,l.f••. G & fim doe Jo. de p.me· . 506 Th .l errg ~t way of dying -w..elt, moone bee freed from the forefaid afpe6ls, A !owed. Firfrofall,he that is to take phyficke the partie dies in the meane feafon. Theremufi not onely prepare his bodie, as Phyfiti~ fore they are farre wide that minifier purgaans doe prefcribe : but he noufr alfo prepare tions and let blood no otherwife,then theyare his (oule by humblinghimfelfe vnder the hand counfelled by the confiitution of the frarres, of God in his lickenelfe for his finnes and whereas it is a farre better courfe to confimake ea.rnefi prayer to ~od for the parJo;, of der the matter ofthe difeafc,with the difpofithem before a.ny medtctne COtJ\e in his bodie. tion and ripening of•it: as alfo the courfes Now that. thts ?rde! ought to bee vfcd, ap· and fymptomes, aad crifis thereof. This bepeares plamely tn thts, that fickenelfe fprings ing fo, there is good caufe that ficke men from our finnes as from a roote; whichfuould fhould as wdl be carefull to make choiCe of firfr ofall be fiocked vp, that the branches m~ete Phyfitians to whom they might corn. might more eafily die. And therefore eAjil mend thecare oftheit health,asthey are carecommended for many other things, isblamed ful\ to make choifc of Lawyers for their forrhis by the holyGho!l, z Chro.x6.u. thzt worldly fuites, and Diuines for cafes of conhe fought not the Lord, burrothe Phyfitians : fcience. B and puthis trufl in them. Oftentimes kcome• · Furthermore, all men mull bee here warto paJfe, that difeafes curable in themfelucs, ned to take heede , that they vfe not fuch are made incurable by the finnes and the immeanesas haue no warrant. Ofthiskindeare penitencie ofthe partie:and therefore the belt allcharmesorfpels, of what words foeuer way is, for them that would hauceafe, when they conlifl: charaUers and figures either in God begins to corred: them by fickenelfe; paper,wood, or waxe: all amulets, and ligathen alfo to begin to bumble thcmfelues for tures, which ferue to hang about the necke all their finnes, and t•rne vnro God. or other parts of the bodie, except they bee The fecond rule is , that when wee haue grounded vponfome good naturall reafon; as prepared our felues, and are about to vfe white peonie hung about the necke, is good phylicke ,~wee mull: fand:ifie it by the word againO: the falling fickenelfe: and wolfc-dung of God a a prayer , as we doe our meate or tyed to the bodie is good againll: the choldrinke. For by the word wee mull: haue our licke , not by any enchantment, but gy inwarrant, that the medicines prefcribed are ward verrue. Otherwife they are all vaine lawfull and good : and by prayer wee mufi · and fuperO:itious : becaufe neither by creatiintreat the Lord for a blefsing vpon them, on,uor by any ordinance in Gods word, haue C in refloringofhealth·, ifit bee the good will they any power to cure a bodily difeafe. For ofGod, 1 Tim.4-3words can doe no more but reprefent. And The third rule is, that weemuO: carry in yetneuerthddfe, thefe vnlawfulland abfurd minde the right aEd proper end of phyficke, meanes are more vfed and fought for ofcornIeO: wee deceiue our felues. Wee mull: not mon p•ople,then good phyficke. But it fiands therefore thinke that phyficke femes to preall men greatly in hand in no. wife to feeke uent old age or death it felfe. Forrhat is not forth to enchanters, and forcerc:rs, which inpofsible, becaufe God bath fetdowne that all deede are but witches and wizzards, though men !hall die and be changed. And life conthey are commonly called coaning men and liO:s in a temperature and proportion of natuwomen. It were better for a man to die of rail heate and radicall moillute ; which moyhis fickeneife , then to feeke recouery by fuch fiure beeing once confumed by the forme( wicked perfons.For iftmyman'turne afterfoch heate , is by a~t vnrepairable ; and therefore M wor~withJPirits, andafttr Soothfayers, togoe death mull: needs follow. But the true end of an whoring after them, the Lordwilljithufacc phyficke is to continue and lengthen the life agamjlthim, and cut themoffftom •mMg hu ofman to his naturall period; which is when people, LeHiticm 20. 6. When .Achau&~ was D nature that bath beene long prcferued by all licke , hee fent to Ba•l:ubub the God of Epofsible meanes, is now wholly fpent. Now ~on to know whether hee lhould recouer or this period , though it cannot boe length· no: as the meifcngers were going, the Pro. ned by any skill ofman, yermay iteafily bee phet EliMmet them, and fatd, z Kmg. t. 6. fuorrned, by intcmperanceindier, by' drun- •IntU: Goe and remrne to the kj_ng whichfem you, and kenneife, and by violent difcafe.. But care CW:IntUI Jay vntohim,Th!Ufoith the Lord,/s itnotber••fo mu!t be badtoauoide all fuch euils, thatthe c.unifex. thereunoGod in Jfrael, that thoJ<fondejltomlittle lampe ofcorporalllife may burne till it quireof71aalzebub the godof E/qon? therefore goe outofit{elfe. For thisveryfpace oftime thDH. fherit not C()me downefomt/ry bed on which is the very day of grace and {aluauon: and th•u<rrt gone vp, but]halt dicthe death. There· whereas God in iuO:ice might hau< cut vs off fore fuch kinde of helpe is fo farre from ruand haue vtterly deO:royed vs, yet in great ring any paine or fickeneife, that it rather mercie he giues vs thus much ti?"e ".that wee doublerh them, and faO:eneth them vpon might prepare ou: f;lues to Ius kt~l\dome: vs. which time when 1t 1s once fpenr, 1! a man Thus much ofthe meanes of health : now would redeeme it with the price of ten thoufol!oweth the manner of vfiog the meanes; faod worlds, he cannot haue it. concerningwhich, three ruks mull: bee fol· And to concludethis point touching phy_ ficke
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