as much abhord as ſickeneſſe, as death.
1 Sins of death: Pro. 5.9.11.God hath adjudged whoredome, Pro. 5. murder, &c. and ſuch like capital offences to ſickeneſſe, to death.
2 Sinnes of rebellion, committed againſt the cleere light and letter of the Word: 2. Sam. 3.29.theſe are threatned with all manner of diſeaſes, Levit. 26. Dent. 28.
3 Sinnes of contemptuous prophaneneſſc: the Lord hath ſaid that he will be ſanctified in all that come nigh him; And when any in their approches were ſecurely profane, the hand of God was upon their bodies, to death, or ſickneſſe: ſo Nadab, &c. ſo Vzziah ſo 1. Cor. 11.
4 Sinnes that have their roote in the bodie, or at leaſt worke powerfully upon the bodie. foreign Vi. Alſted. Rhet.Of this ſort wee name onelyonly thoſe three, which the Rabbins touch in one Proverb and three letters: The firſt is povertie, which at the firſt may ſeeme but little to impeach health; but if we look upon it in its cauſe, idleneſſe, unthriftineſſe, intemperance moſt an end; or in its effects, theft, robbery, &c. fretting; or in its companions, ill lodging, ill fare, ill clothing, &c. this may well paſſe for one cauſe of weakeneſſe. The ſecond is pride, a ſinne that ſo ſwels the ſoule that it breaks the skin and caſe, the body: pride breakes the wits, witneſſe Nebuchadnezzar; breakes the heart, and wounds it ſelfe, witneſſe Saul, Achitophol, and breakes ones ſleepe, ones peace, bodie, eſtate, all; a ſick diſeaſe: a proude man is never without ſome ailement. The third is drunkenneſſe or intemperance: a man of this diſtemper, lies as open to diſeaſes as an unwalled Towne to invaſions and aſſaults. Pro. 25.27.28.To him is woe, redneſſe of face, &c. Pro. 23. Brethren, if you would not be ſicke, have nothing to doe with theſe forerunners: prevent ſickeneſſe in the cauſe.
For the ſecond, Health, great Salomon hath written a Phyſicks for us, as well as Ethicks, in his Proverbs: there you may reade of the Countrey mans three Doctors, Quiet, Diet, Mirth. For the firſt, health is nothing but Natures reſt & repoſe; health gives peace, and peace yeelds health: outward peace is a great bleſing, and verie wholeſome, but that comes from peace within; which is double, 1. peace of Iuſtification, 2. peace of Sanctification. So long as there's warre in the conſcience, warre in the affections, one power and luſt conflicting with another, alas there's no more quiet to us than was of old to Rebecca: Gen. 26.but when Faith heales the conſcience, and Grace huſhes the affections, & compoſes all within, then the ſoule lookes out of the bodie, and ſits in the face with a checrefull countenance. If your fleſh, with Davids, ſhall rejoyce, labour for this peace; get faith in Chriſts bloud, get the vertue of Chriſts reſurrection, get wiſedome, i. all ſaving grace, and that makes for health, and is a medicine, Pro. 3.8.
2 For Dyet, Salomon gives rules, 1. for time, Eccl. 10.16, 17.2. for qualitie, Pro. 23. ſpeaking of wine-bibbers, Pro. 25.27.fleſhmongers, Pro. 20. & 3. &c. 3. for quantitie; eate not too much honey, which is true in the letter: V. M. Maſon of Faſting.let not out the appetite, left it cut thy throate, Pro. 23.2. but rather be of the reſtraining hand, feed with fear, as Inde ſpeakes, tiſe with an appetite, Aureliam.and uſe the Emperours Phyſick, cure all exceedings by abſtinence.
3 For Mirth, Salomon is much in that argument: he 1. Pro 15.13. & 17.12.commends the thing, a good hart. i. a cheerful heart is health to the bones, a very medicine: 2. he perſwades the means, Put ſorrow from thy heart (ſaith he) rejoyce with thy wife, be lightſome in thy clothes, cheerefull at thy meales, &c. diligent in thy calling, than the which nothing is more availeable to comfort, after ſpiritual meanes of prayer, thankſgiving, &c. And he that in Gods meanes puts himſelfe into poſſeſſion of theſe, ſhal arrive at ſo much health as ſhall be behoovefull.
