Sinne thecaufeof the fecondSunday inLent. Ser. ti. all miferte. be troubled. Shall Iand myforme Salomon bee counted doffenders ? Shall wee beè the out-calls of theworld,and be laydopen to the vtmoftofmiferie r Therea- fonofall this harmers, For that all poffible ill, thatcanbe imagined, is reduced vnto finne,asto it's Center. Make amufterofall the enemiesof Man,as Death, the Deuili,theWorld,& the Flefh; ¬ any oneofthem,naynot allofthem togetherhaue any the leaft power to hurt vs without finne. And thereforeinour Lordsprayer,filenciug allother our enemies,only webeg ofGod,that he would free vs from finne. But deliuervs from euill. Which, howbeit Tome doe vnder- ftand it tobe fpokenof the Deuill,yet (as Saint Aufien fayth)he canbut barke,he cannot bite. Onely finne is abletodoeboth. To this fo great a hurr,maybe added another that is farre greater. Which is obffinacie in finne. lob paintingoutthis euill,fayth, That the fanner taketh plea- fore therein , and that it feemethfweet vnto him, it isas pellets of Sugar to him vnder histongue ; He firstdelights inthe companieof fine thenheemar- ries hiinfelfe vnto her, and at last; leaues her nottill death themdepart. Parcet ills, e, nonderelinguet. The feuentie read it, Nonparcet ì/li, & nonderelinyuet, hee willexcufeno occafion,no diligence,no trouble. His defire thereofis infatia- ble. There is nokindof finne (be it ofSloath, or Reuenge, or Coúetoufnefl'e) that is continuallybeating vponour a&ions . But our thoughts are euermore hammeringofwickcdneffe, likethe Smith, that giuesa hundred blowes vpon hisAnuill,and two vponhis yron ; or like the Barbar, that makes more fnips in the ayre,than on thehaire. ThePharifees did crucifieour SauiourChriftbut once,in theverse deed and aCt ofhis death 5 but in their defires,&in theirthoughts,they hadcrucifiedhim athoufandtimes. But that we mayglue the obftinacieof this people,it's full qualification,we muff makea briefe recapitulationofthole meanes,which God viedfor to mol= lifie their hardneffe. Firft ofall; he tooke it tohis chargeto cureit withhis Doetrine,his Miracles, and the Prophecies of their Prophets. Well, thiswould doe no good with them, and many dyed in this their obítinacie. Next, hecomes amongft them in his owne perfon, takingvpon him thenameand office of a Phifidón, Purgatio- nempeccatorum faciens,ciliakingapurge forJinne.Hçwas willing to haue mini- fired Phificketo thelewes, andwith the fweet and comfortable fyrrop ofhis Word, tohaue eafed themof their griefes,and tohaue cured all the infirmities oftheir bodies; as the fickeofthe Palfey for eight and thirtie yeares together, the Blind that wereborne blind,and fuchaswerepoffeffedwith Deuils,andthe like ; Being willingalto to haue cleanfed their foules from all kind of vnclean- neffe : Butat lafthee was faine togiuc themover, theirdifeafeswere growne fo defperate, remitting them ad hofpitalium incurabilium, asmen withouthope of recouerie. For,as inthe body, thereare fomefrckeneffesfomortall,that though the fickebee capableof health, yet themalignityof the humour, ma- keth the Phifrtiontodefpairetherof : So likewifein the foule,therearefome difeafes fomortall, that through thegreatmalignityofthem,andthefharpenéfT'e ofthe humour,the heauenlyPhyfition isout ofheartofhelpingthem,and quite difcouraged from doing anygoodvpon them. And therefore fayth, Tee fbalI dye inyour finne. Teremiemaketh mention, that certaine Angells comming by Gods appointmentto ¿ure Babylon, afterthat theyhad applyedmany medi- cinesvnto her, theyfayd, Wee would bane. healed Babylon, but Pee is not healed, let vs therefore forfake her, and euery onegoe hisway from her. Lo , the Lord of S Angells 2,05 Oblinaciein fin, neuer to be cured. S in, defirous todoe more thanit is able.
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