öfSickneffc' andHealth. OfPhifickeanddiet. 41 ifthe fpirit doe teach vs,and affure ourhearts, that all the creatures ofGodare fanaified vntovs by the worde, and by prayer : then (hall wegiveGod duegloriein them,find pro-' fiteby them, and haue them fo long continuedvnto vs, as(hall be expedientfor vs. Some thatdo look on the wordofGod only to get knowledge,or tobe isothers are, at theTaft Ho,v tohair-- itwill beloathed adieu). So the Munfter ofGod ifwe like hint Andy for fauour, or Tome taüaè ibc oil+ gifts thathe path, and notfor that be is the minifter*four faluation, wee fhallquickly ei-nistert of ther makehim an Idoli, or elfe vtterlie deijrife him.Therefore ifwe willalwaies haue them rhrin. in due eitiniatìon,let vs acknowledge them tobe fuch as labour for our faluation. 8 Asoftentiines itfalleth, that fomemen mettlenaturali fickeneffes from theirna- turall parents ; fo doefotite likewife recente from their naturali parents naturali Gones. 9 When fume had admon himfor making mention of oldehnneswhen hee was at the deathof any:hefaide firft,I effectue not tnen as they are in the time of their ficknesi butordinarily I meafure them, as they were in their hues: Againe, they are notguilde of oidefinties indeath;tvhich repented trulie oftheir old fins in health, and life, Betides, if theybee not gtultie,sny prayer or fpeach hurteth them not, but profited] others:.ifthey beeguiltie, the trouble ofthem lhall toneto theirgood, in that they (hall finde theiudge- mentofthisworld, andefcapethe finall judgement that isto coin. to Hethought titattliere Iboold not beone minif'tr for the flcke,and thewhole in the q,lágne: time ofthe plague, butthat one(hould minifter to the whole, whilélt their ovinePaftor tendedthe ficke. t t Sogreatlyhereioyced in troubles, that lie wouldnot with to bevtterly freedfrom often infirmities, becaufe the Lord hadveeie much by them prouoked him often to exa- mine himlelfe. tz A certainegodly and efpeciall friendof hismaking knowne hispurpofe in taking ,jfoero(rebe phyficke to heipehim in .a leile infirtnitie, he (aide: Sir, your Phÿficke may cafe you of remolded be- foine panic, but I hopeit Ihall not purgeyou of the fauourof God : for althoughyou bee ft' e roeprofit eared ita this, yetfor thatGodlouethyou, he will ineet withyouinfomeother thing feenacobsiü 13 Afawasreprooued, becaufe flee fought not the Lord whenhe was ficke ofehe goute, which wasa puniíhment:.ofhisvnlawfnll couenant, 2.Chro.19. though it carneof his age and trauaile. The children ofGodmufffo thinkeofthemeanes, that 'they feeGod difpohng nature, and defticutingthem of grace,ifthey failein therightvfe of themeanes. Itilany nowadaies in lickneffe gotothe Phifitions with Afa,netaerconfidering their flnnes, the loftcaufe thereof. It is good tofeeke to the Phifitions, fo that God be firft fought to by repentanceofchat linne,whtchwe thinke tobee the'caufe ofthe fame. But whenthe Phift- tioncan not helpe them,andwhen they know no caufeof their flckeneffe,but areftrange- lyIrricken,andfuddenly,thenthey arefound, and- fay they-are taken, as Mofi Exod.4. ExoA4.r{, fuddenly Irricken faith, that the Lord bath met him :fo the itrangenelferiche thing did fooner bring hint to sod. -Therefore as the children ofGod are by this meanesfooner brought to God,asMofes and lob; fo thewicked in the like "cafes doe file further from God,and thmkeitlawfull to go towitches,whentheirPhifitions cannothelp; Let vsthen bothin ordinarieand extraordinariemeanes ofble(fings, and punifhments alwayes con- felfe, that the hand ofthe Lordhath wrougltt it, andbeck tobecured of him by whom we haue beene wounded. And let vs fo looke tothemeanes, as that wefirft reconcile our feines toGod for ourfinnes, andpacifie him, in that he may bleffe, and not curfe the Manesofphificke. 14 The Lordfendeth plagues one greater then another,yet alwayesthreatneth before theplagues doecome : fo that ifweewould profite bythe threatnings wefhould prevent theplague that it (hould not come.-And thisvfeought wet() makeof the threätnings,that fowe mayefcapethe iudgements byprofittnghy the worde, andby them. tp Sornewill lay, that they doenot find in themfelues thofefruits oftrue repentance, pru,tetofre bytheir ficknefies and troubles, which arefet downe tobe in thecbildern ofGod. Such peætanre. tnufttake heedthat they doenotdente thatwhich God laaths wrought in tiartat. robould ncuer bebrought todoe fo. But ifthyof hiétion continue, and thou findeftnot thatpro- fite that fhould be in thee,realonthus with thy feife. I am thechildeof God?andam af- flibredD
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