a rngwe. 29 way diílrefTed.when rho.vpaffefl through thcw.aters,T n'ilbswitbthei(Caith thcf Lord)andtbrosta thefloods that they doenot or.erfiarvthee: when thoumalkes` through the veryfìre,thougialt not he buret, neither/hall the ileum ¡ , die vpon thee. Now the Lord dorh man fef}his prefèncethree waies : thefirff is by moderating and leaf ningthe paines and torments of ficknesand death, as the very words ofthe formerpromife Bothplainly import. Hence it comes topaffe that tomany men the lórrowes andpangs ofdeath,are nothing fo grieuous and troublefo me, as the afflictions and crottes which are laid on them in the courfe oftheir1iues.The fecond way ofGods pretence is by an in varcle andunfpeakmble comfort ofzhe fpirit, as Paul faith,wereiorce en tri_ 64i tt:ass, Finn s ig that tribulation brio ethforthpatience, g f ,c. but why is reioycing%b:carfe(faithhe iR the next words)ehe lameofGod is flied abroad in our heartsby theholy Ghoft. Againe,Paul hawing inTome grieuous ficknes re- ceiucdthe fenteuce ofdearh,faith ofhimfclfe,that, u thefufcringsof Chr:fiz 3 °Cor'''n. didaboundinhum, fa htT cos:folationdid abound throughCbrifl.Here thewe fee, thatwhen earthly comforts faile,the Lord hirrdelfe drawes nere the bedof the fick,asit were,vifiting them in hisownperfon,&miniflringveto them refrefhing for their foules;with hisright handhe holdsvp theirheads,d with Cant's. S. his left handheentbracerhthé.The third means ofGodsprefence is the mini. aerieofhisgoodAngels, whötheLord bath appointed as keepers& nour- ces veto his feruants tohold the vp&tobearethe' in their armesas nources doYong children, & tobe asa gardvnte thé againft thedeuill &his angels. pfal.9t. And all this is verified fpecially in ficknes,at which time the holy angels arc not onclyprefcnt with fuch as feareGod, but readie allo to receiue and to carrie theirfoules into heauen,asappearesby theexampleofLazarus. And thus much of the firtl dutiewhich a fickman is toperform vntohim- felfe,namelythat he mutt by all means poffïble arme & f}rengthen himfelfe again +the feare ofdeath : now followeth the fecond dutie which is c6cer- ning thebodie: and that is that all fickeperfons muff be careful' to preferue health&lif tillGod dowholly take it away.For Paul faith,Noneofvsliteeth Rem,i4,7 8. to himfelfe,neitherdothanydretobinrjlfè: for whether we lime, wehueveto the Lord,or whet her rredie,wedie vtìto the Lord: whether we lime thereforeor diewe are the Lordr,For this caufe wemay not doe with ourliues aswe wil,but we mullreferue the whole difpofitionthereofvnto God, for whole glorie we are tohueand die.And this temporali life is a moil pretiousiewell, &asthe common laying iF,lifeis veryfwcet;becaufe it is giuen manfor this end,that he might haue force fpace oftimewherein hemight vie all good means to attain to life euerlaflingLitc is not beflowedonvs,that we fhiould fpédcar daies in our lufs& vaine picalures, but that wemight haue liberciccocome out ofthekingdô ofdarkaes into the kingdö ofgrace, & fró the bondageof finite into the glorious lrbertieafthe tonnes ofGod:& in this refpc6 fpecial care mull be hadofprefrruation oflife,till God doe call vshence. Inthepreferuingoflife,twothings mull be confidered: the =ones and the right vieofthemeans.The means isgood&wholforn phyfick: which, C z though
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