Meat out of the Eater, Poems 3
Sick mens Health.
FOr Sick men to be well,
For those that are in pain
To finde some ease, recover strength,
And to wax whole again
(By Means or else without)
This is no Novelty:
But to be sick and well at once,
This is a Mystery.
And for our Sicknesses
To be a Salve to heal.
Our deadly Sores, a soveraign Balm
For to procure our weal;
This is a Paradox,
Hard to be understood:
But these discourses following▪
Explain, and make it good.
I shall not intermeddle
With the Physicians Art:
Nor Medicines prescribe, which may
Relieve thy Body's smart.
But what may help thee bear
Thine outward Misery
With Patience, as becomes a Saint,
And to get good thereby.
Meditation I.
[1]
OF all Afflictions that
The outward man oppress,
None are more grievous to endureJob 2.4, 5.
Then Pains and Sicknesses;
Especially if great,
And long continuing:
Oh what vexation to the Flesh,
And Anguish do they bring:
[2]
Yet may such anguish great
Befall a childe of God:
Not from an Enemie's wrath, but from
His gentle Father's Rod.
God chasteneth his in loveHeb. 12.6, 7.
Ev'n when he seems severe,
Exempting not from smarting stripes
Those whom he counts most dear.
[3]
Job 2.7, 8.Most Patient holy Job
Was broken out all o're
With painful boils from head to foot
Loathsome, and grievous sore.
What strange Extremities
Befell this precious Saint
Chap. 2.12, 13.His Friends astonishment declares,
So doth his own complaint.
[4]
His Visage was so marr'd
Familiars knew him not.
Job 30.17, 18, …7, 30.His stiffened Garment girt him like
The Collar of his Coat
With running of his Sores:
His bowels boil'd within:
His bones were burnt with fervent heat
Chap. 19.20.And clave unto his skin.
[5]
His bones were pierc'd with pain;
His sinews took no rest:
Besides the many other woes
Wherewith he was opprest.
He could attain no ease
Nor respite, not a little;
Chap. 7.19.No not so long as till he might
Have swallowed down his Spittle.
[6]
Religious HezekiahIsai. 28.1, 12.
Whose Zeal for God excell'd,
(In whose defence the Lord of Hosts
Had Proud Sennacherib quell'd)
With Sickness great and sore
Was sharply visited,
And in the middest of his dayes
Was numbered with the dead.
[7]
He poureth out complaintsVers. 3, 14.
And cries to God above.
He like a Swallow chattereth
And mourneth as a Dove.
But when the Lord him hears,
And doth Salvation give,
He then can see, and also say,
That by such things men live.Ver. 16.
[8]
Good Lazarus may be sick,John 11.3, 14.
Though Christ's beloved Friend:
Yea of his Sickness he may die,
And to the grave descend.
Poor Lazarus the BeggarLuke 16.20, 21, 22.
Laid at the Rich mans doores
To beg relief, he may be sick
And also full of sores:
[9]
He may through Sickness die,
Or through distressing want;
And yet be carried unto Heaven
And crowned for a Saint.
So then 'tis no new thing
The Saints of God to see
Under Diseases, Sickness, Pain,
And sore Extremitie.
Meditation II.
[1]
ANd now my Soul, go to,
For thine instruction
Rom. 15.4.What canst thou learn, when thou art told
What Saints have undergone?
Soul. I see I have too long
Lam. 2.13.Me with my self compar'd,
And by much poreing on my self
Have been too much ensnar'd.
[2]
I thought my own condition
Sometimes more sad then any:
But now I see I have not felt
One half so much as many.
These Saints forementioned,
It plainly doth appear,
Have suffered more in one Months time,
Then I have in a Year.
[3]
Nay when I ponder well
What Job did once endure:
My Pains and mine Infirmities
Are but Flea-bitings sure.
The Lord was just, I know,
In all that them befell:
Both just and gracious toward me
I may account him well.
[4]
He hath not punish'd meJob 1….6.
So much as I deserve,
That from his just Commandements
So much and often swerve.
And should be still afflict me
Much more then yet he hath:
He will not wrong me,Lam. 3.22, 39. who deserve
His everlasting Wrath.
[5]
And howsoe're the Lord
Be pleas'd with me to deal;
Although he never in this world
Should me release or heal;
Mat. 26.39. Lam. 3.29.O let my Will submit
To his, that is most just;
Let me not murmure, but abase
My self unto the dust.
[6]
1 Thess. 5.18.Lord make me thankful too
For all that gentleness
Which in thy Chastenings towards me
Thou daily do'st express.
For Mercy 'tis, that I
Who more, much more, transgress,
Then many of God's precious Saints,
Am yet afflicted less.
Meditation III.
[1]
THough Christ were never sick,
Yet sure he under-went
Such piercing bitter pains,Psal. 22.14, 15, 16. as were
More then equivalent:
And by his Sufferings
He took away the sting1 Cor. 15.55, 56, 57.
Of all our Sufferings, Sickness, Pain,
And every evil thing.
[2]
Yea he them sanctify'd
By virtue of his Blood,
That they might as effectual MeansPsa. 23▪4. & 119.71 Job 33.19—31. Job 36.8, 9, 10, 11
Promote our Spiritual Good.
For he knew how to make
Trouble the way to Peace,
Sickness the way to soundest Health,
And Pain the way to Ease.
[3]
Some men have Bodies sound,
But Souls most deadly sick:
Blinde Eyes, hard He…ts, stiff Wills
'Gainst all Commands that kick.
3 John ver. 2.Some men have thriving Souls,
Though Bodies not in health:
And God doth make their Bodies Ailes
Promote their Spirit's wealth.
