Englands sickness, comparatively conferred with Israels Divided into two sermons, by ThoEnglands sicknes, comparatively conferred with Israels Diuided into two sermons, by Tho

They that have ransacked the riches of nature, searched earth, sea, air for beasts, fishes, birds, and bought the rarest at an inestimable price, never tasted such a junket. The fluid transient, passing, perishing, meats of earth, neither preserve us, nor we them from corruption. This banquet of His flesh, richer then that Belshazzar made to his thousand Princes, this cup of his blood more precious then Cleopatra's draught, shall give (vitam sine morte) life without death to them that are received, to receive it.¹ We perceive a little the virtue of this meat.

They that haue ransacked the riches of nature, searched earth, sea, ayre for beastes, fishes, birds, and bought the rarest at an inestimable price, neuer tasted such a iunket. The fluid transient, passing, perishing, meates of earth, neither preserue vs, nor wee them from corruption. This banket of His flesh, richer then that Belshazzer made to his thousand Princes, this cup of his bloud more precious then Cleopatra's draught, shal giue (vitam sine morte) life without death to them that are receiued, to receiue it.¹ Wee perceiue a little the vertue of this meat.

1. 1Dan. 5.1.

Now then, as the withdrawing of competent meat and drink from the body, lessoneth that radical moisture ⟨image 36⟩(which is the oil whereon the Lamp of life feeds) and makes way for dryness: whence the kindly heat (which like other fire might be a good servant, must needs be an ill master) getting more then due and wonted strength▪ for want of resistance, tyrannizeth, and not finding whereupon to work, turns upon that substantial vividity, exsiccating & consuming it This oversparing abstinence wastes, weakness, sickens the body, dangers it to an Hectic or some worse disease, of no less hurt, then too great repletion, So when the Soul (either through a mad frenzy of wickedness, or dull melancholy darkness of ignorance or sensual perverseness of affections) forbears, forbids herself to feed on that sacred and vital substance, Jesus Christ the vivid sap of grace and virtue, (which keeps true life and soul together; stilled into the heart by the holy Ghost) begins to dry up, as a