Secondly, Vſe 2.if this double bleſsing be worth double thankes, lets prize it accordiagly, & praiſe God for it, and 1. remember that there is a twofold deliverance; one, which keeps us from ſickneſſe; another, that helps us out of ſickeneſſe: a double bleſſing, one in continuing health without ſickneſſe, another in reſtoring health after ſickeneſſe. If we enjoy eyther, let God have the praiſe, and conclude for thy bodie, Et qua feci mala, & quae non feci, &c.d. med.as Amſtem for his ſoule, bleſſe God that hee hath kept off ſome, & taken off other ſickneſſes. For the firſt, there be ſom men who never knew what back-ach, tooth-ach, head-ach meant, they ſcarce know what tis to have a finger ake, Galen. deſan. tuend. l. 1. c. 4.5.at leaft they have enjoyed ſome good meaſure of health which hath its latitude; theſe men I confeſſe can hardly weigh ſickeneſſe, or prize health: the beſt courſe will be to ſend them to an Hoſpitall, or to the houſe of of mourning, there ſhall they find ſilence, ſolitarineſſe, ſadneſſe, light ſhut out, ayre ſhut out, miſery ſhut in, children weeping, wife ſighing; the huſband groning, Oh my head, O my backe, O my ſtomach, ſicke, ſicke, ſick, I cannot tell what to do, where to reſt, helpe me up, helpe me downe, O I ſinke, I cannot ſtand, I cannot ſit, I cannot lye, I cannot eate, I cannot ſleepe, I cannot live, I cannot die, O what ſhall I doe?
Brethren, if you have not felt ſickeneſſe, yet heare it, view it ſee how it racks and tortures a poore man, and that done, reflect upon thy ſelfe and ſay, O Lord how much am I bound to thee for health! I can eate, my brother cannot; I can walke, he cannot; I ſleep all night, he never layes his eyes together; O Lord give mee a mercifull heart to men, a thankefull heart to thee for this bleſsing:
For the ſecond ſort; have we beene ſicke and now made ſound? lay both eſtates together with Hezekiah, and provoke thy ſelfe to thankfulneſſe. Call to mind what then thine anguiſh was, how ſicke thy ſtomach was, how ſad thy friends were, how tedious the night, how long the day, how terrible the thoughts of death, the apprehenſion of judgement: thinke now thy thoughts then, acknowledge now thy then purpoſes and vowes. Didſt thou not then thinke, and promiſe, Oh if God would reprieve mee once more, I would become a new man, more carefull of my wayes, more thankfull for health than ever I have beene: thinke now what the price of health was then, what then thou wouldſt have given for one nights ſleep, one hours eaſe, one draught of drink, one vomit, one ſtoole, one the leaſt of thoſe mercies which now thou enjoyeſt: thinke how little wealth, houſe, land, friends, all ſeemed to thee without health, and now thou haſt all reſtored againe in this, lift up thine eyes and hands to heaven with Nebuchadnezzar, and ſay, Sickneſſe put me out of poſſeſsion of all, but with health all is come back againe; my ſtomach is come to mee, my ſleepe, my fleſh, my ſtrength, my joy, my friends, my houſe, my wealth, all is returned: O what a change is here! earſt nothing but pain, now nothing but eaſe; not long ſince ſtript of all, now poſſeſſed of all, as if I were another Iob.
Thus, would wee looke eyther downeward or backward, wee ſhould become more thankefull; but in any caſe take that with you which is ſaid before of thankefulneſſe in generall, and apply it to this particular of health. Nibil prodest verbis praeſerre virtutem, factis destruere zeritatem. Cypr de mortal. Iob 23.10.Thankfulneſſe ſtands not in words and complements: if you will bee truely thankefull for health, thus doe.
1 Come forth of affliction as Iob did, that is, as the gold comes out of the fire, purged from your droſſe: let ſickneſſe draine the ſoule as well as bodie, and leave your humours, your pride; ſelfe-love, worldlineſſe, hypocriſie, &c. weaker than it found them: and now you be made whole, take your Saviours Item, Sinne no more, Iob. 5.14.leſt a worſe thing happen to you; fall not to your olde dyet, leſt you fall into your old diſeaſes and relapſe. The chiefeſt uſe of ſickneſſe is to be made after it: in ſickneſſe wee muſt reſolve againſt ſin, our ſpeciall ſin; but after ſickneſſe we muſt ſecond our reſolutions with performances. Now then pay thy vowes, ſinne over thy ſinnes no more, but lay downe the practiſe of groſſe ſinnes, the purpoſe of all, & ſhun at leaſt the occaſions of them. And then in the ſecond place, offer to God the ranſome of thy life, as the Law runnes, Exod. 31. I meane, leave ſome ſeale & pawne of thy thankefulneſſe to God, Vid. Cic. de nat. deor. l. 2. Tibul. elog 1. ad. Iſi…ē. Strab. l. 8. Plut de oracul. Pyth.as Hezekiah did, nay as Heathens, did; they after a ſhipwracke and danger, would offer ſomething, after a fit of ficknes would conſecrate ſomething to their gods. If thou wilt not be before hand with Philiſtims to offer in thy miſerie, yet at leaſt returne with the Samaritan, being recovered, and preſent ſomething, let ſome Church, ſome Pariſh, ſome one Preacher, ſome few poore men be witneſſes of thy thankfulneſſe, and bleſſe God with and for thee. I ſhall ever ſuſpect that thankſgiving, that ſpends it ſelfe in emptie words: the man truely thankefull, will make a ſhift to pay his Phyſitian, much more to praiſe his GOD. with hand as well as tongue. Reall thankefulneſſe, is the beſt preſervative of health: let Hezekiah lengthen Gods praiſes, and God will lengthen his dayes, and give him ſuch a protection as never ſubject had.
