176 Chap. 30. An Bxyoftion upon the Beoke of J o a. Verf.18. upon Phyficians and medicines, toget cafe and cure ; whereas they whoare well and {lrong doe feidome.(and thenfor thhe.moft part but formally) give thankes for it, or goe t® the expence of a due praife toGod for it. Secondly , Becaufe ( the body being fnbjtt`k to fo many df- cafes and fickneffes) the outward man (though infencibly) de cayeth day by day, we fhould looke after an increafe ofthe inner man day by day ; thet as our bodies decline towards the grave, fo our foules may incline and grow up towardsheaven. And that when we lay downe thefe earthly tabernacles in the duft, we may doe it ina fuilnes ofhope to receive them againe from the dolt, freed and exonerated from all thefe ficknefíes and difeafes;which nowbind us about, like the collar of ourcuate, and (as 74 pro- ceeds in the report ofhis fad condition) make us like duft, before we got to the duft. Verf.19. He hale cafl me into the mire, and I am become like daß andafter. This verfe is the utmoft line of mortality on this fide death and the grave; when a living man flicks in the mire, and lookes like duft and afhes, we can hardly tell whether we fhould reckon him among the livingor the dead ; yet to this exigence was 7o6 reduc'd. He loath call me into the mire. Theword which we tranflate, to calf, fignifieth alto to teach, and therefore forne render the text , He ( that is, God) barb taught me in the mire. There is no date (in this life) fo bad wherein God cannot teach us tobe better. He often makes the dunghil or mire our fchool,and there he inaraâs us. That's ave- ry fpirituall fence. WhenGod fends his into the dirty and miery places ofafiidion, he fends them to learne forne leffon or other which they would not underftand in the faire paftures of their profperity. Are they tick ? he teacheth them in the mireof lick. nefe, to looke after foule-health. Are they in the mire of.po- verty ? he teacheth them in their poverty to looke after the true riches. They are happy who learne how to cleanfe themfelves though in the mire, who get inftruc ion by corret'tion. But
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