The Sick Mans Catechism, Chapter 2
The second Chapter. Sinne the cause and originall of all diseases and sicknesses, must be found out confessed and bewailed.
Question. VVHat is the second thing whereof the sick must bee resolued of before he can be capable, and so partaker of comfort.
A. Hee must bee resolued that sinne from whence all sicknesses and diseases, both of soule and body hauehave their beginning, and which is the malignant matter of it, must bée remoued and taken away, before sicknesse the effect of it can cease.
Q. By what meanes is sinne abolished?
A. OnelyOnly by Gods mercy in Christ Iesus. Rom. 3. v. 24. 25. 26.Act. 4. 12
Qu. To whom are sinnes forgiuen?
A. To all the elect and them onelyonly, for Christ with all his merites and sauing graces is proper to them, and they Isay 43. ve. 25.alone in time beléeue and repent. Act. Ier. 31. 3413. 48.
Q. When are the sinnes of Gods elect forgiuen?
A. They are in the decree of God forgiuen from euerlasting; but then onelyonly actually and in our sense and apprehension, when wée truely beleeue and repent. …. Sam. 12, 12. 13.Act. 3.
Q. That we may be partakers of remission of sinne, what conditions are there required on our part?
Answ. Two conditions principally. First fréely and truely to confesse our sinnes vntounto God, with contrition of Psal. 51, ve. 3, and 4.heart, and to acknowledge that wée are worthy of all, both temporall and eternall plagues and punishments.Dan. 9, 6 Luk. 18, 13 Iob. 19. 25
Secondly wee must firmely beléeue that Christ is our only and all sufficient redéemer and mediator, and we must by the eye of faith behold, and by the hand of faith apply the promises of the Gospell, particularly to our selues & soules.
Que. Is confession of sinne necessary for the obtaining of the pardon of sinne?
A. It is simply necessary, for it is the very foundation and first degrée of repentance.
Secondly it is the way and meane of our iustification before God, for hee will neuer pardon vsus vntill we accuse our selues, nor pronounce and accept vsus for iust vntill we condemne our selues. Pro. 28.
Lastly, without confession of sinne no pardon can be procured.1 Ioh. 1. ….
Q Is the sicke man to make confession of all his sinnes vntounto God in particular?
Answe. Yes, if hée be conuinced in conscience, and know them to be sins, and especially hauing not repented of them before; whether they be sinnes of commission, or of omission…: but for his vnknowne sinnes, which are the most in number, he must onelyonly confesse them generally, and it sufficeth, Psal. 19, 11.
Q. But are sinnes of leauing good things, and duties vnperformed to bee confessed, such as are neglect of prayer, want of zeale in Gods cause, defect of charity and compassion: omitting of thankes-giuing.
A. Yes verily, as we hauehave examples in Daniel, Paul, and others, Dani. 9. v. 13. Rom. 7. v. 15. Secondly, we offend as much in omitting of these, séeing Gods lawe doth require them, as in committing euill. Thirdly, the elect are notably herein distinguished from the reprobate, for the reprobate doe not discerne, much lesse doe they confesse their particular wants.
Q. But how shall we in our sicknesse make a true confession of our st…nes to God, séeing that there are in vsus so many remainders of blindnesse, ignorance, and selfe-louelove?
A. We must set before our eyes the law of God, and by it and eueryevery precept and circumstance of it, trie and examine all our thoughts, words, life, actions.
Q. Why so?
A. Because God hath ordained it for that end. For it is a true and perfect Psal. 119. 59glasse wherein wee may sée and behold all our wayes. It is a light to discouer Iam. 1. 23.all our blindnesse and workes of darkenesse.
Lastly, it is an exact and exquistte rule, according to which all our opinions, purposes, and practises, are to bée Isay. 8. 20tried, examined and directed.
Q. But how come we to be so blind, erronious, rebellious, sinfull and miserable, that we hauehave néede of, and are referred to the lawe and word of God, to sound and trie our selues by it?
