The Sick Mans Catechism, Chapter 1
The first Chapter, concerning sicknesse.
Question. WHat is sicknesse?
Ans. It is, according to Philosophie and Phisicke, a priuation of health, or an ill disposition and passion in the body contrary to nature.
Qu. But how define you it according to diuinitie?
Ans. It is Gods rod and instrument to chastice vsus for our sinnes, and to put vsus in minde of our mortalitie, it is the herbinger and messenger of death, and by vertue of Christs death, it is a narrow and spéedy passage to euerlasting life.
Q. From whence, or from what causes doe sicknesses and diseases procéede?
A. They procéede from God as the inflicter and imposer of them, for he is Amos. 3. 6.the author of the euill of punishment; Ioh. 5. 14.but they arise from sinne, as the de…eruing and procuring cause. Psalm. 39. Leuit. 26. 16, Deut. 28. vers. 22. 23. 24.
Q. How can God, that is simplye good, yea goodnesse it selfe, be the cause of euill, namely, sicknesse, diseases, paine, &c.
A. Gods goodnesse and iustice doth, and may, very well consort together in the beléeuers, for as God in his iustice doth correct his children for their disobedience, so doth he temper and qualifie it with his mercy and goodnesse, that these afflictions are finite, tolerable, and tend both to the temporall and eternall good and profit of his children. Psal. 25. v. 10 Rom. 8. v. 28.
Q. What vse are we to make of this point?
A. Wée must first descend into our selues, acknowledge our sinne and wickednesse, yea and condemne our selues for it. 1. Cor. 11. 31.
Secondly, we must be so farre of from fretting, murmuring & repining against God, that we must iustifie God in all his chasticements, & not to require the reasō of them, for they are alwayes good and holy, albeit we doe not alwayes sée the particular reason of them.
Thirdly, we committing our selues to Gods will, must earnestly entreate the Lord to restore vsus to our former health; or else to receiue vsus to his euerlasting kingdome.
Obi. But God hath in his beloued Sonne Christ Iesus, forgiuen, yea and taken away the guilt, dominion & curse of sinne, which is the cause of their sicknesses, and why then doth he not withall remooue the effect, viz. sicknesse, diseases, &c?
A. Albeit the guilt, curse, and dominion of sinne be remooued from the beléeuers, yet the reliques and stumpes of sinne remaine, and inherent corruption is but in part abolished, and therefore so long as we liue in this world; the 2. Sam. 12.Lord must néeds, (more or lesse) one way or other, fatherly chastice & exercise vsus. 1. Cor. 11. 31. Heb. 12. v. 6. & 8.
Obi. 2. But Gods children cannot alwayes finde out the peculiar sinnes that are the proper and immediate causes of their sicknesses and diseases?
A. Yet not withstanding, we must suspect, accuse and condemne our selues, and withall iustifie and cléere the Lord; for there is some secret and hidden sinne of pride, worldlinesse, lust, enuie, vanitie, oppression, &c. for which wee are corrected, albeit it bee not presently made knowne vntounto vsus.
Q. What course must we take to finde out this Achan or secret corruption?
A. We must (as I will in the next Chapter more fully shew, examine our selues by the strict rule of Gods law.
Secondly, we must entreate the Lord by prayer to reueale the sinne vntounto vsus. Thirdly and lastly, we must take notice of the checkes of our conscience, yea and Psal. 16. 7.the taunts & reproches of our enimies.
Q. What are the principall ends why God laieth sicknesses, diseases, aches, &c. vponupon his children?
A. They are principally these foure, to witt, mortification and preuention of sinne; triall and exercise of Gods graces in vsus; manifestation of Gods glorr; and lastly our saluation and eternall happinesse.
Q. But to speake of each of these ends particularly (yet briefely) how doth God mortifie and preuent sinne by sicknesse?
A. First God doth hereby declare his iustice and anger against sinne past, and present, that his children might be more Iob. 13. 26 Lam 3 41. Psal. 30. v. 6.effectually stirred vp to search them out, consider of them, and be sory for them.
