The Healing of Israels Breaches, Sermon 6
Iſraels Phyſitian, THE VI. SERMON. APRIL. 13.
PSAL. 60. 2.
Heale the Breaches thereof, for it ſhaketh.
A Requeſt and a Reaſon (as you have heard) divide the text. In the former of theſe wee tooke notice of three particulars: Iſraels Diſeaſe, Cure, Phyſitian. The two firſt whereof I have inſiſted upon. It remaines now that we come to the third and laſt, and ſo paſſe on to the ſecond part of the Text, both which I ſhall paſſe over with as much brevitie as conveniently I may, having already diſpatched that which I principally intended when I firſt tooke the Text in hand. Iſraels Phyſitian, To whom it is that David here repayres for this deſired Cure, the Healing of the Breaches in this Kingdome, and that is, God himſelfe. So the firſt word in the Pſalme expreſſeth it: O God—Heale the breaches thereof.
Behold, who it is that is the Healer of Iſraels Breaches, D. God is the Healer of Iſraels Breaches.even God himſelfe, the great Phyſitian, foreign, he that healeth all diſeaſes. So David deſcribeth him, Pſ. 103. Bleſſe the Lord o my Soule, who healeth all thy Diſeaſes, all perſonall diſeaſes, & that Pſal. 103. 6.whether of Body, or Soule. Bodily diſeaſes. Goe tell Hezekiah (ſaith the Lord to the Prophet) Behold, I 1 King. 20. 5.will heale thee. I am the Lord that healeth thee (ſaith Exod. 15. 26.the Lord to the Iſraelites, ſpeaking of their Bodily diſeaſes.) Soule ſicneſſes; and that whether of ſinne, or ſorrow. Of ſinne. Heale my ſoule, for I have Pſal. 41. 4.ſinned againſt thee (ſaith David.) Of ſorrow. Hee healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their Pſal. 147. 3.wounds. Hee it is that healeth perſonall diſeaſes. And as perſonall, ſo Domeſticall, making up Familie-breaches, making man and wife to bee of one heart, reſtoring and repayring that peace and unitie betwixt them which at the firſt hee created, and ordained. And as domeſticall, ſo Politicall and Eccleſiaſticall diſeaſes. Thoſe are the maladies, which the Text leadeth us to, Nationall diſeaſes, Breaches in the State, in the Church. To both theſe God is the Phyſician, curing and healing both. Politicall breaches, reſtoring and ſetling peace in the Commonwealth. Hee maketh warres to ceaſe: 46. Pſal. Hee maketh Peace in thy borders. Pſal. 147. As Politicall and Civill, ſo Eccleſiaſticall breaches, Pſal. 46. 9. 147. 14.reſtoring the Church to former peace and happineſſe. In that day ſhall the Lord binde up the breach of his people, and heale the ſtroake of her wound, (ſaith the Prophet Iſay, ſpeaking of the reſtauration Iſa. 30 26.of the Church of the Iewes.) A promiſe ſeconded by the Prophet Ieremie ſpeaking in the ſame language. I will reſtore health to thee, and heale thee Jer. 30. 17.of thy wounds. This Cure is Gods, the Reſtoring of the Church, and ſo the cementing and uniting of the hearts of his people together, making them one. I will give them one heart, and one way, Jer. 32. 39.(ſaith the Lord.) Behold the Churches Phyſitian, who it is that muſt heale the Breaches thereof, if ever they bee healed.
And who but hee ſhould doe it? Hee it is that breaks, that wounds, and who but he ſhould heale? R. Hee wounds, and Healeth. Deur. 32. 39. 2 King. 5. 7.I wound and I heale them (ſaith the Lord.) Vna eademque manus. The ſame hand kills, and cures. Hee hath torne, & hee will heale us, (ſaith the Hoſ. 6. 1.Church) Hee hath ſmitten, and hee will binde us up. That which God maketh, man may ſometimes marre; but that which God marreth, none but hee can mend. Hee it is that healeth Iſraels Breaches.