A. Through the sinne and fall of our first parents, Adam and Eue, who fréely assenting vntounto the perswasion of the diuell, did eate the forbidden fruite, and so corrupted and stained themselues and their posteritie. In so much that their posteritie sinning in them, and also adding continuall and innumerable transgressions, lost and defaced Gods image, and so b…came mortall, miserable and subiect to et…rnall damnation.
Q. What shal we finde by examining our selues according to Gods law?
Ans. That we hauehave all sinned, that we are vtterly by nature depriued of all Rom. 3, ver. 23.goodnesse, and prone vntounto all euill continually, and by consequence, Children Gen. 6, …. 5 Eph. 2, 3of wrath, and heires of condemnation.
Ques. Is it sufficient to examine our selues, life and actions, according to the letter of the law?
An. No, except withall the spirituall nature, intent and meaning of the law be considered and obserued, for it requireth purity of heart and thoughts, & perfect obedience both in omitting euil, & in doing good. Rom. 7. 15, and 16.
Q. But is the bare inspection and considering of our selues in the law, a sufficient means to bring vsus to the true knowledge of our selues and a due confession of sinn…?
Ans. It is sufficient in it selfe, but not in respect of our corrupt disposition: for wee are to fauourable and partiall in …udging our selues, but especially in prosperity: and therefore God doth, & must, some-times, by his rod of correction, remooue the mist of errour from our eyes: round vsus in the eare: & bring Iob. 33. ve. 16. 17, 18.our sinnes to our rem…mbrance. Ho…ea 5, ver 15.
Q But why is man more punished with sicknesse and other afflictions, then all other creatures besides?
A. Because, all other creatures reteine (for the most part) the order wherin they were first created, but only man is become degenerate, rebellious, and an heteroclite: …o that man may iustly say of himselfe that which Dauid did when he had numbred the people, it is I that hauehave sinned and committed euil, but these creatures what hauehave they 2 Chr. 21, 17.done?
Secondly, the brute and dumbe creatures are (in their kind) more sensitius of the bondage and corruption that Rom. 8. ve…. 20, & 22.our sinnes hauehave brought vponupon them, and more (in expectation and desire of deliuerance) grone vnderunder them, then we our selues are, or doe. For where are our grones teares, sack-cloth, ashes, shame, compunction of heart and repentance?
Q. What further helpes hauehave we to direct vsus in this duty?
A. Not onelyonly to pray vntounto God, to reueale our sinnes vntounto vsus, and to marke the checkes of our consciences, and the reuilings of our enemies (as we hauehave before shewed:) but also to frequent those that be sicke, and to behold Gods chasticements vponupon others, and especially lazars and vleerous persons, that hereby we may take notice of the vglinesse of sinne, and our owne deformitie in Gods sight, that wee may the more pittie the distressed, and be stirred vp to be more thankfull to God for his benefits receiued.
The second Section.
Q. When all these meanes and helps of confession hauehave béene vsed, what further course is to be taken with the sick man?
A. He must by doctrine, admonition, and by laying open vntounto him Gods iudgements, be made to sée the guilt and desart of sinne, the curse of the law, the torment of an ill conscience, the vnspeakable wrath of God, and the fearefull and most accursed state of the damned.
Q. But is it not a most blessed state for a man to bee alwayes merry and frolike, to follow his pleasures, and to féele no sinne, or paine of sinne at all?
A. No certainly: for of all plagues it Iere. 5. v. 3.is the greatest to be pricked and not to féele it, and to be smitten and not to bée humbled. And therefore as he that goeth blind-folded to execution is not happy, but most miserable: so neither the senselesse and regenerate sinner is at Hell mouth, and discerneth it not.
Secondly, as those maladies and diseases, (especially which are certaine fore-runners of death at hand) are most dangerous that are least felt: so those sinnes, whereof wée hauehave no touch, remorse, nor repentance, are most to bée feared, for they send men vnawares, posting and packing to hell.