Coals from the Altar, Part 2
When the ſickneſſe appeareth not to be mortall: For the comfort of the party, one may thus beginne.
SIR, it behooueth you firſt to acknowledge that this ſickeneſſe is not fallen vponupon you by chance, but by the wiſe conduct and prouidence of Almightie God, our Creator and Father, who ſo diſpoſeth of proſperitie and aduerſity, health and ſickneſſe vponupon his children, that he neuer ſendeth either the one or the other, but to his owne glory, and the parties good and ſaluation. As the Apoſtle Saint Paul ſaith, Rom. 8.27. Wee know that all things worke together for good to them that louelove God. He purpoſely ſpeaketh of afflictions, wherein ſickneſſes are ranked. Thoſe people louelove God, who are firſt loued of him, and as the Apoſtle ſaith, called according to his owne determinated purpoſe. That you are of this number, you hauehave occaſion to take aſſurance by the faith which hee hath giuen you, in making you beleeue that he is your Father and Sauiour, in his Welbeloued Sonne Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, by which you receiue the ſpirit of adoption, which is that that witneſſeth with our ſpirit, that we are the children of God, Heires, and co-heires with Chriſt, Rom. 8.11.16.17.
You muſt alſo take aſſurance by the ſanctification of his holy ſpirit, by which he hath brought you into his obedience: For thoſe that are led by the ſpirit of God, are the children of God.
But to thoſe which are ſuch, the Apoſtle Saint Paul ſaith, that eueryevery thing workes together for good: afflictions, ſickneſſes, euen death it ſelfe: all that they hauehave is turned, by the grace of God to their owne profit, and great good, and for the aduancement & furtherance of their ſaluation.
Three principall fruits, God maketh vsus gather of our maladies and afflictions.
The firſt is the amendement of our life, which awaketh vsus out of our ſinnes. For both in health and proſperity, it is too ordinary to flatter and cheriſh our ſelues in ſinne, by reaſon of our great corruption in Nature, which maketh vsus inclined to all euill, and vnprofitable to any good: it is therefore neceſſarie to looke about vsus, and become more ſenſible of our ſinnes, to retire our ſelues, and to be diſpleaſed with them; which is made by the meanes of ſickneſſes, and other aduerſities of this life, occaſioned by ſinne, and very often purpoſely ſent from God to chaſtiſe and correct vsus: and in that this good Father of Heauen ſheweth how much he loueth vsus, hindering our vndoing, and confuſion, in our inordinate life; like a good Father, that very well loueth his Children, hee chaſtiſeth and correcteth vsus, to hinder and draw vsus backe againe, leſt we ſhould be loſt; as Saint Paul ſaith, in the 1. of the Corin. 32. Verſe, When we are afflicted, we are taught by the Lord, to the end, we ſhould not be condemned with the world: and in another place he ſaith, Heb. 12. Ver. 6.7. and 11. That the Lord chaſtiſeth him he loueth, and beateth eueryevery childe whom he auoweth: If you endure Chaſtiſement, God preſenteth himſelfe vntounto vsus, as to his Children; For, who is the childe that the Father correcteth not? and although that all diſcipline in the inſtant, ſeeme not to be of ioy, but of ſadneſſe; neuertheleſſe it brings a peaceable fruit of righteouſneſſe to thoſe that thereby are exerciſed: It behooueth vsus therefore firſt of all, to gather this excellent fruit of our ſickneſſes, to feele the innumerable number of our ſinnes and offences, wherof we are culpable before God; to aske pardon of him in all humility and repentance, and to make a holy proteſtation to liue better hereafter; and to walke in his obedience and feare, by the grace of God, and the conduct of his holy Spirit: which we ought to aske with ardent prayers, and with an aſſured faith to be heard according to his promiſes. And ſo we may ſay with Dauid, that excellent ſeruant of God, Pſal. 119. Ver. 6…. & 92. Before I was afflicted, I went aſtray, but now I hauehave kept thy word. It is good for mee that I hauehave beene afflicted, that I might learne thy ſtatutes.
Now we may behold the ſickneſſes of our Bodies, how they come to be by Gods grace wholſome medicines for our ſoules.
The ſecond good which ſickneſſes bring vsus; is to vnlooſe, and pull away our hearts out of the earth, to lift them vp to heauen.
Experience teacheth, that our affections are but too much rooted and tyed here below, whileſt we are in health, and at our caſe, we would willingly neuer part from it, wee would be content that our ſoueraigne good & felicitie were here aſſigned, ſo ſtupid and blinde wee are: But God who hath deſtinated vsus to a better life, maketh vsus behold and perceiue how vaine and deceitfull the preſent imaginary ſweetneſſes and proſperities are: For when hee pleaſeth to viſite vsus with any ſickeneſſe, then we begin to conſider the many miſeries and incommodities that lackey our liues along euen from the cradle to the ſepulchre, which maketh vsus know, and cry out with Eſay, 47. v. 6. That all fleſh is like graſſe, and all the glory of it, no better then a flower of the field; And Dauid, Pſalme 90. That the flower of this ſhort life is ſuch, that wee are alwayes in paine and Martyrdome: And with Iob 14. That man that is borne of a woman, is but of ſhort life, and full of care. Which is the cauſe wherefore God maketh vsus remember, principally when we feele our ſelues ſicke, or otherwiſe afflicted, to make vsus contemne the world, and aſpire to heauen, making this miſerable life diſtaſtefull, that we may by meditation taſte of the Heauenly life, to the end that where our Treaſure is, there may be alſo our heart, and that our faith and hope being retyred from the world, and from the things of the world; wee may be lifted vp where they hauehave their true obiects; that is, to God, and to eternall life. For faith alſo is not of things viſible, but inuiſible, and Hope is not of preſent goods, but of goods to come, that is to ſay, of Heauenly and Eternall goods, purchaſed by Ieſus Chriſt; goods ſo great and incomprehenſible, which as Saint Paul ſaith, 1 Cor. 1.9. Eye hath not ſeene, nor eare hath vnderſtood, nor is not come vp into the heart of man, which God hath prepared for thoſe that louelove him.
