A divine herbal together with a forrest of thorns In five sermons. ... By…A divine herball together with a forrest of thornes In five sermons. ... By…

This Rue is affliction; which hath a profitable effect in those that quietly digest it. Of all the herbs in the garden, only Rue is the herb of grace. How much virtue is wrought in the soul by this bitter plant! It is held by some a sickness: it is rather Physic: a sharp and short medicine, that bringeth with it much and long health. This, if they will needs have it a sickness, may be compared to the Ague. The Ague shakes a man worse then another disease, that is mortal. At ⟨p. 73⟩last it gives […] a kind farewell, and says, I have purged thy choler, and made thee healthful; by consuming and spending out that humour, which would have endangered thy life. Affliction in the taste is often more bitter, then a judgement that kills outright: but at last it tells the soul, I have purged away thy foulness, wrought out thy Justs, and left there a sound man. So the good Physician procureth to his Patient a gentle Ague, that he may cure him of a more dangerous disease. Ut curet spasmum, procurat febrim. Christ our best Physician deals a little roughly with us, that he may set us straight. And howsoever the Fever of affliction disquiet us a while, we shall sing in the conclusion with the Psalmist. ¹It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

This Rue is affliction; which hath a profitable effect in those that qnietly digest it. Of all the herbes in the garden, onely Rue is the herbe of grace. How much vertue is wrought in the soule by this bitter plant! It is held by some a sicknes: it is rather Physick: a sharpe and short medicine, that bringeth with it much and long health. This, if they wil needs haue it a sicknesse, may be compared to the Ague. The Ague shakes a man worse then another disease, that is mortall. At ⟨p. 73⟩last it giues 〈…〉 a kinde farewell, and sayes, I haue purged thy choler, and made thee healthfull; by consuming and spending out that humor, which would haue endangered thy life. Affliction in the taste is often more bitter, then a iudgement that kills outright: but at last it tells the soule, I haue purged away thy foulenesse, wrought out thy Iustes, and left there a sound man. So the good Physician procureth to his Patient a gentle Ague, that hee may cure him of a more dangerous disease. Vt curet spasmum, procurat febrim. Christ our best Physician deales a little roughly with vs, that hee may set vs straight. And howsoeuer the Feuer of affliction disquiet vs a while, we shall sing in the conclusion with the Psalmist.