3And search our selves, for usually▪ it is for some particular sin, which conscience will tell a man of, and sometimes the kind of the punishment will tell a man, for sins of the body, God punisheth in the body he pays men home, in their own coin, what measure a man measureth to others shall be measured ⟨p. 35⟩to him again. If a man have been cruel to others, God will stir up those that shall be so to him, therefore we should labour to part with our particular transgressions and iniquities. It is a general truth for all ills whatsoever as well as this of sickness.2 Therefore we should first of all go to God by confession of sin. It is a preposterous course that the atheistical careless world takes, where the Physician ends,3 there the divine begins▪ when they know not what to do. If diseases come from sin then make use of the divine first to certify ⟨p. 36⟩the conscience, and to acquaint a man with his own mercy. First to search them, and let them see the guilt of their sins and then to speak comfort to them, and to set accounts strait between God, & them, as in Ps. 32. (an excellent place.4 David roared, his moisture was turned into the drought of summer, what course doth he take? he doth not run to the Physician presently but goes to God. Then said I it was an inward resolution, and speech of the mind, then I concluded with my self, I will confess my sin to God, and thou for gavest my iniquities ⟨p. 37⟩and sin, so body, and soul were healed at once.5 Divinity herein transcends all other Arts, not only corrupt nature, and corrupt courses but all other: For the Physician he looks to the cause of the sickness out of a man or in a man, out of a man and then especially in contagious sickness, he looks to the influence of the heavens, in such a year, such conjunctions, and such eclipses have been, he looks to the infection of the Air to subordinate causes, to contagious company, and to diet, &c. And then in a man to the distemper of ⟨p. 38⟩the humours, and of the spirits, when the instrument of nature is out of tune it is the cause of sickness. But the divine, and every Christian (that should be a divine in this respect) goes higher and sees all the discord between God, 6and us, there is not that sweet harmony there, and so all the jars in second causes come from God as the cause inflicting, from sin, as the cause demeriting:
3And search our selues, for usually▪ it is for some particular sin, which conscience will tell a man of, and sometimes the kind of the punishment will tell a man, for sins of the body, God punisheth in the body he payes men home, in their owne coyne, what measure a man measureth to others shall bee measured ⟨p. 35⟩to him againe. If a man have beene cruell to others, God will stirre vp those that shall be so to him, therefore we should labour to part with our particular transgressions and iniquities. It is a generall truth for all ills whatsoeuer as well as this of sicknesse.2 Therefore we should first of all goe to God by confession of sinne. It is a preposterous course that the athesticall carelesse world takes, where the Physitian ends,3 there the divine begins▪ when they know not what to doe. If diseases come from sinne then make vse of the divine first to certifie ⟨p. 36⟩the conscience, and to acquaint a man with his owne mercy. First to search them, and let them see the guilt of their sins and then to speake comfort to them, and to set accounts straite betweene God, & them, as in Ps. 32. (an excellent place.4 David roared, his moysture was turned into the drought of summer, what course doth hee take? he doth not run to the Physitian presently but goes to God. Then sayd I it was an inward resolution, and speech of the mind, then I concluded with my selfe, I will confesse my sinne to God, and thou for gavest my iniquities ⟨p. 37⟩and sinne, so body, and soule were healed at once.5 Divinity herein transcends all other Arts, not onely corrupt nature, and corrupt courses but all other: For the Phisitian hee looks to the cause of the sicknesse out of a man or in a man, out of a man and then especially in contagious sicknesse, hee looks to the influence of the heavens, in such a yeare, such conjunctions, and such eclipses haue beene, he lookes to the infection of the Ayre to subordinate causes, to contagious company, and to diet, &c. And then in a man to the distemper of
- 3Search out our particular sin.
- 2To seek God in trouble.To seeke God in trouble.
- 3The course of worldlings
- 4Psal. 32.
- 5Divinity transcends other arts.
- 6Sickness how from God, how from sin.Sicknesse how from God, how from sin.