For further Illuſtration I might ſhew you, how God effecteth this Cure. This hee doth ordinarily This Cure is his though effected by Inſtruments and means.by Inſtruments, and means. How ever he can doe it immediately by his word, us in Cures of the Body, He ſent his word and healed them, (it is Pſal. 107. 20.ſaid of men in diſtreſſe.) Speak the word onelyonly and my ſervant ſhall be healed, (ſaith the Centurion to Mat. 8. 8.our Saviour) yet ordinarily God maketh uſe of Inſtruments and Means. Even as in the Cure of the Body hee maketh uſe of Phyſitians, and Medicines, ſo in the healing of a Church, a State, he maketh uſe of Church-Phyſitians, State-Phyſitians, making uſe of the Miniſterie of man. Yet ſtill ſo, as that the maine work is his, and the Cure his: Even as the Cure is the Phyſitians, though the meanes be applied by his Apothecary. But I will not dwell upon the Doctrinall part of this point, being deſirous to finiſh it and the Text at the preſent.
The Vſe I ſhall make of it, ſhall be only two-fold. Is God the Healer of Iſraels Breaches? here is Comfort, and here is Counſell.
1. Comfort. Is God our Phyſitian? why then let not us deſpair of a Cure, of the healing of the Breaches Vſe 1. Deſpaire not of a Cure for this and the neighbour Kingdome.amongſt us. Theſe breaches, it muſt be acknowledged, are both many and great, the diſeaſe dangerous, yet not exceeding the skill of this great Phyſitian. If God undertake the Cure, we ſhall be cured. Heal me O Lord, and I ſhall be healed, Icr. 17. 14.(ſaith Ieremy.) It is not ſo with other Phyſitians: They may, and oft-times doe meet with diſeaſes which are paſt their cure, diſeaſes which being violent or inveterate ſcorne the force and vertue of all their drugs, though never ſo ſoveraign. And it may be ſo with a State, a Church, they may be paſt humane help, to man Incurable. Such was Babylons diſeaſe, deſperate, and incurable, her Phyſitians could doe nothing to her for her Care. We would have healed Babylon, (ſaith the Prophet) but ſhee is not, (ſhee could not bee) Healed, (as the Ier. 51. 9.Geneva reads it.) And it may be ſo ſometimes with Sion, with Ieruſalem. The Church of God may be in a forlorne and deſperate condition, her wound being (as Ieremy complaineth of his) Incurable, Ier. 15. 18.refuſing to be healed. So was it with Ieruſalem when Ieremy lamented over her Breach as being paſt mans Cure. Thy Breach is great like the Sea, who can heale thee? The Churches Breaches Lam. 2. 13.may be ſometimes like Sea-breaches, ſuch as the whole country cannot repaire and make good; ſo as her friends and lovers may ſtand, and mourn over her, as Ieremy there doth over Ieruſalem, and as the Merchants of the earth are ſaid to doe over Rev. 18. 11.Babylon, but in the mean time cannot help her, cannot heale her: Not unlike Dorcas her friends Acts 9. 39.and neighbours, which wept over her corps, but could do nothing to the raiſing of her up again, til Peter came. Yet in this caſe deſpair not. Vbihumanū deficit, ibi incipit divinum auxilium. When the wine was ſpent, then it was Chriſts time to work 2 Joh. 3.a miracle. When my Father and Mother for ſake mee (ſaith David) then the Lord will take me up. When Pſal. 27. 10.Phyſitians leave a man, and give him over, then it is Gods time to take him in hand, which oft-times he doth, reſtoring & raiſing him with great facility and celerity, beyond his owne, and others expectation. Turning man to deſtruction, he then ſaith, Come againe ye Children of men. And this he is able Pſal. 90. 3.to doe for this, and the neighbour Nation, the State, the Church in both. What ever the condition of them at the preſent bee, be it as forlorne and deſperate as our feares and jealouſies are readie to preſent it; ſuppoſe to our apprehenſions Incurable; yet let not this diſcourage. If God undertake the Cure, he can and will effect it. It is the comfort which the Lord giveth unto Ieruſalem againſt the deſperateneſſe of her diſeaſe▪ Thus Ier. 30. 12, 13.ſaith the Lord, Thy bruize is incurable, and thy wound is grievous, there is none to plead thy cauſe that thou maiſt be bound up, thou haſt no healing medicines, &c. Yet mark what followes. v. 17. I will reſtore health unto thee, I will heale thee of thy wounds, v. 17.(ſaith the Lord.) The deſperateneſſe of the diſeaſe maketh the Cure difficult to us, not to God▪ difficult for us to apprehend, not for God to effect. And therefore let not our fears, (how juſtly ſo ever bottomed and grounded) devoure and eat up our Hopes; as thoſe meager kine did the fat ones. Gen. 41. 20.Our feares are from the vallies, our hopes are from the Hills. Mine eyes are to the Hills. Our feares are Pſal. 121. 1.from Earth, our hopes from Heaven. Our fears are from men, our hopes are in God. O Iſrael thou haſt Hoſ. 13. 9. Pſ. 124. v. laſt.deſtroyed thy ſelfe; but in mee is thy help. Our help is in the name of the Lord; And ſo is our Health; depending upon this foreign, this great and chiefe Phyſition, who is able to heale all our Breaches. Here is Comfort.