Secondly, God hereby doth correct the pride of prosperitie, and remooue all vaine confidence in carnall wisedome, riches, beautie, friends; that we may waite patiently and onelyonly vponupon his power, truth, & promises, and learne to séeke for heauenly things, so that by this his correction, he taketh away the myst of errour from our eyes, purgeth our hearts from the drosse of corruption, and fanneth vsus from the chaffe of sinne, and hereby prepareth vsus either for health or heauen.
Q. Doth God by sicknesse, and the like afflictions preuent sinne to come?
A. Yes certainly: thus pride was preuented in blessed Paul. 2 Cor. 12. ver. 7. & 8 Security in Dauid Psal. 30. 6. 7. and neglect of preparation in the Corinthians, 1. Cor. 11. v. 31.
Q. What is the second end of Gods chasticements?
A. To trie and make knowne to themselues Deut. 8. 2. & 13. 3.and to others their faith, hope, patience, repentance, constancie, yea to exercise, quicken, and encrease in them these and other graces, that they may, be thankfull to God for them, and may be as mirrours and lamps vntounto others.
Q. Are not also by this triall and exercise, decayed graces recouered?
A. It is most certaine; for hereby, deadnesse and drowsinesse of heart is Cant. 5. 5. 6 Hos. 5. 15.cured; and men are mooued more feruently to séeke and pray vntounto God then they did before, Psal. 30. 6.
Q. What is the third end?
A. The declaration and manifestation of Gods power, glory and goodnesse in their deliuerance, either by life or death. Iohn 9. vers. 3.
Q. What is the last end?
A. After that God hath reformed, humbled and exercised them, and made them to relie wholy vponupon him, and to waite & wish for their saluation, to bring them by death into the heauenly Canaan, where they shall hauehave immediate fellowship, and raigne with Christ for euer-more.
Q Séeing that sicknesses, diseases, and the like chasticements hauehave such comfortable and blessed effects and euents in Gods children, what is the reason, why they should not be the same in the wicked and vngodly?
A. The difference lieth first in their persons, the elect are accepted of God, and therefore like the good golde, they are made more pure and bright by visitations and afflictions; but the persons of the wicked and vnbeléeuers are not accepted with God, and therefore like drosse they are not purified but consumed by the fire of affliction. Secōdly, in his secret counsaile he neuer intended the amendment & saluation of the reprobate, neither do they reprobate euer by pure meanes and in pure sort, euer intend the same, but the case is far otherwise with Gods children, whom alone God hath pre-ordained to saluatiō Rom. 8.and to the meanes thereof, and whom he maketh (outward) instruments of their owne saluation. 1. Ioh. 5. v. 18.
Q. Is there any certaine forme, rule, or way, to comfort and instruct the sick?
A. Yes, for God in wisedome and mercy, hath ordeined a meane and medicine for eueryevery distresse and temptation.
Q Where is this forme and direction conteined?
A. Generally and aboundantly in the bookes of the old and new testament, for these containe sufficient rules, examples …say. 8. 20.and directions of comforts and instructions, 2. Tim. 3. 16. & 17.
Q. What is our duty herein?
A. To collect and compare them together, or receiue them so gathered and compared by the godly learned, & then to apply them to our owne vses and occasions.
Q. What is the first generall rule seruing for consolation?
A. Wee in our sicknesse and the like visitations, must be perswaded, that all sicknesses, diseases, and infirmities, yea, and all their particular circumstances, whether we respect, time, place, person, …. 33. 15or the qualitie, maner, continuance, and remoouall of them: procéed and are sent of God, and depend vponupon & are ordered by his onelyonly prouidence. Amos 3. 6. Lament. 3. 41. Psalm. 39. v. 10. & 11.
Q. What benefit shall we reape and receiue by this perswasion?
A. We shall hereby be the better enabled to vndergoe our visitations with patience and comfort, and shall learne the more obediently in all things to submit our wills, to Gods diuine will and pleasure.