418 Of 'Sicknes,Phi /ckeandDiet. yeare of the Lord:Thirdlte,a facuhieand facditie in healing.This an was in full mesfrre in him. Hewentabout, faithMatthew, doing good, healing euerieWeakand tnaladie á. mong the people,whicli mayfarre more fiche by way of Metaphor,be tranflated veto the foule,where after a more fingular wayhe worker( great maileries,aoddoth greatercures. This is the comfort ofall comforts to the groping foule,to haaea pittifull, awilling, and a skilfullPhifitioo to looke vpon diamondcake them in hand. n When (iof any affli6'cion is vpon VS, weemuff takeheed that weeindent not with the Lord,hut learne prefendietohue righteoullie,and to profit by whatfoeucr is laid vpon vs,though we fee notprefent releafe. For ifthe troutonely humble vs,andwe benot humbled inheart,what (bath we be when thecrolfe is gone? Therefore let vs fee the Lord,. and be humbled,becaulè itis hisdoing,andwith ourwholeheart fubfcribe thereunto, and thenkt the Lord renoue it in his tiaie,fo that weprefently profit by it. 3 A certaine man whohad bin three yeares pained with a grievous difeafe, and finding Tobe truite no remedie byphificke,wifhed manictimestodie,and yet when he hadbetter confidered, ,, bumbled is he humbled hnnfelfe and Paidwithhisheart, Ifthis lie on meallmy life,yec will I ferue the rd beare the Lord,which done be foundprefent cafe, andwas not troubledtherewith afterward. Alfa tb men are falleninto thehands of the Magiflrate, or of thedifciplme of the Church, they will thewgreat repentancefor the time. But when the timeof theftexamination and ecurfeof :Lidice is patt,then altois their pietiepall, they are neuer thebetter, which (hew- eththat theywere not troche humbled, neither received any profit by their prefent cor- reetion. But letvs learnetoprofit by both,namelieby the immediate, or mediate hand of God vpon vs,and knowthat if the Lordforgiueour finnesthey (hall be forgottenamen; and ifwe Marne our felues,and be truely humbledvnder his handfor them,then the Lord will take awayourtname,and whatfoeuerafibìion inhisdue time. 4' If wepromifeamendment inthetimeofour trouble, & yet follow it not in the time of harrfnej/eof notputitoffTortinerto come,litst3prefenthilearnctoamendourtliues,o tierwifetheLord ,»ay dealswith vs as hedidWithhim. e 5 When fickenesor any other trouble dothaffliet vs,if wewoutd knowwhether it pro- . ceedefrom the fauor &lone of God towards vs,letvs learne to feeit in the example of the theefe theefeon thecrolfe, who fled vetoGod,profitedby the crone, andwould that others alto the crop'. fhould lbdoe: for ifwe canin trouble flie toGod, not towitches,and profit by ourerode, which in it nature isable tomake vsworfe, whereuntoalto Sathanwill fet to hishand ; if wee delire toamendour life, and thatothers ah'o fhotild amend by our example : by theee fruitswe may feethatour îckcnesis Ian fhifiedin Cherif, and all othierour troubles areal fo fanetified in him. For God wouldnochane received vs fogracioullie in the facrifice of his fonne Chiiff,ifhe mentto deffroy vs,be bathgiuenvs fomaniepledgesofhis loue: So wemayreafonwi thourfoules,asMáuorhs wifedidwithherhusband .Iudg,.oz.s3. -. S SeeingGod created allthings, nothing bath venue in it, but as Godgiueth it ; and when it plealèth liini he takech it away.OurFatherAdam lined withbearbs,and yet(hould liane lined for eorer; but we liaise uiányother things for our nourifhment, and yetlinenot. Against our fathersbefore the florid lined longer thenwedo,yet hadnot fo manyditherne we have. The children ofBiaelhued fortieyeareswithManna, andMofesandElias lined fortin ciayes withoutmence t all tliefeteachvs,thát man linethcotby bread onely,andchat the wantof the creatures Bothnot neceflarilic raft vs intod:feafes, -but thatit is our finne whichcalleth vs into diem. Meate dorh not nourifhvs, PhifickeBoth notNealevs, &the creatures doe noclirengthen vs,buctheLord Both allinall,as it pleafeth him , to trio his children,or to punifh the wicked. 6 In corporal! bleffïngs,ifwehue not the fpirit toteach vs, that by the word, and by prayer theyare fanélified ontooar vie,ifwe cannotreceiue.euen euery morfell ofmeate at Gods hands, as tokensand pledges of hisfauour, furelywee fhalleyther attire lathbee brought to loath then(, or to fec our hearts too much vpon them : fo that the Lord(hall beeconliraincd to takethem fromvs,tomake them rot, spelt, and ftinke, fochat we (hall not fnde them, nor liaucauie good hohe andprofitable vfe of thew. Contrariwife, if
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