Nor is it ſufficient to preſent the Lord once, and to confine our thankefulneſſe to anie one particular inſtance; we muſt, in the third place, conſecrate our ſtrengths and lives to God, and offer up our ſelves as living and acceptable ſacrifices to him Rom. 12.that is, woe muſt uſe all our time, all our wit, all our health, Opus nostrum Pſalterium noſtrum eſt. Aug. in Pſal. 91.everie limbe, everie thing that hee hath folded up in our health, to the ſetting up of God in our hearts und lives; love him more than ever, feare him more, truſt him more, pray more, reade more, heare more, do more worſhip, at leaſt more purely than before in our Chriſtian calling; and in our particular calling be more upright, conſtant, cheerefull, fruitfull than before, more humble, more helpfull, more mercifull, more true, juſt, charitable than before: in one, better Chriſtians, better Church-men, better Commonwealths men, better husbands, better Maſters, better parents, children, ſervants than before. This, this is true thankfulneſſe, when we heale in ſoule and bodie together, when we grow in ſpirituall ſtrength as well as in bodily, when wee ſpend all that ſufficiencie upon GOD and the publique, which we have received from God; and this is the thankfulneſſe which I now call you and my ſelfe unto, O be thus thankefull for your private ſafetie, and for the publique. Our prayers for London, &c. have engaged us unto thankfulneſſe for them; for if we were bound to pray for them being viſited, wee are bound to praiſe God for them being delivered: This was preached before the publique thankſgiving.and would the one might be as ſolemne as the other.
2 Now if we muſt be thankful for other, muſt we not for our ſelves? O my brethren, lets caſt an eye towards our head Citie, & ſee what deſolations are there made; goe into ſome places, and there's ſilence: aske, where dwels ſuch a one. and the anſwer will be, hee is dead: where's his wife? dead: where his children? dead: where his man, his maide? dead: who is in the houſe? death: and who dwels there? death: and who at next houſe? death: and who next that? death, death; pale death keepes ſhop, ſits in the windowes, ſeales up doores and holds poſſeſion, ſo that none dare enter. Paſſe from ſtreetes into ſome houſes, and what ſee you? ſome children, but nor father nor mother; aske, childe where's father? gone: where's mother? gone, he knowes not whither nor how. Paſſe on, and ſee in others ſad ſilent parents, mourning like Rachel, becauſe their children are not: To make the matter ſhort, doe but thinke what once their feares were, what now their griefes are for their friends, then ſicke, now dead; and then come home, and ſay, In this common calamitie God hides our towne, there's no crying in our ſtreetes, no rolling of bells, no tumbling of carkaſes, no ſealing up of doores, brethren meete together in the Church, neighbours together in the fields, parents dare keep their children by them, husbands and wives live together; we be not a terror or danger one to another, but a comfort, a ſafeguard: O who can bee ſufficiently thankfull for theſe mercies? why ſhould we whine for a few wants? we lacke money, lacke corne, &c. O thou haſt thy life for a prey; thou, thy wife, thy children, thy man-ſervant, thy maid-ſervant, thy kindred, thy neighbours, thy cattle-live, and life is more than rayment, food, money, all things under Chriſt. bleſſe God for this, and ſay, I am poore, but yet I live; my wife is ſickly, but yet ſhee lives; my children weake, lame, but yet they live: whilſt there's life, there's merciemercy; Exod. 18.4. Pſ. 118.18.where there's mercy, there ſhould be thankfulneſſe: the dead cannot, the living, the living, ſaith Hezekiah, muſt praiſe God, and that whilſt living, as David ſpeakes, Pſ. 146:3.