Only that he may be a Phyſitian, a Healen unto us, working this Cure for us, Let us ſeek it from Vſe 2.him; Returning unto him, Reſting upon him, and, if ever we be healed, Give the Glory to him. Here is Counſel, running as you ſee in 4. ſtreames or channels. Paſſe over them ſeverally, briefly.
Seek …e unto God for this Cure. So doe Parients to their Phyſicians, apprehending the diſeaſe 1. Seek this Cure from God.dangerous, what ſending and poſting, meſſenger after meſſenger? never reſting untill the Phyſitian either come or ſend. Doe we the like unto this great Phyſitian in all our diſeaſes. For the healing of our bodies, if ſick and weak, goe to him. So doth David. I am weak Lord heale me. Not but that we may in this caſe have recourſe to the Phyſitian Pſal. 6. 2.alſo, as being the Miniſter of God for our health. But let not our addreſſes be onelyonly unto him. That was Aſahs ſinne. In his diſeaſe he ſought not to the Lord, but unto the Phyſitians. Nor yet in the firſt 2 Chro. 16. 12.place unto him. Let God have the honour to hear of us, and from us in the firſt place, who is able to bleſſe our blaſt counſels and means.
The like doe we for our ſoules. Heale my ſoule (ſaith David.) Not but that we may in this caſe Pſal. 41. 4.alſo repayre to Gods Miniſters being Soule-Phyſitians, or others who are able to adviſe, laying open our ſinnes, and ſorrowes unto them, ſeeking Cure from them; but goe to God in the firſt place.
And what we doe in our owne private, doe we the ſame in the publike caſe of the State, of the Church amongſt us; for the healing of the Breaches in both, goe we with David unto this great Phyſitian, putting up our ſuit unto God in their behalf; O God heale the Breaches thereof. Not but Not, but that we may ſeek it from men.that we may alſo have recourſe unto men in this caſe, viz: to thoſe whom God hath made Healers by office, Rulers, Magiſtrates in this our Iſrael, whether ſupream, or ſubordinate, under whoſe hands theſe Breaches, theſe Ruines, at the preſent are for the Cure of them, that Sage and honourable Councell of State-Phyſitians congregated, and aſſembled for this purpoſe. To them we may, we ought to have recourſe, ſeeking this Cure at their hands, wherein my Petition ſhall ever be ready to goe and run with the firſt, the ſumme whereof ſhall be, O ye Gods heale the Breaches in this our Iſrael; and this do with what ſpeed may be Sero medicina-Medicines come too late when diſeaſes are growne inveterate. It is the ſpeech of the Ruler to our Saviour, preſſing him to haſte his Journey, for the Cure of his ſonne, Come down (ſaith hee) before my Sonne dye. I forbear the Application, as not Ioh. 4 47.ignorant of the exemplary forwardneſſe of thoſe to whom I now ſpeak, of whom I may ſay, as Paul once of the Chriſtians of Achaiah, They were ready a yeare agoe. The good Lord ſhew 1 Cor. 9. 2.them the way, and cleare it for them, taking away the foreign, what ever it is that with-holdeth, or keepeth back their Religious Intentions from an happy execution. This ſeek we from them, but ſo as that we ſeek it from God, and from him in the firſt place.
