I have endeavoured in this short Sermon, to prescribe to these sick times some spiritual Physic. The ground I have received from the direction of God: the method I submit to the correction of man. In this I might err, in the other I could not. The main and material objects I have levelled at, are. 1. to beget in us a sense of the sins we have done, of the miseries whereby we are undone. 2. To rebuke our forgetfulness of Gods long-since ordained ⟨image 142⟩remedy, the true intrinsic Balm of his Gospel. In the saving use whereof, we are (like some Countries blessed with the medicinal benefits of Nature, yet) through nescience or negligence, defective to our selves in the application. Inward diseases are as frequent as outward; those by disquiet of mind, as these by disdiet of body. It was a rare age, that had no spiritual plague ranging and raging in it. Ours hath manifold and manifest, vile and visible ones: the World growing at once old and decayed in nature, lusty and active in producing sins. Wickedness is an aged Harlot, yet as pregnant and teeming as ever. It cannot be denied, but that our Iniquities are so palpable, that it is as easy to prove them, as to reprove them. Were our bodies but half so diseased, (and yet this year hath not favoured them) as our souls are, a strange and unheard of mortality would ensue. Man is naturally very indulgent to himself, but misplaceth his bounty. He gives the body so much liberty, that it becomes licentious: but his soul is so prisoned up in the bonds of corrupt ⟨image 142⟩affections, that she cries of him, as that troubled Princess of her strict keeper, from such a Jailer good Lord deliver me. The Flesh is made a Gentleman, the Mind a Beggar. Sick we are, yet consult not the Oracles of Heaven for our welfare, nor solicit the help of our great Physician Christ. He is our Saviour, and bare our sicknesses, saith the Prophet: yea,1 took on him our infirmities. Infirmitates speciei, non individui:2 Infirmities commune to the nature of mankind, not particularly incident to every singular person. Those he took on himself, that he might know the better to succour us in our weakness. 3As the Queen sung of her self in the Poet. Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco. It is most perfectly true of our Jesus, that he learned by his own sorrows to pity ours;
I haue endeuoured in this short Sermon, to prescribe to these sicke times some spirituall Phisicke. The ground I haue receiued from the direction of God: the methode I submit to the correction of man. In this I might erre, in the other I could not. The maine and materiall obiects I haue leuelled at, are. 1. to beget in vs a sense of the sinnes we haue done, of the miseries whereby we are vndone. 2. To rebuke our forgetfulnesse of Gods long-since ordained ⟨image 142⟩remedie, the true intrinsique Balme of his Gospell. In the sauing vse whereof, wee are (like some Countries blessed with the medicinall benefits of Nature, yet) through nescience or negligence, defectiue to our selues in the application. Inward diseases are as frequent as outward; those by disquiet of minde, as these by disdiet of body. It was a rare age, that had no spirituall plague ranging and raging in it. Ours hath manifold and manifest, vile and vi•ible ones: the VVorld growing at once olde and decayed in nature, lustie and actiue in producing sinnes. VVickednesse is an aged Harlot, yet as pregnant and teeming as euer. It cannot be denied, but that our Iniquities are so palpable, that it is as easie to proue them, as to reproue them. Were our bodies but halfe so diseased, (and yet this yeere hath not fauoured them) as our soules are, a strange and vnheard of mortallitie would ensue. Man is naturally very indulgent to himselfe, but misplaceth his bountie. Hee giues the body so much libertie, that it becomes licentious: but his soule is so prisoned vp in the bonds of corrupt ⟨image 142⟩affections, that she cries of him, as that troubled Princesse of her strict keeper, from such a Iaylour good Lord deliuer me. The Flesh is made a Gentleman, the Minde a Beggar. Sicke wee are, yet consult not the Oracles of Heauen for our welfare, nor sollicite the helpe of our great Phisitian Christ. He is our Sauiour, and bare our sicknesses, saith the Prophet: yea,1 tooke on him our infirmities. Infirmitates speciei, non indiuidui:2 Infirmities commune to the nature of mankinde, not particularly incident to euery singular person. Those hee tooke on himselfe, that he might know the better to succour vs in our weaknesse. 3As the Queene sung of her selfe in the Poet. Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco. It is most perfectly true of our Iesus, that hee learned by his owne sorrowes to pitie ours;
- 1Esa. 53.
- 2Aquin.
- 3Heb. 2.1•. and 4.15.
