There be three things, say Physicians, that grieve the body. First, the cause of sickness, a contranatural distemper, which lightly men bring on themselves, though the sediments rest in our sin-corrupted nature. Secondly, sickness it self. Thirdly, and the coincidents, that either fellow it, or follow it. In the soul there be three grievances. First, original pravity, a natural [Greek or Hebrew], proclivity to evil, contradiction to good. Secondly, actual sin, the main sickness: Thirdly, and the concomitant effects, which are punishments corporal and spiritual, temporal and eternal. For all sin makes work; either for Christ, or Satan: for Christ, to expiate by his blood, and the efficacy of that once performed, ever available passion; or for the devil, as Gods executioner to plague. Many remedies are given for many diseases: the sum is this; the best Physician is Christ Jesus, the best Physic the Scriptures. Ply the one, fly to the other: let ⟨image 42⟩this teach thee, he must cure thee: that express image of his Fathers person, and brightness of his glory, in whom the graces of God shine without measure: oft have you seen in one heaven 1many stars; behold in this Sun, as in one star many heavens: for in him dwelleth all fullness. let us fly by our faithful prayers to this Physician, and entreat him for that 2medicine, that issued out of his side, water and blood, to cure all our spiritual maladies. Fusus est sanguis medici, ut fiat medicamentum aegroti. And when in mercy he hath cured us, let our diet be a conversation led after the canon of his sacred Truth: that whatsoever become of this frail vessel, our flesh, floating on the waves of this world, the passenger our Soul may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
There be three things, say Physicians, that grieue the body. First, the cause of sicknesse, a contranatural distemper, which lightly men bring on themselues, though the sediments rest in our sinne-corrupted nature. Secondly, sickenes it selfe. Thirdly, and the coincidents, that either fellow it, or follow it. In the soule there be three grieuances. First, originall prauitie, a naturall 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, procliuitie to euil, contradiction to good. Secondly, actuall sinne, the maine sicknesse: Thirdly, and the concomitant effects, which are punishments corporall and spirituall, temporall and eternall. For all sinne makes worke; either for Christ, or Sathan: for Christ, to expiate by his bloud, and the efficacie of that once performed, euer auailable passion; or for the diuell, as Gods executioner to plague. Many remedies are giuen for many diseases: the sum is this; the best Physician is Christ Iesus, the best Physicke the Scriptures. Ply the one, fly to the other: let ⟨image 42⟩this teach thee, he must cure thee: that expresse image of his Fathers person, and brightnesse of his glory, in whom the graces of God shine without measure: oft haue you seene in one heauen 1many starres; behold in this Sonne, as in one starre many heauens: for in him dwelleth all fulnesse. let vs flye by our faithful prayers to this Physician, and intreate him for that 2medicine, that issued out of his side, water and bloud, to cure all our spirituall maladies. Fusus est sanguis medici, vt fiat medicamentum aegroti. And when in mercy he hath cured vs, let our dyet be a conuersation led after the canon of his sacred Truth: that whatsoeuer become of this fraile vessell, our flesh, floting on the waues of this world, the passenger our Soule may bee saued in the day of the Lord Iesus.
- 1I•b. 1. 3.
- 2Colos. 1. 19.