Pardon my Jealouſie, if cauſleſſe: My feares tell me there are ſome who have done the one, but never yet did the other; have ſigned Petitions, one, or more, to that Honourable Aſſembly, who never yet put up a ſerious Petition unto God in the Churches cauſe. And what is this, but with Aſah to ſeek to the Phyſitians, and not unto the Lord? Know we, that if ever our Breaches be Cured, it is God muſt cure-them. Men are but his Inſtruments, I, ſuch inſtruments as cannot move but as they are moved. In him we move: Acts 17. 28.Like Ciſternes and Cunduitpipes, which can contain, & convey no more water then what is put into thē. And therefore have we recourſe to the fountaine, to their God and our God, and that in the firſt place, ſeeking this mercy at his hands, Pleading with him for his Church. It is the Lords complaint over Iſrael, There is none to plead thy cauſe that thou maiſt be bound up. Bleſſed be God, it cannot Ier. 30. 13.be ſo ſaid of this Church of ours, that ſhe hath none to plead her cauſe; Advocates, and Oratours ſhe hath many, continually lying at the throne of Grace, pleading her cauſe with God, that through his goodneſſe and mercy ſhe may be bound up, that ſhe may be Healed. Let every of us ſtrive to be in this number, all ſuiters, and ſuppliants unto this great Phyſition, that he would make the Church amongſt us his Patient, undertaking her Cure; to that end guiding and directing thoſe whom we look at as the Inſtruments of our good, directing them to the choice and uſe of right meanes, and then commanding a bleſſing upon thoſe meanes, making them effectuall to ends deſired. Thus ſeek we unto God for this Cure.
And that wee may finde what wee ſeeke for, (in the ſecond place) Returne wee unto him; not 2. Goe our ſelves unto God, Returning unto him.thinking it enough in this caſe to ſend, but goe; So did Naaman the Leaper unto the Prophet, for the Cure of his Leproſie, hee cometh in perſon. Doe 2 Kings 5. 9.wee the like in this caſe; thinke it not enough to ſend our Prayers, and Tears as meſſengers to heaven, but goe our ſelves, returning unto that God from whom wee deſire this Cure. It is ſaid of Aegypt. 19. Iſ. They ſhall returne even unto the Lord, Iſ. 19. 22.and hee ſhall be intreated of them, and ſhall heale them. God will never bee intreated of a people to Heale them, unleſſe they returne unto him. And therefore let this bee the generall, univerſall deſigne of all, even a Nationall Converſion, that from the higheſt to the loweſt we may all of us turne, returne unto the Lord our God from whom wee have gone aſtray. This is the next way to healing. Come (ſaith the Church) Let us returne unto the Lord, Hee hath Hoſ. 6. 1.torne, and hee will heale us, hee hath ſmitten, & hee will binde us up. This doe wee, and ſtirre wee up one another to doe it, as the Prophet there brings in the Church, as ſpeaking one to another, Come, &c. Without this no healing to bee expected, at leaſt not a perfect Cure. And therefore ſet wee upon this way. That God may returne, let us returne. This is the Counſell the Lord giveth his people in that knowne place, 2 Ioel. Thus ſaith the Lord, Turne yee unto me, &c. Rent your hearts, Joel, 2. 12, 13, 14.and turne unto the Lord; who knoweth if hee will returne, and repent, and leave a Bleſsing behind him? Some grounds of Hope yet there are, that God hath a bleſsing in ſtore for this Nation. O, that hee may returne unto us (who at the preſent ſeems to threaten a departure from us) and leave this bleſſing behind him, returne wee unto him, turning away from thoſe evill wayes whereby wee have provoked him. It is one condition in that promiſe which God maketh unto his people, If they ſhall turne from their wicked wayes, I will heale 2 Chro. 7. 14.their land; and Turning unto him by renewing and keeping our Covenant with him of a cloſer walking with and before him: Indeavouring (as much as in us lyeth) for the time to come to make amends, (as for other errors, ſo) for barrenneſſe, and unfruitfulneſſe under the means of grace: Surely amongſt other this is none of the leaſt provocations which hath drawne downe this wrath upon us; Even our abuſe of the Goſpell ſo long a time enjoyed, our abuſe of the ordinances of God, his Word, his Sacraments, for which (as ever wee deſire to bee Healed) let us indeavour to make amends for the future. It was the Counſell which the Prieſts of Dagon gave to the Philiſtines, when they were ſmitten with divers plagues, and judgments, and that (as they rightly apprehended) for the wrong, and injurie done unto the Arke of God; that they ſhould ſend backe the Arke, and that not emptie, but ſend a Treſpaſſe-offering, a Preſent with it, thereby, as it were, to make amends for 1 Sam. 6. 