[4]
'Tis better to be sick,
And have thy Soul wax whole:
Then in a Body hail and strong
To have a sickly Soul.
For through Soul-sicknesses
Thou do'st dishonour God:
Who may be honoured when thou bears
Submissively his Rod.
[5]
Diseases bodily
May help thee to do well:
But Soul diseases, if not cur'd,
Will carry thee to Hell.
Our Bodies may sometimes
Need Physick, more then Food:
So may our Souls need Sicknesses
And Pains, to do them good.
[6]
Our Bodies Sicknesses
Are Physick for the Soul,
Corrected by a skilful hand
That can its force controll:
Who will so moderate,
And qualifie the same,
That it shall do no hurt, but good▪
Oh blessed be his Name!
[7]
By these he doth prevent
Much hurt that might be got;
Preserves us from Infectious Air
As by an Antidot,
'Gainst Constitution sins
Whereto our Nature bends▪
And those whereto our Calling leads,
Hereby he us defends.
[8]
By these he purgeth outIsa. 1.25. J…b 34.31, 32.
Bad Humours, namely Pride▪
Self-love, Impatience, Worldliness,
And many more beside.
By these he doth our Wills
Unto his Will subdue:
And makes us Peace, with Holiness,Heb. 12.10▪ 11.
And heavenly things pursue.
[9]
By these he quickeneth us
Our duty to attend,
Makes sin more bitter, teacheth us
To minde our latter end.
Job 42.5, 6.By these he rend'reth us
More vile in our own eyes,
And helpeth us more heartily
His favour for to prize;
[10]
Makes Christ more precious to us
And Earthly things more vain.
Rom. 8.23.By these he doth from too much love
Of present things us wean:
Makes us to think of home,
And long for Heavenly Rest,
Whilest here we feel our selves to be
With endless griefs opprest.
[11]
2 Cor. 4.16, 18.As th' outward man decayes
And is consum'd away,
The inward man thus gathereth strength
And vigour every day.
Who would not Physick take
Such Health for to procure?
And that their souls such gains might make,
A little smart endure?
Meditation IV.
A Dialogue wherein the Speakers are Fear and Faith.
Fear.
[1]
BUt what if Sickness bring
Extremity of Pain?
How shall I then have Patience, or
Good thoughts of God maintain?
I know Extremities
Are grievous for to bear:
And, which more grievous is, I shall
Dishonour God, I fear.
Faith.
[2]
Dread not Extremities
My Soul, thou need'st not fear it,
But if God please to lay more Pain,
Hee'll give more strength to bear it.
Such is his FaithfulnessPsal. 37.24. I…a. 63 9.
He will no Burthen throw
Upon thy back, but what himself
Will help thee undergo.
[3]
Thy Strength is very small,
Thy Patience that is less;
Thy Foes are strong, the World, the Devil▪
And thine own Wickedness.
Thou canst but little bear,
As well as little do:
Deut. 33.27.But th'Everlasting Arms can bear
Thee, and thy Burthen too.
[4]
If those Almighty Arms,
That made the World, infold thee:
No matter what the Pressure be;
Psal. 55.22.Doubtless they will uphold thee.
His Spirit helps us bear
Our greatest Miseries,
Ro. 8.26. foreign.And takes our Burthens heavier end
In our Extremities.
[5]
If that our Pains increase,
And grow upon us sore:
2 Cor. 1.5. 1 Cor. 10 13.1…He makes our Comforts to abound,
And Spirituall Joyes, much more.
For God most faithfull is,
That lets not his be try'd
Beyond their strength; but them supports,
That they may it abide.
[6]
When left unto our selves,1 Sam. 25.22. compared with 2 Sam. 16.10, 11.
Small Trials vex us sore:
And greater ones are better born,
When God assists us more.
In lesser straits, God's help
We are less apt to minde:
In greater straits we seek him more,
And more assistance finde.
[7]
Hence then Extremities
Which make us for to roll
Upon God's Power and FaithfulnessPsal. 37.5. Psal. 55.22.
The Burthen of our Soul:
Which force us out of Self
And unto Heaven send us;
They do but drive us to our Strength,Deut. 33.26, 27.
For God will succour lend us.
Fear.
[8]
But what if God withhold
His Countenances light
In time of great Extremity,
And leave me in the night?
If God forsake me then,
Alas, my Faith will fail:
And Satan watching for a prey,
Will over me prevail.
Faith.
[9]
His countenances light
If God from us withdraw,
In Sickness, and with fear of wrath
Be pleased us to aw…
1 Pet. 1.6 Isai. 54.7, 8.It's but if there be need▪
And 'tis but for a while;
When th'end is once attain'd, his frown
Is turned to a smile.
[10]
Jer. 33.20, 26.The Sun can sooner cease
To shine out of the sky:
Then Christ can cease to favour thee,
That do'st on him rely.
Rom. 8.35, 37, 38, 39.This Earth, that stands so firm,
Shall from her Center move:
Sooner then God Unchangeable
Will take away his Love.
[11]
Nay he will thee support
And strengthen with his Grace:
And while the one hand thee corrects
Cant. 2.6. Heb. 13.5.The other will embrace.
He will not thee forsake,
Nor leave thee in the mire:
Yea he will bring thy Soul like Gold
Job 23.10.More bright out of the Fire.
[12]
Soul, wherefore should'st thou then
Dread Sicknesses, or Pain?
Which in the upshot hurt no Saint,Rom. 8.28.
But alwayes turn to gain.
Lord, help me to rejoice
When I am chastened,
That thou art now conforming me29.
To Christ my blessed Head.
Whoso is wise,Hos. 14.9. and doth
These things consider well,
Shall know God's wayes to be most right,
And forth his praises tell.