There is alſo a third fruit very excellent which God maketh vsus receiue of ſickeneſſes which he ſendeth vsus; for by this meanes we come to the tryall and proofe, for to purifie and amend our faith, making it appeare to his glory, and to the edification of our neighbour. For as by this meanes, our faith is excited, and raiſed vp from the world to God, from earth to heauen, from this life, to the moſt happy and permanent for euer: So is it by ſuch prooues examined and exerciſed, and euen as it were refined and purified; like gold that is tryed and purified in the fire: as Saint Peter ſpeaketh, 1 Pet. 1.7. It is alſo brought in euidence and to the light, with patience, conſtancy, and other Chriſtian vertues, which God hath put in vsus, without the which wee ſhould not be knowne of any, and ſo in regard of our neighbours ſhould remaine without all vſe or profit. And certainely wee ſhould neuer hauehave knowne what the patience of Iob had beene, of Abraham, Dauid, and many other excellent ſeruants of God, if God had not made them paſſe through the fire of proofes and temptations, and at this day we ſhould not hauehave had ſo many faire examples as we hauehave, to comfort and incourage vsus to their imitation. It is the ſame of Chriſtian faith and patience, as of a Souldier and his valour, who neuer ſeeth well but in the middle of the combat; or of the cleareneſſe of Stars, which are not beheld but in the night; or the odour of incenſe, which is not ſmelt till it be caſt into the fire: So God maketh knowne to our brethren the courage which he hath giuen vsus, when hee maketh it come to our hands, with ſome rude and violent ſickeneſſe: hee manifeſteth vntounto them the cleareneſſe of our faith, when hee couereth vsus with ſome night of affliction: he maketh them ſmell the odour of our patience, when he caſteth vsus into any fire of aduerſity: and by this meanes our brethren are not onelyonly inſtructed, edified, and comforted by this our good example; but likwiſe led to praiſe and glorifie God, who ſtrengtheneth and ſuſtaineth vsus in the feebleneſſe of our fleſh, which demonſtrateth and accompliſheth his great vertue in our great infirmitie.
Now behold the principall and moſt notable ſpirituall fruits which God of his bounty propoundeth vntounto vsus, what we may gather of our corporall ſickeneſſes.
And therefore Sir, now that God doth viſite you with this maladie, and putteth you into this bed of infirmitie, it behoueth you to know and to acknowledge that this is his fatherly hand that handleth you after this manner, as one of his children, and by which he calleth you to reioyce in thoſe excellent fruits and profits, which hauehave beene declared for his glory, and for your good and ſaluation.
You muſt likewiſe acknowledge, that he would raiſe you out of your ſinnes and faults, and would hauehave you effectually feele a diſpleaſure within your ſelfe, that you may ſeeke for true pardon in Chriſts mercies; renouncing withall your heart your former euill life, with a ſound reſolution hereafter to ſerue him, and to walke in his feare with more zeale and affection then you hauehave done heretofore, wholly relying vponupon his grace; Is not this that you promiſe?
Patient.
It is.
Alſo conſider, it is his will by this meanes to make you feele the miſeries of this life, that you may contemne and tread down theſe worldly vanities vnderunder foote, to the ende that with all your heart, you may aſpire to the heauenly and eternall life, and thereby to anſwere the dignity of that condition to which you are called, to be children of God, and not children of men, to hauehave your conuerſation as Citizens of heauen, and not of earth, and to follow after and ſearch, as Saint Paul ſaith, for Phil. 3.20. Col. 2.12. The things which are aboue, and not thoſe things which are below. Is not this alſo by Gods grace, your reſolution, to doe all the dayes of your life.
Patient.
It is.
Acknowledge in the end, that the good will of God is by this ſickneſſe to examine & proue you, to the end, that your faith and your patience may become more perfect, and that they may be ſeene and manifeſted to your Brethren and neighbours round about you, that thereby they may be comforted and edefied, and giuegive glory to God, to ſee you ſo patiently and conſtantly to carry the violences and ſorrowes of this affliction, and that you eſteeme your ſelfe to reſt with a peaceable and quiet minde, to receiue whatſoeuer elſe it ſhall pleaſe God to ſend vntounto you: Is not this the reſolution which you take?
Patient.
It is.
I beſeech God to giuegive you grace happily to accompliſh your holy promiſes, to his glory, and your owne ſaluation; alſo you muſt with all your heart, often beſeech him, and implore his grace, otherwiſe you ſhall neuer be capable of your ſelfe.
But if you earneſtly and ardently deſire him, with a true and a liuely faith, in the Name of his bleſſed Son Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, doubt not but according to his promiſes hee will heare you, and at the preſent be with you, and fill your ſoule full of all holy conſolation, fortifying you with patience, and in like ſort comforting you as much as is fit for you, by which meanes he will binde you ſo much more to reioyce in his bounty, and to glorifie his holy Name with all obedience. This is his owne ſaying, to all that are afflicted as you are; Call vponupon me in the day of trouble, and I will heare thee: Is it not then your deſire that here wee call vponupon him with you altogether, that he will be pleaſed to aſſiſt you with his mercy?
Patient.
Yes.