3.former indignities, and ſo doing (ſay they) Yee ſhall bee healed. Surely (beloved) ſhall wee enquire after the cauſe of all the Evills which either lie upon us, or threaten us at this day, wee ſhall finde this as one of the principall, the Indignities offered to the Arke of God, the worſhip and Religion of God, the Ordinances of God; the Captivating, and as it were impriſoning of them, with the Abuſes offered to them; that the Word hath not had ſuch free paſſage in the mouthes of Gods Miniſters, in the hearts of his people, as it ſhould have had; that the Truth of God hath beene detained, and withheld in unrighteouſneſſe, not finding fruits worthy of it, anſwerable unto it; That ſome have gone about to ſet up Gods Arke and their Dagon together; That others have polluted the Ordinances of God, handling them (as the Philiſtines did the Ark) with common, uncircumciſed, hands. Certainly, had wee no other ſins, theſe were inough to kindle all that wrath which is either broke forth upon us, or elſe ſmoaking againſt us. Now therefore, that we may be healed, Let us make a returne of the Arke of God, indeavouring to reſtore the worſhip and Religion of God, to Primitive Libertie, Puritie, Power; And let us returne it with a Treſpaſſe-offering, a Preſent; And what ſhall this Preſent bee? Why, even that which the Apoſtle calleth for from his Romans, That foreign, that Living Sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God; even Rom. 12. 1. 2.Our ſelves, our Bodies, our Soules; Preſent, and give up both unto God, binding our ſelves by ſolemne vow and Covenant, to a cloſer walking with and before him, ſo to walke as Becometh the Goſpell, bringing forth thoſe fruits of Holineſſe and Phil. 1. 27.Righteouſneſſe, which may bee by Ieſus Chriſt to the Verſ. 11.prayſe and Glory of God. Thus Returne we unto him who is the God of our health.
And Returning to him (in the third place) let 3. Reſt upon him for this Cure. Iſ. 30. 15.us alſo Reſt upon him. In Returning, and Reſting ſhall yee bee ſaved, (ſaith the Lord to his people.) Returning to God, Reſt wee upon him, and him alone. In vaine to Reſt elſewhere. In vaine is the helpe of man (ſaith the Pſalmiſt. Verſ. 11. of this Pſal. 60. 11.Pſalme.) So David apprehended it in the caſe of his Kingdome. So deſperate were the Breaches therein, that they were paſt his Cure. David a wiſe, and a gracious Prince, one that wiſhed as well to Iſrael, as ever did Cing to his Kingdome; and no queſtion hee wanted not a wiſe and faithfull Counſell, which were both able, and willing to adviſe him for the beſt; yet ſo deſperate was the condition of that Kingdome, that it was paſt all their skill to know how to heale it; In vaine was the helpe of man. And therefore hee betakes himſelfe unto God; looking up unto him, and reſting upon him. It is not our King, or his Great Councell, (I ſpeake it with a reverent boldneſſe) though the one Gracious, and the other many & wiſe, that can heale the breaches in this our Iſrael. All that they can doe is to wiſh well to the Caſe, and put forth their hands to worke; In the meane time it is God that muſt worke the Cure. As it is ſaid of that ſtrange Cure of the Kings-Evil; Tangit te Rex, Sanat te Deus, The King may touch, but it is God muſt Cure. And therefore though wee ſeeke and ſue to them, and looke at them as Inſtruments whoſe hands God maketh uſe of, yet let us not reſt upon them, being but an Arme of fleſh. To reſt Jer. 17. 5. Not upon Inſtruments, being but an Arme of fleſh ſubject to bee broken.upon the Arme of fleſh is the next way to breake it. I will not ſay that this hath beene the means to breake this Arme of fleſh heretofore: But this (I ſuppoſe) I may ſay, that our overmuch looking at, leaning, and reſting upon Parliaments, hath been neither advantageous to us, nor them. David will Pſal. 44. 6. Pſal. 18. 34. Job 20. 24.make uſe of his Bow, but hee will not truſt in it. I will not truſt in my bow. No, though a bow of ſteele, the ſtrongeſt metall, and beſt for that purpoſe: Such is the bow, (wee muſt acknowledge) which is at the preſent ready bent for our good; An excellent bow, promiſing much; yet truſt wee not in it, It beeing a bow ſubject to bee broken. So was Davids bow, though of ſteele, yet hee could breake it. A bow of ſteele is broken by mine armes. And ſuch is this Pſal. 18. 