3 z Theright way . is noGod in !frael, tbaat thou féndefaá to inrjuireof&aalzebasb the godof Aron? therfore thoufhalt not come dw'nefa thy bedon which thouartgoneva, but!hat die thedeath.Therfore fuck kindof helpe is fo farre from curing anypaineor ficknes, that it rather doubleth then and faltcneth themvponvs. Thus muhofthe meanes ofhealth : nowfollowes themanner ofvfing themeanes; concerning which, three rulesmuff be followed. Firft ofall,he that is to take phyficke,rnutlnot onely preparehis bodie , asphyfitians doe prefcribe;but he muff alto prepare his foule by humbling himfelfe under the handof God in his ficknes for his fuses, &make earnefi praierto God for the pardonofthem before any medicinecome in hisbadie. Nowthat this orderought tobevfed appeares plainly in this, that ficknes fprings fr6 ourfinnes as froma roote;which fhouldfiat ofall be flocked vp,that the bra - chesmight moreeafilydie. And therfore Afa commended for manyother 2.Chr.426.. things,isblamed for this by the holyGhoa, thathe fought not to the Lord, but to the phyfitians,andput his trua in them,Ofrentimes it comesto paffe, that difeafes curable in themfelues , are made incurable by thefinnes and the impenitencieofthepartie : and therefore the bell way is for them that would haue eafe,whenGod begins tocorreetthem by ficknes, then alto to begin to humble themfelues for all their finnes,and turnevetoGod. The fecund rule is,that whenwehaue prepared our felues, and areabout tovfe phyficke, wemua fan&ifie it by thewordofGod and praier,as we doeour meat and drinke. Forby thewordwemua haueour warrant, that i i'ím. 3 the medicines prefcribed are lawful) and good ; and by praier we mua in- treat the Lord for ableffingvpon them, in reactingof health, ifit be the goodwill ofGod. The third rule is, that wemutt carriein minde the right andproper ende ofphyficke,leatf we deceiueour felues. We mua not therefore thinke that phyficke ferues to preuent old ageor death it felfe. For thatis not-poffible, becaufe Godbath fet dowse that all men ¡lull die and be changed. And life confias in a temperature and proportion of naturali heate and radicali mou lure; which moyfLure beingonce confirmed by the former heate,is by art vnrepairable; and therefore death,mua needes follow. But the true ende ofphyficke is tocontinue and lengthen the life ofman tohis naturali peri- od; which is vvhen nature, that hathbeone long preferued by all poffible meanes,is nowwholly (pent. Now thisperiod, though it cannot be leng- thenedbyanyskill ofman, yet may it eatly be fhortned, by intemperance 1 nteven:an:ws indiet;by b drunkennes, andby violent difeafes. But care mua behad to a - Caflt ex. nride all fuck cuills, that the little lampeofcorporali life may burne till it goe out ofir Idle. For this very (pace of time is the very day ofgrace and faluation:and whereasGod in iufficemight bauecut vs offand haue utter- lydearoied vs,yet ingreat mercy he gives vs thus much time,that we might prepare our felues to his kingdom which time when it is once fpent,ifa má would redeeme it with theprice of ten thoufand worlds, hecan not haue it. And to-conclude this point touching phyficke, 1 will here erdowne to
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