34.bow, a bow which, being in the hands of God▪ he can breake at pleaſure. Hee breaketh the bow. What Pſal. 46. 9.herein hee hath ſo frequently done before our eyes, ſhewes ſufficiently what he can doe. It matters not what any may thinke of it now, that this bow is better ſtrung then formerly; yet ſtill is it ſubject to bee broken. Who is there but ſeeth ſome flawes in it already? Thoſe unhappy Miſunderſtandings betwixt the Royall Head, and Loyall Members of that Repreſentative Bodie, (which what eye ſeeth, and mourneth not over, what care heares of and tingleth not at?) make the beſt and leaſt of them, they are flawes, and theſe flawes ill Preſages, ſhewing that this bow is ſubject to bee broken. It is one of the threatnings which the Lord menaceth Iſrael with, Am. 6. Behold, the Lord commandeth, Amos 6. 11.(ſaith the Prophet) and hee will ſmite he Great Houſe with breaches, and the little (or leſſer) Houſe with Clefts. The Great Houſe, and the leſſer Houſe, what meanes the Prophet hereby? M. Calvin, and ſome others▪ by the former of theſe underſtand their Nobles, by the latter their Commons, Proceres, & Gregarios, ſeu Plebeios. Calvin. Gualt.both which the Lord there threatens to divide, & breake. This God can doe by theſe two Houſes in any Kingdome, in this Kingdome, though never ſo well anchord, and bound together by never ſo many tyes, and bonds, Naturall, Civill, Politicke, Religious, yet if hee give the word, at his command they ſhall bee ſmitten with breaches, with Clefts, divided, rent, broken. This they are ſubject to. And therefore learne wee to looke higher; looking at them, not to truſt in them. Nor yet in any other ſecondary cauſe or meanes what ever. This was the ſinne of the Jewes charged upon them by the Prophet Iſay; when they ſaw the breaches Iſ. 22. 9, 10, 11.of the citie (of Ieruſalem) that they were many, they uſed means to repayre them, Pulling downe their houſes to fortiſie the wall (as you have it Verſ. 10.) But marke what follows (Verſ. 11.) yee have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had reſpect unto him that faſhioned it long agoe. They truſted more in their owne fortifications, carnall meanes of ſafety, then in God himſelfe. A vaine thing ſo to doe. It is not the Arme of fleſh in theſe caſes that can helpe or heale. It is that which the Lord telleth Ephraim or Iſrael, 5. Hoſ. When Ephraim ſaw his wickedneſſe, and Judah his wound, Then went Hoſ. 5. 13.Ephraim to the Aſſyrian, and ſent to King Jareb, yet could hee not heale you, nor cure you of your wound. And why? I will bee unto Ephraim as a Lyon (ſaith Ver. 14.the Lord) and as a young Lion to the houſe of Juda, and I will teare and goe away. If God, being provoked againſt a Nation, ſhall give it over unto confuſion, being unto it as a Lion, and as a young Lion rending, and tearing, it will be in vaine to ſend abroad for Cure. In this Caſe wee may ſay of all helpers and healers, as Job doth of his friends, They Job 13. 4.are Phyſitians of no value, not able to doe us any good. And therefore let it be our care firſt to ſeeke unto God, Returning unto him, thereby ſeeking to pacifie, and appeaſe his wrath. Tranquillus Deus tranquillat omina. Make peace in heaven, there will be peace upon earth: Then give this honour unto him, Reſt upon him, and him alore for the effecting of this great Cure, and that in his owne Way and Time. Take heed of preſcribing unto God in either of theſe. Hee that beleeveth ſhall not make haſt. Bee we content to tarry Gods leiſure, and thenEſay 28. 16.
In the Fourth and laſt place: If God ſhall Give God the Glory of the Cure, if ever effected.ever be pleaſed to work this great Cure for us, forget not to Give him the Glorie of it, and him alone: If we may not truſt to our Bow, neither may we ſacrifice to it. If the Phyſitian by his skill worke a Cure upon his patient, the honour is his, not his Apothecaries who miniſters what he preſcribes. All the inſtruments of our good, they are but as Inſtruments which muſt be ſtrung, and tuned, and touched before they will make any Muſick. So take, and ſo acknowledge them, giving unto them what honour and thanks is their due, but in the meane time reſerve unto God what is his peculiar, the praiſe and Glory. And thus I have at length done with the former part of the Text, (Davids Requeſt.)
It remains now that I come to the latter (Davids Reaſon.) Let me borrow of you a little time, and but a little, and I ſhall diſmiſſe both you and the Text, of which I am deſirous to diſcharge my own thoughts, and your attentions at the preſent.